You Thought This Was Just About Afghanistan? Think Again
As the Taliban take over the country, other jihadist groups are already carrying out attacks in the region. Chinese interests are the first in line.
Who wants to talk to the Taliban’s Abdul Ghani Baradar next?
Photographer: Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency/Getty
The spillover began before the Taliban had even reached Kabul. City after city fell this past week, and now the Islamist insurgents have entered the capital. It will only get worse as the conflict expands beyond Afghanistan’s borders.
Jihadist groups based in the country, some with transnational agendas like al-Qaeda, now have a template for defeating governments backed by major powers and have been emboldened by the Taliban’s lightning-fast advance. This is happening as the jihadi ecosystem is experiencing the lowest counter-terrorism pressure in the last two decades, effectively getting free rein. Asfandyar Mir, South Asia security analyst for the U.S. Institute for Peace, says it’s a dangerous combination when threats go up at the same time efforts to combat them go down.