ISIS in Afghanistan soon? Experts have said that the crisis in Iraq will soon spill into other parts of the world and with the ISIS getting stronger with each passing day there is one clear sign today that this issue is going from bad to worse. Letters written to the chief of the ISIS, Abu Bakr- Al Bhagdadi from various parts of the world including Afghanistan and Pakistan is just a sign of things to come and with Ayman Al-Zawahari taking a sabbatical, it only suggests that the worst is here. Letters of undying support to the ISIS chief whose idea to implement the harshest form of the Sharia law has caught the imagination and attention of various maniacs from across the globe. Letter of support in large numbers have been pouring in from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria and other parts of the world. The Intelligence agencies from across the world including India who have been monitoring closely the ISIS links to militants to both Pakistan and Afghanistan say that the support base for Bhagdadi is growing with each passing day. A man considered to be too violent by the Al-Qaeda has also been dubbed as the next Osama Bin Laden by many. However there was a question mark over Bhagdadi’s reach in the rest of the world. He had a great reach only in Iraq and Syria when compared to the global reach that Bin Laden had. However his style of operation and the manner in which he has made an announcement through his horrific and fearless fighting, it only has ensured that he has soon started to have a fan following from radical Islamists from various parts of the world. However for India, the greatest concern is the support he has been getting from both Pakistan and Afghanistan. Intelligence Bureau officials say that his threat is not immediate as Bhagdadi would only focus on Iraq and Syria for now. However the letters that have been written from Pakistan and Afghanistan is a sign of things to come and it is more about seeking his support. Bhagdadi will not interfere immediately, but with the West getting set to pull out, there is every likelihood that he will go ahead and support the Taliban which is looking to stage a come back. Basically it would be the same strategy that he adopted in Iraq. He waited for the US to pull out and then sidelined the Al-Qaeda. While comparing the situation in both Afghanistan and Iraq, it all looks very similar, the officer pointed out. Today Bhagdadi’s ISIS is a 8000 member strong force and the manner in which things are going this number could well go up to 18000 in no time. Support from Jihadis from even the West is also very evident as there are a large number of British fighters too who are part of the ISIS. Coming to Afghanistan, there is a situation on hand. There is no trace of Mullah Omar the supreme commander of the Taliban. The Al-Qaeda which has been leading the fight like it use to do in Iraq is on the back foot. Zawahiri who stays on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area has not made any noise recently and he has not proven to be a replacement for Bin Laden on whose name Jihadis use to draw inspiration. He has not been issuing statements like he used to do earlier and this is a clear indicator that the Al-Qaeda is a leaderless force. According to Richard Barett, for chief of counter terrorism with the British foreign intelligence Bhagdadi has managed to do a lot. He has captured cities and mobilized forces in large numbers. The experts also point out that Zawahiri has not managed to influence forces. On the other hand Bhagdadi and his ISIS is gradually becoming an influence beyond Syria and Iraq. He has become that leader which all Jihadi forces want to draw inspiration from. He may stay away from the rest of the world at least for another year, but knowing his madness to impose his Sharia law, there is a good chance that he will send a strong contingent to fight in Afghanistan. If the ISIS forces fight in Afghanistan, the Taliban is the one which will benefit the most. They have had no major support from the Al-Qaeda in the recent past and the lack of a strong influential leader who speaks a harsher version of their language would only do wonders to their moral, an officer in the IB also points out. He is becoming a symbol of modern warfare with ancient thoughts and according to the foreign media Bhagdadi is the man who will fulfil Osama Bin Laden’s next dream of creating as many radical states as possible.
Posted on: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 22:30:00 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015