Is ISIS Dead? Or Is the Taliban Trying to Fool Us?

Kokcha News Agency: Abdul Matin Qaneem, spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior, has declared with a baseless smile that “ISIS-Khorasan’s activities have been completely stopped, and there is no need for concern.”

This statement comes at a time when:

• ISIS has carried out operations in Nangarhar and Kabul.
• Taliban forces are searching for ISIS members who have escaped their control in Panjshir.
• UN experts have warned of the serious risk of ISIS infiltration among Afghan migrants.

Hans-Jakob Schindler, a former UN official on terrorist groups, has also stated that “ISIS-Khorasan sees Afghan newcomers as a potential source of recruitment.”

But what does the Taliban say?
Simply: ISIS does not exist. The borders are secure. Everything is under control.

The Big Lie:
This is the same big lie behind which regional players are fortifying their positions – from China, which has invited Yaqoob (Taliban leader) for talks, to the U.S., which is considering a return to Bagram.

Let’s Not Forget:

• ISIS in Afghanistan was never possible without the Taliban’s initial consent and negligence.
• Many of ISIS’s operations have been suspiciously met with Taliban tolerance.
• ISIS is a convenient excuse for the Taliban to both suppress dissent and portray themselves as victims.

Earlier Warnings:
We previously highlighted warnings from General Michael Waltz about how the “ISIS threat” in the region could be used as a pretext for Western intervention and the return of military forces.

ISIS may change its name… but its players remain the same.