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Home Front: WoT
9/11: Reflecting on 22 Years Since the Darkest Day in Modern U.S. History
2023-09-11
Seen on one of the Afghan news sites, which seems interesting today.
[KhaamaPress] On September 11, 2001, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks by the hard boy group al-Qaeda changed the course of global history. On the 22nd anniversary of this tragic incident, it’s essential to reflect on the events of that fateful day, its implications, and how it shaped global counterterrorism strategies and geopolitics.

On the morning of 9/11, 19 al-Qaeda gunnies hijacked four commercial airplanes. Two of the planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, were crashed into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center complex in New York City. Within hours, the mighty Twin Towers collapsed, turning downtown Manhattan into a smoke-filled ruin.

Meanwhile,
...back at the wreckage, Captain Poindexter wished he had a cup of coffee. Even instant would do...
 American Airlines Flight 77 was crashed into the Pentagon, the Department of Defense’s headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. A fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, was headed towards either the U.S. Capitol or the White House but crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after passengers tried to overcome the hijackers.

By the day’s end, almost 3,000 people from over 90 countries had bit the dust, marking the single deadliest terrorist act in world history.

Al-Qaeda, under the leadership of the late Osama bin Laden
...... who used to be alive but now he's not......
, quickly became the prime suspect. While the hard boy group orchestrated the attacks, they found sanctuary with the Taliban
...Arabic for students...
 in Afghanistan. The Taliban’s refusal to extradite bin Laden and dismantle terrorist camps eventually led to the U.S. launching the War on Terror.

Operation Enduring Freedom was initiated on October 7, 2001, to dismantle al-Qaeda and unseat the Taliban. Though the Taliban regime collapsed within months, the conflict continued for two decades. The U.S., during this period, established the Department of Homeland Security and enacted the USA PATRIOT Act, granting expanded surveillance powers to intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

The War on Terror also played a role in the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, propelled by the belief that Saddam Hussein might produce weapons of mass destruction and potentially ally with hard boy groups.

Nearly a decade post-9/11, in May 2011, U.S. Navy SEALs located and eliminated Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad
... A pleasant city located only 30 convenient miles from Islamabad. The city is noted for its nice weather and good schools. It is the site of Pakistain's military academy, which was within comfortable walking distance of the residence of the late Osama bin Laden....
, Pakistain. But al-Qaeda’s threat wasn’t entirely neutralized. Last year, another prominent al-Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri
...Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area assuming he's not dead like Mullah Omar. He lost major face when he ordered the nascent Islamic State to cease and desist and merge with the orthodox al-Qaeda spring, al-Nusra...
, met his end in Kabul, the result of a U.S. dronezap as detailed on the U.S. Department of Defense website.

However,
there's no worse danger than telling a mother her baby is ugly...
 despite these successes, Afghanistan’s political landscape remained volatile. As U.S. military presence diminished, the Taliban regained control, culminating in their capture of Kabul in August 2021.

22 years post-9/11, the globe faces a different landscape. The attacks reshaped geopolitics, influenced security policies, and altered perceptions of freedom and safety.

With the rise of other hard boy factions like ISIS post-Al-Qaeda’s decline, counterterrorism remains crucial. To ensure lasting peace, nations must address extremism’s root causes, from socio-economic issues to political disenfranchisement.

Commemorating 9/11’s 22nd anniversary reminds us of the innocent lives lost, the heroes of that day, and the unyielding human spirit. The lessons from 9/11 and its aftermath are enduring, continuously influencing global decisions.
Link


Afghanistan
Heaven of Foreign Militants: The Taliban Are Extensively Hosting Extremist Groups
2023-09-10
[8am] The Doha Agreement obligated the Taliban
...mindless ferocity in a turban...
 to cut their connections with regional and international terrorist groups. Despite this commitment, with the Taliban’s return to power, concerns have been raised by the United Nations
...where theory meets practice and practice loses...
 Security Council, United States, Russia, China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), and other security bodies regarding the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan. A report from the Hasht-e Subh Daily, two years after the Taliban’s resurgence, reveals that a considerable number of regional jihadists, along with their families, are actively operating within Afghanistan under Taliban rule.

These findings indicate that approximately 300 families linked to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and Ansarullah of Tajikistan have settled in the northeastern region, particularly in Badakhshan province. Reliable sources in eastern Afghanistan further verify that thousands of families associated with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) murderous Moslems are currently residing under Taliban governance. Moreover, East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) fighters, despite China’s backing of the Taliban, are capitalizing on the benefits of their presence in Afghanistan. Many of these murderous Moslems maintain ties not only with the Taliban but also with al-Qaeda.

Moreover, the Taliban not only incorporate certain jihadists into their own ranks but also furnish them with Afghan identification documents and passports, dispersing them across different regions of the nation. Intriguingly, these murderous Moslems have also formed familial connections with Afghan households to strengthen their foothold under Taliban governance in Afghanistan.

UNVEILING AL-QAEDA: THE PRESENCE EXPOSED BY AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI
One of the groups that causes widespread concern among many countries is al-Qaeda, which they believe should not be present in Afghanistan. The Doha Agreement directly addresses this issue, with the United States securing a commitment from the Taliban to sever ties with this group. However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 the death of Ayman al-Zawahiri
...Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area assuming he's not dead like Mullah Omar. He lost major face when he ordered the nascent Islamic State to cease and desist and merge with the orthodox al-Qaeda spring, al-Nusra...
 in Afghanistan exposed a remarkably close relationship between the Taliban and al-Qaeda—one that not even the Doha Agreement managed to break. Even prior to al-Zawahiri’s demise, suspicions lingered about the Taliban’s intentions. The United Nations Security Council repeatedly asserted that the Taliban maintained connections with al-Qaeda hard boys. During that time, reports indicated that al-Qaeda operated in 15 provinces across Afghanistan. al-Qaeda members usually assumed a secondary role in battles alongside the Taliban, primarily focusing on offering guidance and training. Now, with the Taliban’s resurgence to power, this group’s members are inclined to rejuvenate their network and leverage the Taliban’s rule.

Zawahiri’s Letter to bin Laden, discussed in the Hasht-e Subh Daily during the reexamination of the Abbottabad
... A pleasant city located only 30 convenient miles from Islamabad. The city is noted for its nice weather and good schools. It is the site of Pakistain's military academy, which was within comfortable walking distance of the residence of the late Osama bin Laden....
 case, indicates that al-Qaeda does not intend to leave the Afghan geographical sphere under any circumstances. In the letter, Zawahiri states that al-Qaeda must remain close to the Taliban leadership and work on building trust. Conversely, the letter also demonstrates the commitment of the Taliban leadership to preserve and support al-Qaeda. While the undeniable presence of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan is evident, determining the exact number of individuals in this network remains challenging. The Taliban even deny the presence of a single al-Qaeda member and have made significant efforts to conceal the identities of these individuals.

However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 the National Directorate of Security
...the Afghan national intel agency...
 (NDS) of the previous government recently reported that around 300 al-Qaeda members are fighting alongside the Taliban in their conflict. The UN Security Council Sanctions Committee, on the other hand, has cited estimates ranging from 400 to 600 hard boys. Despite the Taliban’s concerted efforts over the years, particularly in the past two years, to avoid exposing the identities and locations of al-Qaeda members, their active presence within the Taliban’s structures as advisors is a detail that the Taliban cannot conceal.

TTP AND SANCTUARIES ON THIS SIDE OF THE BORDER
The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) is also one of the murderous Moslem groups aligned with the Taliban. These two groups share a deep bond, and their recent activities have demonstrated that both, adhering to a common ideology, have been collaborating against the republic system. In the past, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) provided refuge to the Afghan Taliban, but now the hosting role has shifted to the Afghan Taliban. Among all jihadist groups worldwide, they are the sole entity with territorial control. Alongside their close interaction and alignment with the Taliban, the Pak government has repeatedly urged the Taliban to deny sanctuary to the TTP within Afghan soil. In response, the Taliban asserts that no foreign jihadist group has a place in Afghanistan and poses no threat to other countries.

However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 the findings of the Hasht-e Subh Daily indicate that around 10,000 Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) murderous Moslems are present in Afghanistan with their families. Most of these hard boys, along with their families, reside in the districts of Goshta, Bati Kot, and Lal Pur in Nangarhar
The unfortunate Afghan province located adjacent to Mohmand, Kurram, and Khyber Agencies. The capital is Jalalabad. The province was the fief of Younus Khalis after the Soviets departed and one of his sons is the current provincial Taliban commander. Nangarhar is Haqqani country..
 province; areas close to the Durand Line, which provide convenient movement for TTP. According to local sources, while many TTP murderous Moslems have been in these areas, particularly in the Salalah region, for several years, their numbers have increased after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. Sources state that TTP murderous Moslems and their families are present in regions like Salalah, Mama Khel, Ziarat-e Dagh, Zharai, and Ograi of the Goshta district, where they fulfill their basic needs from the markets of the Goshta district.

Most of these hard boys, who are also believed to be part of the Taliban’s reserve forces, have traveled from Lal Pur district in Nangarhar to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistain to wage war against the Pak government. An informed source, who prefers anonymity in the report, told the Hasht-e Subh Daily: "Many of them have gone from Lal Pur mainly to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. I know a commander who recently went with 30 individuals. The commander is known as Naaser, with the pseudonym Qahraman, he is for the Spin Tankai area in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Other commanders are named Bismillah and Enayatullah. Another one is known as Mullah Piran, originally from Swat, who is currently residing in Kashkot and Gaurik areas. Now the Emirates (Afghan Taliban) members also take the TTP’s seal of approval and head to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, claiming to wage jihad. This was a statement from a TTP commander who was saying that the Afghan Taliban have declared jihad against Pakistain."

On January 4, 2023, Pakistain conducted an aerial attack on the Salala area, but its Foreign Ministry denied responsibility. However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 local sources and non-governmental individuals in the Goshta district confirm Pakistain’s Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
s on the positions of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP). According to them, the attack took place in an area where families of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) were residing. Local sources stated that after the bombing, flames and smoke were observed in the region. The exact casualties of this event were not publicly disclosed, as the Taliban warned people not to discuss the matter among themselves. A source informed the Hasht-e Subh Daily, "No one can raise their voice out of fear, and [people] don’t talk about it among themselves."

Nonetheless, a recorded audio tape came into the possession of the Hasht-e Subh Daily in which members of the Taliban discuss the attack on TTP positions in the Arazi bazaar. The United Nations Security Council also confirmed the presence of TTP murderous Moslems on Afghan soil in a report. The monitoring committee of the UN Security Council referred to the TTP as the "largest constituent" of the Taliban. According to the report, the TTP has between 3,000 to 4,000 murderous Moslems in Afghanistan. The report identifies Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud as the current leader of the TTP and based on that, the TTP has become stronger and can pose a bigger threat in the region. However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 Fazal Ur Rehman Khattak, the leader of the National Awami Party (NAP), in a conversation with the Hasht-e Subh Daily, regards the TTP as an inseparable part of the Afghan Taliban. He states, "The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) is an inseparable part of the Afghan Taliban. This organizational distinction between them required intelligence games so that the international community would not see their bases within Pakistain as the Afghan Taliban’s region. Like before, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) exists in Afghanistan." Khattak also confirms the presence of thousands of TTP murderous Moslems in Afghanistan, saying, "Regarding their numbers, it’s difficult to be certain, but their count is not less than a few thousand." Last year, this Pak politician mentioned in a special interview with the Hasht-e Subh Daily that most ISIS members are murderous Moslems of the TTP. Meanwhile,
...back at the barn, Bossy's udder had begun to ache...
 Rahmatullah Nabil, the former head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) of Afghanistan, mentioned the presence of TTP murderous Moslems in Afghanistan in his speech at the Herat
...a venerable old Persian-speaking city in western Afghanistan, populated mostly by Tadjiks, which is why it's not as blood-soaked as areas controlled by Pashtuns...
 Security Conference which was held in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. In his speech, Mr. Nabil stated: "Currently, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP), under the leadership of Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud, are active along the Durand Line, with six to six and a half thousand hard boys."

NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN: BASE OF OPERATIONS FOR TAJIK AND UZBEK MILITANTS
The presence of Central Asian murderous Moslems in the northern part of the country was a contentious issue in the former government. Security sources claimed the presence of dozens of foreign murderous Moslem groups in Badakhshan province. At that time, the Khostak Valley in the Jurm District of Badakhshan province hosted around 300 Central Asian hard boy families. However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 after the collapse of the Republic system, most of these foreign groups redirected toward the central parts of districts and cities in the northeastern region of Afghanistan. A source informed the Hasht-e Subh Daily, "During the Republic regime, [foreign hard boys] were here in Khostak, and now they’ve all moved down to the valley. The majority of their families have gone to the province of Takhār. Another group has gone to the forests of Imam Sahib district in Kunduz province. About 20 to 30 families have gone to Baharak district. A few families are located in Fayzabad City. Five families have gone to Jurm District. Similarly, they’ve moved away from the Khostak Valley because no one is dealing with them, so they’re not causing any disturbances. They operate freely and conduct their activities normally. Another group of them has gone to Kalafgan District in Balkh province."

Meanwhile,
...back at the barn, Bossy's udder had begun to ache...
 according to another informed source from Badakhshan province, the number of foreign murderous Moslems present in the Ragh district of Badakhshan province, along with their families, amounts to around 200 to 250 individuals. This source states that the conditions for living and operations have been established for these groups in various districts and urban centers, and as a result, they are attempting to spread out across different densely populated areas. The source adds, "The number of foreign murderous Moslems in Ragh has reached around 200 individuals. They are Tajiks, they are Uzbeks. Khostak Valley used to be their center, but now they have dispersed; they have come to the district of Raghistan, and they are seeking refuge. Some of them have gone to the Imam Sahib district in Kunduz province with their families. They are also present in Fayzabad city. A group of them is in the Maimay area too."

Another source confirmed to the Hasht-e Subh Daily that a significant number of these groups have received support from the Taliban and have established family ties. This source adds, "Most of them have obtained Afghan identity cards with the help of the Taliban. Several Tajiks [Tajikistani hard boys] have obtained ID cards in Fayzabad City. A number of them have obtained ID cards in various districts." The source states that around 20 families of Tajikistani Taliban members are living in three villages in the Ragh district. The source elaborates, "Two families among them have married locally, giving and taking daughters of each other. They are living in areas like Sefidab, Dahn Shala, and Khonilar. Similarly, they have dispersed across various areas of Badakhshan province. They have a strong interest in Ragh district due to its gold resources. These people [foreign hard boys] possess resources and capital. Their true intentions and plans remain unknown. The situation is quite complex." The source further revealed, "Before the fall of Badakhshan province to the hands of the Taliban, the center of foreign murderous Moslems was in Khostak valley. A person named Gul Heidar Shafaq has conducted major coordination. Another person named Abdul Rahim is involved. These two Tajiks have plans in this region, but it’s unclear what they are doing."

Referring to the killing of a commander from the Tajikistan border forces at the Afghanistan border, a source states, "A group of them, who were in Maimay, around 6 to 8 individuals, intended to intimidate the Tajiks, transfer their substances [drugs], and monitor the situation. They went for sabotage but clashed with Tajik security forces, resulting in the death of two and the return of four. Foreign murderous Moslems who were in Badakhshan province have mostly gone to Imam Sahib district in Kunduz province, where they have established training centers. Their number exceeds a thousand. They have centralized their operations there, focusing on training and procuring military equipment. It appears significant plans have been laid for Central Asia, but no one dares to voice concern."

Another source tells the Hasht-e Subh Daily that those families of foreign murderous Moslems who have come to Faizabad City, the center of Badakhshan province, live in the area close to the "former national army recruitment center". Additionally, according to the source, foreign murderous Moslems who previously collaborated with the Taliban against former security forces are now in command of the former National Army recruitment center. The source adds, "Foreigners have their base in the same recruitment and mobilization center. Foreign groups that were with the Taliban, of them are now in the former recruitment and mobilization center. They have a very limited presence within the city. They go out during the evening and night." The source further states that some families of foreign murderous Moslems in Badakhshan province are involved in arms trading and gold mining activities.

Meanwhile,
...back at the barn, Bossy's udder had begun to ache...
 one of the residents of Badakhshan province has shared his observation with the Hasht-e Subh Daily regarding the presence of foreign murderous Moslems in Kunduz province. They report seeing individuals who cannot speak languages like Persian, Pashto, Uzbek, and Turkmen. According to this source, "It was a few months after the fall [of the previous government]. Our vehicle’s diesel pump was broken. They had just opened a square in the city of Kunduz. There was an automobile repair shop nearby. There were two vehicles packed with individuals. One of their vehicles was broken, so they took it inside the shop. They had a model of a fielder vehicle without a license plate with Left Hand Traffic (LHT). They were dressed in white clothes and wearing handmade traditional skullcaps. They were speaking among themselves, and we couldn’t comprehend. I think they might have been Uighur or Kazakh because they sounded similar to Russian or Kazakh. They had long beards, and their hair was machine-cut. They resembled local Turkmen, but they weren’t Turkmen because it was clear they had no familiarity with the people or the region. Everyone was saying that these are foreign Taliban."

Simultaneously, sources in Badakhshan province reveal that most of the Tajikistani murderous Moslems have gone to the forests of the Imam Sahib district, where they are engaged in training and planning. An informed source estimates the number of Tajik murderous Moslems in this district to be around 30. According to them, the Taliban use these individuals as a means of pressuring Tajikistan. The source adds, "Their number is not more than 30. They have a couple of tanks. Some days, they go to Shir Khan Bandar with the Taliban. There, they showcase themselves to the Tajik trucks passing through the border. They engage in fishing in the Shir Khan Bandar River. Everyone knows them there because they are well-armed and possess American weapons. Tajiks believe they can conquer their country in a day. The Taliban employ them for psychological warfare and pressuring the Tajiks."

A former government official with an in-depth understanding of the northeastern region of the country also informed the Hasht-e Subh Daily that all jihadist groups, including ISIS, Ansar Allah, and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), are active in northern provinces, particularly the provinces of Badakhshan, Kunduz, Takhar, Balkh, and Sar-e Pol. They added, "Under the Taliban’s protection, they have bases in Imam Sahib district of Kunduz province in Spin Zar housing schemes, Shah Ron area, and other locations."

Regarding the presence of leaders from ISIS, Ansar Allah, and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), the source stated, "Sheikh Abdul Haq Uighuri, responsible for the military network of ISIS, and Mullah Ibraheem, head of Ansar Allah hard boy group have military bases in Baghlan province. Furqan (one of their commanders) lives in the house of Commander Gul Ahmad in the vicinity of Central Silo in the city of Pul-e Khumri, the center of the province."

Meanwhile,
...back at the barn, Bossy's udder had begun to ache...
 Rahmatullah Nabil, the former head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) of the former government of Afghanistan, stated that the Tajikistan Ansar Allah group, Jundallah
..."Soldiers of God," a name used by two multiple separate terror outfits, one active in Iran and the other in Pakistain. Both are Sunni organizations that target Shiites. The Pak version has close relations with al-Qaeda and the Pak Talibs and is probably a false nose and mustache for Lashkar-e-Jhangvi...
 group, and the Islamic Jihad
...created after many members of the Egyptian Moslem Brotherhood decided the organization was becoming too moderate. Operations were conducted out of Egypt until 1981 when the group was exiled after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. They worked out of Gaza until they were exiled to Lebanon in 1987, where they clove tightly to Hezbollah. In 1989 they moved to Damascus, where they remain a subsidiary of Hezbollah...
 group led by Alim Beg Mohammadov and the Tajik Taliban led by Mehdi Arsalan/Mohammad Sharifov are also present in northeastern Afghanistan, with around 200 to 300 hard boys. Informed and local sources in Badakhshan province also confirm the number of murderous Moslems in these groups and state that they are mainly stationed in border areas with Tajikistan.

THE PRESENCE OF THE EAST TURKESTAN ISLAMIC MOVEMENT (ETIM) IN AFGHANISTAN
According to the findings of the Hasht-e Subh Daily, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) is also actively present in Afghanistan. Haji Furqan, the overall commander of the military fronts of this group, spends most of his time in Faizabad City, the center of Badakhshan province. Informed and reliable sources confirm to the Hasht-e Subh Daily that this member of the leadership of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) is currently residing in Faizabad city and his security is ensured by the Taliban. He has married in Badakhshan province and has acquired a forged identity and passport. This matter has also been confirmed by the United Nations Security Council’s monitoring committee report. The United Nations report states that Badakhshan province serves as the main base for this group. An individual named Abdul Haq al-Turkistani is responsible for leading this group.

Sources continue to confirm that this group is currently rebuilding its strongholds in the Wurduj district of Badakhshan province. A source tells the Hasht-e Subh Daily: "They have occupied the area and are reinforcing their strongholds. They control the region entirely." The United Nations Security Council’s monitoring committee report also states that this group has reconstructed several strongholds in Badakhshan province and expanded its operational area. According to the report, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) has clandestinely procured arms to enhance its military capabilities.

Meanwhile,
...back at the barn, Bossy's udder had begun to ache...
 Rahmatullah Nabil, the former head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) of the former government of Afghanistan, estimates the number of murderous Moslems in the Turkestan Islamic Party
...... Uighur jihadi group based in Badakshan, Afghanistan and listed under Tehrik-e-Taliban in the Al Qaeda organization table. Their Syria subsidiary currently reports to Al Nusra in the Idlib-Latakia region, where the Russians and Americans have been taking turns shooting them — they’re on their third Number 1 in three years......
 (TIP/ETIM) to be around 700 to 800 individuals. Mr. Nabil has stated that the Uighur murderous Moslems are led by Haji Furqan and Sheikh Abuzar, who are mostly active in the northern and northeastern regions of the country. Mr. Nabil also mentions that this group is active in the provinces of Badghis and Ghor, with an estimated 100 to 150 hard boys.

According to the United Nations Security Council’s Monitoring Committee report, it has been mentioned that this group is actively engaged in exchanging military experiences and manufacturing kabooms in collaboration with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) and Ansarullah group. The Security Council’s report states that the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) is focusing its attacks on China’s interests in Afghanistan. The East Turkestan Islamic Movement’s (ETIM) primary goal is to establish an independent Islamic state for Uighurs in China and other Turkic-speaking groups in East China and Central Asia. While this group was previously listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, Washington removed it from the list last year.

Sources speaking to the Hasht-e Subh Daily claim that Haji Furqan is between 65 to 70 years old. One source states: "[Haji Furqan] mostly resembles Afghan Turkmens. He has a long beard, and a strong build, and is considered a religious scholar. He possesses eloquence and fluency, speaking fluent Persian. His preaching has had a significant impact in the areas he has operated in, attracting a larger following. The Taliban hold him in high respect. He has also trained the Taliban in using mines, explosives, and tanks during their fight against the former Afghan government."

Another source, speaking to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, stated that Haji Furqan spent most of his time during the Republic era in the village of "Keyu" in the Jurm district, near the Khostak and Warduj valleys. This source added, "During the Republic era, Haji Furqan was a primary financial supporter of Qari Fasihuddin [the chief of staff of the armed forces of the Taliban]. To the extent that Furqan gave money to the Taliban in Badakhshan province, the Taliban themselves [the Taliban regime] did not provide financial assistance." This source mentioned, "Furqan is currently on the move. He is mostly in Fayzabad. He has a close relationship with a drug smuggler and the third-ranking member of the Taliban in this province, and he spends most of his time at his house. He has taken a wife and established personal connections."
Furthermore, this source mentions another Taliban member who monitors the security situation of Haji Furqan, but due to security issues, the name of this Taliban member is not disclosed.

It is noteworthy that according to the claims of sources, Haji Furqan has also been involved in the Kharooq uprisings in Tajikistan’s Badakhshan province. According to one source, some members of this group operate under different aliases in a secretive manner in Tajikistan, and their financial resources are provided by drug smugglers. It is mentioned that Haji Furqan has spent some time with the al-Qaeda network and currently maintains close ties with that network as well. However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 the Hasht-e Subh Daily cannot independently confirm Haji Furqan’s role in the Kharooq uprisings in Tajikistan’s Badakhshan province.

Members of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) have also attempted to establish familial ties in Afghanistan. Some members of this group have obtained Afghan identity cards and passports with the help of the Taliban. The United Nations Security Council report states that this group seeks to establish a presence in Afghanistan through various methods, including marriage, acquiring identities through fraudulent documents, and portraying their members as Afghan residents.

Earlier, Ramazon Rahimzoda, the Interior Minister of Tajikistan, had stated that the Taliban had distributed passports to around 3,000 members of "terrorist groups." He added that terrorist groups in northern Afghanistan are located near the Tajikistan border. Rahimzoda also asserted that over 20 terrorist groups are active in Afghanistan.

Previously, the Taliban have repeatedly declared that they have severed ties with terrorist groups in the region and denied the presence of ISIS in Afghanistan. This group, which interacts with regional countries, has also provided written assurances to China that it will not support the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and other groups opposing the government of China in Afghanistan. However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 it is noteworthy that the leadership members of this group (ETIM) in northeastern Afghanistan receive protection and identity documents under the stringent security management of the Taliban. Rahmatullah Nabil has also confirmed that foreign terrorist groups, due to their deep and ideological connections with the Taliban, have obtained Afghan identities and have settled in various parts of the country under different names.

It should be noted that alongside the United States, China, Pakistain, and Central Asian countries, Russia has also expressed serious concerns about the infiltration of murderous Moslem groups in Central Asia. Although Vladimir Putin
...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances...
, the President of Russia, handed over the Afghan embassy in Moscow to the Taliban, he has issued warnings about the presence of terror groups in Afghanistan. He stated that these terrorist groups pose a threat to the stability and security of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries. It remains unclear how long these concerns will persist, but documents and evidence indicate that the relationship between the Taliban and regional and global jihadist groups is not conclusively terminated. It appears that in any case, the group will either protect them within their structures or under their support.
Link


Terror Networks
Whatever Happened to Al Qaeda?
2023-08-06
[ForeignPolicy] The once-powerful organization’s disappearance from headlines and the broader foreign-policy conversation is remarkable.

On July 31, 2022, a U.S. dronezap killed al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri
...Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area assuming he's not dead like Mullah Omar. He lost major face when he ordered the nascent Islamic State to cease and desist and merge with the orthodox al-Qaeda spring, al-Nusra...
 at a Taliban
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Foreign fighters in NW Syria invested by Turkey, HTS
2023-03-24
[NPASYRIA] Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else
...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State...
 (HTS, formerly al-Nusra
...formally Jabhat an-Nusrah li-Ahli al-Sham (Support Front for the People of the Levant), also known as al-Qaeda in the Levant. They aim to establish a pan-Arab caliphate. Not the same one as the Islamic State, though .. ...
 Front) continues to use imported muscle as political leverage in coordination with The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor...
, as well as a tool against government forces and opposition factions, taking advantage of the large number of foreigners who cannot leave areas under their control.

In 2012, imported muscle from different countries began entering Syria through Turkey. Ottoman Turkish intelligence reportedly guided the bully boyz into different factions, the most prominent of which are the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
 (ISIS), al-Nusra Front, Jund al-Sham, and Jama’at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad.

LOCATIONS OF DEPLOYMENT
Exclusive sources from HTS’ Office of Foreign Fighters told North Press that there are "over 7,500 fighters" not of Syrian nationality affiliated with HTS in Idlib. "Almost 6,200 — including Uyghurs, Caucasians, Tajiks, Chechens — are the vanguard in the HTS frontlines,
...also known as cannon fodder...
whereas non-Syrian Arabs, mostly from north Africa, hold administrative, security, and military positions."

Foreign fighters who left HTS or refuse to be affiliated with it, whether in combat or ideology, are not included in official statistics. They live with their families in the towns of al-Fu’ah, Kafraya, and Sarmin, in the northeastern countryside of Idlib, as well as in Ariha, Jisr al-Shughur, and various other villages. HTS’ prisons hold 340 imported muscle under charges of joining ISIS or espionage, according to the source.

A military source of HTS, affiliated with the Red Bands, one of the most brutal faction in its ranks, said they hold between 900-1,200 imported muscle from Chechnya, Tajikistan, and East Turkestan [China], in addition to Moroccans, Algerians, Libyans and several from Iraq and Egypt."

The most prominent foreign faction affiliated with HTS is the Bukhari Jamaat, which is composed of Chechens and Uyghurs, as well as Russian Caucasian groups. Jama’at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad has Uzbek, Turkmenistani, and Moroccan members. It also harbors fighters from Gulf countries, in addition to numbers of Syrians, and an Uzbek group, which holds over 550 krazed killers.

One of the most loyal foreign factions to HTS is the Turkmen Islamic Party, which holds the largest number of imported muscle, specifically Uyghurs, and is directly supported by Turkey because of their members’ Turkic origins. They also undergo training and security courses within Ottoman Turkish territory and have a hospitalization center in Antakya. Turkey has facilitated their entry into the country, according to the source.

The same source noted that there is also an Iranian faction, named the ’Sunni Youth in Iran’ under the command of ’Abu Muhammad al-Irani’, a former commander of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. ’Abu Yahya al-Asfehani al-Irani’, another high-ranking member of the faction, holds around 150 Iranian fighters, and is affiliated with HTS on the frontlines in Idlib.

HTS also harbors prominent leaders from al-Qaeda in Pakistain and Afghanistan, as well as Iraq, who "have the greatest influence on [HTS leader] al-Jolani’s military approach," according to the source.

Abu Ayub al-Maghrabi is the emir in charge of borders and border crossings and was a former al-Qaeda leader in Pakistain, before heading to Syria. Abu Abdulrahman al-Qahtani, one of Jolani’s top men, was a colleague of Abu-Zaid al Kuwaiti, an al-Qaeda leader in Afghanistan and the "most distinguished student of [al-Qaeda leaders] the late Osama bin Laden
...... who is now beyond all cares and woe......
 and al-Zawahiri
...Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area assuming he's not dead like Mullah Omar. He lost major face when he ordered the nascent Islamic State to cease and desist and merge with the orthodox al-Qaeda spring, al-Nusra...
." Additionally, there is Mazhar al-Ways, the most notable member of HTS’ Shura Council, who operated under the command of ISIS between 2013 and 2014 in ISIS’ so-called ’Wilayat al-Khair’ province in Deir ez-Zor.

There is also Musleh al-Alyan, one of the "most famous politicians of HTS from Saudi Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Fifteen of the nineteen WTC hijackers were Saudis, and most major jihadi commanders were Saudis, to include Osama bin Laden. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman quietly folded that tent in 2016, doing terrible things to the guys running it, and has since been dragging the kingdom into the current century...
," together with ’Abdullah al-Mehisani’, a Saudi national and "the most prominent jihadi agitator," who currently works covertly from his residence in Sarmada, in north Idlib.

The Uzbek faction within HTS includes Abu Salah al-Turkistani and Khattab al-Shishani, students of Saifullah al-Jazrawi, one of al-Qaeda’s emirs in Afghanistan during al-Zawahiri’s rule. Many of those who fought under al-Qaeda’s banner are currently in the ranks of HTS, but "avoid publicity for fear of liquidation," according to the source.
Related:
Bukhari Jamaat: 2015-09-23 Suicide bomber bursts into tears and is comforted by jihadis before fatal attack in Syria
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran denies harboring de facto al-Qaeda leader
2023-02-18
“Wudn’t us!”
[SHAFAQ] Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations
...an organization originally established to war on dictatorships which was promptly infiltrated by dictatorships and is now held in thrall to dictatorships...
 in New York on Wednesday rejected a report by the world body's experts that has said de facto al-Qaeda leader Saif al-Adl is currently based in Iran.

"It is worth noting that the address for the so-called newly appointed al-Qaeda leader is incorrect," the Iranian mission announced on Twitter.

Casting the UN report as "misinformation," the mission said on Twitter it could "potentially hinder efforts to combat terrorism." According to the Iranian mission, al-Qaeda as a global network was dismantled following the 2011 death of its leader the late Osama bin Laden
...... who used to be alive but now he's not......
The UN report, released on Monday, relied on findings by many member states and described Adl's "presence in the Islamic Theocratic Republic of Iran" as a "fact."

On Wednesday, the same assertion was repeated by the US government, which has placed a $10 million bounty on Adl over his role in deadly bombings targeting American embassies in Tanzania and Kenya back in 1988.

But addressing US authorities, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian dismissed the accusation as a "failed campaign of Iranophobia." In a tweet on Thursday, he also advised Washington against giving "the wrong address" on terrorism, claiming that it was the US government that created such groups as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
A formal announcement on al-Adl's leadership has yet to be made by al-Qaeda, whose last leader Ayman al-Zawahiri
...Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area assuming he's not dead like Mullah Omar. He lost major face when he ordered the nascent Islamic State to cease and desist and merge with the orthodox al-Qaeda spring, al-Nusra...
 was killed in a US Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
 in Afghanistan last year. Those delays, according to the UN report, were caused by "sensitivity to Afghan Taliban
...mindless ferocity in a turban...
 concerns" in making public acknowledgment of Zawahiri's death.

The perceived reluctance of al-Qaeda as a Sunni bully boy group to target Iranian interests despite fundamental ideological differences with the Shiite government in Tehran has left room for speculation on possible links and exchanges between the two sides.

The latest UN report came against the backdrop of older accusations Iran
...The nation is noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence...
has been facing over providing safe heavens to the al-Qaeda leadership. In January 2021, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo alleged that al-Qaeda had found "a new home base" in Iran, as Islamic Theocratic Republic officials were allowing the group to "set up its operational headquarters and fundraise from within Iranian territory."
Link


Terror Networks
Iran-based trainer of 9/11 hijackers Sayf al-‘Adl believed to be new al-Qaeda chief
2023-02-15
[IsraelTmes] Though successor to Ayman al-Zawahri not officially announced by terror group, most UN member states say commander is its ’uncontested leader’

UN experts say the predominant view among member nations is that the leadership of al-Qaeda has passed to Sayf al-’Adl, who was responsible for the late Osama bin Laden
...... who used to be alive but now he's not......
’s security and trained some of the hijackers involved in the 9/11 attack on the US.

The panel of experts said in a report to the UN Security Council circulated Monday that no announcement has been made of Sayf al-’Adl replacing Ayman al-Zawahri, who was killed by a US dronezap in Kabul last August.

"But in discussions in November and December many UN member states took the view that Sayf al-’Adl is already operating as the de facto and uncontested leader of the group," the report said.

Assessments vary as to why al-’Adl’s leadership hasn’t been declared, it said.

Some countries feel that al-Zawahri’s presence in Kabul embarrassed the country’s Taliban
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
 rulers who are seeking legitimacy "and that al-Qaeda chose not to exacerbate this by acknowledging the death," the experts said.

"However,
alcohol has never solved anybody's problems. But then, neither has milk...
 most judged a key factor to be the continued presence of Sayf al-’Adl in the Islamic Theocratic Republic of Iran
...They hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
(which) raised difficult theological and operational questions for al-Qaeda," they said.

While noting that one country rejected claims that any al-Qaeda affiliate is in Iran, the panel said that the location of Sayf al-’Adl’a "raises questions that have a bearing on al-Qaeda’s ambitions to assert leadership of a global movement in the face of challenges" from the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
 murderous Moslem group.

Sayf al-’Adl has been listed on the UN sanctions blacklist as Egyptian-born Mohammed Salahaldin Abd El Halim Zidan since January 2001, the panel said. He is described in the UN listing as taking over as military commander of al-Qaeda following the death of Mohammed Atef — one of bin Laden’s top aides — in a US attack in November 2001.

In addition to being bin Laden’s security chief, the UN says, Sayf al-’Adl taught bully boyz to use explosives and trained some of the hijackers involved in the attack in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. It says he also trained Somali fighters who killed 18 US servicemen in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993.

Sayf al-’Adl is wanted by US authorities in connection with the August 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya.

According to the report, the threat from al-Qaeda, the Islamic State murderous Moslem group, and their affiliates "remains high in conflict zones and neighboring countries," with Africa emerging in recent years "as the continent where the harm done by terrorism is developing most rapidly and extensively."

The panel said the Islamic State’s leadership has also become a question following the group’s Nov. 30 announcement that Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi had died in a battle the previous month, the group’s second leader to be killed in 2022.

"The new leader was announced as Abu al-Husain al-Husaini al-Qurashi, and his true identity is not yet known," the experts said.

Member states noted numerous pledges of allegiance to Abu al-Husain by Islamic State "affiliates far and wide without specific knowledge of his identity or qualities as a leader," they said.

Wikipedia:
According to the Egyptian authorities, the FBI information on Saif al-Adel confuses the biographies of two members of Al-Qaeda. The first, 'Mohammed Salah al-Din Zaidan', known as Saif al-Adel, an economy graduate, joined Al-Qaeda in 1991, but was never a member of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad. The other individual, 'Mohammed Ibrahim Makkawi', is a former Egyptian Special Forces Colonel and a former member of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, who traveled to Afghanistan in 1987 after his release from prison, and later joined Al-Qaeda.

According to the indictment, Adel is a member of the majlis al shura of al-Qaeda and a member of its military committee. He has provided military and intelligence training to members of al-Qaeda and Egyptian Islamic Jihad in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Sudan, and to anti-UN Somali tribes.[5] It is possible that his trainees included the Somalis of the first Battle of Mogadishu in 1993.[6] He established the al-Qaeda training facility at Ras Kamboni in Somalia near the Kenyan border.[7]

Adel was accused of being involved with Egyptian Islamic Jihad and attempting to overthrow the Egyptian government in 1987. After the charges were dismissed, he left the country in 1988 to join the mujahideen in repelling the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.[8] He is believed to have traveled to southern Lebanon along with Abu Talha al-Sudani, Saif al-Islam al-Masri, Abu Ja`far al-Masri, and Abu Salim al-Masri, where he trained alongside Hezbollah Al-Hejaz.[9]

In Khartoum, Sudan, Adel taught recruited militants how to handle explosives.[4] Along with Saeed al-Masri and Mahfouz Ould al-Walid, he is believed to have opposed the September 11 attacks two months prior to their execution.[10]

Many analysts believe that Saif al-Adel will be named as the successor of Ayman al-Zawahiri since he was a loyal aide of Osama bin Laden.[11] However, this is seen as a complicated issue due to his residency in Iran.[12]
Related:
Saif al-Adel: 2022-08-08 More on Al Qaeda next leader Saif Al-Adel
Saif al-Adel: 2022-08-06 Ayman al-Zawahiri Ginsu'd: Al Qaeda's Next Leader Has Deep Ties to Iran
Saif al-Adel: 2022-08-03 Al-Qaeda faces succession quandary after Zawahiri killing
Related:
Mohammed Salah al-Din Zaidan: 2022-08-08 More on Al Qaeda next leader Saif Al-Adel
Link


Afghanistan
'No Details Found to Prove Zawahiri Was Killed in Kabul': Islamic Emirate
2023-02-09
*Snicker* Saying it won’t force Allah to make it so, suggesting that Allah doesn’t love the Talibs nearly as much as they suppose.
[ToloNews] The Islamic Emirate said that they have not found any details to prove that Ayman al-Zawahiri
...Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area assuming he's not dead like Mullah Omar. He lost major face when he ordered the nascent Islamic State to cease and desist and merge with the orthodox al-Qaeda spring, al-Nusra...
, former leader of al-Qaeda, was killed in Afghanistan.
Oh yeah? Then whose nose is this??
In August, US President Joe The Big Guy Biden
...46th president of the U.S. Sleazy Dem machine politician, paterfamilias of the Biden Crime Family, the guy who bungled Afghanistan...
 in a live address announced the death of Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.

"We have not reached a result yet. There has been no clear and decisive reason to prove that such an incident happened. It is still at a level of allegation. We have not received a satisfactory reason by the US," said Zabiullah Mujahid, Islamic Emirate’s front man.

However,
there's no worse danger than telling a mother her baby is ugly...
 the Islamic Emirate then condemned the drone attack that took place in August, in which the US said Zawahiri was killed.

"If Zawahiri was alive, he might defend himself and prove somehow the US claim wrong," said Mohammad Hassan Haqyar, a political analyst.

Some political analysts called the death of Zawahiri a controversial issue and urged an international investigation into it.

"To be clearer to the public mind, it is better that the sides agree on an investigation by an international and professional team in this regard," said Asadullah Nadim, a political analyst.

"This is a plan of the ISI and CIA to stress their claim that Afghanistan is a sanctuary of terrorists," said Bilal Fatimi, a political analyst.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, 71, who led the al-Qaeda network after the death of founder the late Osama bin Laden
...... who is now among the dear departed, though not among the dearest......
, was born to an Egyptian family in 1951 in Cairo.

His father Mohammed, who died in 1995,
...so he didn’t live long enough to have to be ashamed at what his son became...
was a pharmacology professor at Cairo University, where Zawahiri obtained a master’s degree in surgery.
Link


Afghanistan
Afghanistan: The Taliban's punishment of women is an act of desperation
2023-01-16
A few key paragraphs to give a sense of the essay. Go to the link to read the whole thing.
[MiddleEastEye] Ever since signing a peace deal with the US in Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...
 in 2020, the Taliban
...Arabic for students...
 hoped for formal recognition. But not a single country has recognised them. In July last year, this mistrust reached new heights. The Taliban received their first major blow when al-Qaeda’s top leader, Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahiri
...Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area assuming he's not dead like Mullah Omar. He lost major face when he ordered the nascent Islamic State to cease and desist and merge with the orthodox al-Qaeda spring, al-Nusra...
, a criminal mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, was killed in a US dronezap in Kabul’s high-security zone. He lived with top Taliban leaders as a "state guest"
[love toy?]
in a "safe house".

Zawahiri’s death raised many questions. Who gave on-the-ground intelligence for the US attack? Is Kabul safe anymore? Reportedly, even top Taliban leaders left the capital city for fear of more attacks.

Another side of the Taliban’s challenge is existential. Zawahiri’s death has confirmed the rumours that there are widening gaps in its ranks.

From the start, the militia was divided into two main groups: one led by its deputy prime minister, Abdul Ghani Baradar, called the Kandahari group, which is entrenched in Kandahar, Afghanistan’s second city, near Pakistain’s southern border; the other led by its hardline interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani
...son of Pashtun warlord Jalaluddin Haqqani, still titular head of the Haqqani Network....
, with links to the Pakistain military.

The Haqqani group controls Kabul and the provinces leading to Pakistain’s northwestern border and beyond, a strategic advantage it availed during fighting against the US-led NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A cautionary tale of cost-benefit analysis....
 forces.

This division seems dormant, but the mutual tensions from time to time weaken the Taliban's grip over the country. The barometer of this division is their rival krazed killer group, the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
 Khorasan (IS-K). The IS-K’s numbers doubled in 2022, spreading its operations to all of the country’s 34 provinces, targeting with precision the Taliban's interests, including attacks on Chinese, Russian and Pak missions in Kabul.

Without admitting the presence of the IS-K, the Taliban, however, understands that this challenge could not arise without defections in its own ranks. This rising threat can make the IS-K a site of convergence for anti-Taliban groups, including resistance in the country’s northern parts, and especially the Panjshir Valley.

Unleashing the current oppression against women, therefore, also reveals the Taliban leaders’ efforts to make their foot soldiers realise that their ideology of implementing their own violent mostly peaceful brand of sharia is intact, a system in which women are forced to stay at home.
Link


Afghanistan
A Look at Afghanistan’s Security Situation in 2022
2023-01-01
[ToloNews] Attack on embassies of Russia and Pakistain as well as US announcement of al-Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri
...Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area assuming he's not dead like Mullah Omar. He lost major face when he ordered the nascent Islamic State to cease and desist and merge with the orthodox al-Qaeda spring, al-Nusra...
’s killing were part of security-related incidents in Afghanistan in 2022.

People expressed happiness over the security situation in the country
Did they, indeed?
but urged the Islamic Emirate to prevent bombings across the country.

There were less fewer security incidents between January to April 2022. But in April, 12 security incidents happened in the provinces of the Kabul, Balkh, Badakhshan and Kunduz, in which over 110 people were killed and 270 others were maimed.

On April 19th, 20 students were killed and 30 others were maimed in bombing on Abdul Rahim Shaheed Highschool in Kabul.

One day later, the Si-Dokana mosque located in Mazar-e-Sharif was attacked, leaving 31 people dead and more than 90 others maimed.

On April 20th, 33 people were killed and 43 others were maimed in a blast in Imam Sahib district of Kunduz.

On October 2nd , a blast targeted Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with an iron fist by Hamaswith about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
rgah mosque of Herat
...a venerable old Persian-speaking city in western Afghanistan, populated mostly by Tadjiks, which is why it's not as blood-soaked as areas controlled by Pashtuns...
. On November 30th, a blast happened at Jahadia seminary in Samangan

SECURITY INCIDENTS IN KABUL:
On April 30th a mosque (Khanqa) in Darul-Aman was attacked.

On July 29th, a blast happened in cricket stadium.

On August 23rd, blast happened nearby the Wazir Akbar Khan Mosque.

On October 1st, a blast happened at the Kaaj educational center.

On October 5th, a blast happened at a mosque of the Interior Ministry.

On September 5th of 2022, for the first time the Russian embassy in Kabul was attacked, in which two Russian diplomats were killed alongside several Afghans.

On December 5th, the embassy of Pakistain in Kabul was attacked. The attack aimed to murder the Pakistain ambassador for Afghanistan, Abdul Rahman Nizami.

Nizami escaped the attack unhurt but one of his guards was severely maimed.

On December 12th, three attackers stormed into a hotel which was housed for Chinese citizens as well as common Afghan citizens.

The attack left three dead and 18 others maimed.

On August 2nd, the US President Joe The Big Guy Biden
...46th president of the U.S. I'm not working for you. Don't be such a horse's ass. Don't say he didn't warn us...
 in a live address said: "Justice has been delivered" in US strike killing al-Qaeda leader al-Zawahri; "this terrorist leader is no more."

"On Saturday at my direction, the United States successfully concluded an Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
 in Kabul, Afghanistan, that killed the emir of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri. You know, Zawahiri was bin Laden's leader. He was with him all that whole time. He was his number two man, his deputy at the time of terrorist attack 9/11. He was deeply involved in the planning of 9/11. One of the most responsible for the attacks and murdered 2,977 people on American soil," Biden said.

But the Islamic Emirate front man Zabiullah Mujahid in a statement confirmed that a strike took place and strongly condemned it, calling it a violation of "international principles."

"On August 1, 2022, an air strike was carried out on a residential house in the Sherpoor area of Kabul city. At the outset, the nature of the incident was not revealed. The security and intelligence agencies of the Islamic Emirate investigated the incident and found in their preliminary investigations that the attack was carried out by American drones. IEA strongly condemns this attack on any cause and calls it a clear violation of international principles and the Doha Agreement," the statement of Islamic Emirate reads.

Mujahid also said that the killing of Zawahiri in Kabul has been on a level of allegation.

Following the flying of drones over Afghan air space, the acting Minister of Defense blamed Pakistain for providing facilities to the drones to enter Afghanistan’s air space.

On August 31st of 2022, the caretaker government of Afghanistan has celebrated its victory against the US in Bagram Air Base, which was once the biggest US military base in Afghanistan.

On March 2022, in a police graduation ceremony, the acting Minister of Interior, Sirajuddin Haqqani
...son of Pashtun warlord Jalaluddin Haqqani, still titular head of the Haqqani Network....
 appeared for the first time in public.

Haqqani then promised the international community that there will be no threat from Afghan soil to any world countries.

"The world should not bargain with us and don't consider us a threat to themselves," he said.

The citizens across the country expressed happiness over the reduction of security incidents in the country in 2022 compared to the previous years.

The border festivities between the Islamic Emirate and the neighboring countries were unprecedented in 2022.

The Islamic Emirate’s forces have engaged into clash eight times with Pakistain, two times with Iran, and one time with Uzbekistan.

The festivities at Spin Boldak-Chaman crossing have left several people dead and maimed on the two sides.
Link


The Grand Turk
Taliban delegation meets with prominent Yemeni Islah Party official in Turkey
2022-10-23
President Recep Tayip Erdogan plays at being the neo-Ottoman sultan he dreams of creating, Recep Tayip I, known as “the much beloved”.
[HODHODYEMENNEWS] A Taliban
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
 delegation met with Abdul Majeed al-Zindani, a prominent leader in the Islah Party, in The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor...
 at a time that raises questions, especially with the escalation of al-Qaeda’s attacks against the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC)’s militia in the southern provinces, Media outlets reported on Friday.

Spokesman of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Zabihullah Mujahid, said on Twitter, that he had "held an important meeting with al-Zindani, in which he informed him about the situation in Afghanistan and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan."

"Al-Zindani called on the Taliban to consolidate the Islamic style in sharia law in addition to consensus and unity," he said.

It is worth noting that al-Zindani had involved in fighting alongside al-Qaeda’s leaders in Afghanistan during the occupation of the Soviet Union before returning to Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
 and establishing al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
...the latest incarnation of various Qaeda and Qaeda-allied groups, including the now-defunct Aden-Abyan Islamic Army that boomed the USS Cole in 2000...
 (AQAP).

In August, al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri
...Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area assuming he's not dead like Mullah Omar. He lost major face when he ordered the nascent Islamic State to cease and desist and merge with the orthodox al-Qaeda spring, al-Nusra...
 was killed in the Afghan capital, Kabul, in an Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
 by a US drone.

Link


Afghanistan
Intelligence Head Wasiq Meets Deputy CIA Head in Doha: Source
2022-10-10
[ToloNews] A source from the Islamic Emirate confirmed that a delegation of the Islamic Emirate met with US officials in Doha on Saturday.

The source said they discussed the issue of US drones in Afghan airspace and dronezaps in the country, violations of the Doha agreement and its fulfillment, restrictions on Afghan banks and the recent transfer of Afghan assets to the Swiss bank.

According to the source, the Islamic Emirate delegation was comprised of representatives from the intelligence department, MoFA and the MoD. The US delegation included the US special envoy for Afghanistan, representatives from the CIA as well as State Dept and DoD.

The report was first released by the CNN
...the organization formerly known as the Cable News Network. Now who knows what it might stand for...
, saying that the presence of CIA Deputy Director David Cohen and Wasiq at the meeting on Saturday indicates an emphasis on counterterrorism.
CNN of course. The preferred purveyor of all things Klingon.
"The Taliban
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
 are struggling to prevent ISIS-K attacks, making them look feckless, particularly in Kabul," said Beth Sanner, a former Deputy Director of National Intelligence who led Afghanistan analysis at the CIA. Sanner is also a CNN contributor.

The analysts gave various opinions.
But the central theme or 'Cover for financial Action' remains the fight against terrorism.
"The US wants to have coordination with Kabul in issues related to countering terrorism. This is good instead of being in relations with the neighboring of (Afghanistan). If they are succeeded, there is a chance that the sanctions will be lifted," said Tariq Farhad, a political analyst.

"There is no terrorist group. If (terrorists) exist, they should be eliminated in cooperation with the neighboring countries, so that this phenomenon and threat is eliminated," said Sadiq Shinwari, a military veteran.

The meeting is the first after the US dronezap targeted a residence in the Sherpur area of Kabul, after which US President Joe The Big Guy Biden
...46th president of the U.S., who gives the term geriatric a bad name. He blames Afghans for losing Afghanistan....
 announced that al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri
...Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area assuming he's not dead like Mullah Omar. He lost major face when he ordered the nascent Islamic State to cease and desist and merge with the orthodox al-Qaeda spring, al-Nusra...
 was killed.

Political analyst Wahid Faqiri said that the US wants to engage with the Islamic Emirate.

"Thr US is perhaps ready to engage with the Islamic Emirate," he said.

However,
a clean conscience makes a soft pillow...
 the meeting between the bigwigs of the Islamic Emirate and the US has yet to be officially confirmed by the Islamic Emirate.
Link


Afghanistan
US, Taliban hold first in-person meeting since Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed
2022-10-09
[NYPOST] Two top Biden Administration officials met face-to-face with Taliban
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
 leaders Saturday for the first time since July, when al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri
...Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area assuming he's not dead like Mullah Omar. He lost major face when he ordered the nascent Islamic State to cease and desist and merge with the orthodox al-Qaeda spring, al-Nusra...
 was killed in an American strike in Kabul, according to a report.

CIA Deputy Director David Cohen and State Department negotiator Tom West met in Doha, Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...
 with the Taliban’s head of intelligence, Abdul Haq Wasiq, CNN
...formerly the Cable News Network, now who know what it might stand for...
 reported.

The CIA and State Department did not officially comment on the meeting.

The US broke off direct talks with Afghanistan’s ruling faction after learning that they had been harboring al-Zawahiri, the architect of the September 11 attacks, in the Afghan capital for months — a clear violation of the Doha Agreement, in which the Taliban promised that Afghanistan would not shelter al Qaeda members.

The terror leader was killed in his luxe Kabul apartment by a US dronezap July 31 — but his presence in Afghanistan drew sharp criticism from Republicans.

"The American people were lied to by President Biden," charged Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Link



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