From the heartlands of jihadism: The politics of chaos in Afghanistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21638/11701/spbu06.2018.401Abstract
This article examines the phenomenon of jihadist groups operating in the Afghanistan-Pakistan borderlands and argues that the political chaos that reigns in Kabul is contributing to the growth of jihadism in Afghanistan. The administration of Kabul is losing its grip on the security situation and Afghanistan is once again on the brink of an abyss. The future of various jihadist groups, be they the Taliban, ISIS, Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan operating on Afghan soil or other smaller groups, appears promising. On the other hand, the prognosis for the Afghanistan-Pakistan borderlands and the civilian populations living in the rugged and restless region appears bleak. The vicious cycle of violence continues and the entrenched jihadist groups revel in the chaos caused by the failure of central governments on both sides of the border to establish the rule of law and provide services for the local populations. It appears that the borderlands that have always been beyond the control of central governments will continue to be ungoverned spaces for a long time to come.
Keywords:
Afghanistan, jihadism, Taliban, ISIS, Pakistan
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