Hunted by the Taliban and lacking income, members of Afghanistan’s disbanded security forces are enlisting in ISIS, the only resistance movement fighting the new rulers - not unlike Iraq’s disbanded security forces when the US put their enemies in charge. wsj.com/articles/left-…
The number of defectors joining the terrorist group is relatively small, but growing, according to people who know these men, to former Afghan security officials & to the Taliban. Importantly, these new recruits bring to ISIS critical expertise in intelligence-gathering & warfare
An Afghan national army officer who commanded the military’s weapons & ammunition depot in Gardez joined the extremist group’s regional affiliate, Islamic State-Khorasan Province, and was killed a week ago in a clash with Taliban fighters
By @yarotrof
By @yarotrof
The former official said several other men he knew, all members of the former Afghan republic’s intelligence & military, also joined IS after the Taliban searched their homes and demanded that they present themselves to the country’s new authorities.
A resident of Qarabagh district just north of Kabul said his cousin, a former senior member of Afghanistan’s special forces, disappeared in September and was now part of an Islamic State cell. 4 other members of the Afghan national army that the man knew have enlisted in ISIS-K
“ISIS has become attractive” to former members of Afghan security forces “who have been left behind,” said a former head of Afghanistan’s spy agency. “If there were a resistance, they would have joined it.” But, he said: “For the time being, ISIS is the only other armed group.”
“It’s exactly how it started in Iraq—with disenchanted Saddam Hussein generals,” a senior Western official warned. “You have to be careful.” The U.S. disbanded Iraq’s security forces after the 2003 invasion. They provided a ready pool of recruits for militant groups, including IS
IS is also feeding on growing resentment over the Afghanistan's econ meltdown
“In the current situation, we are not dealing with a few difficulties, we are facing many,” Mr. Zubair said. “If we get rid of all our econ problems, ISIS will disappear in 15 days in all of Afghan...”
“In the current situation, we are not dealing with a few difficulties, we are facing many,” Mr. Zubair said. “If we get rid of all our econ problems, ISIS will disappear in 15 days in all of Afghan...”
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