THREAD: Re-emergence of TTP in context of fall of Kabul
After the historical return of Afghan Taliban in Afghanistan in 2021, TTP has strengthened its influence and foothold in Afghanistan. To survive #Pakistan’s continuous military operations, #TTP relocated itself to… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
In addition to that #TTP seems to acquire modern #American/NATO weapons against Pakistan that foreign forces left in #Afghanistan. Since #Taliban takeover of #Kabul, TTP has claimed to have united 20 plus militant groups from tribal districts. Hundreds of TTP prisoners were also… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
Although officially Afghan #Taliban discourages the fighters to join #TTP’s war against Pakistan and Afghan Taliban distances itself from TTP’s terror activities but lower rank Taliban fighters have contributed in TTP’s war against #Pakistan in one way or the other. Taliban… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
In the aftermath of the fall of #Kabul to Taliban, the #TTP has adopted a different strategy to further enhance their influence and foothold in the region. This includes merging of different militant groups, restructuring and reorganizing TTP’s whole organization and hierarchy,… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
The third strategy is to grow its terror operational activities and strengthening its social media propaganda operations in a very similar fashion to Afghan #Taliban, this include professionally edited videos, depicting #TTP fighters in military uniform rather than traditional… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
The #TTP's resurgence and growing strength, fueled by the Taliban's victory in #Afghanistan, pose significant challenges to the security and stability of #Pakistan. Understanding the TTP's trajectory is crucial for assessing the evolving threat landscape in the region.
Reference: The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan After the Taliban’s Afghanistan Takeover by @abdsayedd & @ToreRHamming
THREAD: Did Soviet Union desire to reach the warm waters?
It is often argued that one of the key reasons of the expansion of Soviet Union was the desire to reach the warm water ports. A warm water port is a port where the water does not freeze in the winter.
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Because they are available year-round, warm water ports can be of great geopolitical or economic interest, which is also said to be the reason of the invasion of Afghanistan during the Cold War.
But was it really the raison d'etre of the Soviet Union’s invasion?
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Isaiah Bowman, adviser to President Roosevelt during WW2, in his book The New World, says that “In Mongolia and Tibet, in Persia & Afghanistan, in Caucasia and at Constantinople, the Russian has been pressing forward for three hundred years, & no system of govt can stand that . .
Al-Qaeda appeared as an org & it strengthened its roots in Middle East, Central Asia & Africa. It was founded after the end of the Soviet war in 80s by Bin Laden. This was a sunni- salfi jihadist.
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TTA was founded by Mullah Omar, a group consisting of 50 Talibs (students) in #Kandahar in 1994. It was a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalist org. Mujahedeen from #Pakistan joined #Taliban movement in #Afghanistan after the Soviet withdrawal.
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History of TTP:
#TTP was officially established in Dec 2007 under the leadership of militant commander Baitullah Mehsud.
The group emerged as an alliance of fighters and radicals belonging to diverse backgrounds, tribes and nationalities.
Brig Yasub Dogar was a Pakistani officer who served in the #SSG & #ISI. He was from the ISI's Covert Action Division (CAD) based on the #CIA's Special Activities Division (SAD). He is mostly known for his services during Afghan Soviet war.
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Brig Yasub was a pioneering member of the Special Services Group (#SSG) Commandos, commanded guides Infantry (FF), an armored infantry battalion and commanded the operational Brigade at #Siachin. He served in key command, staff and intelligence assignments in #Afghanistan.
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He had a long and deep association with the Afghan war and knew all key Afghan Mujahideen figures. Brig Yasub was a very close associate of the famous Col Sultan Amir Tarar also known as Col Imam.
1.Laskhar-i-Islam
2.Mazar Baloch's Group
3.Jundallah
4.Jamaatul Ahrar
5.Ghazi Abdul Rashid Shaheed Brigade
6.Tehreek-e-#Taliban Punjab
7.Musa Shaheed Karwan group
8.Amjad Farouqi group
9.Hakeem Ullah Mehsud Group
10.Bajaur Taliban
11.Mohmand #Taliban
12.Lashkar-e-Jhangvi
13.Hizb-ul-Ahrar
14.Jaish-e-Islam
15.Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi
16.East #Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM)
17.#Uzbekistan Islamic Movement (UIM)
18.Mustafa Doga Madakhel's militant group
Laskhar-i-Islam:
Laskhar-i-Islam is a militant terrorist organization active in and around #KP. LeI was founded in 2004 by Mufti Munir Shakir. The most recent leader was Mangal Bagh. On 12 March 2015, Lashkar-e-Islam announced that it was joining #TTP.