Vital Concerns for the World: War on West shifts back to Afghanistan

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

War on West shifts back to Afghanistan

There are a number of signs that Afghanistan is a locus of increasing concern:
Not only are the Taliban coming back in force but also many militant Islamists from elsewhere are coming to Pakistan or Afghanistan to join in the Taliban anti-western movement.

War on West shifts back to Afghanistan
By SEBASTIAN ROTELLA
Published: October 26, 2006 (Los Angeles Times)

Sebastian Rotella [LA Times] says that the insurgents in Iraq are shifting their attention to Afghanistan. "Muslim extremists aspiring to battle the West [are turning] their attention back to the symbolically important and increasingly violent turf of Afghanistan." "Militants played a major role in suicide attacks and kidnap-killings." "Insurgent leaders in Iraq are now mainly interested in foreign recruits ready to die in suicide attacks." "An accelerating Afghan offensive by the resurgent Taliban offers a clearer battleground and a wealth of targets".
The movement of foreign fighters to Iraq has "significantly declined in recent months, "There is less need for them in Iraq, because there's a need above all for kamikazes and there are not an infinite number of volunteers," accordingto a French authority. "The Iraqi insurgency is now very well organized around Iraqis. Those who want to fight, but not necessarily to die as martyrs, go elsewhere."
"Today they return to the route of Afghanistan, or the tribal zones of Pakistan, where clearly they are thriving,"
In Afghanistan there are certainly many Pakistanis and people from Arab countries and some from North Africa" who have come recently to help the Taliban resistance activities.

See this article in its entirety at LAtimes.com

1 comment:

Anonymous said...: I am a senior military officer who recently returned from Afghanistan. It is shocking to me that there is little understanding, or concern, about the war in Afghanistan here in Washington. When one is in Afghanistan, particularly when one is in the field, one deludes oneself into believing that someone is in charge and someone cares what is going on. There is no such someone. I feel particularly sorry for the Afghans.; 10:11 PM

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