States’ movements to fight against the ‘Taliban model’ of terrorism

Nahla Abdel Moneim

The emergence of terrorist groups on the international scene has been linked to the emergence of vocabulary such as “caliphate” and “allegiance”, as well as geographical expansion, with the aim of annexing different states under the rule of a terrorist organization and subjugating the people of those countries by force of arms.

Global and domestic movements in terrorism

On that common ground, and based on a single exclusionary ideology, all the organizations and groups associated with terrorism are grappling, and countries are concerned of this grave danger and are pushing the coalition to fight terrorism in all its organizational forms.

Both sides of the game have inadvertently shed light on the concept of “global” versus “local” and the cooperation of neighboring countries, as well as the fact that terrorist groups are actually able to take power.

Reality on the ground: problematic goal, no structure

The problem is the ultimate goal of the group, not its reality on the map, or even its historical construction. Groups that primarily intend to expand and export their experience to others pose a serious threat to other countries, particularly those with different lifestyles. As for terrorist groups that only seek to take power at home, they may not pose the same threat. But they may have international relations, interests and understandings as well, although they are treated as just a rebel movement, despite carrying a methodology of radical Islamism.

Taliban as a model

According to the vocabulary of the current political reality, the Taliban also serves as a model for violent and local radical groups. They receive international attention, cooperation and political accommodation with neighboring countries, such as China, which announced in January 2019 its recognition of the movement as a political party in the country, because it recognizes the importance of the movement in the Afghan equation as well as the protection of the Belt and Road Project.

Iran also has its own relations with the movement, which always hosts its members to maintain a role in neighboring countries and to protect against the rise of ISIS, which poses a threat to its sectarian project in the region, associated with the local premise and its influence on the acceptance of counter-thought.

On the other hand, the Taliban is currently negotiating with the United States about the withdrawal of the latter from the country and ending its war, which broke out 18 years ago, to eliminate the movement itself. But realistic variables forced them to negotiate instead of continuing fighting, in addition to acquiescing to the demands of the movement , such as not sitting at the same table with the government and removing the names of its members from the terrorist list.

Moreover, the Taliban at the beginning was the legitimate authority governing Afghanistan, but the United States moved to eliminate it and fight it in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks, as the movement was involved in supporting al-Qaeda.

But there are other angles to the contrary, such as the implications of power, including the strong presence and control of the movement on the ground, along with the social construction of the fragile state socially, security-wise and politically, which is based on the tribes. This also contributed to the formation of the current reality of the Taliban, and its political and strategic gains.

Regional cooperation…interests first

Ali Bakr, a researcher on extremist groups at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, said the gains made by the Taliban were based mainly on the US failure to resolve its military battle with the organization, which controls much of the country, along with the tribes in Afghanistan that cooperate with it.

Bakr added that the global and local premise casts a shadow on the countries’ dealing with the Taliban file. The statements expressed by the group expressed its intention not to interfere in the affairs of neighboring countries and that its experience is not for external export. But there are those who cooperate with it, such as Iran, where it finds a wall against the ISIS project in the region, which in turn threatens the mullah regime and its expansion projects.