Afghanistan Reemerging as a Terrorism Incubator
Voice of AmericaAug 18, 2023
The Facts
The Islamic State group (IS) has claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on a bus carrying Shiite Muslims in Afghanistan's capital Kabul, which killed seven people and injured 20 others on Tuesday.
Tuesday's attack on Kabul's Shia Hazara community comes after the Sunni militant group bombed a sports club on Oct. 26, leaving four dead and wounding seven.
The Spin
Narrative A
Despite promising to eliminate terror in Afghanistan, the Taliban has done little to fight militant groups since taking over. The Islamic State is now coming back in full force, conducting deadly attacks in Afghanistan and other Middle Eastern countries. Afghanistan is more dangerous than ever, as it reemerges as one of the world's largest terrorism incubators.
Narrative B
It's hard to refute that the Taliban has been successful in its fight against terror groups such as al-Qaeda and IS. While IS remains a threat, bombings and suicide attacks have reduced dramatically in Afghanistan since the Taliban's takeover. IS isn't nearly as prominent as it was in the past — the Taliban have made significant progress in locating and removing their key leaders.
Nerd narrative
There's a 47% chance that Taliban-controlled Afghanistan will be used as a base for anti-NATO terrorism by 2026, according to the Metaculus prediction community.