Terrorism in general forms a serious and long-term threat to the international security where the terrorist operations are transnational and affect at least two or more countries. Hence, this new form of terrorism has shifted the geopolitical dynamics, thus demanding a new wave of collaboration and an effective and all rounded approach to the problem. Unsurprisingly, Afghanistan occupies a central position in discussions related to transnational terrorism given the country’s challenging history and geographic position that make it a target and a key actor in the counterterrorism fight.
Afghanistan engagement in transnational terrorism can be dated back to the later part of the century in the middle of the Soviet-Afghan War between 1979 and 1989. This conflict witnessed the flow of foreign fighters in the Afghanistan theatre where the international players offered their support to fight against the Soviets. Not only was the country’s infrastructure and economy wiped out but also provided a fertile ground for the extremism to thrive. The consequent absence of the Soviet troops and the failure to stabilize the political situation resulted in civil strife and the appearance of the Taliban movement, which took Kabul in September 1996.
During 1996 to 2001, when the Taliban was in power it gave shelter to several terrorist groups with al-Qaeda being the most prominent. Beneath, Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda trained militants from across the global region in Afghanistan especially with the training camps that were launched during that time. The Taliban and Al-Qaeda were linked in a successful nexus that brought about the September 2001 tragedy, which highlighted the world menace of international terrorism from Afghanistan. The military intervention led by the United States of America in Afghanistan in October of 2001 had the objectives of disbanding the group of al-Qaeda and to depose off the Taliban regime, this marked the start of a war that would last for two decades.
Afghanistan’s involvement in transnational terrorism is rather versatile. First, it helps the terrorist groups to establish a logistical base where these groups can organize, recruit and plan their next operation. The long and relatively open borders with Pakistan, Iran, and other Central Asian countries make it easier for the militants and their supporters to transport people, weapons, and other contraband items thus escalating the terrorism combat. Second, there is another reason by which jihadist groups in Afghanistan draw fresh fighters from around the world still, that ideological power. The account of the struggle for freedom from foreign domination and the formation of an Islamist state has appeal to such people, so a constant stream of new recruits is guaranteed.
Furthermore, the subject country, Afghanistan and more to the point, conflict-saturated region often incurs dire ramifications. A number of neighbouring countries, especially Pakistan, have been both recipients and players in the Afghan terrorism patterns. It ranges of the tribal areas on the Afghan-Pakistan border have been serving as a base for different acts of militants. The affection and animosity between Pakistan and the Taliban group is cyclical, making the relations extremely strained, showing that the politics within the region have given birth to transnational terrorism.
The international community has concerned to counter the transnational terrorism threats in Afghanistan. The first mission, which was NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and followed by the Resolute Support Mission sought for the purpose of the capacity –building of Afghan security forces and consequently support stability. However, corruption continued, governance issues, and the Taliban’s insurgency prevented these steps from being carried out. Former negotiations in the U. S. –Taliban peace talks, aimed at the signing of the Doha Agreement in February 2020 intended to achieve a political solution, however following the disintegration of the Afghan government within the space of a month in August 2021 and the reestablishment of the Taliban government, a lot of new challenges came to the surface.
Taliban insurgency in 2021 has brought into the challenge the possibility of return of Afghanistan as a safe haven for terrorists. Although the Taliban leadership has signed the deals stating that they will not allow terrorist groups to have a foothold in Afghanistan, people doubt this. The world can ill afford for a fragile and dysfunctional state to develop in Afghanistan after the Americans and their allies and partners abandon it after having uncomfortably shared power with the Taliban for so many years, so the international community needs to find a way to work with the Taliban to provide needed humanitarian assistance while at the same time denying the group the opportunity to once again turn the country into a safe haven for terrorists with global ambitions.
Thus, it is possible to state that Afghanistan’s involvement in transnational terrorism is a multifaceted process that involves historical and present political, geographical, and ideological aspects. The geographical position of the country, accompanied by socio-political instabilities over the decades, puts it in a central stage of terrorism that threatens international security. To overcome this challenge a coordinated strategy that involves counter terrorism measures, international coordination, and solutions to the radicalisation processes need to be developed. The continuation of political and Islamist violence in Afghanistan and the future contributions of the country in transnational terrorism has a great bearing on the global counter-terrorism outlook and hence the global players must continue with keen interest and active engagement in the counter-terrorism efforts.
