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US secretary of state stresses on defeating IS group in Afghanistan, world
Following an attack on Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport believed to have been orchestrated by the Islamic State, Secretary of State John Kerry asserted that the attack proved the group was “desperate” and “know [they] are losing.”
Kerry spoke at the Aspen Ideas Festival late Tuesday and asserted that the Islamic State did have the capacity to commit bombings, sieges, and other large-scale terrorist attacks, but argued nonetheless that the group is desperate.
He stressed that defeating the Daesh group in Afghanistan and the world is an essential need.
“It has been more than one year since Daesh has actually launched a full scale military offensive, and that’s because our coalition is moving relentlessly on every front,” he said; “…if you’re desperate and if you know you are losing, and you know you want to give up your life, then obviously you can do some harm.” He argued that successfully executing a terrorist attack requires terrorists to “get it right for ten minutes or one hour,” a minimal amount of time that does not take preparation into account.
Kerry’s opinion of the Islamic State has fluctuated dramatically over the years. In 2014, Kerry described ISIS as “one of the most dangerous groups that I have seen in my time in public life” and warned that the threat was international.
Kerry described government officials as unsurprised following the November 2015 attack on multiple targets in Paris, France.
“They have gained great expertise, over a period of time, and they have some people in ISIS who have been fighting in the terror network for a period of time,” he said. “So, they have access to c-4. They have access to explosives. Everybody knows that. They’re making IEDs every single day.”
“Any individual who wants to strap a suicide vest around them, can walk into any public event, in most places in the world, and blow him or herself up, and destroy people with them,” he added at the time.
Kerry has also declared ISIS to be, “in my judgment,” capable of committing and guilty of genocide.
These statement stand in stark contrast to both Kerry’s remarks Tuesday and the White House’s stance that the Islamic State is a diminished threat.
In May, President Obama asserted he did not “think we’re losing” to ISIS. Shortly after the Paris attacks, President Obama asserted of ISIS, “we have contained them.”
Pakistan’s military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry claimed on Tuesday that there is “irrefutable evidence” of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) using Afghanistan against the country.
“There is irrefutable evidence of Afghan soil being used by the TTP […] recent terrorist incidents can be traced back to Afghanistan,” Sharif said while addressing a press conference.
Reaffirming the commitment on counter-terrorism efforts, Chaudhry said that Pakistan will leave no stone unturned to eliminate the terrorist network.
He stressed that the security forces would go to any extent possible against terrorists. However, the spokesperson noted that the first priority of the Pakistan Army was to maintain law and order in the country.
“The army chief has said that there’s no place for terrorists in Pakistan,” the spokesperson said while reassuring that steps are being taken to bring the miscreants to justice.
On the issue of Afghan refugees living inside Pakistan, he said: “Millions of Afghans are still living in Pakistan, while the country is fighting against terrorism. Pakistan has helped Afghan refugees, which the world has recognised.”
Highlighting that millions of Afghan citizens continue to reside in Pakistan, he revealed that more than 563,000 Afghans have been repatriated.
He said the law and order situation was deteriorating because of the Afghan citizens.
“Militants are spoiling the law and order situation in Balochistan, but the army is [acting as] a wall against the miscreants,” he noted.
The Islamic Emirate has previously denied the presence of TTP in Afghanistan and said that Pakistan’s security problem has nothing to do with Afghanistan.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada said on the last day of a three-day seminar on the coordination and regulation of specialist and religious universities in Kandahar that after the establishment of the Islamic Emirate, all the opponents were forgiven and they now live together like brothers.
Speaking at the seminar Monday, Akhundzada added that he is satisfied with the performance of his acting ministers as they always obey him.
“I am happy with my ministers and they are good people and always obey me. Obey, value and honor them because honor and obedience are not exclusive to the Amir [leader], but include all the commanders,” Akhundzada said.
He also said that the world wants to separate politics from religion, so that even in Islamic countries, scholars do not have a role in politics; but according to him in Afghanistan, scholars should have access to politics.
He asked scholars to follow the orders of the Islamic Emirate to encourage the nation to implement and obey the orders.
Ziaullah Hashimi, the spokesman of the Ministry of Higher Education, says that the three-day seminar brought together department heads, deputies and professors of the General Directorate of Specialist and Religious Universities of the Ministry of Higher Education.
The seminar started on Saturday and ended Monday.
Kazakhstan Trade House in Afghanistan has officially opened in Herat province with the aim of increasing the volume of trade exchanges between the two countries.
Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce Noorudin Azizi called the opening of the Kazakhstan Trade House in Afghanistan a “positive and effective step” in strengthening and expanding trade relations between the two countries.
He stated that as a result of the trip of an Afghan delegation to Kazakhstan, Afghanistan’s exports to Kazakhstan have increased.
Meanwhile, Arman Yusintayev, head of the Kazakhstan Trade House in Afghanistan, highlighted that the aim of opening a trade house in Afghanistan is to increase the volume of trade exchanges between the two countries, adding Kazakhstan is interested in expanding trade relations with Afghanistan.
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