A statement by the Taliban foreign ministry hoped for "formation of an independent Islamic government focusing services", adding that "the capital Damascus is now under the control of the Syrian people and leadership of Hayat Tahir Al-Sham. We hope that the remaining stages will be effectively managed to build a peaceful, united, and stable governance system."
This immediate declaration of support comes after earlier images of the Taliban flag being hoisted by Syrian militants after the capture of Aleppo.
In this regard, Alwaght spoke with Ismail Bagheri, an expert on Afghanistan affairs, to examine the possibility of ideological ties and the similarity of meaning in the concepts of "jihad" and "Salafism" between the Taliban and the Salafi group of Tahrir al-Sham.
Tahrir Al-Sham is not a second Taliban
Bagheri initially highlighted the need to present a correct narrative of the claim of ideological and political bonds between the Taliban and HTS, addin: "It should be said that at the same time as the armed opposition, especially Tahrir al-Sham, attacked Aleppo and the fall of this economically and geopolitically important city, Taliban members and supporters backed Tahrir Al-Sham push by calling the offensive a jihadi action, and some Taliban supporters, while backing them, promised them victory and published texts to boost their morale. But the reality is that it is not possible to state with greater certainty that there are unbreakable ties between the Taliban and Tahrir al-Sham because of just one article, congratulations, or the publication of a few messages. Although the above is correct from a certain perspective and there was support from Taliban elements and the Al-Mersad magazine affiliated with the Talibanist discourse that called the terrorist groups of Tahrir al-Sham, Jabhat al-Nusra, etc. jihadist, it must be said that the literature that has been recently used has specific aims. So, we can say that there are two important narratives in this connection":
The first narrative claims that there are ideological, political, and military ties between the Taliban and Tahrir Al-Sham, and that the Taliban has sided with hegemonic powers such as the United States, Britain, Turkey, the Arab Persian Gulf states, and even the Israeli regime in supporting Tahrir al-Sham. Also, in this narrative, some of Tahrir Al-Sham's terrorist elements were trained in Afghanistan and transferred to Qatar and Turkey via direct flights from Kabul to Ankara or Kabul to Doha, and then to Syria from there. In evaluating this narrative, it should be said that part of this narrative may have been correct, but it is not the whole truth. Tahrir Al-Sham cannot be called the second Taliban.
But before addressing the second narrative, it should be said that the hegemonic camp, led by the United States, Britain and the Israeli regime and Turkey, in addition to advancing its military, intelligence and operational plan to overthrow the Syrian political system, has a kind of upper hand in soft war and presenting its desired narratives, and from this perspective, it is also trying to create fear among countries of the region, especially the Axis of Resistance, by linking Tahrir Al-Sham to the Taliban and by launching a psychological warfare. In this regard, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei emphasized in his speech on Wednesday the need to strengthen the morale of the people and prevent the spread of despair, adding: "Some are trying to plant fear and despair in society. Our task is different with these people and they must be dealt with differently." He very well made it clear that what happened in Syria was a joint American and Israeli planning. Syria neighbor (Turkey) may have played a role and it may continue to play, but the command center is in the United States and Israeli regime.
The second narrative claims that there are ideological links between the Taliban and Tahrir Al-Sham, but it is not the case that the Taliban has supported terrorist groups in Syria with full knowledge and confidence. However, it must be acknowledged that so far the Taliban's interactions and links with Al-Qaeda have been maintained, and a part of Al-Qaeda has somehow maintained its presence and influence in Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq, and this has led to continuation of the network of communications of terrorist groups linked to Al-Qaeda.
American-Israeli plot to spread insecurity from Syria to other regions
Mr Bagheri also pointed to the possible American and Israeli plans to influence Afghanistan by Syria developments. He said that the current HTS is a sequel to former Jabhat Al-Nusra, and Jabhat Al-Nusra itself is a subsection of Al-Qaeda. These groups have maintained their ideologic links, he held. Actually, it can be said that with re-rise of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan, this country has once again become a rampancy ground for radical and terrorist groups linked to Al-Qaeda.
He added that Uyghur, Uzbek, Tajik, Kyrgyzi, and Chechen fighters are fighting under the HTS in Syria and this has riased alarms of regional countries that are worried the US, Israel, and Turkey will train these groups and send them to other parts of the region to pose terrorist threats. For example, Baluchistan province of Pakistan is proper to train, equip, and transfer terrorists to Central Asia and Iran. They can even transfer terrorists to Azerbaijan that is seeking to implement the fake Zangzor Corridor project. Training thousands of terrorist elements and equipping them with quadcoppers and even tactical drones under any title is a threatening factor, and countries should take the necessary watching measures.
Mr Bagheri further said that we should not forget that the US considers Russia, China and Iran axis as a rival and an obstacle to its strategies in the world, especially in West Asia and Central Asia, and therefore it will take advantage of terrorist movements and groups it created against these countries. Especially since the terrorist militias of Uyghurs, Tajiks, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, etc., have been with the Taliban for years and this connection still exists in some way. Just as HTS leader al-Jolani in 2021 expressed his joy at the establishment of the Taliban government in Afghanistan, the Taliban also congratulated HTS on its victory in Syria, and the Taliban foreign ministry called on the group in a statement to declare a general amnesty and establish an Islamic system.
Turkey role in transfer of terrorists from Afghanistan to Syria
Mr Bagheri maintained that we cannot ignore the Turkish role in direct flights between Kabul and Ankara and transfer of terrorists from Central Asian countries to Syria. Turkey and Erdogan both played a direct role in providing training, logistics, weapons, intelligence, and combat support to the terrorist factions of the HTS, and they also transferred terrorist elements in Afghanistan and Pakistan for Syria offensive, with the planning of the US and Britain. However, it is not possible to state with certainty that the Taliban leaders, especially the Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah and the Kabul government knowingly and directly played a role in training, arming, and transferring terrorists to Syria.
Taliban no co-player to the US
Mr Bagheri at the end commented on the opportunities and threats of the HTS and Taliban bonds, saying that if the first narrative is connect, which is not, it would be totally a threat to Iran and the Axis of Resistance. But the reality is that it is not correct. He added Tehran can talk to the Taliban about US and its allies' major evil plan for the region. It does not seem the Taliban is dependent on the US or an implementer of Washington partitioning plans for the region. Mr Bagheri recommended the course of developments should be watched more precisely than before by the experts and decision makers.
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