By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 15 August 2022
Tag Archives: Taliban
Al-Qaeda Leader Ayman al-Zawahiri is Dead: Ramifications and Implications
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 2 August 2022

Osama bin Laden (L) sits with his adviser Ayman al-Zawahiri (R). Credit: Getty
United Nations Report Finds Al-Qaeda and Islamic State Reduced, But Reviving
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 30 July 2022

Islamic State in Palmyra, December 2016
The Unlearned Lesson of 7/7
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 7 July 2022
The Challenge for Western Intelligence in Talibanized Afghanistan
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 18 June 2022

A U.S. helicopter above the American Embassy in Kabul, 15 August 2021 | AP
The Fall of Afghanistan and Western Foreign Fighters
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 22 February 2022

Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, fell to jihadists on 15 August 2021, and this has emboldened the jihadist movement across the world, providing it with a morale boost and a model, as well as renewing the terrorist safe haven that incubated 9/11. Continue reading
Islamic State and “Breaking the Walls”: Jihadist Prison Breaks
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 22 January 2022

Islamic State car bombing against Al-Sinaa prison in Syria, 20 January 2022 [image source]
The Taliban Supreme Leader Emerges—Maybe
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 1 November 2021

Hibatullah Akhundzada
A ten-minute audio tape attributed to the Taliban’s Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada appeared on 30 October, the first such communication since the jihadist takeover of Afghanistan in August. Hailed as Akhundzada’s “first public appearance” or his decision to step into “the limelight”, the reality is more complicated. Continue reading
India’s Options in Afghanistan
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 6 October 2021

Army Jawans hold the National Flag near the snow-covered border on the 71st Republic Day (ANI Photo)
The U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman arrived in India today for a three-day visit. Afghanistan will be high on the agenda. Continue reading
Tajikistan and the Afghan Resistance
By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on 1 October 2021

Since the takeover of Afghanistan by a coalition of jihadists controlled by Pakistan, the one neighbouring state to vocally object is Tajikistan, which has extended support to the remaining anti-Taliban resistance. This is a reprise of Tajikistan’s role in the 1990s, when it provided a rear base to the United Islamic Front (UIF) or “Northern Alliance”, and was the gateway for the states supporting the UIF, notably Pakistan’s great rival India. Continue reading