By Rahul Bhonsle.
With the conclusion of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in 2014, the responsibility for security was handed over to Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF). In 2015, the ANDSF faced a challenging first year of fighting without the support of internationally-led combat operations. ANDSF operations centered on the provinces of Kunduz, Badakhshan, Zabul,Ghazni, and Helmand. Taliban insurgents amassed in larger numbers and attacked multiple district centers throughout the country, particularly in the provinces of Nangarhar, Helmand, and Kunduz. Several districts remained contested at year’s end although all major population centers and critical infrastructure remained under government control.
The Haqqani Network (HQN), a semi-autonomous faction of the Taliban, continued to plan and conduct high profile attacks and assassinations against U.S., Coalition, and Afghan interests, particularly in Kabul and other key government centers. Methods used included suicide bombers, vehicle-born improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs), ambushes, kidnappings, beheadings, and targeted assassinations.
Although the influence of Al-Qaeda was degraded, its regional affiliates like Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) continued to operate in Afghanistan but joint operations conducted with US forces were able to destroy the training camps of AQIS successfully. The peace process was also persuaded at the beginning of President Ghani’s administration. However, the talks were suspended soon after the revelation that Taliban leader Mullah Omar had been dead for two years. On the sidelines of Heart of Asia Summit, Afghanistan, China, the United States and Pakistan committed to resuming talks as soon as possible.
The year 2015 also witnessed the emergence of ISIL-K (ISIL-Khorasan, a formal affiliate of Islamic State) in the Af-Pak region. Soon it established its foothold in Afghanistan and began countering Taliban’s influence. The group’s Salafists ideology might resonate with fringe elements of terrorist groups in Afghanistan but the majority of Afghanistan-based terrorists resisted fully aligning themselves with the group and the Taliban were overtly hostile to the ISIL affiliate.
In January 2015, the military component of US assistance transitioned itself to NATO’s Resolute Support Mission (RSM) and U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A). As underlined in the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) between the governments of Afghanistan and United States, the USFOR-A has limited itself with its mission to train, assist, and advice the Afghan Security forces and conduct counter-terrorism operations.
The Afghan Attorney General’s Office (AGO) investigates and prosecutes all acts and violations related to terrorism. President Ghani issued the presidential decree to the Afghan Criminal Procedure Code that expanded the AGO’s authority to investigate and prosecute. The United States continued to provide structural support to Afghanistan.
Through its screening system of Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation System (PISCES), Afghanistan has been receiving continuous training in developing and maintaining more secure borders. Despite advanced capabilities, ANDSF has continued to face significant challenges from its porous borders, particularly those with Pakistan and Iran. The ANDSF lacks number, weaponry and efficient coordination among its various wings.
Afghanistan is a member of the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering, a Financial Action Task Force (FATF)-style regional body. It has outlined a number of areas that the government needed to address to bring Afghanistan into compliance with international standards. Even though Afghanistan has complied with all the standards, the officials have indicated that terrorist groups like Taliban, Al-Qaeda and others related to Central Asian republics transfer their funds and assets from person to person or through informal banking system which is very difficult to track, freeze and confiscate.
Afghanistan does not have a comprehensive formal national countering violent extremism (CVE) strategy but has begun the process to develop one. Through engagement with religious communities, government officials promoted religious moderation, encouraged tolerance, and condemned violence. Political leaders emphasised the role of Ulema council in preaching peace and denouncing terrorist attacks. Mainstream Afghan media continued to play the lead role in reflecting the public anger at and condemnation of terrorist attacks.
Afghanistan consistently emphasised the significance of bilateral and multilateral forums to strengthen joint cooperation to fight terrorism and violent extremism. Afghanistan is part of many significant regional or international forums, such as Heart of Asia/Istanbul Process, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), etc.
