Relocation of terrorists affiliated to the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group to Afghanistan should set off alarm bells for the neighboring countries, a former foreign minister said Sunday, urging closer cooperation between Iran, Pakistan, China and Russia in the fight against extremism.
“The growing ISIL attacks in Afghanistan show they have now targeted Afghanistan, which is neighbor to Iran, China, Pakistan and Russia,” Kamal Kharrazi, the head of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, said in a speech at a World Peace Forum in Beijing, according to a text of the lecture published by Mehr News Agency.
He was referring to reports that plans are underway to pave the way for the infiltration of terrorists linked to the IS group (aka Daesh, ISIL and ISIS) into Afghanistan following their degradation and defeat in Iraq and Syria last year.
“With the sacrifices made by Iraqi, Syrian, Iranian and other voluntary forces, Deash has disintegrated, but not yet eradicated,” Kharrazi said.
US Security Strategy
Iran’s former foreign minister noted that the destructive activities of the terror group and its mercenaries on Afghan territory should be taken very seriously.
“The growing attacks of ISIL in Afghanistan show that they have now targeted Afghanistan which is neighbor to Iran, China, Pakistan, and Russia. Noting that the new National Security Strategy of the United States, calls China, Russia and Iran threats to the US interests.” he said.
US President Donald Trump unveiled a new “America First” national security strategy in December 2017 in which he described “rising threats to the United States from an emboldened Russia and China,” according to New York Times. Iran was also called a principal “challenger” to the goal of pursuing peace in the document.
Kharrazi said Afghanistan’s neighbors and Central Asian countries need to be at the forefront of plans to coordinate measures to eradicate the scourge of terrorism.
Root Ideology
The former diplomat said the root ideology of radical groups in the region can be traced back to Saudi Arabia and efforts have been made over the past years to spread it across the world.
“It is necessary for strategists and think tanks to work on the roots of such an extremist ideology, and their findings should be shared by other countries,” he said, adding that conferences, seminars and meetings should be convened to discuss various aspects of the issue.
“As this ideology may attract the youth in other societies, it is necessary for the media to inform public opinion and help educate the youth, specifically about the destructive role of this school of thought,” Kharrazi concluded.
Security Challenges
The forum was attended by former politicians, opinion makers and think tanks from across the globe. Workable solutions to the security challenges faced by the international community were discussed at the meeting.
In addition to topics such as anti-terrorism and anti-nuclear proliferation, security issues, trade wars and economic security, the conferees exchanged views on artificial intelligence technology and its impact on international relations.
