Terrorism - The Times Of Central Asia

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The Taliban and its Neighbors: An Outsider’s Perspective

This is part two of a piece of which part one was published here. The topic of a regional approach to solving Afghanistan's problems is increasingly being discussed in various expert and diplomatic circles. The International Crisis Group (ICG), a reputable think tank whose opinion is extremely interesting as part of an "insider vs outsider" set of viewpoints, writes about this in particular. A report from ICG entitled "Taliban's Neighbors: Regional Diplomacy with Afghanistan" is one of the first works to summarize the role and place of the region as regards the situation around Afghanistan. In the voluminous work, the authors touch upon almost all aspects - issues of diplomatic recognition, security, terrorist activity, trade and economic relations within the region, water issues and others. In their conclusions, ICG analysts point out that many steps towards regional cooperation aren't related to Western donors, but European countries should nevertheless be interested. Europeans in particular would benefit from a stable, self-sufficient region that isn't a major source of illegal drugs, migrants or terrorism. But sanctions and other Western measures designed to show disapproval of the Taliban are obstacles to a more functional relationship between Kabul and the countries of the region. Significant progress depends on Western support - or at least tacit acquiescence. While such practical steps need not lead to recognition of the Taliban regime, they will contribute to regional peace and security. However, experts are concerned that the emerging regional consensus is directly dependent on security and stability issues in Afghanistan - if regional neighbors feel that the government cannot restore order within Afghanistan's borders and contain transnational threats, the consensus may well collapse. If that happens, regional countries may be tempted to choose sides in another intra-Afghan civil conflict, repeating the destructive pattern of past decades. At the same time, experts believe that the first step toward improving regional security cooperation would be to cool down the rhetoric on all sides and get regional players to agree on security issues, even if they have different priorities. Security information sharing within the region also suffers because the Taliban have yet to build a trusted dialog. They lack credibility because of their complete denial of certain threats. Meanwhile, countries in the region and the world are guided by inflated estimates of militant numbers. The ICG's assessments of the security threats posed by Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) are broadly in line with the consensus - in some ways, the growing concern about ISKP is paradoxical due to the fact that the overall level of violence associated with the group has declined over the past two years. The question of whether ISKP could become a more potent transnational threat in the future remains open. So far, its operations outside of its original territory near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border have been limited. On the other hand, ISKP continues to attract recruits from different parts of Central and South Asia and encourages attacks outside Afghanistan - arguably making it the most dangerous armed group in...

Transport Migration Tajikistan Tourism Central Asia Terrorism

Tajik Citizens Now Banned From Entering Georgia

Citizens of Tajikistan have been banned from entering Georgia since the end of March, according to a report from Tajikistan's Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty affiliate Radio Ozodi. The reason for this ban has not been announced. There is a visa-free travel regime between the two countries. On April 14, Radio Ozodi's editors received a video of more than 10 Tajik citizens complaining about not being allowed into Georgia. “I came to Georgia to submit documents to the embassy, I showed all the documents, but they didn’t let me in,” one person said in the video. When asked about the reasons denying entry to citizens of Tajikistan, a Georgian border guard replied: “no explanation.” After the terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall near Moscow on March 22, which several citizens of Tajikistan are accused of perpetrating, the attitude towards Tajik citizens has changed in many countries of Eurasia. Turkey recently canceled its visa-free regime with Tajikistan. In response, the Tajik government canceled the visa-free regime for Turkish citizens.

Afghanistan Islamic State Terrorism Central Asia

Islamic State – Khorasan Province: An Element of Geopolitical Rivalry?

In the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Moscow, the media has once again been saturated with discussions about the terrorist group Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP), also known as ISIS-Khorasan and “Wilayat Khorasan.” At this point, most of the coverage has focused on the Afghan wing of Islamic State, and not its other “wilayats,” such as on the Arabian Peninsula, “Wilayat Sinai” (Islamic State – Sinai Province) or “Wilayat Caucasus” (Islamic State – Caucasus Province). The international media covering the ISKP attack in Moscow, including journalists from Russia, widely speculated that the terrorist group is looking at Central Asia as its next base. Such media coverage included a variety of sentiments indicating that Central Asia should be worried. Reports have suggested that the alliance of Central Asian leaders with Moscow makes them look weak in the eyes of ISKP and that the terrorist threat emanating from Central Asia has become a point of weakness for the Putin regime. It has also been suggested that Islamic terrorism in Central Asia remains a real problem for the FSB, and even though the FSB has extensive experience in fighting extremists in the Caucasus, having committed enormous resources to the issue, Central Asia is a blind spot. Alarm bells sounded that regional jihadist groups have become more powerful. Thus, the terrorist attack in Moscow significantly increased media attention on ISKP in the context of Central Asia. Overall, the ISKP theme fits into existing narratives regarding threats to the southern border of the CIS. Sanaullah Ghafari, Emir of ISIS-K; image: rewardsforjustice.net The more likely reality is that in Central Asia, ISKP has been more of a challenge to regional security than an existential threat. In recent years, the region has been broadly successful in dealing with threats from Afghanistan. How real of a threat is the ISKP? A very narrow circle of experts can give a truly objective assessment of ISKP. Information about ISKP membership is contradictory and seemingly based on political considerations. As such, it is difficult to back these up with statistics. The number of fighters reported vary greatly from 2,000 to several tens of thousands. What remains indisputable are two facts: 1. Despite measures declared by the Taliban to eliminate the ISKP, terrorist acts by the group are still recorded throughout Afghanistan, and 2. The group lacks a serious infrastructure in Afghanistan. The activity of ISKP in Afghanistan consists of carrying out targeted, low-level terrorist acts, mainly against local Hazara Shiites. Based on the assessments of the UN Afghanistan monitoring team, the potential of ISKP success looks dubious. In its reports, UN experts point to a decrease in ISKP activity in Afghanistan. Recently, the UN has avoided estimating the size of the group, but previous estimates put it at 1,500-2,200 fighters. At the same time, according to a UN report in January, “ISKP adopted a more inclusive recruitment strategy, including by focusing on attracting disillusioned Taliban and foreign fighters.” Taliban officials, meanwhile, tend to play down the situation....

Migration Uzbekistan Terrorism Security Tajikistan Russia

Migrant Laborers in Russia Deprived of Free Medical Care

Citizens of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan working in Russia will not be able to count on free medical care until 2026 within the framework of compulsory medical insurance (CMI), according to a report by the Ministry of Health of Russia. Based on agreements with the republics, citizens can be employed only if they acquire voluntary medical insurance (VMI) policies or with the employer's guarantee to pay for medical care at his or her own expense. Migrants can only receive free emergency medical care. The Crocus City Hall terrorist attack prompted the Russian Interior Ministry to take a number of restrictive measures relating to migrants. Among the planned changes are a reduction in the term of temporary stays by foreigners to 90 days per calendar year, introduction of mandatory biometric identification at entry, and the creation of digital profiles for foreigners. There are also more radical proposals. For example, Sergei Mironov, chairman of the Just Russia - For Truth political party, said that he believes it's necessary to introduce a visa regime between Russia and Central Asian countries. Labor migrants remain one of the most vulnerable parts of the population, and Uzbekistan has in recent years taken a number of measures to protect their interests both inside and outside the country. A recent decree by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev provides for reimbursement of expenses for taking qualification exams in foreign languages and professional trades of up to $80, for applying for a work visa of up to $134, and for buying travel tickets of up to $53. In addition, migrants are provided with subsidies for insurance for the migrant laborer and his or her family members, as well as guaranteed free medical examinations for them. Workers abroad whose rights may have been violated can count on free legal counsel. They can also contact 24-hour migrant support call centers in case of difficult situations. The Ministry of Employment of Uzbekistan is currently negotiating the opening of representative offices or centers in Great Britain (London), Germany (Berlin), Turkey (Istanbul) and Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) to provide legal assistance to migrant workers. The state employs workers returning from labor migration or provides subsidies to start their own businesses.

CIS Terrorism

Uzbekistan to Hold CIS Anti-Terror Exercise for First Time in 2024

Uzbekistan will host a joint anti-terrorism exercise of countries belonging to the Commonwealth of Independent States, or CIS, for the first time this year. The decision comes at a time of heightened concern after gunmen killed more than 140 people at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow on March 22. The Islamic State group, which is said in some quarters to be seeking to recruit more people from Central Asia, claimed responsibility. The suspected gunmen were Tajik migrants in Russia. Last week’s decision for Uzbekistan to host the drill coincided with a meeting on Friday in Minsk, Belarus, of foreign ministers of the CIS, a group of regional countries that was formed after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Russia and the Central Asian nations are among the members. An advisory council of the anti-terrorism center of the CIS discussed countering the use of unmanned vehicles and artificial intelligence by extremists, as well as “prospects for the development and use of unmanned aircraft systems in the field of security,” the CIS stated. The advisory council also discussed ways to combat “the use of modern digital tools by international terrorist organizations to finance terrorist and extremist activities,” it said.

Afghanistan Terrorism Central Asia Kazakhstan Tajikistan

Flowers Laid at Tajikistan’s Monument to Kazakh Soldiers

On April 11, a wreath-laying ceremony was held at the monument to the Kazakh soldiers who died on April 7, 1995, while guarding the external borders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) on the Tajik-Afghan border, according to a report from Avesta. Officials taking part in the ceremony included Kazakhstan's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Tajikistan, Valikhon Turekhanov, representatives of the Union of Honorary Internationalists of Tajikistan, veterans of the Border Service, and active military personnel from Tajik armed forces. The participants at the event noted that the Kazakh soldiers had performed their military duty at the cost of their lives, whilst all the while remaining faithful to the military oath. The monument commemorating the bravery of the Kazakh soldiers was opened on December 15, 2007, in the Firdavsi recreation park in Dushanbe. In 2021, the park was renovated and restored with the support of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Tajikistan, the Ministry of Defense and National Guard of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and other public organizations. On April 7, 1995, the seventh joint company of the Kazakh military was attacked by mujaheddin in a gorge at Pshikharv Mountain on the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border. The militants were defeated in the ensuing battle.