A Taliban-Russia Team-Up Against ISIS?

A Taliban-Russia Team-Up Against ISIS?

The Taliban are quietly opening dialogues with the former Soviet states on Afghanistan’s border, and with Moscow.

KABUL — The Taliban are not as lonely as they once were. The pariahs who protected Osama bin Laden and quickly collapsed when the U.S. counter-attacked after September 11, 2001, have been developing contacts with neighboring states and even with Russia, driven out of Afghanistan in 1989.

There’s nothing simple about this picture, and, interestingly, it appears partly tied to Russian efforts to oppose the spread in Afghanistan of groups pledging allegiance to the so-called Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. That same concern has helped to forge links between the Taliban and their long-time enemies in Iran.

And the Russian connection is emerging, ironically, at the same time that Afghanistan’s Uzbek warlord and vice president, Abdul Rashid Dostum, has openly warmed to his one-time allies in Russia and tried to strengthen ties to the former Soviet states on Afghan frontier.

Dostum visited Moscow and Grozny earlier this month and launched an offensive just last week in provinces near the Turkmenistan border. Dostum lumped the Taliban together with Daesh, a common Arabic acronym for the Islamic state, on his enemies list.

“The countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States from Russia to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, all these states are willing to stand with us against Daesh [one of the acronyms for the so-called Islamic State], against extremism, against the bloodthirsty Taliban,” Dostum declared.

But The Daily Beast has learned that Russia and some of these neighboring states may be playing a double game, or, at the very least keeping their options open if the Taliban manage to retake power.

A former Afghan Taliban governor and member of the group’s military committee, who does not want to be cited by name, tells The Daily Beast that “the American global attitude and the threat from ISIS makes for a convergence of Taliban and Russian interests, and we could not rule out further cooperation, depending on the emerging scenario in the Middle East.”

That is, if Russia proves successful in its Syrian venture to defend the Assad dictatorship (which is far from certain), the Taliban will be encouraged to increase their contacts and perhaps cooperation with the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But for now the contacts with Moscow are being kept very quiet and often are conducted through cut-outs. The main venue for the talks is Tajikistan, just north of Afghanistan’s embattled Kunduz province, whose intelligence operatives may have been involved with a substantial shipment of arms to the Taliban. The government and intelligence services of Tajikistan are understood by the Taliban to have remained close clients of Moscow.

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The irony... Russia complaining about moderate Islamic forces in Syria while double dealing with the Taliban out the back door.

"Tajikistan is under the extreme influence of the Russians, so whatever happened, it’s not possible without Russians approval.’ said the former Taliban governor.

When the Taliban seized the city of Kunduz at the end of last month, the group’s new leader, Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansoor, was careful to say that the Taliban presented no threat and had not intention of infiltrating beyond Afghanistan’s borders.

Some sources suggest the contacts go back to 2013 and were opened at the request of the Russians, but the clearest narrative is much more recent.

I don't really even know where to begin with this one. Considering the Taliban is what emerged after the Soviet failure in Afghanistan it makes one wonder why Putin would then negotiate and assist them.

The US and Russia can complain about the others strange bedfellows all they want. Russia needs to tone down the moral high ground BS though while denying they don't assist terrorists when in fact they do also.

Apparently the Taliban is the lesser of the 2 evils when compared to ISIS. Just as the FSA is the lesser of 2 evils when compared to the Assad regime.

I'd pick assad over ISIS any day..

Who would u rather live under?

originally posted by: robbeh
I'd pick assad over ISIS any day..

Who would u rather live under?

Neither...

People need to understand there is more than just those 2 options.

a reply to: Xcathdra

Valid point.. Either way both need to go but who will go first though.

originally posted by: robbeh
a reply to: Xcathdra

Valid point.. Either way both need to go but who will go first though.

they will go down together...

Although I just saw Assad stating he would resign via Russian media. Personally I think its a ploy between Assad and the Russians. By going through with a resignation Russia can argue the west should focus solely on ISIS. Once ISIS is done Russia retains control of Syria via Assad or whoever is chosen.

I keep hearing Russia state the Syrian people are the ones who should choose. The issue I have with that is the restriction in choice Russia is giving. It cannot be between Assad or ISIS and to force that option is disingenuous on Russia's part and a sham.

Putin isn`t stupid and isn`t going to start a war with the US, they maybe in talks though strange as that sounds, but if those sides come together this won`t go down well with the US.

I think I will wait to see more on this as time goes on before I believe it to be a done deal.

I was hoping to see America concede Syria to Assad and Russia and both the US and Russia co operate it wiping ISIS out of existence.

a reply to: Xcathdra

At least they are closer to Moscow then Washington . I think they may have figured out who was the real bad guys and how they were being used . I think they want to have a real war on drugs but NATO and friends don't want that

This whole story is now getting, or has got, out of hand. This whole ISIS history is forcing the powers to make unholy alliances for mutual protection, even with the Taliban, look at this supposed situation, with Russia now making a deal with the Taliban who only 20 years ago were cutting their throats in the former Soviet Union's own Vietnam.

As Napoleon said..It's better to have a known enemy than a forced ally.

This situation if it continues, and it will, will destabilise Europe and the world.

I havn`t been following this new ISIS etc conflict very long, but my head is spinning by all the different sides already let alone this maybe Afgan Taliban-Russia alliance.

ISIS
Syrian Army
Syrian rebels
Turkish Kurds
Iraqi Kurds
Iraqi Army
US and coalition
Russia
Taliban

I`m guessing there are more, but geez what happened to wars where we could identify the enemy easily.

I can understand sometimes how mistakes have been made, if it looks Arab shot it.

I need a coffee.

Yay the next saga in "game of terrorists .

You couldn't make this crap up..........


Maybe all the terrorist in the region should wear logo's of what countrys support them?

a reply to: gps777

This is a very good comment by Cheny ... so the US did and we got what they new would come about by going to Bagdad ..a quagmire ....

a reply to: the2ofusr1

Really? You are going to use footage from 1994 dealing solely with the Arab coalition and the limits it placed on action against Iraq to remove them from Kuwait?

Yet you ignored the fact he talked about Syria and Iran wanting parts of Iraq. Something we see Iran doing now.

originally posted by: the2ofusr1
a reply to: gps777

This is a very good comment by Cheny ...

so the US did and we got what they new would come about by going to Bagdad ..a quagmire ....

They didn't go into Iraq in 1991 because 2001 had already been planned before. If they'd had toppled Hussein in 1991 who would they have blamed for the WMD's in the aftermath of 9/11.

Saddam had a bigger part to play so they couldn't take out the patsy ten years before time. Saddam was put in power by the USA and the USA would take him out of power, the when and why had already been decided.
Iraq was invaded to destabilise the middle east. Divide and conquer for what remains of the world's resources, oil, lithium, minerals etc.

a reply to: Xcathdra

Well it was not like some people couldn't imagine what might happen with the meddling . US meddled in Afghanistan to give Russia their Vietnam and used CIA trained Osama Bin Ladin to create the group that would morph into the Taliban .Same thing with the so-called moderate rebels and other CIA assets that morphed into ISIS . Maybe the west thinks that if they meddle some more they can fix the thing but Russia/Iran/Iraq/Egypt/Afghanistan sure do not .

a reply to: the2ofusr1

Yes I sort of agreed with Cheney back in the day and was on ATS at the time the lies were made about Saddam and the WMD`s.

I had heard many times way back concerning the ME that it was America`s policy to leave the mad Arabs alone. Guess they knew better years ago.

As Andy1972 I think is alluding to, TPTB had other plans.

Its all about new world order, one world this and one world that.

If it order out of chaos they are seeking, its chaotic for sure.

a reply to: Xcathdra

So basically, you've got a wall of text without ANY proof whatsoever? Just standard stuff: "As < insert media > has learned from anonymous sources...And, members of < insert organization > who wish to remain unknown claim...

Ridiculous you wish to discuss something that's not happening.

If you want this to be true, then you need to believe in it even harder! Good luck

a reply to: the2ofusr1

Lol you are unbelievable... The US meddling in Afghanistan to give Russia its Vietnam is how you view that? How about the Soviet Union meddling in Afghanistan by invading it?

Russia really cannot do anything wrong in your eyes can it.

As for your spin on Binladen -
Yes the CIA supplied the Mujahideen to counter the Soviet invasion and not the Taliban / ISIS. After the Soviet Union lost and withdrew the Mujahideen wanted the CIA to pick a single faction and help them gain control of the country. When the CIA refused is when Bin Laden did his thing.

lol wow...

This thread belongs in the hoax bin. . . . I am calling BS

a reply to: Nikola014

Yeah just like this post in this thread.

Ironic anonymous sources are ok when defending Russia yet unacceptable when it blames Russia. Are the Russian allies involved in the op lying then?

a reply to: Xcathdra

US meddled in Afghanistan against the Soviets.

Main ally in this deal was Pakistan which got the US wink to make nukes in return to create a base for fighting the Soviets.

As soon as US left Afghanistan the Pakis cultivated Taliban and soon 911 happened.

Taliban and AQ were given shelter in Pakistan and stay of few months turned into a stay of more than 10 years.

This helped the Pakis who got $2B a year from US for help in fighting the AQ (whom they were sheltering btw).

Guess the serpent soon turned its head and bit its own master.

Thanks for the "Nuke Wink" of the 1980s, the mighty US could not attack Pakistan despite it protecting the AQ and sending them over the border to shoot at the American boys.

As soon as Obama had US leave Afghanistan, the Taliban and AQ started to repopulate the Afghan society.

Now Obama is rethinking the exit from Kabul and vicinity.....LOL!!

Wonder when is sequel of WAR on Terror movie being released.

Do people "dwelling in madness" make the US foreign policies?