The Geopolitics and Economics of Extremism

The rise of global terrorism has impacted everyone; the additional security protocols, pointless censorship, chaining of freedom, or the repression of active voices have influenced us all. The fear of terrorism has also created a new demand for safety and protection goods and services. As well, terrorism has turned into an inducement to the uprise of political authoritarianism, autocratic regimes use it as a guise to crush political rivals. The caution that terrorism has begotten became the grounds to exploit the feeling of safety in the population of democratic states, and it paved the way for political corruption to reach dubious political and economic agendas.

I write this essay as an observer of the violent and pacifist political movements that allege a link to Islam since the 90s.

Unmistakably, the leadership of all groups that embrace violence to impose political shift has got progressive training on the use of advanced armory, methodical sabotage, and brainwashing tactics. The knowledge that group leaders have received was available exclusively to the state intelligence agencies before the internet was widespread. Leaders of every band were under the total influence of the state. The array of Islamic groups - pacifist and violent - were recognized enemies to the polity and the commoners; yet, only a non-leader associate was exposed to pesky censorship, enforced disappearance, and abusive captivity by the ruthless authorities. Even nonviolent organizations were politically supportive of the preference of the political establishment that is assumed to play the role of the opponents of Islam and the congregations. Therefore, institutional backing and continued finance and learning sponsorship were essential to the survival of Islamic movements and violent organizations.

In politics, one must pinpoint the dominant stakeholders. In the ISIS case, I find Israel and Saudi Arabia benefit the most from the existence of ISIS. The Iranian presence in Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria has fomented persistent apprehensions to the ruling class in Saudi Arabia and the Zionist state alike.

Attacks and deaths from terrorism by region, 2002 -2018

The United States of America has set a full withdrawal date from Afghanistan on August 31, 2021. An immense number of families have gathered around the airport hoped to fly to the US. This condition created pressure on the American administration because it couldn't handle the enormous number of people who wished for evacuation to the land of liberty. Besides, the Biden administration didn't want to appear so immoral in the public eyes as it forsook asylum seekers who wished to escape the abyss of the Taliban regime.

A few days before the exit date, two bombing attacks outside Kabul's airport - killed more than a hundred and seventy people - have given the pretext to clear the airport forcibly that offered a sudden relief to the Biden administration and the US army personnel. The media reported that an offshoot of ISIS named ISIS-K (Islamic State Khorasan) claimed responsibility for the Kabul attack.

Are ISIS and its subdivisions indeed in hostility with the US? If the answer is Yes, how come it offers invaluable comfort in this evacuation crisis?

Who stands behind ISIS-k that would conduct such a service to the USA?

The answer to these queries is evident because only a handful of overt alliances has got enough evil to kill myriad civilians for despicable economic and political payoffs and then indict the clean-handed ones.