newYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
This article is part of a Fox News Digital series examining the impact of the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan a year ago this week.
When the Taliban swept across Afghanistan last year and overthrew the Western-backed government, the Taliban declared themselves the country’s legitimate government and promised to ultimately bring peace and security to the Afghan people. did.
However, the resistance movement has sought to challenge Taliban rule and has stepped up opposition to the organization in the country’s Panjshir Valley.
“There’s something there… there’s potential,” Long War Journal editor-in-chief Bill Loggio told Fox News. “They’ve done this in the past. We’ve had the Northern Alliance before. These are ardent anti-Taliban individuals.”
Roggio’s comments come as Afghanistan’s National Resistance Front (NRF), a group made up of local volunteers and former Afghan military and police, has been trying to expand their campaign over the past year. Members of the organization were forced to regroup and regroup after the Afghan government collapsed and U.S. forces withdrew, eventually establishing a stronghold in the historically anti-Taliban Panjshir Valley.
Afghanistan’s remote areas were once home to the Northern Alliance, which waged a civil war against the Taliban after they first took control of the country in 1996. Coalition special operations forces teamed up with Northern Alliance fighters to overthrow the Taliban government.
Politico reports Afghan withdrawal as ‘dark cloud’ over Biden’s endorsement rating, he likely will not recover
The new movement’s leader, Ahmad Masoud, has deep ties to the old Northern Alliance. Masood’s father, Ahmed Shah Massoud, was a former leader of the organization’s esteemed leader until he was assassinated by al-Qaeda operatives two days before his terrorist attack in the United States.
The NRF’s head of external relations, Ali Maisam Nazary, told Fox News Digital that the young Massoud was instrumental in the growing resistance. He said he continues to recruit new fighters who aim to one day retake Afghanistan.
“We started out in two valleys,” said Nazarie. “Today we are in 12 provinces within Afghanistan.”
Nazalee boasted of the successes of the NRF forces on the battlefield, claiming that NRF fighters captured 40 Taliban forces in one battle and killed another 40 in another recent battle.
China praises Taliban for providing ‘better security’ to Afghanistan, denounces US on withdrawal day
“We are very successful,” Nazarie said. “The Taliban have not won a military victory…they have shown weakness and basically exhausted all the military options they had.”
The Taliban have brought a number of troops into the region, including some of their most elite fighters, Mr Nazaree said. However, NRF eradication has been largely unsuccessful. As a result of its success, the NRF has good luck recruiting new fighters and hopes one day to be able to launch an offensive that can take territory, Nazarie said.
The story Nazari portrays is in stark contrast to the Taliban narrative, which strongly denies that fighting is taking place in the region. Shortly after the last U.S. forces left Afghanistan, the Taliban battled the remaining rebels in the Panjshir valley and now claim to have full control over the security situation there.
Roggio said part of the challenge of tracking how strong the resistance really is stems from a lack of reliable information, saying the Taliban have kept fighting away from major cities and in the most remote areas of the country. There were also reports from independent news outlets that depended on the Taliban for access to the region and could often see only what the Taliban wanted to see. I’m running out.
“Save the Allies” VP calls the State Department. On Afghanistan’s delayed SIV handling: Hands ‘tied’
Locals in the disputed valley cast at least some doubt on the Taliban’s account, according to a June Washington Post report. Reports of heavy fighting and casualties have spread from village to village. , civilian casualties have also increased as a result of the fighting.
Roggio believes the truth likely lies somewhere between the competing narratives, with the NRF representing a threat to the Taliban, which still retain the upper hand in terms of territory they control and the equipment they possess. claims to be.
Of the NRF, Loggio said, “It’s clear they’re more than just a nuisance.
Roggio pointed out that the NRF’s campaign now relies mainly on guerrilla tactics, and that the move could help control conflict areas where anti-Taliban sentiment is strong. But for an organization to truly succeed in its long-term goals, it probably needs some support from countries friendly to its cause.
Tim Kennedy looks back on failed Afghan withdrawal: ‘First time I’ve seen Superman bleed’
Based in Washington, D.C. and Tajikistan, Nazarie has spent much of his time lobbying for international support and trying to market the NRF as a legitimate challenger to Taliban rule, according to Fox News Digital. told to He described the battle as a continuation of the US and its allies’ war on terrorism, noting that NRF forces are also engaged in combating terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda and the Islamic State.
“We don’t view the current resistance as a civil war,” said Mr. Nazarie. “This is the continuation of the global war on terrorism. But our allies abandoned the fight over a year ago and we are fighting international terrorists alone.”
But Western governments showed little interest in supporting an armed uprising against the Taliban, and finding support from the international community for a renewed fight against terrorism in Afghanistan proved difficult.
That reality became clearer in July when the US State Department said it “does not support organized and violent opposition” to the Taliban. Instead, the US is asking various factions in Afghanistan to resolve their differences diplomatically.
UK and US protected terrorists from Afghanistan for 20 years with our heroic partnership
The State Department’s position only served to heighten feelings of abandonment in the NRF after the US ended its time in Afghanistan, Nazarie said. He pointed out that it was just a year ago that the US government backed Afghan forces in their fight to resist the Taliban’s takeover of the country.
“They were funding these units and they were supporting these units,” Nazarie said. “Suddenly, his policy changed 180 degrees. Why was it legal when NATO was in Afghanistan, but illegal today?”
Commenting on the State Department’s position, Mr. Loggio said, “As far as I know, it’s official US policy, and I think it’s insane, but here we are.”
But Roggio believes the NRF may pose a legitimate threat to Taliban rule. Especially when the NRF finally finds sympathetic ears from the international community. But the group has a long way to go and will face considerable challenges in achieving its goals, he noted.
White House drafts memo defending Afghan withdrawal
“It’s hard to judge how successful they will be,” he said. “They look viable.”
In an optimistic tone, Mr. Nazari said resistance to Taliban rule was only the first step. He insisted the NRF would continue to expand its capabilities, and said the leadership would carefully consider plans before moving to the offensive phase.
“Right now it’s easy to capture districts…especially in the north,” said Nazarie. “But occupying a district is very different from keeping control over it. So once we start taking districts….we want to ensure that we can maintain control.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Nazarie said the NRF was moving slowly toward its goals and was not yet ready to move into a new phase of warfare. However, he expressed his confidence in the group’s ability to get to that point.
“We are determined to continue and believe the era of Taliban occupation in the north is over,” he said.