... East.
As was
noted
by Russian Presidential Envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov, several northern Afghan provinces have militant training centers connected with various international terrorist groups. The latter are affiliated with the Taliban, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, various ethnic groups (natives of Central Asian states and the Caucasus, Uighurs, Arabs).
Even Afghanistan’s formerly trouble-free north is subject to increasing chaos, as is confirmed by reports by various anti-government units
periodically exchanging
the Taliban’s white flag for ...
... readiness to position itself as a political power. Its incoming financial flows appear solid, but global practice shows that unity of such organizations is relative. It may well split into a myriad of factions and cells (similar to the nodal existence of al-Qaeda) which can be countered by the world community, rather than a single entity.
Islamic state. RIAC Reader
(In Russian)
Even a small foreign contingent on Afghan territory will deter both the Taliban and IS. A sharp rise in extremism in Central Asia seems unlikely any time soon, although individual attacks may be expected, posing grave risks of destabilization for the countries involved. Due to the poor governance in the post-Soviet space, Russia will also suffer from the aftereffects ...
