ISIS and Afghan Taliban

**rajpoot** · 08-12-2015, 16:21

So apparently they're blowing each other up now. And Taliban spokesperson has termed it barbaric of course. the phrase about irony being so thick that you can cut it with a knife fits perfectly.
While I'm all heart for the wrongly accused ones and pretty liberal when it comes to religion, I can't help but feel a slight twinge of satisfaction about this.
Interesting questions are, what are the states directly involved going to do. Afghanistan might be happy to let them rip each other to shreds and then deal with whoever lives. I'm sure the West will have a similar outlook. Pakistan though, they're close to the Afghan Taliban, unofficially speaking, seeing as how they're mediating with them on the Afghan government's behalf ever since Ashraf Ghani took the office. However there are also fresh rumours that they're funding ISIS at least for the time being.
Should be interesting to watch it unfold now, what with Mullah Omar also gone and the Taliban splintering.

**Fragony** · 08-13-2015, 07:32

As if things weren't confusing enough, you would expect Al-Quaida and the Taliban would be allies. Allas, if they weaken eachother..

**Husar** · 08-13-2015, 07:46

Didn't the Taliban once say that ISIS were too extreme for them?
I remember Jon Stewart joked about it.

Either way I'm not surprised that ISIS is pretty much incapable of having allies, it seems that you either join them or you are an enemy.

**Fragony** · 08-13-2015, 08:54

They sure are good at making enemies, popcorn time if they piss of the Taliban.

**rajpoot** · 08-13-2015, 13:12

They are already in open conflict since early June I think, which was around when I'd first read the news that they were trying to make inroads into Taliban territory.

**I of the Storm** · 08-13-2015, 14:42

I don't think making allies is even part of ISIS' agenda. Since they declared themselves the caliphate, every muslim state who doesn't join them joyfully is ultimately an enemy.

So maybe it's popcorn time, maybe the Taliban will kind of crumble when their more fundamentalist factions switch sides.

Pretty f***ed up lately, even more so than a while ago, what with Turkey and their little war against the Kurds.
They could make it really difficult for ISIS but since they are enemies with the Kurds too, they rather not weaken them too much.

"drop the bomb, exterminate them all..." I often find myself remembering that line.