Afghanistan Times
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In a major breakthrough against terrorism and militant networks, Afghanistan’s premium spy agency NDS, has nabbed several suicide bombers. The spy agency presented the thwarted bombers to the media in Kabul. The would-be suicide bombers, the youngest of whom is just 13, said they were trained at madrassas in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He said they were sent to Kabul to carry out their attacks. After the revelation of the thwarted bomber, the government should move into action against madrassas to keep a close tab on their financing, imams and students. On domestic front it will give fruitful results. The aim of the check and balance on madrassas and mosques should be aimed only at controlling the infiltration and cutting off foreign financing resources and channels that want to spread militancy through madrassas in Afghanistan. In follow up steps none should be allowed to politicize the issue as it’s the matter of saving lives, which is the strongest message of the peace-loving religion of Islam.
Nevertheless to tam militancy successfully, it will have to keep a close watch on young Afghans studying in Pakistani madrassas. Any young Afghan boy should be quizzed at crossing points in Torkham and Chaman—the two gateways to Pakistan. Until the government introduces a strictest check and balance system, it is quite troublesome to curb militancy and the spread of militant mindset. This issue is of such a greatest importance the government cannot turn a blind eye to. The government will have to find factors behind the surge in militant attacks as a security report revealed by a private news channel say that as many as 696 security-related events took place across the country only in January. This figure is horrific and it’s enough to make one’s hair stand on end.
The spy service is performing well, however until their extensive program of keeping a close watch on young Afghans studying in Pakistani madrassas, just nabbing them on tip off will not be a much fruitful mechanism. Moreover, Afghan security forces have conducted 315 anti-militant operations in the past month where a large number of militants were detained. They also recovered huge caches of arms and explosives during the 203 raids. Security apparatus and the government should also launch a serious nationwide investigation into the increase in militant attacks and what factors made militant mindset to creep back. After the fall of the Taliban’s regime in 2001, people of the country started building hopes in the new set up and for two to three years there was a lull. It is still to be found what factors caused a deadliest increase in attacks after that calm period. Since Afghanistan is not alone that is victim of terrorism are prone to it rather there are too many other states in the region that are grappling with militancy. Afghanistan may learn from experiments of other states as well. For instance, the Kyrgyz Republic started registration of madrassas. According to official documents currently there are over 54 registered madrassas in Kyrgyz. A theological faculty has been working at Osh State University since 1993. This faculty has been proving much effective in countering violent mindset being taught in outside learning centers that are beyond the outreach of the Kyrgyz Republic. Such faculties should also be introduced in almost all the government and private sector universities in Afghanistan.
