Taliban victory could be a boost for extremists in Middle East

Kabul [Afghanistan] August 20 : The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan is likely to boost the morale of various extremist groups in the Middle East, say experts.
They believe that this will lead to new alliances and an increased danger of terrorist attacks.
IS, al-Qaeda and other smaller groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan will become stronger, DW quoted terrorism expert and researcher Guido Steinberg as saying in a video chat.
"Jihadis, Salafists and Islamists see that the Americans can be beaten, the Taliban have now proven that," he said.
Steinberg said after many ISIS, Taliban and al-Qaeda leaders who were enemies with each other were killed in the past years, a new generation might no longer carry on with this old conflict but work together.
He said the number of jihadis has multiplied since 2001.
"There are quarrels among themselves, and they are distributed all over the world, but now there are tens of thousands. And in 2001 there were maybe a few thousand," he told DW.
Another concern for the experts is how these terror groups are forging alliances among themselves, said terrorism researcher Jassim Mohamad adding that "in Yemen, a compromise is already in place that ensures no fighting between al-Qaeda and IS."
People may believe that Al-Qaeda has become inactive after Bin Laden's assassination but documents and investigations make it evident that Al-Qaeda is supporting the Taliban. "Their relationship is active while Taliban's next deal could be with ISIS," Mohamad told DW.
He said Afghanistan, Libya and Syria could turn into bases for preparing terrorist attacks on European and American targets.