MAINSTREAMING THE “TERRORISTS”: INTERIM GOVERNMENTS IN AFGHANISTAN & SYRIA

Following the withdrawal of the United States and NATO forces from Afghanistan, the Tehreeke-Taliban Afghanistan, a UN-sanctioned entity, established an Interim Afghan Government. This period saw a decline in domestic terrorist activity; however, the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) emerged as one of the more active and globally connected branches of ISIS. Concurrently, reports began to surface about the reactivation of Al-Qaeda, which had remained largely inactive since 2015. As the Afghan Taliban continue diplomatic efforts to gain international recognition-pending acknowledgment as a legitimate governing body by the United Nations—another UNdesignated terrorist organization, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formed an interim administrative structure in parts of Syria. The presence of such entities in Afghanistan, historically linked to Al-Qaeda, and Syria, which hosts a significant number of ISIS detainees and their families, presents a complex challenge to global security frameworks. Meanwhile, the emergence of these groups, i.e. the Afghan Taliban and HTS, in quasi-governance roles in their respective countries raises important questions about the future of international engagement and counterterrorism policy, suggesting the need for a coordinated global response.