INTERNACIONAL
3 years after US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Israel looks to lessons learned from War on Terror
The U.S. on Friday marked its third anniversary of the complete withdrawal from Afghanistan and the closure of the 20-years-long war, but questions remain over the lessons learned from the U.S. War on Terror and what can be applied to Israel’s fight against Islamic extremism.
The collapse of Kabul to the Taliban, followed by the killing of 13 U.S. service members and 170 Afghans by ISIS-K terrorists on Aug. 26, 2021, left a blackened mark on what was already perceived as a chaotic conclusion to the U.S.’s longest-ever war.
However, it also left Americans questioning the effectiveness of the U.S.’s strategy in countering al Qaeda and Islamic extremism in general.
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The day after the U.S. concluded the war in Afghanistan, President Biden looked to squash these questions during an address to the nation on Aug. 31, 2021, saying, «Remember why we went to Afghanistan in the first place? Because we were attacked by Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda on Sept. 11, 2001, and they were based in Afghanistan.
«We delivered justice to bin Laden on May 2nd, 2011 – over a decade ago. Al Qaeda was decimated,» Biden said. «It was time to end this war.»
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In addition to the U.S.’ decadeslong effort to «decimate» al Qaeda, it also looked to end Taliban rule in Afghanistan and ensure a democratic government stood in its place.
Though al Qaeda remains significantly weakened today, it now receives sanctuary in Afghanistan – a consequence of failed U.S. efforts spanning multiple administrations to counter the Taliban.
Open-source reporting showed that the Taliban had begun gaining traction across the country in the lead up to the Trump administration’s February 2020 deal with the insurgent group. However, Washington, D.C., under former President Donald Trump and President Biden, pushed forward with the withdrawal – a move that was ultimately deemed the result of an «intelligence failure.»
The tumultuous ending to the War on Terror brought renewed attention to the debate over whether Islamic terrorists, or any militant group, can truly be defeated through kinetic warfare – a question Israel has long grappled with.
Since its founding, Israel has continuously faced existential threats, first from Arab government-organized paramilitary groups known as fedayeen, and later from the Palestinian Liberation Organization before Hamas, Hezbollah and other extremist groups were then formed.
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Israel currently faces threats from nearly two dozen terrorist organizations operating out of Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen – all of which are funded by Iran with the aim of encircling the Jewish state under a strategy known as the «ring of fire.»
«Militant groups can be defeated, and Israel is defeating Hamas as we speak,» former spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and current senior fellow for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Jonathan Conricus told Fox News Digital.
«The question is, and this has not been achieved by the U.S. or Israel, how can hearts and minds be persuaded and changed? How can the scourge of extremist Islamism be defeated?» the IDF veteran questioned.
Conricus, who served in the IDF for 24 years, said the biggest challenge facing Israel and any nation looking to stamp out extremism is how to stop the next generation of terrorists, as these groups are quick to recruit and refill their ranks.
«It’s a long, long battle,» he said.
However, there is one major difference between the U.S. and Israel’s fight against terrorism – proximity to the threat.
«Israel is at the forefront of this,» Conricus said. «We are fighting for our very existence.»
Since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-ran Health Ministry in Gaza – though that figure does not break down the number of civilian deaths verses the number of terrorist deaths. Another 700 Israeli soldiers and roughly 1,200 Israeli civilians have also been killed.
Israel has faced international rebuke over the high level of Palestinian civilian casualties, and critics have pointed out that Jerusalem’s aggressive tactics help drive sympathetic tendencies that lead to recruitment efforts by terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah.
Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen Charles Moore told Fox News Digital that despite arguments against the war in Gaza, ousting Hamas from the region is critical for Israeli security.
«Without a doubt, the short-term strategy must include decisive military action to eliminate the immediate threat to the safety and security of Israel’s population.»
He also noted that once the fighting ceases, a governing body needs to be put in place in Gaza that will take immediate steps to ensure that living conditions are improved, and regional economic cooperation is established in order to ensure «fair and lasting peace.»
«Israel and the United States must work together on a long-term comprehensive and multi-dimensional approach,» Moore said. «This includes leveraging advanced intelligence, technological innovation, regional cooperation/agreements, and addressing the socio-economic factors that contribute to radicalization.»
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However, there is one other major factor influencing the proliferation of terrorist organizations that poses a threat to Israel and its allies – Iran.
Both Moore and Conricus argued that the U.S., allied nations and Israel need to take a stricter approach to Tehran through increased sanctions as well as other political and military-based means, in order to deter Iran’s perpetual funding of terrorist organizations.
«For too long the Islamic Republic of Iran has had the time, leisure and resources to build terror organizations – to fund them and to send weapons to them,» the IDF veteran said, calling for a «total reassessment» of Israel’s strategy toward Iran.
«If we want safety, prosperity, rule of law and security in the region, then what Israel needs to do is to have a vision for the day after in Gaza and not only to defeat Hamas militarily, but to make sure it does come back,» he added.
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Conricus also said a coalition of «willing countries» in the region should be formed in a united show of force against not only Iran, but in ending Islamic extremism and «de-radicalizing the Gaza Strip» – an effort the Biden administration has continued and which was first launched by the Trump administration under the Abraham Accords.
«I believe that it is possible with vision and leadership and diplomacy,» Conricus said. «It all depends on Israeli diplomatic capabilities, but it is absolutely crucial that there is U.S. leadership.»
Last week, Israel agreed to a cease-fire proposal put forward by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar that could end the fighting in Gaza, though Hamas has yet to agree to the plan.
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Details of the proposal remain closely guarded by the mediators, but reports have suggested attempts to bridge the gap between Israeli and Hamas demands may not be enough to get the terrorist group on board.
Conricus argued that ultimately, Israel’s direct and immediate fight against terrorism cannot stop until Hamas is eradicated from Gaza.
«Unlike for the U.S., it’s very much a zero-sum game – we either fight and exist and defend ourselves, or we don’t exist, because that is the aspiration of the enemies,» he said.
INTERNACIONAL
Russia condemns exploding pagers that wounded Hezbollah members across Lebanon: ‘Explosive situation’
The Russian government is speaking out against the apparent use of exploding pagers to simultaneously strike thousands of individuals connected with a terrorist group in Lebanon.
Over 3,000 members of the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group were injured on Tuesday after a near simultaneous detonation of the organization’s pagers erupted across Lebanon, killing at least 12.
«What has happened, whatever it is, is certainly leading to an escalation of tensions,» Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the press, according to translations from Agence France-Presse.
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«The region itself is in an explosive situation,» he added. «And every incident like this has the potential to be a trigger.»
The pagers started heating up and exploding around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. The blasts were concentrated in areas where Hezbollah has a strong presence, particularly a southern Beirut suburb and in the Beqaa region of eastern Lebanon and in Damascus, Lebanese security officials and a Hezbollah official told the Associated Press.
Russia maintains a strategic alliance with Iran, which backs Hezbollah as a proxy combatant against Israel.
«We strongly condemn the unprecedented attack on friendly Lebanon and its citizens, which constitutes a flagrant violation of its sovereignty and a serious challenge to international law through the use of unconventional weapons,» said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, according to Agence France-Presse.
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She added, «Amid growing tension along the Lebanese-Israeli border, such irresponsible actions are fraught with extremely dangerous consequences, as they provoke a new round of escalation.
A senior U.S. official has confirmed to Fox News that Israel was behind the explosions as fresh blasts are being reported in Beirut.
Lebanon Health Minister Firas Abiad told reporters Wednesday morning that many of the wounded had severe injuries to the eyes, and others had limbs amputated.
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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has affirmed his nation’s intent to bolster cooperation with Russia in the coming months.
«My government will seriously follow ongoing cooperation and measures to upgrade the level of relations between the two countries,» Pezeshkian told Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu on Tuesday.
He continued, «Relations between Tehran and Moscow will develop in a permanent, continuous and lasting way. Deepening and strengthening relations and cooperation between Iran and Russia will reduce the impact of sanctions.»
Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace and Greg Norman contributed to this report.
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