Afghan withdrawal may spark ex-forces terrorism in Europe
The US military withdrawal from Afghanistan raised criticism among current and former service members of Western armed forces that were once deployed in the country.
Emotionally distressed and frustrated voices emerged, for instance, from US and UK veterans of the Afghanistan war.
The prevailing sentiment is that of resentment and disappointment that their efforts, injuries, and the deaths of battlefield companions may have been in vain, in particular given the rapid takeover of the Taliban and the risk of the country descending into civil war.
The vociferous criticism and concerns spurred military and non-military leaders to reassure their troops and boost morale. UK prime minister Boris Johnson reassured the British troops in a letter, stating that their efforts were not in vain, as they succeeded in their “central mission” of keeping the UK safe from attacks launched from Afghanistan.
The last commander of the German contingent in Afghanistan, already withdrawn from the country in June, also congratulated German soldiers with their “mission accomplished”.
The worsening security situation in Afghanistan following the US withdrawal may fuel right-wing radicalisation among (former) service members of Western troops that were once deployed there. In Germany, the chairman of the Association of German Veterans already warned that current events could make some of the Bundeswehr’s veterans susceptible for recruitment by right-wing extremist groups; some right-wing veteran groups would have already emerged in the country.
The recent events in Afghanistan fit in perfectly with some recurring right-wing extremist themes.
The impression of a ‘pointless’ war with a huge human and financial cost suits their anti-government narratives.
The events may also feed their anti-democratic and anti-liberalist narratives, as they invigorate the idea of the demise of the Western democratic model.
Right-wing extremists in online communities have even praised the Taliban for their conservative and autocratic ruling and overthrowing of liberal values. The Taliban ‘victory’ over the world’s most powerful military also serves to demonstrate that long-term and active resistance “pays off in the end”.
Also, the risk of Afghanistan turning into a renewed cradle of anti-Western terrorism and potential refugee flows from the region are invaluable for right-wing extremist propagandists.
Source: EU Observer
