(New York, N.Y.) — The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) has launched a new weekly series, Afghanistan Content Report, that compiles the raw propaganda output of al-Qaeda and ISIS affiliates operating in Afghanistan, as well as content related to Afghanistan, collected by CEP researchers. By releasing this material to the wider expert and terrorism analyst community, including through a rough translation and summaries of the original texts into English, CEP aims to inform and build a long-term analysis of the development of the propaganda strategies of these groups and therefore support a thorough analysis of the terrorism threat.
“CEP’s monitoring of al-Qaeda, Taliban, ISIS, and pro-ISIS propaganda is essential to closing the knowledge gap about the activities in the region. The international community can ill afford to misread the fluid dynamics shaping the country and impacting its people,” said CEP senior director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler. “The Afghanistan Content Report is an essential resource to governments and researchers seeking a better understanding of their motivations and priorities.”
To access the Afghanistan Content Report series, please click here and remember to bookmark the page.
CEP’s most recent report, covering the period of March 9 – March 15, includes a selection of pro-ISIS online chatter curated from Telegram and RocketChat critical of criminal punishments handed down by the Taliban that users claim do not correspond to religiously mandated punishments, commentary on attacks by unknown individuals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, claims the governor of Badakhshan Province asked local officials to report suspected Salafist imams to Taliban intelligence, and criticism of Taliban envoys visiting Moscow to conduct talks with Russian officials. The report also includes two Pashto pro-ISIS-K Al-Azaim pamphlets titled “Ramadan the Month of Conquests” and “Ramadan Gifts” encouraging fighting, committing attacks, and remembrance of individuals held as prisoners.
To review the March 9 – March 15 Afghanistan Content Report, please click here.