In the media
October 18, 2023
On Wednesday 18th of October 2023, Thomas Renard was quoted by Moustique, a Belgian weekly magazine, on how ISIS remained resilient despite the counterterrorism pressure, and Afghanistan became the new sanctuary for terrorists.
"Experience has taught us that external intervention is rarely conclusive," said Thomas Renard. "The USA intervened against Al Qaeda after September 11, 2001. 20 years later, Islamist ideology in the region is stronger than ever, thanks to the Taliban's return to power."
"The eradication of an organisation and even more of an ideology is a fantasy, a utopia. The only way to get out of it is to rely on local powers. But in Syria, eradicating ISIS comes down to discuss with the el-Assad regime. In Afghanistan, bringing down Al-Qaeda amounts to legitimising the Taliban. We are a bit stuck," he added.
Read the full article (in French):
