Category: Japan

Check out my new article for The National Interest: "What Do Asian-Oceanic Nations Think about ISIS?"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

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Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to a number of key Asian-Oceanic nations and allies of the United States to discuss issues related to Iraq, Syria, the Islamic State (IS) and foreign fighters. While much of the focus in Washington has been on the role of Western European and Arab partners in the fight, Asian-Oceanic countries also have their own interests related to this issue. In particular, I spoke with governmental officials, academic scholars and others in Singapore, Japan, China, New Zealand and Australia. While each country looks at the problem-set through a different lens and/or interests, as well as has varying degrees of threat-levels, it is clear that all are concerned and want to take an active role in combatting it.
 
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New statement from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan's Zabīhullah Mujāhid: "Regarding the Baseless Assertions of Karzai in Japan"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin


On the 27th of the past month, an academic analytical conference regarding Afghanistan was convened in Doshisha University, Koyoto, Japan to which representatives of Islamic Emirate were invited and then a delegation dispatched so that the stance of Islamic Emirate can be clarified. However even at that time, some media outlets falsely reported that negotiations took place between the representative of Islamic Emirate and that of the stooge Kabul administration during
which they agreed upon creating a joint commission and the exact claim was once again made by Karzai the other day.
We dismissed those reports and rumors even at that time and once again reject the baseless assertions of Karzai with the strongest of words. It is true that the representative of Islamic Emirate as well as those of the Kabul regime were present at the analytical gathering at a university in Japan however the representative of Islamic Emirate has neither talked to those of the Kabul administration and neither did they agree upon creating a joint commission in the future to solve the issues of Afghanistan. The mentioned assertion is nothing more than another wave of enemy propaganda and such irresponsible claims are in it self an acknowledgment of their frail and weak state.
We once again strongly reject such claims reported by some malicious media outlets as well as by some officials of the stooge Kabul regime.
 
Spokesman of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
Zabihullah Mujahid
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New statement from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: "Regarding the Participation of its Representative in an Academic Conference in Japan"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin


An academic conference, in which the issue of Afghanistan would also be discussed was being planned in Doshisha university, Koyoto, Japan on the 25th June 2012 and hence it sent an invitation to the Islamic Emirate. The Islamic Emirate sent its representative to this conference only and only so it can clarify its stance to the world regarding the affair of Afghanistan. Some faces and media outlets have distorted the meaning of this trip of Islamic Emirate and have said that the
representative of Islamic Emirate has begun formal negotiations with the peace council representatives of the stooge Kabul regime and have agreed upon creating a joint commission. Other media outlets have added that the representatives of Islamic Emirate have also made a similar trip to France and have negotiated about peace.
We must make it very clear that dispatching a representative to Japan was not for meeting with someone or talking about peace and neither have there been any discussions or agreements made about setting up a joint commission for future peace talks. On the other hand, the Islamic Emirate has never sent a delegation or a representative or a message to France and neither is the Japan matter connected to the conference in France.
The Islamic Emirate has repeatedly stated that the Afghan problem has two sides. As long as the matter with America (talks which are currently suspended) is not addressed, talking with the administration of Karzai is pointless.
The baseless and malicious news spread by some self-interested persons and media outlets are only their own views and have nothing to do with the realities.
 
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
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