German fears danger of ISIS and al-Qaeda expansion

German fears and warnings about the danger of ISIS and al-Qaeda expanding in different regions around the world, such as Afghanistan and the African Sahel, has prompted calls for the need to unite in facing these challenges and to stand in the way of the spread of extremist groups.

German intelligence

The German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) estimates that the threat posed by al-Qaeda and ISIS has not diminished, even nearly 20 years after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.

BND President Bruno Kahl said in statements to the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung on Sunday, July 11, “We currently have no reason to blow the safety whistle,” adding, “Despite the military successes that have been achieved in combatting terrorism in Iraq or Syria, for example, the number of terrorist parties has increased.”

Today, he noted, terrorists can not only launch attacks in the region, but also “can operate abroad from there again.”

Kahl expressed his belief that the greatest danger of the expansion of the scope of terrorist structures exists everywhere “in the absence of state authority and structures,” pointing to the situation in countries in the Middle and Near East, the countries of the African Sahel, the southern part of Africa, and part of Central Asia, which is very dangerous, especially in light of the expansion of terrorist organizations.

He pointed out that there are terrorist groups that are popular in these areas because of the attractiveness of the idea of filling the power vacuum and participating in the game, and this is a new type of sovereignty that is compatible with Sharia and carries with it social promises.

There is only one way to counter the spread of terrorist groups and that is to “show presence,” he said.

Kahl pointed out that “we must continue to stand by the countries from which this scourge was launched,” in reference to the terrorism of al-Qaeda and ISIS, adding, “It appears even after the recent attack on the German army in Mali that the West cannot hide,” demanding that Europe do everything in its power to support the countries of the African Sahel and to realize that the issue concerns a neighboring region in which security risks will have direct effects on Europe.

With regard to the withdrawal of Western forces from Afghanistan, Kahl said that it was absolutely right to confront the terrorism that emanated from there in 2001, pointing out that it is also in the interest of the Taliban to “remove terrorist structures from there.”

Kahl believes that the most important lesson learned from the Afghanistan operation was to “prevent the uncontrolled development of terrorist structures in the bud as much as possible,” adding that “the West should not promise palaces in the air, for example by exporting democracy and the rule of law.”

German Foreign Minister

In June 2021, Germany announced its adherence to the liberation of the Sahel and Mali from terrorism following an attack on a convoy of its soldiers in the region.

“I have learned with great sadness that an attack on the German contingent of the United Nations peacekeeping mission took place in Mali,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in an official statement.

“Twelve German soldiers and another UN soldier were injured; three of them are in critical condition,” he said, adding, “Our hearts go out to the wounded, and we sincerely wish them a speedy recovery.”

Maas also said that “Mali and the Sahel must be liberated from the curse of terrorism,” adding, “The efforts of our soldiers working for the United Nations deserve our appreciation.”

Germany is currently participating in Mali with about 1,100 soldiers as part of a training mission for the Malian forces affiliated with the European Union and the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). This is the most dangerous mission in which German forces are currently participating.

Many armed groups are active in the countries of the Sahel, a region that extends in sub-Saharan Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. Many of these groups are affiliated with either ISIS or al-Qaeda.