Central Asia, Afghanistan - potential centers for deployment of militants

Central Asia and Afghanistan are potential centers for deployment of the militants of the defeated in Iraq Al-Qaeda. Russian expert Andrey Kazantsev said during Bishkek-Astana-Moscow-Yerevan video conference on the topic «Threat of Religious Extremism in CIS Countries.»

According to him, strong resistance to terrorism and extremism is obvious throughout the post-Soviet space, but the non-violent struggle is its weak point. That is, the state is struggling in fact, but it is not ready to solve the problem with recruitment, radicalization, because it is impossible to accompany each citizen with an overseer.

The expert also noted as an alarming trend the criminalization of Islamists, especially in Kyrgyzstan.

«It’s one thing when they are poor migrants. It’s other matter, when the leaders of the underworld begin to engage in religious propaganda and agitation, and in a radical direction, as they have finances and means,» Andrey Kazantsev said.

The analyst emphasizes that the main share of the proceeds from drug trafficking is spent on financing of terrorist organizations.