Publication

This commentary discusses the impact on the Afghan Taliban of pressure to come to a political settlement with Kabul as well as the rise of the so-called Islamic State (IS), and contends that both these factors are undermining the group's cohesiveness. The author also looks at the appeal that IS has for the younger members of the Taliban and how the doctrinal and strategic barriers that kept them from defecting from the group have been weakened, making it increasingly difficult for the Taliban to retain their support in Afghanistan and Pakistan.