US Removes Uyghur Jihadi Group From Terror List
US military bombed the group partnered with al-Qaeda in 2018
The US removed the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) from its list of terrorist organizations on October 20th, a move that was made public on Thursday. The ETIM is a Uyghur Muslim group that was designated as a terrorist organization due to its suspected links to al-Qaeda in 2002.
On Friday, China criticized the US for its decision to remove ETIM from the terror list. Beijing says the group was behind a series of terror attacks in Xinjiang and in other parts of China, including a 2013 attack on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) took credit for the 2013 Tiananmen Square attack, which is believed to be the same group as the ETIM.
A State Department official told Radio Free Asia that the group was removed from the terror list because, “for more than a decade, there has been no credible evidence that ETIM continues to exist.” [The Turkistan Islamic Party absolutely does exist and has a few thousand fighters in Syria.]
Notably, in February 2018, the US launched airstrikes in Afghanistan’s remote Badakhshan, which is close to the border of Tajikistan and Xinjiang. Military officials said they targeted members of the Taliban and the ETIM.
The Washington Post reported on the US airstrike on the ETIM in 2018. The Post said the area that was targeted is “home to members of both the Taliban and a separatist group that is known as both the East Turkestan Islamic Movement and the Turkistan Islamic Party.”
A US military official spoke with the Post about the airstrikes. “Anybody that is an enemy of Afghanistan, we’re going to target them,” Air Force Brig. Gen. Lance R. Bunch said. “We’ve got new authorities now that allow us to be able to … target the Taliban and the ETIM where they previously thought they were safe.” President Trump loosened the rules of engagement for the military in Afghanistan in 2017.
Since 2013, thousands of Uyghur fighters from the TIP have been fighting alongside al-Qaeda affiliates in Syria. Today, Uyghurs are embedded in Syria’s Idlib province, aligned with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the al-Qaeda affiliate that controls most of the province.
Source: Antiwar.com
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” A very shortsighted view..
In 1980 the US was supporting “Freedom fighters” , later known as Taliban, who supported Al Qaida and other terrorists..
In the bitter end it will all strike back on the US again.
I always remember a scene on TV, as a Mudjaheedin did fire a Stinger rocket on a Soviet plane and while he was shootng he did scream “Death to all Americans”.
20 years later came 9/11 , 15 from 20 hijackers were Saudis.
All parts in the 9/11 report about the Saudis are censored.
Bush Jr and Trump like to dance the sabre-dance with the Saudis and selling their “good friend” the rope the West one day will hang on.
Sure, like it did the K.L.A.!
A terrorist is one who works against your interests, otherwise he is a freedom fighter.
Time for China to release this Muslims into the US.
US just loves bloody assassins and terrorists
Yes, the US government is finally recognizing China as a threat. After sending America’s production and engineers in the 1990s and 2000s China has taken that ball and ran with it. Americans are now left barely subsisting. America won the great war and WWII due to her production and enormous amount of skilled people. Those people are gone. Today’s Americans are requesting the government hand them everything free. China can out produce America 100 to 1.
America wants to fight a war 10,000 miles from their shores. They don’t have the resources to do this. It takes $1000 dollars for America to produce $1 dollar of product. The rest goes to payoffs and bribes. Since they know their power is limited the US government is using its currency to make war even though they know this is stupid as it is destroying its currency. Today America is relying on its past reputation. It is no longer a super power. Only its nukes give it some power today and even many of those are old and dilapidated.
China has been around many thousands of years before America was founded. They are very patient.
The US government will destroy America withing ten years, probably sooner in its quest for totalitarianism, so China will try to prolong any conflict as long as possible laughing all the way to the bank. Napoleon’s advise worked well for China. Never stop an enemy from making a mistake. America has suicided itself. It’s just a matter of time.
Yes it can be reversed but no powerful nation I know of except one took the hit and recovered. That one was Russia in 1991. It’s military and police stood down and allowed the government time to get its act together. This brought about Putin and Russia has advanced to super power status again. So far they have learned. Their military is mostly defensive and stays home. The USA will never do that. And control of its citizens is more important then even its existence.
Hmm, the World sees US what it is: a terrorist threat. The US military will soon handled as Terrorist Combatants.
USA is a terrorist group
Ohh.. Come on ! They are “freedom ” fighters, like the Syrian democratic forces ?? You know, the one using white shitheads as cover ??
USA support only “freedom” fighters ?? You know about US style “freedom” ??
I don’t think that I have to explain to you US freedom ?? Right ??