CENTCOM commander wrongly suggests ‘splinter’ Taliban group carrying out large number of attacks in Afghanistan

[Valin]

Long War Journal

Bill Roggio

March 17, 2020

The head of U.S. Central Command, General Kenneth McKenzie, suggested that the spate of Taliban attacks throughout Afghanistan may be caused by a Taliban “splinter.” McKenzie’s suggestion is contradicted by the Taliban itself, which claims dozens of daily attacks on its official website.

During his testimony at the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 13, McKenzie said that the Pentagon and CENTCOM were grappling over the question of whether the Taliban’s attacks against Afghan security forces is a “core strategy” of the group or are being executed by a rogue “splinter” faction of the Taliban.

Quote

So the question is, do the Taliban attacks represent a core strategy of the group, they’re going to continue the attacks?  Or is it a splinter of the group and are they not monolithic?  We’re still assessing that.  If it’s directed from the top, then obviously that’s not a good thing.  Because it shows that they’re not — they not acting in good faith.

Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, March 13, Senate Armed Service Committee Testimony

McKenzie’s puzzlement over the Taliban’s operations is curious, as the Taliban itself claims attacks against Afghan forces in its name daily. The Taliban publishes accounts of the bulk of its military operations at Voice of Jihad, its official website, in five different languages, including English. These reports are featured in its “News” section.

Between March 3 – when the Taliban resumed military operations after a 10-day long “reduction in violence” for the signing of the U.S. – Taliban withdrawal deal – and March 15, the Taliban claimed credit for 247 attacks – for an average of 19 a day.

(Snip)