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Could Syria Become the Next Afghanistan?
Rebel fighters holds weapons at the Citadel of Aleppo, after Syrian rebels announced that they have ousted Bashar al-Assad, in Aleppo, Syria, Dec. 9, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Karam al-Masri
As a high school student, I’m constantly reminded of the threats posed to me and my peers. Whether it’s the devastating reality of school shootings or the fear of a subway attack in New York, our schools and media make us hyper-aware of the dangers lurking in the world today.
But amidst all this fear, one question lingers: Why is the world so silent about the obvious and growing threat of terrorism?
The recent New Year’s Eve attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas are stark reminders of this danger. Both incidents, now being investigated as acts of terrorism, have cast a shadow over what should have been a celebration of hope and renewal. For me and my peers, these events reinforce the reality of living in a world where such threats feel constant and inescapable.
These attacks are not isolated incidents — but part of a chilling new wave of terrorism. And there is now the potential for more instability, with the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria. The instability in Syria is eerily reminiscent of Afghanistan’s past — ungoverned spaces where extremist ideologies take root and flourish. Yet, while the global community acknowledges the lessons of Afghanistan, it seems reluctant to confront the threat brewing in Syria with the same urgency.
As students, we’re taught history to avoid repeating its mistakes. But the parallels between Syria’s current state and Afghanistan’s history are undeniable. Afghanistan’s instability in the 1980s and 1990s led to the Taliban coming to power, which allowed Al-Qaeda to rise, culminating in the devastating 9/11 attacks. Today, groups like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria could represent a similar threat, using ungoverned territories to grow their influence and recruit from vulnerable populations.
HTS, an offshoot of Al-Qaeda, has rebranded itself to appear more moderate, but its core ideology remains rooted in global jihadism. In the past, the group has capitalized on the despair and instability in refugee camps, particularly in Jordan, where over 1.3 million displaced Syrians reside. These camps, marked by poverty and trauma, provide fertile ground for extremist narratives to take hold. HTS’ recruitment strategies often use propaganda, social media, and local networks to spread its ideology far beyond Syria.
As a student living in constant fear of the next potential attack, I wonder why these realities aren’t discussed more openly. We’re bombarded with stories about personal safety — lockdown drills, active shooter training — but global terrorism feels like a distant, ignored threat.
Unlike Al-Qaeda or the Taliban, HTS has diversified its funding, making it more resilient and adaptable. The group sustains itself through local taxation, private donations, and control over trade routes. It even collects fees from humanitarian aid deliveries in areas under its influence. This financial independence allows HTS to evade traditional counterterrorism measures and extend its reach globally. If it decides to pursue a malign influence in the Middle East, the entire world could soon feel the consequences.
History has shown us the cost of ignoring instability in regions like Afghanistan and Iraq. The collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime has plunged Syria into chaos, creating conditions perfect for the growth of extremist groups like HTS. This is not just a Middle Eastern problem — it’s a global one. The international community must act decisively to stabilize the region by providing humanitarian aid, countering extremist narratives, and fostering diplomatic solutions. Failure to act risks turning Syria into the next Afghanistan, with devastating consequences for the entire world.
The time to act is now. If the global community remains silent, we risk allowing history to repeat itself — at a cost we cannot afford.
The writer is a high school student from Great Neck, New York, passionate about advocacy and government. Through his writing and activism, he engages others in meaningful conversations about U.S. politics, international relations, and Israel’s significance as both a homeland for the Jewish people and a key ally of the United States.
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IDF Denies Troops Fired on Civilians After Incidents of Settler Violence
Illustrative. Israeli troops during counterterrorism activity in Tulkarem, northwestern Samaria, September 2024. Photo: IDF.
i24 News – The IDF released a statement after an incident during which Israeli soldiers opened fire on Israeli civilians in the West Bank on Saturday night, denying that the trooped fired live ammunition.
This comes at the heels of arson incidents by settlers against Palestinian villages, with clashes breaking out. The IDF said that its soldiers had come under attack on Friday as they entered the area of Kafr Malik, the site of the disturbances, by Israeli civilians. “The undermining of the rule of law and the use of violence by a radical minority harm security and stability in the area.”
The IDF later said that “an initial investigation indicates that IDF forces did not fire live ammunition at Israeli civilians in the area. It should be clarified that the battalion commander’s force operating in the Baal Hatzor area of the Binyamin brigade did not fire live ammunition at all.” On the other hand, the civilians claimed this was false, posting a video that showed shell casings on the ground right next to where the troops were deployed.
Meanwhile, the police requested the remand of six individuals, two of whom are minors, to be extended in connection with the incident.
The IDF later said that, “in another area within the sector, stones were thrown at a military vehicle near the site of the clash by masked individuals from an ambush. The force responded with a warning shot of three bullets.” A possible connection “between this incident and the claim that an Israeli civilian was injured by live fire” is being investigated.
After the incidents late last week, the IDF issued an unusual directive for soldiers to exercise special vigilance and also prepare for scenarios involving nationalist incidents perpetrated by Israeli citizens. The directive was issued after a military vehicle was set on fire inside a Jewish settlement, the tires of an armored David vehicle were punctured, and a community policing caravan near the community of Beit El was also set on fire.
“The security establishment system is highly alert,” a security official told i24NEWS. “We are seeing an escalation on the ground – and if you cannot leave a military vehicle in a Jewish community without it being burned in the sector, it is a sign that the situation is dangerous.”
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Israel Orders Evacuations in Northern Gaza as Trump Calls for War to End
US President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing-in ceremony of Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US, May 6, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Kent Nishimura
The Israeli military ordered Palestinians to evacuate areas in northern Gaza on Sunday before intensified fighting against Hamas, as US President Donald Trump called for an end to the war amid renewed efforts to broker a ceasefire.
“Make the deal in Gaza, get the hostages back,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform early on Sunday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to hold talks later in the day on the progress of Israel’s offensive. A senior security official said the military will tell him the campaign is close to reaching its objectives, and warn that expanding fighting to new areas in Gaza may endanger the remaining Israeli hostages.
But in a statement posted on X and text messages sent to many residents, the military urged people in northern parts of the enclave to head south towards the Al-Mawasi area in Khan Younis, which Israel designated as a humanitarian area. Palestinian and U.N. officials say nowhere in Gaza is safe.
“The (Israeli) Defense Forces is operating with extreme force in these areas, and these military operations will escalate, intensify, and extend westward to the city center to destroy the capabilities of terrorist organizations,” the military said.
The evacuation order covered the Jabalia area and most Gaza City districts. Medics and residents said the Israeli army’s bombardments escalated in the early hours in Jabalia, destroying several houses and killing at least six people.
At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, relatives arrived to pay their respects to white-shrouded bodies before they are buried.
“A month ago, they (Israel) told us to go to Al-Mawasi (in Khan Younis) and we stayed there for a month, it is a safe zone,” said Zeyad Abu Marouf. He said three of his children were killed and a fourth was wounded in the Israeli airstrike.
“We ask God and the Arabs to move and end this occupation and the injustice taking place against us,” Abu Marouf told Reuters.
NEW CEASEFIRE PUSH
The military escalation comes as Arab mediators, Egypt and Qatar, backed by the United States, begin a new ceasefire effort to halt the 20-month-old conflict and secure the release of Israeli and foreign hostages still being held by Hamas.
Interest in resolving the Gaza conflict has heightened following US and Israeli bombings of Iran’s nuclear facilities.
There has also been rising concern over how aid is being distributed to Gazans in the ruined enclave. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed over the past month in the vicinity of areas where food was being handed out, local hospitals and officials have said.
A Hamas official told Reuters the group had informed the mediators it was ready to resume ceasefire talks, but reaffirmed the group’s outstanding demands that any deal must end the war and secure an Israeli withdrawal from the coastal territory.
Hamas has said it is willing to free remaining hostages in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to still be alive, only in a deal that will end the war. Israel says it can only end the war if Hamas is disarmed and dismantled. Hamas refuses to lay down its arms.
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Russia Launches Largest Drone Attack Yet Against Ukraine, Kills F-16 Pilot
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 10, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko
i24 News – Ukraine’s Air Force said that Russia launched 537 drones and missiles against targets throughout Ukraine overnight between Saturday and Sunday, in what what described as the largest attack of the war.
Poland activated aerial defenses and scrambled jets as the six-hour onslaught continued. One Ukrainian F-16 pilot was killed as Kyiv attempted to intercept the missiles and drones, with 475 shot down.
“Tragically, while repelling the attack, our F-16 pilot, Maksym Ustymenko, died. Today, he destroyed seven aerial targets,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“Ustymenko did everything possible, but his jet was damaged and started losing altitude,” the air force said, as quoted in Politico. “He died like a hero!”
The cities of Cherkasy, Lviv, Poltava, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Kyiv were targeted.
The Russia attack came after Ukraine attacked the Kirovske airfield in the Crimean Peninsula, targeting air defenses, drones, and even destroying several helicopters and an air defense system.
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