For about a year we have heard over and over about ISIS and the need to stop it in its tracks……it did not become a major situation until the beheadings of American citizens……and then we jumped into the conflict with both feet.

But since our involvement ISIS has mover beyond the Levant (Syria and Iraq) in influence  It is gaining influence in Arabian Peninsula, Libya and to a smaller extent Egypt….but that is not the biggest problem of their growing influence with younger jihadis.

A little background first……this year the US is to end its major deployment of troops in Afghanistan…..the president has decided to leave a larger force than first was indicted…….

The US and NATO have ceremonially ended their combat mission in Afghanistan, 13 years after the 9/11 attacks sparked their invasion of the country to topple the Taliban-led government. NATO’s International Security Assistance Force Joint Command, which was in charge of combat operations, lowered its flag today, formally ending its deployment. US Gen. John F. Campbell, commander of NATO and US forces, says the mission will now transition to a training and support role for Afghanistan’s own security forces, which have led the fight against the Taliban insurgents since mid-2013.

“The Afghan security forces are capable,” Campbell says. “They have to make some changes in the leadership, which they’re doing, and they have to hold people accountable.” He says from Jan. 1, the coalition will maintain a force of 13,000 troops in Afghanistan, down from a peak of around 140,000 in 2011. But the mission ends as the Taliban is increasing its attacks. President Obama recently allowed US forces to launch operations against both Taliban and al-Qaeda militants, broadening the mission of the US forces that will remain in the country after the end of the year.

I am sure3 when we depart that the Taleban will once again try to gain control.  But that may not be the trouble they should be concentrating on in the future…….in a piece written by Jason Ditz for Antiwar.com……

For young jihad-minded students in Afghanistan, joining the Taliban or one of its associated groups has long been a no-brainer. They are, after all, one of the longest-standing such groups in the world.

But the ISIS bandwagon is growing even in remote Afghanistan, with students seeing the large territory ISIS has carved out in such a short time, and seeing the Taliban as comparatively feckless.

In the near-term, NATO occupation forces may see this as a gain, as it means the Taliban’s recruitment isn’t going as well as it once was. Ultimately, however, it may either force the Taliban into a reformation toward more extreme, ISIS-style doctrines, or simply result in ISIS becoming the dominant faction in yet another nation

This should be checked vigorously….or the US will once again be ass deep in the internal events of Afghanistan.