Macron Urges to Stay Vigilant in the Face of Daesh Threat Days After Deadly Kabul Airport Attack

Over a hundred of Afghans were killed by blasts that took place near the Kabul airport on Thursday as the West continues its evacuation efforts to get thousands of its citizens and Afghan allies from the country following the Taliban's* takeover.

French President Emmanuel Macron warned against "lowering guard" on Saturday in the wake of the Daesh* threat, just few days after Kabul was hit by a series of explosions, killing dozens. 

Daesh-K* (ISIS-K*), a group that claims to be affiliated with Daesh, took responsibility for the attack, which left 13 US service members dead.

Marcon arrived in Iraq on Saturday to take part in the "Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership", where he met Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi and President Barham Salih.

"We all know that we must not lower our guard, because Daesh (IS) remains a threat, and I know that the fight against these terrorist groups is a priority of your government," the French president said after the meeting with al-Kadhemi.

As a group, Daesh has its origins in Iraq and Syria and still remains an acute threat in these countries even after an international coalition of forces drove it out of the last remaining territories it held after declaring a worldwide caliphate in 2014. Daesh-K, where K stands for Khorasan in a reference to an ancient province, aligns itself with the terrorist movement. 

According to Macron's office, the president's visit to Iraq comes as he wants to "show his support for the pivotal role of Iraq, to combat terrorism, to develop the country, and help ease tensions."

Iraq's President Barham Salih and France's President Emmanuel Macron attend a news conference ahead of the Baghdad summit at the Green Zone in Baghdad, Iraq August 28, 2021

© REUTERS / THAIER AL-SUDANI

As Marcon is working his diplomacy in Iraq, NATO member states are urgently trying to get all of its citizens and allies out of Afghanistan by 31 August. The Taliban described the date as a "red line" for the Western occupation to end in the country and US President Joe Biden said that the US will try its best to follow the deadline.

Biden said on Thursday following the Kabul attacks that he was still committed to pulling US troops out of the country after nearly 20 years of military operations, as pressure mounts over America's chaotic withdrawal and evacuation plans, as well as over its apparent "surrender" to the Taliban's conditions.

As of Thursday, he said that some 100,000 Americans, their partners and allies were evacuated from Afghanistan in the course of the last 11 days.  

* Taliban, Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) and Daesh-K are terrorist groups banned in Russia and many other countries.