Syrian militants may come to Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan authorities have to focus on the internal security during the military conflict in Syria, Kazakhstan political analyst Aidos Sarym told Tengrinews.kz. Judging from various estimates around one hundred Kazakhstan citizens have joined mujahidins among the Syrian rebels, the expert said. In case of a lengthy military conflict the militants will start changing regions and settling mainly in the Caucasus and the Central Asian countries. According to the expert, many extremists will return to Kazakhstan. Earlier Site Intel Group has uploaded a video showing a militant, allegedly Kazakhstan-born, calling for jihad in Syria . The video was shot by Iraq division Al-Qaeda knows as ISI (Islamic State of Iraq) or ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant). According to the website, a militant named Abu Mu'adh al-Muhajir is from Kazakhstan. In the video he appeals to the Muslims of Kazakhstan and the whole world to go to jihad in Syria. According to Sarym, the militants pose a big threat to Kazakhstan’s security, as these people have learned jihad in practice when taking part in military actions in Syria. The political expert does not preclude that after returning to their home country the extremists will focus not spreading the radical trends rather then making terrorist attacks. In this relation, Sarym believes that in the context of the current situation in the Middle East, Kazakhstan should remain neutral and focus on ensuring its internal security. The expert believes that apart from that the conflict in Syria will have no significant effect on Kazakhstan, even in spite of the fact that Turkey and Russia, the countries that Kazakhstan has close political and economic relations with, have already got involved. Sarym believes that neither Turkey nor Russia will attach any significant efforts or resources to take part in the conflict, which means that these countries’ relations with Kazakhstan will not change. Earlier Syria warned that it would strike Turkey and Jordan if they help the United States that were bracing for a military operation in Syria. Jordan publicly reiterated its neutral position in the conflict, while Turkey announced its preparedness to take part in any international coalition without specifying whether it would interfere in the conflict with its military forces. Another political expert from Kazakhstan Rassul Zhumaly also believes it best for Kazakhstan to maintain its neutrality and observing position and stick to its traditional multifaceted international polities principles. Kazakhstan does not have a big political influence in the Middle East and will not be able to significantly contribute in the situation, the expert says. Kazakhstan can only provide general recommendations, call the warring sides to peaceful negotiations and provide a platform for such, just like in the case with the Iranian nuclear talks, Zhumaly said. By Dmitriy Khegai