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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs South and Central Asia Subcommittee Chairman Bill Huizenga delivered opening remarks at a subcommittee hearing titled, “Assessing the Terror Threat Landscape in South and Central Asia and Examining Opportunities for Cooperation.”

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-Remarks-

Today we will discuss the current terror threats and the landscape throughout South and Central Asia and potential opportunities for the Trump administration to enhance our regional counterterrorism strategy.

Since the Biden administration’s ill-conceived and executed and withdraw from Afghanistan, the subsequent Taliban takeover, the terror threat landscape in South and Central Asia has changed dramatically. Despite the Taliban’s Doha Agreement commitments, Afghanistan has once again become a hotbed for terrorists looking for safe harbor as they grow their ranks and abilities to project attacks across the region and frankly, the world.

Threats from groups such as ISISK and the TTP, also known as the Pakistan Taliban, are higher than any time in recorded history, and internally, Pakistan has seen the highest rates of terror attacks in many years. And of course, the recent attack in Pahalgam reminded us all that the threat, the militant threat in Kashmir has not subsided.

For decades, the United States has remained the global leader in the fight against terrorism. We’ve engaged our internal international partners through bilateral agreements and multilateral mechanisms that have supplied our allies with training and equipment to ensure that they are able to stop the spread of terrorism from further poisoning our world.

However, the threat has persisted since the 2021 ISIS K bombing at Abbey Gate, which killed 13 American servicemen and 170 Afghan civilians and wounded many others, including one of my constituents from Southwest Michigan.

The Taliban claims to be doing their best to eliminate the ISIS-K threat. However, while the Taliban claimed victory, ISIS-K continues to wreak havoc, conducting attacks that target everyone from innocent civilians to Taliban officials, all while continuing its effort to radicalize and recruit from diaspora communities across and even outside of Central Asia. Last year we saw the growing ISISK threat manifest as hundreds were killed in attacks in both Moscow and Tehran and through the foiled plot to attack the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Nevertheless, the United States continues to display strong leadership, working closely with our partners such as the Pakistanis who recently arrested a key planner in the Abbey Gate attacks. That individual has since been brought to the United States to stand trial for his crimes. The Pakistanis themselves are no strangers to the terrorist threat that festers within their own borders. 2024 was one of the most violent years in over a decade for Pakistan. Groups such as Tehrik-i-Taliban, Pakistan and the Balochistan Liberation Army threatened civilians and Pakistani security forces alike. Rising violence from such militant groups and others pose a significant threat to Pakistan’s internal security and has been the source of much friction between Pakistan and its neighbors in the region.

Most recently, we saw the devastating attack on the Indian controlled Jammu and Kashmir where the 2026 individuals, primarily tourists, were brutally and deliberately killed in cold blood by militants. The attack led to a military conflict between two major nuclear powers, the first of its kind in years.

I want to be clear; I respect India’s sovereign right to defend itself against rogue actors seeking to sow instability in the volatile region. But I support and encourage both sides to work earnestly to resolve the areas of conflict.

As we discussed the challenges emanating from the region, it’s essential to assess the tools that we have at our disposal to continue the fight against terrorism. The Trump administration is uniquely, has a unique opportunity to find new ways to engage our regional partners and find a new path to stability and security.

So I want to say thank you to our witnesses, Ms. Curtis and Ms. Todd, for being here today and I look forward to a robust conversation.

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