Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis Highlights: United States President Joe Biden said withdrawing the troops from Afghanistan to end the 20-year war was the “best” and the “right” decision for America. He said there was no reason to continue in a war that was no longer in the service of the “vital national interest” of the American people. “I give you my word: With all of my heart, I believe this is the right decision, a wise decision, and the best decision for America,” Biden said in his address to the nation from the White House on Tuesday. “We’ve been a nation too long at war. If you’re 20 years old today, you have never known an America at peace. So, when I hear that we could’ve, should’ve continued the so-called low-grade effort in Afghanistan, at low risk to our service members, at low cost, I don’t think enough people understand how much we have asked of the 1 percent of this country who put that uniform on, who are willing to put their lives on the line in defense of our nation,” he said. Telling his fellow Americans that the war in Afghanistan is now over, Biden said he is the fourth President who has faced the issue of whether and when to end this war. “When I was running for President, I made a commitment to the American people that I would end this war. And today, I’ve honored that commitment. It was time to be honest with the American people again. We no longer had a clear purpose in an open-ended mission in Afghanistan,” he said. “After 20 years of war in Afghanistan, I refused to send another generation of America’s sons and daughters to fight a war that should have ended long ago,” Biden added.
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Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Committee on price control to be established in Afghanistan amid spike in Prices
A price control committee is to be established in Afghanistan amid a spike in prices on imported food and fuel, Afghan Khaama Press news agency reported on Wednesday.
The committee will reportedly include members of the Afghan commerce chamber and the ministry of industry. Officials also called on Afghan entrepreneurs to help the authorities bring prices down. (ANI)
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | US to help build border facilities on Tajik-Afghan border: Report
The United States will help build new facilities for border guards in Tajikistan along the Central Asian country's frontier with Afghanistan and Uzbekistan to better respond to security threats, the U.S embassy in Dushanbe said on Wednesday.
The new facility, which will be built in Tajikistan's southwestern tip, will replace an outdated detachment and allow border guards to "deploy forces more quickly to border areas in response to threats," the embassy said.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates |
Afghanistan cricket team gets Taliban's to play a one-off Test match against Australia in September
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | UK's Dominic Raab says intelligence was Afghan capital would not fall this year
Britain's foreign minister Dominic Raab said the intelligence assessment was that it was unlikely Kabul would fall this year as he defended Britain's withdrawal from Afghanistan after the Taliban swept across the country much more quickly.
Britain, like the United States, failed to predict how quickly the Afghan government would fall, meaning it had not made sufficient preparation for the chaos that would follow when the Taliban seized power.
In an emergency session of parliament's foreign affairs committee to discuss the crisis in Afghanistan, Raab said the central assessment of Britain's intelligence service was that the Taliban would only consolidate its control of the country in the months after western countries had evacuated their troops.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Taliban say negotiations with Panjshir leaders failed: Reports
The Taliban on September 1 said that the negotiations with the leaders of the Panjshir province have gone in vain as it is the only province that is still out of the Taliban's reach in the country, a media report said.
Taliban's commission for guidance and encouragement's head Mullah Amir Khan Motaqi said that negotiations with the tribal elders and leaders failed and asked the people of Panjshir province to motivate their leaders, Afghanistan's Khaama Press reported.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates |
Omar Abdullahasks Union govt whether it considers Taliban a terror organisation
A day after India officially talked to the Taliban, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday asked the Union government to clarify whether or not it considered the outfit a terror organisation.
"Either Taliban is a terror organisation or it is not. Please clarify to us how you (GoI) see the Taliban," the National Conference vice president told reporters after an Indian representative in Doha met a Taliban leader on Tuesday.
This was the first officially acknowledged meeting when Indian Ambassador to Qatar Deepak Mittal met senior Taliban leader Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai and conveyed India's concerns that Afghanistan's soil should not be used for anti-Indian activities and terrorism.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | India's sugar export to Afghanistan almost at halt; should resume after normalcy restored
India's sugar export to Afghanistan has almost come to a halt with Indian merchants reporting cancellation of orders in the wake of the current situation there, a senior government official said on Wednesday.The Taliban ousted the government in Afghanistan and took over the control of the country after capturing Kabul last month.Afghanistan is one of the top three destinations for Indian sugar exports. About 6,00,000-7,00,000 tonne of the sweetener is exported annually.About 6,50,000 tonne of sugar has already been exported so far in the current 2020-21 season ending this month, as per the trade data.Sugar season runs from October to September."Our sugar export to Afghanistan has been affected now because of the prevailing current situation out there. Some orders have been cancelled," Joint Secretary in the Food Ministry Subodh Kumar Singh told PTI.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Taliban says it has surrounded Afghan resistance fighters, calls for peace
The Taliban has surrounded the only remaining province resisting its rule, a senior leader said on Wednesday, calling on rebels to negotiate a settlement with the group. Since the fall of Kabul on August15, mountainous Panjshir has been the only province to hold out against the Islamist group, although there has also been fighting in neighbouring Baghlan province between Taliban and local militia forces. Under the leadership of Ahmad Massoud, son of a former Mujahideen commander, several thousand members of local militias and remnants of army and special forces units have been holding out against the Taliban. In a recorded speech addressed to Afghans in Panjshir, senior Taliban leader Amir Khan Motaqi called on the rebels to put down their weapons. "The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is home for all Afghans," he said. The Taliban have declared an amnesty for all Afghans who worked with foreign forces during the past two decades but crowds fearing reprisals have continued to flock to the borders in an attempt to flee the land-locked country. Motaqi said the Taliban had made many efforts to negotiate with leaders of the opposition forces in Panjshir, "but unfortunately, unfortunately, without any result".
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | S Jaishankar speaks to British counterpart Raab on situation in Afghanistan
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his British counterpart Dominic Raab on Wednesday on the situation in Afghanistan, their second such conversation in a week.India has been in constant touch with all major countries on the fast-paced developments in Afghanistan, particularly after the Taliban took control of the country on August 15."Nice speaking again to UK Foreign Secretary @DominicRaab. Conversation focused on Afghanistan related developments," Jaishankar tweeted.The Jaishankar-Raab conversation came a day after the US completed the withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan, ending its two-decade war in the country.The external affairs minister spoke to Raab on August 25 as well on the Afghan crisis.On Wednesday, Jaishankar also spoke to Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi."Good to talk to Omani Foreign Minister @badralbusaidi. Discussed Afghanistan and Covid. Thank Oman for supporting our repatriation flights," Jaishankar tweeted.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Pakistan to step up counter-terror cooperation with China in Afghanistan Pak envoy
Pakistan remains cognizant of the threats posed by the various terror groups operating from Afghanistan and it will strengthen intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism cooperation with China post-US withdrawal, the country's envoy to China has said.The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan on August 15, two weeks before the US was set to complete its troop withdrawal after a costly two-decade war. This forced Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to flee the country to the UAE.Pakistan remains "cognizant of the threat posed by terrorist organisations, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Da’esh (ISIS), the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and others operating from Afghanistan," Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque told state-run Global Times on Tuesday. Pakistan will strengthen intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism cooperation with China, he added."We continue to work through existing mechanisms to build capacities, share intelligence, and coordinate our efforts. In view of the emerging challenges and threats, the two countries would enhance and strengthen the existing cooperation and coordination,” he said.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Qatar jet carrying technical team lands in Kabul: source close to case
A Qatari aircraft landed in Kabul Wednesday carrying a technical team to discuss the resumption of airport operations after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, according to a source with knowledge of the matter."A Qatari jet carrying a technical team has landed in Kabul earlier today to discuss the resumption of operations in the airport," the source told AFP."While no final agreement has been reached regarding providing technical assistance, Qatar's technical team has initiated this discussion based on the other sides' request."Talks are still ongoing at the level of security and operation."The source said that the goal was to resume flights for both humanitarian aid and to provide freedom of movement, including the resumption of evacuation efforts.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Russian President Vladimir Putin says US achieved 'zero' in Afghanistan
Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticized the United States' involvement in Afghanistan, charging that its 20-year-long military presence in the country has achieved “zero.”Putin said Wednesday that for 20 years, the U.S. military in Afghanistan “was trying ... to civilize the people who live there, to introduce their norms and standards of life in the broadest sense of the word, including the political organization of society.”“The result is sheer tragedies, sheer losses, both for those who were doing that - the US - and more so for the people who live in Afghanistan. A zero result, if not negative,” Putin said.The Russian president added that “it's impossible to impose something from outside” and that “if someone does something to someone, they should draw on the history, the culture, the life philosophy of these people in the broadest sense of the word, they should treat their traditions with respect.”Moscow, which fought a 10-year war in Afghanistan that ended with the Soviet troops' withdrawal in 1989, has made a diplomatic comeback in the country as a mediator over the past few years. Russia has reached out to the feuding Afghan factions, including the Taliban - even though it has labeled them a terrorist organisation.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Afghan media:
Head of Taliban’s commission for guidance & encouragement, Mullah Amir Khan Motaqi said that their negotiations with tribal elders & leaders of Panjshir failed. Motaqi said that Taliban talked with tribal leaders of Panjshir in Parwan province went in vain
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | UK regulator warns of financial crime risks in Afghanistan
Britain's financial watchdog has urged banks to be vigilant about the risk of being used for criminal operations such as terrorist financing or money laundering in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover.Financial firms "should be aware of the possible impact" of recent events "when they assess risks related to particular customers and flows of funds", the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said in a statement released on its website.Banks should "appropriately monitor and assess transactions to Afghanistan to mitigate the risks if their firm being exploited to launder money or finance terrorism," it added.Any suspicious activity should be reported to the relevant UK authorities, the regulator said, reminding banks of their legal obligations.The City of London is regularly accused by anti-corruption NGOs of not doing enough to combat money laundering, although banks argue that they comply with the law and that their industry spends billions of pounds a year fighting economic crime.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Number of women journalists in Kabul has plunged
The number of female journalists working in Kabul has dwindled to below 100 since the Taliban took power, compared with 700 before, a media watchdog said Wednesday.Reporters Sans Frontieres (Reporters Without Borders) said that as Taliban forces took over Kabul, women journalists were increasingly told to stay home, harassed, prevented from going on reporting assignments, or even beaten.Last year, RSF said it had counted 108 media operating in the Afghan capital, employing 4,940 people, including 1,080 women of whom 700 were journalists.But of the 510 women employed by the country's eight biggest media groups in 2020, only 76, including 39 journalists, are still working now, the watchdog said.These are in addition to journalists at smaller media outlets.The figures amount to "a quasi-disappearance of women journalists in the capital," RSF said. (AFP)
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | In Afghanistan's Panjshir, anti-Taliban forces fight on
The Taliban on Wednesday called on the holdout bastion of the Panjshir Valley to lay down their arms, as resistance fighters said they had repulsed heavy attacks.The rugged mountain valley with towering snow-capped peaks -- which begins around 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of the capital Kabul -- is the centre of Afghanistan's most important pocket of armed anti-Taliban forces.The National Resistance Front (NRF), comprising anti-Taliban militia fighters and former Afghan security forces, have vowed to defend the enclave as the Islamist group sends fighters to encircle the area.
"My brothers, we tried our best to solve the Panjshir problem with talks and negotiations... but unfortunately all in vain," senior Taliban official Amir Khan Muttaqi said, in an audio message to the people of the Panjshir posted on Twitter."Now that the talks have failed and Mujahiddin (Taliban) have surrounded Panjshir, there are still people inside that don't want the problems to be solved peacefully," he added.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Afghan protestors outside UNHCR could act as super spreader of COVID-19, says Delhi HC
The Delhi High Court Wednesday expressed concern over a large gathering of Afghan nationals protesting outside UNHCR office and seeking refugee status, saying it could act as a super spreader of coronavirus as there is lack of adherence to COVID-19 appropriate norms.The high court said the situation cannot be permitted to continue as the protestors could be seen sitting and standing next to each other without even wearing masks and asked the authorities to act on it.Justice Rekha Palli asked the Centre, Delhi government and police to coordinate on how the issue can be resolved and to see the gathering does not act as a super spreader of COVID-19.The high court issued notices to the ministries of Home Affairs and External Affairs, Delhi government, Delhi Police, South Delhi Municipal Corporation and Delhi Jal Board on a petition by Vasant Vihar Welfare Association which stated that the foreign nationals (refugees/ asylum seekers) have gathered outside the office of the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) at B Block in South Delhi’s Vasant Vihar since August 15, including lanes and parks adjoining it and residents are facing difficulties due to this.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Qatar urges Taliban to ensure 'safe passage' out of Afghanistan
Qatar on Wednesday urged the Taliban to ensure "safe passage" for people still wanting to leave Afghanistan after the chaotic US-led evacuations came to an end.More than 123,000 foreign nationals and Afghans fled the country in a frenzied airlift operation that wound up on Tuesday, but many more are desperate to depart."We stress on the Taliban the issue of freedom of movement and that there be safe passage for people to leave and enter if they so wish," Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told a press conference after a meeting with his Dutch counterpart, Sigrid Kaag."We hope to see these commitments fulfilled in the near future when the airport begins operations again and that it happens smoothly, with no obstacles for anyone wanting to leave or come to Afghanistan."
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Tensions in Taliban: The anticlimactic birth of the Second Emirate could point to troubles ahead
The giant doors of the Kherka-ye Sharif shrine, secured by three padlocks clinging together like petals, were flung open; then, inside the chamber they guarded, were opened three boxes nestled within each other, the smallest made from the purest silver. Inside was Afghanistan’s most treasured religious relic, the rough camel-wool shawl the prophet Muhammad is reputed to have worn as he flew on the winged horse Buraq to the al-Aqsa mosque, and then ascended to the heavens.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Afghan migrants stranded in Serbia fear for families under Taliban rule
Two Afghans with links to U.S. forces who ended up in Serbia after fleeting the Taliban advance are watching in dismay as the Islamist militants take over back home, saying the group cannot be trusted and they fear for relatives left behind. Ahmadmir and Mohaed left about three months ago for their own security because of their past work for U.S. troops, making separate journeys across Iran and Turkey and ending up in a refugee camp in Serbia, where they are stranded.
Speaking to Reuters at the Obrenovac camp, 30 km (18 miles) west of Serbia's capital Belgrade, Mohaed, 45, said his wife, two children, brother, sister and parents remained in Kabul. "Me and my brother used to work for the U.S. army, they (the family) are not safe, because we cannot trust the Taliban. They are in hiding," he said, speaking on condition his last name not be used due to the sensitivity of the subject.
A former handyman for U.S. forces, Mohaed said the decision by U.S. President Joe Biden to order the American military to pull out was wrong. "Our government needed more help, and they just left," he said. In 2013 Mohaed applied for a special visa program to move to the United States, without success. He left Afghanistan months before the massive but chaotic airlift by the United States and its allies that evacuated more than 123,000 people from Kabul over the past two weeks. Despite the airlift, many of those who helped Western nations during the war were left behind.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Afghanistan crisis shows EU must seek greater military autonomy: EU Council President Charles Michel
The European Union must take action to be better prepared for military evacuations of its citizens in situations such as occurred in Afghanistan in recent weeks, EU Council President Charles Michel said on Wednesday. "In my view, we do not need another such geopolitical event to grasp that the EU must strive for greater decision-making autonomy and greater capacity for action in the world," he told the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia. Western nations scrambling to get their citizens out of Kabul after the Taliban takeover were dependent on the U.S. military to keep the airport running during airlifts.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Afghanistan to be focus during Jaishankar’s three-nation Europe visit
Security in Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific region will be key issues on the table during Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar’s three-nation European visit to Slovenia, Croatia and Denmark starting Thursday. The visit “will provide an opportunity for reviewing the progress in our bilateral ties with the three Central European countries, and for strengthening our multifaceted relationship with the EU (European Union)," a statement from the Indian foreign ministry said.
India sees the EU as a key partner in trade besides investments and technology. Earlier this year in May, India and the EU announced they would resume talks to conclude a free trade pact that had been stalled for many years. The first stop of the four-day tour will be Slovenia from 2-3 September. “Slovenia currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union and has invited Jaishankar to attend an informal meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of EU Member States on 3 September," it said. The informal format, known as the Gymnich meeting, is a highlight of each country’s presidency.
"A special invitation has been extended to the minister by the EU Presidency to participate in this informal meeting and interact with the EU FMs," a person familiar with the development said. The focus of discussions at this forum was expected to be on "developments in Afghanistan and the situation in the Indo-Pacific region," the person cited above said. This will give the foreign minister the opportunity to “hold discussions with his EU counterparts on issues of mutual interest," the statement said.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | UK in talks with Taliban for evacuations as it launches Operation Warm Welcome
The UK government is in discussions with the Taliban to secure safe passage for remaining British nationals and eligible Afghan evacuees and has launched "Operation Warm Welcome" for refugees from Afghanistan, Downing Street said on Wednesday. The talks, involving UK officials and "senior" Taliban members, are said to be taking place in Doha, Qatar, and additionally, Britain is also sending 15 "crisis response specialists" to neighbouring Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to assist British diplomats in their work to allow people to reach the UK via third countries.
The focus is on helping UK nationals, interpreters and other Afghans who were employed by the UK. "The Prime Minister''s special representative for Afghan transition, Simon Gass, has travelled to Doha and is meeting with senior Taliban representatives to underline the importance of safe passage out of Afghanistan for British nationals, and those Afghans who have worked with us over the past 20 years," a Downing Street spokesperson said.
The move follows the exit of NATO troops from the region to meet the August 31 deadline, but the Taliban have agreed to allow further evacuations. Meanwhile, Downing Street said that a significant cross-government effort is underway as “Operation Warm Welcome”, to ensure Afghans arriving in the UK receive the vital support they need to rebuild their lives, find work, pursue education and integrate into their local communities.
Under the plan, those coming to the UK through resettlement routes would receive immediate indefinite leave to remain (ILR). “We owe an immense debt to those who worked with the Armed Forces in Afghanistan and I am determined that we give them and their families the support they need to rebuild their lives here in the UK,” said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
“I know this will be an incredibly daunting time, but I hope they will take heart from the wave of support and generosity already expressed by the British public,” he said. UK Home Secretary Priti Patel announced on Wednesday that the new ILR measures will apply to Afghans who worked closely with the British military and UK government in Afghanistan and risked their lives in doing so, meaning they can now stay in the UK without any time restrictions.
“We owe a great deal to the brave Afghans who worked alongside us and we want to make sure they have certainty and stability to be able to thrive in the UK,” said Patel. “As part of the New Plan for Immigration, I committed to providing refugees who make their home here the ability to rebuild their lives in the UK with essential support to integrate into the community, learn English, and become self-sufficient," she said.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | President Biden defends US withdrawal from Afghanistan; says it's 'best' decision for America
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | NATO chief vows will not 'forget' Afghans left behind
NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that Kabul airport must be kept open and vowed not to forget Afghans left behind when US and allied forces left. "It's essential to keep the airport open, both to enable humanitarian aid to the Afghan people and also to make sure that we can continue to get people out -- those who wished to, but were not able to be part of the military evacuation," he told AFP in an interview.
"We will not forget them." The last US military flight departed from Kabul's airport late Monday after a rushed airlift to rescue more than 123,000 allied personnel and Afghans who worked alongside them during the conflict. But as the Taliban celebrated their victory, the NATO alliance is left to analyse what went wrong in its most important military mission since the Cold War. And Stoltenberg swore the allies would maintain diplomatic pressure on the Taliban to allow the remaining Afghans, and their families, who worked to help the Western effort and now feel at risk, to leave the country.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | With airport closed, fearful Afghans scramble for the border
Crowds seeking to flee Afghanistan gathered on its borders while long queues formed at banks on Wednesday, as an administrative vacuum after the Taliban’s takeover left foreign donors unsure how to respond to a looming humanitarian crisis. The Islamist militia focused on keeping banks, hospitals and government machinery running after the final withdrawal of U.S. forces on Monday put an end to a massive airlift of Afghans who had helped Western nations during the 20-year war.
With Kabul’s airport inoperable, private efforts to help Afghans fearful of Taliban reprisals focus on arranging safe passage across the land-locked nation’s borders with Iran, Pakistan and central Asian states. At Torkham, a major border crossing with Pakistan just to the east of the Khyber Pass, a Pakistani official said: “A large number of people are waiting on the Afghanistan side for the opening of the gate.”
Thousands of people also flocked to the Islam Qala border post between Afghanistan and Iran, witnesses said. “I felt that being among Iranian security forces brought some kind of relaxation for Afghans as they entered Iran, compared with the past,” said one Afghan who was among a group of eight that crossed into Iran.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | As the US completes withdrawal, here’s a look at its footprint in Afghanistan
On August 30, the United States completed its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan after two decades of military operation. Over these 20 years, the US deployed more than 775,000 troops to Afghanistan and spent $145 billion to rebuild the war-torn nation, its security forces, civilian government institutions, economy, and civil society, according to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).
“It’s a mission that brought Osama bin Laden to a just end, along with many of his Al Qaeda co-conspirators,” General Kenneth McKenzie, commander of US Central Command said while announcing the completion of the withdrawal. “It was not a cheap mission. The cost was 2,461 US Service members and civilians killed and more than 20,000 who were injured. Sadly, that includes 13 service members who were killed last week by an ISIS-K suicide bomber. We honor their sacrifice today as we remember their heroic accomplishments.”
In addition, warfare has cost $837 billion for the US defence forces and left over 1,100 allied troops dead. Even the Afghans had to bear high losses with at least 66,000 troops killed, over 48,000 civilians dead and nearly 75,000 injured since 2001-- both likely significant underestimations.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Won't interfere in Kashmir, we want to have a good relation with India, says Taliban's Anas Haqqani
After the United States withdrew its troops from Afghanistan bringing to an end its longest war in history, Anas Haqqani, the Taliban leader and scion of Afghanistan’s feared Haqqani Network has called for an amicable relationship with India and pledged not to interfere in the Kashmir issue. In an exclusive interview to CNN News18, Haqqani, 28, rejected accusations of terrorism against the guerrilla group controlled by his family and promised to provide complete security to all Afghan Sikhs and Hindus.
“Kashmir is not part of our jurisdiction and interference is against the policy,” Haqqani, who styles himself a poet, said. “How can we do against our policy? This is clear, we will not interfere,” he added. Anas is the youngest son of the military commander Jalaluddin Haqqani, who fought both the Soviets and the Americans, and brother of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the head of the Haqqani Network
The outreach by Haqqani is the latest conciliatory signal from the Taliban leaders since the insurgent group took over Afghanistan. the new masters of Afghanistan, appearing keen to build friendly ties with India, which has poured money into rebuilding Afghan infrastructure. Excerpts: Thank you very much. Yes, it is a big day for us.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Joe Biden cites late son Beau to explain Afghanistan withdrawal
President Joe Biden said on Tuesday it was the best available option to end both the United States' longest war and decades of fruitless efforts to remake other countries through military force. Biden portrayed the chaotic exit as a logistical success that would have been just as messy even if it had been launched weeks earlier, while staying in the country would have required committing more American troops.
"I was not going to extend this forever war," he said in a speech from the White House. “Maybe it’s because my deceased son, Beau, served in Iraq for a full year, before that. Well, maybe it’s because of what I’ve seen over the years as senator, vice president, and president traveling these countries," Biden said.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Taliban can assert independence from their Pakistani paymasters: William Dalrymple
Don't underestimate the Taliban, warns historian-author William Dalrymple, saying they have been unquestionably trained and funded by Pakistan but there is now the possibility of them asserting their independence from their paymasters.
The US government's decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is strategically wrong-headed and emotionally ill-considered, the author of the bestselling "Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan'' said as the last American plane flew out of Kabul on Tuesday and the war-ravaged country was left in the hands of the Taliban.
"If some Indian strategists/writers tag the Taliban as entirely a Pakistani movement, that's simply not right. It is an Afghan movement that reflects an extremely hardline ultra-puritan rural Afghan movement. But it is unquestionably funded, trained, armed, put into the field and sheltered by Pakistan, and it has been for 20 years, Dalrymple told.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Music is on at Kabul weddings under the Taliban
At one of Kabul's upscale wedding halls, a celebration was in full swing around midday Tuesday. Afghan dance music could be heard from inside the hall. According to reception hall's manager, Shadab Azimi, 26, at least seven wedding parties have been held since the Taliban takeover of Kabul two weeks earlier, with festivities moved to daylight hours because of security concerns.
The Taliban, who during their previous rule between 1996-2001 had banned most music, except for devotional Islamic songs, did not announce a ban of live music, Azimi said. However, wedding singers canceled on their own, for fear of running afoul of possible new Taliban restrictions. He said in recent celebrations, couples played taped music. Azimi said business was down by 80 per cent over the past two weeks, presumably because of a sense of uncertainty.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | India's Qatar envoy Deepak Mittal meets Taliban leader Sher Mohammed Abbas Stanekzai in Doha
India's Qatar envoy Deepak Mittal on August 31 met the Head of Taliban's Political Office Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai. The meeting took place at the Embassy of India, Doha, on the request of the Taliban side. The discussions focused on safety, security and early return of Indian nationals stranded in Afghanistan. The travel of Afghan nationals, especially minorities, who wish to visit to India also came up. The Indian Ambassador raised India's concern that Afghanistan's soil should not be used for anti-Indian activities and terrorism in any manner. While the Taliban Representative assured the Ambassador that these issues would be positively addressed.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Planeload of fleeing Afghans arrive in Mexico, including journalists
A plane carrying 175 Afghans fleeing their strife-torn homeland arrived in Mexico on Tuesday night on one of the last flights to leave Kabul on the day U.S. forces completed a withdrawal that left Taliban Islamist militants in control of Afghanistan. It was the fourth group of Afghan civilians granted entry by Mexico on humanitarian grounds. A foreign ministry statement said the latest group to arrive included independent journalists and activists accompanied by their families, including 75 children.
Three previous flights from Afghanistan to Mexico over the past week included Afghan media workers from prominent U.S.-based newspapers. A source with knowledge of the operation to evacuate Afghans deemed at risk following the Taliban take over told Reuters the latest group to arrive in Mexico included journalists from Afghan news outlets TOLO TV and Arman FM radio.
The ministry said more Afghan civilians were expected to arrive in Mexico in coming days, without specifying the number. The effort to safely bring Afghan journalists to Mexico was also backed by social media giant Facebook, which acknowledged its support for the airlift in a brief statement sent to Reuters late on Tuesday.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | President Biden defends US withdrawal from Afghanistan; says it's 'best' decision for America
President Joe Biden vigorously defended the chaotic withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan after nearly 20 years of conflict, describing it as the “best” and the “right” decision for America which ended an era of major military deployments to rebuild other countries. In his address to the nation from the White House on Tuesday, Biden said there was no reason to continue in a war that was no longer in the service of the “vital national interest” of the American people. “My fellow Americans, the war in Afghanistan is now over,” Biden said.
“I give you my word: With all of my heart, I believe this is the right decision, a wise decision, and the best decision for America,” he said. Biden’s address to the nation came just 11 days before the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that precipitated the US intervention in Afghanistan. The last C-17 cargo aircraft carrying US forces took off from the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul in the early hours of Tuesday, ending America''s military campaign in Afghanistan.
The Taliban, ousted from power by the US shortly after the 9/11 attacks, now control nearly all of the country. Biden said the real choice in Afghanistan was "between leaving and escalating." "I was not going to extend this forever war, and I was not extending a forever exit," he said. “We succeeded in what we set out to do in Afghanistan over a decade ago. And we stayed for another decade. It was time to end this war,” he said.
"This decision about Afghanistan is not just about Afghanistan. It’s about ending an era of major military operations to remake other countries." Biden also highlighted the evacuation of more than 120,000 people from Afghanistan, saying the “extraordinary success of this mission was due to the incredible skill, bravery, and selfless courage of the United States military and our diplomats and intelligence professionals.”
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | NATO chief vows will not 'forget' Afghans left behind
NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that Kabul airport must be kept open and vowed not to forget Afghans left behind when US and allied forces left. "It's essential to keep the airport open, both to enable humanitarian aid to the Afghan people and also to make sure that we can continue to get people out -- those who wished to, but were not able to be part of the military evacuation," he told AFP in an interview.
"We will not forget them." The last US military flight departed from Kabul's airport late Monday after a rushed airlift to rescue more than 123,000 allied personnel and Afghans who worked alongside them during the conflict. But as the Taliban celebrated their victory, the NATO alliance is left to analyse what went wrong in its most important military mission since the Cold War. And Stoltenberg swore the allies would maintain diplomatic pressure on the Taliban to allow the remaining Afghans, and their families, who worked to help the Western effort and now feel at risk, to leave the country.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | With no evacuation flights, Afghans weigh risky overland trips to borders
As the last U.S. troops prepared to leave Afghanistan, Hussain, a U.S. passport holder who worked with the U.S. military, scrambled with his six daughters through Taliban checkpoints to the gates of Kabul airport for several days in a row, hoping to catch a flight to safety. He had called and emailed the U.S. Embassy for days without a response. Then a U.S. soldier phoned him to say his only chance for a flight out was alone, without his daughters who are not U.S. citizens. Hussain's wife had died in July of COVID-19, and leaving would mean abandoning them.
On Monday night, the family stood in the throngs outside Kabul airport, listening to the roar of the final U.S. C-17 aircraft taking off, ending America's two decade-long military intervention in Afghanistan. Hussain now is among an untold number in Afghanistan weighing a potentially hazardous overland journey, he told Reuters Tuesday, speaking through a translator.
"I hear from news and relatives that thousands are waiting at the Afghanistan borders with Pakistan and trying to get into Pakistan," said Hussain, who requested that his last name be withheld for security reasons. "I do not know, should I go to Tajikistan," he wondered, worrying how he will be able to look after his daughters on the road if he goes.
With U.S. troops gone, U.S. evacuation flights over, and commercial fights avoiding Kabul's airport, which has no air traffic control, ad hoc private efforts to save thousands of Afghans unmoved by Taliban security assurances are increasingly focused on arranging safe passage across the land-locked country's borders. It could be days or weeks before the negotiations between the Taliban, Qatar and Turkey on how to run the airport are finalised.
Many have already set out for Pakistan to the east and south, while others are trying to reach Afghanistan's borders with Central Asian states, say people involved in private evacuation efforts, who requested anonymity for security reasons. The journeys, through Taliban checkpoints over hundreds of miles of rough roads via a patchwork of private cars, public buses and mini buses, are risk-filled, especially for former military and security officers and government officials. Foreign passport holders like Hussain, Afghans with visas and bribe-payers were among those who have made it out so far.
"There are just brick walls around the country right now," said a former U.S. official who belongs to informal networks that helped American citizens, green card holders and at-risk Afghans navigate the chaos around Hamid Karzai International Airport and onto evacuation flights. The U.N. refugee agency has said up to half a million Afghans could flee their homeland by year's end.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Post-Afghan withdrawal, India and US can together fight terrorism: Raja Krishnamoorthi
After the United States withdrew its troops from Afghanistan bringing to an end its longest war in history, an influential Indian-American lawmaker has said that India and the US can assist each other in the fight against terrorism. Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said the US should continue its counter-terrorism mission in Afghanistan so that it will not become a safe haven for terror groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda.
“India and US can collaborate in fight against terrorism in many ways, including through intelligence gathering and sharing, and also assisting each other with augmenting capabilities to act against terrorists and thwart their plots,” he told PTI in an interview. The three-term Congressman from Illinois, Krishnamoorthi is the first ever Indian-American lawmaker member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
“We have to continue our efforts in that regard (against terrorism). I think that will not only involve India and the United States but quite frankly, our allies and partners throughout the region, and in other places around the world,” he said in response to a question. Asserting that America’s longest running war is now over in Afghanistan, he praised the troops who served in the country and said they helped to evacuate more than 1,20,000 people from the country in the past two weeks, which must be one of the biggest airlifts.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Afghanistan has vast mineral wealth but faces steep challenges to tap it
The official ending of the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan leaves a number of long-term questions, including how the country can build a functioning economy. Now that U.S. assistance has evaporated and international aid is largely shut off, what options does Afghanistan have? One possibility resides in natural resources. Afghanistan possesses a wealth of nonfuel minerals whose value has been estimated at more than US$1 trillion.
For millennia the country was renowned for its gemstones – rubies, emeralds, tourmalines and lapis lazuli. These minerals continue to be locally extracted, both legally and illegally, in mostly small, artisanal mines. Far more value, however, lies with the country’s endowments of iron, copper, lithium, rare earth elements, cobalt, bauxite, mercury, uranium and chromium.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Joe Biden cites late son Beau to explain Afghanistan withdrawal
President Joe Biden said on Tuesday it was the best available option to end both the United States' longest war and decades of fruitless efforts to remake other countries through military force. Biden portrayed the chaotic exit as a logistical success that would have been just as messy even if it had been launched weeks earlier, while staying in the country would have required committing more American troops.
"I was not going to extend this forever war," he said in a speech from the White House. “Maybe it’s because my deceased son, Beau, served in Iraq for a full year, before that. Well, maybe it’s because of what I’ve seen over the years as senator, vice president, and president traveling these countries," Biden said.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Taliban can assert independence from their Pakistani paymasters: William Dalrymple
Don't underestimate the Taliban, warns historian-author William Dalrymple, saying they have been unquestionably trained and funded by Pakistan but there is now the possibility of them asserting their independence from their paymasters.
The US government's decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is strategically wrong-headed and emotionally ill-considered, the author of the bestselling "Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan'' said as the last American plane flew out of Kabul on Tuesday and the war-ravaged country was left in the hands of the Taliban.
"If some Indian strategists/writers tag the Taliban as entirely a Pakistani movement, that's simply not right. It is an Afghan movement that reflects an extremely hardline ultra-puritan rural Afghan movement. But it is unquestionably funded, trained, armed, put into the field and sheltered by Pakistan, and it has been for 20 years, Dalrymple told.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Music is on at Kabul weddings under the Taliban
At one of Kabul's upscale wedding halls, a celebration was in full swing around midday Tuesday. Afghan dance music could be heard from inside the hall. According to reception hall's manager, Shadab Azimi, 26, at least seven wedding parties have been held since the Taliban takeover of Kabul two weeks earlier, with festivities moved to daylight hours because of security concerns.
The Taliban, who during their previous rule between 1996-2001 had banned most music, except for devotional Islamic songs, did not announce a ban of live music, Azimi said. However, wedding singers canceled on their own, for fear of running afoul of possible new Taliban restrictions. He said in recent celebrations, couples played taped music. Azimi said business was down by 80 per cent over the past two weeks, presumably because of a sense of uncertainty.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | India's Qatar envoy Deepak Mittal meets Taliban leader Sher Mohammed Abbas Stanekzai in Doha
India's Qatar envoy Deepak Mittal on August 31 met the Head of Taliban's Political Office Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai. The meeting took place at the Embassy of India, Doha, on the request of the Taliban side. The discussions focused on safety, security and early return of Indian nationals stranded in Afghanistan. The travel of Afghan nationals, especially minorities, who wish to visit to India also came up. The Indian Ambassador raised India's concern that Afghanistan's soil should not be used for anti-Indian activities and terrorism in any manner. While the Taliban Representative assured the Ambassador that these issues would be positively addressed.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Possible axis of China, Pakistan and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan cause for worry: Chidambaram
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Wednesday said it is too premature to congratulate ourselves over the UN Security Council adopting a resolution on Afghanistan, and cautioned that the possible axis of China, Pakistan and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan is a cause for worry.
His remarks came after the UN Security Council, under India's Presidency, adopted a strong resolution demanding that the territory of Afghanistan not be used to threaten any country or shelter terrorists and that it expects the Taliban will adhere to commitments made by it on regarding the safe and orderly departure from the country of Afghans and all foreign nationals.
Reacting to the development, Chidambaram said the government is congratulating itself for the UNSC resolution adopted on Afghanistan. "'Resolution' has two meanings. The first is that the issue has been 'resolved' or settled to India's satisfaction. That is not what happened at the UNSC. The second meaning is that we have put our wishes on paper and got some others to sign that paper! That is what happened at UNSC yesterday," the former Union minister said on Twitter.
It is too premature to congratulate ourselves, Chidambaram said. The possible axis of China, Pakistan and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan is a cause for worry, he cautioned. The Security Council on Monday adopted the resolution sponsored by France, UK and the US with 13 members voting in favour, none against and permanent, veto-wielding members Russia and China abstaining. This was the first resolution adopted by the powerful 15-nation Council on the situation in Afghanistan following the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban and came on the penultimate day of India's Presidency of the Security Council for the month of August.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | What lies ahead for Afghanistan under the Taliban?
Afghans on Tuesday woke to the start of another uncertain era after the last American forces left overnight, cementing victory for the Taliban after two decades of war. Many are afraid that the group will once again impose their harsh interpretation of Islamic law, brutally punishing their opponents and locking away Afghan women as they did during their 1996-2001 regime. And while many Afghans -- especially in rural areas -- are also relieved that the war has ended, the country still faces huge economic, political and security challenges.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | NATO chief vows will not 'forget' Afghans left behind
NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that Kabul airport must be kept open and vowed not to forget Afghans left behind when US and allied forces left. "It's essential to keep the airport open, both to enable humanitarian aid to the Afghan people and also to make sure that we can continue to get people out -- those who wished to, but were not able to be part of the military evacuation," he told AFP in an interview.
"We will not forget them." The last US military flight departed from Kabul's airport late Monday after a rushed airlift to rescue more than 123,000 allied personnel and Afghans who worked alongside them during the conflict. But as the Taliban celebrated their victory, the NATO alliance is left to analyse what went wrong in its most important military mission since the Cold War. And Stoltenberg swore the allies would maintain diplomatic pressure on the Taliban to allow the remaining Afghans, and their families, who worked to help the Western effort and now feel at risk, to leave the country.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Fears of Afghan exodus boost pressure on EU ministers
EU ministers debated Tuesday how to prevent or contain a feared influx of Afghans fleeing the Taliban, with Germany leading a call for migrants to stay in the region. At the meeting, the ministers were expected to approve a declaration that includes support for countries in the region to take in refugees from Afghanistan, which has been in Taliban hands since mid-August.
The return of the hardline Islamist group to power has plunged the future of many Afghans into uncertainty and sparked concern that millions may seek refuge in neighbouring countries and Europe. The goal of European refugee policy must be "that people stay close to home," German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said, as he arrived for talks in Brussels.
In 2015, Germany took in more than a million migrants fleeing conflict, mainly in Syria, in a decision that angered some of its EU partners, who were caught off guard. On Tuesday, Seehofer urged the European Commission -- the EU executive -- to present an action plan "very quickly", making support for Afghanistan's neighbours, such as Pakistan and Tajikistan, dependent on their willingness to accept and care for refugees.
This would be based on the EU-Turkey model in which Ankara inked a deal with Brussels after the 2015 migration crisis to stem the flow of migrants to Europe by hosting arrivals in return for some incentives including financial assistance. "The Turkish-Syrian model has been a good model for refugees ... France will ask to extend this model (to Afghanistan)," French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said. For now, however, he added "there is no massive flow of Afghans at the European borders as was experienced in 2015. But it may happen in the coming weeks or months depending on the situation."
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Post-Afghan withdrawal, India and US can together fight terrorism: Raja Krishnamoorthi
After the United States withdrew its troops from Afghanistan bringing to an end its longest war in history, an influential Indian-American lawmaker has said that India and the US can assist each other in the fight against terrorism. Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said the US should continue its counter-terrorism mission in Afghanistan so that it will not become a safe haven for terror groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda.
“India and US can collaborate in fight against terrorism in many ways, including through intelligence gathering and sharing, and also assisting each other with augmenting capabilities to act against terrorists and thwart their plots,” he told PTI in an interview. The three-term Congressman from Illinois, Krishnamoorthi is the first ever Indian-American lawmaker member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
“We have to continue our efforts in that regard (against terrorism). I think that will not only involve India and the United States but quite frankly, our allies and partners throughout the region, and in other places around the world,” he said in response to a question. Asserting that America’s longest running war is now over in Afghanistan, he praised the troops who served in the country and said they helped to evacuate more than 1,20,000 people from the country in the past two weeks, which must be one of the biggest airlifts.
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Ex-Afghan minister says timing of US exit 'irresponsible'
Nargis Nehan, a former member of Afghan president Ashraf Ghani's cabinet who days ago fled Afghanistan for Norway, on Tuesday condemned the US handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan. "The US have been in Afghanistan for 20 years, staying one more year longer wouldn't have made any difference for them, at least financially as well as politically," Nehan told AFP from Oslo where she is staying in quarantine after arriving last week.
Nehan, who previously served as acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum, said the withdrawal was "mismanaged" and "irresponsible" and with a delayed exit evacuations could have been handled in an organised manner and enabled a real agreement between the government and the Taliban. "President Joe Biden could have said that by end of September 2022 I want zero troops in Afghanistan. But until that time I want to make sure that we have a political settlement between the government and the Taliban and that we have also evacuated all our employees and local partners," Nehan said.
The former minister, who explained that she resigned in October of 2019 over frustration that she lacked the political support to enact reforms in the sector, said she fled to Norway after her driver was shot by unknown assailants the day the Taliban took over. As her driver, who survived the attack, was not a high profile individual, Nehan and her family believed she had been the intended target.
"I had worked in the government as well as in the civil society and I have been a very vocal, activist and politician. So when you're very vocal you create enemies," Nehan said. She also said the way things were left meant that a lot of the money and effort invested over the last two decades had been wasted. "Basically, the over two trillion of investments that were done by the international community and as well as blood, and mostly blood of Afghans. They just let all of it go and it's very disappointing that we see nobody holds them accountable," Nehan said.
In addition, Nehan worried that the sense of abandonment experienced by many Afghans would foster a sense of grievance against the international community, leading to a breeding ground for extremism. "That's my fear... we'll see much more extremism coming from Afghanistan," Nehan said, adding that it would be fuelled "out of poverty, and out of that feeling of betrayal and grievances that they have."
Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis LIVE Updates | Afghan soil should not be used for anti-India activities, terrorism: India to Taliban
In the first formal and publicly acknowledged contact, Indian Ambassador to Qatar Deepak Mittal met senior Taliban leader Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai on Tuesday and conveyed India's concerns that Afghanistan's soil should not be used for anti-Indian activities and terrorism. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the discussions also focused on the safety, security and early return of Indian nationals stranded in Afghanistan and the travel of Afghan nationals, especially members of minority communities to India. The meeting took place at the Indian embassy in Doha at the request of the Taliban side and came two weeks after the outfit seized control of Kabul.
The MEA said the Taliban representative assured the ambassador that "these issues" would be positively addressed. "Today, Ambassador of India to Qatar, Deepak Mittal, met Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the head of Taliban's Political Office in Doha. The meeting took place at the Embassy of India, Doha, on the request of the Taliban side," the MEA said in a statement.
It said the discussions focused on safety, security and early return of Indian nationals stranded in Afghanistan and the travel of Afghan nationals, especially minorities, who wish to visit India also came up. "Ambassador Mittal raised India's concern that Afghanistan's soil should not be used for anti-Indian activities and terrorism in any manner.
People familiar with India's ties in Afghanistan said it was the first publicly acknowledged contact between the two sides in over at least two decades. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, replying to questions during his weekly briefing in the last few months on whether India has reached out to the Taliban, has been maintaining that New Delhi is in touch with all stakeholders. It was learnt that India had opened a channel of communication with the Taliban but it was never acknowledged officially. The meeting between Mittal and Stanekzai took place hours after the US completed the withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan, ending its 20-year-long military campaign in the country.
