Archive for October 17th, 2020

Helmand fighting disrupts critical health services: UNOCHA

Heavy fighting in southern Helmand province, near Lashkargah city, has not only displaced thousands of people but it has also interrupted critical health services as clinics have been forced to shut down in some areas, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said on Thursday.

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Abdullah warns early troop withdrawal could hand Taliban an advantage

President Donald Trump’s tweet last week stating US troops should be home by Christmas could give the Taliban the upper hand, Afghanistan’s Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah said.

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Khalilzad claims Iran not entirely supportive of peace process

American peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said efforts are being made to establish an international support group for the Afghan peace process and that hopefully, this group will be able to encourage Iran to support the peace process.

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US and Taliban agree to ‘re-set’ amid spike in violence

The United States and the Taliban have agreed to a “re-set” following a sharp rise in violence in the past week in Afghanistan – specifically in Helmand province.

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US contractor pleads guilty to forging paperwork in Kandahar theft ring

A U.S. military contractor who was part of a crime ring that stole more than $300,000-worth of vehicles, generators and other goods from Kandahar Airfield in southern Afghanistan, has pleaded guilty to federal fraud and theft charges, the Justice Department said in a statement.

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Taliban attacks in Helmand boost Afghans’ fears about a hasty US pullout

A deadly Taliban offensive in Afghanistan’s Helmand province has drawn a crescendo of accusations that the militant group is openly flouting a deal under which all American troops could leave the country by next spring, and jeopardizing month-old peace talks with the government.

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What’s Next for Kyrgyzstan?

It’s the second week of Kyrgyzstan’s political crisis – what does the path forward look like? Kyrgyzstan’s ruling elites are getting closer to solving the country’s prolonged crisis of legitimacy.

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No, Fazlur Rehman Cannot Protect Pakistanis’ Democratic Rights

Opposition parties have tapped a right-wing Islamist as the leader of the Pakistan Democratic Movement. That raises serious questions. Pakistan’s opposition parties have elected the head of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Rehman (JUI-F), Maulana Fazlur Rahman, as their leader to drive the incoming agitation campaign against the government.

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Two military helicopters collide over embattled Helmand

Two ANA helicopters collided and crashed along the Helmand river near an Afghan security outpost in Nawa district of Helmand on Tuesday night. According to sources, a number of Afghan National Defense and Security Forces members were killed.

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Taliban Red Unit kill 15 security force members in Baghlan attack

At least 15 Afghan National Security Force (ANDSF) members were killed and five others wounded when Taliban Red Unit fighters attacked security outposts in Guzargah-e-Noor district of northern Baghlan province.

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