As the British before them, US imperial propaganda treats itself as the victim and those they invaded and occupied as the criminal On August 18th, shortly after the Taliban took Kabul, former British Prime Minister Theresa May stood up in the British House of Commons and asked: “Where is global Britain on the streets of Kabul?” The rhetorical question, as […]

All indications are that the regional states are preparing to accord recognition to the Taliban government. The meeting of regional states and Taliban officials in the so-called Moscow Format last Wednesday signalled that the Taliban government is a compelling reality and constructive engagement is needed. read more A week is a long time in politics. The foreign-minister level conference in […]

The U.S. intelligence community has assessed that Islamic State in Afghanistan could have the capability to attack the United States in as little as six months, and has the intention to do so, a senior Pentagon official told Congress on Tuesday. The remarks by Colin Kahl, under secretary of defense for policy, are the latest reminder that Afghanistan could still […]

Washington and New Delhi seem to have divergent strategic priorities. In order to prevent regional instability and enhance its local stature, India must build new strategic bridges with the US, West and Central Asia and the Pacific. In their different ways, the US’s retreat from Afghanistan, the newly minted AUKUS pact and the US-India talks of securing maritime freedom in […]

When Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States formed the AUKUS on 15 September 2021, many countries in the world have raised serious concerns that this trilateral arrangement can further heighten existing security tensions in the Indo-Pacific because of AUKUS’ expressed intention to assertively counter China’s growing political power in the region. Like the QUAD or the Quadrilateral Agreement […]

On October 20, 2021, two soldiers and two Police officers were killed when their vehicle was blown up by a roadside bomb near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, in the Bajaur District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack. On September 30, 2021, two persons, including a Pakistan Army Captain and a TTP ‘commander’ Khawaza Din […]

On October 20, 2021, pro-Islamic State (ISIS) media outlets disparaged the Taliban for collaborating with the so-called enemies of Islam, including Russia and Iran, to advance its interests at the expense of Muslims and for Sufis to practice their rituals, which are considered polytheistic by Sufis. The content coincided with Russia-hosted talks on Afghanistan involving senior representatives of the Taliban. […]

Despite their lightning victory in August, many Taliban are expressing disappointment, and disillusion, with what their sacrifice has bought. To be sure, there is peace today and relative security, a balm to all Afghans after 40 years of war. And Taliban leaders, fighters, and many Afghans welcome restoration of the self-declared Islamic Emirate. But the Taliban are fast finding that […]

Despite their lightning victory in August, many Taliban are expressing disappointment, and disillusion, with what their sacrifice has bought. To be sure, there is peace today and relative security, a balm to all Afghans after 40 years of war. And Taliban leaders, fighters, and many Afghans welcome restoration of the self-declared Islamic Emirate. But the Taliban are fast finding that […]

Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government on Monday announced it is to form new armed forces for the country including soldiers from the previous regime’s military. The former Afghan military and Western-backed government collapsed on Aug. 15 when President Ashraf Ghani fled Afghanistan as the Taliban took control in a lightning offensive while the US and its allies were withdrawing troops after 20 […]