The Afghan National Security Council (NSC) said the Taliban has focused on continuing the war and that the group has “ideological” and “financial” ties with terrorist groups Rahmatullah Andar, a spokesman for the NSC, said in a series of tweets Tuesday that the Taliban has no will to bring peace to Afghanistan and that the Taliban still has firm ties […]

The US special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad said Tuesday predictions that the Taliban will quickly overrun Afghan government forces and conquer Kabul once U.S. and coalition forces have withdrawn are unduly pessimistic. Testifying before the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, Khalilzad said: “I personally believe that the statements that their (Afghan) forces will disintegrate and the Talibs will take […]

U.S. Central Command said Tuesday that about 115 C-17 military cargo loads of material have been flown out of Afghanistan and more than 5,000 pieces of equipment have been turned over to the Defense Logistics Agency for destruction. According to a statement issued by CENTCOM, the U.S. has officially handed over five facilities to the Afghan Ministry of Defense. “U.S. […]

Two districts in Afghanistan’s northwest offer a glimpse into life under the Taliban, who have completely cut off education for teenage girls. The order to shut down the girls’ schools was announced at the mosque, in a meeting with village elders. The news filtered through the teachers, in subdued meetings at students’ homes. Or came in a curt letter to […]

Cody Towse didn’t want to miss the war. Already a volunteer firefighter and EMT in Elk Ridge, Utah County, he joined the Army shortly after graduating from Salem Hills High School because it assured him a position as a medic. Assigned to Fort Bliss upon completing basic training, he sought out a unit that would be deploying in a few […]

President Biden and his Pentagon chiefs say the U.S. will assist Afghanistan’s military from afar after American troops pull out. They haven’t announced the details, but they do have a common refrain: “over the horizon.” “We will maintain an over-the-horizon capacity,” Biden said in his recent address to a joint session of Congress. “We will continue to support (the Afghans) […]

Afghan forces have launched operations to retake three districts–one in Baghlan, one in Maidan Wardak and one in Logar province two days after a three-day ceasefire ended, according to army forces on the ground. The centers of Charkh district in Logar, Burka district in Baghlan and Nerkh district in Maidan Wardak fell to the Taliban weeks ago. “In order to […]

Mohammad Daud Laghmani assumed office as the new governor of northern Faryab province at a ceremony at the army base in the city of Maimana on Monday, sources said. Daud Laghmani was supposed to assume office this week but the governor’s compound in Maimana city is still surrounded by protesters who oppose the appointment. The protestors have also blocked all […]

The Afghan government is expected to finalize the list of names for the High Council of Government, a formation that will work for building a consensus around peace and on other peace-related affairs at higher levels, according to a source who is familiar with President Ashraf Ghani’s recent meetings with political leaders. The source said that discussions on finalizing the […]

Mohammad Daud Laghmani assumed office as the new governor of northern Faryab province at a ceremony at the army base in the city of Maimana on Monday, Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG) said. Sibghatullah Ghaznawi, deputy head of IDLG said that Laghmani, was introduced as the new provincial governor at an army base in Maimana city on Monday and […]