Category: Afghanistan

Five Questions on the Taliban’s Caretaker Government

How will the U.S., international community and the region engage with a government comprised of Taliban stalwarts? As part of the Taliban’s bid to re-establish the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,” the militant group announced the line up for its caretaker government on Tuesday. Despite several leading Taliban figures saying the movement would govern in a more moderate and inclusive fashion, […]

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Germany wants to reinstate embassy in Kabul

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has reiterated that Germany wants to reinstate their embassy in Kabul. “Of course we want to reopen an embassy in Kabul. We need diplomatic representation on the ground,” Maas told reporters after meeting with Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh on Thursday. “It always depends on the safety situation in Kabul but also on the […]

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World wary of Taliban govt as Afghans urge action on rights, economy

Foreign countries greeted the makeup of the new government in Afghanistan with caution and dismay on Wednesday after the Taliban appointed hardline veteran figures to an all-male cabinet, including several with a U.S. bounty on their heads. As the newly appointed ministers and their deputies set to work after they were named late on Tuesday, acting Premier Mohammad Hasan Akhund […]

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Taliban bans protests unless sanctioned by interior, justice ministries

The Ministry of Interior of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has announced all protests in Kabul and other provinces in Afghanistan are banned unless permission has been granted by the ministries of interior and justice. The ministry released a statement Thursday saying no one is allowed to take to the streets to demonstrate without authorisation from the justice and interior […]

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Taliban object to US comments on govt appointments

The Taliban has objected to the recent statement issued by the United States on the blacklisted status of certain members of the Islamic Emirate’s interim government. According to a statement issued by Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, Washington’s position on continued sanctions is in violation of the Doha Agreement signed between the two parties in February last year. “The Islamic Emirate […]

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Russian, Indian NSAs set to meet on Afghanistan

India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval is all poised to meet his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev on the situation in Afghanistan today (Wednesday). The political, security, and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan would figure at the meeting in New Delhi, the Asia News International reported. The Taliban takeover and the announcement of the new “Islamic Emirate” government will also come […]

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Afghanistan: The Tricky Situation for India

New Taliban Government On 07.09.2021 a new Taliban government in Afghanistan was formed. Mullah Muhammad Hassan is declared Prime Minister of Afghanistan. Two important members of Taliban are appointed Deputy Prime Minister – Mullah Abdul Ghani and Moalvi Abdul Salam Hanafi. All stakeholders were expecting an inclusive government in Afghanistan but that did not happen. The Taliban have also announced […]

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The fall of Panjshir

Panjshir has fallen to the Taliban with a bang — and a whimper. The bang is because a 40-year old legend lies shattered, the legend of the invincibility of Panjshir Valley. And the whimper is because the short-lived ‘resistance’ had a tame ending. A BBC report said the revolt’s two top leaders Ahmad Massoud and Amrullah Saleh were not even […]

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Twenty Years After 9/11: What Is the Future of the Global Jihadi Movement?

Abstract: Twenty years after 9/11, with the United States withdrawn from Afghanistan, the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and a shift in focus and resources to great power competition, jihadi terrorism appears to have been demoted to a second-tier priority. But complacency is dangerous. While al-Qa`ida and the Islamic State have been weakened, their affiliates and branches remain active. […]

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Twenty Years After 9/11: The Terror Threat From Afghanistan Post the Taliban Takeover

Abstract: President Biden’s decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan depended on a critical assessment of the terrorism landscape in Afghanistan. At the time of his decision, he argued that the terrorism threat from Afghanistan was both low and manageable for the foreseeable future. This article argues that the Biden administration’s assessment of the terrorism threat was flawed, and with […]

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