As prospects for the resumption of peace talks between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban remain vague, a spokesman for the Taliban on Monday said that the group was ready to resume intra-Afghan talks in Doha—but gave no details about when the talks would start again. “We are conducting regular meetings, the contact has not been cut off, […]

Two members of the Afghan Republic’s negotiating team, who are in Kabul, said on Wednesday that the Taliban is ready to start meaningful negotiations. Habiba Sarabi, a member of the Republic’s negotiating team, said peace talks to finalize the agenda of intra-Afghan negotiations will resume once members of both teams are back in Doha, Qatar. “When the Taliban delegation arrives […]

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that the Taliban will quickly overrun Afghan government forces and conquer Kabul once U.S. and coalition forces have withdrawn are unduly pessimistic.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 […]

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 […]

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) […]

Second Vice President Sarwar Danish said Monday that the Afghan government would never give in to “extremism” nor to an “Emirate” system. Danish stated that the Taliban wants to subdue the people of Afghanistan and the government through the use of violence; therefore. He said this was the reason the group was reluctant to take part in peace talks. Speaking […]

Two lawmakers on Sunday said they see an unclear policy by the Afghan government’s foreign policy toward Pakistan, referring to recent remarks by President Ashraf Ghani and his National Security Advisor Hamdullah Mohib about Islamabad’s policies. “Under the current situation and the ongoing peace process, unfortunately, there isn’t a unified view from the Republic. This is not in favor of […]

Troops from the United Kingdom and Canada are twice as likely to be killed in Afghanistan as compared to their U.S. counterparts, while the UK has also provided more economic and humanitarian assistance to the country than the U.S., the Guardian reported on a study published on Wednesday. According to the study published by the Costs of War project at […]

The Afghan National Army has launched offensives and started clearance operations in the south western parts of the country after the three-day Eid ceasefire ended at midnight Saturday. The 215th Maiwand Military Corps said in a statement, operations were launched simultaneously in besieged western areas of Lashkargah, Nawa and Nahri Saraj districts.“The Afghan defense forces are committed to suppressing, clearing […]

Beijing aims to draw Central Asia neighbors into its Belt and Road but worries about a post-US troop withdrawal rise in terrorism Ten months after the first meeting of the foreign ministers of China and the five Central Asian states, Beijing followed through with a second session on May 11 at a gathering in Xian hosted by Foreign Minister Wang […]