Category: South East Asia

Blood Lust and Demigods: Behind an Australian Force’s Slaughter of Helpless Afghans

The findings of a four-year military inquiry paint a brutal picture of a special forces culture of rewarding the killing of innocents and prisoners and methodically covering it up.

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Stoltenberg, Ghani Discuss Peace, Troop Level Adjustment

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on a phone call with President Ghani on Wednesday evening discussed the Afghan peace process and troops level adjustment with the Afghan leader.

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Taliban Overrun Strategic District in Badakhshan

The Taliban captured Maymay district in the northeastern province of Badakhshan on Thursday, according to lawmakers and provincial council members, who said “several” security force members were killed in an offensive by the Taliban.

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AFGHANISTAN

The U.S. announced plans to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan from 4,500 to about 2,500 by mid-January, prompting both domestic and international concern that the move could degrade the Afghan government’s ability to fend off Taliban advances. Crisis Group expert Andrew Watkins says the reduction could narrow diplomatic and military options for the incoming Biden administration and […]

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Afghanistan’s Future Emirate? The Taliban and the Struggle for Afghanistan

Abstract: With the onset of inter-Afghan peace talks, it is important to take a close look at the Taliban—including their main objectives, ideological underpinnings, organizational structure, military strategies and tactics, and relationship with state and non-state actors. The Taliban is in many ways a different organization from the one that governed Afghanistan in the 1990s. Yet most of their leaders […]

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Police commander among 28 killed in Taliban Badakhshan attack

At least 28 members of the Afghan security forces – including the police chief of Maymay district of Badakhshan, district acting-security director were killed as the Taliban militants overrun the Maymay district on Wednesday night, sources confirmed.

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Khalilzad meets Uzbekistan foreign minister to discuss Afghan peace process

US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad discussed the Afghan peace process with Uzbekistan Foreign Minister and Diplomate in Washington DC on Thursday evening, Khalilzad said in a series of tweets.

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UK will likely follow the U.S. in downsizing troops in Afghanistan

According to a Reuter’s story quoting Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said Thursday that Britain will likely follow the United States in reducing troop levels in Afghanistan.

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Taliban attack security outpost in Baghlan, killing four

At least four policemen were killed and three others wounded after the Taliban militants attacked a security outpost on Thursday night in Baghlan province, sources confirmed.

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Taliban suffer heavy casualties in Herat: MoD

The Afghan Defense Ministry (MoD) claimed Friday that the Taliban suffered heavy casualties in western Herat province.

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