US Sanctions Two Former Afghan Officials for Corruption

December 12, 2023
Reuters and TOLOnews
12 Dec 2023

In its statement, the Treasury described several alleged schemes under which the Rahmanis enriched themselves.

The US Department of Treasury in a press release said on Monday that its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned two former Afghan government officials — Mir Rahman Rahmani and his son, Ajmal Rahmani, collectively known as “the Rahmanis — for their extensive roles in transnational corruption, as well as 44 associated entities.”

According to the press release, “These individuals and entities are designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuse and corruption around the world. Through their Afghan companies, the Rahmanis perpetrated a complex procurement corruption scheme resulting in the misappropriation of millions of dollars from U.S. Government-funded contracts that supported Afghan security forces.”

Mir Rahman Rahmani and his son Ajmal Rahmani, nicknamed “Armored Ajmal” for his business selling bulletproof vehicles to the Kabul elite, served in parliament before the Afghan government collapsed in 2021 when U.S. forces withdrew and the Islamic Emirate took over.

“Through their Afghan companies, the Rahmanis perpetrated a complex procurement corruption scheme resulting in the misappropriation of millions of dollars from U.S. Government-funded contracts that supported Afghan security forces,” the Treasury Department said in a statement.

The sanctions, imposed one day after Human Rights Day, block U.S. assets of those targeted and generally bars Americans from dealing with them. Those who engage in certain transactions with them also risk being hit with sanctions.

The sanctions come under an executive order that builds on and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuse and corruption around the world.

In its statement, the Treasury described several alleged schemes under which the Rahmanis enriched themselves.It accused them of rigging bids for contracts to provide fuel to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), artificially inflating prices.

“In 2014, several families involved in the fuel business, including the Rahmanis, colluded to drive up the price of fuel on U.S.-funded contracts by more than $200 million and eliminate competitor bids,” the Treasury Department said.
In another scheme, it accused them of fraudulently importing and selling tax free fuel and also of under-delivering fuel they were under contract to supply.

“After bribing their way into the Afghan Parliament, the Rahmanis used their official positions to perpetuate their corrupt system,” the Treasury added.

The Treasury also sanctioned 44 companies, 23 of them German, eight Cypriot, six Emirati, two Afghan, two Austrian, two Dutch and one Bulgarian.
Separately, the White House issued a proclamation expanding the U.S. government’s authority to limit the entry of foreigners involved in significant corruption as well as their family members.

The legal and economic analysts give various opinions in this regard.

“The order which the Americans issued about the family of Rahmani is not capable of addressing the issue through legal paths because the law in Afghanistan stipulates that a decree is implementable when the decree is issued on its territory,” said Zia Yousufi, a legal analyst.

“The financial mafia which was created by such corrupt [people] has influenced the political and military sectors such as parliament, executive institutions and even judicial systems, providing the grounds for such major corruption,” said Sayed Masoud, an economist.

The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, said that the US itself supported such officials within the past 20-years in Afghanistan.

“This sanction is on two people who belong to the former administration of Kabul. It is linked to the US. In the past 20 years, the US supported those people who were corrupt and were seizing the money of the people of Afghanistan and even the US money through such actions,” he said.

Mir Rahmani and Ajmal Rahmani were in the parliament of Afghanistan but both left the country after the collapse of the republic government.

US Sanctions Two Former Afghan Officials for Corruption
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US Has Pursued Policy of Engagement With ‘Taliban’: West

December 12, 2023
Mitra Majeedy
Tolo News
12 Dec 2023

He said that Washinton will remain in touch with the Afghans, and “that includes the Taliban as we pursue those objectives.” 

The US special envoy for Afghanistan, Thomas West, said that the US has pursued a policy of engagement with the “Taliban” and that he is in “regular” touch with the Taliban leaders on all manners of interest. 

In an interview with TOLOnews on the sidelines of the Doha Forum, the US special envoy for Afghanistan said: “We talk about security concerns. We talked about the humanitarian situation. We talk about banking sector challenges, and we also talk about terrorism and counter-narcotics.”

He said that Washinton will remain in touch with the Afghans, and “that includes the Taliban as we pursue those objectives.”

West said female education in Afghanistan was a “big focus” at the Doha Forum.

“It has been heartbreaking to see girls graduating six grade in recent days and instead of celebrating, they are breaking down,” he said.

The UN special rapporteur for Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, told TOLOnews in Doha that he “raised the importance of Afghanistan” in the panels at the Doha Forum.

“Please don’t forget Afghanistan, don’t leave Afghanistan behind, don’t abandon Afghanistan, please address the human rights issues and the other humanitarian development and political issues,” he said.

Meanwhile, women’s rights activist, Hoyda Hadis said that the Islamic Emirate has not paid serious attention to the situation of women.

“Lack of attention to the situation of women will cause negative consequences,” she said.

“The Americans initially wanted to engage with the Islamic Emirate and Afghanistan but they have conditions for engagement. As long as their conditions are accepted, they will engage with Afghanistan,” said Samiullah Ahmadzai, political analyst.

West also said that he raised with Pakistani leadership the “plight of Afghan refugees.”

US Has Pursued Policy of Engagement With ‘Taliban’: West
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Afghan Women’s Education Highlighted at Doha Forum

December 11, 2023
TOLOnews
TV Network
11 Dec 2023

The situation of human rights, including restrictions imposed on girls and women by the current authorities, have drawn international attention.

The UN special rapporteur for Afghan human rights, Richard Bennett stressed the importance of girls’ education in Afghanistan, saying that the Taliban have disagreements over the issue of girls education in Afghanistan.

Speaking to a panel in the Doha Forum, Bennett indicated the former Minister of Higher Education’s stance regarding female universities and said: “I remember having a meeting with the minister of higher education. This was a while back when women were still able to study at university and he had a kind of technical discussion with me. He said he didn’t contest whether or not women should study at university. It was an issue of how to do it in a segregated way and he said, ‘look, they had an internal discussion either they would have men for half the day or women for half the day so they don’t meet each other…’, he was removed a little bit after that a few months later,” Bennett said.

Meanwhile, the head of the Qatar-based Political Office, Suhail Shaheen, denied Bennett’s remarks, saying that the Islamic Emirate has ensured the rights of all citizens of Afghanistan.

“The Islamic Emirate has the support of the people. If it was not so, it would not be possible to stand against the 54 countries who were supporting the US in the invasion. Unfortunately, some people and sides are making untrue allegations either that it is the issue of education or other issues,” he said.

The international community has repeatedly voiced concerns over the violation of human rights in Afghanistan after the Islamic Emirate returned to power in August 2021. Amnesty International called for “continued advocacy for addressing the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan.”

The permanent representative of Afghanistan to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Nasir Ahmad Andisha, said that they are trying to be the “voice of Afghanistan” in the human rights council.

“We are trying to convey the voice of the people, men and women of Afghanistan to this council,” he said.

The situation of human rights, including restrictions imposed on girls and women by the current authorities, have drawn international attention.

On Sunday, the US special envoy for Afghan human rights and women, Rina Amiri, speaking to a panel at the Doha Forum called for investment in the female education sector in Afghanistan, in a bid to provide the way for a modern and “inclusive Afghanistan.”

Afghan Women’s Education Highlighted at Doha Forum
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“Taliban” Should be Guided by What Afghans Want: Decker

December 11, 2023
 Mujeeb Rahman Awrang Stanikzai
Head of TOLOnews’ Online Department
11 Dec 2023

She said that despite the closure of the embassy in Kabul, all activities of the US mission for Afghanistan are functioning.

Karen Decker, Chargé d’Affaires of the US Mission to Afghanistan, urged the “Taliban” to be guided by what the Afghan people want, saying that the international community must also “listen to what the Afghan people say.” 

In an interview with TOLOnews, on the sidelines of the Doha Forum, Decker said that Afghanistan is the only country in the world that “does not allow girls to go to school.” She also said that the relationship to focus on is the relationship between the American and the Afghan people “which remains incredibly strong.”

Decker said the US is engaged with the “Taliban leaders on a range of issues in a very pragmatic way in order to talk to them about the issues like counter-narcotics, economic resilience and recovery as well as the release of Americans who are “wrongfully detained.”

She said that despite the closure of the embassy in Kabul, all activities of the US mission for Afghanistan are functioning.

“We do not have an embassy open in Kabul right now. I lead the embassy in exile based here in Qatar. But we still have all of the functions of an embassy,” she added, saying that a US team is also based in Kazakhstan.

“There is no checklist for recognition … I have already explained. That is not a process that has a list of requirements attached to it. We are going to continue to focus on helping the Afghan people. Part of that is supporting the Afghan women and girls on a range of issues,” Decker said.

The US top diplomat for Afghanistan highlighted the situation of Afghan women.
“I think we have to be honest about the fact that Afghan women cannot work, Afghan girls cannot study and that is unacceptable,” she added.

Decker said that the US is in talks with Pakistani officials to make sure the Afghans have every protection available to them under the law and are treated with dignity and respect.

“Taliban” Should be Guided by What Afghans Want: Decker
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UNSC Discuss Afghanistan’s Situation Behind Closed Doors

December 11, 2023
Mitra Majeedy
Tolo News

11 Dec 2023

Meanwhile, political analysts and human rights activists are of the view that the policies of the Islamic Emirate are crucial for engagement with the world.

The United Nations Security Council held a closed-door meeting on Afghanistan.

In the meeting hosted by Switzerland, members of the council also discussed the assessment of the situation in Afghanistan conducted by Feridun Sinirlioğlu, special coordinator of the UN for Afghanistan.

Some Afghan women were also invited to the meeting.

“On December 11, security council members will hold a closed-door on the recommendation of the UN assessment on Afghanistan, this time there will be a few Afghan women in the room, but we are still concerned about the lack of transparency in this process. This is the third closed-door meeting, the first was briefing by the special coordinator, the second was a closed-door security council meeting,” said Heather Barr, director of the Women’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch.

But the Islamic Emirate says that Afghanistan should be seen as am opportunity and that countries should not stand against Afghanistan.
The spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate said that such meetings do not bring any hope for opening diplomatic doors.

“Displaying Afghanistan’s situation as worse than it is will not have a positive outcome. There is no hope that such meetings will open any diplomatic doors for Afghanistan,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate.

In the meantime, political analysts and human rights activists are of the view that the policies of the Islamic Emirate are crucial for engagement with the world.

“The report of Feridun Sinirlioğlu was conducted based on a resolution of the UNSC. Now there is a follow up meeting on that. The important issue is that if women’s rights to education and work are protected in Afghanistan as in other Islamic countries, this will resolve most of the problems of the country,” said Tariq Farhadi, a political analyst.
“Other meetings were not fruitful, we hope that this will lead to the reopening of schools and universities for girls and respect for the rights of Afghan people,” said Tafseer Sia Posh, a women’s rights activist.

This comes as participants at the DOHA Forum discussed restrictions on girls’ education in Afghanistan and urged further investment on women’s education in the country.

UNSC Discuss Afghanistan’s Situation Behind Closed Doors
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Islamic Emirate to Iran FM: Govt is Inclusive

December 10, 2023
TOLOnews
TV Network
10 Dec 2023

Amirabdollahian said in a gathering that the “Taliban are not [like] Daesh and that they are today’s reality in Afghanistan.”

The Islamic Emirate reacted to the recent remarks of Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian regarding the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan, saying that its government is inclusive and that other countries should not interfere in the internal affairs of Afghanistan.

Amirabdollahian said in a gathering that the “Taliban are not [like] Daesh and that they are today’s reality in Afghanistan.”

He said that the Islamic Emirate has fought with Daesh, and that Iran should boost efforts for security and stability in Afghanistan.

“Afghanistan can steer toward stability and security when all tribes have a role in the governance of the country. We have clearly told the Taliban’s officials that the Taliban and Pashton tribe is part of the reality in Afghanistan but not the whole reality,” Amirabdollahian said.

The formation of an inclusive government, observing human rights including women’s education and work, and preventing Afghan soil from being used as a threat to foreign countries are the main demands of the international community of the Islamic Emirate.

“We can prove it from many angles that our country is at the level which is called for, but there is a need for more development and we are trying to make more progress,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, Islamic Emirate spokesman.

The political analysts said that Iran as a neighboring country can play an important role in the improvement of Afghanistan.

“The regional countries including Iran can create a more political space for negotiations of the various political parties and diplomacy for the formation of an inclusive government,” said Wahid Taqat, political analyst.

Earlier, the acting Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, said that the international community doesn’t have a clear definition of an inclusive government.

Islamic Emirate to Iran FM: Govt is Inclusive
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Amiri Urges Investment in Female Education in Afghanistan

December 10, 2023
Mitra Majeedy
Tolo News
10 Dec 2023

Speaking at the same session, Roya Mahboob, Afghan businesswoman and entrepreneur, said that the people in Afghanistan want change.

The US special envoy for Afghan human rights and women, Rina Amiri, called for investment in the female education sector in Afghanistan, in a bid to provide the way for a modern and “inclusive Afghanistan.”

Speaking at a session at the Doha Forum, Amiri said: “It is a moral imperative and it is a strategic imperative. If we want Afghanistan to continue on the road to a modern and inclusive Afghanistan that is not a threat to itself or to its neighbors, invest in Afghanistan, invest in its education and its population, that is what we are collectively seeking to do,” she said.

Speaking at the same session, Roya Mahboob, Afghan businesswoman and entrepreneur, said that the people in Afghanistan want change.

“Many people, even during the Doha agreement, many … said that the Taliban has been changed, or they say that the people of Afghanistan, they don’t want this type of education. It wasn’t true. In the last two-years, we have seen that the protest that is happening either by women or either by men and it has happened everywhere of Afghanistan,” she said. “It is not only because they are in bigger cities. It seems that people want change… their mindset also changed about the women’s ability. They want their girls and their daughter be able to go school.”

Amiri said that the recognition of the “Taliban” has no link with the girls’ education.

“We use the term normalization not recognition. It is not simply a check-off of ‘give girls an education and you will be recognized,’ this is a process in which we are coordinating with the rest of the international community and there is much to be done for the Taliban to get that type of normalization that they seek,” she said.

But the Islamic Emirate’s spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, stressed that human rights are ensured in the country, saying that such meetings are highlighting the negative points in Afghanistan.

“The issue of Afghanistan belongs to the Afghans inside the country. We don’t accept any ‘policy’ from abroad nor the suggestion. We want to have practical actions inside the country,” Mujahid said.

Some of the participants meanwhile called the presence of the Islamic Emirate’s delegation important in the meetings on Afghanistan in a bid to pave the way for a solution.

“Not only do we have to invite them, but we also have to be willing and courageous enough to go sit with them in Kabul,” said Rangina Hameedi, former education minister.

The meeting on the Reconstruction of Education for Women in Afghanistan in Doha comes as girl students above grade six have been deprived of  schooling for more than 810 days since the Islamic Emirate swept into power.

Amiri Urges Investment in Female Education in Afghanistan
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100,000 Posts to Be Created for School Teachers: Deputy Minister

December 10, 2023
TOLOnews
TV Network
10 Dec 2023

Mohammad Khalid Sadiq made the remarks in a graduation ceremony of 350 students from a high school in Kabul.

The deputy Minister of Education (MoE) said that 100,000 posts are expected to be created for school teachers in the near future in various provinces.

Mohammad Khalid Sadiq made the remarks in a graduation ceremony of 350 students from a high school in Kabul.

“240,000 people are working in the Education Ministry. All of them are serving the schools,” he said.

Speaking at the same ceremony, the principal of a high school named Zabihullah Esmatt urged the people to be cooperative with the Educational Ministry.

“The parents are not asking about their children’s status,” he said.

The graduates meanwhile called on the Islamic Emirate to provide the means for female education in the country.

“We call on Islamic Emirate officials to reopen the schools for our girls within the Islamic structure,” said Mansour, a high school graduate.

“We call on the government to reopen the schools for our sisters within a legal or Islamic structure, so they can study and have a bright future,” said Mohammad, a high school graduate.

Since the Islamic Emirate came to power, girl students beyond grade six have been banned from going to their schools.

100,000 Posts to Be Created for School Teachers: Deputy Minister
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Increase of Heng Production Brings New Hope for Farmers

December 10, 2023
Habib Rahman Qooyash
Tolo News
10 Dec 2023

Some businessmen said that in recent years, the cultivation and trade of heng plants has increased in various parts of the country.

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce said that in the past 6 months, $70 million dollars worth of heng has been exported.

Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad, the spokesman of the ministry, told TOLOnews that India, Uzbekistan, the United Arab Emirates and the United States are among the countries that have purchased the Afghan  product.

The spokesman of the ministry said: “In the first 6 months of 1402 (solar year), Afghanistan has exported 70 million US dollars worth of heng and its seeds to India, Uzbekistan, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

Khan Jan Alokozay, a member of the ACCI’s Board of Directors, said: “The Chamber of Commerce and Investment has solved the problems of the traders of heng and other sectors and has also talked to India. The heng is regularly exported from Wagah, Pakistan as well as by air.”

Some businessmen said that in recent years, the cultivation and trade of heng plants has increased in various parts of the country.

“One kilo of Tajik seed seedlings of the heng plant is bought and sold in the market for up to 15 afghani, and it grows within three years. One kilo of heng sap has become cheaper than it was before, it is sold for up to 10,000 afghani,” said Khairudddin, a trader.

“Heng is a very good source of income for farmers, traders and the government. Our request to the government is to cooperate with private companies for the growth and development of heng cultivation and trade so that heng cultivation expands further,” said Zabihullah Parsa, a trader.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) also emphasized that the cultivation of heng plants has expanded significantly in the country compared to recent years.

Mesbahuddin Mostaeen, spokesperson for MAIL, said: “The efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture are to cooperate with those farmers who do not have the ability to invest in the cultivation of the heng plant, and to cooperate with them to find seedlings of this plant.”

Heng is one of the plants that is mostly used in the pharmaceutical and food industry.

Based on the information of the MAIL, the cultivation of Tajik and Uzbek white heng, including the Kazakh red heng, has been expanded by farmers in various parts of the country, especially in the northern part of Afghanistan.

Increase of Heng Production Brings New Hope for Farmers
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UN agency warns of Afghans dying in harsh winter if there’s no proper shelter after leaving Pakistan

December 10, 2023

Associated Press

December 10, 2023

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The U.N. refugee agency has warned that Afghans could die in harsh winter conditions if they don’t get adequate shelter once they cross the border from Pakistan.

Almost half a million Afghans have left Pakistan since early October, when the Islamabad government announced it would arrest and deport foreigners it said were in the country illegally. The overwhelming majority of them are from neighboring Afghanistan, though Islamabad insists the policy doesn’t target a specific nationality.

The forced returns are piling pressure on Afghanistan and aid agencies, which are providing the bulk of essential services like health care. Freezing temperatures are setting in and conditions at the border remain dire.

“Many Afghan returnees are vulnerable, including women and children, who could lose their lives in a harsh winter if left without adequate shelter,” the U.N. refugee agency said in a report published Friday. “People arriving at the border are exhausted and require urgent assistance as well as psychosocial support.”

Families told the agency they were worried that colder winter temperatures in certain areas, particularly mountainous regions, may prevent them from returning home right away.

“Many are arriving with illness, for example bronchitis, as a result of the cold weather and the difficult journey from Pakistan,” the agency said in a message to The Associated Press on Sunday. “They may not have all their belongings, including clothing, and therefore be unable to protect themselves from the elements.”

It said that among those returning to Afghanistan are families who have never lived in the country. They have been living in Pakistan for one or more generations and may not have homes or extended family to return to.

Cash to pay rent is needed, while families with some existing social networks could stay with family or friends. Others may return to homes needing repair. The agency said it will provide tents to such households.

“For those who have nowhere to go, with limited means, they may stay in camps, established near the border,” the refugee agency said.

A Taliban committee said it is distributing food, water, SIM cards, clothing and cash at two key border crossings: Torkham and Spin Boldak. Families are also learning about Afghanistan, the Islamic system, temporary living arrangements, registration and relocation, the committee said Sunday.

But extreme temperatures and limited access to clean water and sanitation have led to a surge in infectious diseases and malnutrition.

U.N. Women said there are additional challenges for Afghan women and girls leaving Pakistan as they have to deal with Taliban restrictions that could affect their mobility and access to information and services if they don’t have a male relative. It expressed similar concerns after October’s deadly earthquakes in Afghanistan’s west.

The agency said around 80% of Afghans returning through Torkham and Spin Boldak are women and children.

In its latest report, also published Friday, it said many women have lived through “distressing experiences” in Pakistan including being the victims of illegal detention, witnessing their spouse or family members be arrested, or being separated from relatives and returning to Afghanistan alone.

Women told U.N. agencies they were “compelled” to hand their possessions over in exchange for transportation, leave all their belongings behind or saw their income taken by Pakistani authorities.

The crackdown is hugely controversial and has drawn condemnation from rights groups, the Taliban, aid agencies and the U.N.

UN agency warns of Afghans dying in harsh winter if there’s no proper shelter after leaving Pakistan
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