Biden ‘privately defiant’ over chaotic 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, book says

 in Washington

Joe Biden is “privately defiant” that he made the right calls on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in summer 2021, a new book reportedly says, even as the chaos and carnage that unfolded continues to be investigated in Congress.

“No one offered to resign” over the withdrawal, writes Alexander Ward, a Politico reporter, “in large part because the president didn’t believe anyone had made a mistake. Ending the war was always going to be messy.”

Ward’s book, The Internationalists: The Fight to Restore Foreign Policy After Trump, will be published next week. Axios reported extracts on Friday.

Ward adds: “Biden told his top aides, [national security adviser Jake] Sullivan included, that he stood by them and they had done their best during a tough situation.”

Ward quotes an unnamed White House official as saying: “There wasn’t even a real possibility of a shake-up.”

The US invaded Afghanistan in October 2001, a month after the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. The Taliban, which had sheltered the leader of al-Qaida, Osama bin Laden, was soon ousted but fighting never ceased.

Figures for the total US death toll in the country since 2001 vary. The United States Institute of Peace, an independent body established by Congress, says that 2,324 US military personnel, 3,917 US contractors and 1,144 allied troops were killed during the conflict. More than 20,000 Americans were wounded.

“For Afghans,” the institute goes on, “the statistics are nearly unimaginable: 70,000 Afghan military and police deaths, 46,319 Afghan civilians (although that is likely a significant underestimation) and some 53,000 opposition fighters killed. Almost 67,000 other people were killed in Pakistan in relation to the Afghan war.”

Hundreds of thousands were displaced. Furthermore, according to the Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs at Brown University, “four times as many [US] service members have died by suicide than in combat in the post-9/11 wars [including Iraq and other campaigns], signaling a widespread mental health crisis”.

Biden entered office determined to withdraw, and in late summer 2021 US forces pulled out, leaving the defense of the country to US-trained Afghan national forces.

The Taliban swiftly overran that opposition, and soon scenes of chaos at Kabul airport dominated world news. Tens of thousands of Afghans who sought to leave, fearing Taliban reprisals after a 20-year US occupation, were unable to get out. More than 800 US citizens were left behind, notwithstanding Biden’s promise on 18 August that troops would stay until every US citizen who wanted to leave had done so.

Ward, Axios said, quotes a senior White House official as saying: “There’s no one here who thinks we can meet that promise.”

On 26 August, 13 US service members were killed in a suicide attack. Three days later, a US drone strike killed 10 Afghan civilians, seven of them children. No Americans faced disciplinary action over the strike, which a US air force inspector general called “an honest mistake”.

According to Axios, Ward also details extensive infighting over the withdrawal between the Departments of State and Defense.

Biden, Ward says, tended to favour the state department, having been chair of the Senate foreign affairs committee, and to be wary of the Pentagon, having been vice-president to Barack Obama through eight years of inconclusive war.

Biden ‘privately defiant’ over chaotic 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, book says
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Taliban decrees on clothing and male guardians leave Afghan women scared to go out alone, says UN

Associated Press
February 17, 2024

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Afghan women feel scared or unsafe leaving their homes alone because of Taliban decrees and enforcement campaigns on clothing and male guardians, according to a report from the U.N. mission in Afghanistan.

The report, issued Friday, comes days before a U.N-convened meeting in the Qatari capital is set to start, with member states and special envoys to Afghanistan due to discuss engagement with the Taliban and the country’s crises, including the human rights situation.

The Taliban — which took over Afghanistan in 2021 during the final weeks of U.S. and NATO withdrawal from the country — have barred women from most areas of public life and stopped girls from going to school beyond the sixth grade as part of harsh measures they imposed despite initial promises of a more moderate rule.

They are also restricting women’s access to work, travel and health care if they are unmarried or don’t have a male guardian, and arresting those who don’t comply with the Taliban’s interpretation of hijab, or Islamic headscarf.te

The U.N. mission’s report, published Friday, said the decrees are being enforced through arrest, harassment and intimidation. Women said they increasingly fear going to public spaces owing to the threat of arrest and the “long-lasting stigma and shame” associated with being taken into police custody.

Over half of the women interviewed for the report felt unsafe leaving the house without a male guardian, or mahram. Risks to their security and their anxiety levels worsened whenever a new decree was announced specifically targeting them, the report said.

Women who went out with a mahram felt safer but noted the stress from depending on another person to accompany them. Some said their male guardians chided them for “wasting time” if they wanted to visit certain shops or stray from a route limited to performing basic necessary tasks.

This undercut chances to “enjoy even micro-moments of stimulation or leisure” outside the home, said the report.

Some women said that male relatives were also afraid and reluctant to leave the home with female relatives, as this would expose them to Taliban harassment.

A spokesman from the Vice and Virtue Ministry, the Taliban’s morality police that enforces such decrees, said it was “nonsense and untrue” that women are scared to go to the shops.

“There is no problem for those sisters (women) who have observed hijab,” said Abdul Ghafar Farooq. “As women are naturally weaker than men, then Shariah (Islamic law) has called mahrams essential when traveling with them for the sake of their dignity and respect.”

He said harassing women was against the law.

Heather Barr, from Human Rights Watch, told the Associated Press that Afghan women’s fear of leaving home unaccompanied was “damning and devastating” but not surprising.

It seemed to be a specific goal of the Taliban to frighten women and girls out of leaving their homes, Barr said.

“This begs the question of what on earth this discussion is in Doha, with the U.N. hosting special envoys,” she said. “We need to be asking why the focus of this meeting and every meeting isn’t about this crisis that is unprecedented for women around the world.”

The Taliban are not attending the Doha meeting, their chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a voice note to the AP on Saturday night.

A Foreign Ministry statement said participation would only be beneficial if the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, as the Taliban call their administration, are the sole and official representative for the country at the talks.

The U.N. envoy for Afghanistan last year warned the Taliban that international recognition as the country’s legitimate government will remain “nearly impossible” unless they lift the restrictions on women.

 

Taliban decrees on clothing and male guardians leave Afghan women scared to go out alone, says UN
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Mujahid: Terrorist Groups Not Allowed to Operate from Afghanistan

Mujahid told TOLOnews that countries’ concerns about the existence of terrorist groups and their threats from Afghanistan are unfounded.

The spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, Zabihullah Mujahid, said that they have pledged to all countries in the region and the world not to allow any terrorist group to operate in Afghanistan.

Mujahid told TOLOnews that countries’ concerns about the existence of terrorist groups and their threats from Afghanistan are unfounded.

“I clearly declare that Afghanistan is safe, it has a responsible government, and the government is committed that no outside group is allowed to operate from Afghanistan or be present in Afghanistan,” the spokesman added.

This comes as the sixth annual meeting of security council secretaries on Afghanistan kicked off in Kyrgyzstan’s capital of Bishkek on Friday.

According to TASS News Agency, Russia’s delegation was led by Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev. Security officials from China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are also taking part in the event.

TASS also quoted Patrushev as saying: “The West planted a ticking time bomb by abandoning an enormous amount of weapons when it retreated [from Afghanistan].”

Speaking at a meeting in Bishkek of the security council secretaries on Afghanistan, Nikolay Patrushev also said: “The West’s geopolitical schemes encompass Afghanistan with over 20 terrorist organizations, fielding over 23,000 militants, now based in the country.”

“Obviously, their main goal is to put pressure on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,” said Mohammad Zalmay Afghanyar, a political analyst.

Meanwhile, Hindustan Times reported that India’s deputy national security adviser Vikram Misri represented India at the sixth annual meeting of security council secretaries on Afghanistan, and highlighted India’s worries about large drug shipments linked to Afghanistan and potential instability due to the presence of terrorists from banned groups.

“The whole world, especially the United Nations and other organizations that operate here in Afghanistan say that drug and smuggling have decreased to zero. Up until yesterday, they were saying that Daesh had vanished from here [Afghanistan], and both the United States and Russia had acknowledged this,” said Kamran Habibi, a military analyst.

In the meantime, Kazakh media also reported that the participants of the sixth annual meeting of security council secretaries on Afghanistan have agreed to share information about the activities of terrorist groups in Afghanistan with each other.

Mujahid: Terrorist Groups Not Allowed to Operate from Afghanistan
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UNSC Meets on Terrorism, Islamic Emirate Responds to UN Claims

The spokesman of the Islamic Emirate told TOLOnews that Daesh has been suppressed in Afghanistan. 

Islamic Emirate in response to the remarks of UN Security Council’s members about the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, said that “false” intelligence information causes these concerns. 

The spokesman of the Islamic Emirate told TOLOnews that Daesh has been suppressed in Afghanistan.

“Daesh was already an ominous and active phenomenon in Afghanistan when Afghanistan was under occupation, this phenomenon was found and grew, but the Islamic Emirate has tried its best to defeat it,” Zabihullah Mujahid said.

Speaking at the UNSC meeting on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, Several UNSC members including the UN counter-terrorism chief Vladimir Voronkov once again warned of the presence of Daesh and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan, and their threat to international peace and security.

The UN counter-terrorism chief Vladimir Voronkov spoke of the Islamic Emirate’s fight against Daesh.

“In Afghanistan, efforts by the de facto authorities have reportedly impacted the ability of the Daesh affiliate to conduct attacks inside the country.  Nevertheless, the group maintains the intention to carry out attacks abroad. Despite this important achievement, the risk of resurgence by Daesh remains,” he added.

“The Taliban have made efforts to counter ISS-K and it is critical they adhere to the counter-terrorism commitments,” said Robert A. Wood, the alternate representative of the United States to the UN.

China’s representative also voiced concerns over the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan.

“According to the SG report, the concentration of terrorist forces in Afghanistan and the collusion between ISIL-K and other terrorist groups including the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, not only undermine Afghanistan’s own security but also our spread to regional peace and security. The international community must remain highly vigilant in this regard and work as one,” said Zhang Jun, the representative of China to the UNSC.

Previously, the United Nations Security Council also said in a report that Daesh, Al Qaeda and some other terrorist groups are active in Afghanistan, but these claims were called baseless by the Islamic Emirate.

UNSC Meets on Terrorism, Islamic Emirate Responds to UN Claims
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Islamic Emirate Reacts to UN Report on Women in Afghanistan

Mujahid said that women’s rights are ensured in the country and such reports are baseless.

The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, in response to the joint report of UN institutions addressing the situation of women in Afghanistan, said that UNAMA is preventing the political progress of the current Afghan government by publishing such reports.

The spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, Zabihullah Mujahid, said that the current realities of the country are not reflected in these reports and these institutions are seeking to create conspiracies and make excuses regarding Afghanistan’s diplomatic relations with other countries, which are not yielding results.

Mujahid said that women’s rights are ensured in the country and such reports are baseless.

“Recognition of a country is based on the laws of the UN, not on the basis of some women or some people in a country. Second, the institutions are seeking to create conspiracies and make excuses regarding the diplomatic relations of institutions and countries with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,” the spokesman said.

“UN Women, IOM and UNAMA convened online and in-person (where safe to do so) group consultations and conducted individual telesurveys, together reaching 745 Afghan women across all of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces,” the report said.

According to the UN institutions’ survey, women said international recognition of the current Afghan government should happen only when restrictions on female are reversed.

“Women stated that international recognition should happen only after reversing all restrictions (32 percent) or after some specific bans are reversed (25 percent) on women and girls; 28 percent said that recognition should not happen at all, under any circumstances. In July 2023, a similar question found that 96 per cent of women maintained that recognition should only occur after improvements in women’s rights or that it should not occur at all,” the report reads.

“Women expressed deep disappointment with those Member States that, in their efforts to engage the DFA, overlook the severity of an unprecedented women’s rights crisis and the associated violations of international law, based on the treaties to which Afghanistan was a signatory. Women did not accept the current plight,” the report further stated.

Meanwhile, some political experts think that the Islamic Emirate’s recognition depends on its ability to comply with the world’s demands for the protection of women’s and girls’ rights.

“Apart from the fact that whether or not the international community recognizes the current government, the issue of girls schools and universities, the employment of women and the meaningful presence of women in society are demands of national interests and are an important step for the stability of Afghanistan,” said Najibullah Jami, a political analyst.

This comes as many in the international community has made the recognition of the Islamic Emirate conditional on the ensuring of women’s rights in the country.

Islamic Emirate Reacts to UN Report on Women in Afghanistan
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Afghanistan Will Never Recognize Durand Line as Border: Stanikzai

The deputy FM stated that the requirement of visas and passports to travel “to Afghanistan” is not acceptable to the Afghanistan people.

The deputy minister of foreign affairs of the Islamic Emirate said that Afghanistan will never recognize the Durand Line as a border.

Speaking at a gathering in Logar on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai said that Afghanistan’s territory is still on the other side of the line.

The deputy FM stated that the requirement of visas and passports to travel “to Afghanistan” is not acceptable to the Afghanistan people.

“We have never recognized Durand and will never recognize it, today half of Afghanistan is separated and is on the other side of the Durand Line. Durand is the line which was drawn by the English on the heart of Afghans. And today our neighboring country deports the refugees in a very cruel manner and they are being told to return to their country,” said Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the deputy foreign minister of the Islamic Emirate.

Although he did not name a specific country, Stanikzai claimed that foreigners are working to weaken the Islamic Emirate.

Stanikzai said that there is no opponent that can be trained against the Islamic Emirate.

“We clearly tell the foreigners that no one should try to weaken the Islamic Emirate or destroy the Islamic Emirate. They cannot do it, because today we are united, and we have no opponents to train them against us to destroy the Islamic Emirate,” added Stanikzai.

The deputy foreign minister criticized anti-Islamic Emirate gatherings and added that the disagreement of former Afghan government officials is in league with Westerners.

“The political opponents of the Taliban have raised the issue of sharing political power as one of their main options, an issue that the international community raises in the form of an inclusive government in Afghanistan, and they try to get the Taliban to satisfy this issue,” said Farhad Ibrar, a political analyst.

Earlier, other high-ranking officials of the Islamic Emirate have also criticized the gatherings of Islamic Emirates opponents abroad and countries that host such meetings.

Afghanistan Will Never Recognize Durand Line as Border: Stanikzai
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Afghan-American Critiques US Afghan Strategy, Modi Upbeat on Economy at ET Summit

During the prestigious ET Global Business Summit in New Delhi, Afghan-American humanitarian Safi Rauf offered a critical perspective on the US government’s handling of the Afghan crisis. Speaking to Khaama Press, Rauf pointed out the flawed US strategy of negotiating with what he considers the wrong factions. Despite ongoing discussions between the US, Western powers, and the Taliban, Rauf observed a stark lack of progress in resolving the crisis.

The summit, spanning two days, showcased Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s positive outlook on India’s economic future, proposing India’s rise to the third-largest global economy under his tenure. Modi stressed the critical role of super-skills and inclusivity for India’s workforce. The event was graced by notable figures, including Guyana’s Prime Minister Mark Anthony Phillips, Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar S, and Airbus Defence and Space CEO Michael Schoellhorn, among others.

Rauf, reflecting on his own detention by the Taliban, discussed with Khaama Press the internal power shifts within Afghanistan. He noted that the Taliban’s representation in Doha is disconnected from the real centers of power, which have shifted to Kandahar. This disconnection, Rauf argued, renders the US’s dialogue with the Taliban representatives ineffective, as the significant decrees now originate from Kandahar, not Kabul.

He also voiced concerns over the absence of influential figures like Mullah Baradar from the discussions, suggesting that Baradar’s involvement could have steered Afghanistan towards a more positive path. Rauf criticized the US’s failure to establish connections with the National Resistance Front (NRF), a key player in the Afghan political landscape.

Safi Rauf, Afghan-American advocate and Ayanangsha Maitra, India-based journalist

Amidst these geopolitical discussions, the UN’s plea for $5 billion in aid for Afghanistan was highlighted, with only a fraction pledged so far. Rauf underscored the critical role of international aid, which brings in $40 million weekly to the Afghan economy, according to his statements.

Safi Rauf’s journey from a refugee camp in Pakistan to becoming a prominent Afghan-American humanitarian and Navy reservist is remarkable. After moving to the US as a teenager, Rauf served as a hospital corpsman and linguist in the Navy Reserve and played a significant role with Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan. His commitment to aiding those affected by the conflict led to the founding of the Human First Coalition with his brothers. This organization has been instrumental in evacuating over 6,000 individuals from Afghanistan, showcasing Rauf’s dedication to humanitarian causes.

In 2022, Rauf advocated for the Afghan Adjustment Act, aiming to facilitate Afghan evacuees’ transition to legal permanent residency in the US. His efforts underscore the ongoing challenges faced by Afghan refugees and the international community’s role in addressing the crisis.

This report sheds light on the complexities of the Afghan situation, the geopolitical dynamics at play, and the personal stories of those working tirelessly to make a difference amidst turmoil.

Afghan-American Critiques US Afghan Strategy, Modi Upbeat on Economy at ET Summit
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MacCaul calls Ghani’s escape ‘Cowardly’ as Government collapses

The Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the United States House of Representatives called the escape of former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani as “cowardly.”

Michael McCaul agreed with Zalmay Khalilzad’s assertions regarding the failure of the former leaders of the Afghan government to maintain order, stating, “I agree, Ashraf Ghani’s actions and escape were cowardly.”

Michael McCaul questioned Zalmay Khalilzad about his and the US Secretary of State’s proposals for introducing more conditions into the Doha Agreement. Khalilzad responded by saying they proposed that the withdrawal of US forces should take place after an agreement between the former Afghan government and the Taliban, but after discussions with allies, it was determined that imposing additional conditions beyond the Doha Agreement would delay the withdrawal process, and if there was a need for forces, America’s allies were not willing to cooperate.

Michael McCaul added that this decision led to the Taliban’s domination over Afghanistan. Zalmay Khalilzad considered senior officials of the former Afghan government, especially Ashraf Ghani, as responsible for the collapse of the state and the current situation, stating, “The entire responsibility lies with the former leaders who claimed to have built the government but failed to prevent its collapse.”

McCaul also added his agreement with Khalilzad’s statements, saying, “I agree! I think Ashraf Ghani’s actions and escape were cowardly.”

Zalmay Khalilzad was summoned to provide explanations regarding the Doha Agreement to the Foreign Relations Committee of the United States House of Representatives on Thursday, February 15th.

In response to McCaul’s question about an agreement to prevent the Taliban from entering Kabul, the former US representative for Afghan peace referred to General McKenzie, who was responsible for the withdrawal of US forces, not for ensuring security.

According to Khalilzad, after the withdrawal of foreign forces under McKenzie’s leadership, chaos erupted in Kabul, and the Taliban entered the capital.

He considered the escape of Ashraf Ghani and Afghan government security commanders as the major factors contributing to these conditions.

MacCaul calls Ghani’s escape ‘Cowardly’ as Government collapses
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World Bank Approves Shift to Channel IDA Funds to Afg Humanitarian Aid

The shift marks the first time that the World Bank’s own funds would be sent to Afghanistan since the Taliban seized power in August 2021

(Reuters) – The World Bank Group said on Thursday its executive board endorsed a new approach to aiding Afghanistan that will deploy some $300 million from the bank’s International Development Association fund for poor countries through United Nations agencies and other international organizations.

The development lender said the funds would remain outside the control of the Taliban leadership in Afghanistan and would complement Afghanistan Resilience Trust Fund (ARTF) donor financing in supporting critical basic services such as food, water, health, education and jobs.

The shift marks the first time that the World Bank’s own funds would be sent to Afghanistan since the Taliban seized power in August 2021.

Since then, the ARTF has channeled $1.5 billion in donor aid through partner organizations to benefit some 25 million Afghans.

The IDA fund disburses grants and highly concessional loans to the world’s poorest countries, and its resources are replenished every few years by donor countries, with the current $93 billion replenishment set to conclude in 2025.

World Bank President Ajay Banga has called for the next IDA replenishment round to set a new record as demands for its funding grows.

The World Bank said its new “Approach 3.0” to Afghanistan aims to deliver basic services at scale, including supporting employment opportunities through the microfinancing of income-generating activities, and facilitating private-sector participation in the delivery of aid.

The bank said it was continuing its previous ARTF principles of putting women at the center of projects and ensuring that project activities are implemented by and for women.

This puts some of the international aid agencies’ activities at odds with Taliban policies that deny rights to women, such as in education.

A World Bank spokesperson said the $300 million in available funding would run until June 30, 2025, through the remainder of the current fiscal year and all of the next fiscal year.

World Bank Approves Shift to Channel IDA Funds to Afg Humanitarian Aid
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Looking Back on the Soviet Presence in Afghanistan

The war lasted over nine years and an estimated one million civilians, including children, were killed.  In this war 14,000 Soviet soldiers were killed.

Thursday, the 26th of Dalw (February 15), is the 35th anniversary of the withdrawal of the Red Army of the former Soviet Union from Afghanistan.

In 1979 the Soviet Union entered then neighboring Afghanistan with the hope of shoring up the newly-established pro-Soviet regime in Kabul. Very soon almost 100,000 Soviet Union soldiers took control of major cities and highways around the country, but war soon broke out with the rise of the Mujahideen.

The war lasted over nine years and an estimated one million civilians, including children, were killed.  In this war 14,000 Soviet soldiers were killed.

“During more than nine years of the occupation of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union, about one and a half million Afghans were martyred and about another 1.5 million were forced to emigrate,” said Samiullah Ahamdzai, a political analyst.

From the very beginning of the Red Army’s campaign in Afghanistan, the UN called for its unconditional and immediate withdrawal.

“It was a global program between East and West. Developing nations had no say in this, but regrettably, we became the prey of their Cold War,” said Moeen Gul Samkanai, a political analyst.

The Islamic Emirate in a statement, said the anniversary of their leaving is a proud day in the country’s history.

“The people of Afghanistan were freed from the Soviet occupation on this day. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan extends its congratulations to all Afghans on this day. Moreover, now the people of Afghanistan have their freedom and independence,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Islamic Emirate.

But after their withdrawal, peace in Afghanistan remained elusive as civil war broke out. This lasted for about 10 years.

On 15 February 1989, the former Soviet Union announced its complete withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, ending a more than nine-year war that claimed the lives of millions of Afghans.

General Gromov was the last of almost 100,000 Soviet Union troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan and walked across the “Bridge of Friendship” between Afghanistan and the then USSR.

Looking Back on the Soviet Presence in Afghanistan
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