Terrorism risks linked to Afghanistan and the Middle East are evolving and intensifying, Russia’s deputy foreign minister said on Wednesday, warning that extremist groups are adopting new methods and technology to expand operations.
At the two-day BRICS+ Counterterrorism Conference in Moscow, Dmitry Lyubinsky said Islamic State and al-Qaeda are evolving and reorganising across borders.
Lyubinsky said militant groups are increasingly using artificial intelligence, modern communications tools and cryptocurrencies to spread propaganda, raise funds and support criminal networks, a pattern also documented in recent Western intelligence assessments and technology-focused research.
The conference, titled “BRICS+ 2025: National and Regional Strategies to Combat Terrorism amid Emerging Security Challenges,” aims to craft a coordinated approach to what speakers described as a fast-moving threat environment.
Lyubinsky said instability in Afghanistan and continued conflict in the Middle East require “close monitoring and rapid response,” arguing that the situation poses risks beyond regional borders. International analysts have echoed similar concerns, saying Afghanistan under Taliban control has become a hub for transnational militant actors.
Russia has repeatedly raised alarms over the deteriorating security landscape in Afghanistan. In September, Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said more than 23,000 foreign fighters representing international terrorist organisations were active in the country, calling the situation a serious threat to regional and global security.
Taliban officials continue to deny the claims, insisting they have dismantled Islamic State networks and prevented Afghanistan territory from being used for cross-border operations. However, U.N. reporting suggests several extremist factions remain active and capable of regrouping.
Participants at the Moscow conference said counterterrorism efforts will require both traditional security mechanisms and new frameworks for digital oversight, reflecting the shift of militant recruitment and financing into virtual spaces.
Whether BRICS+ members can translate shared security concerns into concrete coordinated action remains unclear, but officials said momentum is growing for deeper cooperation as global power competition and instability reshape regional security priorities.
Russian Official Warns of Rising Terror Threats Linked to Afghanistan and Middle East
The United States’ 20-year attempt to stand up democracy in Afghanistan descended into a cesspool of corruption and squandered as much as $29.2 billion in waste, fraud and abuse in pursuit of unrealistic goals, according to a government watchdog report released on Dec. 3.
The scathing report is the culmination of a 17-year investigation by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), which Congress created in 2008 to investigate and oversee the United States’ occupation.
Its conclusion: The American occupation was a failure, doomed from the start by unrealistic and uninformed goals, and run through with corruption and abuse of taxpayer dollars.
The failures of the occupation of Afghanistan resurfaced in recent weeks since a 29-year-old Afghan man who immigrated to the U.S. in the wake of the withdrawal was charged in the shooting of two National Guardsmen blocks from the White House, killing one. The suspect worked for years in Afghanistan with top-secret, CIA-led units known for their brutality and disregard for human rights, and showed signs of severe depression and psychological stress stemming from the experience.
The shooting prompted President Donald Trump to further crack down on refugees from Afghanistan and other countries seeking asylum in the U.S., a move criticized by advocates and some veterans who worked with Afghan allies.
US-backed government was a ‘white collar criminal enterprise’
Congress spent about $144.7 billion on Afghanistan reconstruction – much more than the United States spent on the Marshall Plan, the push to help Europe recuperate after World War II, including accounting for inflation, according to the report. That money, investigators found, stood up an Afghan government and military plagued by corruption and inefficiency, which collapsed within days when the U.S. withdrew its forces in 2021.
“The government we created over there… was essentially a white collar criminal enterprise,” Gene Aloise, SIGAR’s acting inspector general, told reporters at a Defense Writers Group briefing.
For the first 10 or 12 years of the occupation, the United States “just ignored corruption,” Aloise said. SIGAR investigators issued four reports on the issue, generating “window dressing improvements” but no significant change, he said.
Contractors, both Afghan and American, siphoned off billions of dollars in kickbacks and embezzled from U.S. funds, according to the report. An Afghan businessman paid $1.25 million in bribes to American servicemembers, stealing oil from the U.S. military to sell on the black market, in one case investigated by SIGAR. In another case, an American defense contractor and his wife evaded taxes on hundreds of millions of dollars in income from reconstruction contracts in Afghanistan.
SIGAR investigations resulted in 171 criminal convictions and recovered $167 billion in funds, according to the report. But some corrupt Afghan officials and contractors were off limits, Aloise said.
“We would identify guys who were bad guys who earned kickbacks, bribes, whatever, but they could have been working for the CIA or another agency, so we were told, ‘hands off,'” said Aloise.
The United States spent $38.6 billion on military and civilian infrastructure and weapons for the Afghan army, including 96,000 ground vehicles, 427,300 weapons, 162 aircraft and 17,400 pairs of night-vision goggles, the report found.
When the United States withdrew, about $7.1 billion of weapons were left behind. Facilities Americans built for the army that were not destroyed “can be assumed to be under Taliban control,” the report concluded.
In addition, the report found that the U.S. military worked with Afghan warlords accused of human rights atrocities. It maintained a “tacit acceptance of sexual violence by Afghan allies,” including “tolerating” the practice of “boy play,” or the widespread sexual abuse of young boys, according to the report.
Investigators were stonewalled by Biden administration
Throughout the inspector general’s investigations, Aloise said, investigators faced a “general lack of cooperation” from U.S. officials. It was worst during the Biden administration, which “just shut us down for a year,” he said.
“They wouldn’t talk to us, they wouldn’t work with our people,” he said.
In interviews with SIGAR, senior U.S. officials said they felt the effort was doomed years before the Afghan government’s 2021 collapse.
“Even in my early days, at least I had a sense that we were kidding ourselves,” William Wood, the ambassador to Afghanistan from 2007 to 2009, told investigators in the report.
In the 20-year war, more than 2,320 U.S. servicemembers, 69,000 Afghan military and police, and 46,000 civilians were killed, according to Brown University’s “Costs of War” project.
“The cost was much higher than just money,” Aloise said.
Link to SIGAR final report: https://www.sigar.mil/Portals/147/Files/Reports/sigar-final-report.pdf
Afghanistan occupation dogged by corruption, wasted billions – report
Russia was the first country to recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on July 3, 2025.
The Kremlin spokesperson, during a press conference in India, stated that Russia is strengthening its relations with Afghanistan.
Dmitry Peskov added that Russia shares regional interests with Afghanistan and that the Kremlin has a common perspective with New Delhi regarding relations with Afghanistan.
Peskov said: “We are strengthening our relations with Afghanistan. We know our counterparts are present there, and we must discuss regional issues with them. We have shared interests in the region and will continue to develop our relations with Afghanistan. In this regard, we have a mutual understanding with India.”
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan also considers the expansion of economic and political relations with Russia beneficial for both countries.
The Deputy Minister of Economy, referring to the Kremlin’s influence over Central Asian countries, emphasized Russia’s significant role in improving Afghanistan’s relations with these nations.
Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of Economy, stated: “Russia is a powerful country in the region and can play a positive role in enhancing the relations of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan with Central Asian countries.”
Russia was the first country to recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on July 3, 2025.
Following this move, bilateral relations between Kabul and Moscow have been expanding.
Russia Strengthening Ties with Afghanistan, Says Kremlin Spokesperson
According to a UN report, the Security Council may consider issuing a resolution addressing the recent strains between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The ongoing tensions between Kabul and Islamabad have raised concerns among members of the United Nations Security Council.
According to a UN report, the Security Council may consider issuing a resolution addressing the recent strains between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The draft resolution is expected to express concern over the escalating situation and call on both sides to refrain from further military actions and resolve disputes through dialogue.
The report states: “The clashes between Pakistan and the Taliban are an issue for the Council. Council members may wish to consider adopting a resolution that expresses concern regarding the recent escalation, urges both sides to refrain from further military action, and encourages them to return to dialogue with a view to resolving their dispute peacefully.”
Bilal Omar, an international relations expert, said: “Whenever peace and stability are threatened anywhere in the world, the international community, especially the Security Council steps in to normalize the situation and prevent further conflict.”
According to the report, the Security Council also plans to hold an informal consultative meeting to receive an updated briefing from UN officials on the tensions and their regional implications.
Some political analysts see a potential UN resolution on Afghanistan-Pakistan tensions as significant, saying it would draw greater international attention to the conflict.
Wahid Faqiri, another expert on international relations, stated: “The UN’s growing interest in the Afghanistan-Pakistan issue is a positive development. It could apply international pressure on both sides to resolve the current conflict through peaceful negotiations.”
This comes as representatives from Kabul and Islamabad are currently in Riyadh for talks.
UN Security Council Mulls Resolution on Kabul-Islamabad Tensions
A security research consortium claims new footage may show Hamza bin Laden in Afghanistan.
A transatlantic intelligence consortium monitoring al Qaeda activities has released a video it claims shows Hamza bin Laden inside Afghanistan. The group says the footage was recorded several months ago and digital identifiers were removed to prevent tracing.
The Taliban have yet to comment on the claim. They have repeatedly denied hosting al Qaeda figures and insists no foreign militant networks are active in Afghanistan.
In the released footage, Hamza bin Laden appears in an outdoor setting with what looks like an urban environment in the background. The consortium did not specify the location but said the video aligns with intelligence assessments suggesting he may have relocated to Afghanistan after years of secrecy.
The report comes more than two years after al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Kabul’s Sherpur district in August 2022, an incident that raised renewed concerns over the Taliban’s ties with al Qaeda after the U.S. withdrawal.
Previous United Nations Security Council monitoring reports have stated that al Qaeda maintains close relations with other groups and continues to operate multiple training camps in Afghanistan. Confirmed locations were cited in Parwan, Ghazni, Laghman and Uruzgan provinces.
A paper published by the Paris Geopolitics Academy suggests Hamza bin Laden may be present in Panjshir, though the claim has not been independently verified.
The new footage has intensified debate among Western intelligence analysts who warn that Afghanistan could again become a safe haven for transnational militant groups. They say the timing of the release may be intended to signal that al Qaeda leadership remains active and operational despite years of counterterrorism pressure.
Whether the video confirms Hamza bin Laden’s presence in Afghanistan remains unclear. Intelligence officials say verification could take time, but if proven authentic, the footage may intensify international scrutiny over regional security and counter-extremism commitments.
Intelligence Consortium Claims Hamza bin Laden Presence in Afghanistan
Ten Afghan migrants attempting an illegal border crossing were shot dead by Iranian guards near Farah province, the Taliban police spokesman said Tuesday.
At least ten Afghan migrants attempting to cross into Iran were shot dead by Iranian border guards near the Sheikh Abu Nasr Farahi crossing, Taliban officials in western Afghanistan said on Tuesday. Two others who were part of the group remain missing.
Taliban police spokesman Mohammad Naseem Badri said the victims were residents of Farah province and were trying to enter Iran illegally when Iranian forces opened fire. He did not provide details on the exact timing of the incident.
Deadly shootings involving Afghan migrants along Iran’s eastern border have been reported repeatedly in recent years. Human rights monitors say most victims are undocumented workers attempting to reach Iran due to poverty and unemployment under Taliban rule.
One of the deadliest incidents occurred last year in Sistan-Baluchestan when Iranian guards reportedly opened fire on a group of about 300 Afghans. Taliban officials later confirmed at least two deaths and several injuries among those returned to Afghanistan.
In 2020, Iranian border forces were accused of torturing and forcing Afghan migrants into a river in Herat’s Golran district. Officials from Afghanistan’s former government said 18 migrants had died in that incident.
Despite repeated criticism from Afghanistan rights groups and refugee advocates, Tehran has defended its border policy, saying it is confronting mass illegal crossings, drug smuggling networks and security threats.
The Taliban administration has not announced whether it will file an official complaint. Kabul and Tehran have previously held talks on refugee safety, water disputes and border management, but tensions persist.
Humanitarian organisations warn that as economic pressure and deportations from Pakistan increase, more Afghans are attempting dangerous routes into Iran, raising fears of further casualties on the border.
Iran Border Guards Fatally Shoot 10 Afghan Migrants at Frontier
The United States has ordered a comprehensive screening review for Afghans admitted after August 2021, following renewed security concerns and calls for stricter vetting measures.
The White House has announced a sweeping review of Afghanistan’s nationals who entered the United States after the 2021 withdrawal, following a deadly attack in Washington that left one National Guard member dead and another critically injured.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated on Monday, December 1 that entry for migrants from what the administration considers “high-risk countries” has been temporarily halted while screening procedures undergo reassessment. She argued that nearly 100,000 Afghans arrived under the Operation Allies Welcome program “without full vetting,” calling the system inherited by the administration “a historic failure.”
According to Leavitt, tens of thousands of Afghans entered the U.S. after the fall of Kabul with incomplete background checks, a situation she said poses ongoing national security risks. She added that the government will continue mass deportations and remove individuals identified as security threats during the review.
The review was triggered after U.S. authorities identified Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a former Afghan soldier who arrived after the evacuation, as the suspect in the recent attack. The incident has fueled renewed debate over refugee screening, border policy and post-war commitments.
Following the attack, the administration issued an indefinite suspension of Afghan visa processing and refugee admissions, alongside a directive to reassess all cases approved under the previous policy. Officials say the process could take weeks or months depending on case volume.
The decision has drawn polarized reactions. Critics warn the move risks penalizing thousands who worked alongside U.S. forces and fled reprisals, while supporters argue tightened controls are necessary to prevent further security lapses.
Immigration analysts say the review signals a broader reassessment of post-withdrawal refugee policy and could reshape future pathways for Afghan resettlement.
As the process unfolds, lawmakers and advocacy groups are calling for transparency, arguing the outcome will affect U.S. credibility with wartime partners and define long-term obligations to displaced Afghans.
U.S. Orders Screening Review for Afghans Admitted After August 2021
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities carried out a public execution at a stadium in the eastern city of Khost on Tuesday, putting to death a man who the country’s Supreme Court said had killed 13 members of a family, including several children, earlier this year.
Tens of thousands of people, including relatives of the victims, attended the execution in the sports stadium, which the Supreme Court said was the 11th carried out since the Taliban seized power in 2021 in the wake of the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces.
United Nations’ Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan Richard Bennet posted on X earlier Tuesday that reports had suggested the public execution was imminent and called for it to be halted.
“Public executions are inhumane, a cruel and unusual punishment, and contrary to international law,” he posted.
Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers have imposed a strict interpretation of Sharia law, which has included a return of public executions, as well as bans on Afghan women and girls from secondary school and university education and from most forms of employment.
According to a statement by the Supreme Court, the execution was ordered after a death sentence was passed down by a court, an appeals court and the top ccourt itself, and approved by Afghanistan’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada.
The man was shot to death by a relative of those he was convicted of having killed, said Khost police spokesman Mustaghfir Gorbaz. The man had been convicted along with anothers of entering a family home in Khost province and shooting to death an extended family, including nine children and their mother, Gorbaz said.
The victims’ relatives had been offered the option of forgiveness and reconciliation that would have spared the man’s life, but instead requested the death penalty, the court said.
During their previous rule of Afghanistan in the late 1990s, the Taliban regularly carried out public executions, floggings and stonings.
Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers carry out public execution in sports stadium in eastern city
The United States has announced plans to deport six Afghan nationals accused of terrorism-related activity and serious criminal offences, citing public-safety concerns and tightened immigration scrutiny.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has published photographs and case details of several Afghan nationals accused of terrorism-related activities or violent crimes after entering the United States under the Biden administration. DHS said the individuals represent “only a fraction” of offenders who “answered American generosity with violence.”
The release comes days after an Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, allegedly shot two members of the U.S. National Guard in Washington, D.C., killing a 20-year-old soldier. The incident has intensified political pressure over Biden-era vetting procedures for Afghans admitted since 2021.
DHS cited cases including Jamal Wali’s police shooting, two Oklahoma terror-plot suspects, a former watch-list entrant later detained, and three others accused or convicted of assault and sexual-offence charges after receiving U.S. entry or legal status.
Rahmanullah Lakhanwal’s fatal DC shooting and Zabiullah Momand’s assault charges intensified scrutiny of Afghan entrants, prompting calls for tougher reviews and halted immigration processing.
DHS said Americans “should not have to face violence from people who should never have been here” and pledged that those convicted or posing threats would be deported. Immigration authorities have already paused all Afghan immigration-related applications pending further review.
U.S. President Donald Trump said every Afghan admitted under Biden “must be re-examined,” arguing that national security requires the removal of anyone who “does not belong in the country.” The State Department has also suspended visa issuance for all Afghan passport holders as Washington reassesses its screening procedures.
US to Deport Six Afghan Nationals Accused of Terror and Violent Crimes
Former envoy Asif Durrani warned that India’s deepening engagement with Kabul could undermine Pakistan’s security interests and threaten Afghanistan’s political stability.
Former Pakistani envoy for Afghanistan Asif Durrani has cautioned that India’s growing engagement with the Taliban could open a new front of strategic pressure on Pakistan, warning Kabul that such overtures risk undermining the group’s long-term political survival.
In a post on X on Monday, Durrani said the Taliban were “endangering themselves” by permitting New Delhi to deepen its presence in Kabul. He urged the group to “avoid a path of political suicide”, arguing that India’s outreach was aimed at expanding influence across the region at Pakistan’s expense.
His remarks come at a time of heightened tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, marked by cross-border clashes, trade disruptions and diplomatic strains. Pakistan has repeatedly accused India of leveraging Afghanistan territory to destabilise its western frontier, a charge New Delhi dismisses as unfounded.
Observers say Durrani’s intervention reflects growing unease in Islamabad as the Kabul diversify their external ties, increasingly moving beyond Pakistan’s traditional sphere of influence. Analysts believe the recalibration is partly driven by the Taliban’s economic pressures and their quest for broader international legitimacy.
In recent weeks, diplomatic and commercial engagement between the Taliban administration and India has accelerated. New Delhi has highlighted trade facilitation, humanitarian assistance and regional connectivity as priority areas of cooperation. Within the past month, two senior Taliban officials; Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Commerce Minister Nooruddin Azizi, visited India for high-level talks, signalling a notable shift after years of minimal contact.
Regional experts note that India appears keen to restore some of the strategic influence it lost after the collapse of the former Afghanistan republic in 2021. The Taliban, meanwhile, may be seeking new partners to offset their isolation, though such moves carry risks that could further complicate relations with Pakistan.
Durrani’s comments underscore the intensifying geopolitical contest around Afghanistan, with Islamabad warning that unchecked realignments could heighten insecurity in an already fragile region. Analysts caution that the Taliban will have to navigate these emerging rivalries carefully as major regional actors jostle for strategic space.
Durrani Warns Kabul Against Allowing India to Expand Footprint Through Afghanistan
The United Nations says aid workers are still in a “race against time” to remove rubble and rebuild after the devastating earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan last month, killing at least 2,200 people and cutting off remote areas.
The 6.0-magnitude quake on Aug. 31 was shallow, destroying or causing extensive damage to low-rise buildings in the mountainous region. It hit late at night, and homes — mostly made of mud, wood, or rocks — collapsed instantly, becoming death traps.
Satellite data shows that about 40,500 truckloads of debris still needs to be cleared from affected areas in several provinces, the United Nations Development Program said Wednesday. Entire communities have been upended and families are sleeping in the open, it added.
The quake’s epicenter was in remote and rugged Kunar province, challenging rescue and relief efforts by the Taliban government and humanitarian groups. Authorities deployed helicopters or airdropped army commandos to evacuate survivors. Aid workers walked for hours on foot to reach isolated communities.
“This is a race against time,” said Devanand Ramiah, from the UNDP’s Crisis Bureau. “Debris removal and reconstruction operations must start safely and swiftly.”
People’s main demands were the reconstruction of houses and water supplies, according to a spokesman for a Taliban government committee tasked with helping survivors, Zia ur Rahman Speenghar.
People were getting assistance in cash, food, tents, beds, and other necessities, Speenghar said Thursday. Three new roads were under construction in the Dewagal Valley, and roads would be built to areas where there previously were none.
“Various countries and organizations have offered assistance in the construction of houses but that takes time. After the second round of assistance, work will begin on the third round, which is considering what kind of houses can be built here,” the spokesman said.
Afghanistan is facing a “perfect storm” of crises, including natural disasters like the recent earthquake, said Roza Otunbayeva, who leads the U.N. mission to the country.
Afghanistan Peace Campaign
