Pentagon claims to have found ‘hidden’ files on final days of the Afghanistan war

August 27, 2026

Politico

08/26/2026

The claim comes hours before Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is scheduled to participate in a Pentagon ceremony to upgrade the valor awards for service members who served at the Kabul International Airport during the final days of the conflict.

The end of the war — and the final days of the U.S. occupation, when 13 American service members were killed guarding the airport — have been a focal point of Republican criticism of former President Joe Biden’s foreign policy decisions while in office.

GOP lawmakers have accused Biden of too abruptly ending military operations in Afghanistan, endangering American troops and handing over control of the country to the Taliban. Democratic supporters argue Biden’s move brought to an end two decades of open-ended military missions that did little to improve national security.

The White House has labeled the final days of the war “one of the most shameful and heartbreaking moments in our nation’s collective memory.” Pentagon leaders established a new Afghanistan Withdrawal Special Review Panel to examine the decisions leading up to the American exit from Kabul and determine who deserves blame for the U.S. deaths there.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, chair of the panel, in April announced plans to upgrade valor awards given to troops serving at the airport in August 2021 to “more accurately reflect the extreme risk” the troops faced, claiming that the Biden administration had “inappropriately downgraded” earlier honors.

Parnell on Wednesday released a video message on social media claiming the ongoing review has uncovered more improprieties by the previous administration, although he did not provide any details.

“The deeper we look, the more there is to look at,” he said in the message. “We are finding things that we did not expect.”.

He added that his team had “recovered highly relevant classified documents, material that should have been disclosed, stashed, and hidden away in safes where they would not be found. And after the team reviewed these documents, it became clear why someone tried to hide them.”

Parnell said that troops who served in Afghanistan “are owed the full picture of how and why those decisions were made, and we’re going to give it to them.” He did not provide any specifics on a timeline for clearer details on the new findings.

Democratic lawmakers have questioned the intentions of the reviews and criticized the slant of Republican-led hearings on Capitol Hill blaming the 20-year war largely on Democratic presidents.

House Republicans in recent years have accused Biden administration officials of ignoring intelligence reports in the days before the fatal terrorist bombing at the airport, a charge that military officials have rebuffed.

Pentagon claims to have found ‘hidden’ files on final days of the Afghanistan war
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Germany Deports 30 Afghans to Kabul in Latest Charter Flight

August 25, 2026
Khaama Press

Germany deported 30 Afghan nationals to Kabul on Tuesday aboard a charter flight from Leipzig, continuing its policy of returning Afghan citizens despite ongoing security and humanitarian concerns in Afghanistan.

The deportation flight departed from Leipzig/Halle Airport and marked Germany’s latest forced return operation to Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. German authorities said the operation primarily targeted Afghan nationals who had been ordered to leave the country, particularly those with criminal convictions or considered security threats.

However, German media reported that some of the deported Afghans did not have criminal records, raising renewed criticism from refugee advocates and human rights organizations over the government’s deportation policy.

According to official figures, Germany has now deported 257 Afghan nationals to Afghanistan since the Taliban regained control of the country. The returns have been carried out through charter flights despite Berlin’s continued position that Afghanistan remains a country with serious security and human rights risks.

The deportations are part of the German government’s tougher migration policy under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose administration has pledged stricter enforcement against failed asylum seekers and foreign nationals convicted of crimes. Berlin has argued that people who commit serious offenses can be returned even if broader deportations to Afghanistan remain limited.

Human rights organizations have repeatedly warned against forced returns to Afghanistan, citing widespread insecurity, economic collapse and severe restrictions on women and girls under Taliban rule. The United Nations has also described Afghanistan as one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with millions of people dependent on humanitarian assistance.

Germany Deports 30 Afghans to Kabul in Latest Charter Flight
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Girls’ Education Above Grade Six; An Issue That Remains Unresolved

August 25, 2026
TOLOnews
TV Network
26 Aug 2026

The organization warned that if the situation continues, by 2030 the number of girls deprived of education beyond the primary level will reach nearly four million.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, said in an interview with the BBC that the Islamic Emirate remains committed to women’s rights and freedom of expression in Afghanistan “within the framework of Sharia.”

Regarding restrictions on women’s education and employment, Mujahid said these issues should be examined “through the lens of Sharia” and that decisions should be made on that basis.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, said: “We have set Sharia as the boundary, meaning that to the extent Sharia permits, we are committed to women’s rights. We are also committed to freedom of expression and other issues. These matters must be weighed against Sharia, and then we can understand them.”

Mujahid’s remarks come as restrictions on the education and employment of women and girls remain one of the main points of disagreement between Kabul and the international community. A number of countries and international organizations have repeatedly called on the Islamic Emirate to provide opportunities for women and girls to study and work.

Mumtaz Yousafzai, a women’s rights activist, said: “During UNAMA’s five-year mandate, it should have reached an understanding with the Islamic Emirate on girls’ education so that schools could have been reopened to girls.”

Earlier, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reported that in 2026, nearly 2.4 million Afghan girls were deprived of secondary education.

The organization warned that if the situation continues, by 2030 the number of girls deprived of education beyond the primary level will reach nearly four million.

Girls’ Education Above Grade Six; An Issue That Remains Unresolved
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Aisha Wahab Calls for US Diplomatic Engagement with Afghanistan

August 25, 2026
TOLOnews
TV Network
25 August 2026

In another part of her remarks, she also described groups opposed to the Islamic Emirate as unsuccessful.

Aisha Wahab, the first Afghan-American woman in the US House of Representatives, has emphasized the need for diplomatic engagement between Washington and Kabul.

In an interview with Democracy Now!, Wahab described the current situation in Afghanistan, particularly for women and girls, as discouraging and said that the United States should pursue diplomacy and maintain ties with Afghanistan regardless of which group is in power.

She said US engagement with Afghanistan could provide an opportunity to encourage the country’s current authorities to respect human rights, women’s rights, and civil rights.

Aisha Wahab, a member of the US House of Representatives, said: “It’s disappointing to see what is happening in Afghanistan, where they are blocking women and children from going to school, really living their lives. I think that that’s going to be a disaster to come for Afghanistan, let alone the fact that the United States needs to practice diplomacy and regardless of which group is in power, we should be exercising diplomacy and having a relationship.”

Wahab added that Afghanistan is a landlocked country with abundant natural resources and that the United States should engage with the country, at least to establish cooperation and conclude economic agreements.

In another part of her remarks, she also described groups opposed to the Islamic Emirate as unsuccessful.

Aisha Wahab added: “In my view, all these groups have failed badly and are on the wrong path because they are not doing what is right for the country; rather, they are pursuing what serves their own interests.”

Naser Shafiq, a university lecturer, said: “Given that Afghanistan’s current territory is under the control of the Islamic Emirate, in order to bridge the gap with the people, the four issues over which the international community has raised concerns about Afghanistan need to be addressed. Political diversity, girls’ education, and women’s employment also need to be considered.”

The United States suspended its diplomatic ties with Kabul after its last soldier left Afghanistan on August 31 and also froze Afghanistan’s foreign reserves.

However, the two sides have maintained limited engagement on some issues, including countering security threats and securing the release of US citizens.

Aisha Wahab Calls for US Diplomatic Engagement with Afghanistan
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New book details NY Times’ efforts to evacuate Afghan refugees

August 25, 2026

Sara Fischer

AXIOS

25 August 2026

New book details NY Times’ efforts to evacuate Afghan refugees
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Floggings on the rise in Afghanistan, human rights group says

August 25, 2026

DPA

FILE PHOTO - Taliban fighters ride on an armoured vehicle at a checkpoint near Torkham border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan. (is associated with: «Floggings on the rise in Afghanistan, human rights group says») Sami Jan/dpa
FILE PHOTO – Taliban fighters ride on an armoured vehicle at a checkpoint near Torkham border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan. (is associated with: «Floggings on the rise in Afghanistan, human rights group says») Sami Jan/dpa

Flogging is increasingly being used as a form of punishment in Afghanistan five years after the Islamist Taliban regained power, according to a report by the Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization (AHRDO).

In the report published on Tuesday, AHRDO said 593 cases of flogging had been documented in 2024. This number rose to 1,074 people in 2025, the Canada-based organization said.

In the current year, the human rights organization said it had already documented 553 floggings by April.

The Taliban has defended this form of punishment, saying it is in line with the country’s law and necessary to ensure security and safety for the public.

In most of the cases documented between February 2022 and April 2026, the floggings were imposed for extramarital relationships, alleged sexual offences and homosexuality. In many provinces, the victims were flogged at sports grounds and in public places.

According to the report, the punishment has also been carried out in prisons. The survey is based on publications by the Supreme Court of Afghanistan and publicly available data.

A report by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) from late July said the Taliban authorities have not issued any announcements of public floggings since mid-April this year. Nevertheless, it said 137 people were flogged between April 1 and June 30.

As early as March, the UN Human Rights Office expressed concern about an increase in floggings in Afghanistan.

AHRDO says public flogging violates fundamental rights and contravenes the prohibition on torture. The Taliban recaptured the Afghan capital, Kabul, in August 2021 and have since been governing under strict, religiously motivated regulations.

Floggings on the rise in Afghanistan, human rights group says
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One million children in Afghanistan face deadly malnutrition

August 25, 2026
UN News

Some 3.7 million children in Afghanistan are suffering from wasting, one of the most dangerous forms of malnutrition, with around one million currently battling the most severe, life-threatening form of the condition.

A young girl in Afghanistan holds a fortified biscuit while other children sit around her with blue backpacks.
© WFP/Sayed Abidullah Sadat A young girl eats a nutritionally enriched biscuit in Zabul Province, Afghanistan.

Malnutrition, driven by the lack of access to adequate food, compromises immune systems and makes children far more vulnerable to common infections.

The UN children’s fund, UNICEF, said on Tuesday that children under two currently account for 83 per cent of severe acute malnutrition cases.

Hospitals overwhelmed

Hospitals are overwhelmed by increasing demand, UNICEF has warned.

In parts of southern Afghanistan, hospitals are seeing three to four severely malnourished children for every available bed.

Severe acute malnutrition cases which were admitted with medical complications have risen by one-third from the same time last year – from 6,000 in July 2025 to 8,000 by July 2026.

Overlapping crises

Afghanistan has endured successive years of drought, followed by destructive heavy rainfall and flash floods. This year’s record-strength El Niño climate pattern is expected to intensify the extreme weather.

At the same time, regional instability is disrupting cross-border trade and the return to the country of over six million people since 2023 is putting pressure on the overstretched job market and public services, including housing and health services.

UNICEF said that these pressures mean families are unable to feed their children properly; meals have become smaller, scarcer, and less nutritiously varied.

A child’s first food at six months old may consist of little more than bread with tea or watered-down yoghurt, the agency said in a recent report.

Providing care

Treatment for malnutrition does exist.

Tajudeen Oyewale, the UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan tells the story of Sagida, a 9-month-old girl he met in a hospital in eastern Afghanistan.

She came from a remote village in a neighbouring province that had recently suffered from severe floods. A UNICEF-trained health worker found her there, suffering from severe acute malnutrition, and referred her to the hospital.

“When Sagida was first admitted, the doctors had little hope that she would survive. She weighed only 4 kg. But after receiving therapeutic milk, she has now stabilised,” Mr. Oyewale explained.

Cost-effective funding

Due to funding cuts to humanitarian aid, more than 100 sites treating children with severe wasting have closed this year compared with 2025, putting additional strain on the centres that have stayed open, UNICEF said.

The agency’s nutrition programme has received only 22 per cent of the $180 million funding it requires this year.

“We should not wait until a child is dangerously thin and lying in a hospital bed before we intervene. […] Acting early does not only save lives. It is also far more cost-effective than waiting until a child is severely malnourished and needs life-saving treatment,” said Mr. Oyewale.

One million children in Afghanistan face deadly malnutrition
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US set for largest mass visa revocation in history targeting up to 200,000 foreigners, officials say

August 24, 2026

Story by Matthew Lee

The Los Angeles Times

Aug 24, 2026

The Trump administration is preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum status in the United States. If it happens, the move would be the largest single mass revocation of visas in U.S. history and would likely face legal challenges.

Unless challenged or revised, the State Department is expected to announce in the coming weeks the revocation of so-called B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 whose holders have sought asylum or are now seeking asylum, according to State Department documents obtained by The Associated Press and two U.S. officials. The action will be taken in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security.

“We are coordinating with DHS to identify and revoke the nonimmigrant visas of foreigners who have come to the United States claiming to be short-term visitors, but then file for asylum to stay here permanently,” said State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott.

He declined to comment on the number of visas that might be revoked, saying “as the process will be ongoing, the number of revocations remains dynamic and will be done on a rolling basis.”

The revocations would not necessarily result in their immediate deportation, the officials said. Most of those with asylum cases currently pending would be recategorized but would lose their status as business or tourism travelers, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the revocations are not final yet.

Since President Donald Trump took office for his second term last year, his administration has steadily ramped up restrictions on visa applicants — demanding more information about their social media histories, requiring the posting of expensive bonds for the processing of visas, and outright banning the issuance of visas to citizens of certain countries.

In a social media post on Monday, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau called out people who he said try to use tourist and business visas to get into the United States and then apply for asylum.

“People in the US and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims,” Landau wrote on X. “Asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration law.” Landau cited the case of a Colombian citizen who came to the U.S. in 2015 on a tourist visa and then applied for asylum.

B1 visas are generally issued for business trips and B2 visas are generally issued for tourism, family visits or medical care. It was not immediately clear from the documents or the officials how many of these visa holders are seeking or have sought asylum in the United States and would be affected by the revocations.

Current applicants for B1 and B2 visas are asked to affirm that they will not apply for asylum in the United States and prove that they intend to return to their home countries.

In the past 18 months, the State Department has revoked about 175,000 visas for people who have been convicted or accused of crimes ranging from drunken driving to rape and robbery, as well as for people who have spoken out publicly against U.S. policies, particularly in the Middle East.

The administration has also moved to crack down on so-called birth tourism, a practice the administration claims is used by foreign pregnant women to come to the United States to give birth so that their child will benefit from birthright citizenship. Trump has tried several times to end birthright citizenship, but those challenges have been rejected by courts, including the Supreme Court.

The State Department documents obtained by the AP suggest screening of current B1 and B2 visa holders began after the State Department received information about asylum requests from the Citizen and Immigration Service.

Lee writes for the Associated Press.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

US set for largest mass visa revocation in history targeting up to 200,000 foreigners, officials say
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US Congressman Seth Moulton Says He Is Working With Veterans to Evacuate Afghan Allies

August 24, 2026
Khaama Press

 

Democratic Congressman Seth Moulton says he is continuing to work with U.S. military veterans to help evacuate Afghans who supported the United States during the war in Afghanistan, accusing the Trump administration of effectively halting relocation efforts for former Afghan allies.

Speaking to CBS News on Sunday, August 23, Moulton sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s immigration policies toward Afghan refugees, calling the suspension of relocation programs “racist” and arguing that the administration does not want “anyone except white people” entering the United States.

Moulton, a former U.S. Marine who served in Iraq and has long advocated for Afghan wartime allies, said many interpreters, security personnel and other Afghans who worked alongside American forces remain at risk of Taliban retaliation after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“The first thing we’re doing is continuing to work behind the scenes with veterans across the country to get Afghans to safety,” Moulton said, adding that veterans’ groups remain actively involved in helping vulnerable Afghan families relocate through available legal and humanitarian pathways.

He said the second priority is changing U.S. immigration policy so Washington honors its commitment to Afghans who risked their lives alongside American troops. Moulton argued that the United States has a moral obligation to protect those who served with U.S. forces during the two-decade conflict.

The congressman also said he is working to help Democrats regain majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate, saying a shift in political control would make it possible to reverse the administration’s immigration policies affecting Afghan allies.

The remarks come as thousands of Afghans remain stranded after the Trump administration suspended several refugee and immigration pathways, including restrictions affecting Afghan applicants for immigrant visas and refugee resettlement. The administration has also maintained broader entry restrictions on nationals from several countries, including Afghanistan.

Moulton’s comments also follow a recent federal court ruling that struck down the Trump administration’s policy suspending immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries, including Afghanistan. However, Afghan advocacy organizations have warned that the ruling does not automatically reopen the path to the United States and that applicants should wait for official guidance before making travel plans.

US Congressman Seth Moulton Says He Is Working With Veterans to Evacuate Afghan Allies
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Major Infrastructure Projects Advance in Afghanistan Over Past Five Years

August 24, 2026
Liluma Qadiry
Tolo News
22 AUGUST 2026

In the water management sector, the Qosh Tepa Canal is one of the major projects that has continued to advance during this period.

Major infrastructure projects have been a key part of the Islamic Emirate’s economic agenda over the past five years.

The projects are aimed at developing infrastructure, strengthening regional connectivity and creating opportunities for the country’s economic growth.

Amir Khan Muttaqi, foreign minister of the Islamic Emirate, attributed progress on major domestic economic projects to the government’s economic policies.

Muttaqi said: “Our economic sector has performed better than at any other time in Afghanistan’s history. Afghanistan has never witnessed this level of progress in factories and infrastructure projects.”

In the water management sector, the Qosh Tepa Canal is one of the major projects that has continued to advance during this period.

The project began in 1401 (2022), and its second phase is now nearing completion.

The first two phases of the Qosh Tepa Canal are part of a six-year plan and are expected to be completed by 2028. Work on the third phase is also expected to begin as the second phase is completed, although no completion date has yet been announced.

Qosh Tepa Canal – Key Facts and Objectives

Route: Balkh, Jawzjan and Faryab
Water source: Amu River
Objective: Supply water to expand agricultural land
Water capacity: Nearly 65 cubic meters per second
Total length: Nearly 285 kilometers
Target land: More than 3 million jeribs

Nabiullah Arghandiwal, spokesperson for the National Development Corporation, said: “Since work began, the National Development Corporation has continued the project intensively and to a high standard. Work on the second phase is now in its final stages.”

In the energy sector, the TAPI project entered its operational phase in Afghanistan in 1403 (2024), with pipeline construction officially beginning.

The pipeline has a route of nearly 816 kilometers through Afghanistan, of which nearly 120 kilometers has so far been laid.

No specific date has been announced for completion of the entire Afghan section, but the Herat section is targeted for completion by this winter.

TAPI – Key Facts and Objectives

Project: Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline
Countries: Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India
Capacity: 33 billion cubic meters of gas annually
Afghanistan’s share: Gas transit revenues
Gas supply agreement: 30 years
Purpose: Energy supply and support for industries and power plants

Alongside TAPI, the CASA-1000 project has also resumed after several years of suspension.

Work on the project in Afghanistan is now 80% complete, and the Afghan section is expected to be completed by the beginning of 1406.

Humayun Afghan, spokesperson for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, said about progress on TAPI: “Work on the Herat section of the project is expected to be completed by the end of this calendar year and become operational.”

CASA-1000 – Key Facts and Objectives

Objective: Transfer surplus electricity from Central Asia to South Asia
Countries: Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan
Transmission capacity: 1,300 megawatts
Afghanistan’s share: Nearly 300 megawatts
Transmission line: Nearly 1,370 kilometers
Project launched: 2016

In the transport and regional connectivity sector, the Afghan Trans project has yet to enter the implementation stage, although a feasibility study agreement was signed in 2025.

Despite efforts to begin the feasibility study, practical work on the process has not started during the past five years.

Afghan Trans – Key Facts and Objectives

Objective: Establish a regional rail and transit corridor
Proposed route: Through Afghanistan, linking Central Asian countries with Pakistan
Focus: Railway development and facilitating regional transit
Status: Has not yet entered the implementation stage
2025: Feasibility study agreement signed

Overall, work on several major infrastructure projects has continued over the past five years, with some entering the implementation stage, though progress has varied from project to project.

Major Infrastructure Projects Advance in Afghanistan Over Past Five Years
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