West to Visit Japan, UAE, India to Discuss Afghanistan: State Dept

The Islamic Emirate, in reaction to West’s travels, called on Washington to lift restrictions on Afghanistan. 

The US special envoy for Afghanistan, Thomas West is to visit Japan, India and UAE from December 1-8, where he will meet with the Afghan diaspora and partners, the US Department of State said in a statement. 

West will consult with Afghans and partners regarding the humanitarian and economic crises in Afghanistan, protection of Afghans’ rights, and shared security concerns.

“Special Representative West will also engage with the Afghan diaspora, including human rights, business, political, and media leaders on how to address these challenges,” the statement reads.

The Islamic Emirate, in reaction to West’s travels, called on Washington to lift restrictions on Afghanistan.

“They themselves created the problems which exist now–the sanctions and other issues, like banking issues and the assets of the people of Afghanistan that are still frozen,” said Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate.

Political analysts said that India, Japan and the UAE are the allies of the US and that negotiation with these countries could have a positive impact on the situation in Afghanistan.

“This visit of Thomas West can make a new front in international competition,” said Fazal Rahman Oria, a political analyst.

“Their goal is to gain more attention to US policy regarding Afghanistan,” said Janat Fahim Chakari, a political analyst.

West to Visit Japan, UAE, India to Discuss Afghanistan: State Dept
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Taliban silence Voice of America broadcasts in Afghanistan

Associated Press

1 Dec 2022

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Voice of America said Wednesday that Taliban authorities have banned FM radio broadcasts from VOA and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Afghanistan, starting Thursday.

VOA said Taliban authorities cited “complaints they have received about programming content” without providing specifics.

VOA and RFE are funded by the U.S. government, though they claim editorial independence.

The Taliban overran Afghanistan in August 2021 as American and NATO forces were in the final weeks of their pullout from the country after 20 years of war.

Despite initially promising a more moderate rule, they have restricted rights and freedoms and widely implemented their harsh interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia.

Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told The Associated Press Thursday that Afghanistan has press laws and any network found “repeatedly contravening” these laws will have their privilege of working in the country taken away.

“VOA and Azadi Radio (Radio Liberty) failed to adhere to these laws, were found as repeat offenders, failed to show professionalism and were therefore shut down,” he said.

The advocacy group Reporters Without Borders said recently that Afghanistan has lost 40% of its media outlets and 60% of its journalists since the Taliban takeover.

Taliban silence Voice of America broadcasts in Afghanistan
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China Used Botched Afghanistan Withdrawal to Score Propaganda Points, Pentagon Finds

Caroline Downey

Yahoo News

The Chinese Communist Party used the botched American military withdrawal from Afghanistan to portray the U.S. as an unreliable international partner and a nation in decline, the Department of Defense found.

In a Tuesday report to Congress on national security developments involving China, the DOD noted that the CCP exploited the Afghanistan embarrassment to undermine the U.S. and its reputation.

“In 2021, the PRC employed multiple diplomatic tools in an attempt to erode U.S. and partner influence, such as highlighting the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and criticizing U.S.-backed security partnerships,” the department concluded.

The CCP used the foreign policy failure as “evidence that the U.S. is an unreliable partner and declining power,” the report said. The CCP has reportedly been frustrated with the U.S. framing of China as a menacing threat, according to the report.

In August 2021, the Biden administration presided over a messy military departure from Afghanistan, allowing the Taliban to seize control of Kabul before U.S. forces and diplomats had vacated the country.

The withdrawal ended in chaos, with 13 American service men killed in a suicide bombing and desperate U.S. citizens and Afghan refugees scrambling to evacuate the war-torn country. As the U.S. military pulled out of Afghanistan, as many as 9,000 Americans were left in the country, according to a Senate Foreign Relations Committee report released in February 2022.

In the summer of 2021, many Republicans argued that the Afghanistan disaster weakened the U.S. on the world stage and thereby empowered China. Many critics pointed out that China could view the Afghanistan disaster as an invitation to escalate aggression against Taiwan and move up the presumed timeline to invade and reconquer the self-governing island.

China has plans to expand its nuclear arsenal as part of its long-term goal for “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” by 2049, the report said.

Beijing also seized Covid-19 as a propaganda tool against the West, the report added, to “deflect culpability for the global pandemic” and boast domestic success on containing the virus through its extreme zero-Covid policy, which seeks to snuff out any transmission through dramatic testing and movement restrictions.

China Used Botched Afghanistan Withdrawal to Score Propaganda Points, Pentagon Finds
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Karzai: Reopening Girls’ Schools is Vital Issue for Country

The former president of the country said that dialogue among Afghans and the reopening of schools for girls are the vital issues facing the country.

The former president of the country in a tweet reported that in a meeting with the ambassador of Japan they spoke about the importance of dialogue among Afghans and the reopening schools for girls.

“Dialogue among Afghans, and reopening girls’ schools, are the vital issues for prosperity and progress in the country,” said Hamid Karzai.

Meanwhile some political analysts said that dialogue among Afghans will help the country face existing challenges in the country.

“Dialogue among Afghans is good but it will be effective when both sides understand each other’s demands,” said said Torek Farhadi, a political analyst.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, the acting Minister of Vice and Virtue, also met with the ambassador of Japan and emphasized that Kabul wants good relations with the world, but they cannot compromise on religion and Islamic values.

“Afghanistan now has peace … and the government has control over the whole territory,” said Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman for Islamic Emirate.

Karzai: Reopening Girls’ Schools is Vital Issue for Country
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Afghanistan Discussed in UN Press Briefing in Geneva

Economists suggested that the UN needs to implement long-term economic projects to create job opportunities for the citizens in the country.

Speaking to a Geneva press briefing, the director of operations at the International Committee of the Red Cross, Martin Schuepp, highlighted the economic and humanitarian situation of Afghanistan.

He said that countries like Afghanistan are the most vulnerable and at risk of being forgotten by the international community.

“Heat or eat, that is the phrase I heard a lot in Kabul. People can’t afford to stay warm to buy heat or to buy food. But often they can’t afford both,” he said.

This comes as residents of Kabul said that unemployment remains high, causing severe economic challenges.

“There are no jobs. I don’t have wood while the winter is around the corner. I don’t have food as well,” said Fatih Mohammad, a resident of Kabul.

“The cold weather is coming amid challenges. The Taliban are not recognized yet and also there is unemployment,” said Ibrahim, a resident of Kabul.

Economists suggested that the UN needs to implement long-term economic projects to create job opportunities for the citizens in the country.

“The reduction of the economic crisis in the country is linked to the allowance of the Central Bank or a substitute institution to conduct international deals in order to create job opportunities,” said Seyar Qureshi, an economist.

“We need economic infrastructure to manage the poverty and economic challenges in a strategic way to rotate the Afghan economic sector in general,” said Shabir Bashiri, an economist.

Earlier, the International Organization of Migration said in a report that 97 percent of Afghanistan’s population is below poverty line.

Afghanistan Discussed in UN Press Briefing in Geneva
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At least 15 killed in Afghanistan school bombing, says official

Al Jazeera

30 Nov 2022

At least 15 killed in Afghanistan school bombing, says official
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Participants in Herat Security Dialogue Discuss Situation in Afghanistan

Zabiullah Mujahid, in response to the remarks of some of the participants of the meeting, said that women’s rights are protected in Afghanistan.

Participants at the 10th Herat Security Dialogue meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, emphasized the need to establish an inclusive government in Afghanistan that upholds women’s rights and prevents drug trafficking in Afghanistan.

While speaking at the meeting, the special envoy of the European Union for Afghanistan Tomas Niklasson, said that the EU will support women’s rights in Afghanistan.

“Women in Afghanistan face many restrictions, and they are not even permitted in parks. The Taliban are responsible for defending women’s rights, and we continue to support Afghan women,” the EU special envoy said.

“There are obstacles to establishing an inclusive government, and this is one of the demands of the international community,” said Nazeef Shahrani, a participant in the meeting.

The chargé d’affaires of the US Mission to Afghanistan, Karen Decker, who participated in the meeting said that the US supports an Afghanistan at peace with itself and its neighbors.

“The Herat Security Dialogue has been an annual pilgrimage since 2012; it is great to have an opportunity to exchange views on the situation in Afghanistan with representatives from Afghanistan, Tajikistan, regional countries, and the EU. I am here to listen, but I will be prepared to reiterate US’s strong support for the Afghan people and for an Afghanistan at peace with itself and its neighbors,” Decker tweeted.

“They should raise their demands to the world community, to the neighboring nations and Western countries. The Herat security meeting can be an effective step in this respect,” said Wali Frozan, a political analyst.

However, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, in response to the remarks of some of the participants of the meeting, said that women’s rights are protected in Afghanistan.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan considers the rights of all people of the nation, especially women. The rights must be defined and the Shariah rights of women in Afghanistan are protected,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, spokesman of the Islamic Emirate.

At the 10th Herat Security Dialogue meeting held in Dushanbe on Tuesday, 120 Afghan political figures and also representatives from the US, the EU, and other regional nations participated.

The “Herat Security Dialogue” meeting is being held here for the first time outside of Afghanistan.

Participants in Herat Security Dialogue Discuss Situation in Afghanistan
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IOM Releases Survey on Afghan Situation

The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock also expressed concerns over the low levels of wheat in Afghanistan.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in coordination with EU partnerships conducted research on the impact of climate change, mental health, infrastructure and urban migration on displacement-affected communities in Afghanistan.

The IOM said that nearly 60% of the population suffers from climate shock.

The IOM said that according to analysts and existing literature, wheat production has dropped by 30% in the country over the last year.

“A current severe, multi-year drought has exacerbated acute food shortages experienced by more than half of Afghanistan’s population, and severely impacted their livelihoods; in rural areas, many are limited in their ability to diversify their income sources,” the report reads.

According to the IOM, 97% of the population is living below the poverty line, with climate change playing a critical role.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock also expressed concerns over the low levels of wheat in Afghanistan.

“We are producing between 4.7 to 5 million metric tons of wheat annually with the climate changes in Afghanistan,” said Mohammad Qassim Obaidi, an official of the ministry.

In infrastructure, the IOM said that one of the major implications of the “Taliban takeover for economies in major cities” was the downturn in available work opportunities due to electricity cuts and lower tariffs, which resulted in the closure of many factories.

“The power which we only have for the factories in Kabul is around 100 to 120 megawatts while we need 300 megawatts. This is insufficient,” said Rahimullah Samandar, head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Industry and Mines (ACIM).

“Production has dropped 35 percent. Also, if a new factory wants to have access to electricity, it is impossible,” said Sakhi Ahmad Payman, deputy head of the ACIM.

“To prevent the possible risks and prepare the society for the dangerous outcomes of climate change, the international community’s development aid in food security and infrastructure sector is vital and important,” said Abdul Rahman Habib, a spokesman for the Ministry of Economy.

Earlier, the World Bank reported that two in three Afghan households are struggling to provide food for themselves.

IOM Releases Survey on Afghan Situation
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Pakistan FM travels to Kabul, meets Taliban amid border tensions

Al Jazeera

29 November 2022

Hina Rabbani Khar holds talks with her Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi a day after Pakistan Taliban ended its truce with Islamabad.

Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistan’s minister of state for foreign affairs, has met Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in the capital Kabul amid tension over cross-border violence.

Tuesday’s visit comes a day after Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) armed group ended a months-long ceasefire with Islamabad raising security concerns about Afghanistan-Pakistan border areas.

The TTP, also known as Pakistan Taliban, has been fighting the Pakistani state for more than a decade. The armed demands imposition of its readings of Islamic law and the release of its fighters among other issues.

The Pakistan Taliban, which is ideologically aligned with the Afghan Taliban, on Monday asked its fighters to launch attacks across the country. “As military operations are ongoing against mujahideen in different areas … so it is imperative for you to carry out attacks wherever you can in the entire country,” the group said in a statement.

Kabul and Islamabad were engaged in a war of words in April after Pakistan reportedly carried out deadly air raids inside Afghanistan following cross-border attacks blamed on the Pakistan Taliban.

Pakistan says the TTP finds safe haven in Afghanistan – a charge denied by the Taliban, which has been facilitating peace talks between the Pakistan Taliban and the Pakistan government.

‘Bilateral issues’

It was not clear whether security was discussed at the meeting between Khar and Mutaqqi – the first high-level Pakistani delegation to visit Kabul since Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took office in April. Former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi visited Kabul last October.

“A range of bilateral issues of common interest including cooperation in education, health, trade and investment, regional connectivity, people-to-people contacts and socioeconomic projects were discussed,” Pakistan’s foreign office said in a statement.

A statement from Afghanistan’s foreign ministry said Muttaqi had also brought up accelerating trade and transit and facilities for travellers between the two countries as well as the release of Afghan prisoners in Pakistan.

Pakistan this month reopened the Chaman border – a major crossing connecting Balochistan to the Afghan province of Kandahar – which was shut down in the wake of clashes between security forces from the two sides.

The Chaman border in the southwest and the northwestern Torkham border connects landlocked Afghanistan to neighbouring Pakistan. They have served as the main trade and transit routes between the two countries.

Taliban faces diplomatic isolation

Pakistan has not officially recognised the Taliban government, which faces diplomatic isolation for more than a year and a half since it took power.

No country has recognised the Taliban, who took over Afghanistan with a speed and ease that took the world by surprise, following which President Ashraf Ghani fled the country and his government collapsed, in August 2021.

The international community has pressured the Taliban to lift curbs on women and make the government more inclusive if the question of its recognition could be brought to the table.

But the Afgan rulers have doubled down on its restrictions on women, reversing a promise to open high schools for girls in March and gradually imposing curbs on women’s movement and their employment.

The Taliban have said they respect women’s rights in line with their vision of Islam and Afghan culture. Though their interpretation of Islamic law has often been considered more hardline.

The UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan said Friday that Taliban restrictions on women and girls could amount to a “crime against humanity”.

The high-level meeting comes on a day General Asim Munir on Tuesday took charge as Pakistan’s new army chief, a key change of command in an institution that plays a hugely influential role in the governance of the nuclear-armed nation.

Munir, who was named as the new chief last week, takes control at a time when the army has been drawn into a political showdown between the government and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, even as the country faces an economic crisis.

“I am certain that his [Munir’s] appointment will prove positive for the army and the country,” outgoing chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said at a handover ceremony at the army’s General Headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

Bajwa, who served as chief for six years, has recently drawn the ire of Khan and his supporters, who claimed that the army played a part in his removal from the premiership in April in a no-confidence vote. The army has denied any role.

Khan, meanwhile, has said he would continue with his campaign to press the government to hold early elections. He has also threatened to dissolve provincial assemblies under his party’s control, which could lead to a constitutional crisis.

Munir faces a new security challenge in the wake of the Pakistani Taliban walking out of the truce.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
Pakistan FM travels to Kabul, meets Taliban amid border tensions
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Kabul Residents Complain of High Prices of Intl Airfare

This comes as some travel agencies said that there has been a significant drop in international flights which has affected business.

Residents of Kabul expressed concerns over the high prices of airplane tickets, saying that the prices have almost doubled.

They said that the price of tickets for Kabul- Dubai and Kabul-Istanbul flights have significantly increased.

“The price of the tickets has increased. We cannot purchase the one-way tickets,” said a resident of Kabul.

“I ask the travel airlines, if possible, to reduce the prices of the ticket,” said Ahmad Naveed, a resident of Kabul.

The Ministry of Transportation and Civil Aviation said that the prices of the tickets have increased due to a surge in the price of oil worldwide.

“We cannot control the international prices because it is not the issue within only one country. The ticket prices have surged at an international level as well. For example, previously, if you wanted to buy a ticket from Dubai to the US, it would cost around $800 but now it has increased to $2,000,” said Ghulam Jailani Wafa, deputy Minister of Transportation and Civil Aviation.

This comes as some travel agencies said that there has been a significant drop in international flights which has affected business.

“The prices have increased by 60 percent compared to before, we used to have a lot of flights to abroad,” said Khpolwak, head of a travel agency.

“Previously, our office would issue more than 50 tickets each day but now it has dropped to one, two or five tickets,” said Haseeb, head a travel agency.

After the fall of the former government, many major airlines including Fly Dubai and Turkish airlines have stopped flights to Afghanistan.

Kabul Residents Complain of High Prices of Intl Airfare
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