Families of service members killed during Afghanistan withdrawal criticize Biden at GOP convention

BY  JONATHAN J. COOPERFARNOUSH AMIRIMATTHEW LEE AND STEVE PEOPLES
Associated Press

 

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Relatives of some of the 13 American service members killed during the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan appeared on stage at the Republican National Convention Wednesday in an emotional moment that revived one of the low points of President Joe Biden’s presidency.

Many of the Gold Star families have criticized Biden for never publicly naming their loved ones. On stage Wednesday, one of the family members named each of the 13 service members, and the crowd echoed back each name as it was read aloud.

“Joe Biden has refused to recognize their sacrifice,” Christy Shamblin, the mother-in-law of Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee, told the crowd. “Donald Trump knew all of our children’s names. He knew all of their stories.”

The crowd chanted “Never forget!” and “U.S.A.!” as Trump and the entire convention hall stood.

The display on the RNC’s third day was an implicit response to Biden’s repeated rebukes of Trump and his allegations that the former president doesn’t respect veterans. Biden has often brought up a claim by retired Gen. John Kelly, who was Trump’s chief of staff, that Trump referred to slain World War II soldiers as losers and suckers. Trump denies the allegation.

“President Biden cares deeply about our service members, their families, and the immense sacrifices they have made,” Adrienne Watson, a National Security Council spokesperson, said in a statement. “That’s why the President attended the dignified transfer of the 13 brave service members who lost their lives in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021; as well as, of the three who lost their lives in Jordan earlier this year. As he said then and continues to believe now: Our country owes them a great deal of gratitude and a debt that we can never repay, and we will continue to honor their ultimate sacrifice.”

The U.S. service members and 60 Afghans were killed by a suicide bombing at the Kabul airport in August 2021 as the U.S. worked feverishly to evacuate Americans and Afghans who helped the West during two decades of war.

The parents and loved ones of those service members have been in the political spotlight ever since, appearing before congressional hearings and doing news interviews.

Republicans have claimed that Biden’s decision to remove U.S. soldiers after the two-decade war in Afghanistan was a strictly political move. But the agreement for the U.S. to withdraw from Afghanistan was signed by Trump’s administration in February 2020. The deal called for American troops to be out by May 2021, but Trump left office that January without leaving a plan in place for the actual withdrawal of forces.

Several months before the peace deal with the Taliban was signed in Doha, Qatar, Trump had contemplated inviting the Taliban leadership to Camp David to sign an agreement. Those plans, which were vehemently objected to by senior military officials, were put on hold after a Taliban attack that killed a U.S. soldier.

Criticism of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan resonates with voters across party lines. Former Biden supporters, such as former New Hampshire House Speaker Steve Shurtleff, have cited the botched withdrawal as one reason why he wants Biden to step aside.

 

Families of service members killed during Afghanistan withdrawal criticize Biden at GOP convention
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Cycling sisters defy the Taliban to achieve Olympic dream

By Firuz Rahimi and Peter Ball
BBC World Service in Aigle, Switzerland
17 July 2024
BBC Yulduz and Fariba Hashimi standing arm in arm in cycling gear in front of their training centre and some mountainsBBC
Yulduz (left) and Fariba Hashimi both came late to cycling

Speeding along a road in the foothills of the Swiss Alps, Fariba Hashimi rises out of the saddle of her £15,000 bike and works the pedals even harder to close the gap between her and her sister, Yulduz, a few metres up ahead.

Training rides like this are the last steps on a journey that began with the two siblings from rural Afghanistan racing in disguise on borrowed bikes, before having to escape when the Taliban came to power.

Now they’re on their way to the Olympic Games in Paris. And, despite a Taliban ruling banning women from sport, they will compete under their country’s flag.

Uphill challenge

Yulduz and Fariba riding at speed along the side of a road
Yulduz and Fariba will take part in the road race event at the Paris Olympics

In a world where many elite athletes take up sport almost as soon as they can walk, Fariba, 21, and Yulduz, 24, came late to cycling.

They grew up in Faryab, one of the most remote and conservative provinces in Afghanistan, where it was practically unheard of to see women on bicycles.

Fariba was 14 and Yulduz 17 when they saw an advert for a local cycle race and decided to take part.

There were two problems; they didn’t have a bike and they didn’t know how to ride.

The sisters borrowed a neighbour’s bike one afternoon. After a few hours, they felt they had got the hang of it.

Their next challenge was to avoid their family finding out what they were doing because of the stigma around women taking part in sport in conservative areas of Afghanistan.

The sisters used false names and covered themselves up, wearing big baggy clothing, large headscarves and sunglasses so people didn’t recognise them.

Race day dawned, and incredibly the sisters came first and second.

“It felt amazing,” says Fariba. “I felt like a bird who could fly.”

Fariba wearing cycling kit, glasshes and a helmet looking into the distance
Fariba and her sister left Afghanistan after the Taliban took power

They kept on entering races and kept on winning until their parents eventually found out when they saw pictures of them in the local media.

“They were upset at first. They asked me to stop cycling,” Fariba says. “But I didn’t give up. I secretly continued,” she smiles.

It didn’t come without dangers – people tried to hit them with cars or rickshaws as they rode or threw stones at them as they cycled past.

“People were abusive. All I wanted to do was win races,” says Yulduz.

And the situation was about to get worse.

Fleeing their home

In 2021, four years after the sisters started riding, the Taliban retook control of the country and clamped down on women’s rights, restricting their access to education and limiting how they could travel. They also banned women from taking part in sport.

Yulduz and Fariba had dreamed of one day competing in the Olympics. Now they knew if they wanted to race at all they had to leave Afghanistan.

Yulduz sat on her bike smiling wearing cycling kit, glasses and a helmet
After leaving Afghanistan Yulduz and her sister first trained with a cycling team in Italy

Using contacts in the cycling community they managed to secure seats on an Italian evacuation flight, along with three teammates.

Once in Italy, the women joined a cycling team and got proper coaching for the first time.

“Back in Afghanistan, we didn’t have professional training,” says Yulduz. “All we used to do was take our bikes and ride.”

But leaving their homeland and family was not easy.

“The biggest thing for me is to be away from my mother,” says Fariba. “I never thought that because of cycling I would be separated from my brothers and sisters.”

“I’ve sacrificed a lot.”

The Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan also threw into doubt whether the country would even be allowed to compete at the Olympics.

National Olympic Committees are supposed to select athletes for the Games without any government interference.

As the Taliban’s ban on women playing sport breaks this rule, by preventing women being chosen for Afghanistan’s team, it led to calls for the country to be banned from the Olympics – as it had been when the militant group was last in power.

But the International Olympic Committee wanted to find a way to allow Afghan women to compete at the Games.

Behind the scenes talks took place between the heads of Afghan sporting bodies, including some now living in exile, about putting together a special team to represent the country in Paris.

Heading to Paris

As time ticked by, and Paris 2024 got ever closer, it looked as if no Afghan athletes would be at the Games.

Then, in June, International Olympic Committee announced that it had arranged for a special gender-equal team representing Afghanistan to go the Paris Olympics. It would be made up of three women and three men. And both the sisters are among them.

“This was a big surprise for both of us,” says Fariba.

“We always dreamt of taking part in the Olympic Games, this is our dream come true,” Yulduz adds.

“Despite all the rights that were taken from us we can show that we can achieve great success, we will be able to represent 20 million Afghan women.”

Yulduz and Fariba stand in front of the World Cycling Centre building
Yulduz and Fariba train with a development team based at the World Cycling Centre and run by the UCI, the sports global governing body

The IOC say no Taliban officials will be allowed to attend Paris 2024.

Final preparations

The sisters are preparing for the Olympic road race event while riding for a development team run and funded by the UCI and based at the World Cycling Centre, an ultra-modern facility in the Swiss town of Aigle.

The elite facilities are a world away from the dusty roads in Afghanistan where Yulduz and Fariba first taught themselves to cycle.

But their spirit remains the same.

“We are each other’s strength – I support her and she supports me,” says Yulduz.

“Our achievement belongs to Afghanistan,” adds Fariba. “This belongs to Afghanistan women. I am going to the Olympics because of them.”

Cycling sisters defy the Taliban to achieve Olympic dream
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Afghanistan Journalists Center: Taliban shut down 7 media outlets in first half of 2024

The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) reported that seven media outlets have been shut down in the first half of 2024 under Taliban orders. The center also documented 89 violations against journalists and media, including 60 threats and 29 detentions.

On Thursday, July 18th, the Afghanistan Journalists Center highlighted the situation of media and journalists during the first half of 2024. It reported increased pressure and censorship of independent media content by the Taliban.

The findings of the Afghanistan Journalists Center indicate that seven media outlets were closed under Taliban orders during this period. According to the report, “Two television channels in  Kabul by the Taliban Ministry of Justice, two radios by the Taliban municipality in Ghazni, one radio in Laghman, and one radio in Parwan and Khost have been shut down.”

The center mentioned that some of these media outlets remain closed due to the Taliban intelligence not renewing their licenses, leading to their suspension.

The Afghan Journalists Center stated that three local radios were temporarily closed, while two television channels and two radios remain shut without permission to reopen.

The report also highlighted that among detained journalists, one reporter arrested during an operation in Ghazni on April 7, 2024 is still imprisoned.

The center noted that Taliban restrictions on media are more stringent in southern and eastern provinces, with media outlets threatened for broadcasting programs with female voices or musical backgrounds.

According to excerpts from the report, “Local journalists can only collaborate with national media by obtaining approval from local authorities. This pressure extends to the publication of any content on social networks and personal accounts of journalists.”

The Center mentioned that the Taliban prohibit cooperation with active media outlets in exile while restricting access to information.

The center has urged the Taliban to refrain from imposing unjustified and illegal demands on journalists and media and to create an environment where the media can operate without fear.

Meanwhile, the situation facing journalists and media under Taliban rule remains challenging and requires continued international attention and advocacy to uphold freedom of expression and press freedoms in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan Journalists Center: Taliban shut down 7 media outlets in first half of 2024
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Kabir: Despite US Opposition, Islamic Emirate’s Relations Expanding

Kabir also mentioned that some countries that have come to Afghanistan have understood the reality and engaged with the Islamic Emirate.

Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the political deputy Prime Minister, in a meeting with several political and military experts and some media officials said that despite US misconduct, the interim government’s relations with the world are expanding.

In this meeting, the political deputy PM also emphasized that the delegation of the Islamic Emirate, on the sidelines of the third Doha meeting, requested representatives from many countries to closely follow the realities of Afghanistan.

Mawlawi Abdul Kabir added in this meeting: “We have forty political representations; however, despite US misconduct and opposition over the past three years, we still have this number of representations. This indicates our positive policy.”

The political deputy PM also mentioned that some countries that have come to Afghanistan have understood the reality and engaged with the Islamic Emirate.

In this meeting, Mawlawi Abdul Kabir also said: “The United Nations accepts our conditions, dedicated time to our issues in the third Doha meeting, and various meetings were held on the sidelines of the third Doha meeting; the meetings that Mujahid Sahib shared with me are many, indicating that most representatives’ policies were positive towards the Islamic Emirate.”

Meanwhile, some participants of this meeting asked the Islamic Emirate to seriously address the fundamental demands of the people to bridge the gap between the government and the people.

“Until law, pen, and system replace weapons in Afghanistan and weapons are only given to the military, we will face problems,” said Abdul Shukor Dadras, a political analyst.

“Our demand is that the Islamic Emirate incorporates the political structure within the framework of the constitution,” said Jawid Momand, a political analyst who participated in the meeting.

“We should support our media politically. We can create an alternative to those media that oppose the regime and spread rumors,” said Fazl Rahman Orya, a political analyst.

According to Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the leader of the Islamic Emirate has repeatedly emphasized addressing the people’s challenges and making greater efforts for unity among Afghans.

Kabir: Despite US Opposition, Islamic Emirate’s Relations Expanding
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Pakistan summons Afghan diplomat to protest a suicide attack that killed 8 soldiers in the northwest

Associated Press

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan summoned a senior Afghan diplomat Wednesday to strongly protest a deadly militant attack that left eight soldiers dead in the northwest bordering Afghanistan, the Foreign Ministry said.

A bomber rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into the ouster wall of an army housing complex on Monday in the city of Bannu in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. In return, security officers opened fire, killing 10 insurgents.

A splinter group of Pakistani Taliban, or Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, led by a militant commander Gul Bahadur, has claimed responsibility for the attack. The TTP is a separate group but also an ally of the Afghan Taliban and has stepped up its attacks in Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said it asked Kabul to fully investigate the bombing and take immediate action against the perpetrators.

There was no immediate reaction from Afghanistan’s Taliban government.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant attacks in recent years, mainly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In January 2023 militants killed at least 101 people, mostly police officers, when a suicide bomber disguised attacked a mosque in the northwestern city of Peshawar.

 

Pakistan summons Afghan diplomat to protest a suicide attack that killed 8 soldiers in the northwest
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Save the children: Climate change affects thousands of children in Afghanistan

Khaama Press

Save the Children Organization reports that devastating floods and storms have affected 858,000 children in the provinces of Kunar, Laghman, and Nangarhar.

According to the organization, about 1,500 children were displaced following recent heavy rains in several provinces nationwide.

Climate change has affected approximately 1.36 million people, including 858,000 children, in Nangarhar, Laghman, and Kunar provinces, the Child Protection Organization emphasized.

Afghanistan continues to face multiple crises, including forced migration, economic instability, food insecurity, earthquakes, climate change, and reduced humanitarian aid.

Recent floods and storms in Nangarhar, Laghman, Kunar, Paktia, and Badakhshan provinces have resulted in dozens of fatalities and significant financial losses.

Approximately 40 people lost their lives, and 350 others were injured due to recent rains and floods in Nangarhar, according to the organization’s statistics.

The Child Protection Organization’s report states that Afghanistan is experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises in decades, exacerbated by climate change and extreme poverty.

Droughts, heavy rains, and devastating floods over the past year have severely impacted the lives of millions in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s vulnerable population, especially children, continues to endure immense hardships amidst ongoing environmental challenges and socioeconomic instability.

Save the children: Climate change affects thousands of children in Afghanistan
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Afghan Girls Demand Reopening of Schools and Universities

Ayesha, who was a fourth-year journalism student, talks about her dashed hopes as she flips through the pages of her book.

A number of schoolgirls and female students once again demanded the reopening of schools and universities.

They say they have been in a state of uncertainty for nearly three years.

Ayesha, who was a fourth-year journalism student, talks about her dashed hopes as she flips through the pages of her book.

She advocates for equality in society, mentioning that while her male classmates graduated on December 1, 2023, she is struggling with an uncertain future.

“I couldn’t continue my education and realized that my dreams might slowly fade away,” She said.

Ziba, another student, says: “Our request to the Islamic Emirate is to provide work opportunities for women and to reopen schools for students above the sixth grade.”

Meanwhile, Naseer Ahmad Faiq, Chargé d’Affaires of Afghanistan’s Permanent Mission to the UN, during the General Assembly session on the occasion of Nelson Mandela International Day, called for the protection of Afghan women’s rights, particularly their right to education.

Faiq said in this regard: “Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” In honor of his legacy, let us recommit ourselves to promoting education, combating poverty, and advancing human rights globally.”

“Men and women should participate in the progress of education, and the Taliban should be inspired by other Islamic countries and provide educational opportunities according to the words of Allah, which says ‘read,'” said Lamiya Shirzai, a women’s rights activist.

The Islamic Emirate has recently remained silent on this issue but previously stated that all women’s rights in the country are ensured within the framework of Islamic laws and that this is an internal matter in which other countries should not interfere.

Afghan Girls Demand Reopening of Schools and Universities
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Mawlawi Abdul Kabir: Islamic Emirate has Complete Authority in 34 Provinces

According to the political deputy PM, currently no village in the country is outside the government’s control.

Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the political deputy Prime Minister, said in a meeting with the heads of public universities and the Ministry of Higher Education that the Islamic Emirate has authority over all parts of Afghanistan.

Mawlawi Abdul Kabir said in this meeting: “There is complete authority in the 34 provinces and 421 official districts. Not a single village is in the hands of the enemy. This is not an exaggeration, it is the truth.”

In this meeting, this senior interim government official also pledged that with the Islamic Emirate’s return to power, the wars for gaining power in Afghanistan have ended.

The political deputy PM added: “There is no war of factions, languages, or ethnicities. The destruction of cities to gain power no longer exists.”

Meanwhile, some political analysts said that to improve its relations, the Islamic Emirate needs to make some changes in its domestic and foreign policies.

“They should decide on the employment of the youth, and on preventing the youth from fleeing the country. In this way, we can have a proper and strong system, and the world will undoubtedly support us,” Salim Paigir, a political analyst, told TOLOnews.

This comes as the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs yesterday discussed the closeness of relations between the government and the people in a meeting with some former governors in Kabul.

Mawlawi Abdul Kabir: Islamic Emirate has Complete Authority in 34 Provinces
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Taliban shuts down Kabul telecom network during Ashura

Tolo News
July 16, 2024

Simultaneous with the observance of Ashura ceremonies, reports indicate that the Taliban have completely shut down all telecommunications networks in Kabul, the capital city.

According to the reports, Taliban forces have also blocked all roads in western Kabul, claiming to ensure security.

The telecommunications networks have been down in Kabul since Tuesday morning, according to sources.

Meanwhile, the Taliban forces have prohibited the movement of residents in western Kabul along with the telecom shutdown.

In previous years, the Taliban have also disrupted telecommunications networks in some Afghanistan cities during Ashura.

The Taliban have not officially commented on the telecommunications and internet services shut down.

Meanwhile, the Taliban’s actions during Ashura underscore ongoing security challenges in Kabul, impacting communication and movement in the capital.

The situation raises concerns about broader implications for civilian life and operations in the city amid escalating tensions and security measures.

Taliban shuts down Kabul telecom network during Ashura
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Nangarhar Hit Hard by Storms: Increase in Casualties Reported

Local officials told TOLOnews that the death toll from this incident may increase further.

The number of victims from storms and heavy rainfall in Nangarhar has risen to 40 dead and 350 injured.

The injured, affected by severe rainfall and storms in Jalalabad city and the districts of Surkh Rod, Behsud, Batikot, and other areas of Nangarhar, are currently receiving treatment at the regional hospital.

Some of the injured report that the sudden rain and storm caused the roofs of their houses to collapse, leaving them with no chance to save their lives.

Zakirullah, one of the injured, said: “Yesterday, I was on my way home when suddenly a storm started with hail; the sky darkened, and we lost our way.”

Gul Rahim, another injured personu, said: “When the hail started, I sat by a wall, and then the wall collapsed on me.”

Zabihullah, a relative of the victims, saying: “Two of my nieces, who were on their way to school, had a wall collapse on them, and both of them were martyred right there.”

After this tragic incident, dozens of young volunteers went to the regional hospital in Nangarhar to donate blood and donated thousands of ccs of blood for the injured.

Hussain, a resident of Nangarhar, said: “When we heard about the flood and that there were patients, injured, and dead, we came here to share the grief with our fellow citizens and donate blood.”

Hakimullah, an employee of the regional hospital’s blood bank, said: “We have a lot of blood; people are donating blood with sincerity and honesty.”

On the other hand, Nangarhar health officials say that just last night, the operations of 55 urgent injured people who had been transferred from the incident site to the regional hospital were performed, and some other minor injured people were discharged after treatment.

Aminullah Sharif, the head of Nangarhar public health, said: “The exact number brought to our clinics so far is 350 injured, and 28 bodies were brought to our regional hospital, and later during operations, four more people were martyred.”

While Nangarhar witnessed severe rainfall and storms, yesterday in Kunar province, due to flooding, 5 people, including women and children, lost their lives, and significant financial losses were also incurred.

Nangarhar Hit Hard by Storms: Increase in Casualties Reported
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