Will Afghanistan be safe/better off after US withdrawal in 2021?

[UzmanBeast]

Pakistan will have to be very cautious now.

India is supplying arms in Afghanistan to try and counter the growth of the Taliban, which is a good move on their part.

I understand that Imran Khan does not want to get involved in this bloodshed, but given our history with Afghanistan, we are in a very bad situation.

If the Taliban take over Afghanistan, they will no doubt try and expand operations into Pakistan, in which case, we should be ready to fight. However, if we are caught in a fight with Afghanistan, it leaves India with an option to go for Kashmir.

If the Afghan government can win and resume control over Afghanistan, they will also look at Pakistan as being the country that didn't help them in their fight, and could remain quite hostile towards us, though I doubt they will attack us. If they do (which isn't impossible giving that they are being supplied arms), then we will be in a similar situation as I described above.

I see two realistic approaches to the problem.

1.) Get involved and help the current Afghan fighters get rid of the Taliban. This means that Pakistan and India would technically be on the same side of the battle against the Taliban, probably preventing any conflict from starting in the Kashmir region.

2.) Remain neutral in the conflict, and close the border, and focus military presence on the Pakistan-Afghan border. Get China involved as well to prevent anything from happening in the Kashmir region.

This situation is about to get very ugly, but I hope that it can come to an end.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Pakistan will have to be very cautious now.

India is supplying arms in Afghanistan to try and counter the growth of the Taliban, which is a good move on their part.

I understand that Imran Khan does not want to get involved in this bloodshed, but given our history with Afghanistan, we are in a very bad situation.

If the Taliban take over Afghanistan, they will no doubt try and expand operations into Pakistan, in which case, we should be ready to fight. However, if we are caught in a fight with Afghanistan, it leaves India with an option to go for Kashmir.

If the Afghan government can win and resume control over Afghanistan, they will also look at Pakistan as being the country that didn't help them in their fight, and could remain quite hostile towards us, though I doubt they will attack us. If they do (which isn't impossible giving that they are being supplied arms), then we will be in a similar situation as I described above.

I see two realistic approaches to the problem.

1.) Get involved and help the current Afghan fighters get rid of the Taliban. This means that Pakistan and India would technically be on the same side of the battle against the Taliban, probably preventing any conflict from starting in the Kashmir region.

2.) Remain neutral in the conflict, and close the border, and focus military presence on the Pakistan-Afghan border. Get China involved as well to prevent anything from happening in the Kashmir region.

This situation is about to get very ugly, but I hope that it can come to an end.

It will definitely get ugly before any kind of peace happens.

Pakistan won't get involved in this conflict. Chinese are too smart to get involve in this mess.

India, otoh, is starting something which no one (so far) has been able to finish.

 

[street cricketer]

Pakistan will have to be very cautious now.

India is supplying arms in Afghanistan to try and counter the growth of the Taliban, which is a good move on their part.

I understand that Imran Khan does not want to get involved in this bloodshed, but given our history with Afghanistan, we are in a very bad situation.

If the Taliban take over Afghanistan, they will no doubt try and expand operations into Pakistan, in which case, we should be ready to fight. However, if we are caught in a fight with Afghanistan, it leaves India with an option to go for Kashmir.

If the Afghan government can win and resume control over Afghanistan, they will also look at Pakistan as being the country that didn't help them in their fight, and could remain quite hostile towards us, though I doubt they will attack us. If they do (which isn't impossible giving that they are being supplied arms), then we will be in a similar situation as I described above.

I see two realistic approaches to the problem.

1.) Get involved and help the current Afghan fighters get rid of the Taliban. This means that Pakistan and India would technically be on the same side of the battle against the Taliban, probably preventing any conflict from starting in the Kashmir region.

2.) Remain neutral in the conflict, and close the border, and focus military presence on the Pakistan-Afghan border. Get China involved as well to prevent anything from happening in the Kashmir region.

This situation is about to get very ugly, but I hope that it can come to an end.

1. India will never try to attack the Pakistani side of Kashmir. I know some people and politicians have touted the idea recently in media but they're doing it for the public consumption and politics. It's never going to happen in a million years.

2. The Afghan military is a very rudimentary one that can barely hold its own against the Taliban. I don't buy the argument that "we have to support the Taliban, else the Afghans would attack us". I mean, the Afghan airforce consists of planes that are more suitable for crop dusting than combat purposes.

 

[street cricketer]

Very sad, it is a war crime and what is worse that the condemnations will mean nothing to Taliban, immune as they are to this alien concept.

They are the good Taliban. So it doesn't matter.

 

[PakLFC]

why do you do gymnastics in Ur post lol. We are talking about usa and it's success or failure in Afghanistan and suddenly you refer to pro Indian government. And then you talk about Gandhi assassination comparing to Osama. Maintain some sanity in your posts

Also Why would someone resist if Taliban takes over a american gym ? And what sort of achievement is that .. and what is the basis of mentioning this to our argument. LoL

Showed you the gym to prove your American invaders have ran away like mice. I am very much sane, thanks. You mentioned the Taliban leaders being murdered so I reminded you so did your Gandhi's. Yes, Indian's absolutely do want a pro India government in Afghanistan, of course you do. If the Taliban were pro India you would be the happiest people on earth.

As you are saying the Taliban are so hated in Afghanistan and massive resistance against them by their people the video proves otherwise. They have many supporters as well.

 

[PakLFC]

America did put in a democratic government and it succeeded in driving the vermin Taliban to caves where they rightfully belong.

USA did whatever they could for 2 decades. They cannot be in Afghanistan forever. That country is hell bent on implementing sharia and if that is people’s wish, then so be it. You can only take the horse to the water. You cannot make it drink.

When USA brought democracy to Korea, South Korea was a nothing country. Look at them now. Their success was due to embracing modernity and rejecting a failed ideology in Communism. Their people had the will to develop and work for their future generations. The same cannot be said about Afghans.

You mean America implemented a pro American and pro Indian government in Afghanistan. The Taliban regrouped and kicked your invaders out good and proper. Now your invading friends are running like mice leaving their gyms and artillery behind in panic.

Your USA wanted a permanent stay in Afghanistan under some false pretense particularly to loot Afghanistan's natural wealth and keep an eye on China. They have been begging neighboring countries like Pakistan for bases over the past few months. Unlike Nawaz and Zaradari the "absolutely not" comment made recently by IK on American TV was saying "get out!". It is none of America or India's business what political system the Afghan's implement. they are not forcing their ways on anyone else neither are any of these two direct neighbours to Afghanistan.

Not everyone wants western style democracy with China being a fine example. What America means is accept our ways and we will make you our lapdog like India and South Korea have become. Countries like Iran say we will find our own way so America keeps picking a fight with them. It is up to the people what system they want to implement not outsiders forcing their ways on them. Afghan's will find their way if greedy countries stay away, they are never gonna listen to any outsider no matter how hard you scream.

 

[PakLFC]

I am no fan of the Taliban at all or their out dated brand of Islam. If other's were to leave them alone perhaps they would naturally see how wrong their ways are. Even if they do Afghan's will never accept American cultural imperialism like India has. They will never become like the dinosaurs Indian's have become doing high fives, back to front cap's, ripped denims, wearing shorts or micro mini skirts and speaking with false accents. Unlike Indian's the Afghan's are too proud a people to abandon their own ancient culture and heritage. In this regard the Indian's can learn a lot from them. Over the last 21 years the American's have absolutely failed in trying to westernize Afghan people and culture. Just because India sold it's soul to the devil to become westernized and Americanized does not mean others will do so as well.

 

[UzmanBeast]

1. India will never try to attack the Pakistani side of Kashmir. I know some people and politicians have touted the idea recently in media but they're doing it for the public consumption and politics. It's never going to happen in a million years.

2. The Afghan military is a very rudimentary one that can barely hold its own against the Taliban. I don't buy the argument that "we have to support the Taliban, else the Afghans would attack us". I mean, the Afghan airforce consists of planes that are more suitable for crop dusting than combat purposes.

I know, my Indian friends said the same thing about India having other priorities. However, the majority of Pakistani media does believe that there is a threat in Kashmir, or at least, there will be a threat in Kashmir in a few years to come.

The issue with the Taliban is that if the US couldn't do anything in two decades, we don't really have any idea how to feel about the situation. Our best chances are to barricade the border and keep our attention towards our economy.

As I said, my hope is that this conflict ends as soon as possible.

 

[UzmanBeast]

It will definitely get ugly before any kind of peace happens.

Pakistan won't get involved in this conflict. Chinese are too smart to get involve in this mess.

India, otoh, is starting something which no one (so far) has been able to finish.

I think that Pakistan needs to remain neutral and concentrate on its own internal affairs, particularly economic growth and investment.

If the Taliban try to get into some funny business, I'm certain our military can deal with them.

The region is in enough turmoil already.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

USA bombed the Taliban into oblivion. Its leaders were killed while scurrying like rats. Only an idiot will think that USA lost, because he probably believed victory meant making Afghanistan the next US state.

Its amusing when Pakistanis talk about India being backward.

If they bombed the Taliban into oblivion, how are Taliban still there to win the war against the govt troops which had the superpowers - and of course the supa powa - backing them with all resources and top military tech?

No wonder you are so easily amused when you can just make up whatever scenario you like in your head to make yourself feel better.

 

[MenInG]

Afghan security forces have retaken control of a major southern border crossing with Pakistan that the Taliban briefly captured, a senior Afghan government official said on Thursday, but the Taliban dismissed that saying they still held the town.

Taliban fighters captured the Spin Boldak-Chaman border crossing on Wednesday, the second most important crossing on the border with Pakistan and a major source of revenue for the Western-backed government in Kabul.

But Afghan forces retook the area's main market, the customs department and other government installations in the border town a few hours later on Wednesday, a senior government official in the southern province of Kandahar, where the crossing is located, told Reuters.

Government forces, who had initially fallen back to minimise civilian and security personnel losses, were conducting clearing operations, the official said.

He warned that the threat remained high as Taliban fighters outnumbered Afghan security forces in the area.

But Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said his forces still held the border post.

"It is merely propaganda and a baseless claim by the Kabul administration," he told Reuters.

Pakistan, worried about a spillover of fighting, had shut its side of the border at the second busiest border crossing on the main commercial artery between the second Afghan city of Kandahar and Pakistani ports.

Clashes between the Taliban and government forces have intensified as US-led international forces have been withdrawing and the Taliban have captured several districts and other border crossings in the north and west.

 

[PakLFC]

I care little off who is in charge of Afghanistan. Most important thing is terrorism is not exported from there in to Pakistan as has been the case after they were ousted. As the Taliban have never bothered Pak I have no issue with them. They can form relations with any country, live in the stone age or wear short tunics it is all fine by me.

 

[SangasCoverDrive]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">List of repressive laws the Taliban has reimposed in newly captured areas in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanistan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Afghanistan</a<br><br>1. Women must to be accompanied by a male relative when they leave their homes<br><br>2. Women banned from working outside their homes<br><br>3. Girls' education severely limited, sometimes banned</p>— Frud Bezhan فرود بيژن (@FrudBezhan) <a href="https://twitter.com/FrudBezhan/status/1415663210653421569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[SangasCoverDrive]

I care little off who is in charge of Afghanistan. Most important thing is terrorism is not exported from there in to Pakistan as has been the case after they were ousted. As the Taliban have never bothered Pak I have no issue with them. They can form relations with any country, live in the stone age or wear short tunics it is all fine by me.

So you don't care about Afghans right?

 

[silentkiller187]

Don't really care much about that region now Pakistan should leave them to it, one thing i will say is Taliban have DEFEATED USA just like they did soviets, they are still in power USA have left the area for whatever reason , for their own intrest , save money what not, but they have made no progress, as we can see how easily taliban took back control of afghanistan a day after usa left.

 

[PakLFC]

So you don't care about Afghans right?

Let the Afghan's worry about their rights. When Pakistanis get involved the Afghan's accuse us of interfering.

 

[guna]

If they bombed the Taliban into oblivion, how are Taliban still there to win the war against the govt troops which had the superpowers - and of course the supa powa - backing them with all resources and top military tech?

No wonder you are so easily amused when you can just make up whatever scenario you like in your head to make yourself feel better.

Taliban is only coming back after USA left. That is not what is called defeating USA.

The highly radicalized people of Afghanistan want an Islamic emirate that strictly wants to follow Islam and Sharia laws. Nobody can stop if that is what the tribal leaders want.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Taliban lost their leader who was shamelessly was hiding in a another country having escaped in a ladies clothes. This after leaving his comrades back in Afg to die. That lack of credibility is enough for world to proclaim what cowards they are.

The brave Afghan civilian population who have now taken up arms and are resisting the Taliban's are the brave souls. Now that's a story to remember and told for generations to come.

There is no sole leadership of the Taliban. All resistance groups, tribal groups call themselves the Taliban, as they called themselves the Mujahuddin in the 80's. It seems you watch too much western news and think it's the gospel.

The brave Afghans are been resisting invaders for 20 years. Those who are fighting the resistance are the remains of the lapdogs of the occupiers, they along with their masters killed more Afghans. Please do some research and allow people of all nations the right to self defence, something which you would expect if someone came to your house with a gun.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Taliban is only coming back after USA left. That is not what is called defeating USA.

The highly radicalized people of Afghanistan want an Islamic emirate that strictly wants to follow Islam and Sharia laws. Nobody can stop if that is what the tribal leaders want.

lol. Do keep up. The Taliban have been controlling over half of Afghanistan for the last 15+ years. Where did they go according to you, Maldives or Dubai?

 

[guna]

lol. Do keep up. The Taliban have been controlling over half of Afghanistan for the last 15+ years. Where did they go according to you, Maldives or Dubai?

Taliban controlled mountainous remote areas. The real economic part along with all major cities was controlled by US and Afghan army. All taliban could do was do suicide attacks like the cowards they are.

Taliban once controlled entire Afghanistan and they got kicked out and bombed to the ground from all cities and major business centers. The hey ran to the mountains and hid there until USA left. Now the vermin’s have crawled out from under the rocks.

 

[globalcitizen]

There is no sole leadership of the Taliban. All resistance groups, tribal groups call themselves the Taliban, as they called themselves the Mujahuddin in the 80's. It seems you watch too much western news and think it's the gospel.

The brave Afghans are been resisting invaders for 20 years. Those who are fighting the resistance are the remains of the lapdogs of the occupiers, they along with their masters killed more Afghans. Please do some research and allow people of all nations the right to self defence, something which you would expect if someone came to your house with a gun.

So who are those being shot by Taliban's and widely circulated in internet. Are they not Afghans and it's their home too. it's clear they do not want to coexist

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

So who are those being shot by Taliban's and widely circulated in internet. Are they not Afghans and it's their home too. it's clear they do not want to coexist

So many things are going on at a same time. There are a lot of factions and groups operating inside Afghanistan and surrounding borders.

This is how the physical world works and have worked since forever. For example, Mughals / Abdali etc. had Hindu Rajas fighting alongside during their respective campaigns or during all Crusades you had Christians fighting for and against Muslims and so on...

As KKWC has said, there is a real world beyond what media tells.

And especially anything told by Indian media shouldn't be trusted.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/16/afghans-flee-to-eastern-turkey-as-taliban-takes-control-amid-chaos

Twenty-eight days into their journey out of Afghanistan, a woman and her five children are sitting in the shade near a bus station in Tatvan, a town on the shore of Lake Van in eastern Turkey.

She is waiting for a smuggler, who was paid in advance, to take the family to Istanbul. Tired and dirty, the younger children are playing in the dust and laughing; the youngest boy wants a piggyback. The smuggler is two days late.

“My husband died fighting the Taliban in Ghazni,” she said. “There are fierce battles there now. We used the mountain road [to Iran] and got stopped by Turkish soldiers at the border, but they let us go. We have walked for days … My children are getting sick. It’s a very difficult situation.”

Chaos has quickly engulfed Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US and Nato troops after 20 years fighting against the jihadist movement; the Taliban claim to be in control of 85% of the country, kindling fears of renewed civil war. While it is too early to tell whether the militants’ advance will spark a fresh exodus of Afghan refugees outside the country’s borders, according to the UN Refugee Agency, since January about 270,000 people have fled their homes and are internally displaced, bringing the total uprooted population within Afghanistan to more than 3.5 million people.

At least some are already trying to get out. A family of 16 from Herat who left Afghanistan after a relative was killed by the Taliban and were then trapped for nearly three weeks at Istanbul’s airport have been moved to a repatriation centre. A relative in the US is unable to reach them frequently, as their phones have been confiscated, and it is unclear whether the family’s application for international protection is being processed. The Turkish interior ministry did not respond to requests for more information on the family’s situation.

Larger numbers of people are also making their way overland to Iran, and then Turkey: the Guardian saw at least 1,900 people crossing the border, most of whom appeared to be Afghan, travelling into Van province over two nights this week.

Breaking up into smaller groups of about 30 people, the refugees and migrants from Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Bangladesh waited for a flashlight signal from Yukarıtulgalı village, 800 metres away – a sign the path was free of border guards – before hurrying through the darkness. Those with enough money will try to reach Europe; others, such as the Ghazni family waiting in Tatvan, aim to find work in Turkey’s cities.

“There is a spike in people crossing from Iran to Van every summer. A lot of the time the Afghans who come are already living undocumented in Pakistan or Iran, but we are watching for a possible new influx thanks to the US troops leaving,” said Mahmut Kaçan, a Van-based lawyer specialising in immigration and asylum cases.

“Afghans end up living in limbo here; they don’t even have basic rights. The UN also stopped resettling Afghans from Turkey to third countries back in 2013, except for extremely vulnerable cases,” he said.

Turkey is the world’s biggest host of refugees and is home to approximately 4 million: the majority are Syrian, at 3.7 million, but Afghans make up the second biggest group. In 2020, 23,000 Afghans applied for international protection in Turkey, according to data available on the directorate general of migration management’s website. Earlier this week, the Turkish interior ministry spokesperson, İsmail Çataklı, sought to downplay reports of a fresh wave of refugees, saying video and photographs of long lines of people walking in single file along roads in Iran, just 700 metres from the Turkish border, did not mean they would be able to enter Turkey.

Ongoing work to put up security walls, observation towers, floodlights and wireless sensors along Turkey’s borders with Iran and Iraq were 90% complete, he said, adding that “when the project is completed, terrorism, illegal crossing, smuggling, cross-border crimes will be prevented.” The journey, like many migration routes, is extremely dangerous. As well as border defences and the threat to women of sexual violence from smugglers and fellow travellers, overcrowded and unsafe transport has led to deaths and drownings in Turkey. At least 12 people were killed last week after a smuggler’s minibus overturned on the highway, and 60 people drowned after an unseaworthy boat capsized on Lake Van last month.

On the Tatvan highway, which runs parallel to the shores of the vast salt lake, a group of four young Afghans and one Pakistani came off the road to rest and eat as the midday heat made it too difficult to continue.

They shared some bread, tomatoes and halva between them, faces burnt from days walking in the summer sun.

“The Taliban tried to recruit me,” said one of them, who gave his name as Shorab. “We couldn’t stay. We just want to live in a place where there is no war.”

 

[Colorblind Genius]

Was listening to someone in a casual talk the other day and according to their opinion, enough is enough for Pakistan. We should completely seal our border and let Afghanis sort it out among themselves. If Taliban terrorists/criminals take over? Good for them; however, if these terrorists try to expand their filth into Pakistan then we should use Afghanistan as our nuclear test lab.

 

[cric_man]

US, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan form cooperation group
'Parties consider long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan critical,' says State Department

WASHINGTON

The US and three Central and South Asian nations announced on Friday the formation of a regional platform meant to bolster "regional connectivity" ahead of the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan.

The new group, which includes Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan, is focused on ensuring regional peace ahead of the US exit, which is expected by the end of August, and improving trade in the region.

"The parties consider long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan critical to regional connectivity and agree that peace and regional connectivity are mutually reinforcing," the State Department said in a statement.

"Recognizing the historic opportunity to open flourishing interregional trade routes, the parties intend to cooperate to expand trade, build transit links, and strengthen business-to-business ties.

Representatives of the four nations are expected to meet in the coming months "to determine the modalities of this cooperation with mutual consensus," the department added.

The process to pull out all US forces from Afghanistan is about 95% complete, the Pentagon announced earlier this week.

Concerns have continued to mount about the longevity of the Afghan government as the Taliban continues to make battlefield gains against government forces across Afghanistan.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacif...tan-uzbekistan-form-cooperation-group/2306897

https://www.state.gov/announcing-th...fghanistan-peace-process-and-post-settlement/

 

[MenInG]

Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar on Saturday said that there is a "threat of terrorist sleeper cells becoming active again due to the situation in Afghanistan".

Maj Gen Iftikhar's remarks came during a conversation with a private television news channel.

The spokesperson of the military's media wing said that the Pakistan Army is "keeping a close eye" on the situation in the region and is "playing its role with utmost seriousness" for the successful outcome of the Afghan peace process.

"Pakistan has spared no effort for the peace process," he said, adding that the country is "not a guarantor".

"Ultimately, it is up to the Afghans to decide how to proceed forward," the DG ISPR said.

He said Pakistan has the "largest stake" when it comes to peace in Afghanistan.

Maj Gen Iftikhar said the country has "fought a long and testing war on terror with exemplary success".

"Very effective measures have been taken as per the vision of (Army chief) General Bajwa," he said.

Speaking of the Afghan border, he said that "all illegal crossing points have been sealed" and that deployment of troops to notified points has been ramped up.

"Pakistan's peace heavily depends on peace in Afghanistan," the DG ISPR said.

He said that as long as Afghanistan is peaceful and stable, "it does not matter who is in power in Kabul".

'Leaders of terror networks sitting in Afghanistan'
Moving on to discuss the recent incidents of unrest in Pakistan, he said that these are "tied to the situation on the other side".

Praising the Army's continued success in its various anti-terror operations, he said that it due to these that "terrorists do not have an organised structure in Pakistan".

Maj Gen Iftikhar said that the "leaders of such terror networks are all sitting in Afghanistan".

He said that such terrorist networks have the support of the Indian intelligence agency, RAW, and the National Directorate of Security (NDS), the national intelligence and security service of Afghanistan.

"Recent events have shown their frustration," the military's spokesperson added.

Anti-terror operations in KP, Balochistan
Maj Gen Iftikhar said that there have been 150 incidents of terrorism in KP and Balochistan and security forces have carried out 7,500 operations in the tribal districts and Balochistan.

"So far 42 terrorists have been killed in these operations," he said, adding: "Many of our own young men and officers were martyred and wounded."

The DG ISPR said that the Pak Army is "always ready for the complete suppression of hostile elements".

He vowed that the armed forces will "never allow the enemies of peace and prosperity to succeed".

"Our operations continue with full force and terrorists are fleeing," he said.

'War on terror fought with nation's support'
The military's spokesperson said that in the last 20 years, the war on terror has been fought "with the support of the nation".

"Pakistan has lost billions of dollars in the war on terror," he said.

Maj Gen Iftikhar went on to reveal that the armed forces had freed 46,000 square kilometres of area from the grip of terrorists.

"All across Pakistan, some 18,000 terrorists were killed," he said, adding that an end to "no-go areas" was brought about.

He said all this was possible under the vision of "Raddul Fasaad", while clarifying that the use of force is the sole prerogative of the state.

Maj Gen Iftikhar said that various countries and institutions have recognised Pakistan's key role in eradicating terrorism.

Border fencing
Talking about the border fencing between Afghanistan and Pakistan, he said all fences on Pakistan's side will benefit Afghanistan as well.

"The army chief has called the Afghan fence a fence of peace. It will not divide anyone," Maj Gen Iftikhar said.

Rather, it will promote peace and eliminate misunderstandings, he said.

"The instigators of instability in Pakistan operate from Afghan soil," the spokesperson said, adding: " We will not allow our land to be used against anyone and we do not expect anyone else to use our land against us."

India's 'huge' influence in Afghanistan
Maj Gen Iftikhar also spoke of India's hand in Afghanistan, saying that it has a "huge" influence on the country.

"India invested billions of dollars in Afghanistan to have a firm foundation with which to harm Pakistan," the DG ISPR said.

He said Pakistan has evidence of India's role in Afghanistan and that a dossier was shared in November with the international community.

"The dossier shows how India uses intelligence agencies in Afghanistan to reactivate anti-Pakistan organisations like TTP," the major general said.

There were 62 camps of the outlawed TTP in Afghanistan, he said.

"The signals coming from India are very clear: they are disappointed," said Maj Gen Iftikhar.

India's influence in Afghanistan will not remain the same, the DG ISPR said.

He said India is the "biggest spoiler" in the efforts for peace in Afghanistan.

GEO

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/afghan-politicians-taliban-meet-doha-fighting-continues-2021-07-17/

Afghan politicians met with representatives of the Taliban insurgents in Qatar on Saturday with each side calling for peace even as fighting escalates and uproots thousands of people.

Two decades of conflict have taken a turn for the worse as U.S.-led international forces withdraw and the Taliban launch offensives around Afghanistan, taking districts and border crossings while encircling provincial capitals.

Negotiators have been meeting in Doha since September but failed to make substantive progress with time running out before foreign troops' full exit by Sept. 11.

"Let's ... take important steps to continue the peace process, to prevent the killing of the people," Abdullah Abdullah, head of the government's High Council for National Reconciliation, said at the start of new high-level talks intended to last two days.

"Because we cannot pay the price for this in blood and we cannot escape responsibility for it," Abdullah said.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban's deputy leader and negotiator, regretted lack of progress. "But there should still be hope and the Taliban will make efforts for talks to have positive result," he said.

In the latest impact of fighting, around 12,000 families in northern Takhar province have had to flee their homes as fighting continues, local officials said.

Many gathered at a school in the provincial capital with few supplies. "We were not helped or even given a carpet. Not even a dog can live here," Mohammad Amin, one of those who had fled, told Reuters.

In southern Kandahar province heavy fighting has taken place and the Taliban earlier this week seized Spin Boldak, an area on the border with Pakistan, though the Afghan government said on Friday it had regained control of the border crossing.

Reuters journalist Danish Siddiqui was killed on Friday while covering a clash between Afghan security forces and Taliban fighters in the area.

Officials on the Pakistan side of the border said the crossing had opened on Saturday, allowing hundreds of Afghans stranded in Pakistan during the fighting to return.

More than 2,000 people were displaced in Kandahar this month, according to the United Nations' humanitarian agency, and Kandahar's provincial governor on Friday evening declared a curfew in Kandahar city at night due to the fighting.

The U.N. refugee agency estimates 270,000 Afghans have been displaced inside the country since January, bringing the number of people forced from their homes to more than 3.5 million.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/18/british-generals-discreet-effort-to-revive-afghan-peace-negotiations

Britain’s top general, Sir Nick Carter, has been using his personal connections with Afghan and Pakistan leaders in a behind-the-scenes effort to stop Afghanistan sliding into full-blown civil war, and help bolster stalling US-brokered peace talks in Qatar.

At the weekend a senior Afghan delegation arrived in Doha to try to restart the virtually dormant negotiations, after months which have seen the Taliban sweep across much of rural Afghanistan, although they still do not hold any cities.

The British initiative dates back more than a year, and has seen Carter shuttling between Kabul and Islamabad in a private jet with one of Pakistan’s top generals, and organising a meeting between key Afghan and Pakistan officials in Bahrain, Afghan sources say.

Carter’s work was described as “discreet” by Abdullah Abdullah, the government’s top peace envoy, who said Britain’s chief of the defence staff was coordinating with both President Ashraf Ghani, who he knows well, and Abdullah himself.

He declined to comment further on the general’s role. But another senior Afghan official said that the aim of the meetings was to see if Pakistan could be persuaded to use its leverage with the Taliban to push the group back towards the negotiating table.

The Pakistani government denies formal ties to the insurgency but militants have operated out of its border areas for years – last week fighters were filmed getting treatment in government hospitals – and their families are all based in Pakistan.

Islamabad supported the militants’ first rise to power in the 1990s. Pakistan was one of very few countries to offer them diplomatic recognition, and its powerful ISI agency has long been reported to have very close links to the militants.

In May Carter flew into Kabul with Pakistan’s chief of the army staff, Gen Qamar Javed Bawja, on a private jet that Afghan sources said the UK military boss had arranged, for a meeting with Ghani.

Carter has a personal relationship with the Afghan president from his years as deputy commander of the Nato mission. At the time Ghani was in charge of “transition”, the handover of the war effort from foreign to Afghan troops, and the men spent a lot of time travelling the country.

They have remained in touch, reportedly on good terms. According to one senior military official, who described Carter as “a great friend of Afghanistan”, the two talk most weeks.

Not everyone in Kabul believes Pakistan is really interested in pushing for a negotiated end to the war, even if they appreciate the British efforts.

“This back channel is meant to see if Pakistan can be convinced to use their influence,” the senior official said of Carter’s efforts. “Then all of a sudden they say they don’t actually have any [influence] … There hasn’t been any practical results.”

However the Taliban’s rapid military advances, which mean they control more than half of Afghanistan’s roughly 400 districts, do appear to have spurred a renewed regional focus on attempts to broker peace.

One senior Afghan source claimed that military success had spurred “buyer’s remorse” from neighbours who supported the Taliban but were not prepared for them to seize so much of the country so fast.

Countries such as Iran and Pakistan who were unhappy at the US military presence on their doorstep are now worried about the prospect of a hardline regime that might trigger a flood of refugees or feed extremist violence back across the border.

At the start of July, Iran hosted the first serious talks in months. Uzbekistan last week held a major gathering of regional powers focused on Afghanistan’s future.

And Pakistan reportedly helped push the Taliban back to the table in Doha, where military victories had made the group’s negotiators openly contemptuous of the talks, Afghan sources say. “They told our negotiators these aren’t peace talks any more, they are surrender talks,” one told the Observer.

Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said his delegation had not made any remarks about surrender, and it was enemy propaganda to claim they had. “This is not our policy,” he said. “These are negotiations for the peaceful solution of the Afghan issue.”

Despite the Taliban’s rapid advances in recent months, there may still be grounds for trying to reach a negotiated end to the war, although the government would probably have to offer far greater concessions than they have contemplated so far.

They have not yet taken any major cities, it is unclear how well they can govern large areas, and they may not be able to hold everywhere they have captured.

The Taliban, almost wiped out in 2001 by the US and its allies, know better than most how a defeated movement can slowly regroup, gathering support across Afghanistan’s fractured landscape of ethnic and religious minorities.

Their own overtures for a negotiated surrender 20 years ago were pushed aside by Americans focused not on Afghan peace but vengeance. Their opponents could try to regroup and pursue a similar war of attrition.

The MoD declined to comment on Carter’s efforts.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Was listening to someone in a casual talk the other day and according to their opinion, enough is enough for Pakistan. We should completely seal our border and let Afghanis sort it out among themselves. If Taliban terrorists/criminals take over? Good for them; however, if these terrorists try to expand their filth into Pakistan then we should use Afghanistan as our nuclear test lab.

So would you feel okay about pregnant women and babies being vapourised? As obviously nukes don't discriminate between terrorists and civilians. Or even trees for that matter.

 

[cric_man]

Russia rules out military tie-up with India on Afghanistan issue


Updated At: Jul 15, 2021 11:31 AM (IST)

Russia rules out military tie-up with India on Afghanistan issue
Roman Babushkin, Russian dy head of mission.


Tribune News Service


New Delhi, July 14

Russia is not in favour of a military alliance with India to help out the Government in Kabul, but is interested in close coordination while the Afghan issue seems to be acquiring new dimensions with the rise of the Taliban, a senior Russian Embassy official said here on Wednesday.

“We have got some real experience in Afghanistan but let us be very clear, the situation doesn’t require foreign military involvement. We are not considering this option. We will be acting through the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) to fortify the borders, if required. It will be important for all of us to maintain coordination. India has been training army personnel. So too is Russia. All options are possible,” said Russian Deputy Head of Mission Roman Babushkin at a media conference.

Important to maintain coordination

We have got some real experience in Afghanistan but let us be clear, the situation doesn’t require foreign military involvement. It will be important for all of us to maintain coordination. —Roman Babushkin, Russian dy head of mission

The CSTO is a six-nation grouping comprising Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Belorussia and Kyrgyzstan. The Russian assessment is that the new Taliban is fragmented. There are some hardliners who want to fight on, but others favour a political solution. “We have heard commitments, but have to see their implementation,” he said.


India is a big player, which has always been supportive of the government in Kabul by providing economic and social assistance, and training Afghans in Indian universities and defence institutes. “It shows India has a huge interest and this is quite a crucial moment for everyone to remain in very close touch to support the original consensus on Afghanistan and effort by Afghans to share power according to agreements reached before,” observed Babushkin.

Russia supported Indian contacts with the Taliban because it is a reality in Afghanistan and following US blessings, it is a party in the intra-Afghan talks.

“It would be useful to deal with everyone in the region so that national interest is better ensured,” he observed.

In his opening remarks, Russian Ambassador Nikolai Kudashev noted that both countries were poised for intensive consultations and interactions in the coming months.


India will assume the presidency of both BRICS and SCO in September which will be occasions for meetings between PM Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Overall, Jaishankar’s discussions with Lavrov (last week) were comprehensive and forward-looking,” said Kudashev.


The Ambassador said it was a matter of pride that Sputnik vaccine was a part of the Indian vaccination campaign. The launch of the one-shot Sputnik Lite is also expected soon. “We are committed to continue discussion on mutual recognition of vaccination certificates,” he said, while welcoming the Indian desire to increase its involvement in the Arctic Council which is currently chaired by Russia.

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/n...tie-up-with-india-on-afghanistan-issue-283372

 

[King_Kohli]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">video: while Rockets were landing near Presidential Palace in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kabul?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kabul</a> the Eid prayer continued without disruption. <a href="https://t.co/5y5hSgHh9G">pic.twitter.com/5y5hSgHh9G</a></p>— KABUL NEWS (@kabulnewstv) <a href="https://twitter.com/kabulnewstv/status/1417338645128830977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

WASHINGTON: The Taliban appear to have the "strategic momentum" in their sweeping offensives across Afghanistan, but their victory is far from assured, the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff General Mark Milley said Wednesday.

Nearly 20 years after the US toppled the Taliban regime in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, and with the withdrawal of American-led foreign forces all but complete, the resurgent militants now control about half of Afghanistan's roughly 400 districts.

But they have none of the country's densely populated main cities, Milley told a press conference.

With the militants putting pressure on around half of the country's provincial capitals, Afghan troops are "consolidating their forces" to protect those major urban centers, he added.

"They're taking an approach to protect the population, and most of the population lives in the provincial capitals and capital city of Kabul," Milley said.

"A Taliban automatic military takeover is not a foregone conclusion."

The Taliban are surging across Afghanistan, snapping up territory, seizing border crossings and encircling cities.

Their success has tested the morale of the Afghan army, already battered by years of shockingly high casualties and, more recently, the decision by international troops to leave.

Though the Afghan army has been trained and equipped by international forces, and estimates show it vastly outnumbers the Taliban's ranks, Milley said numbers are not all it takes to win a war.

"The two most important combat multipliers actually are will and leadership. And this is going to be a test now of the will and leadership of the Afghan people, the Afghan security forces and the government of Afghanistan," he said.

US President Joe Biden has also said that a Taliban takeover is "not inevitable."

But earlier this month he also warned that Afghans must come together against the insurgents, and admitted it was "highly unlikely" that one unified government would end up controlling the entire country.

- End game 'not yet written' -
The US has insisted it will continue supporting the Afghan army.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the United States handed over three Blackhawk helicopter gunships to the Afghan army on Friday and that more equipment would follow.

He added that US units had been positioned in Qatar to keep fighting jihadists in Afghanistan after the withdrawal.

"We remain committed to helping the Afghan security forces and the Afghan government going forward," he said.

The State Department also said a first group of around 700 Afghans who worked for the US army -- making them targets for the Taliban -- will arrive in the United States next week with their immediate families.

Another 4,000 workers and their families, totalling some 20,000 people, have been cleared to receive immigrant visas, State Department official Tracey Jacobson said.

Milley said US withdrawal is 95 percent complete, with the evacuation of equipment equivalent to the cargo of 984 C-17 aircraft.

His comments came hours after the Taliban said Wednesday they would fight only to defend themselves over the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, but stopped short of declaring a formal ceasefire.

The militants have said they "strenuously favor" a political settlement to end the war with the government in Kabul.

But their push to capitalize on the withdrawal has left many Afghans sceptical.

President Ashraf Ghani said Tuesday the Taliban had proved "they have no will and intention for peace," and more than a dozen diplomatic missions in Kabul this week called for "an urgent end" to the offensive.

Afghan civilians, who have long taken the brunt of the fighting, are also watching the Taliban advance in fear.

Many -- especially women and minorities -- stand to lose hard-won rights and freedoms if the militants return to any form of power.

Even if Kabul can hold them off, civilians face the possibility of a protracted and bloody civil war or the country fracturing along ethnic lines.

Milley said the chance of a negotiated political settlement is "still out there."

"There's a possibility of a complete Taliban takeover or possibility of any number of other scenarios -- breakdowns, warlordism, all kinds of other scenarios out there," he said.

"We're monitoring very closely. I don't think the end game is yet written."

GEO

 

[Colorblind Genius]

Should Pakistan create a safe corridor and provide free transportation to let Afghani immigrants pass through Pakistan and enter India?

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

Should Pakistan create a safe corridor and provide free transportation to let Afghani immigrants pass through Pakistan and enter India?

If India agrees that would be the best option. A win win solution.

 

[street cricketer]

If India agrees that would be the best option. A win win solution.

Pakistan messed up Bangladesh in '71 and India had to take the brunt of the massive refugee influx from East Pakistan.

Pakistan messed up Afghanistan over the years and now India has to take in the Afghan refugees too?

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

Pakistan messed up Bangladesh in '71 and India had to take the brunt of the massive refugee influx from East Pakistan.

Pakistan messed up Afghanistan over the years and now India has to take in the Afghan refugees too?

Of course they dont have to. I did say if India agrees.

The thing is Pakistan is not taking anymore refugees, the people of Pakistan want the ones already here to be expelled. So if India wants to help the people in Afghanistan it should take the refugees that will occur because of the upcoming civil war.

The people of Afghanistan clearly like India more, so as far as Pakistan is concerned they can go there.

 

[street cricketer]

Of course they dont have to. I did say if India agrees.

The thing is Pakistan is not taking anymore refugees, the people of Pakistan want the ones already here to be expelled. So if India wants to help the people in Afghanistan it should take the refugees that will occur because of the upcoming civil war.

The people of Afghanistan clearly like India more, so as far as Pakistan is concerned they can go there.

Afghans like India more not because of any special affinity due to religion or culture. They like India more because Indians are rivals to Pakistanis, who they have more of a beef with than Indians, with whom they don't even share a border. And they also probably like India more as they are allies with the Afghan government and help in their infrastructure building.

Afghans liking India more is like Indians liking Japan more than the China and vice versa. Or similarly the Pakistanis liking the Chinese more because they're rivals to India and help in their infrastructure development.

 

[cric_man]

Pakistan messed up Bangladesh in '71 and India had to take the brunt of the massive refugee influx from East Pakistan.

Pakistan messed up Afghanistan over the years and now India has to take in the Afghan refugees too?

How did Pakistan mess Afghanistan up?
Did we invade Afghanistan in 79? which resulted in the biggest influx of refugees.
Did we bombard Kabul from 1992-96?

How did we mess it up?

 

[street cricketer]

How did Pakistan mess Afghanistan up?
Did we invade Afghanistan in 79? which resulted in the biggest influx of refugees.
Did we bombard Kabul from 1992-96?

How did we mess it up?

If Pakistan didn't support an islamist insurgency in Afghanistan in retaliation for Afganistan supporting the Pashtunistan movement in Pakistan, Afghanistan would be a lot more better than what it is currently now.

Now Pakistan may have had its reasons to support islamist movements in Afghanistan (to address the American needs whom they were allies with, to address the danger of a Soviet invasion to Pakistan itself or to simply bring Afghanistan to its knees so that it never bothers Pakistan again), at the end of the day, India doesn't have to pay for what Pakistanis did to the Afghans in their own tussle with each other.

 

[cric_man]

If Pakistan didn't support an islamist insurgency in Afghanistan in retaliation for Afganistan supporting the Pashtunistan movement in Pakistan, Afghanistan would be a lot more better than what it is currently now.

Now Pakistan may have had its reasons to support islamist movements in Afghanistan (to address the American needs whom they were allies with, to address the danger of a Soviet invasion to Pakistan itself or to simply bring Afghanistan to its knees so that it never bothers Pakistan again), at the end of the day, India doesn't have to pay for what Pakistanis did to the Afghans in their own tussle with each other.

Pretzel logic as to who started it. We did not meddle in Afghanistan until mid 70s. From 1948 to 74, it was the Afghan government that active sowed seeds of dissent and even mounted 2 failed invasions of Pakistani areas. 1979 Soviet Invasion that resulted in over 5 M refugees pouring into Pakistan. You can argue that post Soviet withdrawal, it was Pakistan's aim to have a pacified Afghanistan based on our experience with them 1947-75 which may have been adverse to the larger Afghan population. But they dug that hole themselves.

You are (were) a quality poster, going down to Joshilay's level unfortunately just to have a final say.

 

[street cricketer]

Pretzel logic as to who started it. We did not meddle in Afghanistan until mid 70s. From 1948 to 74, it was the Afghan government that active sowed seeds of dissent and even mounted 2 failed invasions of Pakistani areas. 1979 Soviet Invasion that resulted in over 5 M refugees pouring into Pakistan. You can argue that post Soviet withdrawal, it was Pakistan's aim to have a pacified Afghanistan based on our experience with them 1947-75 which may have been adverse to the larger Afghan population. But they dug that hole themselves.

You are (were) a quality poster, going down to Joshilay's level unfortunately just to have a final say.

You are free to disagree with my opinions. We are from different countries, and staunchly opposed countries at that, and so there's bound to be difference of opinions based on our nationalities.

I'm well aware of the fact that it was Afghan leaders like Daoud Khan who first started meddling in Pakistan in pursuit of the goal of "Loy Afghanistan". But my personal opinion is that Pakistan were probably forced to support the Mujahideens by their American allies during the cold war and to eradicate the imminent danger of a Soviet invasion for themselves. But them supporting the Taliban afterwards in an effort to subjugate Afghanistan so it's no longer a threat to Pakistan or an ally of India was not only a detrimental policy to Afghanistan, but also to Pakistan itself as it spurned the creation of numerous islamist militant groups in Pakistan who thought that if the Taliban could come to power in Afghanistan based on shariah, they could hope to do the same and style an islamic revolution in Pakistan too. Even if Pakistan didn't support the Taliban and Afghanistan government became friendly with India, the Afghans simply don't have enough firepower in their military to harm Pakistan in any manner. I mean, the Afghan army can hardly fight the rag tag militia of Taliban in their own country, how would they fight a superiorly equipped military to their east armed with nuclear weapons..

Blaming India for every terror related event in Pakistan that the nationalists in Pakistan seem to do everyday, conveniently excuses the Pakistani military establishment of its role in the detrimental policies they followed in the wake of the war on terror in Afghanistan. It is not that different from Indian nationalists blaming Pakistan fully for the Kashmir situation without addressing the underlying issues in Kashmir. I'd probably anger the Indian nationalists when I say this, just as I'd anger the Pakistani nationalists like yourself when I talk about Pakistan's role in Afghanistan.

 

[MenInG]

The Taliban's claim to hold 90 per cent of Afghanistan's borders is an "absolute lie", the defence ministry said Friday, insisting government forces were in control of the country's frontiers.

"It is baseless propaganda," deputy spokesman of the Ministry of Defence Fawad Aman told AFP, a day after the insurgents made the claim, which was not possible to independently verify.

The Taliban's claim on Thursday came after the group captured key border crossings with Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Pakistan in recent weeks in a staggering offensive launched as US-led foreign forces began their final troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

On Friday, Aman insisted government forces were in control of the country's borders and all "main cities and highways".

And even as large-scale fighting decreased during this week's Eidul Azha holiday, the interior ministry accused the Taliban of killing about 100 civilians in the town of Spin Boldak along the border with Pakistan since seizing the crossing last week.

"Afghan security forces will soon take revenge on these wild terrorists," interior ministry spokesman Mirwais Stanekzai said on Twitter.

"The Taliban whenever they get control (of territory), the first thing they do is destroy public facilities or public infrastructure, harass people and forcefully displace families," Aman told AFP.

"It happened in Spin Boldak too."

With the withdrawal of American-led foreign forces all but complete, the resurgent Taliban now controls about half of Afghanistan's roughly 400 districts.

Earlier this week, the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff General Mark Milley said the Taliban appear to have "strategic momentum" on the battlefield.

With the militants putting pressure on around half of the country's provincial capitals, Afghan troops are in the process of "consolidating their forces" to protect those major urban centres, Milley added.

 

[HappyWarsFan]

Don't follow politics too much but I wanted to ask. Will tbe US withdrawal impact Pakistan security wise? I hope Pakistan doesn't become as dangerous as it was 2009-13 again...

 

[cric_man]

You are free to disagree with my opinions. We are from different countries, and staunchly opposed countries at that, and so there's bound to be difference of opinions based on our nationalities.

I'm well aware of the fact that it was Afghan leaders like Daoud Khan who first started meddling in Pakistan in pursuit of the goal of "Loy Afghanistan". But my personal opinion is that Pakistan were probably forced to support the Mujahideens by their American allies during the cold war and to eradicate the imminent danger of a Soviet invasion for themselves. But them supporting the Taliban afterwards in an effort to subjugate Afghanistan so it's no longer a threat to Pakistan or an ally of India was not only a detrimental policy to Afghanistan, but also to Pakistan itself as it spurned the creation of numerous islamist militant groups in Pakistan who thought that if the Taliban could come to power in Afghanistan based on shariah, they could hope to do the same and style an islamic revolution in Pakistan too. Even if Pakistan didn't support the Taliban and Afghanistan government became friendly with India, the Afghans simply don't have enough firepower in their military to harm Pakistan in any manner. I mean, the Afghan army can hardly fight the rag tag militia of Taliban in their own country, how would they fight a superiorly equipped military to their east armed with nuclear weapons..

Blaming India for every terror related event in Pakistan that the nationalists in Pakistan seem to do everyday, conveniently excuses the Pakistani military establishment of its role in the detrimental policies they followed in the wake of the war on terror in Afghanistan. It is not that different from Indian nationalists blaming Pakistan fully for the Kashmir situation without addressing the underlying issues in Kashmir. I'd probably anger the Indian nationalists when I say this, just as I'd anger the Pakistani nationalists like yourself when I talk about Pakistan's role in Afghanistan.

You can have whatever opinion you want to. However historical fact and events are contrary to your hypothesis i-e Pakistan was responsible for the biggest Afghan Refugee movement. Nothing can be farther than the truth on that because 1) Mujaheddin as a force did not exist pre Soviet invasion (or maybe a few months prior to) 2) Pak / US relationships were very degraded. Post 1975 Indian nuclear tests saw Pakistan ramp up its nuclear program bringing down the ire of the US. Kessinger supposedly warned Bhutto that he will be bombed to the stone ages eliciting Bhutto's "we'd rathe eat grass then give up the nuke program". in 1977 US imposed further sanctions on Pakistan in the aftermath of Zia's coup. Some more sanctions were added in 1978 when Pakistan bought a nuclear reprocessing plant from France. Us did not get involved in the Afghan war even after 1 year of Soviet invasion. It was only after Reagan took office in 1980 that they started to interact with Pakistan on supporting the Mujaheddins. Please read up Charlie Wilson's war for more info on that.

Here is historical events in chronological order leading up to the 1979 Soviet invasion that is the reason of biggest Afghan exodus. This will be my last post on this subject.

King Zahir Shah was the Monarch and absolute ruler of Flag of Afghanistan from 8 November 1933 to 17 July 1973. He left for medical treatment in Italy in 1973. While the King was getting medical treatment, his cousin Muhammad Daud Khan plotted to overthrow him. On 17th July 1973, Daud Khan backed by elements of Afghan Army and Communist leaning People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan, He mounted a successful Coup and took over Afghanistan. Daoud hosted General Secretary of National Awami Party Khan Abdul Wali Khan, Ajmal Khattak, Juma Khan Sufi, Baluch militants, and others. Khan's government and forces also commenced training Pakhtun Zalmay and young Baluchs to conduct militant action and terrorism in Pakistan. Between 27th - 28th of April 1978, communist sleeper cells inside Afghan Army were activated by PDPA leader Hafizullah Amin who had been under house arrest on Daud's orders. In "Saur Revolution" coup that followed, Daud Khan along with most members of his family were massacred. On 30th April 1978, communist leader Nur Muhammad Taraki took over the Presidency and the control of the communist party. He quickly developed feud with fellow communist Hafizullah Amin who plotted to overthrow him because of disagreement over the power sharing formula. On 14th September 1979 as Taraki returned from his Moscow trip, he was imprisoned on Hafizullah Amin's orders, who had him executed by suffocation while in captivity - and formally took over the Presidency. Between 14th Sept to 27th December 1979, Hafizullah Amin tried to hang on to power, but he quickly lost confidence of his KGB handlers. KGB believed him to be a double agent of CIA due to his overtures to Washington, a mistake that would prove to be fatal. By early 1979, 25 out of Afghanistan's 28 provinces were unstable because of armed resistance against the Amin regime. On 29th of March 1979, the Herat uprising began; the uprising turned the revolt into an open war between the reistance fighters and the communist Afghan government. By 1979, the KGB had lost patience with Amin & KGB Gen Yuri Drozdov approved plans to have him assassinated. 2 attempts were made on his life by the KGB's which failed, so they decided to have him executed in a bloody coup to take place at Tajbeg Palace. By early-to-mid December 1979, the Soviet leadership had established an alliance with Babrak Karmal, who was to take over after Amin had been assassinated. On 27th Dec 1979, Amin and most of his family were massacred by KGB, Spetsnaz in an operation codenamed: Storm-333. Babrak Karmal enjoyed complete backing of the USSR when he took over the Presidency on the same day Hafizullah Amin was executed by KGB. For the next 6 years he would oversee the scorched earth campaign of the 40th red Army in his own country, killing over 2m Afghans. As the Soviet 40th Army intensified its brutal campaign in Afghanistan, a joint "Operation Cyclone" was launched by the CIA and the ISI. Over the next 6 years, the Mujahideen would bring the 40th red Army to its knees along with its communist Afghan military allies.

 

[street cricketer]

You can have whatever opinion you want to. However historical fact and events are contrary to your hypothesis i-e Pakistan was responsible for the biggest Afghan Refugee movement.

Umm..I did not imply either Pakistan as a cause for Afghan refugee exodus into Pakistan or Pakistan supporting the Mujahideens before the Soviet invasion. Not sure where you got that from.

Maybe because I wrote Pakistan were allies with US during the cold war days, it probably came across as Pak supporting the Mujahideens with the US during the cold war. But I didn't imply that at all, my only criticism has been Pakistan's role in supporting the Taliban.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/afghan-air-force-hurt-by-inoperable-aircraft-afghan-lawmakers-2021-07-23/

One-third of the Afghan Air Force's aircraft are inoperable and it has run out of U.S.-made precision-guided rockets amid a massive drop in U.S.-led airstrikes, hampering Kabul's efforts to halt Taliban advances, Afghan lawmakers said on Friday.

U.S.-provided airpower was intended to give Kabul a major advantage over the insurgents with the withdrawal of U.S.-led foreign troops. But Kabul's loss of aircraft and depletion of precision-guided rockets, as well as Taliban assassinations of pilots, are eroding that edge, the lawmakers said.

"We need more support for the AF (Afghan Air Force)," Haji Ajmal Rahmani, the Afghan parliament majority whip and son of the lower house speaker, told a webinar sponsored by the State Department Correspondents Association.

One-third of the fleet of about 160 aircraft is inoperable because of a spare parts shortage or the departure of Pentagon maintenance contractors, he said.

Mir Haidar Afzali, the parliamentary defense committee chairman, said the Taliban have shot down some Russian-made helicopters.

Other aircraft, he said, have reached their lifespan limits, and the Taliban have assassinated more than 10 Afghan pilots.

U.S. President Joe Biden ordered U.S. forces out of Afghanistan after 20 years of war. He says the withdrawal will be completed by Aug. 31, but Washington will continue providing Kabul with security and civilian aid.

The Taliban have made significant territorial gains. That and a lack of progress in U.S.-backed peace talks is fueling fears that the insurgents will recapture power and reimpose their harsh interpretation of Islamist rule.

"If those aircraft cannot fly and cannot target the gatherings of Taliban and then the Taliban become stronger and they storm into the cities, they will create a terrible situation for women," said Naheed Farid, a lawmaker from Herat, who called the insurgents "the army of darkness."

Before the U.S. drawdown, Rahmani said, the United States and its allies staged 80-90% of daily airstrikes against the Taliban. The Afghan Air Force conducted the rest, which determined their allocation of precision-guided munitions, he continued.

It has been unable to make up the gap left by the U.S. pullout, which included the withdrawal of some 40 drones, he said.

The Afghan Air Force needs drones and has requested more rockets, but was told that it will take time to produce and ship them, he said.

The lawmakers spoke a day after the Pentagon announced that the United States staged airstrikes in support of Afghan security forces.

 

[PakLFC]

Afghanistan will be no better off without the US then it will be with them. Either they will be fighting the American's or each other. It just seems to be a very cursed country on earth after the Russians left it in ruins. This glorification of Afghan and Pathan culture by many here doesn't help the cause. Ultimately, only the Afghans can help themselves.

 

[PakLFC]

Afghan culture does not encourage education or progress on anything. All they do is blame Pakistan for everything when it is their own warlords that are to blame. This by and large is also true in our KPK region where outdated tribal law does not help anyone either.

 

[King_Kohli]

Biden approves $100m emergency funds to resettle Afghan refugees

The US is preparing to evacuate thousands of Afghan special visa applicants who are at risk from the Taliban.

US President Joe Biden has authorised up to $100m from an emergency fund to meet “unexpected urgent” refugee needs stemming from the situation in Afghanistan, including for Afghan special immigration visa applicants, the White House said.

Biden also approved on Friday the release of $200m in services and articles from the inventories of US government agencies to meet the same needs, the White House said.

The United States is preparing to begin evacuating thousands of Afghan applicants for special immigration visas (SIVs) who are at risk from the Taliban because they worked for the US government.

The first batch of evacuees and their families is expected to be flown before the end of the month to Fort Lee, a US military base in Virginia, where they will wait for the final processing of their visa applications.

About 2,500 Afghans could be brought to the facility, about 48km (30 miles) south of Richmond, the Pentagon said on Monday.

The Biden administration is reviewing other US facilities in the US and overseas where SIV applicants and their families could be accommodated.

Special immigrant visas are available to Afghans who worked as translators or in other jobs for the US government after the 2001 US-led invasion.

On Thursday, the US House of Representatives passed legislation that would expand the number of SIVs that could be granted by 8,000, which would cover all potentially eligible applications in the pipeline.

About 18,000 such applications are being processed, US officials say.

Earlier on Friday, the Canadian government said it will fast-track resettlement of potentially thousands of Afghans who have worked with Canada during the past 20 years but offered few details of who will be eligible or when people who are now in danger from the Taliban will start arriving.

The government has been facing pressure from Canadian veterans worried that Afghans who supported them and their families will face arrest and even death at the hands of the Taliban.

“For the safety and security of the Afghans, as well as the Canadian teams who are already on the ground, we have to safeguard the precise details of how this operation will be carried out, as well as exactly when it will begin,” said Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino.

The withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan emboldened the Taliban to take parts of the country. The captured territory includes parts of the southern province of Kandahar, where the Canadian military spent the longest amount of time during its 13-year mission in the country.

Also on Friday, the US called on the Taliban to negotiate after the group said that there will not be peace in Afghanistan until there is a new government in Kabul and President Ashraf Ghani is removed.

Shaheen said the Taliban will lay down their weapons when a negotiated government acceptable to all sides in the conflict is installed in Kabul and Ghani’s government is gone.

During a news briefing held over the phone, State Department spokesperson Jalina Porter said “we call on the Taliban to engage in serious negotiations to determine a political road map for Afghanistan future that leads to a just and durable settlement.”

White House press secretary Jen Psaki affirmed Biden’s support for the Afghan president. She said Biden was scheduled to speak with Ghani by phone later in the day.

“The president and the administration supports the leadership of the Afghan people, including Ashraf Ghani,” Psaki told reporters.

“I would note that there are ongoing political negotiations and discussions that we certainly support between Afghan leaders, members of the Afghan government and the Taliban. And we believe a political solution is the only outcome to lasting peace in Afghanistan,” she said.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/23/biden-authorises-emergency-funds-to-resettle-afghan-refugees

 

[OMB]

'Afghanistan situation dangerous': Indian embassy in advisory for its nationals

Indians traditionally face a serious threat of kidnapping, the embassy said as Taliban make advancements in Afghanistan in the wake of the withdrawal of US and NATO troops. The embassy also talked about targeted attacks, which include incidents of roadside IED blasts.

The embassy of India in Afghanistan has issued a security advisory for its nationals living in the war-torn country. The advisory comes in the wake of the withdrawal of American and NATO troops from Afghanistan and advancement of the Taliban.

The embassy has asked Indians staying, visiting and working in Afghanistan to exercise utmost vigilance at all times. They have also been asked to avoid all non-essential travel as security situation in Afghanistan remains dangerous.

"This advisory reiterates advice of 29th June 2021, which remains valid for all India citizens. Security situation in Afghanistan remains dangerous in several provinces. Terror groups operating in Afghanistan have escalated violent activities including targeting of civilians. Indian nationals are not exceptions, and they additionally face a serious threat of kidnapping," the Indian embassy said in the advisory.

"While traveling on roads, maintain distance from possible targets like military convoys, vehicles of government ministries/offices, high ranking officials, law enforcement agencies, and avoid visiting crowded markets, shopping complexes, mandis, restaurants and other public places," it further said.

The embassy also talked about targeted attacks, which include incidents of roadside IED blasts and magnetic IEDs against civilian vehicles.

Travelling outside the main cities should be strictly avoided, the embassy advisory said, asking Indians to register with the on the website: https://eoi.gov.in/kabul/ or by email to paw.kabul@mea.gov.in.

The US and NATO are on the verge of completing their final troops withdrawal from Afghanistan. The country's interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said the situation not only demanded containment of the influx of refugees from Afghanistan but also the entry of armed army personnel and terrorists into neighbouring Pakistan.

Meanwhile, more than 30 Taliban terrorists were killed and 17 other suffered injuries in Afghan Air Force airstrikes in Jawzjan and southern Helmand province on Friday.

These airstrikes took place as Afghanistan is witnessing a surge in violence as the Taliban have intensified their offensive against Afghan forces and civilians with the complete pullback of foreign forces.

The Taliban now control about half of the 419 district centres in Afghanistan.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/indian-embassy-issues-security-advisory-says-situation-in-afghanistan-dangerous-101627121389105.html

 

[Colorblind Genius]

Afghans like India more not because of any special affinity due to religion or culture. They like India more because Indians are rivals to Pakistanis, who they have more of a beef with than Indians, with whom they don't even share a border. And they also probably like India more as they are allies with the Afghan government and help in their infrastructure building.

Afghans liking India more is like Indians liking Japan more than the China and vice versa. Or similarly the Pakistanis liking the Chinese more because they're rivals to India and help in their infrastructure development.

India likes Afghanis a lot more too.
Both nations are at great friendly terms, otherwise India would’ve not invest Billions of dollars in Afghanistan.

So it’s a two way flow of love.

And well justified that India takes in all the Afghani refugees.

And Pakistan is ready to help to make this intimacy happen.

A safe corridor will create a Heaven between two lovers.

 

[street cricketer]

India likes Afghanis a lot more too.
Both nations are at great friendly terms, otherwise India would’ve not invest Billions of dollars in Afghanistan.

So it’s a two way flow of love.

And well justified that India takes in all the Afghani refugees.

And Pakistan is ready to help to make this intimacy happen.

A safe corridor will create a Heaven between two lovers.

Would've made sense if it was the despotic Afghan government in power. But since the Taliban have taken control of nearly 80% of Afghanistan territory and we keep hearing from the Pak posters that the Taliban are revolutionary freedom fighters who enjoy great support from the Afghan civilians, I doubt that a refugee crisis is going to happen.

Now that a Pak friendly Taliban has come into power in Afghanistan, as a well meaning cricket fan, I hope to see the first ever test match hosted in Afghanistan between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Imagine a historic test at Kandahar with the Taliban dignitaries in attendance

 

[Colorblind Genius]

Would've made sense if it was the despotic Afghan government in power. But since the Taliban have taken control of nearly 80% of Afghanistan territory and we keep hearing from the Pak posters that the Taliban are revolutionary freedom fighters who enjoy great support from the Afghan civilians, I doubt that a refugee crisis is going to happen.

Now that a Pak friendly Taliban has come into power in Afghanistan, as a well meaning cricket fan, I hope to see the first ever test match hosted in Afghanistan between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Imagine a historic test at Kandahar with the Taliban dignitaries in attendance

Again, if Taliban cause havoc in Afghanistan on those Indian friendly Afghanies, are you going to take in those refugees? There will be only a couple of millions.

 

[MenInG]

UNITED NATIONS: A recent United Nations report that focuses on the global threat posed by Al-Qaeda, Daesh and related groups, yet again, draws attention to the increasing cross-border terrorist threat to Pakistan from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operating from Afghan soil, analysts said.

The 28th report of the UN Monitoring Team submitted to the UN Security Council recently, reiterates findings of the earlier UN reports that had pointed out similar cross-border terrorist threats posed by the TTP, a proscribed group, to Pakistan, owing to its re-unification and strengthening in Afghanistan.

The latest UN Monitoring Team report also notes that the “TTP has increased its financial resources from extortion, smuggling and taxes”.

These recent UN reports back Pakistan’s strong concerns regarding the TTP’s operations from Afghanistan, prompting Pakistan to call on the international community to prevent Afghanistan’s territory from being used by the TTP, Daesh, Al-Qaeda, and other terrorist groups.

Islamabad has been particularly concerned at the strengthening of the TTP and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) in Afghanistan as a result of external financial and material support.

Last year, Pakistan shared strong evidence of the Indian support to the TTP and JuA in carrying out terrorist attacks against Pakistan.

The Indian sponsorship and financing of such terror outfits appears to be aimed not only at undermining Pakistan’s gains against the TTP and JuA in the recent years, but also to spoil any chances of peace and stability in Afghanistan, according to diplomatic sources.

Pakistan’s security concerns emanating from terrorist groups in Afghanistan have been amplified in the backdrop of the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan, and there has been a significant spike in the number of cross-border terrorist attacks by the TTP from Afghanistan against Pakistan in the recent months, it was pointed out.

Pakistan continues to maintain that the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan will allow “spoilers” to step in and undermine the peace of Afghanistan as well as the broader region, the sources said.

The UN report drawing attention to the TTP threat also comes in the backdrop of an increase in the frequency of terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.

Pakistan recently shared results of its investigations into the Lahore terrorist attack that took place on June 23.

According to a press conference held by Pakistan’s National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf, clear evidence of India’s sponsorship and support for the Lahore terrorist attack had been found during Pakistan’s investigations.

GEO

 

[Colorblind Genius]

Would've made sense if it was the despotic Afghan government in power. But since the Taliban have taken control of nearly 80% of Afghanistan territory and we keep hearing from the Pak posters that the Taliban are revolutionary freedom fighters who enjoy great support from the Afghan civilians, I doubt that a refugee crisis is going to happen.

Now that a Pak friendly Taliban has come into power in Afghanistan, as a well meaning cricket fan, I hope to see the first ever test match hosted in Afghanistan between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Imagine a historic test at Kandahar with the Taliban dignitaries in attendance

Again, if Taliban cause havoc in Afghanistan on those Indian friendly Afghanies, are you going to take in those refugees? There will be only a couple of millions.

Just like the many top Israeli army men have been visiting India, the Afghan army General also took the lead and arriving in India. And not surprising that he is scheduled to meet Ajit Doval and Modi.

Now, you have no choice left but to obligate your cozy relations with Afghan govt, Afghan army and the many million common anti taliban afganies, who may need refuge and political asylum due to taliban regime.

 

[street cricketer]

Just like the many top Israeli army men have been visiting India, the Afghan army General also took the lead and arriving in India. And not surprising that he is scheduled to meet Ajit Doval and Modi.

Now, you have no choice left but to obligate your cozy relations with Afghan govt, Afghan army and the many million common anti taliban afganies, who may need refuge and political asylum due to taliban regime.

Honestly, as a well wisher of the Afghan people, I wouldn't mind the Afghans getting refuge in India if they're under persecution from the Taliban. But Pakistan has to be big hearted and facilitate the passage of those Afghans under persecution via a special corridor through their country to India.

That said, personally I don't think many Afghans would take up the offer of seeking refuge in India as I've noticed that Afghans don't seem to like seeking refuge in large numbers anywhere else other than Pakistan outside of their country. Maybe they consider Pakistan as their own nation because of the shared Pashtun culture and the steady migration to Pakistan is perhaps the main project afterall, you know Loy Afghanistan and all that!

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

To answer the question of OP, I don't think Afghanistan will become safe after US withdrawal, as I don't believe they will withdraw in the meaningful sense of the word. They, along with other parties will continue to take sides and we will see this in the form of proxy wars with funding of different elements by non-Afghan entities. I would imagine it will resemble Syria and Iraq and some parts of Africa.

USA is only withdrawing the expense of maintaining air cover and manual support of the hopeless Afghan army. They will find more cost effective way of interfering in Afghan affairs.

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan and China have jointly pushed the Afghan Taliban to completely break their ties with terrorist groups, including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and all other outfits that pose a direct threat to both the countries and the region.

The Taliban, which have made rapid inroads in Afghanistan since the US and NATO forces started withdrawing from the war-torn country, have been told in clear terms that they not only had to make a clean break from the terrorist outfits, but also evict them from areas under the their control.

Taliban delegations have visited neighbouring countries in recent weeks, gaining international standing for a movement that had been treated as outcasts and banned as terrorists for most of the past two decades.

The latest power to host them is China, whose Foreign Minister Wang Yi met a nine-person delegation on Wednesday led by Taliban deputy leader Mullah Baradar Akhund in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin during a two-day visit.

Although China has maintained contacts with the Taliban, but this is the first time Foreign Minister Wang publically met the Taliban leaders. The Taliban delegation’s visit followed the visit by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed.

Official sources, familiar with the development, said the message had been conveyed to the Taliban in the wake of the July 14 terrorist attack targeting Chinese nationals, who were working on a hydroelectric project in Dasu, Kohistan.

At least nine Chinese were killed in the attack, which was initially termed as an accident. However, investigations later revealed that it was a terrorist attack and both Pakistan and China vowed to expose and punish the perpetrators.

Pakistan shared the findings of investigation with the Chinese authorities during the recent visit of Foreign Minister Qureshi and ISI Director General Lt Gen Faiz Hameed to Beijing. China’s own investigations also indicated that ETIM carried out the attack with the help of the TTP.

There was also the possibility of involvement of some “hostile agencies”, according to the sources. ETIM, which is an Uyghur Islamic extremist organisation founded in western China, is seeking the establishment of an independent state called the East Turkestan, replacing Xinjiang.

Since the ETIM and the TTP are based in Afghanistan and to an extent enjoyed the support of Afghan Taliban, both Islamabad and Beijing took up the matter with the group. China has growing concerns about possible negative fallout of the unrest in Afghanistan in the wake of US and NATO pull-out.

The Kohistan terrorist attack set off alarm bells both in China and Pakistan with concerns that the security vacuum in Afghanistan would embolden groups such as the ETIM and the TTP, something that could endanger the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Against this backdrop, Pakistan requested China to directly convey its concerns to the Taliban over their reported ties with anti-Pakistan and anti-China terrorist groups. The Chinese foreign ministry confirmed that the Beijing took up the issue of the ETIM with the Afghan Taliban delegation.

Also read: China expects Taliban to play 'important' role for peace in Afghanistan

According to a Chinese foreign ministry statement, Foreign Minister Wang stressed that the ETIM was an international terrorist organisation designated by the UN Security Council that posed a direct threat to China’s national security and territorial integrity.

“Combating it is a common responsibility for the international community. We hope the Afghan Taliban will make a clean break with all terrorist organisations, including the ETIM and resolutely and effectively combat them to remove obstacles, play a positive role and create enabling conditions for security, stability, development and cooperation in the region,” the Chinese statement read.



Pakistan also conveyed a similar message to the Afghan Taliban, pressing them to distance themselves from the TTP and also take action against them in areas that were under the Taliban control. Afghan Taliban were also conveyed that in case of non-cooperation they could face consequences such as non-recognition of their rule.

It is not clear, however, if the Afghan Taliban will be willing to take these groups head on although they had assured both Pakistan and China that they will not to allow Afghan soil to be used against the neighbours. In the past Afghan Taliban had attempted to strike a peace deal between the TTP and Pakistan but those efforts could not make any headway.

Pakistan is hoping that China could replace the US and play a constructive and positive role in bringing about peace and stability in Afghanistan. Islamabad feels that China has the financial leverage to persuade Afghan Taliban for a compromise.

Politics, economy & security

Taliban delegations have also visited Iran and Russia in recent weeks. In a tweet about the China visit, Taliban spokesperson Mohammed Naeem said that politics, economy and issues related to the security of both countries and the current situation of Afghanistan and the peace process were discussed in the meetings.

“China also reiterated its commitment of continuation of their assistance with Afghans and said they will not interfere in Afghanistan’s issues but will help to solve the problems and restoration of peace in the country,” Naeem added.

Meanwhile, Moscow said it was beefing up the combat capabilities at its military base in Tajikistan, a small former Soviet republic that borders Afghanistan. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, visiting Tajikistan on Wednesday, said the security situation had rapidly deteriorated in Afghanistan.

Shoigu said Islamic State (IS) fighters were moving into Afghanistan from countries including Syria and Libya, describing their arrival as “quite seriously organised”. He said: “We are paying increased attention to strengthening the combat capabilities of our base and refining plans to jointly repel possible insurgent infiltration.”

Separately, on a visit to India, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday Washington was deeply troubled by reports of escalating attacks on civilians as the Taliban swept across Afghanistan and the US pulled out its last remaining troops and ends its longest war.

 

[MenInG]

The United States said on Wednesday it was deeply troubled by reports of escalating attacks on civilians as the Taliban sweep across Afghanistan and Washington pulls out its last remaining troops and ends its longest war.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on a visit to India, said the only path to peace in Afghanistan was through negotiations, which all parties must take seriously.

Taliban have captured districts across Afghanistan and seized vital border control points in recent weeks, as Washington withdraws its last troops after 20 years. The Pentagon now estimates that the fighters control more than half of Afghanistan's district centres.

The surge has raised the prospect that the militants could return to power. Millions of people fled their extreme violence during their last period of rule from 1996-2001, when they staged public executions of their foes, banned women from work and education and hosted Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network.

The Taliban say they will treat civilians well if they return to power, and will not allow the country to be used as a base for international terrorism.

Read: US offers further air support to Afghan troops amid Taliban offensive

Describing reports of attacks on civilians as "deeply, deeply troubling", Blinken said: "An Afghanistan that commits atrocities against its own people would become a pariah state.

"There's only one path, and that's at the negotiating table, to resolve the conflict peacefully."

The United Nations reported this week that civilian casualties had been surging in recent weeks, with as many killed in May-June as in the previous four months. The report did not cover casualties in July, when fighting has intensified further.

Afghans in government-held areas have been alarmed by domestic media reports in recent days of abductions and killings of civilians in areas where the Taliban have advanced. The Taliban deny they are carrying out revenge killings.

US President Joe Biden has ordered all US troops out of the country, fulfilling a policy pledge made by his predecessor Donald Trump, despite warnings from American generals of the potential for renewed civil war without foreign troops to protect the Kabul government.

Peace talks between the government and the Taliban in Qatar have largely stalled, with the Taliban showing little interest in negotiating while they are gaining on the battlefield.

China hosts Taliban delegation

Taliban delegations have visited neighbouring countries in recent weeks, gaining international standing for a movement that had been treated as outcasts and banned as terrorists for most of the past two decades.

The latest regional power to host them was China, whose Foreign Minister Wang Yi met a nine-person delegation led by Taliban deputy leader Mullah Baradar Akhund in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin during a two-day visit.

Wang said the Taliban were expected to "play an important role in the process of peaceful reconciliation and reconstruction in Afghanistan", according to a readout of the meeting from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Taliban delegations have also visited Iran and Russia in recent weeks. The group has an office in Qatar.

"Politics, economy and issues related to the security of both countries and the current situation of Afghanistan and the peace process were discussed in the meetings," Taliban spokesperson Mohammed Naeem tweeted about the China visit.

"(The) delegation assured China that they will not allow anyone to use Afghan soil against China," Naeem said. "China also reiterated its commitment of continuation of their assistance with Afghans and said they will not interfere in Afghanistan's issues but will help to solve the problems and restoration of peace in the country."

Moscow, which fought for a decade in Afghanistan in the 1980s, said it was beefing up the combat capabilities at its military base in Tajikistan, a small former Soviet republic that borders Afghanistan.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, visiting Tajikistan on Wednesday, said the security situation had rapidly deteriorated in Afghanistan during a "hasty" US withdrawal.

Shoigu said Islamic State fighters were moving into Afghanistan from countries including Syria and Libya, describing their arrival as "quite seriously organised".

"We are paying increased attention to strengthening the combat capabilities of our base and refining plans to jointly repel possible insurgent infiltration," he said.

A senior Russian diplomat has said Moscow views Taliban gains in northern Afghanistan as having a security upside because the group is hostile to what Russia regards as more dangerous extremists.

Russia is set to hold military drills on Aug. 5-10 near Tajikistan's Afghan border, involving more than 1,000 Russian soldiers as well as Uzbek and Tajik forces.

 

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has welcomed the first visit of Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Baradar to China saying Beijing as a neighbouring country of Afghanistan has an important role to play in the Afghan peace process, reported The News on Friday.

“Pakistan is a close and brotherly neighbour of Afghanistan, and the only country that has consistently emphasised that there is no military solution to the Afghan conflict,” said Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri in his weekly media briefing.

A delegation of Afghan Taliban recently held discussions with the Chinese leadership in Beijing where they assured them that Afghanistan's soil will not be used against any country.

He pointed out that Pakistan had been supporting and facilitating the peace process for achieving an inclusive intra-Afghan political settlement. “All neighbours of Afghanistan, including China, have been supporting a political resolution of the Afghan conflict.

“Pakistan and China are committed to facilitating and supporting Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process”, he added.

To a query about rhetoric from India about Mullah Baradar’s China visit, the spokesman responded, “Unfortunately, India is among the spoilers of the peace process and this Indian thinking is also reflected by its continued opposition to the Afghan peace process and the efforts being made by the international community in this regard.”

‘No intention to downgrade Kabul relationship’

Chaudhri also told the reporters that Pakistan has no intention of downgrading its relationship with Afghanistan in view of the Afghan envoy’s daughter’s alleged abduction.

“Pakistan has no intention to downgrade diplomatic relations with Afghanistan despite the recent case of the daughter of the Afghan ambassador, which compelled Kabul to recall its ambassador and other senior diplomats from Islamabad,” he said.

“Regarding the possibility of the downgrading of diplomatic relations with Afghanistan, Pakistan believes in maintaining close, cooperative and brotherly relations with Afghanistan. There is no plan to downgrade our diplomatic relations with Afghanistan”, the spokesman responded.

Regarding the reported abduction of the Afghan ambassador’s daughter, he said a thorough investigation was conducted. Over 700 hours of video footage from over 300 CCTV cameras was examined. More than 200 witnesses were interviewed by the security personnel.

“While a significant progress has been made in this case, we believe that the cooperation of Afghan ambassador and his daughter is critical in concluding the investigation”, he said.

Negative statements by some elements, who are not representative of the people of Afghanistan, the spokesman pointed out, cannot be allowed to adversely impact this important relationship particularly at this critical juncture of the ongoing Afghan peace process.

GEO

 

[MenInG]

The Council of Defence Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation (SCO) on Thursday stressed the need for actively supporting the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan, strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation, and making efforts to maintain regional security and stability.

During the meeting, attended by Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, the member states decided to continue to strengthen communication, build consensus and expand cooperation, so as to create favourable conditions for the sustainable development of regional bloc.

At the meeting, held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, the defence ministers of the member countries spoke highly of the achievements of the SCO in maintaining regional peace and stability and promoting defence and security cooperation over the past 20 years.

Addressing the conference, China’s State Councillor and Defence Minister Wei Fenghe emphasised that the situation in Afghanistan had undergone major changes and regional security risks were on the rise.

He urged the SCO member countries to strengthen coordination and cooperation, jointly prevent and combat the extremism, separatism and terrorism, so as to build a strong regional security barrier.

Later, Defence Minister Wei Fenghe held bilateral meeting with Khattak on the sidelines of the conference and exchanged views on bilateral and military-to-military relations. The two sides also discussed international and regional situation as well as counter-terrorism cooperation.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/30/un-compound-attacked-in-herat-city-western-afghanistan

The main UN compound in the capital of the western Afghan province of Herat was attacked by “anti-government elements” on Friday and at least one security guard was killed, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said.

The attack, involving rocket-propelled grenades and guns, happened hours after Taliban fighters penetrated deep into Herat city, and heavy clashes with Afghan security forces took place near the UNAMA provincial headquarters, officials said.

In a statement after the attack, the UN said it was urgently seeking to establish a full picture of the assault.

It was not immediately clear who attacked the compound, but a western security official told Reuters all diplomatic compounds in the city were put on high alert.

UNAMA said the attack was against the entrances of the compound, which was clearly marked as a UN facility.

Deborah Lyons, the UN secretary-general’s special representative for Afghanistan, said: “This attack against the United Nations is deplorable and we condemn it in the strongest terms.”

UNAMA said no UN personnel were hurt in the incident.

Herat city is the second provincial capital the Taliban had entered in a 24-hour period. Insurgents entered the capital of the southern province of Helmand a day earlier, and clashes were continuing there. Civilians rushed to evacuate the city.

“Since Thursday morning, the Taliban have launched attacks from several directions on Lashkar Gah city,” a government official told Reuters on the condition of anonymity. Lashkar Gah is the capital of Helmand, a southern province bordering Pakistan.

With US-led foreign forces nearing a complete withdrawal of troops, the Taliban have made swift territorial gains over the last two months but have not yet captured any provincial capitals.

A UN report this week said civilian casualties had been surging in Afghanistan, with as many killed in May and June as in the previous four months. The report did not cover casualties in July, when fighting intensified further.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/31/herat-residents-fear-taliban-in-their-homes-and-workplaces-as-it-masses-outside-city

Organisations in the western Afghan city of Herat have begun removing important documents because of fears they could be used to target employees if seized by the Taliban, after three days of fighting raged around the city.

Herat airport was closed by battles around its perimeter, militants attacked a UN compound, killing a guard, and half the city was without power after electricity lines from Iran were damaged in the fighting.

A key bridge on the road to southern Afghanistan changed hands several times in the fighting, and the Guardian spotted a Taliban checkpoint on the outskirts of Herat municipality on Friday afternoon.

“The distance between life and death is now that police ranger over the bridge,” one resident wrote on Facebook on Friday, below a picture taken out of her window. She then deleted the post as the Taliban advanced further towards the city.

Herat is now effectively under siege, as border crossings to Iran and Turkmenistan had previously been seized by the Taliban. The airport had been the only way out.

Many in the city are now preparing for a worst case scenario of militants in their homes and workplaces.

“My boss gathered his employees this morning and asked us to take important documents home, fearing the Taliban would burn them or use them to find and target staff,” a government employee told the Guardian.

“Some took them but I refused, I’m scared these documents could be a death warrant for me.”

The Taliban has swept across Afghanistan since launching a campaign in May, seizing swathes of rural territory. Its forces did not initially target major cities, but are now threatening several beside Herat.

This week the militants attacked two cities in the south, reaching into the centre of Kandahar City and massing outside Lashkar Gah in Helmand, where government forces called an airstrike that destroyed a 10-bed hospital.

Officials said it had been seized by the Taliban to treat its wounded fighters. Sher Ali Shakir, provincial public health director of Helmand, said the hospital was destroyed, one person killed, and two wounded, AFP reported.

In Herat, government forces were fighting alongside the men of Ismail Khan, a septuagenarian veteran of several iterations of civil war in Afghanistan, and American bomber planes provided airstrikes.

Khan was on the Herat frontline on Saturday morning and criticised the government for not sending reinforcements to the city.

“President Ashraf Ghani talked with me yesterday and according to his orders we should have received reinforcements last night, but the defence ministry has not sent us anything yet,” Khan said.

Desperate residents have been fleeing their homes in both Gozara and Injil districts, the focus of fighting on the outskirts of Herat, since Wednesday. Shops were closed in southern parts of the city as sporadic gunfire was heard in the region about noon on Saturday.

On Friday the UN said insurgents attacked their compound in Herat with rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire, killing a guard. The Taliban denied targeting the compound or its diplomats, claiming it was hit in crossfire.

The attack was condemned by UN secretary general António Guterres and US national security advisor Jake Sullivan.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/01/us-launches-emergency-airlift-to-rescue-afghan-allies-at-risk-of-talibans-revenge

America has launched emergency airlifts for Afghans who worked with its armed forces and diplomats, evacuating hundreds who are still waiting for their visas to the United States on military flights.

Only people in the final stages of a long, slow and bureaucratic visa process are eligible for the airlift, but bringing applicants to the continental US in large numbers is still unprecedented in recent years, officials working on the programme say.

It reflects growing political pressure in the US over the fate of Afghans who supported the Nato mission in Afghanistan and now face retaliation as the security situation deteriorates.

Tens of thousands of Afghans with a US connection are waiting for a response to their visa applications, including more than 18,000 who worked for the military or embassy, and in excess of 50,000 family members eligible to travel with them. Some have been in limbo for years.

There is increasing concern about the fate of Afghan allies in the UK too. Dozens of former military commanders last week called on the government to allow more people who worked for British forces to settle in the country.

Last week CNN reported that a former interpreter for American troops had been beheaded by Taliban fighters at a militant checkpoint. Others still in the country say they face regular death threats and fear they will be hunted down as the insurgents seize more territory.

The Taliban’s sweeping gains, in a campaign launched in May, have so far been confined to rural areas, but government troops and militias that back them have been struggling to hold back Taliban fighters inside three provincial capitals.

In the south, airstrikes were called in to protect Lashkar Gah in Helmand and Kandahar City, while in western Herat, fighting closed the airport for several days and the UN said its compound came under attack by militants who killed a guard.

The first evacuation flight to America landed on Thursday, with about 200 passengers from Kabul, said JC Hendrickson, senior director for policy and advocacy at the International Rescue Committee (IRC), which is supporting the new arrivals. In a sign of how hastily the programme has been set up, Hendrickson said they were only asked to take part last week and rushed staff to Virginia to prepare.

The IRC has helped more than 16,000 Afghans settle in the US after securing special immigrant visas (SIVs), but this is the first time they have been involved with visa processing. They expect up to 3,000 people to arrive on the special flights.

“Certainly in the last decade or two, I’ve never heard of anything like this … in the territorial United States,” Hendrickson said.

“It’s a big step in the right direction, supporting people whose lives are at risk because of their affiliation with the United States.”

He called on the government to go further in supporting Afghans at risk, including clearing the backlog of SIV applications, and setting up a separate visa programme for Afghans who have American links that could make them Taliban targets, but do not qualify for an SIV visa.

“The government should take an ‘everything and the kitchen sink’ approach to helping people who are US-affiliated,” Hendrickson said, praising moves in Congress to allocate additional resources to processing visas for military and embassy staff, and create a visa pathway for other Afghans at risk. “There are tools that the US government can can deploy outside of this specific (SIV) process. And we think it’s urgently necessary that they do so.”

President Biden has promised that the US will not abandon allies in Afghanistan, as it did during its hasty exit from Vietnam.

The government is scrambling around for ways to get the tens of thousands of visa applicants to safety, while they are still being vetted, and is reportedly in talks with governments in Central Asia and the Persian Gulf about hosting them.

Those being allowed directly into the US, under a condition known as “humanitarian parole”, are the small proportion who had already completed strict background and security vetting. They were only waiting for medical checks, or for visas to be issued.

Normally people who secure SIV visas are expected to arrange their own travel from Afghanistan, but military planes have flown this group to the US. They will be housed on the Fort Lee military base until they have completed the final stages of visa applications, the Pentagon said last week.

The Taliban have said they will not harm interpreters but few of those who served with the US military trust that assurance. There have been multiple reports of human rights abuses, including targeted killings, in areas seized by the group.

These include video that appeared to show Taliban fighters executing a group of commandos as they tried to surrender in May. The Taliban deny executing the soldiers and say the video was faked.

Last month militants also mutilated the body of Pulitzer prize-winning photographer Danish Siddiqui, who worked for the Reuters news agency, the New York Times reported on Saturday, citing photographs as well as Afghan and Indian officials.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/01/resurgent-taliban-escalates-nationwide-offensive-in-afghanistan

The Taliban escalated its nationwide offensive in Afghanistan on Sunday, renewing assaults on three major cities and rocketing a major airport in the south amid warnings that the conflict was rapidly worsening.

As Afghan government forces struggled with a resurgent Taliban after the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces, hundreds of commandos were deployed to the economically important western city of Herat, while authorities in the southern city of Lashkar Gah called for more troops to rein in the assaults amid fierce fighting.

In Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of Helmand – once the focus of UK military efforts – eyewitnesses described street fighting, bodies lying in the open and Afghan government and US airstrikes raining down on Taliban positions.

According to reports from the city, Afghan forces remained in control of the city centre late on Sunday. The current focus of the Taliban’s efforts appears to be a number of key provincial capitals, not least in the country’s south, with the ambition that the fall of Kandahar or Lashkar Gah would rapidly topple the five surrounding provinces.

The capture of any major urban centre would also take their current offensive to another level and fuel concerns that the army is incapable of resisting the Taliban’s advances.

The spokesperson for the Afghan armed forces, Gen Ajmal Omar Shinwari, told a press conference on Sunday that three provinces in southern and western Afghanistan faced critical security situations.

Aid agencies are also fearful that the fall of a major city would worsen an emerging humanitarian crisis that has already forced large numbers to flee their homes.

“The aircraft are bombing the city every minute. Every inch of the city has been bombed,” Badshah Khan, a resident of Lashkar Gah, told Agence France-Presse by phone.

“You can see dead bodies on the streets. There are bodies of people in the main square.”

The Taliban also struck the sprawling Kandahar airport in southern Afghanistan with at least three rockets overnight, the insurgent group’s spokesman said on Sunday, adding that the aim was to thwart airstrikes conducted by Afghan government forces.

“Kandahar airport was targeted by us because the enemy were using it as a centre to conduct airstrikes against us,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesperson. Afghan government officials said the rocket attacks forced authorities to suspend all flights and the runway was partially damaged.

Airport chief Massoud Pashtun said two rockets had hit the runway and repairs were under way, with planes likely to resume service later on Sunday.

The facility is vital to maintaining the logistics and air support needed to keep the Taliban from overrunning the city, while also providing aerial cover for large tracts of southern Afghanistan.

Officials said the Taliban saw Kandahar as a major strategic focus for their efforts amid the suggestion that the Taliban would like to use it as a temporary capital in the south.

In the country’s west, Afghan officials acknowledged that the Taliban had gained control of strategic buildings around Herat city, forcing civilians to remain in their homes.

On Sunday, the ministry of defence said that hundreds of commandos had been sent to Herat to help beat back the insurgent assault.

“These forces will increase offensive operations and suppress the Taliban in Herat,” the ministry tweeted.

Lashkar Gah, however, appears the most vulnerable.

Heavy clashes between the Taliban and government forces were continuing inside the city on Sunday, with militant fighters described as being only a few hundred metres from the governor’s office on Saturday amid Afghan and US airstrikes on Taliban positions.

“Fighting is going on inside the city and we have asked for special forces to be deployed,” Ataullah Afghan, the head of Helmand provincial council, told AFP.

“The city is in the worst condition. I do not know what will happen,” said Halim Karimi, a resident of the city of 200,000 residents.

“Neither the Taliban will have mercy on us, nor will the government stop bombing.”

The Taliban has been advancing in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US and Nato troops from the country, and in recent weeks the fundamentalist Islamist group said it had captured more than half of all Afghanistan’s territory, including border crossings with Iran and Pakistan.

As fighting raged, President Ashraf Ghani again slammed the Taliban for failing to marshal its negotiating power to reach a peace deal.

“We want peace but they want us to surrender,” Ghani said at a cabinet meeting.

The government has repeatedly dismissed the militants’ steady gains over the summer as lacking strategic value but has largely failed to reverse their momentum on the battlefield.

The Taliban has seized Afghan cities in the past but have managed to retain them only briefly.

The increasingly dire situation in Afghanistan has raised fears of a new Taliban takeover, with Boris Johnson admitting in the House of Commons last month that he was “apprehensive” about the future of Afghanistan.

“If you ask me whether I feel happy about the current situation in Afghanistan, of course I don’t. I’m apprehensive,” Johnson told parliament’s liaison committee.

Thousands have been killed in the conflict, including more than 50,000 Afghan civilians and more than 2,000 US and 400 British troops.

 

[MenInG]

When National Security Adviser (NSA) Dr Moeed Yusuf and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt General Faiz Hameed arrived in Washington last week, there were no photo ops or any fanfare about their visit taking place at a critical juncture.

The NSA and the ISI chief met concerned officials during their stay in the US capital but the only statement was from the US NSA, Jake Sullivan, who tweeted after meeting Dr Moeed and Lt Gen Faiz.

But Dr Moeed was not bothered about it, insisting the PTI government’s US policy is “pragmatic and unapologetic, but not boastful” and urged people not to look for “big pictures and all-embracing headlines”. He on Sunday said the focus of the visit was more on substance than optics.

Behind the scene there were indeed substantive discussions focused largely on the Afghan endgame and future of Pakistan-US ties, sources familiar with the development told The Express Tribune.

According to the sources, the NSA and the ISI chief delivered a message to the US authorities, warning them not to abandon Afghanistan. The US was told that the complete detachment of the US from Afghanistan after their troops’ withdrawal would allow terrorist outfits such as Al Qaeda to regroup and eventually become a security threat not only to the region but also to Washington.

Pakistan wants the US to remain engaged with the Afghan situation in order to ensure that there is some political settlement after its withdrawal instead of civil war. Prime Minister Imran Khan also recently criticised the US approach and blamed Washington for the Afghan mess.

The worry in Pakistan is that the US may abandon Afghanistan altogether leaving regional countries to face the blowback of a potential civil war in Afghanistan. It is because of this reason that Pakistan has been working with regional countries including Russia and China to prevent the civil war in Afghanistan.

Both Russia and China are also critical of the US strategy on Afghanistan and publicly blamed Washington for leaving the neighbouring country in a total mess. But given the role of the US, Pakistan, Russia and China are still seeking to engage with the Biden administration.

For this purpose senior officials of Pakistan, China, Russia and the US are scheduled to meet in Doha on August 11. The so-called “Extended Trioka” will discuss the current situation in Afghanistan and discuss ways to seek a political settlement.

In Washington while the NSA and the ISI director general shared Pakistan's perspective, the US conveyed its expectations. Despite Pakistan's insistence on not having a similar influence over the Afghan Taliban, the US feels Pakistan can still play an important role.

However, Dr Moeed dismissed the perception that Pakistan has great influence over the Taliban. If that was the case, Pakistan would have at least persuaded the Taliban to force out the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from Afghanistan.

Pakistan and China have been pushing the Afghan Taliban to cut ties with the TTP and East Turkestan Islamic Movement ((ETIM). The Taliban in general have made a commitment that they would not allow Afghan soil to be used against any other country.

But observers are skeptical as the recent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) report suggested that the Taliban still maintain contacts with al-Qaeda and other terrorist outfits.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/02/commandos-deployed-afghanistan-forces-battle-taliban-control-of-cities

Afghan forces are battling to stop a first provincial city from falling to the Taliban following weekend offensives from the insurgents on urban centres in a major escalation in fighting.

Taliban fighters assaulted at least three provincial capitals overnight – Lashkar Gah, Kandahar and Herat – after a weekend of heavy fighting that resulted in thousands of civilians fleeing the advancing militants.

Fighting raged in Lashkar Gah, Helmand’s provincial capital, where the Taliban launched coordinated attacks on the city centre and its prison hours after the government announced the deployment of hundreds of commandos to the area.

Fighting has intensified since early May, with the insurgents capitalising on the final stages of the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces after almost 20 years.

“Afghan forces on the ground and by airstrikes repelled the attack,” the military in Helmand said of the assault on Lashkar Gah.

One resident, Hawa Malalai, warned of a growing crisis in the city. “There is fighting, power cuts, sick people in hospital, the telecommunication networks are down. There are no medicines and pharmacies are closed.”

Helmand for years was the centrepiece of the US and British military campaign in Afghanistan, only for it to slip deeper into instability.

The province was the scene of some of the fiercest fighting between foreign forces and the Taliban over the years when tens of thousands of troops poured in for the former US president Barack Obama’s surge.

The vast poppy fields in the provinces provide the lion’s share of the opium for the international heroin trade, making it a lucrative source of tax and cash for the Taliban’s war chest.

The loss of Helmand’s capital would be a massive strategic and psychological blow for the government, which pledged to defend provincial capitals at all costs after losing much of the rural countryside to the Taliban over the summer.

Fighting also raged in some districts of Kandahar, the former bastion of the insurgents, and on the outskirts of the provincial capital.

Kandahar airport came under attack overnight on Sunday, with the Taliban firing rockets that damaged the runway, leading to the suspension of flights for several hours. The facility is vital to maintaining the logistics and air support needed to keep the Taliban from overrunning the city, while also providing aerial cover for large tracts of southern Afghanistan including nearby Lashkar Gah.

In the west, hundreds of commandos were also defending Herat after days of fierce fighting.

“The threat is high in these three provinces ... but we are determined to repel their attacks,” the Afghan security forces spokesperson Ajmal Omar Shinwari told reporters on Sunday, adding it was an “emergency situation”.

The capture of any major urban centre by the Taliban would take their current offensive to another level and fuel concerns that the army is incapable of holding out.

“If Afghan cities fall ... the US decision to withdraw from Afghanistan will be remembered as one of the most notable strategic blunders in American foreign policy,” the Australia-based Afghanistan expert Nishank Motwani told AFP.

It would show that Washington “abandoned the most pro-American government in the region to radical Islamists that believe in turning to rubble all that has been built over the past two decades”.

Kabul has repeatedly dismissed the militants’ steady gains over the summer as lacking strategic value, but has largely failed to reverse their momentum.

The Taliban have seized Afghan cities in the past but have retained them only briefly.

On Monday, the Biden administration announced that because of increased Taliban violence, it was expanding the eligibility of refugee admissions for Afghans with US links.

The state department said that the expanded eligibility will include Afghans who worked with US-based media organizations or non-governmental organizations or on projects backed by US funding.

But the US does not intend to help them leave the country, nor support them during the 12-14 month adjudication process.

 

[Firebat]

Afghanistan: Lashkar Gah residents urged to evacuate amid Taliban battle

Residents of a besieged Afghan city have been urged to evacuate ahead of an army operation against the Taliban.

General Sami Sadat, who is leading the battle against the Taliban in the southern province of Helmand, called on people to leave its capital Lashkar Gah as soon as possible.

At least 40 civilians have been killed in Lashkar Gah in the past day amid intense fighting, the UN says.

The Taliban are reported to have captured most of the city.

But the fighting is continuing and government forces have vowed not to let it fall into militant hands.

In a message to residents of the city, Gen Sadat said the army would "not leave a single Taliban alive".

"I know it is very difficult for you to leave your houses - it is hard for us too - but if you are displaced for a few days please forgive us," he said.

Gen Sadat earlier told the BBC that while government forces had lost ground, he believed the Taliban would be unable to sustain their assault.

The Taliban assault in Helmand province is part of a major offensive across Afghanistan.

The militants have made rapid advances in recent months as US forces have withdrawn after 20 years of military operations in the country.

Helmand was the centrepiece of the US and British military campaign, and any Taliban gains there would be a blow for the Afghan government.

If Lashkar Gah fell, it would be the first provincial capital won by the Taliban since 2016, when they briefly held the northern city of Kunduz.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58068299

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/powerful-explosion-hits-kabul-witnesses-2021-08-03/

A powerful blast followed by sporadic gunfire hit Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Tuesday near the city's heavily fortified "Green Zone", an area home to government buildings and foreign embassies, police officials said.

A senior security official said the blast appeared to have been caused by a car bomb and the apparent target was the residence of a member of parliament.

Two gunmen were still in the area and clashing with Afghan security forces, the official said.

The city's Emergency Hospital said in a tweet it had so far received six people wounded in the attack.

No group immediately claimed responsibility.

Minutes after the blast hundreds of civilians in Kabul came out on to the streets and chanted Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest) to express their support for Afghan government forces and opposition to the Taliban.

Last week residents in western Herat braved the streets despite nearby fighting to protest against the Taliban. Other cities quickly organised to join the chant from their homes in the evenings, as a message of support for embattled security forces.

Clashes between Afghan forces and the Taliban have intensified across the country with the insurgent group gaining control over check points, trading posts and infrastructure projects.

The Taliban said their fighters in Kabul killed a district governor of central Maidan Wardak province on Tuesday, the latest in a series of killings by the insurgent group aimed at eliminating senior government officials and social activists.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Intense battle going on in Lashkar Gah.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ur" dir="rtl">لشکرگاہ میں طالبان اور حکومتی فورسز کے درمیان لڑائی پولیس ہیڈکوارٹر تک پہنچ گئی <a href="https://t.co/ko0mgaGmDL">pic.twitter.com/ko0mgaGmDL</a></p>— افغان اردو (@AfghanUrdu) <a href="https://twitter.com/AfghanUrdu/status/1422806494412673027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


This is near police / military headquarters

-------


Kabul Administraion's airforce bombing this market area:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ur" dir="rtl">صوبہ ہلمند کے صدرمقام لشکرگاہ شہر میں کابل انتظامیہ کی فضائیہ نےجیولری سپر مارکیٹ پر بمباری کی، جس سے مارکیٹ کو آگ نے لپیٹ میں لیا، عوام کو بھاری مالی نقصان پہنچا۔ <a href="https://t.co/3CBm0fSclh">pic.twitter.com/3CBm0fSclh</a></p>— افغان اردو (@AfghanUrdu) <a href="https://twitter.com/AfghanUrdu/status/1422804104334790656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/04/taliban-suicide-bomb-attack-targets-defence-ministers-kabul-home

A suicide-bomb and gun attack in Kabul’s Green Zone that targeted Afghanistan’s acting defence minister and killed eight people on Tuesday was claimed by the Taliban, as the hardline Islamist group continued to escalate violence across the country.

The suicide bombing, which targeted the house used by Bismillah Mohammadi, was one of the most significant in the Afghan capital in recent months. It came amid heavy fighting in the south and west of the country as the Taliban have sought to take three key cities.

The attack took place in the wealthy Sherpur neighbourhood, located in a section of the capital known as the Green Zone, where security is tight.

In a statement claiming responsibility, the Taliban spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, said: “The attack is the beginning of the retaliatory operations against the circles and leaders of the Kabul administration who are ordering attacks and the bombing of different parts of the country.”

Mujahid said the attack was made in revenge for recent attacks by Afghan national forces in various provinces that he said caused civilian casualties and displacement. At least four Taliban fighters were killed in the assault.

It represents a major escalation by the Taliban, who have largely refrained from large-scale attacks in the capital in recent years after starting talks with the United States on troop withdrawal.

The attack came amid reports that at least 18 civilians, including women and children, had been killed by an airstrike in the southern city of Kandahar as a further 49,000 people were displaced by fighting in the country.

The Kabul attack came in two parts. A first bomb exploded in the centre of Kabul, sending a thick plume of smoke into the sky. It was followed by a second blast around two hours later, then by smaller explosions and rapid gunfire, also near the high-security Green Zone that houses several embassies, including the US mission.

Afghan forces repelled the attackers, leaving the minister unharmed, but at least eight people were killed.

A security source said several attackers stormed a lawmaker’s house after setting off the car bomb and shot at the residence of the minister from there.

The Taliban threat to Kabul came after the Afghan military launched a counterattack against the insurgents in the southern city of Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province, which the Taliban has swept through, capturing most of the city’s districts.

The military asked people to leave the city on Tuesday as they prepared an offensive.

Saleh Mohammad, a resident, said hundreds of families had fled as fighting erupted, trapping many in the crossfire.

“There is no way to escape from the area because the fighting is ongoing. There is no guarantee that we will not be killed on the way,” Mohammad said. “The government and the Taliban are destroying us.”

An Afghan military spokesperson said an emergency had been declared in Lashkar Gah and government forces were getting reinforcements and US air support. “Special forces have been sent to the area. They are in good morale,” Gen Ajmal Omar Shinwari told Reuters.

The loss of Lashkar Gah would be a huge blow for the government, which has pledged to defend strategic centres after losing many rural districts to the Taliban in recent months.

Herat international airport remained closed on Wednesday after it was targeted by at least four mortars on Tuesday. Intense clashes continued around the airport and the key district of Gozara on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

“Tickets to Kabul have already been booked until Sunday and more people are in line and waiting to get [a] ticket [to] leave the city,” a ticket seller said. The airport had been the only safe way to leave the besieged city since the Taliban took over the border crossings to Iran and Turkmenistan.

As Taliban fighters attacked the eastern outskirts of the city for the first time on Wednesday afternoon, security forces and men loyal to the warlord Ismail Khan were seen rushing toward the Shaidaei refugee camp towards the east.

Refugees who had fled to Herat from fighting elsewhere were caught in crossfire on Wednesday afternoon and airstrikes were also reported in the area.

“We fled Farah province when [the] Taliban took over our town and [we] came here, living in tents, but at least we were secure from getting killed in crossfire,” a refugee in the camp told the Guardian. “The war came to us again here and we don’t know where to flee now.”

Heavy clashes were also under way in two western Herat neighbourhoods, Ab Borda and Hawz e Karbas, which have seen fierce fighting over the past week. Taliban fighters were seen walking freely in the city’s southern outskirts and sporadic gunfire was heard in the region.

Schools were closed for a third day as people were asked to stay at home by the government for a “clearance operation”.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/06/taliban-captures-provincial-capital-in-afghanistan

The Taliban has captured an Afghan provincial capital after pleas for reinforcements by local security forces went unheard, in a major blow to the western-backed government.

Zaranj, in the south-western province of Nimroz, fell after just three hours of fighting becoming the first provincial capital to be taken by the insurgents who have intensified their nationwide offensive as foreign forces withdraw from Afghanistan after 20 years of war.

Late on Friday, heavily armed Taliban fighters driving captured Humvees were patrolling the streets of Nimroz, one of the country’s main financial hubs, where Taliban commanders declared an overnight curfew.

“Nowhere in the entire Nimroz province is under government control – the Taliban has captured it all,” said one local official. “Security forces have either fled to other provinces or surrendered to the Taliban.”

Officials in the city near the border with Iran said that government forces had called for reinforcements for more than a week, but their appeals went unanswered.

About 3,000 people fled into Iran before the neighbouring country shut its border, according to residents. Locals with any connection to the government were in hiding, fearful of revenge attacks by the Taliban.

“Taliban fighters are freely walking on the streets,” Shakib, a local resident, said by phone. “Anyone who could, fled to Iran last night before they closed the border. My family and I tried to escape too but we got there too late. Everybody is scared of our new rulers.”

Taliban forces have swept across Afghanistan since launching their campaign in May, seizing swathes of rural territory. The insurgents did not initially target major urban areas, but are now threatening several large cities, such as Herat.

Officials in Zaranj said government forces had been pleading for reinforcements for about 10 days, with no response. The attack on the city intensified on Wednesday this week after the Taliban over-ran a nearby district.

Fighting on Friday was focused around the governor’s office, and the local police and intelligence headquarters and and ended when government forces retreated, a local official said. Taliban fighters also attacked the city’s prison and freed the inmates.

“We don’t know where the local governor and police commander are – we only know they have fled Zaranj city over the afternoon,” another official said.

Meanwhile, in Sheberghan, the provincial capital of Jawzjan, intense street-to-street fighting was under way on Friday and in Herat, government forces along with armed men loyal to the warlord Ismail Khan were exchanging fire in at least one part of the city.

In Kabul, Taliban gunmen killed Dawa Khan Menapal, head of the government’s media and information centre, in the latest in a series of assassinations aimed at weakening President Ashraf Ghani’s democratically elected government.

A Taliban commander, told Reuters that the capture of Zaranj marked a major strategic victory, considering its proximity to the Iranian border.

“This is the beginning and see how other provinces fall in our hands very soon,” he said.

 

[saeedhk]

#WeStandwithTaliban trends in Pakistan. The amount of support the Taliban enjoy in Pakistan is scary!

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/07/taliban-seize-second-afghan-provincial-capital-in-two-days-sheberghan

The Taliban have captured a second provincial capital in Afghanistan, a day after they took over the south-western financial hub of Zaranj, as the insurgent group continued to advance in urban parts of the country.

Taliban fighters armed with heavy weapons overran the strategic city of Sheberghan, the capital of the northern Jawzjan province, on Saturday afternoon. The city was considered a stronghold of the notorious Afghan warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum, who is believed to be in Kabul after returning to Afghanistan this week following medical treatment in Turkey.

“It’s more than 10 days that the city of Sheberghan is under Taliban attack, but they started their major assault at around 4am this morning and the city fell at around 1pm,” Babur Eshchi, the head of the local provincial council, said by phone from an undisclosed region in the province.

“Local security forces along with the people’s uprising forces retreated over the afternoon after heavy clashes and resistance. They retreated to the airport, one of few places remaining under government control,” Eshchi said.

The Taliban have seized control of much of rural Afghanistan since foreign forces began the last stage of their withdrawal in early May. The insurgents did not initially target major urban areas, but are now threatening several large cities, including Herat and Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province.

Only Sheberghan’s airport remained under government control as Taliban fighters shared clips showing their presence inside the local governor’s compound.

“There are no clashes for the airport at this hour. Local police commander and governor are there at the moment. We don’t know what’s going on with the people inside the city and that is concerning, but they were devastated in the early hours of today,” another local official said. “There is no military plan to take the city back, but we are in touch with Kabul. We asked for reinforcement, we received some, but that was not enough; the city fell.”

The fall of Sheberghan came after the Taliban took over the city of Zaranj, in the south-west province of Nimroz, on Friday – the first provincial capital to be captured by the insurgents, in an intensification of their nationwide offensive. The insurgents also claimed responsibility for the killing of the head of the Afghan government’s media information department in Kabul on Friday.

People in Sheberghan said the city was almost empty on Saturday afternoon and many residents had fled to neighbouring provinces.

“The city is completely under the Taliban control. They are freely patrolling in the city, but there is still sporadic gunfire in parts of the city,” one resident said. “There are few people out on [the] streets. Those who came back to their businesses are very scared as Taliban are in control now.”

“The city was full of inmates this morning,” he added, referring to the Taliban’s release of hundreds of inmates from the provincial prison in the early hours of Saturday.

“Local people are in a devastating situation. Many had already fled to the provincial capital when their regions fell. People who could fled to places like [the city of] Mazar.”

 

[ahmedzee]

#WeStandwithTaliban trends in Pakistan. The amount of support the Taliban enjoy in Pakistan is scary!

Well, the US, and India at govt level are still engaging with Taliban. What do you have to say about that? Don’t you think that super power like US, and regional power like india are engaging with Taliban? That to me is more scary that a Twitter trend in Pakistan.

 

[street cricketer]

Taliban close border crossing with Pakistan, call for visa-free travel for Afghans

KABUL/QUETTA Aug 6 (Reuters) - The Taliban closed a key border crossing with Pakistan on Friday, saying no one would be allowed through until Islamabad dropped or relaxed its visa requirements for Afghans.

The Taliban, wresting control of Afghanistan in the wake of a withdrawal of U.S. and other foreign troops, last month captured the southeast Chaman-Spin Boldak border crossing from Afghan forces.

Pakistan initially closed its side of the crossing, landlocked Afghanistan's second busiest entry point and main commercial artery to the sea, before reopening it last week.

But since the Taliban took control of Chaman-Spin Boldak, Pakistani border officials there have begun enforcing visa requirements for Afghans which previously were not as strictly observed.

In a statement on Friday, the Taliban statement called on Pakistan to scrap all visa requirements for Afghans.

"(The crossing) will remain closed for all types of commuting, including transit and trade, for both sides, and pedestrians, until the Pakistani side leaves the gate open, morning to evening, for Afghans holding [Pakistani issued] migration cards or [Afghan] ID cards," the insurgent group's shadow governor for Kandahar province said in the statement.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the group's leadership had endorsed the move, and on Friday the border had been closed.

Since U.S.-led foreign troops began leaving Afghanistan earlier this year, fighting between the Taliban and Afghan forces has escalated significantly. In recent weeks, the Taliban have advanced rapidly on provincial capitals and targeted top government officials inside Kabul.

The hardline Islamist insurgents have also taken control of several border crossings, including with Iran and Central Asian countries, but the crossing with Pakistan provides a significant customs revenue.

Ensuring it is open for visa-free travel would not only curry favour with ordinary Afghans, but also shore up a route to parts of Pakistan that have historically housed the insurgent group's fighters and part of its leadership. read more

Afghan government data indicates the route was used by 900 trucks a day before the Taliban seized it.

The closure could impact import of medicines and other essential goods as violence has sharply escalated in Afghanistan amidst a pandemic, with the United Nations saying hundreds of thousands have been displaced internally.

Spokespersons for Pakistan's Foreign and Interior ministries did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters.

Pakistani border officials at Chaman told Reuters the Taliban had placed concrete barriers to block the road on their side of the Friendship Gate, the crossing point between the two countries.

Pakistan responded by closing its side of the border on Friday, leaving pedestrians, passenger vehicles, and cargo trucks stranded.

Many Afghans living in Pakistan have been issued migration cards by Islamabad allowing them to stay, but those who want to enter Pakistan today need to obtain a visa.

Pakistan and the Taliban have long shared close relations – though Islamabad says its support for the Taliban ended after the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan.

Western capitals and Kabul say Pakistan's support to the Taliban continues and many of its leaders have safe havens in the country – which Islamabad denies.

Pakistan is considered key in convincing the Taliban to participate meaningfully in the peace talks with the Afghan government.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-...tan-call-visa-free-travel-afghans-2021-08-06/

 

[street cricketer]

Not sure why Pakistan has closed its border with Afghanistan. I can understand if those regions were under the Afghan government/military and Pakistan might be wary of those regions being used against them in nefarious activities but since a friendly power in the Taliban has taken over Spin boldak crossing, it doesn't make sense in closing the border region controlled by an ally and not letting the Taliban revolutionaries and dignitaries to have free movement to Pakistan.

 

[King_Kohli]

Pakistan ‘deeply regrets’ UNSC snub

ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan has expressed “deep regret” over the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) president’s decision not to invite it to a session on Afghanistan despite a request, while categorically rejecting all allegations levelled during the session.

The UNSC met on Friday to discuss the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan and concluded the session with a joint call urging all parties including the Taliban to reduce violence and seek a political settlement. Pakistan had also requested the UNSC chair – currently held by India’s permanent representative – to allow it to participate in the session in order to present its perspective on the Afghan situation.

But the UNSC president did not accept the request, prompting the Foreign Office and Pakistan’s permanent ambassador to the UN to issue strong statements.

“It is a matter of deep regret that, as the closest neighbour of Afghanistan, whose contribution in the ongoing peace process has been recognised by the international community, Pakistan’s request to the president of the Security Council to address the council’s session and present its perspective on the Afghan peace process and the way forward was not acceded to,” according to an FO statement issued on Saturday, a day after the UNSC session.

“On the other hand, the council’s platform was made available to enable the peddling of a false narrative against Pakistan,” the statement added.

The FO also referred to the statement made by Afghanistan’s representative at the UNSC meeting, saying the envoy spread disinformation and levelled baseless allegations against Pakistan with a view to mislead the international community.

“Pakistan categorically rejects these accusations. Pakistan’s position on the issue has been shared with the Security Council members,” the FO noted.

Read Pakistan ‘watchful, but not concerned’ as India assumes UNSC presidency for August

According to the statement, Pakistan had repeatedly shared its perspective on peace and stability in Afghanistan in clear and unambiguous terms with the international community.

“We emphatically reiterate that there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and that a negotiated political settlement is the only way forward for durable peace and security in the country.

“Towards that end, Pakistan’s constructive efforts with support of the international community led to achieving important milestones in Doha peace process including the US-Taliban Peace Agreement and the UNSC subsequent commencement of Intra-Afghan Negotiations.”

“As the US and Nato forces are near completion of their withdrawal from Afghanistan, we are seriously concerned at the growing violence in Afghanistan and lack of substantive progress in the Intra-Afghan Negotiations.

Expressing deep concern at the reports of human rights violations, we urge all sides to ensure full respect for human rights and international humanitarian law,” the statement said.

Pakistan called upon all warring sides in Afghanistan to eschew the military approach, engage constructively in negotiations, and work together to secure an inclusive, broadbased and comprehensive political settlement.

“It is equally important to remain cognizant of spoilers, both within and outside, who do not wish to see the return of peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region.”

“We also urge the Government of Afghanistan, once again, to refrain from the blame-game and engage with Pakistan in a meaningful manner to address the challenges to peace, security and progress in the region.

In this regard, we reiterate the need for effective use of bilateral institutional arrangements such as the Afghanistan Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS),” the statement concluded.

As the situation deteriorates in Afghanistan, certain elements in Kabul are pointing a finger at Pakistan for supporting the Afghan Taliban, who are making rapid inroads in Afghanistan since May. Pakistan has always denied such allegations and insisted that it has no favorites in the war-torn country.

Read more UNSC calls for bringing Dasu attack perpetrators to justice

Pakistan Permanent Ambassador to the UN Munir Akram also strongly deplored allegations made on Friday by Afghan and Indian diplomats that terrorists use its territory as a safe haven, saying the country’s border with Afghanistan has been fenced and there is no free flow of people.

“We would never allow our soil to be used to destabilize Afghanistan and expect the same from Afghanistan,” Ambassador Akram told a press conference at the UN headquarters, hours after the UNSC session on Afghanistan.

At his press conference, Akram also criticized India, the council president for the month of August, for denying Pakistan an opportunity to address the UNSC as a neighbouring country with a direct stake in peace in Afghanistan.

“We made a formal request for participation but it was denied,” he told reporters. “Obviously, we do not expect fairness from the Indian presidency for Pakistan.”

Pakistan’s complete statement on the situation in Afghanistan will be circulated to the UNSC members, he said.

Rejecting allegations about safe havens and sanctuaries as well as cross-borders movements of the Taliban fighters as “mere fantasies”, the Pakistani envoy said, “Pakistan has eliminated terrorist groups from its soil. There are no safe havens in Pakistan.”

“Terrorism possesses a huge challenge to Afghanistan, to its neighbouring countries, particularly Pakistan,” Akram said, while urging the international community to prevent the Afghan territory from being used by Al Qaeda, Da’ish and other international terrorist groups like Tehreeke-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) to carry out attacks against any country.

“Pakistan is especially concerned at the support being provided to the TTP and the Jamaatul Ahrar (JuA) by a third country,” he said, adding, “So, the shoe is now on the other foot.” Ambassador Akram also slammed regional “spoilers” who he said were attempting to derail the Afghan peace process that Pakistan had facilitated.

He warned against the spoilers, “both within and outside Afghanistan” against their machinations to promote their vested interests.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2314452/pakistan-deeply-regrets-unsc-snub

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Not sure why Pakistan has closed its border with Afghanistan. I can understand if those regions were under the Afghan government/military and Pakistan might be wary of those regions being used against them in nefarious activities but since a friendly power in the Taliban has taken over Spin boldak crossing, it doesn't make sense in closing the border region controlled by an ally and not letting the Taliban revolutionaries and dignitaries to have free movement to Pakistan.

Pakistan will remain the constant loser, doesn't matter who wins, the Taliban, the Puppets or the Martians...

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Afghanistan: Taliban take provincial capital | DW News