Tolo News: The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) on Friday urged the Taliban to allow human rights worker to probe a recent mortar attack in Sangin district. This comes after at least 28 civilians were killed and 34 more wounded after four mortar rounds hit a festival being held at a market in Sangin
Michael Hughes: Today’s headlines about the ongoing U.S. exit from Afghanistan eerily resemble those published more than 30 years ago vis-à-vis the Soviet withdrawal, especially with respect to the infighting among the anti-government elements who had the most to gain by the expulsion of a foreign invader. The Peshawar 7 mujahideen factions never really operated
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty July 2, 2020 A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers is due to be briefed on July 2 by senior intelligence officials following reports alleging Russia paid the Taliban bounties to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The briefing comes amid mounting calls for new sanctions against Russia and as the president and
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty July 1, 2020 Al-Qaeda’s regional affiliate in Afghanistan maintains “close ties” to the Taliban and has an “enduring interest” in attacking U.S. troops, the Pentagon says in a new report. Under a February deal between the Taliban and the United States, the insurgents agreed to stop terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty July 1, 2020 U.S. President Donald Trump should consider imposing new economic sanctions on Russia if reports alleging that Moscow paid the Taliban bounties to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan are true, Democrats who were briefed on the matter said. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (Democrat-California), speaking after
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty June 30, 2020 The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says “initial, impartial” findings indicate the Afghan National Army fired mortars on a market in the southern province of Helmand earlier this week, inflicting multiple civilian casualties. “Multiple credible sources assert that the ANA [Afghan National Army] fired lethal mortars
HRW: The Taliban in Afghanistan have imposed severe restrictions on rights in areas under their control despite claims of reform, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Residents reported an inability to criticize or question Taliban actions, violations of the rights of women and girls, and severe limits on freedom of expression and
By Ayaz Gul VOA News June 30,2020 ISLAMABAD – The Taliban said Tuesday its political chief in a video call with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has reassured him the Islamist insurgency does not allow anyone to use Afghanistan to plot attacks against other nations. Pompeo’s contact with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, head of the
Atlantic Council: The COVID-19 pandemic is transforming international relations not just by straining relations among powerful states, but also by disrupting violent nonstate actors. Perhaps no major militant outfit has felt the impact as much as the Taliban. The group’s leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, is either seriously ill with the virus or possibly dead. Sirajuddin Haqqani,
Ayaz Gul VOA News June 29, 2020 ISLAMABAD – A rocket attack on a crowded marketplace in Afghanistan’s volatile southern Helmand province killed at least 23 civilians and injured 15 others on Monday. Residents reportedly accused Afghan security forces of firing the rockets in Sangin district during clashes with the Taliban. The governor’s office in