Bruce Pannier Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty August 24, 2021 There has been a good deal of speculation about how the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan and the dramatic change of power there will affect Central Asia’s relations with the big powers. Some say Russia’s presence in the region will be strengthened, or perhaps China’s,
Steve Herman, Jeff Seldin VOA News August 24, 2021 WHITE HOUSE – President Joe Biden plans to stick to his August 31 deadline for U.S. troops to leave Afghanistan, an administration official said Tuesday. Earlier, Biden and other G-7 leaders met virtually to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, with several pushing for him to keep U.S.
Foreign Policy: Early indications suggest Afghanistan will be led by a 12-man council of criminals, terrorists, and the more pliant members of the former government. The three most powerful men in the leadership council will be Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, co-founder of the Taliban; Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, son of the group’s founder, Mullah Mohammad Omar,
Khaama: A US official has said that the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), William Burns has held an in-person meeting with the co-founder of the Taliban Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Kabul on Monday, August 24. Click here to read more (external link).
Jamie Dettmer VOA News August 24, 2021 The Taliban may discover that retaking Afghanistan may prove an easier task than ruling it. That will depend, though, on how pragmatic and inclusive the Islamist militants are willing to be, say current and former diplomats, because they will need to compromise to secure buy-in from local power
AP: Players from Afghanistan women’s national soccer team had an “important victory” on Tuesday when they were among a group of more than 75 people evacuated on a flight from Kabul. “The last few days have been extremely stressful but today we have achieved an important victory,” former team captain Khalida Popal said. Click here
NYT: For months, on social media, the Taliban have sought to project an image of strength and moderation, an aura of inevitability within Afghanistan and an air of legitimacy to the outside world. Through text messages and encrypted apps, they have targeted government soldiers directly, depicting them as mercenaries and urging them to surrender or
RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi August 23, 2021 As Afghanistan’s last major bastion of anti-Taliban resistance gears up for new fighting against the hard-line Islamist group, there has been an outpouring of support for the effort from residents of the Panjshir Valley. But they are also concerned about the prospect of a prolonged siege of their mountainous