Amu: Former US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said Tuesday that Afghanistan continues to face severe economic struggles, restrictions on girls’ education and efforts by former political leaders to reclaim privileges they lost after the Taliban takeover. In a message on Afghanistan’s Independence Dya, Khalilzad said former Afghan elites and leaders, who he argued “failed to
By Ray Furlong and Omid Marzban Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty August 18, 2025 Kabul residents have told RFE/RL that they are begging for rice and “ready to accept death,” as the World Food Program (WFP) said it was “turning hundreds of thousands of people away” from nutrition centers. WFP Country Director John Aylieff said drought, dramatic aid
Afghanistan International: A former Afghan army commander has accused the Taliban of driving Afghanistan toward collapse through forced displacement, land seizures and the resettlement of outsiders in the country’s north and west. General Farid Ahmadi, who once led Afghanistan’s special forces, said the Taliban’s policies have inflamed ethnic hostilities and placed national unity at risk.
Afghanistan International: Hezb-e-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has accused the Taliban of pursuing a policy of hostility toward all political groups, warning that Afghanistan lacks national unity under their rule. In a series of posts on X on Monday, Hekmatyar questioned whether Afghans could agree on a “national covenant” that would provide a unified and inclusive
Afghanistan International: The Taliban handed over a leaked list of Afghans who worked with Britain to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in exchange for a promise to push Tehran to recognise their government, The Telegraph reported. Citing senior Iranian officials, the newspaper said four Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officers travelled to Kabul last week to collect
8am: The Taliban act with rigid ideology in many areas, blending their tribal and ethnic preferences with selective Quranic verses and prophetic traditions, making life increasingly difficult for ordinary citizens. Yet, when Western interests are at stake, they proceed with far greater caution and restraint. The Taliban know full well that for Donald Trump, the
Afghanistan International: Retirees in Kabul staged another protest on Saturday, demanding payment of pensions they say have been withheld for four years. The group gathered outside the General Directorate of the Pension Fund, accusing the Taliban of ignoring their repeated demonstrations and failing to address their claims. Click here to read more (external link).
Amu: Mohammad Mohaqiq, a senior member of the National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan, defended an upcoming meeting in Pakistan and dismissed criticism from former US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad. Mohaqiq said the gathering, scheduled for Aug. 25–26, is a political and civic event largely organized by Afghan women activists. He argued that Khalilzad