Ayaz Gul VOA New November 17, 2021 ISLAMABAD — The Taliban foreign minister Wednesday penned an “open letter” to the U.S. Congress, warning of a mass refugee exodus from Afghanistan unless the United States unblocks more than $9 billion in Afghan central bank assets and ends other financial sanctions against the country. Amir Khan Muttaqi wrote
The New Arab: Mohammad Sardar Mubariz, a district police chief in Jawzjan, told AFP the man would target poor women desperate to improve their circumstances. Crime, nepotism and corruption are not new in Afghanistan but rising poverty is undermining the Taliban government’s claim to legitimacy. Click here to read (external link). Other Crime News A
Tolo News: An official of the Islamic Emirate described some top Afghan leaders as “criminals,” referring to the general amnesty, and reassured the public that if the Islamic Emirate granted protection to these leaders the rest of the citizens should not be concerned about their lives. “Is there any bigger criminal than (Hamid) Karzai,
By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi Ron Synovitz November 16, 2021 When Qudratullah lost his family’s farm in northern Afghanistan earlier this year, it was not because of war. It was due to a severe drought — one of the extreme weather conditions in Afghanistan that is blamed on global climate change. The displaced 58-year-old once supported an
Reuters: Hackers from Pakistan used Facebook to target people in Afghanistan with connections to the previous government during the Taliban’s takeover of the country, the company’s threat investigators said in an interview with Reuters. Click here to read more (external link).
The Guardian (UK): Months after Mohadese Mirzaee became Afghanistan’s first female commercial airline pilot, the Taliban took Kabul. Now a refugee in Bulgaria, she is determined to fly again. Click here to read more (external link).
NBC News: It’s been only 2½ months since the last U.S. soldier left Afghanistan after a grueling two-decade war. Yet, perhaps sensing an opportunity to profit from the global attention garnered by the U.S. military’s withdrawal, Universal Pictures has reportedly already launched a cinematic retelling of American heroics during the evacuation. Hollywood tropes routinely brush
WSJ: The Taliban’s new outreach to the Shiite minority goes only so far. Hundreds of Hazara families were displaced by Pashtuns in parts of the Daikundi province in September. The community’s sole representative in Afghanistan’s new government, dominated by Pashtun Sunni clerics, is a deputy minister of health. In Bamiyan province, overwhelmingly populated by Shiites,
8am: According to information provided to Hasht-e Subh, Afghanistan has signed a new contract “against the principles and procurement policies” with an Emirati company by the order of Mohammad Ashraf Ghani after the cancellation of the contract with Olive Group, which was responsible for securing Afghanistan’s airports. The company had no experience in aviation security
Ariana: Alam Gul Haqqani, head of the General Directorate of Passports, said late Monday in a video message that processing of passports at the office in Kabul has been suspended until further notice. He attributed the decision to a technical problem – specifically with the biometric system. Click here to read more (external link).