Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty November 10, 2020 KABUL — The Taliban has called on U.S. President-elect Joe Biden to stick to a February peace agreement between the militant group and the United States, describing its implementation as the “the most reasonable and effective tool” for ending the war in Afghanistan. The Taliban itself remains committed to the
By Roshan Noorzai VOA News November 6, 2020 WASHINGTON – The Afghan government says that the killing of a high-ranking al-Qaida leader in a Taliban safe haven in eastern Afghanistan last month is an indication that the Taliban is not keeping up with its pledge to end ties with al-Qaida. “Unfortunately, the Taliban still provide a
Tolo News: Gen. Yasin Zia, Chief of Army Staff, who is in south of the country following an increase in Taliban attacks, said on Thursday that more al-Qaeda members have been killed in operations by Afghan National Defense and Security Forces in a Taliban-influenced area in Farah province in the last few days. “The Taliban
By Jeff Seldin VOA News October 26, 2020 WASHINGTON – The United States is confirming the death of a high-ranking al-Qaida official in Afghanistan – only it appears the dead terrorist is not the group’s second-in-command, as has been reported. A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the death of al-Qaida’s Abu Muhsin
By RFE/RL Gandhara October 25, 2020 Afghan security forces have killed Abu Muhsin al-Masri, a senior Al-Qaeda leader who was also wanted by the United States. Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security said in a tweet on October 24 that Masri, believed to be the No. 2 figure in Al-Qaeda, was killed by special forces in central Ghazni Province. It
By Jeff Seldin VOA News October 16, 2020 WASHINGTON – There are growing concerns the United States is vastly underestimating al-Qaida’s strength and influence in Afghanistan, even as the White House continues to talk about ever more ambitious deadlines for bringing home U.S. troops still stationed in the country. Specifically, international terrorism officials, as well
RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan October 15, 2020 LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan — Concerns are rising for the fate of tens of thousands of civilians caught up in battles between the Afghan government forces and the Taliban in the southern province of Helmand. More than 6,000 families have taken refuge in the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah, following
By Frud Bezhan Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty September 16, 2020 The Taliban’s burgeoning financial might could make the militant group immune to pressure from the international community as it negotiates a role in postwar Afghanistan, according to a confidential report commissioned by NATO and obtained by RFE/RL. The Taliban “has achieved, or is close to achieving,
Michael Hughes: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a speech at a virtual think tank event in Washington suggested that the U.S. accomplished its chief objective in Afghanistan because it has decimated al-Qaeda. Pompeo, who certainly has a clear motive for painting a rosy picture, misleads by suggesting al-Qaeda’s strength is reducible to the number of
Xinhua: Afghan political experts have described the U.S.-led war on terror in Afghanistan as a failure. “The so-called U.S.-led war against the Taliban, al-Qaida and terrorist groups has failed to root out the insurgents and bring about peace in Afghanistan,” renowned analyst Shamsul Haq Arianfar told Xinhua. Aimed at dethroning the Taliban regime, demolishing al-Qaida