Michael Hughes: It was easy to blame the 2021 collapse of the Afghan economy on the abrupt withdrawal of foreign aid after the fall of Kabul, which overnight effectively cut the country’s GDP nearly in half. In fact, even the most advanced economies would take years to heal from the type of blow Afghanistan took
8am: The Taliban propaganda machine continuously talks about corruption in the previous government and portrays officials of the republic era as hedonistic, extravagant individuals indifferent to the suffering of the people. The reality is that the Taliban do not differ much from the officials of the previous regime in this regard. Perhaps the only difference
Khaama: After the fall of the Taliban in 2001, the United States poured billions of dollars into Afghanistan for reconstruction efforts. However, many U.S. contractors and former Afghan officials were accused of misusing these funds. Today, some contractors and former officials own luxury properties in Dubai. An investigative journalism organization has released a list revealing
8am: Abdullah (pseudonym) is one of the residents of the fourth security district of Kabul City. Speaking to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, he says that the Taliban exploited some women associated with them for extorting detained individuals. Abdullah states: “Some Taliban checkpoint commanders, especially in the fourth security district, gather information about individuals beforehand, and
8am: The George W. Bush Institute, led by the former US President, has uncovered the involvement of Taliban members in extensive financial corruption and also identified the influential role of foreign actors in sustaining the financial corruption of this group. Click here to read more (external link).
8am: The source adds, “The increase in corruption among the officials of the [Taliban] emirate has become a tradition, and every individual, even if they hold a minimal position or authority, has enriched themselves through their means. From ministers to local officials at the provincial and district levels, where in my view corruption is more
Ariana: Zakia Wardak, Afghanistan’s consul general in India’s Mumbai city, resigned on Saturday, following reports of gold smuggling. The Times of India has reported that Wardak was caught at Mumbai airport with 25 kilograms of gold smuggled from Dubai. Click here to read more (external link).
8am: Local sources in Kunduz province report that the Taliban are paying monthly salaries to individuals who supported their fighters during the conflict with the previous government’s security forces by providing shelter and food. Sources on Sunday, April 28, confirm that the Taliban have submitted the list of these individuals to their authorities and are
8am: Some residents of Khost Province, in a protest gathering in front of the Directorate of Public Health of this province, have accused Taliban officials of administrative corruption, abuse of authority, and theft. Protesters claim that the Khost Directorate of Public Health, under Taliban control, has taken cash payments of 500 Afghanis from at least
8am: This directive follows a trend where the Taliban have been collecting significant sums of money under the guise of alms, zakat, and charity from Afghanistan’s impoverished population for the past two and a half years, without providing basic services. There have been numerous reports of forced participation by residents in public projects in this