8am: Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has discussed a number of topics in his recent remarks concerning hadith books and particularly Sahih Bukhari. He asserted that those who are currently killing people in Afghanistan are adherents of Imam Bukhari and “Ahl al-Hadith”, which refers to the followers of Salafism. It appears that Hekmatyar is attempting to censure the
8am: It has been almost two years since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, yet Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Taliban, has remained hidden and has not appeared in the media. Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s interior minister, has made appearances, but Hibatullah has not agreed to do so. This is significant as Haqqani is
8am: After seizing power, it became apparent that neither the world nor the people were willing to accept their terms and conditions and abide by their laws. As a result of their rule, hundreds of thousands of people fled the country, and thousands more continue to migrate to neighboring countries such as Iran and Pakistan.
Wisden: The ICC have failed to support women in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover, it’s time for the ECB and Cricket Australia to withdraw from the governing body completely – write Raf Nicholson and Megan Maurice. Sport can be a powerful tool in international diplomacy – it is now widely acknowledged that the sporting boycott
8am: This article seeks to explain the war between Khans and Mullahs for control of the Pashtun tribes’ leadership, as well as the internal and external factors that contributed to the Mullahs’ success. It is suggested that the Mullahs, who now occupy the positions of the Khans, are performing those roles with soldiers, living off
Michael Hughes: Even if the UN successfully intervenes to persuade the Taliban to release a Franco-Afghan reporter held captive in Afghanistan for nearly fifty days, it will not change Kabul’s crackdown because the radical movement understands the power of media. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called upon the UN to take all measures possible to get
Michael Hughes: The U.S. handed Afghanistan back to the Taliban to end America’s role in the war, knowing full well that doing so would make the country seem even more comfy to jihadist groups. So long as Afghan-based terrorists did not target the U.S. homeland, Washington could care less about other scenarios. If, for instance,
Michael Hughes: A newly-released World Bank assessment suggests economic conditions in Afghanistan are improving just as UN agencies are warning that the country is on the verge of “systemic collapse.” Making the dilemma even more mysterious is the Taliban’s lack of transparency – for if business is booming, why isn’t the cash flowing to those
Small War Journal: Proponents of Iraqi partition commonly observe that Iraq is the artificial dividend of French and British diplomats drawing arbitrary lines across their maps in 1919 and 1946. In fact, most Middle Eastern borders that match this description typically divide barren, uninhabited deserts, rather than separating long-standing population groups. Instead, this description applies
The Hill: In an attempt to moderate their international image after the fall of Kabul, Taliban authorities pledged to ensure security for Afghanistan’s religious minorities. These were false promises. In reality, the Taliban has used its power to remove Hazara leaders from all levels of government, discriminate against Hazaras in distributions of humanitarian aid and