Afghanistan International: Keith Kellogg, a former Trump national security adviser and US envoy for Ukraine, has urged Washington to engage Afghan political figures seeking to build a legitimate alternative to Taliban rule. In an article published in The Washington Post on Thursday, 22 October, Kellogg wrote that the United States should not treat Afghanistan as
Ariana: Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. special representative for Afghanistan, has warned that relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan could deteriorate further amid reports of alleged Pakistani recruitment and arming of Afghans. In a statement, Khalilzad said there had been numerous reports alleging that Pakistan was arming Afghans to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan. He added
Afghanistan International: Mahmood Khan Achakzai, leader of the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, has blamed Pakistan’s policies for regional insecurity, accusing the state of recruiting, training and supporting militants during the Soviet-Afghan war. He said Pakistan authorities, rather than the Pashtun population, were responsible for spreading terrorism in the country. Achakzai alleged that during the Soviet
Afghanistan International: Referring to Afghanistan’s political future, Hekmatyar said “change is inevitable and near”, arguing that just as governments backed by the Soviet Union and the United States had failed to endure, Taliban rule would also not last. He also said the Taliban administration remained politically isolated and, contrary to its claims, had no genuine
Afghanistan International: Pakistan’s Information Ministry rejected Taliban claims that Islamabad was involved in the recent clashes in Nuristan, calling them self-invented lies. It said the accusations reflected the Taliban’s desperation and frustration over internal problems. The response came after Noorullah Noori, the Taliban’s Borders Minister, warned Pakistan about the consequences of interfering in Afghanistan and
Afghanistan International: The Islamabad International Conference on Afghanistan said Pashtuns, who make up 42% of the population, hold power, while the remaining 58%, including Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbeks and Turkmens, are excluded. The statement said the Taliban administration was neither inclusive nor legitimate, adding that excluding a large part of society from power created conditions for
Afghanistan International: Former Afghan vice-president Amrullah Saleh says Afghanistan has entered a civil war, warning that the conflict remains limited for now but could develop into a more violent and destructive confrontation. In an interview with Outlook, Saleh described Taliban rule as “illegitimate” and said public opposition to the group was taking various forms, with
Afghanistan International: The reason for the raid remains unclear. Reliable sources in Kabul told Afghanistan International that Taliban forces prevented Karzai’s guests from meeting the former president. The sources said Taliban forces stormed Karzai’s residence on Wednesday morning, September 23, and “disrespected” tribal elders who were on their way to meet him. It remains unclear
8am: If we seek a simple answer to these complex developments, we can conclude that the terrorist group the Taliban, on the advice of Khalilzad and ethnic secular networks outside Afghanistan, have concluded that in the ongoing conflict between America and Iran (in which Saudi Arabia is indirectly involved), the Taliban should remain aligned with
Khaama: Former Afghan National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib has accused former U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad of a “great betrayal” in a new book examining the collapse of Afghanistan’s republic, arguing that Washington’s direct negotiations with the Taliban sidelined Kabul’s elected government and accelerated its fall in 2021. The book, Shadows Over Kabul: An Insider’s Account