Michael Hughes: As relations between Iran and Afghanistan grow warmer, the U.S. has put efforts to boost ties with the Taliban into overdrive. The FBI removed Haqqani Network bounties and diplomatic rapprochement is in full swing. Ex-envoy Zalmay Khalilzad is suddenly back on the scene – no doubt in a bid to ensure the radical
Afghanistan International: Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani attended a recent security meeting in Kandahar chaired by Taliban supreme leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada. Haqqani briefed Akhundzada during the meeting, which also included Defence Minister Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid and Intelligence Chief Abdul Haq Wasiq. Click here to read more (external link).
The Independent (UK): Donald Trump could once again turn to his ally Zalmay Khalilzad, the chief architect of the Doha Deal, as his Afghanistan go-between. Some experts fear that would be a mistake, as Arpan Rai reports. Click here to read more (external link).
Deccan Herald: In an interview with DH’s Anirban Bhaumik from an undisclosed location, Saleh says that Pakistan overestimated its relevance and value in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. He also says India can balance principle and pragmatism in its engagement with Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: Michael Kugelman, South Asia Director at the Wilson Center, says the United States is signalling a shift in its approach to the Taliban. He believes the US is now looking to work more closely with Taliban leaders based in Kabul, sidelining the group’s leadership in Kandahar. According to Kugelman, the US has limited
Fazelminallah Qazizai via News Line Mag: The caption identified him as Afghan national Mohammad Sharifullah (also known as Jafar), arrested in Pakistan and handed over to the U.S. as a “top terrorist” mastermind behind the August 2021 Kabul airport bombing that killed more than 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops. But here, in the alleys
Khaama: Sirajuddin Haqqani, the acting Interior Minister under the Taliban-led administration in Afghanistan, continues to draw international attention as signs of evolving U.S. policy emerge. Sources close to the Haqqani network have told Afghan outlet Tolo News that the reward designations on key figures of the group have been lifted by the U.S. government. According
Ariana: Establishing an inclusive government, respecting human rights, especially the rights of women and minorities, and combating terrorist groups and drugs have always been considered important preconditions for the international community to recognize the Islamic Emirate. Click here to read more (external link). Related New School Year Begins: Taliban Ring the School Bell in the
Amu: Three prominent opponents of the Taliban—Mohammad Yunus Qanooni, Atta Mohammad Noor, and Latif Pedram—have called for a “new narrative” to shape Afghanistan’s future, emphasizing the need for a more inclusive political structure. Speaking in a virtual discussion hosted by Noor’s faction of the Jamiat-e-Islami party, Qanooni, a senior figure in the National Resistance Council
Afghanistan International: Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s Interior Minister, has gone into hiding over fears of assassination, according to Ahmad Zia Saraj, former head of Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS). Saraj told Afghanistan International that Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada suspects Haqqani and several officials of plotting a coup. He believes foreign countries may have backed