Abubakar Siddique Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty December 24, 2021 The Taliban stunned the world with its rapid military takeover of Afghanistan in August, just as the last foreign troops were leaving the war-torn country. But observers say the militant Islamist group faces a battle to hold on to power as it struggles to transform from
WSJ: Taliban delegates and representatives of the U.S.-backed Afghan republic gathered for a secret retreat in a château north of Paris in December 2012, raising hopes that a peace deal could end their intractable war. The Taliban, whose fighters had been beaten back by President Obama’s troop surge, dined on pork-free French cuisine with Afghan
Tolo News: Russian President Vladimir Putin linked the recognition of the current Afghan government with ground realities, saying that “forces that are now at the helm in Afghanistan should be prepared for all ethnic groups to be represented in the country’s leadership.” Putin made the remarks in response to a question asked by Sputnik News
8am: In an interview with CNN, former President Hamid Karzai has called on the international community to work with the Taliban. “The reality on the ground is that the Taliban are now the de facto authorities in the country,” the former president, who has recently been criticized for some of his remarks about holding the
8am: Taliban officials for the administration of refugees and returnees in Nimruz province do not provide exact figures on human trafficking across the border, saying that about 2,000 are deported from Iran each day. People who intend to smuggle into Iran say they have been forced to leave the country because of extreme poverty and
Ariana: Aqil Jan Ezam, the deputy spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, said that on Thursday afternoon, an assailant wanted to enter the passport department, but was identified and targeted by the forces. He did not say whether the suspected attacker had been a suicide bomber or not. But Ezam stressed that no one was
Reuters: Pakistan has fenced most of the 2,600 km (1,615 mile) border despite protestations from Kabul, which has always contested the British-era boundary demarcation that splits families and tribes on either side. Click here to read more (external link).
By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi Abubakar Siddique December 22, 2021 Dozens of Afghan girls speak in hushed voices as they cram inside a house in the Afghan capital, Kabul. For months, the house has served as a secret school, with around 50 girls attending science, math, and literature classes. They are among the millions of girls who
8am: A child has been mysteriously killed in the Qaisar district of Faryab province, local sources say. The cause of child murder is not clear yet, local Taliban authorities stressed. Meanwhile, three children were abducted in Herat province yesterday and the level of criminal offenses in the country has increased. Click here to read more
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty December 22, 2021 The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan as the war-torn country teeters on the brink of a humanitarian crisis after Taliban militants seized power in August. The resolution, approved unanimously on December 22, says the “payment of funds,