As the Afghan Taliban tries to negotiate a political settlement with the government, many musicians in the country are worried about the impact a deal will have on their ability to work, as VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem reports from Kabul.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty October 19, 2020 U.S. envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad warned on October 18 after a car bomb killed 14 people in Ghor in central Afghanistan that continued high levels of violence in the country could threaten the peace process. Khalilzad said in a series of tweets that violence has “stalked” Afghans
Ayaz Gul VOA News October 18, 2020 ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN – A suicide bomber has detonated his explosives-packed vehicle outside a provincial police headquarters in central Afghanistan, killing at least 15 people and wounding more than 50 others. Afghan officials condemned Sunday’s attack in Firozkoh, the capital of Ghor province, as an act of terrorism, saying
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty October 18, 2020 Afghanistan’s top peace negotiator has arrived in neighboring Iran as intra-Afghan peace negotiations are under way in the Gulf state of Qatar. Negotiators from the Afghan government and the Taliban have been locked in talks since September 12 but have been unable to agree on a framework for
By Jeff Seldin VOA News October 16, 2020 WASHINGTON – There are growing concerns the United States is vastly underestimating al-Qaida’s strength and influence in Afghanistan, even as the White House continues to talk about ever more ambitious deadlines for bringing home U.S. troops still stationed in the country. Specifically, international terrorism officials, as well
By Carla Babb VOA News October 16, 2020 President Donald Trump’s national security adviser says a presidential tweet last week that all U.S. troops should be home from Afghanistan by December 25 was a “desire” rather than a military order, and he reaffirmed a plan to decrease U.S. numbers to 2,500 — not zero — by
RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan October 16, 2020 KABUL — The U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan says he has struck an agreement with the Taliban to reduce the number of casualties in the country as a wave of violence hampered ongoing intra-Afghan peace talks in Qatar. Zalmay Khalilzad made the comments on October 15, amid rising fears about
Michael Hughes: President Donald Trump, down in the polls, has been aggressively trying to find an “October Surprise” – a news bomb or development that will shake the electoral terrain with less than three weeks until the November 3 election. His “Hail Mary” passes have included recycling the Ukraine nepotism scandal against Democratic rival Joe
Ariana: The United States and the Taliban have agreed to a “re-set” following a sharp rise in violence in the past week in Afghanistan – specifically in Helmand province. In a series of tweets on Thursday night, US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad stated: “Following several meetings (Resolute Support Commander) General Miller and I had with
RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan October 15, 2020 LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan — Concerns are rising for the fate of tens of thousands of civilians caught up in battles between the Afghan government forces and the Taliban in the southern province of Helmand. More than 6,000 families have taken refuge in the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah, following