Khaama: The former Afghan president Mohammed Ashraf Ghani and his wife gave the US president and first lady Jill Biden silk carpets in June 2021 that were reportedly worth $28,800. Meanwhile, defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was given a carpet worth $2,650 in March from Ghani. In another instance, the document revealed that Ghani and his
Ayaz Gul VOA News February 22, 2023 ISLAMABAD — Afghanistan’s central bank Wednesday welcomed a U.S. federal judge’s decision against turning over $3.5 billion in frozen Afghan funds to victims of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks to settle court judgments against the Taliban. “The currency reserves are owned by Afghans, which are lawfully used for
Lawfare: Despite the CCP’s concerted efforts to approach its relationship with the Taliban pragmatically, with economic incentives and a concrete security agenda, the reality of the current situation in Afghanistan is highly volatile. While blaming the U.S. and Western countries for the ongoing financial and humanitarian disaster in the country, the Taliban appear more focused
Sarah Zaman VOA News February 16, 2023 ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — A top State Department official said the United States was prepared to work with Pakistan as the country assessed the renewed threat of terrorism. However, the official would not say whether Washington would support any Pakistani action against terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan. Counselor Derek Chollet, one
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,
Tolo News: The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said in its newly released report said that the “Taliban” derives revenue from this aid in the form of “licenses,” “taxes,” and “administrative fees” imposed on NGOs and their employees as a condition for operating in Afghanistan. Click here to read more (external link).
8am: US imposes new visa restrictions on some Taliban members who are believed to be involved in repressing the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan. The restrictions come more than a month after the Taliban announced bans on women attending universities and working with non-governmental organizations, CNN reported. US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken,
Lawfare: Afghan central bank assets in the United States were frozen by President Biden following the Taliban’s takeover of the government in August 2021. As discussed on Lawfare and the Transnational Litigation Blog, half of those assets have been transferred to the “Afghan Fund” in Switzerland to be used for the benefit of the Afghan
Khaama: Mark R. Whittington, a renowned space exploration author, has discussed Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite that how best can help Afghan women who are banned from education by the Taliban, the Hill reported. The Starlink system can offer access to high-speed Internet in remote areas without installing cables or constructing a significant amount of new
Khaama: United States Former President Donald Trump criticized American forces’ hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan and said ‘Bagram Airfield’ has a strategic location to monitor China from a closer range. Bagram Airbase is located some 11 kilometers in southwest of Charikar, the provincial capital of Parwan province, which accommodated American forces until 2020. Click here to