8am: Tammy Bruce, Deputy U.S. Representative to the United Nations, says that the Taliban use prisoners as tools of pressure. Bruce said on Thursday, February 12, at the UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan that the Taliban uses American hostages as leverage in negotiations with Washington. Tammy Bruce emphasized in this meeting that the Taliban must stop hostage-taking. Click here to read more (external link).
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Ariana: The U.S. State Department has begun paying Afghans to repatriate as it attempts to close a camp in Qatar where they have been stranded for years, Reuters quoted the top State Department official for South and Central Asia told lawmakers on Wednesday. Advocates say the group includes civilian refugees, women who served as special operators for the U.S. during its 20-year war in Afghanistan, and family members of U.S. servicemembers, all of whom would be in danger if returned to the country, read the report. Click here to read more (external link).
8am: Local sources say that on Tuesday, residents of the “Dahan Piyazqol” area in Doshi district of Baghlan province clashed with “Gujar and Kuchi settlers” over privately owned land, leaving two residents injured. This comes as similar reports have previously emerged from various provinces across the country of armed individuals seizing land by force, often leveraging local power and ties to Taliban authorities. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghan Resistance Leaders: Zia (left) and Massoud (right)
The Diplomat: Taliban 2.0 have moved beyond traditional methods of administration and have been largely involved in managing anti-government forces rather than defeating them in numbers. This process began much earlier, around 2011, particularly in the northern provinces — the epicenter of anti-Taliban forces. 600 men from Panjshir have been incorporated into the Taliban’s defense and interior ministries, with another 1,500 to be recruited to protect Taliban interests in the province. Click here to read more (external link).
Khaama: A UN Security Council sanctions monitoring committee reported that members of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement and Turkistan Islamic Party move freely across Afghanistan. According to the report, the groups finance their activities through involvement in poppy cultivation and mining operations, strengthening their presence in the region. The committee also cited reports that around 250 members joined Taliban police units in 2025, while fighters from Syria and neighboring countries were urged to relocate to Afghanistan. Click here to read more (external link).
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Khaama: Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told ARY News that Pakistan may take action against militants operating from Afghanistan if security threats continue unchecked. He said some level of contact with Taliban authorities remains in place, but militant activity targeting Pakistan has not declined despite ongoing discussions. Pakistan has repeatedly accused militant groups based in Afghanistan, particularly the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), of carrying out cross-border attacks against Pakistani security forces and civilians. Click here to read more (external link).
Khalilzad
Ariana: Former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has questioned whether Pakistan pursued a “double game” during the war in Afghanistan, following recent remarks by Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif about Islamabad’s role after the September 11 attacks. Speaking in Pakistan’s parliament, Asif said the country had effectively “rented itself to the United States” by aligning with Washington in the U.S.-led war on terror. Click here to read more (external link).
Amu: South Africa beat Afghanistan in a dramatic double Super Over after the teams were tied on 187 in their T20 World Cup Group D clash on Wednesday, boosting their position at the top of the standings. Afghanistan next play the United Arab Emirates on Feb. 16, before taking on Canada on Feb. 19. Victory in those games would keep their qualification hopes alive, though net run rate could prove decisive. Click here to read more (external link).
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