More than 7,391 civilians killed and injured by Taliban in 2019
Taliban fighters (file photo)
Ariana: Ministry of Interior Affairs stated in a report posted on its official Facebook page, stating that, “some 2219 civilians were killed and 5172 injured in Taliban attacks.” The MOIA called these attacks ‘war crimes’ and stressed that they are committed to providing security for civilians. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghan Politicians React to Killing of Iran’s Gen. Soleimani
Soleimani
Tolo News: Afghan politicians on Friday joined a chorus of international reactions to the US air strike in Iraq that killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, with some describing the attack on Soleimani as clear violation of international law and a major blow to peace in the region. Presidential candidate Abdul Latif Pedram also described the attack on Soleimani as violation of international laws. “The US regime has been a major source of evil in our region and in the world. The terrorist attack on the life of Sardar Soleimani is not only a violation of international law but it is an act of state terrorism, which is led by Trump. It is the genuine right of the countries in the region to resist American hegemony,” said Pedram. Click here to read more (external link).
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Afghanistan, Iran Could See a Boost in Trade Unless Washington Interferes
Michael Hughes: Tehran is looking forward to enhancing trade ties with Afghanistan in the coming months once a railway project connecting the two countries is finalized. However, although the United States has refrained from interfering in the development of this endeavor, Washington may take action to ensure anti-Iranian sanctions are effectively isolating Tehran as tensions continue to escalate. Click here to read more.
1TV Afghanistan Dari News – January 2, 2020
Taliban Agrees to Short-Term Reduction of Violence: Source
Tolo News: The Taliban’s leadership will commit to reduce violence once a peace deal is signed with the US, said sources close to the group on Thursday amid a spate of attacks across the country. The reduction of violence will include a halt in conducting suicide attacks—and other kinds of attacks– in major cities, and the Taliban will not block major highways, according to sources. Some senior members of the Taliban who recently traveled from Doha to Pakistan have returned to Doha, but they have not yet shared the outcome of their discussions with the US side, sources said. Click here to read more (external link).
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Prominent Afghan Comedian Asif Jalali Dies Of Heart Attack
Asif Jalali
RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan
January 1, 2020
Asif Jalali, a well-known Afghan TV actor who gained renown for his political satire and stand-up comedy, has died in the Afghan capital, Kabul.
Sabir Mohmand, a spokesman for the Ministry of Information and Culture, told RFE/RL that Jalali died on January 1 of a heart attack, but provided no further details.
Sayeed Rahmani, the head of the Afghan National Theater, said Jalali was born in 1957 in northeastern Afghanistan.
Jalali hosted several shows on local Afghan broadcasters, including the popular program Shabkhand (“Evening Laughter”).
His comedy blazed a trail in Afghanistan, where political satire was a new phenomenon after years of tightly constrained media programming, and long-standing fears of angering religious conservatives.
“The aim of my comedy is to challenge the wrongs in my society,” he told the BBC in a profile that aired in 2011, “so that if they see a minister, they think he is rubbish. My other aim is to make people laugh.”
Film director Latif Ahmadi told the dpa news agency that Jalali started his artistic career in commercials some 13 years ago. He also appeared in the famous Afghani drama Bulbul, in which he played the love interest of a female character.
His death surprised many across Afghanistan, and some of his fans took to social media to honor him.
“Jalali did God’s work by making us laugh,” Saad Mohseni, who heads the group that owns local broadcaster TOLO TV, said on Twitter.
There was no immediate word on survivors. Dpa reported that he had five children.
With reporting by dpa
Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
1TV Afghanistan Dari News – January 1, 2020
Ex-GITMO Prisoner: “My World Was Very Small”
Tolo News: “I was looking at the moon from the window of the cell where I was imprisoned,” said Obaidullah, a former Taliban member, who was released last week from the Guantanamo Bay detention center and reintegrated with his family in Khost province after nearly two decades of separation. “They (US forces) imposed on us the most brutal acts during our detention as if we were the most dangerous criminals–I had no hope that someday I would rejoin my family,” said Osman, Obaidullah’s cousin who was also released from the US jail after three months from Bagram prison. Click here to read more (external link).
Dozens of Afghan Forces Killed in New Taliban Attacks
Ayaz Gul
VOA News
January 1, 2020
ISLAMABAD – Officials in Afghanistan said Wednesday Taliban insurgents have killed at least 28 pro-government forces in overnight attacks in the country’s north.
Despite harsh weather conditions, the Taliban has staged almost daily battlefield attacks in Afghanistan’s northern and northeastern provinces over the past week, killing some 100 Afghan forces and injuring many more.
An Afghan official requesting anonymity told VOA that a security outpost in Dasht-e-Archi district of northern Kunduz province came under a major insurgent attack that left 13 pro-government forces dead.
A provincial member council, Fawzai Eftali, while speaking to VOA, confirmed the casualties inflicted on Afghan forces, saying the attack also left several personnel injured.
Another 15 security personnel were killed in the neighboring Balkh and Takhar provinces, said police commanders and government spokesmen there.
Chief Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, in statements sent to reporters, claimed a total of 50 government forces were killed in the overnight attacks across the three provinces, though the insurgents often exaggerate their claims.
For its part, the Afghan Defense Ministry also claimed Wednesday its forces have killed dozens of Taliban “terrorists” in airstrikes and ground operations across different provinces. It was not possible to ascertain the veracity of those claims from independent sources.
The United States, which is backing the Afghan government in its battle with the Taliban, has been trying to find a negotiated settlement to the 18-year-old war with the insurgent group, but the dialogue process has suffered setbacks lately due to continued violence.
The latest disruption came two weeks ago when the Taliban launched a suicide bombing-and-shooting raid in the largest U.S. military base of Bagram, north of the Afghan capital, Kabul. Washington halted the talks, demanding the Taliban commit to a temporary cease-fire before the peace process could be resumed and a deal signed between the two adversaries.
But the Taliban on Monday announced it has “no intention” to cease hostilities, though it admitted the insurgent leadership is looking into a U.S. request for reducing the scale of Taliban battlefield operations.
The insurgent group reiterated that it would discuss a nation-wide cease-fire and future governing system in the country in Taliban-Afghan negotiations when they begin. But those talks cannot take place unless an agreement is concluded on the withdrawal of all U.S. and allied troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban stressed in its statement.
The relentless conflict in Afghanistan is also taking an appalling toll on civilians. The United Nations earlier this week reported that more than 100,000 Afghan civilians have been killed or injured in the last ten years alone.
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