Atmar’s Team Suspends Election Campaign

·
Mohammad Hanif Atmar

Mohammad Hanif Atmar

Tolo News: “In the view of the changing situation in the country, the leadership of Peace and Moderation team is constantly assessing its role and will take further decisions in the view of the political scenario of the country,” says the statement. “As our dear compatriots are aware of it, the national election process has been disrupted by the ruling team’s unlawful actions and has completely lost its legitimacy,” a statement by the Peace and Moderation team says.  Click here to read more (external link).

More Election News

FIFA Slammed Over Afghan Sex Abuse Probe

·
Coach Kelly Lindsey

Coach Kelly Lindsey

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
August 8, 2019

A “culture of abuse” continues to thrive at Afghanistan’s soccer federation because of world soccer governing body FIFA’s “apparent inaction” in a sexual abuse scandal involving female Afghan players, according to the national women’s team coach.

In a letter dated August 6, coach Kelly Lindsey and the team’s program director, Khalida Popal, said that FIFA had been dragging its feet in following up on allegations of sexual misconduct.

Earlier this year, FIFA banned Afghanistan Football Federation’s former head Keramuddin Karim for life and fined him about $1 million after finding him guilty of abusing his position and sexually abusing female players.

At least five Afghan players accused him of repeated sexual abuse in 2013-2018.

But in their letter, sent to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Lindsey and Popal said that several other individuals were directly or indirectly linked to the case have not been disciplined or fined.

“The accounts mention numerous other individuals, including senior individuals in ongoing positions of power, who committed sexual and physical abuse and/or failed to report abuse even though they knew or ought to have known of the abuse and/or sought to cover up abuse,” the letter reads.

The two also criticized FIFA for allegedly asking the women to gather more evidence in the case, instead of sending their own investigators.

“We did this… at significant cost to our safety and wellbeing,” Lindsey and Popal wrote.

“We were dismayed at the time that such a task should fall to us…but we also felt we had no choice,” they added.

FIFA said it would answer the letter “shortly,” adding that it was “carefully looking into allegations that have been made against additional persons.”

“As stated before, FIFA will not hesitate to impose sanctions if and when justified,” it said.

FIFA began its investigation in December when it suspended Karim.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP

Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.

Related

Other Sports News

Hekmatyar Labels Current Government ‘Un-Islamic’

· · 1 Comment
Hekmatyar (left) and Ghani (right)

Hekmatyar (left) and Ghani (right)

Tolo News: The Hizb-e-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who is running for president, at a campaign rally on Wednesday slammed the Afghan government leaders as “foreigners’ slaves” and called the government “un-Islamic”. Mr. Hekmatyar said the incumbent government — which is led by President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah — has been “occupied” by foreigners. Click here to read more (external link).

At Least 14 Killed, 145 Wounded In Taliban Car Bombing In Kabul

·

By RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan
August 7, 2019

KABUL — At least 14 people have been killed and 145 wounded after a Taliban suicide car bomber detonated his vehicle outside a police station in Kabul, according to the Afghan Public Health Ministry.

Women and children were among the victims of the attack that occurred at around 9 a.m. local time on August 7, Interior Ministry spokesman Nusrat Rahimi said.

Deputy Interior Minister Khoshal Sadat told reporters that 92 of the wounded were civilians. Four police officers were among those killed, Sadat said.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes amid peace talks between the United States and the Taliban aimed at bringing the nearly 18-year war in Afghanistan to an end.

Sediq Sediqqi, a spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani, told a news conference that continued Taliban attacks showed that the militant group has “no commitment to peace.”

The bombing targeted the police District 6 headquarters in Golaee Dawa Khana, a minority Shi’ite neighborhood in western Kabul. A military training school is situated in the same neighborhood.

Eyewitnesses said gunfire could be heard after the explosion that occurred as many Kabul residents were busy preparing for the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, which begins on August 11.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted that the bombing was a response to “crimes” committed by government forces.

Mujahid also said that “positive progress” was being made in the peace talks with U.S. negotiators.

U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who has cited “excellent progress” in the negotiations, tweeted, “Indiscriminate attacks and intentional Injury to civilians are never warranted.”

“The focus should be on immediately reducing violence as we move closer to intra-Afghan negotiations that will produce a political roadmap and a permanent ceasefire,” Khalilzad wrote in a separate tweet.

Khalilzad has voiced hope that a final agreement could be reached by September 1. But the Taliban continue to refuse to talk to the Kabul government, dismissing it as a U.S. puppet.

The August 7 attack was the 16th to target Kabul this year. At least 113 people have been killed and 732 others have been injured in the attacks.

Also on August 7, a bomb wounded at least eight civilians, including women and children, in the western city of Herat, according to Abdul Ahid Walizada, the provincial police chief’s spokesman.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa, and Tolo News

Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.

Related

Taliban threatens to attack Afghan election campaigns

·
Taliban fighters (file photo)

Taliban fighters (file photo)

1TV: Afghanistan’s Taliban said on Tuesday they would seek to prevent the upcoming presidential election in the country and carry out attack against campaign gatherings. “As campaigns for these theatrical elections are already in full swing and rallies are being organized, the Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate will be becoming their barrier,” the Taliban said in a statement. Click here to read more (external link).

Other Election News

Khalilzad Hails ‘Excellent Progress” In Peace Talks With Taliban

· · 20 Comments
Khalilzad

Khalilzad

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
August 5, 2019

U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad says he will leave Qatar for India on August 5 following three days of talks with the Taliban to end the nearly 18-year war in Afghanistan.

Khalilzad tweeted that the eighth round of talks between U.S. and Taliban negotiators in the Qatari capital, Doha, “focused on the remaining issues in completing a potential deal with the Taliban that would allow for a conditions-based troop withdrawal.”

“We have made excellent progress,” he wrote.

The U.S. envoy said in a separate tweet that he will travel to New Delhi later in the day for “pre-scheduled meetings to further build international consensus” in support of the Afghan peace process.

Khalilzad also said that his team will continue to discuss with Taliban representatives “technical details as well as steps and mechanisms required for a [successful] implementation of the four-part agreement” the sides have been working toward since his appointment last year.

A bilateral U.S.-Taliban agreement would cover the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan in exchange for guarantees by the Taliban not to harbor terrorist groups.

Such a deal would be followed by intra-Afghan peace negotiations on a political settlement and a permanent cease-fire.

The Taliban has said it will only negotiate with the Western-backed Kabul government when Washington commits to withdrawing its troops.

Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.

Related