Amu: Once a pillar of the local economy in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, the carpentry trade is now faltering under the weight of economic decline, dwindling demand, and a collapse in construction activity, according to local craftsmen. Carpenters in Mazar-e-Sharif say their businesses have slowed to a crawl as customers vanish and new building projects all but disappear. Click here to read more (external link).
More Economic News
Ariana: Afghanistan’s [Taliban] Foreign Ministry says the recent announcement by the US Department of Homeland Security on the suspension of the Temporary Protective Program Status (TPS) program for Afghans was a “positive step” and acknowledgement of an improved situation in Afghanistan. The Trump administration said Monday it was ending the TPS program that offered deportation protection to thousands of people from Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) said Wednesday this move “affirms progress in Afghanistan’s security and economic environment”. Click here to read more (external link).
Related
Amu: Taliban have dissolved the Afghan Film Organization, once the country’s only state-run film body, and closed its offices, according to four sources, including two familiar with the agency’s operations. No formal statement has been issued by the Taliban. However, staff have been informed that the institution’s structure has been nullified and its operations halted. Founded in 1968 during the reign of King Mohammad Zahir Shah, Afghan Film served for decades as the backbone of Afghanistan’s cinematic and documentary production. It played a pivotal role in preserving the country’s visual history — from newsreels in the 1970s to feature-length fiction films under the Republic. Click here to read more (external link).
Zahir Qadir
Afghanistan International: A court in Nairobi has approved the extradition of Zahir Qadir, former deputy speaker of Afghanistan’s House of Representatives, to the United States, according to his family. Qadir’s lawyer has requested a 14-day stay on the ruling, seeking time to file an appeal. The appeal is expected to be submitted within the next two weeks, the lawyer confirmed. Jalal Qadir, the former lawmaker’s nephew, told Afghanistan International that the decision was made on Tuesday. Click here to read more (external link).
Related
Tolo News: A British special forces general is accused of playing a role in halting Afghan asylum cases in order to prevent Afghans who served with UK special forces from testifying about war crimes in Afghanistan. The BBC’s Panorama program reported that Gen Sir Gwyn Jenkins, former commander of British special forces in Afghanistan, played a role in rejecting asylum applications of Afghan commandos at the same time as an inquiry was launched in Britain into alleged war crimes, and for failing to report potential war crimes committed by UK special forces. Click here to read more (external link).
Related
BBC: Former members of UK Special Forces have broken years of silence to give BBC Panorama eyewitness accounts of alleged war crimes committed by colleagues in Iraq and Afghanistan. Giving their accounts publicly for the first time, the veterans described seeing members of the SAS murder unarmed people in their sleep and execute handcuffed detainees, including children. “They handcuffed a young boy and shot him,” recalled one veteran who served with the SAS in Afghanistan. ”He was clearly a child, not even close to fighting age.” Killing of detainees “became routine”, the veteran said. “They’d search someone, handcuff them, then shoot them”, before cutting off the plastic handcuffs used to restrain people and “planting a pistol” by the body, he said. Click here to read more (external link).
More
8am: Now, nearly four years into the Taliban’s rule, occasional physical and virtual meetings on Afghan affairs are held. Alongside these, alliances and forums have emerged, composed primarily of Mujahideen leaders, former government officials, and individuals who directly intervened in Afghanistan’s politics over the past twenty years. Much like in the past, these alliances lack stability and often fracture after a short period. The most recent example of such a split can be seen in the break between the Resistance Front and the Jamiat-i-Islami Party from the National Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan. According to their statements, this separation was a disagreement with the National Council’s plans for Afghanistan’s salvation. However, the underlying reality might be rooted in conflicts over vested interests. Click here to read more (external link).