Ariana: In a meeting with senior military officials, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu called Afghanistan the “biggest threat” to the countries of Central Asia and said that the situation in Central Asia is still complicated. He said in the last year, the number of Daesh fighters in Afghanistan has increased by 15 percent. Shoigu added that Daesh seeks to spread extremist ideas in Central Asia and tries to carry out subversive activities along the southern borders of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), and it must be stopped. About two weeks ago, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev claimed that there are at least 20 terrorist organizations and more than 23,000 fighters in Afghanistan and that the United States is responsible for the current difficult situation in Afghanistan. Click here to read more (external link).
US Announces Tech, Academic Opportunities to Empower Afghan Women
Blinken
Akmal Dawi
VOA News
February 27, 2024
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced new partnership programs designed to empower Afghan women in the face of Taliban suppression of women’s rights in Afghanistan.
Speaking at a meeting of the U.S.-founded group called the Afghan Women Economic Resilience Summit (AWERS), Blinken said Microsoft and LinkedIn will provide virtual training and certifications for Afghan girls worldwide, helping them gain valuable skills and connect with potential employers.
Additionally, he said, U.S. academic institutions will offer scholarships to Afghan women and girls who have resettled in the U.S. over the last two years. The State Department did not give details on which schools are involved with the program.
Established in 2022, AWERS aims to empower Afghan women both inside and outside their homeland.
“We are investing in skills, training, jobs, and female entrepreneurs,” Blinken told the State Department gathering in Washington. “This mission is more important than ever.”
Erosion of women’s rights
The announcement comes as the United Nations has reported a systematic dismantling of Afghan women’s rights over the past two years.
Human rights groups accuse the Taliban of imposing “gender apartheid” by systematically erasing women from public life.
The Taliban reject such criticism, insisting their policies uphold Islamic and traditional Afghan values.
Blinken did not say if the U.S. will resume its flagship Fulbright program for Afghanistan, which remains paused since the Taliban seized power in 2021.
Restrictions ‘suffocating Afghanistan’s potential’
With the Taliban’s rampant persecution of women’s rights activists, it is unclear how the AWERS programs will reach women inside Afghanistan.
“The Taliban’s restrictions are suffocating Afghanistan’s potential,” Blinken said, adding that the absence of women in the workforce is slashing more than $1 billion from the nation’s economy.
Despite the Taliban’s desire for international recognition, Washington maintains that restoring women’s rights is a core requirement for normalizing relations.
Taliban sets sights on making Afghanistan a global cricketing power
WP: During the Taliban’s first stint in power in the 1990s, its disdain for many sports meant that Kabul’s main stadium drew some of its biggest crowds on the days it was used for public executions. But since seizing control in Kabul a second time in 2021, the Taliban has turned to making Afghanistan into a global cricketing power, with ambitious plans for a state-of-the-art cricket stadium that could host international matches… Cricket’s appeal to the Taliban may be partly rooted in the sport’s long-standing popularity in ethnic Pashtun communities, where the Taliban has traditionally drawn its strongest support. Click here to read more (external link).
Canada rejects IEA request to take over Afghanistan embassy in Ottawa
Ariana: Ottawa has rebuffed the Islamic Emirate’s [Taliban] attempt to take control of Afghanistan’s embassy and consulates in Canada, local media reported on Monday. The government, in fact, did not even respond to the IEA’s 2022 letter, said Global Affairs Canada spokesman Jason Kung, Ottawa Citizen reported. “Canada does not recognize the Taliban (IEA) as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, and will never do so,” said Marilyne Guèvremont, another Global Affairs official. “Canada will not receive or accredit any foreign representative appointed by the Taliban (IEA), or develop formal relations with the Taliban de-facto authorities (IEA).” Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – February 27, 2024
The conflict between the Army and the Religious Schools in Pakistan
8am: In the past two decades, religious schools in Pakistan have drawn Afghanistan into a deadlock. These schools and their students, through the fatwas they issued and the clerics they nurtured, embarked on a war against the aspirations of the Afghan people and their efforts to build a democratic, humane, and prosperous society. Despite receiving financial, advisory, and arms support from the global community, particularly the United States and its NATO allies, the people of Afghanistan succumbed to what the extremists in Afghanistan received from Pakistani schools and ultimately the generals of that country. This defeat was profoundly humiliating and distressing. Representatives of extremism and backwardness prevailed over representatives of tolerance and development, demeaning them. However, this situation did not remain confined to Afghanistan. Pakistan, which served as a breeding ground for terrorists exporting to Afghanistan, with its schools acting as factories producing terrorists and fundamentalists, is now entangled in similar trouble. This trouble has posed a serious threat to the mighty Pakistani army. Click here to read more (external link).
China Seeks Access to Untapped Rare Metals and Minerals in Afghanistan
Lithium
Khaama: China has shown increasing interest in accessing the abundant oil, gas, and mineral resources in Afghanistan. The pursuit of dominating the supply chain, particularly in light of advancements in high-tech chips and large-capacity batteries, appears to be a significant driver for Beijing’s engagement with Afghanistan’s rich resources. Jalal Bazwan, a political science professor at Kabul-based Kardan University, highlighted the significant economic potential for China in Afghanistan’s vast natural resources, including copper, lithium, and rare earths. The decreased involvement of Western nations has provided an opportunity for China to explore and exploit these resources. Click here to read more (external link).
Polio Inoculation Campaign Kicks Off In 21 Afghan Provinces
Child getting polio drops (file photo)
By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi
February 26, 2024
An extensive polio vaccination campaign started on February 26 in 21 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, the country’s Health Ministry said. The Taliban-controlled ministry’s spokesman, Sharaf Zaman, said the four-day-long campaign aims to inoculate 7.6 million children under the age of five. Zaman asked local religious leaders to cooperate with the inoculation teams. Some parents in the northwest refuse to allow their children to be vaccinated against polio, an infectious disease that can cause paralysis and lead to death. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries in the world where polio has not been completely eradicated.
Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
Tolo News in Dari – February 26, 2024
Woman imprisoned by brother for 25 years dies just five months after rescue
Ariana: A woman who was imprisoned in a dark room for 25 years in Kabul died on Monday, just five months after being rescued by police. The woman, Nikbakht, had been held by her brother in appalling conditions but was rescued after neighbors in district 10 tipped off the authorities about her plight in September last year. After being rescued, she was hospitalized and treated for malnutrition and anemia. Click here to read more (external link).