EURACTIV: A joint railway project between Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan is gaining momentum as it could open up international trade routes, but some caution against collaborating with Taliban-controlled Afghanistan considering ongoing human rights abuses and the introduction of Sharia law. The line will run from Termez in Uzbekistan to Afghanistan’s Mazar-i-Sharif and Kabul, then onto Peshawar in Pakistan. Click here to read more (external link).
1TV Afghanistan Dari News – November 15, 2022
Taliban Official’s Brother in Bamiyan Opens Fire on Civilians
8am: Local sources in Bamiyan confirmed that Mehruddin, the brother of the chief of the Taliban-controlled agriculture department in Bamiyan, opened fire on a civilian in Kahmard district on Monday (November 14th). When the injured person was being taken to the hospital by his family affiliates, the brother of the Taliban official ambushed them on the road and fired at the car carrying them, sources added. As a result of this incident, two others were also injured. Click here to read more (external link).
Uruzgan Officials: Families Giving Opium to Children as Medicine
Tolo News: Local officials in the province of Uruzgan said that families in the province are using opium as medication to treat their children. Health officials in the province acknowledged that some families bring opium-addicted patients to healthcare centers. Children have reportedly died as a result of using opium as medicine, according to authorities. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban Invests Resources to Fight Against Modern Science and Education
Taliban militant (file photo)
8am: Citizens complain about the lack of attention to the matter of education and the excessive attention of the Taliban to religious schools. With this description, political analysts believe that the Taliban use the pretext of religious school for training insurgents and extremists. Religious schools are the centers of producing extremist fighters for the Taliban and the Taliban will not miss any opportunity to promote this strategy and particularly this time that they are the sole ruler of the country. Click here to read more (external link).
America Did Not Cause Afghanistan’s Collapse
Arwin Rahi via The National Interest: The United States had no reliable allies or partners in Afghanistan. Both the warlords and so-called liberals who had returned from the West worked to further their own personal and family interests. For instance, right after the Taliban’s collapse in 2001, instead of agreeing on a constitutional framework to devolve power from Kabul to local governments, to ensure civic participation at the grassroots level, the warlords agreed—on paper—to a strong central government in Kabul in exchange for ministerial portfolios in the cabinet or governorships. Later, in the mid-to-late 2000s, when former president Hamid Karzai consolidated his hold on power, he fired many of the warlords that he had previously relied on. Click here to read more (external link).
1TV Afghanistan Dari News – November 14, 2022
Afghanistan: Why Ahmad Shah Massoud still matters to the Middle East
Ahmad Shah Massoud
Middle East Eye: As the Taliban reel from the repercussions of the two-decade conflict in Afghanistan, there is fresh debate over the right way to carry out a war – Few individuals would unite Bernard-Henri Levy, Michael Waltz, Qassem Soleimani and Abdullah Azzam like Ahmad Shah Massoud, the subject of their boundless admiration. So what was it about Massoud, the former Afghan military commander, that moved the controversial French philosopher, the first Green Beret in Congress, and the late leaders of the Shia and Sunni resistance movements? Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban Arrests Young Man for Criticizing the Group on Social Media
8am: Local sources in Ghor province confirm the Taliban have imprisoned a young man for posting critical content on his Facebook page. In an interview on Monday, sources said the young man was arrested for criticizing lawlessness in the province. Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, many people have been arrested and tortured for criticizing this group on social media platforms. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban Supreme Leader Says Obeying His Orders is ‘Obligatory’
Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada
Khaama: The Taliban supreme leader in a meeting with judges stated that enforcing Sharia law and obeying his orders are “Wajib” and stressed that the judges should not hesitate in implementing Hadd and Qisas. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s spokesperson, described the judges’ meeting with Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme leader, and quoted him as instructing them to apply Hadd and Qisas punishments in cases that meet the conditions. Implementing the Hadd and Qisas is “Wajib (obligatory),” Mullah Hibatullah told the judges, adding that following his directives is also obligatory. Click here to read more (external link).
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