Ousted Afghan President Ghani Says Facebook Account ‘Hacked’
Ashraf Ghani
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
September 27, 2021
Deposed Afghan President Ashraf Ghani says his Facebook account was hacked after a statement posted in his name called for international recognition of the Taliban-led government.
The alleged hack arose amid a dispute over who should speak later on September 27 on behalf of Afghanistan at the 76th session General Assembly, with no country so far recognizing the hard-line militant group’s government that emerged after Ghani fled last month amid the U.S.-led international withdrawal.
“The official Facebook page of Dr. Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has been hacked since yesterday. Not all content published on this page is valid until the page is retrieved,” Ghani said on Twitter almost an hour after the Facebook statement urging recognition was posted.
The Facebook statement still visible on Ghani’s official site decried the current humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and urged the international community to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate power in Afghanistan and unblock Afghan government funds frozen abroad.
“They (the international community) should interact with the current government,” the message said. “Help them, give [them] the frozen budget of the Afghan nation and recognize it.”
A former director of cultural and social affairs for Ghani, Mahbob Shah Mahbob, also took to Twitter to say “the post on President Ghani’s Facebook page is not his opinion, the page has been hacked and is not in the possession of our colleagues.”
Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has called on the United Nations to allow a former Taliban negotiator and spokesman in Qatar, Suhail Shaheen, to be its representative to the UN General Assembly.
A UN spokesman has said the Ghani government’s former permanent representative at the United Nations, Ghulam Mohammad Ishaqzai, will speak on behalf of Afghanistan.
Ghani is living in exile in the United Arab Emirates after fleeing the country the day Taliban militants marched into Kabul.
Ghani later apologized to Afghans, saying he left to avoid bloodshed, and denied reports that he had taken with him millions of dollars in cash.
He has been heavily criticized nationally and internationally for escaping before a political settlement could be reached.
With reporting by Radio Azadi, dpa, and TASS
Copyright (c) 2021. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
Young Taliban Dancing to a Different Tune
AFP: As the setting sun turns the Arghandab river violet, seven young Taliban turn in a circle on the bank, singing and dancing in traditional Afghan style. The scene would have been unimaginable 20 years ago, when the hard line Islamist group were first in power and banned music outright. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan Won’t Address UN Amid Competing Claims For Ambassador’s Seat
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
September 27, 2021
Afghanistan will not address the United Nations General Assembly on September 27 after the ambassador for the government ousted by the Taliban withdrew his name from the schedule.
Ghulam Isaczai, the current UN ambassador who represents Afghanistan’s government ousted by the Taliban, was due to be the last speaker at the meeting but pulled out amid a competing claim by the militants to address the world body, according to reports from the Reuters and AFP news agencies.
Isaczai did not immediately respond for comment about the move.
The Taliban-led government last week asked to address the gathering of world leaders at the United Nations and nominated the Islamist group’s Doha-based spokesman, Suhail Shaheen, to be Afghanistan’s UN ambassador.
The move was openly opposed by Germany, whose foreign minister said a “show” by Afghanistan’s new rulers would serve no purpose.
Isaczai has also asked to renew his accreditation.
UN accreditation issues are dealt with by a nine-member credentials committee whose members include the United States, China, and Russia. It traditionally meets in October or November.
Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP
Copyright (c) 2021. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
Taliban accuse Tajikistan of interfering in Afghanistan’s internal affairs
Taliban leader Mullah Baradar with Pakistan’s ISI Chief Faiz Hameed
Ariana: Tajikistan is interfering in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, Abdul Ghani Baradar, the acting deputy head of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) said on Sunday. “Tajikistan interferes in our affairs, for every action there is a reaction,” Baradar said in an interview with al Jazeera TV channel. Click here to read more (external link).
1.8 million Doses of COVID-19 Vaccines Remain Unused in Afghanistan
8am: With the rise of the Taliban, the operations of government departments, including the Ministry of Public Health, were disrupted. Before the fall of Kabul, the ministry provided information on the latest details of the Covid-19 on a daily basis, giving the necessary instructions to the people to prevent the outbreak. For more than a month now, people somehow don’t care about the Virus, believing that it is no longer a threat. Therefore, they do not take health measures seriously in their daily routines. In reality, however, dozens of people in Afghanistan still go to the hospitals due to Covid-19. Click here to read more (external link).
Forced Displacement of Gizab Residents in Central Afghanistan Continues
These #Hazara villagers say they have received letters from Taliban to leave the village within 3 days. They say they have documents from King Zahir Shah’s era proving their ownership of the lands but Taliban don’t give heed to their pleas. #Afghanisran pic.twitter.com/mLolLeNjEr
— Saleem Javed (@mSaleemJaved) September 26, 2021
8am: Local sources say that the village of Kandir, where the residents were displaced a few days ago, has been occupied by the Kuchis (Pashtun Nomads). According to sources, Pashtuns and Taliban fighters, in collaboration with Zahir Khan of the Khalaj tribe, have now forced Hazaras in the Tagabdar village to flee or face the consequences, with a number of families fleeing their homes on Saturday. Click here to read more (external link).
John Bolton warns Taliban may get nuclear weapons amid Afghanistan withdrawal
Bolton
New York Post: “The Taliban in control of Afghanistan threatens the possibility of terrorists taking control of Pakistan … that means maybe 150 nuclear weapons in the hands of terrorists,” Bolton told John Catsimatidis in an interview on his WABC 770 radio show on Sunday. Click here to read more (external link).
No Afghan Airport Deal Without “Inclusive” Government: Turkish President
Erdogan
AFP: Turkey expects the government in Afghanistan to be “inclusive” before any agreement can be made about operating Kabul’s strategic airport, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying on Sunday. Turkey had been planning to help secure and run the airport before the hardline Islamist Taliban swift capture of the Afghan capital last month. Click here to read more (external link).
UK urged to resettle fleeing Afghan women’s football team
The Guardian (UK): The UK government is being asked to urgently resettle female players from Afghanistan’s junior football team who fled the Taliban and have been offered a new life with Leeds United. The 35 young women – many of whom are in their teens – their families and football coaches are in Lahore, Pakistan, on 30-day visas. But the 136-strong group face returning to Afghanistan unless they are accepted by a third country soon – they have to leave Pakistan by 12 October. Click here to read more (external link).