At Least 10 People Killed In Blasts In Kabul
Radio Free Afghanistan
June 2, 2021
At least 10 civilians have been killed in two blasts in the western part of Kabul, Afghan security officials said, amid an uptick in violence across Afghanistan since the start of the international military withdrawal.
Another 14 people were wounded in the separate explosions that targeted two minibuses, Kabul police spokesman Ferdows Faramarz said late on June 1.
However, eye witnesses told Tolo News that the casualty toll was considerably higher.
There has been no claim of responsibility for the bombings.
Both Taliban and the Islamic State militants carry out bombings in Afghanistan.
U.S. President Joe Biden last month announced the withdrawal of the remaining 2,500 to 3,500 U.S. troops and thousands of U.S. contractors by September. About 7,000 NATO troops also are being withdrawn.
The Pentagon has indicated that the pace of the withdrawal was picking up. As of May 30, U.S. Central Command estimated it had completed 30-44 percent of the so-called “retrograde” process.
Meanwhile, NATO’s exit from Afghanistan is “progressing in an orderly and coordinated way” ahead of a planned complete pullout by September 11, according to the alliance’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
But major issues remain over how the 30-nation alliance will continue to fund the corruption-ridden Afghan security forces, whether to continue training special forces troops somewhere outside the country, and what forces will protect civilian workers, embassies, and the Kabul airport.
An unnamed American official was quoted on June 2 as saying that the U,S. military will hand over its main Bagram Air Base to Afghan forces in about 20 days.
The huge base, built by the Soviets in the 1980s, is the biggest military facility used by U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, with tens of thousands of troops stationed there during the peak of America’s military involvement in the violence-wracked country.
With reporting by AFP, dpa, and tolonews.com
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.
More Security News
RSF asks ICC to investigate murders of Afghan journalists
1TV: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has asked International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to investigate murders of journalists and media workers in Afghanistan since March 2020, involving 11 deaths. It said that such murders could be regarded as war crimes. Click here to read more (external link).
Kabul Royal Champs of Kabul Women’s Football League
Tolo News: Kabul Royal on Wednesday were crowned the champions of the Kabul Women’s Football League after winning all six matches in the tournament and not giving up a single goal. The league competition kicked-off two months ago with 36 matches between eight teams from Kabul. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan: 1,118 New Cases of COVID-19, 27 Deaths Reported
Tolo News: The Ministry of Public Health on Wednesday reported 1,118 new positive cases of COVID-19 out of 4,046 samples tested in the last 24 hours. The ministry reported that the cumulative total of known COVID-19 cases is 75,144, the total number of reported deaths is 3,034, and the total number of recoveries is 57,963. Click here to read more (external link).
NATO Foreign, Defense Ministers Talk Summit, Afghan Withdrawal
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
June 1, 2021
NATO’s foreign and defense ministers are meeting on June 1 to plan the bloc’s first summit with U.S. President Joe Biden and discuss the winding down of the operation in Afghanistan after two decades of war.
The ministers are discussing a statement being drafted for the June 14 summit in Brussels, which will discuss NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg’s plan to revitalize the alliance, known as NATO 2030, addressing Russia, terrorism, cyber attacks, technology, the use of disinformation, climate change, and the rise of China.
“This is a pivotal moment for our alliance, and our collective security,” Stoltenberg said on the eve of the meetings. “In a more competitive and unpredictable world, we need transatlantic unity.”
Chief among the challenges is dealing with an increasingly aggressive Russia, whose defense minister announced May 31 that Russia would establish 20 new military units in its western sector this year to counter what it claims is a growing threat from NATO.
Tensions are also on the rise over China’s sovereignty claims in the South China Sea including the self-ruled island of Taiwan.
U.S. warships have been present in the South China Sea more often in recent years to discourage the Chinese claims.
The most pressing subject for debate will be winding up NATO’s operations in Afghanistan. Biden has pledged to have U.S. troops out of the conflict-ravaged country by September 11.
Major issues remain over how NATO will continue to fund the corruption-ridden Afghan security forces, whether to continue training special forces troops somewhere outside the country, and what forces will protect civilian workers, embassies, and the Kabul airport.
Based on reporting by AP and Reuters
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.
Tolo News in Dari – June 1, 2021
Fawzia Koofi in Fortune’s world’s greatest leaders list
Koofi
1TV: Afghan women’s rights advocate and peace negotiator, Fawzia Koofi, has been named as one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders of 2021 by Fortune magazine. Koofi, a former member of parliament, has been at the table with Taliban representatives since September 2020, pushing for an end to the decades-long war between Afghanistan and the Taliban “without compromising democratic institutions and Afghan women’s hard-fought rights,” the magazine said. Click here to read more (external link).
Daily COVID-19 Cases, Death Count Continues to Rise
Tolo News: The Ministry of Public Health on Tuesday reported 1,045 new positive cases of COVID-19 out of 3,614 samples tested in the last 24 hours. The cumulative total of known COVID-19 cases is 74,026, the total number of reported deaths is 3,007, and the total number of recoveries is 57,742. Click here to read more (external link).
Britain To Speed Up Relocation For Afghan Interpreters
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
May 31, 2021
Britain has announced plans to step up the relocation of Afghan staff who worked with the military and their families ahead of the completion of a planned withdrawal of U.S.-led NATO forces from the war-wracked country.
More than 1,400 Afghans, mostly interpreters and their relatives, have already moved to Britain under a resettlement scheme.
The government says about 3,000 more are expected to resettle there under new measures that broaden eligibility and facilitates the access to relocation for families of former Afghan staff.
British Home Secretary Priti Patel said on May 31 that the government had a “moral obligation” to relocate staff and to “recognize the risks they faced in the fight against terrorism and reward their efforts.”
“I’m pleased that we are meeting this fully, by providing them and their families the opportunity to build a new life in this country,” she added.
Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said it was “only right” to speed up the relocation of those at risk of reprisals from the Taliban and other militants in the country.
“With Western powers leaving, the threat is increasing, including targeted attacks by the Taliban,” Wallace said.
Local staff who served with British forces had “sacrificed a lot to look after us and now is the time to do the same,” he said.
U.S. President Joe Biden last month announced the withdrawal of the remaining 2,500 to 3,500 U.S. troops and thousands of U.S. contractors. About 7,000 NATO troops also are being withdrawn.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told a hearing in Congress on May 27 that the withdrawal is “slightly” ahead of schedule.
The United States, Britain, and other NATO members have been under pressure to relocate the local staff who served with them during two decades of war.
On May 28, U.S. General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Washington isformulating plans to evacuate interpreters and others who worked for U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan over the past two decades.
Milley said the United States recognizes that there are a significant number of Afghans who supported the coalition and the United States, and that they could be at risk for retribution by the Taliban.
“There are plans being developed very, very rapidly here,” he said in remarks on May 26 that were released on May 27.
Many of the estimated 18,000 Afghan interpreters, commandos, and others who worked with U.S. forces have applied for visas to immigrate to the United States.
With reporting by AP, Reuters, and BBC