Category: Afghanistan

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Geopolitical implications of Taliban win for India

Taliban-ruled Afghanistan would upset India’s dream of connecting to Central Asia via Iran’s Chabahar port. The prospect of Taliban-ruled Afghanistan emerging as an epicenter of global terrorism cannot be ruled out just yet, writes Sankalp Gurjar

Surprising everyone, the Taliban has won a stunning military and political victory. The United States (US)-supported Afghan government led by President Ashraf Ghani could not stand up to the Taliban assaults and has ultimately surrendered.

In a lightning campaign, Taliban forces managed to reach the gates of Kabul in record time and Have now taken over power. According to a Reuters report former President has abdicated and moved to Tajikistan. It is being estimated that a monumental humanitarian tragedy is in the making and the fate of thousands of Afghan lives hangs in balance, not to speak of the modern values, democracy and liberties. Amid this crisis, a cold geopolitical calculation is needed.

The rapidly changing political and more importantly, military situation in Afghanistan has forced all major stakeholders to re-evaluate and adjust their strategies. India is no exception to this. As the shape of a new government led by the Taliban becomes clearer, India will have to find ways to maximize its policy options and minimize the damage to its interests. For now, protecting the immediate and most-important interests, security of the embassy staff and granting asylums and visas to India’s allies in Afghanistan is a priority.

A lot depends on the evolving international response to the victorious Taliban. The military forces of US and UK are still in Kabul and are busy evacuating their own nationals. The fate of thousands of Afghans who helped them remains unclear. However, as the Taliban has reached Kabul while the Americans are still there, the previously drawn plans will need to be adjusted. How will the US, UK and other western nations view the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan? Although the Taliban has entered Kabul ‘peacefully’, can they be given the real, much sought after prize of international recognition? China, Iran and Russia have already engaged the Taliban and it will be interesting to see how they deal with the new rulers of Kabul. Pakistan might actually feel a sense of accomplishment and perhaps would like to maximize its gains through the Taliban. Along with this, the domestic behavior of the Taliban will also be a factor to watch out for. The task of governing a diverse, difficult and complex country like Afghanistan is never easy. Therefore, a lot will also depend on how the domestic responses to Taliban rule pan out.

India’s concerns

In this matrix, India has three core concerns that will contribute in making its policy towards Afghanistan. The first and foremost concern is the future of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Taliban-ruled Afghanistan may perhaps emerge as a terrorist breeding ground. Recent revelations indicate that Pulwama attack of 2019 was planned in the Helmand province (Afghanistan). In the evolving context, Pakistan-supported, India-focused terror groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed may perhaps shift (willingly or by force, prodded by their Pakistani handlers) their bases to Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s plans

It will help Pakistan to demonstrate to the international community that it has closed down terror bases and consequently, the pressure of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) might be reduced. It may perhaps be taken off the ‘Grey List’ as well and the financial squeeze applied by the FATF restrictions would be eased. It will certainly embolden Pakistan further.

Related to this, the second concern is the growing leverage of Pakistan in Afghanistan as well as vis-a-vis major players. Pakistan would want to achieve its cherished dream of so-called strategic depth in Afghanistan and would like to undercut India’s role to the extent possible. Pakistan’s angry reactions to the news of India reaching out to the Taliban was perhaps a sign of things to come. It would work to ensure that India’s leverage over the new regime in Kabul remains as weak as possible and for all practical purposes, India stays out of Afghanistan.

ALSO READ: Why is Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan giving Islamabad a big headache?

Pakistan would be a key element in China’s engagement with the Taliban. Security of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) investments and the Uyghur separatism are China’s concerns in Afghanistan. In the geopolitical vacuum left by the US withdrawal, China would also like to fish, albeit in a cautious manner, in Afghan waters to project its growing power and influence. The role of Pakistan will be critical in Chinese calculations. In the geopolitics of Afghanistan, Russia would also like to keep Pakistan on its side. Therefore, although Pakistan will be busy carving a special role for itself in Afghan affairs under Taliban, the geopolitical prominence of Pakistan is set to go up. It doesn’t bode well for India.

Stop for India’s plans

And finally, the third concern is the deteriorating regional security environment in India’s western neighborhood. Taliban-ruled Afghanistan would upset India’s dream of connecting to Central Asia via Iran’s Chabahar port. The prospect of Taliban-ruled Afghanistan emerging as an epicenter of global terrorism cannot be ruled out just yet. The possibility of foreign fighters entering Afghanistan and getting training, weapons and sanctuary remains real. Already, the price of guns in black market has fallen by about 40% in the last few months. With the Taliban in Kabul, the poppy cultivation and drug trade may also receive a boost. It has intimate links with criminal activities. The nexus between drugs and weapons smuggling is a real threat and the Pakistani coast is likely to emerge as an important conduit. Therefore, a renewed focus will be needed on India’s internal as well as maritime security.

ALSO READ: China Expects Taliban To Leave Terrorism Past

For now, many believe that India does not have enough leverage with the Taliban. However, it needs to be understood that a major power like India cannot be kept out of the Afghan conundrum for long. The situations will present themselves which will open up opportunities for India. The supposed bonhomie between Taliban and Pakistan will be tested once issues like Durand line, Pashtun nationalism come to the fore. Can Pakistan realistically control the Taliban in Kabul? Would it be acceptable to Taliban? Or would they resent Pakistani control and would seek to diversify their regional partnerships?

India will be presented with interesting, if difficult, opportunities in Afghanistan. It needs to be ready to exploit, and if possible, widen, the internal contradictions between Taliban and Pakistan. The situation in Afghanistan also necessitates India to strengthen ties with Iran, Russia and Central Asian states. Shared concerns and interests in Afghanistan will be a binding factor. In the 1990s, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia were key players in Afghanistan. Although these powers are not in the driving seat in the present context, India’s deepening ties with these Gulf powers could perhaps open up opportunities to work together in Afghanistan. India will need to be nimble-footed and agile enough to make quick adjustments to protect its interests and allies in Afghanistan. Resurrecting age-old relationships and cultivating some key factions in the new regime might help as well.

In the coming weeks and months, as the situation becomes clearer, India can chart clear policy towards the evolving situation in Afghanistan. Till then, improvise and adjust is likely to be the mantra of India’s policy.

(Sankalp Gurjar is a Research Fellow with the Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi. Views expressed are personal. They do not represent the views of ICWA. The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

ALSO READ: Pakistan takes Taliban on board over TTP issue

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Pakistan takes Taliban on board over TTP issue

Maulana Faqir Mohammad, the former deputy chief of the TTP, was also released as the Taliban after Kabul’s fall on Sunday….reports Asian Lite News

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed said on Tuesday that the country has taken the Afghan Taliban on board over the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) issue, hoping that the Afghan soil will not be used against Islamabad.

Rasheed was responding on Geo Pakistan to reports of the release of key TTP commanders from jails in Afghanistan, as the Taliban took over the country.

Maulana Faqir Mohammad, the former deputy chief of the TTP, was also released as the Taliban after Kabul’s fall on Sunday.

“The outlawed TTP and Daesh (Islamic State) militants are present in the mountainous ranges of Nooristan and Nighar,” he said.

“We have taken the Taliban on-board over the TTP issue and told them that Pakistan will not allow its soil to be used against Afghanistan and it hopes Afghanistan won’t allow its soil to be used against Pakistan.”

When pressed further, the Minister said he could not disclose to the media what Pakistan has discussed with the Taliban.

“Previously, Pakistan was supporting the US due to which the TTP and the Taliban were on the same page. That is not the case now,” he noted.

In response to another question, the Interior Minister said Pakistan was not facing any refugee crisis or “load” on its border with Afghanistan, given the volatile situation in Afghanistan.

“Pakistan has completed 97-98 per cent of the fencing around the Afghan border,” said Rasheed, adding that the border has been fenced even around the most hostile of terrains.

“Our troops are manning the security check-posts along the border as well.”

The Minister said that in the past, most of the migrants who slipped through the border to Pakistan were the Taliban or others who were frustrated with the Northern Alliance.

He said that is not the case now.

ALSO READ:Pakistan Blames Pashtuns, India, Israel for its ‘image problem’

ALSO READ: Who is really winning, Taliban or Pakistan?

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Why is Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan giving Islamabad a big headache?

The dangerous terror group is committed to a Greater Afghanistan, which includes Pushtun dominated areas, in Pakistans north-west across the Durand line….reports Rahul Kumar

The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), freed from prison in large numbers after the Taliban stormed into Kabul on Sunday, is giving Islamabad a big headache. The dangerous terror group is committed to a Greater Afghanistan, which includes Pushtun dominated areas, in Pakistans north-west across the Durand line.

The group has been in the cross-hairs of the Pakistani military which has launched a massive operation against it, further embittering the relations between the two. We profile some of the TTP’s key players and the role can they can be expected to play?

Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud

The TTP leader has his religious grounding in Pakistan as he studied there in a number of religious seminaries. In Pakistan, he is considered to be a scholar who has authored a book that provides details of how former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was killed by his organisation.

Mehsud the ideologue, took over the reins of the TTP after its former chief Mullah Fazlullah was killed by the Americans in a 2018 drone strike. Mehsud has maintained close ties with Al-Qaeda and has focused on attacking Pakistani military targets. Recent reports say that under Mehsud, TTP is also making China one of its targets due to its infrastructure investments through the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). This leads to a tantalising question. Are the Baloch insurgents and the TTP also working to “liberate” Balochistan and derail the CPEC?

Maulana Faqir Mohammad

A former TTP deputy leader and a senior commander, he was released by the Taliban, after it swept to power, from an Afghan prison. He had been arrested in 2013 in Afghanistan along with other fighters and was transferred to the US-managed Bagram prison. He is known to be close to Al-Qaeda and other Arab militants.

Ehsanullah Ehsan

Also known as Liaqat Ali, Ehsanullah Ehsan made headlines when he escaped from the custody of the Pakistani military in 2020. He got away when he pretended to help the Pakistani army locate terrorists during a counter-terror operation. The Pakistan government has said that it is trying to apprehend him but he seems to be no longer in Pakistan.

As spokesperson Ehsan was the TTP face, known for holding press briefings near the Pak-Afghan border. As the spokesperson, he was the one who had announced the attack on activist Malala Yousafzai for her advocacy of education for girls. Active on Twitter, he once again threatened Yousafzai in response to her query to the Pakistani government and military if his escape had been facilitated.

Muhammad Khurassani

Also known as Khalid Balti, he hails from Gilgit Baltistan and is the current spokesperson for the group. He got his education from Karachi’s madrassas and later taught as a madrassa teacher. He is known to have wide contacts in madrassas in Pakistan and carries considerable influence there. It was due to his media experience that he was made the TTP’s chief communicator.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

ALSO READ: Who is really winning, Taliban or Pakistan?

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Obtaining accurate info about Indians in Afghanistan our priority: MEA

“We have been issuing periodic travel and security advisories for all Indian nationals in Afghanistan, given the deteriorating security situation there,” it noted…reports Asian Lite News.

India on Tuesday said its immediate priority is to obtain accurate information about all Indian nationals currently in Afghanistan.

“We have already received requests from Afghan Sikh and Hindu community leaders, and are in touch with them,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.

As regarding withdrawal of staff and paramilitary personnel from the Indian embassy in Kabul, the Ministry said this withdrawal has been completed in two phases and the Ambassador and all other Indian personnel have reached New Delhi this afternoon.

“We have been issuing periodic travel and security advisories for all Indian nationals in Afghanistan, given the deteriorating security situation there,” it noted.

Those already in Afghanistan were urged to return immediately while others were advised not to travel there, the statement added.

Nevertheless,” we understand that a number of Indians are stranded in that country, some of whom are employed by third country organizations,” it mentioned.

Stating that main challenge for travel to and from Afghanistan is the operational status of Kabul airport, “it further said that this has been discussed at high levels with our partners, including by EAM Jaishankar with the US Secretary of State.”

The Government of India is committed to the safe return of all Indian nationals and will institute flight arrangements once Kabul airport is open for commercial operations, the statement reiterated.

It further said that as regards Afghan nationals, India’s visa services will continue through an e-Emergency visa facility, which has been extended to Afghan nationals. (India News Network)

ALSO READ-Britain plans to welcome thousands of Afghans

READ MORE-As Taliban roam Kabul, dress code turns to salwar kameez

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As Taliban roam Kabul, dress code turns to salwar kameez

Men with Kalashnikovs roamed the streets of Kabul on foot, in security vehicles and on motorcycles Monday as the insurgents solidified their hold on Afghanistan’s capital….reports Asian Lite News

The rush at the Kabul airport and the strong push to get out was one indicator of peoples anxiety about life under the Taliban. Another was a change in the dress code. Most of the men were dressed in salwar kameez. Hardly anyone wore jeans and T-shirts, which was a common sight a week ago, VOA reported.

The other big change from a week ago was the presence of women. On a normal day in Kabul, one could see a significant number of women on the streets dressed in jeans, long tunics and headscarves and full burqas.

Not now. The small group of women on the streets were fully covered in hijabs and wearing face masks to protect against the coronavirus.

While the Taliban promised there would be no violence against anyone, citizens of Kabul seemed to be treading cautiously, just in case.

Men with Kalashnikovs roamed the streets of Kabul on foot, in security vehicles and on motorcycles Monday as the insurgents solidified their hold on Afghanistan’s capital.

They seemed to have taken over the duties of Afghan police and security forces that were hardly visible anymore.

Armed Taliban stood at the gates of the compound that led to the US Embassy, now vacated. They also seemed to be standing guard outside the house of Abdullah Abdullah, head of the High Council for National Reconciliation.

At checkpoints previously staffed by Afghan forces, men with long beards wearing salwar kameez, the long tunic and loose pants that make the local dress, AK-47s dangling at their side, looked inside car windows and asked drivers where they were going, sometimes with a smile and a hand raised to their chest as a gesture of respect, the report said.

Afghanistan kids

Bridal dress ads in Kabul covered in white paint

On the first day of Taliban control in Kabul, bridal dress advertisements that showed women with exposed strands of hair were covered in fresh white paint.

Taliban fighters commandeered streets and searched the homes and offices of government officials and media outlets, spreading fear and menace across the Afghan capital, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Armed militants erected checkpoints throughout the city of six million people, imposed a 9 p.m. curfew and took over army and police posts.

Fighters, many grinning in victory, rode through the streets in captured US and Afghan military vehicles flying the Taliban’s white flag.

The report said turban-clad insurgents searched the phones of passers-by for evidence of government contacts or compromising material they might deem un-Islamic.

Stores were shut across the city.

On video footage shared over social media, chuckling Taliban fighters sauntered around Parliament building on the city’s outskirts.

Rozina, an Afghan-Canadian woman visiting Kabul with her Afghan husband, said Taliban fighters came to their hotel on Monday morning while she was in a back garden.

Frightened, she ran upstairs to their room.

Minutes later, Taliban fighters came inside with the hotel manager, who persuaded her to come out of the bathroom where she had hidden.

ALSO READ: British forces return to Afghanistan on the cards: Defence Secretary

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UAE aviation authority suspends flights to Afghanistan

Dubai carriers Emirates and flydubai earlier halted flights to Kabul until further notice due to the security situation in Afghanistan….reports Asian Lite News

UAE aviation authorities suspended all flights to Afghanistan on Monday after Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul was overrun by thousands of residents desperate to flee the capital.

The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) in a statement said it “is closely monitoring the developments in Afghanistan and assessing the current situation, in coordination with relevant authorities and the UAE’s national carriers, to ensure the safe operation of the country’s airlines.”

“Under this framework, the GCAA stated it is prioritizing the safety and security of civil aviation,” the aviation body added.

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan after capturing all major cities in a swift offensive that took only days, forcing President Ashraf Ghani to flee the country as the government crumbled.

Afghan security forces inspect the site of a car bombing in Kandahar city, capital of Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan. (Photo by Sanaullah SeiamXinhuaIANS)

Dubai carriers Emirates and flydubai earlier halted flights to Kabul until further notice due to the security situation in Afghanistan.

Emirates Flight EK640 and flydubai Flight FZ305 were forced to return to Dubai on Sunday after failing to get clearance to land at Kabul airport.

Military flights evacuating diplomats and civilians were taking off from Kabul on early Tuesday morning after the airport runway had been cleared of crowds.

US troops, sent by President Joe Biden to ensure a safe withdrawal of American diplomatic personnel and civilians, are now in charge of Kabul airport.

ALSO READ: UAE sends 100,000 Covid jab doses to Philippines

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Taliban working on future govt plan in Doha

Discussions are underway in Doha about a future government, including its structure and name, and they are expected to report on the process in the very near future, reports Asian Lite News

The Taliban leaders are discussing future government plans in Doha after gaining control of Kabul and seizing the presidential palace in Afghanistan’s capital, a media report said.

Discussions are underway in Doha about a future government, including its structure and name, and they are expected to report on the process in the very near future.

The terror group is in touch with the international community and intra-Afghan parties to make government in Afghanistan.

“At this time we face a test because now we are responsible for the security of the people,” said Taliban deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.

Afghan security force members walk past coffins of comrades killed in a checkpoint attack by Taliban militants in Faiz Abad district of Jawzjan province. (Photo by Mohammad Jan Aria_Xinhua_IANS)

On Sunday, the Taliban entered Kabul and took control of the presidential palace. The terrorist group is now everywhere in the capital, walking the streets of Kabul.

Over Afghanistan’s situation, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Monday called for an immediate cessation of all hostilities and the establishment of a new government that is united, inclusive and representative.

In a press statement, UNSC President TS Tirumurti said that the members of the Security Council called for an immediate end to the violence in Afghanistan, the restoration of security, civil and constitutional order.

Campaign on to retain Afghan flag in new Emirate

A number of youngsters gathered in Kunar province of Afghanistan demanded the Taliban to retain the government flag.

According to media reports, there is a vast campaign on social media demanding the Afghanistan Islamic Emirate to maintain the Afghan flag while others suggest a joint flag of both.

A number of women gathered in Kabul demanding a share in the upcoming government.

The women asked power holders not to be forgotten in the upcoming regime.

The women though did not name the Taliban directly; this is apparently a rare move in Afghanistan where the Taliban are grappling control of nearly the entire country, reports said.

Afghanistan flag(Pic credit wikipedia)

In the Afghan capital, the situation is barely looking to be coming to normal as the number of Taliban members carrying weapons is relatively less.

The number of shops also increased and now there are more people on the streets of Kabul compared with the past two days.

Public transportation also got relatively back on the streets and there was also some traffic personnel seen in the city.

The Taliban also share frequent video clips of arresting thieves in Kabul city who were impersonating them and were robbing people and property.

Though the AIE in their statement said that academic institutions will remain open for both boys and girls, the institutions are still closed in Kabul.

In the public health sector, the Taliban members have also met a group of female doctors in Kabul asking them to continue their jobs as normal.

The newly shaped council comprising Hamid Karzai, Abdullah Abdullah and Gulbadin Hekmatyar was supposed to be visiting Doha on Tuesday but trip has been put off.

The council is currently the only address from which the Taliban can get the power.

Taliban urges govt staff to return to work

Two days after the Taliban captured Kabul, the insurgent group on Tuesday urged the Afghan government employees to return to work in an effort to bring back normalcy in the capital city.

Declaring a general amnesty, the Taliban urged all to restart their normal lives with confidence.

It also urged women to join its government.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted that the situation in Kabul was completely under control and law and order returned to the city.

Mujahid reiterated that life and properties of people were safe as there are reports that the Taliban has arrested about 200 people involved in looting of government properties and vehicles.

The Taliban leadership has ordered its members and “once again instructs them that no one is allowed to enter anyone’s house without permission. Life, property and honor of none shall be harmed but must be protected,” Mujahid said.

Late on Monday, flight operations of military transport planes had resumed from the Kabul airport and dozens of flights were conducted, according to residents living nearby.

The planes were evacuating foreigners and some of their Afghan workers.

The flight operations were suspended on Monday morning after thousands of Afghans flocked to the airport to flee Kabul.

Also on Monday, the offices of the Afghan Public Health Ministry and the Kabul municipality were reopened.

Wahid Majrooh, acting minister of public health, appeared together with Taliban public health representatives in a televised footage, urging medical workers to return to their jobs, including female medical employees.

Small shops were also reopened around the city while banks and business centres mostly remained closed as of Tuesday morning.

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UNSC demand zero tolerance for terrorism, political settlement in Afghanistan

Summing up the highlights of the meeting, Tirumurti said the members “reaffirmed the fact that we need immediate cessation of hostilities, and violence”….Arul Louis

The UN Security Council members demand zero tolerance for terrorism in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and require a political settlement for the regime to be recognised, India’s Permanent Representative T.S. Tirumurti said on Monday.

Addressing reporters outside the Council chamber after presiding over an emergency meeting on Afghanistan, he said that the session heard “the sentiments among the council members on zero tolerance for terrorism, and the Secretary General (Antonio Guterres) unequivocally underlined this important aspect”.

With deft diplomacy, Tirumurti was able to steer the deeply polarised Council to an agreement on a statement formally setting out its stand on post-Taliban Afghanistan.

The negotiations on the statement that sets minimal requirements for the Taliban, with what would be considered innocuous anywhere else, dragged on for nearly five days after Norway and Estonia circulated the first draft.

Summing up the highlights of the meeting, Tirumurti said the members “reaffirmed the fact that we need immediate cessation of hostilities, and violence”.

Afghan security force members take part in a military operation in Imam Sahib district of Kunduz province, northern Afghanistan. (Photo by Ajmal Kakar/Xinhua/IANS)

As for recognition of Afghanistan’s new regime, he said the precondition was “a political settlement”.

“And that political settlement should fully respect the human rights of women, children, and minorities,” he said.

Tirumurti, who convened the meeting at the request of Norway and Estonia who have responsibility for Afghanistan matters, hinted at the difficulties he faced in getting an agreement on the statement.

“Discussions are on to see how best we can address some of the issues in the press statement. And we do sincerely hope that this will come out sooner rather than later,” he said.

ALSO READ: After Afghanistan takeover, Taliban release anti-Pak militants

Tirumurti finally succeeded in getting an agreement on the press statement.

The statement, released later, called for “an immediate end to the violence in Afghanistan, the restoration of security, civil and constitutional order, and urgent talks to resolve the current crisis of authority in the country and to arrive at a peaceful settlement through an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned process of national reconciliation”.

The Council “reaffirmed the importance of combating terrorism in Afghanistan to ensure the territory of Afghanistan should not be used to threaten or attack any country, and that neither the Taliban nor any other Afghan group or individual should support terrorists operating on the territory of any other country”, according to the statement.

It also called for “the establishment, through inclusive negotiations, of a new government that is united, inclusive and representative – including with the full, equal and meaningful participation of women”. It underlined that institutional continuity and adherence to Afghanistan’s international obligations, as well as the safety and security of all Afghan and international citizens, must be ensured.

It also said that the UN and other humanitarian agencies and organisations should be allowed to provide assistance across conflict lines to all in need.

Speaking to reporters after addressing the Council, Guterres also emphasised eliminating terror in Afghanistan.

“We want terrorism not to have any more a safe haven in Afghanistan,” he said.

For that and other objectives like protection of human rights, especially of women, he said: “We need the unity of the Security Council, the unity of the international community, to be able to speak with one single voice.”

ALSO READ: Biden defends Afghanistan decision

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Afghan scribe breaks down during Pentagon briefing

During a press briefing by Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby, Afghan journalist Nazira Karimi said everybody is upset especially, women with recent developments in Afghanistan….reports Asian Lite News

An Afghan journalist broke down during a press briefing of the Pentagon when he asked the whereabouts of President Ashraf Ghani who fled as Taliban closed in on Kabul, saying ‘where is my president, he has to answer people.’

During a press briefing by Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby, Afghan journalist Nazira Karimi said everybody is upset especially, women with recent developments in Afghanistan.

“As you know, I’m from Afghanistan, I’m very upset today, because Afghan women didn’t expect that overnight all the Taliban came. They took off my flag. This is my flag. They put their flag. Everybody’s upset, especially women,” the reporter told Kirby, pointing to the Afghan flag on her face mask.

Taliban on Sunday took control of Kabul and installed themselves in the presidential palace in Kabul.

President Ashraf Ghani fled the country as the terrorists entered the city on Sunday. Panic gripped the Afghan capital as people fear about a return to the Taliban’s brutal rule and the threat of reprisal killings.

Thousands of Afghans flooded the tarmac on Monday morning, at one point swarming around a departing US military plane as it taxied down the runway.

ALSO READ: After Afghanistan takeover, Taliban release anti-Pak militants

During a press briefing on Monday, Karimi asked Kirby on the status of Ghani, who fled Afghanistan as the Taliban closed in on Kabul on Sunday.

“Where is my president, former President Ghani? People expected that he would be by with the people and immediately he ran away. We don’t know where is he and we don’t have a president. President Biden said that President Ghani knows he has to fight for us people, they have to do everything and we were able to financially help them. But we don’t have any president, we don’t have anything,” the journalist said.

The journalist continued: “The Afghan people don’t know what to do. Women have a lot of achievement in Afghanistan. I had a lot of achievements. I left the Taliban like 20 years ago. Now we go back to the first step again. Do you have any comments?… Where is our President Ghani? He should answer to the Afghan people.”

Replying to the journalist, Kirby said he could not speak for Ghani or “where he is or what his views are. But let me say with all respect, that I understand. And we all understand the anxiety and the fear and the pain that you’re feeling. It’s clear and it’s evident, and nobody here at the Pentagon is happy about the images that we’ve seen coming out in the last few days,” Kirby said.

“And we’re all mindful of the kind of governance that the Taliban is capable of. So heartfelt respect to what you’re going through, and we understand that.”

The Pentagon spokesperson continued: “We, too, have invested greatly in Afghanistan and in the progress that women and girls have made politically, economically, socially, and we certainly do understand and we do feel the pain that you’re feeling. Probably not to the same extent. We’re focused right now on making sure that we do the best we can for those Afghans who helped us.” (ANI)

ALSO READ: Biden defends Afghanistan decision

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Biden defends Afghanistan decision

Warns Taliban leaders they would face “devastating force” should they interfere with the US pullout, reports Asian Lite News

President Joe Biden said he stood “squarely behind” his decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan despite searing images of chaos in Kabul that exposed the limits of US power and plunged him into the worst crisis of his presidency.

Breaking his silence on the US pullout after scenes of bedlam dominated television news channels for days, Biden blamed the Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan on Afghan political leaders who fled the country and the unwillingness of the US-trained Afghan army to fight the militant group.

He warned Taliban leaders they would face “devastating force” should they interfere with the US pullout. Biden was forced to send US troop reinforcements to Kabul to ensure a safe withdrawal of American diplomatic personnel and civilians as well as Afghan citizens who worked with the United States and could face reprisals.

The panicked evacuation, coming weeks after Biden predicted the Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan was not inevitable, has dented America’s image on the global stage just as Biden has sought to emphasize to world leaders that “America is back” after former President Donald Trump’s tumultuous four years.

The pullout has also raised fears that militant groups like al Qaeda could reconstitute under Taliban rule.

Biden, rejecting harsh criticism of his Afghan policy from Republican and Democratic lawmakers, some former generals and human rights groups, was resolute in defending his withdrawal from a 20-year war that endured through four presidencies.

“I stand squarely behind my decision,” Biden said in a televised speech at the White House. “After 20 years I’ve learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw US forces. That’s why we’re still there.”

Biden said he found some of the scenes of chaos in Kabul “gut-wrenching” but that he did not start moving out evacuees sooner because Afghan President Ashraf Ghani did not want a mass exodus.

He acknowledged that the Taliban’s speed in retaking the country was unexpected. The rapid advance stunned American officials who predicted that the Afghan army would either repel the militants or hold them off for months.

“The truth is: This did unfold more quickly than we anticipated. So what’s happened? Afghanistan political leaders gave up and fled the country. The Afghan military gave up, sometimes without trying to fight,” Biden said.

US soldiers prepare to depart from Kunduz, Afghanistan. (Photo Brian Harris_Planet Pix_ZUMA_dpa_IANS)

He also doled out criticism to his Republican predecessor, Trump, whose administration negotiated a deal with the Taliban that Biden said left the group “in the strongest position militarily since 2001.”

Critics of Biden have focused on the way the US withdrawal is being carried out, as video showed Afghans flooding runways at the Kabul airport and desperately trying to grab the fuselage of a US plane rolling on the tarmac.

“The president’s failure to acknowledge his disastrous withdrawal provides no comfort to Americans or our Afghan partners whose lives hang in the balance,” Republican Senator Mitt Romney said in a tweet.

Biden singled out for criticism the two main Afghan leaders, Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, head of the country’s High Council for National Reconciliation, saying they had “flatly refused” his advice to seek a political settlement with the Taliban.

“How many more generations of America’s daughters and sons would you have me send to fight Afghans – Afghanistan’s civil war, when Afghan troops will not? How many more lives – American lives – is it worth? How many endless rows of headstones at Arlington National Cemetery?” Biden asked.

On Monday night, Biden on Monday authorized up to $500 million from an emergency fund to meet “unexpected urgent” refugee needs stemming from the situation in Afghanistan, including for Afghan special immigration visa applicants, the White House said.

The United States is preparing to begin evacuating thousands of Afghan applicants for special immigration visas (SIVs) who risk retaliation from Taliban insurgents because they worked for the US government.

Whether Biden will face a long-term political risk for Afghanistan is unclear. Foreign policy does not typically play a major role in US elections. Many Americans have expressed support for Trump’s and Biden’s decision to leave Afghanistan, America’s longest war. here

But Republican Representative Mike McCaul signaled his party might try to frame the Afghan chaos as a national security issue that makes the United States more vulnerable to terrorist attack.

“I think it is going to taint this presidency, to a large degree, on national security,” he said.

The United States and allies invaded Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington and toppled the Taliban, who had hosted al Qaeda militants responsible for the attack.

Biden also said his decision was a result of the commitment he made to American troops that he was not going to ask them to continue to risk their lives for a war that should have ended long ago.

“Our leaders did that in Vietnam when I got here as (a) young man. I will not do it in Afghanistan,” he said. “I know my decision will be criticized but I would rather take all that criticism than pass this decision on to another president.”

Media slams Biden’s statement

Biden’s statement washing his hands of Afghanistan deserves to go down as one of the most shameful in history by a commander in chief at such a moment of American retreat, the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal said.

As the Taliban closed in on Kabul, Biden sent a confirmation of US abandonment that absolved himself of responsibility, deflected blame to his predecessor, and more or less invited the Taliban to take over the country, the editorial board of WSJ said.

With that statement of capitulation, the Afghan military’s last resistance collapsed.

“Our goal all along has been to offer constructive advice to avoid this outcome. We criticised Donald Trump’s deal with the Taliban and warned about the risks of his urge to withdraw in a rush, and we did the same for Biden. The President’s advisers offered an alternative, as did the Afghanistan Study Group. Biden, as always too assured of his own foreign-policy acumen, refused to listen,” WSj said.

“One more year, or five more years, of US military presence would not have made a difference if the Afghan military cannot or will not hold its own country,” Biden had said.

But the Afghans were willing to fight and take casualties with the support of the US and its NATO allies, especially air power. A few thousand troops and contractors could have done the job and prevented this rout, WSJ said.

“When I came to office, I inherited a deal cut by my predecessor, in which he invited the Taliban to discuss at Camp David on the eve of 9/11 of 2019, that left the Taliban in the strongest position militarily since 2001 and imposed a May 1, 2021 deadline on US forces.

“Shortly before he left office, he also drew US forces down to a bare minimum of 2,500. Therefore, when I became President, I faced a choice — follow through on the deal, with a brief extension to get our forces and our allies’ forces out safely, or ramp up our presence and send more American troops to fight once again in another country’s civil conflict,” Biden had said.

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