Taliban-led provincial governor Bakhtiar Maaz said that they are working on food and shelter assistance for the people impacted by floods….reports Asian Lite News
At least 31 people have been killed, 74 are injured and 41 are reported missing in the flooding in Afghanistan over the last 72 hours, TOLO News reported, citing Taliban-led Ministry of State for Natural Disaster Management spokesperson Shafiullah Rahimi.
Rahimi said 250 livestock have died during this period. He further said that 600 houses and hundreds of acres of lands have been damaged due to flooding, the report said. “The floods began three days ago. At least 13 people were killed and 74 were injured and more than 604 houses have been damaged,” TOLO News quoted Shafiullah Rahimi as saying.
Meanwhile, Faizullah Jalal, the head of the Taliban-led Maidan Wardak Department of Natural Disaster Management, said that at least 30 people died and 15 others were injured in floods that hit several districts of the province on Saturday. He said that injured people were taken to hospital for treatment.
He said, “So far we have found more than 30 dead bodies and it is said that some others have disappeared. 15 people are injured and have been taken to the hospital.” The people impacted by floods urged Taliban and humanitarian organisations to provide them with shelter and other basic needs.
Mohammad Hassan, a resident of Maidan Wardak, said the Taliban’s provincial governor reached the site, but a “weak team” was accompanying him, TOLO News reported.
Mohammad Hassan, a resident of Maidan Wardak, said, “12 hours have passed but we don’t see anything. The provincial governor arrived but a very weak team was with them. The incident is big but it has not been addressed accordingly”, TOLO News reported.
Taliban-led provincial governor Bakhtiar Maaz said that they are working on food and shelter assistance for the people impacted by floods.
“We have considered food and shelter assistance for them for now. Our teams from the Ministry of Disaster Management, Ministry of Public Work and Interior Ministry are on their way. We will solve all problems,” TOLO News quoted Bakhtiar Maaz as saying.
Earlier, in June, Taliban-led State Ministry for Disaster Management said six people have died and eight others were injured in seven provinces as a result of the recent rains and flooding.
Shafiullah Rahimi, a spokesperson for the Taliban-led Ministry of Natural Disaster Management, said six people have died and eight have suffered injuries during the floods affecting several provinces of Afghanistan, TOLO News reported.
According to Rahimi, 30 homes were demolished and more than 800 animals died due to the flood. Meanwhile, Saifuddin Laton, Taliban-led Nuristan’s governor’s spokesperson said that 300 animals have died in the affected province due to the flooding. Furthermore, residents suffered financial losses, the report said.
As per TOLO News, Rahimi said, “Six people died, and eight more suffered injuries. Thirty homes have been damaged or demolished entirely, seven bridges have been wrecked, 832 animals have died, and some agricultural areas and orchards have lost their crops.” (ANI)
The acting defence minister once again accused the US of violating the airspace of the country and asked Washington to end the violation of the airspace of Afghanistan…reports Asian Lite News
Taliban-appointed defence minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid said that he considered the United States as an obstacle to the international recognition of Afghanistan, ToloNews reported.
In an interview with an Arabic news television channel, Mujahid said that the Taliban has met the requirements for recognition but that some countries, under pressure from the United States, don’t recognise Afghanistan. “We’ve completed the requirements that a government should have. There aren’t any requirements left to be met so that the world won’t recognize us as a result. It might take some time for them to be ready to recognize us, but we ask countries that are not under the pressure of America and can recognize us, to recognize the government of Afghanistan. In particular, we ask the world’s powerful Islamic countries to recognize us, and this is in the interest of all the countries,” Mujahid noted.
In the interview, Yaqoob Mujahid denied the cooperation of the Taliban with the US in destroying the Al-Qaeda network and emphasized that Al-Qaeda is not present in Afghanistan, as per ToloNews.
“Al-Qaeda doesn’t exist in Afghanistan. How can we fight against those who do not exist, do not control any area of Afghanistan, and do not even have a strategy for our country? In my view, what Joe Biden said was in some way an acknowledgement of this truth, but this doesn’t show our cooperation with America. We do not need the cooperation of any country,” he said.
The acting defence minister once again accused the US of violating the airspace of the country and asked Washington to end the violation of the airspace of Afghanistan.
“It has also been stressed that Afghanistan’s independence should be respected and that no country’s land should be used against Afghanistan, yet the US violates this principle. We ask the US to halt it because we lack the capability to respond to it and lack the equipment to fight against these drones. We not only condemn this act but also consider it as the occupation of Afghan airspace,” Mujahid added.
He stressed that the Islamic Emirate is prepared to communicate with the international community to address its concerns, reported ToloNews.
“The recognition will keep us from being internationally isolated. Both for security and other purposes, it will be helpful to Afghanistan. 58 Muslim nations will be persuaded to recognize Afghanistan if Saudi Arabia recognizes Afghanistan,” said Aziz Marij, a political analyst.
“What is the purpose of the economic-political pressure, when the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate officially emphasizes the lack of terrorist groups in Afghanistan and the president of the US admits that these groups are not in Afghanistan?” said Zalmay Afghanyar, a military analyst. (ANI)
Iran’s top diplomat has claimed that the terrorist group’s operatives had been shifted to Afghanistan from Syria, Libya and Iraq…reports Asian Lite News
The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has termed the reports on the presence of the Daesh or Islamic State (IS) outfit in the country as baseless and utterly rebuffed them, according to its foreign ministry.
In a tweet on Saturday, Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said: “We reiterate that the IEA (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) will not allow anyone to threaten the national security of Afghanistan, or use our territory against others.”
Iran’s top diplomat has claimed that the terrorist group’s operatives had been shifted to Afghanistan from Syria, Libya and Iraq, Xinhua news agency reported quoting media reports.
“We reject the Iranian foreign minister’s allegation asserting that Daesh leaders have been transferred to Afghanistan from Iraq, Syria and Libya,” Balkhi contended in his reaction.
Although the Afghan security forces have killed and arrested scores of affiliated IS operatives, the extremist armed group has claimed responsibility for several deadly attacks including bombing mosques, hotel and foreign ministry employees in the capital Kabul over nearly the past two years.
The Afghan Taliban told Pak special envoy that Pakistan should choose the route of peace rather than using force….reports Asian Lite News
The Taliban government of Afghanistan has refused to take action against militant outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or allow Islamabad to do so, the Express Tribune reported on Saturday. The Taliban regime asked a special envoy of Islamabad to pursue the path of peace and hold dialogue with the TTP, instead of using force.
Pakistan dispatched its special envoy to Kabul this week on a three-day trip to convey a clear message that the interim government will have to take decisive action against the TTP.
Ambassador Asif Durrani met with Afghanistan’s Acting Deputy Prime Minister Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi and other officials during his trip.
“The issue of terrorism, as I’ve said in the past, including in the last briefing, is an issue of serious concern to Pakistan. And Pakistan has raised this issue with the Afghan authorities on multiple occasions and at every important engagement that takes place between Pakistan and the Afghan interim authorities,” Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told her weekly news briefing.
“We have discussed the threat of terrorism emanating from the Afghan soil,” she added when asked whether Ambassador Durrani took up the issue of cross-border terrorism with the Afghan authorities.
But despite Pakistan’s insistence on action against the TTP, the Afghan Taliban government is not ready to go that path.
Pakistan has abandoned the peace process after the TTP stepped up attacks and took advantage of the earlier rounds of talks.
The civil and military leadership decided that Pakistan would no longer seek talks with the TTP. But at any stage if talks are needed those can only take place once the TTP surrenders.
The Afghan deputy prime minister asked Durrani that Pakistan should prefer peace over war. He said due to bitter experience of wars in Afghanistan, he would advise Pakistan to take the path of negotiations instead.
Maulvi Kabir said he sees peace in Pakistan in the interest of Afghanistan and considers acts of violence there as a loss for Afghanistan and as a Muslim country Afghanistan does not want fighting and unrest in Pakistan.
He assured the Pakistani envoy that the Afghan Taliban government had a policy of non-interference in the internal matters of other countries. He claimed that Afghanistan would not allow its soil to be used against any other country including Pakistan.
The sources said Ambassador Durrani would brief the government on his return from Kabul and give his assessment. The sources said Pakistan is unlikely to accept the Afghan Taliban offer.
The sources said Pakistan would devise its strategy keeping in view the input from the special envoy.
‘Doha Pact not being honoured’: Pak allegations against Taliban
Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif last week strongly rebuked Afghanistan for “neglecting its duties as a neighbouring and fraternal country”, and for disregarding vital obligations made in the Doha Peace Agreement, specifically its commitment to prevent the use of Afghan soil for terrorist activities.
According to Asif, Pakistan has provided refuge to five to six million Afghan refugees for 40 to 50 years with all their rights intact. However, he added: “Conversely, the terrorists who shed the blood of Pakistanis find refuge on Afghan soil.”
End of ceasefire and resurgent TTP
Pakistan has witnessed an increase in terrorist activities, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, following the termination of the ceasefire between the government and the banned TTP in November of the previous year.
The Taliban victory in Afghanistan has emboldened and strengthened the TTP. With the Taliban in control of Afghanistan and sympathetic to the TTP, and the group no longer having to fear operations against it there, the TTP now enjoys a level of ‘strategic depth’ that is arguably unparalleled in its history.
In the aftermath of the Taliban taking control of Afghanistan, four key developments have defined the TTP’s ensuing resurgence: a series of mergers, the adoption of a centralised organisational structure emulating the Afghan Taliban insurgency, growing operational activity, and a sharp strengthening in media operations.
Italian Sociologist wrote how despite being an avid traveller he ended up rejecting the proposal to visit Afghanistan because he doesn’t want the Taliban to benefit from the sites destroyed by them.
Taliban which itself destroyed the historically and culturally significant ‘Buddhas of Bamiyan’, now want to make money from the empty niches as it is desperately in need of cash.
Massimo Introvigne, an Italian sociologist of religions and author, wrote in his piece in Bitter Winter, how despite being an avid traveller he ended up rejecting the proposal to visit Afghanistan because he doesn’t want the Taliban to benefit from the sites destroyed by them. “The Afghan regime desperately needs cash. It cannot show the Bamiyan Buddhas for the good reason it blew them up. But it would take tourists to the site for a fee,” he stated.
According to the author, the Taliban smashed the sixth-century CE giant statues in 2001 with artillery fire and by detonating anti-tank mines.
Now, the public can only see the empty niches where these masterpieces of Buddhist sculpture once stood, and meditate there. But this not for free, but by paying money to the regime, Bitter Winter reported.
The author went on to say that he can even pay a fee to see the Nuremberg propaganda headquarters of the Nazi Party and the location of the Khmer Rouge mass graves in Cambodia, because, here the money is not going to Adolf Hitler or Pol Pot, but the subsequent current governments.
However, in the case of Afghanistan, it is the Taliban itself that perpetrated the crimes and are willing to reap money while being in the government.
According to the author, it would be like paying Chinese President Xi Jinping for visiting the dreaded Xinjiang “transformation through education camps” where Uyghurs are tortured and killed.
“I understand the empty niches of the destroyed statues do have their own melancholic beauty. But I do not want to support the Taliban with my ticket. I would rather not go,” Massimo Introvigne further stated in his piece. (ANI)
The attack on a Pakistan army base, which resulted in the deaths of 12 soldiers and a civilian, was claimed by Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), a relatively new militant group. Pakistan has accused the Taliban government in Afghanistan of failing to take appropriate measures to prevent the activities of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliated factions … writes Dr Sakariya Kareem
The relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan is deteriorating following a major attack in Balochistan’s Zhob Cantt on July 12.
The attack on a Pakistan army base, which resulted in the deaths of 12 soldiers and a civilian, was claimed by Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), a relatively new militant group. Pakistan has accused the Taliban government in Afghanistan of failing to take appropriate measures to prevent the activities of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliated factions.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani armed forces have “serious concerns regarding the TTP’s safe havens and freedom of action in Afghanistan.”
In a statement, the Pakistan military expressed its concerns over the TTP’s ability to operate freely in Afghanistan and emphasised that “the interim Afghan government should not allow its territory to be used for terrorist activities, as agreed upon in the Doha agreement in February 2021.”
Meanwhile, the foreign office has urged Afghan authorities to fulfil their promises regarding the non-utilisation of their territory for terrorism against Pakistan. Following the breakdown of the ceasefire between the TTP and the Pakistani military in November 2022, the terrorist group has significantly intensified its activities throughout Pakistan. Despite multiple requests, Islamabad alleges that the interim Taliban government has not taken substantial actions against the TTP.
Additionally, Pakistan is now hinting at the alleged involvement of Afghan nationals in recent terror attacks.[8] In response to these allegations, Zabiullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Afghan Interim Government, refuted them by stating that there is no TTP presence in Afghanistan. He further emphasised that “if Pakistan possesses any evidence, it should be shared with the Afghan authorities, who will consider it and take appropriate action.”
Furthermore, he claimed that “Pakistan is blaming Afghanistan for its own failure to maintain internal law and order.” In a media interview, Pakistan’s defense minister, Khawaja Asif, claimed that Islamabad had warned the Afghan Taliban it will “strike terrorist hideouts inside Afghanistan” if the de facto rulers in Kabul were unable to rein in anti-Pakistan militants. In a tweet on July 15 following the Zhob army base attack, Khwaja again warned the Kabul administration that “such attacks are intolerable and would elicit an effective response from the security forces of Pakistan.”
He further criticised the Taliban for “disregarding crucial commitments” made in the 2021 Doha agreements, including its commitment to prevent the use of Afghanistan territory for terrorist activities. All these allegations and counter allegations have exacerbated serious tensions between the two countries. The alliance between the TTP and the Afghan Taliban can be historically traced back to the United States’ invasion of Afghanistan in November 2001.
The recent report on Afghanistan by the United Nations Security Council Monitoring Team has also highlighted the close bond between the Afghan Taliban and the TTP, stating that the Taliban considers the Pakistani Taliban as a “part of the Islamic Emirate”.
Islamabad believes that the Afghan Taliban are not in a position to oppose the TTP and will continue their strong ties with the outfit and it is now allegedly equipped with “advanced weapons” such as night vision goggles that were left behind by the American forces when they exited Afghanistan in August 2021. Since the return of the Afghan Taliban to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, Pakistan has witnessed a resurgence of terror attacks reportedly orchestrated by the TTP and its affiliated outfits.
According to the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies report, Pakistan had witnessed at least 262 terror attacks in 2022, with the TTP being responsible for at least 89 of them. Of particular concern to Islamabad is the alarming death toll of over 400 people, predominantly Pakistani security forces, resulting from suicide bombings and other attacks since the beginning of 2023 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
In a press conference in June, Director General ISPR Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry had said that Pakistani security forces conducted 13,619 intelligence operations this year in which 1,172 terrorists were killed or arrested. He also added that 95 soldiers were killed in these operations.
Moreover, during the past two years, there have been multiple incidents of violent border skirmishes between security personnel from the Taliban government and Pakistan. It is crucial to note that the Taliban has categorically rejected the Durand Line as an “official border” separating Pakistan and Afghanistan. Sohail Shaheen, a Taliban spokesperson, recently emphasised that the Durand Line is merely a “line” and lacks recognition as a legitimate border, further exacerbating the differences between Islamabad and Kabul.
In April, a National Security Committee meeting in Pakistan reached a consensus to launch an “all-out comprehensive operation” to combat the escalating terrorist activities within the country. The subsequent press release openly criticised the Taliban administration for allegedly facilitating the return of “dangerous terrorists” to Pakistan. By making these accusations, Islamabad aims to exert pressure on the Afghan Taliban on the issue of terrorism. Pakistan is aware that by portraying itself as a “victim,” it can generate global sympathy while potentially straining the relationship with the Taliban.
120 women and girls have been included in the project “Making Afghanistan” and earn income by selling their handicrafts….reports Asian Lite News
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has provided 120 displaced women and girls who have returned to Afghanistan’s Herat, with the opportunity to learn carpet weaving, embroidery, painting, making miniatures and bag production, Tolo News reported.
These women and girls have been included in the project “Making Afghanistan” and earn income by selling their handicrafts.
Head of the “Making Afghanistan” project, Hassan Khan Ahmadzai, said, “Usually, in this project, we provide artists with access to the market and connect them with the market. We also train them based on market demand so that they can produce goods based on market demand.”
The women and girls who are part of the ‘Build Afghanistan project’ said that they are the only breadwinners and heads of their families.
A student, Marzia Haidari, said, “This work is useful for us, we can help the family, stand up for ourselves, make a contribution.”
“We are a seven-member family, and I am the head of the family. This institution is good for us,” said Hawa Hussini, another student.
Women and girls in Afghanistan have started working from their houses after the Taliban banned them from working in NGOs.
“My request to the government is not to close down work for women and to open it. Women should go to work and carry out their work,” said Sakina Merzaye, a student.
“We work in the handicraft carpet sector. The money I get from here is good for my family and I am a good helper for my parents,” said Latifa Ali Zada, another student, as per TOLO News.
These women and girls have been trained in carpet weaving, embroidery, painting, and making bags.
Sweden suspends activities in Afghanistan
The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, a humanitarian organisation, said on Wednesday that part of its operations had been discontinued in response to a Taliban directive to cease Swedish participation nationwide, reported Khaama Press.
The Taliban regime proclaimed this week that all Swedish engagement in Afghanistan must end due to the burning of a Quran in Stockholm last month. However, it remained unclear to which institutions the order would be applicable. After reaching out to the Taliban leadership to discuss issues, the relief body said, “Some activities of the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA) have been paused.”
“Last year, SCA received 2.5 million patient visits in our clinics in Wardak and Nuristan. 133,000 children received education in our schools, and more than 20,000 people with disabilities were supported. SCA employs over 8,000 Afghans across 18 provinces,” Khaama Press reported citing SCA’s statement.
Following the burning of a Quran outside the Stockholm Central Mosque by a Swedish citizen of Iraqi descent, the Taliban decided to outlaw the Swedish Committee from the nation, reported Khaama Press.
Afghanistan’s humanitarian sector has already been severely hindered ever since the Taliban authorities placed limits on female aid workers in December of last year. (ANI)
The army of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Thursday conducted long-range live-fire drills targeting designated areas on the eastern part of the Taiwan Strait and achieved desired results. (The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army/Handout via Xinhua/IANS)
By 2028, China will own more than 1,000 ballistic missile launchers, of which 507 are nuclear-capable, 342-432 are conventional launchers and at least 252 are dual-capable launchers. Alas, China refuses to comment on this phenomenal build-up and declines to acknowledge its extent….reports Asian Lite News
It is alarming when a military expands its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launchers by a factor of five. China has done precisely this, but the reasons for this snowballing have never been expounded by Beijing.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is a secretive organization at best, but the missile force takes paranoia to a whole new level. However, a researcher in the USA has shed much-needed light on the PLA Rocket Force (PLARF), which is responsible for China’s conventional and nuclear-tipped missile inventory. In total, the PLARF boasts 41 combat missile brigades, many of which were only created in the past decade.
Decker Eveleth of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey published an up-to-date PLARF order of battle in July. Eveleth’s credentials are top-notch, for he was the first civilian to identify massive missile silo fields being built in China’s interior in 2021. Eveleth warned: “Currently, Chinese nuclear thinking is a black box – we can see the security drivers being fed into the box, and we can see the military infrastructure and deployed military systems that come out of that box, but as the Chinese military does not publicly talk about their thoughts concerning nuclear weapons and deterrence, their exact thinking eludes us.”
The PLARF has traditionally been quite small and held at low readiness levels. It was constrained by China’s policy of “no first use” of nuclear weapons. However, in 2015, Chairman Xi Jinping raised the Rocket Force into full service in its own right. A decade ago, China had only about 50 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), of which only 30 could reach the US mainland. Now, the PLARF owns a range of missile types that can perform specific missions such as neutralizing Taiwanese defenses, targeting American warships at sea or in port, or conducting retaliatory nuclear strikes.
The aforementioned report summarized: “China is currently in the process of radically expanding its arsenal of conventional and nuclear land-based missile launchers. Over the past decade, China has doubled the number of combat missile brigades in the PLARF, and has unveiled a myriad of new capabilities, including missiles capable of firing both conventional and nuclear warheads, and missiles equipped with hypersonic glide vehicles designed to evade missile defenses.”
By 2028, China will own more than 1,000 ballistic missile launchers, of which 507 are nuclear-capable, 342-432 are conventional launchers and at least 252 are dual-capable launchers. Alas, China refuses to comment on this phenomenal build-up and declines to acknowledge its extent.
What, then, are some of the most important points raised by this Middlebury Institute report? Beginning with ICBMs, from a figure of just over 100 launchers, the force will multiply to more than 500. Much of this growth comes from 334 silos for solid-fuel ICBMs being constructed in large fields at Yumen, Hami and Hanggin Banner, as well as Jilantai. There are 14 silos at the latter site, used for training and developing concepts of operation. With the Hanggin Banner site having notably different command-and-control facilities, this suggests it will have different missiles to Yumen and Hami. Both the DF-31 and DF-41 types have been mooted as candidates to populate these silo fields.
Eveleth noted that construction of these silo fields continues, “…with Yumen being closest to completion. Digging and concrete pouring is mostly done, [but it is] unclear exactly how close those fields are to entering operation. One extremely interesting detail is the construction of what appear to be radar platforms and other support facilities for radar at all three sites. Possibly this indicates that the PLARF will attempt to defend these fields with anti-air weapons.” It is difficult to know how many missiles will be located at each site, but there are reasons to believe China might use a “shell game” strategy, whereby a limited number of missiles are periodically moved from silo to silo to keep an opponent guessing and to force them to commit more missiles to destroying them in any attack.
What implications can be drawn from China’s newfound propensity for missile silos? “A massive expansion in solid-fueled silos could be a result of decreasing confidence in the survivability of their mobile forces, and an attempt to create a ‘missile sponge’ that would be large enough to absorb an American first strike and leave the United States with few missiles for targeting China’s mobile forces.” Liquid-fuel ICBM silos are also growing in number. For example, 18 DF-5 ICBM silos are being built at three different locations. In fact, DF-5 silos will more than double over the next three years, from 18 to at least 48 operational silos.
The author added: “Another notable fact about the new DF-5-pattern construction is that the silos have much larger support facilities than those that have been built at older DF-5 sites. The scale of the facilities under construction could indicate a higher alert state than previously seen,” possibly a launch-on-warning (LOW) capability.
In fact, in the report writer’s opinion, “The most concerning change to China’s nuclear forces is not actually the numerical expansion in launchers, but their apparent shift from a retaliation plan that imagined firing a salvo of nuclear missiles after an adversary had already completed an attack against the Chinese homeland to a posture of LOW. Under launch on warning, an incoming nuclear attack is detected in flight with satellites and ground-based radar, allowing a state to retaliate before the incoming missiles have struck their targets. China’s developing LOW capability, combined with solid-fueled missile silos, means that they can quickly launch a nuclear attack at a moment’s notice. A LOW posture presents new challenges in ensuring conventional conflicts stay conventional.”
Other conclusions may also be gleaned from the multiplication of DF-5 silos. “The expansion in liquid-fueled systems implies that China is concerned about the amount of damage that their forces need to be capable of inflicting. Liquid-fueled missiles like the DF-5 are capable of carrying much heavier payloads than solid-fueled missiles, allowing the missile to carry a larger number of warheads and penetration aids. This allows even a small expansion of missiles to have a large impact on China’s ability to penetrate American missile defenses and strike US cities.”
Another piece of evidence that reveals Chinese concern about penetrating American missile defenses is an investment in a fractional orbital bombardment system (FOBS). The test of a FOBS occurred in August 2021, when a warhead went into orbit and circumnavigated the globe before impacting. A FOBS allows a user to fire in unexpected directions not protected by an adversary’s missile defense system. Referring to mobile ICBM units, rather than the static silo fields, Eveleth expects around 50 DF-41s to be deployed once all brigades are fielded, up from the 12-20 at present. A typical brigade possesses eight DF-41 ICBMs. The academic said the mobile ICBM force is “continuing to slowly grow and modernize”. The Pentagon believes that China is exploring different basing options for the DF-41, specifically rail and silo.
The original DF-31 has been retired from active service, while the majority of DF-31A units have upgraded to the newer DF-31AG. The latter is carried by 16×16 launcher vehicles, compared to less-mobile truck and trailer units of the DF-31A. Some 48-56 DF-31AG launchers are thought to exist at present. Analyzing China’s intensive investment in nuclear weapons, Eveleth had this to say.
“At the strategic nuclear level, China’s rapid expansion of strategic ICBM launchers gives the Chinese nuclear deterrent a degree of survivability in the face of adversary missile defenses, conventional precision strike systems and continued American superiority in fast-striking submarine-launched ballistic missiles. At the present time, however, because the political drivers and thought processes behind China’s nuclear build are very difficult to assess, we have limited ability to predict where China’s nuclear expansion will stop, what basing concepts they will eventually adopt, and how they might utilize their nuclear forces in the event of a crisis or conflict.
“Regardless of the actual capability of the current American national missile defense system or stated American intent regarding the missile defense system, the PRC worries that the United States could in the future neutralize a large portion of incoming Chinese warheads, possibly after destroying a portion of Chinese nuclear launchers on the ground with long-range conventional strikes, negating the deterrent effect of the existing nuclear arsenal.”
Thanks to their immense range and nuclear warheads, ICBMs are considered the granddaddies of all missiles. However, the PLARF also boasts numerous medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBM, with a range of 1,000-3,000km) and longer-legged intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM, able to fly 3,000-5,500km). Eveleth noted that MRBM and IRBM forces are “undergoing significant modernization”. Older types such as the nuclear DF-21A are in the process of being retired, with the conventional DF-21C possibly suffering the same fate, as the DF-26 takes precedence. The 3,000km-range DF-26 is the only IRBM operated by the PLARF, but it is one of its most important missiles. This weapon can engage both naval and land targets, as well as perform nuclear missions, thanks to swappable warheads. The American researcher said the DF-26 inventory continues to grow, and probably already exceeds 216 launchers. By 2026, the report estimates that 252 launchers will exist in six different brigades.
China also fields the 1,500km-range DF-21D, an anti-ship ballistic missile. There may be around 48 launchers equipping two brigades, but no new ones are expected as its function is now being filled by the newer DF-26. The PLARF also operates cruise missiles. “Cruise missiles have never been as widely deployed as other system types among the PLARF, but still allow the PLARF to launch accurate low-emission strikes against regional targets.” Two important cruise missile types are the subsonic CJ-10/DF-10 with a 1,500-2,000km range, and the supersonic DF-100 able to travel approximately 2,000km.
Also in the MRBM category is the DF-17, which carries a hypersonic glide vehicle for its warhead. Eveleth noted: “The PLARF is doing a mixture of replacing existing SRBM units and standing up completely new brigades equipped with the system. One new DF-17 brigade is very close to the Korean border.” Indeed, the report estimated three more brigades will be added to this brigade within the next three years. Main target areas are Taiwan and the Korean Peninsula. Siting them close to Taiwan, for example, greatly reduces warning time for Taiwanese defenses in a conflict. The smallest missiles are categorized as short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM), with a range less than 1,000km. The PLARF fields DF-11, DF-15 and DF-16 SRBMs.
Eveleth said their numbers are reducing, but they “are unlikely to be completely retired in the short term. It’s likely the PLARF is unwilling to part with its existing extensive magazine depth in those systems, even as more capable systems arrive on the scene.”
Helpfully, Eveleth’s order of battle included a list of all known PLARF brigades and their geographic coordinates, all of which have been identified using commercial satellite imagery. The growth of China’s missile force, especially its nuclear-equipped weapons, is intensely worrying. It reflects a change in thinking by Xi, even if China refuses to divulge what that strategic recalculation is. It all suggests that Beijing is departing from its previous restrained second-strike nuclear posture to one able to deter at multiple levels, including nuclear war.
This is very concerning, something with which Eveleth concurs. “Even if China is not currently planning to utilize its new nuclear assets more aggressively, the fact that those assets now exist and are capable of doing so makes a possible eventual shift to a more aggressive posture much easier to achieve.”
Furthermore, “As the Sino-American relationship becomes increasingly volatile over the status of Taiwan, gaining accurate data on China’s conventional and nuclear missile forces becomes more important than ever.” This is made even worse by the PLA’s refusal, at the behest of its political masters, to even pick up the hotline and discuss issues with the USA. (ANI)
The bank further said that partial settlement of transactions is not permitted and that the auction winners must make a single, timely cash delivery of all amounts owed to Da Afghanistan Bank…reports Asian Lite News
Afghanistan’s Central Bank Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) will auction USD 14 million by Wednesday to stabilize the national currency Afghani exchange rate, reported Khaama Press as stated by Afghanistan Central Bank.
The bank further said that partial settlement of transactions is not permitted and that the auction winners must make a single, timely cash delivery of all amounts owed to Da Afghanistan Bank. Today, the official exchange rate for one US dollar was revealed to be 86 Afghanis, according to Khaama Press.
Last month, according to Khaama Press, Afghanistan’s Central Bank pushed millions of US dollars into the country’s currency market to stop the Afghani from depreciating against other countries.
In the last 20 years, Afghanistan has received more than two billion dollars in cash as humanitarian assistance from the international communities to save the country’s economy from collapsing, reported Khaama Press.
Recently, in May, Afghanistan’s Central Bank, Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) announced that a fresh USD 40 million cash package has reached Kabul amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis, and said this is the second cash shipment Kabul receives in less than four days, Khaama Press reported.
Since the Taliban seized power in August 2021, the cash aid shipped to Afghanistan has exceeded all limits.
The United Nations humanitarian aid arrived in Kabul on May 11, according to an announcement from Afghanistan’s central bank, and had been placed in a private commercial bank to the tune of USD 40 million, Khaama Press reported.
Women protest in Kabul
Following the Taliban’s ban on women’s beauty salons in Afghanistan, women makeup artists on Wednesday held demonstrations in Kabul denouncing the order, reported TOLOnews.
Recently, the de-facto authorities of Afghanistan, in a verbal decree, banned women’s beauty salons in Kabul and other provinces across the country. The demonstrations were held in the Shar-e Naw neighbourhood of Kabul where the protesters chanted the slogan “Food, work, and justice”.
Makeup artist Marwa said, “What is our crime that we are deprived of school, universities and everything? What is our guilt?”
Another makeup artist, Sadaf said, “I have spent around 400,000 Afs on my beauty salon. I am the breadwinner for my family and I have the responsibility to bring food for 12 people in my family,” reported TOLOnews.
The protesters said that thousands of women would lose their jobs if the decision remains.
Basana, a makeup artist said, “I am responsible for the family. Which way should I go and what should I do? The family doesn’t have anyone else except me and I am obliged to bring food for them by working in beauty salons.”
The Taliban’s restrictions on women in Afghanistan have received global condemnation.
“The restrictions on women have been increased by the interim government every day. I hope the Islamic Emirate pays attention to all types of rights of the citizens of Afghanistan, particularly women, and never seeks to take the food of a mother, sister, daughter or a wife,” said Tafseer Sia Posh, a women’s rights activist, according to TOLOnews.
According to a decree issued by the Taliban’s Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, women’s beauty parlours in Afghanistan will no longer be allowed to operate after July 23, reported Khaama Press. Further, as per the report, there are over 12,000 women’s-beauty-salons across the country, with an average of five women employed by each. (ANI)
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid speaks during a press briefing in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Nov. 10, 2021. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua/IANS)
According to the decision of the Taliban leader, some of the AGO’s duties have been given to the courts and intelligence services…reports Asian Lite News
The Taliban have abolished the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) and turned it into the “Directorate of Supervision and Prosecution of Decrees and Orders”, reported TOLO News on Tuesday.
Moreover, according to the decision of the Taliban leader, some of the AGO’s duties have been given to the courts and intelligence services. Taliban’s spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that the purpose of abolishing the AGO is to prevent the congestion of departments, according to TOLO News.
Mujahid said that the “Directorate of Supervision and Prosecution of Decrees and Orders” will monitor the implementation of the Taliban’s leader’s orders in both public and private institutions.
“Too much bureaucracy should be avoided, which is why the intelligence agencies also have the authority to monitor and can watch over the implementation of orders. Second, in the courts, if there is a disputed case of the people, it will be handled by lawyers, and if the system has its disputes it will proceed through its own channels in whatever way things can be done best,” Mujahid said.
According to some legal experts, justice will not be properly implemented in the nation by restricting the Attorney General’s Office’s (AGO) authority, reported TOLO News.
Abdul Shukor Dadras, a legal expert said, “The supervision of discovery and investigation has been removed, the litigation has been removed; therefore, the Attorney General’s Office as a department for monitoring and prosecuting the orders and directions of the Taliban, has limited authority.”
Mujahid added that this institution will have representation in 34 provinces of the country.
“Its structure and methodology both changed but the staff has remained the same. The same force that had been employed at the Attorney General’s Office will be employed at the Directorate of Supervision,” he said.
According to the decision, the responsibility and stages of investigation, supervision and prosecution of legal and criminal cases have been entrusted to the courts and the Intelligence Directorate. TOLO News reported.
“The supervision of discovery and investigation has been removed, the litigation has been removed; therefore, the Attorney General’s Office as a department for monitoring and prosecuting the orders and directions of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has limited authority,” said Abdul Shukor Dadras, a legal expert.
Earlier, members of the Afghan Independent Bar Association (AIBA) claimed that the Taliban had shut down the association’s Kabul headquarters and had halted all activities. (ANI)
