Recent Appearances...

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Recent Appearances...

India-Pakistan

The little prince

2023-11-29

[DAWN] FINALLY, there is a twist in the tale and we have some new political stuff to discuss. And for this, one has to thank Asif Ali Zardari (AAZ), whose candidness will allow us to spend a few days away from the usual conjecture over the PTI’s fate and PML-N’s honeymooning and what it will bring for different members of the Sharif family.

In a surprise interview to Hamid Mir on Geo, which stretched on for two hours, the former president spoke about all things politics, which ranged from the coming election to economic miracles that sugar and agriculture policies can bring.

But as I know very little about the latter, all I could focus on was the political stuff, especially his remarks about his heir and co-chairman, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari (BBZ). The 30-something, who has been heading this party for 15 years and has travelled the world as foreign minister, needs more training said the father.

The party can try and spin it as much as it wants, but this is a snub, BBZ will not find easy to recover from.

Indeed, in those remarks lay the basic dilemma of both Maryam Nawaz and BBZ, struggling to grow in the shadow of their respective parents. And it appears the growth simply means being sunflower-like and to keep turning their gaze in the direction of their fathers.

So Maryam blows hot when her father is in trouble and is silent when he is basking in the glory of a fourth victory. That politics and public opinion do not allow for periods of fiery leadership followed by dutiful shadowing, is lost on all political parties.

It was a snub that Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will not find easy to recover from.

BBZ has been through similar phases of ‘now you see him now you don’t’, so much so that it has been hard for people to view him as an independent player, even when he gave up his part-timing for full-time politicking. And this image refuses to change because the party continues to treat him like a poster boy rather than the man in charge.

And I say this not because of his father’s assertion during the interview that he (AAZ) was the one who would decide the party tickets including the one given to Bilawal but also the manner in which the vote of no confidence played out in 2022.

Bilawal led a long march to Islamabad from Sindh, which was to culminate in the overthrow of Imran Khan

...aka The Great Khan, who isn't your heaviest-duty thinker, maybe not even among the top five...
. However, once he reached Islamabad, the big three (Shehbaz Sharif, AAZ and Maulana Fazlur Rehman) held a press conference and announced filing the no-confidence motion. And once that was done, few were interested in the speech BBZ gave as his rally reached the capital.

The attention and focus had shifted; if BBZ was really the man around whom the party revolved, this would not have happened.

The more public and direct snub by the father in the Geo interview is simply more of the same, in a way. And as South Asia happens to be a place where the children rarely ever break away from their parents, chances are BBZ will not defy this tradition (the Mughals proved an exception).

But there is a second aspect to the notion that the father and son are not always on the same page. Indeed, it is not a new phenomenon. Back in 2013, it was reported that BBZ had stormed off to Dubai because he didn’t see eye to eye with his father and his aunt, Feryal Talpur on ticket distribution.

This time around, it appears AAZ’s comments about his son needing more training were partially due to the latter being aggressive and vocal about the facilitation being provided to the PML-N and Nawaz Sharif. While the jury is still out on whether this is a serious rift or simply a good cop bad cop routine (which Hamid Mir brought up), this has to be seen in the larger political context.

The PPP has two distinct views within; while most of those from Sindh are satisfied with the party’s focus on palace intrigues, those who were part of the party in Punjab — and the few who continue to still be around — felt it needed to be more aggressive, especially in confronting the PML-N, the dominant power in the province.

However, this never became party policy and as a result, the entire anti-PML-N space was captured by the PTI, as Imran Khan proved indefatigable in taking them on. Be it voters or politicians who are not in the PML-N camp, they flocked to the former sportsman and his party.

This lack of aggression is a major reason the PPP stopped being a contender in the province.

However, the voices within the party which wanted BBZ to play a role closer to Khan’s were never completely silenced; especially as the party also saw the utility of using this opposition to PML-N whenever needed.

What we witnessed in recent days was perhaps a mix of both the subdued voices within the party plus the cynicism the party has become known for. And for reasons only he is aware of, AAZ decided it was a good moment to send a message to the right quarters by pooh-poohing his own party’s stand, embarrassing his son in the process.

That this snub will simply add to the struggles of Bilawal in the eyes of the voters, perhaps does not bother those who think palace intrigues and jorr-torr are easier ways of doing politics.

Politics is a ruthless game but who would know this better than the Bhutto family, which has paid a very high price for this.

If the past is any guide, the rift will be addressed and the family will soon be crooning ‘hum saath saath hain’. The picture Bakhtawar Bhutto tweeted of herself along with the father and son was a step in this direction — it is to be noted, however, that the picture included the former president’s sister and not the former prime minister’s sibling, who is also in Dubai if reports are to be believed.

Blood is not thicker than power. And who knows this better than the dynastic families of Pakistan.

Link

India-Pakistan

Despite Zardari's trust, Bilawal remains wary of election fixing

2023-11-21

[GEO.TV] Pakistain Peoples Party's (PPP) top leaders' statements about the credibility of the upcoming polls apparently indicate contrast in the party’s policy as Asif Ali Ten Percent Zardari
Asif Ali <q>Ten Percent</q> Zardari

...former president of Pakistain, husband of the late Benazir Bhutto, who has been singularly lacking in curiosity about who done her in...
is hopeful of transparent polls while his son Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari raises concerns about manipulation of the results and rigging.

A day after PPP Co-chairman Zardari said the country was moving towards transparent polls, PPP Chairman Bilawal hinted that the results of the poll might have been pre-decided.

"The country is moving towards transparent elections," Zardari had said in a recent statement amid PPP's calls for a "level-playing field", saying that the caretakers — appointed to oversee the country's affairs till an elected government takes charge — were favouring the Pakistain Moslem League-Nawaz (PML-N).

In his address to a rally in Nowshera on Monday, Bilawal warned that his party would not accept the elections if anyone interfered with the results, reiterating his demand for transparent polls.

"Parties with a 2/3 majority say they have reached an agreement [regarding upcoming set up]," Bilawal said, without elaborating further about who had made a deal with whom.

"There’s no use of an election if the results are pre-decided," Bilawal warned, noting that if anyone becomes the prime minister, then others will protest and hold sit-ins against the newly formed government.

Pakistain has a history of parties not accepting results and alleging outside interference after the announcement of results, with the winning candidates saying that the polls were transparent.

"We will only accept the choice of the people, not anyone else’s," Bilawal stated, noting that the only solution out of the quagmire for the country is "transparent polls".

The Election Commission of Pakistain has announced February 8, 2024, as the date for general polls across the country, with the PML-N also holding meetings with politicos to strengthen its position ahead of the polls.

In a similar stance, the Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf
...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations....
(PTI) has also called for a level-playing field, saying that authorities were not permitting the party to carry out electioneering as its chairman, Imran Khan
...aka The Great Khan, who ain't the sharpest bulb on the national tree...
, remains incarcerated.

Link

India-Pakistan

PPP maintains top position after by-polls

2023-05-09

In case this means anything to our Pakistan watchers.

[Dawn] The ruling Pakistain Peoples Party has emerged as majority party in Sunday’s local government by-polls as it won seven out of 11 union committees (UCs). The Jamaat-e-Islami
...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores...
(JI) secured remaining four UCs.

After the fresh results, the PPP continued to maintain its position as the single largest party in Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
with 98 of the 246 UCs, followed by the JI and the Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf
...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations....
which got 87 and 43 UCs, respectively.

The Pakistain Moslem League-Nawaz (PML-N) had won seven UCs while Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam
...a Pak religious party. It is usually part of the govt, never part of the solution...
-Fazl (JUI-F) got three UCs followed by Tehrik Labbaik Pakistain that managed to win one UC in the Jan 15 LG elections. One independent candidate also bagged a UC.

However,
if you can't say something nice about a person some juicy gossip will go well...
results of six UCs are still withheld due to different reasons.

Link

India-Pakistan

'Mr Ten Percent' should put country first and honour BB's legacy: Zalmay Khalilzad

2023-04-17

[GEO.TV] Former US envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad on Saturday slammed former president and Pakistain Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Ten Percent Zardari
Asif Ali <q>Ten Percent</q> Zardari

...former president of Pakistain, husband of the late Benazir Bhutto, who has been singularly lacking in curiosity about who done her in...
, calling him "Pakistain’s Mr 10 Percent".

The former US envoy said that the PPP co-chairman should "put the country first and honour the legacy of BB [Benazir Bhutto
... 11th Prime Minister of Pakistain in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996. She was the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founder of the Pakistain People's Party, who was murdered at the instigation of General Ayub Khan. She was murdered in her turn by person or persons unknown while campaigning in late 2007. Suspects include, to note just a few, Baitullah Mehsud, General Pervez Musharraf, the ISI, al-Qaeda in Pakistain, and her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, who shows remarkably little curiosity about who done her in...
In an interview with senior journalist Hamid Mir on the Geo News programme "Capital Talk" on Friday, the former president had said Khalilzad is a "double agent" who was on "a payroll".

During the interview, Zardari was questioned regarding the support Khalilzad had shown to the Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf
...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations....
(PTI) — the former ruling party led by Imran Khan
...aka The Great Khan, who who convinced himself that playing cricket qualified him to lead a nuclear-armed nation with severe personality disorders...
In response, the former president said that Khalilzad was a salaried person. "He is in a lobby and an agent. A double agent of CIA [Central Intelligence Agency]."

When asked about the negative things Khalilzad had written about Zardari in his book, he said: "Of course, why would he write anything good about me? They can’t tolerate anyone who has roots in the country, can save the country, or loves it. Obviously, he won’t write anything nice."

In response to this, the former US envoy took to Twitter and wrote: "Responding to Pakistain's "Mr. 10 Percent": I do not lobby for anyone or any country and am no one's agent. I have shared my sincere concern about Pakistain's triple crisis, which unfortunately is intensifying, and have suggested what should be done. "Mr. Ten Percent" should put country first and honor BB's legacy, to preclude a meltdown that will hurt the 220 million people who — unlike him and others like him, do not own posh homes in several countries that they can run away to. The Pak establishment and the country's politicians must commit to rule of law, starting by not splitting the Supreme Court, but instead, implementing its decisions."

Link

Afghanistan

3 Key Daesh Members Killed: Intelligence Directorate

2023-03-28

[ToloNews] The General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) said on Twitter that three key members of ISIS were killed in operations by Islamic Emirate forces in PD 5,8 and 10 in Mazar-e-Sharif, the center of Balkh province.

Those killed included Zainuddin, ISIS's temporary head of Balkh and head of the judicial system, Abu Omar Afridi, a member of the ISIS Khorasan council, and Ustad Salman Tajikistani, who was in charge of military training and organizing mines.

The GDI said that previously in an operation of the Islamic Emirate’s forces in Faryab, all members of the group that organized the attack on Mohammad Dawood Muzamil, former governor of Balkh, were arrested.

According to GDI, the members of this group are Tajikistan nationals and were sent to Afghanistan for an attack.

"In three police districts, 5, 8 and 10, the recent information shows that their key leaders have been killed," said the Islamic Emirate’s front man, Zabiullah Mujahid.

The announcement of the interim government about the killing of ISIS fighters sparked a reaction from the former US special envoy for Afghanistan’s reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad.

Khalilzad said on Twitter that if confirmed, "this would be a significant blow to IS-K in Northern Afghanistan."

"The Taliban
Taliban

...Arabic for students...
had committed in the Doha Agreement to fight IS-K. The removal of these ISIS leaders indicates that it is doing so," Khalilzad said.

Khalilzad urged the US and Taliban to increase engagement to complete implementation of the Doha Agreement "which serves Afghan and US interests."

"Whenever the operations take place, they consider it both in the interest of the US and Islamic Emirate. This provokes the ISIS fighters against the Islamic Emirate," said Salim Kakar, a political analyst.

Some sources said that internal conflict in ISIS has increased.

Political analysts said that the recent steps of the caretaker government against ISIS have weakened the group.

"ISIS has been suppressed. The Islamic Emirate took serious actions against it. It is not as much as the US over-played it," said Abdul Mateen Mohammad Khail, a military veteran.

"As the Taliban is engaged in undermining ISIS, this is a good step," said Asadullah Nadim, military veteran.

According to the interim government’s numbers, at least 70 operations have been conducted against ISIS all over Afghanistan within the last year.

Link

Terror Networks

If Al-Qaeda Has a Center, It Would Be Iran: Khalilzad

2023-03-04

[TOLONEWS] The former US special envoy for Afghanistan’s reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, said that if there is any center of al-Qaeda, it "would be Iran" and this will affect the relationship between Iran
Iran

...The nation is noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence...
and the world.

Speaking in an interview with TOLOnews, Khalilzad said that more than elsewhere, if there is any center for the group, it would be Iran.

"Once Afghanistan was a center for al-Qaeda, but al-Qaeda has changed and its small groups have become a network that exists in various areas of the world. But if there is any center, it should be Iran," he said.

He said that one of the reasons that the US pulled out of Afghanistan was the change in course of terrorism.

In response to questions asked about the claims of the regional countries that ISIS is formed by the US, Khalilzad said "ISIS" is a threat to the US and the world and that the US conducted several operations against ISIS in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq.

"Iran and Russia benefited from the presence of ISIS. If someone thinks about who benefited from it, then it could be said that Russia and Iran are behind ISIS," Khalilzad said.

He said that two groups that are significant for the security of the US are ISIS and al-Qaeda, and that the Doha agreement focused on these two groups.

When asked about the handing over of Afghanistan’s embassies to the Islamic Emirate in Iran and ~~The Sick Man of Europe~~ Turkey
...just another cheapjack Moslem dictatorship, brought to you by the Moslem Brüderbund...
, Khalilzad said that the decision could be due to economic issues, but both countries denied recognition of the Taliban
...Arabic for students...
government.

Link

Afghanistan

New Yorker Magazine Details Failed Afghan Peace Talks

2021-12-12

It’s the New Yorker, so I can’t judge how true versus truthy their claims might be.

[ToloNews] The New Yorker Magazine in a lengthy report with newly available source material shed light on the Afghan grinding of the peace processor--from its start in 2010 to the foreign forces’ withdrawal in August of this year. Titled, "The Secret History of the US Diplomatic Failure in Afghanistan," the report is the first of two parts and covers the failure of the grinding of the peace processor and the fall of Kabul, and is written by Steve Coll and Adam Entous.

According to the New Yorker report, the first attempts for making peace between the Taliban
...Arabic for students...
and Afghan government started in November 2010. However,
there's no worse danger than telling a mother her baby is ugly...
the attempts did not materialize because the Taliban refused to work with the then-president Hamid Maybe I'll join the Taliban Karzai
...A product, and probably the sole product, of the Southern Alliance...
government, seeing him as "an illegitimate puppet."

On the other hand, Karzai also objected to the US conferring legitimacy to the Taliban. "You betrayed me!" Karzai shouted at Ryan Crocker, the US Ambassador to Afghanistan, during a meeting in late 2011.

According to the New Yorker, the peace talks did not bear fruits for many years because the Taliban objected to talking with the Afghan government, instead insisting for direct talks with the United States.

The peace talks got serious during Donald Trump
...His ancestors didn't own any slaves...
's administration because the US president was determined to pull out US soldiers from Afghanistan, the report says.

Throughout the negotiations between the Taliban and the Trump Administration, Ashraf Ghani
...former chancellor of Kabul University, ex-president of Afghanistan. Before returning to Afghanistan in 2002 he was a scholar of political science and anthropology. He worked at the World Bank working on international development assistance. As Finance Minister of Afghanistan between July 2002 and December 2004, he led Afghanistan's attempted economic recovery until the Karzais stole all the money. When Biden abandoned the country left with a helicopter, four cars, and part of the national treasury...
and his government were sidelined.

To have leverage, Ghani maintained back channels to American politicians who were supportive of the war, the report says. Ghani, for instance, maintained ties with Republican Senator Lindsey Graham
...soft-spoken senator from South Carolina, former best buddy of John Maverick McCain. Since McCain's demise, Graham has become more outspoken, more Republican and more of a supporter of President Trump. The speech he gave in support of Brett Kavanaugh was downright manly and really cheesed off the Dems...
, who was advocating for the US’s presence in Afghanistan.

Many US officials believed that Ghani had no interest in peace talks. "He preferred the status quo," Khalilzad said. "It kept him in power."

According to the New Yorker, Trump even had asked Zalmay Khalilzad, the then US envoy for Afghan peace, to provide the Taliban with money if that would encourage them to have a peace deal.

Trump asked Khalilzad if he could give the Taliban "something to make them cooperate."

"What are you talking about, Mr. President?"

"Like money."

"No," Khalilzad replied. "They’re on a terrorism list. We can’t give them money."

Finally, the US and the Taliban drafted a deal which was signed in February 2020. When Khalilzad told Trump that Ghani was not happy with the draft deal, Trump replied: "Why are you wasting your time going to talk to Ghani? He’s a crook."

When on July 2021 Ghani met President Joe The Big Guy Biden
Joe <q>The Big Guy</q> Biden

...46th president of the U.S., who gives the term geriatric a bad name. He blames Afghans for losing Afghanistan....
in Washington, Shaharzad Akbar, the chairwoman of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) was also in Washington, meeting with human rights
...not to be confused with individual rights, mind you...
groups. The report quoted her saying she was disappointed about peace when she heard that many Americans had already concluded that Afghanistan was a lost cause. "I ended up crying a lot that evening," Akbar said. She returned to Kabul and went from embassy to embassy requesting visas for her staff.

According to the New Yorker, Ghani asked for military assistance from Biden, such as more helicopters, and the continuation of logistical support by the American contractions. Biden’s response was vague, according to Afghan officials present in the room.

The New Yorker touched upon the release of Taliban prisoners, quoting American officials saying that Khalilzad wanted a deal to be signed and that he was ready to gives almost everything to the Taliban.

Khalilzad "plainly wanted a deal and seemed willing to give the Taliban almost everything," said Andru Wall, a Navy commander at the Resolute Support Mission. "It was not clear if we had any true red lines."

According to the report, the then US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a meeting with Ghani in Kabul urged him to be flexible about releasing the Taliban’s prisoners and assured him that "The United States is your leverage. If we do not get what we want, we will not leave," he said. "We will only leave when there is a political resolution."

"This clarity that you will stand with us in the negotiation is something that we have never had," Ghani told him, according to the report.

The New Yorker said the Taliban had agreed on terms over counterterrorism and restrictions on fighting, especially stopping Taliban fighters from attacking US and NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A collection of multinational and multilingual and multicultural armed forces, all of differing capabilities, working toward a common goal by pulling in different directions...
troops as they withdraw based on the agreement. "If one American dies after the deal is signed, then the deal is off," Miller told the Taliban envoys before the Doha deal.

Based on the Doha deal, the intra-Afghan peace talks was scheduled for March 10, 2020, to seek an enduring peace in Afghanistan. The talks, however, started six months later than the date specified in the deal.

Abdul Matin Bek, an advisor to Ghani and a member of the republic negotiation team, had told Khalilzad that the Taliban were not willing to make a political settlement. He told Khalilzad "wake up." "Please, for God’s sake, the Taliban are not in favor of negotiations, they are not in favor of a political settlement," he said. "They’re really on a victory march," the report said.

The talks did not bear fruit, while at the same time war intensified in the country, which according to Miller was clearly "violations in spirit, if not the written word" of the Doha deal.

The intra-Afghan talks did not lead to peace and the Taliban continued overrunning provinces. Kabul finally fell on August 15th, 2021.

According to the report, on August 14, a day before Kabul’s fall, Hamdullah Mohib, the national security adviser, had learned that one of his colleagues at the Presidential Palace was on a list of at-risk Afghans approved by the US embassy for evacuation. "That afternoon, Mohib spoke by phone with a contact at the State Department. During a discussion about peace talks, Mohib paused to ask, "Is there an evacuation plan for us, for me and Ghani? The official asked for something in writing."

Link

Afghanistan

US Was Losing War So It Negotiated: Khalilzad

2021-10-25

[ToloNews] The former US special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad said the US was losing the war to the Taliban
...mindless ferocity in a turban...
so it chose peace ~~negotiations~~ deal as an alternative.

Talking to CBS News, Khalilzad said the US military tried many times to strengthen its position on the battleground, but it failed. "The negotiation was a result of--based on the judgment that we weren’t winning the war and therefore time was not on our side and better to make a deal sooner than later."

Khalilzad blamed the then-president Ashraf Ghani

...former chancellor of Kabul University, ex-president of Afghanistan. Before returning to Afghanistan in 2002 he was a scholar of political science and anthropology. He worked at the World Bank working on international development assistance. As Finance Minister of Afghanistan between July 2002 and December 2004, he led Afghanistan's attempted economic recovery until the Karzais stole all the money. When Biden abandoned the country left with a helicopter, four cars, and part of the national treasury...
for the disintegration of Afghanistan’s security sector, saying his escape triggered the chaos in the Afghan capital.

That seems an incomplete way of looking at it...

He said the Taliban was in discussions with him about forming a power-sharing government and including some officials of the Ghani administration in the next government. All these things did not happen because Ghani did not stay, he said.

Khalilzad said Ghani did not want to let go of power, and discredited Ghani's remarks about fleeing Kabul to avoid bloodshed, saying they were not true. "So, the question is, why did President Ghani do what he did? If he was willing to step aside for the sake of peace, imagine if he had offered that a year ago, six months ago -- that somebody that's mutually acceptable could have led the government. But he did not," he said.

There was nobody mutual, since the Taliban would accept no one not their own. They were in it for the reconquest.

According to Khalilzad, the US has largely succeeded in suppressing Al Qaeda- the reason it went to Afghanistan--but has failed in building a democratic Afghanistan.

No, the Afghans failed to build democracy despite two decades of aid and support. Horses and water, donchaknow.

He said the two decades of US involvement has transformed Afghanistan and now "the Taliban are going to have a hard time putting them back in the box the way they had put people in the 1990s."

Hopefully true. Possibly wishful thinking.

Khalilzad said the US wanted a different outcome for the Afghan peace talks, preferably a power-sharing government with the Taliban instead of what happened on August 15.

That was definitely wishful thinking.

Khalilzad said the Taliban has lived up to its promise of cutting ties with terrorist groups

...for a given value of cutting that means binding more firmly...

and not allowing Afghanistan to be used for staging attacks against the US and its allies. "They are not allowing plotting and planning operations by al-Qaeda against the United States," he said.

But what happens despite their forbidding is clearly not their responsibility, or even interest, right? Nor anything at all by anyone not Al Qaeda, since not-Al Qaeda isn’t being forbidden anything...

According to Khalilzad, if the Islamic Emirate does not form an inclusive government and does not respect the rights of Afghans, the relationship between Afghanistan and the US will not become normal.

A terrifying threat for a Dark Ages culture, to be sure.

Khalilzad also warned of a possible civil war if the Afghan economy collapses. He said if the "Taliban don't move toward more inclusiveness, respecting the rights of the Afghan people, and then honoring their commitment to us on terrorism; there will be no move towards normality and there shouldn't be. There should be no release of funds. So their economy could collapse and in that collapse a new civil war could start."

What was their reconquest if not a civil war for the last decade or so?

Khalilzad said Afghanistan has many problems, and the US should help it come to an agreement on a formula that is acceptable by urban and rural Afghans, and by secular and religious Afghans, to end troubles in the country.
‘Taint no sech thing, Buddy Boy. And so the troubles will not end.

Link

Afghanistan

Talib govt denials: no Al Qaeda, no opium, no Shiites evicted

2021-10-24

UNODC Warns Against Insurgents' Use of Drug Trade

[ToloNews] The United Nations
...where theory meets practice and practice loses...
Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said that following the recent developments in Afghanistan, some murderous Moslem groups are likely to try to take advantage of the situation and exploit illicit narcotics.

UNODC executive director Ghada Waly said opium production and smuggling by murderous Moslem groups should be prevented in Afghanistan.

"Terrorist and criminal groups are likely to take advantage of any new opportunities to exploit illicit narcotics, particularly as the situation in Afghanistan develops. Afghanistan already accounted for 85% of the world’s opium production in 2020. In light of recent events, there is an urgent need to prevent illicit flows and exploitative crimes, to stop the country from becoming a haven for holy warriors and their resources, and to address expected spillover in neighboring countries," she said in a meeting of Commission on Narcotics Drug in Viana.

UNODC activities in Afghanistan have been halted since August 15.

Meanwhile,
...back at the palazzo, Count Guido had escaped from his bonds and overwhelmed his guard using the bludgeon the faithful Filomena had smuggled to him in the loaf of bread...
the Ministry of Interior Affairs said that the cultivation and smuggling of narcotic drugs has reached zero in Afghanistan.

Saeed Khosti, front man of the Ministry of Interior said: "We have carried out operations in the capital and provinces where we have arrested drug smugglers. The Islamic Emirate is committed to not allowing the cultivation of drugs in Afghanistan and its smuggling to other countries."

Analysts said opium production and smuggling could increase if it is not fought effectively. "It is a fact that if we don’t fight against this phenomenon, poverty, misery and the situation in Afghanistan will increase the cultivation of narcotics, and our country will still be among those countries where cultivation has a high percentage," said Mohammad Khan Andar, an international relations analyst.

In the meantime, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has also raised concerns over "the current and evolving money laundering and terrorist financing risk environment in the country."

FATF has said Afghanistan should not become a territory where hard boyz find shelter or training camps or plan to finance terrorist activities.

Islamic Emirate Denies Al-Qaeda Presence in Afghanistan

[ToloNews] The Islamic Emirate denied claims by the former US peace envoy who voiced concerns over the presence of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.

The US veteran diplomat, Zalmay Khalilzad, made the remarks in an interview with CBS.

"The reports that I have seen indicate that (leader of al-Qaeda) could be in Afghanistan or adjacent territory, I don’t know whether the Taliban
...mindless ferocity in a turban...
knows it or not," he said.

He also said that the US was monitoring the commitments of the Islamic Emirate regarding terrorism.

"As I said, a lack of trust between us and them, that is why it is very important not take their word ... in terms of what they say or what they commit to, that is why we are saying that it has to be over the horizon, monitoring of commitment on terrorism," he added.

But the deputy minister of information and culture Zabiullah Mujahid denied Khalilzad’s remarks.

"No, I don’t see such a danger; someone like that does not exist here and we haven’t received the information on such a level," he said.

The cutting of ties between the Islamic Emirate and al-Qaeda was one of the main factors in the talks between the US and the Taliban in Qatar
Qatar

...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...
Khalilzad, who recently stepped down from his position as the US special envoy for Afghanistan reconciliation brokered a deal with the Islamic Emirate on February 29, 2020, which also included the withdrawal of foreign troops as a condition.

MoI Rejects HRW Reports of Shia Evictions

[ToloNews] Human Rights Watch (HRW) has reported that Taliban officials in several provinces across Afghanistan have forcibly displaced residents, especially the Hazara
Hazara

...a grouping of Dari-speaking people of Sino-Tibetan descent inhabiting Afghanistan and Pakistain. They are predominantly Shia Moslems and not particularly warlike, which makes them favored targets...
Shia communities, a claim rejected by the Islamic Emirate.

According to the report, Taliban officials have distributed displaced residents’ lands to their own supporters.

The report says many of these evictions have targeted Hazara Shia communities as well as people associated with the former government.

"The Taliban are forcibly evicting Hazaras and others on the basis of ethnicity or political opinion to reward Taliban supporters," said Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "These evictions, carried out with threats of force and without any legal process, are serious abuses that amount to collective punishment."

Officials from the Ministry of Interior (MoI) on Saturday called the report baseless and said if HRW has any proof, it should reveal it.

"This is not true. Our request from the media and human rights
...which are usually entirely different from personal liberty...
organizations is that if you find such cases, document them. We will be responsive," said, Saeed Khosti, front man for the Ministry of Interior.

Previously HRW published reports about human rights abuses, but all of them have been rejected by the Islamic Emirate.

Link

Afghanistan

US envoy to Afghanistan Khalilzad RESIGNS amid reports of upcoming State Department probe into botched Kabul withdrawal operation

2021-10-19

[RT] Washington’s top envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad has resigned his post, the State Department said, amid mounting reports that the department will conduct a series of probes into the hasty and chaotic evacuation from Kabul.

Khalilzad’s resignation was announced by Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday, noting that he will soon be replaced by his deputy Thomas West, a holdover from the Barack B.O. regime. "I thank Ambassador Khalilzad for his service and welcome Special Representative West to the role," Blinken said in a statement, adding that the new envoy, who previously served on Obama’s national security team, will now "lead diplomatic efforts" with Afghanistan’ new Taliban
Taliban

...Arabic for students...
-led government. The secretary did not offer a reason for Khalilzad’s decision to leave his post.

Link

Afghanistan

Ugh: Khalilzad is grateful to Taliban, Qatar for facilitating international flights from Kabul

2021-09-12

[KhaamaPress] US special representative to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad has welcomed the cooperation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in letting tens of foreigners and Afghans leave Afghanistan through the air safely.

Khalilzad has is also grateful to Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...
for facilitating the flights from Kabul.

Two international flights have been conducted from Kabul International Airport to Qatar carrying Afghans, US citizens, and other foreigners.

The planes which were flown out from Kabul were the first international flight after the Taliban
...Arabic for students...
’s takeover.

Zalmay Khalilzad has written on his Twitter post that over 250 people including Americans and other foreigners have been flown out from Kabul International Airport in the past three days which is a positive step.

"We will continue our engagement with the Taliban and Qatar to facilitate safe flights to Americans, Afghans, and other foreigners who are willing to leave Afghanistan." Read the tweets.

The international flights are flown out at a time when the Taliban officials have said the international flights from Kabul International Airport will be resumed on September 13.

Technical teams from Qatar and ~~The Sick Man of Europe~~ Turkey
<del>The Sick Man of Europe</del> Turkey

<del>The Sick Man of Europe</del> Turkey

...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire...
were doing hard work round the clock to prepare the Airport for international flights.

Link

Afghanistan

Taliban agreed to allow 200 foreigners to leave Afghanistan, Kabul airport ready in days

2021-09-10

[KhaamaPress] US officials on the condition of anonymity have told Rooters that the Taliban
Taliban

...mindless ferocity in a turban...
have agreed to allow up to 200 US citizens and citizens of other countries to fly from Hamid Maybe I'll join the Taliban Karzai
...A product, and probably the sole product, of the Southern Alliance...
International Airport HKIA based in Kabul.

The foreign civilians are said to be flown out in a chartered plane from the Afghan capital on Thursday, September 9.

After the completion of the evacuation by the US and their full withdrawal on August 31, the Taliban banned international flights from Afghanistan and said that those with the documents can fly out after their cabinet is announced.

Source has told Rooters that the permission from the Taliban was taken by the mediation of Zalmay Khalilzad but has not said whether the 200 people are those prevented to fly out from Mazar-e-sharif.

Earlier, reports were that the Taliban have not allowed up to one thousand foreign people and Afghans to fly from Mazar-e-sharif airport in northern Balkh province.

Kabul airport to be ready for international flights in three days
[KhaamaPress] Taliban
...mindless ferocity in a turban...
officials and foreign technical teams in Hamid Maybe I'll join the Taliban Karzai
...A product, and probably the sole product, of the Southern Alliance...
International Airport HKIA said that the airport will be fully ready for international flights in the upcoming three days.

Technical experts from Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...
and ~~The Sick Man of Europe~~ Turkey
...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor...
are busy working in HKIA along with the Afghan engineers.

HKIA was mostly sabotaged and was inflicted up to $20 million worth of damage by the US marines after they completed their evacuation on August 31.

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan asked Qatar and Turkey to send their experts and help them in repairing the airport which was made ready for domestic flights in three days but international flights are yet to take off and land from the airport.

Big screens, computers, scanners, and other electronics have been donated by Qatar and UAE and the technical teams are now busy installing them in terminals.

In the meantime, the Taliban allowed those who have documents to travel abroad after they announced their caretaker cabinet.

This comes as the international community is busy lobbying for convincing the Taliban to provide safe path for those who want to go abroad.

According to Al Ahram, the 200 actually left the country, so I lost that bet:

Some 200 passengers, including US citizens, left Kabul airport on Thursday, on the first flight carrying foreigners out of the Afghan capital since a US-led evacuation ended on August 30.

Thursday afternoon's Qatar Airways flight took some 200 people from Kabul's airport -- the first since a mammoth, chaotic airlift of more than 120,000 people came to a dramatic close with the US pullout.

An Afghan-American dual citizen, waiting to board the flight with his family, said the US State Department had called him in the morning and told him to go to the airport.

"We got in contact with the State Department, they gave me a call this morning and said to go to the airport," the father, who asked not to be named, told AFP.

- WAITING WITH SUITCASES -
Footage broadcast by Al Jazeera TV on Thursday showed families including women, children and elderly people waiting with suitcases at the airport for their turn to leave.

It was not immediately clear whether any countries other than Qatar had played a role in organising the airlift.

Qatar has acted as the central intermediary between the Taliban and the international community in recent years, and numerous countries, including the United States, have relocated their embassies from Kabul to Doha in the aftermath of the Taliban takeover.

"We are very appreciative of the Qataris," one man told the channel, giving his nationality as Canadian.

Away from the airport, there was a noticeably stronger Taliban presence on the streets of Kabul as armed fighters -- including special forces in military fatigues -- stood guard on street corners and manned checkpoints, according to AFP journalists.

Earlier Thursday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said only around 100 Americans remained in Afghanistan.

"It's right around 100 right now and we're working to get those American citizens who want to depart out of the country, as well as legal permanent residents and other key partners," Psaki told MSNBC.

White House says Taliban was ‘businesslike and professional’ in new evacuation

No doubt.

[IsraelTimes] The Taliban was businesslike, “professional” and cooperative in facilitating the latest evacuation of US nationals from Afghanistan, the White House says.

“The Taliban have been cooperative in facilitating the departure of American citizens and lawful permanent residents on charter flights from HKIA,” US National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne says of today’s flight from Kabul to Qatar.

“They have shown flexibility, and they have been businesslike and professional in our dealings with them in this effort,” Horne adds, stressing that efforts to facilitate such evacuations of Americans and Afghans who worked with the US mission will continue.

Link

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