The Taliban stunned the world with the speed of their blitz through Afghanistan and capture of Kabul on August 15. As they surged to victory, the group tried to create an image of themselves as a more moderate “Taliban 2.0” – savvy on social media and keen for good diplomatic …
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Panjshir resistance digs in to defend key valley from Taliban
Atop a craggy mountain that has withstood foreign invaders for decades, anti-Taliban fighters fire a mounted heavy machine gun into a deep valley. They are members of the National Resistance Front (NRF) — the most prominent Afghan opposition group to emerge since the Taliban captured Kabul nine days ago.
Read More »G7 Leaders to Pressure Biden on Extending Kabul Evacuation Deadline
US President Joe Biden is likely to come under pressure Tuesday from G7 leaders to extend the August 31 deadline for evacuating US citizens, Western nationals and Afghans trying to flee the country in the wake of the takeover of Afghanistan by the Islamist Taliban. Biden will participate on Tuesday …
Read More »Kā pārmaiņas Afganistānā ietekmēs Tadžikistānu un citas Centrālās Āzijas valstis
Praktiski visu 21. gadsimtu ASV un tās sabiedroto militārā klātbūtne Afganistānā nodrošināja Centrālās Āzijas autoritāro, bet reliģiski laicīgo režīmu stabilitāti. Amerikāņu klātbūtne Afganistānā bija liels šķērslis radikālā islāma izplatībai ārpus Afganistānas. Radikālais islāms nevarēja iespiesties citās Centrālās Āzijas valstīs, jo talibi bija nodarbināti ar cīņu pret amerikāņiem un to atbalstītās …
Read More »Turkey extols booming defence industry at international arms fair
Turkish showcases domestically-produced stealth fighter jet and drones at International Defence Industry Fair in Istanbul. The pride in Ugur Zengin’s voice is palpable as he stands in front of a full-scale model of Turkey’s fifth-generation stealth fighter jet. “It’s a very prestigious project and a technical breakout for Turkey that …
Read More »Taliban appoint obscure figures in senior intelligence and security positions
A NUMBER OF OBSCURE figures, largely unknown to Western observers, have been appointed to senior security and intelligence positions by the Taliban, just days after their return to power in Afghanistan. Some of the names of senior officials have been made public by news agencies in the Middle East. Others …
Read More »Afghan Interpreters in Hiding, Desperate to Get Out
Desperate mass evacuation efforts in Afghanistan make it clear nothing went according to plan. There are multiple tragedies unfolding all at once. Will every American get out? How many Afghan nationals, who were promised American protection, will be rescued? And what about the future of everyone else under Taliban rule, …
Read More »How Afghanistan withdrawal could lead to a harder policy against China
Biden is getting attacked on all sides for putting its ‘credibility’ on the Taiwan issue at risk. Will he cave to it? In an interview on Wednesday, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos asked President Biden whether the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan called into question the credibility of America’s commitment to …
Read More »Russia Will Not Intervene in Afghanistan
President Vladimir Putin affirmed it will be necessary to undertake a process of dialogue with the Taliban in the coming days. On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov assured Russia will not intervene militarily or diplomatically in Afghanistan. “No one has any intention of intervening,” he stressed, explaining that an intervention …
Read More »What Happened Over the Weekend
Israeli airstrikes on Damascus and Homs, the SDF conducts business with companies under sanctions and arrests ISIS leaders in al-Hassakeh. Catch up on everything that happened over the weekend. Israeli airstrikes on Syria killed four pro-Iranian fighters allied to the Damascus regime, a Britain-based war monitor said Friday. According to …
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