Category: Afghanistan

Taliban 2.0: Diplomats Call for Nuanced Approach to Newly Empowered Afghanistan

As we approach the two-year anniversary of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan later this summer, the international community is grappling with how to approach the country’s new regime. The Taliban’s recent acquisition of billions in U.S. military equipment has led some diplomats to argue that a nuanced approach relying on politics over military intervention and…


UK ‘In Negotiations’ After 3 British Men Detained by Taliban in Afghanistan

The UK government is “in negotiations” after reports that three British men are being held by the Taliban in Afghanistan, the home secretary said on Sunday. The Presidium Network, a UK-based non-profit organisation, named one of the men as Kevin Cornwell, a 53-year-old charity medic from Middlesbrough. Presidium said it is assisting Cornwell and another…


Union Backs Biden Admin’s Refusal to Produce Subpoenaed Records Over Afghanistan Withdrawal

A labor union that represents the U.S. Foreign Service expressed support for the Biden administration’s decision not to provide records to Congress that was requested via a subpoena. The subpoena was issued on Tuesday by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. It requested from the State Department a dissent cable that…


‘I Don’t Have Any Regrets’ Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Says of Deadly Afghanistan Withdrawal

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has shared that he has “no regrets” over the way in which the U.S. military withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021, during which 13 service members and hundreds of civilians were killed in a suicide bombing attack near the Kabul airport. Austin made the admission before lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee on March 29…


Pakistani Taliban Target Police, Kill 4 in Roadside Bombing

PESHAWAR, Pakistan—Terrorists in Pakistan targeted the country’s police force in two attacks in a volatile northwestern province on Thursday, killing four officers and wounding six, officials said. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for both attacks. In one attack, police say a roadside bomb struck a vehicle carrying officers, killing four of them. The officers were…


Taliban Threat to Ex-SAS Soldier in Jail, Court Told

A former SAS soldier charged with a war crime while serving in Afghanistan has sought bail claiming his safety could be at risk from Islamic terrorists while behind bars. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested by the Australian Federal Police last Monday and has spent a week behind bars. He…


Blast Near Afghan Foreign Ministry Kills 6, Hurts Several

KABUL—At least six civilians were killed by a suicide attack in Afghanistan’s capital on Monday, near a security checkpoint leading to the foreign ministry, according to police. “In Malik Asghar Square … a suicide attacker before reaching the target was identified at a check point and killed, but his explosives detonated,” said Kabul police spokesperson…


Snowfall, Heavy Rain in Afghanistan Kill at Least 3

JALALABAD, Afghanistan—Snowfall and heavy rain killed at least three people in Afghanistan, including a child, a government spokesman said Saturday. The severe weather hit nine provinces in different parts of the country on Friday and Saturday: Balkh, Zabul, Faryab, Uruzgan, Nimroz, Nangarhar, Kunar, Nuristan, and Laghman. The snow and rain injured seven people, partially or…


Death Toll From Pakistan, Afghanistan Quake Rises to 21

ISLAMABAD—The death toll from a magnitude 6.5 earthquake that struck much of Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan earlier this week rose to 21 on Thursday, after eight more deaths were reported in remote areas, officials said. Ten died in Afghanistan and 11 in Pakistan after the temblor rattled this South Asian region late on Tuesday. More…


13 People Dead After Powerful Earthquake Hits Afghanistan, Pakistan

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake rattled Pakistan and Afghanistan on March 21, killing at least 13 people and injuring hundreds of others, with strong tremors felt in several North Indian states. The U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude at 6.5, while the Pakistan Meteorological Department reported a 6.8 magnitude. The epicenter of the earthquake was Afghanistan’s…