Category: Taliban

USSOCOM Commander Says US Cannot Rely on Taliban to Fight ISIS in Afghanistan

The head of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) said on Nov. 19 that the ISIS-K terrorist threat in Afghanistan “still exists” and he doesn’t believe the United States can rely upon the Taliban’s newly formed government as a partner against this threat. “I don’t see them as a partner,” USSOCOM Gen. Richard Clarke said of…


Prominent Afghan Doctor Kidnapped, Killed in Northern City

KABUL, Afghanistan—A prominent doctor was kidnapped and killed in northern Afghanistan, his family said Saturday. Mohamed Nader Alemi was abducted two months ago in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, and his kidnappers demanded a ransom for his release, his son Roheen Alemi said. The family eventually paid them $350,000, after negotiating down their initial demand of…


ISIS Affiliate Now Appears Present in All Afghan Provinces: UN Envoy

An affiliate of the ISIS terrorist group is now present in nearly all 34 provinces in Afghanistan, the United Nations envoy to the country said on Wednesday. Addressing the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday, Deborah Lyons said ISIS-K, also known as ISKP, has expanded dramatically in the country since Kabul was seized by the Taliban…


Taliban Holds Military Parade in Kabul With Weapons Left Behind in US Withdrawal

KABUL, Afghanistan—Taliban forces held a military parade in Kabul on Sunday using captured American armoured vehicles and Russian helicopters as they continue to seek international recognition of their leadership. The Taliban operated as insurgent fighters for two decades, but have used the large stock of weapons and equipment left behind when the former Western-backed government…


Canadian Veteran Helps Afghan Interpreter and His Family Escape Taliban Rule

This Remembrance Day, the first since Afghanistan fell to Taliban forces in the summer, will be difficult for Canadians who fought in the Middle Eastern country, says a veteran who served two missions there. Stephen Peddle, a Canadian Forces retired major, has been working to get some families of Afghan interpreters to safety. “Afghanistan and…


‘Dozens’ of Family Members of US Troops Still in Afghanistan, Pentagon Says

The Pentagon on Wednesday said that “dozens” of family members of U.S. troops still remain in Afghanistan, nearly three months after the Taliban takeover of Kabul and after President Joe Biden withdrew all soldiers from the country. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby made the remarks during a press briefing when pressed by a reporter about the…


Conservatives Call for Government to Fund Afghan Safe Houses for Ex Interpreters

OTTAWA—The Conservative opposition is calling on Liberal government to give urgent funding to Kabul safe houses that are providing refuge to 1,700 Afghan interpreters and their families. On Friday, those safe houses are set to close because the money keeping them open will run out. That could leave their occupants at the mercy of Afghanistan’s…


The New Great Game: China and Russia Competing in Afghanistan

News Analysis Russia and China in the Graveyard of Empires, happy to see the United States leave, are the two big players that have just inherited a dangerous quagmire, plagued by instability and an uncertain economic future. According to Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid, the Taliban government wants to join the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the flagship…


Mom of Quebec Soldier Killed in Afghanistan Named Silver Cross Mother

OTTAWA—Josée Simard still recalls the spirit of playful mischief that ran through her daughter, Karine Blais, going back to grade school in rural Quebec. “Once we had a turtle at home. I was brushing my teeth, and she yelled, ’Mom, don’t brush your teeth with that brush!’” Simard said. It was the same one Blais…


Taliban Says Failure to Recognize Their Government Could Have Global Effects

KABUL—The Taliban called on the United States and other countries on Saturday to recognize their government in Afghanistan, saying that a failure to do so and the continued freezing of Afghan funds abroad would lead to problems not only for the country, but for the world. No country has formally recognized the Taliban government since…