Tag: Afghanistan

UK in Talks With Taliban Over Further Evacuations From Afghanistan

The UK government is having talks with the Taliban in Qatar in a bid to secure “safe passage” out of Afghanistan for British nationals and Afghans who have worked with the UK, Downing Street has confirmed. “The prime minister’s special representative for Afghan transition, Simon Gass, has travelled to Doha and is meeting with senior…


Afghan Withdrawal Allows US to ‘Shore Up’ Competitiveness to Confront China, Biden Says

President Joe Biden pointed to the U.S. competition with China as a reason for America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, in a speech on Aug. 31 declaring the end of the 20-year conflict in the war-torn nation. Before commenting on China, he said the future U.S. foreign policy would draw from two lessons in Afghanistan. “First, we…


Taliban Shoot Dead Folk Singer After Announcing Public Music Ban in Afghanistan

The Taliban has executed a well-known folk singer in a village in Afghanistan after officials announced a ban on playing music in public, according to local reports. Fawad Andarabi, a well-known folk singer, was killed in the Afghanistan village of Andarab, north of Kabul, a region where parts of the population are rejecting Taliban rule, The Associated…


‘We Are Not Done With You Yet’: Biden Warns ISIS-K

President Joe Biden has issued a warning to ISIS-Khorasan, the group which killed 13 U.S. service members in a suicide bombing at Kabul airport, and said those who cause America harm will “pay the ultimate price.” Biden delivered a defiant address to the nation on Aug. 31, just one day after the last American military planes left Kabul’s Hamid…


France Says ‘A Few Dozen’ French Nationals Still in Afghanistan

PARIS—France says “a few dozen” French nationals remain in Afghanistan, including some who wanted to be evacuated but could not as the last flight left Kabul. Defense Ministry spokesman Herve Grandjean said in a news conference Tuesday that “all efforts are being done” to allow those left behind to get “a safe and orderly evacuation.”…


‘Humanitarian Catastrophe’ Looms in Afghanistan After US Withdrawal: UN Chief

The United Nations secretary-general has warned of a looming “humanitarian catastrophe” in Afghanistan following the U.S. withdrawal. In a statement issued Tuesday, Secretary-General António Guterres urged the international community to provide “flexible and comprehensive funding” to the country in its “darkest hour of need.” Guterres said he was “gravely concerned at at the deepening humanitarian and economic crisis in the country…


WH Chief of Staff: ‘I Don’t Know If We Will Ever Recognize’ a Taliban Government

White House chief of staff Ron Klain said on Tuesday that he was not sure if the United States would ever recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. “I don’t think anytime soon. I don’t know if we’ll ever recognize their government,” Klain said on the “The Mehdi Hasan Show.” “What we know is…


At Least 7 Taliban Reported Killed in Panjshir Fighting

Taliban forces clashed with militia fighters in the Panjshir valley north of the Afghan capital Kabul on Monday night, with at least seven killed, two members of the main anti-Taliban opposition group said on Tuesday. Since the fall of Kabul on Aug. 15, the Panjshir has been the only province to hold out against the…


Live Q&A: Biden Defends Leaving Americans in Afghanistan; New Terror War Starts on ISIS

President Joe Biden defended the U.S. pullout from Afghanistan, noting that “this is the way the mission was designed,” and pointed blame at several factors ranging from the retreat of the Afghan armed forces to the policies of former President Donald Trump. And in other news, several new efforts are underway to fight against the…


The Atlantic Claims ‘Afghanistan Is Your Fault’; I’m Not So Sure

An op-ed in The Atlantic by Tom Nichols claims that Afghanistan’s failure is just another event in the lives of everyday, ordinary Americans who desired a withdrawal. I examine this op-ed for its wild claims, and dig into why the media is getting it wrong and how we must hold them accountable. Hosted by the…