Category: World

Former Afghan president Ashraf Ghani, who fled Afghanistan on August 15 after the Taliban took over the capital city of Kabul, has been facing global criticism for abandoning the people of his country.

Former United States president Donald Trump, who has emerged as one of the strongest critics of the current US administration over the worsening situation in Afghanistan after the Taliban’s takeover, hit out at former Afghan president Ashraf Ghani.
Ghani, who fled Afghanistan on August 15 after the Taliban took over the capital city of Kabul, has been facing global criticism for abandoning the people of his country. A slew of allegations has surfaced against him, including fleeing Kabul with four cars and a helicopter full of cash and stealing $169 million from state coffers.
Donald Trump, who was giving an interview to Fox News on Tuesday night, said he “never had full confidence in Ashraf Ghani”. “I said that openly and plainly I thought he was a total crook. He spent all his time wining and dining our senators,” Trump said, adding the senators were always in Ghani’s pockets.
The Republican leader accused Ghani of getting away with murder in many, many different ways. However, he didn’t elaborate on what these ways were. Trump also echoed the above allegations against Ghani and said that he suspected that the former Afghan president did leave Kabul on Sunday with cash.
Meanwhile, Ashraf Ghani, who is currently in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with his family on ‘humanitarian grounds’, said that he is currently in talks to come back home. Releasing a video statement on Wednesday, Ghani said he was forced to leave Afghanistan “with one set of traditional clothes, a vest and the sandals”, adding he also left the country in an attempt to avoid bloodshed.
The former president also dismissed allegations of fleeing Kabul with suitcases full of cash by calling them baseless. “Do not believe whoever tells you that your president sold you out and fled for his own advantage and to save his own life,” he said in the video statement.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has been “welcomed” to the United Arab Emirates on “humanitarian grounds,” the UAE government confirmed Wednesday.

On Sunday, Ghani fled Kabul without announcement or known destination, as the Taliban laid siege to Afghanistan’s capital, writes CNBC.

He took with him $169 million in cash, reports BBC journalist Kawoon Khamoosh.

“The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation can confirm that the UAE has welcomed President Ashraf Ghani and his family into the country on humanitarian grounds,” said the gulf nation’s government.

A Russian news agency had previously reported the president fled the country “with four cars and a helicopter full of cash,” says Reuters, but it appears the actual monetary amount was, at the time, not yet known.

On Wednesday, the Afghan embassy in Tajikistan asked Interpol police to detain Ghani and two other colleagues “on charges of stealing public wealth,” Afghanistan’s TOLO News reports.

Ghani claimed he left the country to prevent “a flood of bloodshed,” CNBC reports. He later defended his decision in a social media post, writing, “If I had stayed, countless of my countrymen would be martyred and Kabul would face destruction,” as per The New York Times.

Kabul: The Taliban declared an amnesty across Afghanistan and urged women to join their government Tuesday, seeking to convince a wary population that they have changed a day after deadly chaos gripped the main airport as desperate crowds tried to flee their rule.

Following a blitz across Afghanistan that saw many cities fall to the insurgents without a fight, the Taliban have sought to portray themselves as more moderate than when they imposed a brutal rule in the late 1990s. But many Afghans remain skeptical.

Older generations remember the Taliban’s ultraconservative Islamic views, which included severe restrictions on women as well as stonings, amputations and public executions before they were ousted by the U.S-led invasion that followed the Sept 11, 2001, terror attacks.

While there were no major reports of abuses or fighting in the capital of Kabul as the Taliban now patrol its streets, many residents have stayed home and remain fearful after the insurgents’ takeover saw prisons emptied and armories looted.

Many women have expressed dread that the two-decade Western experiment to expand their rights and remake Afghanistan would not survive the resurgent Taliban.

Germany, meanwhile, halted development aid to Afghanistan over the Taliban takeover. Such aid is a crucial source of funding for the country and the Taliban’s efforts to project a milder version of themselves may be aimed at ensuring that money continues to flow.

The promises of amnesty from Enamullah Samangani, a member of the Taliban’s cultural commission, were the first comments on how the Taliban might govern on a national level. His remarks remained vague, however, as the Taliban are still negotiating with political leaders of the country’s fallen government and no formal handover deal has been announced.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan with full dignity and honesty has announced a complete amnesty for all Afghanistan, especially those who were with the opposition or supported the occupiers for years and recently, he said.

Other Taliban leaders have said they won’t seek revenge on those who worked with the Afghan government or foreign countries. But some in Kabul allege Taliban fighters have lists of people who cooperated with the government and are seeking them out.

Samangani also described women as the main victims of the more than 40 years of crisis in Afghanistan.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan doesn’t want the women to be the victims anymore, he said.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is ready to provide women with environment to work and study, and the presence of women in different (government) structures according to Islamic law and in accordance with our cultural values.

That would be a marked departure from the last time the Taliban were in power, when women were largely confined to their homes. Samangani didn’t describe exactly what he meant by Islamic law, implying people already knew the rules. He added that all sides should join a government.

In another sign of the Taliban’s efforts to portray a new image, a female television anchor on the private broadcaster Tolo interviewed a Taliban official on camera Tuesday in a studio an interaction that once would have been unthinkable.

Meanwhile, women in hijabs demonstrated briefly in Kabul, holding signs demanding the Taliban not eliminate women from public life.

Rupert Colville, a spokesman for the United Nations’ high commissioner for human rights, noted both the Taliban’s vows and the fear of those now under their rule.

Such promises will need to be honored, and for the time being again understandably, given past history these declarations have been greeted with some skepticism, he said in a statement.

There have been many hard-won advances in human rights over the past two decades. The rights of all Afghans must be defended.

Germany suspended development aid to Afghanistan, estimated at 250 million euros (USD 294 million) for 2021. The German news agency dpa described Afghanistan as the nation that received the most development aid from Berlin. Other funding separately goes to security services and humanitarian aid.

Swedish Development Aid Minister Per Olsson Fridh, meanwhile, said his government would slow down aid to the country in an interview with the Dagens Nyheter newspaper. But Britain committed to an increase.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said humanitarian aid could rise by 10 per cent. He said the aid budget would be reconfigured for development and humanitarian purposes and that the Taliban would not get any money previously earmarked for security but he said aid would not be conditioned on how the Taliban govern.

Meanwhile, Kabul’s international airport, the only way out for many, reopened to military evacuation flights under the watch of American troops.

All flights were suspended on Monday when thousands of people rushed the airport, desperate to leave the country. In shocking scenes captured on video, some clung to a plane as it took off and then fell to their deaths. At least seven people died in chaos at the airport, U.S. officials said.

Stefano Pontecorvo, NATO’s senior civilian representative to Afghanistan, posted video online Tuesday showing the runway empty with U.S. troops on the tarmac. What appeared to be a military cargo transport plane could be seen in the distance.

“I see airplanes landing and taking off,” he wrote on Twitter.

Overnight, flight-tracking data showed a US military plane taking off for Qatar, home to the US military Central Command’s forward headquarters. A British military cargo plane, headed to Kabul, took off from Dubai.

Still, there were indications that the situation was still tenuous. The US Embassy in Kabul, now operating from the airport, urged Americans to register online for evacuations but not come to the airport before being contacted.

The German Foreign Ministry said a first German military transport plane landed in Kabul, but it could only take seven people on board before it had to depart again due to continued chaos.

Across Afghanistan, the International Committee of the Red Cross said thousands had been wounded in fighting as the Taliban swept across the country in recent days. However, in many places, security forces and politicians handed over their provinces and bases without a fight, likely fearing what would happen when the last American troops withdrew as planned at the end of the month. AP

Washington: US President Joe Biden on Monday warned the Taliban of swift and forceful response from the US if they attack American personnel or disrupt their operations in Afghanistan.

He said if the Taliban interfered with the US military’s evacuation operations in Afghanistan, the US would respond with devastating force.

“As we carry out this departure, we have made it clear to the Taliban, if they attack our personnel or disrupt our operation, the US presence will be swift, and the response will be swift and forceful,” Biden said in his address to the nation.

“We will defend our people with devastating force if necessary. Our current military mission was short in time, limited in scope, and focused on its objectives: get our people and our allies as safely and as quickly as possible,” he said.

He vowed to complete the planned withdrawal of US military troops in Afghanistan.

“And once we have completed this mission, we will conclude our military withdrawal. We’ll end America’s longest war after 20 long years of bloodshed. The events we’re seeing now are, sadly, proof that no amount of military force would ever deliver a stable, united, secure Afghanistan. As known in history, it’s the graveyard of empires,” he said.

Biden said what’s happening now could just as easily happen five years ago or 15 years in the future.

“You have to be honest. Our mission in Afghanistan is taking many missteps, made many missteps over the past two decades. I’m now the fourth American president to preside over the war in Afghanistan, two Democrats and two Republicans, he said.

“I will not pass this responsibly down to a fifth president. I will not mislead the American people by claiming that just a little more time in Afghanistan will make all the difference, nor will I shrink from my share of responsibility for what we are today and how we must move forward from here,” he said.

The US president said he is saddened by the current situation in Afghanistan, but does not regret his decision to withdraw American troops.

“I am president of the United States of America, and the buck stops with me. I’m deeply saddened by the facts we now face, but I do not regret my decision to end America’s warfighting in Afghanistan and maintain a laser focus on our counterterrorism mission there and other parts of the world. Our mission to degrade the terrorist threat of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and kill Osama bin Laden was a success,” he said.

Biden said he will not ask his troops to fight on endlessly in another country’s civil war, taking casualties, suffering life-shattering injuries, leaving families broken by grief and loss.

“This is not in our national security interest. It is not what the American people want. It is not what our troops, who have sacrificed so much over the past two decades deserve. I made a commitment to the American people when I ran for president that I would bring America’s military involvement in Afghanistan to an end,” he said.

Beijing: China on Monday expressed hope that the Taliban will stand by its commitment of establishing an open and inclusive Islamic government in Afghanistan and will ensure a peaceful transition of power without violence and terrorism.

Commenting for the first time on the sudden and rapid takeover of the Afghanistan government by the Taliban insurgents, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying in a media briefing here expressed hope that the Taliban will abide by its commitment to ensure a peaceful transition of power, taking full responsibility for the safety of Afghan citizens and foreign diplomatic missions.

Taliban insurgents swept Kabul on Sunday after the US-backed Afghan government collapsed and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, bringing an unprecedented end to a two-decade campaign in which the US and its allies had tried to transform the war-ravaged nation.

While most of the embassies in Kabul including that of the US, India and EU countries rushed to evacuate its diplomatic staff, Hua said the Chinese Embassy is up and running with its ambassador and some staff.

However, most of the Chinese nationals have already been evacuated from Afghanistan, she said.

“The situation in Afghanistan has experienced major changes. We respect Afghanistan’s people’s will and choice,” Hua said.

“The war in Afghanistan has lasted over 40 years. To stop the war and realise peace is the wish of the 30 million Afghan people and the aspiration of the international community and regional countries,” she said.

“We noticed the statement from Afghan Taliban yesterday (Sunday) saying that the war is over and they will start consultation on establishment of an open and inclusive Islamic government and take the responsibility of safety of Afghan citizens and foreign diplomatic corps,” the spokesperson said.

“We hope this will be implemented to ensure a peaceful transition, stop violence and terrorism, and make sure people are free from war and build their new home,” Hua said.

Replying to a question on when will China recognise the Taliban government and whether any condition is attached to it, Hua said on the basis of fully respecting Afghanistan’s national sovereignty and the will of all parties, Beijing has been maintaining contact and communication with Afghan Taliban and playing a constructive role in promoting a political settlement.

Recalling last month’s China visit of the Taliban delegation led by its Political Commission Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and his talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Hua said, We hope the Afghan Taliban will be united with other parties and with all nations and build a political framework in keeping with national conditions that is broadly inclusive and will lay the foundation for enduring peace.

She also emphasised Taliban’s assurance to Wang that it will not permit anti-China forces, that is, the Uygur Islamic militants of East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), which is fighting for the separation of China’s volatile Xinjiang province.

According to a recent UN report, hundreds of militants of ETIM, which is affiliated to Al Qaeda terror outfit, are converging in Afghanistan amid the military advances made by the Taliban in the country.

Xinjiang shares borders with Afghanistan, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK), besides Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Referring to Taliban’s assurances, Hua said the Afghan Taliban has repeatedly said that they wanted to develop a good relationship with China and hope that Beijing will take part in the reconstruction and development of the nation.

She said the Afghan Taliban has assured that it “will never allow any forces to use the country (Afghanistan) to harm China.

We welcome that and we have always respected the county’s sovereignty and independence and integrity. We do not interfere in internal affairs and our friendship is for all the people of Afghanistan. We respect people’s independence (and) choice and we continue to develop friendly relations and play a constructive role in peace and reconstruction, Hua said.

PTI

Imran Khan said, “It is harder to throw off the chains of cultural enslavement. What is happening in Afghanistan now, they have broken the shackles of slavery”

The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, according to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, is “breaking the chains of slavery”. The Pakistan-backed group took over Kabul yesterday, setting off concerns about the return of the hardline system which deprived many sections, especially women, of civil rights in terms of education, jobs and marriage.

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Talking about English as a medium of education and the subsequent absorption of culture, Imran Khan said, “You take over the other culture and become psychologically subservient. When that happens, please remember, it is worse than actual slavery. It is harder to throw off the chains of cultural enslavement. What is happening in Afghanistan now, they have broken the shackles of slavery”.

Panic reigned in the war-torn nation as the Taliban reconquered Afghanistan in the space of 10 days and took control of Kabul on Sunday — more than two weeks before the August 31 deadline for complete pullout of the US troops.

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President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, conceding that the terrorists have won the 20-year war.

The astonishingly quick collapse of the government, with the Taliban taking over the presidential palace on Sunday night, had triggered panic in Kabul. Last evening, chaos reigned at the Kabul airport, where thousands of Afghans gathered, desperate to leave the country.

Gunshots were heard as the people jostled to get into the few remaining aircraft. The Afghan airspace has been closed.

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While most fear retaliation by Taliban, especially in cases of support to the US invasion and occupation, there are concerns about the loss of hard-won civic rights over the last 20 years.

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged Taliban and all other parties “to exercise utmost restraint in order to protect lives and ensure that humanitarian needs can be addressed,” the UN said in a statement.

He was “particularly concerned about the future of women and girls, whose hard-won rights must be protected,” the statement added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

With inputs from NDTV

New York: The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Afghanistan on Monday morning at the request of Estonia and Norway.

Council diplomats said Sunday that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will brief council members on the latest situation following the Taliban takeover of the capital, Kabul.

The UN chief on Friday had urged the Taliban to immediately halt their offensive in Afghanistan and negotiate “in good faith” to avert a prolonged civil war.

He also said he is “deeply disturbed by early indications that the Taliban are imposing severe restrictions in the areas under their control, particularly targeting women and journalists.

SRINAGAR, AUG 15: Taliban commander Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar will become the new president, as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani tenders his resignation as the government surrenders to Taliban forces in Kabul, Times Now reported.

Afghan Interior Minister Abdul Sattar Mirzakwal earlier announced on Sunday that there would be a “peaceful transfer of power” to the interim government in Afghanistan. The announcement follows a statement from the Afghan Taliban saying they would not enter the federal capital, Kabul, until the transfer of power.

“The Afghan people need not worry,” the interior minister said in a pre-recorded statement. The city will not be attacked and power will be peacefully transferred to the interim government.

A Taliban spokesman says Taliban fighters will not enter the capital, Kabul, and have been told to wait at the city’s entrances. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement posted in his tweet that “the Islamic Emirate has instructed all its fighters to stop at the entrances to Kabul and not try to enter the city.”

A Taliban spokesman said in a statement that “our fighters are not entering the city and we want a peaceful transfer of power.” The statement, issued in Pashto, announced a general amnesty and assured everyone that no retaliation would be taken against anyone. (PTK)

Two sources said that President Ashraf Ghani has left the country after the Taliban entered the city on Sunday.

According to the sources, his close aides have also left the country along with him.

Earlier in the day, acting defense minister Bismillah Mohammadi said that the president has handed the authority of solving the crisis in the country to political leaders.
Mohammadi said that a delegation will travel to Doha on Monday for talks on the country’s situation.

The delegation includes key political leaders, including Younus Qanooni, Ahmad Wali Massoud, Mohammad Mohaqiq among others.

Sources close to the Taliban said that it has been agreed that Ghani will resign after a political agreement and hand the power to a transitional government.

Afghans have said that they seek a political settlement and an end to the ongoing violence in the country.

The Taliban have released a statement online saying they have instructed their forces not to cross the gates of Kabul and take the city by force.

Instead, they say, “negotiations are underway to ensure that the transition process is completed safely and securely, without compromising the lives, property and honor of anyone, and without compromising the lives of Kabulis.”

They also released another statement trying to reassure banks, merchants and other entrepreneurs that their property, money and institutions will not be distrubed by the armed group.

Despite the online assurances, people continue to leave the city streets and try to find ways to head home.

With inputs from Agencies