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No Pre-determined Timeline Governing U.S. Commitment to Afghanistan: Envoy

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(Last Updated On: October 24, 2022)

U.S. envoy in Kabul Hug Llorens has said there is no pre-determined timeline governing their commitment to Afghanistan.

In his remarks about Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s travel to the region, Special Chargé d’Affaires LIorens said Tillerson after his discussion with President Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah said, “We are here to stay until we can secure a process of reconciliation and peace.”

Tillerson traveled for the first time to South Asia to reaffirm and hold in-depth discussions on the U.S. South Asia strategy with senior officials.

LIorens said the Secretary believed that it was important to meet with Afghanistan’s leaders here in Afghanistan at the beginning of the trip. 

In his excellent October 23 meeting with President Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah at Bagram Airfield, the Secretary made clear that the United States is firmly committed to working with the government and people of Afghanistan to create conditions for a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Afghanistan free from terrorists, insurgents and the extremists who directly threaten the security of Afghanistan, the United States, and our partners entire world.

“This beautiful land, full of tremendous hope and promise, matters not just to the region, but also to the entire world.”

“The United States and our partners are committed to helping Afghanistan root out extremism and deny safe havens to terrorists.”

LIorens said the Secretary made clear that there are too many terrorist groups that find sanctuary and a safe place in Pakistan from which to conduct their nefarious operations and attacks against other countries.

 The Secretary also pointed out that the terrorists operating out of Pakistan were growing in strength and capability and represented a direct threat to Afghanistan, all of the nations in the region, and Pakistan itself. 

Tillerson also pointed out that their ultimate aim must to be to support peace between the National Unity government and those Taliban willing to reconcile.

“Such a peace settlement would be vital to the region’s long-term stability.  In fact, Secretary Tillerson expressed interest in the Taliban bringing moderate voices to discuss peace and reconciliation with the Afghan government.”

” At the same time, he was unhesitant in his statement that those unwilling to come to the peace table and who continue committing terrorist acts will be dealt with harshly. “

Tillerson and Ghani in their meeting agreed that regional collaboration is critical to achieving a peaceful, stable, and prosperous future for Afghanistan. 

President Ghani assured Secretary Tillerson that his government is firmly committed to implement reforms under the Afghanistan-U.S. Compact, including holding credible and inclusive parliamentary elections in 2018 and presidential elections in 2019.

According to LIorens, good governance and security are but two parts to the  South Asia strategy, and of the Afghanistan-U.S. Compact.  “Afghanistan is blessed with a bounty of resources.”

He said Afghan government must adopt market-based policies to attract private sector investment as the best and only viable means to create sustainable growth and create the jobs of the future for millions of Afghans.  

“The United States and our partners will stand by the Afghan people in the fight against our enemies until the job gets done.  We will also continue to build on the incredible progress Afghanistan has achieved in the last 16 years.  I am confident that together, we can achieve a peaceful and sustainable future for Afghanistan and its people.”

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Contract worth $53 million signed for construction of last section of Khaf–Herat railway

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(Last Updated On: March 29, 2024)

A contract worth $53 million was signed Thursday for the construction of the last section of Khaf-Herat railway that connects Afghanistan with Iran.

The contract was signed between Afghanistan Railway Authority and Gamma Group in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, his office said in a statement.

The segment is 47-kilometer long, stretching from Rabat Parian to Herat International Airport and the Industrial Town, according to the statement.

It added that completion and standard operational readiness are expected within approximately two years.

“Upon its completion, this segment will integrate the Khaf-Herat regional connectivity project with Iran’s significant seaports and facilitate access to Europe via the Turkish railway network,” the statement said.

“Furthermore, traversing Afghan territory, it will bolster commercial exchanges between Central and South Asia. Notably, this project’s realization will enable the expansion of railway networks into Farah, Nimruz, Helmand, and Kandahar provinces,” it added.

Gamma operates across Europe and Asia in multiple sectors including construction, renewable energy, power transmission, mining, railways among others.

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US urges IEA to fulfill counter-terrorism commitments

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(Last Updated On: March 29, 2024)

The US State Department said on Thursday that Washington is committed to ensuring that Afghanistan can never again be a launching pad for terrorism.

“We remain committed to ensuring that Afghanistan can never again be a launching pad for terrorism, and we continue to push the Taliban (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) to fulfill all of their counterterrorism commitments to the international community,” the department’s spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a news briefing in Washington.

He reiterated that the United States had clearly communicated to the IEA that it’s their responsibility to ensure that “they give no safe haven to terrorists, whether it be Al Qaeda or ISIS-K or any other terrorist organization”.

Miller also reassured US allies that Washington was closely watching the developments in Afghanistan and was ready to deal with any threat emerging from the region.

“We remain vigilant against the evolving threat of these terrorist groups, and our global coalition to defeat ISIS and the C5+1 help intensify our efforts to monitor terrorist threats from the region and prevent their ability to raise funds, travel, and spread propaganda,” he said.

C5+1 refers to a diplomatic platform involving the five Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgy­zstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) and the United States. It serves as a forum for discussing and addressing regional issues such as security, economic development, and cooperation.

“The United States remains vigilant against the evolving threat posed by terrorist groups, including ISIS-K, and has maintained an unwavering focus on terrorism since President Joe Biden took office three years ago,” Miller said.

The US, he said, was “working both unilaterally and with its partners to successfully disrupt threats across the globe and degrade ISIS”.

“We will continue to work to hold ISIS accountable for its actions and to prevent terrorist attacks against the United States and other Western countries,” Miller said.

This comes as IEA has repeatedly said that it is committed to not allowing anyone to use Afghanistan soil against any other country.

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IEA condemns Israel for confiscating 800 hectares of land in West Bank’s Jordan Valley

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(Last Updated On: March 29, 2024)

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) strongly condemned on Thursday Israel’s decision to seize 800 hectares of land in the occupied West Bank’s Jordan Valley region.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said that the recent actions by “the Zionist regime demonstrate that it does not to adhere to international laws, especially international humanitarian law.”

“Continuation of such unilateral actions and ignoring the rights of Palestinian people will further deteriorate the situation,” the statement said.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan expects international actors, particularly influential regional Muslim countries to fulfill their legitimate, human and moral responsibilities in supporting the oppressed people of Palestine and prevent the expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied territories,” it added.

Israeli media have reported that Israel seized 800 hectares of land in the Jordan Valley region of the occupied West Bank, claiming it as “state land.”

It is reported the seized land could be used for the construction of illegal Jewish settlements.

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