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Biden says ME more ‘stable, secure’; critic points out ‘shambolic’ withdrawal

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US President Joe Biden claimed in a Saturday Washington Post Op-Ed that the Middle East is more "stable and secure" than when he took office.

"The Middle East I’ll be visiting is more stable and secure than the one my administration inherited 18 months ago," Biden wrote.

His comments come despite the decision to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan, which was followed by the collapse of the former government and take over by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA). 

But in response to his comments, K.T. McFarland, deputy national security adviser to former president Donald Trump spoke with Fox News Digital in response to Biden's op-ed, calling America's withdrawal from Afghanistan "shambolic."

"Our shambolic withdrawal from Afghanistan has turned out to be the turning point in America’s position in the world.  Ever since, our friends no longer trust us, and our adversaries no longer fear us," McFarland said. 

"Biden inherited a Middle East that had just concluded an historic peace agreement between Israel and Sunni Arab nations. Iran was economically devastated because of sanctions and low oil prices. The maximum pressure campaign on Iran was working - they would have soon had no choice but to stop their support of terrorist movements, and cease their nuclear weapons program and sue for peace on our terms. ISIS was defeated, its butcher leaders dead."

McFarland also said that Biden will soon find that the Middle East has "moved on."

"The Arabs and Israelis continue to build momentum of the Abraham Accords, despite Biden’s best efforts to sabotage it.  Iran will have deliverable nuclear weapons by the end of Biden’s term. The Saudis, whom Biden has publicly disavowed, will have little incentive to get him out of the oil shortages he has created," McFarland says.

On July 8, 2021, almost two months before the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan took control of Afghanistan, Biden said that an IEA takeover of the country wasn't likely.

Biden however mentioned Afghanistan once in the Op-Ed, but did not discuss the withdrawal of American troops from the country.

Biden's Op-Ed comes less than a week before his first trip to Saudi Arabia since becoming President.

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IEA delegation attends conference for ‘Promoting Mining Cooperation’ in China

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The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum said on Saturday in a statement that its delegation participated in a conference titled "Promoting Mining Cooperation" in China’s Hunan province.

The Ministry stated the conference aims to build a well-equipped laboratory in Afghanistan, increase the capacity of technical and professional employees of the Ministry of Mines, and encourage investors in the mineral resources sector of Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Chinese investors expressed their interest in Afghanistan’s gold, copper, mica, talc, oil, gas, lithium, lead and zinc mines.

At the conference, the ministry’s deputy minister of finance and administration and head of the delegation Hussamuddin Saberi talked about Afghanistan's natural resources contracts and investment opportunities and considered holding such programs effective for the relations between the two countries.

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Uzbekistan, EU envoys meet to discuss Afghanistan

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Uzbekistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, Ismatulla Irgashev, on Friday met with the EU Special Representative for Central Asia Terhi Hakala.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the current state and prospects of Uzbek-European relations in the Afghan direction, the efforts of the international community to prevent a humanitarian crisis in the country and the possibility of using the international transport and logistics hub in Termez to deliver humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, Uzbekistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Hakala highly appreciated the efforts of Uzbekistan to develop a consolidated regional position on Afghanistan, establish long-term peace and stability in the country, according to the statement.

The parties expressed mutual interest in continuing bilateral consultations on the Afghan issue, the statement added.

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UN expert calls for comprehensive, rights-focused action plan for Afghanistan

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A UN expert on Friday called on the international community to devise and implement a comprehensive, human rights-centered action plan to address the human rights crisis in Afghanistan.

“The absence of a unified, forceful response from the international community has emboldened the Taliban (IEA),” UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, said.

In his latest report to the UN General Assembly, Bennett said that the human rights situation in Afghanistan is worsening, which includes systematic gender oppression, amounting to gender persecution and which many Afghans term “gender apartheid” with intergenerational implications.

Bennett expressed concern about the new “vice and virtue” law, announced in August, which he believes has institutionalized an expanding list of restrictions that “blatantly violate the rights of women and girls.”

He also expressed concern about the “shrinking civic space” in Afghanistan, the situation of minorities, journalists, and former government officials and security personnel.

“Justice, equality, and the rule of law are being systematically undermined,” he said.

The UN expert also called for increased funding and support for Afghan civil society and humanitarian efforts to mitigate the crisis.

Bennett urged the IEA to reverse its “repressive policies” and reinstate basic human rights. He pressed the international community to take a coordinated, multifaceted approach to support the Afghan people.

Bennett urged states not to normalize relations with the IEA until there are demonstrable human rights improvements and pathways to justice and accountability.

This comes as the Islamic Emirate has said that it is committed to ensuring human rights, including the rights of women and girls, according to Sharia, and this is an internal issue of Afghanistan.

The Islamic Emirate has banned Richard Bennett from traveling to Afghanistan, saying that he exaggerates small issues.

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