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Germany warns against premature troop withdrawal from Afghanistan

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The German government on Wednesday warned US President Donald Trump that his planned drawdown of American troops from Afghanistan risks putting peace and progress in the country in danger.

“Our serious concern is that a premature withdrawal could jeopardize the negotiation process [between the Afghan government and the Taliban], create a security vacuum and jeopardize the progress achieved in Afghanistan,” German foreign ministry spokesperson Christofer Burger told reporters during a briefing in Berlin.

This came after acting US Defense Secretary Christopher Miller said late Tuesday that Washington will reduce its military presence in Afghanistan from around 4,500 troops to 2,500 by January 15.

Since the US ousted the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001, NATO allies, including Germany, have assisted American military efforts in the country.

The US currently has around 4,500 troops in Afghanistan while NATO has just under 12,000.

In February the US signed a conditions-based withdrawal agreement with the Taliban which paved the way for the start of peace talks between the Afghanistan Republic’s negotiating team and the Taliban.

However, since the start of talks in September – which quickly hit a deadlock – the Taliban has markedly increased violence across the country.

In line with this, Burger told reporters on Wednesday that German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas “has repeatedly acknowledged that it was a great diplomatic achievement, including that of the Trump government, to create the conditions for peace negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government to take place.”

He added: “In our view, this peace process is the best way to ensure that a troop withdrawal can take place in such a way that everything that has been achieved in Afghanistan in recent years — in terms of human rights, education, economic development, development opportunities for girls and women as well — is not lost or put at risk. One of the key business principles of this peace process has always been that military withdrawal steps are subject to conditions.”

At the same briefing, German defense ministry spokesperson Arne Collatz-Johannsen acknowledged that the US troop withdrawal also risks having consequences for the over 1,000 German troops that are currently in Afghanistan as part of the Resolute Support mission.

“We are of course trying to find out — also together with our partners and NATO as a whole — what this means in concrete terms for capabilities on the ground, because it is also very clear that the US, as the strongest contributor to the deployment on the ground, has a significant role to play in capabilities that are necessary to sustain the overall [troop presence],” Collatz-Johannsen said.

“Here we assume that the principle — together in, together out, and out at the right time — will be upheld,” he said. “We now have to adjust our planning … to what we are told by the American side.”

On Tuesday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also warned the Trump administration against a hasty pullout from Afghanistan, saying “the price for leaving too soon or in an uncoordinated way could be very high.”

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India reaffirms healthcare support to Afghanistan, hands over medicines and vaccines

Indian officials said the support underscores New Delhi’s commitment to helping improve healthcare services and access to life-saving treatment in Afghanistan.

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India has reaffirmed its commitment to continued humanitarian assistance and healthcare cooperation with Afghanistan, with a focus on the long-term supply of essential medicines.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda held a productive meeting with Afghanistan’s Minister of Public Health, Noor Jalal Jalali. The discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in the health sector and addressing the medical needs of the Afghan people.

During the meeting, a symbolic handover of cancer medicines and vaccines was carried out, reflecting India’s ongoing support for Afghanistan’s healthcare system. The ministry also announced that a larger consignment of medicines, vaccines, and a 128-slice CT scanner is being dispatched to Afghanistan as part of India’s humanitarian assistance efforts.

Indian officials said the support underscores New Delhi’s commitment to helping improve healthcare services and access to life-saving treatment in Afghanistan.

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Afghan forces target hideout of suspects linked to cross-border attacks on Chinese nationals

Afghan forces target hideout of suspects linked to cross-border attacks on Chinese nationals

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Security sources said that special forces of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) have targeted a hideout in Badakhshan province linked to suspects involved in attacks against Chinese nationals in neighboring Tajikistan.

According to the sources, the operation was carried out on Tuesday night in Faizabad city, where several individuals suspected of orchestrating cross-border attacks from Badakhshan’s frontier regions were believed to be present. As a result of the operation, one wanted suspect was arrested alive along with weapons and other military equipment.

The sources added that preliminary investigations and initial confessions by the detainee indicate the planning of the attacks was carried out from outside Afghanistan.

This comes as Tajikistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on November 27 that three Chinese citizens were killed in an attack in Khatlon province.

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Baradar urges scholars to promote protection of Islamic system and national interests

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Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, has called on religious scholars to play a stronger role in promoting the protection of the Islamic system and Afghanistan’s national interests among the public.

Speaking at a turban-tying ceremony at Jamia Fath al-Uloom in Kabul on Wednesday, Baradar urged scholars to adopt a softer tone in their sermons and public addresses.

He said that alongside teaching religious obligations, scholars should help foster a sense of responsibility toward safeguarding the Islamic system and national unity.

Baradar described madrasas as the sacred foundations of religious learning, moral education, spiritual and intellectual development, and Islamic movements within Muslim societies.

He noted that in Afghanistan, religious teachings and the concept of sacred jihad originated in madrasas, spread from villages to cities, and eventually translated into action and resistance.

He also emphasized the role of madrasas in the intellectual reform of society, the removal of what he described as un-Islamic cultural influences, and the preservation of Islamic traditions.

Baradar stressed that religious schools must remain committed to their original mission and values under all circumstances.

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