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ICG spells out US policy challenges involving peace talks and Taliban

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(Last Updated On: February 5, 2021)

While peace talks present an opportunity for the US to extricate itself from a decades-old conflict in Afghanistan, they will also pose one of the greatest foreign policy challenges for the Biden administration, the International Crisis Group reported in its latest briefing this week.

The ICG stated that after the February 2020 deal between the US and the Taliban, peace talks took six months to start – and have only inched forward slightly. According to the group in light of this, “it is far from clear where negotiations are headed.”

The group pointed out that in accordance with the agreement, the US agreed to withdraw international forces from Afghanistan in return for the Taliban cutting ties with terrorist organizations, reducing violence and entering negotiations with Afghanistan.

But while violence levels have remained high, it has also emerged that there are wide divergences among negotiating parties on substantive issues and the Taliban are resistant to scaling back attacks while talks proceed, the group’s briefing read.

“At the moment, discussions are virtually stalled while the parties wait for signals from the new US administration on its commitment, or lack thereof, to the nascent peace process.”

The ICG stated that a political settlement is the best solution and that there is a path open to achieving this – albeit a narrow path.

They urged the Biden administration however to urgently signal its commitment to continue supporting the peace process.

The group stated: “President Biden has little to lose in continuing to test the feasibility of reaching a political settlement. Conversely, an abandonment of negotiations would incur high costs: the likely return of the Taliban to unrestricted warfare (including targeting US personnel), as well as the loss of at least tacit support for US policy from Iran, Pakistan, Russia, China and other neighbours.”

But with this in mind, the ICG said the Biden administration will need to seek an extension to the troop withdrawal deadline.

“This is not enough time for the new administration to set its policy course and evaluate Taliban compliance with the counter-terrorism assurances it provided in the February deal.

“Nor is it sufficient time for the Afghan parties – who, for instance, spent three months negotiating a brief set of procedural rules for talks – to notch any meaningful agreements,” the group stated in its briefing.

They suggested this be extended by at least six months – also as the new administration needs to establish a regional diplomatic framework to support the peace process and the outcome of any peace settlement.

ICG pointed out that the new Biden administration also needs to determine whether it intends to maintain an indefinite, if small, military presence in Afghanistan for counter-terrorism purposes.

“A decision in favour of a persistent military presence would, at some point, be the death knell of the peace process because the Taliban are unlikely to consent to it,” ICG stated.

In addition, Russia, China and Iran would reject a continued US presence and could take steps to complicate it, the group stated.

“For Biden to keep troops in Afghanistan under those circumstances would make his administration the author of the next chapter of the so-called forever wars that began after the 11 September attacks, which will enter their third decade later this year,” the group stated.

However, it was suggested that the Biden administration’s top priority should be to keep the peace process going and buy the time it will need to face the decisions coming its way.

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Afghans in Europe Union members meet with ministers of defense, mining

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(Last Updated On: April 23, 2024)

Representatives of the Union of Afghans living in Europe on Tuesday met with the ministers of defense and mining for talks on several issues.

Acting Minister of National Defense Mohammad Yaqoub Mujahid said in a meeting with union delegates that the current security situation in the country has provided an opportunity for everyone to participate in the progress of Afghanistan.

Mujahid added that there were still some problems in certain areas but that these will be removed.

In this meeting, Mujahid called Afghanistan the common home of all Afghans and said the problems in the country will be solved soon.

“The problems that exist in some issues will be solved soon; but there was nothing more than the security that has been revealed in this land today with the help of Allah and with the sacrifices of our people,” he was quoted in a statement as saying.

According to the statement, a number of Afghans, who only moved to the country after the Islamic Emirate’s takeover, expressed their satisfaction with the current situation in the country.

In addition, Shahabuddin Delawar, acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum, also met with union representatives and asked Afghans living abroad to return to Afghanistan and contribute to the country’s progress.

In this meeting, the Afghans living in Europe asked Delawar to provide better facilities to Afghans who want to invest in the country. The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum says that Delawar also asked the visiting delegation to return to Afghanistan and contribute to the country’s development.

Earlier, in a meeting with a number of other officials of the Islamic Emirate, including the political deputy of the Prime Minister and the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, this delegation emphasized the need to strengthen the system and provide work and education to Afghan girls and women.

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Regional developments require Afghanistan, China’s full coordination to protect interests: Muttaqi

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(Last Updated On: April 23, 2024)

Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi has said that recent events and developments in the region require that Afghanistan and China continue their cooperation in full coordination so that they can protect their common interests.

Muttaqi stated this in a meeting with the Chinese ambassador in Kabul Zhao Xing.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Tuesday that the two sides discussed bilateral political, economic and cultural cooperation between Afghanistan and China and the recent developments in the region.

Muttaqi expressed his satisfaction with the expansion of political, economic and cultural relations between the two countries and said that the Islamic Emirate has created good opportunities in the field of trade and investment.

He pointed out that the increase in the export of pine nuts to China and the progress in the Mes Aynak and Wakhan Corridor projects are clear examples of this policy of the Islamic Emirate.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ statement, the Chinese ambassador considered the developments in various fields with Afghanistan as positive and added that he seeks to encourage Chinese businessmen and investors to play their role for long-term economic cooperation with Afghanistan.

He also said that his country is considering ways of bilateral cooperation and resources regarding Wakhan Corridor.

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Rashid Khan named AWCC’s brand ambassador

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(Last Updated On: April 23, 2024)

Afghanistan’s cricket superstar Rashid Khan has joined Afghan Wireless Communication Company (AWCC) as its exclusive brand ambassador.

“Rashid Khan is a young and prominent personality of the country who has shone brilliantly in cricket and in his social life,” AWCC said in a statement.

Rashid said he was thrilled to join AWCC as its brand ambassador.

“This is a great brand that I have always believed in and AWCC has been a front runner in the digital possibilities materializing in the country,” Khan said on X.

“Together I hope that we help more people to connect, encourage people to learn more and further utilize their talents and share their experiences more widely.”

What makes Rashid great!

Rashid Khan was Afghanistan’s first global superstar, and the key to the team’s successes in their early years in international cricket.

ESPNcricinfo experts say his extraordinarily effective leg spin has made him one of the greatest T20 bowlers ever, and among the first names on wish lists of teams in leagues all around the world.

Not a big turner of the ball, he puts batters under pressure with his speed through the air, like his bowling idol Shahid Afridi, while maintaining a stump-to-stump line. His biggest weapon is an accurate googly, and he has many variations. With bat in hand he is more than capable of clearing the boundary late in an innings, and he has airbrushed many a middling total into a match-winning one for his team, ESPNcricinfo states.

Rashid was just 17 when he made his ODI debut during Afghanistan’s tour of Zimbabwe in October 2015. Less than two years later, he was snapped up by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL for close to US$600,000.

After a superb 17-wicket first season with them, he picked up franchise deals with Guyana Amazon Warriors – for whom he took the first-ever hat-trick in the CPL in 2017 – and Adelaide Strikers, with whom he won his (and their) first BBL title in 2018.

He scaled new heights for Afghanistan as well, taking 5 for 3 in a T20I against Ireland to keep a record 11-match T20I winning streak alive, and later in 2017, taking his country to a win over West Indies in their first ODI in the Caribbean with 7 for 18.

He was duly honored as the 2017 ICC Associate Cricketer of the Year.

The following year, he became the youngest cricketer to top the ODI bowling rankings, the youngest man to captain an international side, and the fastest to 100 ODI wickets.

In Afghanistan’s inaugural year in Test cricket, Rashid took five second-innings wickets in the team’s first win, against Ireland, and six months later made an important fifty and took twin five-fors, finishing with 11 wickets in a famous win over Bangladesh in Chattogram. In 2021, he took 11 again, this time in a win over Zimbabwe.

In his five seasons with Sunrisers, he was a huge presence, taking 93 wickets at an economy rate of 6.33. When he moved to Gujarat Titans in 2022, he took 19 wickets in a run that led the side to the title.

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