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IEA claims leaked document on Daesh in Afghanistan is ‘fake’
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on Sunday rejected claims that Daesh is using the country to plot and coordinate terror attacks against the US and its allies as stated in a leaked US military assessment.
The classified document reportedly portrayed the threat as a growing security concern. It noted that Afghan soil had become a base for the regional affiliate of Daesh to conduct "aspirational plotting" against US and European targets.
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on Sunday night called the assessment “fake" and part of "US ongoing propaganda campaign" against their government.
An official statement quoted Mujahid as saying the IEA government "has full control" over Afghanistan and does not allow anyone to use its soil for attacks against other countries.
He said that Daesh and other terrorist groups in the country "have been severely affected and are in the process of being destroyed."
Mujahid added that the IEA had brought security to Afghanistan since regaining control of the country in August 2021, citing peaceful celebrations of the three-day, nationwide, annual Eid festival, which ended Sunday.
"It is obvious that the spread of such biased reports shows that some people in America have not forgotten their hatred and enmity with the people of Afghanistan,” he said.
The Washington Post reported the Afghanistan-related US intelligence findings, saying they are part of a trove of documents posted to the social media platform Discord and obtained by the newspaper.
"ISIS has been developing a cost-effective model for external operations that relies on resources from outside Afghanistan, operatives in target countries, and extensive facilitation networks," the newspaper reported, citing the top-secret Pentagon secret assessment.
"The model will likely enable ISIS (Daesh) to overcome obstacles — such as competent security services — and reduce some plot timelines, minimizing disruption opportunities," The Post reported, citing the assessment, which used an acronym for IS-K.
The leaked document reportedly detailed specific efforts to target embassies, churches, business centers and the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament, which drew more than 2 million spectators last November in Qatar.
The US military assessment raised the number of Daesh plots coordinated in Afghanistan from nine to 15.
Mujahid considered the publication of leaked US military documents as "self-made irresponsible claims, the work of intelligence circles", which, according to him, "do not bode well for the Afghans."
“Everyone should know that now the public mind is moving beyond such failed attempts,” Mujahid tweeted.
US officials have not verified the authenticity of the leaked documents.
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IEA delegation attends conference for ‘Promoting Mining Cooperation’ in China
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
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
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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