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Resolute Support Mission effectively ends May 1: Pentagon
Pentagon spokesman John F. Kirby said this week the US mission in Afghanistan, known as Resolute Support Mission (RS), effectively ends on May 1 when the United States and NATO formally enter the “mission to draw down”.
Kirby said the mission shifts on Saturday - May 1 - to become one of a drawdown.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Kirby said “it's no longer about advise-assist for Afghan National Security Forces, and it's ...it's no longer the Resolute Support mission under the NATO hat. It becomes the -- the mission to draw down, to leave Afghanistan, and the -- the assets at General Miller's disposal will be designed to help him execute this drawdown in a safe and orderly way.”
Kirby said “May 1st is just around the corner, so they're working hard at the final preparations to -- to execute that new mission on May 1st.”
He also stated that it “would be irresponsible” for the US not to expect an attack by the Taliban during the exit process. “And that is why you are seeing additional force protection assets being flown -- flowed into the region. We already talked about the carrier. We talked about the bombers yesterday. And as I said yesterday, there's certainly, without getting into details, the likelihood that, you know, some additional ground force elements, too, could be introduced into Afghanistan to help us with a safe and orderly drawdown.
Kirby stated that Miller’s main function, come May 1, will be to draw down all U.S. military personnel and contractors that are serving in Afghanistan and do so in a safe and orderly way.
“After that, our relationship with Afghan National Security Forces transitions to one of support from outside the country, and we talked about that largely being through financial means,” he said.
But he noted the Afghan government still needs support from US contractors, particularly for aviation maintenance. He said: “we're working our way through that.”
Kirby also noted that the Pentagon has ensured Miller has options available to “make sure he can keep our troops and those of our allies safe as they -- as they come out.”
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Human traffickers should be sentenced to 1 to 3 years in prison: IEA leader
The Leader of the Islamic Emirate has issued a decree instructing the Ministry of Interior Affairs to prevent human trafficking and to arrest and refer culprits to military courts.
The decree containing six articles says that that military courts should sentence human traffickers to one year in prison for the first time, two years if repeated for the second time and three years if repeated for the third time.
The ministries of Hajj, information, telecommunications, borders, propagation of virtue, as well as religious scholars are asked to inform the public about the dangers and adverse consequences of travelling through smuggling routes.
The decree comes as the rate of migration has increased following the political change in Afghanistan in 2021.
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Eight Afghan migrants die as boat capsizes off Greek island
Eight Afghan migrants died after a speedboat carrying migrants capsized off Greece's eastern island of Rhodes on Friday, the Associated Press reported.
Greek authorities said that the capsizing was the result of the boat’s maneuvering to evade a patrol vessel.
A total of 18 migrants — 12 men, three women and three minors — all Afghan nationals, were rescued, Greece's coast guard said Saturday. The dead were also from Afghanistan, it said.
Some migrants remained hospitalized, with one in critical condition, authorities said.
Two Turkish citizens, ages 23 and 19, were arrested as the suspected traffickers. The boat sank after capsizing, the coast guard said.
The sinking off Rhodes was the second deadly incident involving migrants in the past week.
Seven migrants were killed and dozens were believed missing after a boat partially sank south of the island of Crete over the weekend — one of four rescue operations during which more than 200 migrants were rescued.
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Norwegian Chargé d’Affaires meets with IEA deputy foreign minister
Welcoming the diplomat’s visit to Kabul, Stanikzai underscored the importance of political relations between Afghanistan and Norway, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The Norwegian Chargé d’Affaires for Afghanistan, Per Albert Ilsaas, on Saturday met with IEA’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Sher Muhammad Abbas Stanikzai, in Kabul.
Welcoming the diplomat’s visit to Kabul, Stanikzai underscored the importance of political relations between Afghanistan and Norway, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
In addition to focusing on bilateral political, humanitarian, and other pertinent issues, the two sides expressed hope that continued engagement would lead to constructive solutions to related issues.
This comes two weeks after the Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi expressed disappointment regarding the decision by the Norwegian government to downgrade diplomatic relations with Afghanistan.
Balkhi said in a post on X that such decisions should not be linked with internal affairs of other countries.
“Diplomatic engagement is most effective when it fosters mutual understanding and respect, even amidst differing viewpoints,” he stated.
“Access to consular services is a fundamental right of all nationals. We strongly urge all parties to prioritize this principle in the spirit of international cooperation,” he added.
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