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SIGAR reports spike in insider attacks against ANDSF members
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A new quarterly report by Washington’s Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has documented a staggering 82 percent increase in insider attacks on Afghan government security forces in the first quarter of this year, resulting in 115 personnel killed and 39 wounded.
SIGAR reported this week that the overall Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) casualties were also substantially higher than during the same period last year.
SIGAR is not allowed to include full ANDSF casualty data because U.S. forces in Afghanistan keep it classified at the request of the Afghan government.
The report stated that the ANDSF suffered a total of 31 insider attacks between January 1 and April 1, and the number of casualties they caused were more than double compared to the same period in 2020.
SIGAR’s report comes as the US and NATO forces started to withdraw from Afghanistan as decided by US President Joe Biden last month.
In addition to the estimated 2,500 U.S. troops and the 7,000 NATO and allied forces, over 12,500 US Defense Department contractors will also withdraw. The are U.S citizens and third-country nationals.
SIGAR stated it is unclear who, if anyone, will replace contractor personnel or perform their work after their withdrawal.
“Without continued contractor support, none of the Afghan Air Force’s (AFF) airframes can be sustained as combat effective for more than a few months, depending on the stock of equipment parts in-country, the maintenance capability on each airframe, and when contractor support is withdrawn,” SIGAR said, citing U.S. military assessments.
According to SIGAR, DOD contractors provide for and maintain ANDSF ground vehicles and train local technicians. Although the ANDSF has “dramatically improved its share of the work, it is still falling well below benchmarks for its share of the maintenance work orders they — rather than contractors — are supposed to perform,” SIGAR reported.
Special Inspector General John F Sopko meanwhile stated that under the new posture that will follow the troops’ withdrawal, SIGAR and its oversight mission will “assume even more important for the United States”.
He said as the largest oversight presence in Afghanistan and the only one with statutory whole-of-government authority, SIGAR will be the only government agency capable of overseeing the billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars already appropriated that will continue to flow into the country despite the absence of U.S. military – including U.S. defense contractor – boots on the ground.
Sopko said SIGAR is well-prepared for this enhanced role and stands ready to assume any new responsibilities assigned to it by Congress and the Administration.
He pointed out that while the Biden Administration conducted its review of U.S. policy in Afghanistan, the Office of Management and Budget requested the data that underpins the reporting in SIGAR’s quarterly reports concerning U.S. funds appropriated for Afghanistan since 2002.
“This recognition of the quarterly report’s function as the most authoritative source for information about U.S. spending in Afghanistan came as the report continues to expand its coverage of U.S. appropriations,” he said.
He also stated that U.S. officials have indicated that they intend to condition U.S. assistance to Afghanistan on the actions of the Afghan government and possibly the Taliban.
“As U.S. policy on Afghanistan continues to evolve, my colleagues and I will work with Congress, the Administration, and other stakeholders to guard against the waste, fraud,
and abuse of U.S. funds devoted to that country’s reconstruction,” he said.
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Ministry says morality police may not violate citizens’ right to privacy
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The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice said on Sunday that no muhtasib (morality police) is allowed to violate citizens’ right to privacy, warning that violators will face serious action.
Speaking on Ariana News’ Saar program, Saif-ul-Islam Khaibar, the ministry’s spokesman, said that public complaints regarding the behavior of muhtasibs have decreased, which indicates that they are behaving well.
“Breaching the privacy of individuals is spying. It is spying on what the individual does or does not do. Muhtasib does not have this right, and Islam has forbidden this, and Allah Almighty has also forbidden spying. Muhtasib is only responsible when he directly sees a wrongdoing and prevents it,” Khaibar said.
He also emphasized that the ministry has handled thousands of complaints in different sectors over the past three years and, in the area of protecting women’s rights alone, has prevented more than 5,500 cases of forced marriage and Baad practice in different regions of the country. Baad is a method of settlement and compensation whereby a female from a criminal’s family is given to the victim’s family as a servant or a bride.
“We cannot say that currently this is not happening in Afghanistan because it is a large country and the ministry has just started working. It is something that has existed for decades, but now it is not something that people can freely do,” Khaibar said.
He also claimed that some foreign media outlets and intelligence circles spread propaganda against the ministry in order to turn people against the ministry and muhtasibs.
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UNSC set to meet over UN Mission in Afghanistan’s mandate
The debate over the future of UNAMA’s mission highlights the complexities of international engagement in Afghanistan.
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The United Nations Security Council will meet soon to discuss extending the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan’s (UNAMA) mandate for another year – before the current mandate expires on March 17.
It is expected that two proposals on the extension will be discussed during the meeting. One proposal has been put forward by China and Pakistan and the other by South Korea and the United States.
Both proposals aim to address the future role of UNAMA in Afghanistan.
UNAMA’s activities have come under fire recently, given the restrictions it faces under the Islamic Emirate.
Experts have also stated that UNAMA’s political influence has been limited.
UNAMA’s mandate is reviewed annually by the UN Security Council, and its activities are critical in addressing humanitarian needs and supporting peace efforts in Afghanistan.
The debate over the future of UNAMA’s mission highlights the complexities of international engagement in Afghanistan.
Last year, the resolution to extend the mandate urged “all relevant Afghan political actors and stakeholders, including relevant authorities as needed, as well as international actors to coordinate with UNAMA in the implementation of its mandate and to ensure the safety, security and freedom of movement of United Nations and associated personnel throughout the country.”
The 15-member Council also requested that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “reports to the Security Council every 3 months on the situation in Afghanistan and the implementation of UNAMA’s mandate, including at the subnational level.”
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Indian, Iranian foreign ministers meet, discuss Afghanistan and Chabahar Port
They exchanged views on regional and international developments, with a particular focus on the situation in Afghanistan, which also wants to expand its trade relations with countries through Chabahar Port.
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The Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar says he met with his Iranian counterpart, Seyyed Abbas Araghchi in Muscat on Sunday and discussed various issues including the situation in Afghanistan and Chabahar Port.
In a post on X, Jaishankar described the meeting with Araghchi as “good” and said they discussed bilateral relations and regional developments.
Araghchi and Jaishankar were both in Muscat, Oman, for the 8th Indian Ocean Conference.
Araghchi said in an interview with Indian media that Tehran attaches “great importance” to their relations with India.
“In the past, there was a lot of trade between Iran and India. There have been ups and downs, but there is a strong will between the two sides to strengthen relations and we will continue to do so.
Araghchi also said: “Trade cooperation between the two countries is ongoing, and although there have always been ups and downs, both sides are determined to continue the cooperation.”
On Chabahar Port, he said: “We have a 10-year agreement with India regarding Chabahar Port. We are aware that the Indians are consulting with the Americans about the cancellation of the exemption for this port.”
“We know that questions have been raised by a third party, we know that the Indians are consulting with the Americans on this matter, so we will leave the decision-making to our friends.”
The two foreign ministers also reviewed various aspects of Iran-India relations, including political, cultural, economic, and trade cooperation.
They exchanged views on regional and international developments, with a particular focus on the situation in Afghanistan, which also wants to expand its trade relations with countries through Chabahar Port.
Experts have said if Chabahar Port is exempted from US sanctions, Afghanistan can also export its commercial goods to different countries using this port.
Iran is one of Afghanistan’s largest trading partners in the region and trade relations between the two countries has continued to grow.
In 2024, the trade volume between Iran and Afghanistan increased to $3.197 billion, an 84% increase from 2023.
Experts have meanwhile said one of the key factors behind Tehran and Kabul’s drive to expand trade between themselves is to offset the effects of sanctions leveled against both countries.
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