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Time to bring US troops home: Trump

Published

5 years ago

March 1, 2020

(Last Updated On: )

US President Donald Trump said that it is time “to bring our people back home,” following the signing of US-Taliban agreement for bringing peace to Afghanistan.

Addressing a press conference in White House, Trump said that the US would reduce its forces in Afghanistan approximately to 8600, “and then we’ll make our final decision some point in the fairly near future.”

The deal was signed by the US Special Envoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad and the Taliban Deputy Leader, Abdul Ghani Baradar, in Doha, Qatar on Saturday, at the presence US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and representatives of at least 20 countries.

According to the agreement, within the first 135 days of the deal, the US would reduce its troops to 8600 in Afghanistan.

“We just signed an agreement that puts us in a position to get it done, bring us down to in the vicinity of 8,000 troops. The United Nations was informed of everything,” Trump said.

After the agreement between the US and the Taliban, Trump said that he would meet with the Taliban leaders “in the not-too-distant future”. “We will be very much hoping that they will be doing what they say they are going to be doing: They will be killing terrorists. They will be killing some very bad people. They will keep that fight going,” Trump said.

“If bad things happen, we will go back. I let the people know: we will go back and we will go back so fast, and we will go back with a force as nobody has ever seen. I do not think that will be necessary. I hope it is not necessary,” he said.

“The Taliban has given a pledge and a very strong pledge, and we’ll see how that all work out. We hope it’s going to work out very well, ” said Trump, “I think they have big incentives to do it, but they have to take care of the terrorists and kill the terrorists. We’ll be working in a different kind of fashion toward that end.”

Currently, around 14,000 US troops are based in Afghanistan as part of a US-led NATO mission to train, assist and advise Afghan forces. Some US forces also carry out counter-terrorism operations.

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Bayat Foundation distributes food aid to dozens of needy families in Balkh

Published

1 hour ago

March 23, 2025

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: )

Bayat Foundation distributed food packages to dozens of needy families in Afghanistan’s northern Balkh province this weekend.

The packages included flour, rice, and cooking oil.

Officials of Bayat Foundation in Balkh said that aid distribution will continue in other provinces of the country until the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

“In continuation of Bayat Foundation’s assistance, this time we have distributed our Ramadan aid in Mazar-e-Sharif, which includes flour, rice, and cooking oil, and God willing, this assistance will continue,” Yafes Saqib, Bayat Foundation representative in Balkh, said.

Meanwhile, beneficiaries welcomed the distribution of the aid packages, saying that Bayat Foundation has played an important role in reaching out to the poor, the needy, and in reducing poverty.

“We are very happy. It is the month of Ramadan. May God help anyone who helps us poor people,” Aynuddin, an aid recipient, said.

“I don’t have a breadwinner in my family. On Thursdays, I go and collect Pepsi cans to find bread for my children,” Zarmina, another aid recipient, said.

The assistance comes at a time when international organizations have warned of increasing poverty in the country.

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Torkham border reopens for pedestrians

Over 4,000 Afghans crossed back into Afghanistan on Saturday, including 1,900 with valid passports

Published

4 hours ago

March 23, 2025

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: )

Thousands of Afghan nationals crossed back into Afghanistan through Torkham crossing on Saturday after having been stranded for weeks in Pakistan due to the border closure.

Officials on both sides reopened the border to pedestrians on Saturday, after Pakistan shut the crossing on February 21 amid clashes between border forces.

Pakistani immigration officials told local media on Sunday that over 4,000 Afghans crossed back into Afghanistan on Saturday, including 1,900 with valid passports. Dawn reported that a further 2,150 were deported.

In contrast, 1,100 Pakistanis returned home.

Pakistan officials meanwhile reportedly had to process each person manually as the online immigration system had been damaged during cross-border clashes between the Pakistani and Afghan forces on March 3 and 4.

Dawn news reported that according to Pakistani authorities, only Afghans with valid visas stamped in their passports would be allowed to enter or exit Pakistan, while those carrying only Tazkiras (Afghan national identity cards) would be barred from crossing in either direction.

The restriction left hundreds of Afghans disappointed, especially those who had been waiting for weeks for the border to reopen.

The reopening of the border comes after multiple rounds of talks between jirga members from both countries. Last week they reached an agreement and reopened the crossing to trade on Tuesday.

Since then, trade activities at the border have picked up.

Customs officials told Dawn that in the past two days, 740 vehicles carrying coal, soapstone and dry fruits entered Pakistan from Afghanistan.

In contrast, around 450 export vehicles, including 133 Afghan Transit Trade Goods carriers, crossed into Afghanistan.

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Dozens of needy families in Kabul receive essential food aid from Bayat Foundation

Kabul recipients welcomed the assistance, and many said they are unable to afford food due to the economic hardships in the country.

Published

7 hours ago

March 23, 2025

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: )

Families in Kabul on Saturday received much needed food aid from Bayat Foundation as part of the organization’s annual Ramadan campaign.

Bayat officials said aid will also be distributed to families in other provinces in the country before the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

On Thursday, dozens of needy families in Bamiyan province also received aid packages.

The packages includes rice, flour and oil.

Bayat Foundation officials meanwhile said that recipients of the aid are identified following a strict assessment process and only those in need benefit.

Kabul recipients welcomed the assistance, and many said they are unable to afford food due to the economic hardships in the country.