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U.S. Has Reassured on Troop Pullout: CE Abdullah
The United States has assured Afghanistan’s government that any U.S. troop pullout would not affect the combat abilities of remaining forces, Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah said on Wednesday.
Abdullah said news last month that President Donald Trump was planning to withdraw 5,000 U.S. troops had caused unease in the government, which is battling resurgent Taliban forces who control broad swathes of the country outside the main cities.
Abdullah said news last month that President Donald Trump was planning to withdraw 5,000 U.S. troops had caused unease in the government, which is battling resurgent Taliban forces who control broad swathes of the country outside the main cities.
“Of course initially it came with some concerns for all of us,” Abdullah told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos.
“Later on, through engagement with their envoys and representatives we learned that even if the (U.S.) withdraws, it would be partial, it would not have an impact on the combat abilities,” he said.
He did not say how the United States, if left with fewer than 9,000 troops, would still be able to maintain multiple missions including training Afghan forces, advising them in the field and waging air strikes against the Taliban and other militants.
Trump has been impatient for progress in ending the 17-year war in Afghanistan, where more than 2,400 U.S. forces have died.
The United States sent troops to Afghanistan after the al Qaeda attacks on New York and Washington on Sept. 11, 2001, and overthrew its Taliban rulers, who had hosted Osama bin Laden’s organization.
At its peak the U.S. deployment involved more than 100,000 troops, but Washington withdrew most in 2014 and now has around 14,000 troops in the country as part of a NATO-led mission aiding Afghan security forces and hunting militants.
“The presence will not come to an end – only if there is peace in Afghanistan,” Abdullah said. “So those details which came out, later on, kept us assured to some extent.”
Abdullah, who is standing in Afghanistan’s presidential election in July, defended his alliance with General Abdul Rashid Dostum, who has been accused of serious human rights abuses. He said Dostum’s Junbish-i Milli party had strong support in northern Afghanistan.
“You cannot ignore part of the population because there are allegations against this person or that person,” he said. “We can’t just wish people away.”
Abdullah is challenging President Ashraf Ghani, who defeated him in a 2014 election which Abdullah said was marred by fraud. They later agreed to form a national unity government with Ghani as president and Abdullah as chief executive officer.
This year’s vote “has to be clean,” Abdullah said. “The flaws of the previous election have to be corrected. Am I absolutely confident that this will be transparent as we would expect? That’s difficult to judge at this stage.”
Source: Reuters
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US deports Afghan migrants to conflict-hit Central African Republic
The Central African Republic is considered one of the world’s poorest nations and has endured decades of violence, political unrest and human rights challenges.
The United States has deported a group of migrants, including citizens of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Armenia, to the Central African Republic, a country facing ongoing insecurity, armed conflict and political instability.
According to reports by CBS News, around 20 migrants were transferred from the US to the Central African Republic on Friday. The group reportedly included Afghan nationals, although authorities have not released detailed information about their identities or legal status.
The Central African Republic is considered one of the world’s poorest nations and has endured decades of violence, political unrest and human rights challenges. The US State Department has issued one of its highest travel warnings for the country, advising American citizens not to travel there due to security concerns.
The deportations are part of the Trump administration’s policy of sending certain migrants to so-called “third countries” as part of broader immigration enforcement measures. US officials say the initiative is aimed at accelerating the removal of migrants who no longer have legal authorization to remain in the country.
The move has drawn criticism from immigration lawyers and human rights advocates. They argue that some deportees had previously received legal protections preventing their return to their countries of origin because of fears of persecution, conflict or other serious risks.
Rights groups have also expressed concern over the fate of those sent to the Central African Republic, warning that transferring migrants to a country where they have no family ties, legal status or support network could expose them to significant humanitarian and security challenges.
The Central African Republic is the latest country to reportedly cooperate with Washington in accepting third-country deportees. Several countries in Africa and Latin America have previously agreed to receive migrants deported from the United States under similar arrangements.
Observers say the policy marks a significant expansion of US deportation efforts and has intensified debate over the treatment and protection of vulnerable migrants.
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Cabinet meeting held in Kandahar led by Afghanistan’s IEA supreme leader
Sources told Ariana News that a cabinet meeting of Afghanistan’s Islamic Emirate was held last Wednesday in Kandahar under the leadership of Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Islamic Emirate.
According to the sources, Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate, along with a large number of cabinet members, also attended the meeting.
Sources added that key issues related to the country were discussed and reviewed during the meeting.
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Final round of 1405 Kankor exam concludes in Afghanistan
Abdul Baqi Haqqani, head of the National Examinations Authority, announced on Friday that the fourth and final round of the university entrance examination (Kankor), in which 120,000 candidates participated, has concluded in a transparent manner.
He added that this was an important and valuable step for the country’s academic process, which was successfully implemented by the National Examinations Authority through precise planning, organized management, and joint efforts.
This year’s Kankor examination organized in four stages. In the first stage, graduates from 15 provinces participated; in the second stage, graduates from 18 provinces were included; and in the third stage, 12th-grade graduates from Kabul province took part.
In the final stage, absentees from previous stages, graduates from abroad, graduates of ethnic and tribal studies, graduates of religious schools in Kabul province, 14th-grade graduates, and night faculty applicants were included. This examination was held today (Friday).
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