Afghanistan news and discussions

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caltrek
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dumber than crap
You prefer maybe another twenty years of war against the Taliban? Or perhaps just letting them all die of mass starvation...a form of genocide? Now that we have taken off with all the loot.


Holding $9 Billion Hostage, US Offers $300 Million as Afghan Starve
Jake Johnson
January 11, 2022

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/ ... han-starve

Introduction:
(Common Dreams) The Biden administration said Tuesday that it will contribute roughly $308 million to humanitarian assistance efforts in Afghanistan, where millions are on the brink of starvation and at risk of freezing to death in the aftermath of the U.S.-led war.

But the newly announced aid falls far short of estimates of the war-torn country's immediate needs and pales in comparison to the $9.4 billion in Afghan government assets that the Biden administration is refusing to unfreeze, despite growing pressure from progressive members of Congress and human rights advocates.

"U.S. actions do not harm the Taliban. In the bitter winter, it pushes millions of ordinary Afghans to misery and death."

On Tuesday morning, the United Nations launched what was described as its "largest single country aid appeal ever," requesting just over $5 billion in assistance that officials said would go toward providing food and other relief to Afghans struggling to survive as winter sets in.

"This is a stop-gap, an absolutely essential stop-gap measure that we are putting in front of the international community today," said U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths. "Without this being funded, there won't be a future."
Don't mourn, organize.

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caltrek
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Afghan Talks Focus on Aid, Women’s Rights as Hunger Grows
January 25, 2022

https://www.courthousenews.com/afghan-t ... ger-grows/

Introduction:
OSLO, Norway (AP via Courthouse News) — Three days of talks between the Taliban, Western diplomats and other delegates on humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and human rights were wrapping up Tuesday in Norway, with acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi praising the discussions, which he said “went very well."

The closed-door meetings in the snow-capped mountains above the Norwegian capital of Oslo came at a crucial time for Afghanistan, as freezing temperatures are compounding the misery from the country's downward economic spiral after the fall of the U.S.-backed government and the Taliban takeover last summer.

“It was a very good trip. Such trips will bring us closer to the world,” Muttaqi told The Associated Press.

Aid groups and international agencies estimate that about 23 million people, more than half the country, face severe hunger and nearly 9 million are on the brink of starvation. People have resorted to selling possessions to buy food, burning furniture for warmth and even selling their children.

Muttaqi said the Taliban government will do "its best to protect Afghanistan form any sorts of problems, attract more assistance, seeking solutions for the economic problems."
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caltrek
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Exclusive: Qatar Reaches Deal with Taliban to Resume Evacuation Flights
by Zachary Basu
February 1, 2022

https://www.axios.com/afghanistan-evacu ... db5ad.html

Introduction:
(Axios) Qatar has reached a deal with the Taliban to resume chartered evacuations out of Kabul's airport, ending a dispute with the Afghan government that's caused a months-long pause in flights, the Gulf nation's foreign minister told Axios.

Why it matters: The agreement for two flights per week, chartered by Qatar Airways, will allow the U.S. and other countries to evacuate thousands more of their own citizens and at-risk Afghans who face dual threats of Taliban retaliation and a humanitarian crisis.

Driving the news: Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who also serves as Qatar's deputy prime minister, spoke to Axios on Monday in a wide-ranging interview at the Qatari embassy in Washington following meetings with President Biden, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other U.S. officials.
  • Talks are also under way to allow one flight per week operated by Ariana Afghan Airlines once the Taliban agrees to certain security requirements, but the deal hasn't been finalized, Al Thani said.
  • The news comes days after Qatar, Turkey and the Taliban announced they had agreed on "several key issues" regarding the management and operation of Hamid Karzai International Airport.
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caltrek
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U.S. Sanctions on Afghanistan Could Be Deadlier Than 20 Years of War
by Mark Weisbrot
February 3, 2022

https://www.sacbee.com/news/news-servic ... 02573.html
(Sacramento Bee) Economic sanctions have, in recent years, become one of the most important tools of US foreign policy. There are currently more than 20 countries subjected to various sanctions from the US government.

But if more Americans knew how many innocent civilians actually die as a result of these sanctions, would the worst of them be permitted?

We may be about to find out in Afghanistan. Sanctions currently imposed on the country are on track to take the lives of more civilians in the coming year than have been killed by 20 years of warfare. There's no hiding it any more.

Projections through the winter estimate that 22.8 million people will face "high levels of acute food insecurity." This is 55 percent of Afghanistan's population, the highest ever recorded in the country. An estimated one million children are suffering from "severe acute malnutrition" this year. Children who are malnourished are more likely to die from other diseases, even when they can get enough calories and nutrients to survive. Already, 98 percent of the population is not getting enough food, according to the UN World Food Programme.

The biggest and most destructive sanction currently facing Afghanistan is the seizure of more than $7 billion of the country's assets that are held at the US Federal Reserve. This is equivalent to about 40 percent of Afghanistan's economy, and about 14 months of the country's imports – which include food, medicine, and infrastructure needs that are vital to public health.
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Below is a public document, so copyright citation size restrictions do not need to apply.

Announcement of Executive Order to Preserve Certain Afghanistan Central Bank Assets for the People of Afghanistan
February 11, 2022

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-roo ... ghanistan/

Entire Statement:
(The Whitehouse) As part of our ongoing work to address the humanitarian and economic crisis in Afghanistan, President Biden signed an Executive Order (E.O.) to help enable certain U.S.-based assets belonging to Afghanistan’s central bank, Da Afghanistan Bank (“DAB”), to be used to benefit the Afghan people. The E.O. will block property of DAB held in the United States by U.S. financial institutions and require U.S. financial institutions to transfer this property into a consolidated account held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The Administration will seek to facilitate access to $3.5 billion of those assets for the benefit of the Afghan people and for Afghanistan’s future pending a judicial decision.

Many U.S. victims of terrorism, including relatives of victims who died in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, have brought claims against the Taliban and are pursuing DAB assets in federal court. Because some of these plaintiffs currently have writs of execution against the DAB assets, the court will need to issue a further decision regarding the scope of those writs. Even if funds are transferred for the benefit of the Afghan people, more than $3.5 billion in DAB assets would remain in the United States and are subject to ongoing litigation by U.S. victims of terrorism. Plaintiffs will have a full opportunity to have their claims heard in court.

This is one step forward in the United States’ effort to authorize the transfer of a significant portion of the funds to meet the needs of the Afghan people. The E.O. is designed to provide a path for the funds to reach the people of Afghanistan, while keeping them out of the hands of the Taliban and malicious actors. The United States has sanctions in place against the Taliban and the Haqqani network, including for activities that threaten the safety of Americans such as holding our citizens hostage.

While this E.O. will help preserve a substantial portion of Afghanistan’s reserves to benefit the Afghan people, we understand there are no easy solutions for Afghanistan’s economic challenges, which have been exacerbated by the Taliban’s forced takeover of the country:
  • Even prior to the events of last August, Afghanistan’s economy was on the brink. Afghanistan faced poverty rates above 50 percent. International donor grants financed about 75 percent of public expenditures and 50 percent of the government’s budget. A two-year long drought had reduced many crops to 40 percent of their usual yields, and Afghanistan had one of the least developed financial systems in the world—with just 10-20% of adults holding bank accounts. Rampant corruption crippled sectors that should have been profitable.
  • The Taliban’s forced takeover made the already frail economic situation worse. The IMF estimates that Afghanistan faces an economic contraction of 30%, and many of the senior officials and technical experts needed to provide sound economic management have fled the country as a result of the Taliban’s actions.
  • These problems reflect longstanding, structural issues that predated the events of August 2021 and have worsened due to uncertainty and perceived risk surrounding the Taliban’s capacity to run the economy. This includes its ability to implement anti-money laundering measures and measures to counter the financing of terrorism.
Against this challenging backdrop, the United States will continue to work tirelessly with the international community to ensure that humanitarian assistance and other support flows to the people of Afghanistan. Over the past several months, we have acted urgently to support the Afghan people:
  • The United States remains the single largest donor of humanitarian aid in Afghanistan. Just last month, the United States announced a new contribution of more than $308 million in humanitarian assistance for the people of Afghanistan and we have provided more than $516 million since mid-August. The humanitarian assistance flows through independent humanitarian organizations and helps provide lifesaving protection and shelter, essential health care, winterization assistance, emergency food aid, water, sanitation, and hygiene services in response to the growing humanitarian needs exacerbated by COVID-19 and healthcare shortages, drought, malnutrition, and the winter season.
  • The United States recently provided the people of Afghanistan with one million additional COVID-19 vaccine doses through COVAX, bringing our total donation to 4.3 million doses.
  • In December 2021, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution championed by the United States to establish a carveout for humanitarian assistance and activities that support basic human needs in the UN 1988 sanctions regime to ensure that urgently needed aid can reach the Afghan people. The United States is also collaborating closely with the United Nations on mechanisms to ensure UN agencies and NGOs have the liquidity needed to support critical humanitarian assistance programs.
  • Starting in September 2021, the Department of the Treasury has provided broad authorizations that facilitate the continued provision of aid and support to the Afghan people by NGOs, international organizations, and the U.S. government. In December, the World Food Program, with USAID support, reached 8 million people across Afghanistan with food assistance. This was facilitated by licenses that the U.S. Treasury Department has issued.
  • The United States worked closely with the United Nations on the World Bank’s “transfer out” of $280 million in funds from the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) to UN Organizations. We are proud to be the largest funder of UN operations in Afghanistan and the leading donor to the ARTF.
The United States is committed to supporting the Afghan people and we continue to consider all options available to us to achieve that goal.
Edit: Here is a link to the announced Executive Order:https://www.federalregister.gov/documen ... fghanistan
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Yuli Ban
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And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future
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The Taliban have told airlines in Afghanistan that women cannot board domestic or international flights without a male chaperone, two sources told Reuters on Sunday.

The move comes after the Taliban backtracked on their previous commitment to open high schools to girls, a u-turn that shocked many Afghans and drew condemnation from humanitarian agencies and foreign governments.

The United States on Friday cancelled planned meetings with Taliban officials on key economic issues due to its decision on Wednesday. read more

The sources, who are not being named for security reasons, said that the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice sent airlines a letter on Saturday informing of them of the new restrictions.

They added that unaccompanied women who had already booked tickets would be allowed to travel on Sunday and Monday. Some women with tickets had been turned away at Kabul's airport on Saturday, they said.
And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future
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caltrek
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Afghanistan Facing 'Total Collapse' as Biden Refuses to Release Central Bank Assets
by Jake Johnson
March 30, 2022

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/ ... ank-assets

Introduction:
(Common Dreams) An international aid group warned Wednesday that Afghanistan is on the brink of complete collapse as the Biden administration and European governments refuse to release the war-torn nation's central bank reserves, depriving the economy of critical funds as millions face poverty and starvation.

In a statement ahead of an international donor conference for Afghanistan, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) said the country "is now the world's largest-ever humanitarian appeal, requiring a staggering US$4.47 billion in humanitarian aid—quadruple the needs at the start of 2021 and more than is required for either Syria or Yemen."

Since the Taliban retook power last August following two decades of U.S.-led warfare, IRC noted, "the speed of Afghanistan's economic collapse has been unprecedented." Following the withdrawal of American troops, the Biden administration froze billions of dollars in Afghan central bank assets held in the U.S. despite warnings that the move would push the country closer to full-scale economic ruin.

Last month, U.S. President Joe Biden issued an executive order aiming to permanently seize Afghanistan's assets and split them between the families of 9/11 victims and an ill-defined "trust fund" for Afghans. Blocked from accessing its own reserves, Kabul has struggled to afford even the import taxes on containers of badly needed food.

Moreover, the Biden administration has left in place crippling economic sanctions that could kill more civilians than 20 years of war, according to one analyst.
caltrek's comment: One wonders if the sanctions will do more harm to women than anything that will be done by the Taliban. Yes, this is a complaint on my part.
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Is The Taliban’s Halt of Poppy Production Too Good To Be True?
by James Durso
April 13, 2022

https://www.eurasiareview.com/13042022- ... true-oped/

Introduction:
(Eurasian Review) Earlier this month, the Taliban ordered a halt to poppy production, and the production, use, and transit of other narcotics. Given the dire state of the Afghan economy, the move will likely ruin the small farmers who grow and harvest much of the crop, and see the loss of the income from opiates, between $1.8 billion and $2.7 billion according to the United Nations, which also noted that “much larger sums are accrued along illicit drug supply chains outside Afghanistan.” The U.N. also reported, “The 2021 opium harvest, completed in July, marked the fifth year in a row with production at historic highs of more than 6,000 tons, potentially yielding up to 320 tons of pure heroin to be trafficked to markets around the world.”

The Taliban were major players in the poppy business, and have “counted on the Afghan opium trade as one of their main sources of income,” according to the U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime. So, why give up all that money (poppy accounts for an estimated 7 to 11 percent of GDP)? And why now?

The Taliban may have felt that narcotics trafficking was okay when the group was fighting foreign occupiers and what it called the puppet government in Kabul, as dictated by practical military necessity. But the Taliban may now feel narcotics trafficking should not be the business of an established Islamic government, especially one seeking international recognition.

Although the Taliban signaled in the fall of 2021 that it would take on the country’s drugs addiction problem and the trafficking networks, recent multilateral meetings hosted by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi may have motivated the group to make the public announcement. Wang noted “diplomatic recognition of the Afghan government will come when conditions are ripe” and encouraged Kabul to “take solid steps and make concrete efforts in this right direction.”

The Taliban may hope that the announcement will serve as a goodwill “placeholder” until they reopen schools for older girls, a move many disappointed observers expected would happen in late March but which the Taliban delayed at the last minute. In a sign the Taliban are not immune to public sentiment, the Afghan interim minister of education admitted that the delay in opening schools has caused criticism of the government and that he is hoping to re-open the schools soon.
caltrek's comment: I guess the Chinese know something about opium wars.
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How Reporters Reconstructed a Deadly Evacuation from Kabul
by Stephen Engelberg
April 12, 2022

https://www.propublica.org/article/how- ... from-kabul

Introduction:
(ProPublica) On Aug. 26, 2021, a suicide bomber detonated a vest packed with explosives and ball bearings in the packed crowd outside Kabul’s international airport. Shrapnel sliced through the air, killing 13 American service members and an estimated 160 Afghan civilians.

In the hours after the attack, officials reported that a second assailant had sprayed the crowd with automatic weapons fire, increasing the casualty toll in what was one of the deadliest attacks on American forces in the 20 years of war in Afghanistan.

As so often happens in such cases, the U.S. military’s initial account raised more questions than it answered. The Marines scrambling to evacuate civilians as Taliban forces swept into Kabul had been explicitly warned of a possible suicide attack that very day. Yet they seemed to have failed to take basic security precautions. Republicans seized on the bombing as evidence that the Biden administration had bungled its first foreign policy challenge, failing to forsee how quickly the Taliban would overwhelm the American-backed Afghan government.
Conclusion:
In the end, the scene at the airport was a microcosm of America’s experience in Afghanistan. The military’s hasty planning, rooted in optimistic assumptions, proved no match for the reality of a society in collapse.

As you follow the war in the Ukraine, it’s worth taking some time with this grunts’- and civilians’-eye view of how wrong a military operation can go.
Here is a detailed account from ProPublica of the events of that day. I have to admit, I myself only skimmed quickly through the article. Still, compelling reading if you are interested in that sort of thing: https://www.propublica.org/article/hell ... fghanistan
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