A surge of targeted killings and assassinations has swept Afghanistan, where violence has soared despite peace efforts aimed at ending the war. Many of those being targeted are civilians — journalists, rights activists, cultural figures, moderate religious leaders, and women in public roles.
Read More »Taliban Expect Biden to Stick to Afghan Peace Deal Without 'Significant Change'
The Taliban say they expect President-elect Joe Biden to stick to a peace agreement the insurgent group sealed with the United States earlier this year to end the war in Afghanistan, America’s longest.
Read More »Al Qaeda Feels Losses in Syria and Afghanistan but Stays Resilient
American drones and U.S. allies killed several Qaeda leaders and operatives in the past week. But the organization has “ingrained itself in local communities and conflicts,” according to the U.N.
Read More »Afghanistan Is Not Doomed to Repeat Its Past
egotiations between the Taliban and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan have opened in Doha, Qatar, but violence continues and even appears to be escalating. Some of the worst attacks, such as the Oct. 24 strike on an educational center in Kabul that killed at least 30 students, have been claimed …
Read More »DOD Anticipates Significant Troop Reduction in Afghanistan
Based on the current conditions in Afghanistan, the Defense Department expects there will be fewer than 5,000 U.S. military service members in that country by the end of November, said David F. Helvey, who is currently performing the duties of assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs.
Read More »Warring Afghans meet to find peace after decades of war
Afghanistan’s warring sides started negotiations for the first time, bringing together the Taliban and delegates appointed by the Afghan government Saturday for historic meetings aimed at ending decades of war.
Read More »James Carafano: In Afghan-Taliban peace talks, here’s message Pompeo needs to give
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in Qatar Saturday for the opening of peace talks there between the Taliban and the Afghan government. Hopefully, the Taliban have figured out by now that these talks are not simply a face-saving exercise for the U.S. to exit South Asia. If they haven’t, …
Read More »The Road to Peace In Afghanistan no Longer Runs Through Pakistan
Toward the end of August, a delegation from the Afghan Taliban led by the group’s deputy, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, travelled to Islamabad. There, they met with Pakistan’s foreign minister and head of its Inter-Services Intelligence, the military’s intelligence wing. The first gathering, held at Pakistan’s Foreign Office, was meant …
Read More »The Hard Truths About 9/11’s Aftermath and America’s Legacy in Afghanistan
In the 19 years that have passed since I watched the twin towers of the World Trade Center collapse, not a single moment of that day has faded from memory.
Read More »Islamic State claiming more attacks in all but three of their regions of operation during August 2020
Islamic State Khurasan (ISK) Assault Team on Jalalabad Prison, Nangarhar, Afghanistan Islamic State built upon on the increased operational tempo initiated late last month during Eid al-Adha, claiming more attacks in all but three of their regions of operation during August 2020. Despite concerted counter-terror operations undertaken by the differing …
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