August, 2021

• 24 August

  Warlord Dostum back in the fray as Taliban overwhelm Afghan north

  

  The scene was a familiar one as warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum jetted into northern Afghanistan this week — a promise of bloodshed and vengeance, and no apology for his vicious past. Despite a series of war crimes linked to his forces, the Afghan government is hoping Dostum’s military acumen and …

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• 24 August

  Top anti-Taliban rebel pins his hopes on France

  

  Massoud’s father may be a household name, but that’s no guarantee Macron will arm guerrillas in the Panjshir Valley. America may have abandoned Afghanistan, but the most prominent anti-Taliban rebel in the country is pinning his hopes on support from France. For Ahmad Massoud, France is the most natural place …

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• 24 August

  Afghan holdout will struggle against Taliban assault, say analysts

  

  The Panjshir Valley north of Afghanistan’s capital Kabul is the final major centre of resistance to the Taliban, but analysts say the fighters gathered there will struggle if the Islamist hardliners launch a full-scale attack. Surrounded by the high peaks of the Hindu Kush north of Kabul, the Panjshir has …

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• 24 August

  Bypassing NATO’s Objections, Kosovo Quietly Builds its Army

  

  Adiplomatic quarrel broke out between Slovakia and Hungary after the speaker of the Hungarian parliament, Laszlo Kover, spoke about past Slovak “sins” unforgiven by Hungarians during a ceremony in southwest Slovakia held in memory of Hungarians expelled at the end of World War II. The Slovak Foreign Ministry took umbrage …

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• 24 August

  Fate of Migrants at Belarus-EU Border Risks Taking Darker Turn

  

  The decision by Poland and the Baltic nations to legalise the pushback of migrants at the Belarusian border is leading to a dangerous game of ping pong with vulnerable people, as BIRN has witnessed. When BIRN came across Safaa Alnaseri near the village of Minkowce in northeast Poland, on the …

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• 24 August

  Courts Chip Away at Migrant ‘Pushback’ Practices in EU

  

  Local courts in several EU countries, including Austria, Italy, and Slovenia, have ruled in favour of refugees and migrants who were pushed back over the bloc’s external borders, but can they stop the practice altogether? It was raining. Ayoub and his six companions were soaked through and shivering in the …

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• 24 August

  Iran Developing New Drone For ‘Special Purposes’

  

  The Iranian Air Force is manufacturing a new generation of Kaman-class pilotless aircraft perfectly suited for a special operation, a top commander said. In comments on Saturday, Air Force Commander Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh said his forces are developing Kaman-19 (bow-19) unmanned aerial vehicle for a special operation. He said …

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• 24 August

  The Aftermath Of Two Decades In Afghanistan – OpEd

  

  A loss of more than $2 trillion dollars, almost 2500 US casualties, four US presidents and two decades later, the United States, under the Biden administration left Afghanistan. However, the catch here is that it left the country at the mercy of the very group they spent twenty years trying …

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• 24 August

  Welcome Home? Islamic State Returnees Test Balkan Countries’ Ability To Reintegrate – Analysis

  

  The recent repatriation of families of ISIS fighters to Kosovo, Albania and North Macedonia poses a tough challenge to all three countries to rehabilitate them back into society. On July 18, North Macedonia announced that it had repatriated 23 of its citizens who had spent the last few years on …

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• 24 August

  To Start Democracy In Afghanistan, We Need To Stop Pakistan – OpEd

  

  On 15 August 2021, the Taliban arrived in Kabul and the Afghan President fled the country. A week earlier, the Taliban barely had half the country under their control. Afghanistan is often called the ‘graveyard of empires’, since from the British Empire in the 19th century to the USSR in …

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