August, 2021

• 22 August

  Russia was ready for Taliban’s win due to longtime contacts

  When the Taliban swept over Afghanistan, Russia was ready for the rapid developments after working methodically for years to lay the groundwork for relations with the group that it still officially considers a terrorist organization. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized this week that Moscow was “in no rush” to …

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• 22 August

  Taliban suppress more dissent as economic challenges loom

  

  The Taliban violently dispersed scattered protests for a second day Thursday amid warnings that Afghanistan’s already weakened economy could crumble further without the massive international aid that sustained the toppled Western-backed government. The Taliban have sought to project moderation and say they want good relations with the international community, but …

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• 22 August

  Kabul’s Victors and the Vanquished

  

  Speculation abounds. The end of US-managed rule in the nation called Afghanistan has fueled a flood of warnings, blame, and just plain guessing about what comes next there. Liberal and neocon warmongers in the media wring their hands looking for someone/anyone to blame beside their failed imperial strategy. The far …

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• 22 August

  The Return of the Taliban 20 Years Later

  

  On August 15, the Taliban arrived in Kabul. The Taliban’s leadership entered the presidential palace, which Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had vacated when he fled into exile abroad hours before. The country’s borders shut down and Kabul’s main international airport lay silent, except for the cries of those Afghans who …

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• 22 August

  Lapid to Egyptian spy chief: Israel won’t tolerate Gaza rocket fire

  

  Ahead of anticipated trip by Bennett to Cairo, foreign minister and Egypt intelligence official discuss ways to expand bilateral ties Foreign Minister Yair Lapid met with Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate chair Abbas Kamel in Jerusalem on Thursday and stressed that Israel would not tolerate continued rocket fire from the Gaza …

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• 22 August

  Syria says its air defences intercepted Israeli missiles

  

  Air raids came after Lebanese media outlets had reported low-flying Israeli jets over Beirut. Israeli air raids targeted the Damascus and Homs regions in Syria late on Thursday, official Syrian news agency SANA reported, saying that the country’s air defences intercepted several Israeli missiles. SANA cited a Syrian military source …

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• 22 August

  Erdogan says Turkey will not be “Europe’s migrant storage unit” amid Afghanistan turmoil

  President Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday urged European countries to take responsibility for migrants coming from Afghanistan, adding Turkey had no intention of becoming “Europe’s migrant storage unit” amid turmoil in the country after the Taliban’s takeover. Since the Taliban entered Kabul over the weekend, scenes of chaos have unfolded as …

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• 22 August

  Turkey Scrambles to Salvage Its Influence in a Post-U.S. Afghanistan

  

  Like other foreign powers, Turkey was caught off-guard by the speed of the Taliban’s recent blitz across the country, which has greatly complicated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s plans. While most NATO countries were happy to wash their hands of the conflict after a grueling 20-year counterinsurgency and nation-building effort, …

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• 22 August

  The Known Unknowns of Afghanistan’s Future

  

  The swift return of the Taliban to power has sparked panic in Afghanistan and sent shockwaves around the world. With U.S. military forces taking control of the Kabul airport and the evacuation of foreign nationals and thousands of Afghans proceeding, important questions loom about the future of Afghanistan and the …

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• 22 August

  It’s Not Too Late for the United Nations to Act in Afghanistan

  

  The images of humanitarian chaos and the deteriorating situation for women after the swift Taliban takeover of Kabul have left the international community grasping for options. In the face of Afghan women’s desperate pleas for support, women’s rights NGOs in the United States recently called for a United Nations peacekeeping …

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