Monthly Archives: September 2019

At least 22 dead in Kabul suicide bombing claimed by Taliban

(Miami Herald): At least 22 people, including six military personnel, were killed in a suicide bombing in the center of Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, the Ministry of Interior Affairs said Tuesday. Nearly 40 others, including women and children, were wounded in the incident, the ministry said in a statement. The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the

Afghanistan’s uncertain future

(THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE ): The announcement by President Trump to withdraw from the peace talks being held with the Taliban leadership when an agreement between them was so close was surprising. The decision was apparently taken by the President to express his resentment of the recent Taliban attack in which one American soldier and 10

America Has a New Strategy in Afghanistan, But It Isn’t Actually Very New

(Asia News): On September 7, U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly called off his government’s talks with the Taliban—even though the two sides were on the cusp of a U.S. troop withdrawal deal. With talks off (for now), the Trump administration has vowed to intensify its fight against the Taliban, with the hope that increasing battlefield

Pentagon identifies Green Beret killed in Afghanistan

(UPI): Sept. 18 (UPI) -- The Pentagon identified the Green Beret killed Monday in Afghanistan as Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy W. Griffin. Griffin, 40, of Greenbrier, Tenn., was killed by small arms fire while engaged in combat operations in Wardak Province, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel, the Department of Defense said in a

Trump’s Decision ‘Surprised’ Taliban: Spokesman

(TOLO news): Talking to Al Jazeera in an interview published on Sept. 12, Mr. Shaheen said the Taliban is ready for negotiations with Afghans, but a ceasefire will be possible when all foreign forces leave the country. The two sides held nine rounds of talks over the last year. US chief negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad led

US House Panel Subpoenas Top US-Afghan Negotiator

(voice of America): The Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Representative Eliot Engel, has subpoenaed the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, to testify at an open hearing of the committee Sept. 19. The Democratic committee chair released a statement Thursday criticizing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, saying he "flatly refused"

US Declares Pakistani Taliban Chief as Global Terrorist

(voice of America): The United States has designated a top Pakistani militant commander as a global terrorist for directing deadly attacks against Pakistan. The U.S. State Department announced the decision Tuesday, identifying the man as Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud, the head of the outlawed extremist Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commonly known as the Pakistani Taliban. It

Trump vows to hit Taliban ‘harder’ than ever as US marks 9/11

(News24): President Donald Trump pledged to hit the Taliban "harder" than ever as America marked the 18th anniversary on Wednesday of the 9/11 attacks that led the country into war in Afghanistan. Trump spoke after aborting what would have been a historic peace summit and as relatives remembered the victims of the single deadliest attack

Afghan President: More Than 2,000 Taliban Fighters Killed Last Week

(Voice of America): Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told an election rally Friday that more than 2,000 Taliban fighters have been killed over the past week and insisted his elected office is where the insurgent group must come to seek a decisive political settlement to the conflict. Ghani's assertions came nearly a week after U.S. President

Myanmar Hopes Talks Can Shore Up Cease-fire With Northern Alliance

(RFA): The Myanmar government on Friday stressed the importance of an upcoming meeting between its peace negotiators and the Northern Alliance group of ethnic armies to try to end escalated hostilities in northern Shan state, and warned of possible negative consequences should the talks fail. Tun Tun Oo, vice chairman of the National Reconciliation and

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