Category: Middle East

Afghan Foreign Ministry Responds to Taliban’s Cabinet Announcement as 2 Governments Claim Power

Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry on Sept. 8 condemned the Taliban’s “so-called cabinet” announcement, after it unveiled its new all-male interim government on Tuesday. A statement issued by the Afghan embassy in Geneva on Twitter said that “the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, which emanates from the free will of the people and epitomizes the vision and aspirations of…


Taliban Declare Ban on Slogans, Protests That Don’t Have Their Approval

The Taliban on Sept. 8 announced a ban on all slogans, demonstrations, and protests that do not have their official approval in yet another signal that the Islamist group is taking a hardline and repressive approach to government. A decree was issued on Wednesday by the head of the Taliban’s new interior ministry, Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is a member of the…


Social Media Companies Should Remove Taliban Content: Pelosi

At a weekly press conference Wednesday morning, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) criticized social media giants like Twitter and Facebook for allowing content from the Taliban terrorist organization on their platforms. An audience member asked about this situation in the midst of reports that videos of women being beaten by Taliban terrorists were…


‘Really No Place’ for Afghan Refugees in Europe, Says Czech Prime Minister

There is “really no place” for Afghan refugees in the European Union, Czech Republic Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said on Sept. 7, adding that leaders should adopt solutions and assist the Afghan people to remain in their home country. “There is really no place for them in Europe,” Babiš said after meeting with his Slovakia…


Taliban Still Blocking Americans From Leaving Afghanistan: Blinken

Taliban terrorists are continuing to block Americans from leaving an airport in northern Afghanistan, a top U.S. official said Wednesday. A number of people, including Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), described a hostage situation at the airport in Mazar-i-Sharif this week. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that the Taliban was preventing Americans from leaving,…


Afghan Officer Rescued From Kabul Starts New Life in US

The dramatic rescue in Afghanistan happened under the cover of darkness. The Taliban were closing in, and Americans were running out of time to save Mohammad Khalid Wardak. The high-profile Afghan national police officer spent years working alongside the U.S. military, and after the fall of Kabul, he went on the run, moving from safe…


US ‘Concerned’ by Taliban Government Having No Women

The United States is expressing concern that the newly named Taliban government in Afghanistan has no women. “We note the announced list of names consists exclusively of individuals who are members of the Taliban or their close associates and no women. We also are concerned by the affiliations and track records of some of the…


US, Britain to Judge New Taliban Government on Actions

The United States and Britain are concerned about the makeup of the newly named Taliban government in Afghanistan, while some other countries expressed support for the interim ruling structure. The Taliban on Tuesday named Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, a longtime top Taliban official, Afghanistan’s interim prime minister, and Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar his second-in-command….


US, UK to Judge New Taliban Government on Actions

The United States and the UK are concerned about the makeup of the newly formed Taliban government in Afghanistan, while some other countries have expressed support for the interim ruling structure. On Sept. 7, the Taliban named Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, a longtime top Taliban official, Afghanistan’s interim prime minister and Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani…


British Soldier Speaks of Desperate Scenes at Afghan Airport as Civilians Tried to Flee

A British soldier involved in the evacuation of civilians from Afghanistan has described scenes of chaos as people desperately tried to flee the country. Private Jake Howarth, of 2nd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment, recalled hearing the sound of gunshots and being surrounded by barbed wire as he touched down at Kabul airport to help the…