Category: Middle East

UK ‘Sceptical’ of Taliban Promises of Free Passage: Minister

The UK government remains “quite sceptical” of Taliban promises of free passage for those wishing to flee Afghanistan, according to a Foreign Office minister. James Cleverly told the BBC that the UK is a “long way” from granting the Taliban diplomatic recognition. Echoing previous remarks by the prime minister, Cleverly said that they would judge…


Israel Offers COVID-19 Booster to All Vaccinated People

JERUSALEM—Israel on Sunday began offering a COVID-19 booster to children as young as 12, and its prime minister said a campaign that began a month ago among seniors has slowed a rise in severe illness caused by the Delta variant. Announcing the decision, top Israeli health officials said the effectiveness of the second dose of…


Kabul Airport Operations Uninterrupted by Rocket Attack: White House

The White House said early Monday morning that operations at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport are continuing uninterrupted, amid reports of multiple rockets being fired at the airport. According to Reuters, a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that as many as five rockets were intercepted by U.S. missile defense systems. “The President was…


US Investigating Civilian Casualties in Airstrike on Vehicle in Kabul: Official

The United States is investigating reports of civilian casualties in Kabul after a U.S. drone strike blew up a vehicle carrying “multiple suicide bombers” from the ISIS-K terrorist group on Sunday, an official said. The U.S.-led counter-terrorism drone attack may have caused “additional casualties” as well as the two Islamic State militants it targeted, Captain…


Graham: Afghanistan War ‘Has Not Ended,’ US to Deal With ‘Catastrophe’ For Decades

The former Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has rebuked the Biden administration’s handling of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, saying that U.S. presidents will be dealing with the “catastrophe” for decades to come. In an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday, days before President Joe Biden’s…


Israel Bombs Hamas Weapons Manufacturing Complex in Gaza Over Fire Balloons: Military

JERUSALEM/GAZA—Israeli aircraft struck Hamas sites in Gaza early on Sunday in response to incendiary balloons launched from the Palestinian enclave, the military said, as a recent rise in cross-border violence tests a fragile truce that ended fierce fighting in May. Sanctioned by Hamas, the Islamist terrorist group that rules Gaza, Palestinian groups said on Saturday…


Taliban Likely to Continue Afghanistan’s Lucrative Drug Trade: Experts

With the Taliban’s takeover of large swathes of Afghanistan, the group is poised to take control of the country’s billion-dollar opium and heroin trade. Afghanistan is the world’s largest illicit opiate supplier, with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimating the country accounts for 80 percent of global opium and heroin supply….


Afghanistan’s Acting President Says Taliban Behind ISIS-K Kabul Bombing

Amrullah Saleh, who says he is Afghanistan’s acting president according to its constitution, has claimed that the Taliban were behind the suicide bombing at Kabul airport on Aug. 26, which claimed the lives of 13 U.S. service members and over 100 Afghans. “Every evidence we have in hand shows that [ISIS-K terrorist] cells have their roots…


France’s Macron Visits Iraq’s Mosul Destroyed by ISIS

MOSUL, Iraq—French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday visited Iraq’s northern city of Mosul, which suffered widespread destruction during the war to defeat the ISIS terrorist group in 2017. He vowed to fight alongside regional governments against terrorism. Macron said ISIS carried out deadly attacks throughout the world from its self-declared caliphate in parts of Syria…


Slain Marine Who Cradled Baby at Kabul Airport Loved Her Job

A woman who cradled a baby in her arms at the airport and posted on social media that she loved her job. A young husband with a child on the way. Another man who always wanted to be in the military. A man who planned to become a sheriff’s deputy when his deployment ended. Heart-wrenching…