Category: Middle East

Afghan Guard Killed in Firefight at Kabul Airport, Says German Military

German and U.S. soldiers have been involved in a firefight at Kabul airport between Afghan guards and an unidentified gunman, according to Germany’s military. One Afghan guard was killed in the exchange of fire on Aug. 23, which according to CNN began when a sniper outside the airport fired at Afghan security forces, who are…


French President to Biden: ‘Moral Responsibility’ to Evacuate Afghan Allies

French President Emmanuel Macron in a phone call with U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday said that there is a “collective moral responsibility” to evacuate Afghan allies from Kabul before Biden’s self-imposed Aug. 31 deadline to withdraw the remaining U.S. troops. “The head of state emphasized our collective moral responsibility toward the Afghan men and…


Afghan Vice President Says He Is ‘Legitimate Caretaker President,’ Seeks Support and Consensus

Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh said on Twitter on Aug. 17 that he has remained in Afghanistan after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, and that with the absence of Ghani, he is “reaching out to all leaders to secure their support and consensus” as the “legitimate caretaker president.” He cited the country’s constitution, adopted in 2004, as the…


US Has ‘Moral Obligation’ to Evacuate Its Allies From Kabul: Former Afghani Interpreter

The United States has a “moral obligation” to ensure the evacuation of Afghani allied personnel, including interpreters, from Kabul, says former Afghani interpreter Ahmadullah Sediqi, as President Joe Biden’s self-imposed Aug. 31 deadline to leave Afghanistan looms. Canada-based Sediqi, who served as an interpreter for U.S. forces in Afghanistan for four years, came to the…


US Has ‘Moral Obligation’ to Evacuate Its Allies From Kabul: Former Afghan Interpreter

The United States has a “moral obligation” to ensure the evacuation of Afghan allied personnel, including interpreters, from Kabul, says former Afghan interpreter Ahmadullah Sediqi, as President Joe Biden’s self-imposed Aug. 31 deadline to leave Afghanistan looms. Canada-based Sediqi, who served as an interpreter for U.S. forces in Afghanistan for four years, came to the…


Taliban Praises the Role of Beijing in Afghanistan

A Taliban spokesperson has praised Beijing for its role in Afghan politics during an interview with Chinese state media. “[The Chinese regime] conducts a very important role in the transaction of Afghanistan, and also in peace reconciliation,” Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban spokesman in Qatar,  told Chinese state-run CGTV in English on Thursday. “[Beijing] has appointed a…


US Will Heighten Efforts to Counter China in Wake of Afghanistan, Experts Say

News Analysis The United States is likely to intensify efforts to strengthen alliances aimed at countering the Chinese regime, in the wake of blistering criticism over how Washington handled its withdrawal from Afghanistan, experts say. The United States’ pullout from Afghanistan was intended to align with the Biden administration’s efforts to shift its focus to…


US-Led Coalition Aircraft Shoots Down Drone Over Syria

WASHINGTON—A fighter jet with the U.S.-led coalition shot down a drone in eastern Syria on Saturday after the unmanned aircraft was deemed a threat, the U.S. military said. “Coalition aircraft successfully engaged and defeated a UAS through air to air engagement in the vicinity of Mission Support Site Green Village,” said coalition spokesperson U.S. Army…


Iran Urges Japan to Release Billions in Blocked Funds Amid US Sanctions

DUBAI—Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi called on Japan to release Iranian funds frozen in the country due to U.S. sanctions, Iranian state TV reported after the president met on Sunday with the visiting Japanese foreign minister. Iran has been unable to obtain tens of billions of dollars of its assets mainly from exports of oil and…


Biden: Afghan Evacuation Has ‘Long Way to Go,’ Much ‘Could Still Go Wrong’

President Joe Biden said that the administration is hoping for the U.S.-led Afghanistan evacuation to end by the self-imposed Aug. 31 deadline, noting that there is still “a long way to go and a lot could still go wrong.” Speaking on Sunday at the White House, Biden said there have been “discussions among” the White…