International Crisis Group Warns Against Donors ‘Turning Away’ From Afghanistan
In a statement accompanying a new report from the organization, a senior Afghanistan consultant said pulling back international aid over the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s freedoms “will only make the [humanitarian] situation worse for all Afghans” (International Crisis Group; Al Jazeera)
Meanwhile, after four days of closure, the Taliban government reopened the Torkham border crossing; Pakistani authorities said their side will be reopened once “administrative requirements” are complete (Al Jazeera)
Pakistani Delegation Visits Kabul Amid Heightened Tensions Over Border Closure
Following the closure of the busiest border crossing connecting Afghanistan to Pakistan, Afghanistan’s acting deputy prime minister for economic affairs met with Pakistan’s defense minister and other senior officials to discuss economic collaboration, regional connectivity, and bilateral relations (Al Jazeera)
Judge Blocks Seizure of Afghan Central Bank Funds by Families of 9/11 Victims
A New York judge ruled that the Taliban, not the state of Afghanistan or the Afghan people, should be held liable for the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States (NYT)
Meanwhile, Afghan officials said Taliban authorities closed the main border crossing, Torkham, between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with residents in the area reporting the sound of gunfire nearby; the Director of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry said thousands of trucks are stuck on both sides (Reuters;Reuters)
Taliban to Turn Former Bases Into Economic Zones
The Taliban government will convert some former foreign military bases into special economic zones, according to the acting deputy prime minister for economic affairs; the initiative will begin with locations in Kabul, the capital, and the northern province of Balkh (BBC)
Taliban Refute Russian Statement on Extremist Groups in Afghanistan
In a televised speech yesterday, the Taliban’s top diplomat categorically rejected a Russian general’s claim that al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in Khorasan have gathered thousands of fighters in Afghanistan and become “the biggest threat” to regional stability (VOA)
Taliban Interior Minister Criticizes Group’s Leader
During a speech at a religious schoolin Khost Province, Afghan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani indirectly criticized the Taliban’s supreme commander, Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada, for monopolizing power and defaming the government; Akhundzada was behind recent orders that banned women and girls from attending school (Bloomberg)
ISIS Threatens Chinese, Indian, and Iranian Embassies
The self-declared Islamic State has threatened to target the embassies of China, India, and Iran in Afghanistan in an effort to strain relations between the Taliban and those countries, the United Nations said (Bloomberg).
UN Using Only Men To Deliver Aid
After pressure from the Taliban, the United Nations is delivering some food aid using only men, prompting a warning from donors and humanitarian groups who said it could be perceived as a capitulation to the ban on female aid workers; U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths described the situation as inadequate (Reuters)
Freezing Temperatures Cause Death Toll to Rise
At least one hundred and seventy-one people have died from the coldest winter in fifteen years, with temperatures as low as -34°C (29.2°F); the United Nations said twenty-eight million Afghans need urgent assistance this winter (Reuters)
Coldest Winter in a Decade Leaves Areas Stranded, Causes 124 Deaths
Freezing temperatures have killed at least 124 people in the past two weeks, Taliban officials said (BBC)
UN Delegation Visits Kabul, Raises Concerns Over Women’s Rights
The UN deputy chief and head of UN Women called on Taliban leadership to end policies that have further restricted women’s ability to participate in public life (UN News)
Former Female Parliamentarian Killed in Kabul
Mursal Nabizada was shot dead at her home; she was one of the few female legislators to remain in Afghanistan after the Taliban took power (NYT)
Taliban Claims It Killed Eleven Islamic State Militants
The Taliban government said its special forces killed eleven fighters from the self-declared Islamic State and captured several others in raids overnight (VOA)
UN Pauses Activities In Response to Ban on Female Aid Workers
The United Nations said it temporarily halted some of its activities in Afghanistan due to the Taliban’s ban on women aid workers (Reuters)
UN Calls For Reversal of Taliban Ban on Female NGO Participation
The acting head of the United Nations mission in Afghanistan met with Taliban officials to call for a reversal of the group’s ban on women working for nongovernmental organizations (Reuters)
Taliban Announce Suspension of Women’s University Education
Afghanistan’s education ministry said university attendance for women will be suspended “until a suitable environment” is provided; the Taliban have banned girls from attending secondary school since last year (BBC)
Report: Officials From Afghanistan’s Former Civilian Government Aided Money Smuggling
The officials helped smuggle hundreds of millions of dollars out of Afghanistan between mid-2019 and the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, Insider reported; the office of U.S.-backed President Ashraf Ghani reportedly knew about the smuggling but did not stop it (Insider)
UN Delays Decision on Accepting Taliban Diplomats
A UN credentials committee again delayed a decision on whether Taliban-led Afghanistan and junta-ruled Myanmar can send diplomats to the United Nations, effectively blocking them from UN representation for now (Reuters)
Self-Declared Islamic State Claims Responsibility For Hotel Attack
The self-declared Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack yesterday at a Kabul hotel popular with Chinese visitors; Taliban security forces killed three men who reportedly detonated bombs and opened fire at the hotel (Al Jazeera)
Injuries were reported among hotel visitors, but none were killed (CBS)
Armed Men Attack Hotel in Central Kabul
Three armed men attacked a hotel in central Kabul that is popular with foreigners; the three gunmen were eventually killed, and eighteen others were reportedly injured (Reuters)
Taliban Carry Out First Public Execution Since Returning to Power
The execution of an alleged murderer came a few weeks after the Taliban government ordered judges to fully implement the group’s interpretation of sharia-based law (CNN)
Top Taliban Official Meets Emirati President in Abu Dhabi
The Taliban’s acting defense minister, Mullah Muhammad Yaqoub, and the Emirati president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, discussed strengthening relations between Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (TOLOnews)
In September, an Emirati company won a bid to run Afghanistan’s airports (Reuters)
Pakistani Embassy Attacked
Amidst tensions over its shared border, Pakistan’s embassy was targeted with gunfire; Islamabad claimed the attack was intended to assassinate its chief of mission, who was not hurt, but a security guard was wounded (Reuters)
U.S. Puts al-Qaeda, Pakistani Taliban Leadership on Terrorism List
The U.S. State Department designated three leaders from al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and one from Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan as terrorists (PTI)
Taliban Bans U.S. Government-Funded Broadcasters
Taliban authorities banned broadcasts from Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, citing complaints about editorial content (AP)