U.S. Acting Secretary of Defense Visits Afghanistan
U.S. Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher C. Miller discussed the Afghan peace process with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul yesterday. His unannounced visit comes amid a drawdown of U.S. troops from the country (TOLO)
Explosion in Afghanistan Kills Fifteen
At least fifteen civilians were killed and twenty wounded in an explosion at a gathering of people reciting the Quran in Ghazni province. The explosion is the latest in a sharp increase in violence across the country (TOLO)
U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman Met With Taliban Officials
U.S. General Mark A. Milley met with Taliban negotiators in an unannounced visit earlier this week to help facilitate a peace agreement between the Taliban and the U.S.-backed Afghan government. He also met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani yesterday. It was Milley’s second time meeting with Taliban representatives. He is the first known chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to have met with the militant group, which the United States has been fighting for nearly twenty years (Defense One)
Milley told reporters traveling with him that during the meeting he emphasized the need for reducing violence, as the Taliban has continued attacks throughout Afghanistan despite ongoing peace negotiations with the Afghan government. However, a drawdown of U.S. troops continues as scheduled, Milley said (Associated Press)
Taliban Delegation to Visit Pakistan
A Taliban delegation is visiting Pakistan to discuss the Afghan peace process. The delegation’s leader, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Imran Khan (TOLO)
Kabul’s Deputy Governor Killed in Blast
Mahbubullah Muhibbi, deputy governor of Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul, and his secretary died in an explosion believed to have been caused by an explosive device placed on their vehicle. No group has claimed the attack (TOLO)
Afghan Journalist Killed in Attack
Gunmen killed Malalai Maiwand, a reporter and women’s rights activist, and her driver in an attack on her vehicle in the city of Jalalabad today. No group immediately claimed responsibility (TOLO)
A new report by the International Federation of Journalists found that forty-two journalists have been killed worldwide this year (Guardian)
Report: Around Seven Hundred Afghan Civilians Killed in Air Strikes in 2019
Around seven hundred Afghan civilians were killed in air strikes carried out by the United States and other international forces in 2019—more than in any other year since the war in Afghanistan began—according to a report by Brown University’s Costs of War Project (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Afghanistan’s First Female General Dies
Suhaila Siddiq, one of the few women to hold government office in Afghanistan, died on Friday at around eighty years old. A renowned surgeon, she was the country’s first and only female lieutenant general (TOLO)
Afghan Government, Taliban Reach Preliminary Deal in Talks
The Afghan government and the Taliban both said today that they had reached a preliminary deal. The first written agreement between the two sides in nineteen years opens the door for negotiations on more substantive issues, including a potential cease-fire, to begin (Al Jazeera)
Afghan Government Disputes Reports of Progress in Peace Talks
The Afghan government pushed back on the Taliban’s announcement on Saturday that an agreement had been reached on nearly two dozen points regarding how to conduct the intra-Afghan peace talks (New York Times)
Donors Pledge to Continue Aid to Afghanistan
Countries and other donors at a conference in Geneva vowed to continue providing aid to Afghanistan over the next four years, pledging $4 billion per year (TOLO)
NATO Chief: A ‘Difficult Choice’ on Troops in Afghanistan
North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance will decide in February whether to maintain its troop presence in Afghanistan, describing it as a “difficult choice.” His statement follows the Trump administration’s announcement last week that it will withdraw U.S. troops from the country (TOLO)
Pompeo Meets With Afghan, Taliban Negotiators
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with negotiators for the Afghan government and the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday amid signs of progress in peace talks between the two sides (TOLO)
Pompeo encouraged speeding up discussions and reaching a permanent cease-fire (Voice of America)
Pakistan’s Khan Vows to Help Reduce Violence in Afghanistan
In his first visit to Afghanistan while in office, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan pledged to help reduce violence in the country and push for a cease-fire between the Afghan government and the Taliban. Afghan officials have accused Pakistan of aiding the Taliban in the past, which the country has denied (Radio Free Afghanistan)
Australian Troops Reportedly Killed Dozens of Unarmed Afghans
Australian troops unlawfully killed thirty-nine civilians and prisoners in Afghanistan over an eleven-year period, Australia’s military announced. A long-awaited report by the military’s inspector general did not call the killings war crimes, but recommended a criminal investigation of nineteen soldiers and compensation for the victims’ families. Australia will also disband one of its special forces units (New York Times)
Trump Orders Troop Drawdown From Afghanistan, Iraq
The Pentagon announced yesterday that thousands of U.S. troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan and Iraq by January 15, days before President-Elect Joe Biden takes office. The countries will keep roughly 2,500 troops each, down from 4,500 in Afghanistan and 3,000 in Iraq. Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller said the move does not change U.S. policies or objectives; the United States had already withdrawn several thousand troops from Afghanistan since signing an agreement with the Taliban in February (CNN)
Nevertheless, the announcement disturbed U.S. allies and congressional lawmakers (New York Times)
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned that Afghanistan could become a terrorist haven and a home to the Islamic State. A U.S. withdrawal would gut NATO operations in the country, as the United States provides the bulk of its military and logistical support (Washington Post)
Trump Reportedly Preparing Troop Withdrawal From Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia
U.S. President Donald J. Trump is preparing to withdraw thousands of troops from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia, according to reports citing unnamed officials (New York Times)
The number of troops in Afghanistan, currently 4,500, would be reduced by half, according to a draft order circulated yesterday. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned of serious consequences if troops withdraw from Afghanistan too quickly (Associated Press)
Abdullah Criticizes Afghan Peace Talks
Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation, criticized the peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, lamenting that they have not led to a reduction in violence in the country (TOLO)
Australia May Prosecute War Crimes in Afghanistan
Australia will appoint a special investigator to consider prosecuting its soldiers for possible war crimes committed in Afghanistan. A report on a four-year military investigation is due to be published next week (BBC)
Taliban Commits to Working With New U.S. Administration
In a statement, the Taliban committed to working with the new U.S. administration to implement the U.S.-Taliban peace deal signed in February, calling it an “excellent document” (TOLO)
Taliban Claims Bomb Attack Targeting Local Afghan Commander
The Taliban claims responsibility for two explosions in Afghanistan’s northern Balkh province that killed three people and wounded seventeen others. The bombs were placed inside the car and the guesthouse of pro-government commander Nazar Gul others (Al Jazeera)
Islamic State Claims Responsibility for Attack on Kabul University
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack on Kabul University yesterday that killed twenty-two people and wounded the same number. Most of the casualties were students, according to officials (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Nineteen People Die in Attack on Afghanistan’s Largest University
Gunmen stormed Afghanistan’s largest school, Kabul University, today, killing at least nineteen people and wounding more than twenty, according to Afghan authorities (Associated Press)
The three attackers were killed after an hours-long standoff with security forces, officials said. The attack reportedly happened while Afghan and Iranian officials were inaugurating a book exhibition at the university (TOLO)
President Ashraf Ghani condemned the “terrorist attack,” which the Taliban denied responsibility for (Washington Post)
Afghan Man Brought to the United States to Face Trial
U.S. authorities announced that an Afghan man, Haji Najibullah, has been brought to the United States to face trial for allegedly kidnapping a New York Times journalist and two Afghan men in 2008 (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
U.S. Envoy Reiterates Call to End Violence in Afghanistan
U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said the Afghan government and the Taliban “urgently need” an agreement that would reduce violence and lead to a permanent cease-fire. Khalilzad alleged that “regional spoilers are using Afghans as cannon fodder” (TOLO)