Afghanistan latest updates: The rapid fall of a nation 2021
Asia | Middle East | Afghanistan
Afghanistan spent much of the 1980s fighting back the USSR invaders. The USA’s CIA funded and founded a group called the Taliban (The Students in Pushto). The 1990s were spent in post-Soviet civil war where the Taliban came out on top with help from the US.
The US then invaded with the UK. 20 years later the US and UK troops have fled and the Taliban have claimed staggering victory that has taken the world by surprise. In a matter of weeks the Taliban has taken over virtually all of the nation including the government buildings, capital city, central administrative departments, police, military, food and energy supplies, transport services and medical facilities, education and finance facilities. The president, UK and US troops have fled.
In fleeing the country Afghan civilians clung to the wings and outside of the US Air Force planes, many falling to their deaths or being crushed on the runway. The US troops shot and killed Taliban fighter as they boarded their evacuation aircraft which were overrun by fleeing Afghan civilians.
The UK has refused to resettle many civilians who assisted the British military operations such as translators and interpreters.
The US has called on assistance to re-home Afghan refugees seeking asylum in the states. Albanian and Serbia have agreed to answer this call with Albania and Serbia’s Kosovo region agreeing to take in thousands of US bound refugees.
1. Taliban has issued an amnesty for government workers and called for women to join the government
The Taliban cemented its claim on victory by forming a new government and offering amnesty to all government workers who would swear allegiance to the new regime. They also encourages women to join the government and work in government departments. There was initially fear of a nation wide ban of women working after early reports of female staff being forced to go home from jobs in shops and banks.
2. Turkey offers to support the Taliban’s management of Kabul International Airport
Turkey had been set to take control of Kabul International Airport as part of the NATO occupation force until the country fell. Turkey has said they it will no longer take control of the airport but will offer assistance to the Taliban regime should they directly ask for assistance in running or guarding the airport.
3. China, Bangladesh, Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia consider recognising the Taliban as the official regime of Afghanistan
China has said that it will now consider formally recognising the Taliban as Afghanistans official regime. Before the US-UK occupation of Afghanistan in 2001-2021 only a handful of countries such as Saudi Arabia, UAE and Turkmenistan formally recognised the regime. This time in 2021 the following countries have either recognised the regime or are in the process or formal consideration for recognition: Bangladesh, China, Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. So far only Russia, the US and UK have directly refused to recognise the Taliban as the formal regime.
4. UK refuses to accept Afghan refugees or those who worked for or with the UK troops in Afghanistan
The USA and UK have so far refused to accept Afghan refugees. UK’s Preeti Patel saying “it would spark a worrying president for future refugees”.
Instead war torn Albania and Serbia have stepped up to accept the refugees. Serbia was famously bombed by the UK-US-NATO coalition in the 1990s and early 2000s with parts of the former Yugoslavia still under NATO occupation.
UK’s Dominic Raab said the fall of Afghanistan caught the world “by surprise” adding that “I haven’t spoken to an international interlocutor, including countries in the region over the last week, who hasn’t been surprised.”
US President Biden has defended his decision to surrender and pull the US troops out of Afghanistan (an order originally signed by Trump) as “there was never going to be a right time to leave Afghanistan”.
Trump has tried to distance himself from the order to pull out and attempted to lay the blame squarely on Biden calling for his resignation.
The UK and USA have frantically being evacuating hundreds troops and civilians over the last few days, in a chaotic crush that has left Afghan civilians dead.
5. The Taliban remains on the international list of prescribed terror groups
The NATO formed international list of prescribed terror groups still contains the Taliban. This is unlikely to change anytime soon. In the early days of the take over there have been conflicting reports from the ground. From the amnesty for government workers and the call for women to join the work force and work for the government to the opposing reports of women being forced home from work at gun point and told that male members of their families could take their place at work.
It is too early to say which if any of the reports are accurate or representative of the future plans from the group who have spent the last 4 decades at war.
_
© 2021 Al-Sahawat Times, Printed and Distributed by IPMG, an Al-Said Group entity.
Since you’re here …
… we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading Al-Sahawat Times than ever but advertising revenues across the global media industry are falling fast. And unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a total paywall. We want to keep our journalism as open as we can. So you can see why we need to ask for your help. Al-Sahawat Times’ independent, investigative journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we believe truly ethical media and an unbias perspective really matters.
“I appreciate there not being a paywall: it is more democratic for the media to be available for all and not a commodity to be purchased by a few. I’m happy to make a contribution so others with less means still have access to information.”
If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps fund it, the future of ethical media and the futures of our staff and their families would be much more secure. For as little as £1, you can support Al-Sahawat Times and it only takes a minute. Thank you.
This story is available on:
Talk to a journalist
Email: NewsDesk@alsahawat.com
Web: alsahawat.com
Follow Al-Sahawat Times
⬆️ Follow on Instagram
⬆️ Follow on Twitter
⬆️ Follow on LinkedIn
⬆️ Follow on Facebook
⬆️ Follow on YouTube
Read it on FLIPBOARD
Views: 2
