LAST 24 HOURS
The main road between Kabul and Jalalabad was closed due to heavy rain, and traffic was backed up for miles in either direction. The road between Kabul and Kandahar is also closed due to flooding. At-risk Afghans who are planning to travel along either of these routes should check if the roads are reopened before starting their journey.
The heavy rains over the last 24 hours have killed as many as 30 people. More rain is expected over the next week.
The UN Security Council could not agree on whether or not to extend the temporary reprieve of the travel ban on Taliban officials. China and Russia have argued for an extension of the ban, while other Security Council members appear to be holding the line so they can use it as an incentive in future negotiations.
The Taliban have launched several separate attacks against NRF positions in Panjshir, Baghlan, and Takhar. The actions appear to have been hastily planned and were largely unsuccessful. However, helicopters have been dispatched to the area, and the Taliban continue to employ the tactic of inserting fighters above NRF mountain strongholds with the intent of overwhelming the bases with enfilade gunfire. To date, there has only been one reported instance where the Taliban successfully overran an NRF base, and in that case, the base was recaptured in less than 6 hours. The Taliban’s military failures continue to mount against a vastly outnumbered Resistance, and the Taliban’s inability to execute effective large-scale maneuvers are bleeding their forces and sapping morale.
The conference of religious scholars and leaders in Kandahar ended with more exhortations for international recognition and a few troubling remarks that may indicate growing frustration with the lack of progress made by the IEA to date. Few challenged the current hardline approach, and the conference was largely seen as a publicity stunt meant to calm the nerves of those who worry the US may indiscriminately launch new air strikes.
NEXT 24 HOURS
Violence will be the norm in the North for the coming week. It is likely the Taliban commanders in the North are feeling pressured to achieve at least some modicum of success. At the same time, the NRF is enjoying success with a limited objective campaign that is serving to harass the Taliban and keep them off-balance.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
Neither Afghanistan Nor the Taliban Want Another 9/11
By Anatol Lieven – National Interest
For the Taliban, ideology is deeply rooted in the ancient culture of the southern Pashtun rural areas from which the Taliban are overwhelmingly drawn. The Taliban’s latest victory, and the complete collapse of the opposing Afghan forces and ideologies, have naturally only strengthened them in their convictions. This culture is made up of closely interwoven strands of Islam and Pashtunwali, the ethnic code of traditional Pashtun society.
AFGHAN NEWS
Girls Continue Education Amidst Schools Closure
By Asma Saayin – TOLO News
Girls from secondary schools who have been banned by the Islamic Emirate to attend their classes have continued their education in personal levels, at…
Foundation Stone Laid for Earthquake Shelters in Southeastern Afghanistan
By Saqalain Eqbal – Khaama Press
Construction on 1,000 houses for the earthquake victims in Paktika province has reportedly started, according to the…
Afghanistan Christians in hiding, denied aid year after U.S. withdrawal
By Diana Chandler – Baptist Press
Christians in Afghanistan are forced into greater secrecy and largely cut off from humanitarian aid, International Christian Concern (ICC) said in…
REGIONAL NEWS
CASA-1000 power line project suspended
By Ariana News
The CASA-1000, a $1.2 billion project to build a power line between Central Asia and South Asia has been suspended due to the economic and…
For Afghanistan’s Immediate Neighbours, Cautious Engagement With the Taliban
By The Wire
While the main concern for Afghanistan's immediate neighbours remains the destabilisation of Central Asia by the export of militant groups from Afghan soil, each of these five countries has…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
UN fails to reach agreement to extend Taliban travel ban waiver
By Al Jazeera
A United Nations waiver allowing 13 Afghan Taliban officials to travel abroad expired on Friday, as the Security Council failed to…
Qatar Justifies Its Involvement in Afghanistan
By TOLOnews
The Wall Street Journal reported that according to some Qatari officials, the Gulf States played essential role in bringing the longest American war in Afghanistan to….
Kite fliers gathered in multiple cities in a show of solidarity with Afghanistan
By Wynne Davis - NPR
People in more than 30 cities across the U.K., Europe and the U.S. participated in a kite festival to mark one year since Afghanistan fell to the Taliban.
THE DAILY WTF
No ethnic, racial, or religious prejudice in the IEA, Deputy PM
By Bakhtar News Agency
The Islamic Emirate is the common home for every Afghan, adding the Islamic Emirate works to create a system that everyone could see
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 88.84 AFN (as of 21 AUG 2022)