Daily Evacuation Brief | August 28, 2023
LAST 24 HOURS
MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR FIRES BACK AT UK AMBASSADOR IN PAKISTAN – Anas Haqqani, Minister of the Interior for the Taliban lashed out at the statement made by the British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Jane Marriott, who said that the TTP was attacking Pakistan from Afghanistan. Haqqani rebutted Marriott’s claims on social media and said that she had fallen victim to propaganda that terror organizations are receiving sanctuary from the Taliban.
IRAN FAR FROM ACCEPTING CURRENT RATES OF FLOW FROM HELMAND RIVER – After seemingly accepting the Taliban’s assertion that water levels are abysmally low and was affecting the ability to deliver on its commitment to Iran in accordance with the 1973 water treaty. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, went on the attack in a phone call with the Taliban Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, when he demanded the Taliban release more water to fulfill its obligations. Muttaqi reportedly invited his Iranian counterpart to Kabul for discussions but it was unclear whether the offer would be accepted. Clearly, the issue is not resolved and will likely affect Taliban/Iranian relations going forward.
AFGHAN SPECIAL FORCES SOLDIER WHO FOUGHT WITH BRITISH FORCES AND WAS WAITING FOR EVACUATION DIES AFTER BEING BEATEN BY TALIBAN – An unidentified Afghan Army Special Forces officer succumbed to his injuries after being beaten and tortured by Taliban security forces personnel in a hospital in an undisclosed location in Afghanistan. The name of the man has been purposefully withheld but is expected to be released in the coming days in an effort to urge British authorities to step up their evacuation efforts. The unidentified man had been arrested on at least two other occasions and reputedly suffered beatings and torture at the hands of the Taliban. A group that represents many of the Afghan wartime allies in Great Britain confirmed that the individual in question had applied for asylum under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) but could not verify if he had received approval for acceptance into the program. It is not clear how many former wartime allies have been caught and killed by the Taliban to date but reports indicate they are taking the brunt of the Taliban’s campaign of revenge.
TALIBAN LEADERS DEPLOY ADDITIONAL SECURITY FORCES TO THE BAND-E-AMIR NATIONAL PARK TO ENFORCE RIDICULOUS FEMALE BAN – The Vice and Virtue Ministry’s recent decree banning all women from visiting the popular National Park has drawn more international criticism from abroad and sources say that additional security personnel have been deployed to ensure compliance with the decree. Some rumors that a planned protest at the Park never materialized but the reinforcements suggest the Taliban are taking the issue seriously.
VIDEO OF RESIDENTS IN KABUL BEATING A TALIBAN FIGHTER SURFACES ON X – A viral video was released on X (formerly Twitter) showing a large group of men in an undisclosed area of Kabul setting upon a Taliban security forces member and beating him. No reason was provided for the act but the video clearly depicts the mob disarming the Talib and dragging him to the ground where he was kicked many times. While a few similar incidents have been reported in the past, very few have taken place in Kabul.
NEXT 24 HOURS
NO THREATS REPORTED
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
A media organization tied to the controversial former President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has published warnings that the former leader is under threat of assassination. The organization did not provide specific details about the threat.
Prime Minister Netanyahu warned that Hamas and Iranian militia groups could expect immediate action should an escalation in attacks on Israel take place.
A senior Iranian MP has quashed any new negotiations with the US over the 2015 nuclear deal. Vahid Jalalzadeh, chairman of both national security and foreign policy committees said that trust has been eroded and no new negotiations will take place.
PAKISTAN
A pro-Imran Khan rally in Karachi was broken up by police and over 20 protestors were detained on Sunday. Police say the protestors were detained to free up traffic and would be released soon.
Protests over the increased costs of electricity spread to several cities and towns as the PM convened a meeting to discuss methods of alleviating the pressure on citizens. The government subsidies to lower power costs were reduced as a part of the IMF deal.
The manhunt for a UK citizen who fled to Pakistan a day before his daughter’s body was discovered is continuing. Police in both the UK and Pakistan conducted an update briefing on Sunday and Pakistani authorities say they are close to capturing him.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
Could State Department, Bagram or Ghani Have Made Afghan Airlift Less Chaotic?
By Carla Babb & Akmal Dawi - VOA
The violent and chaotic final phase of the U.S. withdrawal in August 2021 saw more than 122,000 people airlifted to safety, but at least 180 people, including 13 U.S. military service members, were killed when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives near Hamid Karzai International Airport's Abbey Gate entrance on August 26.
AFGHAN NEWS
Banning of Women from Band-e-Amir Sparks Reactions
By Asma Saayin - TOLO News
Earlier, Mohammad Khaled Hanafi, the acting Minister of Virtue and Vice, asked all religious clerics and security agencies to forbid women from…
Afghanistan needs professional cadres in order to become self-reliant: Nadim
By Ariana News
Addressing a public gathering in Uruzgan province, Nadim said that the country will become stable when people’s awareness is raised and it is the…
Kabul Denies UNSC Members’ Concerns About Daesh in Afghanistan
By Nazir Shinwari - TOLO News
Speaking at the Security Council meeting on the 17th report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by Daesh, UN counter-terrorism chief Vladimir Voronkov said that…
REGIONAL NEWS
Iran: Anti-Afghan sentiment is on the rise
By Middle East Eye
When a shrine in the city of Shiraz was hit by a militant attack earlier this month, Iranians swiftly voiced concerns about the country's security…
Uzbekistan Delegation Meets With Islamic Emirate Officials
By Bibi Amina Hakimi - TOLO News
A delegation arrived from Uzbekistan led by Kholmurodov Nozimjon Qosimovich, the First Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade of the country, and met with…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
'Tiny number' of Afghan refugees without permanent homes as hotel deadline looms, minister says
By Faith Ridler - Sky News
Veterans minister Johnny Mercer insisted "nobody is sleeping rough, nobody will sleep rough" when asked about the end of the hotel phase of the Afghan…
2 years after fleeing Afghanistan, refugees create a San Antonio community — and hope for a future
By Raquel Torres - San Antonio Report
Two years after Afghan couple Bilal and Humaira resettled in San Antonio, they have welcomed a baby girl and obtained jobs helping fellow refugees adjust to…
THE DAILY WTF
Afghans who were evacuated to the U.S. navigate a complicated immigration system
By Lauren DeLaunay Miller - NPR
An Afghan woman evacuated to the U.S. finds herself stuck in a system called Humanitarian Parole. What is it, and what does it mean for her…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 83.06 AFN (as of 28 AUG 2023)