LAST 24 HOURS
RELEASE OF US REPORT ON AFGHANISTAN PAINTS A BLEAK PICTURE OF THE CENTRAL BANK – The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) delivered the quarterly report to the US Congress yesterday and one of its major findings was that major issues remain in the leadership and functioning of the Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB). Basically, there were not sufficient safeguards/controls in place to ensure the DAB could not be used to launder money and there are signs the bank does not operate free and clear from political influence. The report is important because it plays a central role in the question of the possible return of over $3bn of frozen funds that sits in a Swiss-based trust.
IRANIAN DELEGATION WRAPS UP VISIT TO AFGHANISTAN OVER WATER RIGHTS – Very little information was provided to the public after the 11 Iranian analysts/negotiators concluded their assessment visit to the country. A source in Kabul opined that the discussions over diverted water from the Helmand River became heated at times and the Iranian delegation had Russian satellite imagery in their possession to use as leverage during the talks. The source went on to say that the Iranian team warned that it could not be held responsible for possible actions taken by residents in its Southern Provinces should drout conditions continue. The Iranian Foreign Ministry refused to comment on details of the discussions when pressed by members of the Iranian press.
PAKISTAN’S HUMAN RIGHTS MINISTER SAYS THE IEA IS NOT SUPPORTING TERROR ATTACKS IN PAKISTAN – Minister Riaz Pirzada broke with others in the government and stated the Afghan Taliban are not actively supporting the TTP, but did say that some of the attacks had taken place without their knowledge. The Minister did not go so far as to refute others in the regime and/or the Army but he flatly rejected the notion the IEA had a hand in the recent surge in terror attacks.
IRAN STRIKES A NEW TONE WITH THE TALIBAN – For the first time, Iran has placed blame on the Taliban for the attack on Iranian diplomats that took place in Mazar-i-Sharif that killed 8 diplomatic personnel and 1 journalist. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, shared a social media post to commemorate the tragedy and laid the blame on the Taliban. Previous to this admission, Iran has blamed regional or international intelligence agencies for the attack. There are many theories as to why the shift has taken place with some blaming the water issue while others say that Tehran is suspicious the Taliban is actively cooperating with the US on counter-terrorism operations.
NEXT 24 HOURS
PAKISTAN TO DISSOLVE ASSEMBLIES – While no threats have currently been reported, it is important to note that both Khan’s arrest and the expected announcement that elections will be delayed could push the PTI party faithful to launch demonstrations. The crackdown on Afghan refugees in Pakistan appears to be continuing as 6 more were detained in Karachi and an unknown number had been rounded up in Islamabad. At-risk Afghans sheltering in Pakistan are urged to avoid any potential flashpoints between demonstrators and police.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
Canada announced a new round of sanctions against Iran over its drone trafficking program with Russia. Canada has imposed 13 targeted sanction packages since October 2022 against individuals, companies, and government personnel.
Recent news reports from international outlets show that few Iranian women are obeying the recently renewed hijab laws.
Iran stated that it could capture American vessels in the Persian Gulf after the US dispatched significantly more forces to the region.
PAKISTAN
New bills that strengthen the blasphemy laws passed through the Senate and are expected to be signed before the caretaker government adjourns. The new law will allow for a lifetime prison sentence (currently stands at 3 years).
The legal circus over former PM Khan’s arrest has begun in earnest and his lawyer was taken into custody and questioned yesterday while there are already plans to contest Khan’s suspension from holding public office for 5 years.
In a sign of solidarity and support, the PTI core committee named former PM Khan its ‘chairman for life’ yesterday. The committee further affirmed that it will resort to ‘resistance’ should elections not be held within 90 days of the dissolution of assemblies.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
The Taliban Are Diverting Aid, But How Much?
By Catherine Putz - The Diplomat
“… [I]t is no longer a question of whether the Taliban are diverting assistance from our programs to help the Afghan people, but rather how much they are diverting,” writes the U.S. Special Inspector for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John F. Sopko in the introduction to its 60th quarterly report, published this week.
A full copy of the unclassified report can be downloaded by clicking HERE.
AFGHAN NEWS
Hand grenade attack kills 2, injures 3 in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar
By Fidel Rahmati - Khaama Press
Two children were killed, and three others were wounded when unidentified individuals tossed grenades into a house in the eastern province of Nangarhar, Afghanistan, officials said…
Afghanistan’s facing widespread shortage of skilled professionals
By Ariana News
The acting head of Afghanistan Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVET) said on Tuesday during the department’s annual…
Emerald extraction begins in Afghanistan’s Panjshir
By Fidel Rahmati - Khaama Press
The provincial head for mines and petroleum, Mohammad Qasim Amiri, said during an official ceremony attended by government representatives, tribal elders, and…
REGIONAL NEWS
Iran marks 25th anniversary of diplomats’ deaths, blames Taliban
By Milad Sayar - AMU TV
This stance is a departure from previous statements by Iranian officials, who had implicated intelligence agencies from certain countries in the…
What’s behind the recent surge in terrorist attacks in Pakistan?
By Amir Zia - TRT World
In the past, Islamabad tried the path of negotiations and military operations to weed out Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and…
By EurAsiaNet
With little advance warning, the presidents of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan held a summit in Ashgabat on…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
By Morgan Phillips - The Daily Mail
The total amount of money appropriated for 'reconstruction and related activities' since 2002 dwarfs the figure from fiscal year 2022 and…
The Taliban’s war on women in Afghanistan must be formally recognized as gender apartheid
By Vrinda Narain - The Conversation
Only by labelling it as such and making clear the situation in Afghanistan is a crime against humanity can the international community legally fight the…
THE DAILY WTF
‘The Taliban threatened to shoot my daughter for selling pens’: Life in Afghanistan two years on
By Molly Blackall & Seddiq Hussainy - iNews UK
“Taliban restrictions on women and girls have hit my daughters the hardest,” the 41-year-old widow, who lost her husband in a…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 85.02 AFN (as of 9 AUG 2023)