The Afghan Digest

Share this post

Daily Evacuation Brief | February 18, 2022

afghandigest.substack.com
Daily Evac Brief

Daily Evacuation Brief | February 18, 2022

Daily news about Afghanistan and the surrounding region powered by Operation Snow Leopard

Feb 18, 2022
Share this post

Daily Evacuation Brief | February 18, 2022

afghandigest.substack.com

Last 24 Hours

  • The additional checkpoints added between Kabul and Jalalabad are an attempt to stop the carjackings and banditry that have plagued the route for the last month.

  • The Pakistan Embassy in Kabul announced visas would be temporarily suspended while material supplies are sent from Islamabad.

  • Tensions continue to simmer over Ukraine. NATO continues to reinforce countries around Ukraine, while Moscow continues to deny any intention of invading.

Next 24 Hours

  • We have had no reports of potential security issues in the next 24 hours.

THREAT ANALYSIS

CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS

CONTEXT: The man on the left in the photo is purported to be Abdul Haq al-Turkistani, a Uyghur militant who reportedly leads the Turkistan Islamic Movement and has been on Al Qaeda's shura (central committee) since 2005. He was thought to be operating in Waziristan over the last few years but has been seen in Badakhshan recently.

Sources within the Taliban have stated he is working with a Haqqani sponsored cell to develop biological and chemical weapons in labs at the American University of Kabul. The cell is purported to contain 6 unnamed Arab Al-Qaeda members who specialize in biological weapons.

ANALYSIS:  At this time we are unable to confirm or deny whether the man pictured is Haq al-Turkistani. However, there have been enough reports about cooperation between the Haqqani network and Al-Qaeda to begin tracking potential WMD development. We will continue to monitor and report.

Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 91.18 AFN (as of 18 FEB 2022)

Afghan News

US General: Daesh “Concerns Us in Afghanistan”

By TOLO News

A top US military official expressed concerns about Daesh in Afghanistan, saying the US is still…

Afghanistan: It isn’t just about the girls

By Sushant Sareen – Observer Research Foundation

The issue in Afghanistan isn’t about the US or the West and the rest being either mean or…

Ex-Security Officer Released, Calls for Amnesty to be Honored

By TOLO News

Javad Jafari, a former member of the Security Forces who was detained by the Islamic Emirate, was released on…


Regional News

How the Rise of Islamic State Khorasan in Afghanistan Feeds Uyghur Militancy

By Barbara Kelemen – The Diplomat

Six months into the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, the conditions facilitating Islamist militancy are…

Pakistan struggles to quell violence on its Afghan border

By Asif Shahzad – Reuters

Pakistan's military has stepped up operations along the Afghan border in recent weeks after…

Desperate to escape the Taliban, Afghans are being exploited by smugglers and Pakistani military

By Emma Batha & Bahaar Joya – Thompson Reuters

As a female prosecutor in Afghanistan, Shafiqa Sae knew she had to flee for her life when the Taliban seized…


International News Relating to Afghanistan

U.S. and EU Officials Begin Aid Talks With the Taliban

By Trevor Filseth – National Interest

Representatives of Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government met with U.S. and European Union representatives in…

UN Secretary-General Emphasizes regional cooperation to Afghanistan

By Bakhtar News Agency

Antonio Guterres, “Without decisive action, severe economic, rising unemployment and the escalation of the humanitarian crisis will fuel…


Before you go:

To support our work, become a monthly subscriber or donate here.

All our funds go toward caseworkers supporting evacuations, the evacuations themselves, and/or operational costs to keep this mission going.

Check out our other content:

  • Whispers: The best open source intelligence and analysis on Afghanistan. (weekly- members only)

  • Anatomy of a Crisis: Pragmatic thought leadership on disaster resilience and crisis management from a variety of experts. (weekly- members only)

  • Afghan Voices: Powerful Afghan voices making a difference in Afghanistan and around the world. (biweekly- all subscribers)

  • Allies in Action: Allies in Action who are committed to evacuation and resettlement efforts. (biweekly- all subscribers)

We won’t forget our allies.


Postscript.

We believe in sharing many opinions and looking from many different perspectives. This means we do not necessarily agree with everything shared in the news or contributor articles, but we believe it’s important to treat other perspectives with respect and to consider their point of view.

Share this post

Daily Evacuation Brief | February 18, 2022

afghandigest.substack.com
TopNew

No posts

Ready for more?

© 2023 Roseline LLC
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great writing