LAST 24 HOURS
HOUSE SEARCHES IN KABUL – Citizens living in Police Districts 15 and 3 reported random house searches in their neighborhoods yesterday by Taliban security forces. It is not clear what prompted the searches and whether a threat was anticipated. Sources have stated in previous reporting that a quota exists for searches and that periodic checks will continue to be a way of life for citizens in major cities. As of this printing, no arrests have been reported from yesterday’s search effort.
UZBEKISTAN SUSPENDS RAIL OPERATIONS TO AFGHANISTAN – In a troubling announcement, Uzbekistan officials have suspended rail operations to Afghanistan effective 1 February 2023. In the statement, Uzbekistan Railways (Sogdiana Transport) said that technical work obligations the Taliban regime had agreed to in December 2022 had not been implemented. The Afghanistan Railway Administration has yet to respond. Uzbekistan will assist with the transportation of commodities via trucks from Termez to Mazar-i-Sharif. However, costs are expected to be significantly higher and capacity will be drastically reduced. According to data from 2021, Uzbekistan exported nearly $500 million dollars in goods to Afghanistan. The primary commodities shipped by rail were: Grains ($282 million) and Petroleum Products ($124 million), with the remainder of goods, mainly consisting of other food-related items. The suspension will likely result in higher prices for food and fuel in the coming weeks.
IRAN RESUMES ISSUING VISAS IN HERAT – The Iranian consulate in Herat announced the reopening of its visa application process. A company that is linked to Iran has been designated as the sole provider of Visas in the city. Travel agents and Afghan-owned businesses who used to facilitate the visas for Afghans are in an uproar over the move as they
NATIONAL ID CARD (CNIC) IS CHANGING – The troubled roll-out of the Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) may be delayed after changes to the card were mandated by Taliban officials. New fields of information have reputedly been added that include an expiration date and also add the District where the cardholders originated (in addition to Province). It is not clear if those cards that have already been issued would be recalled. Observers are concerned about the addition of a District field as they say it could be used to discriminate against those from areas where the Resistance or ethnic minorities are concentrated. As the cards are needed to apply for a passport, we felt it important to include this information in our brief.
NEXT 24 HOURS
HOUSE SEARCHES IN POLICE DISTRICT 10 POSSIBLE – A source said that Police District 10 was expected to be searched today. There was no information provided as to the target of the searches. At-risk Afghans living in this area are likely to see heavy security force traffic and may have their homes searched. As stated previously, we have not received any indication that arrests were made during yesterday’s searches. We recommend that at-risk Afghans take the standard precautions of securing their documents, hiding any flags or paraphernalia from the previous regime that might be on display, hiding any significant sums of money, and sanitizing any potentially questionable information on their cell phones or computers.
HEAVY RAINS IN THE CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST FORECASTED FOR THE NEXT 48HRS – Flooding is expected in some areas of Badakhshan, Maidan Wardak, Bamyan, Daykundi, Ghor, Sarpul, Balkh, Jawzjan, Faryab, Badghis, Herat, and Farah Provinces. The rain is expected to prompt snow-melt and will affect several roads. Ground transport could present a risk in these areas at this time. At-risk Afghans are encouraged to check road conditions before setting out on any travel.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
IAEA says Iran enriching uranium at its Fordow complex up to 60% purity. The increase alarmed IAEA officials as the number is beyond what has hitherto been agreed upon and is approaching ‘weapons grade purity’. Most modern nuclear weapons use 90-93% pure U235. The atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima by the US in 1945 contained approximately 80% pure enriched uranium.
In response to breaking off diplomatic relations with Iran, Azerbaijan announced it had arrested 39 possible saboteurs.
Iran pointed the finger at Kurdish groups in Iraq for facilitating the drone attack on the Isfahan weapons complex.
PAKISTAN
Police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa protested against the rise in terrorism in the province. It was considered a plea of support and solidarity with citizens to drive terrorists out of the province. There is also a rumor that as many as 100,000 police (junior grade) are considering submitting their resignations if the investigation is not carried out properly.
Pakistan’s security forces announced they had detained 23 suspects so far in the investigation of the recent Mosque blast. A police spokesman included that many of the suspects reside along the border with Afghanistan. Investigators are also probing allegations that the bomber had help from people in the Mosque.
TAJIKISTAN
Power rationing was imposed yesterday and is expected to continue until both water and energy conditions in the Bakhsh River and Barqi Tojik areas are stabilized. It could be days or weeks but the rationing is thought to be a temporary measure.
President Rahmon blasted his Chief of Communications Services (a relative no less) for the pathetic state of the Internet services in the country. Observers have long stated that the Communications Czar simply embezzled funds meant for improving service.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
Alone in the Battle Against Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan
By Adam Weinstein - Inkstick Media
Monday’s suicide blast at a mosque in Peshawar’s Police Lines area now makes it clear that Pakistan’s own “war on terror” has resurfaced in major cities, reminiscent of the late 2000s and early 2010s. Incidents of terrorism have reportedly more than doubled in Pakistan, with 319 in 2020 compared to 630 in 2022. The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is one of the main culprits of terrorist attacks in Pakistan, particularly those targeting the military and police.
AFGHAN NEWS
Taliban showing signs of understanding China's real interests :Report
By ANI
After the United States left Afghanistan and Taliban took over the country in 2021, China wanted to fill the power vacuum by…
Women in Afghanistan are Inspired, Emboldened by Protests in Iran
By Kourosh Ziabari - AGSIW
The women-led uprising in Iran unified diverse groups of Iranians and drew support from across the…
Foreign Policy Op-Ed Calls for US to Discard Doha Deal
By TOLO News
In an opinion piece by Richard Fontaine and Lisa Curtis published by Foreign Policy, the US is asked to discard the Doha deal if America wishes to send…
REGIONAL NEWS
Muttaqi tells Pakistan to stop blaming Afghanistan for its insecurity
By Ariana News
Speaking at a ceremony to inaugurate a drug addiction treatment center in Kabul, Muttaqi said that the root of Pakistan’s security problems is in the country itself and…
Uzbek Railways suspends transportation to Afghanistan
By AKI Press
"Uzbek Railways" suspended transportation to Afghanistan due to failure to fulfill the obligations assumed by Kabul for…
Pakistan Releases More Than 100 Afghan Detainees
By Nizamuddin Rezahi - Khaama Press
Afghanistan’s Diplomatic Mission in Islamabad said on Twitter that Afghan detainees were released on…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Hundreds of Afghans risk 11-country trek to seek haven in United States
By Mica Rosenberg, Kristina Cooke, and Jackie Botts - Reuters
Their journey starts with a humanitarian visa for Brazil: one of the few remaining exit routes for Afghans fleeing…
Operational Note: Update on IRC's Operations in Afghanistan as of February 1st
By IRC
February 1, 2023 — The de facto authorities’ ban on female NGO workers in Afghanistan, first issued on December 24, remains in place, forcing most IRC programming in the country to…
THE DAILY WTF
By Schengen Visa News
Fewer nationals from Afghanistan are being granted visas to Switzerland, while the number of applications filed by these individuals has been on the rise since 2021 when…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 89.61 AFN (as of 2 FEB 2023)
