Daily Evacuation Brief | January 14, 2022
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Threat Analysis
LAST 24 HOURS: Uzbek Taliban units initially protested the arrest of the senior Uzbek Taliban commander in Faryab Province on the orders of the Deputy Defense Minister. The Uzbek Taliban protestors were joined by ethnic Uzbek and Turkmen Afghan civilians who then occupied the city center of Maimana. Sources now indicate the Uzbek Taliban have seized Maimana and the local leadership is thought to have fled the city. The mutineers are demanding the release of Makhdoom Alem, senior Uzbek Taliban leader for the province. There have been several reports of armed clashes but no casualty figures were available at the time of this printing.
NEXT 24 HOURS: Negotiations are taking place between senior Taliban officials from neighboring provinces and the leaders of the Uzbek Taliban mutiny. It has been reported that several columns of Pashtun Taliban military vehicles from neighboring provinces will arrive in Faryab early on 14 January.
THREAT ANALYSIS: This latest incident is yet another instance where the Pashtun led Taliban has been seen to marginalize other ethnic groups. However, if the information about the revolt is accurate, this is by far the most serious flare up in the Northwest portion of the country. The presence of Pashtun Taliban military units staging near Faryab is troubling. Should the negotiations fail, it is likely the Taliban will attempt to retake the city by force and could potentially exacerbate an already tense situation.
Afghani to the Dollar: .0096 – 1 (as of 13 JAN 2022)
Afghan News
Intelligence Information Report: Uzbek Taliban Units Revolt in Faryab Province, Afghanistan | Institute for the Study of War
Uzbek Taliban units have revolted, forcibly disarmed local Pashtun Taliban units, and reportedly seized control of Maimana, the provincial capital of Faryab Province.[1] Local Taliban leadership, including the governor and police chief, have reportedly fled the city…
Over 30 prisoners released from Takhar jail | Ariana News
The Takhar Justice and Judicial Commission, which investigates problems in the province’s prisons, has found 37 prisoners incarcerated at the facility to be innocent and released them this week…
How does the Taliban make money? | Reuters
Illicit drugs are “the country’s largest industry except for war,” said Barnett Rubin, a former State Department adviser on Afghanistan…
Regional News
Taliban Threats To Uzbekistan, Tajikistan Underline Tension Between Militant Group And Central Asian Neighbors | Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty | by Bruce Lannier
The first two weeks of this year have brought a reminder that Central Asia’s relationship with the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan are far from smooth and could potentially turn bad very quickly.
Uzbekistan electricity to Afghanistan fully reconnected | The Khaama Press News Agency | by Najibullah Lalzoy
Afghanistan Electricity body- Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS)- said that importing electricity from Uzbekistan to Afghanistan reconnected and the power has returned to normal. DABS in a statement said…
International News Relating to Afghanistan
London council offers huge tax cut to families who house Afghan refugees | My London News | by Robert Firth
A London council is to cut council tax for locals offering a home to refugees from Afghanistan and other countries…
UN Urges Billions In Aid As Millions Of Afghans Starve | International Business Times | Ben Scheffer
Millions of Afghans are on the “verge of death” as U.S. sanctions threaten half of Afghanistan’s population with food insecurity, cripple its banking system, and cause food prices to skyrocket. The country is also facing one of the worst droughts in decades prompting immediate U.N. assistance.
What Biden is — and isn’t — doing to help Afghans | Politico | by Alexander Ward and Quint Forgey
After months of the media ignoring the horrific humanitarian disaster unfolding in Afghanistan, the issue has suddenly stormed back into the news..
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