The Afghan Digest has added a new segment called ALERTS. This section will follow the NEXT 24 HOURS segment and will contain urgent information we receive periodically that could affect the security, health, and well-being of at-risk Afghans. We will only include an ALERT if we assess the threat to be valid. The section is included as a photo so that it may be easily copied and shared with others. We strive to do our best to ensure the information in an ALERT is accurate but we will always err on the side of caution and some ALERTS may eventually turn out to be inaccurate. Stay Safe!
TAD STAFF
LAST 24 HOURS
ISIS-K THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN TARGETING A CHINESE DELEGATION AT THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS – Sources say that a Chinese delegation was scheduled to visit the Ministry on the day of the bombing. It is not clear if the delegation ever arrived and there are suspicions brewing among the Taliban that China may have had early warning of the attack and failed to share it. For their part, Chinese personnel in Afghanistan have shared concerns with some in the Ministry of Defense that Sirajuddin Haqqani, Minister of the Interior, has been feeding information to ISIS-K and the Pakistani ISI about China’s movements in Afghanistan. While much of this information is conjecture and cannot be substantiated, what has been made repeatedly clear is that the Taliban leadership is not fully in control of the country. ISIS-K has successfully executed multiple attacks on several high-profile targets throughout the course of 2022. While most of these attacks have fallen short of killing their intended targets, they continue to get the locations, times and dates correct. This indicates that they have co-opted some within the Taliban to gain access to such high-profile information. As an alternative, ISIS could be receiving this information from a faction(s) within the Taliban who possess ulterior motives and seek some advantage from the perception of incompetence among the Taliban.
SECURITY CLEARING OPERATION POSTPONED – A source in the Ministry of the Interior said that a planned security clearing operation, targeting two suspected ISIS-K safe houses in Kabul, had been called off after the houses were determined to be unoccupied. The source said the intelligence was likely outdated or may have been provided in an attempt to misdirect Taliban resources.
OIC TO SEND A SECOND DELEGATION TO AFGHANISTAN – Following the extraordinary session meeting in Jeddah, the Secretary General of the OIC said a second delegation would be dispatched to attempt to meet with leaders at the ‘highest levels’. Their intent will be to convince the Taliban to roll back gender policies that are out of step with modern Islamic conventions. Many will be watching to see if the Supreme Leader decides to meet with the second delegation or once again defers to other Ministers. A second refusal will likely send a message to the OIC that Akhundzada feels their insistence on allowing women more freedoms conflicts with his Deobandian beliefs. Many believe the OIC may begin a campaign to sanction or, possibly expel Afghanistan from the organization. Such a move would likely empower those in the Taliban leadership who clearly disagree with the retrenched policies to take action and remove the Deobandian clique from power.
AUSTRALIA BOYCOTTS CRICKET MATCHES AGAINST AFGHANISTAN OVER TALIBAN GENDER POLICIES – Australia pulled out of a scheduled series against Afghanistan that was to be played in the UAE. The decision to cancel the matches was directly influenced by the Taliban’s recent crackdowns on women. The Afghanistan Cricket Board responded by calling the cancellation ‘pathetic’ and ‘unexpected’. More boycotts from other countries are expected as the sporting world steps up its efforts to apply pressure on the Taliban regime.
HACKING GROUP ANONYMOUS MAY HAVE SUCCESSFULLY INTERDICTED THE CREDIT REGISTER SYSTEM OF THE CENTRAL BANK – Officials of the DA Afghanistan Bank announced they were reactivating the Credit Registry system today. Officials said the system had stopped working due to a ‘technical glitch’ but several online sites affiliated with the hacking group, Anonymous, are posting information about the CR system and claim it was taken offline through their efforts. Two of the more reputable Anonymous sites say the system can be shut down at any time and poked fun at the Iranian and Chinese advisors that are supposedly in Afghanistan to assist the Taliban with securing its systems.
NEXT 24 HOURS
POSSIBLE MEETING BETWEEN US POLITICAL LEADERS AND LEADER OF THE NRF – Several sources claim that several US lawmakers (or their representatives) who had spent three days meeting with the Resistance Council in Turkey had made plans to meet with Ahmed Massoud. If this information is accurate, it is assumed they will travel to Dushanbe, Tajikistan for any such meeting.
ALERTS (new feature)
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces say they successfully thwarted a plan to link ISIS Wilayats (administrative territories) in Iran and Iraq in 2022 but delayed announcing the operation for security purposes.
The UN urged the regime to halt executions of prisoners.
A draft budget has been prepared with steep increases in spending for military and security forces.
PAKISTAN
The Government of Pakistan has rejected any knowledge or links to the reported package received in Britain that contained traces of Uranium.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs had a lengthy phone conversation with his counterpart in Afghanistan. The Pakistani Foreign Minister expressed his sympathy for the bomb attack and called for stronger counter-terrorism cooperation.
The Finance Minister said the country would adopt the fiscal measures recommended by the IMF.
TURKEY
Turkey’s leader lambasted the Taliban and called their policies towards women ‘un-Islamic’. It is thought that other leaders of Islamic nations will make similar remarks in the wake of the recent OIC communique on the situation in Afghanistan.
SPOTLIGHT HISTORY
What We Know About U.S.-Backed Zero Units in Afghanistan
By Lynzy Billing - ProPublica
In 2019, reporter Lynzy Billing returned to Afghanistan to research the murders of her mother and sister nearly 30 years earlier. Instead, in the country’s remote reaches, she stumbled upon the CIA-backed Zero Units, who conducted night raids — quick, brutal operations designed to have resounding psychological impacts while ostensibly removing high-priority enemy targets.
AFGHAN NEWS
Daesh behind six major attacks in Afghanistan in past 50 days
By AMU TV
Daesh has claimed responsibility for five attacks in Kabul and one in the northern Balkh province of Afghanistan in…
IEA says ban on schools for girls is ‘temporary’ after OIC calls for decision to be reversed
By Ariana News
Mujahid said in a statement that the IEA appreciated the fact that the OIC called the meeting and said, “indeed the countries should continue to help the…
Salang Highway Reopens for Traffic After Heavy Snowfall
By Nizamuddin Rexahi - Khaama Press
The Public Work ministry tweeted that Salang highway has been opened for traffic as a result of the efforts of the personnel of Salang Preservation…
REGIONAL NEWS
Afghanistan: Erdogan calls Taliban ban on women's education 'un-Islamic'
By Ragip Soylu - Middle East Eye
'There is no such thing in our religion. No one should define any ban like that based on Islam. Islam does not accept such a thing' - Recep Tayyip Erdogan
By ANI
Islamist forces hostile to China are set to increase their attacks in Afghanistan after Beijing signed an oil extradition deal with…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Australia pull out of Afghanistan fixtures over Taliban's treatment of women and girls
By Sam Morshead - The Cricketer
Australia's men will no longer face Afghanistan in an ODI series in March after withdrawing from the trip in protest over the…
OIC to send delegation to Afghanistan for talks on women’s rights
By Behlul Cetinkaya - Anadolu Agency
“We seek to send a second team of Ulama to Afghanistan to continue dialogue on the decision depriving Afghan women of education and…
THE DAILY WTF
Russia assures Afghan Taliban of continued cooperation
By Islamuddin Sajid - Anadolu Agency
Russia on Thursday assured the Afghan Taliban administration of continued cooperation, saying it does not want Afghanistan to be isolated from…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 89.95 AFN (as of 13 JAN 2023)