LAST 24 HOURS
GERMANY TO EXPAND AFGHAN RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM – The German Foreign Ministry announced plans to begin resettling up to 1,000 at-risk Afghans per month in an expansion of a program they announced earlier in the year. Apparently, the government has only recently allocated the funding needed to ramp things up. Those at-risk Afghans with paths to Germany are advised to reach out and make contact as soon as possible (SEE STORY BELOW).
ISIS-K MEDIA CHIEF ARRESTED IN KABUL – The Taliban have announced the arrest of Mohammad Javad who, the Taliban says is the head of ISIS-K’s propaganda arm in Afghanistan. GDI agents say he was arrested without incident yesterday and all of his electronic devices were seized intact. It is not clear what role Mr. Javad has played but the Taliban has previously arrested dissidents and/or former members of the previous regime using claims of affiliation with the terror group.
CENTRAL BANK WARNS DEBTORS – Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) announced that outstanding debts were being reviewed and the bank will resort to the seizure of property if the debts are not paid. Bank officials explicitly targeted former high-ranking members of the previous regime. Sources in the financial sector see the announcement as an excuse to appropriate property that will be redistributed to Taliban officials. One source stated that bank records are being manipulated to increase debt balances on loan paperwork.
HAQQANI OUT AT MINISTRY OF EDUCATION – Rumors are circulating that the acting Minister of Higher Education, Abdul Baqi Haqqani, has been relieved of his position and a new appointment has been made. Sheikh Nada Mohammad Nandim (former Governor of Kabul) has been named the new Minister. While the new purported Minister’s intentions for the program are unknown, it is believed that many senior Taliban leaders were unhappy with Haqqani’s approach to the education crisis in the country.
NEXT 24 HOURS
GOVERNMENT PURGE – Remarks made by the Minister of the Interior at a commencement ceremony for graduates of a University in Khost give credence to rumors that a purge of government officials is likely. He stated that too many unqualified people had been given posts in the de facto regime and most were rewarded with positions due to their participation in the jihad against the previous regime. He said these appointments have created a gap between the people and the Taliban and questioned their ability to manage governmental affairs. Criticism about the practice has been consistent from the international community and political observers have offered the opinion that the IEA is fast becoming a religious kleptocracy. It is not clear when the purges will begin but the fact the comments were made in an open forum has likely put those in governmental roles on a hot seat.
INCREASED SECURITY OPERATIONS EXPECTED IN KABUL – In previous instances where an ISIS-K operative has been arrested, targeted searches have resulted. Presumably, Mr. Mohammad Javad has/will undergo severe interrogation and his electronic devices will be searched for incriminating evidence by the GDI. Kabul residents will likely see house searches that could easily turn violent. At-risk Afghans who see concentrations of Taliban vehicles or fast-moving convoys are urged to immediately depart the area or shelter in place.
DAB TO AUCTION $11 MILLION DOLLARS – The Central Bank has scheduled another auction of US Dollars to try and keep the currency stabilized.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
The Taliban’s Use of Twitter as a Tool to Spread their Voice
By Zafar Iqbal Yousafzai - Global Network on Extremism and Technology
According to the principle of realism described by Noam Chomsky in his book Propaganda and the Public Mind, those who control the media essentially have control of the public mind. In the age of globalisation with information technology ruling the post-modern society, interest groups have already realised the significance of providing relevant information to the target group for security, popular support and votes. Social media provides popular spaces where the desired interpretations of symbols and narratives are constructed for public outreach. Propaganda, as Lippmann describes it, is “a regular organ of popular rule,” not exclusively limited to the use of the state. Hence, the Taliban, one of the major militant groups in Afghanistan, have effectively been using Twitter to spread their voice to the world and build popular support. During their first rule from 1996-2001, the Taliban had not adapted to using new digital technologies. However, in the post-9/11 era, they have increasingly used technology and social media to spread propaganda worldwide, particularly concentrated in Afghanistan. The Taliban started using Twitter in 2011 when an exchange of words was reported between International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) officials and Taliban representative Abdul Qahar Balkhi, who now serves as the Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
AFGHAN NEWS
US will not fund non-state actors in Afghanistan: Taliban sources
By Osama Bin Javaid - Al Jazeera
The United States has assured Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers that Washington will not fund any armed groups or…
Daesh Media Head Arrested in Kabul
By Bakhtar News Agency
Mohammad Javad, an active member of Khawarij on the social media (Telegram and Facebook) under fake names of Dr. Abu Omar Khalid, Sabawon Arman, Abu Yaser and…
The Taliban Have Essentially Eliminated Women From Public Life
By Peter Van Agtmael - Vanity Fair
On a recent trip to Afghanistan, it was clear to me that the erasure of women from public life is well under…
REGIONAL NEWS
India, the Taliban, and the Country In Between
By Don McLain Gill - The Diplomat
A year after their takeover of Afghanistan, the Taliban’s system of governance remains marred with controversies…
Khan PTI Party Stuns Rivals, Grabbing 6 of 8 NA Seats
By Arif Ahmadi - Khaama Press
It won six of the National Assembly seats in Mardan, Charsadda, Faisalabad, Nankana Sahib and Peshawar – all contested by…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Germany launches new program to help at-risk Afghans
By Associated Press
The German government said Monday that it is launching a new program to help to bring about 1,000 people who are…
Bill Gates ready to meet Taliban over polio in Afghanistan
By Hillary Essien - Peoples Gazette
U.S. billionaire and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Monday said he was ready to have a meeting with the Taliban if it…
THE DAILY WTF
By Cydney Yeates - Metro UK
The woman, who is named Odessa in the Channel 4 film, explains she was beaten by her husband so badly that he…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 85.97 AFN (as of 18 OCT 2022)