Daily Evacuation Brief | September 2, 2023
LAST 24 HOURS
STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT SAYS THAT OVER 840,000 AFGHANS WHO HAVE APPLIED FOR RESETTLEMENT ARE STILL WAITING – The US Department of State released a report on Thursday that broke down the challenges the Department has faced in dealing with the massive backlog as well as describing new procedures it was forced to adopt. The institution showed the sizable increase in applications it was forced to deal with and said that roughly 30,000 cases were pending prior to the withdrawal which has now skyrocketed to over 840,000 cases. The Department said that approximately 50% of the cases are rejected because they do not meet the requirements of the special immigrant visa program. The report concludes with several recommendations to improve the program.
IRAN CONTINUES TO HAMMER THE TALIBAN – While many have criticized Iran for the actions it is taking in the region, Tehran has consistently criticized Kabul for failing to invite minorities into leadership roles and marginalizing both religious and ethnic groups as well as implementing the draconian gender bans on education and work for women. Both countries have traded jabs recently and the Taliban’s Foreign Minister has used increasingly belligerent dialogue when discussing the neighbor to the West.
KANDAHAR CELEBRATION MARKS US WITHDRAWAL – In what many are calling a staged event, a group of mainly young boys and men formed in Kandahar to celebrate the US pullout from the country. Critics say the banners and flags distributed among those in the group had been provided by the Ministry of Information and that several taped interviews with some of the participants by journalists had been seized.
MANY AFGHAN REFUGEES IN THE US NERVOUS ABOUT THE EXTENSION OF THEIR TEMPORARY IMMIGRATION STATUS – Many Afghans who were brought to the United States under the Humanitarian Parole program are being told their status will affect their employability if authorities do not act in the coming weeks. In addition to facing termination from their jobs, many will be forced to reapply for driver’s licenses which could disrupt their ability to support themselves and their families. Apparently, there was a significant amount of confusion after conflicting forms were sent to the parolees that were difficult to understand. State agencies are rushing to assist those requiring assistance but many states do not have systems in place to rapidly issue new state licenses and identification cards.
NEXT 24 HOURS
NO THREATS REPORTED
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
The case against a man in the US who stabbed author Salman Rushdie last year has expanded its investigation to focus on possible ties to Iran.
Iranian media have attacked a US astronaut of Iranian descent who has been characterized as a role model for Iranian girls. Several articles published in multiple Iranian news outlets criticized the characterization and claimed she is not a fit role model for Iranian women and girls.
An outspoken critic of the regime, Majid Tavakoli, is expected to be sent back to prison for a six-year term in the coming days. Many are characterizing his sentence as a ‘pre-emptive’ arrest as the nation prepares for a new round of protests on the coming anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s murder.
PAKISTAN
3 Pakistani Army soldiers were killed by a terrorist attack in North Waziristan. Details of the incident have not been provided as of yet.
Funerals began for the 9 Pakistani military members who were killed in a recent terrorist suicide attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Minister of Finance is calling for a crackdown against speculators who are thought to be manipulating the Dollar/Rupee currency exchanges. It was not clear from his statements what actions the government might take.
SPOTLIGHT OPINION
US Starts To Take Action To Reverse Loss Of Its Regional Influence
By Zaid M. Belbagi - Arab News
US power projection is often viewed through the military prism and its defense spending continues to increase. It now spends more on defense than the next 10 top-spending countries combined. This is an increase from 2021 when it outspent the next nine countries combined. The spending by the US accounts for almost 40 percent of military expenditure by all countries, and this staggering amount is intended to maintain the nation’s supremacy and keep other global powers in check.
AFGHAN NEWS
Can the Taliban contain Islamic State in Afghanistan?
By Nadeem Ahmed Moonakal - The Interpreter
Ever since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, Islamic State affiliates have increased attacks in the country in a bid to delegitimise the…
Two Taliban members killed in attack in Kabul, claims Freedom Front
By AMU TV
The Freedom Front said in a statement released on Friday that two members of Taliban intelligence were killed in an attack by members of the movement in the Shakardara district of…
Muttaqi meets delegation of OIC and scholars of Islamic nations in Kabul
By Ariana News
At the meeting, Muttaqi asked the delegation to convey the situation and realities of Afghanistan to the officials of their countries and to the…
REGIONAL NEWS
Kabul seen through the eyes of Central Asia
By Vladimir Rozanskij - Asia News
In an interview with Azattyk Rosa Otunbaeva, president of the Kyrgyzstan in 2010-2011 (first woman in an ex-Soviet state), and for a year UN special representative for…
Afghanistan women in Iran say they confront dire challenges
By AMU TV
A number of women and girls from Afghanistan who have left to Iran over the past two years shed light on the severe obstacles they face in their adopted…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
By Democracy Now
The Center for Constitutional Rights and the civil rights group Muslim Advocates recently sued the Pentagon, State Department and the Department of Homeland Security seeking governmental records about the…
Another Canadian who served in Afghanistan files discrimination lawsuit against federal government
By Laura Osman - The Globe and Mail
The federal government is asking a judge to combine two separate lawsuits, after another Afghan Canadian alleged Canada discriminated against Afghan refugees by…
THE DAILY WTF
Equipment Left Behind by US Strengthened Terrorists: Pakistan PM
By Mitra Majeedy - TOLO News
"This hasty withdrawal has had an impact not just on Pakistan but also on China, Iran, and Central Asian nations. The equipment greatly increased the…
“He’s not wrong.” TAD Staff
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 76.28 AFN (as of 2 SEP 2023)