The 20-year-old Afghan republic comes to a crashing end
Marvin G. Weinbaum
Director, Afghanistan and Pakistan Studies
After two years of failed diplomatic efforts, for a time it seemed there might be an agreement with the Taliban reached by the Ghani regime and its international backers, albeit one very different than a long-sought power-sharing arrangement. With Taliban forces bearing down on Kabul, discussions involving the entry of Taliban forces into the capital and the formation of an interim government were being conducted in Doha.
Taliban Demand US Reverse Decision To Freeze $7 Billion in Afghanistan’s Assets
The Taliban, which have controlled the country since US troops evacuated at the end of August, said Monday in a statement that they will have to “reconsider its policy” toward the United States if the asset seizure ordered last week by US President Joe Biden is allowed to stand.
Senior Delegation From Turkey To Visit Israel Ahead of Herzog Visit to Ankara
A high-level official delegation from Turkey will visit Israel this week as the two countries prepare for the planned visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Turkey and to discuss relations between the two countries, the Office of the President of Israel and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed in a joint statement on Tuesday.
Israel Blocks Sale of Iron Dome Missile Defense System to Ukraine
In order to maintain its neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Israel has refused to sell the Iron Dome air defense system to Kyiv. The Ukrainian government officially requested last spring that the US deploy its MIM-104 Patriot anti-ballistic missile system, as well as the Iron Dome, on its territory.
Finance : les « petits » assureurs africains font de la résistance
En Afrique, d’Abidjan à Douala, une poignée d’irréductibles assureurs locaux résiste à l’assaut des poids lourds panafricains et internationaux, dans une période propice aux fusions-acquisitions.
Il aurait fallu barrière plus infranchissable pour que Bertrand Casteres, le directeur général du groupe mauricien d’assurances Mauritius Union Assurance (MUA), rebrousse chemin. Rendez-vous était pris de longue date pour venir négocier, à Paris, les ultimes détails du partenariat censé donner un nouvel élan à son groupe, fondé en 1948. Alors, en ce mois de juillet 2021, même si le vaccin contre le Covid-19 qui lui a été administré à Port-Louis quelques mois auparavant n’est pas reconnu par les autorités européennes, qu’à cela ne tienne : le quadragénaire en fait un deuxième, reconnu celui-là, pour pouvoir prendre l’avion. La conclusion d’une affaire vaut bien une double injection…
Islamic State collaborators received Turkish citizenship, official report shows
A leaked report has revealed details about how the jihadi group used Turkey to traffic money and obtain supplies.
Shortly after the Islamic State’s (IS’s) leader was killed in a Syrian hideout near the Turkish border, a leaked report by Turkey’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) revealed details about how the jihadi group used the country to traffic money and obtain supplies, including drone parts.
Turkish opposition forms plan to oust Erdogan, restore parliament’s power
At a weekend summit, six party heads charted a path to ending the executive presidential system that critics say has eroded the country’s democratic institutions.
Leaders of six Turkish opposition parties convened this past weekend in Ankara to chart a path back from the executive presidential system, which they say concentrates too much power in the hands of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the detriment of parliament, the courts and other democratic institutions.
Undemocratic Goals Of The Summit For Democracy
The US-sponsored virtual summit for democracy on December 9 and 10 was an unprecedented event; a show of American innocence and righteousness. The conference, which selectively and unjustifiably invited the leaders of 100 countries, supposedly was to focus on fighting corruption, defending human rights, and confronting authoritarian regimes. But the main target of the conference was first China and then Russia. Thirty percent of the leaders invited to the conference, according to the Freedom House, are either not free at all or have little freedom.
Attacks On United Arab Emirates Test Resilience Of Nascent Peace Moves In West Asia – Analysis
The four missile and drone attacks against the UAE in the space of less than three weeks are a cruel reminder of the fragility of peace moves in West Asia. Responsibility for the first three attacks that took place on 17, 24, and 31 January was claimed by the Houthis as retaliation for the UAE’s support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. The Houthis have close ties with Iran, and it would be fair to assume that the missiles and drones used in these attacks are of Iranian origin, with Hizbollah technicians from Lebanon reportedly providing on-ground support. The fourth attack, an attempt by three armed drones to strike unknown targets in the UAE on 2 February 2022 has been attributed to a relatively unknown Iraqi Shia group with presumed ties to Iran. The missile attacks on 17 January and 31 January and the drone attack on 2 February were thwarted, while the drone attack on 24 January caused limited damage but resulted in the death of two Indian and one Pakistani national in Abu Dhabi.