The U.S. designated it a foreign terrorist organization in 2012. Intelligence shared by U.N. member states suggests that since then, IS-Khorasan has nearly doubled in size, to about 4,000 fighters, half of which may be from outside Afghanistan. China is trying now to find some accommodation with the Taliban. Sales hopes that these countries will collaborate quietly with the United States to ensure that Al Qaeda is constrained. The U.S. was amenable to the decision to make Qatar the home for peace negotiations. How Afghanistan's Militant Groups Are Evolving Under Taliban Rule For their part, the Taliban had one goal in mind, to release senior Taliban leaders held at Guantanamo Bay. In December 2014, the Pakistan army launched the Zarb-e-Azb operation after the TTPattacked the Peshawar Army Public School in the countrys northwest and massacred 150 people including 130 school children. In a statement, the US State Department said the weekend meeting between US delegation and senior Taliban representatives in Doha, Qatar focused on security and terrorism concerns and safe passage for US citizens, other foreign nationals and Afghans, as well as on human rights, including the meaningful participation of women and girls in all . [6][7] Abdul Ghani Baradar, head of the office, and many of the other office staff returned to Afghanistan to discuss formation of a new government. UK and Taliban in talks over evacuations and terrorism prevention There have been reports of the Taliban conducting door-to-door searches looking for people who have worked with the previous government or foreign entities. 'Terrorism, safe passage for foreign nationals': All that was discussed Doha, not Kabul, to be EU base for personnel BRUSSELS, Sept 20 (Reuters) - The European Union will focus on humanitarian aid as it figures out how to deal with the Taliban, aiming on an. Ambassador Otaiba has denounced Qatar's hosting of Taliban officials, mentioning it as one of the quartet's reasons for cutting ties with Qatar. NPR's . [3], Following the collapse of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan on 17 August 2021, leader of the Taliban-affiliated Hezb-e-Islami party Gulbuddin Hekmatyar met with both Hamid Karzai, former President of Afghanistan, and Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation and former Chief Executive, in Doha seeking to form a government. [42] While the conference was attended by key leaders from the Taliban offices in Qatar, according to some sources Afghanistan's embassy and government boycotted the event,[43][dubious discuss] while other sources argue that the Taliban refused to negotiate with them and hence were excluded. The Taliban said it is currently holding discussions in Qatar over Afghanistan's future government, along with other Afghan political parties, an official from the insurgent group told TOLOnews on Monday.. Taliban's diplomatic position vis--vis the Doha . Western counterterrorism estimates from before the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan suggested the al-Qaida core perhaps commanded several hundred fighters across at least 15 Afghan provinces. The groups leaders and militants fled Pakistan and took refuge in Afghanistan where they have reorganised themselves. She, her husband, and their three children are among the hundreds of Afghans who have found shelter in Doha after fleeing the Taliban. Nominating loyalist John Ratcliffe as US intelligence chief will only compound the problem of speaking truth to power. [11], To facilitate the reconciliation process, and at the request of the American government, Qatar agreed to open an office for the Taliban in Doha where Afghan and Western governments could meet and negotiate. Qatar's selection to host the office over the UAE reportedly angered Emirati officials. And in September, a top U.S. intelligence official said that there were "indications of some potential movement of al-Qaida [officials and followers] to Afghanistan," though, he cautioned, "It's still early days.". By June 2013, the number of Taliban representatives in Qatar had increased, with over 20 high-ranking members and their families living in the Gulf state. [45], In the context of the Doha Dialogue, Taliban leaders promised that, if their conditions were met, they would respect women's rights and ensure modern education for all, including girls. [29][30], In December 2015, rumors began to spread that the Taliban 5 had recommenced their "threatening activities" after being released to Qatar. The statement marked the first time the Taliban leadership addressed the U.S. announcement that al-Zawahri was the target of Sunday's strike. Nathan Sales, former State Department coordinator for counterterrorism and a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, argues that the terrorism risk to the United States is going to get dramatically worse. With the Taliban back in power, he said, it is virtually certain that Al Qaeda will reestablish a safe haven in Afghanistan and use it to plot terrorism against the United States and others., Other experts are less sure. The group is led by Dilshod Dekhanov, a Tajik national. It said the minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, also said Washington would offer Afghans coronavirus vaccines and that the two sides discussed "opening a new page" between the two countries. Afghans Crossing U.S. Border Receive Less Help Than Evacuees | Time The report said that Al Qaeda is present in at least 15 Afghan provinces, primarily in the east, south and southeast, and concluded: Al Qaeda maintains contact with the Taliban but has minimized overt communications with Taliban leadership in an effort to lay low and not jeopardize the Talibans diplomatic position vis--vis the Doha agreement, referring to the deal signed with the Trump administration. Using the Islamic Statecard, the Taliban have the opportunity to win Moscows recognition, favour and defence cooperation. To have a friend of terrorists, which Taliban have been, running a whole country is not a good thing.. According to the U.N., KIB's numbers in Afghanistan have been growing due to the successful recruitment of locals. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/17/world/asia/taliban-afghanistan-al-qaeda.html. [20], Members of Afghanistan's High Peace Council argue that the five should remain in Qatar indefinitely or be handed over to the Afghan government. "Detailed discussions were held during the meeting about all relevant issues. "We are committed to the fact that from Afghanistan, there will not be any danger to any country.". For more than 15 years, Qari Baryal has been on a special list of Washingtons most-wanted Taliban and al-Qaida leaders in Afghanistan, accused of carrying out bombing and suicide attacks across the country. The Taliban Five, as they came to be known, would, upon release, be sent to Doha to wait out a period of one year before being allowed to travel abroad. Taliban Peace Deal: U.S. Signs Agreement With Islamist Group In In November 2021, two months after U.S. and NATO forces withdrew from Afghanistan, the Taliban appointed Baryal as the governor of Kabul province. Under the 2020 Doha Agreement, the US withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan was conditional on Taliban security assurancesthat Afghan territory would not be used as a launch pad by al-Qaeda or Islamic State for attacks against the United States. Bowe Bergdahl, held prisoner by the Taliban since 2009. Taliban keep close ties with Al Qaeda despite promise to U.S. - NBC News After the Taliban office building opened in 2013, peace negotiations were suspended following objections by the Afghan government that the office was being presented as the embassy of a government in exile. The United States invaded Afghanistan 20 years ago in response to terrorism, and many worry that Al Qaeda and other radical Islamist groups will again find safe haven there. Mariam had the necessary documentation and knew their names were on an evacuation list but had to plead with Taliban fighters near the airport to let them through to get on a flight to Doha. He said the Taliban always lied about their ties with al-Qaida and other terrorist groups, and that the groups statements cannot be "trusted.". Stay informed with the latest commentary and analysis on international events from experts at the Lowy Institute and around the world. Since its emergence in 1994, the Taliban movement, which calls itself the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has been led by an emir, a central figure ostensibly appointed for life by a religious council of Taliban leaders. The brand new compound is one of several built as accommodation for Qatars hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. One morning, she woke up and put out breakfast as usual, but fear had pushed her to the breaking point and the family made a dash to Kabul airport. However, despite the Taliban denial of knowledge of al-Zawahri's presence, U.S. officials have said the al-Qaida head was staying at a Kabul safe house linked to the deputy leader of the Taliban. Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), or "Army of the Pure," was founded in Pakistan in the 1990s and is sometimes known as Jamaat-ud-Dawa. In March 2022, he became the provincial governor for Kapisa province, northeast of Kabul. The original purpose for being there was to open an office that would facilitate political reconciliation between the Taliban, the government of Afghanistan, the United States and other countries. Lolwah Rashid Mohammed Al-Khater, Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman, has overseen the plan from the operation room in the compound. IS-Khorasan also appears to be benefitting from financial support from its core in Syria and Iraq, receiving more than $500,000 over the past six months, according to some intelligence estimates. Their first priority, he said, will be to consolidate control over a fragmented Afghanistan, including some kind of understanding with minorities like the Uzbeks and Shia Muslims like the Hazaras and Ismailis. Key people, groups and places in the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan Indias military chief of staff General MM Naravane raised his concerns and reportedly said, What we can say and learn from the past is that when the previous Taliban regime was in power, that time definitely we had foreign terrorists of Afghan origin in Jammu and Kashmir.. Therefore, it is difficult to separate them. While the US State Department continues to engage in high-level diplomatic talks with the Taliban in the neutral setting of Doha, Qatar, as it has for the past year, the real negotiations have . The group boasts a "highly skilled core of members who specialize in complex attacks and provide technical skills, such as improvised explosive device and rocket construction," according to the U.N. Since coming to Afghanistan, Lashkar-e-Islam has clashed with IS-Khorasan, with major skirmishes taking places in 2018 as the two groups fought for control of territory and resources. With the patronage of the Taliban, Al-Qaida members have received appointments and advisory roles in the Taliban security and administrative structures, the U.N. Security Councils Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team said in the report earlier in June. U.S. forces in Afghanistan and the Pakistani military have killed or captured several TTP leaders over the past two decades. Baradar, the head of the Taliban political office in Doha, signed an agreement with the United States on February 29, 2020, that paved way for the withdrawal of the US and other foreign forces. It called relations between the Taliban and al-Qaida strong and symbiotic., According to the report, an estimated 400 al-Qaida fighters were in Afghanistan, and there are signs that the terrorist group is rebuilding operational capability., The Taliban rejected the report, calling it biased and far from reality. Similar accords seeking security promises from the Taliban are now expected from other countries in the region. Tips on Doha Warnings or Dangers - Stay Safe! - SmarterTravel Moscow has asked the Taliban for action against Islamic Statefighters. Doha, Qatar: Industry experts have stated that real estate continues to be the best and safest option for long-term investment strategy for any investor in Qatar. For their part, Taliban officials have publicly denied that terrorism is an issue for Afghans under their leadership. Following a twenty-year war shrouded in bloodshed, the United States military pursued a messy withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. The conference took place outside of the stalled reconciliation and peace talks between the U.S., Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, and the Taliban, which were the original rationale behind Taliban offices in Qatar. Biden administration officials told Reuters on Friday the U.S. delegation would press the Taliban to release kidnapped American Mark Frerichs. The Taliban have changed, but they are not better, she said. Sooner or later, countries including Russia, China, Pakistan and India will be left with no choice but to recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan as a result of thesesecurity concerns. We cannot have a developed society without the contribution of women, Mariam said. Qatar provides them with luxury SUVs and large homes. Taliban to hold talks in Doha over Afghanistan power transition "Qatar has reliably a stable . Upholding Civil Society in Afghanistan Against the Taliban Regime The looming threat to Central Asia has pushed Moscow closer to the Taliban, who are the key to countering Islamic State militants and confining them to Afghanistan. A U.N. report issued in June 2021, prior to the U.S. withdrawal, noted the Taliban force size was "robust in spite of significant attrition rates" over the past few years. Nov. 3, 2021 JALALABAD, Afghanistan Aref Mohammad's war against the Islamic State ended earlier this fall when his unit of Taliban fighters was ambushed by the terrorist group in eastern. For much of its existence, the group has been based in Pakistan's tribal areas as it operated across the border in Afghanistan. So a more immediate risk will be the encouragement of lone actors to commit local acts of terrorism, one of the main goals of the social media campaign, Mr. Neumann said. Mariam fears all the work she has done in Afghanistan will be scrapped now that the Taliban is in power. Earlier U.S. intelligence assessments said it appeared that AQIS fighters were actively integrated into Taliban units. The group is led by a Kyrgyz national named Ilimbek Mamatov. According to the agreement, the Taliban will cut all its connections with Al-Qaeda and begin peace negotiations with the Afghani Government. Most active on the 2,640-kilometer-long border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, is an insurgent group involved in terrorist . The Pakistani Taliban have loose relations with the Afghan group, but they are committed to overthrowing the Pakistani state and have had havens along the border. But that agreement now seems to have little value, and many doubted at the time that the Taliban would or could keep its promises on that score. They will push it and argue that you can fight for 20 years and get power.. Baryal and the militants he oversaw were involved in the supervision of IED [improvised explosive device] production, suicide personnel allocation, and overall attack planning and execution in Kabul and surrounding provinces, according to U.S. military reports. Taliban leader claims women are provided with a - POLITICO While U.S. officials remain concerned that al-Qaida will focus again on conducting foreign attacks, a recent report based on U.S. military intelligence assessments indicates that the group has been keeping a low profile at the Taliban's request, and that the Taliban, who are seeking to gain international recognition for their new government, are likely to dissuade al-Qaida leaders from launching attacks. Specifically, intelligence and counterterrorism officials say that despite Taliban promises to sever ties with al-Qaida and oppose terror groups such as the Islamic State's Afghan affiliate, as codified in the 2020 Doha agreement with the United States, there has been scant evidence of progress. However, there was an immediate issue, as the Taliban flag was raised and a plaque at the entrance identified it as an office of the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" (the Taliban-era name for the country). It also oversees a force of between 3,000 and 10,000 traditional armed fighters in Khost, Paktika and Paktiya provinces. Given those concerns, Mr. Late last month, Chinese officials met with a Taliban delegation including Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a co-founder of the Taliban who spent years in Pakistani jails. [16] In March 2012, Taliban representatives there suspended talks with the U.S. government. Taliban Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi also rejected the presence of any terrorist groups in Afghanistan. Biden admin failed to plan for disastrous Afghanistan exit: officials The Doha accord and Taliban legitimacy | Lowy Institute In 2015, then-IMU leader Usman Ghazi and other senior members of the group shifted allegiance from al-Qaida to the rival Islamic State. Taliban claim they unaware of al-Qaida leader in Afghanistan 'Real estate a safe long-term investment in Qatar' But the move did not sit well with Taliban leaders, who launched a major military campaign against Ghazi, killing him and nearly wiping out the group. Grace said open-minded, educated people pose an indirect threat to the Taliban, and that she would not take their reassurances at face value.
