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McCain Unveils His Own Afghan Strategy as Trump Delays

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(Last Updated On: October 24, 2022)

The Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday unveiled his own strategy for the U.S. in Afghanistan as he says Trump’s administration isn’t coming up with one.

Sen. John McCain Afghan strategy includes adding more U.S. troops for counterterrorism missions, increasing U.S. airpower to aid Afghan forces and providing the U.S. military with broader authority to target enemy forces including the Taliban, the Haqqani Network, Al Qaeda and Islamic State.

The plan also includes advising Afghan forces at the Kandak, or battalion level, which is about 600 troops.

“We must face facts: we are losing in Afghanistan and time is of the essence if we intend to turn the tide,” McCain said in a statement as reported by CNN. “We need an integrated civil-military approach to bolster U.S. counterterrorism efforts, strengthen the capability and capacity of the Afghan government and security forces, and intensify diplomatic efforts to facilitate a negotiated peace process in Afghanistan in cooperation with regional partners.”

McCain wants the U.S. to enter into an agreement with the Afghan government for an enduring U.S. counterterrorism presence in Afghanistan, and he wants to put more pressure on Pakistan to stop providing sanctuaries to the Taliban and Haqqani Network.

McCain’s strategy also includes Pakistan, which would be subject to graduated diplomatic and military costs “as long as it continues to provide support and sanctuary to terrorist and insurgent groups.”

It has been more than six months since Donald Trump took office as U.S. President, but still his administration yet to announce a strategy on Afghanistan.

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Afghan consul general in Mumbai Zakia Wardak resigns

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(Last Updated On: May 4, 2024)

Zakia Wardak, Afghanistan’s consul general in India’s Mumbai city, resigned on Saturday, following reports of gold smuggling.

The Times of India has reported that Wardak was caught at Mumbai airport with 25 kilograms of gold smuggled from Dubai.

While announcing her resignation, Wardak said on X that over the past year, she had encountered numerous personal attacks and defamation not only directed towards her but also towards her close family and extended relatives.

“These attacks, which appear to be organized, have severely impacted my ability to effectively operate in my role and have demonstrated the challenges faced by women in Afghan society who strive to modernize and bring positive change amidst ongoing propaganda campaigns,” she said.

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Trans-Afghan railway project expected to be completed by end of 2027: Uzbek official

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(Last Updated On: May 4, 2024)

The Trans-Afghan railway project is expected to be completed by the end of 2027, Uzbekistan’s Deputy Minister of Transport Jasurbek Choriev said.

“The project will help to connect three countries: Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The railroad will play an important role in the creation of the Eurasian Transport Corridor. As a result, Central Asian countries will have access to an Indian Ocean port,” he said during the III Tashkent International Investment Forum, Trend news agency reported.

The Uzbek deputy minister noted that the railroad will reduce the delivery time of goods from 35 to 5 days, and the cost of goods delivery will be reduced by at least 40 percent.

The Trans-Afghan railway project, first suggested by Uzbekistan in December 2018, proposes to extend the Afghan rail network from Mazar-e-Sharif to Kabul and then to Paktia province.

 

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IFRC calls for rethink of approaches to humanitarian aid to Afghanistan

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(Last Updated On: May 4, 2024)

The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is gravely deteriorating, and a new approach is urgently needed, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said on Friday.

In a statement, IFRC said that without a radical rethink of approaches to humanitarian aid, the root causes of the crisis cannot be tackled sustainably, as time and funding are running out.

“We have been responding with emergency aid in Afghanistan for years now, and it is time for a rethink,” said Alexander Matheou, IFRC Regional Director for Asia Pacific. “We need to focus on Afghan institutions like the Afghan Red Crescent, which have a permanent role in the country. Their capacity is durable and will serve people before and after aid operations. We need to adapt our programming to focus on resilience and economic independence while still showing solidarity and providing assistance after sudden shocks like the Herat earthquake and the current floods.”

He went on to reiterate the IFRC’s call for investment in people.

“With limited access to education and jobs, we need a focus on youth, on professional and vocational training, and other learning opportunities—interventions designed to boost confidence and give hope. Otherwise, the future really does look grim.”

This call comes ahead of a partnership meeting hosted in Doha by the Afghan Red Crescent Society in cooperation with the Qatar Red Crescent Society and attended by participating national societies from Britain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Norway, Sweden, Singapore, and Türkiye, as well as the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China.

“Communities are lurching from crisis to crisis at a time when their resilience is sub-zero and their coping mechanisms are exhausted. We ask our valued partners to take a long-term view and commit to tackling the root causes of the humanitarian crisis sustainably by investing in Afghan capacity, people, and systems,” said Mutiul Haq Khales, the Acting President of the Afghan Red Crescent Society.

“The needs of over 24 million people are vast and interconnected. Many have been caused by a combination of lingering impacts from decades-long conflict, climate shocks, and a deep economic crisis. The country’s resources are stretched, but capacities exist, and it is important that solutions are implemented to address the root causes of all these overlapping needs,” he added.

 

 

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