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On eve of takeover anniversary, Ghani defends decision to flee Afghanistan
On the eve of the anniversary of the Islamic Emirate’s takeover of Kabul, Afghanistan’s former president on Sunday defended what he said was a split-second decision to flee, saying he wanted to avoid the humiliation of surrender to the insurgents.
Ashraf Ghani also told CNN that on the morning of August 15, 2021, with the IEA at the gates of the Afghan capital, he was the last one at the presidential palace after his guards had disappeared. He said the defense minister told him earlier that day that Kabul could not be defended, Associated Press reported.
Ghani had previously sought to justify his actions on the day Kabul fell but offered more details Sunday. He alleged that one of the cooks in the palace had been offered $100,000 to poison him and that he felt his immediate environment was no longer safe.
“The reason I left was because I did not want to give the Taliban (IEA) and their supporters the pleasure of yet again humiliating an Afghan president and making him sign over the legitimacy of the government,” he said. “I have never been afraid.”
Critics say Ghani’s sudden and secret departure August 15 left the city rudderless as U.S. and NATO forces were in the final stages of their chaotic withdrawal from the country after 20 years.
Ghani also denied persistent allegations that he took tens of millions of dollars in cash with him as he and other officials fled in helicopters.
In a report issued last week, a congressional watchdog said it’s unlikely Ghani and his senior advisers transported that much cash on the escape helicopters, AP reported.
“The hurried nature of their departure, the emphasis on passengers over cargo, the payload and performance limitations of the helicopters, and the consistent alignment in detailed accounts from witnesses on the ground and in the air all suggest that there was little more than $500,000 in cash on board the helicopters,” wrote the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, which has tried to monitor the massive U.S. spending in the country over the years.
The agency added, “It remains a strong possibility that significant amounts of U.S. currency disappeared from Afghan government property in the chaos of the Taliban (IEA) takeover, including millions from the presidential palace” and the vault of the National Directorate of Security. The report, however, said the watchdog was unable to determine how much money was stolen and by whom.
In the end, the IEA seized the capital without significant fighting last August, capping a weekslong military blitz in which they rapidly captured provincial capitals without much resistance from the increasingly demoralized Afghan security forces.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has urged spokespersons of all Emirate institutions to intensify efforts aimed at strengthening information dissemination and expanding cooperation with media outlets.
Speaking at a coordination meeting held on Tuesday at the Government Information and Media Center, Mujahid praised the efforts of institutional spokespersons in sharing information and described their role in improving the effectiveness and coordination of public communication as important.
He stressed the need for continued cooperation and called on spokespersons to play a more active role in strengthening government-related content through media platforms and the Parmakhtag website.
Mujahid also highlighted the importance of media in delivering information, raising public awareness, reflecting realities, and strengthening public trust in the government.
Noorullah Noori, Minister of Borders, Ethnic and Tribal Affairs, says that objectives such as establishing an Islamic system, ensuring security, and achieving national unity in Afghanistan have now been fulfilled, and has called on opponents of the Islamic Emirate living abroad to return to the country.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Noori addressed opponents of the Islamic Emirate, saying: “If your jihad against the Russians was aimed at establishing an Islamic system, ensuring security, and achieving national unity, then today these objectives have been achieved in Afghanistan. Return to your country and present whatever suggestions or opinions you may have.”
Noori added that opponents of the Islamic Emirate based in Turkey, Pakistan, and several other countries should stop claiming that they seek to “liberate Afghanistan,” because Afghanistan is now a free country. He warned that no one will be given permission or the opportunity to cause bloodshed in the country again.
He urged them to come back to Afghanistan and present any proposals or demands they may have regarding the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
He said: “What is your voice, your message, and your demand? Our country has regained its freedom from occupiers, and today there is not a single foreign soldier present anywhere in Afghanistan. So, from whom do you intend to liberate the country? Return to your homeland and put forward your proposals. The people of Afghanistan have learned from the past. Today, not even a single dead body is seen across Afghanistan, and Afghans neither expect to see coffins again, nor will anyone be given the opportunity to cause bloodshed in this country once more.”
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Khalilzad urges Pakistan to heed UN call for dialogue with Afghanistan
His comments came after Guterres urged all parties to protect civilians and comply with international humanitarian law following Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces.
Former US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has called on Pakistan to respond positively to the United Nations’ appeal for dialogue, saying Afghanistan has consistently sought a diplomatic solution to tensions between the two neighboring countries.
In a post on X, Khalilzad referred to UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ call for Afghanistan and Pakistan to end hostilities and resolve their differences through diplomacy.
He said Afghanistan has repeatedly made clear that it prefers dialogue over conflict and has presented several proposals aimed at reducing tensions.
“Will the Pakistani establishment listen to the UN Secretary-General? I hope so, but I am not optimistic,” Khalilzad wrote.
His comments came a day after Guterres urged all parties to protect civilians and comply with international humanitarian law following Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces of Paktia, Paktika and Kunar.
Speaking on behalf of the UN chief, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the Secretary-General was deeply concerned by the escalation and called on both countries to settle their differences through diplomatic means.
“We continue to call on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and stress that civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times,” Dujarric said.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said numerous civilians were killed and injured in the overnight airstrikes, while humanitarian agencies warned that the attacks had also displaced families and created urgent humanitarian needs.
According to Afghan authorities, at least 36 civilians were killed and more than 160 others wounded in the strikes, with women, children and elderly people among the casualties.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan condemned the strikes as a violation of the country’s sovereignty and airspace, describing them as a “crime” and a “cowardly act.”
Relations between Kabul and Islamabad have deteriorated sharply in recent months over Durand Line security and militancy, with both sides accusing each other of failing to prevent cross-frontier attacks. The latest exchange has heightened concerns of further escalation, prompting renewed international calls for restraint and dialogue.
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