Biden lied about US troops in Afghanistan: McCaul

McCaul noted that 26 August 2021 was the deadliest day for the United States in Afghanistan in over a decade.

Published

2 years ago

June 29, 2024

US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul has said that President Joe Biden’s claim that no American troops were killed in Afghanistan under his administration was not true.

Biden said in the presidential debate with former US President Donald Trump that he was the only president in a decade that “didn’t have any troops dying anywhere in the world.”

“That is a lie, Mr. President,” McCaul said. “I’d like to remind President Biden of the 13 servicemembers that died on his watch during a terrorist attack at Abbey Gate on August 26, 2021, during his deadly and chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.”

He noted that it was the deadliest day for the United States in Afghanistan in over a decade.

“And it will remain a stain on America and American foreign policy for generations. And it happened under Joe Biden’s watch,” McCaul said.

“Shame on him. Shame on him for his heartless comments that disregard the ultimate sacrifice of so many Americans under his tenure as Commander-in-Chief,” he added.

Trump in the presidential debate on CNN also hit out at Biden over America’s global stature which he said is like a “third world nation” today and said Washington is not “respected” anymore.

Trump termed the US withdrawal from Afghanistan as the “most embarrassing day” in the country’s history.

US forces remain postured outside Afghanistan to address threats: Biden

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UNESCO: 2.4 million Afghan girls denied education since 2021

UNESCO estimates that the ban could force around 600,000 Afghan women out of the workforce by 2066 and cause $9.6 billion in lost income. It could also increase the risk of early marriage.

Published

1 hour ago

August 12, 2026

Ariana News

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said on Tuesday around 2.4 million Afghan girls have been denied secondary education since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) returned to power in 2021.

In a statement on Tuesday, UNESCO said Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls and women are officially barred from secondary and higher education.

The organization warned that the restrictions could increase poverty, reduce employment opportunities and cause long-term damage to Afghanistan’s future.

UNESCO estimates that the ban could force around 600,000 Afghan women out of the workforce by 2066 and cause $9.6 billion in lost income. It could also increase the risk of early marriage.

Girls’ secondary schools were closed in March 2022, followed by a ban on women attending universities in December of the same year. The IEA initially described the restrictions as temporary, but they remain in place.

UNESCO also warned that the restrictions could worsen Afghanistan’s shortage of female teachers. It estimates the country could face a shortage of more than 11,000 qualified female teachers by 2030.

The organization said more than 90% of 10-year-old children in Afghanistan cannot read a simple text, while the national literacy rate is around 37%.

Nearly half of the country’s schools also lack adequate access to water, sanitation or heating, UNESCO said.

According to the report, around three million people returned to Afghanistan in 2025, putting further pressure on the education system. Since 2021, earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters have also forced around 1,000 schools to close.

The Islamic Emirate has not yet responded to the statement. It has previously said that girls’ education is an internal issue for Afghanistan and that efforts are underway to find a solution.

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Russian firm eyes investment in Afghanistan’s power plants

Published

14 hours ago

August 11, 2026

Ariana News

Russia’s Power Machines Company is interested in investing in the rehabilitation and modernization of Afghanistan’s power plants, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) said on Tuesday.

DABS Chief Executive Officer Abdul Haq Hamkar discussed the potential investment with technical officials from Power Machines, with talks focusing on rehabilitating existing power plants, modernizing equipment and expanding power-generation capacity.

According to DABS, Hamkar said the company would cooperate in facilitating preliminary technical assessments of Afghanistan’s power plants and in exploring investment opportunities in the sector.

Denis Rudakov, head of Power Machines’ commercial department, said the Russian company plans to conduct preliminary technical assessments of existing power plants in Afghanistan.

Based on the findings, Power Machines will prepare proposals for rehabilitating facilities, modernizing equipment and increasing electricity-generation capacity, DABS said.

Afghanistan currently has several operational power plants, while efforts are underway to increase their generation capacity and upgrade their equipment, according to DABS.

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IEA denies it is holding Afghan-American Mahmood Shah Habibi

Published

22 hours ago

August 11, 2026

Ariana News

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), on Tuesday denied that IEA authorities detained Mahmood Shah Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman the US claims disappeared in Kabul four years ago.

“We have no information about Mahmood Shah Habibi. He is not with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. If he were, this issue would have been resolved long ago,” Mujahid said.

His remarks came a day after the FBI marked the fourth anniversary of Habibi’s disappearance and renewed its appeal for information about his whereabouts.

According to the FBI, Habibi disappeared near his home in Kabul on August 10, 2022. At the time, he was working as a consultant for Asia Consultancy Group, a Kabul-based telecommunications company. He had previously served as Afghanistan’s director of civil aviation.

The FBI has alleged that Habibi was detained by the IEA’s General Directorate of Intelligence.

The FBI has continued its investigation and in 2025 released a missing-persons poster for Habibi. The U.S. State Department has also offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his location, recovery and return.