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‘Desperation will never bring peace’ – Opinion
A former Pentagon official has said that desperation for the Afghanistan peace deal creates a dangerous precedent.
Michael Rubin, a famous American writer, and a former Pentagon official, has said in his latest analytical piece, “Khalilzad’s increasing desperation – ignoring and excusing terrorism and demanding other countries do likewise – will never bring peace; rather, it will simply condemn the region to greater bloodshed.”
In this piece of writing, he says that since Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban representatives have signed the agreement, violence has only increased.
“It is against such a backdrop that Khalilzad’s exculpation of Taliban involvement in attacks earlier this week on a funeral procession in Nangarhar and a maternity ward in Kabul must be taken with a grain of salt,” he wrote.
According to him, Afghan authorities say they have developed compelling evidence which indicates that the Taliban are responsible for the funeral and the maternity ward attacks; while Khalilzad urges all officials to take his word for it before investigations are complete.
Rubin believes that the “envoy is acting dishonestly in order to keep the agreement he signed on life support.”
He says it never hurts to talk to enemies, but if one side seeks peace and the other looks at diplomacy as an asymmetric warfare strategy, talks will not succeed.
“Calibrating national security to wishful thinking rather than reality is always unwise,” he says.
He underscores that Khalilzad’s demands of negotiating with a group that believes Hindus and other non-Sunni Muslims deserve death could undercut broader U.S. counterterrorism policies.
He wrote that the more Khalilzad wants the peace agreement to succeed, the more the Taliban tries to condemn the agreement to failure.
“Desperation for Afghanistan peace deal creates dangerous precedent” (my latest for @dcexaminer ) https://t.co/o9uB08SxDY @AEIfdp #Afghanistan #Taliban @US4AfghanPeace
— Michael Rubin (@mrubin1971) May 16, 2020
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High-level Uzbek delegation arrives in Kabul to boost bilateral trade
A high-level government–private sector delegation from Uzbekistan, led by Shukhrat Abdullazakov, Governor of Namangan province, arrived in Kabul to enhance trade between the two countries and promote investment in Afghanistan.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Industry, the delegation, which includes deputy governors and more than 30 of Uzbekistan’s top businesspeople and investors, will meet with officials of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and participate in conferences and trade meetings.
The delegation will also travel to Balkh, meet with local officials, and hold business meetings with members of the private sector.
Additionally, the delegation will inaugurate an exhibition of Uzbek products and goods in Mazar-i-Sharif.
This visit follows the trip of Erkinjon Turdimov, Governor of Uzbekistan’s Syrdarya Province, and his accompanying delegation, and is based on meetings between Nuruddin Azizi, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Islamic Emirate, and senior Uzbek officials.
Other governors from Uzbekistan are also expected to visit Afghanistan to further expand bilateral trade and economic relations.
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Herat Chamber of Commerce donates 15 million AFN to the people of Iran
The Herat Chamber of Commerce and Investment announced on Saturday that national traders, jointly through the chamber, have provided approximately 15 million AFN in aid to the people of Iran.
The chamber stated that this aid package was delivered to the Iranian Consulate in Herat. It added that the assistance was intended to express solidarity with families affected by the war.
Mohammad Younes Qazizadeh, head of the Herat Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said: “Today we have presented 15 million AFN to the dear people of Iran through the Herat provincial authorities and the Iranian Consulate, and this aid will continue.”
Meanwhile, officials at the Iranian Consulate in Herat emphasized that Afghanistan and Iran always stand together and fully understand each other’s difficulties.
The Herat Chamber of Commerce and Investment also highlighted that the people of Iran have consistently supported the people of Afghanistan during various crises, and their cooperation in different sectors has reached families affected in the country.
Officials of the Herat Chamber of Commerce and Investment stressed that the process of private-sector humanitarian aid to the affected people of Iran will continue.
Following attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran, many people in the country have been affected and harmed.
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Severe floods in Badghis leave five dead
Local officials in Badghis have reported that heavy rainfall from midnight until Saturday morning claimed the lives of five people in the province.
According to officials, three people died in Qadis district, while two others, including a three-year-old child, lost their lives in Dara-e-Bum district.
The Badghis Department for Disaster Management stated that the floods not only caused fatalities but also inflicted significant financial losses on local residents and destroyed agricultural land.
However, complete information on the extent of damage and casualties is not yet available. Staff from various government departments have been dispatched to affected areas to conduct preliminary surveys.
Meanwhile, heavy rains and floods in western Afghanistan temporarily blocked the Herat–Kandahar Highway.
According to Mohammad Israil Sayar, head of the Disaster Management Department in Farah province, recent rainfall has caused the Farah River to swell significantly. He added that the situation has now returned to normal, and traffic along the highway has resumed.
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