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Ex-Nato head says Putin wanted to join alliance early on in his rule
Vladimir Putin wanted Russia to join NATO but did not want his country to have to go through the usual application process and stand in line “with a lot of countries that don’t matter”, the former NATO chief, George Robertson said this week.
Robertson, a former Labour defence secretary who led Nato between 1999 and 2004, said Putin made it clear at their first meeting that he wanted Russia to be part of western Europe, the UK’s Guardian reported.
“They wanted to be part of that secure, stable, prosperous west that Russia was out of at the time,” he said.
Robertson recalled an early meeting with Putin, who became Russian president in 2000. “Putin said: ‘When are you going to invite us to join NATO?’ And [Robertson] said: ‘Well, we don’t invite people to join NATO, they apply to join NATO.’ And he said: ‘Well, we’re not standing in line with a lot of countries that don’t matter’.”
Robertson’s comments underscore how Putin’s worldview has evolved during his 21 years of unbroken rule of Russia, the Guardian reported.
Robertson also recalled how he became the first and only NATO secretary general to invoke NATO’s collective defence clause, known as article five, in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.
After the 9/11 attacks, many NATO allies joined the US in invading Afghanistan, with NATO taking over the mission command in 2003.
Robertson was however critical of the US’s chaotic withdrawal two months ago, but contended that the 20-year long mission of western military forces made a difference, despite the return of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).
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Blast at Kabul school injures at least 52
An explosion at a school in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, on Monday injured at least 52 people, according to sources.
The blast, caused by a hand grenade, occurred at around 4:55 p.m. at Sham-e Hedayat Private School in Mahdiya Township, located in Kabul’s 18th security district.
According to sources, the grenade was in the hands of a student when it exploded.
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Juma Khan Fateh surrenders to IEA forces in Badakhshan
According to the sources, Fateh’s remaining associates are expected to be disarmed, while IEA forces are set to establish full control over the area.
Juma Khan Fateh and his forces have surrendered to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) in Nusay district of Badakhshan province following several days of pressure and encirclement, security sources told Ariana News.
Sources said increasing pressure on Fateh’s group left them with no option but to surrender. Fateh and his fighters reportedly laid down their weapons at positions held by IEA forces in Nusay.
Qari Fasihuddin Fitrat, the IEA’s Army Chief of Staff, had travelled to Nusay to oversee the situation and the operation against Fateh’s group.
According to the sources, Fateh’s remaining associates are expected to be disarmed, while IEA forces are set to establish full control over the area.
The reported surrender marks the latest development in the security situation in Nusay, although further details about the terms of the surrender and the number of fighters involved were not immediately available.
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Afghanistan Supreme Court says rights of almost 119,000 women addressed over five years
The courts also handled 8,904 cases related to women’s maintenance and other associated rights, according to Hamza.
Afghanistan’s Supreme Court says the country’s courts have addressed the legal and Sharia-based rights of 118,869 women over the past five years.
Mansoor Ahmad Hamza, deputy spokesman for the Supreme Court, said the cases covered a range of issues, including inheritance, property, maintenance, documentation and other legal matters.
Hamza said courts handled 12,976 cases involving women’s inheritance and property rights during the five-year period. Another 9,021 inheritance-related cases were registered for information gathering and review.
He added that 18,750 cases involving the registration, verification and certification of women’s property and related documents were addressed, while 22,703 cases concerned the processing of inheritance and property documents.
The courts also handled 8,904 cases related to women’s maintenance and other associated rights, according to Hamza.
He said inheritance, property, dowry, maintenance and other rights granted to women under Islamic Sharia are recognized as established rights, and that courts are required to examine such cases carefully and impartially in accordance with Sharia and applicable laws.
Hamza added that judicial proceedings involving women’s rights will continue, with the aim of ensuring that eligible individuals receive their legal and religious rights and preventing those rights from being denied or lost.
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