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Former US diplomat: Sending diplomats back to Afghanistan would confer legitimacy on IEA
Amid reports of the US mulling the reopening of its consulate in Afghanistan, a former US diplomat and an Afghan diplomat have said that sending US diplomats back to Afghanistan without any concessions from the Islamic Emirate would not be neutral.
Annie Pforzheimer, former deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan, and Ashraf Haidari, Afghan ambassador to Sri Lanka (appointed by the former government), said in an opinion in The Hill that an operational US embassy in Kabul would lead to other countries opening their missions, serving as an endorsement of the IEA.
“After all, an embassy is not a newspaper bureau of independent foreign correspondents; it is an ecosystem of diplomats whose presence would confer an unearned legitimacy on the Taliban (IEA) and require a strengthening of ties,” they wrote.
They said that given ongoing security threats, U.S. diplomats would need IEA guards on the compound and armed IEA escorts to move around; those diplomats’ meetings with Afghans would be as honest as a visit to “a Soviet-era Potemkin village”.
According to them, so much has been lost since the “ill-fated” Doha Agreement was signed four years ago.
“The only lever of international suasion remaining rests with diplomatic recognition and paths to power and money, which the Taliban want to possess without changing their ideology or repression,” they wrote.
They called on the U.S. and like-minded countries to strengthen their commitment to the Afghan people, rather than to concede to the IEA.
They said that the future UN special envoy’s nearly impossible job is to be the voice of a unitary international position on Afghanistan.
Earlier, VOA reported that the United States is reviewing the possibility of reopening its consulate in Afghanistan under the Islamic Emirate rule without formally recognizing it as a government.
US officials, however, rejected the report.
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Turkish intelligence captures a Daesh member near the Durand Line
Turkish intelligence agents have captured a senior member of Daesh near the Durand Line, reportedly preventing planned suicide attacks in Turkey and other countries, according to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency on Monday.
The suspect, identified as Mehmet Goren, is a Turkish citizen. He was apprehended during a covert operation and transferred to Turkey. Details on the timing of the operation or the involvement of Afghan and Pakistani authorities were not disclosed.
According to the report, Goren had risen through the ranks of Daesh and was allegedly tasked with carrying out suicide bombings in Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Europe.
Daesh has a history of deadly attacks in Turkey, including the January 1, 2017 shooting at an Istanbul nightclub that killed 39 people.
Anadolu Agency reported that Goren’s arrest also provided intelligence on the group’s recruitment strategies and planned activities.
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Dozens of needy families in Kabul receive winter aid from Bayat Foundation
Dozens of needy families in Kabul’s fifth district have received essential winter assistance from the Bayat Foundation, as part of ongoing efforts to ease hardship during the cold season and worsening economic conditions.
According to foundation officials, the aid package includes staple food items such as flour, rice, and cooking oil, along with warm blankets to help families cope with freezing temperatures. Haji Mohammad Ismail, Deputy Head of Bayat Foundation, said the distribution began in Kabul and will soon be expanded to other provinces.
“Our assistance includes flour, rice, cooking oil, and blankets,” Ismail said. “Today, we started distributing these items in Kabul’s fifth district, and God willing, the aid will reach other provinces in the near future.”
Afghanistan continues to face widespread poverty, unemployment, and food insecurity, with many families struggling to meet basic needs, particularly during winter when access to work and heating becomes more difficult.Humanitarian organizations and charitable foundations have stepped up relief efforts to support those most affected.
Beneficiaries welcomed the assistance, describing it as a lifeline. “May God bless you for helping the poor. We had nothing and no work,” said one recipient. Another added, “Thank you for your help. Our flour was almost finished.”
Bayat Foundation officials stressed that winter aid distributions will continue in Kabul and other provinces in the coming days, as part of their broader commitment to supporting needy families across the country.
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Nearly seven million Afghan refugees return home since Islamic Emirate’s takeover
Since the Islamic Emirate came to power, approximately 6.8 million Afghans have returned home, either voluntarily or forcibly, from neighboring countries and other nations, according to the Minister of Refugees and Repatriation.
Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, speaking at a meeting on finalizing a draft plan for a permanent migration solution in Afghanistan, added that 1.3 million Afghans have been internally displaced due to natural disasters during the same period.
With winter approaching, widespread poverty and severe cold are threatening thousands of lives. Meanwhile, the forced expulsion of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries, particularly Iran and Pakistan, continues.
The Islamic Emirate has repeatedly urged neighboring states to allow migrants to return voluntarily. According to UNHCR, over two million Afghans have returned from Iran and Pakistan since the start of 2025.
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