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Government Spokesmen Brawl on Twitter
The Afghan presidential palace and Ministry of Foreign Affairs released conflicting statements regarding Taliban’s visit to Pakistan and later on brawled on Twitter.
On October 3, President Ghani’s spokesman Sediq Sediqqi expressed government’s dissatisfaction about the Taliban’s delegation visit from Islamabad. Speaking at a press conference, Mr. Sediqqi said Taliban leaders meeting with Pakistani officials will not help the Afghan peace process.
At the same day, the Foreign Ministry spokesman Sibghatullah Ahmadi welcomed the move, saying we appreciate efforts of those countries facilitating direct talks between the government and Taliban.
Again on Saturday, in a series of statements on twitter, the two officials quarreled each other.
“Policies on peace is announced by Presidential Palace. MFA Spokesman’s latest comments on Taliban-Pakistan meeting or peace process doesn’t reflect the Afghan government views rather its’s his personal remarks,” Ghani’s spokesman wrote on Twitter on October 5.
The Foreign Ministry Spokesman Immediately responded, saying the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the sole implementer of the country’s foreign policy.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the sole implementer of the country’s foreign policy and the entity reflecting on the official positon of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, continues to support the peace process and efforts to facilitate the peace talks,” MoFA’s spokesman Mr. Ahmadi posted on Twitter.
He added that he has solely expressed the official stance of the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In a series of separate tweets, Mr. Ahmadi further said that “some individuals within the government are still in the electoral campaign mood.”
As the argument was tough on Twitter, Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Idrees Zaman appeared at a press conference in Government Media and Information Center in Kabul, saying that any peace efforts by Washington in the absence of Afghan government will be ineffective.
Lawmakers criticized the National Unity Government for having conflicting positions regarding its foreign policy.
“There is no understanding over our foreign policy within the government. The Afghan government has failed to have a unique position at the national and international level and this will have a negative effect over peace and our foreign policy,” said Abdul Wali Niazi, a member of parliament from Badakhshan province.
“The position of Afghan government is clear about peace which is the launch of intra-Afghan dialogue and ceasefire,” said Mir Dad Nejrabi, a lawmaker from Kapisa province.
Earlier reports emerged about disagreements between the presidential palace and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. President Ashraf Ghani ordered a decree for the assessment of appointments in the foreign ministry but Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah suspended the decree, saying it is part of election campaign.
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Medvedev: IEA posed less threat to Russia than western-backed groups
He added that such organisations have consistently pursued one objective: “to break apart the multiethnic people of Russia.”
Russia’s Deputy Chairman of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, has said that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) caused less harm to Russia than Western-backed civic organisations that, he claims, sought to undermine the country’s unity.
In an article published in the Russian journal Rodina, Medvedev wrote that while the IEA had long been designated as a terrorist organisation, its actions did not inflict the same level of damage on Russia as what he described as Western-supported institutions operating under the banner of academic or humanitarian work.
“Let us be honest: the Taliban (IEA) movement, long listed as a terrorist organisation, has caused modern Russia far less damage than all those pseudo-scientific institutions whose aim is to dismantle our country under the guise of aiding the oppressed,” Medvedev stated.
He added that such organisations have consistently pursued one objective: “to break apart the multiethnic people of Russia.”
Medvedev’s remarks come amid a shift in Russia’s official stance toward Afghanistan. In April, Russia’s Supreme Court suspended the ban on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which had previously been included on the country’s list of terrorist organisations.
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U.S. National Guard shooting suspect faces new charges, possible death penalty
The Afghan national accused of shooting two U.S. National Guard members in Washington, D.C., is facing new federal charges that could allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty, authorities said.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced that Rahmanullah Lakanwal has been charged with transporting a firearm and a stolen weapon in interstate commerce with intent to commit a serious crime, Fox News reported on Wednesday. One Guard member, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, was killed in the November 26 attack, while Andrew Wolfe was seriously injured.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said moving the case from Superior Court to federal court allows for a careful review of whether the death penalty is warranted. She noted the impact on Beckstrom’s family and said Wolfe faces a lengthy recovery.
Lakanwal remains charged under D.C. law with first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill and multiple firearms offenses. An FBI affidavit states the revolver used in the shooting was stolen from a Seattle home in May 2023 and later given to Lakanwal in Washington state, where he also purchased additional ammunition.
Investigators say Lakanwal searched locations in Washington, D.C., including the White House, shortly after buying the ammunition. The shooting occurred near the White House on November 26, according to court records.
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