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JD Vance defends Trump’s order to suspend refugee program

Vance previously told CBS in August that he did not think Washington should abandon people who have “been properly vetted and actually helped us.”

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In his first interview since taking office, US Vice President JD Vance on Saturday defended President Donald Trump’s flurry of executive orders, and his suspension of the refugee program.

Speaking to CBS on Sunday night, Vance dismissed concerns that the White House was not prioritizing US economic fears, and argued that suspending the nation’s refugee admissions program was justified.

Hours after taking office on Jan. 20, Trump suspended the US Refugee Admissions Program, leaving thousands of Afghans stranded at airports, some of whom had worked with the US prior to its withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Vance previously told CBS in August that he did not think Washington should abandon people who have “been properly vetted and actually helped us.”

The refugee program is an 18- to 24-month process that involves interviews, medical screenings and security vetting.

Refugee applicants must prove they are fleeing persecution before being allowed into the US.

Vance on Saturday seemed to reverse course, questioning whether the program had “properly vetted” the refugees.

“Now that we know that we have vetting problems with a lot of these refugee programs, we absolutely cannot unleash thousands of unvetted people into our country,” Vance declared, without detailing how the refugee program’s vetting process may be faulty.

He provided the example of an Afghan national who came to the US immediately after the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

The man was arrested in Oklahoma in October on federal charges of planning an election day terrorist attack in support of the Islamic State (Daesh).

“He was allegedly properly vetted, and many people in the media and the Democratic Party said that he was properly vetted,” Vance claimed of the suspect. “Clearly, he wasn’t.”

However, CBS News reported at the time that the suspect did not arrive via the refugee process. Instead, he was paroled into the country, like most Afghan evacuees, and allowed to live in the country temporarily under that immigration authority while he applied for a Special Immigrant Visa.

Afghans pulled from flights

Over 1,500 Afghans cleared by the US government to resettle in the US, including family members of active-duty US military personnel, have had their flights canceled under Trump’s order.

The group includes unaccompanied minors awaiting reunification with their families in the US as well as Afghans who fought for the former US-backed Afghan government, said Shawn VanDiver, head of the #AfghanEvac coalition of US veterans and advocacy groups and a US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The US decision also leaves in limbo thousands of other Afghans who have been approved for resettlement as refugees in the US but have not yet been assigned flights from Afghanistan or from neighboring Pakistan, they said.

“Afghans and advocates are panicking,” said VanDiver.

VanDiver’s organization is the main coalition that has been working with the US government to evacuate and resettle Afghans in America.

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IEA should respond to Pakistan’s security concerns with concrete actions: Andrabi

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Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Hussain Andrabi says both Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Sadyr Japarov, the President of Kyrgyzstan, who visited Islamabad on Thursday, expressed their mutual commitment to a peaceful, stable Afghanistan with a sustainable future for the Afghan people.

Speaking in a press conference on Friday, Andrabi stated that both sides agreed that the Islamic Emirate must fulfill its obligations toward the international community and take concrete steps against terrorist groups to address Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns.

This comes while the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has repeatedly emphasized that no terrorist groups operate from Afghan territory and that it will not allow anyone to use Afghan soil against any country.

The Islamic Emirate has also stated that Pakistan’s security concerns are an internal issue of that country, and Pakistan itself must take measures to prevent any security incidents.

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Malaysia’s PM calls peaceful solution to Afghanistan-Pakistan tensions

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Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has voiced deep concern over escalating tensions between the Afghanistan–Pakistan during a telephone conversation with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Anwar said he emphasized Malaysia’s concerns regarding regional stability and urged all parties to pursue a peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomatic engagement to prevent further escalation.

His remarks follow media reports indicating heightened tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan after a series of attacks in October.

During the call, the two leaders also exchanged views on several aspects of Malaysia–Pakistan bilateral relations.

Anwar also briefed Sharif on the ongoing flood situation in Malaysia and similar challenges facing neighboring countries, including Indonesia and Thailand.

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Afghanistan makes major strides in cutting drug trafficking, says Putin

Putin stated that Afghan authorities have “substantially reduced” opium cultivation and are “seriously confronting” drug-related threats from within their borders.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin says Afghanistan has taken “active and effective” steps to curb drug trafficking, noting a significant drop in opium production across the country. He made the remarks during an exclusive interview with India Today during his India trip, highlighting what he described as “visible progress” in Afghanistan’s internal security efforts.

Putin stated that Afghan authorities have “substantially reduced” opium cultivation and are “seriously confronting” drug-related threats from within their borders. He added that Afghanistan has also made important advancements in the fight against terrorism.

Responding to a question about why Russia officially recognized the Islamic Emirate, the Russian president said Afghanistan had been engulfed in civil conflict for many years, but the current authorities now hold control over the country. “This is the reality, and it must be acknowledged,” Putin emphasized.

He further noted that maintaining contact with Afghanistan’s leadership is crucial for shaping events inside the country. “If you want influence, you must engage with the people in charge — and that is exactly what we are doing,” he said.

Putin’s remarks come as several regional powers continue to recalibrate their diplomatic strategies toward Afghanistan, focusing on stability, counterterrorism, and economic cooperation.

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