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Pentagon reports military leaders planning post-withdrawal financial support

Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said on Wednesday that the US is currently focusing on the post-withdrawal support process, which he says will be largely financial.
In a press briefing Wednesday, Kirby said: “I want to stress … that, right now, the focus of the post-withdrawal support to the Afghan … National Defense and Security Forces is going to be largely through financial means, with some over-the-horizon logistical support.”
“For example, aircraft maintenance, that’s really where the focus of the efforts are,” he said.
Marine Corps General Kenneth F. McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, and his staff are working now to develop that plan in Afghanistan before the US leaves, Kirby said.
The Defense Department is also working with the State Department regarding the diplomatic efforts required for over-the-horizon basing opportunities in the region, he added.
Financial support for the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces — meant to provide resources for such things as salaries for soldiers and police — is expected to continue much as it has for most of the last 15 years, Kirby said.
Over-the-horizon capacity includes the ability to continue to protect the United States from the terrorist threats that exist in any nation in the region, even if the US is not specifically in that country. The US already has such capabilities in the Middle East, and more will come.
“We already have at our disposal over-the-horizon counterterrorism capabilities to support our desires that no additional threats to our homeland can emanate from Afghanistan,” Kirby said.
“That said … we want to have additional capabilities, and we’re working through that,” he added.
Kirby also explained why it’s important, once the US leaves Afghanistan, that the airport in Kabul remains secure and open to operations.
“The airport would provide, obviously, aside from the transportation support for people and for equipment … it would also provide a needed logistical hub, not just for our embassy, but for the embassies of other nations that want to maintain diplomatic presence there in Afghanistan,” he said.
“Obviously, in a country like Afghanistan, security of that logistical hub is important, and you want to make sure that, that it can … be properly ensured and protected.”
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Kabul police rescue woman imprisoned in room for 25 years

A woman who was imprisoned in a dark room for 25 years in the Afghan capital has been rescued by police, the Interior Ministry confirmed Thursday.
The woman was held in appalling conditions, in a filthy room, as depicted in images released by the ministry.
The ministry’s spokesman Abdul Matin Qani said the elderly woman, who has not been identified, was hospitalized after being rescued.
“She feels unsafe and afraid whenever she sees other people,” Qani said as he described the woman’s ordeal.
The woman is being treated in a Kabul hospital. Doctors have said she is severely malnourished and very anemic. She was also subjected to mental and physical “harm”.
Doctors confirmed she is very malnourished and has problems with her bones and joints.
Police say she was subjected to years of abuse after separating from her husband. Other problems that plagued her included infertility, having a brother who was allegedly a criminal and a dispute over inheritance.
Kabul police have arrested four of her relatives, including her brother and nephews. Police said the case is being investigated further.
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Turkey’s Maarif Foundation ‘ready’ to reopen schools for girls

Turkey’s Maarif Foundation officials in Afghanistan say they are ready to open their doors to girls above the sixth grade once the suspension is lifted.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, the general director of the foundation Ahmad Takoor said there have been talks with the Islamic Emirate about reopening schools to girls.
“Yes, we talked with the authorities and our meetings are continuing and we will announce again when this issue becomes official; we want girls’ schools to be reopened and we are also talking and waiting for their response and our schools are ready for girls,” said Takoor.
He also said that students who graduated from Afghan-Turkish schools can get scholarships from Turkish universities.
The process of registering new students for Afghan-Turkish schools in Afghanistan has also started, he added.
The students of an Afghan-Turkish high school meanwhile are satisfied with the curriculum of the school, and also called for the reopening of girls’ schools.
Afghan-Turk Maarif Foundation has 25 schools across seven provinces in Afghanistan. They offer pre-school, primary school, high school and training centers. Thousands of students are enrolled at these facilities that employ over 1,000 staff members.
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Uzbek President and Pakistan’s acting PM discuss situation in Afghanistan

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with Pakistan’s Acting Prime Minister Anwar ul-Haq Kakar on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Uzbekistan presidential press service reported.
The discussions primarily revolved around the mutual efforts to further strengthen the strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and Pakistan, with a particular focus on trade, economics, investment, and transportation.
The meeting also involved discussions on regional security, including an assessment of the evolving situation in Afghanistan.
It was emphasized that collaborative efforts are vital for advancing the construction of the Trans-Afghan railway, a project with significant regional implications.
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