Latest News
Taliban Founder Mullah Omar ‘Lived Close to U.S. Bases’
Mullah Mohammad Omar, the founder of the Taliban, had lived in hideout close to a U.S. base in southern Afghanistan until his death, a new book on Omar’s biography has claimed.
According to “The Secret Life of Mullah Omar” written by Bette Dam, a Dutch journalist, and writer, the Taliban leader had never hidden in Pakistan as believed by the U.S.
Omar had lived in hiding only three miles away from a U.S. Base in Zabul province, Dam’s research indicates.
Bette Dam has been reporting from Afghanistan since 2006. She has worked on the biography of Mullah Omar for more than five years and a summary of her findings was published by the Guardian and the Wall Street Journal last month.
Ms. Dam had interviewed a number of Taliban leaders including Jabbar Omari who served Mullah Omar as a bodyguard after their regime collapsed in 2001.
Omari told Dam that he hid the Taliban leader until his death from illness in 2013.
This comes as a $10m bounty on Omar’s head was put after the 9/11 attacks in the U.S but the American forces failed to find his hiding place.
Meanwhile, the Afghan government on Monday rejected a report, “We strongly reject this delusional claim and we see it as an effort to create and build an identity for the Taliban and their foreign backers,” President Ghani’s Spokesman Haroon Chakhansuri tweeted on Monday.
“We have sufficient evidence which shows he (Mullah Omar) lived & died in Pakistan,” he added.
Two hundred tons of emergency relief from Uzbekistan for flood victims has arrived at the Hairatan border post in northern Afghanistan and handed over to representatives of the Islamic Emirate on Tuesday.
The aid from Uzbekistan for flood victims included 48 tons of flour, 22 tons of rice, 100 tents, and 96 water tanks.
Rahmatul Haq Fazil, Afghanistan’s deputy minister of foreign affairs, said relations between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan were historical and that Uzbekistan has always cooperated with the people of Afghanistan and taken positive steps in the political, economic, commercial and transit sectors.
At the same time, Ismatullah Irgashev, Uzbekistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, said a path has been paved for the expansion of relations between the two countries.
Since the Islamic Emirate’s return to power in August 2021, Uzbekistan has sent in 10 shipments of aid following a spate of natural disasters over the past two and a half years.
Foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) met in the Kazakh capital this week and discussed issues around promoting stabilization in Afghanistan, combating terrorism and drug threats.
According to Kazakh media reports, the participants also discussed preparations for the upcoming SCO Head of State Summit scheduled for July and the Middle East situation.
China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, India and Pakistan are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
The organization recognizes Afghanistan, Mongolia, Belarus, Iraq and Sri Lanka as observers, but the Islamic Emirate has not been invited to the meeting.
SCO members have repeatedly expressed concerns about a terrorism threat from Afghanistan.
But the Islamic Emirate has emphasized repeatedly that it will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any other country.
Turkish Airlines resumed its flights to Afghanistan with its first flight landing at Kabul International Airport on Tuesday, after almost three years.
Turkish charge d’affaires in Kabul, Cenk Unal, said at a ceremony to mark the occasion that the resumption of Turkish Airlines flights to Afghanistan is a clear example of the expansion of friendly and historical relations between the two countries.
He added that Turkish Airlines flies to numerous countries, and flights to Afghanistan will help expand cultural and commercial relations.
Officials of the Ministry of Transport stated that the resumption of Turkish Airlines flights shows that the people of Turkey stand with the people of Afghanistan in any circumstances.
They called on other international airlines to also resume flights saying that currently Kabul airport is safe and secure.
Turkish Airlines currently has 454 modern aircraft. It connects 348 destinations in six continents and in 130 countries.
200 tons of aid from Uzbekistan arrives in Afghanistan for flood victims
SCO foreign ministers discuss promotion of stability in Afghanistan
Turkish Airlines resumes flights to Afghanistan after three year hiatus
US says it was ‘unable’ to provide Iran assistance after helicopter crash
EU provides 400,000 euros to assist flood victims in Afghanistan
Afghanistan announce T20 World Cup 2024 squad
Rashid Khan named AWCC’s brand ambassador
New Zealand to go ahead with Afghanistan cricket Test
Afghanistan beat Iraq 5-3, inch closer to Futsal World Cup berth
Afghanistan qualify for FIFA Futsal World Cup for first time ever
Tahawol: Iranian president’s death discussed
Saar: Upcoming UN Doha meeting on Afghanistan discussed
Tahawol: Concerns over spread of floods in the country discussed
Tahawol: Killing of 3 foreign tourists in Bamyan province
Saar: Efforts to solve Afghanistan’s political issue discussed
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