Connect with us

Latest News

US commission opens inquiry of Afghanistan war

The 16-member bipartisan panel has been tasked by Congress with determining what went wrong and what US leaders could do differently the next time the United States goes to war.

Published

on

(Last Updated On: )

A coterie of former US government officials and academics on Friday opened what will be an extensive examination of America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan, the nation’s longest conflict.

 “Today we make history,” said Shamila N. Chaudhary, co-chair of the Afghanistan War Commission, the Washington Post reported. “Never before has the United States commissioned such a wide-ranging independent legislative assessment of its own decision-making in the aftermath of a conflict.”

The 16-member bipartisan panel has been tasked by Congress with determining what went wrong and what US leaders could do differently the next time the United States goes to war. Their mandate encompasses policies and actions taken by four presidential administrations, the US military, the State Department, US allies, and many other agencies, organizations and people.

The commission has 18 months to carry out its research and until August 2026 to deliver a final public report.

The chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan has repeatedly been criticized by some members of the Congress and the Republicans.

The Republican-led House Foreign Affairs Committee is expected next month to deliver a final report detailing the findings of its investigation of the withdrawal.

The war commission’s 4½-hour discussion Friday, held in Washington, featured former ambassadors, military officers and CIA personnel as witnesses. It drew a small crowd of observers, many of whom were also connected to the war.

Colin F. Jackson, co-chair of the commission said it will endeavor to produce “a full, objective, rigorous, unvarnished and unflinching account of our performance as a government and a military,”

There were convoluted chains of command throughout the war; disruptive personality clashes between American decision-makers and agencies; and commanding officers served tours of duty that were so short as to represent “the institutional equivalent of a frontal lobotomy,” said another witness, Ronald Neumann, a former ambassador to Afghanistan.

There was a terribly devised system for parliamentary elections that invited fraud, said Noah Coburn, a political anthropologist who provided testimony Friday. There was too much public meddling in Afghan politics by US leaders, and too little policy input solicited from the Afghans. Poor US decisions when it came to security partners, development and investments fueled corruption, which spread mistrust of the government and support for the anti-government Islamic Emirate, said Coburn.

Among the obvious points of interest, Jackson said, will be the decision to invade Afghanistan in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The commissioners will examine the decision to surge US forces in Afghanistan in 2009. They will look at the decision-making that went into negotiations with the Islamic Emirate. And of course, they will look at decisions related to the withdrawal.

 “For so many of us, the war still lingers in our minds. We carry the moral, physical and emotional injuries in our daily lives,” Chaudhary said. “Closure may not be possible for everyone.” But a space is needed for “civic discourse,” she added.

Latest News

Civil war devastated Afghans more than the Soviet invasion, says Fitrat

Published

on

(Last Updated On: )

The civil war inflicted greater harm on the people of Afghanistan than the Soviet invasion, Fasihuddin Fitrat, Chief of the Army Staff of the Islamic Emirate, said on Monday

“The Soviet Red Army invasion did not make the Afghan people as miserable as the civil wars and power struggles made,” he said at a ceremony marking the 33rd anniversary of the mujahideen’s victory against the former Soviet-backed regime.

Fitrat warned that if someone is thinking of occupying Afghanistan using those who have fled the country, the Afghan people are ready to fight against them even if takes thousands of years.

“No matter how they impose war on the people of Afghanistan, the people have the courage and heroism,” he said. “Their honor will never allow them to be controlled by someone else. They will fight against them. They have fought for four and a half decades and are ready to fight for thousands more. If anyone thinks of occupying our country, they will fight against them.”

Acting Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs, Alhaji Mullah Noorullah Noori also stressed that Afghanistan will soon will compete with other countries in political, economic and security sectors.

“The day will come when Afghanistan will compete with the world’s major countries in every field, politically, economically, security,” he said.

Acting Minister of Information and Culture Khairullah Khairkhwa called on the officials of the Islamic Emirate to refrain from “power worship,” warning that it would lead to the collapse of the government.

“If, God forbid, we revive the past and there is power worship here again and we try to increase our influence, the regime will collapse and the people will become divided,” he said.

At the ceremony, the Chief of Staff of Army also stressed the dignified return of refugees from neighboring countries, adding that humiliating them is unacceptable for the Islamic Emirate.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Qatar’s Prime Minister meets with Afghanistan’s foreign minister

According to Gulf Times, the two officials reviewed the latest developments in Afghanistan and discussed ways to support the Afghan people.

Published

on

(Last Updated On: )

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met with Afghanistan’s Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi who is currently visiting the country.

According to Gulf Times, the two officials reviewed the latest developments in Afghanistan and discussed ways to support the Afghan people.

Al-Thani emphasized the State of Qatar’s unwavering support for all segments of the Afghan people and its continued efforts to achieve security, stability, prosperity, and a dignified life in Afghanistan.

A source told Ariana News that Muttaqi arrived in Qatar on Sunday. No further details on his trip were given.

Continue Reading

Latest News

WFP air services in Afghanistan may be suspended due to funding crisis

According to WFP, the organization urgently needs $10.5 million in funding to continue its relief flights in 2025.

Published

on

(Last Updated On: )

The UN’s World Food Program (WFP) in Afghanistan has announced the possible suspension of its air services in the country due to a severe shortage of funding.

WFP is one of the largest humanitarian organizations in Afghanistan and the air services have played a vital role in transporting humanitarian aid, especially to areas difficult to reach by land.

In a message posted on X, the WFP explained that in the past, when roads were blocked, air services were the only way to deliver aid to remote areas of Afghanistan. This aid included food, medicine, and other essential items that are essential for the survival of millions of people in need in Afghanistan.

According to WFP, the organization urgently needs $10.5 million in funding to continue its relief flights in 2025.

In addition, the WFP stated that humanitarian needs in Afghanistan continue to increase and  millions of people across the country are dependent on humanitarian assistance.

WFP stated that if air services are stopped, it will become very difficult, if not impossible, to deliver vital aid to areas that are not accessible by road.

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2025 Ariana News. All rights reserved!