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Washington a ‘ghost town’ ahead of Biden’s inauguration

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Central Washington is an armed fortress, fenced off with razor wire and surrounded by 25,000 National Guard troops ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday, a stark contrast to previous inaugurations, when the United States capital erupted in days of celebration.
 
The COVID-19 pandemic had already canceled the inaugural balls and now the National Mall is closed to the public due to threats of violence from groups who attacked the US Capitol on January 6, Reuters reported. 
 
Almost none of the public will witness firsthand the transition of power, souring the mood of Washingtonians.
 
“It’s like a ghost town but with soldiers,” said Dana O’Connor, who walked with her husband past concrete barriers near the White House on Sunday. “It’s eerie. It feels super unnatural.”
 
Reuters reported that previous inaugurations sometimes drew over a million spectators to the National Mall, to watch the ceremony from giant television screens and the new president parading on foot from the Capitol to the White House. 
 
Presidential inaugurations are normally high-security events, with metal detectors at key entry points, restricted ID-only zones and National Guard supplementing local and federal law enforcement. But the level of precautions this year is unprecedented.
 
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said on Sunday that law enforcement officials had no choice but to ramp up security after the deadly Capitol attack, where “so-called patriots would attempt to overthrow their government and kill police officers.”
 
“We don’t want to see fences. We definitely don’t want to see armed troops on our streets. But we do have to take a different posture,” Bowser said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
 
For a nation that has prided itself as a beacon for democracy around the world, the peaceful transition of power looks anything but, Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, told Reuters.
 
“The world will see Biden sworn in, in the middle of a military camp that’s indistinguishable from the Green Zone,” Sabato said, referring to the fortress-like area of central Baghdad set up after the Iraq War.
 
Sabato has attended every inauguration since Richard Nixon’s second one in 1973, and Ronald Reagan’s 1985 swearing-in that was held indoors because of the bitter cold. But he won’t attend this one.
 
Reuters reported that the Secret Service has incorporated the term “Green Zone” into its inauguration security maps, and District of Columbia residents have started using the moniker for the vast restricted area running from two blocks east of the Capitol to the Potomac River west of the Lincoln Memorial.
 
The district, one of the most Democratic jurisdictions in the United States, voted 92 percent for Biden, making the current situation even more painful for many residents.

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Muttaqi invited to upcoming Moscow format meeting on Afghanistan

The next Moscow format meeting is expected to be held in the next two weeks, Muttaqi announced on Thursday, adding that a high-level IEA delegation will attend it.

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Russian ambassador in Kabul Dmirtry Zhirnov, in a meeting with Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi on Wednesday, invited him to participate in the next meeting of the Moscow Format of Consultations on Afghanistan.

During the meeting, Zhirnov emphasized that Russia places great importance on its relations with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and, therefore, seeks to ensure the participation of Afghan delegations in all forums hosted by Russia, whether regional or international, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Expressing gratitude for the invitation, FM Muttaqi noted that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, viewing the Moscow Format as a constructive and beneficial initiative, has actively participated in previous meetings since its inception.

Muttaqi further called the upcoming meeting as a valuable opportunity to engage in constructive discussions with senior Russian officials and representatives from regional countries on matters of mutual interest and bilateral cooperation.

The next Moscow format meeting is expected to be held in the next two weeks, Muttaqi announced on Thursday, adding that a high-level IEA delegation will attend it.

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IEA’s leader says all laws now based on Sharia

He also said: “The conquest of Kabul is like the conquest of Makkah.”

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The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has reiterated that the current system is based on the Holy Quran and Sharia, opposed to previous laws that were of European and American origin.

Speaking during his tour of northern provinces, Hibatullah Akhundzada criticized previous laws under the former government and said the laws in place now are based on the “Quran, Tigh and Hadith”.

He said: "Some countries claim to defend human rights; but in practice, they bombard and kill innocent people in countries like Palestine."

He also said: "The conquest of Kabul is like the conquest of Makkah."

He asked the officials of the Islamic Emirate to name victory day "Fath Day".

The leader of the Islamic Emirate stated that the Doha negotiations between the United States and the Islamic Emirate were conducted based on Islamic Sharia and according to him: "No step of these negotiations has been taken or implemented against the religion."

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US feels differently to China and Russia over Afghanistan

Greenfield stated that the Islamic Emirate cannot continue to live in a world where “women are being sidelined in society, 50 percent of their population not contributing to their countries.”

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US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on Wednesday that Washington has differences with Moscow and Beijing over the issue of human rights in Afghanistan.

Addressing reporters at the Washington Foreign Press Center on UN Reform, Greenfield said that the US would consider human rights issues before recognizing an Islamic Emirate government.

According to her, the situation for women and girls in Afghanistan continues to worsen under the Islamic Emirate.

“We think we need to do more to hold them accountable, but also to push them to change,” she said.

Greenfield stated that the Islamic Emirate cannot continue to live in a world where “women are being sidelined in society, 50 percent of their population not contributing to their countries.”

“This is certainly a huge difference that we have with China and Russia, raising issues of human rights before we recognize a Taliban (IEA) government,” she said.

The US envoy also emphasized on the appointment of a special envoy of the United Nations for Afghanistan, an issue that the Islamic Emirate has opposed and Russia and China have also made their approval subject to the Islamic Emirate's consent.

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