[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- FORMING A GOVERNMENT, TALIBAN SAY THEY ARE WORKING ON IT – The Taliban’s chief spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, addressed concerns over the formation of the ‘official’ government for the country in an interview recently. He said the main obstacles concerned a lack of laws for the regime. Presumably, he was referring to reinterpretations of existing laws under the Taliban’s strict Sharia code. The Taliban have continually maintained they will form a new government after international recognition has been achieved. With the prospect of recognition a distant hope that recedes further every month women and girls are not allowed to study or work, the world is likely to see a revamped version of the Taliban regime of the 90s. At no time were elections or representation of minority groups mentioned.
- US DEPARTMENT OF STATE SAYS IT IS TRYING TO EVACUATE 44 US CITIZENS FROM AFGHANISTAN – The US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, said the 44 represent about one-quarter of all US citizens thought to still be in the country. The remainder has not asked to leave and some have even returned to the country since the Taliban takeover. Of the 44 citizens who have asked to depart, some are said to be imprisoned by the Taliban.
- FLOODWATERS RECEDING SLOWLY, HIGHWAYS REOPENING – THe Khandahar-Herat highway reopened yesterday after closing temporarily for dangerous road conditions due to flooding. A storm system dropped several centimeters of rain across Central and Northeastern Afghanistan over the past three days and the rainwater added to snow runoff in the mountains which caused flooding in at least 17 Provinces. Roads are slowly reopening and there were reports of some deaths due to the conditions but a definitive accounting was not available yet.
- INTERNATIONAL CRICKET COUNCIL INCREASES FUNDS FOR AFGHANISTAN, WOMEN’S TEAM NOT MENTIONED – The ICC announced it had substantially increased the budget for the Afghanistan Cricket Board but dodged questions about supporting the Afghan Women’s team that has formed in Australia.
NEXT 24 HOURS
POSSIBLE THREAT TO SHIITE MOSQUES FRIDAY – A source in Kabul has stated that Ministry of Interior agents and Police were actively following up on a threat against a Shia Mosque either in Kabul or Herat. The source said the Taliban security forces were looking for a cell of 3-6 men who are planning a presumed ISIS-K suicide bomb attack that has been scheduled for weeks. It was not clear in which city the potential attack would occur. The source finished by saying the threat had been communicated to them via a ‘friendly nation’. At-risk Afghans planning on attending religious observances in Shia neighborhoods should be aware of the threat and make plans accordingly. TAD will issue an alert if additional information that may authenticate/clarify the threat is received. |