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Taliban declares formation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,
just days after taking over Kabul
19 Aug, 2021 07:17
© REUTERS/Stringer
The Taliban has announced the creation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, four days after its capture of Kabul from the Western-backed government and 102 years after Britain relinquished its rule over the country.
In a Twitter post on Thursday, Zabiullah Mujahid, an official spokesman for the Taliban, announced the creation of a new state, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. He also shared an image in which the flag of the emirate appears to be combined with its coat of arms.
The declaration comes less than a week after the fall of the country’s capital, Kabul, to the Islamist militant group. Mujahid also stated that the foundation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan comes 102 years after Britain relinquished control over the country. August 19 is celebrated as a national holiday in Afghanistan, commemorating its independence from the colonial superpower.
The Islamist organization has long used the name to refer to itself in official communications.
On Sunday, the militant group claimed control of Kabul as ousted president Ashraf Ghani fled, finding refuge in the United Arab Emirates. On Tuesday, in Ghani’s absence, First Vice President Amrullah Saleh said he was currently in the country and therefore, according to the constitution, the rightful leader.
On Tuesday evening, Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar returned to Afghanistan from his exile in the Qatari capital of Doha. Baradar was greeted warmly in the Taliban’s birthplace of Kandahar, with hundreds lining the streets to welcome the group’s most public figure and political leader.
Some believe he will be the country’s next president, although the illusive Haibatullah Akhundzada is considered the Taliban’s chief.
On Wednesday, at least three died in Jalalabad, according to witnesses, when Taliban gunmen opened fire on crowds of protesters. Footage from the eastern city showed demonstrators tearing down the Taliban standard and raising the flag of Afghanistan. Since the Taliban takeover, there have also been protests in Khost and Asadabad, although there were no reports of shots being fired at those demonstrations.
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Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan is ‘moral victory of Islamism over the West’
– top Merkel ally
19 Aug, 2021 13:39
Bavaria’s minister-president and key ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the Taliban’s comeback in Afghanistan is a devastating blow to Western countries’ war on religious extremism.
'Religious extremism'! Are there a lot of Christian or Jewish extremists in Germany? Or any other religion than Islam? But, he is correct in that Islamic jihadists will use this as a sign that Allah is with them and against western liberal values. This is a catalyst for more Muslims to become more devout and susceptible to radicalism.
The fact that on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 [terrorist attacks] the Taliban is back and is stronger than ever leaves a sour taste.
The leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the sister party of Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), said, “the German government does not present a strong image in this situation.”
Soeder called for financial aid for Afghanistan’s neighbors in order to avoid a new massive humanitarian and refugee crisis. He stressed that the international community must not repeat its inaction with regards to the Syrian conflict, when scores of asylum seekers from the Middle East and Africa moved to Europe, with more than 1 million arriving in Germany in 2015.
The CSU leader said the US bears the primary responsibility for the situation in Afghanistan, and therefore must help protect foreign humanitarian workers in the country.
Soeder’s statements come as Germany, like many other Western countries, urgently evacuates its diplomatic personnel and allied Afghans. More than 900 people have been airlifted by Germany so far.
Reuters quoted sources as saying that Merkel told party members on Monday that up to 10,000 people may be in need of evacuation.
In a speech on Monday, Merkel called the Taliban’s victory “terrifying,” and said that international cooperation is necessary for further relief efforts in Afghanistan.
The militants rapidly overran the country and captured Kabul with little to no resistance on Sunday, two weeks ahead of the deadline for the complete withdrawal of US forces.
Bavaria, Germany
Protests against the Taliban spread to Kabul,
as people march along the streets with Afghan flags
19 Aug, 2021 14:39
Afghans celebrate the 102th Independence Day of Afghanistan with the national flag in Kabul on August 19, 2021.
© AFP / WAKIL KOHSAR
Videos have emerged from Kabul of civilians, including women and children, taking to the streets to protest against the rule of the Taliban and to celebrate Afghanistan’s Independence Day.
Protests against the Taliban have entered their second day, this time reaching Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul. On Thursday, hundreds of people took to the streets, in part to celebrate Independence Day, but also to rally against the militants, who captured the capital on Monday.
The protests, which are reportedly happening in Kabul and at least one other city, are occurring one day after the Taliban opened fire (2nd story on link) on civilians waving a flag in Jalalabad, killing three, according to witnesses.
Videos emerged on Thursday of Afghans in Kabul carrying a 200-meter-long flag through the streets. The person filming the video, who speaks with an Australian accent, claims that despite the Taliban opening fire on dissidents and “beating up women and children,” the protesters continued to show defiance in the streets.
At the end of the video, a local man is seen waving his fist at the camera and saying, “I hate you Pakistan.” Historically, some have accused the Pakistani government of supporting the Taliban.
Another video released by the same witness on Thursday morning showed Afghan women leading the flag-bearing activists.
Protesters are heard chanting, “Long live Afghanistan, our national flag is our identity.”
There has been widespread panic in the capital since the Taliban took power on Monday. People flooded Kabul airport in desperate attempts to escape the country, where the Taliban is imposing strict Sharia law. Some fell to their death after trying to cling to the outside of evacuating US military aircraft.
The security and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has been rapidly deteriorating since the US decided to withdraw troops by September. Since the decrease in the foreign military presence, the Taliban has captured city after city until finally taking the capital this week.
Taliban tells scared locals to stay away from Kabul airport
after 12 killed by gunfire or in stampedes – media
19 Aug, 2021 07:25
© Stringer / Reuters
Twelve people were killed amid the chaos in and around Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday, Reuters reported, quoting unnamed Taliban and NATO officials.
A Taliban official was quoted as saying that the deaths were caused either by gunfire or stampedes. He urged people gathered at the gates of the airport to leave if they do not have the legal right to travel.
The militants rapidly seized the majority of the country’s regional capitals earlier this month and took over Kabul with little to no resistance, prompting many to rush in panic to the airport and swarm the tarmac in hopes of catching a flight out of Afghanistan.
The media cited witnesses saying they had seen five bodies being loaded onto a vehicle, although the cause of the deaths was unclear.
A Pentagon spokesperson told news outlets on Monday that US soldiers overseeing the evacuation of American diplomatic personnel and allied Afghans responded to hostile threats and killed two armed individuals.
The Taliban promised to prevent violence and avoid reprisals against their opponents, though there have been reports of militants firing on protesters and attacking journalists.
The US vowed to retaliate if the Taliban attacks Americans or interferes in the evacuations.
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