On July 15, I went to the palace to see Mohib. Above the gate tower, a giant tricolor of the republic fluttered against a clear blue sky. After passing through security, I walked across the long, deserted lawn toward the building that held the Office of the National Security Council.Continue Reading
The Taliban’s takeover ended decades of war. But their restrictions, and the economic fallout, threw many women into a new era of diminished hopes. Zulaikha, 25, went into hiding after the Taliban seized power “There is no income, no job opportunities for me. I don’t know how I’m going toContinue Reading
The US and a number of allied countries have called on the Taliban to stop the targeted killings of former members of the Afghan security forces. In a joint statement, the 22 nations demanded that the Islamist regime keep its promise not to harm the former government or security personnel.Continue Reading
SHAH WALI KOT, Afghanistan — One by one, women poured into the mud brick clinic, the frames of famished children peeking out beneath the folds of their pale gray, blue and pink burqas. Many had walked for more than an hour across this drab stretch of southern Afghanistan, where parchedContinue Reading
Several European countries are considering opening a joint diplomatic mission in Afghanistan, French President Emmanuel Macron said. A number of issues, particularly security, had to be solved for the ambassadors to return, Macron said, but he hoped a mission would open soon. This would not amount to political recognition fromContinue Reading
GENEVA — When the United Nations made its last appeal for humanitarian aid funding before the pandemic, it asked donors for about $29 billion. But in the past year alone, there has been a huge jump in the number of people needing help. And so the United Nations is askingContinue Reading
More than 100 former members of the Afghan security forces in four provinces have been killed or disappeared by the Taliban in the first two and a half months of the militants’ rule, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch. The deaths are part of a string ofContinue Reading
Our military culture and expectations justifiably require unrelenting standards and there is very little space for human vulnerability, especially in SOF and those in leadership roles. Without changes to our culture and a new approach to mental health, help will remain out of reach for many. I know because IContinue Reading
WASHINGTON — Nearly 20 years ago, about 150 family members of Sept. 11 victims sought a measure of justice for their losses by suing a list of targets like Al Qaeda and the Taliban. A decade later, a court found the defendants liable by default and ordered them to payContinue Reading
Good morning. We’re covering the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, a shadow war between Israel and Iran and Iraqis trying to reach Europe. Updates on the Omicron variant The new coronavirus variant, first discovered in southern Africa, is showing up across the world. Omicron cases have emerged in the Britain,Continue Reading