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Afghanistan after the US withdrawal

Afghanistan after the US withdrawal
US President Joe Biden committed to withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan by August 31, 2021. The deadline was set after the Taliban took control of the country, seizing the capital city of Kabul as the Afghan government under President Ashraf Ghani dissolved on August 15. The Biden administration had initially announced a full withdrawal of troops by 11 September 2021 – 20 years after the 9/11 terror attacks.
Faye Hall, who has been released from Taliban custody and is with Qatari diplomats, is seen in Kabul, Afghanistan March 29, 2025. Qatari Diplomat/ Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY
Donald Trump

Chinese-American woman thanks Trump after being freed by Taliban

Faye Hall says Afghan women held in Taliban jails see the US president as their ‘saviour’ and are waiting for him to free them too.

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Central Asia

Taliban celebrates as the US lifts bounties on senior officials

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Afghanistan

UK woman fears for elderly father detained by Taliban in Afghanistan

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Pakistan

Pakistan vs Isis-K: inside the global crackdown that won Trump’s praise

In a seven-month operation spanning 21 nations, Pakistani intelligence dismantled an Isis-K cell tied to bombings in Kabul, Moscow and Kerman.

Militants riding in a convoy wave an Isis flag. Photo: AP
India

‘Business must go on’: why India is reaching out to the Taliban

Focus on humanitarian aid, regional connectivity could help India regain ‘strategic space’ lost after the Taliban took over in 2021, analysts note.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | Why Pakistan’s strategic alliance with China will strengthen

Given the India-US bromance, Pakistan and China have little choice. Expect Afghanistan to remain a focus amid efforts to counter US-led narratives.

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Afghanistan

US aid freeze presents an opportunity for China in Afghanistan. Will it take it?

Beijing has the financial capacity to do so but ‘lacks the intent to engage in large-scale development assistance’, analyst says.

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Afghans receive rations distributed by a charity organisation in Kandahar last month, as Afghanistan grapples with severe food shortages. Photo: EPA-EFE
US-China relations

Quiet clash over Afghanistan may presage more US-China tensions at UN

Beijing has shown interest in initiating and guiding UN resolutions and mandates concerning Kabul, which Washington opposes.

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Central Asia

Taliban ‘has no legal right’ to US$4 billion Afghan fund

A US watchdog said the Taliban have no right to the funding because they are not recognised as its government and are under sanctions.

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Central Asia

Iran, Taliban call for more ties in high-level Kabul talks

Iran’s foreign minister met with his Afghan counterpart and Taliban government Prime Minister Hassan Akhund during a one-day visit.

Afghanistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi (right) shaking hands with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi at the foreign ministry in Kabul on Sunday. Photo: AFP
Chinese overseas

China condemns killing of national in Afghanistan attack claimed by Isis

Islamic State said it targeted a vehicle carrying the Chinese citizen, which led to his death.

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The flags of the China and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. File photo: Reuters
Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s Taliban releases Americans in prisoner swap with US

The swap came after ‘long and fruitful negotiations,’ the Taliban’s foreign ministry said.

Pakistan

Malala goes home while Taliban avoids Muslim girls’ education conference

The Nobel laureate said she was ‘overwhelmed’ to be back in her native Pakistan for a global summit on girls’ education in the Islamic world.

Afghanistan

Isis says behind suicide blast that killed Afghan minister

Suicide blast in Afghanistan’s capital marks the highest-profile casualty since the Taliban retook power three years ago.

Taliban security patrol in Kabul, Afghanistan on Wednesday. Photo: EPA-EFE
Middle East

Afghanistan’s refugees minister killed by suicide blast

Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani was killed in an explosion at the ministry’s offices in the capital Kabul.

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Afghanistan’s Minister for Refugees Khalil Haqqani (middle) at a refugee camp near the Afghanistan-Pakistan Torkham border in 2023. Photo: AFP
American cinema

Jennifer Lawrence-produced film shows women’s torment in Afghanistan

Apple TV+ documentary Bread & Roses, co-produced by Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, was shot entirely on smartphones.

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Taliban

Taliban seeks international aid for Afghanistan’s reconstruction

Emphasising destruction caused by decades of conflict, Taliban called for technical help and economic development initiatives.

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India

India seeks to boost ties with Afghanistan – is it a move to sideline Pakistan?

Officials from both sides recently met to discuss issues, including enhancing trade via an Afghan port run by an Indian company.

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The embassy of Afghanistan in New Delhi. Photo: AFP
Taliban

Afghan Taliban vow to implement media ban on images of living things

The law, which will be gradually enforced, is aimed at persuading people that images of living things are against Islamic law.

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US presidential election 2024

Republicans accuse Biden team of lying about 2021 Afghanistan pull-out

House Republican report cites US Vice-President Kamala Harris as she seeks the presidency against Donald Trump.

US presidential election 2024

Harris says Trump ‘disrespected sacred ground’ at US military cemetery

The US Army says a cemetery employee was pushed after asking Trump’s team to stop filming in a burial section where photography is banned.

Republican US presidential nominee Donald Trump places his hands over his heart after placing a wreath in honour of Sergeant. Nicole Gee at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on Monday. Photo: AP
Germany

Germany deports 28 Afghan nationals, the first since 2021 Taliban takeover

Germany does not have diplomatic relations with the Taliban, requiring the government to work through other channels. It is unlikely that Friday’s actions will lead to a wider thawing of relations between Germany and the Taliban.

It is unlikely that the deportations will lead to a wider thawing of relations between Germany and the Taliban. Photo: dpa
Afghanistan

Taliban reject UN concerns over laws banning women’s voices and faces in public

The Taliban urge ‘thorough understanding’ of Islamic sharia law after UN criticism about the rights of women and girls.

Afghanistan

Taliban codify morality laws requiring Afghan women to cover faces

The Taliban suspended Afghanistan’s previous constitution when they took over in 2021 as foreign forces withdrew, and said they would rule the country according to sharia law.

The Philippines

Philippines to host Afghans awaiting resettlement in US

Manila’s Department of Foreign Affairs did not provide details of how many Afghans would be allowed to stay in the Philippines.

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Afghan girls in Ghazni province earlier this month. The Philippine president has expressed concern that Afghan nationals could become stranded in his country while awaiting relocation. Photo: AFP
Afghanistan

Former Afghan president Karzai calls for girls and women to be educated

Karzai emphasised importance of women’s education. Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban has banned girls from studying beyond primary school.

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Hamid Karzai, former Afghan president. Photo: EPA-EFE
Diplomacy

Afghan copper mine holds promise for Taliban, tempered expectations for China

As work begins on a long-delayed, multibillion-dollar project, Chinese officials remain cautious, while economic hopes rise in war-torn country.

Pakistan

Pakistan vows ‘no cake and pastries’ for TTP militants, heeding China’s warning

China’s warning that further investment hinges on an improved security situation likely acted as a catalyst, analysts say.

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