WORLD THIS WEEK

Contributed by the National Institute for Advanced Studies, Bengaluru

Compiled by Joeana Cera Matthews, Keerthana Nambiar, Dhanushaa P, Dincy Adlakha and Jeshil Samuel, Sukanya Bali and Avishka Ashok

The New Afghanistan, with an Old Taliban

Voice of America

What happened?

On 4 September, Kabul airport became functional, and news reports mention the first domestic flight taking off.

On 4 September, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar told Al Jazeera, “I assure the people that we strive to improve their living conditions and that the government will be responsible to everyone and will provide security because it is necessary for economic development, not just in Afghanistan but in the whole world… If we are able to provide security, we will overcome other problems, and from here the wheel of progress and advancement will begin.”

On 4 September, Amrullah Saleh, former Vice-President, released a video informing that he is staying in the Panjshir valley and organizing a resistance against the Taliban. There have been contradicting reports from the Taliban and the National Resistance Front, about the capture of the Panjshir Valley by the former.

On 4 September, a group of women marched in Kabul. According to an Al Jazeera report, “dozens of women took to the streets of the capital on Saturday to demand their right to work, a role in any future government, and a seat at the table in discussions with the Taliban.”

On 31 August, President Biden made a lengthy statement after completing what he considered as the “biggest airlifts in history, with more than 120,000 people evacuated to safety.” And he said: “This is a new world. The terror threat has metastasized across the world, well beyond Afghanistan. We face threats from al-Shabaab in Somalia; al Qaeda affiliates in Syria and the Arabian Peninsula; and ISIS attempting to create a caliphate in Syria and Iraq, and establishing affiliates across Africa and Asia. The fundamental obligation of a President, in my opinion, is to defend and protect

America — not against threats of 2001, but against the threats of 2021 and tomorrow. That is the guiding principle behind my decisions about Afghanistan. I simply do not believe that the safety and security of America is enhanced by continuing to deploy thousands of American troops and spending billions of dollars a year in Afghanistan.”

On 30 August, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution on Afghanistan. According to the press release from the UNSC, the resolution was “adopted by a vote of 13 in favour with two abstentions (Russian Federation and China), the 15-member organ demanded that Afghan territory not be used to threaten or attack any country and reiterated the importance of combating terrorism in Afghanistan.”

What does it mean?

The Taliban is back in Afghanistan. Though they are yet to announce the new government, the people are adjusting to the new normal in Afghanistan. Until 31 August, those countries that were engaged in Afghanistan, including the US, were preoccupied with the evacuation. Now the exit is complete, the international community is assessing their likely interests in Afghanistan, and exploring options to deal with the Taliban.

The UN Security Council stands divided, with Russia and China backing the Taliban; will the rest of the UNSC members leave the fate of Afghanistan to these two countries, along with Iran and Pakistan, or will they continue to invest?

Biden’s recent statement is vital in the above context: “I respectfully suggest you ask yourself this question: If we had been attacked on 11 September 2001, from Yemen instead of Afghanistan, would we have ever gone to war in Afghanistan — even though the Taliban controlled Afghanistan in 2001? I believe the honest answer is “no.” That’s because we had no vital national interest in Afghanistan other than to prevent an attack on America’s homeland and their our friends. And that’s true today.” Emphasis added.

ALSO IN NEWS

China: Armed forces can “paralyse” Taiwan’s defences

In its annual report to parliament on China’s military, Taiwan’s Defence Ministry presented a far graver view of China as a rising threat than last year, when China still lacked the capability to launch a full assault on Taiwan. This year’s report said that China can launch “soft and hard electronic attacks”, including blocking communications across the western part of the first island chain, the string of islands that run from the Japanese archipelago, through Taiwan and down to the Philippines. China “can launch wired and wireless attacks against the global internet, which would initially paralyse our air defences, command of the sea and counterattack system abilities, presenting a huge threat to us,” said the Ministry

India: Envoy meets Taliban leader in Doha On 31 August, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that its Ambassador to Qatar, Deepak Mittal met with the head of the Taliban’s political office, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai in a move that indicates India’s softened stance on the Taliban. This is the first public acknowledgement by the government of India about engagement with the Taliban. The meeting came as a request from the Taliban as they are keen to receive some “acceptability” while India remains “cautious” about its approach to the group. The discussion focused on safety, security, the early return of Indian nationals stranded in Afghanistan as well as the travel of Afghan nationals, especially minorities, who wish to visit to India. According to the statement by the MEA, the Taliban leader assured that all the issues would be “positively addressed” as well as called for India to continue its political, trade and connectivity ties with Afghanistan.

India: Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla visits the US for talks officials

On 2 September, India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla arrived in Washington for meetings with officials including the US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman. The Foreign Secretary’s visit to the city precedes a possible month-end visit by Prime Minister Narendra Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa

Modi. The Foreign Secretaries held “substantive discussions on advancing the India-US Strategic Partnership across healthcare, defence & security, trade & investment, S&T, climate change, clean energy, people to people ties, continued coordination on Afghanistan and strengthening Indo-Pacific cooperation through the Quad.” tweeted the Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

India: 101 sterilisations in 8 hours on tribal women

On 4 September, the Chhattisgarh health department served notices to two doctors who allegedly conducted over a hundred tubectomy surgeries on poor tribal women in a matter of eight hours in the Surguja district of Chhattisgarh, in violation of government norms. The mass sterilisation reportedly took place at the Narmadapur community health centre between 7 pm and 3 am on 26 August.

Sri Lanka: President Rajapaksa declares economic emergency

On 1 September, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency under the Public Security Ordinance on the supply of essential goods. The emergency which came into effect on the same night is aimed to prevent the hoarding of essential items, including rice and sugar. The government has also appointed a former army general as commissioner of essential services, who will have the power to seize food stocks held by traders and regulate their prices. The emergency move followed sharp price rises for sugar, rice, onions and potatoes, while long queues have formed outside stores because of shortages of milk powder, kerosene oil and cooking gas. Sri Lanka, a net importer of food and other commodities, is witnessing a surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths which has hit tourism, one of its main foreign currency earners.

Afghanistan: Taliban will ‘raise voice for Kashmir Muslims’

Suhail Shaheen told the BBC:

“As Muslims, we also have a right to raise our voice for Muslims in Kashmir, India or any other country.” There has been violence on the Indian-run side of India-Pakistan’s Muslimmajority territory for 30 years, due to a separatist insurgency. This is the first time that the Taliban has commented on Indian-administered Kashmir. In a previous interview with CNN-News18 Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid urged Pakistan and India to sit together to resolve all issues. He added that the Taliban “had no policy” of launching armed operations against any country. His remarks after India raised concerns about Afghanistan’s Hindu and Sikh minorities under the Taliban.

Nigeria: Almost 6,000 Boko Haram fighters surrender

On 2 September, the Nigerian armed forces said that close to 6,000 fighters from the Boko Haram Islamist insurgent group in northeast Nigeria have surrendered in response to the military’s counter-insurgency efforts. Close to 350,000 people have died in the conflict between Boko Haram and the Nigerian army since it began 12 years ago, according to UN estimates, with the fighting spilling over to the neighbouring countries of Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

The UK: Government announces plans to introduce E10 petrol to cut emissions

On 1 September, the BBC reported that the UK was making the shift to E10 petrol in an attempt to reduce carbon emissions. E10 consists of comparatively lesser carbon than other available alternatives and makes use of ethanol. The use of Ethanol to run vehicles has been used previously in Brazil. The current shift will ensure that the fuel used will consist of 10 per cent of Ethanol which is derived from plants like sugar beet and wheat. This shift in the UK will help cut on carbon emissions by 7,50,000 tonnes every year.

About the authors

D Suba Chandran is a Professor and Dean in the School of Conflict and Security Studies at the National Institute of Advanced Studies. Sukanya Bali and Avishka Ashok are Research Associates at NIAS. Juan Mary Joseph is a research intern at NIAS.

The report has been modified by India News due to space considerations.