Podcasts about afghan government

This edition features stories about how the Afghan Government want to welcome Insurgents to a peaceful way of life, and some former fighters are doing just that and a joint study by several health organizations revealed 82 percent of people diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder partnered with a trained psychiatric service dog will have fewer symptoms. Air Force Staff Sgt. Alana Ingram reports on a special deployment of PTSD fighters in Afghanistan. Sound bite includes Capt. Theresa Schillreff, Occupational Therapist. Hosted by Petty Officer 1st Class Dustin Diaz.

This edition features stories about a meeting between the Afghan Government and Regional Command South-West to increase security in Marjah District, and a meeting in Kunar Province to discuss security along the Afghan-Pakistan border. Produced by Petty Officer 3rd Class Dustin Diaz. Afghanistan

This edition features stories on how Germany presented the Gold Cross of Honor to members of 5-158th Aviation BN, and how the Afghan Government re-established its Army almost eight years ago and how according to the U.S. Army, they continue to make improvements in how they conduct operations. Hosted by Senior Airman Jay Hernandez.

This edition features stories about Afghan and coalition forces finding an improvised explosive device (IED) factory while on patrol in Helmand Province, and the Afghan government taking an active role during the reconstruction of the country. Hosted by Senior Airman Jay Hernandez. afghanistan

With Bamiyan being one of the provinces picked by the Afghan Government for transition to their control, we ask the provincial governor, local police, coalition forces and the people who live there – is Bamiyan ready? Also available in high definition

This edition features a story about how the Afghan Government will soon take center stage as Coalition Forces end major operations in 2014, which is why Provincial Reconstruction Teams have set out to assess Sub District Government Compounds in Afghanistan. Staff Sgt. Tsuyoshi Shinzato tells us what Soldiers are doing to help district Governors. Sound bite includes Capt. Kirk Greene - PRT Engineer. Produced by Staff Sgt. Tsuyohi Shinzato Hosted by Cpl. Kevin Beebe.

Afghanistan may be home to massive rare earth deposits worth more than $1 trillion, recent studies suggest. The precious mineral resources have the potential to completely transform the nation's economy. But security concerns and the historic heritage's preservation pose many challenges to the Afghan Government. Afghanistan may be home to massive rare earth deposits worth more then $1 trillion, recent studies suggest. The precious mineral resources have the potential to completely transform the nation's economy. But security concerns and the historic heritage's preservation pose many challenges to the Afghan Government. Also available in high definition.

In his first recorded interview with the Western press since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and subsequent collapse of the Afghan Government, 4-Star General Yasin Zia, former Chief of General Staff Afghan Security Forces, discusses what went wrong, and plans afoot to mount a counterattack. General Zia is a recipient of the Ghazi Mohammad Akbar Khan Medal - Afghanistan's highest governmental award - for his bravery on the front lines of the battlefield over more than 20 years. He is a former governor of Takhar Province, and Deputy Defense Minister.

Members of the now vanquished Afghan government are living in multimillion dollar homes in places like Los Angeles and Dubai while the country they left to the Taliban suffers disaster after disaster. Where did all of this money come from? Let's dive in and find out.(commercial at 9:51)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/29/afghan-officials-escaped-to-luxury-con

Members of the now vanquished Afghan government are living in multimillion dollar homes in places like Los Angeles and Dubai while the country they left to the Taliban suffers disaster after disaster. Where did all of this money come from? Let's dive in and find out.(commercial at 9:51)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/29/afghan-officials-escaped-to-luxury-con

Members of the now vanquished Afghan government are living in multimillion dollar homes in places like Los Angeles and Dubai while the country they left to the Taliban suffers disaster after disaster. Where did all of this money come from? Let's dive in and find out.(commercial at 9:51)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/29/afghan-officials-escaped-to-luxury-con

Members of the now vanquished Afghan government are living in multimillion dollar homes in places like Los Angeles and Dubai while the country they left to the Taliban suffers disaster after disaster. Where did all of this money come from? Let's dive in and find out. (commercial at 13:14)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/29/afghan-officials-escaped-to-luxury-con

Members of the now vanquished Afghan government are living in multimillion dollar homes in places like Los Angeles and Dubai while the country they left to the Taliban suffers disaster after disaster. Where did all of this money come from? Let's dive in and find out. (commercial at 13:14)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/29/afghan-officials-escaped-to-luxury-con

Gaisu Yari, Former Government Civil Service Commissioner with the Afghan Government

The Taliban swept into Afghanistan's capital Aug. 15 after the government collapsed and the embattled president joined an exodus of his fellow citizens and foreigners, signaling the end of a costly two-decade U.S. campaign to remake the country. Heavily armed Taliban fighters fanned out across Kabul, and several entered its abandoned presidential palace. Suhail Shaheen, a Taliban spokesman and negotiator, said that the militants would hold talks in the coming days aimed at forming an “open, inclusive Islamic government.” Earlier, a Taliban official said the group would announce from the palace the restoration of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the formal name of the country under Taliban rule before the militants were ousted by U.S.-led forces in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, which were orchestrated by al Qaida while it was being sheltered by the Taliban. But that plan appeared to be on hold. Kabul was gripped by panic. Helicopters raced overhead throughout the day to evacuate personnel from the U.S. Embassy. Fearful that the Taliban could reimpose a brutal rule that all but eliminated women's rights, Afghans rushed to leave the country, lining up at cash machines to withdraw their life savings. (AP) This article was provided by The Japan Times Alpha.

The Taliban raided an ISIS-affiliated hideout in the Afghan capital Kabul killing several insurgents, hours after a deadly bombing outside the Eid Gah mosque on Sunday that left at least five people dead. No one has taken responsibility for the blast, but the rival ISIS group has ramped up attacks against the Taliban, including the Aug. 26 bombing that killed more than 169 Afghans and 13 US military personnel outside Kabul airport.Related: Former adviser Sarah Chayes: The US failed to understand how Afghans wage warThough many people dread the harsh elements of Taliban rule, the group does not bring with it a reputation of being corrupt — a stark contrast to the government it ousted — which was notoriously rife with bribery, embezzlement and graft.Related: The Taliban want international recognition. Countries are debating.The US has invested some $2 trillion in Afghanistan. Corruption and mismanagement plagued the efforts from the start.One US government agency charged with overseeing money used to rebuild Afghanistan is called SIGAR, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.John Sopko, who has led SIGAR since 2012, joined The World's host Marco Werman from Washington to discuss the years of mismanagement in the country.Marco Werman: Inspector general, your job is to sound the alarm when funds are being misused. Tell us in brief what your agency actually does.John Sopko: We're one of the independent inspectors general created by Congress. And we have audit and criminal investigative authority. And our job, as you rightfully noted, was to ferret out waste, fraud, abuse in the money spent in Afghanistan, as well as to give advice to Congress on any administration on the problems we found and how to fix them.So, knowing what you knew over the years in Afghanistan, tell me about your reaction when you saw the Taliban take over the country in August.I have to be honest, although we had predicted problems and major problems for the 10 years I'd been there with the Afghan military and the government, I think we were surprised, just like everybody else, at the speed to which the government and the military collapsed. And not only surprise, but also shock and sadness, because we knew what it meant for a lot of Afghans we had worked with over those years.In the report, SIGAR talks extensively about corruption. Can you highlight what was going on and could the US have done more to prevent it?I think the US, and we highlighted the US could have done a lot more, and actually the US contributed a lot to the corruption in Afghanistan, because we spent too much money, too fast in too small a country, with too little oversight. So, the corruption was really endemic, and we're not talking about corruption like you may see in the United States or Europe or elsewhere. We're talking about corruption that's actually baked into the system there. Money was being stolen from us and from all the other allies who contributed for years from the top, all the way down to the bottom. So, what was the attitude of the Afghan government to this kind of thing that would inevitably lead to dysfunction?The Afghan government did not take an active response to our criticism on corruption. And I think, in part, because the corruption was so endemic. They were very good at checking the box. They would create an organization, hold a conference, rename something. We were really upset, and repeatedly talked about this in our reports, with not only the [Ashraf] Ghani government, but the [Hamid] Karzai government before that. Now, this doesn't mean there weren't some honest cops — Afghan cops and prosecutors and parliamentarians and judges who tried to do something — but overall, it was a pretty pathetic response to fight corruption in that country.And what impact did that have on the government's ability to repel the Taliban ultimately?Well, ultimately it contributed to the Taliban's success, because what happened is, the Afghan people saw how corrupt and incompetent their government was, and they saw it wasn't improving. So, they lost respect for the government and support for the government. They also saw that our government was giving that money to those corrupt officials and those corrupt contractors and those corrupt warlords. So, we lost support. I imagine, John Sopko, calling this stuff out over the past decade has not made you the most popular man in Washington. How have administration officials and members of Congress responded to your reports?A lot of members of Congress responded positively and have been very supportive of us and have actually recognized, over the years, what we were doing and the warnings we were giving. Some people in the administration have done that and been very responsive. But once you start a war, it's hard to stop, and once you're in there for 20 years, then it's like changing a ship in the water, trying to slowly move it. We had some successes, but obviously, a lot of things were not taken to heart by some of the administration people. And there there was a groundswell of opposition to some of the ideas we came up with. When we first highlighted the problem of ghost soldiers and ghost police, there were a lot of nameless, faceless bureaucrats who whispered to congressmen and senators and staffers that, "Oh, SIGAR was exaggerating." Well, turned out, we weren't. And it turned out, even the Afghans admitted, for example, right before the collapse, that over 50% of the police in Helmand and other provinces never existed. So, the first US mission in Afghanistan was to get rid of al-Qaeda, then came the nation building, then came the surge and a strong desire to leave, but nothing happened until this year. How much do you think that constant pivoting led to a lack of mission focus and more corruption?I mean, the report we came out with, we've been working on summarizing all of our work in what happened over the last 20 years. We've been working on it for a year and it came out, ironically, just a day or two after the collapse of Kabul. That highlighted a number of lessons. We didn't really have a clear, articulated strategy and goal. And so, a lot of things collapsed as a result. So, instead of fighting a 20-year war, doing 20 years of reconstruction, we did it one year at a time. We really never focused our resources on the target. And that also contributed, although I think it's an equal problem, was just a lack of understanding of the political and cultural context of Afghanistan. I mean, we basically empowered the warlords who the Taliban had successfully beaten with the support of the people when we came in. And again, not understanding the context, not understanding the corrupting influence, not understanding how the Afghans hated these people, we empowered them. And, lo and behold, when you go to sleep with dogs, you wake up with fleas. And what we did here is, we made our bed with some very evil, corrupt, powerful individuals in Afghanistan who were hated by the people. So, John, Congress has called for a review of the rapid collapse of the Afghan government and its military. How do you think Congress will react to its own findings? Will officials be more likely to listen this time around?Well, I hope they will. I mean, Congress has asked us to answer a number of critical questions to do these. I mean, they've asked us to explain, "Why did the Afghan military collapse so quickly? Why did the Afghan government collapse so quickly? What happened to all the money that we were shipping over there? Particularly, when did we shut off the spigots of money flowing to Afghanistan? What happened to all the weapons? What is happening to all of the women and girls who we supported and all those programs?" I think they're reaching out to us because we have a track record of speaking truth to power. We have a track record of being non-partisan. We've criticized Democrats, we've criticize Republican administrations. We just state the facts. I think a lot of people in Congress actually think we may be the best organization out there to answer those type of questions. This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. AP contributed to this report.

Generals Testify on Our 20 yr War in Afghanistan an dmore - Check out today's agenda below!Retired US Diplomat to 5 different nations  David Hunter shares his knowledge, passion, interest, and experience. Today's Agenda: 1) Generals Testify on Our 20 yr War in Afghanistan:  On Sept 28, 2021 Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chairman of Joint Chiefs Milley and   CENTCOM Commander Gen. Kenneth Frank McKenzie,   testified to the Senate Armed Services Committee on what happened in Afghanistan.   Austin recommended a major investigation be done of 'Lessons Learned'.  Gen. McKenzie said the beginning of the collapse started with the Doha Talks, which undermined Ghani's Afghan Government by not including them in the discussion.  Is he right?2) September Meeting of  China-linked Shanghai Cooperation Organization Included Iran:  On September 17, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) held a heads-of-state summit in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. It's members besides Tajikistan  include China, Russia,  India,---4 more 'Stans'  (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan), and most recently Iran. Reported the Atlantic Council, a NATO-linked advisory board, " Iran as a new, full member state also dominated headlines".  What is the SCO and what does Iran joining mean?3)  Will US Be Able to Establish A Base in Region Near Afghanistan?: The  'Manas Air Base'  near Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan,--- established in Dec 2001 after 9/11 attack to facilitate US troops entering Afghanistan---- was handed back in 2014.  Russia and China had been pushing for the closure of the base since 2005.  Will  Kyrgyzstan be open to an offer for new US base? If not, what about Turkmenistan?4)  MENG Wan-Zhou Just Released from House Arrest in Canada:  She is the Chief Financial Officer of Huawei, one of China's largest privately held companies.  Her father  REN Zheng-fei founded it. Both are billionaires.   She was arrested in Canada on Dec 1, 2018 on behalf of US Government, and is charged w/ lying to banks about a Huawei-linked company Skycom doing business in Iran.  This arrest had a huge impact on Canada-Chinese relations and US -China relations.  What does her release signify? 

On this episode: The Three Kings ask themselves why they think celebrity boxing is becoming more & more popular & which celebrities they'll like to see go toe to toe in ring (1:40). A new tier list has arrived for the Three Kings and this time is there chip tier list. Each king ranks their favorite chips that come in the variety pack (17:00). The US recently pulled its troops out of Afghanistan & since then the Taliban has seized the country. Amadou speculates about corruption that lies within the Afghan Government & Marquis & Deven try to find the real reasoning behind terrorism while also reflecting about their views on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 (26:41). The two highly anticipated albums of the year have dropped ! Amadou & Deven tears Kanye apart for what they call an underwhelming ‘DONDA' album & speculates if Kanye in the near future would put rapping as a whole behind him and be strictly about fashion. Marquis tells his troubles with ‘Certified Lover Boy' & then later gets in a heated debate with Amadou about how Drake views himself in the industry both an artist & a rapper (44:38). Marquis reveals the guys what he'll do for a billion dollars (1:14:10). Theories about Spider-Man: No Way Home, Stephen A. Smith vs Max Kellerman, views on the Texas abortion laws + MORE! •Support, Like, & Share on YouTube

The five permanent UN Security Council members found common ground in Afghanistan with officials saying all the powers would press the Taliban to be more inclusive after their military takeover.China and Russia have described last month's Taliban victory as a defeat for the United States and moved to work with the insurgents, but no country has moved to recognize a government that includes international pariahs.Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the Security Council powers all want a peaceful and stable Afghanistan where humanitarian aid can be distributed without problems and without discrimination.He says they seek an Afghanistan where the rights of women and girls are respected, an Afghanistan that is not a sanctuary for terrorism, an Afghanistan with an inclusive government representing all sections of the population.

The five permanent UN Security Council members found common ground in Afghanistan with officials saying all the powers would press the Taliban to be more inclusive after their military takeover.China and Russia have described last month's Taliban victory as a defeat for the United States and moved to work with the insurgents, but no country has moved to recognize a government that includes international pariahs.Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the Security Council powers all want a peaceful and stable Afghanistan where humanitarian aid can be distributed without problems and without discrimination.He says they seek an Afghanistan where the rights of women and girls are respected, an Afghanistan that is not a sanctuary for terrorism, an Afghanistan with an inclusive government representing all sections of the population.

The five permanent UN Security Council members found common ground in Afghanistan with officials saying all the powers would press the Taliban to be more inclusive after their military takeover.China and Russia have described last month's Taliban victory as a defeat for the United States and moved to work with the insurgents, but no country has moved to recognize a government that includes international pariahs.Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the Security Council powers all want a peaceful and stable Afghanistan where humanitarian aid can be distributed without problems and without discrimination.He says they seek an Afghanistan where the rights of women and girls are respected, an Afghanistan that is not a sanctuary for terrorism, an Afghanistan with an inclusive government representing all sections of the population.

The Biden Administration keeps calling the Taliban the “Afghan Government” in order to make giving terrorists money sound not so awful, General Milley might have committed some light treason by calling China during the waning days of the Trump presidency, and Facebook is once again stealing your data and spying on you.   Go to ghostbed.com/drinkinbros and use code DRINKINBROS for 30% off EVERYTHING (Mattresses, Adjustable Base, and more) -- plus a 101 Night Sleep Trial and Mattresses Made in the USA!   Go to CardoMAX.com and use promo code DB, and you get Buy One Get One FREE on your first order.   Secure your online data today by visiting ExpressVPN.com/DRINKINBROS. You can get an extra three months FREE.

The Biden Administration keeps calling the Taliban the “Afghan Government” in order to make giving terrorists money sound not so awful, General Milley might have committed some light treason by calling China during the waning days of the Trump presidency, and Facebook is once again stealing your data and spying on you.   Go to ghostbed.com/drinkinbros and use code DRINKINBROS for 30% off EVERYTHING (Mattresses, Adjustable Base, and more) -- plus a 101 Night Sleep Trial and Mattresses Made in the USA!   Go to CardoMAX.com and use promo code DB, and you get Buy One Get One FREE on your first order.   Secure your online data today by visiting ExpressVPN.com/DRINKINBROS. You can get an extra three months FREE.

Michael Kugelman is the Deputy director of the Asia Program, South Asia senior associate at The Wilson Center and writes for the weekly South Asia brief at Foreign Policy magazine. Michael comes on the podcast to discuss the recent take over of Afghanistan by the Taliban, and what it could mean for South Asia. Did India lose in Afghanistan? What all did the US get wrong? Will Pakistan be able to exert control over the Taliban or will we see a rise in TTP? Find out this, and more, on this week's episode of The Pakistan Experience, as Michael Kugelman and I, take a deep dive on Afghanistan, the Taliban, China, The Belt and Road initiative, Pakistan, TTP, India, and attempts to isolate Pakistan on the international stage. The Pakistan Experience is an independently run podcast. Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications. He can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tinder. https://www.facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ https://twitter.com/shehzad89 https://instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 1:00 Did America lose itself on 9/11? 4:30 Will Afghanistan now become a terrorist sanctuary? 12:00 Is instability in Afghanistan in the US's interests? 15:50 How interested is China in Afghanistan? 22:30 Will China care about human rights in Afghanistan under the Taliban? 26:35 Will the Taliban support the TTP and terrorism in Pakistan? 31:00 Why did the Pakistan state support the Taliban? 35:50 What will India's role now be in Afghanistan? 40:00 Will the West pour in aid under the guise of humanitarianism? 44:30 Taliban's economic policies and governance 51:10 Is there any truth to the Taliban 2.0 narrative? 54:20 Think tanks 57:00 What all did the US get wrong about Afghanistan? 1:03:00 Did the US sell the Afghan Government down the river with the Doha accord? 1:07:00 Will India be able to isolate Pakistan on the international stage? 1:11:24 Will India benefit from the US-China rivalry? 1:14:00 Pakistan as an emerging market 1:18:30 Are Indian or Pakistani trolls worse? 1:21:20 Conclusion

The war in Afghanistan is over. In this episode, we document how and why the Biden administration finally admitted defeat in our 20 year attempt to create a new government in Afghanistan and we take a hard look at the lessons we need to learn. Afghanistan is a country in a far away land, but there are disturbing similarities between the Afghanistan government that just collapsed and our own. We'd be wise not to ignore them. Executive Producer: Rachel Passer Executive Producer: Anonymous  Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD236: January 6: The Capitol Riot CD218: Minerals are the New Oil CD210: The Afghanistan War CD124: The Costs of For-Profit War How We Got Here Craig Whitlock. The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War. Simon and Schuster, 2021. Patrick Tucker. August 18, 2021. “Trump's Pledge to Exit Afghanistan Was a Ruse, His Final SecDef Says.” Defense One. Eugene Kiely and Robert Farley. August 17, 2021. “Timeline of U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan.” FactCheck.org. Eric Schmitt and Jennifer Steinhauer. July 30, 2021. “Afghan Visa Applicants Arrive in U.S. After Years of Waiting.” The New York Times. Craig Whitlock, Leslie Shapiro and Armand Emamdjomeh. December 9, 2019. “The Afghanistan Papers: A secret history of the war.” The Washington Post. Mark Landler and James Risen. July 25, 2017. “Trump Finds Reason for the U.S. to Remain in Afghanistan: Minerals.” The New York Times. John F. Harris. October 15, 2001. “Bush Rejects Taliban Offer On Bin Laden ” Washington Post. The Evacuation: Those Left Behind William Mauldin. September 2, 2021. “Afghanistan Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Staff Left Behind.” Wall Street Journal. Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Annie Karni. August 29, 2021. “Series of U.S. Actions Left Afghan Allies Frantic, Stranded and Eager to Get Out.” The York Times. Sami Sadat. August 25, 2021. “I Commanded Afghan Troops This Year. We Were Betrayed.” The New York Times. Marjorie Censer. August 18, 2021. “US contractors rush to get former employees out of Afghanistan.” Defense News. Siobhan Hughes. August 18, 2021. “Afghanistan Veterans in Congress Trying to Prevent ‘a Death Warrant' for Helping America.” Wall Street Journal. Alex Sanz and Tammy Webber. August 18, 2021. “US friends try to rescue brother in arms in Afghanistan.” AP News. Seth Moulton. June 04, 2021. "Moulton, Bipartisan Honoring Our Promises Working Group to White House: Evacuate our Afghan Partners.” Contractors in Afghanistan Matt Taibbi. August 18, 2021. “We Failed Afghanistan, Not the Other Way Around.” TK News by Matt Taibbi on Substack. Jack Detsch. August 16, 2021. “Departure of Private Contractors Was a Turning Point in Afghan Military's Collapse.” Foreign Policy. Matt Stoller. July 15, 2021. “‘A Real S*** Show': Soldiers Angrily Speak Out about Being Blocked from Repairing Equipment by Contractors.” BIG by Matt Stoller. Lynzy Billing. May 12, 2021. “The U.S. Is Leaving Afghanistan? Tell That to the Contractors.” New York Magazine. Oren Liebermann. March 29, 2021. “Pentagon could open itself to costly litigation from contractors if US pulls out of Afghanistan this year.” CNN. Lucas Kunce and Elle Ekman. September 15, 2019. “Comment Submitted by Major Lucas Kunce and Captain Elle Ekman.” [Regulations.gov(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regulations.gov). Aaron Mehta. Oct 25, 2016. “30 Years: William Perry — Reshaping the Industry.” Defense News. Jared Serbu. August 22, 2016. “DoD now awarding more than half its contract spending without competitive bids.” Federal News Network. 41 U.S. Code § 3307 - Preference for commercial products and commercial services. Money: Lost and Gained David Moore. August 23, 2021. “Lawmakers Benefit From Booming Defense Stocks.” Sludge. Lee Fang. August 20, 2021. “Congressman Seeking to Relaunch Afghan War Made Millions in Defense Contracting.” The Intercept. Anna Massoglia and Julia Forrest. August 20, 2021. “Defense contractors spent big in Afghanistan before the U.S. left and the Taliban took control.” OpenSecrets.org. Stephen Losey. April 16, 2021. “The Bill for the Afghanistan War Is $2.26 Trillion, and Still Rising.” Military.com. Eli Clifton. February 16, 2021. “Weapons Biz Bankrolls Experts Pushing to Keep U.S. Troops in Afghanistan.” Daily Beast. Open Secrets. 2021. Defense: Lobbying, 2021. Open Secrets. 2021. Defense: Money to Congress. Laws S.1790 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 Sponsor: Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) Status: Became Public Law No: 116-92 on December 20, 2019 H.R. 3237: Emergency Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 Sponsor: Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) Status: Signed into law, 2021 May 20 House Vote Breakdown Congressional Budget Office Score Law Outline TITLE IV: BILATERAL ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE GENERAL PROVISIONS EXTENSION AND MODIFICATION OF THE AFGHAN SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISA PROGRAM Sec. 401: Amends the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 to expand eligibility to include Afghans who worked not only for the US Government for more than 1 year but also our allies as an off-base interpreter or if they performed "activities for United States military stationed at International Security Assistance Force (or any successor name for such Force). Increases the number of Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) to Afghan partners by 8,000, for a total of 34,500 allocated since December 19, 2014. Sec. 402: Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security and Secretary of state to jointly waive for 1 year (maximum 2 years with an extension) the requirement that Afghan partners eligible for SIVs get a medical exam before they can receive their visa. The Secretary of Homeland Security has to create a process to make sure Afghan SIV holders get a medical exam within 30 days of entry into the United States. Sec. 403: Allows the surviving spouse or child or employee of the United States Government abroad to be eligible for immigration into the United States if the employee worked for our government for at least 15 years or was killed in the line of duty. It also expands entry permissions for Afghan SIV applicants in addition to those who have already been approved. This is retroactive to June 30, 2021. Policies for Visa Processing: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Policy Manual, Chapter 9: Certain Afghan Nationals U.S Department of State -- Bureau of Consular Affairs. “Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans - Who Were Employed by/on Behalf of the U.S. Government.” Audio Sources Gen. Mark Milley: "There was nothing that I or anyone else saw that indicated a collapse of this army and this government in 11 days." August 18, 2021 General Mark Milley: The time frame of rapid collapse that was widely estimated and ranged from weeks to months, and even years following our departure, there was nothing that I or anyone else saw that indicated a collapse of this army and this government in 11 days. Central Command submitted a variety of plans that were briefed and approved by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretary of Defense and the President. These plans were coordinated, synchronized and rehearsed to deal with these various scenarios. One of those contingencies is what we are executing right now. As I said before, there's plenty of time to do AARs(After Action Reviews) and key lessons learned and to delve into these questions with great detail. But right now is not that time. Right now, we have to focus on this mission, because we have soldiers at risk. And we also have American citizens and Afghans who supported us for 20 years also at risk. This is personal and we're going to get them out. President Biden on Afghanistan Withdrawal Transcript July 8, 2021 Sound Clips 01:30 President Biden: When I announced our drawdown in April, I said we would be out by September, and we're on track to meet that target. Our military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on August 31. The drawdown is proceeding in a secure and orderly way, prioritizing the safety of our troops as they depart 3:40 President Biden: Together with our NATO allies and partners, we have trained and equipped nearly 300,000 current serving members of the military, the Afghan national security force, and many beyond that are no longer serving. Add to that hundreds of thousands more Afghan national defense and security forces trained over the last two decades. 04:04 President Biden: We provided our Afghan partners with all the tools, let me emphasize, all the tools -- training, equipment -- of any modern military. We provided advanced weaponry, and we're going to continue to provide funding and equipment and we'll ensure they have the capacity to maintain their Air Force. 5:54 President Biden: We're also going to continue to make sure that we take on Afghan nationals who worked side by side with US forces, including interpreters and translators. Since we're no longer going to have military there after this, we're not going to need them and they'll have no jobs. We're [sic] also going to be vital to our efforts. they've been very vital, and so their families are not exposed to danger as well. We've already dramatically accelerated the procedure time for Special Immigrant Visas to bring them to the United States. Since I was inaugurated on January 20, we've already approved 2,500 Special Immigrant Visas to come to the United States. Up to now, fewer than half have exercised the right to do that. Half have gotten on aircraft and come commercial flights and come and other half believe they want to stay, at least thus far. We're working closely with Congress to change the authorization legislation so that we can streamline the process of approving those visas. And those who have stood up for the operation to physically relocate 1000s of Afghans and their families before the US military mission concludes so that, if they choose, they can wait safely outside of Afghanistan, while their US visas are being processed. 8:13 President Biden: For those who have argued that we should stay just six more months, or just one more year, I asked them to consider the lessons of recent history. In 2011, the NATO allies and partners agreed that we would end our combat mission in 2014. In 2014, some argued one more year. So we kept fighting. We kept taking casualties. In 2015, the same, and on and on. Nearly 20 years of experience has shown us that the current security situation only confirms that just one more year of fighting in Afghanistan is not a solution, but a recipe for being there indefinitely. It's up to the Afghans to make the decision about the future of their country. Others are more direct. Their argument is that we should stay with the Afghans and Afghanistan indefinitely. In doing so they point to the fact that we we have not taken losses in this last year. So they claim that the cost of just maintaining the status quo is minimal. 9:19 President Biden: But that ignores the reality, and the facts that already presented on the ground in Afghanistan when I took office. The Taliban is at its strongest militarily since 2001. The number of US forces in Afghanistan had been reduced to a bare minimum. And the United States and the last administration made an agreement that they have to with the Taliban remove all our forces by May 1 of this year. That's what I inherited. That agreement was the reason the Taliban had ceased major attacks against US forces. 9:55 President Biden: If in April, I had instead announced that the United States was going to go back on that agreement, made by the last administration, the United States and allied forces will remain in Afghanistan for the foreseeable future, the Taliban would have again begun to target our forces. The status quo was not an option. Staying would have meant US troops taking casualties, American men and women back in the middle of a civil war, and we would run the risk of having to send more troops back in Afghanistan to defend our remaining troops. Once that agreement with the Taliban had been made, staying with a bare minimum force was no longer possible. 10:34 President Biden: So let me ask those who want us to stay: how many more? How many 1000s more Americans' daughters and sons are you willing to risk? How long would you have them stay? Already we have members of our military whose parents fought in Afghanistan 20 years ago. Would you send their children and their grandchildren as well? Would you send your own son or daughter? After 20 years, a trillion dollars spent training and equipping hundreds of 1000s of Afghan National Security and Defence Forces. 2,448 Americans killed, 20,722 more wounded, and untold 1000s coming home with unseen trauma to their mental health. I will not send another generation of Americans to war in Afghanistan with no reasonable expectation of achieving a different outcome. 11:51 President Biden: Today the terrorist threat has metastasized beyond Afghanistan. So, we are repositioning our resources and adapting our counterterrorism posture to meet the threats where they are now: significantly higher in South Asia, the Middle East and Africa. 12:07 President Biden: But make no mistake, our military and intelligence leaders are confident they have the capabilities to protect the homeland and our interests from any resurgent terrorist challenge emerging or emanating from Afghanistan. We're developing a counterterrorism over-the-horizon capability that will allow us to keep our eyes firmly fixed at any direct threat to the United States in the region and act quickly and decisively if needed. 12:38 President Biden: We also need to focus on shoring up America's core strengths to meet the strategic competition competition with China and other nations that is really going to determine our future. 14:58 Reporter: Is the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan now inevitable? President Biden: No. It is not. Because you have the Afghan troops, 300,000. Well equipped, as well equipped as any army in the world, and an air force against something like 75,000 Taliban. It is not inevitable. 15:45 President Biden: Do I trust the Taliban? No, but I trust the capacity of the Afghan military who is better trained, better equipped, and more competent in terms of conducting war. 18:07 Reporter: Your own intelligence community has assessed that the Afghan government will likely collapse President Biden: That is not true 18:53 President Biden: And I want to make clear what I made clear to Ghani, that we are not going to walk away and not sustain their ability to maintain that force. We are. We're going to also work to make sure we help them in terms of everything from food necessities and other things in the region. But there is not a conclusion that in fact, they cannot defeat the Taliban. I believe the only way there's going to be -- this is now Joe Biden, not the intelligence community -- the only way there's only going to be peace and secure in Afghanistan, is that they work out a modus vivendi with the Taliban, and they make a judgement as to how they can make peace. And the likelihood there's going to be one unified government in Afghanistan, controlling the whole country is highly unlikely. 21:30 Reporter: Mr. President, how serious was the corruption among the Afghanistan government to this mission failing there? President Biden: First of all, the mission hasn't failed yet. 22:00 President Biden: There were going to be negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan national security forces, and the Afghan government that didn't come to fruition. So the question now is where do they go from here? The jury is still out, but the likelihood there's going to be the Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely. 23:20 Reporter: Mr. President, "speed is safety," as you just said in your remarks. Are you satisfied with the timeline of relocating Afghan nationals? Is it happening quickly enough to your satisfaction if it may not happen until next month at the end? President Biden: It has already happened, there have already been people, about 1000 people have gotten on aircraft and come to the United States already on commercial aircraft. So as I said, there's over 2500 people, that as from January to now, have have gotten those visas and only half decided that they wanted to leave. The point is that I think the whole process has to be speeded up -- period -- in terms of being able to get these visas. Reporter: Why can't the US evacuate these Afghan translators to the United States to await their visa processing as some immigrants of the southern border have been allowed to? President Biden: Because the law doesn't allow that to happen. And that's why we're asking the Congress to consider changing the law. President Biden Remarks on Afghanistan Strategy Transcript April 14, 2021 Sound Clips 00:38 President Biden: I'm speaking to you today from the Roosevelt -- the Treaty room in the White House -- the same spot where in October of 2001, President George W. Bush informed our nation that the United States military had begun strikes on terrorist training camps in Afghanistan. It was just weeks, just weeks after the terrorist attack on our nation that killed 2,977 innocent souls, that turned Lower Manhattan into a disaster area, destroyed parts of the Pentagon and made hallowed ground in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and sparked an American promise that we would never forget. We went to Afghanistan in 2001, to root out al Qaeda to prevent future terrorist attacks against the United States planned from Afghanistan. Our objective was clear, the cause was just, our NATO allies and partners rallied beside us. And I supported that military action along with the overwhelming majority of the members of Congress. More than seven years later, in 2008 weeks before we swore the oath of office -- President Obama and I were about to swear -- President Obama asked me to travel to Afghanistan and report back on the state of the war in Afghanistan. I flew to Afghanistan to the Kunar Valley, a rugged, mountainous region on the border of Pakistan. What I saw on that trip reinforced my conviction that only the Afghans have the right and responsibility to lead their country. And that more and endless American military force could not create or sustain a durable Afghan Government. I believed that our presence in Afghanistan should be focused on the reason we went in the first place: to ensure Afghanistan would not be used as a base from which to attack our homeland again. We did that, we accomplished that objective. I said, along with others, we would follow Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell if need be. That's exactly what we did. And we got him. It took us close to 10 years to put President Obama's commitment into form. And that's exactly what happened Osama bin Laden was gone. That was 10 years ago. Think about that. We delivered justice to Bin Laden a decade ago. And we've stayed in Afghanistan for a decade since. Since then, our reasons for remaining in Afghanistan have become increasingly unclear, even as the terrorist threat that we went to fight evolved. Over the past 20 years, the threat has become more dispersed, metastasizing around the globe. Al Shabaab in Somalia, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, on Al Nusra in Syria, ISIS attempting to create a caliphate in Syria and Iraq and establishing affiliates in multiple countries in Africa and Asia. With the terror threat now in many places, keeping 1000s of troops grounded and concentrated in just one country at a cost of billions each year makes little sense to me and our leaders. We cannot continue the cycle of extending or expanding our military presence in Afghanistan, hoping to create ideal conditions for the withdraw and expecting a different result. I'm now the fourth United States President to preside over American troop presence in Afghanistan: two Republicans, two Democrats. I will not pass this responsibility on to a fifth. After consulting closely with our allies and partners, with our military leaders and intelligence personnel, with our diplomats and our development experts, with the Congress and the Vice President, as well as with Mr. Ghani and many others around the world. I concluded that it's time to end America's longest war. It's time for American troops to come home. 5:01 President Biden: When I came to office, I inherited a diplomatic agreement, duly negotiated between the government of the United States and the Taliban, that all US forces would be out of Afghanistan by May 1 2021, just three months after my inauguration. That's what we inherited. That commitment is perhaps not what I would have negotiated myself, but it was an agreement made by the United States government. And that means something. So in keeping with that agreement, and with our national interest, the United States will begin our final withdrawal beginning on May 1 of this year. 8:11 President Biden: You all know that less than 1% of Americans serve in our Armed Forces. The remaining 99%, we owe them. We owe them. They've never backed down from a single mission that we've asked of them. I've witnessed their bravery firsthand during my visits to Afghanistan. They've never wavered in their resolve. They paid a tremendous price on our behalf and they have the thanks of a grateful nation. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) High-Risk List Center for Strategic and International Studies Transcript March 10, 2021 Speaker: John Sopko - Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction Sound Clips 7:40 John Sopko: But right now, that state is under threat. In the wake of the February 2020 withdrawal agreement, all is not well. Compromise appears in short supply on either side. Taliban attacks have actually increased since the agreement was signed. Assassination of prominent officials, activists, journalists, aid workers and others have also increased, including an unsuccessful attack on one of the female members of the peace negotiating team. And the Taliban offensive on Kandahar city last October, as peace negotiations were ongoing, may well have succeeded, were it not for U.S. air support. Peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban have achieved little for Afghanistan so far, and only time will tell as to whether the new Biden administration initiative will bear fruit. And the Afghan people's fears for its own government survival are exacerbated by the knowledge of how dependent their country is on foreign military and financial support. 12:56 John Sopko: Another equally serious threat to Afghanistan's stability has also largely been ignored as we focus on the boots on the ground in Afghanistan. And that is the provision of last year's U.S.-Taliban agreement that stipulates that in addition to the departure of U.S. and coalition troops, or non-diplomatic civilian personnel: private security contractors, trainers, advisors, and supporting service personnel also must leave the country by May 1. Should this come to passSIGAR and many others believe this may be more devastating to the effectiveness of the Afghan security forces than the withdrawal of our remaining troops. Why is that? Because the Afghan government relies heavily on these foreign contractors and trainers to function. In the first quarter of fiscal year 2021 there are over 18,000 Defense Department contractors in Afghanistan, including 6000 Americans, and 7,000 3rd country nationals, 40% of whom are responsible for logistics, maintenance, or training tasks. Now, it is well known that the Afghan security forces need these contractors to maintain their equipment, manage supply chains, and train their military and police to operate the advanced equipment that we have purchased for them. For example, as of December, the Afghan National Army was completing just under 20% of its own maintenance work orders, well below the goal of 80% that was set and the 51% that they did in 2018. So that's actually going down. The Afghan National Police were just as bad if not worse, undertaking only 12% of their own maintenance work against a target of 35% and less than the 16% that we reported in our 2019 high risk list. Additionally, and more troubling. The Department of Defense does train, advise and assist command air, or commonly called TAC air recently reported that since late 2019, they have reduced their personnel in Afghanistan by 94%, and that the military drawdown now requires near total use of contract support to maintain the Afghan Air fleet. They assess that quote “further drawdown in the associated closure basis will effectively end all in country aviation training contracts in Afghanistan.” Again, why is this significant? Why do we view this as a high risk? Namely because contractors currently provide 100% of the maintenance for the Afghan Air Force, UAE 60 helicopters and CE 130 cargo aircraft and a significant portion of Afghans Light Combat Support aircraft. TAC air this January gave a bleak assessment, namely, that no Afghan airframe can be sustained as combat effective for more than a few months in the absence of contractor support. 17:51 John Sopko: Continued funding for U.S. reconstruction programs aimed at promoting economic development, rule of law, respect for human rights, good governance and security for the Afghan people may be more significant, because it may be the primary lever left for the US and other donors to influence that country. It appears that even the Taliban understand Afghanistan's dire need for foreign assistance. Because, as one of the few commitments that the US had to make last year was, “to seek economic cooperation for reconstruction, with the new post settlement, Afghan Islamic government.” Now how much the donor community wishes to stay involved will of course depend on what that government looks like and how it behaves. Numerous officials, including then Secretary of State Pompeo and Ambassador Halley, have stated that the US will be able to advance its human rights goals, including the rights of women and girls with the Taliban by leveraging or conditioning this much needed financial assistance. But unfortunately, as SIGAR has long reported, even when conditionality involved only dealing with the Afghan government, donors do not have a stellar record of successfully utilizing that conditionality to influence Afghan behavior. 27:19 John Sopko: Today our report suggests the donor community should realize the Afghan government is focused on a single goal, its survival. Afghanistan is more dependent on international support than ever before. It may not be an overstatement that if foreign assistance is withdrawn and peace negotiations fail, Taliban forces could be at the gates of Kabul in short order. Hearing: A PATHWAY FOR PEACE IN AFGHANISTAN: EXAMINING THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE AFGHANISTAN STUDY GROUP House Committee on Oversight and Reform: Subcommittee on National Security February 19, 2021 Testimony was heard from the following Afghanistan Study Group officials: Kelly A. Ayotte, Co-Chair; News Corp Board of Directors since April 2017 BAE Systems Board of Directors since June 2017 Blackstone Board of Directors Boston Properties Board of Directors Caterpillar Board of Directors Board of Advisors at Cirtronics General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. (Retired), Co-Chair Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Obama and Trump presidencies. Lockheed Martin Board of Directors since February 2020 Nancy Lindborg, Co-Chair President and CEO of the David Lucile Packard Foundation Former President and CEO of the US Institute for Peace Former Assistant Administrator for the bureau for democracy conflict and humanitarian assistance at USAID During the mid-Obama years. Sound Clips 3:13 Rep. Stephen Lynch (MA): I'd also like to take a moment to thank the nonpartisan US Institute of Peace for the support and expertise they provided to the study group during the course of its work. 3:23 Rep. Stephen Lynch (MA): In the fiscal year 2020 omnibus bill Congress led by Senator Graham Senator Patrick Leahy and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee of state foreign ops and related programs. They tasked the independent and bipartisan Afghanistan study group to quote, consider the implications of a peace settlement or the failure to reach a settlement on US policy, resources and commitments in Afghanistan. After nearly nine months of review and consultation with current and former US and Afghan government officials, allies and partners and other key stakeholders, the Afghanistan study group issued its final report earlier this month. 15:12 Kelly Ayotte: We recommend that US troops remain beyond may 1. We believe a precipitous withdrawal of US and international troops in May, would be catastrophic for Afghanistan, leading to civil war, and allow the reconstitution of terror groups which threaten the United States within an 18 to 36 month period. 15:41 Kelly Ayotte: Let me be clear, although we recommend that our troops remain beyond may 1, we propose a new approach toward Afghanistan, which aligns our policies, practices and messaging across the United States government to support the Afghan peace process, rather than prosecute a war. Our troops would remain not to fight a forever war, but to guarantee the conditions for a successful peace process and to protect our national security interests to ensure that Afghanistan does not become a haven again, for terrorists who threaten the United States of America. 37:15 General Joseph F. Dunford: Do we need to increase forces if the Taliban don't accept an extension past the first of May, and if they then would re initiate attacks against US forces? and Chairman, we heard exactly what you heard. In the fall. What we were told by commanders on the ground in the department of fence was that 4500 US forces, in addition to the NATO forces that are there was the minimum level to address both the mission as well as protection of our forces in the context of the conditions that existed in the fall in as you've highlighted, those conditions have only gotten worse since the fall so in in our judgment 2500 would not be adequate. Should the Taliban re initiate attacks against the United States Hearing: Examining the Trump Administration's Afghanistan Strategy House Committee on Oversight and Reform, Subcommittee on National Security January 28, 2020 Witness: John Sopko - Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) Sound Clips 48:54 John Sopko: We've almost created a system that forces people in the government to give happy talk success stories because they're over there on very short rotations. They want to show success. The whole system is almost geared to give you, and it goes up the chain of command, all the way to the President sometimes. He gets bad information from people out in the field because somebody on a nine month rotation, he has to show success, and that goes up. 54:24 John Sopko: Maybe incentivize honesty. And one of the proposals I gave at that time,be cause I was asked by the staff to come up with proposals, is put the same requirement on the government that we impose on publicly traded corporations. Publicly traded corporations have to tell the truth. Otherwise the SEC will indict the people involved. They have to report when there's a significant event. So put that onus, call it The Truth in Government Act if you want, that you in the administration are duty bound by statute to alert Congress to significant events that could directly negatively impact a program or process. So incentivize honesty. 1:10:25 John Sopko: Over 70% of the Afghan budget comes from the United States and the donors. If that money ended, I have said before and I will stand by it, then the Afghan government will probably collapse. Wartime Contracting Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs September 21, 2011 Witnesses: Charles Tiefer: Commissioner on the Commission on Wartime Contracting Clark Kent Ervin: Commissioner on the Commission on Wartime Contracting Sound Clips 1:11:30 Charles Tiefer: Our private security in Afghanistan appears to be a major source of payoffs to the Taliban. Our report has the first official statement that it's the second-largest source of money for the Taliban. Sen. Carl Levin: After drugs. Charles Tiefer: After drugs, that's right. 1:25:18 Clark Kent Ervin: It's critical that the government have a choice, and that means that there needs to be at least a small and expandable, organic capacity on the part of these three agencies to perform missions themselves, so the next time there's a contingency, the government has a choice between going with contractors and going in-house and the determination can be made whether it's more effective to do it either way, whether it's cheaper to do it either way. As we said at the inception, right now the government doesn't have an option. Contractors are the default option because they're the only option. President George W. Bush announces U.S. Military Strikes on Afghanistan October 7, 2001 President George W. Bush: Good afternoon. On my orders, the United States military has begun strikes against Al-Qaeda terrorist training camps and military installations of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. These carefully targeted actions are designed to disrupt the use of Afghanistan as a terrorist base of operations and to attack the military capability of the Taliban regime. More than two weeks ago, I gave Taliban leaders a series of clear and specific demands: close terrorist training camps, hand over leaders of the Al-Qaeda network, and return all foreign nationals including American citizens unjustly detained in your country. None of these demands were met and now the Taliban will pay a price by destroying camps and disrupting communications. We will make it more difficult for the terror network to train new recruits and coordinate their evil plans. ** International Campaign Against Terrorism Senate Foreign Relations Committee October 25, 2001 Witness: Colin Powell: Secretary of State Sound Clip 27:00 Colin Powell: Our work in Afghanistan though, is not just of a military nature. We recognize that when the Al Qaeda organization has been destroyed in Afghanistan, and as we continue to try to destroy it in all the nations in which it exists around the world, and when the Taliban regime has gone to its final reward, we need to put in place a new government in Afghanistan, one that represents all the people of Afghanistan and one that is not dominated by any single powerful neighbor, but instead is dominated by the will of the people of Afghanistan. Executive Producer Recommendations Elect Stephanie Gallardo 2022 Krystal Kyle and Friends. August 21, 2021. “Episode 35 Audio with Matthew Hoh.” Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

After twenty years of fighting, the Taliban recaptured much of Afghanistan after the withdrawal of American forces precipitated a collapse in the Afghan Government and security forces. As the Taliban advanced on Kabul, thousands of Afghan soldiers, commandos, and security forces fled to the Panjshir Valley—a center of resistance movements in the 1980s against the Soviets and the 1990s against the Taliban. Led by Ahmad Shah Massoud Jr., the son of the famed Lion of Panjshir who led anti-Soviet and anti-Taliban from the same valleys and mountains, the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) was created. Panjshir remains the only province in Afghanistan not fully under the control of the Taliban. Policy professionals won't want to miss this update on the situation in Panjshir and the resistance movement with the NRF's Head of Foreign Relations, Ali Nazary. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After twenty years of fighting, the Taliban recaptured much of Afghanistan after the withdrawal of American forces precipitated a collapse in the Afghan Government and security forces. As the Taliban advanced on Kabul, thousands of Afghan soldiers, commandos, and security forces fled to the Panjshir Valley—a center of resistance movements in the 1980s against the Soviets and the 1990s […]

The collapse of Afghan government forces and the rapid seizure of power by the Taliban has unleashed a series of intense debates about the implications for Europe. How will the Western withdrawal impact on the state of European defence and military capabilities? Are we likely to see a shift in Europe's relationship with other powers - such as Turkey, China, and the United States? In this week's podcast, host Mark Leonard talks with Jeremy Shapiro, ECFR's research director, and senior policy fellows Asli Aydintaşbaş and Andrew Small about what the withdrawal of Western forces from Afghanistan means for Europe and the future of transatlantic relations. Further Reading: - “The fall of the Afghan government and what it means for Europe” by ECFR policy experts: https://buff.ly/3kqkOjh - “The Afghan tragedy and the age of unpeace” by Mark Leonard: https://buff.ly/3gXZTmS Bookshelf: "Age of Unpeace" by Mark Leonard https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/144/1443237/the-age-of-unpeace/9781787634657.html - "Faust's Metropolis - A History of Berlin" by Alexandra Richie - “Mr. Five Per Cent” by Jonathan Conlin - “Red Roulette" by Desmond Shum

So who, exactly, is the "new" Taliban, and what can we reasonable surmise (based on past actions) are their intentions? Will offers an in depth answer to both questions. Roving Man On The Street Mark Grooms joins the show to give his thoughts on the subject, as well as to solidify his and Will's bet made last week. #Taliban #Biden #JakeSullivan #AnthonyBlinken #GeorgeWBush #September11th #Afghanistan #VoiceOfJihad #TerroristTrainingCamps #NicoleWallace #CNN #HaqqaniNetwork #IslamicEmiratesOfAfghanistan Follow Will Anderson Twitter: @will_show2020 Instagram: @willandersontalk Facebook: www.facebook.com/thewillandersonshow www.thewillandersonshow.com For more hot air go here… https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4jBk1eDHibEeOehN4Z56iA/featured

4PM - Taliban Unveil New Afghan Government // Rachel Belle: Jill Biden Is Heading Back To The Classroom As A Working First Lady // Smartwatches Track Our Health and Smart Toilets Aren't Too Far Behind See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Taliban had promised an inclusive government that would reflect the ethnic makeup of the country, but all the top positions were handed to key leaders from the movement.

China says the Taliban's announcement of the formation of an interim government and some key roles has put an end to the anarchy in Afghanistan.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has hit back at Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews over the country's vaccine allocation, There was a tense confrontation between police and worshippers at a Jewish synagogue in Melbourne last night, The Taliban has announced the formation of a new “caretaker” government in Afghanistan, the AFL has confirmed that this year's grand final will start at 7.15pm australian eastern standard time, singer Pete Murray has opened up about some of the extreme treatment he received on the set of SAS Australia, Megan Fox has been criticized for oversharing on Instagram.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://afghannewswire.com/2021/04/15/afghan-government-reacts-to-us-unconditional-withdrawal-date/

jQuery(document).ready(function(){ cab.clickify(); }); Original Podcast with clickable words https://tinyurl.com/yfos7h43 "Urgent medical supplies urgently needed in Afghanistan". "Soláthraití leighis úra de dhíth go práinneach san Afganastáin". Medical supplies are becoming scarce in Afghanistan. Tá soláthairtí leighis ag éirí gann san Afganastáin. For this reason, the World Health Organization (WHO) hopes to determine an aviation route - or air bridge, as it is called - under which supplies could be brought into the country. Ar an ábhar seo, tá an Eagraíocht Dhomhanda Sláinte (WHO) ag súil le bealach eitlíochta - nó droichead aeir, mar a thugtar orthu - a shocrú faoina bhféadfaí soláthairtí a thabhairt isteach sa tír. The WHO regional director for Afghanistan, Rick Brennan, has said that this problem is exacerbated and that fresh supplies are urgently needed by now. Tá sé ráite ag stiúrthóir réigiúnda an WHO san Afganastáin, Rick Brennan, go bhfuil ag géarú ar an bhfadhb seo agus go bhfuil soláthairtí úra ag teastáil go práinneach faoin tráth seo. Trauma equipment, hospital emergency supplies and medicine given to malnourished children are most needed. Fearas tráma, soláthairtí éigeandála ospidéil agus leigheas a thabharfar go leanaí go bhfuil droch-chothú orthu is mó atá ag teastáil. Rick Brennan pointed out that these supplies cannot be brought into the country through Kabul Airport in light of the security risk there, especially in the wake of yesterday 's attacks in which 85 people were killed. Thug Rick Brennan le fios nach féidir na soláthairtí seo a thabhairt isteach sa tír trí Aerfort Chabúl i bhfianaise an riosca slándála ansin, go háirithe i ndiaidh ionsaithe an lae inné inar maraíodh 85 duine. Because of this, the WHO expects to introduce the supplies through the airport in Mazar-i-Sharif, a city in northern Afghanistan. Mar gheall air seo, tá an WHO ag súil leis na soláthairtí a thabhairt isteach tríd an aerfort in Mazar-i-Sharif, cathair i dtuaisceart na hAfganastáine. The authorities in Pakistan are helping the WHO pave the way. Tá na húdaráis sa Phacastáin ag cuidiú leis an WHO an bealach a shocrú. Rick Brennan also said that the cost of flight - related insurance in Afghanistan has risen dramatically recently. Dúirt Rick Brennan freisin go bhfuil ardú ollmhór tagtha le gairid ar an gcostas árachais a bhaineann le heitilt san Afganastáin. But, he said, it is hoped that in the next three days it will be possible to resolve all the difficulties and begin to deliver essential medical supplies. Ach, a dúirt sé, tá súil go mbeifear in ann na deacrachtaí ar fad a réiteach as seo go ceann trí lá agus tús a chur le soláthairtí leighis riachtanacha a sheachadadh. Meanwhile, concerns about the number of homeless people in Afghanistan are mounting. Idir an dá linn, tá ag géarú ar an imní faoi líon na ndaoine san Afganastáin atá gan dídean. Many people fled their own cities after the Taliban took control and headed for Kabul, which was still under the control of the Afghan Government before 15 August. Theith go leor daoine óna gcathracha féin i ndiaidh don Taliban smacht a ghlacadh orthu agus thug siad aghaidh ar Chabúl, a bhí faoi smacht Rialtas na hAfganastáine go fóill roimh 15 Lúnasa. Those people are now camping in parks in Kabul without much food and there is deadly heat. Tá na daoine sin anois ag campáil i bpáirceanna i gCabúl gan mórán bia agus tá teas marfach ann.

The Ministry of Defence has said UK armed forces have now entered the final stages of the evacuation operation in Kabul and processing facilities had now closed. More than 13,000 people have been flown by British planes in the past fortnight. Martha Kearney speaks to an employee of the previous Afghan Government, who says she does not feel safe, and then General Sir Richard Barrons. He was a senior officer when the British withdrew most of its armed forces from Afghanistan in 2014. The announcement comes after two powerful bomb blasts struck the perimeter of Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport. The explosions left at least 90 people dead, including 13 US service personnel. Martha also speaks to an eye witness of the blast by the sewage canal. Following that, she hears from the BBC's Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet, and afterwards gets the response of the Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace. Following that, Martha speaks to Rossella Miccio, the president of an international humanitarian organisation that is providing free healthcare for people in Afghanistan. Lastly, the show hears again from Lloyd Comer, a former member of the British Army who recently escaped from Kabul.

In today's Federal Newscast, the Pentagon is determining what it should do with billions intended for the Afghan armed forces.

As the Taliban faces protests and dissent across Afghanistan, William Brangham explores the collapse of the country's government -- built and supported by the U.S. and allies for 20 years. For a deeper perspective, Brangham speaks with Sarah Chayes, who covered the fall of the Taliban after 9/11 for NPR and served as advisor to several senior U.S. military commanders in Afghanistan. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

News and labour updates from the Asia Pacific region.We talk to Farkhondeh Akbar, a human rights activist and researcher who has investigated human rights violation by armed parties in Afghanistan, about how the corruption, inequality and concentration of power over the last 20 years facilitated the collapse of the Afghan government and the recent takeover by the Taliban. Farkhondeh also analysis the politics of the Taliban, its prospects for governing and if they have changed from 20 years ago.Asia Pacific Currents provides updates of labour struggles and campaigns from the Asia Pacific region. It is produced by Australia Asia Worker Links, in the studio of 3CR Radio in Melbourne, Australia

In this edition of UNcanceled With Drake Wuertz, Drake and Co-Host "Rad Rob" Rob Francois talk about the fall of the Afghan government and who the media is blaming. They talk about how the Department of Homeland Security is grouping American Patriots in with the 911 terrorists. RR and Drake also talk about being censored by YouTube and Twitter, and once again Jim Cornette goes on a rant about Drake resulting in JC wanting Drake dead?! As always, Drake wraps up the show with the Inspirational Bible Verse of the Week!Please feel free to check out our Patreon page!https://www.patreon.com/uncanceledpodcastYou can email us anytime!uncanceledpodcast@gmail.comFollow the show on Twitter and Instagram :@uncanceledpodFollow Drake on his Instagram page :@thedrakeweurtzPlease visit the Campaign page for Drake to get more info and to support!www.votedrake.com

As the Taliban faces protests and dissent across Afghanistan, William Brangham explores the collapse of the country's government -- built and supported by the U.S. and allies for 20 years. For a deeper perspective, Brangham speaks with Sarah Chayes, who covered the fall of the Taliban after 9/11 for NPR and served as advisor to several senior U.S. military commanders in Afghanistan. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Gaisu Yari, Former Government Civil Service Commissioner with the Afghan Government, spent two nights without food and sleep in an effort to flee with her family

Following the US announcement of its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, many Afghans are seeking a safe passage out of the country. As per official figures, Afghans are now the second largest refugee population in the world. There are many still in the country wanting to be rescued, especially since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. The UN's Secretary General Antonio Guterres has asked the international community not to abandon the people of Afghanistan. Is the international community willing to help? What's the role they can play to manage the unfolding humanitarian crisis? Guests: Sultan Barakat Director of Centre for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies Dr Jaya Dantas Professor of International Health at Curtin University Torek Farhadi Former Advisor to the Afghan Government

US President Joe Biden has blamed the Afghani government and military for the Taliban's swift conquest of the country, Victoria and a curfew is now in effect in Melbourne, dozens of guests who attended an engagement party in Melbourne have been handed big fines, AFL team North Melbourne has called out a former player for making a racist comment on social media, A woman has filed a lawsuit in the US claiming that Bob Dylan sexually abused her when she was 12 years old, the Blue Wiggle, Anthony Field, has assured fans he is still alive after a death hoax on the weekend   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Taliban is closing in on Kabul as U.S. personnel evacuate the embassy in Afghanistan's capital, hastily ending the two decade-long war. Meanwhile in Kabul, there are growing concerns over the safety of women and girls and those who aided U.S. officials and troops. Plus, President Biden escalates his war of words with Republican governors who are ditching mask mandates as the Delta variant sweeps through their states. And a big win for the White House -- Senate passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill -- is overshadowed by surging Covid cases and a collapsing Afghanistan. On today's panel: CNN's Lauren Fox, Margaret Talev of Axios, CNN's Jeremy Diamond, Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times, Kimberly Dozier of Time Magazine, and former Baltimore Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Attempting to make sense of the ongoing chaos in Kabul in the aftermath of Washington's announcement that it would be fully withdrawing its armed forces from Afghanistan. = Watch via Video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNImHZNodTk = Overview: The United States Armed Forces are scheduled to be withdrawn from Afghanistan by the 31st of August 2021, concluding Operation Freedom's Sentinel and NATO's Resolute Support Mission. The U.S. and allied forces invaded and occupied the country in 2001 following the September 11th 2001 attacks, with the subsequent war becoming the U.S.'s longest military engagement surpassing even that then its War in Vietnam in the 20th century. On the 29th of February 2020, the U.S. and the Taliban signed a peace agreement titled the "Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan", with provisions including the withdrawal of all regular American and NATO troops from Afghanistan, a Taliban pledge to prevent al-Qaeda from operating in areas under Taliban control, and talks between the Taliban and the Afghan Government based in Kabul. The deal was supported by China, Pakistan, and Russia, and unanimously endorsed by the United Nations Security Council. The Trump Administration agreed to an initial reduction of its force level from 13,000 to a total of 8,600 by July 2020, which would then be followed by a full withdrawal by the 1st of May 2021. This was contingent on if the Taliban kept its previously stated commitments. The Biden Administration announced in April 2021 that it would continue the withdrawal beyond the initial deadline, with an expected completion date by the 11th of September 2021. This deadline would mark the 20th anniversary of the previously mentioned attacks that had been the initial casus belli for the U.S. / NATO Coalition Forces. The Biden Administration later announced that despite the withdrawal, it would keep 650 U.S. troops in Afghanistan to defend the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and defend the Hamid Karzai International Airport alongside Turkish troops. On the 8th of July, Biden shifted the U.S. withdrawal deadline to 31 August. Despite all of this, the Department of Defense stated that the U.S. will continue airstrikes on Taliban. More content on this is to follow as the circumstances of this story continue to evolve. = Recommended Resources: "Mapping the advance of the Taliban in Afghanistan" | https://news.yahoo.com/mapping-advance-taliban-afghanistan-230108412.html "Biden to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan by September 11" | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/13/biden-to-withdraw-us-troops-from-afghanistan-by-september-11 "THE AFGHANISTAN PAPERS: A secret history of the war" | https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/investigations/afghanistan-papers/afghanistan-war-confidential-documents/ "Origins of the Taliban" | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzBVvyBWDD4 "Afghanistan sits on $3 trillion in minerals" | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9pOQioOEGg "China's Strategic Assessment of Afghanistan" | https://warontherocks.com/2020/04/chinas-strategic-assessment-of-afghanistan/ "Turkey's Erdogan says Taliban should end "occupation" in Afghanistan" | https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkeys-erdogan-says-taliban-should-end-occupation-afghanistan-2021-07-19/ "US weighs attacks if Kabul at risk of falling to Taliban: Report" | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/6/10/us-weighs-strikes-if-kabul-at-risk-of-falling-to-taliban-report = Support GetNuanced: Tip Us via Cash App: $GetNuanced Our GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/GetNuanced Patreon Community: http://www.patreon.com/TJC = Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/GetNuanced = -TJC --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/getnuanced/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/getnuanced/support