As the Taliban closed in on Kabul and tens of thousands of people overwhelmed its airport, it was the small Gulf state of Qatar that first opened its doors to evacuees, fast establishing itself as the West’s main line of communication to an organization best known for harboring Osama bin Laden. The U.S. and U.K. … Read more
Hectic diplomacy is underway in New York, following the terror attack on Kabul airport, to get the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to pass a strong resolution calling upon the Taliban to allow “safe” and “secure” passage to Afghan nationals with valid travel authorisation from foreign countries. ET has learnt that a proposed draft resolution, … Read more
It’s called the loneliest job in the world for a reason. Surrounded by everything a superpower can offer and watched by all, President Joe Biden wore the weight of a lonely man as he came to grips in recent days with the deadly end of the American effort in Afghanistan and tried to keep the … Read more
Emphasising that international mediators can play a significant role in Afghanistan, Russia has said that it is interested in involving India and Iran to bring peace in the war-ravaged country. India, a major stakeholder in ensuring peace and stability in Afghanistan, was not invited to the ‘extended Troika’ meeting held in Qatar on August 11. … Read more
Here’s what 19-year-old Lance Cpl. William Bee felt flying into southern Afghanistan on Christmas Day 2001: purely lucky. The U.S. was hitting back at the al-Qaida plotters who had brought down the World Trade Center, and Bee found himself among the first Marines on the ground. “Excitement,” Bee says these days, of the teenage Bee’s … Read more