It turns out that a lot of former senior officials were opposed all along to the US-led Nato mission in Afghanistan in 2001.
Take Jonathan Evans, who was head of Britain’s MI5 internal security service from 2005 to 2013. He declared on Friday that he had preferred a different type of response following the intervention to depose the Taliban.
“We should have focused very narrowly on counter-terrorism objectives in regard to Afghanistan,” he said. “It was very worthy, but rather ambitious to think that we could reshape the whole country.”
Professor Michael Clarke, former head of the Rusi think tank, wrote last week of the availability of the “dagger through the brown envelope” option.
“[This was] to leave a metaphorical note on the table before leaving which said, ‘don’t let international terrorists operate from your country again, or we’ll be back’.”
Instead Mr Clarke says the UK made a strategic decision from the moment of the 9/11 attacks to commit alongside the US to rebuilding Afghanistan to a western-determined model as well as the global war on terror.
The restoration of Taliban rule has dealt a severe blow to nation-building as an international policy. It has upended the credibility of western counter-terrorism strategies. Less noticed, an unfolding crisis is also engulfing counter-extremism.
Interviewed after the Taliban takeover, Ben Wallace, the British defence secretary, shared his concerns at the emergence of a “world order” in which western resolve was perceived as weak. In particular, he warned the most potent terrorist threats would grow.
“Around the world Islamists will see what they view as a victory,” he predicted.
US President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw all operations in Afghanistan was not just about bringing to an end the “forever wars”. It also opened up the most basic questions about the strategies pursued over the past two decades.
The US took a security-dominated approach to counter-terrorism, most obviously though the Global War on Terror. This combined not only warfare but also development policies and foreign policy objectives, like advancing democracy.
Other countries have had a more blended approach. The UK went to the battlefield with America, not only in Afghanistan but also Iraq and elsewhere. Yet it also more fully developed policies addressing radicalisation and the spread of harmful ideologies.
These counter-extremism initiatives were very bound into the fight against Al Qaeda as they were developed and for that reason are vulnerable now to a backlash inspired by the events in Afghanistan.
There has been a constant negativity around counter-extremism, in particular that it was overly focused on the threats that were triggered by Al Qaeda. The Soviet-coined term “whataboutery” often applies – analogous arguments are raised to undermine and debilitate the arguments of opponents.
A review of the UK’s flagship counter-extremism programme, Prevent, is taking place in this context. It is buffeted by a cultivated distrust. One argument goes that it does not adequately address non-Islamist terrorism (“What about the far right?”). There are demands for greater emphasis on “white rage” or other forms of hatred on social media.
As Mr Wallace indicated, the Taliban victory does give Islamists an uplift. After 20 years of condemnation of its threat to life and liberty, the Taliban has not only survived but won.
So many people will resist anew when confronted with counter-extremism messages. They will be encouraged by mainstream politicians who are opposed to Western policies.
When the British Parliament was recalled last week, there was significant social media traffic for MP Zarah Sultana. She made the case that the Afghanistan intervention was not launched in response to an attack. It was imperialism.
According to Ms Sultana, the campaign was illegitimate because it was built on lies.
Policing social media platforms has recently hogged more headlines than counter-extremism in the West. It is an irony then that social media companies are conflicted about Taliban accounts and how deal with its messaging, now that it runs a country.
The ideological battles within counter-extremism must now be refought
Technological changes have been so rapid and so far-reaching that counter-extremism policies are in desperate need of rethinking. Social media campaigns are needed that show that these platforms can been a good friend but a bad master. Reminding parents, for example, that their child is vulnerable to radicalisation is a necessity.
Those who seek to exploit social, economic, ideological and political differences are growing in number and sophistication. Addressing those grievances with development policies is now more important than ever.
Counter-terrorism clearly faces new challenges. Security services like those once run by Mr Evans must be scrambling to first ensure new threats are tackled, but also that their strategies quickly adapt to the Taliban’s rise.
The ideological battles within counter-extremism must now be refought. Recognition that the intellectual energy unleashed against Al Qaeda after 2001 has dissipated and run up against newly invigorated opponents is just the first step.
The US itself should consider embarking on its own quest for a domestic counter-extremism framework that has broad public support. Policies in the UK, France and elsewhere in Europe need to demonstrate effectiveness, fairness and a sharper focus on ideological threats.
THE BIO
BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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2.
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China
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.
The car
Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
Parks and accommodation
For information on Crater Lake National Park, visit www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm . Because of the altitude, large parts of the park are closed in winter due to snow. While the park’s summer season is May 22-October 31, typically, the full loop of the Rim Drive is only possible from late July until the end of October. Entry costs $25 per car for a day. For accommodation, see www.travelcraterlake.com. For information on Umpqua Hot Springs, see www.fs.usda.gov and https://soakoregon.com/umpqua-hot-springs/. For Bend, see https://www.visitbend.com/.
HOW DO SIM CARD SCAMS WORK?
Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.
They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards, often by claiming their phone has been lost or stolen
They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.
The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Dunki
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
Company%C2%A0profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Company%20profile
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THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Miss Granny
Director: Joyce Bernal
Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa
3/5
(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)
Everybody%20Loves%20Touda
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Vikram%20Vedha
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The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
