Afghanistan is a nation in dire economic and political straits, but another consequence of the abrupt 2021 withdrawal by US and Nato forces from the country is now threatening to destabilise its neighbours.
Security officials told The National this week that advanced weapons and military technology – part of a $7.2 billion arsenal of aircraft, firearms, vehicles, ammunition and equipment including night-vision goggles and biometric devices left behind by western troops – have found their way into the hands of militants in Pakistan who are using them to attack police and soldiers.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Baloch rebels are among the groups that have obtained modern materiel in Afghanistan. The number of terrorist attacks in the country increased by 27 per cent last year, compared with 2021, according to the Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies, a think tank in Islamabad.
The risk posed by weapons falling into the wrong hands is among the by-products of the baneful and enduring presence of many unresolved international conflicts. From Iraq to Libya, the repercussions have been of major concern. The war in Ukraine is the latest large-scale war in which the huge amounts of weaponry involved present serious challenges for those who want to keep lethal arms from reaching the black market.
In December, Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN’s High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, told the Security Council that states “must apply effective arms-control measures to prevent the diversion of weapons supplied to Ukraine”.
“The large-scale influx of weapons into any armed conflict raises many concerns for peace and security, including risks of diversion, potential spillover and escalation,” she added.
However, according to a March report from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, “there is little real evidence of arms leaking out of Ukraine or of substantial arms trafficking channels out of the country being established”. But there is no room for complacency and the report’s authors claim “every precedent suggests that, especially if the threat is not addressed proactively and imaginatively, when the current war ends, Ukraine’s battlefields could and will become the new arsenal of anarchy, arming everyone from insurgents in Africa to gangsters in the streets of Europe”.
There are international treaties and bodies designed either to register arms sales or to prevent materiel disappearing from conflict-related stockpiles. Similarly, cross-border policing, such as that carried out by Interpol, attempts to stop the illegal online trade in firearms – the dark web being described in a 2018 World Economic Forum report as “an enabler for the circulation of illegal weapons already on the black market, as well as a potential source of diversion for legally owned weapons”.
And although the EU Agency for Law Enforcement Co-operation has said that the arms trade “is small in volume compared to other products trafficked online”, it claims the potential impact on international security is significant.
The effective monitoring of arms flows, as well as robust penalties for those found to be directing weapons into the hands of illegal organisations is necessary. This will require international co-operation both diplomatically and in terms of policing. But if the world is to avoid leaving a toxic legacy of lucrative rogue weaponry dotting various battlefields, then the time to work together is now.
What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.
UAE rugby season
FIXTURES
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers v Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Division 1
Dubai Sharks v Dubai Hurricanes II
Al Ain Amblers v Dubai Knights Eagles II
Dubai Tigers II v Abu Dhabi Saracens
Jebel Ali Dragons II v Abu Dhabi Harlequins II
Sharjah Wanderers v Dubai Exiles II
LAST SEASON
West Asia Premiership
Winners – Bahrain
Runners-up – Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership
Winners – Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners-up – Jebel Ali Dragons
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners – Dubai Hurricanes
Runners-up – Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Conference
Winners – Dubai Tigers
Runners-up – Al Ain Amblers
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
IF YOU GO
The flights
FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.
The tours
English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people.
The hotels
Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.
St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
