Warlords who carved Afghanistan up among themselves and built huge power bases off the back of the US intervention in their country are floundering.
Six weeks since Kabul fell to the Taliban, they have lost fiefdoms and palaces, though they cling to titles. They are governors without provinces, generals without armies.
From afar, they plot their next move, though there are few indications they have learnt from the country’s rapid collapse this summer. Already, fractures are deep; at least two pools of opposition have coalesced.
“We need to work out how to form a united front, led by someone who has been in the country for decades,” says Khalid Noor, the son of former Balkh province governor Atta Noor.
His father has worked closely with General Abdul Rashid Dostum and the two fled Afghanistan on the same day.
Atta Noor is in Dubai. Gen Dostum has returned to Turkey, where he has long-standing ties.
“People should not expect a miracle to happen. We cannot take Afghanistan back in three months,” Noor says.
The other grouping to appear is between Salahuddin Rabbani, a former foreign minister, and Ahmed Massoud. The two are close friends.
Those around Noor and Dostum are convinced that the stalwarts of the past 30 years are the only people with the experience to push back against the Taliban. They think the fresh faces – the likes of Ahmad Massoud, whose father, Ahmad Shah Massoud, led the Northern Alliance of the 1990s, are too young and inexperienced to lead any sort of resistance.
Remnants of forces loyal to Ahmed Massoud remain in the mountains of the Panjshir Valley and in neighbouring areas such as Andarab. They are all that is left of an armed, in-country opposition.
Perhaps the only thing they can agree on is that former president Ashraf Ghani, under tight guard in the UAE and his coterie of advisers, will be persona non grata.
“I don’t think anyone will welcome him. A traitor is always a traitor,” says Khalid Noor, from the lobby of a Dubai hotel.
Kamal Alam, a close friend of Ahmad Massoud and an advisor to Massoud Foundation, shares his sense of betrayal by Mr Ghani, but agrees on little else.
He believes Massoud is free of much of the baggage carried by others.
“The major factor is that he is untarnished by corruption; he has held no office before. He did not leave and run away, although he had the option to. He stood his ground,” Alam says.
“These others have been associated with tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars of corruption – that’s the fundamental difference. Those other guys will not get any traction in the West. They were already vilified for human rights abuse.”
Efforts are under way to bring all the big names together. A conference that may allow the disparate parties to agree on leadership or a strategy is on the cards. Yet so far, they are struggling to find a host. The potential backlash of hosting a politically active resistance has left many on the sidelines, at least for now.
A meeting in Turkey last month was cancelled amid fears it would anger the Taliban; Ankara is trying to talk to Kabul’s new rulers. Another conference, in Tajikistan, was also put on ice, although Dushanbe is positioning itself as the leading anti-Taliban regional power, even if that doesn’t yet extend to hosting the resistance.
“Whoever does this openly, you can imagine the Taliban’s fury”, says one senior Afghan figure also involved in planning a meeting.
“If they [the Taliban] are not recognised, there will be a massive economic crisis and health crisis. People are getting fed up, the Taliban won’t be able to provide service. Then people can use that as a friction against them,” the official said.
Whether a government in exile is announced in the coming weeks and the likes of Massoud, Dostani and Noor can overcome their differences may be irrelevant.
Amid the rise of ISIS Khorasan, the terrorist group’s Afghan affiliate, countries still wishing to engage with Kabul are increasingly reconciled to doing so through the Taliban rather than throwing their weight behind a resistance or government in exile, one western security official told The National.
“There are very few strategic threats emanating from Afghanistan other than counter-terrorism threat – that’s manifested in ISIS-K. When you look at how you prosecute or meet, that threat there is only one way – it is by working with a local partner – that’s the Taliban.”
“As long as the Taliban are in power, they are a sworn enemy of ISIS-K. It’s not as if a deal has been done; it’s just an acknowledgement that they are in power. That is the partner you need.”
“There are not many options. If you had to choose your best team, it wouldn’t be them [The Taliban] – but they are the only team on the field.”
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Brief scores:
Toss: Northern Warriors, elected to field first
Bengal Tigers 130-1 (10 ov)
Roy 60 not out, Rutherford 47 not out
Northern Warriors 94-7 (10 ov)
Simmons 44; Yamin 4-4
Scores
Oman 109-3 in 18.4 overs (Aqib Ilyas 45 not out, Aamir Kaleem 27) beat UAE 108-9 in 20 overs (Usman 27, Mustafa 24, Fayyaz 3-16, Bilal 3-23)
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The years Ramadan fell in May
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on Quran memorisation:
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Team Angel Wolf Beach Blast takes place every Wednesday between 4:30pm and 5:30pm
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
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How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
The specs
BMW M8 Competition Coupe
Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8
Power 625hp at 6,000rpm
Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm
Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto
Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec
Top speed 305kph
Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km
Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)
On sale Jan/Feb 2020
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
