US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin arrived in Kabul on Sunday for his first trip to Afghanistan as Pentagon chief, amid swirling questions about how long American troops will remain in the country.
Mr Austin was received by Gen Scott Miller, commander of US forces in Afghanistan, and Afghan defence officials. He later met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
“We are truly grateful for the continued support you provided to our troops that have worked here alongside Afghans for so long, and also our diplomats,” Mr Austin told Mr Ghani in a brief video of the meeting shared with the media.
In a statement issued on social media, Mr Austin said the meeting was to help in an ongoing review of the US presence in Afghanistan.
"I came to Afghanistan to listen and learn. This visit been very helpful for me, and it will inform my participation in the review we are undergoing here," he said.
But Mr Austin would not be drawn on a date for US forces to leave the country.
"In terms of setting a specific date for withdrawal, that's the domain of my boss," he said, referring to US President Joe Biden.
A similar statement shared by the Afghan presidential palace said Mr Austin praised the sacrifices of the Afghan security forces in the fight against terrorism. "Both sides expressed concern about the escalation of violence in the country," it said.
The trip comes at a time when the US is accelerating efforts to end the deadlock in the intra-Afghan peace negotiations and reach a deal between the warring parties.
Earlier last month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote to Mr Ghani urging swift action on reaching a deal with the Taliban.
The letter warned the Afghan leader that the US may consider withdrawing troops on the May 1 deadline, set in a deal the US made with the Taliban during the administration of former president Donald Trump.
A 'Peace Government'
US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad shared an eight-page peace proposal, which the Afghan government and the Taliban are reviewing. This calls for an interim "peace government" that would shepherd Afghanistan toward constitutional reform and elections.
While exact details of Mr Austin's visit have not been shared, many experts speculate the purpose is to further discuss the peace government with the Afghan president.
But a senior Afghan security official told The National that the Afghan government is unlikely to accept a US-brokered government.
“They won’t accept an interim set-up,” the official said. “But it might be open to offering [the Taliban] other power-sharing mechanisms. But that too, only when the Taliban exercise willingness to give up on violence.”
Despite the promise of a reduction in violence in exchange for US troops leaving the country, the Taliban have ramped up attacks in Afghanistan in the past year.
The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission documented 2,250 civilian assassinations in 2020, an increase of 169 per cent on the previous year. The Taliban have also failed to break their alliance with the Al Qaeda, and continue to shelter their fighters, according to Afghan intelligence officials.
The increase in violence and a lack of mechanism to appraise the existing deal with the Taliban has prompted the current US administration to review its policies and plan for withdrawal.
In February, Mr Austin told the reporters the US "will not undertake a hasty or disorderly withdrawal from Afghanistan that puts their forces or the alliance's reputation at risk".
The US wants the Afghan government and the Taliban to reach a political agreement before withdrawing its troops, Said Saber Ibrahimi, Afghan analyst and fellow at New York University Center on International Co-operation think tank, told The National.
“This is partly because the US wants to ensure that its counter-terrorism and political interests are served after the departure,” he said
He added that there was also a likely prospect of a civil war if the US withdrew without a strong government in place.
“A failed state in Afghanistan could mean more terrorism in the region and beyond,” Mr Ibrahimi said.
President Joe Mr Biden has mooted an extension of a US troop presence past the deadline, to continue support to the Afghan government. He told ABC News on Monday that the May 1 withdrawal "could happen, but it is tough".
In response, the Taliban on Friday warned of consequences if the US does not meet the deadline.
“At this stage, it appears that the US may seek to extend the May 1 deadline. Perhaps for six months or so, not more than that,” Mr Ibrahimi said.
“However, this is not to say that the US will wait indefinitely for Afghans to reach an agreement. The US may run out of patience and withdraw altogether if there is no progress on the talks.”
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
Youth YouTuber Programme
The programme will be presented over two weeks and will cover the following topics:
- Learning, scripting, storytelling and basic shots
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Company%20Profile
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The%20specs
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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.
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
Imperial%20Island%3A%20A%20History%20of%20Empire%20in%20Modern%20Britain
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BRIEF SCORES:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Specs
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
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Company%20Profile
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Race card:
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m.
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 1,200m.
8.15pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,200m.
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 1,600m.
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10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 2,000m.
Take Me Apart
Kelela
(Warp)
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
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
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- 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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
