Iran reportedly paid the Taliban to carry out attacks against US military targets in Afghanistan, including a suicide bombing at an air base in December last year.
According to CNN, US intelligence agencies assessed that Iran offered bounties to Taliban fighters for targeting US and coalition troops in Afghanistan and "identifying payments linked to at least six attacks carried out by the militant group just last year alone".
The Iranian government paid the Haqqani network, a hardline faction led by Sirajuddin Haqqani who is also the second highest-ranking Taliban official, for their attack on Bagram Air Base on December 11. Two civilians were killed and the attack wounded more than 70 others, including four US personnel, according to a Pentagon briefing document reviewed by CNN.
A US defence official would not confirm or deny the CNN report but called on Iran to end its “malign” behavior throughout the region and to stop undermining the Afghan peace process.
"The Department of Defence does not disclose timelines or discussions surrounding internal deliberations and intelligence briefings," Army Major Rob Lodewick, a Pentagon spokesperson, said in an email to The National.
But Major Lodewick stressed the need for Iran to change its behaviour. “The [Defence] department has repeatedly demanded, both publicly and privately, that Iran cease its scourge of malign and destabilising behaviour throughout the Middle East and the world,” he said.
“While the United States, its Nato allies and coalition partners are working to facilitate an end to 19 years of bloodshed, Iran’s inimical influence seeks to undermine the Afghan peace process and foster a continuation of violence and instability.”
Ryan Bohl, a Middle East analyst at the US intelligence company Stratfor, said the alleged Iranian bounties to the Taliban would be a surprise, if confirmed.
"We know the Iranians have at varying times worked with the Taliban to undermine the US in Afghanistan," Mr Bohl told The National.
“Though ideological enemies, Iranian-made arms have ended up in Taliban hands in the past…and the Taliban are pressed to take any support they can get, while Tehran has a long history of using convenient proxies that might not be ideological fellow-travelers,” the expert argued.
In the long term, Iran could be betting on the Taliban’s return to power. “Iran is also hoping that if the Taliban does end up in power in some fashion in Afghanistan, they can have warm enough relations to avoid the tension relationship they had with them in the 1990s,” said Mr Bohl.
But while the news could increase US-Iran tensions, the expert saw it as unlikely that the Trump administration would seek escalation in Afghanistan before the November 3 US election.
The Iran bounties story comes six weeks after a New York Times report claiming Russia offered similar bounties to Taliban to target US troops in Afghanistan. The Kremlin denied that report.
The report comes after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the Taliban’s chief negotiator in June amid a controversy in Washington over when President Donald Trump was told about US intelligence claims that Russia was paying the Taliban to kill US and Nato soldiers in Afghanistan.
It is not known if there was any mention of allegations that some Taliban militants received money to kill US and Nato soldiers in Afghanistan.
The Taliban have denied the allegations that they were paid by Russia to kill Americans in Afghanistan.
Reports have alleged that Russia began paying the bounties in early 2019, even as Mr Khalilzad was trying to finalise the deal with the Taliban to end Washington’s longest war and withdraw US soldiers.
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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Company%20Profile
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if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
The biog
Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology
Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India
Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur
How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993
Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters
Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo
The specs: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio
Price, base: Dh198,300
Engine: 2.0L in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 280hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,250rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7L / 100km
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
Don't get fined
The UAE FTA requires following to be kept:
- Records of all supplies and imports of goods and services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents related to receiving goods or services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents issued
- Records of goods and services that have been disposed of or used for matters not related to business
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%3A
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NEW%20PRICING%20SCHEME%20FOR%20APPLE%20MUSIC%2C%20TV%2B%20AND%20ONE
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
Abu Dhabi GP weekend schedule
Friday
First practice, 1pm
Second practice, 5pm
Saturday
Final practice, 2pm
Qualifying, 5pm
Sunday
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps), 5.10pm
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
