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A UN Security Council monitoring team for Afghanistan has warned that the Taleban is well poised to make a grab for power in Kabul after the US completes its ongoing withdrawal in September.

Key Taleban leaders "oppose peace talks and favour a military solution", the report said.

The Taleban already has direct control over more than half of Afghanistan's district administrative centres, while contesting or controlling up to 70 per cent of territory outside urban areas, according to the report.

Moreover, the ultra-conservative Taleban, which calls itself the Islamic Emirate, and Al-Qaeda "remain closely aligned and show no indication of breaking ties".

There has been "no material change to this relationship, which has grown deeper as a consequence of personal bonds of marriage and shared partnership in struggle, now cemented through second-generational ties".

The Taleban swiftly rejected the report by the UN Security Council's Analytic Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team last Tuesday and made public the next day.

"Unfortunately, this report has been compiled on the basis of false information from enemy intelligence agencies," said Taleban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.

"Representatives of the Islamic Emirate are also fully prepared for the inter-Afghan negotiating table, in order to make progress in the negotiations and implement all the clauses," he said.

The US invaded Afghanistan in 2001 to oust the Taleban for sheltering Al-Qaeda, which carried out the Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in America.

President Joe Biden last month set a deadline of Sept 1 for withdrawing an estimated 2,500 American troops, along with those of Nato partners. The withdrawal is well under way.

But the 2020 Doha Agreement, which paved the way for this transition, states: "A comprehensive and sustainable peace agreement will include guarantees to prevent the use of Afghan soil by any international terrorist groups or individuals against the security of the United States and its allies."

Analysts watching Afghanistan agree with the UN report.

"It's a little late," tweeted Ms Farahnaz Ispahani, senior fellow at the Religious Freedom Institute and public policy fellow at the Wilson Centre.

"The Taleban have not given up on anything," Dr Aparna Pande, research fellow and director of the Hudson Institute's Initiative on the Future of India and South Asia, told The Sunday Times. "They don't believe in power-sharing and have shown no intention of breaking ties with Al-Qaeda."

Just last month, the Taleban warned neighbours against allowing the US to use their territory or air space for military operations in Afghanistan. This came amid plans by the Pentagon to reposition some troops in the region to carry out counterterrorism missions in Afghanistan even after the US exit.

Mr Bill Roggio, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, warned last Thursday that the Afghan government is "slowly but clearly losing ground to the Taleban".

The same day, the Taleban captured another district in central Uruzgan province, he noted.

Al-Qaeda's presence in Afghanistan has been confirmed by its own media wings; its Thabat newsletter has listed Al-Qaeda attacks since 2020 in 18 provinces, the United Nations report noted.

It said: "Al-Qaeda is resident in at least 15 Afghan provinces, primarily in the east, southern and south-eastern regions.

"Al-Qaeda, including Al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent, is reported to number several dozen to 500 persons. The group's leader, Aiman Muhammed Rabi al-Zawahiri, is believed to be located somewhere in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Previous reports of his death due to ill health have not been confirmed."

Al-Qaeda's near-term strategy has been assessed as maintaining its traditional safe haven in Afghanistan for its core leadership, and it maintains contact with the Taleban but has minimised overt communications in an effort to "lay low", it added.

"It will be important for the international community to monitor any sign of Afghanistan again becoming a destination for extremists with both regional and international agendas," the report warned.

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Taleban well-poised to take over in Afghanistan: Report - The Straits Times

The planned withdrawal of all U.S. and European troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, 2021 will probably allow the Taliban to reconquer Afghanistan and impose a strict Islamist regime within the country, and establish terrorist organizations devoted to attacking the United States.

The Taliban followers are terrorists who are aligned with al-Qaida, and they are the same groups who have launched terrorist attacks in the world over the past 30 years, including the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.

We need to keep adequate military forces in the region outside of Afghanistan to counter Taliban and al-Qaida moves in Afghanistan and to keep them off balance to prevent attacks against us.

Approximately 3,000 U.S. troops should be based on the Arabian peninsula in case they are needed as a quick reaction force. U.S. Special Forces in the region will probably have to be beefed up.

We need ground assault aircraft available in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Additionally, a squadron of B-52s should be based in the region.

A U.S. Navy carrier battle group and an amphibious assault force must be deployed in the region to provide the capabilities for air bombardment and missile attacks as necessary.

The Taliban are the enemy and must be treated as such.

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

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Dangerous withdrawal from Afghanistan | News, Sports, Jobs - The Express - Lock Haven Express

NATO defence ministers met virtually on Tuesday (1 June 2021) to discuss preparations for the upcoming NATO Summit and the way forward in Afghanistan. To prepare for the Summit, defence ministers addressed the NATO 2030 agenda to strengthen the Alliance. They focused on plans to reinforce Allied unity, including with a strengthened commitment to collective defence. This means rapid and full implementation of our military adaptation and continued improvements to our readiness, our capabilities and our defence investments, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

On Afghanistan, defence ministers agreed that continued support for the Afghan forces, government and people is the best way that NATO can contribute to the peace efforts. The Secretary General stressed that NATO will continue to provide advice and capacity-building support to the Afghan security institutions and funding for the Afghan security forces. We are also lookingat how we can provide military education and training outside Afghanistan, focused on Special Operations Forces, and we are looking at how to fund the provision of services enabling Allies and the international community to stay in Kabul, including support for the airport, he noted.

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NATO Defence Ministers address Afghanistan and the NATO 2030 agenda - NATO HQ

HappyTuesday and welcome toOvernightDefense.I'm Ellen Mitchell, and here's your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.CLICK HERE to subscribe to the newsletter.

THE TOPLINE:The U.S. military isnearly at the halfway point in pulling its forces from Afghanistanonly a month into the effort, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Tuesday.

U.S. Central Commandestimates thatit has completed between 30 to 44 percent of the entire retrograde process, Kirby told reporters at the Pentagon.

He added thatthe Defense Department has shipped roughly 300 C-17 aircraft loads of material out of Afghanistan and has turnednearly 13,000 pieces of equipment over to the Defense Logistics Agency for destruction since the withdrawal began on May 1.

A fast timeline:President Bidenin Aprilordered all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan by Sept. 11, the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that sparked Americas longest conflict. Several reports, however, have indicated the withdrawal could be completed as soon as July.

Defense SecretaryLloyd Austinsaid Thursday that the withdrawal is slightly ahead of schedule, but he did not offer further details of the pace.

Hand it over: Washington has also officially handed over six facilities to the Afghan Ministry of Defense, according to a Centcom statement released earlier Tuesday.

Agence France-Presse reported earlier Tuesday that U.S. forces will be handing overtheir main Bagram Air Base to Afghan forces in roughly 20 days, though Kirby would not confirm the report.

Ive seen the press report on Bagram. Im obviously not going to get ahead of specific retrograde milestones, Kirby said.

He added that Bagram which was built by the Soviet Union in the 1980s andserves as the U.S. and NATO forces'biggest military facilityin Afghanistan will be turned over as part of the withdrawal, but he would not confirm the timing, citing operational security.

DEMS INTRODUCE BILL TO PROTECT TRANSGENDER MILITARY DEPENDENTS

A group of 39 House Democrats on Tuesday introduceda new billto ensure that transgender dependentof active duty service members have access to needed health care.

Led by Rep.Jimmy Panetta(D-Calif.), the Armed Forces Transgender Dependent Protection Act would prevent the Defense Department from stationing service members and their transgender dependents in states or countries that prohibit or otherwise restrict gender affirming healthcare and treatments for them.

Despite the progress that we have made in our fight for LGBTQ equality, service members and their transgender dependents continue to face hurdles that threaten their development, Panetta said in a statement announcing the bill.

Context:Republicans in more than 30 states across the country have passed or advanced legislation targeting transgender Americans, particularly students, in the past several months. Democrats and LGBT advocates have deemed such legislation as discriminatory and several lawsuits are expected to ensue.

Earlier on Tuesday, the first day of Pride Month, Florida, Gov.Ron DeSantis(R)signed a law that prohibits transgender student athletesfrom playing on teams that align with their gender identity.

A pushback:The Biden administration has taken steps to show support for LGBT rights.

President BidenJoe BidenRNC warns it will advise presidential candidates against future debates if panel doesn't make changes Washington Post issues correction on 2020 report on Tom Cotton, lab-leak theory Graham says Israel will request billion from US after Gaza war MOREin Januarysigned an executive order lifting the banon transgender service members implemented during the Trump administration.

An extra step:But the Democratic lawmakers want to make sure the Pentagon goes a step further and install protections for the dependents of service members.

Across America, Republican-led states have embarked on the discriminatory mission of legislatively outlawing medical treatment for trans Americans, House Judiciary Committee ChairmanJerry Nadler(D-N.Y.), a co-sponsor of the bill, said in a statement. Ensuring that transgender children and spouses of active duty service members can access medically necessary treatment is a question of dignity, fairness, and civil rights.

ARMY SOLDIERS MISTAKENLY RAID BULGARIAN OLIVE OIL FACTORY

U.S. soldiersaccidentally raided an olive oil factory in Bulgaria during a larger NATO exerciselast month, U.S. Army Europe and Africa revealed Tuesday.

During Exercise Swift Response 21 a drill across Estonia, Bulgaria and Romania meant to deter Russian military aggression soldiers assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade simulated seizing and securing the decommissioned Cheshnegirovo airfield in Bulgaria by entering and clearing bunkers and structures.

What went wrong: But during the course of the exercise on May 11, soldiers entered and cleared a building next to the airfield that they believed was part of the training area, but that was occupied by Bulgarian civilians operating a private business,according to an Army statement. No weapons were fired at any time during the interaction.

Apologies in order: Army officials sincerely apologize to the business and its employees, and said they are fully investigating the cause of this mistake.

The statement added that the Army would implement rigorous procedures to clearly define our training areas and prevent this type of incident in the future.

Caught on film:A video of the mistaken seizure wasposted to Twitterby Bulgarian journalist Dilyana Gaytandzhieva, who reported that the factory owner had filed a lawsuit after the mix up.

ICYMI

The Hill: Pentagon report clears use ofdrones made by top Chinese manufacturer

The Hill:Defense secretary knocks Cruz: Military will 'never be too soft'

The Hill:Russian military forming 20 new unitsto counter NATO

The Hill:Coast Guardsuspends search for 10 Cuban migrantswhose boat capsized

The Hill:Gillibrand says Schumer shouldbring military sexual assault billup for a vote

The Hill:US warshipfails to intercept ballistic missile testtarget

The New York Times: A siege, a supply run and a decent intoa decades-old battle

The Associated Press:As Russia tensions simmer,NATO conducts massive war games

The rest is here:
Overnight Defense: US nearing halfway point of Afghanistan withdrawal | Army soldiers mistakenly raid olive oil factory | TheHill - The Hill

At least 16 Taliban militants were killed and eight others arrested in two Afghan provinces, the country's Ministry of Defence confirmed on Monday.

In Kunduz province, five people were freed from the Taliban's clutches after Afghan National Army commandos raided a hideout in Qosh Tapa village on the outskirts of provincial capital Kunduz city on Sunday night, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying in a statement.

"The army commandos raided a Taliban hideout at midnight. During the operation, the security forces received hostile fire. They returned fire in self-defense.

"In ensuing gunfight, 12 enemy combatants were killed and eight others arrested," the statement said.

The freed people and the arrested militants were shifted to an army camp.

The Taliban hideout was destroyed and the weapons and ammunition were seized during the raid, the statement added.

In Helmand province, four militants were killed and two wounded after Afghan Air Force bombed a Taliban position in Chah-e-Angir, an area in restive Nad Ali district, on Sunday.

The Taliban have intensified attacks on provincial capitals, districts, bases and checkpoints after US President Joe Biden announced that American troops will pull out from the country by September 11, 2021 after almost 20 years.

NATO agreed to follow suit.

Almost 10,000 NATO soldiers from the Resolute Support training mission, including 2,500 soldiers from the US and around 1,100 from Germany, the two biggest contingents, are due to leave the country.

The withdrawal formally began on May 1.

--IANS

ksk/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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16 Taliban militants dead, 8 arrested in two provinces of Afghanistan - Business Standard