Despite these effort poppy production in #Afghanistan has been rising steadily with Afghanistan now producing 90% of world supplies.
#SIGAR head John Sopko has called the country a #NarcoState with production & cultivation in both gov't-controlled areas & contested areas.
Opium now accounts for around a third of Afghanistan's GDP, he says. It is by far the country's biggest cash crop and provides almost 600,000 full-time jobs.
Outgoing U.S. commander General Nicholson made targeting of heroin labs his strategic priority, vowing to hit #Taliban $.
He was inspired by action the US had taken in Syria, where aerial bombings targeting the Islamic State group's illegal oil industry had destroyed rigs, tanker trucks and other heavy machinery.
Yet this report gives a damning verdict saying strikes cost more than damage to labs.
It is surprising that a general & his strategy are celebrated as success story until they leave command, and only then do we expose the futility of the strategy.
Incoming commander General Millar has abandoned that approach, instead targeting the #Taliban more directly.
But isn't that something we tried during the Surge where U.S. decimated the entire military command of the #Taliban but instead of peace, we promoted younger & more radical commanders to take their place?
Do we want to again target a leadership that has come to peace talks & replace them with younger, traumatised and radical commanders?
While the TB's central leadership clearly has clout within its ranks, you roll enough heads & surely the momentum will shift from peace to war!
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@CrisisGroup published a report this week about regional states’ engagement with the Taliban. Reading our paper could help you understand the extraordinary news in recent days about Afghanistan’s relationship with its neighbors. A short thread. 1/
The Taliban hosted their first international conference on Monday. China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Indonesia sent officials to Kabul to talk regional cooperation — a diplomatic ‘win’ for the unrecognized Taliban regime.
Article states:
“Bahiss says TB leaders are divided into two groups: relative pragmatists who see the militant group’s policies as an obstacle to gaining international recognition and securing the removal of sanctions,…
and extremists who are bent on monopolizing power and imposing a strict form of Shari’a law.”
The actual quote provided to outlet was:
“Bahiss sees the Taliban leaders broadly driven by two lines of thinking...
On the other hand, it keeps insisting that the reserves are frozen by court orders and the administration has no capacity to unfreeze them, regardless of the compromises the Taliban can offer.
But unfreezing half the assets, it is only signalling that the above argument is only partially true and there are workarounds that would unfreeze the assets.
Sheikh Abdul Hakim is a top spiritual leader amongst the Taliban, particularly the southerners. He is often considered to be Hibatullah Akhundzada’s right hand man.
Worth noting that in the previous government, the leadership of the Supreme Court was not among the most desired jobs.
For the past two decades, the Court sometimes acted as a rubber stamp for the President, at least on matters having political implications.
Yes, media’s role varies from advocacy, to awareness to accountability and so forth. But media has huge impact and often informs policy that can have huge ramifications.
IMO, this offers is a far more realistic assessment on composition of cabinet:
(I have included Ghazni, Wardak, Logar etc in “Loya Paktya” and the entire North in “Shamal”.
“Sharqi” is eastern provinces including Kunar & Nangarhar).
NOTABLE PROMOTIONS:
Most of the names are “old guard” and respectable figures within the movement.
Salam Hanafi & Muttaqi were notable promotions. Haqqani & Yaqub have also solidified their positions, taking control of all security sectors.