Ibraheem Thurial Bahiss Profile picture
May 30, 2019 5 tweets 2 min read Read on X
The university graduated 1,281 Afghan degree students over the past decade, at a cost of $126,000 each to American taxpayers, or a total of $162 million.

Missing Millions Put an American-Funded Afghan College Under Scrutiny nyti.ms/2I8WEXx
Now, U.S. govt investigators say they cannot account for $63 million (more than a third) of those funds.

Apparently, it would have been cheaper to send every graduate to study in U.S than it cost to educate them at the American University of #Afghanistan A.U.A.F
#SIGAR head said agency faced resistance in conducting the audit. “In seven years of investigating government contractors and grant recipients in #Afghanistan, this is one of the worst-run programs I have ever seen,” Mr. Sopko said.
The University was one of U.S.'s most high profile development projects undertaken in #Afghanistan.

Looks like it has imparted some very important lessons in American-style education as well as American-style squandering of funds & opportunities.

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More from @Afghan_Policy

Jan 31
@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/

crisisgroup.org/asia/south-asi…
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.
Read 19 tweets
Jun 3, 2022
This is an interesting article and worth a read.

However, it seems to have misquoted my ideas on this topic.

THREAD

gandhara.rferl.org/a/taliban-rift…
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...
Read 17 tweets
Feb 12, 2022
More broadly, the problem is in the way the US govt keeps changing signals it is giving to Afghans as well as the Taliban.

One the one hand, it insists that the Taliban govt would need to meet certain “conditions” for it to have access to the funds.
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.
Read 15 tweets
Oct 28, 2021
The appointment of Sheikh Abdul Hakim to this position is not an altogether surprising turn.

THREAD
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.
Read 11 tweets
Sep 9, 2021
I am seeing a lot of emotional analysis on Indian media about the Taliban.

Some have accused the new Taliban government of cowering to the Pakistani deep-state.

THREAD
I think the Indian media is failing in providing a clear-eyed assessment of what India’s options are going forward.

hindustantimes.com/editorials/the…
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:

trtworld.com/opinion/taliba…
Read 25 tweets
Sep 8, 2021
Because there is a lot of talk about Loya Paktya etc and “winners” and “losers”, I have done a little breakdown of the composition.

THREAD

ETHNICITY-WISE:

In terms of ethnicity, 30 Pashtuns on the list with 2 Tajiks and 1 Uzbek.
REGION-WISE:

Loy Kandahar – 15

Loya Paktya – 10

Sharqi – 5

Shamal – 3

(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.
Read 6 tweets

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