Expelling rumours about Transfer of Humanitarian Aid Packages to #Afghanistan being Suspended as claimed by Mehrabi: confirmed with sources that no such decision has been taken by the #UN. The UN continues to operate despite the recent bans 1/

heartofasia.af/transfer-of-hu… The cash payments were never coming in on a strict schedule and would always face delays. It is unclear whether this current delay is a tactic to scare the #Taliban or just a standard procedural delay. Important to not promote rumours unless officially stated by the #UN 2/

Appealing to the #Taliban I reminded them how even Mullah Omar did not ban women from working for NGO run bakeries. He didn’t ban them from medical education. How do they expect NGOs to work without women staff? Will they allow men to access their women? 1/ Even if there were women who were not observing the dress code, why punish everyone for the supposed crime of a few? Even if you open schools now, your painting them as immoral places will push parents to not send their daughters. 2/

This great op-Ed reminded me of the story of the #ISK director of recruitment being caught in a night raid. He used to work in a directorate of agriculture in Nangrahar during republic days and had hosted me at his office a few time. I got to know that he had been detained 1/

https://twitter.com/lynzybilling/status/1603510988979900416

A few months later I saw him walking around in my #Kabul office. Awkward about how to bring it up, over tea I hinted at the rumour of him being picked up in links with ISK and he told me the story. Muslimyar (Head of Senate) had sent someone to him to lease them gov arid land 2/

Bitter Facts:
- #Ahmed Shah #Massoud gave safe passage to #USSR invading troops into #Afghanistan in exchange for money.
- #ASM had a major role in the bombing of #Kabul during civil war.
- ASM used #opium to fund his fight against #Taliban, dubbed by US gov as druglord
1/ - #ASM kept asking #CIA for weapons and endorsement of his resistance and then settled for being paid for spying on Bin Laden.

No, these facts can’t be countered by listing what Hekmatyar did. Everyone seems to remember that. This is to counter selective readings of history.
2/

In an alleged audio recording of the latest gathering of suicide bombers' families held at the #Intercontinental Hotel, Sirajuddin #Haqqani narrates two stories. First, the story of a father who came to Sirajuddin Haqqani's suicide training camp pleading with him to return his son back. The father argues that the son is young and impressionable, he states that the son left without his father's permission. Sirajuddin then sends for the boy and asks that he be told that Haqqani wants to speak to him.

Here is what #AshrafGhani did to #Afghanistan. 1) he spent years centralising the government and handing over offices to diaspora from the west. Stripping the ministries of work and their memory. All the heads have fled the country and now it’ll take years to restart [1/4] 2) He had months to realise he was losing the war and discuss a democratic transfer of power to a third body but he delayed it till the eleventh hour only to flee. Now the #Taliban do not have any formal body to talk to. [2/4]

I travelled within the city of #Kabul today. Here is what I observed:
1) The #Taliban are on constant patrol with humvees and rangers. Armed to the teeth.
2) They are conducting traffic and guarding important buildings. [1/5] 3) Saw close to no women on the roads and all shops were shuttered. What was interesting was that there were no large or armoured vehicles on the road either.
4) The Taliban were courteous and would greet you every time you pass but no checking. [2/5]