Don’t Be Afraid, We Will Protect You, Taliban’s GDI Assures Foreign Diplomats

In their Eid message, the Taliban's General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) stressed that diplomats and employees of foreign organisations should not fear anyone.

In their Eid message, the Taliban's General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) stressed that diplomats and employees of foreign organisations should not fear anyone.
It stated that the presence of foreign diplomats is a serious necessity for Afghanistan and they will ensure their protection.
Additionally, the Taliban's intelligence said in the message released on Wednesday, "The enemy has been defeated throughout Afghanistan and those responsible for certain attacks last year have been punished for their actions.”
It stated that, according to the Taliban leader's general amnesty decree, a "climate of brotherhood" has emerged in Afghanistan, fostering economic growth and development in the country.
Taliban’s intelligence directorate emphasised that their members have been ensuring security across Afghanistan and urged people to collaborate with them in maintaining security.
This Taliban administration warned "countries and groups" who, according to them, are inciting the population from abroad and attempting to destabilise Afghanistan. It cautioned that such entities “should learn from the past and know that even with the presence of thousands of foreign soldiers on ground, they couldn’t succeed, so now, they cannot disrupt peace and stability in the country”.


Imangali Tasmagambetov, the Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), announced that the organisation supports an Afghanistan which is free of terrorism, war, and drugs.
On Tuesday, Tasmagambetov held discussions with Roza Otunbayeva, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan, in Moscow.
In a press release, the CSTO stated that the meeting focused on Afghanistan and its regional dynamics. Otunbayeva emphasised on the importance of international assistance, supervised by the United Nations, aimed at fostering peace, stability, and the reintegration of Afghanistan into the global community.
Further details of the discussions have not been disclosed.
This meeting has been held even though recently Russia had announced that it is reassessing the status of the Taliban on the list of terrorist groups.
Russia, along with Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, are members the CSTO, and doesn’t officially recognise the Taliban.

The Afghanistan Green Trend (AGT), led by Amrullah Saleh, has released a list of 189 senior Taliban officials, who have allegedly established "an ethnic, madrassa, and acquaintance network" within the Ministry of Defence.
According to the AGT, only one of these officials is not affiliated with the Taliban, and all of them have received education at "religious madrassas in Pakistan”.
Afghanistan International is unable to independently verify the identities and positions of these Taliban officials, as well as other information disclosed by the AGT. Nonetheless, criticisms have been directed at the Taliban for their perceived political and ethnic monopolisation, particularly within government institutions.
The AGT recently published several lists of Taliban officials in ministries on its social media platform, claiming that it reveals the Taliban's ethnically and factionally driven appointments to top government positions.
On Tuesday, it wrote that among these 189 senior officials in the Taliban's Ministry of Defence, there is only one non-Taliban member which is the head of a 400-bed army hospital.
It further stated that mullahs and clerics affiliated with the Taliban occupy a range of positions from lieutenant colonel to general, and they have all graduated from Pakistani madrassas.
According to the AGT, the "Taliban's Ministry of Defence employs over 145,000 personnel," predominantly from "Loy Kandahar, Loy Paktia, and Persian speaking Taliban members”.
Previously, Latifullah Hakimi, the head of the Taliban's Ministry of Defence’s purification commission, had claimed that the group's military forces had reached 170,000 personnel.
The Afghanistan Green Trend alleges that the Taliban has deployed 63,000 militias across nine northern provinces under the framework of defence and interior ministries as well as intelligence directorate, of which 93 percent are Pashtun.
It also claims that the Taliban have deployed 17,000 members in Panjshir province.
According to the Afghanistan Green Trend, the Taliban's defence minister is demanding the recruitment of more than 3,000 experienced military personnel from the previous government into the Ministry of Defence.
Since takeover of the power, the Taliban has appointed their own commanders and forces in government institutions. The group has conducted examinations to verify their educational levels and has provided them with educational and graduation certificates equivalent to academic degrees in Afghanistan's higher education system, for those who have graduated from religious madrassas.

Chuck Schumer, the Majority Leader of the US Senate, and Mitch McConnell, the Minority Leader, called for the release of Ryan Corbett, an American citizen, from Taliban’s custody.
They presented a resolution for Corbett's immediate release to the Senate for approval.
Corbett was detained by the Taliban in August 2022, along with his German and Afghan colleagues in northern Afghanistan.
While the exact reason for their detention remains unclear, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid had previously stated, without elaborating, that their detention was due to "violations of Afghan laws”.
Michael McCaul, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also had denounced the detention of American citizens by the Taliban as a "crime".
The Taliban has rejected United State’s request for Corbett's release. The group says that forty foreign citizens are still detained in Afghanistan.
Corbett's wife has repeatedly warned about the severity of Corbett’s health condition. According to her, he is being held in appalling conditions in an underground cell with no regular access to a bathroom, sunlight, or medical care.
In statement on Monday, Schumer stated that Corbett is being held in horrific conditions and his health is rapidly deteriorating.
He further mentioned that Corbett had traveled to Afghanistan for visa extensions and to provide stipends to the employees of his non-profit organisation. However, the Taliban detained him without providing any explanation for his detention.
The Senate Majority Leader said that he is in contact with the White House, the State Department, and other senior officials to secure Corbett's release.

Pakistani media reported a 20 percent increase in Pakistan's exports to Afghanistan last month, while imports from Afghanistan decreased by nearly half.
Pakistan exported goods valued at USD 117 million to Afghanistan in March of this year. According to reports from Pakistani media, the total value of Pakistan's exports to Afghanistan in February was USD 104 million.
However, Afghanistan's exports to Pakistan were worth USD 71 million in February, but this figure dropped to USD 36 million in March.
While the reason for the decline in Afghanistan's exports to Pakistan is not clear, it has been said that Pakistan has blocked the Torkham and Chaman border crossings for Afghan drivers citing passport issues.
The ongoing conflict between Taliban forces and Pakistanis at the border is another factor contributing to the reduction in Afghanistan's exports to Pakistan.
Recently, a Pakistani official from the Ministry of Commerce visited Kabul. According to the Taliban, an agreement was reached during this visit to separate politics from trade and facilitate transit, ensuring the interests of people of both the countries.

Hamdullah Fitrat, Deputy Spokesperson of the Taliban, responded to the remarks made by the UN Secretary-General spokesperson, stating that appointing a special representative for Afghanistan is an unnecessary step.
He emphasised that with the presence of UNAMA in Afghanistan, there is no need for the appointment of a new special representative.
The Taliban-controlled Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA) reported on Tuesday that Fitrat stated, "Now that there is peace and stability in Afghanistan and the era of war and bloodshed is over, there is no need for the appointment of another representative alongside UNAMA."
This Taliban official reacted to the appointment of a special representative for Afghanistan, while Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General, stated on Monday that the process of appointing a special representative for Afghanistan by the organisation is ongoing.
Not long ago, Suhail Shaheen, the head of the Taliban's political office in Qatar, responded to statements made by the head of the UN Security Council, stating that the selection of a UN special representative for Afghanistan is "unacceptable”.
He stated, "We seek to engage with the international community and address issues based on our interests and principles."
The United Nations has been deliberating over the appointment of a special representative for Afghanistan for months, but the Taliban has consistently opposed such an appointment.
The group said that the Security Council resolution, which called for the appointment of a special representative for Afghanistan, was passed without consulting the Taliban.