US Didn’t Issue Visa To NRF Leader To Appease Taliban, Say Sources

SIGAR suggested that the Taliban might have benefited from this situation.

In its latest report, SIGAR emphasised on the importance of the government knowing who is benefiting from the aid to prevent it from being diverted to the Taliban and other sanctioned parties.

The report added that the Taliban has attempted to obtain US aid through various methods, including establishing humanitarian organisations.

According to SIGAR, this indicates that the State Department needs to conduct comprehensive and continuous assessments of the risks faced by its implementing partners.

According to Reuters, the State Department has not yet responded to a request for comment on this matter.

SIGAR's report also highlighted that three out of five State Department offices reviewed the activities of aid-receiving organizations in compliance with internal regulations.

However, it noted that the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour, along with the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, failed to obtain sufficient documentation regarding the use of this aid in Afghanistan.

SIGAR added that the government has been unable to conduct necessary evaluations for at least $293 million allocated for aid in Afghanistan.

This organisation warned that the situation increases the risk of terrorist groups and their affiliates exploiting these funds.

SIGAR stated that the State Department agrees with the report's conclusions and is working to ensure that necessary evaluations are conducted.

According to Reuters, the US has provided over $17.9 billion in aid to Afghanistan since the withdrawal on August 30, 2021.

He stated that this figure reflects the increased level of economic relations between Iran and the Taliban.

According to IRNA news agency, on Thursday, Shirdel during a meeting with a group of Iranian officials said that Dogharoun is Iran's most important economic hub with Afghanistan.

He noted that Iranian export goods, along with those from Khorasan Razavi province, "supply the market of 30 million people" in Afghanistan.

This Iranian official added that the removal of economic barriers at Dogharoun has led to the satisfaction of the Taliban. According to him, currently, 1,200 trucks traverse daily between Iran and Afghanistan through Dogharoun.

Meanwhile, Iranian media have reported over the past few days that 400 Iranian trucks are stranded inside Afghanistan due to their cargo not being accepted. IRIB news agency reported that these trucks have been stranded inside Afghanistan since the last 23 days, facing numerous problems.

So far, Taliban members have not commented on this claim by the NRF.

On Wednesday (July 17), the NRF in a statement said that the first attack took place on a Taliban checkpoint on the outskirts of Charikar city, resulting in the death of one Taliban member and injuries to two others.

The front added that the second attack occurred in the Hesa Duwum district of Kapisa province on a Taliban base, resulting in the deaths of two fighters and the wounding of one Taliban fighter.

NRF stated that no harm came to their forces in these attacks.

The front is one of two armed groups that occasionally attack Taliban forces in various central and northern provinces.

The Freedom Front is another armed group opposing the Taliban, which occasionally reports attacks on Taliban military centres.

Taliban officials have repeatedly stated that these groups have not succeeded in capturing any territory so far.

Pakistan has urged the Taliban to conduct a thorough investigation into the attack and take immediate action.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "The interim Afghan government has been asked to thoroughly investigate and take immediate, strong, and effective measures against the perpetrators of the Bannu attack."

The statement reiterated Pakistan's request for the Taliban to prevent the use of Afghan soil for carrying out such attacks.

"Pakistan reiterated its serious concerns about the presence of terrorist groups inside Afghanistan that continue to threaten Pakistan's security. These incidents are contrary to the spirit of bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries," the statement added.

Pakistan stated that this attack highlights the serious threat terrorism poses to regional security.

The attack by forces loyal to Hafiz Gul Bahadur on a Pakistani army base in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa resulted in the death of eight soldiers.

The Pakistani army has stated that Hafiz Gul Bahadur's group is based in Afghanistan and that the army will take necessary action against threats emanating from Afghanistan.

The Taliban have consistently denied any attacks against neighbouring countries originating from Afghan soil.

According to a statement from the Taliban's Ministry of Interior, Hasibullah Ahmadi, Chief of Staff of the Deputy Ministry for Counter-Narcotics, along with several directors and managers of this department, will participate in a scientific conference.

This visit comes a week after Abdul Haq Akhund, the Taliban's Deputy Minister for Counter-Narcotics, announced the complete eradication of poppy fields in Afghanistan.
In a recent report, the UN Security Council's Technical Monitoring Team on Sanctions had stated that while Taliban leaders have benefited from the ban on poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, farmers have suffered significantly.

The report also noted that the Taliban leader's orders to ban poppy cultivation in Badakhshan have been ignored. The provision of alternative crops for farmers was a key agenda item at the third Doha meeting. During this meeting, the Taliban requested the international community's assistance in providing alternative crops for Afghan farmers.