On Thursday, Michael McCaul, the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee criticised the US President and Vice-President for the Taliban’s oppression of Afghan women.
McCaul stated that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris should be held accountable for complicity in the Taliban's abuses.
McCaul noted that during Donald Trump's presidency, the Doha Agreement conditioned the US withdrawal from Afghanistan on the Taliban's adherence to fundamental conditions, including respecting women's rights.
He said that the Biden administration ignored these conditions and chose to leave Afghan women in a vulnerable situation.
In a post on X on Friday, McCaul stated that the Taliban continues to impose some of the harshest restrictions on women globally and that Afghan women deserve better.
The Coordination Council of the Diplomatic and Consular Missions of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has warned of the "negative consequences" of altering the current status of these missions.
Earlier, Afghanistan International reported that some European countries are exerting pressure to close Afghan embassies.
On Wednesday, Afghanistan International, citing credible sources, reported that some European countries have discussed a recent letter from the Taliban's Ministry of Foreign Affairs with Afghan ambassadors.
Closing Afghan embassies in Europe was one of the topics of these discussions.
Sources indicate that the Taliban's Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a letter on July 30 to all countries hat had not yet transferred control of Afghan embassies to the group.
The letter declared that the assignments of the previous government’s ambassadors had concluded, asserting that these individuals no longer represent the Taliban and that their activities no longer carry any legitimacy with the group.
On Thursday, August 29, the Coordination Council of Diplomatic and Consular Missions of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan issued a statement highlighting their concerns that any changes to the current status of these missions could lead to negative consequences.
They warned that such changes might include the cessation of critical consular services for a large segment of the Afghan diaspora in Europe and beyond.
The council stated that the Taliban's dismissal of the consular services provided by 14 Afghan political and consular missions in European countries, Canada, and Australia as baseless and legally invalid.
This council, which consists of diplomats from the former Afghan government, said that given the Taliban's increasingly aggressive behaviour and disregard for the fundamental rights of citizens and Afghanistan's international obligations, there is an urgent need for increased pressure on the Taliban to change its repressive policies against the people.
The diplomatic missions of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan warned host countries that any concessions in response to the Taliban's illegitimate demands would have detrimental consequences and would enable the group to further pursue its illegal objectives.
The missions stated that they are ready to cooperate with host countries to find practical solutions to the technical and consular challenges in accordance with accepted international standards and practices.
Earlier, the Taliban's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the consular services of 14 Afghan political and consular missions in European countries, Canada, and Australia are invalid.
In August, the Taliban's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced its recognised missions in Spain, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Munich, Germany.
The ministry also urged Afghan citizens residing in Europe to seek consular services from these missions.
Abdul Basir Saberi, head of the logistics department of the Taliban's Ministry of Defence has stated that the group needs Russian air defence systems.
Saberi said that in the future, they intend to purchase Russian-made equipment to enhance their air defence capabilities.
In an interview with TASS, the Russian state news agency, he mentioned that they need equipment for air defence and airspace control.
Saberi described Russia as an advanced country in technology and said that whenever conditions permit, the Taliban will purchase Russian-made equipment.
The head of the logistics department of the Taliban's Ministry of Defence mentioned that the group currently possesses ground military equipment.
This Taliban official was referring to US military equipment left in Afghanistan after the US withdrawal in August 2021.
Saberi said that the Taliban is currently using the weapons and equipment left behind by the US "to protect the borders."
He mentioned that with the US equipment, "everything is fine”.
Regarding the capability of these weapons, he said, "We can fully protect the borders; we have all the weapons necessary for this."
Mutual Support
Like other countries, Russia has not yet officially recognised the Taliban, but it has extensive political relations with the group.
However, Saberi claimed that Russia had "almost" recognised the Taliban and emphasized the need for mutual support until the end.
The head of the logistics department of the Taliban's Ministry of Defence added that they have no problems with any country and are ready to establish relations and be friends with everyone on the international level.
At the same time, he acknowledged that Western countries view the Taliban as "bad people" and that because they are on the blacklists of these countries, they cannot progress or form friendships with them.
German media reported that the country began the deportation of "criminal" Afghan migrants on Friday, August 30.
The magazine Der Spiegel wrote that a flight carrying 28 Afghan "criminal" migrants departed from Leipzig Airport to Kabul today.
According to the report, these migrants, who had criminal records, were deported from various states in Germany to Afghanistan.
Der Spiegel also mentioned that the German government paid each of the "criminal" migrants a sum of 1,000 euros.
The magazine noted that the German government, through Qatar as an intermediary, indirectly engaged in talks with the Taliban regarding the deportation of Afghan "criminal" migrants.
The report added that despite the German government's desire to deport Afghan "criminal" migrants, the country's Foreign Ministry, under the leadership of Annalena Baerbock, opposed any direct negotiations with the Taliban.
According to the report, Germany is also in discussion with Afghanistan's neighbouring countries, including Uzbekistan, about deporting Afghan migrants.
The issue of deporting Afghan and Syrian migrants in Germany gained momentum following several violent incidents involving Afghan migrants in the country.
An attack by an Afghan migrant on May 31 on a gathering in Germany led to increased pressure in the country for the deportation of "criminal" migrants.
Suleiman Ataee, an Afghan national, attacked a gathering of a right-wing anti-Islam group on May 31, injuring a police officer who later died in the hospital.
Earlier, the German Chancellor had stated that the deportation of Afghan and Syrian "criminal" migrants would soon begin.
The Taliban announced that Uzbekistan's Prime Minister, Abdulla Aripov, has pledged to facilitate the export of fresh Afghan fruits to Central Asian countries through Uzbek territory.
According to the group, Aripov said this during a meeting with Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban's Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, who travelled to Uzbekistan on Thursday.
Baradar visited Uzbekistan to participate in the inauguration of the "Termez International Trade Centre”.
On the sidelines of the event, he met Aripov. According to a statement from Baradar's office, the Uzbek Prime Minister emphasised on Afghanistan's significance in Uzbekistan's foreign policy and expressed Tashkent's readiness to enhance trade and transit relations with Kabul.
In addition to fruit exports, Uzbekistan expressed willingness to collaborate on other key projects, including the development of the railway network from Hairatan to Herat, gas extraction, and the construction of retaining walls along the Amu Darya River.
While Uzbekistan, like many other countries, has not officially recognised the Taliban government, it continues to maintain close political and economic ties with the group.
Meet With Azerbaijan's Deputy Prime Minister
During the same event, Baradar also met with Azerbaijan's Deputy Prime Minister. The Taliban stated that Baradar encouraged both the Azerbaijani government and its private sector to invest in Afghanistan.
Azerbaijan, in turn, expressed its readiness to reactivate the Lapis Lazuli trade route to boost economic ties with Afghanistan.
On Wednesday, a group of truck drivers and merchants staged a protest at the Herat Airport in response to a significant increase in "extra costs" imposed by the Taliban.
Protesters allege that the Taliban's gunfire during the demonstration resulted in at least one driver being injured.
According to reports from truck drivers and merchants in Herat, the protest on August 28 was triggered by heightened fees levied by the Taliban commission at Herat customs.
The protesters claimed that their demands for a reduction in these additional costs were met with gunfire from the Taliban members.
Videos obtained by Afghanistan International show at least one injured protester being transported to the hospital. Another video depicts a truck driver kneeling before Taliban fighters, asking to be shot in the chest. The sender of the video explained that the driver, facing a death threat from a Taliban gunman, had asked to be shot.
Taliban officials in Herat are yet to comment on the incident.