[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- TALIBAN SAY THEY ARE ‘RESEARCHING’ ISLAMIC LAW TO ALLOW WOMEN TO WORK FOR NGOS – The Minister of Mines and Petroleum, Shahabuddin Dilawar spoke with reporters on behalf of the Taliban regime and said that religious ‘scholars’ are busy combing through Islamic law and texts to find a pathway to allow women to work for NGOs in the country. It is not clear what the Taliban sees as prohibitive with regard to women’s roles as the overwhelming majority of the Islamic world doesn’t restrict these activities. Our analysis indicates that the more cerebral elements within the regime realize they made a massive overreach with the spate of recent policies and are looking for ways to backtrack. However, it doesn’t appear the old guard in Kandahar is likely to entertain the reversal of any policies.
- CHIEF UN AID OFFICER PLANS TO VISIT AFGHANISTAN IN WAKE OF FEMALE WORKERS’ BAN – Martin Griffiths, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the United Nations is planning a visit to Afghanistan. A spokesman for his office announced the visit yesterday and says he hopes to meet with ‘decision makers’ in Kabul who have the authority to reverse the aid worker ban. No date was provided with regard to his impending visit.
- TALIBAN ATTEMPTS TO HEAD OFF OIC PLAN TO CENSURE THE REGIME – A source in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that senior leadership has called an urgent meeting to try and formulate a strategy to block a plan being put forth by the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (via the International Islamic Fiqh Academy) to condemn the Taliban for their policies regarding women. The source said the plan will likely be backed by most international Islamic scholars affiliated with the Academy. The source went on to state that the Taliban was caught ‘off guard’ when the measure was announced and is desperate to kill the initiative before it gains any momentum.
- THE SALANG PASS IS CLOSED TO TRUCKS AND BUS TRAFFIC DUE TO HEAVY SNOW – Officials said the clearing operations from the devastating tanker fire is nearly complete but the pass is expected to remain closed to truck and busses for at least forty-eight hours due to dangerous road conditions caused by snow.
- HEAVY SNOWS HAVE PARALYZED TRANSPORT IN WESTERN/SOUTHERN PROVINCES – Many of the Southern Provinces have reported complete closures of main roads and have said that drifting snow in some areas will take days to clear.
CONFLICT TRACKER
Parwan: 2 Talib security personnel were killed and an unknown number injured when a Taliban security vehicle triggered a roadside bomb concealed under a bridge in Charikar (possibly Matak Bridge). Taliban police claim to have arrested 6 unidentified people in connection with the bombing. Information pertaining to the group responsible for the attack was not furnished.
NEXT 24 HOURS
RUMORS OF A CLEARING OPERATION PLANNED IN JALALABAD – A source with the Ministry of Defense claims that security personnel planned a raid on a hotel in Jalalabad where an ISIS-K cell is thought to be staying. GDI agents were sent from Kabul to oversee the operation yesterday evening. The name and location of the hotel were not supplied. |