Important Picks of the Day

NATIONAL

Afghan territory shouldn’t be used to attack others, shelter terrorists: India

Foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla also expressed condolences on behalf of India to Afghan nationals and US troops who lost their lives in the terrorist attack in Kabul.

A high-level group focuses on India’s priorities in Afghanistan

The high-level group has been meeting regularly over the past few days, and among the key issues it is focusing on are the safe return of Indians still in Afghanistan, the travel of Afghan nationals to India, and ensuring that Afghanistan is not used in any manner for terrorism directed against India.

Wary of Haqqani influence, Modi govt unlikely to respond to Taliban outreach immediately

The Taliban has been assuring India that it faces no threat from them and instead welcomes trade and business ties. But New Delhi believes it is ‘too early’ to engage in any dialogue.

Want solution through dialogue, won’t compromise: Rajnath Singh on border row with China

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Mon that India wants a solution to the border dispute with China through dialogue and asserted that the government would never allow the sanctity of borders to be violated.

India is concerned by the recent escalation in Gaza Strip, says Harsh Shringla at UNSC

The foreign secretary stressed that ‘high-level interaction’ between Israel and Palestine contributes to a better environment for the resumption of direct peace negotiations. Speaking at the UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East Peace Process, including the Palestine Question, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla also expressed hope for early commencement of high-level negotiations between Israel and Palestine that “provide the best opportunity” to resolve all final status issues and achieve a two-state solution.

‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ in defense should not be at mercy of military bureaucrats

The delays in decision making and implementation in South Block on defense acquisition and doctrinal issues by military-civilian bureaucracy are dragging India’s chance to be the leader in the military-industrial complex.

For the first time, 9 new Supreme Court judges take oath in one go

Nine judges — Justices AS Oka, Vikram Nath, JK Maheshwari, Hima Kohli, BV Nagarathna, CT Ravikumar, MM Sundresh, Bela M Trivedi & PS Narasimha — take oath as SC judges

NEIGHBORHOOD

Taliban celebrating the Exit of US troops

The US troops left Afghanistan in a C-17 cargo plane with just a few passengers on board including US diplomat in Afghanistan Ross Wilson, a day before the date scheduled departure.

Meanwhile, President Biden urged the Taliban to honor the commitment to allow Afghans to freely leave the country with just under 200 Americans still left in Afghanistan. 

A new way of using US helicopters for spreading terror in the Afghans, by Taliban, sponsored by Islamic nuclear power Pakistan. Future sponsor, communist capitalist PRC.

8 Taliban Killed In Panjshir Province Fighting: Afghan Militia Forces

Afghanistan: Since the fall of Kabul on Aug. 15, the Panjshir has been the only province to hold out against the Taliban.

Int’l cooperation needed for ensuring stability in Afghanistan, says Qureshi alongside German FM

Pak Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi stressed on Tue the need for the international community’s cooperation for ensuring stability in Afghanistan, as he addressed a joint press conference with his German counterpart, Heiko Maas, in Islamabad. He added, Pakistan’s policy is clear on Afghanistan: we support a politically inclusive, sovereign, and prosperous Afghanistan, at peace with itself and its neighbors. The safety and security of Afghan people and protection of their rights imp and Int’l community must remain closely engaged.

Afghan government to be formed in days, says Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi

“We expect that a consensus government will be formed in the coming days in Afghanistan,” Qureshi told a news conference in Islamabad. He said that India has carried out a misadventure against Pakistan.

Why US drone strikes against ISKP in Afghanistan smack of ‘secret help’ from Pakistan

There is still no confirmation on the base US drones are operating from. Pakistan says it ‘will not allow CIA to use bases on its soil for cross-border counter-terrorism missions after US withdrawal’.

AFGHANISTAN CRISIS

The high-level group focuses on India’s priorities in Afghanistan

A high-level group that includes external affairs minister S Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is focusing on India’s priorities in Afghanistan, including the safe return of Indian nationals and ensuring Afghan soil isn’t used for terrorism against the country.

• The group, which also includes senior officials from key ministries and organizations, was directed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to focus on India’s immediate priorities against the backdrop of the rapidly evolving situation in Afghanistan, people familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity.
• The high-level group has been meeting regularly over the past few days, and among the key issues it is focusing on are the safe return of Indians still in Afghanistan, the travel of Afghan nationals, especially members of minorities such as Hindus and Sikhs, to India, and ensuring that the territory of Afghanistan is not used in any manner for terrorism directed against India, the people said.
• Jaishankar acknowledged last week that at least 20 Indian nationals had missed a military evacuation flight from Kabul but didn’t give an exact figure for the number of Indians still in Afghanistan.
• The ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the number changed as requests came in from Indians to be evacuated.
• It is believed several dozen Indians are still in Afghanistan, down from about 1,500 late last month.
• Another 140-odd Afghan Sikhs and Hindus were also barred by the Taliban from entering Kabul airport to take a military evacuation flight to New Delhi.
• India has said it will stand by Afghans who had supported the country and those who are facing threats from the Taliban or fear persecution and the govt introduced a new emergency e-visa regime though it is not clear how many visas have been issued under this arrangement.
• On the security front, India has strong concerns about the reported presence in Afghanistan of up to 10,000 fighters from Pakistan-based terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.
• There are also concerns about the Haqqani Network, a key faction of the Taliban that has targeted Indian interests in the past and has close ties to Pakistan’s security establishment.

Afghan territory shouldn’t be used to attack others, shelter terrorists: India: Foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla also expressed condolences on behalf of India to Afghan nationals and US troops who lost their lives in the terrorist attack in Kabul. Shringla’s comments came after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) passed a resolution on Afghanistan even as US troops withdrew from the war-torn country after two decades.

• Afghan territory to not be used by terrorists
• combat terrorism incl designated by UN 1267
• Taliban commitment on above Taliban
• commit to Afghans’ travel abroad humanitarian,
• human rights, incl women, minorities negotiated settlement
• The UNSC resolution, under India’s presidency, was adopted with the support of 13 members as Russia and China abstained.

Wary of Haqqani influence, Modi govt unlikely to respond to Taliban outreach immediately

India, which has so far maintained a stoic silence on the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, has no plans to engage with the militant group that gate-crashed into Kabul more than a fortnight ago since it believes it is “too early” to enter into any kind of dialogue, ThePrint reported citing multiple sources.

Citing a top source, ThePrint reported that New Delhi will not rush to recognize the Taliban even after it forms the govt as it remains concerned with the power and responsibilities being given by it to the Haqqani network, a designated terror group with links to the al Qaeda, especially at a time when Pakistan’s influence in the country is only increasing.

The Haqqani ‘upset’: India, sources said, is particularly “upset” with the kind of power the Taliban is bestowing upon the dreaded Haqqani Network, which is rising to power in the aftermath of the collapse of the Ghani government and the complete withdrawal of US and NATO troops.

Afghan government to be formed in days, says Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi

“We expect that a consensus govt will be formed in the coming days in Afghanistan,” Qureshi told a news conference in Islamabad. No wonder in the way he was lobbying for the Taliban in the neighborhood countries of Afghanistan.

He said that India has carried out a misadventure against Pakistan.

“I will call it grave aggression. We had warned the world that such an act can take place. Today they carried out this misadventure against Pakistan. This is a violation of the Line of Control. Pakistan reserves the right to adequate response and a right to self-defense. I will meet the Prime Minister and present him with the view of the Foreign Ministry,” he added.

Taliban celebrating the Exit of US troops, said want good diplomatic ties with the US

• The US troops left Afghanistan in a C-17 cargo plane with just a few passengers on board including US diplomat in Afghanistan Ross Wilson, a day before the date scheduled departure.
• Meanwhile, President Biden urged the Taliban to honor the commitment to allow Afghans to freely leave the country with just under 200 Americans still left in Afghanistan. 
• Reports claimed at least two fighters were killed due to gunshot wounds amid the celebrations.

Speaking to reporters from Kabul airport on Tue, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said:

“We do not have any doubt that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is a free and sovereign nation.

“America was defeated… and on behalf of my nation, we want to have good relations with the rest of the world,” he said.

He also promised Afghans “will protect our freedom, independence, and Islamic values”.

Taliban hails US departure from Afghanistan, terms it ‘historic moment: Taliban has hailed the departure of US troops from Afghanistan, terming it a “historic moment” while declaring that the country is now a “free and sovereign nation”.

US ‘demilitarised’ Humvees, C-RAM systems, and aircraft at Kabul airport

• As US troops prepared to leave Afghanistan they disabled several aircraft and armored vehicles along with a high-tech rocket defense system at Kabul airport.
• Central command head General Kenneth Mckenzie said that 73 aircraft which were already at Kabul airport were “demilitarised” meaning it was rendered “useless” by US troops.
• The US military also “disabled” 27 Humvees which were used extensively by US troops in Afghanistan and had become an iconic vehicle for US troops who were involved in urban warfare asked Taliban militants including in rough terrain in the country.
• General McKenzie further said that the military left behind around 70 MRAP armored tactical vehicles which can cost up to $1 million per piece.
• Reports claimed earlier that the Taliban had seized weapons and equipment left behind by fleeing Afghan forces.
• News wire Reuters quoting an official had said 2,000 armored vehicles, including US Humvees, 40 aircraft potentially including UH-60 Black Hawks were seized by the Taliban.
• Republican Representative Michael McCaul on the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee had said that the Taliban fighters had seized US-made weapons from retreating Afghan troops.
• According to reports, the US had equipped the Afghan army with rockets, night-vision goggles, small drones worth $28 billion between 2002 to 2017.

The US successfully evacuated all Afghan employees from the Kabul embassy

The United States has evacuated all the local Afghan staffers at the US Embassy in Afghanistan along with their families, said media reports. According to an internal report of ABC News, about 2,800 Afghans have been successfully evacuated as of Sat at 8:30 pm ET on Sat. The US closed its embassy and will shift to Katar

A deep connection between ISKP, Taliban, says report: US President Joe Biden has said that it is in the Taliban’s interest to keep Islamic State Khorasan (ISKP) out of Afghanistan.

• However, the connection between the two terror groups is deep as they share the same enemy –Washington reported Australian ABC News.
• In a report in ABC News, Australian journalist Stan Grant the ISKP, Al Qaeda, and the Taliban are different threads of the same tapestry.
• As the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, experts are fearful that the country will again become the safe haven of terrorists.
• According to Terrorism analyst, Sajjan Gohel, the Taliban will use the ISKP attack and the deaths of innocent Afghans to its end, cracking down even further on its people.
• As he points out in an article in Foreign Policy magazine: “Islamic State-Khorasan and the Taliban may resume their squabbles, but they also have more in common with each other than they have differences.
• The perennial losers in this remain the Afghan people.” Elaborating on the “deep connection” between the two groups, Australian journalist Stan Grant said ISKP and Taliban also share a similar network.

Necessary for all parties to make contact with the Taliban & guide it actively, China tells the US

China has told the US that the Afghanistan situation has undergone fundamental changes and it is necessary for all parties to make contact with the Taliban and guide it actively, reiterating that America’s troop withdrawal may provide an opportunity for the resurgence of terrorist groups.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during his telephonic conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sun, discussed the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan amidst chaotic airlifts of Afghan civilians and diplomats by the US and NATO countries before the Aug 31^st deadline.

The US, in particular, needs to work with the international community to provide Afghanistan with urgently-needed economic, livelihood, and humanitarian assistance, help the new Afghan political structure maintain normal operation of govt institutions, maintain social security and stability, curb currency depreciation and inflation and embark on the journey of peaceful reconstruction at an early date, Wang said. Meanwhile, Wang didn’t elaborate on what has ‘already been provided’ to them.China, along with Russia and Pakistan, has kept its Embassy in Kabul open. Wang Yu, Chinese Ambassador in Afghanistan, held first diplomatic talks with the Taliban officials recently.

India is concerned by the recent escalation in Gaza Strip, says Harsh Shringla at UNSC

• Voicing concern over the recent escalation in the Gaza Strip, India on Mon called on all parties to the conflict to refrain from acts that could exacerbate tensions and worsen the security situation in the region.
• Speaking at the UNSC meeting on the Middle East Peace Process, including the Palestine Question, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla also expressed hope for early commencement of high-level negotiations between Israel and Palestine that “provide the best opportunity” to resolve all final status issues and achieve a two-state solution.
• “We are concerned by the recent escalation in the Gaza Strip, which once again underscores the fragility of the ceasefire and the urgent need for addressing the underlying causes that have triggered the escalation,” said Shringla, who chaired the UNSC meeting as President of the UNSC for August.
• Addressing the Council in his national capacity, Shringla said that India calls on “all parties to the conflict to respect the ceasefire and refrain from acts that could exacerbate tensions and worsen the security situation.
• We recognize the efforts made by the UN and regional countries to prevent the hostilities from escalating into another military conflict.”

Shringla stressed that “high-level interaction” between Israel and Palestine contributes to a better environment for the resumption of direct peace negotiations.

Want solution through dialogue, won’t compromise: Rajnath Singh on border row with China

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Mon that India wants a solution to the border dispute with China through dialogue and asserted that the govt would never allow the sanctity of borders to be violated and has made it clear to the forces that any unilateral action on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) should not be ignored, while the delivering virtually the third Balramji Dass Tandon Memorial Lecture organized by Panjab University on the issue of national security.

The minister said that there have been perception differences on the border with China. Despite this, there are some agreements, protocols which the armies of both countries follow to conduct patrols. Referring to the clashes in eastern Ladakh last year, Singh said Chinese forces had ignored the agreed protocols and we cannot allow the Chinese Army to act on the LAC unilaterally under any circumstances.

• “That is what the Indian Army did that day in Galwan and bravely confronted the PLA soldiers and forced them to retreat, he said while terming it as a “historic” incident.
• In the first deadly clash in the border area in nearly five decades, 20 Indian soldiers were killed on June 15 last year in the Galwan Valley in fierce hand-to-hand combat with Chinese troops, triggering a large deployment of troops and heavy weaponry by both armies at the friction points in eastern Ladakh.
• In a significant forward movement towards the restoration of peace and tranquility in the region, the Indian and Chinese armies completed the disengagement process and restored the pre-standoff ground position in Gogra in eastern Ladakh after 15 months.
• The development came after the 12^th round of military talks between the two sides on July 31 at the Chushul-Moldo meeting point in eastern Ladakh.
• Earlier, the Indian and Chinese frontline troops had conducted the first synchronized disengagement at the south and north banks of the Pangong lake in February.
• The Army is trained to press the trigger on seeing the movement of the enemy, but the Indian Army has shown both courage and restraint while working with great maturity, Rajnath Singh said.
• On improving infrastructure, he said that the Atal Tunnel project in Rohtang, which was on hold for a long time, was completed by the Modi government. This tunnel has strategic importance, he said.
• The Border Roads Organisation is developing infrastructure projects and all-weather connectivity was being given to Ladakh, he said, adding work on several alternative roads has started.
• He added it will also help the people who live in border areas as these people have strategic importance for us.
• Keeping their interests in mind, it is necessary to strengthen the border infrastructure, he said.
• Referring to the situation in the Northeast, he said an era of peace has come in this region in the last 7 years.
• There was a time when the entire region was in the grip of insurgency, he said and dubbed the restoration of peace in the Northeast as the biggest strategic victory of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure.

When the govt was formed in 2014, as many as 160 districts were facing the Naxal problem, which reduced to 50 in 2019

Why US drone strikes against ISKP in Afghanistan smack of ‘secret help’ from Pakistan

With the US carrying out two drone strikes in Afghanistan last week, targeting alleged Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) cadres, questions remain on where the American armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are operating from.

As the Taliban have taken control of all military bases in Afghanistan, including those used by the US, sources in the Indian defense and security establishment, as well as foreign analysts, suspect Pakistan’s tacit support to the American drone strikes against ISKP, a known Taliban nemesis.

• There is still no confirmation on the exact base from which the drones are operating.
• Pakistan has officially said it “will not allow the CIA to use bases on its soil for cross-border counterterrorism missions after American forces withdraw from Afghanistan”.
• In an interview with media outlet Axios, Pakistan PM Imran Khan said in June that Pakistan “will not allow the CIA or US special forces to base themselves inside his country ever again”.
• According to the sources, even if the drones are not operating from Pakistan, they would have to fly through its airspace to reach Afghanistan.
• The only alternative is Iran, they added and noted that Tehran’s support for US operations is as good as out of the question.

‘Don’t go by what Pakistan says officially’: The missiles fired from the Reapers, the ThePrint reported citing multiple sources, have a maximum stand-off range of 20 km in the best-case scenario.

• Even though Pak PM Imran Khan has said he will not allow Americans on Pakistani bases, the US could still be using them in a secret arrangement, the sources added.  
• “No country is going to admit that they are giving bases for Americans to operate. So, don’t go by what Pakistan is saying officially,” a second source said.
• “There are multiple secret arrangements that are made. Pakistan is all about three As — Allah, Army, America. They always find their way.” 
• The most likely locations, the sources said, are the airfields at Shamsi and Zhob in Balochistan and the Jacobabad base in Sindh.
• A third source said that even if a drone takes off from Qatar or Oman, both places where the Americans have exclusive military bases, they would still have to fly into Pakistani air space to reach Afghanistan.
• Flying over Pakistan constitutes a longer route than the aerial distance between Qatar and Afghanistan via Iran, which is about 1,900 km, the sources noted.
• The MQ-9, according to the US Air Force, has been modified for extended range operations through the addition of external fuel tanks capable of holding 1,300 lbs of fuel. 
• Although the Reapers have an endurance of more than 35 hours of flying, they fly at a very low speed of fewer than 200 knots (370 km/hour). The drones cannot travel very long distances at high speed and full load.
• In light of this, the sources said, there need to be arrangements in place for possible emergency landings in case of any mid-air complications.   
• “The fact is that Pakistan directly or indirectly continues to help in drone strikes. Since these strikes are not targeted at the Taliban but the ISKP, it becomes easier for the Pakistanis and the Taliban to turn a blind eye,” a fourth source said.