Afghanistan

As violence in Afghanistan increases amid U.S. and NATO troop withdrawal, the country's Hazara ethnic group are arming themselves against what they anticipate will be a war for control between factions competing for control.

As John Quincy Adams noted, we should not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy.

Surveillance on Afghanistan will continue to happen from outside the country's borders as U.S. troops withdraw. Afghanistan was concerned that lack of U.S. support would lead to the Taliban increasing their attacks on the Afghan government.

The general warned of instability in the Middle East as the United States pulls out of Afghanistan.

Pakistan ambassador to the U.N. Munir Akram told Newsweek that the East Turkestan Islamic Movement was among "the real threats of regional and international terrorism that exist in Afghanistan," but the State Department says "there has been no credible evidence that ETIM continues to exist."

NATO will continue its "civilian diplomatic presence in Kabul, to provide advice and capacity-building support to Afghan security institutions," said Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

"We interpreters, we just try to help you to accomplish your mission in Afghanistan...and since we did our part, I think the U.S. government should also do their part as well."

Australia is temporarily closing its embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, later this week due to security concerns as U.S. and NATO troops withdraw from the country.

Congressional lawmakers raised concerns with Washington's special envoy to Afghanistan in hearings this week about the future of the war-torn country with a resurgent Taliban and U.S. troops withdrawn.

We need to ensure elected and appointed officials remain in their constitutional lanes.

In preparation for U.S. military troops withdrawing from Afghanistan, five U.S. military facilities and other supplies were given to the Afghan Ministry of Defense.

"I was afraid of a second explosion so I came immediately to my home," a worshipper said after a bomb went off at a mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan that killed many, including the mosque's imam.

It is important that President Joe Biden implement a refugee cap of 125,000 next year—double the current ceiling—to save lives and change even more futures for the better.

At least 50 people have died and more than 100 have been injured in the May 8 bombings, though an expert at the U.S. Institute of Peace said those numbers are likely to tick higher.

The Western official familiar with the packing up process said U.S. forces face a dilemma: Hand off largely defunct but intact equipment and risk having it fall into the hands of enemy forces, or trash them and anger Afghans.

Hours after the Taliban announced a cease-fire, 11 bus passengers died and at least 24 were wounded in a roadside bombing.

Foreign ministers work to offer support to Afghanistan for "civilian reconstruction." However, peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban do not seem to be progressing.

The withdrawal of the Americans and risk of a possible civil war in Afghanistan could negatively impact important projects like the Belt and Road Initiative and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, threatening China's long-term interests in the region.

Police said the suspected shooter is a former U.S. Marine who had a concealed weapons permit and a minimal criminal history.

As the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan commences, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin acknowledged that Afghans will face a significant challenge in keeping the Taliban at bay without U.S. troops.

A former television presenter for Afghanistan's Tolonews was shot to death by gunmen a day after the Taliban threatened Afghan journalists closely aligned with security agencies backed by the U.S.

At least 2,500 U.S. troops are deployed as part of the 9,600-strong NATO Afghan mission. President Joe Biden wants to withdraw them all by September 11.

Women's rights advocates have criticized the United States' plan to withdraw troops from Afghanistan without securing assurances from the Taliban about protections for women.

Two-thirds of the Afghan population is 25 or younger, and while the nation remains one of the worst for women's rights, it is a far cry from the brutal 1990s-era Sharia law enforced by the Taliban.

The Afghan president expressed his reservations about the U.S. troop withdrawal

The former secretary of state simply said she believes Biden "made the decision that he thought was the right decision."

We need to be actively involved in contributing to a peaceful future and that means significantly increasing the refugee quota for Afghanistan, doubling down on diplomatic engagement and committing financial assistance to the Afghan people.

General Mark Milley said the departure of U.S. and coalition forces will test the Afghan government's resolve in unpredictable ways.

As President Joe Biden prepares to wave goodbye to his first 100-day stretch, those in the realist and restraint community are at least breathing a sigh of relief—things could be better, but they could also be worse.

U.S. State Department: "U.S. Embassy personnel are restricted from traveling to all locations in Kabul except the U.S. Embassy and other U.S. government facilities unless there is a compelling U.S. government interest in permitting such travel that outweighs the risk."