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oi-Vicky Nanjappa

| Updated: Friday, January 8, 2021, 17:32 [IST]

New Delhi, Jan 08: Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security which had busted a Chinese spy ring last month has for the first time confirmed that the security agency detained a Chinese national for espionage.

Wolesi Jirga, the Afghan House of Representatives demanded answers from Ahmad Zia Saraj, the chief of the national Directorate of Security. Saraj confirmed that a group of Chinese nationals had been arrested on charges of espionage in Kabul. The NDS chief according to private news channel Ariana News said that a group of Chinese nationals had been arrested, but as it was a sensitive issue, he could not share more details.

Afghanistan had let go of the 10 spies who were arrested. They were allowed to return to China on a chartered flight.

Chinese spies caught in Afghanistan espionage racket, return to Beijing on chartered flight

It may be recalled that in December, the agencies in Afghanistan busted a major Chinese spying racket and have arrested 10 spies. While the details of the terms of release is not known, Amrullah Saleh, the first vide president had said that no foreign national citizen has been arrested in an effort operation in the Khairkhaneh area. The arrested are palmadis that under the scope. A number of them have been arrested on the suspicion of being involved in assassination and kidnapping, he said.

During the meeting of Saleh and Chinese envoy Wang Yu, the former had offered to release the 10 spies after Beijing submits a formal apology for betraying Kabul's trust. However Yu had insisted that the detentions are not declared by Kabul said a report in the Hindustan Times.

It had been found that both China and Pakistan had been working closely to undertake espionage activities in Kabul.

The Afghan National Directorate of Security recently discovered a dense network of Chinese spies, who were trying to influence the geopolitical dynamics in the region. The NDS had on December 10 cracked down on the network and arrested a Chinese intelligence operative Li Yangyang. He had been operating in the country since July. He was arrested from his Kabul residence and the NDS recovered arms, ammunition and explosives including Ketamine powder.

On the same day, the NDS arrested another Chinese spy Sha Hung from her Shirpur residence in Kabul. The NDS recovered explosives and highly objectionable material from here residence.

Both were kingpins of the espionage network and they were meeting with members of the Haqqani Network that is backed by the ISI. Officials tell OneIndia that both China and Pakistan are working to disrupt the Afghan peace talks. Both are trying to establish themselves as dominant forces in the region and influence the Taliban and Al-Qaeda once the US security forces withdraw.

Big Chinese spy racket linked to Pakistans ISI busted in Afghanistan

Covid-19: Union Health Minister says 'Indians to get vaccine in the next few days' | Oneindia News

The two arrested spies were also in touch with some Taliban leaders and were also tracking the moment of the Uighur activists who had fled to Afghanistan. They were focusing on the patches of Badakhshan and Kumar provinces. It was also found that they were in touch with the Haqqani Network.

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See original here:
Yes they were arrested: Afghanistans first confirmation on arresting Chinese nationals for espionage - Oneindia

Ireland opener Paul Stirling plays a cut shot against Afghanistan

Ireland vice-captain Paul Stirling is relishing the seven ODIs against United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi this month.

Four games against hosts UAE are followed by the Afghanistan series, which is part of the World Cup Super League.

"The Afghanistan series is key - they are World Cup qualifying games so are really important," said the opener.

"We would really need to be targeting a 2-1 victory, if not a 3-0 win."

He added: "We've always had good games against Afghanistan - we've beaten them in their own conditions, which we are in here, a number of times but we know we've really got to be at our best."

Ireland arrived in Abu Dhabi last weekend and are preparing for Friday's opener. They also face UAE on 10, 12 and 14 January at the Zayed Cricket Stadium before taking on Afghanistan on 18, 21 and 23 January.

It's a youthful Irish squad on tour and the UAE series provides the perfect stage for a few to shine.

"It's always nice to play teams like UAE because we've been missing that calibre of games in the last number of years since our move up in status and we're always playing the big teams - you get carried away in trying to topple the giants," said the big-hitting former Middlesex and Northamptonshire batsman.

"So it's nice come back to that Associate level - it gives great opportunities to the young lads here to go and win games for Ireland.

"The youngsters coming through are hugely exciting. It's just nice to see that energy, the youngsters really want to learn - they're practising all day and you can see how keen they are to perform.

"The opportunities they have are fantastic in the first four months of this year with the seven Abu Dhabi games and we're hoping to have a tour of Zimbabwe confirmed. Hopefully by the end of that period we will see more matchwinners for Ireland."

Ireland will be in competitive action for the first time since their shock win over England in August, with all squad training and travel since then carried out within strict Covid-19 guidelines.

"We just have to get on with it - we're so lucky to play this game, we're thankful we can actually put sport on and people can watch it." said the 30-year-old left-hander.

"We know we've got great support back home. It's great just to be able to get out there and play cricket again and hopefully put a smile on a few people's faces.

"For us it keeps the mind fresh and we can do what we love doing - when it's taken away you really miss it."

Link:
Paul Stirling: Ireland vice-captain describes ODIs against UAE and Afghanistan as 'critical' - BBC Sport

Days after Afghanistans NDA detained10 Chinese spies on charges of espionage and operating a terror cell in the capital city of Kabul, the government has released them secretly and allowed them to fly back home in a chartered flight. According to reports, the Chinese nationals flew out of Afghanistan in a plane arranged by Beijing on Saturday.Set free after 23 days in detention, the 10 Chinese nationals had not been formally charged.

It is pertinent to note that the terms of the arrangement between Kabul and Beijing to secure the release of the 10 Chinese spiesremains unclear. Interestingly, soon after the arrest, Kabuls First Vice President had indicated that the Afghan government could consider a pardon for the Chinese spies if Beijing submits a formal apologythat admits to the violation of international norms and a betrayal of Kabuls trust. Otherwise, the Afghan government would go ahead with criminal proceedings against the 10 Chinese spies, he had said.

It was on December 10, 2020, that Afghanistans NDS started the crackdown. This was the first time in years that Chinese nationals had been caught spying in Afghanistan. The NDS had not only recovered explosives and other highly objectionable materials from these Chinese nationals but had also found proves which suggested that the kingpins of this espionage network had been meeting commanders of the Taliban-backed terror group Haqqani Network (HQN).

It was believed that Pakistans ISI has been acting as a mediator between Haqqani Network and these Chinese Intelligence agents.

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After asking China to apologise, Afghanistan quietly sends the 10 arrested Chinese spies back home in a chartered flight - OpIndia

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN - Afghanistan and India Sunday refuted allegations they are the source of terrorist attacks in Pakistan and instead questioned counterterrorism credentials of their South Asian neighbor.The strong rebuttal comes a day after Islamabad accused New Delhi of running some 66 militant training camps on Afghan soil to plot terrorism to destabilize Pakistan and hurt its economic partnership with China.

Pakistan Claims 'Irrefutable Evidence' of Indian Links to Terrorism on Pakistani Soil

Islamabad accuses New Delhi of running dozens of training camps in Afghanistan for multiple globally outlawed militant groups to plot terrorism on Pakistani soil to destabilize the country

The Pakistani government, in a nationally televised news conference, presented what it said was irrefutable evidence to substantiate the charges.The so-called claims of proof against India enjoy no credibility, are fabricated and represent figments of imagination, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said in a statement issued Sunday.We call upon Pakistan to end its support to cross-border terrorism. Concocting documents and peddling false narratives will not absolve Pakistan of such actions, Srivastava said.He reiterated long-running Indian allegations that Pakistan trains Islamist militants and helps them infiltrate into Indian-administered Kashmir to foment separatist violence in the Muslim-majority region.The incessant infiltration of terrorists and induction of weapons to fuel terror activities continues unabated, alleged Srivastava.

Pakistani-Indian Military Clashes Kill 13 in Kashmir

At least 13 people, including soldiers and civilians, are killed on both sides

Pakistan, which administers one-third of Kashmir, denies the accusations, saying they are an attempt by the neighboring country to cover up alleged human rights abuses being inflicted on Kashmiris.The two nuclear-armed rival nations have fought several wars and low-intensity conflicts over Kashmir since gaining independence from Britain in 1947. India and Pakistan claim the region in its entirety and it remains the primary source of bilateral military tension and acrimony.Afghan denialOfficials in Afghanistan also rejected allegations that its territory or citizens were being used for carrying out subversive activities against Pakistan.In a statement Sunday, the foreign ministry said that Afghanistan itself is a major victim of terrorism. Kabul, it said, is committed to a policy of combating all forms of terrorismand will never allow Afghan territory to be used for destructive activities against other countries.The statement noted that as the Afghan government is preparing for this weeks maiden visit to Kabul by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, it is expected Islamabad will raise issues of bilateral interest and debate through existing cooperation mechanisms between the two countries.Pakistan and Afghanistan share a nearly 2,600-kilometer border but mutual ties are marred by mistrust and suspicion. Kabul accuses Islamabad of supporting the Afghan Talibans violent campaign aimed at dislodging the Afghan government.For its part, Pakistan maintains that militant groups fleeing years of counterterrorism security operations have taken shelter in Afghan border areas and orchestrating cross-border attacks.Pakistani army spokesman Major-General Iftikhar Babar on Saturday displayed what he said were documents, banking transactions worth millions of dollars, audio clips and details of contacts between Indian intelligence operatives and diplomats with fugitive Pakistani militants operating out of Afghanistan.Uncontrivable evidence reveals that Indian embassies and consulates operating along Pakistans borders have become hub of terror sponsorship against PakistanWe have verifiable evidence of terrorists funding by India. Indian ambassadors in Afghanistan have been regularly supervising various terrorist activities, Babar said.

See the rest here:
India, Afghanistan Reject Terror-Related Charges by Pakistan - Voice of America

A new report reveals Afghanistan has been pushed deeper into an already dire food security crisis, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, extreme weather events, ongoing conflict and high food prices, with 13.15 million people, up from 11.15 million people just months ago, now facing acute hunger.

Government of Afghanistan lockdown measures imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19, between mid-March and the end of May, worsened an already desperate food security situation. Small-scale income-generating activities were mostly shut down, leading to diminished savings, impacting the ability to buy food.

Marianne OGrady, CARE Afghanistans Deputy Country Director, said, People are back at work after the lockdown, but the fallout from not saving for months is huge. Many people also accumulated debt during lockdown that they are now struggling to pay back, so day-to-day expenses were, and still are, affected. Putting food on the table is getting harder and harder and with winter coming, we are very worried for the people of Afghanistan. And for women, the situation is even more difficult. In Afghanistan, generally men eat first due to cultural norms, so when theres not enough food to go around, its the women who miss out.

Women often act as shock absorbers in times of crisis, when they have to take on greater economic responsibility for their households. CAREs programs, including community-based savings groups, have enabled women to better withstand the economic shock of the COVID-19 pandemic.

CARE conducted a Rapid Gender Analysis in Afghanistan in mid-2020. Sixty-two per cent of respondents said food is their highest need. A female respondent from Balkh Province said, The community is affected by a flood, I lost my house, but most people are now jobless and need assistance due to the lockdown.

There are currently over 40,000 reported COVID-19 cases in Afghanistan, but testing is extremely limited, so those numbers are feared to be much higher. The health system in Afghanistan was critically weak even before the pandemic hit, with only around 300 ventilators in the entire country. The health implications are huge and responsibility for caring for family members falls primarily on women, even if they are sick themselves.

In rural areas, accessing health facilities can be incredibly challenging. Often clinics are far from peoples homes and there are transportation costs to reach the clinics. If there are limited funds available for transportation, families must make tough decisions around who goes to the clinic, and men and working sons are usually given priority, said Ms OGrady.

Climate change is another factor driving food insecurity. Afghanistan is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change and one of the least equipped to manage the impact. Ive lived in Afghanistan for many years and during that time, weve seen less and less snow falling in the north of the country. Snow is a key source of water for agricultural production. Less snow means less crops and higher prices. Its another blow for the Afghan people and another factor driving the hunger crisis, explained Ms OGrady.

Man-made climate change has been projected to significantly reduce precipitation in Afghanistan during spring, an important season for food production. As 2020 marks the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement on climate change, we are still not seeing sufficient climate action by major emitting countries, nor adequate support for vulnerable countries like Afghanistan, to protect food production from the harmful impacts of the climate crisis. With the current global lack of ambition to slow global warming, Afghanistan is facing the risk of a 7 Celsius (44 Fahrenheit) average temperature increase by the end of this century, which would render catastrophic impacts. CARE calls on the G20 countries to deliver more ambitious climate plans in 2020 to put the world on track with the Paris Agreement limit of 1.5 Celsius (34 Fahrenheit) of warming, said Sven Harmeling, CAREs Global Policy Lead for Climate Change and Resilience.

Afghanistan also faces one of the most acute protracted internal displacement crises in the world. When conflict approaches, many families pack up their belongs and carry what they can to reach safety, and it is not unusual for their assets to be looted while they are gone. Ms OGrady explained, Many rural Afghans have agriculture-based livelihood skills but in urban areas, there is little demand for them. Earning an income becomes even harder when you are not living on your own land and can no longer rely on the skills that normally put food on the table.

The resilience of the Afghan people is incredible. Extra support from the international community to fund livelihood, emergency food and cash-for-work programs will enable them to recover and move their country forward.

Founded in 1945, CARE is one of the largest and oldest humanitarian aid organisations fighting global poverty. CARE has a special focus on empowering and meeting the needs of women and girls and promoting gender equality and works in 100 countries around the world.

CARE has a long history in Afghanistan, establishing its first mission there in 1961.CAREs programs in Afghanistan focus on womens social and economic empowerment, education, rural development and emergency response.

ENDS

For media enquiries contact:Suzy Sainovski (based in Melbourne, Australia)Asia Pacific Regional Communications & Media Advisor, CARE InternationalEmail: suzy.sainovski@care.orgSkype: suzy.sainovskiMobile: + 61 3 429 418 353

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Food crisis deepens in Afghanistan with 42% of the population now facing acute hunger - Afghanistan - ReliefWeb