The Latest: US says al-Qaida could regenerate in Afghanistan

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday the al-Qaida extremist radical that utilized Afghanistan arsenic a staging basal to onslaught United States 20 years agone whitethorn effort to regenerate determination pursuing an American withdrawal that has near the Taliban successful power.

“That’s the quality of the organization,” helium told a tiny radical of reporters successful Kuwait City astatine the decision of a four-day circuit of Persian Gulf states. He said the United States is prepared to forestall an al-Qaida comeback successful Afghanistan that would endanger the United States.

The Taliban had provided al-Qaida with sanctuary portion it ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. The U.S. invaded and overthrew the Taliban aft it refused to crook implicit al-Qaida leaders pursuing the Sept. 11, 2001 onslaught connected the United States. During the people of the 20-year U.S. war, al-Qaida was vastly diminished, but questions person arisen astir its aboriginal prospects with the Taliban backmost successful Kabul.

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MORE ON AFGHANISTAN:

— Taliban sanction caretaker Cabinet that pays homage to aged guard

— US-built databases a imaginable instrumentality of Taliban repression

— Blinken and Austin to sojourn Gulf to code postwar stresses

— Taliban accidental they took Panjshir, past holdout Afghan province

— Over 24 hours successful Kabul, brutality, trauma, moments of grace

— Find much AP sum astatine https://apnews.com/hub/afghanistan

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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

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ISLAMABAD — CIA Director William Burns has met with Pakistan’s almighty service main Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa to sermon the concern successful Afghanistan, the subject said.

In a statement, the subject said determination information and developments successful Afghanistan were discussed during the gathering Thursday. It didn't elaborate.

“Pakistan remains committed to cooperate with its planetary partners for bid successful the portion and ensuring a unchangeable and prosperous aboriginal for the Afghan people," the connection said.

Burns thanked Pakistan for its relation successful the evacuation operations from Afghanistan and pledged further improvements successful diplomatic practice with Pakistan.

Burns besides met with Pakistan’s quality main Lt. Gen. Faiz Hamid, the connection said.

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ISLAMABAD — Pakistan says Qatar’s overseas curate volition get successful Pakistan’s superior of Islamabad to sermon the latest concern successful Afghanistan.

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In a statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Qatari main diplomat Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani during his day-long sojourn Thursday volition conscionable with Pakistan’s overseas curate Shah Mahmood Qureshi and different apical officials.

It said Pakistan and Qatar bask close, cordial ties. “The 2 countries intimately collaborate connected determination and planetary issues of communal interest,” the connection said.

The improvement comes 2 days aft the Taliban announced an interim authorities for Afghanistan. The Taliban support a governmental bureau successful Doha.

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KABUL, Afghanistan — The interior ministry of the caller Taliban authorities is seeking to extremity protests successful Afghanistan aft days of demonstrations that person brought heavy-handed assaults connected protesters.

The curate has issued an bid to extremity each protests successful the state — unless demonstrators get anterior permission, including support of slogans and banners.

It’s improbable the women who person been starring adjacent regular protestation demanding their rights from the country’s hardline Islamic rulers volition beryllium allowed to protestation nether the caller rules. In the words of the ministry’s statement: “It is announced to each citizens not to effort astatine the contiguous clip to clasp immoderate demonstrations nether immoderate sanction whatsoever.”

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KABUL, Afghanistan — Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has taken to Twitter to accidental his formation from Kabul connected Aug. 15 was done to prevention Afghanistan’s superior from bloodshed. He says his information unit advised the concealed departure, which opened the gates of the metropolis to a Taliban takeover.

Ghani besides denies wide allegations of corruption arsenic good arsenic charges that helium near the state with millions of dollars. He says determination should beryllium an autarkic investigation.

Ghani’s abrupt departure has been wide criticized some successful Afghanistan and abroad. Washington blamed Ghani’s formation and the government’s illness for a Taliban takeover up of a negotiated deal.

Prominent Afghan governmental figures who stayed down accidental they had expected to conscionable with Taliban governmental leaders the pursuing time to proceed negotiations.

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