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New statement from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: “Regarding Resumption of Activities By WHO”

Posted on September 25, 2019September 26, 2019 by Aaron Y. Zelin

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The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has remained committed to humanitarian aid and humanitarian issues on an international level and has always taken necessary steps in preventing obstacles arising for humanitarian relief efforts.

The Islamic Emirate has specially designated teams, rules and regulations for all humanitarian efforts and is not only itself involved in these efforts in light of this framework but has also laid the groundwork for the operation of all international humanitarian organizations and NGOs and lent assistance for the growth, improvement and transparency of these activities.

The Islamic Emirate has given comprehensive security guarantees to NGOs in the framework of these regulations in areas under its control and remains committed to them in the future. But unfortunately, the Islamic Emirate terminated the activities of WHO in the month of April 2019 due to its arbitrary and suspicious activities especially in the field of polio campaigns. Fortunately, WHO took notice of its shortcomings and after repeated contacts and discussions with the designated delegation of Islamic Emirate, it regained permission for humanitarian and health related activities from the Islamic Emirate under the following conditions.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will grant the World Health Organization permission to conduct humanitarian and health related activities if it fully complies with the following:

1 – WHO is obligated to give guarantees about its personnel operating in areas under the control of Islamic Emirate that they shall focus all their humanitarian efforts in treating patients and curbing disease outbreaks and shall not allow practice of any suspicious activities.

2 – WHO is obligated that it must gain official approval from the Health Commission of Islamic Emirate in recruiting all personnel to work in areas under the control of Islamic Emirate. It cannot recruit anyone prior to a bilateral arrangement.

3 – The polio vaccine campaign promoted by WHO can no longer be administered from home to home and mosque to mosque and must only operate from health clinics.

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

26/01/1441 Hijri Lunar

03/07/1398 Hijri Solar 25/09/2019 Gregorian

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Source: Telegram

Check out my new ‘Policy Watch’ for the Washington Institute: “Huras al-Din: The Overlooked al-Qaeda Group in Syria”

Posted on September 25, 2019September 27, 2019 by Aaron Y. Zelin

In recent weeks, the State Department has formally designated Huras al-Din (Guardians of Religion) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and placed “Rewards for Justice” bounties on three of its leaders. The group (hereinafter HD) is al-Qaeda’s official branch in Syria, a role it assumed after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) publicly distanced itself from its original parent organization. Meanwhile, senior HD figure Abu Khaled al-Muhandis (aka Suhayb) was killed in late August, the victim of an improvised explosive device planted by rival Islamists.

Given these developments, it is important to look beyond HD’s ideological differences with HTS and explore what its members are actually doing in northwest Syria, the country’s remaining bastion for jihadist groups. If the Assad regime and its allies decide to make further incursions into Idlib province or retake it entirely, HD could be well placed to take advantage. By framing such developments as proof that its rivals have failed—the Islamic State in trying to monopolize territory, and HTS in trying to deepen local roots and establish a modus vivendi with Turkey—HD could convince more jihadists to join its ranks and help it lead a future insurgency in north Syria.

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