As US negotiations to secure peace with the Taliban drag on, hopes fade for a stable American withdrawal from Afghanistan. President Joe Biden has already said he will ignore a previously agreed deadline to extricate US forces by May 1, hinting instead that soldiers will be gone by next year. His intelligence agencies are pushing back even against this delayed timetable.
Last week, it was reported that American officials fear a Taliban takeover of the country if US forces leave before agreeing an enduring framework for peace. Going by the current pace of talks, this is still some way off.
The Taliban shows no desire to achieve a lasting peace by any means other than war. Thousands of Afghans have died at their hands while talks in the hotels of Doha drag on. Ten policemen were killed in the town of Sangin last week, including a senior commander. A string of other attacks have taken place in other areas. Far from being punished, the group has secured major concessions in return for nothing, including the release of thousands of its prisoners. None of this should come as a surprise. The Taliban is notoriously opportunistic and well-practised in using Western fatigue to its advantage. And with this fatigue come perfect conditions for a takeover, a tragedy that could condemn Afghans, particularly women, to a government made up of their longstanding oppressors. Such a situation would be shamefully similar to the one that the US-led coalition sought to end almost two decades ago.
It could also turn out to be even worse. Amid a breakdown in governance during recent years, an array of militias has emerged. The war against the Taliban is, in many parts of Afghanistan, waged independently of the government, with the national army lacking the resources to be present. Many of the militias arose as the self-appointed protectors of their local communities. Where they have succeeded, they sometimes supplant the central government's authority.
A video that allegedly shows the moment an Afghan Air Force helicopter was shot down by what appears to be a guided missile. Credit: Tolo News
But they are now a powder keg for all-out, multi-front and partisan war. Their power is particularly devastating when it is redirected towards the government. On March 20, a militia in Wardak province used a sophisticated guided missile to down an Afghan Air Force helicopter, killing all onboard. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by men loyal to Abdul Ghani Alipour, a former lorry driver turned guerilla commander, whose men refer to him as "Commander Sword".
Little is yet known about the origin of the weapon Alipour's men used, but several Afghan government officials have pointed the finger at neighbouring Iran, which manufactures similar missiles and has long been rumoured to have supported Alipour's local defence operations against the Taliban. Simultaneously, there is mounting evidence that Iran also funds and arms large sections of the Taliban. Elsewhere in the country, other militia groups have operated for years with political and financial support from Pakistan and Turkey.
Afghanistan's weakened state, increasingly threatened by a resurgent Taliban, could soon be seeing domestic strife exacerbated by foreign powers. Mr Biden must re-assess his approach there quickly. The US and its allies have invested huge resources and a tragic number of lives in the nation's security. Without long-term commitment and a realistic understanding of the changing security environment, America risks surrendering Afghanistan to the Taliban rule of 20 years ago, or to an even more dangerous and complex civil war.
Regional militias have been on the up in Afghanistan. AFP
Many of these armed groups started out protecting local communities against the Taliban. AFP
Increasingly powerful militias have attacked government targets. AFP
There are concerns that these armed groups are funded from abroad. AFP
A war involving rival factions in Afghanistan would be devastating. AFP
A militia recently shot down an Afghan military helicopter. AFP
Favourite road trip: My first trip to Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan. The desert they have over there is different and the language made it a bit more challenging.
Favourite spot in the UAE: Al Dhafra. It’s unique, natural, inaccessible, unspoilt.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A 2019 United Nations special analysis on Aids reveals 37 per cent of new HIV infections in the Mena region are from people injecting drugs.
New HIV infections have also risen by 29 per cent in western Europe and Asia, and by 7 per cent in Latin America, but declined elsewhere.
Egypt has shown the highest increase in recorded cases of HIV since 2010, up by 196 per cent.
Access to HIV testing, treatment and care in the region is well below the global average.
Few statistics have been published on the number of cases in the UAE, although a UNAIDS report said 1.5 per cent of the prison population has the virus.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
Essentials
The flights Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Seattle from Dh6,755 return in economy and Dh24,775 in business class. The cruise UnCruise Adventures offers a variety of small-ship cruises in Alaska and around the world. A 14-day Alaska’s Inside Passage and San Juans Cruise from Seattle to Juneau or reverse costs from $4,695 (Dh17,246), including accommodation, food and most activities. Trips in 2019 start in April and run until September.
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
Two months before the first round on April 10, the appetite of voters for the election is low.
Mathieu Gallard, account manager with Ipsos, which conducted the most recent poll, said current forecasts suggested only two-thirds were "very likely" to vote in the first round, compared with a 78 per cent turnout in the 2017 presidential elections.
"It depends on how interesting the campaign is on their main concerns," he told The National. "Just now, it's hard to say who, between Macron and the candidates of the right, would be most affected by a low turnout."
Key facilities
Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
