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Letter: Consider some important history involving Ukraine

Letter: Consider some important history involving Ukraine

Yahoo10-03-2025
Just after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States, Ukraine and Russia signed an agreement to control nuclear weapons and respect each other's borders. It was called the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances and was respected until 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine. Since then, Russia has been subjected to punishing sanctions in response to its violation of the agreement. Here are key terms of the agreement, according to Wikipedia:
• Respect the signatory's independence and sovereignty in the existing borders (in accordance with the principles of the CSCE Final Act).
• Refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of the signatories to the memorandum, and undertake that none of their weapons will ever be used against these countries, except in cases of self-defense or otherwise in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.
• Refrain from economic coercion designed to subordinate to their own interest the exercise by Ukraine, the Republic of Belarus and Kazakhstan of the rights inherent in its sovereignty and thus to secure advantages of any kind.
• Seek immediate UN Security Council action to provide assistance to the signatory if they 'should become a victim of an act of aggression or an object of a threat of aggression.
• Not to use nuclear weapons against any non–nuclear-weapon state.
• Consult with one another.
Jay Belanger
Alsace Township
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Afghanistan is starting its fifth year of Taliban rule. Here are 5 things to know
Afghanistan is starting its fifth year of Taliban rule. Here are 5 things to know

Associated Press

time3 days ago

  • Associated Press

Afghanistan is starting its fifth year of Taliban rule. Here are 5 things to know

The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in 2021 for the second time. Since then, the former insurgents have consolidated their grip on power, excluded women and girls from public life, stamped out internal dissent and external challengers, and gained debut recognition as the country's official government from Russia, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. The Taliban govern through decrees, but Afghans have aspirations and needs that cannot be fulfilled through edicts and ideology. Climate change, an increasing population, and severe cuts to foreign aid will test the Taliban's ability to lead and not just rule. Here are five things to know about the Taliban as they start their fifth year in power: The supreme leader has cemented his legacy Kandahar-based Hibatullah Akhundzada has led the Taliban from insurgency to authority since his appointment in 2016. But transition and status are peripheral to what he has wanted for the past 20 years: establishing an Islamic system. Central to this vision was his ratification last year of the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Law, which codifies many aspects of Afghan life, including who people can befriend. In June, Akhundzada said the Taliban had fought and sacrificed themselves for the implementation of Islamic law. It was obligatory to follow the leadership's commands and directives, he added, and everyone was required to act within the bounds of this obedience. His supporters emphasize his superior religious authority to issue decrees. The higher education minister went one step further in April, equating criticism of Akhundzada with blasphemy and saying obedience to him was a divine order. 'He (the leader) decides what moves and what doesn't move, what happens and what doesn't,' said Ibraheem Bahiss, a senior analyst with Crisis Group's Asia program. The Taliban's internal differences are buried deep There were pockets within the Taliban that initially advocated lifting bans on women and girls, or at least modifying them, to allow greater global and financial engagement. Akhundzada and his circle withstood such pressure, however, and the Taliban government has emerged from its isolation to develop diplomatic ties and raise several billion dollars every year in tax revenues to keep the lights on. Power brokers, like Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, have been weakened. Since November, Akhundzada has had direct control over Afghanistan's weapons and military equipment, sidelining the Interior Ministry and the Defense Ministry, which is run by Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, whose father founded the Taliban. Haqqani, whose uncle was killed in a high-profile suicide attack last December, used to take swipes at the leadership. Not anymore. Haqqani, who heads a powerful network of his own, cannot start a fight with the Kandahar faction and win. Political deputy Sher Abbas Stanikzai rebuked Akhundzada in January, stating the education bans had no basis in Islamic law, or Sharia. He left Afghanistan shortly afterwards and remains outside the country. He denies reports that he fled or faced arrest had he stayed. Akhundzada has put Islamic law at the heart of his leadership, while also putting his leadership at the heart of its implementation. 'He's made himself indispensable, and the entire movement is beholden to him,' Bahiss said. There's no sign of change for Afghan women and girls Russia's recognition of the Taliban sends a 'deeply troubling' message, said Zahra Nader, the editor-in-chief of the Afghan women-led newsroom Zan Times. 'It tells the Taliban they can continue to suppress women's rights and commit systematic human rights violations without facing consequences. They are being rewarded for it. This move is a slap in the face to Afghan women.' There is opposition to the Taliban's policies, but people are fearful because no powerful alternative exists, she said. The Taliban 'took the country by force and maintained control' through violence. Women took to Afghanistan's streets in protest after the takeover, but these were met with retaliation. 'The absence of visible protest should not be mistaken for acceptance,' said Nader. 'It reflects the extreme risks people face for dissent. The resistance is still there, quiet, private, and simmering, but public expression has been crushed through fear and force.' The Taliban insist that women's rights are protected. Nader says that, although there is 'little faith' that the country's rulers will change their policies, women are preparing themselves 'emotionally and intellectually' for a future beyond the Taliban. 'That hope, that this brutality will not last forever, is what keeps many of them going. These women do not believe the regime will change its stance on women's rights.' Regional ties are transactional It's not trust or shared values that define the Taliban's relationships. Afghanistan borders six countries, many of which are trade partners and also balk at being lectured by the West on rights and freedoms. Landlocked Afghanistan is sandwiched between the Middle East, Central Asia, and South Asia, making it strategically located for energy-rich and energy-hungry nations. The Taliban's bilateral relations proceed on common ground: borders, water, transit, and security. Anti-migrant rhetoric, especially in Europe, could increase diplomatic engagement as political parties in the West seek to placate their supporters. The UK-based International Institute for Strategic Studies said the Taliban's broader diplomatic interactions were eroding the 'non-recognition' approach of the West and ushering in 'creeping normalization.' The Taliban feel comfortable in the region and have found an acceptable way of operating, while the region has adjusted to their presence. 'What we've seen in the last four years is not real pressure (on the Taliban), but rather normalization and appeasement,' Nader said. 'For those of us watching from inside and outside Afghanistan, this is not just political, it's personal. It's painful. It confirms our fear that the suffering of Afghan women is being sidelined in favor of political interests.' The real test for the Taliban is yet to come Until April, the U.S. was the largest donor to Afghanistan, where more than half of the population relies on aid to survive. But it terminated this emergency assistance due to concerns that the Taliban were benefiting from such aid. Thousands of Afghans, including women, will lose their jobs as nongovernmental organizations and agencies scale back their work or shut down. The loss of jobs, contracts, and the shrinking humanitarian footprint also equate to a loss in revenue for the Taliban. One U.N. agency said there were 'reputational and staff security risks' where humanitarian agencies were forced to suspend operations due to reduced funding, causing grievances among communities, or after partners couldn't pay suppliers or complete contracts. Aid officials warn that frustration and an increase in tensions will trigger spontaneous violence as people compete for resources and services. The cuts coincide with the mass expulsions of Afghans from neighboring countries, swelling the population and the ranks of the unemployed while also halting the flow of inward remittances. The World Health Organization estimates the population will increase by 85% to 76.88 million by 2050. Afghanistan needs to give people food, shelter, and economic opportunities. Thomas Ruttig, from the Afghanistan Analysts Network, recalled meeting a leading Taliban figure in a 'completely rundown' office during the late 1990s. The Taliban fighter told him they could live under those circumstances, but foreigners couldn't. 'What they also say is that Afghans can live under those circumstances, which, to an extent, is true,' said Ruttig. 'They were forced to live under those circumstances and have learned how to cope.' Now their means of coping — houses, land, and some savings — are gone. The Taliban took it for granted that they won the war with the help of Allah and the population, he explained. He added that, although the Taliban were a reflection of Afghans' ambitions, they needed to open up and listen to people's concerns. 'But they know the more they open up, the more they are questioned, and their rule might be undermined.' The Taliban needed to think about whether they wanted to govern the country simply to rule it, said Ruttig. 'Or do we want to rule this country to make Afghanistan a better place to live? That's probably the big question in front of them.'

French-drafted UNIFIL resolution could shield Hezbollah as US stays silent
French-drafted UNIFIL resolution could shield Hezbollah as US stays silent

Fox News

time5 days ago

  • Fox News

French-drafted UNIFIL resolution could shield Hezbollah as US stays silent

FIRST ON FOX — The U.S. may allow a controversial draft United Nations Security Council resolution to pass that some critics say would help Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terror organization. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon's (UNIFIL) mandate is up for renewal at the end of August, and the French-authored text would buy the mission another year while also not giving a firm termination date, according to a draft obtained by Fox News Digital. However, it states that the ultimate goal is to have "the Lebanese government [be] the sole provider of security in southern Lebanon" as long as it "fully controls all Lebanese territory." While applauding the end of hostilities, it also takes aim at Israel for its moves against Hezbollah terrorists operating across its border, noting in the draft that it, "Welcomes the cessation of hostilities arrangement between Israel and Lebanon of 26 November 2024 (S/2024/870), as a critical step towards full implementation of Resolution 1701, while noting with grave concerns the continuous violations of this arrangement, notably air and drone strikes on Lebanese territory, and requests the parties to faithfully implement its provisions, with the support of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL) and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), in line with their respective mandates." The draft also urges Israel to withdraw from its five remaining positions inside Lebanon, which Israel maintains are meant to counter Hezbollah. Israel would also be encouraged to take part in "diplomatic efforts" to delineate a border between itself and Lebanon. If the resolution were to pass in its current form, Lebanon would be responsible for manning the posts with the help of UNIFIL. As part of its goal of clearing southern Lebanon of unauthorized armed personnel — primarily Hezbollah operatives — the resolution encourages the international community to back the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) so it can ensure the absence of armed factions between the Blue Line and the Litani River. Following the Second Lebanon War in 2006, the U.N. Security Council passed Resolution 1701, which outlined that UNIFIL and LAF would work to block Hezbollah's activity in southern Lebanon. However, this has not been the case and critics fear that French draft would only bolster a system that has already failed. A senior policy analyst for the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) has voiced concern about renewing UNIFIL's mandate and called on the U.S. to veto it. "UNIFIL has proven, over the course of decades, its failure to achieve any semblance of its stated purpose. UNIFIL was created in 1978, during the chaotic Lebanese Civil War, to try to stabilize Lebanon and prevent broader spillover," Yoni Tobin pointed out in an op-ed originally published by the Algemeiner. He also noted that UNIFIL has not acted against Hezbollah's building up its arsenal despite being given the green light to do so. In the years since the resolution's passing, the terror organization has been active, with Israel uncovering networks of tunnels similar to those used by Hamas. Additionally, Hezbollah quickly joined in Hamas' war against Israel after the Oct. 7 massacre. "Among countless failures by the United Nations in the Middle East, UNIFIL may be the most spectacular. Tasked with ensuring that Hezbollah would not rearm after the 2006 war, it patiently watched as Hezbollah became the largest non-state terrorist and military organization in the world," the former U.S. Ambassador during the first Trump administration, David Friedman, told Fox News Digital in June. "Stability in Lebanon — within reach only now that Israel has decapitated Hezbollah's leadership — will not be achieved through UNIFIL." In October 2024, Fox News Digital reported that UNIFIL had failed to prevent Hezbollah's rapid rocket and weapons buildup since the mandate was implemented in 2006. Pro-Hezbollah officials and soldiers within Lebanon's Army also remain a core problem, according to experts and media reports. In late January, a LAF chief reportedly sent a classified document to Hezbollah. The LAF's Suhil Bahij Gharb, who oversees military intelligence for southern Lebanon, secured the confidential material from a military facility run by the U.S., France and UNIFIL. It remains unclear how the U.S. will vote on the resolution or whether it will seek revisions to the French-authored text. The U.S. mission declined to comment, while the U.N. missions of Israel and France did not respond to Fox News Digital requests.

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