Today's D Brief: Afghanistan’s new Taliban government; EU mulls autonomy from US; Ida’s death toll rises; Russia, GOP Leader McCarthy threaten tech firms; And a bit more.
By Ben Watson
September 3, 2021 10:40 AM ET
The D Brief
The Taliban’s new government will be led by its co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, and will otherwise consist solely of Taliban members, Reuters reports Friday, citing “sources in the group.”
Also in the Taliban’s new government: “Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, the son of late Taliban co-founder Mullah Omar, and Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai,” though their precise roles aren't clear just yet. The group's top religious official, Haibatullah Akhundzada, is expected to keep that responsibility moving forward. Read more at Reuters, here.
The EU says it has set new “benchmarks” for engaging with the Taliban, potentially opening the door to other diplomatic efforts to negotiate with the new rulers of Afghanistan. The terms include several familiar requests, including “not serving as a base for terrorism, respecting the rights of women and the media, the establishment of an ‘inclusive and representative’ government, and allowing access for aid” and continued evacuations from Kabul, Agence France-Presse reports.
https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2021/09/the-d-brief-september-03-2021/185109/
