International
The Doha Agreement: The Pact that Handed Kabul to the Taliban and China
On the fourth anniversary of the Doha Agreement (2020), signed between the United States government and the Afghan Taliban, the pact continues to be viewed as one of Washington’s major mistakes in Afghanistan, resulting in the empowerment of the armed movement and the loss of influence in a territory now being reclaimed by China.
Earlier this month, when United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres convened a meeting in Doha with international representatives and the de facto Taliban government, the fundamentalists refused to participate, setting conditions and demonstrating their control over the negotiations.
“If this (the agreement and the outcome of Doha) is fine, then what were the last twenty years of war for? The United States intentionally handed Afghanistan over to an extremist group despite the presence of hundreds of thousands of soldiers from the national army and the sacrifices of the Afghan people,” questioned analyst Abdul Haleem Nasiri.
Void of Interests
The gap continues to widen between Western interests and Afghanistan, as the Doha Agreement not only hastened the downfall of the democratic government but also opened the door to a ‘de-Westernization’ of Central Asia.
For neighboring countries like China, with a 92-kilometer border with Afghanistan, communication with the new order in Kabul is essential for security and maintaining a connection with Central and Southern Asia.
“China has never rejected Afghanistan as a neighboring country and needs to have a close relationship as they did during the twenty years of the previous government,” said political expert Abdul Jabbar Akbari to EFE, adding that the growing relationship between Beijing and Kabul “could create a headache for US policies in Central Asia.”
China’s Reconquest
Since the return to power of the Taliban in August 2021, China has made several diplomatic gestures, and on January 31, its president, Xi Jinping, received credentials from Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi, who was until recently the group’s deputy spokesperson.
China thus became the first country to officially accredit an Afghan ambassador, despite the Taliban not having recognition from the international community.
“That China accepted the Taliban ambassador is both paradoxical and transactional, to safeguard its interest in Afghanistan’s mines and lithium and to keep the Taliban happy as potential future allies,” explained analyst Abdul Haleem Nasiri to EFE.
China is also “being cautious,” warns the analyst, referring to Beijing’s possible doubts that the Taliban have some discreet alliance with the US, so it would have to “handle both sides carefully,” Nasiri added.
Qian Feng, an academic researcher at the National Strategic Institute of Tsinghua University and the Taihe Institute, explained to EFE that for Beijing, the priority is “security” and that the Taliban take “decisive measures against all terrorist forces” and “ensure the viability of China’s projects.”
“Afghanistan cannot once again become a refuge and breeding ground for terrorism,” he asserted.
Beijing Bets on Stability
China, critical of the United States’ role, emphasizes its opposition to foreign intervention in Afghanistan and, according to Qian, seeks to develop “strong” relations based on cooperation that, in the medium term, lead to negotiations to establish diplomatic relations.
China is betting on economic prosperity and political stability to prevent “turbulence” and ensure a favorable external environment for trade, the expert considers.
“It must be said that since this Taliban government took power, violence has decreased, security has improved, and efforts have been made to combat the illegal cultivation, production, and trade of drugs. They are also improving in terms of building an open political structure and protecting minorities, at least compared to their previous mandate,” the academic affirmed.
Beijing also seeks to protect its investment projects in Central Asia and prevent the spread of regional terrorism following the withdrawal of US troops.
Analysts have also highlighted China’s interest in Afghanistan’s natural resources, including oil, lithium deposits, or rare earths – vital elements for the development and production of technologies like electric vehicle batteries – whose value is estimated at nearly a trillion dollars.
International
El Chapo’s son Joaquín Guzmán López pleads guilty to U.S. drug trafficking charges
Joaquín Guzmán López, one of the sons of notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, pleaded guilty on Monday to drug trafficking charges in a U.S. court, months after his brother Ovidio reached a similar plea agreement, according to local media reports.
The defendant appeared before a federal court in Chicago early Monday afternoon and changed his previous plea in the case, the Chicago Tribune reported. U.S. authorities accuse him of forming, together with his three brothers, the cartel faction known as “Los Chapitos.”
The group is believed to have continued the operations of El Chapo, who has been serving a life sentence in the United States since 2019.
Guzmán López, 39, was arrested after landing in Texas in a small aircraft alongside cartel co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada.
International
Venezuela authorizes return flights as U.S. continues deportations amid rising tensions
The arrival of U.S. aircraft carrying undocumented Venezuelan migrants continued regularly despite rising tensions between Washington and Caracas over President Donald Trump’s military deployment in the Caribbean.
Trump maintains that the deployment is part of an anti-narcotics operation, while Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro insists the true objective is to remove him from power and seize the nation’s oil resources.
Venezuela’s aviation authority has “received a request from the United States government to resume repatriation flights for Venezuelan migrants from that country to Venezuela,” the Ministry of Transportation said in a statement .
“Under the instructions of President Nicolás Maduro, authorization has been granted for these aircraft to enter our airspace,” it added.
Caracas will permit two Eastern Airlines flights to land on Wednesday and Friday.
Migration remains one of the Trump administration’s flagship issues. On Monday, the U.S. president held a meeting with his National Security Council to discuss the situation in Venezuela, a day after confirming he had spoken with Maduro by phone, without offering further details.
According to the Venezuelan government, roughly 75 deportation flights have been carried out this year, returning at least 13,956 Venezuelans from the United States.
International
20,000 rounds stolen from german army after driver leaves cargo unattended
The German army confirmed the theft of a shipment of ammunition that occurred a week ago while it was being transported by a civilian delivery driver, a military spokesperson told AFP, confirming earlier media reports.
According to Der Spiegel and the regional broadcaster MDR, around 20,000 rounds of ammunition were stolen from an unguarded parking lot near Magdeburg, in eastern Germany, while the driver was asleep in a nearby hotel. No information has been released regarding the identity of the suspects, and the military declined to specify the exact type or amount of ammunition taken.
Authorities have also not indicated how the perpetrators knew the cargo would be left unattended.
“The theft was discovered upon delivery at the barracks,” the German army spokesperson said.
A police spokeswoman confirmed to AFP that an investigation has been opened but refused to provide further details “for tactical reasons.”
Sources close to the German military, cited by Der Spiegel, believe it is unlikely the theft was a coincidence. They suspect the thieves waited for the driver to stop for the night before striking.
Der Spiegel also reported that the Defense Ministry normally requires two drivers for this type of transport to ensure the cargo is constantly monitored. However, in this case only one driver was assigned, meaning the civilian transport company failed to comply with the security protocols.
El Chapo’s son Joaquín Guzmán López pleads guilty to U.S. drug trafficking charges
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