Government Forces Gather in Panjshir Province... "Hope for US Support"
Russia Also Delays Recognition of Taliban Regime... Preparing Embassy Withdrawal
On the 19th (local time), marking the Independence Day of Afghanistan, which freed itself from British colonial rule in 1919, citizens held anti-Taliban protests on the streets of Kabul, the capital, waving the Afghan flag. Kabul (Afghanistan) = Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As anti-Taliban protests spread across Afghanistan and the Taliban lose public support, remnants of the Afghan government forces have reportedly gathered to establish a provisional government. For the Taliban, who urgently need international recognition and regime establishment, the provisional government is expected to become a significant obstacle. Immediately, Russia, which had been friendly to the Taliban, announced it would withhold official recognition of the Taliban regime, signaling a deepening of the Taliban's international isolation.
According to foreign media including the Associated Press on the 19th (local time), anti-Taliban protests broke out in major cities including the capital Kabul on Afghanistan's Independence Day. As protesters burned Taliban flags and marched carrying the Afghan national flag, Taliban soldiers fired at the crowd to forcibly suppress the demonstrations. As a result, seven people have died and hundreds have been injured across Afghanistan so far.
Afghan National Hero, General Masood's Son Joins Panjshir Provisional Government
The protests were reportedly led by the Afghan provisional government, which continues to resist the Taliban in Panjshir Province, an area not yet occupied by the Taliban. According to CNN, Amrullah Saleh, the first vice president and head of the Afghan provisional government, encouraged the anti-Taliban protests on his Twitter account that day, saying, "Salute those carrying the flag to uphold the dignity of the nation."
Vice President Saleh reportedly fled to Panjshir Province on the 16th, just before the fall of Kabul, established the provisional government, and gathered former government military forces. The Panjshir region, located 125 km northeast of Kabul in a gorge area, is famous as a natural fortress that was never captured even during the 1979 war against the Soviet Union. CNN reported that before the Taliban invasion, the Afghan government had already moved some power and weapons to the Panjshir region.
Former Northern Alliance forces, who resisted the Taliban during their first rule in 1996, are also gathering in the Panjshir area. Ahmad Masood Junior, the leader of the Northern Alliance, appealed for support from Western powers in an article published in the Washington Post (WP) that day. He said, "The Taliban is not just an Afghan problem," expressing concern that "Afghanistan under the Taliban will become a hotbed of radical Islamic terrorism." He emphasized, "I urge the Biden administration, Congress, and Afghan friends in London and Paris to stand up for us. The United States and democratic allies are our only hope."
According to the New York Times (NYT), Masood Junior is the son of General Ahmad Shah Masood, a national hero from the war against the Soviet Union, and is highly respected within Afghanistan. The NYT reported that with his declaration to fight alongside the provisional government, about 6,000 soldiers have already gathered in Panjshir.
Russia, Once Friendly, Turns Cold: "We Have Never Officially Recognized the Taliban Regime"
The Taliban, who had been accelerating efforts for international recognition and regime establishment, are now facing a major obstacle. Russia has abruptly changed its stance, announcing it will withhold recognition of the Taliban regime and is reportedly considering withdrawing its embassy staff from Kabul, causing tension for the Taliban.
Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said at a regular briefing that day, "No official Russian representatives have issued any statement approving the change of power in Afghanistan," emphasizing, "Russia is merely assessing the objective situation that arose after the Taliban effectively took control of Kabul." She added, "Russia is prepared to provide its civilian aircraft to evacuate Afghans wishing to leave Kabul."
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