900,000 Afghans lost jobs since Taliban takeover in Afghanistan: US

 According to the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), at least 900,000 Afghans have lost their jobs since the Taliban took control last August.

According to the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), at least 900,000 Afghans have lost their jobs since the Taliban took control last August. Working women are disproportionately affected, according to SIGAR, with women’s employment expected to fall by 21 per cent by mid-2022, reported The Khaama Press. Since the Taliban took power, unemployment has skyrocketed, and poverty across many parts of the country has put millions of people at risk.

According to the International Labour Organization, more than 500,000 Afghan workers lost their jobs in the third quarter of 2021, and the number of people who will lose their jobs since the Taliban took control is expected to reach 700,000 to 900,000 people by mid-2022, reported Khaama Press. Due to four decades of conflict, severe drought, and pandemics, Afghanistan’s economy was already collapsing. After the Taliban seized power following the hasty withdrawal of US soldiers, the international community froze Afghanistan’s assets and withheld help.

Iran launches missiles on US base in Iraq hours after Soleimani funeral

Tehran fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles from Iranian territory against at least two Iraqi military bases hosting US-led coalition personnel, the US military said on Tuesday

Iran launched a missile attack on US-led forces in Iraq in the early hours of Wednesday in retaliation for the US drone strike on an Iranian commander whose killing has raised fears of a wider war in the Middle East.

Tehran fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles from Iranian territory against at least two Iraqi facilities hosting US-led coalition personnel at about 1:30 a.m. local time, the US military said on Tuesday. US President Donald Trump said in a tweet late on Tuesday that an assessment of casualties and damage from the strikes was under way and that he would make a statement on Wednesday morning.

“All is well!” Trump said in the Twitter post. Iran‘s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps confirmed they fired the missiles to retaliate for last week’s killing of Qassem Soleimani, according to a statement on state TV. The statement advised the United States to withdraw its troops from the region to prevent more deaths and warned US allies including Israel not to allow attacks from their territories.

Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement that the bases targeted were al-Asad air base and another facility in Erbil, Iraq. “As we evaluate the situation and our response, we will take all necessary measures to protect and defend US personnel, partners, and allies in the region.” Trump, who visited the al-Asad air base in December 2018, was briefed on reports of the attack and was monitoring the situation, White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said....

US to keep 8,600 troops in Afghanistan after deal with Taliban: Trump

The comments provided some clarity on US intentions after lengthy negotiations with the Afghan guerrilla group over finding an exit from a war that has lasted two decades

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the US will keep a permanent presence in Afghanistan, with 8,600 troops initially, even after a deal is reached with the Taliban. “We’re going down to 8,600 and then we make a determination from there,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News radio.

“We’re always going to have a presence.” Donald Trump also warned that if another attack on the United States originated from Afghanistan “we would come back with a force like … never before.”

The comments provided some clarity on US intentions after lengthy negotiations with the Afghan guerrilla group over finding an exit from a war that has lasted two decades.
Despite overwhelming advantages in firepower, the US military has little to show for its efforts and Trump is hoping he can declare the war over in time for his 2020 reelection campaign.