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A30 world news
Dialuna 13 September 2021

Al-Qaida chief appears in video marking 9/11 anniversary

al-Zawahri said that “Jerusa- of the northern Syrian city of lamic State group. IS rose to
lem Will Never be Judaized,” Raqqa. prominence by seizing large
and praised al-Qaida attacks swaths of Iraq and Syria in
including one that targeted Rumors have spread since 2014, declaring a “caliphate”
Russian troops in Syria in late 2020 that al-Zawahri had and extending affiliates to
January. died from illness. Since then, multiple countries across the
no video or proof of life sur- region.
SITE said al-Zawahri also faced, until Saturday.
noted the U.S. military’s IS’s physical “caliphate” was
withdrawal from Afghanistan “He could still be dead, crushed in Iraq and Syria,
after 20 years of war. It added though if so, it would have though its militants are still
that his comments do not been at some point in or after active and carrying out at-
necessarily indicate a recent Jan 2021,” tweeted Rita Katz, tacks. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi,
recording, as the withdrawal SITE’s director. the shadowy leader of IS was
agreement with the Taliban killed by U.S. special forces
was signed in February 2020. Al-Zawahri’s speech was in a raid in northwestern Syr-
recorded in a 61-minute, ia in October 2019.
Al-Zawahri made no men- 37-second video produced by
(AP) — Al-Qaida leader he was dead. tion of the Taliban’s takeover the group’s as-Sahab Media Al-Zawahri, an Egyptian, be-
Ayman al-Zawahri ap- of Afghanistan and the capi- Foundation. came leader of al-Qaida fol-
peared in a video marking The SITE Intelligence tal Kabul last month, SITE lowing the 2011 killing of
the 20th anniversary of the Group that monitors jihad- added. But he did mention In recent years, al-Qaida has Osama bin Laden in Abbot-
Sept. 11, attacks, months ist websites said the video a Jan. 1, attack that targeted faced competition in jihadi tabad, Pakistan by U.S. Navy
after rumors spread that was released Saturday. In it, Russian troops on the edge circles from its rival, the Is- SEALs.

Taliban: Women can study in gender-segregated universities

(AP) — Women in Af- sports and the Taliban have Taliban spokesman Syed Ze- elry were not permitted. Qatar has also provided tech-
ghanistan can continue to used violence in recent days krullah Hashmi said last week nical assistance, along with
study in universities, in- against women protesters de- that women should give birth Taliban political spokesman Turkey, to restart the airport,
cluding at post-graduate manding equal rights. and raise children. While the Suhail Shaheen tweeted which had been damaged by
levels, but classrooms will Taliban have not ruled out Sunday about the Qatari del- departing U.S. troops who
be gender-segregated and Haqqani said the Taliban did the eventual participation of egation, saying it included left Afghanistan on Aug. 30
Islamic dress is compul- not want to turn the clock women in government, the Sheikh Mohammad bin Ab- after evacuating tens of thou-
sory, the Taliban govern- back 20 years. “We will start spokesman said “it’s not nec- dur Rahman Al-Thani, the sands of Afghans fleeing the
ment’s new higher educa- building on what exists to- essary that women be in the deputy prime minister who is Taliban.
tion minister said Sunday. day,” he said. Cabinet.” also Qatar’s foreign minister.
Meanwhile, the Taliban gov-
The announcement came as However, female university The Taliban seized power on The Qatari foreign minis- ernment faces enormous
a Taliban official said Qatar’s students will face restric- Aug. 15, the day they overran ter met with Taliban Prime economic challenges with
foreign minister arrived in tions, including a compul- Kabul after capturing outly- Minister Mohammad Hasan near daily warnings of an im-
the Afghan capital of Kabul sory dress code. Haqqani said ing provinces in a rapid mili- Akhund, Shaheen said. The pending economic meltdown
— the highest level visitor hijabs will be mandatory but tary campaign. They initially Qatari delegation also met and a humanitarian crisis.
since the Taliban announced did not specify if this meant promised inclusiveness and with former president Ha- The United Nations warns
their interim Cabinet. There compulsory headscarves or a general amnesty for their mid Karzai and Abdullah it could drive 97% of Afghans
was no immediate confirma- also compulsory face cover- former opponents, but many Abdullah, the previous gov- below the poverty level by
tion of the visit by Qatari of- ings. Afghans remain deeply fear- ernment’s chief negotiator in the end of the year.
ficials. ful of the new rulers. Taliban peace talks with the Taliban.
Gender segregation will also police officials have beaten Thousands of desperate Af-
Earlier Sunday, the higher be enforced, he said. “We will Afghan journalists, violently The Taliban have maintained ghans wait daily outside Af-
education minister, Abdul not allow boys and girls to dispersed women’s pro- a political office in the Qatar ghanistan’s banks for hours
Baqi Haqqani, laid out the study together,” he said. “We tests and formed an all-male capital of Doha since 2013. to withdraw the $200 weekly
new policies at a news con- will not allow co-education.” government despite saying Last week, Qatar Airways be- allotment. In recent days, the
ference, several days after initially they would invite came the first international Taliban appear to have been
Afghanistan’s new rulers Haqqani said the subjects broader representation. airline to begin operating trying to establish a system
formed an all-male govern- being taught would also be international flights out of for allowing customers to
ment. On Saturday, the Tal- reviewed. While he did not The new higher education Kabul airport, transporting withdraw funds but it rapidly
iban had raised their flag over elaborate, he said he wanted policy signals a change from more than 250 foreign na- deteriorates into stick-wav-
the presidential palace, sig- graduates of Afghanistan’s the accepted practice before tionals, including U.S. citi- ing as crowds surge toward
naling the start of the work of universities to be competitive the Taliban takeover. Univer- zens, out of the capital. the bank gates.
the new government. with university graduates in sities were co-ed, with men
the region and the rest of the and women studying side by
The world has been watching world. side, and female students did
closely to see to what extent not have to abide by a dress
the Taliban might act differ- The Taliban, who subscribe code. However, the vast ma-
ently from their first time to a strict interpretation of jority of female university
in power, in the late 1990s. Islam, banned music and art students opted to wear heads-
During that era, girls and during their previous time carves in line with tradition.
women were denied an edu- in power. This time around
cation, and were excluded television has remained and In elementary and high
from public life. news channels still show schools, boys and girls were
women presenters, but the taught separately, even before
The Taliban have suggested Taliban messaging has been the Taliban came to power.
they have changed, includ- erratic. In high schools, girls had to
ing in their attitudes toward wear tunics reaching to their
women. However, women In an interview on Afghani- knees and white headscarves,
have been banned from stan’s popular TOLO News, and jeans, makeup and jew-