NOTE: This is the latest in a series of conversations with a friend trapped inside Afghanistan about conditions there since the Taliban takeover last August. I am concealing his identity.
Dear David:
While the rest of the world is occupied with the war in Ukraine, the Taliban is making life difficult for people in Afghanistan. They are discriminating against ethnic minorities, searching the homes of those they susoect are disloyal, and selectively killing people.
Recently, the Taliban have started searching homes for guns and other weapons. Although it is illegal to own guns in Afghanistan, these searches are clear violations of those individuals' privacy and human rights.
When the Taliban enter a home, according to news reports, they break furniture, tear up pillows and mattresses and even search through children's bags.
The Taliban, who are primarily Pashtuns, appear to be seeking to implement a form of ethnic cleansing from government jobs. A number of friends of mine who are Hazara and who work in government agencies have told me that the Taliban have fired many of their colleagues and appointed their own people to replace them.
Meanwhile, our local newspapers report three or four targeted killings a week. Hasht-e-Sobh reports two killings in Balkh province two days ago, and two morer in Kabul in the past four days.
Life for most Afghans remains extremely difficult. Since the Taliban took power, many people have been trying to leave the country. My two brothers have tried to leave Afghanistan several times. One managed to reach Iran but the other was captured and sent back by the Iranian police.
As for myself, I think of escaping every day. I want to get out of this hell. That is my greatest wish.
TODAY’s NEWS (90):
Russia Pummels Ukrainian Civilian Targets Ahead of Talks — Russian forces conducting airstrikes on cities and military locations in the north and south, disrupting plans to evacuate civilians, Ukrainian officials said (WSJ)
Arming Ukraine: 17,000 Anti-Tank Weapons in 6 Days and a Clandestine Cybercorps (NYT)
Crisis deepens, Ukraine accuses Moscow of ‘medieval’ tactics (AP)
Explosions from military strikes and large plume of smoke seen in Mykolaiv (CNN)
Ukraine denounces Moscow's offer for civilians to flee to Russia or Belarus (Reuters)
Ukraine pours scorn on Putin proposal to evacuate citizens to Russia (Financial Times)
Putin sends ‘nearly 100 percent’ of Russian forces at border into Ukraine (Politico)
Russia set up similar evacuation routes in Syrian civil war (NHK)
Chernobyl workers' 12-day ordeal under Russian guard (BBC)
Strikes on Kyiv, Kharkiv and Mykolaiv are occurring on a greater scale, US defense official says (CNN)
Putin puts world on alert with high-stakes nuclear posturing (Financial Times)
Proud Band of Ukrainian Troops Holds Russian Assault at Bay — for Now (NYT)
Russian forces launch attacks in Kyiv and Mariupol as civilians try to evacuate (CBS)
Russian forces attack airfields as Zelensky pleads for fighter jets (WP)
Third round of Ukraine-Russia talks has started, Russian state media reports (CNN)
Third round of peace talks ends with no major breakthroughs (Axios)
Russia’s onslaught is brutal, but it is not ‘shock and awe’ (Financial Times)
Russia spent three decades integrating itself into the global economy. The repercussions of Putin’s invasion of Ukraineare winding the clock back in a matter of weeks. It’s a real-time test of how a nation copes when Western technology, capital and consumer goods are suddenly cut off. (Reuters)
Putin’s isolation leaves few world leaders to convince him to reach a peace deal (WP)
Turkish FM to meet with Russian, Ukrainian counterparts (NHK)
Ukraine's president seeks international trade embargo on Russia (Reuters)
More than 1.5 million flee Ukraine, creating Europe's fastest-growing refugee crisis since WWII (NPR)
Dow slides 800 points in global sell-off as Russia-Ukraine war rattles investors (WP)
US gasoline prices rise again on talk of banning Russian oil (AP)
Ukraine rejects Russian claims that it is developing nuclear weapon (NHK)
Japanese firms are under deepening pressure over their ties to Russia and are scrambling to assess their operations, company and government insiders say, after Western rivals halted businesses and condemned Moscow for invading Ukraine. (Reuters)
‘Falling Into Emptiness’: Ukrainian Families Feel the Pain of Separation (NYT)
Hearings began at the International Court of Justice without legal representation for Russia. Moscow boycotted hearings during which Ukraine is seeking an emergency order to halt hostilities, arguing that Russia has falsely applied genocide law in justifying its invasion. (Reuters)
Russia sets cease-fire for evacuations but battles continue (AP)
Canada sanctions 10 Putin allies from Navalny's list (Politico)
Singapore trims Vladimir Putin’s fallback options (Reuters)
Ukraine war 'catastrophic for global food' (BBC)
Russia reveals harsh demands for ending war as talks begin; Russia recruiting Syrian mercenaries. (USA Today)
US accused of hypocrisy for supporting sanctions against Russia but not Israel (Guardian)
Russian invasion sends ripples across Asia (NHK)
In Ukraine, World War II Memories Echo as Russia Attacks Its Cities (WSJ)
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met on Ukraine's border with Poland to discuss Western efforts to support Ukraine and isolate Russia as Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda warned Blinken that a failure to stop Russia’s aggression in Ukraine would lead to a global conflict.(Reuters)
Russian oligarchs have donated millions to U.S. charities, museums and universities, analysis shows (WP)
A ban on Russian ships could be coming (Politico)
Democrats, Republicans reach deal to ban Russian energy imports, suspend normal trade relations (WP)
Netflix quits Russia and TikTok won't allow new posts (CNN)
Western allies’ sanctions against Russia have started to blow back in the form of large potential losses for their own banks, companies and investors, often in unexpected ways. But some market participants say they aren’t seeing panic in the market, at least not yet. (Reuters)
U.S. cloud providers pressed to dump Russia (Politico)
Boeing’s Big Bet on Russian Titanium Includes Ties to Sanctioned Oligarch (WSJ)
China praises ties to Russia, sending aid to Ukraine (The Hill)
Putin’s Party Urges Nationalization of Operations of Western Firms Leaving Russia (WSJ)
France warned Russia not to resort to blackmail over efforts to revive a nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, after Moscow demanded a U.S. guarantee that sanctions it faces over Ukraine would not hurt its trade with Tehran. (Reuters)
Putin’s war in Ukraine boosts anti-corruption crusaders (Politico)
How Oil Giants’ Bets on Russia, Years in the Making, Crumbled in Days (WSJ)
After Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, Moldova worries it might be next (WP)
Occupied Ukrainian Towns Want Russian Troops to ‘Go Home’ (WSJ)
U.S. lawmakers say they are largely opposed to a no-fly zone over Ukraine. (NYT)
China's Red Cross will provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine "as soon as possible," Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, as he praised his country's friendship with Russia as "rock solid". (Reuters)
K Street was fine taking Russian cash — until it couldn't (Politico)
Why don’t we treat all refugees as if they were Ukrainian? — Masses of refugees from Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, and elsewhere have faced racially motivated hostility in Europe. Now, Ukraine’s refugee crisis is revealing Western double standards. (48 Hills)
Levi's halts sales in Russia, evoking Cold War scrambles for blue jeans (NPR)
Ukrainian Refugees Say Goodbye to Home and Family Members (Atlantic)
Even a mild case of COVID-19 can cause brain changes. It's too soon to know if the damage lasts. (USA Today)
VIDEO: Convoy Protesting Covid Mandates Reaches Washington Beltway (Reuters)
Global Covid-19 deaths surpass 6 million (CNN)
Many parents are angry over COVID policies. They could be key to GOP 2022 gains (NPR)
Scientists find 16 'Covid genes' that raise your risk of falling critically ill (Daily Mail)
As people are shedding masks, travel is resuming and businesses are reopening around the globe, the official global death toll from COVID-19 has eclipsed 6 million. Death rates are still highest among people unvaccinated against the virus. And despite its wealth and vaccine availability, the United States is nearing 1 million reported deaths on its own. [AP]
As COVID spread in federal prisons, many at-risk inmates tried and failed to get out (NPR)
Is Covid Over? No, But Global Health Funders Are Moving On (Politico)
‘Aseismic’ creeping part of California fault once hosted huge earthquakes (WP)
Gas prices top $4 a gallon nationwide, all-time record could be broken this week (Yahoo News)
US crude briefly tops $130 per barrel as oil prices surge to highest since 2008 (WION)
Wall Street tumbles after oil prices touch $130 per barrel (AP)
U.S. and Venezuelan officials discussed the possibility of easing oil sanctions on Venezuela but made scant progress toward a deal in their first high-level bilateral talks in years, sources familiar with the matter said. (Reuters)
Biden administration moves to cut smog-forming pollution from heavy trucks (WP)
Of Course Journalists Should Interview Autocrats — Anyone who tells you otherwise does not understand the purpose of journalism. (Atlantic)
China wants its new rocket for astronaut launches to be reusable (Space.com)
Armed Intruder Prompts Lockdown at Joint Base Andrews as Vice President Lands (NYT)
Sandy Hook took place as 'alternative facts' muscled out objective truth (NPR)
How far-right militia groups found a foothold in deep-blue California (WP)
Tiny laser-propelled spaceships could travel to the far reaches of the solar system and beyond (Space.com)
Reasons to be cheerful: optimists live longer, says study (Guardian)
Satellite images show the Amazon rainforest is hurtling toward a ‘tipping point’ (WP)
Amazon rainforest is losing its ability to recover from destruction (Financial Times)
Trial next for 4 accused in Michigan governor kidnap plot (AP)
Canada’s wild pigs risk ‘absolute destruction’ if left unchecked (Guardian)
Woman On Sidewalk Can’t Even Summon Kernel Of Whimsy Required To Skip Along Hopscotch (The Onion)
LYRICS
“Pick Me Up On Your Way Down”
Song by Martina McBride
Songwriter: Harlan Howard
You were mine for just a while,
Now you're puttin' on the style
And you've never once looked back
At your home across the track.
You're the gossip of the town
But my heart can still be found
Where you tossed it to the ground.
Pick me up on your way down.
Pick me up on your way down,
When you're blue and all alone
When their glamor starts to bore you,
Come on back where you belong.
You may be their pride and joy,
But they'll find another toy
And they'll take away your crown,
Pick me up on your way down.
They have changed your attitude,
Made you haughty and so rude,
Your new friends can take the blame,
Underneath you're still the same.
When you learn these things are true
I'll be waiting here for you,
As you tumble to the ground
Pick me up on your way down.
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