they'd not necessarily because it becomes a can so important thing is the joint letter to. the general assembly president concedes the process is not spelled out in the u.n. charter to terrorise has pointed out that more than half of his executive team are women for now it appears that's as close as any will get to leading this organization kristen salumi al-jazeera the united nations. this is our desire these are the top stories at least 205 people mostly palestinians have been injured in clashes with israeli police in occupied east jerusalem violence broke out at the some mosque and elsewhere in the city thousands of muslims had packed the site for the last friday prayers of the holy month of ramadan it abraham has more from ramallah than the occupied west bank the situation seems to be call made down and the tidbit near

a mosque compound but we've been told that there are still ongoing clashes near the compound in the old city of jerusalem and we've been hearing from many palestinians who would going back to white west bank from that that they were subject to humiliation and torture at the checkpoint one of the checkpoints is separating juice and them through. the occupied west bank and that they are subject to. arrest as well the chinese cover 19 vaccine side of farm has become the 6th to receive the world health organization stamp of approval for emergency use this means it cannot be added to the u.n. backed kovacs scheme coronavirus numbers in the paul have shot up as the crisis spills over from neighboring india it has 57 times more cases than it did a month ago a lockdown has been extended in the capital katmandu. india has again recorded more

than 400000 new corona virus infections in a day but experts fear the number is actually far higher the head of ethiopia's author talks church has described ethiopia's actions in the province as genocide the comments by a boon the diocese were filmed on a mobile phone before being smuggled out of the country i think to greene says his previous attempts to speak out were blocked in the united nations is calling for an investigation into a police operation in brazil that left at least 25 people dead it says officers used disproportionate and unnecessary force in thursday's raid on suspected drug traffickers in rio de janeiro anger is growing over tactics used by officers in the japanese in your vella in the north of the city those are the headlines more details on the website al jazeera dot com we're going to continue after inside story to buy from.

the u.s. and nato troops start to withdraw from afghanistan they leave behind a resurgent taliban and afghans living in faith so what needs to be done to keep the country safe this is its own story. hello welcome to the program on the wrong call and it's being cold the beginning of the end for america's longest war us soldiers have started leaving afghanistan over the past week now president joe biden promised old troops will be gone by september

the 11th 202120 years after the attacks that triggered the fight against the taliban 7000 nato personnel will leave as well but as they go the taliban is launching more facts the u.n. says the number of people killed or injured is up by a 3rd compared to this time last year the u.s. defense secretary admits afghan security forces face a major task ahead. we were remain partners with the afghan. government with the afghan military and certainly we hope through our continued support. the afghan security forces can can be a factor but you know it's. very they have a pretty significant capability but it's going to you know we expect that this will be a challenge for afghans who have helped foreign soldiers over the years a scared of reprisal attacks from the taliban many have applied to move to the u.s.

but their obligations are stuck in a bureaucratic backlog really a concert hoary reports from kabul. or you knew she was risking it all when she started working as a contractor for the us government her house has been attacked and she's received many threats her supervisor suggested she apply for a special immigrant visa for herself and her family to safely move to the u.s. that was in 2017 she still waiting for approval in this country most of the people are not agony even the woman who worked for afghans the worst thing is that the situation is getting worse day by the sun has we all know what the taliban would take over the government so what will happen to our lives the main thing which i'm concerned is about myself and my family security who would take this responsibility because most of the people come to me even though i'm hiding myself but i cannot guarantee that i was who is one of about 18000 afghans who have worked alongside

u.s. troops diplomats and other government personnel and are awaiting decisions on those special immigrant visas the process is long and grueling a report published in airlie april found the program ineffective in addressing the needs of those applying by law the application process should take 9 months but on average. it takes 4 years if not since the announcement of the troop withdrawal the us state department has said it is aware of the risks afghan visa applicants face and that it is committed to the program but it has yet to commit to any concrete reforms to address the backlog or accelerate. as u.s. troops withdraw pressure from congress and organizations including no one left behind has been mounting if we don't do anything if we do not expect i just

process i'm pretty much sure after the withdrawal they will be tortured and killed in front of their families and their videos will be uploaded on the social media for other people to not support the u.s. government in the future dozens of afghans who worked with astrology and troops in afghanistan are also pleading to have their protection visa applications processed the taliban considers those afghans who worked with the u.s. and other foreign countries as traitors and has vowed retribution against the. dozens of afghan interpreters and contractors have already been killed several while waiting for their visas i have no option and the option i have is the only way to die here in this country or get my visa to have safe life in the says. since 2009 when the visa program was established thousands of afghans many with their families have relocated to the united states and our zoo along with thousands of

others desperately want to join them before it's too late for al-jazeera kabul. let's bring in our panel joining us in pittsburgh calling clark he's a senior research fellow at the soufan center which is dedicated to increasing awareness of global security challenges in the united states and globally in nice victoria funtown she's a professor of peace studies at the american university of afghanistan in kabul and in doha savan barakat he's the director at the center for conflict and humanitarian studies and the doha institute for graduate studies a woman come to you all let's begin in pittsburgh with colin clark this administration particularly is pushing the fact that the afghans can do this themselves that the afghan security forces are ready to do this themselves you heard from the u.s. secretary of defense saying they have the capability to be able to do it what do

you make of that. i respectfully disagree i think if you watch what has happened in afghanistan over the years watch the afghan national security forces who are clearly brave and courageous they need the help and the assistance of the united states military not only in day to day operations but in those critical over the horizon operations and i would say particularly in areas like iris or intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance but then you're looking at a situation where they're always going to be needed so they're never going to leave i mean at some point 20 years after the fact you can understand why this administration as you know well enough is enough. i totally understand and i empathize and i hope it works out i just disagree with the decision i completely agree with you when you look at a calendar based withdrawal versus a conditions based withdrawal many argue and it's a credible argument that the conditions will never be there i go back to the fact

that there are still u.s. troops in germany japan and south korea i don't hear people raising issues about that so why would 20 years be the magic number for afghanistan when clearly the afghan security security forces aren't yet ready to stand on their own let's bring in victoria fun and nice now you'll know me based in kabul you're the professor of peace studies at the american embassy in afghanistan in kabul that's the kind of institution that is likely to be attacked if the americans leave because you'll still be that and you'll be a symbol of america in kabul are you worried. absolutely we are where. we were attacked in 2016 with still a few things. and faculty at that time and many more were wounded and we know that some of our faculty members national faculty members have been the targets of intimidations and strengths in the past few months and of course we're

worried that this was or is going to impact our national labs as well as our students who are risking their lives every day to come and study at a u.a.s. so this is a big concern of ours and we are looking into. different areas for the future and the time. being and. continue our relations and look ahead for us not to break our laws our students sat and faculty i mean victoria that's very personal take on that and thank you for those very important as well that generally speaking the with the people that you speak to there must be those who say enough is enough the americans and nato they must leave we need to be able to do this ourselves particular within the afghan government. yes absolutely and we hear that every day and the op ed written by president kennedy was very clear with regards and so there is a fatigue on both sides the afghan side and so the international side but at the

same time we have sold the dream the job is not the afghan security forces are not capable of maintaining the security of the country at the pentagon feel important by his condition less strong and so in that light. you know things are very difficult at the hall and and many young therapists and even though we do understand that afghans need to stand on their own 2 feet of course well let's bring in silt on barakat he's in doha joining us now. we're in a position where there are about 50 to 60000 fighters with the taliban they control some parts the country but they don't control other parts the country the the entire country of afghanistan isn't unified by any means a 3rd of it remains lawless and the rest of it is allegedly all supposedly controlled by the afghan government we had several rounds of talks hit into hope between the taliban and the americans no agreement no real agreement was ever

reached between the 2 and now we have this announcement that the americans are simply leaving come september 11th 2021 do you think the americans have played it the right way. well obviously there are you there are transparent american interests is concerned so american interests are so think this is all what they can do. the fact that you the way they've been announced that line and leave that to another symbolic to the american memory is an indication of that but i agree with the other speakers that there is a major risk here for those who live in afghanistan. at the same time we must keep in mind that the whole of the american forces has. that fundamentally changed since 2014 and it's no longer on the front lines not treated i think the infighting or with the taliban their role and need to have she interest support and advice we

should. and for the last few years it's been the afghan national army who was paying the price and this these people are fighting directly with the title now of the principle that the plight of men have been holding so far is that they are fighting against occupation and they see that their brothers and sisters have be pushed. in front of them and the middle between them and americans now the timing of that matter because i was dreading i think the thought of them would have much less the agency and continuing their. crimes and they would have to seek a solution where they can come together with the rest of the afghans on an angry arrangement for security and stability of the country to be in mind that it's not just the fighting. as a military force that exists at the moment that many other groups that have risen and many that have gone back and re armed over the last 2 years specifically

because of those concerns. but sometime you say that the the the taliban and other groups are simply fighting an occupation in their country get rid of the occupation and then there's no longer a reason to fight but that wasn't the case in 1902 they were fighting to take power in 1900 the taliban succeeded they took over nearly 2 thirds of the country what's to stop them doing it once the americans leave well the us as far as i know that sort of bombs were not part of the fight in $1200.00 risen as a result of the mujahideen having had to go at each other it's power and the taliban really came into existence because of the insecurity that there is that the insecurity that was created in the country as far as we're aware and i'm sorry as they've been making of statements that there are objective is simply too over to turned around the occupation now of course the temptation of power is

always there the decision of forcing one's opinion is over there but we can only judge by what statements they have put to the public and it's very unfortunate over the last year or so of negotiations that have been being forthcoming in night in go find their positions in not comforting people back in the get instant results of the day or the choose to get together and if there is an ambition to be a major force in power or to control the country and so on you have to one of the need to understand that they cannot control their country by force they have to be able to govern their country properly they have to be able to manage its resources meet the needs of its people and the assumption that they are capturing power that comes with wealth is obviously mistaken stands in the very day that they need to understand that it will be managed. the government on its own is in. they were 'd

providing services to the millions of gallons. across the country right now with all the western support so imagine if they were to turn against their own people and against the west to support providing for their eternal arkan's victoria let me bring you in hey you wouldn't shaking your head and noting at some points the salt on barakat was making that are you worried then the the taliban aunt trustworthy i mean let's face it the intra afghan dialogue the talks haven't come to any fruition as of yet those talks are still going on there's a process in istanbul just very recently are you afraid that those talks will fail and that there will be a split within the afghan themselves. well absolutely everybody is worried back in catahoula about that and the the indication that the taliban gave by being

unwilling to come to know they were shooting able in istanbul was very clear they indicated that there was drawn was going to happen then or not get it to discuss with anyone about any. any future lives say our political accommodation in afghanistan and so from that perspective everybody's worried because actions speak louder than words even though we haven't even had any words with respect to this and right now there is no indication that they will even in a deal over power sharing and so. everybody is where it is and it would be and for the taliban to actually clearly indicate where their intentions are for the moment they have now there has only been a statements here and there in those statements are not encouraging at the same time there has been a wave of targeted assassinations against civil society individuals journalists and

and intellectuals and so that definitely is also an indication of what is to come and the fact that an inclusive. society is definitely not on the horizon the taliban welcome back so they better be very clear about what they want but i don't agree that they are willing to share any power at the. cullen clark in pittsburgh one of the mistakes i feel many people have said to me that the americans have made when negotiating with the taliban is to consider them a unified monolith that they are actually all together we saw this in the doha talks where often an agreement would be reached and then the taliban. representatives here in doha would have to say well we need to go back to afghanistan owing to sell this to all people and therefore an agreement wasn't reached because they never actually managed to get that agreement do you think the

united states has underestimated how disunified and how much for threats the taliban because they are not a monolith absolutely i think the united states still fails after 2 decades in afghanistan to fully grasp and understand the organization that they're at odds with and i think that also goes for al-qaeda i think it goes for the counties and several other kind of non-state actors operating in afghanistan and throughout the broader region just just one point i'd like to raise when we're talking about can we take the taliban at their word are they 'd a credible broker. look the taliban still has not renounced al qaida and few people suspect that once the united states withdraw the taliban will will break with them there's no indication that they will so the u.s. is leaving at a time when al qaeda is hurting but i fully suspect that or expect

to regenerate its networks in afghanistan and throughout south asia the cole and one of the things i do want to come to you all with this question but let me just ask colin 1st wait wait we have to take a look at the regional players as well you have pakistan and when you talk about the cone a network often talks are accused of supporting the county network you have iran. you know accused of supporting the lines and other factions and then you have india which sees afghanistan as a very strategic place to try and battle that competition with with pakistan itself the regional player is likely to replace nato and america when america leaves perhaps that would troops on the ground that certainly with influence is that a factor in america's thinking. it could be but but actually you know i spent 10 years at the rand corporation doing research on insurgency and counterinsurgency and one of the main takeaways from years and years of research of looking at data is that the more players that are involved in

a civil war the more external actors the longer that conflict will last and often the bloodier it will be so if the united states is backing on quote unquote regional players without a military presence but with influence then i think there you know that that assumption is fully mistaken. the this idea of these regional players particularly with n. kabul within the administration has always been very controversial the afghans been openly critical of the pakistanis for supporting various groups in the country yet they've been left with little choice and they've had to go to india for investment there is a new great game that is being played out used to be russia and britain russia and america and now it's between these regional players that's not going to be helpful for peace is it well absolutely not this specially if those only 2 not players are at odds with one another how well for. the new interests of china could

be a game changer since pakistan also needs china at the moment so it remains to be seen but definitely what's important to understand and what afghans understand really well is that those regional of players do not have. and. at the core of the thinking they don't they care more about their only when it's their reach to the infighting that afghanistan itself and so that is something that i think is going to have an impact in the minds of the car and and that i hope we'll influence the afghan police to come soon to actually unify and see for let's say a state response to the taliban rise in the future and so that is that is something that remains to be seen but quite hopeful. or do you think regional players help or hindrance. i think i'm going to stand has had ovaries

shut and with its collection of neighbors. and unfortunately there continue to be as makes a mixture of mixed reaction sort of attitudes towards the end of the conflict in afghanistan but for the 1st time in a long long time we have now reached a stage where their global context the change in in circumstances is helping everyone to pull more or less in the same and that action that is still some differences between certain neighbors and some who are pursuing their national interests at the expense of the afghans but overall i think their position is much better than it was. for many many years ago the real challenge now is. the afghans themselves they need to come up with. a

position and i think the responsibility has to dicker to go back to the afghans who are many years they have relied on international actors and one way or the other and it is time to 'd realize that no one is there who are pro free no one is there for the interest for any minority group in afghanistan june and it is it is only a national vision i think will help the country together and as a said earlier with the removal of the label of occupation i think that should at least in principle take away one of the fundamental reasons that to the planet and other groups have been using for a long time as a reason for as an excuse for engaging in. a calling card just very quickly because we are running out of time to. do you think the american government this

administration realize that if there is an afghan peace agreement an interim afghan peace agreement between the taliban various other groups the afghan government that it might not come at the expense that they want to come by denouncing eisel and other groups might come in denouncing al qaida it might just be that the taliban win everything that they want they become a regional power in afghanistan and the americans just have to deal with it do they do you think they realize that i think that's one scenario that's being discussed and from folks that are speak to in washington there seems to be confidence within the administration that they could manage the threat they think it's a threat that can be managed by an offshore counterterrorism strategy but only time will tell i want to thank all our guests colin clarke victoria phones on and on but i've got and thank you too for watching you can see this and all our previous programs again any time by visiting our website al-jazeera dot com and for further discussion go to our facebook page facebook dot com forward slash a.j.

inside story and you can also join the conversation on twitter we are at a.j. inside story for me among current and a whole team here by santa. talk to al-jazeera we. were talking writing ago and now they're attacking everyone in myanmar do you regret words like that we listen absolutely nigeria with a woman it would be great we meets with global news makers and about the stories

that matter on al-jazeera. may on al-jazeera. from a 3rd wave to the vaccine rollout the latest developments as the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread across the world. out to serious emmy award winning investigative program is back exploring the folk lines in the u.s. as america attempts to talk to police brutality and shootings against people of color this growing demand to hold to account those who have sworn to serve and protect from hostile to hostile more hotels explosive geopolitical conflicts from the perspective of iconic hotels on the frontlines and former south african president jacob zuma goes on trial for corruption may on al-jazeera. own country because redrawing the geopolitical map for a post oil world where does that leave the oil producers colombia's tax revolt but the n b a nation still needs to figure out how to cut its debt and where are the self-drive

cars. counting the cost. in the midst of war a generation grew up in exile more than 13000000 syrians that's half the pre-war population remain displaced inside and outside the country and as the conflict enters its 2nd decade with no political. settlement in sight there could be further displacement home for many has been informal camps like this in neighboring countries in lebanon's bekaa valley life has been one of poverty and uncertainty. syria's economy is collapsing and international aid organizations are warning it is pushing millions deeper into poverty many are jobless and hungry the united nations says 60 percent or $12400000.00 syrians don't have regular access to enough food despite the battlefield being largely quiet for a year aid agencies say the daily suffering of syrians is worse than it has been

a nearly any point throughout the conflict and the hardship has not stopped at syria's borders. just on the differences and similarities of cultures across the world. take it we'll bring you the news and current affairs that matter to you. on robot the sun and the top stories on al-jazeera more than 200 people mostly palestinians have been injured in clashes with israeli police in occupied east jerusalem violence broke out at the lock some lost and elsewhere in the city thousands of muslims upon the site for the last friday prayers of ramadan many stayed on to demonstrate in support of palestinians facing eviction from their homes by jewish settlers the tory again reports.