way that humanitarian workers or anyone else can communicate with each other without using satellite funds. so that surely the reason that they would have imported that equipment, but these suspensions of the, the organization relate this shot 3 more pretty rocky relationship with the military and organization working in the gray. ever since the staff of this complex ah, this is al jazeera, these are the top stories. but on the look of lebanon's capital has marked the 1st anniversary of the moment. it was devastated by one of the world's biggest non nuclear explosions. the beirut poured glass kill 200 people and injured 6 and a half 1000 others. the names of the victims were read out. in the center of

a room, security forces used water, cannon, and t. a gas on protest is trying to break through barricades near the parliament building. at least 58 people were injured, demonstrates as the demanding accountability from the government over the blast. the harder has more. as you can see, a heavy security presence, the army, the internal security forces, they've been using excessive amounts of tear gas to push protesters away from parliament building. so, so far they have managed to push them towards more square. this is in central bay route. we've seen scenes like this over the past year and a half. yes, we talked about the need for accountability and justice. this is what people who were attending the commemoration outside the port earlier today. but people here are also demanding a new leadership. they do not believe the political class is capable of governing this country any longer, a political class which has been in power for decades. they blame them for destroying their city. they blame them for destroying the economy and they blame

them for failing to build and save. at least 14 wildfires burning across 6 provinces in southern turkey, firefighters abroad 160 others under control. since last week. the fires were among the worst in turkish history. 8 people have died more than 16000 have been forced to leave their homes. thousands of people on the outskirts of athens had been forced to leave their homes as a wildfire moves closer there, more than 500 trying to fight. as trying to contain the place in an industrial area . in a suburb of the great capital, the taliban is warning of more attacks against top afghan government officials. the group claimed responsibility for tuesdays car bama tank that followed a gun battle near the home of the defense minister. 8 people were killed. those are your headlines. the news continues after inside story. i'll have a news for you. in little under 30 minutes. i will see you very soon. bye bye. news.

news. news. news. news for i've got a son, as in chief towards the capital, coupled with alabama says its latest attacks on government leaders. not the start of a new campaign. could this me to return to full scale war and have peace talk become pointless. this is inside story. ah and welcome to the program. i'm the clock. the taliban is gaining strength across. i've got this done quickly. taking territory as foreign troops leave after 20 years

of war. afghan forces a struggling to hold back fighters surrounding provincial capitals in the south. and in the west and cabal which has been spared, the worst of the violence is now looking vulnerable. gunman detonated a car bomb, and 5 shots near the defense ministers home in the 45 green zone, the taliban. his warning of more attacks on government leaders. the united nations is urging all sides to protect civilians and says the intense fighting could trigger a new humanitarian crisis. charlotte bellis is more now from couple. the taliban have claimed responsibility for this attack outside the defense ministers home in cowboy. it says that it was carried out by its martyrdom brigade, which is a dedicated unit under the telephone military of training suicide bombers. it says that it deployed a car outside his home. and in multiple gunmen who tried to storm the residence, civilians were hurt and killed. in this attack and in the statement that followed from the taliban, they said this is the beginning of re tellers,

hoary operations against key figures and leaders of the carbo administration. so significant escalation for them, and concerning for residence in calvin's, that perhaps the telephone may start to do more bombings like this. and it may put their security in jeopardy by getting caught up in these type of telephone attacks . for the staff in helmand and less cargo, they really seem to of fighting between the 2nd army and the taliban is being heavy for a number of days now. but today local say it is certainly the worst. with more bombardments from the air and st. street fighting as the ask and government try to re take control of the city, the civilians to evacuate credibly dangerous the civilians who are now being told to leave their homes and go into an active wars or across the country. other cities are also under pressure as to tell about, pushes for gaining more territory and was significant military momentum. charlotte

bellis the inside story? well, i've got a son's president blames what he calls the u. s. is sudden true withdrawal for the escalating violence in his address the parliament earlier this week. not ref. connie said that washington's push for negotiations great doubt and ambiguity and assist the taliban is not committed to peace. there was any, was yet law. the situation which we are facing is true to the southern decision to withdraw. i told the american president that a respect your decision because he was his decision. but i knew that this to have some consequences and the crisis management we put on afghan, they said they didn't get the or list of the discussion bring in, i guess, said joining us on skype from kimball. it's victoria fountain, a professor of peace studies at the american university of afghanistan in pittsburgh. we have calling clark, director of policy and research, the super and group also from couple in afghanistan for him, said to his head of the international relations department at card and university.

welcome all to the program at victoria. i'd like to talk to you 1st. you're there right now in afghanistan, feeling it living it, tell us what it's like, what's the atmosphere like, what are people thinking? whereas is heading well. many quite concerned about the security situation and my colleagues now are trying to complete that the same time. the fact that sound okay, right, did not fall into the hands of the telephone. that's why it says the night condition, and he's been quite some holes so only nor mitigates 20 years . but the 2nd that the population of reverend centers knew nothing to necessarily been taking one of those urban centers. it causes laska and for him said out to thousands, a trap to afflict their lives in the last yard. held them province. as a taliban,

you know, continue their advances bodies on the streets and overall, it is a very troubling situation. isn't indeed, it is. according to the report, 2400 people are only just yesterday and they're 47 and did an almost 118 or more than that. a 1000000000 rather the in helmand. and this is almost the same day that the a lot on here is going on. although the city is not yet completely under the hold of this kind of bond, but the government is trying to put up a resistant. and i believe the battle of battle is still continuing and had a month and colon over there in pittsburgh, in the united states. what's your sense of direction of travel here is africanist on heading over the precipice. are we heading for full scale war? i really hope not, but the view from the state seems to be that. and you know,

this is something that myself and a lot of other folks in the broader counter terrorism community have warned against when the president announces withdraw and april with really no contingency plan. for what comes next and to rely on the taliban to be part to be any meaningful part of a, a piece agreement i think is, you know, is, it's not you, frankly, right? when we get onto the piece, talk to in a 2nd. but let's just look 1st at areas of taliban control and taliban has taken more territory in recent weeks. and it has it anytime since it fell from power 20 years ago in may controlled about 20 percent of the country and not shown here in purple. but as u. s and other foreign troops pulled out taliban fighters wrapped up their attacks . and in the last 2 months, half of the country has fallen under the groups rule. it is a critical test, of course, for the african government. as the fights is advanced and surround, now the capital kabul this week,

the tell about moved into the center of the cities of lashley guards. we've just been discussing. and kind of, ha, so victoria, given all of that, how do you assess the taliban tactics here? which seems to be pretty much avoiding full scale confrontation, but then there is also the slow simulation of areas targeting cities and also talk to the local economies. absolutely, and i think that this practical for them because they are quickly losing us and hawks in line. they are now seen by the tradition as taking the populations of puppies or noticed game controller you know, to, to gain power. and that's why they're often deafening seeking was working. now let them now actually moving for ccs and harmless edition. is something that keeps a balance of support in some areas again. and now we have this new strategy,

the circle denounced martin brigade attacking government lead. it's victoria, what do you make of that? well, it makes sense for us to actually get off the top of the national security for a strike of notable people 40. however, this is something that has to expect. there hasn't been a complex capital for the past 3 months. and so why would expect one would hope that the government has ensure the highest future? of course, as we know, this is danny presented without much of the details as i think what does that impact? so we would hope that now they have them and they would have provided security for their all right, well, we heard from president gone a little bit earlier, blaming the us withdrawal for this escalation, calling clock. do you think that withdrawal?

is it a miscalculation by the us president button? i do, however, i think it's a miscalculation from the point of view of african stability. it's probably a shrewd calculation in terms of us domestic politics. this is a popular move among large swats of us population. and it's one of the few areas that i can think of where there's bipartisan support, the trump administration, was moving toward withdrawal as well. and president biden continued that. you know, the, those and opposition seem to be, you know, folks like myself or others. and you know, academia or, or think tanks or the policy world that are warning of catastrophic consequences in terms of al qaeda, rebuilding and network and call it in assessing the prospect for this withdrawal. this with withdraw would they have anticipated what has happened this sudden escalation and kind of dominance. i think they've likely mapped out

multiple scenarios knowing that this was going to be one and probably had a strong chance of being one of the u. s. is banking on this being contained to have gast and, but i think that, you know, this instability is likely to spill over into other parts of the region. and if it heads in the direction that it appears to be heading, if it continues for some time years, even if it's something then that would present a problem for the united states situation where they may reconsider sending troops back in i think it depends what happens if you look at some kind of external operation or spectacular terrorist attack in the west, the pressure will be immense for the us and its allies to do more than they're doing now. if the problems may remain contained largely within afghanistan. again, i think, you know, the, the conversation and the zeitgeist, in the beltway these days is, it's all about great power, competition, china, russia, you know, after 20 years, people, and seeing few results. people want to leave the global war on terrorism behind.

and this is emblematic if i'm seductive in trouble. how different, how different is this scenario that we're seeing here in 2021, 2996 when the taliban last took over africa stun. what the situation is different in so many, but you will have the taliban being the government and you have the alliance of the country of fighting the taliban. and now you have a government who is loading in all and you have the taliban who i think the government i'll go a lot of these other back at the north on the on a position had little editing with themselves. and the taliban were almost only 95 percent of one. and while now the government is controlling half of the country and almost more than $200.00 districts are with with the taliban who is now a position. and apparently it seems that the taliban have taken the decision of

attacking urban centers, although the government is talking to consolidation and got the ability to hold it back all. but apparently it seems that the taliban are still having the momentum. so what is not, what has not changed for the people off of one is done is that it back into those in the one that was a battle and it's, and i wanted time, i was in a war and now in 2021 battle. moving on the promises and i want to warn you jump in that. do you think the telephone has the potential to take over the whole country again? ah, it's the nick, the thing is that the taliban current battle begins particularly after me. one is nominally because of the vacuum that was related at the last stages of the

withdrawal and the government was august with the retreat. so this strategic recreate. and the 3rd cannot be interpreted as the space of the taliban military. but what is now a critical to both, both sides because the taliban are going now to cinders and the government is putting up, defended, or trying to hold them all for the truth of broad military things. get to be victoria. i can see you came to come in. yes, i would say that the urban centers william nike to be taken by the ban. here i did not force thanks to us at support. hope that you could continue for the time to bump it or so. there is an enormous amount of the popular uprising

against the support of the national security for people rank of people, regular people taking up arms. they are not part of the country that are very nice for to kind of been hands like the times you reach. and so i would say that the people have been quite lucky now they definitely have taken advantage of a security for it. but at the same time, some of those weeks and that's where or district that was captured now are being and i don't think that they can go much further than what they call a clock. the thing is to tell them on needs. and once it's international legitimacy to keep flying apart from anything else and so that would prevent them from bidding for complete take over wouldn't. yeah, i don't think they need a complete take over of the car, right? to you know, to, to exert their influence. we've seen it already, but again,

i don't think you know, the taliban is ever going to break with groups like al qaeda and their ilk. especially if the violence continues to tell them will need al qaeda to reinforce its ranks. and he may tell by the telephone, exerting the influence, what does it actually mean? because they say they have the best interest to africa understand at heart. and at the same time, they believe that and islamic state structure would be the most beneficial for the country. so what would it mean in terms of course, additional view, we know very limited about the perspectives because they are not that when it comes to the issue, all they have all the information is of the one that was on the game out. and now apparently it seems that they are talking about his lunch. and by the way, you're really asking, what do you mean? how would you inter all the issues if they've been asked to do

things back. but their constitutional reviews are very limited. and really you really don't understand and what, what exactly do you mean by the system? but if, if we are talking about the taliban at one point, you told me when they were ruling up one of them at that time, a lot of things were limited, but does freedom of speech, women's participation in public domain. another woman education on guard division 5, if, if you know that the taliban has changed and now we are to create a taliban to want you to meet the newburgh and probably bon, where they are somehow tolerate and realistic. and as well as international engagement with the international community, then i think people would be at ease, but if the remainder of the word back in 1919, i think that would, that would be worried that will concern people because i've learned some people

have changed a lot since that time, but i do those in one because you have emerging ib, you have, you have people who are educated, you have people gone and while you know things have changed. so i think it's started on are they on the $990.00 they would also find it difficult to sub you will be large young population of the data of 100 victoria. is that something that you would agree with? the taliban are saying that they committed to the piece prices and they will maintain at the civil rights that have developed in recent years. you concerned about whether or not that's true? yeah, i'm not pretty concerned. i know it's not true. they have or read the tracy bull crimes the headman probing in kandahar i have a student who lost 2 of her cuz he, they are so we have colleagues in different parts of the country who have orders

that they have already closed and goes down because they they want to, we accept you, wanted to use them. so actions speak louder than words and as far as what crimes and to take down the consent to happen to be. and what about the piece talks calling clock in pittsburgh? what are the implications of this latest escalation, as far as the piece towards concerned here, and i think the door door talks are done. i mean, we're well past the point of no return for thinking about some kind of a negotiated settlement. we can't take the tell them at their word. clearly they're not operating in good faith, just as many predicted myself the entire time, you know, largely looked at the negotiations. as somewhat of the smoke show were of the near to allow the united states to extricate its forces under the top cover of

some kind of political negotiation. but it's never really been about that. and clearly it isn't now for him, said i till the dough hard talks done. do you agree? what i would say with respect that we still have a chance to talk. what i believe is that the thunder by the end of the day would return to the equalization, able to reach a political settlement with the government, but held that i believe the reason strategy is to maximize their power because this maximization would help them strengthen their position of the negotiation table because there are some limitations on the taliban in which the fee, if the over the military does legitimate the international recognition. and most importantly, as i have all of the international assistance for the government and for the develop into something that the taliban know that they won't be able to do it

unless they do harm it from the international community. and the national community will definitely not be available if they take over the military. so they are cancellation at the moment. might be that mid capitalize over the mike and that has been rated mid, maximize our power and been go without position to the negotiation, particularly when, when the policies come on, where the environment changes and that'll be difficult. right. victoria, what do you think is a room for further progress of the piece? don't when the member that the remains re, quote agreement of the united states read the ban. so between the government and the taliban haven't really thought and so there definitely are some cause for within the african faith. meaning you know, the larger for the next 20 gave some form of the dinos and stuff. the

bottom that we need to be there. and i think that needs to be capitalized on from coal. and what about regional players? and presumably this telephone escalation is not in the interest to say in darrow or pakistan said not to have complete. tell about control, how do they, what do they bring to bear on the, in this equation? i think all the players in the region, right? the iranians, the russians, chinese indians, pakistanis, they all have their own desired outcome. they all have their own priorities, and those don't align. we're going to see a lot of jostling for power. we're going to see attempts at, you know, patronage and proxy warfare. i think, as this situation develops. and typically, from, from my study of insurgencies, the more entities involved the longer something last. so that's not

a good son. so call him, what's your gut feeling about where this is heading? i think, you know, heading into 2022, we're going to be looking at an afghanistan that is controlled by the tell that in large portions of the country not entirely. and at that time, i think we're likely to see the growth of transactional jihadist groups like al qaeda like others that but my main concern, my main fears that i've canister, and once again turns into a magnet for foreign fighters. and there's a flow or immobilization to the country, which then again, acts as a force multiplier for many of the most dangerous terrorist groups there in victoria. what's your sense of the impact of this on the regional stability? and indeed, i should say, for from my 2012 and just for the life of the state, every definite vacuum has been created or not. before i left the country.

there are so many groups that has enough and makes it easier for me to say firms which is fine to do my chinese make it relations without re countries that they, we not on for, for the service and the front you saying, you know, they will of very forth. and so from that perspective, again, making then of sense and, and definitely not really the chance. what about the security vacuum created at the moment? or at the moment to have psyche use that some if you're going to select. and then we'll be on face. said we got about the just about 30 seconds left for you to

onto this. what is it, what is that for sure, i've got what, what card can you play to try and sort this out? i think the president still has a card. he has at a power and doesn't have he has, have you been a re also has the recent company, not a law by which people are coming into the border of the government and as well as he has the bad day back in the us in terms of price, i think these are the options. that's that, the president how, but it also depends on how he will be implementing the assets. and also if it give me and about how united republic side would stand against or and everybody will have to leave it there for him. set out, appreciate that. also victoria thornton and colon clark there in pittsburgh. thanks guys. thanks very much indeed. and thank you for watching. you can see this and all our previous programs again at any time by visiting our website outage or dot com.

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