spread protection against civil liability claims govern hoping this time things might be different because their claim comes from outside of the states. and with at least $17000.00 murders in the country from guns traced to the us. they say they have to do something. but the government admits the gun makers or any part of the issue. mexico also has a really porous border with the united states and traffic because have told us that it's really easy for them to get their weapons across it and into the country. even under the noses of mexican officials. so until that border has come up and up, guns are still going to flow into the country with some of those things that the foreign minister towed out to 0. that's something that governments also working on . it will need to, the lawsuit won't be enough on it so that you don't. homan al jazeera mexico city. ok,

this is al jazeera and these are the top stories memorials in lebanon turned into protests on the one year anniversary. mocking the bay route for the explosion, it killed more than 200 people. large groups of protest as clashed with security forces near the parliament building. is they called for government accountability. they hold, i was at the protests in they were 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 a se. so mrs. outside parliament, dozens of protesters tried to form parliament or angry. they believe that the empty should convene and lift the immunity of a number of members of parliament, were former ministers and who are now suspects in the babe ruth ports bloss

investigation. the taliban is warning of more attacks against afghan officials and explosion shall cobble early on. wednesday near defense facility, it came just hours after a taliban car bomb attack on the defense ministers on he was unharmed, the people were killed. cabbages of 40 degrees celsius are also fueling 5 in grace. one blaze that tore through a forest on the outskirts of athens has now receded leaving destroyed homes and businesses in its wake. the world health organization says countries should delay close at 19 vaccine boosters. the appeal is directed at wealthy countries where vaccinations have far out. pat paced the developing world. those of the headlines here at our 0 estate june now for inside story. and i'll be back at the top with more headlines. news

news. news. news. news for i've got a son is in chief towards the capital coupled callaghan says as late as the tax on government leaders not to start a new campaign, could this me to return to full scale war and have peace talk become pointless. this is inside story. ah and i welcome to the program i'm to clock. the taliban is gaining strength across afghanistan, 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 fired shots near the defense ministers home in the 45 green zone. the taliban is warning of more attacks when 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 cobble 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 cars 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 cargo administration. so significant escalation for beam and concerning for residents in ca, 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. the staff in helmand and lash cargo. they really the center of fighting between the army and the taliban has been heavy for a number of days now. but today local say it is certainly the worst with move on. bob mintz from the air and st. history fighting as the ask and government try to re take control of the city that are civilians to evacuate credibly dangerous to 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 with significant military momentum. charlotte

bellis, the inside story? well, i'm going to sons president blames what he calls the u. s. is sudden true withdrawal for the escalating violence in his address the parliamentary this week. ref ghani said that washington's push for negotiations great doubt and ambiguity and assist the taliban is not committed to peace. moved, 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 will have some consequences on the crisis managed principle we put on afghan yet aah! or a list of the discussion bring in our guest said, joining us on skype from kimball. it's victoria fountain, a professor p studies at the american university of afghanistan in pittsburgh. we have calling clark, director of policy and research the su, fun group, also from couple in afghanistan for him, set out to his head of the international relations department at card on university

. welcome all to the program at victoria. i'd like to talk the 1st few there right now in afghanistan, feeling a living it. tell us what it's like, what's the atmosphere like, what people thinking, whereas is heading well. many quite concerned about the security situation. a lot of my colleagues now are trying to confirm that the same time the fact that sound okay, right, did not fall into the hands of the time. that's why it says the night condition, and he's been quite some holes so only nor mitigates 20 years, but the 70 that the population of urban centers knew nothing to necessarily been taking one of those urban centers. it causes alaska and for him said to thousands, a trap to afflict their lives in the last guard held them province. as

a taliban, you know, continue their advances bodies on the streets. and overall, it is a very troubling situation is indeed it is. according to the report, 2400 people are only just yesterday. and there are $47.00 in depth and almost $118.00 or more than that the in helmand. and this is almost the same day that the on here is going on. although the city is not yet completely under the hold of the taliban, but the government is, is trying to put up a resistance. and i believe the battle is better is still continuing and had a month and call and 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 counterterrorism community have warned against when the president announced his withdrawal 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 us look 1st at areas of taliban control, the 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 in advance 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 about, how do you assess the taliban tactics here, which seems to be pretty much avoiding full scale corporate taishan. 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 is for them because they are quickly losing us in hoffman lines. they are now seen by the look tradition as taking the populations of puppies or notice to gain control, to you know, to, to gain power. and that's why the attack often stephanie was working. now let them now actually moving for ccs and harmony to distance 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, make sense for us to actually leave off the top of the national security for that's and that's a strike of notable focus. however, this is something that has, that has to expect. there hasn't been a complex attacking capital for the past 3 months. and so why would expect one would hope that the government has ensured the future? of course, as we know, this is danny presented without much of the details as the i think what does not enhance. so we would hope that now they have them and they would have provided security for their talk. 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

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 swath of the 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 of 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, the 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. the u. s. is banking on this being contained to have gas then, 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 mean, you know, remain contained largely within afghanistan. again, i think, you know, the, the conversation and those guys to 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 set up in a couple how different, how different is this scenario that we're seeing here in 20212996 when the taliban lost a cove african. stan, 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 and ball and you have the taliban who i think the government i'll go a lot of these other back in the north and line because of the opposition had little to do with themselves. and the taliban are almost only 95 percent off of one is done while now the government is controlling half of the country and almost more than $200.00 districts are with with tyler bond who is now an opposition. and

apparently it seems that the taliban have taken the decision of attacking urban centers, although the government is talking of consolidation and got the ability to hold the taliban 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, and i want to time war and now in 2021 minute battle. moving on to the promises and one of the war, you know, jump in there. so he made 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 pages of the

withdrawal and the government was honest with the retreat. so this strategic recreate and the thought about heard 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 food of both military things. get to be victoria. i can see you again to come in. yes, i would say that the urban centers, william nike to be taken by the ban here, right, did not force thanks to us at support. and he told that he could continue for the time to pump or so there is an enormous amount of the popular liking against the

bank in support of the national security for people rank of people, regular people taking up arms. they are not all the country that are very nice for me to tell you, been hence 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 regions, that's where or district that's what captures now are being used. 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 con, 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 if i have a ton of about the, tell about exerting their influence, what does that 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 constitutional view? we know very limited about the because i'm not that when it comes to. ready the issue with all they have all the information is up the one on my right and i'm 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 enter all the issues? were never been to these things back. so 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 needle, mean when they were ruling up one of them at that time, a lot of things were limited but does freedom of speech, women participation in public domain and women education and gardner depletion. but if, if you know that the taliban has changed, and now if we are to create a taliban to one, you don't mean the new. we're going to probably bond where they are somehow tolerate and realistic. and as well as the international engagement with the international community, then i think people would be at ease. but if the remainder of the bandits were back in 1919, i think that would, that would be that was concern. people,

because i've learned from people have changed a lot since that time. i do those in one because you have an emerging id. you how you have people who are educated. you have people gone and it was, you know, things have changed. so i think it's not about are they on the 1990, they would also find it difficult to study. you will be large young population of the day of honors done. right. and victory is that something that you would agree with a ton of and i'll say that they're committed to the piece prices and they will maintain 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 tracy. bull crimes, the headman probing in kandahar i have a student who lost her coffee or so we have colleagues

in different parts of the country will have orders that they have already closed 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 clocking in pittsburgh? what are the implications of this latest escalation? as far as the pistol, it's 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 cars 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 to the doe, who talks it 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 or 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 spring then get a 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 time it bye 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 can read, did maximize our power and then go without position to the negotiation, particularly when, when the policies come on, where the environment changes. i'm the battle is difficult. right. victoria, what do you think is a room for further progress of the piece? don't when that's the member that the don't remember the research agreement of the united states than the so between the government and the time you've been haven't really started. and so there definitely are some codes from within the african states. meaning, you know, the larger for the next earth society to engage in some form of the dialogue and

stop the bottom that we need to be there. and i think that needs to be capitalized on from the side and call and what about regional players? and presumably this telephone escalation is not in the interest to say in their own pakistan. a study 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, pakistan is 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 that, 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 sign. so 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 yes 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 one has enough and makes it easier for me to say for them, which is fine to do my chinese . they make innovation without neighboring countries, but that they say we know one for, for the service and staff and the front. you say between, you know, they will vary for us. and so from that perspective, again, mickey, then offense and, and definitely not. we can about the security vacuum created at the moment or at the moment to have to fight. you sent a message for the satellite beach and, and then we'll be all set out. so we got about the just about 30

seconds left, v to onto this. what is it? what is that for sure. i 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 been a really also has a recent company in law and by which the people are coming in the border of the government. and he has the bad day back in the us in terms of price. i think these are the options that the president how, but it also depends on how he will be implementing the assets and options if it give me and about how united against are and everybody will have to leave the find that 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 out to jerry dot com. and for further discussion,

just go to our facebook page that said facebook dot com forward slash a j inside story. and you can also join the conversation on twitter. handle is at a j inside stored for me mc clock, and the rest of the team here. go back to the news news, news, news, news. the, all this on the united day did ending in 20 year military present enough kind of done with what it meant for the country. one of the one piece showcases new zealand

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a multi $1000000.00 online sex, and the philippines is black mailing men from around the world. 11 east uncovered house. more time syndicate became a terminal on al jazeera. ah hello, i'm emily angland. in jo harvey's of the top stories memorials in lebanon turned into protests on the one year anniversary mocking the bay were explosion. it killed more than $200.00 people. large groups of protest as clashed with security forces ne, the parliament building, as they called for government accountability. the taliban has warned more attacks against afghan government late is after the defense minister escape an attempt on his life to say foam and gun attack killed.