The story: Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have moved to host senior Afghan figures in the aftermath of the Taliban takeover of Kabul. On Aug. 18, the UAE stated that it had granted asylum to President Ashraf Ghani, who fled the Afghan capital days earlier. Meanwhile, Qatar will likely shelter representatives of the collapsed Afghan government who have been involved in the intra-Afghan dialogue in Doha. This maneuvering indicates that both states are vying for important roles in Afghanistan’s future.

The coverage: On Aug. 18, the official Emirates News Agency (WAM) confirmed that the UAE has received Ghani and his family...