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Update on Afghanistan and other stories
DerekJohnson
Administrator, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 60,003
in Tug Tavern
By: Geopolitical Futures
Sending reinforcements. The United States announced it would send an additional 3,000 troops to Afghanistan to help protect its embassy staff as they evacuate the country. The Taliban have gained control over several key cities, including Kandahar, and appear to be advancing toward the capital. Meanwhile, NATO is planning to hold an emergency session on the situation on Friday.
Bracing for an influx. The EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, in a statement urged the Taliban to resume peace talks with the government of Afghanistan. The EU is worried about an influx of Afghan refugees as the security situation deteriorates in the country. (The bloc’s border agency on Thursday reported that the majority of migrants crossing into the Western Balkans, where the number of illegal crossings increased by 90 percent this year compared to last year, were from Afghanistan and Syria.) Meanwhile, India, too, is reportedly planning to reactive direct talks with the Taliban.
Outbreak fallout. China’s latest COVID-19 outbreak is starting to hit major global supply chain networks. A terminal at China’s Ningbo-Zhoushan port – the world’s busiest shipping port by cargo tonnage – reportedly remains closed after shutting down Wednesday, apparently due to a positive test. In response, container shipping rates between China and the U.S. reached record highs yet again. The number of container ships waiting at anchor to enter the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach has tripled since June.
Provocation. A French frigate is reportedly anchored off the coast of Taiwan, according to an unnamed Taiwanese coast guard official and open-source observers. Neither the French nor the Taiwanese governments have confirmed the arrival. Though European navies – the British, Germans and French in particular – have been deploying warships to the Indo-Pacific more frequently, they’ve generally steered well clear of anything that Beijing would see as a major provocation. This, of course, would be different.
Fresh talks. Representatives of the Venezuelan government and opposition will meet in Mexico on Friday to kick off a new round of negotiations aimed at resolving Venezuela’s political crisis.
Commuter havoc. A nationwide rail strike is wreaking havoc for commuters in Germany. The strike began on Tuesday and was supposed to end Friday, but it appears the union and Deutsche Bahn have not reached a settlement.
Defense cooperation. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe arrived in the northern Chinese city of Qingtongxia, where their countries are carrying out joint military exercises. The two officials emphasized the growing cooperation between their nations’ armed forces.
Sending reinforcements. The United States announced it would send an additional 3,000 troops to Afghanistan to help protect its embassy staff as they evacuate the country. The Taliban have gained control over several key cities, including Kandahar, and appear to be advancing toward the capital. Meanwhile, NATO is planning to hold an emergency session on the situation on Friday.
Bracing for an influx. The EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, in a statement urged the Taliban to resume peace talks with the government of Afghanistan. The EU is worried about an influx of Afghan refugees as the security situation deteriorates in the country. (The bloc’s border agency on Thursday reported that the majority of migrants crossing into the Western Balkans, where the number of illegal crossings increased by 90 percent this year compared to last year, were from Afghanistan and Syria.) Meanwhile, India, too, is reportedly planning to reactive direct talks with the Taliban.
Outbreak fallout. China’s latest COVID-19 outbreak is starting to hit major global supply chain networks. A terminal at China’s Ningbo-Zhoushan port – the world’s busiest shipping port by cargo tonnage – reportedly remains closed after shutting down Wednesday, apparently due to a positive test. In response, container shipping rates between China and the U.S. reached record highs yet again. The number of container ships waiting at anchor to enter the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach has tripled since June.
Provocation. A French frigate is reportedly anchored off the coast of Taiwan, according to an unnamed Taiwanese coast guard official and open-source observers. Neither the French nor the Taiwanese governments have confirmed the arrival. Though European navies – the British, Germans and French in particular – have been deploying warships to the Indo-Pacific more frequently, they’ve generally steered well clear of anything that Beijing would see as a major provocation. This, of course, would be different.
Fresh talks. Representatives of the Venezuelan government and opposition will meet in Mexico on Friday to kick off a new round of negotiations aimed at resolving Venezuela’s political crisis.
Commuter havoc. A nationwide rail strike is wreaking havoc for commuters in Germany. The strike began on Tuesday and was supposed to end Friday, but it appears the union and Deutsche Bahn have not reached a settlement.
Defense cooperation. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe arrived in the northern Chinese city of Qingtongxia, where their countries are carrying out joint military exercises. The two officials emphasized the growing cooperation between their nations’ armed forces.
Comments
Wait Trump is gone
Smoothest withdrawal EVER
“The president went on to say that in the early 1970s, as the Vietnam War was grinding to a close, North Vietnam’s forces were far more powerful than the Taliban are today. “They’re not remotely comparable in terms of capability,” he said. “There’s going to be no circumstance when you’re going to see people being lifted off the roof of an embassy of the United States from Afghanistan.”
And something about Putin