Eurasia Press & News
Afghanistan’s powerful former warlords are remobilizing their old militias in anticipation of what many expect to be a bloody new chapter in a decades-old conflict. Armed groups loyal to regional and local strongmen have rearmed and reappeared in the country’s northern, western, and central regions in recent months. The former …
Read More »Biden Must Make Hard Choices Quickly on Afghanistan
Afghanistan may not rank in the top tier of U.S. President Joe Biden’s policy priorities, given the host of pressing crises in the United States. But Afghanistan’s fate hinges in large part on how the Biden team decides to approach the country’s conflict and its tenuous, still-nascent peace process. Biden …
Read More »No plans for full US withdrawal from Iraq, top general says
The United States may be leaving Afghanistan but troops will remain in Iraq for the foreseeable future, the CENTCOM commander told Congress. The top commander of US forces in the Middle East told lawmakers that he does not foresee a full US withdrawal from Iraq amid continued dialogue with officials …
Read More »Afghanistan war cost more than $2T and 240,000 lives, report finds
When you add up the cost of Defense and State Department funds sunk into Operations Enduring Freedom and Resolute Support, then throw in the cost of caring for the conflicts’ veterans and the interest on the money borrowed to cover it all, you’re looking at over $2 trillion, according to …
Read More »Afghan towns brace for economic and security upheaval as US bases prepare to close
Over the last 20 years, Bagram and other towns in Afghanistan became dependent on the sprawling U.S. military bases nearby for their economy and their security. In a few months, they may not have much of either. The flow of discarded goods from Bagram Airfield slowed to a trickle last …
Read More »No Guarantees on Afghanistan After Troop Pullout, Says Top Biden Aide
No one can say with any certainty what will happen in Afghanistan once U.S. President Joe Biden withdraws the remaining 2,500 to 3,500 U.S. troops by September 11 to end the country’s longest war, a top White House official said Sunday. “I can’t make any guarantees about what will happen …
Read More »Afghanistan withdrawal plan could involve small troop surge
The Pentagon is pulling out its old Afghanistan drawdown plans and reworking them for a Sept. 11 deadline, per President Joe Biden’s announcement of the end of Operation Resolute Support on Wednesday. The 2,500 troops deployed to that country may see some back-up arriving to help with removing equipment, shutting …
Read More »Pentagon Says Any Terrorist Attack On US Military Drawdown In Afghanistan To Be Met Forcefully
The United States is well aware of Taliban threats to the U.S. military drawdown, which are scheduled to begin May 1 and be completed by Sept. 11, 2021, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby told the media Friday at the Pentagon. “We’ve seen their threats, and it would be imprudent …
Read More »Iran Opens Pandora’s Box With Attacks Against Rivals In Iraq – OpEd
A drone attack on Irbil airport in northern Iraq, where US forces are stationed, and a rocket attack on a military compound in the nearby town of Bashiqa, where Turkish troops are deployed, took place on Wednesday. The latter resulted in the death of a Turkish soldier and injured a …
Read More »Afghanistan Withdrawal Could Pose ‘Significant Risk’ To US, Intelligence Officials Say
The plan to pull troops from Afghanistan could give terrorist groups like al-Qaida and Islamic State a chance to regenerate the capabilities they would need to carry out an attack against the United States, according to top U.S. intelligence officials. Their warning, coming the same day U.S. President Joe Biden …
Read More »