ABC News,
by
Conor Finnegan
Original Article
Posted by
NorthernDog
—
8/15/2021 4:51:12 PM
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Another 1,000 soldiers from the Army's 82nd Airborne have been ordered to head directly to Afghanistan's capital instead of Kuwait to assist in the evacuation of U.S. personnel and Afghans who assisted the U.S. mission, a U.S. official told ABC News. That brings the total number of U.S. troops being sent back to Afghanistan to 6,000. The increase of service members to Kabul follows Gen. Frank McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, meeting with representatives of the Taliban earlier Sunday in Doha, Qatar, to inform them not to interfere with the U.S. mission at the airport, according to a
National Review,
by
Zachary Evans
Original Article
Posted by
NorthernDog
—
8/15/2021 3:14:23 PM
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The U.S. Embassy in Kabul told Americans to “shelter in place” in a security warning on Sunday, noting that there were reports of gunfire on the city airport. In a series of two alerts, the embassy initially said it had suspended consular services and warned Americans not to come to the embassy building or the airport. However, a revised alert sent less than 30 minutes later removed the warning not to come to the Embassy or airport. Both alerts said the airport may be the target of gunfire. (Tweet) “The security situation in Kabul is changing quickly including at the
Associated Press,
by
Robert Burns
&
Ellen Knickmeyer
Original Article
Posted by
NorthernDog
—
8/14/2021 8:24:40 PM
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WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden authorized on Saturday an additional 1,000 U.S. troops for deployment to Afghanistan, raising to roughly 5,000 the number of U.S. troops to ensure what Biden called an “orderly and safe drawdown” of American and allied personnel. U.S. troops will also help in the evacuation of Afghans who worked with the military during the nearly two-decade war. The last-minute decision to re-insert thousands of U.S. troops into Afghanistan reflected the dire state of security as the Taliban seized control of multiple Afghan cities in a few short days. The militant and fundamentalist movement gained control of
Associated Press,
by
Tameem Akhgar
&
Jon Gambrell
Original Article
Posted by
NorthernDog
—
8/14/2021 5:44:36 PM
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KABUL, Afghanistan -- As a Taliban offensive encircles the Afghan capital, there's increasingly only one way out for those fleeing the war, and only one way in for U.S. troops sent to protect American diplomats still on the ground: Kabul's international airport. A steady stream of people makes its way first to ticket sale counters set up on the parking lot outside the terminal. They push their luggage, load carts with carpets, television sets and mementos, stuff clothes inside purses to make their weight limit as they slowly inch forward. The lucky ones, those who managed to get a ticket for
Hill [Washington DC],
by
Laura Kelly
Original Article
Posted by
NorthernDog
—
8/14/2021 5:22:55 PM
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The Biden administration is under scrutiny from international allies and adversaries over Afghanistan’s fast and furious descent into chaos ahead of the full exit of U.S. troops. The Taliban’s quick advance across the country and the impotence of Afghan security forces is putting into stark relief the futile cost of two decades of U.S. and international engagement. U.S. officials are stressing their commitment to Afghanistan’s survival and the safeguarding of hard-won freedoms for women, girls and minorities, who suffered some of the most brutal oppression under Taliban rule. They also say they are determined to ensure al Qaeda is not
Business Insider,
by
Sophia Ankel
Original Article
Posted by
NorthernDog
—
8/14/2021 11:54:36 AM
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The Taliban were seen dragging men accused of theft through the streets of the newly-captured city of Herat in Afghanistan on Friday. Photos taken by journalist Bilal Sarwary show men tarred in black with nooses around their necks being paraded through the streets as armed militants flank them. Some of the militants are pictured pulling at the nooses. "Taliban accused these men of theft, their faces were colored with black color, to embarrass them and were paraded in Herat city after the Friday prayers," Sarwary wrote alongside the pictures. Another video shows a crowd of people following the men.
CBS News,
by
Staff
Original Article
Posted by
NorthernDog
—
8/14/2021 11:28:30 AM
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A powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Haiti on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey said, and authorities reported multiple deaths. The U.S. Tsunami Warning System temporarily issued a tsunami warning after the quake, which was felt in neighboring countries. "I can confirm that there are deaths, but I don't yet have an exact toll," Jerry Chandler, Haiti's director of civil protection, told AFP. "We're still collecting information." The epicenter of the quake was 7.5 miles northeast of Saint-Louis du Sud, according to the USGS. "High casualties are probable and the disaster is likely widespread," the USGS said.
Associated Press,
by
Ahmad Seir
,
Rahim Faiez
&
Joseph Krauss
Original Article
Posted by
NorthernDog
—
8/14/2021 11:13:01 AM
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KABUL, Afghanistan -- The Taliban seized two more provinces on Saturday and approached the outskirts of Afghanistan's capital while also launching a multi-pronged assault on a major northern city defended by former warlords, Afghan officials said. The insurgents have captured much of northern, western and southern Afghanistan in a breakneck offensive less than three weeks before the United States is set to withdraw its last troops, raising fears of a full militant takeover or another Afghan civil war. The Taliban captured all of Logar province, just south of the capital, Kabul, and detained local officials, said Hoda Ahmadi, a lawmaker from
Washington Examiner,
by
Paul Bedard
Original Article
Posted by
NorthernDog
—
8/14/2021 9:55:37 AM
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This week’s White House Report Card finds President Joe Biden spending another weekend out of Washington, where his domestic and foreign policies have been weathering political storms. He won an early fight on his infrastructure bill, but the Democrats are already warring on the follow-up $3.5 trillion spend-a-thon. Afghanistan is spiraling out of control. And inflation is roaring. Our graders were in agreement that it was one of Biden’s worst weeks. Democratic pollster John Zogby graded a D, calling it a “horrible week.” Conservative Jed Babbin dished an F and mocked Biden’s praise for disgraced New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The Week,
by
Brigid Kennedy
Original Article
Posted by
NorthernDog
—
8/13/2021 9:21:55 PM
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As Afghanistan continues to fall to the Taliban at a "faster-than-expected" pace, those who served in the war are reportedly "riveted in horror" watching the militant group make gains, and immensely frustrated by the withdrawal that's threatening to undo their 20 years of work, The Washington Post reports. "It makes me angry, really angry," said Tom Amenta, a retired veteran who was originally deployed in 2002. Afghanistan "has never had a clean solution," he told the Post. "But now that it's gotten hard, we're just going to bounce? It doesn't make it right." The United Kingdom's Foreign Affairs Select Committee
CBS News,
by
Kathryn Watson
Original Article
Posted by
NorthernDog
—
8/13/2021 4:00:32 PM
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As Afghanistan's provincial capitals fall to the Taliban one by one, and as many U.S. Embassy personnel in Kabul evacuate, President Biden stepped aboard Marine One in Delaware en route to Camp David without publicly addressing the situation in Afghanistan for another day. Mr. Biden has made no remarks about the rapidly deteriorating situation in Afghanistan since Tuesday, as the Taliban swiftly unravels two decades of U.S. investments in the nation and jeopardizes Afghan lives. On Tuesday, two days before he ordered the reduction of civilian personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, the president said he didn't regret his
Associated Press,
by
Staff
Original Article
Posted by
NorthernDog
—
8/13/2021 1:55:24 PM
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MINNEAPOLIS -- Minneapolis police will no longer stop motorists for minor traffic violations, such as expired tabs or an air freshener hanging from their rearview mirror, according to a new policy change. Police Chief Medaria Arrandondo, in an internal memo Thursday, said the move comes after examining how officers can better use time and resources. “MPD will no longer be conducting traffic stops solely for these offenses: expired tabs, an item dangling from a mirror, or not having a working license plate light,” Arradondo wrote in the memo obtained by the Star Tribune. Critics have long argued that low-level traffic
Comments:
No one is even trying to stop the Taliban. The US troops and personnel may find themselves trapped in Kabul.