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[ New York Post ] I ran Team Trump’s Afghan withdrawal — Biden’s attempt to blame us is just sad
I’m intimately familiar with former President Donald Trump’s Afghanistan strategy. In November 2020, I was named chief of staff at the Pentagon, where one of my primary responsibilities was to wind down the forever war in Afghanistan. Trump instructed me to arrange a conditions-based, methodical exit plan that would preserve the national interest. The plan…
Japan PM Yoshihide Suga will not be running for re-election of LDP party leadership
Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Friday (Sept 3) he will not run for his ruling party’s leadership, effectively ending his tenure and throwing wide open the race for the next premier. The shock decision after just a year in office comes with Mr Suga’s approval ratings at an all-time low over his government’s…
[ Daily Mail ] Pentagon orders ALL active military to get the vaccine as soon as possible: 800,000 service members still haven’t gotten a shot and could face court martial if they don’t
More than 800,000 service members out of around 1.4 million still need to get their shots, according to Pentagon data Of active duty forces, 68 percent are fully vaccinated and 76 percent have at least one dose The Army has the lowest vaccination rate, where 40% are fully vaccinated and 57% have one dose Kirby…
[ Newlines Mag ] The Taliban’s Struggle to Control Kabul
Before formally entering Kabul, the Taliban had already secreted men into the city, where they were biding their time, ready to take over the capital. But the quick collapse of the capital caught even them unprepared. The units assigned to secure the city were still busy clearing the outskirts of the capital and neighboring provinces…
[ TOLO News ] Massoud, Taliban Agree to Not Fight Until Next Round of Talks
Supporters of Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the resistance front against the Taliban, and Taliban representatives held their first meeting on Wednesday afternoon in the center of Parwan province to seek an alternative to fighting. The resistance front delegation was composed of 12 people led by Almas Zahid, a former Mujahideen commander, and the…
[ Politico ] U.S. officials provided Taliban with names of Americans, Afghan allies to evacuate
U.S. officials in Kabul gave the Taliban a list of names of American citizens, green card holders and Afghan allies to grant entry into the militant-controlled outer perimeter of the city’s airport, a choice that’s prompted outrage behind the scenes from lawmakers and military officials. The move, detailed to POLITICO by three U.S. and congressional…
[ Gateway Pundit ] US State Department Goes Into Hiding, Cancels Press Briefing After 4 US Marines Killed, 3 Injured in Kabul Blasts
The State Department on Thursday canceled its press briefing after 4 US Marines were killed and at least 3 others were injured in the Kabul blasts. There were two explosions reported outside the Kabul Airport on Thursday. The Biden White House has canceled all meetings and press briefings so far. DPA Notes: The lack of…
[ The News Pakistan ] From battlefield to power table: Khalil Haqqani emerges as key player
KABUL, Afghanistan: He has a $5 million bounty on his head and a triumphant smile on his face. The head money marked by the US Treasury Department for Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani has lost much of its significance in the fast-changing circumstances of Afghanistan. Khalil, a scion of the feared Haqqani Network, is not an ordinary man…
[ BBC ] Anti-Taliban resistance group says it has thousands of fighters
Ali Nazary, head of foreign relations for the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF), told the BBC they want to pursue peaceful negotiations. But, he added, “if this fails… then we’re not going to accept any sort of aggression”. Meanwhile, the Taliban say they have surrounded the group’s Panjshir valley stronghold and put them under…
Ismail Sabri’s first statements as PM on twitter after sworn in as Malaysia’s new Prime Minister
Ismail Sabri, the new Malaysian Prime Minister thank God, King and MPs for their support and trust – vow to carry out the duty of the office and fulfill the trust in him for the country. Syukur kehadrat Ilahi. Patik menjunjung kasih atas limpah perkenan KDYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin…
[ UnHerd ] The man who lost Afghanistan
If there was one family in Afghanistan who incarnated the hopes, illusions and failures of the last two decades there, it was the Ghanis. Ashraf, the father, was the country’s last president. A trained anthropologist, he believed in books, and the power of the ideas within them to move the world. His wife, Rula, a…
Malaysian King has confirmed that Ismail Sabri will become Malaysia 9th Prime Minister
The Istana Negara (National Palace) has confirmed that the Bera MP, Ismail Sabri will be Malaysia’s 9th Prime Minister. The swearing-in ceremony is slated to be held tomorrow (21 August 2021) at 2.30pm. However, the large swats of the Malaysian internet reacted with #kerajaangagal (failed government / government failure) upon hearing the news of the…
[ The Independent Singapore ] Who is Ismail Sabri Yaakob? A look at UMNO vice-president, now frontrunner for Malaysia’s premiership
Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob has emerged as next in line to be Malaysia’s new Prime Minister, with Mr Muhyiddin Yassin’s resignation last Monday (Aug 16). Mr Muhyiddin, however, is staying on as caretaker premier until his successor is named. Support for the UMNO vice president was confirmed by the party’s secretary-general, Mr Ahmad Maslan, who tweeted, “only…
[ MalaysiaKini ] Palace instructs MPs to vote on new PM in writing
Istana Negara has instructed members of the Dewan Rakyat to submit their choice of prime minister in writing. The MPs will have until 4pm tomorrow to do so. Their letters have to be certified as true. This instruction – sighted by Malaysiakini – was sent by Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Azizan Harun to all MPs this morning.…
Muhyiddin resigns, but status quo remains, likely to stay on as the Prime Minister for at least another year
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin tendered his resignation to the King, Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, on Monday (Aug 16). But while he stays on as caretaker premier for now, there appears to be no clear candidate for his successor. Mr Muhyiddin’s ouster – the Constitution obliges him to resign as there is no provision for a minority government – looks set to throw the nation…
[ MEMO ] Lebanon premier blames corruption for fuel tank explosion
Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab has blamed corruption for Sunday’s fuel tanker explosion, describing the incident as a “humanitarian tragedy”, reports Anadolu Agency. At least 28 people were killed and 79 others injured when a fuel tanker exploded in Akkar region in northern Lebanon early Sunday. “What happened in Talali town in Akkar is a humanitarian…
[ Middle East Eye ] ‘Our children are fuel for war’: Village sons leave Yemen countryside for the battlefield
Source: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/yemen-war-taiz-village-sons-leave-countryside-battle-saleh Thousands of Yemenis from far-flung provinces fighting under the leadership of Tareq Saleh, the nephew of late Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, have joined battles against Houthi rebels on the country’s western coast. These fighters and their families have rented homes in the Taiz countryside, providing an unexpected source of income for cash-strapped villagers. But while…
[ SCMP ] Hong Kong experiences ‘alarming’ population drop, but government says not all 90,000 leaving city because of national security law
Number of people in city now estimated to be 7.39 million, a 1.2 per cent drop in a year Social administration expert Professor Paul Yip says officials should try and address the concerns of those going elsewhere Nearly 90,000 residents have left Hong Kong amid a wave of emigration in the year after the national security…