International | November 5, 2021
Gen. Milley Says China Unlikely to Militarily Seize Taiwan in Near Future
International | November 5, 2021
China is unlikely to use military force to seize Taiwan in the near future, but the country’s communist regime does pose a serious threat not only to the self-ruled island, but also to the United States, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Nov. 3. “Based on my analysis of China, I don’t think that it is likely in the near future—being defined as six, 12, maybe 24 months, that kind of window,” he said in response to a question about it. Milley made the remarks while speaking at the Aspen Security Forum, an annual three-day security and foreign policy conference presented by the Washington-based Aspen Strategy Group…. (Excerpts from the Epoch Times)
District of Columbia, International | October 22, 2021
‘Plan Z’: With Afghanistan lost, U.S. weighs help from Taliban, adversaries in terror fight
District of Columbia, International | October 22, 2021
America’s top generals say a counterterrorism partnership with the Taliban is a possibility. They have even explored a potential deal with Vladimir Putin to use Russian military bases as a launchpad for U.S. strikes on extremists. The drastic measures under serious consideration in the Biden administration underscore the daunting challenges facing the U.S. in its effort to halt the expansion of the Islamic State group in Afghanistan, slow a seemingly inevitable resurgence of al Qaeda and otherwise manage threats emanating from a country that is on the fast track to once again become the global epicenter of Islamist terrorism. That such moves are even on the table, critics say, offers more proof that President Biden’s decision to proceed with the military withdrawal from Afghanistan has left America and its allies in a dangerous, compromised position…. (Excerpts from the Washington Times)
International | October 8, 2021
U.S. Troops Have Been Deployed in Taiwan for at Least a Year
International | October 8, 2021
A U.S. special-operations unit and a contingent of Marines have been secretly operating in Taiwan to train military forces there, U.S. officials said, part of efforts to shore up the island’s defenses as concern regarding potential Chinese aggression mounts. About two dozen members of U.S. special-operations and support troops are conducting training for small units of Taiwan’s ground forces, the officials said. The U.S. Marines are working with local maritime forces on small-boat training. The American forces have been operating in Taiwan for at least a year, the officials said. The U.S. special-operations deployment is a sign of concern within the Pentagon over Taiwan’s tactical capabilities in light of Beijing’s yearslong military buildup and recent threatening moves against the island… (Excerpts from the Wall Street Journal)
International | September 2, 2021
Defense Department holding 20,000 evacuated Afghans in U.S., 43,000 more overseas
International | September 2, 2021
The U.S. is holding about 20,000 Afghan evacuees on American soil, the Pentagon said Wednesday, with tens of thousands more reportedly at overseas U.S. military bases hoping for eventual entry. Afghans in the U.S. are spread across eight military bases, Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters Wednesday. Another 23,000 are being held at bases in four European countries, and 20,000 more are in other countries, generally in the Middle East. Many of those are likely headed for the U.S., too. The bases here have capacity to hold about 30,000 people, but the military has been told to expand that to 50,000, the White House said…. (Excerpts from Washington Times)
International | August 30, 2021
U.S. Shoots Down Rockets Fired at Kabul Airport
International | August 30, 2021
As the Tuesday Afghanistan withdrawal deadline approaches, Islamic militants are stepping up their attacks on Hamid Karzai International Airport.
After deploying a drone to destroy a potential suicide car bomb Sunday, the U.S. military on Monday shot down rockets targeting Kabul airport, where the evacuation from the war-torn country is wrapping up, the New York Times reported.
President Biden warned Saturday that the fraught situation in Afghanistan continues to be “extremely dangerous” and projected another attack on Kabul airport as “highly likely” before the U.S. exit.
A counter-rocket system neutralized the incoming missiles, an anonymous U.S. official told the newspaper.There were no initial reports of casualties and it is still unknown who is responsible for the launches… (Excerpts from the National Review)
International | August 30, 2021
Afghan Militants Fire Rockets at Kabul Airport as U.S. Nears Withdrawal
International | August 30, 2021
. . Afghan militants fired rockets at Kabul’s airport as the U.S. rushed to complete its evacuation mission in Afghanistan before Tuesday’s deadline to leave the country, with U.S. counter-rocket defenses deployed to intercept them. While no group claimed immediate responsibility for Monday’s rocket attack, the U.S. has repeatedly warned of imminent threats by Islamic State. The Taliban are coordinating with the U.S. military during the handover. The assault marks the latest upsurge in violence in the final days of the U.S.’s 20-year military presence in Afghanistan. It followed a U.S. drone strike Sunday that targeted suspected Islamic State suicide bombers who the Pentagon said sought to attack the airport and a suicide bombing last week that killed 13 U.S. service members and more than 200 Afghan civilians…. (Excerpts from the Wall Street Journal)