Press Statement – Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State – On the Political Impasse in Afghanistan The United States is proud of our partnership with the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Afghan people, and admires what Afghanistan has achieved since 2001. We have forged a deep bond, especially with Afghan security forces, through shared

Struggling to Save Peace Talks, Afghanistan Now Must Deal With Refugee Return Roshan Noorzai, Niala Mohammad and Rikar Hussein – Voice of America With peace talks between the government and the Taliban teetering, and a dispute between President Ashraf Ghani and his rival, Abdullah Abdullah, causing a political impasse, Afghanistan is bracing for yet another

Yemen Analysts Do Not See End to Conflict Dale Gavlak – Voice of America AMMAN – Yemen marks five years of brutal civil war that has transformed the poorest Arab nation at the tip of the Arabian Peninsula into the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. An estimated 100,000 people have been killed during the conflict, and

The Marines Want to Get Rid of Their Tanks. Here’s Why. By Shawn Snow – Marine Corps Times A series of wargames conducted between 2018 and 2019 helped inform the Corps’ decision to divest of tanks and outmoded units and equipment that will have trouble surviving in fight with peer adversaries like China, according to

U.S. Announces Narcoterrorism Charges Against Venezuela’s Maduro Masood Farivar – Voice of America WASHINGTON – The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday announced narcoterrorism charges against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and other top officials, accusing them of collaborating with a leftist Colombian guerrilla group to traffic cocaine to the United States. The charges are likely to

Abdullah Says Release Of Taliban Prisoners ‘Beneficial’ For Peace Process Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Afghanistan’s former Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah says the release of Taliban prisoners by the government would be beneficial for both sides and would help move the Afghan peace process forward. Abdullah’s statement came after Afghanistan’s National Security Council announced

U.S. Transfers Q-West Airfield to Iraqi Forces Citing Progress in Fight Against ISIS by Shawn Snow – Military Times The U.S. military has handed over the Qayyarah Airfield West base, which is located just over 30 miles south of Mosul, Iraq. Operation Inherent Resolve — the U.S.-led mission to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria

The new coronavirus is now taking off in the world’s poorest countries, which join the battle with even fewer weapons than developed nations, some of which have fumbled the pandemic’s early stages. From Venezuela to Pakistan to the Democratic Republic of Congo—and nearly every developing country between—confirmed cases have started to spike in recent days,

U.S. Demands Answers After Reports Ex-FBI Agent Died In Iranian Custody Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty The United States has demanded that Tehran give “a complete accounting” of happened to retired FBI agent Robert Levinson, who is believed to have died in Iranian custody. “While the investigation is ongoing, we believe that Bob Levinson

The Marine Corps’ Radical Shift Toward China by Mark F. Cancian – Center for Strategic & International Studies Last July, General Berger electrified the national security community with planning guidance that proposed to align the Marine Corps with the National Defense Strategy (NDS) by making major changes to forces, equipment, and training. Though dramatic in