President Joe Biden is expected to announce the nomination of Air Force Gen. Charles "C.Q." Brown Jr. to serve as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, making him the first African American to serve in both the Pentagon’s top military and civilian positions. Brown is a history-making fighter pilot with deep knowledge of China and is currently the commander of the Pacific Air Forces. If confirmed, he will take over from Gen. Mark Milley, who held the job during the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol and the deadly withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
Posts tagged as “Afghanistan”
A senior administration official has confirmed that the mastermind behind the deadly August 2021 attack at Kabul International Airport, which claimed the lives of 13 U.S. service members and more than 150 Afghans, has been killed by the Taliban in Afghanistan. The U.S. has intelligence and other sources confirming his death, and the death of the ISIS leader is a major victory for the U.S. and its allies in the fight against terrorism. It is hoped that his death will bring some measure of justice to the families of the victims of the attack.
The White House has released a summary of the "hotwash" of U.S. policies around the ending of the longest war, blaming the chaotic 2021 withdrawal on the Trump administration and asserting that President Joe Biden was "severely constrained" by President Donald Trump's decisions. The Pentagon and State Department have completed after-action reviews on the withdrawal and are expected to provide a more detailed assessment of the withdrawal, security failures, and how the Biden administration can prevent similar situations in the future.
The White House released a report summarizing the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, which found that President Joe Biden was "severely constrained" by the conditions created by President Donald Trump. The report outlines the steps taken by the Biden administration to ensure a safe and orderly withdrawal, and calls for continued diplomatic engagement with the Afghan government and support for the Afghan people. It concludes that the Biden administration has taken steps to ensure a safe and orderly withdrawal from Afghanistan, but that the challenges faced by the country remain significant.
The Taliban have issued a ban on female Afghan employees of the United Nations, putting millions of vulnerable households at risk of not receiving the humanitarian aid they need. U.N. officials have condemned the decision, and are currently seeking some form of resolution to the ban. However, the Taliban's measures to limit women's rights in the country have been harsh since taking over in 2021.
Sadai Banowan, Afghanistan's only women-run radio station, has been shut down by the Taliban for playing music during the holy month of Ramadan. This has sparked debate among Afghans and criticism from human rights groups, who have called for the immediate reopening of the station. The decision has highlighted the ongoing struggle between the Taliban and the Afghan government over freedom of expression and the rights of women.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee has issued a subpoena to Secretary of State Antony Blinken for sensitive cables from the U.S. embassy in Kabul. The subpoena, signed by Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul, requests an internal dissent cable written by 23 State Department employees in Afghanistan. The document is seen as a vital piece of information as the committee investigates the withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Biden administration is facing criticism from both sides of the aisle. The State Department has yet to comment on the subpoena.