Deepening Defense Ties
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
NBA MILITARY FACES Players prep Porn site offering Whitney Houston for last run of to send free videos hologram tour regular season to deployed troops set to kick off Back page Page 4 Page 14 France honors American who fought behind enemy lines in WWII » Page 9 stripes.com Volume 78, No. 219 ©SS 2020 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2020 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas Daegu Army base restricts access amid virus threat BY KIM GAMEL Stars and Stripes SEOUL, South Korea — The Daegu Army garrison restricted access and imposed self-quar- antine for any U.S. troops who recently attended a local church linked to a cluster of new corona- virus infections Wednesday, as South Korea’s infection toll sur- passed 50. The top U.S. commander in South Korea also raised the risk level for the military commu- Deepening nity on the divided peninsula to moderate. U.S. Army Garrison Daegu, about 155 miles southeast of Seoul, also recommended that members of the military com- munity avoid public places and defense ties transportation in the city, includ- ing stores, restaurants and other heavily congested areas until a US, Greece hold live-fire drill trace investigation is completed. Schools on the base and several after finalizing major base deal other activities were to be closed on Thursday, the garrison said, adding that conditions would be assessed the next day as South BY DEREK GATOPOULOS Greece watched the training Korean authorities work to de- Associated Press drill conducted with attack he- termine who has come in contact licopters in northern Greece. with infected patients. LITOCHORO, Greece Washington and Athens fi- “Travel to and from Daegu will rmy aviation forces nalized a defense agreement be limited to mission essential from Greece and the three weeks ago that gives only for service members. Fami- lies and (Defense Department) United States took American forces expanded ac- civilians are discouraged from Apart in a live-fire cess to Greek military bases. traveling to and from Daegu,” the training exercise Wednesday “The U.S.-Greece relation- garrison said. at the foot of Mount Olym- ship is stronger than it has ever “All visitors who are not per- pus, marking deepening de- been,” U.S. Ambassador Geof- forming mission essential or of- fense ties between the two frey Pyatt said. “Our defense countries. ficial business will be denied ties and our defense coopera- access to USAG Daegu military Greece is ramping up its tion is an essential component military cooperation with the of that.” SEE THREAT ON PAGE 6 U.S. and France — and pur- After a financial crisis that chases of equipment from the lasted nearly a decade, Greece two allies — amid wariness is working to modernize its of worsening relations with RELATED navy, upgrade its fleet of F-16 Turkey over disputed sea and PHOTOS BY YORGOS KARAHALIS/AP fighter jets and to strengthen air space boundaries, includ- China vows no ing drilling rights in the East At top: Greek marines stand near helicopters during a drill involving military ties with traditional Mediterranean. Army aviation forces from Greece and the U.S. at a military base allies as well as Turkey’s re- patient unchecked The chief of the Greek army in Stefanovikio, central Greece, on Wednesday . Above: U.S. gional rivals, including Israel, as virus cases fall and the U.S. ambassador to Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt speaks with U.S. soldiers. SEE TIES ON PAGE 3 Page 6 PAGE 2 F3HIJKLM •STARS AND STRIPES• Thursday, February 20, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER EXCHANGE RATES Brexit pushes more businesses to Netherlands Military rates Switzerland (Franc)............................0.9841 Euro costs (Feb. 20) ..........................$1.1078 Thailand (Baht) ..................................... 31.21 Dollar buys (Feb. 20) ........................€0.9027 Turkey (Lira) .........................................6.0847 British pound (Feb. 20) ........................$1.33 Associated Press (Military exchange rates are those The agency said in a statement from the Americas and Asia that Japanese yen (Feb. 20) ...................... 107.00 available to customers at military banking South Korean won (Feb. 20) ..........1,162.00 that business uncertainty is in- are reconsidering the structure of Commercial rates facilities in the country of issuance THE HAGUE, Netherlands for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the Bahrain (Dinar) ....................................0.3770 creasing because of unanswered their European operations in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For — Ongoing uncertainty about British pound .....................................$1.2960 questions over Britain’s future aftermath of Brexit. nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., Canada (Dollar) ...................................1.3235 the effects of Brexit is pushing purchasing British pounds in Germany), trading relationship with the EU “For these businesses, 2020 will China (Yuan) ....................................... 6.9979 an increasing number of foreign check with your local military banking Denmark (Krone) ................................6.9238 bloc. London and Brussels have be an important year,” said Jeroen facility. Commercial rates are interbank companies to set up offices in the Egypt (Pound) ...................................15.5849 until the end of the year to agree Nijland of the foreign investment Euro .........................................$1.0787/0.9270 rates provided for reference when buying Netherlands, the Dutch govern- currency. All figures are foreign currencies ment said Wednesday. on a pact on their post-divorce agency. Hong Kong (Dollar) .............................7.7712 Hungary (Forint) .................................311.96 to one dollar, except for the British pound, Since the 2016 referendum on relationship. While some businesses are Israel (Shekel) .....................................3.4283 which is represented in dollars-to-pound, Britain leaving the European The agency said that it is in waiting to see how the new U.K.- Japan (Yen) ...........................................110.83 and the euro, which is dollars-to-euro.) talks with around 425 companies EU economic relationship pans Kuwait (Dinar) .....................................0.3059 INTEREST RATES Union, 140 businesses have made a Norway (Krone) ...................................9.2831 presence in the Netherlands, with considering moving or expanding out, “more and more companies Philippines (Peso).................................50.59 Prime rate ................................................4.75 78 shifting operations there last to the Netherlands due to Brexit. are choosing the certainty and Poland (Zloty) ..........................................3.96 Discount rate ..........................................2.25 Saudi Arabia (Riyal) ...........................3.7505 Federal funds market rate ...................1.58 year, according to the Netherlands The companies come from Brit- stability our country offers in the Singapore (Dollar) ..............................1.3938 3-month bill .............................................1.55 Foreign Investment Agency. ain, but also include businesses European market,” Nijland said. South Korea (Won) ..........................1,190.94 30-year bond ...........................................2.00 WEATHER OUTLOOK THURSDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST THURSDAY IN EUROPE FRIDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 39/33 Kabul 47/33 Seoul 46/31 Baghdad 65/54 Kandahar 58/35 Osan Tokyo Mildenhall/ Drawsko 47/31 51/44 Lakenheath Pomorskie Busan 50/45 41/36 48/36 Iwakuni 50/44 Kuwait Bahrain Zagan Sasebo City 69/65 Brussels 43/35 Guam 71/64 49/42 Ramstein 56/42 82/78 Lajes, 44/38 Riyadh Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 71/65 82/62 57/53 46/35 45/35 Aviano/ Vicenza 46/31 Naples 56/45 Okinawa Morón 69/65 66/50 Sigonella Rota 58/35 The weather is provided by the Djibouti Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 84/69 63/50 58/54 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ..... 11 Classified .................. 13 Comics ...................... 15 Crossword ................. 15 Faces ........................ 14 Opinion ..................... 16 Sports ...................17-24 Thursday, February 20, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• F3HIJKLM PAGE 3 WAR/MILITARY Reports: Devices found in missiles link Iran to attacks BY JON GAMBRELL item suggests that the material Associated Press was supplied from Iran,” Jonah Leff of Conflict Armament Re- DUBAI, United Arab Emirates search told The Associated Press. — A small instrument inside the The gyroscopes in question drones that targeted the heart of bear no manufacturer’s name and Saudi Arabia’s oil industry and come in at least two versions la- those in the arsenal of Yemen’s beled as V9 and V10, according to Houthi rebels match components the reports. Their four-digit serial recovered in downed Iranian numbers also appear sequential, /Stars and Stripes JOE GROMELSKI drones in Afghanistan and Iraq, suggesting the same manufactur- two reports say. er had built all of those found. These gyroscopes have only The Houthi’s Qasef-1 drone car- Remembering Battle of Iwo Jima been found inside drones manu- ries the V10 gyroscope, which is factured by Iran, Conflict Arma- “identical“ to one found in an Ira- Friends of the National World War II Memorial Chairman Josiah Bunting III, from left, Iwo Jima battle ment Research said in a report nian-made Ababil-3 drone, which veteran Ira Rigger and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley salute during a wreath laying at a released Wednesday. That follows Islamic State