BRITISH OPEN VIRUS OUTBREAK FACES Players confined to US cases on rise ‘Sharknado’ returns strict bubble as again, doubling for Shark Week tournament returns over three weeks educational special Page 24 Page 8 Page 14 Poland to beef up defenses with 250 US-made Abrams tanks ›› Page 6 stripes.com Volume 80 Edition 64 ©SS 2021 THURSDAY,JULY 15, 2021 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas US to begin evacuation of Afghans who aided effort BY J.P. LAWRENCE Stars and Stripes KABUL, Afghanistan — Flights to evacuate Afghans who assisted the U.S. military are set to begin during the last week of July, a se- nior Biden administration official said Wednesday. Operation Allies Refuge will provide relocation flights for Af- ghan citizens and their families, said the official, who spoke on con- dition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak pub- licly. Priority will go to those who have already applied for visas to come to the U.S. through the Spe- cial Immigrant Visa program. The official declined to provide further details on when the flights will depart, or where evacuees will be sent to, citing security con- cerns. Advocates for Afghan SIV ap- JULIO CORTEZ/AP plicants in Congress and among U.S. Army veteran Andrew Brennan poses with servicemember bracelets in his home in Baltimore last month. The former Army captain who veterans groups welcomed flew combat missions in Afghanistan lost one of his closest friends, pilot Bryan Nichols, who was killed along with the entire crew in 2011. Wednesday’s announcement. Rep. Seth Moulton, a Massachu- setts Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said the U.S. needed to follow through on its promise to keep allies safe in ‘What have we ended up with?’ exchange for their help. “I’m glad to see President (Joe) Biden following through on that US veterans of Afghanistan weigh in as America’s longest war winds down promise,” Moulton said in a state- ment on Twitter. BY JULIE WATSON, ted the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. RELATED Iraq served multiple tours, some The Biden administration’s an- KEN MILLER AND More than 800,000 U.S. troops in well-secured bases in times of nouncement comes amid fears of ELLEN KNICKMEYER have served in the Central Asian Bush: Afghanistan comparative quiet, others facing retribution for Afghans who as- Associated Press country since then, in a war that improvised explosive devices on sisted the U.S. and its allies during mages of the World Trade quickly expanded to confronting withdrawal will be the roads, mortar and rocket at- the last two decades of conflict in Center towers collapsing in Afghanistan’s Taliban and to na- tacks on their positions, and fire- Afghanistan. Deadly Taliban of- New York were still fresh in tion-building. On Monday, the top ‘unbelievably bad’ fights. While the U.S. quickly suc- fensives have swept the country as Ithe minds of the first Amer- U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Page 5 ceeded in quelling the al-Qaida the U.S. drawdown from its long- ican troops arriving in Afghanis- Gen. Scott Miller, relinquished his fighters behind the 9/11 attacks, est war reaches its end. tan, as the U.S. launched an inva- command in Kabul, underscoring One-third of the roughly 4 mil- Americans leave with the Taliban More than 18,000 applicants sion targeting the Afghanistan- the winding down of America’s lion troops who served in the based al-Qaida leaders who plot- longest war. post-9/11 wars in Afghanistan and SEE VETERANS ON PAGE 5 SEE AFGHANS ON PAGE 5 PAGE 2 • STARS AND STRIPES • Thursday, July 15, 2021 BUSINESS/WEATHER EU to unveil tough climate rules, foreign firm tax EXCHANGE RATES Military rates South Korea (Won) 1,146.79 Associated Press buildings. It will see a revamp of the Fahrenheit, and ideally no more Switzerland (Franc) .9165 Euro costs (July 15) $1.15 Thailand (Baht) 32.63 BRUSSELS — The European bloc’s emissions trading scheme un- than 2.7 F by the end of the century. Dollar buys (July 15) 0.8246 Turkey (New Lira) 8.5943 British pound (July 15) $1.35 Union on Wednesday is unveiling der which companies pay for the Scientists say both goals will be mis- Japanese yen (July 15) 108.00 (Military exchange rates are those available sweeping new legislation to help gases they send into the air. sed by a wide margin unless drastic South Korean won (July 15) 1,120.00 to customers at military banking facilities in the Commercial rates country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Ger­ meet its pledge to cut emissions of The new legislation will involve steps are taken to begin cutting many, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Bahrain (Dinar) .3769 For nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., pur­ the gases that cause global warming around a dozen major proposals — greenhouse gas emissions. Britain (Pound) 1.3880 chasing British pounds in Germany), check with Canada (Dollar) 1.2462 your local military banking facility. Commercial by 55% over this decade, including a most of them building on laws al- The European Commission China (Yuan) 6.4570 rates are interbank rates provided for reference Denmark (Krone) 6.2911 controversial plan to tax foreign ready in place to meet the EU’s old wants to exploit the public mood for Egypt (Pound) 15.6848 when buying currency. All figures are foreign companies for the pollution they goal of a 40% cut in gas emissions by change provoked by the COVID-19 Euro .8459 currencies to one dollar, except for the British Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7671 pound, which is represented in dollars­to­ cause. 2030, compared to 1990 levels — and pandemic. It’s already channeling Hungary (Forint) 303.58 pound, and the euro, which is dollars­to­euro.) Israel (Shekel) 3.2637 The proposals by the European must be endorsed by the 27 member more than a third of a massive recov- Japan (Yen) 110.09 INTEREST RATES Commission, which is the EU’s ex- countries and EU lawmakers. ery package aimed at reviving Eu- Kuwait (Dinar) .3007 Norway (Krone) 8.7347 Prime rate 3.25 ecutive branch, will cover every- World leaders agreed six years ropean economies ravaged by coro- Philippines (Peso) 50.17 Interest Rates Discount rate 0.75 Poland (Zloty) 3.87 Federal funds market rate 0.09 thing from tougher caps on car pol- ago in Paris to keep the global warm- navirus restrictions into climate- Saudi Arabia (Riyal) 3.7504 3­month bill 0.05 lution to new limits on gases from ing increase to below 3.6 degrees oriented goals. Singapore (Dollar) 1.3531 30­year bond 2.04 WEATHER OUTLOOK THURSDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST THURSDAY IN EUROPE FRIDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 71/64 Kabul Seoul 85/60 85/76 Baghdad 108/78 Tokyo Drawsko Osan Kandahar 88/72 83/70 Mildenhall/ Pomorskie Busan 105/78 Lakenheath 77/66 70/55 78/74 Iwakuni 77/74 Kuwait City Bahrain Brussels Zagan Sasebo Guam 109/90 94/90 Ramstein 75/64 64/60 72/61 82/75 84/81 Lajes, Riyadh Stuttgart 109/80 Doha Azores Pápa 69/66 66/58 99/87 Aviano/ 81/61 Vicenza 72/58 Naples 80/67 Morón Okinawa 83/80 100/66 Sigonella Rota 90/71 Souda Bay The weather is provided by the Djibouti 86/64 American Forces Network Weather Center, 100/87 80/76 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. TODAY IN STRIPES American Roundup ...... 11 Classified .................... 13 Comics .........................16 Crossword ................... 16 Faces .......................... 14 Opinion ........................ 15 Sports .................... 18-24 Thursday, July 15, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 3 MILITARY Austin touts AI to help prevent future wars BY CAITLIN DOORNBOS inant in AI by the year 2030.” He said the department is fo- formation to support joint war- Still, Austin emphasized mov- Stars and Stripes “Beijing already talks about cusing on AI development be- fighting. ing forward with AI ethically, WASHINGTON — Artificial using AI for a range of missions, cause it will be key to deter ad- “The Pathfinder project … pledging to “watch out for unin- intelligence will be key to pre- from surveillance to cyberat- versaries in “the future fight.” helps us better detect airborne tended consequences” and “im- venting future conflicts as China tacks to autonomous weapons,” “Tech advances like AI are threats by using AI to fuse data mediately adjust, improve, or increases its efforts to develop the defense secretary said. changing the face and the pace of from military, commercial and even disable any AI system that the technology, Defense Secre- The Pentagon’s proposed bud- warfare, but we believe that we government sensors in real isn’t behaving the way that we tary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday get for 2022 asked for $112 billion can responsibly use AI as a force time,” Austin said. intend.” during a summit on emerging in research, development, test- multiplier — one that helps us to The Pentagon’s use of AI also “Our development, deploy- technologies. ing and evaluation — the depart- make decisions faster and more expands beyond tactical war- ment, and use of AI must always Austin, who was speaking at a ment’s largest-ever request for rigorously, to integrate across all fare. Austin said the department be responsible, equitable, trace- summit hosted by the National such priorities. domains, and to replace old ways recently used AI to help in com- able, reliable and governable,” Security Commission on Artifi- In the request, “AI is one of the of doing business,” Austin said. bating the coronavirus pandem- Austin said.