Reported Taliban Killings Fuel Afghans' Fears

COLLEGE FOOTBALL VIRUS OUTBREAK VIDEO GAMES Alabama’s QB ‘Bracing for the Microsoft Flight Young embraces worst’ in Florida’s Simulator gives a high expectations COVID-19 hot zone feel for aviation Page 24 Page 7 Page 12 Navy pilot program uses smart watches, rings to test fatigue ›› Page 3 stripes.com Volume 80 Edition 90A ©SS 2021 CONTINGENCY EDITION SATURDAY,AUGUST 21, 2021 Free to Deployed Areas Reported Taliban killings fuel Afghans’ fears BY AHMAD SEIR, TAMEEM AKHGAR AND DAIVD RISING Associated Press KABUL, Afghanistan — Re- ports of targeted killings in areas overrun by the Taliban mounted Friday, fueling fears that they will return Afghanistan to the repres- sive rule they imposed when they were last in power, even as they urged imams to push a message of unity at Friday’s prayers. Terrified that the new de facto rulers would commit such abuses and despairing for their country’s future, thousands have raced to Kabul’s airport and border cross- ings following the Taliban’s stun- ning blitz through Afghanistan. In one dramatic image, a U.S. Ma- rine providing airport security re- ached over razor wire atop a bar- rier and plucked a baby by the arm from a crowd of people and pulled it up over the wall. Others have taken to the streets to protest the takeover — acts of defiance that Taliban fighters have violently suppressed. The Taliban say they have be- come more moderate since they last ruled Afghanistan in the late 1990s and have pledged to restore security and forgive those who fought them in the 20 years since a U.S.-led invasion. Ahead of Friday prayers, leaders urged imams to use sermons to appeal for unity ISAIAH CAMPBELL/U.S. Marine Corps Marines with the 24th Expeditionary Unit guide an evacuee during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan, SEE FEARS ON PAGE 4 Wednesday. U.S. soldiers and Marines are assisting the Department of State with a drawdown of designated personnel in Afghanistan. ‘Chaos continues’ for thousands of Afghans at Kabul airport BY ZUBAIR BABAKARKHAIL the gates of Hamid Karzai Inter- the post. first two days after the Taliban Stars and Stripes national Airport, where women Things appeared calmer else- took power,” the driver said. “Still KABUL, Afghanistan — Thou- and children covered their faces where in the city of more than 4 we are worried about the future. sands of Afghans waited in the Ka- to avoid the sting of the gas. million, though fear of the new Ta- We don’t know what’s going to bul heat outside the capital’s inter- At least five people were recent- liban regime continues to keep happen next, but it’s not as scary national airport Friday with hopes ly injured by gunfire and were tak- daily life on hold for many. as it was before.” of crossing Taliban checkpoints en from the airport to the capital’s Banks and larger stores re- However, the closed banks have and boarding an evacuation flight, surgical center run by the Italian mained closed, though some some who spoke with Stars and despite enduring tear gas attacks nonprofit Emergency, the organi- smaller shops were slowly reo- Stripes worried that other resi- Stars and Stripes and crackling warning shots the zation said Friday on Twitter. pening, said a taxi driver who dents could run out of money to Crowds of men, women and night before. “The chaos continues in that ar- asked not to be named for safety pay for food. children wait outside Kabul’s Tracer rounds arced in the dark ea,” said the facility’s medical co- reasons. international airport Thursday. sky above a large crowd outside ordinator Alberto Zanin, quoted in “It was very scary during the SEE CHAOS ON PAGE 4 PAGE 2 • STARS AND STRIPES • Saturday, August 21, 2021 BUSINESS/WEATHER FTC revises antitrust complaint against Facebook EXCHANGE RATES Military rates South Korea (Won) 1181.33 Associated Press attorneys general that were among WhatsApp in 2014. Switzerlnad (Franc) 0.9174 Euro costs (Aug. 23) $1.14 Thailand (Baht) 33.35 WASHINGTON — Federal regu- multiplying efforts by federal and Facebook said the FTC was at- Dollar buys (Aug. 23) 0.8348 Turkey (NewLira) 8.5070 British pound (Aug. 23) $1.33 lators have sharpened their anti- state regulators to rein in tech titans’ tempting to revive a meritless law- Japanese yen (Aug. 23) 107.00 (Military exchange rates are those available trust attack against Facebook, alleg- market power. The FTC again is suit and said it will vigorously de- South Korean won (Aug. 23) 1147.00 to customers at military banking facilities in the Commercial rates country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Ger ing in a revised complaint Thursday seeking remedies that could include fend itself against what it said is an many, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Bahrain(Dinar) 0.3770 For nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., pur that the social network giant pur- a forced spinoff of Facebook’s pop- effort to rewrite antitrust laws. Britain (Pound) 1.3628 chasing British pounds in Germany), check with Canada (Dollar) 1.2860 your local military banking facility. Commercial sued a laser-focused strategy to ular Instagram and WhatsApp “There was no valid claim that China(Yuan) 6.5002 rates are interbank rates provided for reference Denmark (Krone) 6.3682 “buy or bury” rivals to suppress messaging services, or a restructur- Facebook was a monopolist — and Egypt (Pound) 15.7004 when buying currency. All figures are foreign competition. ing of the company. that has not changed,” the company Euro 0.8564 currencies to one dollar, except for the British Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7903 pound, which is represented in dollarsto It is the Federal Trade Commis- The agency’s lawsuit last Decem- based in Menlo Park, Calif., said in a Hungary (Forint) 299.85 pound, and the euro, which is dollarstoeuro.) Israel (Shekel) 3.2409 sion’s second antitrust run at the ber alleged Facebook engaged in a prepared statement. “Our acquisi- Japan (Yen) 109.84 INTEREST RATES company. A federal judge in June “systematic strategy” to eliminate tions of Instagram and WhatsApp Kuwait(Dinar) 0.3011 Norway (Krone) 9.0455 Prime rate 3.25 dismissed antitrust lawsuits its competition, including by pur- were reviewed and cleared many Philippines (Peso) 50.31 Interest Rates Discount rate 0.75 Poland (Zloty) 3.93 Federal funds market rate 0.09 brought against Facebook by the chasing smaller up-and-coming ri- years ago, and our platform policies Saudi Arabia (Riyal) 3.7501 3month bill 0.06 agency and a broad coalition of state vals like Instagram in 2012 and were lawful.” Singapore (Dollar) 1.3625 30year bond 1.88 WEATHER OUTLOOK SATURDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST SATURDAY IN EUROPE SUNDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 70/67 Kabul Seoul 79/71 Baghdad 109/76 Osan Tokyo Drawsko 81/74 Kandahar Mildenhall/ Pomorskie Busan Lakenheath 66/56 79/76 66/59 Iwakuni Kuwait City 80/77 Bahrain Brussels Zagan Sasebo 101/85 96/91 Ramstein 70/57 81/78 Guam 77/59 77/55 83/80 Riyadh Lajes, Azores Stuttgart 105/81 Doha Pápa 104/87 74/71 79/58 Aviano/ 80/61 Vicenza 83/62 Naples 87/72 Okinawa Morón 83/80 96/67 Sigonella Djibouti Rota 90/71 The weather is provided by the 80/70 Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 103/85 80/74 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. TODAY IN STRIPES American Roundup ...... 11 Health & Fitness ......... 13 Comics/Crossword .......17 Movies ......................... 14 Opinion ........................ 16 Sports .................... 19-24 Video Games ............... 12 Saturday, August 21, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 3 MILITARY No charges in Fort Sill sexual assault probe BY ROSE L. THAYER my Criminal Investigation Com- issued Thursday. “On those through the investigative process, “The CID team included the Ar- Stars and Stripes mand, known as CID, led an inves- grounds, military prosecutors de- Kamper said. my’s most experienced sexual as- Army prosecutors have deter- tigation into the incidents. During termined that this case should not “We conducted a full and thor- sault investigators,” officials said mined no charges should be filed the investigation, two more sol- come to me because they had no ough investigation into the recent in a statement. against multiple instructors at Fort diers in training came forward probable cause to believe the alle- sexual assault reports and dedicat- They conducted more than 700 Sill, Okla., who were accused of with allegations of incidents of sex- gations occurred.” ed significant investigative re- interviews, reviewed more than sexually assaulting a solider in ual assault that were incorporated Those implicated in the allega- sources to ensure we uncovered 5,000 pages of documents, per- training, base officials announced into the investigation, according to tions were informed they will re- the facts and evidence,” he said. formed the digital forensic analysis Thursday. the base. turn to their Army careers, officials “We encourage reporting and take of more than 100,000 text messag- The female trainee on March 27 All three soldiers were training said. Prosecutors reviewed possi- all reports of sexual harassment or es, and viewed thousands of hours reported that she was the victim of at the Fires Center of Excellence, ble charges in the Uniform Code of assault seriously with an absolute of security camera footage of times multiple incidents of sexual assault which conducts training and edu- Military Justice, but determined commitment to fully investigate and locations of the allegations. at various times and locations cation for enlisted soldiers and offi- there was no evidence to substan- every report to determine the facts CID consulted with other law en- while attending training at Fort Sill cers working in the fields of air de- tiate any of the allegations, accord- and evidence in order to take ap- forcement agencies, including the earlier in the year.

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