Taliban at Crossroads
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NATION MILITARY MUSIC Biden invites Russia, House panel Grammy-winning China to first global explores diversifying songwriter Starrah climate talks special operations gets turn to shine Page 6 Page 3 Page 12 Sweet 16 putting UCLA, Southern Cal in prime-time spotlight ›› Page 24 stripes.com Volume 79 Edition 243B ©SS 2021 CONTINGENCY EDITION SUNDAY,MARCH 28, 2021 Free to Deployed Areas Myanmar protests death toll tops 100 Associated Press YANGON, Myanmar — As Myanmar’s military celebrated the annual Armed Forces Day ho- liday with a parade Saturday in the country’s capital, soldiers and police elsewhere reportedly killed dozens of people as they sup- pressed protests in the deadliest bloodletting since last month’s coup. The online news site Myanmar Now reported late Saturday that the death toll had reached 114. A count issued by an independent researcher in Yangon who has been compiling near-real time death tolls put the total at 107, spread over more than two dozen cities and towns. Both numbers are higher than all estimates for the previous high on March 14, which ranged in counts from 74 to 90. Figures collected by the re- searcher, who asked not to be named for his security, have gen- LORENZO TUGNOLI/The Washington Post erally tallied with the counts is- Taliban fighters parade their weapons in Marawara district, Afghanistan, in July 2020. sued at the end of each day by the Taliban at crossroads SEE PROTESTS ON PAGE 10 With US withdrawal delay likely, and new peace deal on table, militant group faces decision on path to power BY SUSANNAH GEORGE “If we share power Accepting a place in a power-sharing government, as The Washington Post proposed by the United States, would bring the group DOHA, Qatar — For months, the Taliban has man- with the government one step closer to its ultimate goal of retaking full con- aged to both talk peace and wage war across Afghan- trol of the country and establishing an Islamic govern- istan. in Kabul, what were ment — and yet any path to power that prevents Af- The strategy appeared to appease the hard-liners we fighting for?” ghanistan from again being labeled a pariah state will within the militant group who want an outright mil- require compromise at odds with the core beliefs of itary victory to end the 20-year conflict and moderate Anonymous Taliban commander the militants’ rank and file. members of the movement who would accept a politi- AP on a power-sharing agreement Adeadline looms. The Biden administration has un- cal solution. til May 1 to withdraw troops from the country, under a The body of a man killed in an But the new, aggressive U.S. push for a peace deal proposed by the United States anti-coup protest is brought to a has brought the Taliban to an inevitable crossroads: SEE DECISION ON PAGE 4 hospital in Myanmar on Saturday. PAGE 2 • STARS AND STRIPES • Sunday, March 28, 2021 BUSINESS/WEATHER Amazon employees seek union EXCHANGE RATES Military rates South Korea (Won) 1131.22 Associated Press the Bessemer facility. She said tion pushes at Amazon facilities. Switzerland (Franc) .9391 Euro costs (March 29) $1.15 Thailand (Baht) 31.12 BESSEMER, Ala. — Linda employees face relentless quotas If voted down, it would be anoth- Dollar buys (March 29) 0.8270 Turkey (NewLira) 8.1099 British pound (March 29) $1.34 Burns was excited at first to land and deserve more respect. er loss for organizers hoping to Japanese yen (March 29) 106.00 (Military exchange rates are those available a job at the Amazon warehouse “They are treating us like ro- win a rare labor victory in the South Korean won (March 29) 1104.00 to customers at military banking facilities in the Commercial rates country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Ger outside Birmingham, Ala. The bots rather than humans,” said Deep South. many, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Bahrain(Dinar) .3766 For nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., pur former nursing assistant had al- Burns, 51, who said she is out of Amazon is fighting the union. Britain (Pound) 1.3785 chasing British pounds in Germany), check with Canada (Dollar) 1.2594 your local military banking facility. Commercial ways enjoyed ordering from the leave after developing tendonitis. The company argues the ware- China(Yuan) 6.5415 rates are interbank rates provided for reference Denmark (Krone) 6.3075 company, Now, she would be This week, Amazon workers house created thousands of jobs Egypt (Pound) 15.7043 when buying currency. All figures are foreign working for them. and union advocates, including with an average pay of $15.30 per Euro .8482 currencies to one dollar, except for the British Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7688 pound, which is represented in dollarsto A cog in a fast-moving assemb- Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, hour — more than twice the mini- Hungary (Forint) 307.64 pound, and the euro, which is dollarstoeuro.) Israel (Shekel) 3.3317 ly line, her job involved picking made a last-minute push as vot- mum wage in Alabama. Workers Japan (Yen) 109.69 INTEREST RATES up customers’ orders and send- ing comes to a close in the high- also get benefits including health Kuwait(Dinar) .3022 Norway (Krone) 8.5878 Prime rate 3.25 ing them down the line to the stakes union battle. If organizers care, vision and dental insurance Philippines (Peso) 48.44 Interest Rates Discount rate 0.75 Poland (Zloty) 3.93 Federal funds market rate 0.07 packers. Now she is a staunch are successful, it could lead to a without paying union dues, the Saudi Arabia (Riyal) 3.7502 3month bill 0.02 supporter of getting a union at chain reaction of other unioniza- company said. Singapore (Dollar) 1.3458 30year bond 2.37 WEATHER OUTLOOK SUNDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST SUNDAY IN EUROPE MONDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 56/49 Kabul Seoul 61/46 54/41 Baghdad 68/46 Tokyo Drawsko Osan Kandahar Mildenhall/ 53/42 71/55 91/54 Pomorskie Busan Lakenheath 46/35 60/50 54/44 Iwakuni Kuwait City Bahrain 59/53 Brussels Zagan Sasebo 73/56 72/68 Ramstein 48/36 62/54 Guam 54/41 52/32 85/80 Riyadh Lajes, 76/57 Doha Azores Stuttgart 79/68 62/58 53/39 Pápa Aviano/ 52/41 Vicenza 53/47 Naples 63/47 Okinawa Morón 73/69 76/51 Sigonella Rota 64/41 The weather is provided by the Djibouti 69/55 Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 86/71 58/51 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. TODAY IN STRIPES American Roundup ...... 11 Comics .........................15 Crossword ................... 15 Food ............................ 14 Opinion ........................ 17 Music ..................... 12-12 Sports .................... 18-24 Sunday, March 28, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 3 MILITARY House panel explores diversity in SOCOM BY SARAH CAMMARATA norities bring to the fight, it will be Stars and Stripes difficult to reduce skepticism … WASHINGTON — As the U.S. that becoming more diverse, equi- military reckons with how to im- table and inclusive force is not on- prove its approach to diversity ly fair, but essential to our ability and inclusion, a panel of former to win future battles,” said Germa- military leaders and government no, known for writing about sys- officials on Friday shared ways to temic gender bias against women tackle the problem in a small but in Marine Corps recruiting and strategically important force: spe- training policies. cial operations. Retired Lt. Gen. Mike Nagata “Special Operations Forces are also said there is a “significant” a unique, valuable and a scarce as- shortage of research that examin- set for the nation’s security. It is es whether there are key differ- vital given their small numbers to ences between what attracts a think carefully about their devel- more diverse population to volun- opment and employment,” said teer for the “grueling experience Linda Robinson, a senior interna- of SOF assessment and selection tional and defense researcher at compared to what attracts our tra- the Rand Corp. ditional demographic mix.” Her comments came during a Nagata said his path to serving House Armed Services Commit- in special operations for 34 years tee subpanel hearing on the cul- illustrates the issue. ture and climate of U.S. special op- He said when the Special erations. Forces Qualification Course be- “Systemic issues require urgent gan in 1984, “I remember being attention. Primary among them, only one of two Asian Americans the need to expand diversity and ANNA MONEYMAKER, THE NEW YORK TIMES, POOL/AP [to volunteer for it]. Today, I still inclusion,” Robinson said. U.S. Special Operations commander Gen. Richard Clarke speaks to his staff during a hearing to examine do not know why.” Special Operations Command SOCOM and U.S. Cyber Command, on Capitol Hill on Thursday in Washington. Commenting on the command’s released its first plan to address plan on diversity and inclusion, diversity and inclusion earlier this skills, and perspectives, which we Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. SOF career fields to underrepre- Robinson urged “the command month after not acknowledging genuinely need on our team. “As we compete against differ- sented demographics” to boost develop specific metrics and tar- the problem for decades. These long-standing issues re- ent and more capable adversaries, awareness of career opportunities gets for progress, and for promo- A Rand Corp. study published quire change in our organizational a more diverse force empowers us within the force. tions to be tied to performance in more than two decades ago on spe- norms, attitudes and behaviors,” to draw upon broader perspec- Retired Lt.