Taliban Takes International Stage Reputation As a Loyal Ally
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Volume 79, No. 105B ©SS 2020 CONTINGENCY EDITION SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2020 stripes.com Free to Deployed Areas ANALYSIS Election will affect US forces in Mideast BY LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden both say they want to pull U.S. forces out of Iraq and Afghanistan. But their ap- proaches differ, and the outcome of the Nov. 3 election will have long-term consequences not only for U.S. troops, but for the wider region. During his election campaign four years ago, Trump pledged to bring all troops home from “endless wars,” at times trigger- ing pushback from military com- manders, defense leaders and even Republican lawmakers wor- ried about abruptly abandoning partners on the ground. In recent months he has only increased the pressure, working to fulfill that promise and get forces home be- fore Election Day. More broadly, Trump’s ’Amer- ica First’ mantra has buoyed vot- HUSSEIN SAYED/AP ers weary of war and frustrated with the billions of dollars spent A member of the Taliban negotiation delegation keeps his face mask on during the opening session of peace talks in Doha, Qatar, Saturday. on national defense at the ex- pense of domestic needs. But it has also alienated longtime Eu- ropean partners whose forces have fought alongside the United States, and has bruised America’s Taliban takes international stage reputation as a loyal ally. Biden has been more adamant about restoring U.S. relations with allies and NATO, and his Afghan government begins first official talks with emboldened leaders stance on these wars is more measured. He says troops must BY SUSANNAH GEORGE opening ceremony featuring Secre- have reclaimed control or influence be withdrawn responsibly and The Washington Post ‘ tary of State Mike Pompeo. over roughly half of Afghanistan. that a residual force presence There is now The Taliban held power over most That influence extends to the ne- will be needed in Afghanistan to DOHA, Qatar — After nearly 20 an opportunity of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, gotiating table, where Taliban mili- ensure terrorist groups can’t re- years of conflict, the Afghan govern- when the group, then closely aligned to reach an end tants won concessions in talks with build and attack America again. ment came face-to-face with Taliban with al-Qaida, was ousted in the U.S. the United States that culminated That approach, however, angers leaders Saturday to begin what many to the war. ’ invasion of the country in the weeks in a peace deal signed in Febru- progressives and others who be- expect will be intensely difficult ne- after the Sept. 11 attacks on the Unit- ary. After showing resilience on lieve the U.S. has spent too much gotiations to shape Afghanistan’s Zalmay Khalilzad ed States. In the prolonged conflict U.S. special envoy the battlefield and stubbornness in time, money and blood on battle- future. that followed, which has killed tens of negotiations, the militants enter the fields far from home. The launch of direct, formal talks for Afghanistan thousands of civilians and more than between the two sides began with an 2,440 U.S. troops, Taliban militants SEE TALKS ON PAGE 5 SEE ELECTION ON PAGE 3 WAR NATION MUSIC ‘Clear violations’ Military aviators Grammy-winner by US Embassy’s aid fight against bares soul on garbage company California fires podcast Page 3 Page 6 Page 12 Patriots QB Newton ‘excited’ to follow Brady » Back page PAGE 2 •STARS AND STRIPES• Sunday, September 13, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER EXCHANGE RATES Military rates Thailand (Baht) ..................................... 31.25 Day of churning closes out another poor week Euro costs (Sept. 14) ............................$1.16 Turkey (Lira) .........................................7.4740 Dollar buys (Sept. 14) ....................... €0.8229 (Military exchange rates are those British pound (Sept. 14) ......................$1.25 Japanese yen (Sept. 14) ....................103.00 available to customers at military banking Associated Press that have rocked Wall Street re- hit a bottom in late March. South Korean won (Sept. 14) ........1,159.00 facilities in the country of issuance cently. Through the tumultuous The Dow Jones Industrial Av- Commercial rates for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the NEW YORK — Wall Street Bahrain (Dinar) ....................................0.3771 Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For week, the S&P 500 lost 2.5% to erage rose 131.06, or 0.5%, to British pound .....................................$1.2790 nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., closed out its worst week since Canada (Dollar) ...................................1.3193 clinch its first back-to-back week- 27,665.64, but not before careen- purchasing British pounds in Germany), June with another day of churn- China (Yuan) ........................................6.8344 ly loss in four months. ing between a gain of 294 points Denmark (Krone) ................................6.2884 check with your local military banking ing trading Friday, as big tech- The Nasdaq composite, which and a loss of 86 points. Egypt (Pound) ....................................15.7603 facility. Commercial rates are interbank nology stocks resumed their includes many of the superstar Analysts expect swings to con- Euro ........................................ $1.1831/0.8453 rates provided for reference when buying suddenly weakened ways. Hong Kong (Dollar) .............................7.7503 currency. All figures are foreign currencies tech stocks that have been the tinue to rattle markets for weeks, Hungary (Forint) ................................ 302.39 to one dollar, except for the British pound, The S&P 500 rose 1.78, or 0.1%, focus of the market’s recent if not months, as investors wait Israel (Shekel) .....................................3.4593 which is represented in dollars-to-pound, Japan (Yen) ........................................... 106.11 and the euro, which is dollars-to-euro.) to 3,340.97, but only after a roller- selling, lost 66.05, or 0.6%, to for more clarity on several key is- Kuwait (Dinar) .....................................0.3060 coaster day where a gain of 0.9% 10,853.55 after also flip-flopping sues. At the head of the list of un- Norway (Krone) .................................. 9.0540 INTEREST RATES Philippines (Peso).................................48.57 gave way to a loss of 0.9%. It kept between gains and losses. Its 4.1% certainties is what to do with Big Poland (Zloty) ..........................................3.76 Prime rate ................................................3.25 swinging up and down after that, drop for the week was its worst Tech stocks, which critics have Saudi Arabia (Riyal) ...........................3.7510 Discount rate ..........................................0.25 Singapore (Dollar) ..............................1.3684 Federal funds market rate ...................0.08 the latest examples of the light- since market panic was peaking long said were due for a slide after South Korea (Won) ...........................1187.77 3-month bill .............................................0.09 ning-quick shifts in momentum about the coronavirus and stocks soaring too high this summer. Switzerland (Franc)........................... 0.9096 30-year bond ...........................................1.42 WEATHER OUTLOOK SUNDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST SUNDAY IN EUROPE MONDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 64/61 Kabul 90/57 Seoul 77/64 Baghdad 111/78 Kandahar 91/55 Osan Tokyo Mildenhall/ Drawsko 80/63 78/73 Lakenheath Pomorskie Busan 66/48 60/49 77/68 Iwakuni 79/76 Kuwait Bahrain Zagan Sasebo City 93/88 Brussels 66/51 Guam 106/86 72/56 Ramstein 76/73 84/81 Lajes, 73/53 Riyadh Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 105/75 99/82 72/69 71/59 77/60 Aviano/ Vicenza 76/63 Naples 84/71 Okinawa Morón 83/80 96/61 Sigonella Rota 84/70 The weather is provided by the Djibouti Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 97/84 83/64 77/73 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ..... 11 Comics/Crossword ...... 15 Food.......................... 14 Gadgets & Technology ..16 Music ....................12-13 Opinion ..................... 17 Sports .................. 18-24 Sunday, September 13, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• PAGE 3 WAR ON TERRORISM Afghans: US Embassy trash firm breaks law BY J.P. LAWRENCE AND ZUBAIR BABAKARKHAIL Stars and Stripes KABUL, Afghanistan — A company contracted by the American Embassy in Kabul is operating without a license and illegally dumping garbage, posing a threat to the environment and health, Afghan of- ficials said Friday. The company, Oryx-Afghanistan, is committing “clear violations” of Afghan law in its handling of trash from U.S. Em- bassy, risking environmental damage, said Ezatullah Sediqi, deputy director-general of the National Environmental Protection Agency in Kabul. “Oryx is transporting solid waste streams from the U.S. Embassy without a waste management license,” Sediqi said in an email. “Additionally, Oryx is dumping these waste streams at an illegal dump site which is not a waste management facility nor possesses any licensing.” The U.S. Embassy in response to ques- tions provided a copy of Oryx’s license via DynCorp International in McLean, Va., which subcontracts waste services at the embassy to Oryx and another company, ACCL International. This license, however, only allows the company to transport garbage to govern- /Stars and Stripes ment facilities, not segregate the trash or PHOTOS BY J.P. LAWRENCE recycle it at their own private dump, Sediqi Workers pick through trash from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul on Aug. 17, at what the Afghan government says is an illegal dump, said. two miles east of the airport. Oryx in a statement denied it recycled the waste material from the embassy, in- said. waste management companies in Kabul on the list. sisting that it only transported trash in ac- Illegal dumping at private sites by com- after a check of their databases found only NEPA has asked international agencies cordance with its license. panies contracted by international organi- two companies had valid licenses, with to “immediately cease and desist” working However, on a visit to the facility, Oryx zations like the U.S.