MILITARY WORLD MUSIC AFRICOM head warns: Hard-line judge wins Elfman’s ‘Mess’ ‘Wildfire of terrorism’ Iran’s presidency in a venomous sweeping continent low-turnout landslide pandemic diary Page 4 Page 10 Page 12 Clippers advance to first Western Conference finals ›› NBA playoffs, Page 24 stripes.com Volume 80 Edition 45B ©SS 2021 CONTINGENCY EDITION SUNDAY,JUNE 20, 2021 Free to Deployed Areas ‘Heartbreaking’ CDC ban could separate troops, rescued dogs BY J.P. LAWRENCE Stars and Stripes A new U.S. health rule means troops could lose what a soldier described as “that one good thing” that happens during deployments — the dogs they meet and forge deep bonds with in places like Jor- dan, Iraq and Afghanistan. “It’s heartbreaking that the CDC would opt to take that one good thing away from soldiers,” a service member deployed to Jor- dan said after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week declared 113 countries to be high-risk areas for rabies and temporarily banned dogs from those countries from being brought into the U.S. Afghanistan, Djibouti, Georgia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya and Saudi Arabia are on the list. “Deployments are very tough EVAN RUCHOTZKE/U.S. Army and having the opportunity to Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan views the Vanessa Guillen Gate, named for the Fort Hood soldier whose death spurred Army action on adopt a true friend I’ve made here sexual assault, at the Texas base on May 6. A new study found that female soldiers at two Texas bases face the highest risk of sexual assault. has meant the world to me,” said the soldier in Jordan, whose dog, Abu, won’t have all the vaccina- tions she needs to be able to go to Study: Texas bases tops SEE BAN ON PAGE 3 in risk of sexual assault Female soldiers in medical, personnel jobs lowest risk overall; field artillery face highest risk BY LOLITA C. BALDOR Fort Hood and Fort Bliss, both in Texas, faced Associated Press the highest risk, particularly those in combat 8.4% WASHINGTON — Female soldiers at Army commands or jobs such as field artillery and bases in Texas, Colorado, Kansas and Ken- engineering. And units with more frequent de- Percentage of the roughly 5,883 Army women — tucky face a greater risk of sexual assault and ployments to war also saw higher risk. Other about 1 in 12 — who served at Fort Hood that were harassment than those at other posts, account- bases with high risk were Fort Campbell in sexually assaulted, according to a new Rand Corp. ing for more than a third of all active-duty Ar- Kentucky, Fort Carson in Colorado and Fort study released on Friday. At the Pentagon, where Courtesy photo my women sexually assaulted in 2018, accord- Riley in Kansas, said the study which reviewed the risk of sexual assault to female service members Pepper, a dog adopted by a U.S. ing to a new Rand Corp. study. assault data from previous years. was the lowest of all installations studied, it was soldier in Jordan, may not be able The study, released Friday, looked at Army 1.8%, or about one in 50. to be brought back to the U.S. incidents, and found that female soldiers at SEE RISK ON PAGE 4 SOURCE: Associated Press due to a new one-year CDC ban. PAGE 2 • STARS AND STRIPES • Sunday, June 20, 2021 BUSINESS/WEATHER S&P 500 has its worst week since February EXCHANGE RATES Military rates South Korea (Won) 1135.07 Associated Press to markets. James Bullard said on CNBC his Switzerland (Franc) 0.9218 Euro costs (June 21) $1.16 Thailand (Baht) 31.49 NEW YORK — Stocks sank The Dow Jones Industrial Aver- personal prediction was that the Dollar buys (June 21) 0.8181 Turkey (NewLira) 8.7332 British pound (June 21) $1.35 again on Wall Street Friday, age lost 533.37 points, or 1.6%, to first rate increase may come as Japanese yen (June 21) 108.00 (Military exchange rates are those available knocking the S&P 500 to its worst 33,290.08, and the Nasdaq compos- soon as next year. South Korean won (June 21) 1103.00 to customers at military banking facilities in the Commercial rates country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Ger­ weekly loss since February, as ite fell 130.97, or 0.9%, to 14,030.38. It’s an acknowledgment that a many, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Bahrain(Dinar) 0.3769 For nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., pur­ more steam comes out of banks Investors are still recalibrating rebounding economy with near- Britain (Pound) 1.3818 chasing British pounds in Germany), check with Canada (Dollar) 1.2426 your local military banking facility. Commercial and other stocks that soared earli- their moves following the Federal record prices for homes and stocks China(Yuan) 6.4531 rates are interbank rates provided for reference Denmark (Krone) 6.2640 er this year with expectations for Reserve’s signal last week that it may not need super low rates Egypt (Pound) 15.6644 when buying currency. All figures are foreign the economy and inflation. may raise short-term interest rates much longer. A recent burst of in- Euro 0.8423 currencies to one dollar, except for the British Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7629 pound, which is represented in dollars­to­ The S&P 500 fell 55.41 points, or twice by late 2023, earlier than ex- flation may also be upping the Hungary (Forint) 299.76 pound, and the euro, which is dollars­to­euro.) Israel (Shekel) 3.2787 1.3%, to 4,166.45 in a widespread pected. The Fed also began talks pressure. But any pullback in Fed Japan (Yen) 110.16 INTEREST RATES slump. It was the worst day for the about slowing its bond-buying pro- support would be a big change for Kuwait(Dinar) 0.3013 Norway (Krone) 8.6693 Prime rate 3.25 index in a month as unease grows gram that’s helping to keep longer- markets, which have been feasting Philippines (Peso) 48.51 Interest Rates Discount rate 0.75 Poland (Zloty) 3.83 Federal funds market rate 0.09 about the Federal Reserve making term rates low. On Friday, St. on ultra-low rates for more than a Saudi Arabia (Riyal) 3.7502 3­month bill 0.04 plans to eventually offer less help Louis Federal Reserve President year. Singapore (Dollar) 1.3443 30­year bond 2.03 WEATHER OUTLOOK SUNDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST SUNDAY IN EUROPE MONDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 60/57 Kabul Seoul 83/50 79/61 Baghdad 102/77 Tokyo Drawsko Osan Kandahar Mildenhall/ 79/61 76/65 99/60 Pomorskie Busan Lakenheath 85/67 75/67 60/55 Iwakuni Kuwait City Bahrain 74/67 Brussels Zagan Sasebo 104/85 88/85 Ramstein 88/65 77/65 Guam 71/62 81/71 84/81 Riyadh Lajes, Azores Stuttgart 105/77 Doha Pápa 104/86 69/66 83/72 Aviano/ 88/66 Vicenza 84/67 Naples 83/68 Okinawa Morón 80/77 75/60 Sigonella Rota 96/64 The weather is provided by the Djibouti 69/60 Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 102/87 75/68 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. TODAY IN STRIPES American Roundup ...... 11 Comics/Crossword .......15 Gadgets .................... 16 Movies ......................... 14 Music ..................... 12-13 Opinion ........................ 17 Sports .................... 19-24 Sunday, June 20, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 3 WAR ON TERRORISM Afghan chief peace envoy: Pullout may embolden Taliban BY SUZAN FRASER Associated Press ANTALYA, Turkey — The Af- ghan government’s chief peace en- voy expressed fears on Friday that the Taliban will have no interest in apolitical settlement with the U.S.- supported administration in Kabul after the scheduled departure of American and NATO forces. Abdullah Abdullah, head of Af- ghanistan’s National Reconcilia- tion Council, said there were signs that the Taliban were seeking mil- MEHMET GUZEL/AP itary advances ahead of the Sept. 11 Abdullah Abdullah, head of troop withdrawal. He warned how- Afghanistan’s National ever that, if so, the extremist Is- Reconciliation Council, said the lamic movement was making a nation’s neighbors must “big miscalculation.” cooperate, not interfere, to In an interview with The Associ- promote stability. ated Press, Abdullah also said Af- been in the northern Faryab prov- ghanistan’s neighbors must re- ince and in southern Helmand. frain from interfering and instead Asked about possible interfe- seek cooperation with Kabul for rence from neighbors after U.S. Courtesy photos the country’s long-term stability. and NATO troops have left, Abdul- Abu sleeps against the leg of the U.S. soldier who adopted her while deployed to Jordan. A rule announced ”(Withdrawal) will have an im- lah said regional countries have June 14 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will ban soldiers from bringing dogs into the pact on the negotiation with the Ta- declared that they have an interest U.S. from 113 countries at high risk for rabies, including Jordan. liban,” Abdullah said. “(They) may in a stable Afghanistan and that find themselves further embold- they should “put those words into ened and they may think — some of deeds.” Ban: them at least — that with the with- “There were some countries CDC spokesman says rabid dogs drawal, they can take advantage of which had concerns about the the situation militarily.” presence of NATO troops in Af- He added however that “it will ghanistan, including the Islamic would detract from COVID-19 response be a big miscalculation ... should Republic of Iran,” he said.