MILITARY MILITARY FACES Operational funding ‘They have to pay’: With Chappelle changes necessary, Duterte demands happy, his ‘Show’ NATO chief says more aid from US returns to Netflix Page 3 Page 4 Page 18 McDowell overcomes 100-1 odds to win Daytona 500 ›› Auto racing, Page 24 stripes.com Volume 79 Edition 215 ©SS 2021 TUESDAY,FEBRUARY 16, 2021 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas Web of lies COVID-19 conspiracies show speed with which disinformation can be spread — and how governments use it to their benefit BY ERIKA KINETZ Associated Press BRUSSELS — It took just three months for the rumor that COVID-19 was engi- neered as a bioweapon to spread from the fringes of the Chinese internet and take root in millions of people’s minds. By March 2020, belief that the virus had been human-made and possibly weapon- ized was widespread, multiple surveys in- dicated. The Pew Research Center found, for example, that one in three Americans believed the new coro- navirus had been created in a lab; one in four thought it had been engineered intentionally. SEE WEB ON PAGE 5 Pictured, clockwise from top: Russian President Vladimir Putin, former President Donald Trump, China’s president, Xi Jinp- ing, and Iran’s su- preme leader, Ayatol- lah Ali Khamenei. ILLUSTRATION BY PETER HAMLIN/AP Support for inquiry into Capitol riot grows after Trump acquittal BY HOPE YEN hardly put to rest the debate about Cassidy said he was “attempt- Associated Press “There should be a complete investigation the Republican former presi- ing to hold President Trump ac- WASHINGTON — After for- about what happened.” dent’s culpability for the Jan. 6 as- countable,” and added that as mer President Donald Trump’s sault. Americans hear all the facts, acquittal at his second Senate im- Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La. “There should be a complete in- “more folks will move to where I peachment trial, bipartisan sup- vestigation about what hap- was.” He was censured by his port appears to be growing for an hearings scheduled later this Lawmakers from both parties, pened,” said Louisiana Sen. Bill state’s party after the vote. independent Sept. 11-style com- month in the Senate Rules Com- speaking on Sunday’s news shows, Cassidy, one of seven Republicans An independent commission mission into the deadly insurrec- mittee. House Speaker Nancy Pe- signaled that even more inquiries who voted to convict Trump. along the lines of the one that in- tion that took place at the U.S. Cap- losi, D-Calif., has asked retired were likely. The Senate verdict “What was known, who knew it vestigated the Sept. 11 attacks itol. Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré to Saturday, with its 57-43 majority and when they knew, all that, be- would probably require legisla- Investigations into the riot were lead an immediate review of the falling 10 votes short of the two- cause that builds the basis so this already planned, with Senate Capitol’s security process. thirds needed to convict Trump, never happens again.” SEE SUPPORT ON PAGE 8 PAGE 2 • STARS AND STRIPES • Tuesday, February 16, 2021 BUSINESS/WEATHER Australian firm makes news pay deal EXCHANGE RATES Military rates South Korea (Won) 1103.14 Associated Press weekend discussions Australian posed news media bargaining Switzerland (Franc) .8904 Euro costs (Feb. 16) $1.18 Thailand (Baht) 28.90 CANBERRA, Australia — Sev- government ministers had with code has resulted in us being able Dollar buys (Feb. 16) 0.8054 Turkey (NewLira) 6.9482 British pound (Feb. 16) $1.42 en West Media has become the media executives, Facebook CEO to conclude negotiations that re- Japanese yen (Feb. 16) 102.00 (Military exchange rates are those available largest Australian news media Mark Zuckerberg and Sundar Pi- sult in fair payment and ensure South Korean won (Feb. 16) 1083.00 to customers at military banking facilities in the Commercial rates country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Ger­ business to strike a deal with Goo- chai, chief executive of Alphabet our digital future,” Stokes said in a many, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Bahrain(Dinar) .3770 For nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., pur­ gle to pay for journalism in a part- Inc. and its subsidiary Google. statement. Britain (Pound) 1.3902 chasing British pounds in Germany), check with Canada (Dollar) 1.2646 your local military banking facility. Commercial nership announced Monday be- Kerry Stokes, chairman of Sev- The deal was struck under Goo- China(Yuan) 6.4582 rates are interbank rates provided for reference Denmark (Krone) 6.1340 fore the nation’s Parliament con- en West Media, which owns 21 gle’s own model, News Showcase. Egypt (Pound) 15.6198 when buying currency. All figures are foreign siders draft laws to force digital gi- publications, thanked the govern- Google has reached pay deals with Euro .8248 currencies to one dollar, except for the British Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7528 pound, which is represented in dollars­to­ ants to pay for news. ment and the Australian competi- more than 450 publications glob- Hungary (Forint) 294.81 pound, and the euro, which is dollars­to­euro.) Israel (Shekel) 3.2446 Google and the publicly listed tion regulator for their proposed ally since News Showcase was Japan (Yen) 105.38 INTEREST RATES broadcast television, print and on- law that the Parliament will con- launched in October. Kuwait(Dinar) .3025 Norway (Krone) 8.4163 Prime rate 3.25 line publishing company jointly sider Tuesday. Google announced two weeks Philippines (Peso) 47.94 Interest Rates Discount rate 0.75 Poland (Zloty) 3.70 Federal funds market rate 0.05 announced they had agreed on a “Their outstanding leadership ago that it had begun paying seven Saudi Arabia (Riyal) 3.7503 3­month bill 0.04 “long-term partnership” after on the implementation of the pro- far smaller Australian websites. Singapore (Dollar) 1.3229 30­year bond 2.01 WEATHER OUTLOOK TUESDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST TUESDAY IN EUROPE WEDNESDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 30/26 Kabul Seoul 59/30 21/12 Baghdad 78/58 Drawsko Osan Tokyo Kandahar 22/15 44/35 Mildenhall/ Pomorskie Busan 66/39 Lakenheath 32/22 50/46 29/23 Iwakuni Kuwait City 35/31 Bahrain Brussels Zagan Sasebo 84/63 70/64 Ramstein 33/26 38/34 Guam 50/43 47/33 83/79 Riyadh Lajes, 85/60 Doha Azores Stuttgart 60/56 52/39 Pápa 74/55 Aviano/ 33/28 Vicenza 38/26 Naples 48/34 Okinawa Morón 61/57 62/42 Sigonella Rota 51/32 The weather is provided by the Djibouti 63/51 Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 80/69 45/41 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. TODAY IN STRIPES American Roundup ...... 11 Comics .........................16 Crossword ................... 16 Faces .......................... 18 Opinion ........................ 14 Sports .................... 19-24 Tuesday, February 16, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 3 MILITARY/MIDEAST NATO chief wants a change in who pays for main missions BY JOHN VANDIVER Stars and Stripes STUTTGART, Germany — Militaries shouldn’t have to foot the whole bill when they deploy troops for NATO missions, the al- liance’s top official said Monday ahead of high-level talks that will include a debate about overhaul- ing how operations are paid for. “It will be fair if the country Jens Stoltenberg that deploys troops doesn’t cover AP all the costs,” NATO Secretary- to support missions, such as air Smoke rises from fuel tankers at the Islam Qala border with Iran, in Herat province, west of Kabul, Af­ General Jens Stoltenberg said policing in the Baltics or multina- ghanistan, on Saturday from a fire that has since been contained. during a virtual news conference tional battle group deployments from his Brussels headquarters, along NATO’s eastern flank. Cur- ahead of talks Wednesday where rently, the nation that deploys U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd troops on such missions pays the Afghan-Iran border blaze Austin and other allied defense bill. leaders will discuss issues rang- “I think that we should change ing from defense spending to se- that so that actually NATO con- under control after 3 days curity matters, including the fu- tributes to covering those costs,” ture of NATO’s mission in Af- Stoltenberg said. Associated Press The inferno involved two explo- 2,500 trucks, said Qatali. ghanistan and its training mission He did not detail how he sees HERAT, Afghanistan — A mas- sions at the border crossing — Satellite photos taken on Sun- in Iraq. costs being spread out, but said sive fire that erupted when a fuel powerful enough to be spotted day showed the fire still billowing In recent years, and particular- that making more allies pay for tanker exploded over the weekend from space by NASA satellites — black smoke on the Afghan side of ly under the Trump administra- NATO missions would serve as an at a major crossing in Afghanis- with about a half-hour between the border. Typically, dozens up- tion, much of the United States’ fo- incentive for other members to tan’s western Herat province on them. There has been no word so on dozens of fuel tankers park cus has been on getting all allies to get involved in defense efforts. the Iranian border was brought far as to what caused of the explo- there while securing permissions spend 2% of GDP on their individ- “This would support allied de- under control Monday, after three sion of the fuel tanker or the sub- to move between the two coun- ual militaries. ployments in our battlegroups in days of efforts by firefighters from sequent blast. The explosions shut tries. Stoltenberg said he expects the eastern part of our alliance, air both countries, Afghan officials down the power grid in the region, On Monday, only small fires nine of 30 allies to hit that bench- policing, maritime deployments said.