Af/Pak & Other News (8/28/2021)

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The Final Retrograde from Afghanistan Has Officially Begun

https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2021/08/final-retrograde-afghanistan-has-officially-begun/184934/



Biden Warns of Another Kabul Attack Within ‘24-36 Hours’ as Allies Flee

https://www.thedailybeast.com/allies-pull-out-of-kabul-as-us-warns-americans-of-another-attack-in-afghanistan?ref=home



Video Shows Aftermath of U.S. Drone Strike in Afghanistan

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/new-exclusive-video-shows-aftermath-of-u-s-drone-strike-in-afghanistan/vi-AANQNZV



What Should Biden Have Done in Afghanistan? Withdrawal was always bound to be chaotic, but wishful thinking, poor planning, and glacial bureaucracies have made a difficult situation worse.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/08/27/biden-kabul-withdrawal-afghanistan-planning-chaos/



Are the Joint Chiefs of Staff Largely to Blame for This Afghanistan Fiasco?

https://sofrep.com/news/are-the-joint-chiefs-of-staff-largely-to-blame-for-this-afghanistan-fiasco/



Who Abandoned Bagram Air Base? Biden says the military, but the military says he gave them little choice.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/who-abandoned-bagram-air-base-joe-biden-mark-milley-pentagon-afghanistan-taliban-kabul-11630096157



H.R. McMaster Suggests Taliban Possibly Incited Kabul Attack: An Effort to 'Humiliate' U.S.

https://www.newsweek.com/hr-mcmaster-suggests-taliban-incited-kabul-attack-calls-it-effort-humiliate-us-1623969



Taliban prepare to form new cabinet as U.S. evacuation nears end

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taliban-condemn-us-drone-attack-prepare-set-up-new-afghan-government-2021-08-28/



What Does ISIS Want Now?

https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/08/what-does-isis-want-now/184917/



A heavily fortified C.I.A. base in Kabul is destroyed. With an explosion heard across Kabul, Americans destroyed the base so its contents would not fall to the Taliban.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/28/us/politics/cia-base-destroyed-kabul.html



Why the Taliban, Armed to the Teeth, May Struggle to Defeat ISIS-K

https://www.newsweek.com/why-taliban-armed-teeth-may-struggle-defeat-isis-k-1623718



Haqqani network is the sword arm of Taliban with Pakistan the common parent

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/haqqani-network-is-the-sword-arm-of-taliban-with-pakistan-the-common-parent-101630133204796.html



It’s Crazy to Trust the Haqqanis; A faction of the new Afghan government is extraordinarily close to al Qaeda and other terror groups—including the Islamic State.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/08/27/trust-haqqanis-afghanistan-taliban-united-states/



Biden promises more strikes on Afghanistan extremist group

https://apnews.com/article/business-afghanistan-islamic-state-group-2f53babc274f912fa2c3a2a611aed07c



Intense negotiations continue over future of Kabul airport after US forces leave

https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20210828-intense-negotiations-continue-over-future-of-kabul-airport-after-us-forces-leave



Macron says France in talks with Taliban over further Afghan evacuations

https://www.reuters.com/world/macron-says-france-will-stay-iraq-whatever-us-decides-do-2021-08-28/



Intervention: Unlearned Lessons, or the Gripes of a Professional

https://afsa.org/intervention-unlearned-lessons-or-gripes-professional



‘We’re losing the best’: Afghanistan faces a massive brain drain as its people flee

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-08-27/afghanistan-brain-drain-taliban-takeover



Growth of Afghan opium trade may undermine Taliban pledge to kick the habit

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/08/28/growth-afghan-opium-trade-may-undermine-taliban-pledge-kick-habit/



The Real Reason U.S. Allies Are Upset About Afghanistan

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/08/27/the-real-reason-u-s-allies-are-upset-about-afghanistan/



Hostage Fears For Those Left Behind as Last UK Evacuation Flights Leave Kabul

https://www.newsweek.com/kabul-evacuations-hostages-uk-afghanistan-taliban-1623950



Afghanistan Human Rights Violations Surge Since Taliban Takeover

https://www.voanews.com/south-central-asia/afghanistan-human-rights-violations-surge-taliban-takeover



Afghanistan: 500,000 refugees could flee the country this year, says UN

https://news.yahoo.com/afghanistan-500-000-refugees-could-183351161.html



Hasty US Pullout from Afghanistan Invokes Regional Talk of Post Pax Americana

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/08/hasty-us-pullout-from-afghanistan-invokes-regional-talk-of-post-pax-americana/



Afghan Girls Robotics Team Reaches Safety

https://spectrum.ieee.org/video-friday-afghan-girls-robotics-team-reaches-safety



Tajik Group Offers To Fight Alongside Anti-Taliban Militias In Afghanistan

https://gandhara.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-tajikistan-volunteers-anti-taliban-militia/31431732.html



'Forever prisoners': 39 remain at Guantanamo Bay 20 years after 9/11, including some who have never been charged

https://www.businessinsider.com/guantanamo-bay-9-11-how-many-prisoners-charges-details-history-2021-8



Marine officer relieved of duty after calling out senior leaders about Afghanistan

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/27/marine-us-fatalities-afghanistan-506999









Indian Navy’s P-8I Submarine Hunting Aircraft Spotted Flying Near South China Sea

https://www.defenceaviationpost.com/2021/08/indian-navys-p-8i-submarine-hunting-aircraft-spotted-flying-near-south-china-sea/



Indian Air Force CH-47 makes precautionary landing on school ground

http://alert5.com/2021/08/28/indian-air-force-ch-47-makes-precautionary-landing-on-school-ground/









Iran and the Taliban: Fast Friends or Fierce Foes?

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/iran-and-taliban-fast-friends-or-fierce-foes-192400



Israeli Prime Minister Says Sanctions Relief for Iran Would Create 'Nuclear Nightmare'

https://www.newsweek.com/israeli-prime-minister-says-sanctions-relief-iran-would-create-nuclear-nightmare-1623892



The Iranian shadow oil fleet and its secret alliance with China

https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hju0u00zwf



Experts weigh in on Biden's 'other options' in dealing with Iran

https://www.jpost.com/american-politics/experts-weigh-in-on-bidens-other-options-in-dealing-with-iran-677946









Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen kill 20 Houthis

https://www.thestatesman.com/world/saudi-led-airstrikes-yemen-kill-20-houthis-1503000098.html



Saudi-led coalition intercepts rebel drone from Yemen

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/saudi-led-coalition-intercepts-rebel-drone-from-yemen/2348829









Israel reduced intelligence sharing with the US this spring because Benjamin Netanyahu didn't trust the Biden administration, report says

https://news.yahoo.com/israel-reduced-intelligence-sharing-us-120859791.html









Nigeria orders Leonardo M-346 Master to replace venerable Alpha jets.

https://www.africanmilitaryblog.com/2021/08/nigeria-orders-leonardo-m-346-master-to-replace-venerable-alpha-jets









Russia’s Ka-52 ‘Alligator’ Attack Helicopters to Get Anti-Tank Missiles

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/08/28/russia-ka-52-anti-tank-missiles/



Yasen The Elderly Pretender

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htsub/articles/20210828.aspx





Belarusian hackers are trying to overthrow the Lukashenko regime

https://www.engadget.com/belarusian-hackers-overthrow-lukashenko-government-200457163.html




Saab to expand capabilities of Sweden future submarine

https://defence-blog.com/saab-to-expand-capabilities-of-sweden-future-submarine/









The Chinese Nuclear Breakout and the Biden Administration’s Nuclear Posture Review

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2021/08/28/the_chinese_nuclear_breakout_and_the_biden_administrations_nuclear_posture_review_792021.html



China targets U.S. IPOs, algorithms, cloud in latest tech takedown

https://www.reuters.com/technology/china-targets-us-ipos-algorithms-cloud-latest-tech-takedown-2021-08-27/



U.S. Intelligence Agencies: Covid-19 Not a Biological Weapon, but Lab Incident Still on the Table

https://gizmodo.com/u-s-intelligence-agencies-covid-19-not-a-biological-w-1847574365










Pentagon holds talks with Chinese military for first time under Biden, official says

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/pentagon-holds-talks-with-chinese-military-for-first-time-under-biden-official-says/articleshow/85706784.cms



How The United States Army Is Leveraging AI: Interview With Kristin Saling, Chief Analytics Officer & Acting Dir., Army People Analytics

https://www.forbes.com/sites/cognitiveworld/2021/08/28/how-the-united-states-army-is-leveraging-ai-interview-with-kristin-saling-chief-analytics-officer--acting-dir-army-people-analytics/



US Army’s recon, electronic warfare-capable aircraft flies for the first time

https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2021/08/27/us-armys-recon-electronic-warfare-capable-aircraft-flies-for-the-first-time/



Will The U.S. Navy Replace The Destroyers’ Harpoon Anti-Ship Missiles With Naval Strike Missiles?

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/08/will-the-u-s-navy-replace-the-destroyers-harpoon-anti-ship-missiles-with-naval-strike-missiles/



U.S. Navy’s Third and Final Zumwalt-class Destroyer Starts Sea Trials

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/08/u-s-navys-third-and-final-zumwalt-class-destroyer-starts-sea-trials/