Austin Visits Afghanistan as Trump’s Troop Deadline Nears

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin paid an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on Sunday, the Associated Press said, citing local media reports.

The stop comes as President Joe Biden is under pressure to decide whether to abide by an Afghanistan peace deal reached in Donald Trump’s final year aimed at bringing home the roughly 2,500 troops remaining in the country by May 1. It’s a deadline that Biden has said “could happen” but would be “tough” to meet.

“I’m in the process of making that decision now as to when they’ll leave,” Biden told ABC News. “That was not a very solidly negotiated deal that the president the former president worked out.” Austin pledged in February a “thoughtful and deliberate” review of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, saying there would be “no surprises” for the Afghan government or allies with troops in the country.

A deal reached last year provided the opportunity to wind down the U.S. role, but on condition that violence declined, the Taliban pledged to bar terrorist groups like al-Qaeda and Islamic State from operating in the country and the government and the Taliban entered productive peace talks. That process dragged out, but the Trump administration stuck with it. The Taliban, on the cusp of seeing foreign forces depart, largely held off on attacking Americans.

Despite last year’s accord, the security situation in Afghanistan is worsening. Violence has climbed since the peace talks started in September of last year, including targeted killings of journalists, civil society members and politicians. In 2020, 8,820 Afghan civilians were killed or wounded, according to the United Nations. Previous peace efforts between the Taliban insurgents and Ghani’s government in Doha, Qatar, have made little headway, with the two sides taking months even to agree on the basic outline of the talks.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a letter to Ghani that even with continued U.S. financial aid, “the Taliban could make rapid territorial gains” if the U.S. withdraws and there’s no agreement reached between the Afghan government and the Taliban. He added bluntly, “I am making this clear to you so that you understand the urgency of my tone regarding the collective work outlined in this letter.”

Austin’s reported stop in Afghanistan comes after a trip that took him to Japan, South Korea and India.

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/austin-visits-afghanistan-as-trump-s-troop-deadline-nears-1.1580227

Over 200 Chinese boats massed in disputed S. China Sea: Philippines

The Philippines' government said late Saturday that about 220 Chinese fishing boats had massed around a coral reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in early March, saying they were within its exclusive economic zone. The government suspects the boats were mobilized by Chinese maritime militias. The islands are claimed by China and the Philippines, among other nations.

The fishing boats were spotted in formation in waters around the reef about 175 nautical miles west of Bataraza on Palawan Island in the western Philippines on March 7, according to the government. The boats did not engage in fishing even though the weather was fine and they kept their lights on at night, the government said. The behavior could be seen as an attempt to assert territorial claims. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana expressed concern over the boats' presence in a statement on Sunday, calling on China to stop encroaching in the Philippines' sovereign territory and immediately recall ships that he said are violating its maritime rights.

Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin said on Twitter the Philippines would lodge a diplomatic protest with China over the boats' presence only if the military advises him to do so. It is believed that Chinese maritime militias are organized by fishermen and residents of remote islands, with them engaging in activities meant to defend China's maritime interests. Little is known about them, however. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea and has overlapping territorial claims with Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.

https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/03/b71acd0be573-over-200-chinese-boats-amassed-in-disputed-s-china-sea-philippines.html

Japan PM Suga vows no virus rebound as emergency measures end

Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga pledged Sunday to do his utmost to prevent a resurgence of the coronavirus ahead of the Olympic torch relay and his upcoming visit to Washington.

Suga was addressing his ruling Liberal Democratic Party's annual convention, just hours ahead of the planned lifting of a virus state of emergency in the the Tokyo region. Suga said after the state of emergency is lifted is "an extremely important time" for virus prevention.

Suga on Thursday announced that the monthslong emergency measures for Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama would end at midnight Sunday, a move underscoring his government's eagerness to minimize burdens on businesses and keep the economy going, despite concerns raised by experts about the potential for an upsurge. The lifting of the measure comes just days before the Olympic torch relay starts from Fukushima, northeast of Tokyo and the site of the 2011 nuclear crisis, as a symbol of reconstruction. Suga renewed his pledge to achieve the Olympics in July as "a proof of the victory against the coronavirus," after its one-year postponement due to the pandemic. Olympic officials decided Saturday to bar spectators from abroad. "We will deliver courage and hope from Japan to the world," Suga said. Suga also wants to keep the infections low ahead of his planned Washington visit in early April for his first in-person summit with President Joe Biden. He will be the first foreign leader to meet in person, underscoring the importance of the Japan-U.S. alliance.

Suga, who received the first shot of a COVID-19 vaccine last week, said he looks forward to discussing pandemic measures, as well as cooperation in dealing with China's growing influence in the region. "We would still face ups and downs, but we will surely find a light ahead of us," Suga said. Suga vowed to do the utmost to protect the people's lives and health and sought their cooperation in doing what they can to get infections under control and "regain the peace of mind and daily lives." The measures have been in place for the Tokyo region since Jan. 7 after daily infections surged to new highs in the area. The non-binding measure relied on requests for restaurants and bars to close at 8 p.m. and take preventive measures.

The government will step up virus tests, monitoring for more contagious new variants and pay subsidies for restaurants and bars who cooperate to close at 9 p.m. Japan has not imposed a hard lockdown and has kept infections lower than the United States and many European nations. Japan has recorded fewer than a million cases and about 8,800 deaths since the pandemic began, the health ministry said. Experts have said they worry about a the potential for a resurgence of infections now that the decrease in infections in the Tokyo area has leveled off and people grow fatigued with taking virus prevention measures.

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210321/p2g/00m/0na/067000c

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