Daily Archives: August 16, 2021

Afghan police check the cars at the entrance gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan August 15, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer

Aug 15 (Reuters) - NATO is maintaining its diplomatic presence in Kabul and helping to keep the city's airport running, the military alliance said on Sunday as Taliban insurgents entered the Afghan capital.

"NATO is helping keep Kabul airport open to facilitate and coordinate evacuations," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Twitter.

Stoltenberg said he had discussed the rapidly evolving situation in Afghanistan with Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Taliban insurgents entered Kabul on Sunday and said they expected to take power within days. read more

A NATO official told Reuters the alliance was maintaining its diplomatic presence in Kabul. The official did not respond to questions on whether NATO planned to hold a crisis meeting to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.

"NATO is constantly assessing developments in Afghanistan," the official said, adding that the security of the alliance's personnel was paramount and NATO would continue to adjust as necessary.

After almost two decades, NATO this summer completed military operations in Afghanistan and withdrew most troops from the country.

The alliance still operates a diplomatic representation in Kabul. A NATO spokesperson on Friday declined to provide details on the representation, citing security concerns, in response to a Reuters request.

Headquartered in Brussels, NATO also serves as a forum to coordinate national measures in Afghanistan, such as the evacuation of citizens that was discussed by NATO ambassadors on Friday.

Reporting by Sabine Siebold; Editing by Kate Abnett and Alison Williams

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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NATO says it is helping keep Kabul airport open for evacuations - Reuters

Norman Nato felt he was driving a rocketship during the second race of the Berlin E-Prix weekend, with the Frenchman securing his maiden ABB FIA Formula E World Championship victory at the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit.

The ROKiT Venturi Racing driver was almost untouchable when he took over from Stoffel Vandoorne for the lead, with the Frenchman surviving a safety car period and pressure from Oliver Rowland to take the chequered flag first for his maiden win and the second victory of the season for the team.

Nato admitted to being speechless after the race, but he felt it was a tense afternoon behind the wheel, particularly after the safety car restart, and he thanked the team for their support throughout the season.

Today we executed the perfect race and honestly, Im shocked and speechless, said Nato. Ive been hungry for silverware for a very long time after losing my podiums in Rome and Valencia so it was very emotional to finally finish inside the top three.

Every week, we put in a massive amount of work with the hope of achieving results like this so to execute the perfect race is a very special feeling. The car was flawless and it felt like I was driving a rocketship.

From my perspective, the race was very tense, especially after the second Safety Car restart when Ollie [Rowland] tried to overtake but in the end, we came out on top. It feels great to end the season with a win and this is a moment I just want to enjoy.

I would like to thank the entire team for supporting me this season and getting me to the top step. Im proud of them and a result like this means the world.

Team-mate Edoardo Mortara went into the final race of the season with an excellent chance of taking the title, but his chance of taking the crown was over before he even got to turn one after he collected the stationary car of Mitch Evans on the start and finish straight.

Mortara had qualified eleventh on the grid but was unable to avoid the Jaguar Racing driver as he accelerated towards the first turn, and he was taken to the medical centre for his troubles. He was identified to have a small fracture on his fourth vertebrae that will put him out of action for around six weeks.

Despite the disappointment of losing the chance of the title, Mortara was thankful for the response of the marshals and medical team, and he was full of praise for Nato for taking his maiden victory.

After the highs of yesterday, I was looking forward to racing today and I think we had an outside shot at the Drivers Championship, said Mortara. At the start, there was nothing I could do to avoid Mitch [Evans] and by the time he was in my vision, it was too late to react.

It was a heavy impact and Im glad that hes ok. From my side, I have a microfracture of my fourth vertebrae from the crash but Im very grateful that I dont need an operation or have a more serious injury.

I would like to thank the marshals and the medical team for their response to my accident and to congratulate Norman for securing his maiden win in Formula E.

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Norman Nato: To execute the perfect race is a very special feeling - The Checkered Flag

Speaking to Sky News, he said: I think we all saw that and felt a real sense of sadness that first of all the forces that the British and the international community had invested in had melted away in some areas so quickly.

You dont fix things overnight in global issues, you have to manage them when that deal was done a few years ago, what happened was ultimately we undermined the community the deal undermined the Afghan government and left it in a place that ultimately saw the end the river flows fastest towards the end and that is what we saw yesterday and its what were seeing in our pictures today.

He added: My job as as defence secretary is to make sure that we protect not only the UK nationals, but those Afghans we have an obligation to, that is actually why were in the country. For the last few weeks weve been in the country solely to process those people and to make sure we protect our officials doing that job and well continue to do so.

Asked if he acknowledged the Taliban had won the war, he said: I dont know about a win, I think, I acknowledge that the Taliban are in control of the country. You dont have to be a political scientist to spot thats where were at.

Asked if Nato was going to return and take over Kabul, Wallace said: No, look thats not on the cards that were going to go back.

He added: The US have made itself clear that theyre not intending to stay and as the framework nation that leaves us with difficult choices and Ive been pretty much honest about that all the way through this process.

On the airlift of British nationals, he added: The military flights are coming in and out, theyve just brought in more UK soldiers.

Border Force is joining us to make sure that we accelerate the process to get more Afghans out, which is our obligation. We flew out 370 staff and British citizens, eligible personnel yesterday and the day before and well continue to engage those flights.

The next group of Afghans to come out will be 782 and well make sure we get them in the next 24 to 36 hours out of the country and are continuing to process those people.

Wallace said of the Afghanistan evacuation: We will do everything we can to bring as many people out as possible.

Asked if the Taliban had changed, he told Sky News: It does not look like a change The leadership has a responsibility to make sure that it upholds human rights.

Asked about the prospect of the Taliban flag flying over the UK embassy in Kabul, he said: Thats the consequence of the Taliban, its not the embassy anymore, we have left that location, weve drawn down within the airport symbolically its not what any of us wanted.

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Afghanistan crisis: Defence Secretary Ben Wallace insists Nato forces not going back to Kabul as Taliban take control - The Scotsman

Albania, Greece, North Macedonia and Turkey have received support from their NATO Allies in dealing with devastating wildfires faced since July. The assistance provided included the delivery of ground and air assets most needed to help contain the spread of the fires.

The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has responded to Greeces call for assistance and arranged for the deployment of 20 heavy and medium size helicopters with dedicated pilots, crewmembers and mechanics to assist the Hellenic Fire Brigade. NSPA contribution increased the fire extinguishing capacity up to 7 tons of water per drop. Since the beginning of August, the crews have exceeded 1,200 flight hours. The use of two-size categories of helicopters facilitated operations in remote locations, while limiting water refilling requirements and time lapses between successive drops, which are essential to reduce risks of fire spreading. In Turkey, the US European Command has responded to a request for support by providing Chinook helicopters to aid their fight against the fires

In Kosovo, NATOs Kosovo Force has helped the local fire brigade in the Rugova mounting area and Prizren surrounding area. Two helicopters from the KFOR Regional Command East, and one from the KFOR Swiss contingent equipped to collect water and discharge it directly onto the flames, provided immediate intervention.

NATO stands in solidarity with those affected and ready to provide further assistance as needed. NATO and Allies have a long record of responding to natural disasters, as they did against Hurricane Irma in 2017, Kosovo forest fires in 2015, Balkan floods in 2010 and Pakistans earthquake in 2006.

The Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) is NATOs principal civil emergency response mechanism in the Euro-Atlantic area. It functions as a clearing-house system for coordinating both requests for and offers of international assistance in case of disasters. It is active all year round, operational on a 24/7 basis, and involves all NATO Allies and partner countries.

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News: NATO Allies stand together against wildfires, 12-Aug.-2021 - NATO HQ

Sweden recently hosted and contributed heavily to Exercise Arctic Challenge. One of the largest air-power exercises in Europe, Arctic Challenge 21 brought together warplanes from the United States, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Britain for the full range of air-defense, close air support, air-defense suppression and air-to-ground strike training all in the cold-weather environment of Swedens Arctic skies.

This is just the latest example of Swedens expanding contribution to international security and deepening partnership with the United States and the rest of NATO. With Russia on the march, Swedens emergence as a strong security partner is a welcome development.

Confronting Moscow

Make no mistake: Sweden officially and stubbornly neutral for two centuries is edging toward the U.S.-NATO security umbrella because of Russias actions. Citing Russias attacks on neighboring nations and its rapid military buildup, the Swedish government has reintroduced military conscription, approved a whopping 40 percent increase in defense spending (Swedens largest defense-spending increase in 70 years), unveiled a security doctrine known as Total Defense, and deployed troops to Gotland, a Swedish island in the Baltic Sea. (Gotland would be key to any NATO effort aimed at reinforcing or retaking Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania NATO members all.)

The additional defense spending will increase the size of Swedens military by 67 percent, reorganize the army into mechanized brigades, add new air-defense systems to Swedish warships, expand the size of the navy and deploy a new next-generation fighter-bomber.

Defense Minister Peter Hultquist bluntly explains that the beefed-up defense budget is needed because of the new security situation with Russian aggression toward Georgia, annexation of Crimea, the conflict in Ukraine, activities in Belarus, upgrading of Russian military capability, very complex exercises, activity in the Arctic and in the Baltic Sea area.

Swedens Total Defense security doctrine is a whole-of-society approach that calls on every citizen, business and neighborhood to be ready to resist invasion, with or without direction from the central government. The Total Defense program features a buildup of civil defense, enhanced cyber-security, increased investment in the military, and empowerment of each and every Swedish citizen civilian or uniformed to play a part in defending their nation. As part of the Total Defense initiative, Sweden has disseminated information to every household informing citizens what to do in the event of a military attack. The pamphlet is ominously titled If Crisis or War Comes. As UPI reports, the document provides information on securing food and water and the location of bomb shelters. The world around us has changed, the document concludes, citing threats to our security and independence.

The goal of the effort, as The Wall Street Journal explains, is to equip citizens and companies to fend for themselves in crises.

The Total Defense doctrine is aimed squarely at the kind of gray zone hybrid warfare Russia has conducted so effectively in Ukraine warfare that employs disinformation, psychological operations, cyberattacks, troops scrubbed of insignia, fifth-column groups and the like to paralyze an enemy, confuse political-military authorities, and secure key objectives before a defense can be mounted. Keen to Moscows methods, the Swedish government has disseminated materials to all citizens making clear that If Sweden is attacked by another country, we will never give up All information to the effect that resistance is to cease is false.

A helping hand

To its credit, Sweden is not just hunkering down behind its icy borderlands. Ever since Russias 2014 invasion of Ukraine, the Swedish military has been expanding cooperation with the United States and other NATO members.

In 2016, a package of B-2s and B-52s conducted simultaneous, nonstop flights from the continental United States to the North Sea, Baltic Sea, the North Pole, Alaska and the Pacific Ocean. Swedish fighter-jets participated in the exercise, dubbed Polar Roar. According to the Air Force, Polar Roar demonstrates the ability of the U.S. bomber force to provide a flexible and vigilant long-range global-strike capability and provides unique and valuable opportunities to train and integrate with allies and partners like Sweden.

In 2017, more than 20,000 Swedish and U.S. troops participated in Exercise Aurora, the largest military exercise in Sweden in decades. U.S. commanders know that Sweden's Ranger Battalions which specialize in cold-weather operations have much to offer U.S. personnel when it comes to understanding operations in the Arctic, where Russia is making provocative military moves.

In 2018, Marines deployed to Sweden for joint exercises designed to hone the ability of both nations to conduct amphibious raids from Baltic waters a skill that could prove vital in the event of a Russian invasion of Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania.

In 2019, hundreds of troops from Sweden, Canada, France, Norway and Finland participated in exercises in northern Canada focused on setting up logistics nodes and carving landing strips out of the Arctic ice.

In early 2020, B-1B bombers joined Swedish fighter-bombers in maneuvers over Sweden, marking the first time B-1Bs have ever flown in Swedish airspace. The American bombers also conducted close air support training with Swedish joint terminal attack controllers, as DefenseNews reports.

In late 2020, Swedish and U.S. warships, Swedish JAS-39 fighter-bombers, and U.S. F-15E fighter-bombers carried out simulated surface combat and simulated long-range, deep-land strikes in and above the Baltic Sea, as Naval News reports. (Its worth adding that for years the U.S. Navy has tested itself against Swedens world-class submarines.) This flurry of activity was capped off by the aforementioned Arctic Challenge maneuvers this year, which were centered around bases in Sweden, Norway and Finland.

These exercises and training ops are really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Swedens contributions to transatlantic security.

The Swedish military works closely with neighboring Norway and Denmark on security in and around the Arctic. Moreover, Sweden has been a key military contributor to NATO combat missions in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Libya, as well as NATOs training mission in Iraq. In fact, Sweden deployed more troops to the NATO-led counterinsurgency and peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan than Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway and Portugal (all founding members of the NATO alliance).

If or when?

Given that resum, it would be fair to conclude that Sweden is a member of the NATO alliance, and an active one at that. But its not at least not yet. Sweden is officially non-aligned. However, Sweden is one of just six non-NATO countries considered as enhanced opportunity partners. It is treated like a de facto member of NATO, as underscored by its cooperation with and contributions to NATO missions. And there are growing indications that Sweden could soon become NATOs 31st member. In December 2020, a sizable majority in the Swedish parliament voted for the so-called NATO option a kind of first step toward NATO membership and called on the government to express readiness to join NATO as a possible security policy option, according to an AP report. National polls reveal a dramatic change in public opinion on NATO membership: In the 1990s, just 15 percent of Swedes supported joining the alliance; today, support for NATO membership and opposition to NATO membership are evenly divided.

For a country that was steadfastly, even defiantly, neutral throughout the Cold War and into the post-Cold War era, this is a stunning turnabout and a striking indication of how serious Swedes perceive the threat from Putins Russia.

If or perhaps more accurately, when Sweden joins NATO, the alliance will gain a strong and committed ally that contributes to security rather than free-riding on others. America will gain a stalwart friend ready and willing to export stability well beyond Europe. And Putin and his generals will gain another headache.

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The Swedish are coming! | The American Legion - The American Legion