Afghanistan’s interior minister said Saturday that Afghan security forces can hold their ground even if U.S. troops withdraw, challenging a warning from the United States predicting a withdrawal would yield quick territorial gains to the Taliban.
“The Spymaster of Baghdad: A True Story of Bravery, Family, and Patriotism in the Battle against ISIS” is the dramatic yet intimate account of how a covert Iraqi intelligence unit called “the Falcons” came together against all odds to defeat ISIS.
The Pentagon said last week that the Taliban’s refusal to meet commitments to reduce violence raises questions about whether all U.S. troops will be able to leave by May as required under the U.S.-Taliban deal.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have increased amid a series of incidents stemming from Trump’s unilateral withdrawal from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers.
U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, who clashed with the Trump administration over its arms sales in the Mideast, rejection of Cold War arms control treaties and its withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, is poised to become the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Congress is rocketing to pass a massive $2.3 trillion spending package by Dec. 21 at 11:59 p.m. that includes pandemic relief and federal spending, with $696 billion for the Pentagon.