ASIA AFGHANISTAN It would appear that a Taliban delegation's planned trip to Islamabad this week, which maybe/probably would have included a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, fell through for a host of reasons. A formal Afghan government complaint to the United Nations about the Taliban's violations of its travel ban was part … Continue reading World update: February 18 2019

SYRIA What appears to have been a double-tap bombing killed at least 15 people in Idlib city on Monday. A car bomb detonated first, followed by a nearby motorcycle bomb a short time later. Several of the casualties were apparently first responders caught in the second blast. There's been no claim of responsibility, but the … Continue reading Middle East update: February 18 2019

EUROPE POLAND Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Sunday canceled a planned trip to Israel on Tuesday for a summit of the Visegrád Group (Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic), and his government summoned the Israeli ambassador. The Poles are angry over a comment Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made recently in Israeli media … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: February 16-17 2019

ASIA AFGHANISTAN A roadside bomb in Kandahar province killed three Afghan civilians on Sunday. Presumably the Taliban was responsible. On Friday, the Taliban attacked an Afghan border outpost in Kandahar and killed all 32 border guards posted there. So far it appears that one Taliban fighter--the one who drove the truck bomb that was used … Continue reading Asia/Oceania/Africa update: February 16-17 2019

SYRIA DEVELOPING, MAYBE: The New Arab is reporting that the SDF has made a deal with the remaining ISIS fighters in Baghouz that calls for a five day truce and the relocation of those fighters to "an area in the Syrian desert." The SDF has also agreed to allow food shipments into the town in return for ISIS … Continue reading Middle East update: February 16-17 2019

ASIA AFGHANISTAN According to US Central Command boss Joseph Votel, the Pentagon may soon reduce its troop presence in Afghanistan by more than 1000 from its current level of around 14,000 (acknowledged) personnel. But the move isn't related to the ongoing peace talks with the Taliban--instead, it's apparently an operational decision by new US Afghanistan … Continue reading World update: February 15 2019

SYRIA The Syrian Democratic Forces militia has paused its offensive in Baghouz again out of concerns for civilian casualties. The SDF had opened up a corridor for people to flee ISIS's final Syrian enclave last week and seemed to be ready to resume operations in full after thousands of people took advantage of the corridor … Continue reading Middle East update: February 15 2019

ASIA AFGHANISTAN Pakistani Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry confirmed (sort of) on Thursday that his government will host another round of peace talks between the Afghan Taliban and the United States, but did not specify when that round will take place. The Taliban say they're meeting with US representatives in Islamabad on February 18, ahead of … Continue reading World update: February 14 2019

SYRIA It turns out that ISIS has been shooting at people trying to flee its last Syrian enclave around Baghouz, even when those people are the wives of ISIS fighters. "Hundreds" of women and children have left Baghouz and made it to the Syrian Democratic Forces' line around the enclave, and some of them have … Continue reading Middle East update: February 14 2019

ASIA AFGHANISTAN The Taliban says it will hold another round of peace talks with US representatives in Islamabad on February 18. The US, uh, says it doesn't know anything about it. That's a little weird. Assuming the meeting does happen it's interesting that it will be happening in Pakistan and not at the Taliban's diplomatic … Continue reading World update: February 13 2019