Guy Taylor
Articles by Guy Taylor
Human remains found in C-17’s wheel well after Afghanistan departure; Air Force investigating
The Air Force has opened a formal review of what led a C-17 transport plane to take off from Afghanistan's main international airport with people clinging to its landing gear -- a scene that resulted in Afghan civilians falling to their deaths. Published August 18, 2021
Taliban plot next steps as U.S. retreat accelerates
A surge of American troops restored order and evacuation flights resumed from Afghanistan's main international airport Tuesday, while Taliban representatives now ruling Kabul began a publicity blitz to plead for calm and convince the world the militant group has changed its ways since ruling over the Afghan capital with an iron Islamist fist two decades ago. Published August 17, 2021
Taliban promise to respect women’s rights; few are buying it
Taliban militants now controlling Afghanistan claim Tuesday that they will not seek reprisal attacks for now and would honor women's rights, as long as those rights fit within the group's definition of Islamic law -- an assurance that fell largely on deaf ears Tuesday as thousands of men, women and children continued to scramble for the exits in Kabul. Published August 17, 2021
Chaos on the ground, uncertainty on what’s to come in Afghanistan
Chaos enveloped the international airport in Kabul on Monday, with U.S. troops trying to maintain order while throngs of people rushed the tarmac and large crowds pushed against the facility's outer gates amid mounting collective panic a day after the Taliban swept back to power in the Afghan capital. Published August 16, 2021
At least seven dead in chaos at Kabul airport as U.S. troops scramble to maintain order
Chaos enveloped the international airport in Kabul on Monday, with U.S. troops trying to maintain order while throngs of people rushed the tarmac and large crowds crushed against the facility's outer gates amid mounting collective fear a day after the Taliban swept back to power in the Afghan capital. Published August 16, 2021
Rapid Afghanistan collapse leaves U.S. scrambling to evacuate personnel
The government America built and supported for nearly 20 years in Afghanistan collapsed in a single day Sunday. Published August 15, 2021
Blinken: Biden admin ‘inherited’ Afghan situation from Trump
Political mudslinging over the apparent fall of Kabul to the Taliban escalated in Washington Sunday, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken claiming the Biden administration "inherited" the situation from the former Trump administration and had to go along with a rushed U.S. pullout to avoid restarting "a war that we need to end." Published August 15, 2021
Ghani flees Afghanistan, U.S. diplomats burn documents as Taliban enter Kabul
American diplomats burned documents and the U.S. military rushed to evacuate personnel from Kabul on Sunday morning as Taliban fighters entered the Afghan capital and pushed for the unconditional surrender of the Afghan government, capping a stunning insurgent offensive coinciding with the American military withdrawal after two decades of war. Published August 15, 2021
Death toll from Haiti quake continues to rise; Officials say more than 300 killed
The death toll from the major earthquake that rocked Haiti on Saturday continued to climb Sunday as rescuers scrambled through widespread wreckage in cities and towns around the Caribbean nation. Local authorities said at least 1,800 people were injured or remained missing, with the official death toll rising above 300 as of Sunday morning. Published August 14, 2021
Chinese pressure sparks debate on Taiwan’s resilience
China's expanding military provocations toward Taiwan have elevated concern among the United States and its allies that Beijing could be on the verge of using force against the island democracy, which China considers to be an integral part of its sovereign territory. Published August 8, 2021
Tunisia power grab creates unease for Biden administration
The Biden administration is expressing fresh unease this week over the appearance of an unconstitutional power grab in Tunisia, after the country's president abruptly fired his government's ambassador to the United States without explanation. Published August 4, 2021
Top U.S. intel analyst sees North Korea clinging to its nukes
North Korea's ruling regime sees no strategic benefit in improving relations with the United States and remains bent on developing nuclear weapons and advanced missiles whatever the outcome of talks with Washington, the top U.S. intelligence officer on North Korean behavior said Tuesday. Published August 3, 2021
Iran’s incoming president slams ‘tyrannical’ U.S. sanctions
Iran's incoming hard-line president vowed Tuesday to fight "tyrannical sanctions" imposed on his country by the U.S., suggesting Tehran's posture toward the Biden administration's diplomatic outreach will become more standoffish. Published August 3, 2021
Popular protests, violent crackdown put Biden’s Iran policy to the test
It started two weeks ago as a small-scale demonstration over water shortages in a remote province, but like other Iranian protests in recent years, the outburst has spread to several major cities with large crowds calling for the downfall of the Iranian regime and chants of "Death to the dictator." Published August 1, 2021
China woos Taliban as U.S. military departs Afghanistan
China's foreign minister hosted a high-level Taliban delegation on Wednesday, signaling an uptick in Beijing's bid for influence in Afghanistan at a moment when U.S. and foreign troops are leaving and the Islamist militants are seizing large swaths of territory from the U.S.-backed Kabul government. The meeting came as Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed not to abandon Afghanistan during a visit to India on Wednesday. Published July 28, 2021
U.S. breaks silence, condemns reports of demonstrators shot by Iranian security forces
The State Department on Wednesday condemned the use of violence to crush ongoing protests in Iran, breaking the Biden administration's silence over a widening uprising against the Tehran government that has been unfolding this week in several cities across the country. Published July 28, 2021
Iraqi prime minister urges less attention to ‘anti-American’ propaganda
Americans would do well to pay less attention to negative propaganda about their country and realize there are millions of people around the world, including in Iraq, who appreciate the United States as a beacon of democracy and a force for progress in the world, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said in an interview with The Washington Times. Published July 27, 2021
U.S. voters show bipartisan concern over Chinese government influence, poll finds
American concerns about China's influence over the U.S. government, media and culture are widespread, although a poll shows Republicans are warier than Democrats and independents about Beijing's sway. Published July 27, 2021
Critics say Biden missing a chance to back freedom movement in Cuba
The Biden administration on Monday leveled fresh sanctions against Havana and aligned with 20 other democracies to collectively condemn the Cuban regime's recent crackdown on protesters, but critics and anti-communism activists say the U.S. moves are not enough. Published July 26, 2021
Patriot missiles shoot down drones in ‘historic’ first
U.S. Army missile defense units have carried out the first ever firing of Patriot surface-to-air missiles in Australia as part of joint exercises. Published July 18, 2021