Guy Taylor
Articles by Guy Taylor
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
Not just the money: Ransomware a growing political threat to U.S. interests
A growing number of cybersecurity experts are warning that ransomeware attacks represent a new cyberwar trend that U.S. adversaries are poised to exploit for geopolitical gain. Published July 18, 2021
U.S., Iran trade allegations over possible prisoner swap
The Biden administration's push for diplomacy with Iran hit a roadblock, with the sides trading blame over the breakdown of a prisoner swap. Published July 18, 2021
More than 140 Cubans detained or disappeared in widening crackdown by regime
More than 140 Cubans have been detained or disappeared in a widening crackdown by Cuba's security forces, according to international rights advocates monitoring the aftermath of the biggest anti-regime protests in decades that swept the island nation on Sunday. Published July 13, 2021
Cuba’s untested president faces biggest challenge of post-Castro era
Pressure mounted on Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Monday to show he's capable of upholding the Castro legacy of authoritarian control over Cuba, a day after the biggest anti-regime protests in decades swept cities and towns across the island nation. Published July 12, 2021
Police point to foreign hit squad as rumors swirl around Haitian president’s assassination
Police in Haiti say a hit squad of as many as 28 foreign mercenaries -- consisting mainly of Colombians but including at least two Haitian-Americans -- carried out the assassination of the country's president this week, although there were more questions than answers as a fast-paced international investigation continued to unfold on Friday. Published July 9, 2021
Exiled Iranians to seek regime’s overthrow with ‘World Summit’
Iranian dissident exile movements will hold an annual "World Summit" Saturday through Monday, with supporters at rallies in 105 countries coming together virtually to call for Iran's oppressive theocracy to be overthrown and replaced with a democracy. Published July 7, 2021
Nicaragua’s descent into dictatorship vexes Biden’s pro-democracy agenda
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega is establishing a full-blown dictatorship, according to regional experts who warn the jailing of opposition figures and gunning down of protesters in the tiny Central American nation represents an outsized challenge for President Biden's pro-democracy agenda. Published July 3, 2021
Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld dies at 88
Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who served under three Republican presidents and led the Pentagon through the 9/11 attacks, the resulting U.S. military invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and the first years of America's global war on terrorism, died at the age of 88 on Wednesday. Published June 30, 2021
Biden administration eases gender requirements on U.S. passports
The State Department said Wednesday it will no longer require Americans to provide medical documentation proving their gender on passport applications, paving the way for individuals to choose a gender they self-identify with regardless of what their birth certificate or hospital records indicate. Published June 30, 2021
Fear of doomsday cyberattack yields truce between feds and private sector
The recent surge of cyberattacks has triggered a blame game between private industry and federal agencies over who truly bears responsibility for ensuring such incidents don't cripple critical infrastructure for things like fuel, electricity and water supplies and cause massive damage to the economy. Published June 29, 2021
Ex-Pakistani diplomat: Biden ‘delusional’ to think Taliban has broken ties with al Qaeda
The Biden administration is "delusional" if it thinks the Taliban has broken or will break from what's left of the al Qaeda terrorist network in Afghanistan, warns Pakistan's former top diplomat in Washington. Published June 27, 2021
Biden vows to back Afghan leaders as U.S. pullout accelerates
President Biden hosted Afghanistan's president and top peace negotiator at the White House Friday, vowing to maintain U.S. support for the embattled Kabul government even as the last American and NATO troops leave and fears mount of a major Taliban offensive. Published June 25, 2021
North Korea rejects Biden administration’s offer for talks ‘without preconditions’
North Korea on Tuesday spurned the Biden administration's offer to meet "anywhere, anytime without preconditions." Published June 22, 2021
Biden administration offers to meet North Koreans ‘anytime, without preconditions’
The Biden administration is eager to meet with North Korean officials "anywhere, anytime without preconditions," a top U.S. diplomat said on a visit to South Korea Monday, days after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signaled that his regime is preparing for dialogue or confrontation -- but more for confrontation -- with Washington. Published June 21, 2021