Guy Taylor
Articles by Guy Taylor
Islamic State, Taliban, al Qaeda, Boko Haram jihadists see coronavirus as call to duty
Leading terror organizations such as Islamic State have been calling on followers to increase attacks in recent days as world governments and militaries shift their focus to combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Published March 26, 2020
ISIS attack kills dozens in Kabul, adding fresh strain to peace deal and U.S. troop drawdown
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned an Islamic State attack that killed at least two dozen people in Afghanistan Wednesday, but stood by his announcement to cut $1 billion in aid to the U.S.-backed government in Kabul. Published March 25, 2020
Ashraf Ghani, Afghan president, shows no sign of bending to pressure after U.S. aid cut
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani played down the Trump administration's decision to slash $1 billion in U.S. funding for his government Tuesday, claiming it "will not have a direct impact" on key sectors in Kabul, despite warnings from regional experts that the consequences could be dire. Published March 24, 2020
Mike Pompeo intervention fails to end Afghanistan feud
U.S. announced it was slashing aid to the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan as a feud between its leaders threatens to undermine a delicate peace deal inked last month between the Trump administration and Taliban. Published March 23, 2020
Friends, frenemies and foes test U.S. resolve amid coronavirus pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has put much of American foreign policy in quarantine, raising major questions over some of President Trump's hoped-for election year international breakthroughs. Published March 23, 2020
Charles Dunlap: Adversaries eye U.S. focus on coronavirus as opportunity
The coronavirus pandemic has put many of President Trump's signature foreign policy initiatives in quarantine, locking down a string of hoped-for election-year breakthroughs even as China has aggressively used the crisis to elevate its own status on the world stage. Published March 22, 2020
N. Korea launches hospital construction amid fears of a coronavirus cover-up in Pyongyang
There was no mention of coronavirus, but North Korean state media claimed Wednesday that the isolated nation will build a vast new general hospital in Pyongyang by October to confront any possible public health threats. Published March 18, 2020
‘Wake-up call’: Chinese control of U.S. pharmaceutical supplies sparks growing concern
As the war of words between China and the U.S. over COVID-19 heats up, Chinese state media have raised the specter of using Beijing's pharmaceutical leverage to block critical components and supplies for dependent U.S. drug companies and send America into "the hell of a novel coronavirus epidemic." Published March 17, 2020
Coronavirus lies pushed by China to blame virus on U.S. bioweapon
Adversaries are flooding the global information space with false claims about the coronavirus, according to U.S. officials, who say the "surge of propaganda" is aimed at undermining America's image on the world stage. Published March 15, 2020
Images may show coronavirus mass graves in Iran, report claims
Iran says it has more than 10,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, but video on social media, as well as satellite imagery showing mass graves in the Islamic republic, suggest the crisis there may be far worse than authorities admit. Published March 12, 2020
All in: Dubai insists showcase world’s fair still a go for 2020
The Summer Olympics in Japan are in question and a growing number of high-profile events, including Texas' vaunted South by Southwest festival and Barcelona's massive annual tech conference, have already been canceled because of coronavirus. Published March 12, 2020
Coronavirus spread forces Italy, Saudi Arabia to lock down entire areas
Italy began enforcing a lockdown over an estimated 16 million people, Saudi Arabia quarantined a key oil-producing province, and the death toll in Iran jumped to nearly 200 on Sunday as governments worldwide scrambled anew in the face of an escalating coronavirus outbreak. Published March 8, 2020
Donald Trump touts ‘empowerment’ initiatives on International Women’s Day
The Trump administration commemorated International Women's Day on Sunday by touting its year-old Women's Global Development and Prosperity Initiative and affirming America's commitment to advancing women's rights around the globe. Published March 8, 2020
U.S.-Taliban peace deal threatened by Afghanistan violence
An Afghan government provincial council member was gunned down in Kabul Sunday, as violence in Afghanistan continues to threaten the fragile peace deal U.S. officials inked a week ago with the Taliban. Published March 8, 2020
Mike Pompeo slams ICC plan to probe U.S. officials for war crimes
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday slammed the International Criminal Court as an "unaccountable political institution masquerading as a legal body," after the organization said its may soon open cases against American troops for alleged war crimes in Afghanistan. Published March 5, 2020
Donald Trump’s Taliban deal thrown into question by wave of attacks and U.S. strike
The Pentagon on Wednesday played down a wave of attacks by Taliban fighters and a retaliatory U.S. airstrike against the insurgent group, amid concern that fresh violence in Afghanistan will derail the fragile, high-stakes peace deal the Trump administration reached with the militants last weekend. Published March 4, 2020
U.S. to provide $108 million in humanitarian aid as the threat of Turkey-Syria war looms
The State Department announced a fresh $108 million in U.S. humanitarian aid for Syrians displaced by war Tuesday, amid fears of a spiraling new clash between U.S.-backed Turkish forces and Syria's Russia- and Iran-backed military. Published March 3, 2020
North Korea hacking replaces nuclear weapons as U.S. target
U.S. officials are engaged in an intense behind-the-scenes campaign with foreign allies to cripple North Korea's cyberhacking and fundraising capabilities, as consensus grows in the Trump administration that nuclear talks with Pyongyang will remain stalled for the coming year. Published March 1, 2020
U.S., Taliban sign deal that calls for troops to exit Afghanistan within 14 months
The U.S. on Saturday signed a landmark peace agreement with its foe of nearly two decades, the Taliban, as the Trump administration officially embarked down a path that could see all American troops exit Afghanistan within 14 months and represent the beginning of the end for the longest war in U.S. history. Published February 29, 2020
U.S. targets North Korean hackers, money sources as talks sputter
U.S. officials are engaged in an intense behind-the-scenes campaign with foreign allies to cripple North Korea's cyber-hacking and fundraising capabilities, as consensus grows in the Trump administration that nuclear talks with Pyongyang will remain stalled for the coming year. Published February 29, 2020