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UP FRONTFriday 29 January 2016
Pick to lead Afghanistan forces: situation worsening UN health chief says the Zika
virus is ‘spreading explosively’
RICHARD LARDNER security forces. number of American troops
Associated Press Nicholson would succeed fell to a hypothetical 1,000 MARIA CHENG en should consider post-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- Gen. John F. Campbell, suggested by Graham. JAMEY KEATEN
dent Barack Obama’s who is expected to retire. Nicholson said he support- Associated Press poning trips to more than
nominee to be the next U.S. There are about 9,800 ed the decision to retain GENEVA (AP) — Declar-
commander in Afghani- U.S. troops in Afghanistan. the 9,800 American troops ing that the Zika virus is a dozen countries with
stan said Thursday the se- At Campbell’s urging, and he agreed with Camp- “spreading explosively,”
curity situation in the war- Obama decided last Octo- bell’s approach. But the the World Health Organi- Zika and advised women
zation announced it will
hold an emergency meet- trying to get pregnant or
ing of independent ex-
perts Monday to decide thinking of getting preg-
if the outbreak should be
declared an international nant to speak to their doc-
health emergency.
At a special meeting tor before traveling and to
Thursday in Geneva, WHO
Director-General Dr. Mar- take extra precautions to
garet Chan said the virus
— which has been linked avoid mosquito bites.
to birth defects and neu-
rological problems — was Sylvain Aldighieri, head of
becoming much more of
a threat. One WHO sci- WHO’s epidemic response
entist said the Americas
could see up to 4 million team in the Americas, es-
cases of Zika in the next
year. timated there could be 3
Chan said although there
was no definitive proof to 4 million Zika infections
that the Zika virus was re-
sponsible for a spike in in the region over the next
the number of babies be-
ing born with abnormally year. He said the agency
small heads in Brazil, “the
level of alarm is extremely expects “huge numbers”
high.” She also noted a
possible relationship be- of infections because of
tween Zika infections and
Guillain-Barre syndrome, the widespread presence
which can cause tempo-
rary paralysis. of the Aedes mosquitoes
“The possible links, only
recently suspected, have that spread Zika and be-
rapidly changed the risk
profile of Zika from a mild cause people in the re-
threat to one of alarm-
ing proportions. The in- gion have no natural im-
creased incidence of mi-
crocephaly is particularly munity.
alarming, as it places a
heart-breaking burden WHO also warned China
on families and communi-
ties,” Chan said. and all other countries
The Zika virus was first de-
tected in 1947 and for de- that have dengue fever
cades only caused mild
disease, but Chan noted to be on the lookout for
that “the situation today
Army Lt. Gen. John Nicholson Jr. testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016, is dramatically different.” Zika infections. The agen-
before the the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on his nomination to become the next According to the U.S.
top American commander in Afghanistan. Centers for Disease Con- cy said it could be many
trol, the Zika virus is now
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon) in more than 20 coun- years before a vaccine
tries, mostly in Central and
South America. It is spread is available and it might
by the same mosquito
that spreads dengue and take six to nine months
yellow fever.
torn country is deteriorating ber to abandon his plan to general also said at numer- Earlier this month, the before there’s any data
and assured senators he reduce troop levels to near ous points during the hear- CDC said pregnant wom-
will do a thorough review zero by the end of 2016. In- ing that he would conduct showing a causal relation-
of American troop levels stead, he said they would his own assessment.
needed to stabilize the na- shrink to 5,500 by the end of Although American forces ship between Zika and
tion. the year. His advisers could are no longer engaged
Army Lt. Gen. John W. press Obama to maintain in direct action missions the babies born with mal-
“Mick” Nicholson, Jr., told the current level of 9,800 against the Taliban, Nich-
the Senate Armed Services troops until he leaves office olson said he could not formed heads.
Committee he will have a in January 2017. envision U.S. troops remain-
better sense of conditions Asked at a Pentagon news ing on the sidelines if the Chan cited four main
in Afghanistan within a few conference whether the strategic city of Kandahar
months if he is confirmed Taliban is making a come- were at risk. Kandahar, in reasons why WHO was
by the Senate. back, Defense Secretary southern Afghanistan, is the
As wartime commanders Ash Carter said: “That’s spiritual birthplace of the “deeply concerned”
must often do, Nicholson happened this past fight- Taliban.
walked a fine line during his ing season. We expected “We need to prevent Kan- about Zika: The possible
confirmation hearing. He that.” And while the Af- dahar from falling into
supported the Obama ad- ghans fought well last the hands of the Taliban,” link to birth defects and
ministration’s exit strategy, year, he said, they are still Nicholson said.
which critics have derided “a force-in-the-making” The committee chairman, brain syndromes, the pros-
as politically driven, while that can be expected to Republican Sen. John Mc-
also promising the sena- perform better this year as Cain, opened Nicholson’s pect of further spread, a
tors his decisions will be they gain more experience confirmation hearing with
grounded in sound military and capability. a blistering assessment of lack of immunity among
strategy. Carter said Campbell has Obama’s handling of the
He peppered his answers not recommended to him war in Afghanistan and the people living in the newly
with phrases like “right- any increase in U.S. troop president’s adherence to
sized” and “right-sourced” levels. a “calendar-based with- affected areas and the
to make sure Afghanistan During an drawal.”
didn’t devolve into the During an exchange with “By now, we should have absence of vaccines,
same terrorist harbor it was Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Re- learned from the precipi-
before the 9/11 attacks. publican, Nicholson said he tous withdrawal from Iraq treatments or quick diag-
The U.S. mission in Afghani- would be concerned that and the disaster that en-
stan is to conduct coun- the military would not be sued that wars do not end nostic tests for the virus.
terterrorism missions and to able to perform counter- because politicians say so,”
train and assist the Afghan terrorism operations if the McCain said. q The U.N. health agency
called the special ses-
sion in part to convey its
concern about an illness
that has sown fear among
many would-be moth-
ers, who have responded
by covering themselves
head-to-toe in clothing
in largely tropical Brazil or
putting on many coats of
insect repellent.
Declaring a global emer-
gency is akin to an inter-
national SOS signal and
usually brings more mon-
ey and action to address
an outbreak.q
