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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 1 december 2020

NATO mulls Afghan dilemma as U.S. draws down, attacks mount

By LORNE COOK guered Afghan security forces
Associated Press since the start of peace talks
BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO in September. Islamic State
Secretary-General Jens Stol- militants have also struck this
tenberg said Monday that month, notably in a horrific
the military alliance is grap- attack on Kabul University
pling with a dilemma over that killed 22 people, most of
its future in Afghanistan, as them students.
the United States starts pull- “We have seen over the last
ing troops out while attacks months and weeks several
by the Taliban and extremist attacks,” Stoltenberg said.
groups mount. “Some are conducted by
More than 17 years after tak- Taliban, some attacks ISIS
ing the lead on international claimed responsibility for. But
security efforts in Afghani- what we know is that the Tal-
stan, NATO now has around iban is responsible for attacks
11,000 troops from dozens of and the level of violence is far
nations there helping to train too high.”
and advise the national secu- Even U.S. Ambassador to
rity forces. Most of the per- NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison
sonnel are from Europe and said: “We do not think the
other NATO partner coun- In this Friday, Sept. 11, 2020 file photo, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a Taliban is keeping its word
tries. But the alliance relies ceremony marking the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, at NATO headquarters in Brussels. under the agreement. The vi-
heavily on the United States Associated Press olence is too high, and the Af-
armed forces for air support, the eve of a videoconference foreign ministers where the troops could strengthen the ghan people and the Afghan
transport and logistics. Eu- between NATO foreign minis- organization’s most ambi- Taliban’s negotiating position. soldiers have paid a heavy
ropean allies would struggle ters. Under a peace deal be- tious operation ever will be NATO defense ministers are price.”
even to leave the country tween the United States and high on the agenda. likely to make a final decision But despite the surge in vio-
without U.S. help, and Presi- the Taliban — without the Trump’s unilateral decision to about the future of the Reso- lence, and deep uncertainty
dent Donald Trump’s decision involvement of other NATO leave only 2,500 U.S. troops lute Support Mission in Feb- cause by the U.S. drawdown,
to pull almost half the U.S. allies or the Afghan govern- with the mission had allied ruary, after President-elect the peace agreement appears
troops out by mid-January ment - all foreign troops military planners scrambling, Joe Biden takes office. Euro- to be an opportunity too good
leaves NATO in a bind. should leave Afghanistan by as they tried to work out pean diplomats expect the for NATO to miss.
“We face a difficult dilemma. May 1 if security conditions whether NATO could continue tone to change under Biden, “We now see an historic op-
Whether to leave, and risk on the ground permit. to operate in Kabul, and other but probably not the U.S. in- portunity for peace. It is frag-
that Afghanistan becomes “Whatever path we choose, it major cities. NATO diplomats tention to leave Afghanistan ile, but it must be seized,”
once again a safe haven for is important that we do so to- say that for now they have as soon as possible. Stoltenberg said. “We see an
international terrorists. Or gether, in a coordinated and enough “enablers” to get the The uncertainty comes amid unpredictable and difficult
stay, and risk a longer mis- deliberate way,” Stoltenberg job done. a sharp rise in violence this military and political situa-
sion, with renewed violence,” said, on the eve of a video- Afghan officials also fear that year and a surge of attacks by tion. But at least there are
Stoltenberg told reporters on conference between NATO a rapid reduction in American the Taliban against the belea- now talks.”q

Scottish leader says she could seek 2021 independence vote

By JILL LAWLESS dependence, “if a majority of inburgh, says Brexit has trans-
Associated Press us want it.” “That inalienable formed the situation by drag-
LONDON (AP) — Scotland’s right of self-determination ging Scotland out of the Euro-
leader said Monday that she cannot, and will not, be sub- pean Union against its will. A
hopes to hold an indepen- ject to a Westminster veto,” narrow majority of U.K. vot-
dence referendum as soon she said, referring to the U.K. ers opted to leave the EU in a
as next year, setting up a po- government in London. Scot- 2016 referendum, but a large
litical showdown with a U.K. land voted to remain in the majority in Scotland voted
government that refuses to U.K. by a margin of 55%-45% to stay. Recent opinion polls
countenance another seces- in a 2014 independence ref- suggest a majority of Scots
sion vote. First Minister Nicola erendum that was billed as a now favor independence
Sturgeon said she would cam- once-in-a-generation event. from the U.K., with Brexit and
paign in the May 2021 Scot- A new binding referendum re- the coronavirus pandemic
tish Parliament election for quires the U.K. government’s boosting support for Scotland
a mandate to hold a vote on approval, and Prime Minister going its own way. Sturgeon’s In this Tuesday, June 11, 2019 file photo, Scotland’s First Minister
independence “in the early Boris Johnson insists he’ll say calm, clear communication Nicola Sturgeon speaks during an event in Brussels.
Associated Press
part of the new parliament,” no. “The people of Scotland style during the pandemic
which will run from 2021 to had a vote on this (in 2014), has been widely praised, both countries have seen high she will do if the U.K. gov-
2025. In a speech to a confer- and they voted to remain with many contrasting it to death tolls. ernment refuses to grant a
ence of her Scottish National part of the United Kingdom,” Johnson’s more ramshackle The whole of the U.K. has referendum, though some
Party — held virtually be- Johnson spokesman Jamie approach — though the U.K. recorded more than 58,000 pro-independence campaign-
cause of the coronavirus pan- Davies said Monday. and Scottish governments coronavirus-related deaths, ers have suggested she could
demic — Sturgeon said Scot- But Sturgeon’s SNP, which have followed broadly simi- the highest toll in Europe. seek a ruling from the U.K. Su-
land had a right to choose in- leads the government in Ed- lar public health policies, and Sturgeon has not said what preme Court.q