Check out Today's Agenda Below! - Retired US Diplomat to 5 different nations David Hunter shares his knowledge, passion, interest, and experience.
1) Afghanistan: On Aug 4th, Herald Phifer---a US Air Traffic Controller serving at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul---called into the podcast, and provided on the ground info about what was going on. Ten days later, the Taliban had taken over Kabul. We asked him what he would do if that ever happened. Today he is calling back in to explain how he got out. And what it was like at the airport.
2) US Drone Strike on Civilians in Kabul: Just after an ISIS linked terrorist bombing killed 13 US Marines at the Kabul airport, the US military launched two drone or missile attacks on ISIS targets. The first was far outside Kabul and reportedly killed 2 terrorists. But the second was a drone-fired missile that mistakenly killed an Afghan family including 7 children. The US military just announced this week it was a case of mistaken identity and apologized. What does this say for our ability to conduct counter-terrorism from over the horizon, by using drones?
3) A Sub Snub?: The French are in an uproar about the Biden Administration's decision to push them out of a huge 'Deal of the Century' for submarines to Australia. In what looks like a linked deal, the US has just formed an new military alliance of US-UK -Australia. This upgrades and militarizes the "Five Eyes" intelligence pact that has operated for years, including US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand. But how will this new open military alliance, designed to confront rising China's military power, complicate things?
4) Russian Elections: Last week regional elections were held in Russia. Of course, Putin's United Russia party took 50% of the vote so retains a super-majority and ability to rewrite the constitution. But the second place winner was the Communist Party with 17%, and third place was Vladimir Zhirinovsky's Russian Liberal Democratic Party with 7%. Poor Mr. Navalney's Anti-Corruption party was banned from running, w/ Putin calling it 'anti-establishment' and 'terrorist'. What do you think, was it a fair election?
