This is’Global Village Today’ that delivers major news from various countries around the world.
Moderator) What are the news today?
Reporter) Yes. The United States plans to complete the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan by September 11th. Take a look at the details. Iran has declared it will raise the concentration of enriched uranium to 60%. While the realization of the Tokyo Olympics is drawing attention, let’s take a look at an expert diagnosis that the delay or cancellation of the Olympics will not have a significant impact on the Japanese economy.
Host) This is the first news of the global village today. U.S. plan to withdraw from Afghanistan, right?
Reporter) Yes. The US government has decided to withdraw all US troops stationed in Afghanistan by September 11th. President Joe Biden will hold a press conference on the afternoon of the 14th and make a presentation on this in person.
Host) September 11th is a very important day for the United States?
Reporter) That’s right. It is the day that Al Qaeda, an international terrorist organization, committed a terrorist attack on the United States, killing more than 3,000 innocent lives. In particular, September 11th is the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
Host) Wasn’t the US sending troops to Afghanistan in the wake of the September 11 incident?
Reporter) That’s right. In 2001, then President George W. Bush pointed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden as the back of the terrorist attacks and demanded the extradition of recruits from the Taliban regime that was ruling Afghanistan at the time. But when the Taliban regime rejected it, the United States declared a war on terror and invaded Afghanistan with its North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies.
Moderator) But it became the longest war in the history of the United States, right?
Reporter) That’s right. Although the Taliban regime was ousted and a new civilian government was established, the war prolonged as Taliban resistance continued. About 2,400 people died in the United States in this war. It saw an economic loss of $2 trillion.
Moderator) So, how many US troops are currently stationed in Afghanistan?
Reporter) At the most, there were cases where more than 100,000 people were stationed. In the meantime, it has been reduced sequentially and is now known to be around 2,500 to 3,000. NATO also currently has about 3,000 people stationed there. The U.S. and NATO allied forces are currently carrying out support missions, such as training the Afghan government forces.
Host) But originally, May 1st was the schedule for the withdrawal, right?
Reporter) Yes. In February of last year, the former Donald Trump administration and the Taliban rebels signed a peace agreement. The main idea was to completely withdraw the US troops from Afghanistan by May 1st, and instead, the Taliban would prevent Afghanistan from becoming a hotbed of terror.
Moderator) The Afghan government, another party to the war, has not participated in the negotiations?
Reporter) Yes. The Taliban refused to negotiate and left. Instead, the agreement between the US and the Taliban contained content that the Taliban and the Afghan government should negotiate directly and free prisoners of war.
Host) How are the negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government going?
Reporter) You are still in a deadlock. Both sides initially creaked the issue of the release of prisoners. After twists and turns, they agreed to start negotiations again at the end of last year and this year. At that time, the agreements agreed in documents are in close conflict with each other to the point that it is evaluated that it is a great achievement.
Moderator) So far, several countries such as the United States, Pakistan, and Qatar have initiated arbitration between the two sides. Turkey is actively mediating negotiations now?
Reporter) Yes. The Turkish government announced on the 13th and the 24th that it will host peace negotiations between the two sides for 10 days. However, a few hours after the announcement, the Taliban rebels announced that they would not participate in the negotiations until all foreign troops are completely withdrawn from Afghanistan, which is still a rough road.
Moderator) How is the reaction in the United States to the Biden administration’s plan to withdraw from Afghanistan?
Reporter) Afghan withdrawal has also been a long-standing challenge for the United States. Experts point out that there is no so-called’good way’ to withdraw from Afghanistan, with no claim for victory and no indefinite presence. Critics accuse Afghanistan of putting Afghanistan into an uncertain future. On the other side, there are also voices opposing the withdrawal in September, saying that just a few more months will not change the situation.
Moderator) What is the reaction of the politicians?
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said President Biden’s withdrawal plan was a major mistake, sacking his tail and accusing him of abandoning the fight in Afghanistan. Democratic Senate Military Commissioner Jack Reid stressed that there was no easy answer, saying that it would have been a very difficult decision for President Biden. But even within the Democratic Party, there are voices of concern that the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan will intensify.
Moderator) In Brussels, Belgium, a meeting is being held between the US and NATO allies?
Reporter) Yes. Secretary of State Tony Blincoln and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are discussing security issues with NATO allies in Brussels, including the withdrawal of Afghanistan and tensions in Ukraine and Russia. The schedule for the withdrawal of NATO member states has not yet been published. Minister Blincoln previously emphasized the withdrawal of US and NATO allies.
Host) Global Village Today is the next news. Are you saying that Iran has decided to increase the concentration of enriched uranium?
Reporter) Yes. Iran announced on the 13th that it would increase its enriched uranium by 60%. Iranian President Hassan Rohany said on the 14th that the decision was “a response to your wickedness,” and a response to the recent Natans accident.
Facilitator) What is the level of uranium enrichment in Iran now?
Reporter) 20% concentration. However, Iran’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Arakchi said on the previous day (13th) that he had notified the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). 60% is Iran’s all-time high.
Facilitator) Then, did you reveal when the 60% enrichment process will begin?
Reporter) Yes. Initially, Iran notified that it would start on the 14th. However, IAEA representative Kazem Garibadi, in an article posted on Twitter this morning, suggested that it could be delayed a little by next week.
Host) Iran’s move is related to an accident at the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran a while ago?
Reporter) Yes. On the 11th, there was an accident in which a part of the distribution network broke down at the underground nuclear facility in Natanz in central Iran. The Iranian government has pledged to retaliate, blaming Israel behind the attack. Iranian President Hassan Rohany insisted that in a ministerial meeting presided over on the 14th, “We have cut off your arms, one with 60% and the other with IR-6.”
Host) IR-6 is one of the types of centrifuges Iran has, right?
Reporter) Yes. Iran said that the conventional centrifuge type IR-1 was damaged by the Natanz attack, and that it will install 1,000 more IR-6 centrifuges with improved performance in Natanz.
Facilitator) All violations of the Iranian nuclear agreement, right?
Reporter) Yes. According to the’Comprehensive Joint Action Plan (JCPOA)’ and Iran’s nuclear agreement, which Iran agreed with five security councils including the United States and Britain in 2016 and Germany, Iran cannot produce more than 3.67% enriched uranium. In addition, at the Natanz nuclear facility, only conventional centrifuges should be used.
Moderator) But why is Iran violating the nuclear agreement?
Reporter) Iran alleges that former Donald Trump U.S. administration unilaterally withdrew from the 2018 nuclear agreement, first violating the agreement. Iran has repeatedly abolished the agreement, saying that the rest of the parties to the agreement are not implementing the agreement.
Moderator) Are the meetings of the parties to the nuclear agreement in Europe right now?
Reporter) Yes. With the inauguration of the Biden administration and the possibility of restoring the Iranian nuclear agreement, European arbitration has been debating the restoration of the agreement between Iran and the rest of the agreement since last week in Vienna, Austria. The US delegation led by Iranian envoy Robert Marley stays in a separate accommodation near the conference hall and participates in the form of indirect talks. However, the prospect of the meeting is getting darker with the announcement of Iran following the accident at the Natanz nuclear facility.
Moderator) Has the US government expressed its position on the accident at the Natanz nuclear facility?
Reporter) Yes. On the 12th, the day after the accident, White House spokesman Jen Saki drew a line that the United States was not involved in any way.
Moderator) In the midst of this, is there any news that an Israeli-owned ship was attacked?
Reporter) Yes. On the 13th, an Israeli company-owned Bahamas car carrier was attacked by a missile offshore near the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The vessel was known to continue sailing without any damage. No one has yet claimed to have committed the attack, but Israeli media say Israeli officials believe Iran is behind the attack.
Host) Global Village Let’s look at one more news today. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) mentioned the Tokyo Summer Olympics?
Reporter) Yes. Even if Japan postpones or cancels the Tokyo Olympics again, it will not harm Japan’s economy, said Deputy Director of Asia-Pacific Affairs of the IMF Od Per Breck. Breck’s deputy director made this prospect in a written interview with Reuters.
Moderator) What is the basis for Breck’s forecast?
Reporter) Yes. Breck explained that Japan’s economy is huge and diverse, so the changes to the Olympics schedule will have only a limited impact on the near-term growth prospects. He also added that most of the infrastructure necessary for hosting the Olympics has been prepared, and the impact on growth from the shrinking tourism in Japan will be small.
Moderator) If it’s a limited influence, doesn’t it mean that there is no effect at all?
Reporter) Yes. Mr. Breck pointed out that while the overall economy will not have a major impact, it is important to keep in mind that it could have a disproportionate impact on the service sector in Tokyo where the Olympics will take place, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. At the same time, it was predicted that the growth of related industries could be reduced by more than 5%. He stressed the need for the Japanese government to support these industries.
Host) The Tokyo Olympics has already been postponed once, isn’t it?
Reporter) Yes. It was originally scheduled to be held last year. It was postponed to July this year due to the novel coronavirus.
Host) But, are there still voices of skepticism about hosting the Olympics?
Reporter) That’s right. The number of coronavirus confirmed cases in Japan is increasing again. In addition, vaccinations are also slower than expected, raising concerns about the Olympics being held. However, the Japanese government is sticking to its firm stance, saying that it will host the Olympics in July of this year as planned.
Presenter) Is the Japanese economy recovering?
Reporter) Yes. From the IMF projections, the Japanese economy is expected to grow 3.3% this year and 2.5% next year. However, many experts warn that the re-proliferation of corona infection could slow Japan’s economic growth.
Moderator) The Japanese economy had shrunk significantly last year, right?
Reporter) Yes. The IMF announced that Japan’s economy grew by 4.8% last year.
Moderator) Yes. The global village, I’ll listen to you today.