Just in: #Pompeo called Taliban deputy leader Mullah Baradar, “made clear the expectation for the Taliban to live up to their commitments, which include not attacking Americans.”
NYT reporting US intel intercepted wired transfers from Russia to Taliban:
Trump administration has opened new high level channels with Taliban
• Trump spoke to Mullah Baradar in March
• Envoy Khalilzad routinely meets them in Qatar (including this week)
• Agreement with Taliban on Feb 29 : 2 days after Russia bounties briefing to Trump per NYT
Not called, video conferenced. Essentially US Secretary of State zoomed deputy leader of a militant organization in Afghanistan that ran an alliance with Al Qaeda and is allegedly receiving Russian bounties to kill US troops
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
THREAD 🧵: Massive anti-far right protests are happening in #Germany. Hundreds of thousands rallies today, ~ 1.4 mil since Friday. This is in Munich
Berlin, Germany, over 100,000 gathered today outside Bundestag to reject far-right parties
And this is Cologne also witnessing large turnout in organized protests against far-right AfD party. Around 100 cities in Germany protesting since Friday
JUST IN: US says it carried airstrikes in #Syria after Iranian drone hit US base, killing one US contractor, injuring 5 US troops.
Full US Statement here, attack on US troops happened at 1:38 p.m Syria time, 7:38 a.m ET defense.gov/News/Releases/…
Rare but not unprecedented escalation between US & pro-Iran militias in Syria
- Biden authorized strikes in Syria on: 02/2021, 08/2022 also after drone attacks
- Comes at tense point between US-Iran
- Despite Iran rapprochement with Saudi
- One day after Israeli strikes in Aleppo
• Deal announced today
• Brokered by China
• Re-Opening of embassies
• Al-Aiban, Shamkhani, Wang Yi
• White House: Good for Yemen
• Iraq, Oman roles al-monitor.com/originals/2023…
Hard to understate significance of this, coming on heels of China's improved roles w Saudi &Iran.
US official told @AlMonitor it "welcomes any efforts to help end the war in Yemen & de-escalate tensions in the Middle East region."
Talks between Saudi & Houthis are advancing.
But the crux of this is China: its biggest diplomatic breakthrough in GCC region. Chinese negotiator Wang Yi brokered the deal.
Can China offer guarantees? Will this hold? Time will tell.
JUST IN: Two missiles reportedly hit Przewodow #Poland located on border with #Ukraine. Comes as Russia pounded Ukraine with missiles today. Local radio reports 2 fatalities. Poland is a NATO member
Being a NATO member, Poland could opt to invoke Article 5 of "collective defense" that an attack on one is an attack on all.
If Russia is culprit, such move would take Ukraine war to a whole new level
BREAKING: US Intelligence official confirms to AP that “Russian missiles crossed into NATO member #Poland, killing two people.”
This is quickly escalating. Poland’s PM is holding emergency meeting.