Radio România Internațional

Tag: pull out

  • Afghanistan – 20 years after

    Afghanistan – 20 years after

    Less than 2 weeks were necessary before the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, in mid-August, as the foreign military deployed there for the past two decades pulled out.



    Sent to Afghanistan shortly after the 9/11 attacks in the USA, American and other NATO allied troops completed their mission, and with the withdrawal of the foreign military, celebrated by Islamist militants as a victory, the situation spiralled, raising even more questions regarding the future of that country and more. Was this development predictable at all? Military analyst Radu Tudor tells Radio Romania that it was:



    Radu Tudor: “It was entirely foreseeable, and unfortunately a mission that I personally have seen as a success for over 20 years, a mission originally conducted under American command, Enduring Freedom, and which then also involved NATO and UN participation and coordination, a successful mission that dismantled and drove out of Afghanistan the al-Qaida terror organisation, a mission that led to the killing of Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks which killed nearly 3,000 innocent people in the US, well, this successful mission, which brought relative stability to Afghanistan and gave that country struggling with medieval realities a chance of becoming a modern state, hit into a very poorly made pull-out plan. Into decisions that neither the Trump administration nor the Biden administration have analysed thoroughly, which generated very strong emotions. And we can feel these emotions ourselves, when we see the footage broadcast by all television stations and websites in the world. I believe what we see now is the unfortunate ending of a very difficult, very necessary mission, a mission with good results in terms of stabilising Afghanistan. In fact, the concern of the international community with the resurgence of the Taliban and their rise to power proves that what NATO and the US did for the past 20 years in Afghanistan was a good thing. But the mission could not go on, not only because of the huge human, military and financial costs, but also because the idea that Afghanistan should take its fate in its own hands had to prevail.



    “President Joe Biden could have said that by end of September 2022 I want zero troops in Afghanistan. But until that time I want to make sure that we have a political settlement between the government and the Taliban and that we have also evacuated all our employees and local partners, said a former member of the government ousted by the Taliban, Nargis Nehan, who sees the pull-out as “irresponsible. “The US have been in Afghanistan for 20 years, staying one more year longer wouldn’t have made any difference for them, at least financially as well as politically, Nehan told AFP, 6 days after fleeing the country. Nargis Nehan deplored the waste of over 2,000 billion in international investments, as well as the bloodshed: “the sense of abandonment experienced by many Afghans would foster a sense of grievance against the international community. “That’s my fear… we’ll see much more extremism coming from Afghanistan, Nehan said, explaining that it would be fuelled out of poverty, and out of that feeling of betrayal and grievances that they have.



    On the other hand, the US secretary general Antonio Guterres warns against “a humanitarian catastrophe looming, and speaks about a deepening humanitarian and economic crisis and the threat of basic services completely collapsing. The UN chief mentions that “almost half of the population of Afghanistan — 18 million people — need humanitarian assistance to survive. “Now more than ever, Afghan children, women and men need the support and solidarity of the international community, Guterres insisted.



    The Taliban vowed to guarantee the security of the humanitarian teams and the access of aid into Afghanistan, but they also promised a regime that will be acknowledged by the international community and the Afghan people. In their first press conference since taking power, a Taliban spokesman said freedom of the media and the rights of women will be complied with, within the framework of Islamic law, although they provided no details as to what that means in practice.



    After the US deployed troops in Afghanistan in 2001, the restrictions against women relaxed, and even as the war continued, an internationally supported local commitment to improve womens rights led to new protection measures. In 2009, a law aiming to fight violence against women criminalised rape and forced marriages, and made it illegal to prevent women and girls from working or studying. Today, the women and girls of Afghanistan fear that they will lose the rights gained in 20 years and that they will never be regained, in spite of Taliban promises that “schools will be opened, and girls and women will go to school as students and teachers.



    Meanwhile, Europe expects a wave of Afghan migrants that would put pressure on its capacities. The memory of 2015, when Europe faced a huge illegal migration wave triggered by the war in Syria, is still very vivid. And even if the situation will not be exactly the same, Europe needs to be prepared. And to stay alert, amid fears of a possibly high terrorist risk after the Taliban took power. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Afghanistan – 20 years after

    Afghanistan – 20 years after

    Less than 2 weeks were necessary before the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, in mid-August, as the foreign military deployed there for the past two decades pulled out.



    Sent to Afghanistan shortly after the 9/11 attacks in the USA, American and other NATO allied troops completed their mission, and with the withdrawal of the foreign military, celebrated by Islamist militants as a victory, the situation spiralled, raising even more questions regarding the future of that country and more. Was this development predictable at all? Military analyst Radu Tudor tells Radio Romania that it was:



    Radu Tudor: “It was entirely foreseeable, and unfortunately a mission that I personally have seen as a success for over 20 years, a mission originally conducted under American command, Enduring Freedom, and which then also involved NATO and UN participation and coordination, a successful mission that dismantled and drove out of Afghanistan the al-Qaida terror organisation, a mission that led to the killing of Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks which killed nearly 3,000 innocent people in the US, well, this successful mission, which brought relative stability to Afghanistan and gave that country struggling with medieval realities a chance of becoming a modern state, hit into a very poorly made pull-out plan. Into decisions that neither the Trump administration nor the Biden administration have analysed thoroughly, which generated very strong emotions. And we can feel these emotions ourselves, when we see the footage broadcast by all television stations and websites in the world. I believe what we see now is the unfortunate ending of a very difficult, very necessary mission, a mission with good results in terms of stabilising Afghanistan. In fact, the concern of the international community with the resurgence of the Taliban and their rise to power proves that what NATO and the US did for the past 20 years in Afghanistan was a good thing. But the mission could not go on, not only because of the huge human, military and financial costs, but also because the idea that Afghanistan should take its fate in its own hands had to prevail.



    “President Joe Biden could have said that by end of September 2022 I want zero troops in Afghanistan. But until that time I want to make sure that we have a political settlement between the government and the Taliban and that we have also evacuated all our employees and local partners, said a former member of the government ousted by the Taliban, Nargis Nehan, who sees the pull-out as “irresponsible. “The US have been in Afghanistan for 20 years, staying one more year longer wouldn’t have made any difference for them, at least financially as well as politically, Nehan told AFP, 6 days after fleeing the country. Nargis Nehan deplored the waste of over 2,000 billion in international investments, as well as the bloodshed: “the sense of abandonment experienced by many Afghans would foster a sense of grievance against the international community. “That’s my fear… we’ll see much more extremism coming from Afghanistan, Nehan said, explaining that it would be fuelled out of poverty, and out of that feeling of betrayal and grievances that they have.



    On the other hand, the US secretary general Antonio Guterres warns against “a humanitarian catastrophe looming, and speaks about a deepening humanitarian and economic crisis and the threat of basic services completely collapsing. The UN chief mentions that “almost half of the population of Afghanistan — 18 million people — need humanitarian assistance to survive. “Now more than ever, Afghan children, women and men need the support and solidarity of the international community, Guterres insisted.



    The Taliban vowed to guarantee the security of the humanitarian teams and the access of aid into Afghanistan, but they also promised a regime that will be acknowledged by the international community and the Afghan people. In their first press conference since taking power, a Taliban spokesman said freedom of the media and the rights of women will be complied with, within the framework of Islamic law, although they provided no details as to what that means in practice.



    After the US deployed troops in Afghanistan in 2001, the restrictions against women relaxed, and even as the war continued, an internationally supported local commitment to improve womens rights led to new protection measures. In 2009, a law aiming to fight violence against women criminalised rape and forced marriages, and made it illegal to prevent women and girls from working or studying. Today, the women and girls of Afghanistan fear that they will lose the rights gained in 20 years and that they will never be regained, in spite of Taliban promises that “schools will be opened, and girls and women will go to school as students and teachers.



    Meanwhile, Europe expects a wave of Afghan migrants that would put pressure on its capacities. The memory of 2015, when Europe faced a huge illegal migration wave triggered by the war in Syria, is still very vivid. And even if the situation will not be exactly the same, Europe needs to be prepared. And to stay alert, amid fears of a possibly high terrorist risk after the Taliban took power. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Afghanistan: end of mission

    Afghanistan: end of mission

    At the end of nearly two decades of uninterrupted presence in Afghanistan, Romanian troops have returned home, as did the military forces of all the countries that took part in operations in that country. 27 Romanian troops died in these missions or in Taliban terror attacks, and over 200 have been wounded.



    As a token of appreciation, the end of the Romanian military mission in Afghanistan was marked on Wednesday, the 21st of July, in a military ceremony in Bucharest. Units representing the structures that completed missions in one of the most difficult theatres of operations between 2002 and June this year marched under the Arch of Triumph in central Bucharest. A C 130 Hercules and 3 C-27J Spartan aircraft, part of the Otopeni Air Transport Base 90, flew over the area.



    The battle flags of the units that took part in the missions were decorated, and a moment of silence was observed for those who lost their lives there. President Klaus Iohannis left a floral tribute for their memory. In his address, he pointed out the sacrifice that these troops and their families had made, and mentioned that the Romanian Army’s mission in Afghanistan will be remembered as the longest, most complex and most important military operation outside national borders since WW2.




    Klaus Iohannis: “Dear soldiers, you have written history, you are the heroes of our generations and we are proud of you. You have shown us that love for one’s country, courage, devotion, patriotism and self-sacrifice remain fundamental highlights of our nation. We will never forget our heroes!”



    Over 32,000 troops from all categories of armed forces took part in missions in Afghanistan—men and women who for a while left their parents, children and loved ones in order to take part in operations that endangered their lives.



    The first unit deployed there, in June 2002, was the Infantry Battalion 26 from Craiova (southern Romania), dubbed “The Red Scorpions,” commanded at the time by lieutenant-colonel Nicolae Ciucă, today a retired general and defence minister. He headed the first military mission in Afghanistan and, 20 years later, he coordinated the pullout of troops from that country.



    Minister Ciucă said on this occasion that with this mission in Afghanistan, Romania gained the respect of its NATO partners in the global war on terrorism. The total costs of Romania’s presence in Afghanistan amounted to some 600 million euro. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • NATO, US to pull out of Afghanistan

    NATO, US to pull out of Afghanistan

    Its official: the United States and their NATO allies will be withdrawing their troops from Afghanistan in a matter of months. The pull-out takes place in the year when the Western world commemorates 2 decades since the terror attacks on the US. 9/11 triggered a massive and prompt military response from an international coalition headed by the US against Al Qaida and the fundamentalist regime in Kabul.



    “I believed that our presence in Afghanistan should be focused on the reason we went in the first place. To ensure Afghanistan would not be used as a base from which to attack our homeland again. We did that, president Joe Biden tweeted, one day after Washington announced the decision. He promised that the withdrawal of the US troops by September 1 will not be rushed and asked the Taliban to live up to their commitment not to threaten the US.



    To end the countrys longest war, which killed over 2,000 Americans and tens of thousands of Afghans, the Trump administration signed last February in Doha, Qatar, a historic agreement with the Taliban. The deal provided for the withdrawal of all US and foreign troops by May 1, provided that in the future the Taliban would prevent the operation of any terror group in the Afghan territories they control.



    NATO will also initiate the orderly, coordinated and deliberate withdrawal of its troops on May 1, reads an official news release issued at the end of a conference call of the defence and foreign ministers of the 30 Allied states. Any Taliban attack on Allied forces during the pull-out will trigger a vigorous response, the Alliance warned.



    The countries with the most substantial commitment in Afghanistan at present are the US, Germany, Turkey and Italy. Romania has over 600 troops deployed there. Bucharest was part of the coalition against terrorism ever since the latter was created, and has lost 27 people during such missions in the last 2 decades.



    The foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu and the defence minister Nicolae Ciucă appreciated the United States approach to the situation in Afghanistan, both in terms of the dialogue and coordination with the Allies, and in terms of encouraging negotiations and the peace process within Afghanistan.



    The Romanian officials highlighted Bucharests long-term commitment to the stability and security of Afghanistan, and emphasised the need to take into account the Allies and Afghanistans security interests and the importance of preserving solidarity and unity within NATO.



    Minister Ciucă stressed the importance of focusing on the implementation of consistent measures to protect the NATO forces in Afghanistan in the forthcoming period, alongside a coordinated approach to the pull out. He also praised the planning process conducted by the NATO military authorities. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • August 2, 2019

    August 2, 2019

    INVESTIGATION The suspect in the case involving the 2 missing girls from Caracal, southern Romania, was questioned for nearly 9 hours last night at the head office of the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism in Bucharest. He confirmed his initial statement that he murdered the 2 teenagers. The authorities announced that suspect Gheorghe Dincă would be present at the searches conducted on Friday at his home in Caracal. The case has been taken over from the local office in Craiova by the central structure of the Directorate and is coordinated by chief prosecutor Felix Bănilă. He explained that this is due to the complexity of the case, the extensive media coverage and the technical and human resources needed in order to find the truth. Also on Friday, the results of forensic tests on the bone fragments found at the suspects residence are expected to come in. Meanwhile, the prosecutor who originally handled the Caracal case has been suspended. A week ago, he did not authorise the police to search the suspects home before 6 AM. He is now investigated for gross negligence by judicial inspectors, who say they will also look at how he conducted investigations over the past year. However, peoples discontent with how the authorities handled the case is growing. They blame the Special Telecommunications Service, in charge with operating the emergency number 112, as well as the police and prosecutors. The unacceptable succession of missteps in this regard has already caused several dismissals and resignations. Gheorghe Dincă, a 60-year old mechanic, confessed to having murdered 2 girls, aged 15 and 18, after he abducted them for sexual exploitation purposes, detained and raped them. The bodies have not been found yet.




    HOLOCAUST The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis sent a message on Friday, the Roma Genocide Remembrance Day, emphasising the need for constant awareness of the importance of fighting racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism. On this day we pay tribute to the nearly half a million Roma children, women and men who were victims of genocide during World War II, reads the Presidents message. Romania faced some of the most gruesome forms of hatred and intolerance, when 25,000 Roma people, whose parents had fought in the Great War for the national unity of the country, were forcibly sent to Transdniester as “dangerous and undesirable. The Government of Romania also honours the memory of the victims of the Romani Holocaust. It is important for the generations of today and tomorrow to know the truth about the Holocaust, as well as about the progress Romania has made in terms of preserving this truth and in terms of promoting coherent legislation to fight discrimination, anti-Semitism and xenophobia against the Roma people, the Government says in a news release.




    BOOK FAIR The resort of Mamaia on the Romanian Black Sea coast is hosting, as of Thursday, the 11th edition of the Gaudeamus Book Fair, organised by Radio Romania. More than 30 publishers are taking part. According to the president of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation Georgică Severin, Gaudeamus is a large-scale event designed to promote one of the most important Romanian mass media brands, Radio Romania. The 2019 Gaudeamus Seaside Book Fair is scheduled to end on August 5.




    INF Russia and the USA Friday announced the termination of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). Washington announced pulling out of the INF as of February 2, and Moscow responded immediately with a similar move. The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Russia of being “in material breach of the treaty, although Moscow has repeatedly denied the accusations. The INF pact, signed by the US and the Soviet Union in 1987, banned missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 km.




    FOOTBALL Romanian football vice-champions FCSB (former Steaua Bucharest), Thursday qualified into the 3rd preliminary round of Europa League, although it lost at home against the Armenian side Alashkert FC, 3-2. FCSB won the first leg of the round in Yerevan, 3-0. Also on Thursday night, CSU Craiova advanced into the Europa League 3rd preliminary round, after defeating Honved Budapest 3-1 in the shootouts. Romanian Cup holders Viitorul Constanta on the other hand were left out of the European competition, in spite of its 2-1 win against Belgiums KAA Gent.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • August 5, 2017 UPDATE

    August 5, 2017 UPDATE

    HEAT WAVE – Romanian meteorologists have extended the code red alert against extreme heat for Sunday as well, but narrowed it from 12 to 2 counties in the south-west, where highs of 40 – 41 degrees Celsius are expected. Meanwhile, nearly 3-quarters of the country remain subject to a code orange alert, with temperatures of up to 39 degrees and lows between 22 and 25 degrees. The heat wave that has hit Romania these days will continue, and the thermal discomfort index will go over 80, to 82-84 units. On the other hand, starting on Sunday thunderstorms and heavy rainfalls are expected in the north-west and the north of the country, particularly in the mountains, and on Monday in the northern half of the country. Weather experts warn that the weather will remain extremely hot next week as well. Two people died because of the extreme heat, and hundreds required medical assistance. First-aid tents have been set up in all major cities. Speed restrictions are in place on the national railway network as well as on the countrys main roads, with heavy-duty vehicle traffic restricted during the afternoon.




    ALERT – Extreme temperatures are also reported across Europe this weekend. Code red alerts are in place in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Hungary, in most of Slovenia, south of Poland, south of Slovakia, south of Switzerland, in central and south-eastern Italy as well as in the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. High wildfire risks are reported in Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Albania, Hungary, Serbia, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus and Turkey. The Foreign Ministry recommends that areas under alert should be avoided, and says that Romanian diplomatic missions abroad are prepared to provide assistance to those who request it.



    SAXONS – The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis urged the Saxon ethnics attending a meeting in Sibiu on Saturday to pass on to younger generations the traditions and values of the community. The head of state, himself a German ethnic, gave a speech both in Romanian and German and attended a parade of Saxon traditional costumes. The city of Sibiu in central Romania is hosting, until Sunday, the 27th and largest so far meeting of Transylvanian Saxon ethnics, under the motto “Home around the world, heart in Transylvania. For this occasion, thousands of Saxon ethnics currently living in Germany, Austria and the USA returned to their home country. The agenda of the event includes 50 events, from exhibitions and book launches to music and dance performances. The Saxon ethnics, a German population, settled in Transylvania starting in the mid-12th Century.



    HEROES Romania continues to commemorate its WWI heroes through a series of ceremonies held all over the country. The peak of these events organised by the National Defence Ministry and the Vrancea County Council will be on Sunday, when the country marks 100 years since the Battle of Marasesti, a watershed moment for Romania in the Great War. Regarded as one of the most impressive monuments in the country, the Mausoleum in Marasesti was built in the place where, in the summer of 1917, the Romanian soldiers stood their ground against a technically superior and better-trained German army, losing 480 officers and over 21,000 troops.



    CLIMATE – The USA gave written notice to the UN of its intention to pull out of the Paris Agreement on climate change, but will continue to take part in international negotiations, the American State Department announced. Washington will take part in the forthcoming annual UN conference on climate, due in November in Bonn, Germany. On June 1, US President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of the country from this agreement aimed at containing global warming and signed in 2015 by 195 states. Trump says the deal damages the American economy, but he does not rule out the US rejoining the process after renegotiations or even the signing of a new agreement able to protect the US. Under the Agreement, an official withdrawal notification can only take effect 3 years after the agreement has come into force, that is on November 4, 2016. Donald Trump will therefore be able to pull out from the deal only at the end of 2019, with a one-year notice, AFP reports.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)