Kabul Strike Shows U.S. War in Afghanistan Isn’t Over

Here is today’s Foreign Policy brief: the United States strikes Islamic State-Khorasan target in Kabul, the European Union proposes restrictions on U.S. travelers, and the world this week.

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With one day until the Aug. 31 deadline to withdraw U.S. troops, it’s becoming clear the U.S. war in Afghanistan is not over.

On Sunday, U.S. military officials reported that a suspected suicide bomber had been killed in a drone strike on the vehicle he was traveling in, a move that came in apparent retaliation for a double suicide bombing at Kabul’s airport last Thursday, which led to the deaths of at least 170 civilians as well as 13 U.S. service members.

The airstrike highlights the United States’ predicament as Islamic State-Khorasan—a branch of the Islamic State operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan—asserts itself in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, making the country likely to join the handful of others where the United States is not officially at war but reserves the right to conduct counterterrorism strikes at will.

U.S. backtracking. Almost as soon as it was announced, the U.S. narrative on Sunday’s “self-defense unmanned over-the-horizon airstrike” quickly began to unravel. After initially reporting no knowledge of civilian deaths, U.S. officials were forced to concede that some people had in fact died in the bombing. CNN reported nine members of one family, including six children, died in the attack. The CNN story comes on the heels of a BBC report where witnesses in Friday’s airport bombing said several of the dead had been shot by U.S. forces in the ensuing confusion.

Kabul’s “safe zone.” As U.S. forces continue to root out enemies on the ground, the West is still trying to get its citizens in the air. Today at the U.N. National Security Council, France, the United Kingdom, and Germany are expected to put forward a proposal to create a “safe zone” around Kabul’s airport to facilitate evacuations.

The plan is backed up by a recent Taliban agreement, reached by more than 100 countries, to allow foreigners to continue to leave the country after the Aug. 31 deadline. In a reversal from previous statements, the Taliban said they would also allow Afghans to leave, provided they have been granted the necessary documentation by their future host countries.

The need for greater protections around Kabul’s airport was reinforced by a rocket attack in the early hours of Monday morning, although U.S. officials said its missile defenses held firm against the barrage.

Tuesday, Aug. 31 is the final day for U.S. troops to leave Afghanistan, according to a revised timeline announced by U.S. President Joe Biden on July 8.

New Zealand’s emergency national lockdown, initially instituted over a single coronavirus case, is scheduled to end.

On Wednesday, Sept. 1, U.S. President Joe Biden hosts Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House.

On Thursday, Sept. 2, EU foreign ministers gather in Slovenia for an informal meeting, with Afghanistan expected high on the agenda.

On Friday, Sept. 3, talks between the Venezuelan government and opposition representatives resume in Mexico.

The U.S. Department of Labor releases its monthly jobs report.

On Sunday, Sept. 5, G-20 health ministers gather in Italy for a two-day summit.

Hurricane Ida. Extreme weather continues to batter the southern United States today after Hurricane Ida made landfall on Sunday, with surging waters leading to power outages throughout the entire city of New Orleans exactly 16 years after it was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Officials have reported one death so far.

Hurricane Ida—a Category 4 storm when it made landfall—is tied as the most powerful storm to ever hit the state of Louisiana, a record it shares with the Last Island Hurricane in 1856 and Hurricane Laura, which struck last year.

EU travel restrictions. The European Council is set to recommend fresh restrictions on U.S. travelers wishing to enter the European Union, citing the increased spread of COVID-19 in the United States. It’s also a sign of European frustrations with U.S. restrictions: Most Europeans have been banned from entering the United States since March 2020. The council’s recommendations are non-binding, so it’s unclear whether EU member states will carry out the advice, which would include mandatory quarantine requirements.

Germany’s election. German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz was deemed the winner of last night’s televised debate in a snap poll, piling more pressure on Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Armin Laschet as Germany’s election campaign enters its final month. The debate victory comes as Scholz’s Social Democrats increased their slim polling lead by two points last week in a new poll, earning the preference of 24 percent of those surveyed versus 21 percent for Laschet’s CDU.

Israeli-Palestinian ties. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas held talks on Sunday in the first major dialogue between the two sides in years. The two discussed security and economic issues, according to Gantz’s office. The meeting comes days after U.S. President Joe Biden hosted Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett at the White House and as Hamas gains popularity over Abbas’s Fatah party. Abbas continues a week of high-level meetings on Thursday, when he meets with Jordanian King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo.

Greenland’s total area appears to have increased by 20,000 square feet after Danish researchers accidentally discovered a new island off its northern coast. They have proposed naming it Qeqertaq Avannarleq—“the northernmost island” in Greenlandic, as it is believed to be the northernmost known island in the world.

The research team originally thought they had landed on Oodaaq, an island that was itself discovered in 1978, before the expedition, led by Morten Rasch of the University of Copenhagen, realized its luck. The island is likely a feature of deposits from regular storms rather than climate change, Rasch said, citing its gravely and silt base.

“No one knows how long it will remain. In principle, it could disappear as soon as a powerful new storm hits,” Rasch said.