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Tough to meet May 1 Afghan troop exit deadline: Biden

“It’s going to be hard to meet the May 1 deadline. Just in terms of tactical reasons, it’s hard to get those troops out.”said Biden…reports Asian Lite News

President Joe Biden has indicated that the US is unlikely to meet the May 1 deadline set by his predecessor Donald Trump to get American troops out of Afghanistan.

Addressing a news conference in Washington on Thursday, Biden said: “It’s going to be hard to meet the May 1 deadline. Just in terms of tactical reasons, it’s hard to get those troops out.”

He said that the US was consulting its NATO allies who also have troops there “and if we leave, we’re going to do so in a safe and orderly way”.

Afghan security force members take part in a military operation in Ghazni province, eastern Afghanistan

Replying to a question, the President said that he could not see the troops still being in Afghanistan next year.

“It is not my intention to stay there for a long time. But the question is how and in what circumstances do we meet that agreement that was made by President Trump to leave under a deal that looks like it’s not being able to be worked out to begin with? How is that done?”

Also read:N.Korean missile launch not provocation: Biden

He appeared to question the legitimacy of the democratically elected Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani by disparaging referring to him as “the ‘leader’, quote, in Afghanistan and Kabul”.

Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin “just met with Ghani and I’m waiting for the briefing on that. He is the the ‘leader’, quote, in Afghanistan and Kabul”, he said.

US troops in Afghanistan.

More than 20 years after the US and NATO troops were sent to Afghanistan to root out the Al Qaeda terror organisation and the Taliban that provided it bases, about 2,500 American troops remaining there, although down from about 100,000 at the height of the deployment in 2010.

Trump started negotiations with the Taliban for a peace settlement in Afghanistan and had set the May 1, 2021, deadline for the troops to return home.

Biden has kept on Zalmay Khalilzad, who was appointed by Trump as the special envoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation, and is still trying to seal a peace deal.

Also read:US Defence Secy visits Ghani

Tesla cars banned in China’s military, govt premises

The latest move by China can be considered as its technological battle with the United States, reports Asian Lite News

China is reportedly barring military and government personnel from using Tesla vehicles, citing a potential data security risk posed by the Elon Musk-run electric carmaker.

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal citing sources, people who work for the “military, state-owned enterprises in sensitive industries, and other government agencies” will be asked not to drive a Tesla vehicle.

Also Read – Russia ‘interested’ in Elon Musk’s offer

“The Chinese government has informed some of its agencies to ask their employees to stop driving Tesla cars to work,” the report mentioned.

Tesla cars have also been reportedly banned from driving into housing compounds for families of personnel working in sensitive industries and state agencies.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk. (File photo: IANS)

“They were told by their agencies that among the government’s concerns is that Tesla vehicles can be constantly in record mode, using cameras and other sensors to log various details, including short videos”.

The Chinese government is concerned that those images can be sent back to the US.

The Chinese regulators are also taking a closer look at Tesla operations in the country after recent videos on social media showed a Model 3 battery fire and malfunctioning vehicles.

Also Read – Tesla officially enters India

Tesla said in a statement that its “privacy protection policy complies with Chinese laws and regulations”.

“Tesla attaches great importance to the protection of users’ privacy,” the electric carmaker added.

Tesla Model Y. (Photo: Twitter/@Tesla)

The restriction on Tesla comes as Chinese President Xi Jinping “increasingly moves China away from foreign technology as Beijing’s technological battle with the US intensifies”.

The move comes at a time when the US has labeled smartphone maker Huawei a national security threat, restricting its business activities with the US companies.

Tesla which has its Gigafactory in Shangai is set to enter India this year to tap into the million-dollar opportunity as the country warms up to EVs.

Also Read – China’s cyber warfare after Pangong pullout

China is the largest market for electric vehicles in the world, and Tesla is the top seller of such vehicles.

The company also plans to build a supercharger manufacturing factory in Shanghai, which is expected to be operational soon.

On January 7, the US electric carmaker launched a project to manufacture Model Y vehicles in the Shanghai Gigafactory, its first overseas plant outside the US.

Tesla has opened its largest supercharger station worldwide, with 72 charging piles set up in the Jing’an District of Shanghai.

As of the end of 2020, the automaker has built more than 600 supercharger stations in China.

Also Read – China greatest long-term threat: Pentagon