WASHINGTON: The Pentagon has confirmed that US Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Smiley was shot in a Taliban attack that killed two Afghan leaders in Kandahar province last week.
US military spokesman Cmdr. Grant W. Neeley provided no other details. The Washington Post reported earlier Sunday that Smiley was recovering after suffering at least one gunshot wound while he was inside the Kandahar governor’s compound.
The Taliban assassinated two top provincial officials Thursday in an attack on a security conference attended by the top US military commander in the country, Gen. Scott Miller. He escaped injury.
Smiley was assigned in the summer to lead a Kandahar-based command with a mission to train and advise Afghan security forces and help with counterterrorism operations in southern Afghanistan.
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US general shot in last week’s Taliban attack
US general shot in last week’s Taliban attack
- Smiley was assigned in the summer to lead a Kandahar-based command with a mission to train and advise Afghan security forces
Russia is the only winner of Middle East war, EU’s Costa says
BRUSSELS: Russia has so far been the only winner from the war in the Middle East as energy prices soar and attention for its war against Ukraine has faded, EU Council President Antonio Costa said on Tuesday.
“So far, there is only one winner in this war – Russia,” Costa said in a speech to EU ambassadors in Brussels.
“It gains new resources to finance its war against Ukraine as energy prices rise. It profits from the diversion of military capabilities that could otherwise have been sent to support Ukraine. And it benefits from reduced attention to the Ukrainian front as the conflict in the Middle East takes center stage.”
Costa stressed the need for the EU to protect the international rules-based order, which he said was now being challenged by the United States, and for all parties in the Middle East to return to the negotiating table.
“Freedom and human rights cannot be achieved through bombs. Only international law upholds them,” he said.
“We must avoid further escalation. Such a path threatens the Middle East, Europe, and beyond.”
“So far, there is only one winner in this war – Russia,” Costa said in a speech to EU ambassadors in Brussels.
“It gains new resources to finance its war against Ukraine as energy prices rise. It profits from the diversion of military capabilities that could otherwise have been sent to support Ukraine. And it benefits from reduced attention to the Ukrainian front as the conflict in the Middle East takes center stage.”
Costa stressed the need for the EU to protect the international rules-based order, which he said was now being challenged by the United States, and for all parties in the Middle East to return to the negotiating table.
“Freedom and human rights cannot be achieved through bombs. Only international law upholds them,” he said.
“We must avoid further escalation. Such a path threatens the Middle East, Europe, and beyond.”
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