In the spotlight: Joe Biden under pressure from his European allies and the Taliban
Audio 05:20
US President Joe Biden speaking on the evacuation efforts and the current situation in Afghanistan at the White House in Washington, August 20, 2021. REUTERS - KEN CEDENO
By: Véronique Rigolet Follow
14 mins
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The question of "
the expiry of the Kabul airlift
" made the headlines of all the international press, while a crisis G7 met on Tuesday afternoon for a videoconference.
"
Joe Biden is now stuck between his allies and the Taliban
", estimates the
Financial Times
which puts forward that "
the American president is under pressure from his European allies to prolong the departure of the United States
"
while facing the "
humiliating
"
prospect
than
"
The Taliban can veto this idea
." The Taliban who threaten "
consequences
" if international forces remain in the country beyond August 31. "
It is the red line, threatening of the Taliban
", writes for its part the
Wall Street Journal
which underlines besides "
the incredible position
" in which finds himself Joe Biden "
the commander-in-chief of the United States placed in a situation where the Taliban order him to leave the country on an almost certain date, even if that means leaving behind Americans and Afghan allies
”. For the
Washington Post,
the Biden administration is simply "
distraught at the failure of her orderly withdrawal from Afghanistan
", she does not even know exactly"
how many Americans are in the country or how many want to leave
", says the American daily, which quotes officials for whom if an extension was to be authorized, "
it would probably only focus on the evacuation of the remaining Americans, and not on all the Afghans who wish to flee
."
►
See also:
Afghanistan: the countdown around evacuations at the heart of the G7 meeting
Crisis of confidence with European allies
We will undoubtedly be able to measure the extent of this crisis this Tuesday afternoon during the emergency meeting of the G7, but while waiting for the press, in particular the British press, judges very severely the American decision to withdraw its troops on August 31. next. "
After months of assiduously flattering his European allies, Biden knows that he has lost their confidence,
" writes the
Guardian
for whom "
the professional reputation of his foreign policy team has also been damaged, as have his plans for defense of democracy
”, estimates the British daily. "
The Afghan fiasco raises difficult questions for Europe,
" admits the
New York Times
for whom "
once again the United States has dragged its NATO allies into an embarrassing situation
”.
This revives, again notes the daily, calls for "
greater strategic autonomy
" of Europe, as desired in particular by France.
Covid: Pfizer vaccine fully authorized in the United States
As the Delta variant continues to wreak havoc around the world, the American press welcomes the full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by the FDA, the Food and Drug administration, "
a regulatory change
" which, according to the
Wall. Street Journal,
"
marks a critical turning point in vaccine uptake
."
Not only because "
many employers, universities and government entities like the Pentagon were waiting for this official validation
" to set up "
vaccination obligations
", notes the daily, but also because this official approval takes away from anti-vaccines their argument of an "
experimental
", without authorization.
►
To read also: Covid-19: the United States definitively approves the Pfizer vaccine
The FDA, which also asks Americans to no longer take "
dewormer to fight against Covid
".
"
You are not a horse or a cow
!"
", Warns the agency to warn against"
ivermectin, a drug used to deworm cattle
.
The info is repeated in many dailies around the world, the
Guardian
explains in particular how disinformation on ivermectin has "
spread on social networks
", after fanciful statements underlines the daily "
of researchers and politicians of right
”.
Tokyo Paralympic Games kick off
Two weeks after the end of the Olympics, the Paralympic Games open in the middle of the fifth wave of Covid in Japan.
Games again without public, but full of "
fervor
", underlines the
Japan Times
which hopes that "
these Games will mark a turning point in the awareness of handicap, in particular in Japan
".
Hope shared by the international press, "
resilience and perseverance come into play at the Tokyo Paralympic Games
", headlines the
Guardian,
which salutes "
the athletic talent and the fascinating human stories at the heart of these Games
With athletes who have experienced sudden changes in their lives, like former British soldier Jaco van Gass who lost an arm in Afghanistan and will make his Games debut in track cycling.
►
Also to listen: Japan, a late and guilty showcase for inclusiveness
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Afghanistan
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