Guy Taylor
Articles by Guy Taylor
Kim Jong-un coronavirus mystery: Rocket launches give hint to infection truth
A fresh barrage of missile launches by North Korea on Tuesday marked the latest in a wave of provocations from Pyongyang, which set a monthly record for launches in March amid mounting uncertainty and unease over the impact the deadly coronavirus pandemic is having on the isolated nation. Published April 14, 2020
Trump bid forcing NATO members pay up hit by coronavirus
The sudden economic crash sparked by the global COVID-19 pandemic has thrown into question one of President Trump's signature foreign policy goals: getting U.S. allies, particularly NATO members, to pay more for their own defense. Published April 2, 2020
Chinese coronavirus numbers are inaccurate, U.S. intel says
U.S. intelligence says the number of coronavirus cases and deaths reported by China is inaccurate, with Beijing likely downplaying the size of the outbreak in the country to promote the appearance that authorities there have successfully managed the pandemic. Published April 1, 2020
Mike Pompeo outlines blueprint for democratic ‘transition’ in Venezuela
In a departure from past threats to drive Venezuelan president Nicholas Maduro from power, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the new policy Tuesday for democratic transition to a new government, one like to have a prominent role for U.S.-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido. Published March 31, 2020
Pompeo: ‘27,000 Americans’ repatriated amid global pandemic
A special State Department task force has helped more than 27,000 Americans return to the U.S. homeland from at least 50 countries in recent weeks as part of an ongoing effort to repatriate U.S. citizens amid the global coronavirus pandemic. Published March 31, 2020
Wave of Taliban attacks raise peace deal concerns
The Trump administration's proposed Afghan peace deal in Afghanistan has been thrown further into question by a wave of Taliban attacks that have killed dozens of Afghan security forces while a prisoner exchange at the heart of the peace push remains stalled. Published March 30, 2020
Expo 2020, the world’s fair in Dubai, set for one-year delay due to pandemic
The United Arab Emirates said Monday that it is considering postponing the October opening of Expo 2020 Dubai -- also known as the world's fair -- by a year due to rising concern over the COVID-19 pandemic. Published March 30, 2020
U.S. turns over third military base in 1 month to Iraqi control
A key northern Iraqi military base that was at the center of recent tensions between U.S. and Iran-backed forces in the area became the face of a widening American drawdown from Iraq on Sunday. Published March 29, 2020
State Department: U.S. ‘leading the world’ in coronavirus fight while China takes credit
The State Department is touting a nearly $300 million American aid package for dozens of countries battling coronavirus at a moment when China seeks to portray itself as the global leader in responding to the pandemic. Published March 29, 2020
Islamic State, Taliban, al Qaeda, Boko Haram jihadists see coronavirus as call to duty
Leading terror organizations such as Islamic State have been calling on followers to increase attacks in recent days as world governments and militaries shift their focus to combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Published March 26, 2020
ISIS attack kills dozens in Kabul, adding fresh strain to peace deal and U.S. troop drawdown
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned an Islamic State attack that killed at least two dozen people in Afghanistan Wednesday, but stood by his announcement to cut $1 billion in aid to the U.S.-backed government in Kabul. Published March 25, 2020
Ashraf Ghani, Afghan president, shows no sign of bending to pressure after U.S. aid cut
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani played down the Trump administration's decision to slash $1 billion in U.S. funding for his government Tuesday, claiming it "will not have a direct impact" on key sectors in Kabul, despite warnings from regional experts that the consequences could be dire. Published March 24, 2020
Mike Pompeo intervention fails to end Afghanistan feud
U.S. announced it was slashing aid to the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan as a feud between its leaders threatens to undermine a delicate peace deal inked last month between the Trump administration and Taliban. Published March 23, 2020
Friends, frenemies and foes test U.S. resolve amid coronavirus pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has put much of American foreign policy in quarantine, raising major questions over some of President Trump's hoped-for election year international breakthroughs. Published March 23, 2020
Charles Dunlap: Adversaries eye U.S. focus on coronavirus as opportunity
The coronavirus pandemic has put many of President Trump's signature foreign policy initiatives in quarantine, locking down a string of hoped-for election-year breakthroughs even as China has aggressively used the crisis to elevate its own status on the world stage. Published March 22, 2020
N. Korea launches hospital construction amid fears of a coronavirus cover-up in Pyongyang
There was no mention of coronavirus, but North Korean state media claimed Wednesday that the isolated nation will build a vast new general hospital in Pyongyang by October to confront any possible public health threats. Published March 18, 2020
‘Wake-up call’: Chinese control of U.S. pharmaceutical supplies sparks growing concern
As the war of words between China and the U.S. over COVID-19 heats up, Chinese state media have raised the specter of using Beijing's pharmaceutical leverage to block critical components and supplies for dependent U.S. drug companies and send America into "the hell of a novel coronavirus epidemic." Published March 17, 2020
Coronavirus lies pushed by China to blame virus on U.S. bioweapon
Adversaries are flooding the global information space with false claims about the coronavirus, according to U.S. officials, who say the "surge of propaganda" is aimed at undermining America's image on the world stage. Published March 15, 2020
Images may show coronavirus mass graves in Iran, report claims
Iran says it has more than 10,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, but video on social media, as well as satellite imagery showing mass graves in the Islamic republic, suggest the crisis there may be far worse than authorities admit. Published March 12, 2020
All in: Dubai insists showcase world’s fair still a go for 2020
The Summer Olympics in Japan are in question and a growing number of high-profile events, including Texas' vaunted South by Southwest festival and Barcelona's massive annual tech conference, have already been canceled because of coronavirus. Published March 12, 2020