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Talibans and their supporters gather in front of the American embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 14, 2024, to celebrate the 3rd anniversary of the take over. They decided to celebrate according to the Afghan calendar.
Hard Numbers: Taliban fires baby-faced cops, EU slaps tax on Tesla, Morocco pardons cannabis cultivators, Panama starts deportations, RFK Jr in signature scandal
281: Taliban security forces have found themselves in a hairy situation: 281 of them have been dismissed for failing to grow beards, which the fundamentalist religious group says is in accordance with Islamic laws. The crackdown came from Afghanistan’s morality ministry, which has detained more than 13,000 people for “immoral acts” over the last year.
19: The European Commission said Tuesday it will place a 19% tax on sales of Tesla automobiles manufactured in China — a steep surcharge, but far from the worst-case-scenario. Though the proposed tax is 9 percentage points higher than the levy applied to most foreign-made cars, it is far less than the 47% rate Brussels applies to Chinese EV manufacturers.
5,000: Legaliiiize it! Moroccan King Mohammed VIpardoned roughly 5,000 people convicted or wanted for illegal cannabis cultivation. Morocco is an odd bird in the weed world, as it is a major producer of marijuana, and cultivation, export, and medical use are all legal — but recreational use and cultivation for such use are not. The King hopes the pardons will encourage farmers to stick with legal cultivation efforts.
29: Panama on Monday began deporting undocumented migrants on US-funded flights, sending home 29 Colombians with criminal records. Panama and the US agreed in July to work together to stem the flow of hundreds of thousands of migrants crossing northward through the perilous Darien Gap, which lies along the Colombia-Panama border.
110,000: Fringe presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is in hot water in Arizona after the revelation that the 110,000 signatures meant to give him ballot access in that state were not collected by his own campaign. Rather, they were gathered by a PAC backing Kennedy, which may violate laws forbidding PACs and campaigns from coordinating.A Polisario fighter sits on a rock at a forward base on the outskirts of Tifariti, Western Sahara, September 9, 2016.
Algeria pulls envoy as France backs Morocco's Sahara plan
Algeria withdrew its ambassador from Paris this week in response to France’s decision to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. In a letter sent Tuesday – notably on the 25th anniversary of Morocco’s King Mohammed VI’s reign – French President Emmanuel Macron endorsed the 2007 plan for Western Sahara to become an autonomous region under Moroccan control.
Background: Morocco has long claimed sovereignty over Western Sahara, a resource rich area in North Africa formerly controlled by Spain. The plan would make the Western Sahara an autonomous region similar to Spanish regions such as Catalonia or the Basque Country. Meanwhile, Algeria backs the Polisario Front, a group that has long fought for the region’s self-determination. France’s decision notably aligns it with the US, which recognizes Morocco’s sovereignty over the region.
Macron is now weighing a visit to Morocco in the coming months, and in his letter he described the “continued economic and social development” of Western Sahara as “imperative.”
The decision is bad for France-Algeria relations. As a former colony, Algeria already had strained relations with France over questions of restitution and the returning of historical items. Their ties are also critical, as the import of Algerian gas to France hasincreased since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and it was the biggest LNG supplier to France after Russia this month.Japan's Kanoa Igarashi competes in the third round of the men's surfing event at the Paris Olympics in Teahupo'o, Tahiti, on July 29, 2024. Igarashi lost to Gabriel Medina of Brazil.
Hard Numbers: Photographer snaps legendary Olympic surfing pic, Japan raises interest rates, Morocco frees journalists, ‘White Dudes’ raise millions for Harris, Ebikes deliver in Accra
9.9 + 6 million: Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina and French photographer Jerome Brouillet have collaborated on what may become the most striking image of the 2024 Paris Olympics. During a surfing event held in Tahiti, Medina rode a sizable wave to a 9.9 score. Brouillet’s stunning photo of Medina’s celebration quickly captured more than 6 million likes on Instagram.
.25: Japan responded to a shrinking economy and rising inflation Wednesday by raising interest rates for the second time this year — only the second time in 17 years it has done so. The Bank of Japan raised its key interest rate to roughly .25%, up from 0-.1% — a far cry from the negative interest rates it had for years. Tokyo also plans to unwind its bond-buying program.
2,476: On Monday,in honor of his 25th anniversary as Morocco's king, Mohammed VIpardoned 2,476 people held in prison. Among those released are three journalists -- Omar Radi, Soulaimane Raissouni and Taoufik Bouachrine – held for years and rights advocate Maati Monjib. Rights groups have repeatedly denounced the imprisonment of government critics on false charges in Morocco.
4 million: An online event sponsored by a group called “White Dudes for Harris” drew 1,900 people, including actor Mark Hamill and singer Josh Groban, andraised $4 million in just three hours on Monday. The event centered on presentations on why white men, a demographic that polls say strongly favor Donald Trump, should help elect Kamala Harris.
300: Thanks to entrepreneur Valerie Labi and her company Wahu Mobility, there are now 300 delivery riders in Accra using Ghana’sfirst electric bikes. Ebikes are far less polluting than the gasoline-powered motorcycles that have long poisoned the country’s air as part of the large, and growing, product delivery business.
UN mobilizes to help disaster-stricken Libya and Morocco
First, there was the devastating earthquake in Morocco. And then, cataclysmic flooding in Libya. Recent natural disasters in northern Africa have shocked the world. They've also mobilized United Nations rescue and support teams, says UN Secretary-General António Guterres in an exclusive GZERO World interview.
“We have a central emergency response fund, and we mobilized $10 million to support the operation in Libya," Guterres tells Ian Bremmer. "We are discussing, with Moroccan authorities, our best way to support them...We'll be doing everything to mobilize international community to support these two countries in this very, very tragic situation."
What role can the United Nations play in these devastated zones, and how much is a warming planet contributing to recent climate catastrophes?
For the full interview, tune into GZERO World with Ian Bremmerat gzeromedia.com/gzeroworld or on US public television. Check local listings.
Is the Middle East becoming the "new Europe”?
Ian Bremmer shares his insights on global politics this week on World In :60.
First, will there be long-term regional consequences following the devastating Moroccan earthquake?
I hopefully I think the answer to that is, no. I mean, the response from the government was relatively, it wasn't immediate. And it wasn't great to begin with, in part, because the king, I guess, was in Paris. And it's very vertical. Nothing happens without the king. But now they're moving. There's a lot of international humanitarian aid going in. And as devastating as it is in terms of human lives, the ability to keep Marrakech going is pretty high. Even the IMF annual meeting in a few weeks’ time should still be there. So on balance, I think this is one where the consequences are borne by all of the families, but not on Morocco more broadly.
Secondly, is the Middle East on its way to becoming “the new Europe,” as Mohammed bin Salman recently said?
Yeah, no, I wouldn't go that far. But certainly, Mohammed bin Salman has done more in terms of reform and dramatic transformation of his country, and yes, with some downside, than anyone could have imagined before he came in. That's why he's so incredibly popular among the young people in Saudi Arabia, and certainly, it's why he's attracting a lot more attention to the region, including capital investment from a lot of different places.
And finally, Kim Jong Un is traveling to meet Putin. How concerned is the West?
Should be concerned in part because that's the only person out there that really supports Putin right now. It's like Belarus, it's North Korea, it's Iran, it's rogue states that the Americans and the Europeans cannot contain or constrain. And that's a serious problem.
That's it for me. I'll talk to you real soon.
- Why isn’t Morocco accepting more help? ›
- Killer quake strikes Morocco ›
- The Saudis want to be peacemakers in Ukraine ›
- Israel/Palestine one of the few Middle East areas getting less stable ›
- Putin toasts to “strengthening of cooperation” with Kim Jong Un ›
- Putin hosts Kim Jong Un at arms summit ›
- Kim Jong Un meets Vladimir Putin ›
A woman reacts near the rubble of a building in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Talat N'yaaqoub, Morocco, September 11, 2023.
Why isn’t Morocco accepting more help?
Rescue teams organized by the Moroccan government began reaching remote villages in the Atlas Mountains yesterday, three days after the most devastating earthquake to strike the region in a century. Hopes for survivors grow slimmer by the minute, and the death count is approaching 3,000 at time of writing.
Faced with criticism about the apparent sluggishness of the government’s response, Rabat has begun pushing back. Government spokesperson Mustapha Baitas said the government had deployed military and civilian assets in a “swift and effective intervention to rescue the victims and recover the bodies” following the “instructions of His Royal Majesty.”
Don’t overlook that last bit: King Mohammed VI has worked hard to establish an image of himself as connected to the Moroccan public, and has played a central role in managing the emergency response due to his command of the military and control of foreign policy. Officials reluctant to preempt any royal statements may have contributed to some of the perceptions of a mismanaged response, according to Eurasia Group senior analyst Omar Monieb.
Rabat also took flak for only accepting aid from four countries, the United Kingdom, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, even though more neighbors and partners offered to step in. Monieb said there is a pragmatic element – too many crews attempting to use damaged infrastructure can hamper rescue operations – but politics played a role as well.
“Spain is a close ally of Morocco, and relations have improved significantly over the past couple of years, especially with the position that Spain has taken recently on the Sahara,” he said, referring to Madrid’s recent recognition of Moroccan claims over the former Spanish colony known as Western Sahara. The U.A.E. and Qatar have both long recognized Rabat’s claims. While the U.K.’s position is more circumspect, a senior Conservative Party MP recently backed Morocco’s position as the “only possible option” after visiting the region.People react during the funeral of two victims of the deadly earthquake, in Moulay Brahim, Morocco.
Killer quake strikes Morocco
The North African nation of Morocco continues to deal with the effects of a catastrophic earthquake that struck on Saturday night, killing at least 2,100 people and injuring another 2,400.
The quake struck in the High Atlas Mountain range, 45 miles southwest of the city of Marrakech, home to 840,000 people. At 6.8 on the Richter scale, it was the country’s most powerful tremor in a century, impacting 300,000 residents in the surrounding area, with some towns totally demolished. Thousands of displaced people are now sleeping outside, in tents, parks and even on roadways.
Rescue workers are struggling to reach survivors in remote areas and the death toll is expected to rise. Many ancient buildings in the Medina, or old town, of Marrakech have been reduced to rubble, and other historic sites destroyed.
Leaders around the world, including American President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, sent condolences and many governments offered support.
Meanwhile, at the G20 summit in Delhi, President Emmanuel Macron of France, which remains Morocco’s main foreign investor, trade partner and creditor, announced the activation of a French government fund to support “solidarity actions”; as of Sunday evening, nearly 2 million euros ($2.14 million US) had been pledged. Many French companies have also offered assistance.
Turkey, which suffered its own devastating earthquake earlier this year, also offered emergency assistance, including tents and personnel, while Algeria, which severed diplomatic ties with Morocco in 2021 and closed its airspace to Moroccan aircraft, has reopened it for humanitarian aid and medical flights.
As of late Sunday, the Moroccan government declared that it had accepted emergency assistance from only four countries, the UK, Spain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, amid criticism about the length of time taken to approve assistance in the crucial hours after the disaster. King Mohammed VI also established a relief commission to distribute aid to survivors, including orphans and people who are now homeless, declared three days of national mourning, and indicated that the Moroccan government will consider other offers of assistance if it deems them necessary.Morocco line-up during the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal match against Portugal in Doha, Qatar.
What’s it worth to crush it at the World Cup?
Whether or not underdog Morocco beats France in the World Cup semifinals on Wednesday, one thing is sure: Becoming the first African or Arab nation to get this far in the biggest sporting event on the planet stands to get Morocco more than on-field glory in Qatar.
The Atlas Lions probably didn't expect to have such an amazing run, but their overperformance is no coincidence. It’s the fruit of decades of heavy investment by the kingdom in developing its players as part of Morocco’s broader sports diplomacy.
Hold up. What is sports diplomacy? It’s “when the acts of diplomacy — communication, representation, and negotiation — intersect with the sports world, whether it's in the arena or outside of it," says Lindsay Sarah Krasnoff, who knows a thing or two about sports diplomacy because she teaches it at NYU.
It can be formal, when carried out by governments or by an athlete representing a country, or informal — like the privately-run NBA’s push to make basketball a global game. But the objective is always the same: to get your country or sport noticed so you can "sell" it to the world.
Although success in sports ≠ success in politics, it does boost a national brand. A good example is Croatia, a country of less than 4 million that's only been independent for 30 years. Four years ago, it’s often said that France won the World Cup but Croatia won the hearts of fans around the world by making it all the way to the final of the tournament in Russia.
Its fairytale run put Croatia on everyone’s radar. According to one study, during the 2018 tournament visits to the tourism website soared by 250% — a big deal for a nation that makes 20% of its GDP from foreign visitors.
Symbolism matters, too. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, Croatia's president at the time, went all in on showing her support for the national team in Russia. She won global praise for traveling in economy class with fans, gifting world leaders with customized jerseys, and braving a downpour to comfort the players after losing to France in Moscow. The president made her country look cool — exactly what you want to promote foreign investment and tourism.
(Unfortunately for Grabar-Kitarović, she became more famous abroad than popular with Croatian voters, narrowly losing re-election in 2020.)
Morocco is the Croatia of 2022. "It's fair to say there will be a marginal soft power benefit for Morocco. Their winning streak has generated a lot of excitement," says Eurasia Group analyst Sofia Meranto. "The Arab world and African spectators are united in backing them, and leaders across the region were quick to express their joy at the team making the semifinals. Many other fans now also see the Atlas Lions as the favored underdog."
The government is eager to cash in on the team's success to get the most bang for its sports diplomacy buck. A clear sign is the slick video from the Moroccan tourism board dominating halftime TV ads during the tournament across Europe.
This is a unique opportunity for Morocco to showcase itself to tourists. Before COVID, the country welcomed almost 20 million of them, with tourism accounting for more than 10% of GDP and 17% of the Moroccan workforce. The sector has recovered, but only at 80% of pre-pandemic levels — so Morocco would certainly appreciate a World Cup bump to get its tourism groove back ... and maybe even further develop its cash cow.
"It's great to make an imprint, but you want to do more than just enter the history books," Krasnoff explains. "You want to sustain that in order to get the maximum mileage out of your investment."
But investing in sports diplomacy can also backfire. Over a decade ago, Qatar not only spent big to secure the right to host the World Cup but also launched BeIN, a global sports channel under the Al-Jazeera network, and purchased French soccer club PSG.
Since then, the Qataris have gotten blowback over the alleged bribes involved in their bid as well as their dodgy human rights record. BeIN has lost the rights to air many top competitions, and traditional European fans have soured on PSG for being nouveau riche. Money might lure mega-stars like Leo Messi to Paris, but it won’t buy the respect of romantics who just love the Beautiful Game.
So, who'll win the sports diplomacy World Cup in 2022? The stakes are very different for the host country and Morocco.
Off the pitch, uber-rich and regional soft power heavyweight Qatar can claim credit for organizing the World Cup that featured the best-ever run for an Arab team. It’s too soon to say whether the tournament put a dent in the country’s global standing or rather delivered precisely what the Qataris hoped for: lots of attention and future partnerships.
But on the pitch, less affluent and influential Morocco has captured the imagination of Arab and non-Arab fans alike — with none of Qatar’s political baggage.