The Pentagon announced yesterday that thousands of U.S. troops will be withdrawn (CNN) from Afghanistan and Iraq by January 15, days before President-Elect Joe Biden takes office. 

The countries will keep roughly 2,500 troops each, down from 4,500 in Afghanistan and 3,000 in Iraq. Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller said the move does not change U.S. policies or objectives; the United States had already withdrawn several thousand troops from Afghanistan since signing an agreement with the Taliban in February. Nevertheless, the announcement disturbed U.S. allies (NYT) and congressional lawmakers. Top Republicans criticized the planned withdrawal (Politico) on Monday, with some comparing it to the U.S. retreat from Vietnam. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned that Afghanistan could become a terrorist haven (WaPo) and a home to the self-proclaimed Islamic State. A U.S. withdrawal would gut NATO operations in the country, as the United States provides the bulk of its military and logistical support.

U.S. Navy Secretary Kenneth Braithwaite called for the creation of a new fleet (USNI News) at the intersection of the Indian and Pacific Oceans to more quickly assist allies in the region and counter China’s increasing “aggressiveness.” He said the United States could not rely solely on the Seventh Fleet, based in Japan, and that the new fleet could potentially be based in Singapore.

Thailand: Thai lawmakers are facing increasing pressure to approve constitutional amendments after a chaotic day of pro-democracy protests (Bangkok Post) outside parliament. Dozens of people were injured, including five who were shot, in the worst violence (AP) of the monthslong protests.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan will travel to Kabul (Dawn) tomorrow for his first visit to Afghanistan since taking office in 2018, at the invitation of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. The leaders are expected to discuss the Afghan peace process, as well as bilateral and regional issues.

The Palestinian Authority announced it will resume security and civil cooperation (Haaretz) with Israel, which it had halted in May over Israel’s plans to annex parts of the West Bank. Those plans were suspended pursuant to Israel’s deal to normalize relations with the United Arab Emirates.

Iran: Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tehran would return to compliance (Al Jazeera) with the 2015 nuclear agreement if U.S. President-Elect Biden lifts sanctions on Iran and recommits to the deal. Reuters reported that Iran has fired up uranium-enriching centrifuges at its underground Natanz site in violation of the deal, which President Donald J. Trump withdrew from in 2018.

Zarif discusses U.S.-Iran relations at this CFR virtual meeting.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) declared an end (Nation) to its latest outbreak of Ebola fifty days after the last case was reported. It was the country’s eleventh outbreak in forty-four years and killed fifty-five people.

This CFR Backgrounder explains the Ebola virus.

Ethiopia: Federal forces captured two towns in the northern region of Tigray as they advanced toward its capital, but the region’s leader vowed to keep fighting (BBC).

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson laid out a plan for a “green recovery” from the COVID-19 pandemic in a Financial Times op-ed. Johnson said the United Kingdom would end the sale of new gas- and diesel-powered cars by 2030 and become the “Saudi Arabia of wind,” among other pledges.

Turkey: Parliament approved sending troops (RFE/RL) to monitor Armenia and Azerbaijan’s truce over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Turkey, which backed Azerbaijan in the conflict, will jointly enforce the deal with Russia.

The United States agreed to drop charges (WaPo) against former Mexican defense minister Salvador Cienfuegos Zepeda and send him back to Mexico. Cienfuegos was arrested in Los Angeles several weeks ago on drug-related charges, angering Mexican officials who viewed the arrest as a violation of sovereignty that could jeopardize bilateral cooperation. Mexico has not committed to trying him upon his return.

Canada: Lawyers for Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of the telecom giant Huawei, will question Canadian border officials (Reuters) today over Meng’s arrest in 2018 as court proceedings for her extradition to the United States continue.

The Senate declined to confirm (NPR) Judy Shelton, President Trump’s controversial nominee to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, in a 47-50 vote. Shelton has questioned the mission of the central bank and advocated a return to the gold standard. Two Republicans, Mitt Romney of Utah and Susan Collins of Maine, joined Democrats in voting against Shelton.

This CFR Backgrounder explains the Federal Reserve.

The United Nations released $100 million (AP) to seven countries in Africa and the Middle East at risk of famine. Eighty million dollars will go to Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, the DRC, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Yemen, while twenty million has been set aside in anticipation of a hunger crisis in Ethiopia stemming from the conflict in Tigray.

This CFR photo essay looks at rising hunger around the world.