Mediaboss Marketing

Lawmakers introduced a bill Thursday that would recognize the health hazards posed by oil well fires, burn pits and other pollution sources in Afghanistan and much of the Middle East an effort they say would help ill veterans who apply for VA benefits.

The Veterans Burn Pit Exposure Recognition bill, S. 2950, would declare that service members who deployed to the Middle East in the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War and after, to Afghanistan and Djibouti following Sept. 11, 2001, and to Iraq beginning in 2003 were exposed to toxins.

The bill stops short of establishing service connection for specific diseases and does not guarantee disability benefits for ill veterans.

But it would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to concede that veterans were exposed to pollutants if they served in the named locations during the specified time frames, effectively eliminating a need for them to prove that they were in close proximity to a pollution source.

Sponsors Sens. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, and Joe Manchin, D-West Va., say the legislation is needed because currently, VA requires veterans to show evidence of their exposure to support benefits claims and frequently rejects claims on the lack of evidence on exposure.

But since the locations of burn pits and possible health effects associated by their use, may never be completely known, the proposed legislation states it would eliminate the requirement that they prove proximity.

The burden of proof regarding known exposure currently faces Navy and Marine Corps Vietnam veterans who served on Navy ships and were recently granted presumptive status for exposure to Agent Orange.

These blue water veterans who have a disease linked to the use of defoliants during the war must prove the ships they served on sailed within 12 miles of the shore.

Sign up for the Early Bird Brief Get the military's most comprehensive news and information every morning

Subscribe

Enter a valid email address (please select a country) United States United Kingdom Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, The Democratic Republic of The Cook Islands Costa Rica Cote D'ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and Mcdonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco Mongolia Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and The Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and The South Sandwich Islands Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand Timor-leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States United States Minor Outlying Islands Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe

Thanks for signing up!

By giving us your email, you are opting in to the Early Bird Brief.

West Virginians have seen first-hand how long its taken for the Vietnam-era veterans who were exposed to toxic chemicals like Agent Orange to receive the care and benefits they deserve, and the toll it took on them and their families. I want to make sure that doesnt happen to this generation of veterans, Manchin said.

The [bill] reaffirms our commitment to those in uniform and ensures we will not wait decades to tackle this issue head on, Sullivan said.

In February 1991, Iraqi troops set Kuwaiti oil wells on fire, producing clouds of smoke that turned the skies to twilight and blanketed U.S. troops with fine, oily dust that covered skin, clothing, belongings, weapons, work and living spaces.

In Afghanistan and Djibouti after Sept. 11, 2001, and Iraq beginning in 2003, the U.S. military used burn pits to dispose of the refuse generated by military operations, including food waste and household trash, but also plastics, batteries, computer parts, animal carcasses, hospital waste, furniture and more.

Troops reported that soot from the pits often coated work and housing areas with a fine green-black powder and many developed chronic coughs, sinusitus and other respiratory symptoms they referred to as the Iraqi crud.

At their peak, more than 270 burn pits were in use in Afghanistan, Iraq and Djibouti. As of March, nine remained active, including seven in Syria, one in Afghanistan and one in Egypt.

Veterans, veterans service organizations and some physicians attribute rare cancers, some respiratory diseases and other health conditions seen in Gulf War and post 9/11 troops to exposure to these conditions.

In addition to conceding that certain hazardous duty stations pose a potential health hazard, the bill also acknowledges an information gap regarding the location, use and hazards posed by burn pits and encourages ongoing research by DoD and VA.

Veterans who would be covered under the bill include: those who served in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and United Arab Emirates beginning on Aug. 2, 1990; those who served in Iraq from Aug. 23, 1990 to Feb. 28, 1991, and beginning on March 19, 2003; veterans of Afghanistan and Djibouti, beginning on Sept. 11, 2001; and any other locations set forth in the VA Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry or as deemed by the VA secretary.

The bill names fine particulate matter, 16 types of hydrocarbons, 15 volatile organic compounds and 17 dioxin compounds as known toxins.

Several veterans service organizations, including Disabled American Veterans and Paralyzed Veterans of America, pushed for the legislation.

This bipartisan bill will help get rid of red tape and assist affected veterans seeking burn pit-related benefits, said Randy Reese, executive director of the Washington headquarters of Disabled American Veterans.

For years, weve known of the adverse health effects caused by burn pits, and in that time weve seen too many seriously ill veterans struggle to get help from the VA because they lacked the documentation to prove what everyone already knows that they were exposed to toxic chemicals released by burn pits while serving overseas."

Retired Navy Yeoman First Class Lauren Price, whose organization Veterans Warriors has supported legislation that would require VA to declare presumptive conditions related to Iraq and Afghanistan service, praised the bill as one that would significantly help veterans, and unlike the legislation the group has supported, may not encounter the same pushback from budget conscious lawmakers.

Its truly a concession bill, saying We concede that there were nasty chemicals all over the place. All you have to do is prove you were there and if you have a disease. It would mean the VA adjudicators simply couldnt reject your claim because you couldnt prove you live a football field away from a burn pit, said Price, an Iraq veteran. Its a good bill.

See the original post here:
Proposed legislation would name service in Iraq, Afghanistan, a health hazard to US troops - Military Times

Washington: Developing strategic partnership with India is a critical element of President Donald Trump's South Asia strategy, a senior administration official said Thursday noting that there were encouraging results of the move.

"The United States welcomes India's substantial investment in and assistance to Afghanistan. And we will continue to support efforts to achieve an honourable and enduring outcome in Afghanistan that preserves our investment in Afghanistan's future," said Nancy Jackson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Afghanistan Affairs.

Speaking at the event, Indian ambassador to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla said India has played an active role in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan since 2001. India has completed 400 social infrastructure projects in this war-torn country and another 150 were under way, he said.

All the Indian projects are undertaken in partnership with the Afghan government and are spread across each and every of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan in diverse fields of development, including education, healthcare, infrastructure, administrative capacity, flood control, irrigation, agriculture, sports, he said.

"So far, close to 400 social infrastructure projects have been completed and 150 projects are under various stages of progress covering all 34 provinces of Afghanistan.... Under our New

Development Partnership, several important projects focused on developmental needs and priorities of Afghanistan have been identified for implementation including Shahtoot Dam and drinking water project for Kabul city, low-cost housing for returning Afghan refugees in Nangarhar province, among many others, he said.

"These projects are a reflection of India's enduring commitment towards Afghanistan's reconstruction," Shringla said, adding, "India is committed to support Afghanistan in its journey to emerge as a united, sovereign, democratic, peaceful, stable, prosperous and inclusive nation."

Delivering the keynote address to 'The India-Afghanistan Relationship: Examining Historical, Political, Economic, and Cultural Ties', organised by think tank Hudson Institute, Jackson said, "For too long, the Taliban have taken comfort in their conviction that our fight is unsustainable."

"Our friends and adversaries should understand that our interest in protecting American citizens is enduring, as we advance in a responsible way forward toward a peace settlement that will benefit not only Afghans, but the entire region, Jackson said in a warning to the terrorist organisations operating from the region.

According to the US official, the US Administration understands that the American people are ready to end the war in Afghanistan while remaining committed to countering the threat of terrorism from groups anywhere in the region.

"In 2017, the President's South Asia strategy acknowledged that military power alone will not bring peace to Afghanistan or stop the terrorist threat arising from that country, she said. Rather, the American military effort is designed to create conditions for a negotiated settlement.

This effort involves military resolve in Afghanistan, with decisions based on conditions on the ground, she told the Washington DC audience. Another critical element of the President's South Asia strategy is for America to further develop its strategic partnership with India the world's largest democracy and a key security and economic partner of the United States, Jackson said.

The senior State Department official appreciated India's important contributions to stability in Afghanistan, including USD 3 billion in civilian assistance since 2001. For our part, we remain committed to pursuing our shared objectives for peace and security in South Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific region, she said.

We have seen encouraging signs over the last 18 months that the South Asia strategy is working, and is beginning to set conditions for a political settlement that includes the Taliban, the Afghan government and other Afghans, including women's groups, said the US official.

An inclusive political settlement, in turn, will lay the groundwork for political stability and an improvement in security conditions, she said. At the same time, she said that no one should be under any illusion that a political settlement will immediately mean an end to violence. There will still be violent extremist groups like ISIS, and there will still be armed groups pursuing their own criminal or political objectives, she said.

A comprehensive peace agreement will, however, enable Afghans to work together to fight these common threats, including the threat posed by the international terrorist organisations that threaten our societies, Jackson said.

India and the United States, who want to see a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, also share an interest in an economically self-sufficient and prosperous Afghanistan. India and the United States are among Afghanistan's largest trading partners, with both of our countries doing about USD 1 billion in annual bilateral trade with Afghanistan, Jackson said.

India has done much to help Afghanistan's development, from the construction of dams, roads, electrical lines, irrigation systems, and telecommunications infrastructure to building a stadium in Kandahar for Afghanistan's cricket team, she said.

India is helping the Afghan Red Crescent Society treat children with congenital heart disease. India provides scholarships to 1,000 Afghan students each year out of the 16,000 Afghans who are studying in India, she told the audience.

Referring to the USAID-sponsored Passage to Prosperity India-Afghanistan International Trade and Investment Shows, Jackson said it has been attended by hundreds of Afghan businesses and thousands of Indian private sector representatives. The 2018 Passage to Prosperity event resulted in nearly USD350 million in deals between Indian and Afghan businesses, and this year's event was a similar success.

Get the best of News18 delivered to your inbox - subscribe to News18 Daybreak. Follow News18.com on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, TikTok and on YouTube, and stay in the know with what's happening in the world around you in real time.

Follow this link:
US Backs India's Role in 'Investing, Assisting' Afghanistan as it Looks to Withdraw Troops - News18

The bodies of 28 Afghan refugees on Friday were repatriated to the southwestern province of Nimroz of Afghanistan from Iran, local officials confirmed.

The refugees died in a traffic accident in an attempt to travel illegally to Turkey, said Mohammad Ibrahim Amini, head of the Nimroz Police media office.

The accident occurred when two vans collided near the town of Khash in Sistan and Baluchistan, according to AP, and 21 passengers were injured as well.

Ibrahimi said most of those killed in the accident are from the western province of Ghor.

Last week the incident was reported by Iranian officials, who said 28 people were killed and 30 others were wounded.

According to the Nimroz Provincial Council, quoted by DW, most of the refugees are from Ghor while others are from Farah and Badakhshan provinces.

The council said that the age of the refugees ranged from 14 to 45 years old.

Iran hosts almost two million refugees from Afghanistan who seek refuge there in search of work, AP reports, and the area is frequently used by traffickers to smuggle illegal Afghan migrants, usually in overcrowded vehicles.

Also according to AP, Iran has one of the worlds worst traffic safety records, due to disregard of traffic laws, unsafe vehicles and inadequate emergency services, and each year approximately 17,000 people die in accidents in Iran.

Read the original post:
Bodies of 28 Afghan Refugees Returned to Afghanistan - TOLOnews

Pakistans current government is committed to trust-based friendly bilateral relations with Afghanistan and is working to utilize every possible channel to improve bilateral ties, said Usman Dar, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Youth Affairs, while speaking to the participants of the Pak-Afghan Youth Leaders Summit 2019.

It is so heartening to see young leaders from both the countries, sitting together side by side under a single roof, Dar said of the gathering organized by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) and the Afghan Studies Center as part of its cross-border Track 1.5/II initiative. This meeting of young leaders gives us hope, even in the often politically charged up environment, he said, adding the world we live in today is far better than it was thirty years ago. The credit goes to youngster like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg; they changed the face of the earth. We want the same from the youth of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Both need to invest in human capital. This is where Pakistan and Afghanistan need to work together to carve out a bright future for the next generation, he said.

Usman Dar also gave good news to the Afghan youth present at the summit, saying that he will personally request and ask Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan to increase the number of scholarships for Afghans.

Mehnaz Akber Aziz, Member National Assembly of Pakistan and also an educationist, while speaking on the occasion, was of the view that if Pakistan and Afghanistan have to grow in an inclusive manner, they will have to prioritize and invest equitably in young people. as the economic potential of the country can only be unleashed by embracing its young population as its most valued resource for sustained growth. With over 64% of the total population below the age of 30, Pakistan is currently one of the youngest countries in the world, where as 63% of Afghanistans 27.5 million people are under the age of 25. We have to make an effort to turn them into a demographic dividend, added Mehnaz.

She also suggested education diplomacy between Kabul and Islamabad, as it is the one of the contemporary approaches which can play an effective role in bringing the two nations closer in a constructive way.

Building on the earlier perspectives to bridge the gap between two countries, senior journalist Rehman Azhar proposed fusion of arts, culture, music and literature. He was of the opinion that arts and culture transcend boundaries; it helps make people understand each other. Regarding media Rehman Azhar was happy to share with the audience that youth of both the countries are very smart. Though, media may be playing a negative role and instigates blame game, but youngsters dont trust media anymore. We shouldnt be avoiding the difference; we should be having a dialogue and resolve our difference in a decent way, Rehman stated.

Read more here:
Pakistan committed to trust-based relations with Afghanistan: Dar - Daily Times

Aishwarya Airy and Kim Hjelmgaard Published 3:29 a.m. ET Nov. 20, 2019 | Updated 4:51 p.m. ET Nov. 20, 2019

In this Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017 file photo, A US military helicopter flies over the site of a suicide bomb that struck a NATO convoy in Kandahar south of Kabul, Afghanistan. In an "open letter" to U.S. President Donald Trump, Afghanistan's Taliban on Tuesday reiterated their call for a withdrawal of troops to end the protracted war.(Photo: STR, AP)

Two American service members were killed in a helicopter crash Wednesday in Afghanistan, the U.S. military said without providing further details.

The crash is under investigation but the military saidpreliminary reportsindicated the incidentwas not caused by enemy fire, despite aclaim from the Taliban that itshot down a helicopter in eastern Logar province, causing fatalities.

The deaths of the service membersbrings the number of U.S. combatfatalitiesthis year in Afghanistan to 19. Approximately 14,000 U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan, and 2,400 U.S. soldiers have died in the U.S.-led war since 2001.

The U.S. military statement saidthat in accordance with U.S. Department of Defense policy, the names of the service members killed in action would bewithheld until 24 hours after notification of their next of kin is complete.

A U.S. service member last died in Afghanistan on Sept. 16 and Wednesday's crash comes amid signsthe U.S.,Taliban and Afghan government aretrying to restart peace talks after President Donald Trump canceled them after aTaliban suicide-bomb attack in Kabul on Sept.5that killed a U.S.soldier and11 others.

Two Western hostages, one American and one Australian, were freed by the Taliban on Tuesdayafter more than three years in captivity. Their release was part ofa prisoner exchange that freedthree high-profile Taliban members from the militant organization's fearedHaqqani network, known for targeting civilians.

More: Bombs, missiles falling at record pace in long-running Afghanistan war

More: Taliban frees American, Australian hostages as part of prisoner swap

SOURCE ESRI(Photo: USA TODAY)

Trump wantsthe majority of U.S. forces home from Afghanistan by next year and he has sought to bring together U.S. negotiators and representatives from the Taliban and the Afghan government. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has signaledthe White House views the prisoner exchange as agoodwill gesture from the Taliban that could pave the way for a revival of the peace talks.

These talks were scheduled to beheld in September at the U.S. Camp David presidential retreat, but collapsed after the Sept. 5. suicide-bomb attack.

In a tweet Wednesday, Trump suggested the peace talks might get back on track. "We join families of Kevin King & Tim Weeks in celebrating their release from Taliban captivity," the president wrote. "Lets hope this leads to more good things on the peace front like a ceasefire that will help end this long war," he added.

The Taliban often claims responsibility for attacks on U.S.-led forcesand spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid insisted in an interview it shot down the helicopter as "American invaders and their hirelings" raided Taliban posts. Mujahid addedit was not unusual for Taliban fighters to engage with U.S. and Afghan military forces even when there are peace talks, or potential ones, taking place. He also said that it was now the responsibility of the U.S. to make "peace arrangements possible."

Airy reported from Washington, D.C.; Hjelmgaard from London

Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/11/20/statement-says-wednesday-cause-crash-under-investigation-however-preliminary-reports-do-not-indicate/4246844002/

See more here:
Two American service members killed in Afghanistan helicopter crash - USA TODAY