Military recruitment officers have, for example, been touring the country and drawing up lists of young people eligible for callup as wartime reservists. There are other strands of strong anecdotal evidence that Tajik armed forces are stepping up their efforts to bolster defense capabilities. When Eurasianet embarked on a drive along the extensive Pamir section of the border earlier in the week, there was little sign of any heightened security presence.ĭisplays of military readiness appear to be part of a balancing act being played by Rahmon and other leaders in the region who are intent on showing they are content to live with the Taliban’s ascendancy in Afghanistan while signaling that they are also able to deal firmly with any trouble that might spill over. It is not clear where exactly those soldiers have been positioned, though. More than 1,000 armored vehicles, nearly 3,200 transportation vehicles, 447 items of artillery and mortar equipment, 234 units of air defense equipment and 45 military and transport aircraft and helicopters were deployed in the drill, according to a statement on the presidential website.Īt least 20,000 of the troops were dispatched to the regions bordering Afghanistan, the same statement noted. Tajikistan and Afghanistan share a border over 1,300 kilometers long. The status of northern Afghan provinces, Rahmon said at a speech announcing the exercises, “remains extremely difficult and uncertain, and the situation is getting more complicated day by day, and even hour by hour.” Around 100,000 servicemen and 130,000 reserve troops were mobilized to take part in an exercise dubbed Border-2021, as President Emomali Rahmon fretted about troubles to the south. On July 22, Tajikistan held its largest military readiness drill in its post-independence history. Unrest in Afghanistan has to date had barely any impact on neighbors in Central Asia, but regional leaders and Russia are nonetheless seizing upon ongoing developments as an opportunity to show off military prowess. (Photo by PATRICK T.Tajik troops in the July 22 exercises (photo: Tajikistan presidential administration) “We got here and we were told that it was canceled because of the oil, and I was just thinking how unlucky we were to have an oil spill on the day we were supposed to come.” A person shows oil on their fingers after touching it on the beach in Huntington Beach, California on October 3, 2021, after a pipeline breach connected to an oil rig off shore started leaking oil, according to an Orange County Supervisor. We woke up at 3 in the morning and got ready to come to the air show,” said Wesley Meacham, an Irvine resident. “We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you in advance for your understanding.” “In order to facilitate clean-up efforts, and given the potential health impacts, the decision has been made to cancel the final day of the show due to yesterday’s spill,” officials said in a statement. Boats helping clean up an oil spill are seen from the shore in Huntington Beach, California on October 3, 2021, after a pipeline breach connected to an oil rig off shore started leaking oil, according to an Orange County Supervisor. Coast Guard and state agencies, could focus on the cleanup and investigation of the 126,000-gallon oil spill. Officials say the decision to cancel the popular event was made so that the city, along with the U.S. The oil spill has also prompted the cancellation of the final day of the Great Pacific Airshow. The spill is thought to come from a pipeline leak and has seeped into nearby Huntington Beach, including in Talbert Marsh, which is home to about 90 species of birds, according to the Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy.Īuthorities are urging people to avoid the beach areas around Huntington Beach and Newport Beach. “The spill has significantly affected Huntington Beach, with substantial ecological impacts occurring at the beach and at the Huntington Beach Wetlands,” officials said in a statement. It’s located about three miles from Newport Beach. The slick, which was first reported on Saturday afternoon by the Coast Guard, is approximately 13 square miles in size. (KTLA) - A massive oil spill off the Southern California coastline has prompted the closure of beachfront areas from the Huntington Beach Pier down to Newport Beach, according to city officials Sunday morning.Īt least 126,000 gallons (98,420 liters) of oil spilled into the waters off Orange County, according to a statement from the city of Huntington Beach.

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Showoff spill