20 February 2017 Military News

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

Counter-ISIS Strikes Continue in Syria, Iraq AFPS 20 Feb 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Why Isn't Afghan Taliban on US List of Foreign Terror Groups? VOA 20 Feb 2017 -- They both call themselves the Taliban. They regularly carry out deadly suicide bombings, kill civilians with impunity and, in many respects, behave like brutish terrorist groups. So why is one – the Tehrik-I Taliban of Pakistan – on the State Department's list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations, while the other – Afghanistan's Taliban – is not?

Mattis: Assessment on Afghanistan Coming Soon AFPS 20 Feb 2017 -- Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said he will soon have an assessment to give President Donald J. Trump about the way ahead in Afghanistan.

Hundreds of Afghans flee Pakistani cross-border shelling: Aid group Press TV 20 Feb 2017 -- Hundreds of Afghan families have been displaced due to cross-border shelling by Pakistani troops over the past few days, an international aid group says.
Pakistan Moves Heavy Artillery to Afghan Border in Anti-Terrorism Operation Sputnik 20 Feb 2017 -- Pakistan moved its heavy artillery to the border with Afghanistan and increased patrols in the area to beef up border security against terrorist attacks.

Defense Policy / Programs

Readout of Secretary Mattis' Meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates DoD 20 Feb 2017
Readout of Secretary Mattis' Meeting with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani DoD 20 Feb 2017
Readout of Secretary of Defense Mattis' Meetings with Prime Minister Abadi and Minister of Defense Hayali DoD 20 Feb 2017
Media Availability with Secretary Mattis and General Townsend in Baghdad, Iraq DoD 20 Feb 2017 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis; Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, commander, Combined Joint Task
Press Conference by Secretary Mattis in Abu Dhabi DoD 20 Feb 2017 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis

Secretary General welcomes US Vice President to NATO headquarters NATO 20 Feb 2017 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed US Vice President Mike Pence to NATO Headquarters on Monday (20 February 2017), and thanked him for America's unwavering commitment to the transatlantic bond.
Trump wants 'real progress' on NATO spending: Pence Press TV 20 Feb 2017 -- US Vice President Mike Pence has told European chiefs that President Donald Trump wants "real progress" among NATO allies to increase their defense spending towards the minimum criteria of two percent of their economic output by the end of the year.
Pence Says Trump Expects 'Real Progress' On NATO Spending By End Of year RFE/RL 20 Feb 2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump expects NATO allies to make real progress by the end of this year towards the increased defense spending target agreed by the alliance, Vice President Mike Pence said February 20 in Brussels.

Armata T-15 and Kurganets-25 IFVs Will Get 'Smart Ammunition' Starting Next Year Sputnik 20 Feb 2017 -- On Monday, Tekhmash, the company developing shells for the Armata T-15 and Kurganets-25 infantry fighting vehicles, announced that all-new smart munitions will be delivered by next year.
Northbound: Russia to Form New Arctic Air Defense Division in 2018 Sputnik 20 Feb 2017 -- As Russia has set a priority of developing its Arctic territories, Russia's Aerospace Forces announced on Sunday that a new air defense division will be formed in the region to strengthen security there.

Lavrov Rejects Claim Moscow Was Behind Montenegro Coup Plot RFE/RL 20 Feb 2017 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has denounced allegations that Moscow was behind a failed plot to assassinate Montenegro's prime minister and overthrow his pro-Western government -- saying the claims are "unsubstantiated."
Montenegro Hopes 'Russian Coup Plot' Claims Will Speed NATO Accession Sputnik 20 Feb 2017 -- On Sunday, The Telegraph published a piece accusing Russia of plotting to overthrow Montenegro's government to sabotage the Balkan country's plans to join NATO. Speaking to Sputnik, Montenegrin and Serbian journalists and political scientists explained exactly why the accusations are being leveled against Moscow at this precise moment.

Foreign Ministry dismisses Iran's new ballistic missile test IRNA 20 Feb 2017 -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi denied on Monday that Iran wants to conduct a ballistic missile test.
Iranian missiles serve self-defense purposes: FM Zarif Press TV 20 Feb 2017 -- Amid ongoing US and Israeli attempts to portray Iran as an "aggressive" party, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reaffirms that the Islamic Republic's missiles are a mere means of defending the nation against enemy threats.
IRGC Ground Forces start military drills in central Iran Press TV 20 Feb 2017 -- The Ground Forces of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) have started military maneuvers in Dasht-e Kavir, the country's sprawling central desert.
Iran Successfully Test-Fires Advanced Rockets During Military Drills Sputnik 20 Feb 2017 -- Iranian elite ground forces tested smart rockets with pinpoint accuracy during the ongoing military drills, according to official statement.

Indian Navy to Procure Special Operation Boats Similar to US Navy SEALs Sputnik 20 Feb 2017 -- Indian Navy is focusing on strengthening the amphibious warfare capability. Apart from inducting amphibious warships, Indian Navy is augmenting the capability to conduct special operations in Indian Ocean Region.

Mattis Praises Resilient Iraqi Army During Baghdad Visit AFPS 20 Feb 2017 -- In his first trip to Baghdad as defense secretary, Jim Mattis today praised the Iraqi army for its resilience and noted the forces are now focused on liberating west Mosul.

S. Korea expects exchange of military land for THAAD site this month People's Daily 20 Feb 2017 -- South Korea's defense ministry on Monday expected the exchange of military land for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) site within this month, meaning the resumption of procedure to deploy the THAAD battery on South Korean soil by the end of this year.

Global arms trade 'at highest level in decades' Press TV 20 Feb 2017 -- Global arms sales have reached their highest level in decades, with Middle Eastern Arab countries being among the top buyers, a new report says.

Russia to Supply T-90MS Tanks to a Middle East Country Sputnik 20 Feb 2017 -- Russia will supply T-90MS battle tanks to a country in the Middle East.

Russia, Egypt to Sign Military Equipment Deal If Cairo Solves Money Troubles Sputnik 20 Feb 2017 -- CEO of the Rostec State Corporation said that Russia is ready to sign the deal on military technology deliveries to Egypt as soon as Cairo solves its financial problems.

Russia to Complete BTR-80 Delivery Contract to Bangladesh in 2017 Sputnik 20 Feb 2017 -- Russia will complete the delivery of BTR-80 amphibious armored personnel carriers (APCs) to peacekeepers in Bangladesh this year, the vehicles' developer told Sputnik on Monday.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

Two Million African Refugees Affected by Food Assistance Cuts Sputnik 20 Feb 2017 -- Ten refugee operations in Africa have experienced cuts affecting the quantity and quality of food assistance for approximately 2 million refugees, according to the statement of the World Food Programme (WFP).
Critical food aid shortages hit Africa's refugees hard, UN warns UN News 20 Feb 2017 -- Across Africa, some two million refugees are facing critical shortages in food assistance, the United Nations warned today.

Turkey Says it Will Attack Syrian Kurdish Forces at Manbij VOA 20 Feb 2017 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared his nation's forces will liberate the Syrian town of Manbij from the Kurdish YPG and hand it back to local Arabs.
Turkey to Use Strategy Implemented in Al-Bab Against Terrorists in Raqqa Sputnik 20 Feb 2017 -- Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that the situation in Al Bab is now under control, however the operation to clear the city from terrorists is still continuing.

Four Russian military killed in Syria bomb attack last week: Moscow Press TV 20 Feb 2017 -- Russia's Defense Ministry says four Russian military personnel were killed and two others sustained injuries in a bombing attack in central Syria last week.

Iraqi forces clear Daesh terrorists from 8 villages west of Mosul Press TV 20 Feb 2017 -- Iraqi government forces, supported by fighters from Popular Mobilization Units, have managed to liberate several villages from the grip of Daesh Takfiri terrorists as they are engaged in a new push to fully recapture Mosul and drive the extremists out of their last urban stronghold in the Arab country.
UN: Over 217,000 Iraqis Flee Mosul as Operation to Free City From Daesh Advances Sputnik 20 Feb 2017 -- Over 217,000 Iraqis have fled Mosul since the start of an operation to liberate the city from the Daesh terrorist group, outlawed in Russia, in October 2016, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

Libyan Prime Minister Survives Shelling of Convoy in Tripoli Sputnik 20 Feb 2017 -- Motorcade of Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Serraj was shelled in Tripoli by "armed groups based in the (Rixos) Palaces", according to local media.

Obscure Ukraine Lawmaker Behind 'Peace Plan' Delivered To Trump's White House RFE/RL 20 Feb 2017 -- A little-known Ukrainian lawmaker is in the spotlight after a report said a peace-for-sanctions-relief proposal that he says he co-authored ended up on the desk of U.S. President Donald Trump's short-lived national security adviser.
Trump Associates Reportedly Facilitated Back-Channel Ukraine Peace Plan RFE/RL 20 Feb 2017 -- An exclusive report in The New York Times says a lawyer for U.S. President Donald Trump has helped a pro-Russia opposition Ukrainian lawmaker submit to Trump's administration a proposed alternative peace plan for the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Trump aides pushing back-door peace plan for Ukraine: NY Times Press TV 20 Feb 2017 -- US President Donald Trump's aides have opened a back-door diplomacy channel aimed at reaching out a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, according to a report.
Russia Defends Recognizing Ukrainian Separatist Documents As Outcry Mounts RFE/RL 20 Feb 2017 -- Russia defended its decision to recognize documents issued by separatists it backs in eastern Ukraine amid mounting criticism from Western governments that the move undermines prospects for peace in the region.
Putin Recognizes Docs of Donetsk, Lugansk Republics 'for Humanitarian Reasons' Sputnik 20 Feb 2017 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin's decree on the recognition of the passports of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's republics (DPR and LPR) does not run counter to the Minsk agreements, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.
Ukraine Cease-fire in Effect But Doubts Persist as to Sustainability VOA 20 Feb 2017 -- A cease-fire in eastern Ukraine aimed at halting fighting between Ukrainian government forces and Moscow-backed separatists went into effect Monday. Ukrainian officials, however, warn it is at risk of falling apart.

Famine declared in parts of South Sudan Press TV 20 Feb 2017 -- Authorities in conflict-stricken South Sudan have declared famine in two areas of the African country, which is the world's youngest.
Famine declared in region of South Sudan - UN UN News 20 Feb 2017 -- Famine has been formally declared in parts of South Sudan, the United Nations said today, warning that war and a collapsing economy have left some 100,000 people facing starvation there and a further 1 million people are classified as being on the brink of famine.
UN, Government Declare Famine in Parts of South Sudan VOA 20 Feb 2017 -- Famine can be added to the list of South Sudan's problems, according to the government and the U.N. International Children's Fund, Food and Agriculture Organization, and World Food Program.

'Historic' day as last FARC-EP members gather to turn in arms – UN mission in Colombia UN News 20 Feb 2017 -- About 300 members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP) today arrived in central Colombia's Agua Bonita zone, bringing the number to close to 6,900, to lay down their arms under United Nations verification, and to begin a transition to social, economic and political life, the UN Mission in the country said today.

US Demands Independent Probe of Alleged Civilian Massacre in DRC VOA 20 Feb 2017 -- The Democratic Republic of Congo is brushing off demands for an independent investigation into the alleged executions of unarmed civilians by DRC troops in the Kasai region.

News Reports

Trump Names Army Strategist as National Security Adviser VOA 20 Feb 2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump named a new national security adviser Monday, picking Army Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster, a military strategist who has spent his entire career in the U.S. armed forces.
Army Lt. Gen. McMaster Becomes US National Security Adviser Sputnik 20 Feb 2017 -- Herbert Raymond McMaster has been picked as national security adviser by US President Donald Trump.

White House Says Trump Was Speaking 'In General' About Troubles In Sweden RFE/RL 20 Feb 2017 -- The White House has responded to complaints from Sweden after President Donald Trump made a comment that seemed to indicate a terror attack had occurred in the Scandinavian country.

Turkey fires over 200 judges, prosecutors over alleged links to Gulen Press TV 20 Feb 2017 -- The Turkish government has dismissed 227 more judges and prosecutors over alleged links to an outlawed movement, as Ankara continues with its crackdown following last July's failed putsch against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Ankara detains nearly 1,600 for alleged links to militants Press TV 20 Feb 2017 -- Nearly 1,600 people have been detained in Turkey over the last week for suspected links to militant groups launching terror attacks in the country.
Trial of 44 Suspects in Erdogan Assassination Attempt Begins in Turkey Sputnik 20 Feb 2017 -- A total of 47 supporters of Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, living in exile in the United States, are charged with attempting to assassinate Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the July 15 failed military coup, according to local media reports.

Zarif: Iranians not to tolerate threat IRNA 20 Feb 2017 -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Monday that through their resistance, the Iranian people have shown they will not tolerate threat.
Threats do not work against Iran: Zarif Press TV 20 Feb 2017 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says sanctions and threats will never work against the Islamic Republic, urging the United States to adopt the language of respect on Iran.

Resuming DPRK talks depends on efforts from all parties: FM People's Daily 20 Feb 2017 -- China cannot go it alone in trying to get Pyongyang back to the negotiating table over the nuclear issue, and while it can mediate, both Washington and Pyongyang should think about accommodating each other's positions, experts said.
DPRK ambassador denies identifying deceased DPRK man as Kim Jong Nam People's Daily 20 Feb 2017 -- The ambassador of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to Malaysia on Monday denied telling Malaysian authorities that a DPRK diplomatic passport holder, who died at Kuala Lumpur last week, was Kim Jong Nam, the elder half-brother of DPRK top leader Kim Jong Un.
Malaysia summons DPRK ambassador over police probe into Kim's death People's Daily 20 Feb 2017 -- Malaysia's Foreign Ministry on Monday summoned Ambassador of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kang Chol to seek an explanation over a statement he had made on the police investigation of a deceased DPRK man./li>
CCTV footage of North Korean's killing released Press TV 20 Feb 2017 -- Video footage has been released showing the assassination of a North Korean believed to be the half-brother of North Korea's leader in the Malaysian capital.
4 North Koreans fled Malaysia after Kim's death Press TV 20 Feb 2017 -- Four North Koreans suspected to be behind the killing of Kim Jong-un's half-brother fled Malaysia on the day he was assassinated, the police say.

China Focus: One year on, Xi's speech injects vitality into media People's Daily 20 Feb 2017 -- China's major media outlets have carried articles profiling the changes to news reporting since President Xi Jinping gave a speech on the Communist Party of China's (CPC) media and publicity work.

Iran, Iraq seal deal to export Kirkuk oil Press TV 20 Feb 2017 -- Iran and Iraq have signed a basic agreement that envisages exporting Iraqi oil through the Iranian territory – a scheme that would remove Baghdad's reliance on the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to export its oil through a pipeline to
We're not in Iraq to seize oil: US Defense Secretary James Mattis Press TV 20 Feb 2017 -- Before arriving on an unannounced visit to Baghdad, US Defense Secretary James Mattis has said Americans are "not in Iraq to seize" its oil.
Pentagon Chief In Baghdad; Iraqi Forces Close In On Western Mosul RFE/RL 20 Feb 2017 -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis has arrived in Baghdad for a previously unannounced visit focusing on the effort to defeat Islamic State (IS) militants.
Mattis: US 'Not in Iraq to Seize Anybody's Oil' VOA 20 Feb 2017 -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said Monday the United States does not intend to seize oil from Iraq, something President Donald Trump has in the past advocated as "spoils" for U.S military activity there and to prevent the Islamic State group from selling it.

Vitaly Churkin, Russia's Combative 'Diplomatic Maestro' At UN, Dead At 64 RFE/RL 20 Feb 2017 -- Vitaly Churkin, a veteran Soviet and Russian diplomat who served as Moscow's envoy to the United Nations as its ties with the West plunged to levels unseen since the Cold War, has died at the age of 64.
Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin Dies Sputnik 20 Feb 2017 -- Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin died at the age of 64, just a day before his 65th birthday, in New York on Monday.
Russia's Long-time UN Ambassador Dies Suddenly VOA 20 Feb 2017 -- Russia's long-time U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin died suddenly Monday in New York, a day before he would have turned 65 years old.

Police arrest more than 50 supporters of ex-president Jammeh in Gambia Press TV 20 Feb 2017 -- Gambian police have detained more than 50 supporters of ex-president Yahya Jammeh for harassing followers of new leader Adama Barrow, police officials say.

Ecuador presidential race likely headed for runoff Press TV 20 Feb 2017 -- Ecuador's presidential election may be heading toward a runoff as neither of the two leading candidates has garnered enough votes for an outright win so far.

Former Policeman Says Philippines President Ordered Killings While Davao Mayor Sputnik 20 Feb 2017 -- A veteran policeman from Davao city who worked under then-Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said that the man who is now president of the Philippines both ordered and paid for extrajudicial executions while he ran the town, contradicting his testimony from last year.

UN Presses ASEAN to Boost Cooperation as Islamic State Builds Regional Links VOA 20 Feb 2017 -- The United Nations says Southeast Asia needs to put in place a comprehensive regional plan to combat a rising threat of violent extremism as Asian fighters return home from Iraq and Syria.

NEWSLETTER

Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list