27 March 2018 Military News

Department of Defense Press Briefing by Brigadier General Croft via teleconference DoD 27 Mar 2018 -- Presenter: Brigadier General Andrew A. Croft, deputy commander, Air, Combined Joint Forces Land Component Commander-Operation Inherent Resolve; Eric J. Pahon, Defense Department Spokesman
General Highlights Airpower in Fight Against ISIS AFPS 27 Mar 2018 -- Airpower has been a key factor as Operation Inherent Resolve continues to achieve milestones in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, a senior OIR officer told Pentagon reporters via satellite from Baghdad today.

Tashkent Conference Backs Afghan Government's Peace Offer RFE/RL 27 Mar 2018 -- Following talks in Uzbekistan, more than 20 countries and organizations have declared their support for direct talks between the Kabul government and the Taliban to end the 16-year conflict in Afghanistan.

Jean de Vienne, in Support of CTF 150, Siezes More than 1,160 Pounds of Heroin NNS 27 Mar 2018 -- French Marine Nationale destroyer, Jean de Vienne, secured their second drug seizure this year in support of Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, March 25.

Mattis: Budget Predictability Shows Alignment of Congress, Executive Branch AFPS 27 Mar 2018 -- The Defense Department's best budget predictability in more than a decade shows that Congress and the executive branch are aligned in terms of the threats to the nation and current and future military readiness, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis said today.
Media Availability with Secretary Mattis at the Pentagon DoD 27 Mar 2018 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis
III MEF Support Battalion: The Newest Battalion in the Marine Corps USMC News 27 Mar 2018 -- Nearly 229 Marines and Sailors from units throughout III Marine Expeditionary Force combined to activate III MEF Support Battalion during an activation ceremony here March 22.
USS Sterett Visits Hong Kong as 7th Fleet Deployment Continues NNS 27 Mar 2018 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Sterett (DDG 104) arrived in Hong Kong for a port visit March 27 after a stretch of operations as part of a deployment in the Indo-Pacific.
USS Hue City Rescues Distressed Mariners NNS 27 Mar 2018 -- Guided-missile cruiser USS Hue City (CG 66) rescued three fishermen March 27 off the coast of Georgia.

Statement by NATO Secretary General on further decisions following the use of a nerve agent in Salisbury NATO 27 Mar 2018
NATO Cuts Russian Mission Staff Over Spy Poisoning RFE/RL 27 Mar 2018 -- NATO has joined more than two dozen governments around the world in expelling Russian diplomats in response to the poisoning of a former Russian double agent in Britain.

UK side by side with Allies a year on from NATO deterrence deployment UK MOD 27 Mar 2018 -- Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson visits Estonia for the first time
Third Tide-Class Tanker Arrives in UK UK MOD 27 Mar 2018 -- The third of four new support tankers to be delivered to the UK has arrived in Cornwall for customisation and trials before entering service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and being deployed on operations with the Royal Navy.
£400m deal signed for battle-winning Brimstone missile for RAF Typhoons UK MOD 27 Mar 2018 -- 130 new jobs and a further 270 jobs sustained at MBDA's sites in Stevenage, Bolton and across the company's significant UK supply chain.

China's fighter J-20 jet ready for combat at any time: chief designer People's Daily 27 Mar 2018 -- China's stealth fifth-generation fighters J-20 are ready for combat at any time, said Yang Wei, academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences and chief designer of the aircraft.

U.S. senators urge Trump to back Taiwan procurement of F-35s CNA 27 Mar 2018 -- Two United States senators wrote to President Donald Trump on Monday asking him to support Taiwan's procurement of F-35 fighter jets as soon as possible to boost Taiwan's national defense capabilities.

27 March 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 27 Mar 2018

Saudi-Led Coalition Accuses Iran Of Supplying Huthi Missiles That Hit Riyadh RFE/RL 27 Mar 2018 -- A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia is accusing Iran of supplying Yemen's Huthi rebels with the ballistic missiles used to attack Riyadh over the weekend and said it is weighing an "appropriate" response.
Children's education latest victim of Yemen conflict - UNICEF UN News 27 Mar 2018 -- Yemen's education system has been devastated by the country's brutal conflict, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday, reporting that at least half a million children have dropped out of school since the 2015 escalation of the war.

Syrian Army secures exit of hundreds of civilians from Douma IRNA 27 Mar 2018 -- Hundreds of civilians who had been held by terrorist organizations in the Douma area of Eastern Ghouta exited the area via the humanitarian corridor leading to al-Wafideen Camp in Damascus Countryside.
'When weapons speak, civilians pay the price,' says UN aid chief as Syria war grinds on UN News 27 Mar 2018 -- More than 1,700 people have reportedly been killed in military operations and airstrikes on Eastern Ghouta since late February, the United Nations aid chief said on Tuesday, describing the past few months of relentless bloodshed as "some of the worst yet" for civilians inside war-torn Syria.

Ukraine Conflict Monitors Relaunch Long-Range Surveillance Drone Program RFE/RL 27 Mar 2018 -- The European security organization responsible for monitoring the deadly conflict between government forces and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine will reintroduce its long-range drone program more than a year and a half after it was dropped due to repeated shoot-downs.

UN allocates $9 million to help thousands of people displaced in north-east Nigeria UN News 27 Mar 2018 -- Some 60,000 people displaced by ongoing hostilities in Nigeria's crisis-torn Borno state will receive life-saving aid thanks to an allocation from the United Nations-managed country-based humanitarian assistance fund.

Security Council renews UN mission in DR Congo UN News 27 Mar 2018 -- The Security Council on Tuesday extended for one year the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), making it a priority for the operation to protect civilians and provide support for implementation of a 31 December 2016 agreement on holding elections.

West expels Russian diplomats, intelligence officials over spy poisoning People's Daily 27 Mar 2018 -- Under Western coordination, U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday ordered the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats and intelligence officials and the closure of the Russian Consulate in Seattle, in response to the poisoning of an ex-Russian spy in Britain.
In United Front, West Expels Dozens Of Russian Diplomats Over Poisoning; Russia Vows Retaliation RFE/RL 27 Mar 2018 -- The United States, European Union member states, Ukraine, and Canada have ordered the expulsion of dozens of Russian diplomats in response to the poisoning of a former Russian double agent in England -- a move the Kremlin vowed to match with "the principle of reciprocity."

Spain Breaks Up Ukrainian-Russian Cybercrime Gang RFE/RL 27 Mar 2018 -- Spanish authorities have broken up a cybercrime syndicate of Ukrainian and Russian nationals that allegedly stole more than 1 billion euros ($1.24 billion) from bank accounts over more than four years.

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