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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Islamic State 'Not Growing' in Afghanistan, Nicholson Says VOA 01 Sep 2018 -- The Islamic State terror group is losing its grip on parts of Afghanistan, slowly succumbing to pressure from U.S. and Afghan forces, the outgoing commander of U.S. Forces-Afghanistan said Saturday.
• US General: Russia Trying to 'Undercut' Progress in Afghanistan VOA 01 Sep 2018 -- Russia is not giving up on efforts to destabilize Afghanistan and drive divisions between the United States and its coalition partners, according to the outgoing commander of U.S. forces in the country.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US to Create Hybrid Fighter Jet to Take on Russia, China - Reports Sputnik 01 Sep 2018 -- Faced with tough competition from Russia and China, US military aircraft makers are developing a new class of air superiority fighters to incorporate the very best of the current models.
• Russia In Talks With Eritrea To Set Up 'Logistics Center' On Red Sea Coast RFE/RL 01 Sep 2018 -- Russia is in talks with Eritrea to set up a logistics center at one of the North African country's seaports, Russian news agencies cited Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on August 31.
• Russian Navy, Warplanes Start Massive Drills in Mediterranean Sputnik 01 Sep 2018 -- The Russian Navy and Aerospace Forces will hold joint large-scale training exercises in the Mediterranean Sea on September 1-8.
• Erdogan on S-400 Deal Amid US Sanctions Threat: 'We Don't Regret Our Decisions' Sputnik 01 Sep 2018 -- The United States has warned its allies against buying S-400 air defense systems from Russia and threatened sanctions against any country anywhere that acquires the state-of-the-art system.
• China joins Australia's military drills for first time Press TV 01 Sep 2018 -- China has for the first time joined Australia's largest annual sea and air military drills known as Kakadu 2018, involving 27 countries, including key rivals the US, Japan, South Korea and India.
• China's Newest Carrier Begins High-Speed Testing in Yellow Sea Sputnik 01 Sep 2018 -- China's first domestically produced aircraft carrier has begun its second stage of testing, closing down large parts of the Yellow Sea to naval traffic while it practices high speed maneuvers and tests the endurance of its propulsion system, experts have indicated.
• Iran Plans to Supply Syria With Its Own Jets, S-300 Analogues – Reports Sputnik 01 Sep 2018 -- Last week, Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami met with his Syrian counterpart Ali Abdullah Ayyoub and President Bashar Assad to sign an agreement on defense cooperation.
• Iraqi Military Hosts Counterparts From Russia, Iran, Syria RFE/RL 01 Sep 2018 -- Iraq says its senior military commanders have met in Baghdad with their counterparts from Russia, Iran, and Syria to discuss regional security and the fight against Islamic State (IS) and other militants.
• Spokesman dismisses rumors on Iran's missiles sent to Iraq IRNA 01 Sep 2018 -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi on Saturday categorically dismissed rumors on shipment of Iran-made missiles to Iraq and called the claim as 'fabricated and nonsense'.
• Iran Refutes Reports Alleging Missile Shipment to Shiite Groups in Iraq Sputnik 01 Sep 2018 -- Reuters has reported, citing a number of different sources, that Iran had been delivering short-range ballistic missiles to its Shiite allies in Iraq and helping the groups to start producing their own over the past few months.
• All air defense products produced inside Iran IRNA 01 Sep 2018 -- Commander of Khatam-ul-Anbia air defense base said that with using indigenous capabilities and the efforts of scientists and experts, all the achievements of air defense are produced inside the country.
• Improving ballistic missile, cruise power new plan of Defense Ministry IRNA 01 Sep 2018 -- Improving ballistic and cruise missile power in different ways, achieving new generation of fighter jets and surface, submersible and long-range submarines, with diverse weapons capabilities, are among the new plans of the ministry of defense.
• 'Prophet Mohammad- 2' military drill kicks off in 32 provinces IRNA 01 Sep 2018 -- The 'Prophet Mohammad- 2' military drill is underway in 32 provinces, Head of Basij (Volunteer Forces) Organization Brigadier General Gholam Hossein Gheibparvar.
• Iran plans to boost ballistic, cruise missile capabilities: Defense Ministry Press TV 01 Sep 2018 -- A senior Iranian Defense Ministry official says the Islamic Republic plans to boost the capabilities of its ballistic and cruise missiles.
• Iran's Basij forces start countrywide drills Press TV 01 Sep 2018 -- Iran's Basij volunteer forces have started nationwide drills in which thousands of participants have been enlisted, said Iran's Basij Commander Brigadier-General Gholam-Hossein Gheibparvar.
• Tehran to Acquire Next Gen Fighters and Submarines, Boost Missile Capacity Sputnik 01 Sep 2018 -- Earlier in August, Brigadier General Amir Hatami said that the development of the nation's missile capacity will remain Iran's top military priority, Fars News Agency reported.
• U.S. Cancels $300 Million In Aid To Pakistan RFE/RL 01 Sep 2018 -- The U.S. military has announced it has made a final decision to cancel $300 million in aid to Pakistan that had been suspended due to Islamabad's perceived lack of action against militants.
• US ready to boost lethal arms supplies to Ukraine: Envoy Press TV 01 Sep 2018 -- A US diplomat to Ukraine says Washington will provide Kiev with more lethal weapons to help build up its naval and air forces in the face of what they call Russian threat.
• Volker Says U.S. Ready To Widen Arms Supplies To Ukraine RFE/RL 01 Sep 2018 -- The United States is ready to widen arms supplies to Ukraine to help build up the country's naval and air defense forces in the face of continuing Russian support for eastern separatists, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine told The Guardian.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• Yemen targets Saudi-coalition forces in Najran, Jizan IRNA 01 Sep 2018 -- Yemeni Ansarullah targeted Saudi-coalition's positions with missiles in Najran and Jizan, southern Saudi Arabia, Russian media 'Sputnik' reported.
• Yemeni naval forces, allies hit Saudi vessel off Jizan coast: Report Press TV 01 Sep 2018 -- Yemeni naval forces, backed by fighters from Popular Committees, have reportedly targeted a military vessel in a missile attack off the coast of the kingdom's southwestern border region of Jizan, in response to the Riyadh regime's atrocious military campaign against their war-ravaged homeland.
• Syria determined to end presence of terrorists in Idleb IRNA 01 Sep 2018 -- Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister Dr. Fayssal Mikdad stressed that the Syrian state is determined to end the presence of terrorist organizations in Idleb province with the aim of restoring security and stability to it and freeing besieged civilians.
• Army eradicating remnants of Daesh terrorists in al-Safa IRNA 01 Sep 2018 -- Syrian Army units, in cooperation with the supporting forces, carried out concentrated strikes against the remnants of Daesh (ISIS) positions in al-Safa hills in the depth of Sweida eastern Badyia (desert).
• Participation of Iranian firms in reconstruction of Syria to be facilated IRNA 01 Sep 2018 -- Director General of the Arabic-African Bureau of the Organization for Trade Development of Iran, announced that the Islamic Republic of Iran, with participating at the fourth Syria reconstruction exhibition, will pave the way for the participation of Iranian
• US-trained militants to attack Syria's central city of Palmyra: Russian military Press TV 01 Sep 2018 -- The Russian Defense Ministry says newly-obtained information from captured militants has revealed that the US-trained militants are set to conduct a terrorist attack on Palmyra, a city in Syria's central province of Homs, almost a year after it was liberated from the clutches of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.
• US prepared initial list of Syria targets for possible strike: Report Press TV 01 Sep 2018 -- The United States has reportedly drawn up a preliminary list of facilities in Syria that could be targeted in case of a false flag chemical weapons attack in the war-torn country.
• U.S. Warns Russia, Syria Against Escalating 'Already Dangerous Conflict' RFE/RL 01 Sep 2018 -- The United States has warned Damascus and Moscow that it views any military assault on Syria's last rebel-held province in coming days as an escalation of the seven-year Syrian civil war.
• Syrian Kurds, Damascus Discuss Future Governance VOA 01 Sep 2018 -- The Kurdish led Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), a political wing of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), reportedly is in preliminary discussions with Damascus to ensure the future government in Syria is inclusive and represents all sects of Syrian society, including ethnic Kurds.
• Iraqi security forces kill senior Daesh leader in Salahuddin Press TV 01 Sep 2018 -- Iraqi security forces have killed a high-ranking commander of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in the country's north-central province of Salahuddin as government troops, backed by allied fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units, are seeking to purge the war-ravaged Arab country of remnants of the extremist outfit.
• Joint Statement on Libya on the Situation in Tripoli US Dept. of State 01 Sep 2018 -- The text of the following statement on Libya was released by the Governments of the United States of America, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
• Arab Media Report Cease-fire in Libyan Capital VOA 01 Sep 2018 -- Arab media reported Saturday that warring militias in the Libyan capital had agreed to a cease-fire, but it was unclear whether it would hold for long.
• Moscow denies Hollande's claim that Putin threatened to 'crush' Ukraine troops Press TV 01 Sep 2018 -- Moscow has denied a claim made by former French president Francois Hollande in his memoirs that Russian President Vladimir Putin had threatened to "crush" Ukrainian troops.
• Russia, Ukraine Trade Blame Over Zakharchenko Killing RFE/RL 01 Sep 2018 -- Ukraine and Russia are trading blame for the killing of a top separatist leader in eastern Ukraine.
• Second Person Dies In Donetsk Cafe Blast That Killed Separatist Leader Zakharchenko RFE/RL 01 Sep 2018 -- The leadership of the pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine has been thrown into disarray after the head of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic was killed in an explosion at a cafe designed to honor the separatists.
• Kremlin slams pro-Russia leader's murder as a 'provocation' against peace Press TV 01 Sep 2018 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman has denounced the murder of pro-Russia forces' leader in eastern Ukraine as a "provocation" that will undermine a Western-brokered peace agreement.
• PLO slams US cutting aid to UNRWA IRNA 01 Sep 2018 -- Chief of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Saeb Erekat condemned US decision to cut aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
• Palestine Slams US for End of UNRWA Funding Program Sputnik 01 Sep 2018 -- The United States has said it had stopped all funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency after a careful review found it to be "irredeemably flawed." The UNRWA denied these accusations and promised to look for new donors.
• UN urges countries to step up assistance for Palestine refugees UN News 01 Sep 2018 -- The United Nations said it regrets the decision of the United States to stop funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and called on other countries to help fill the remaining financial gap.

News Reports

• Russia's foreign minister dismisses 'counterproductive' US sanctions Press TV 01 Sep 2018 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has dismissed the United States' latest sanctions against his country as counterproductive, saying the US is pushing Moscow-Washington ties into a stalemate.
• US accuses China of 'super aggressive' spy campaign on LinkedIn Press TV 01 Sep 2018 -- The United States has accused Chinese intelligence agencies of using fake LinkedIn accounts in a bid to recruit US citizens who have access to government and commercial secrets.
• Seoul Launches New Defense Intelligence Unit to Replace Disgraced DSC - Reports Sputnik 01 Sep 2018 -- South Korea launched on Saturday the newly-established Defense Security Support Command (DSSC) replacing the previous defense intelligence unit, the Defense Security Command (DSC), which has been disbanded amid allegations of its involvement in state affairs, Yonhap news agency reported.
• Pyongyang preparing toned-down military parade on September 9: Analysts Press TV 01 Sep 2018 -- North Korea is reportedly set to stage a new military parade as diplomatic efforts on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula show no sign of progress.
• US military blocks proposed railway connecting North, South Korea Press TV 01 Sep 2018 -- The United States has blocked a train project connecting North and South Korea amid deepening split between Washington and Pyongyang.
• UN: Number of People in China 'Re-Education' Camps Could Top 1M VOA 01 Sep 2018 -- A United Nations watchdog committee accuses China of holding possibly more than one million Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in political "re-education" camps in its Western Xinjiang region.
• Brazilian electoral court bars jailed Lula from presidential race Press TV 01 Sep 2018 -- Brazil's top electoral court has barred jailed former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from running in the upcoming presidential election.
• Brazil Court Rules Barring Lula Da Silva From Presidential Election - Reports Sputnik 01 Sep 2018 -- The lawyers of the jailed former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have said they would appeal the ruling by a 4-1 majority of the seven-member top electoral court to the country's Supreme Court, Reuters reported.
• Iran: Hashd al-Sha'abi head's removal Iraq's internal affair Press TV 01 Sep 2018 -- Iran says Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's decision to sack national security adviser and head of Hashd al-Sha'abi Falih Alfayyadh is an internal affair which it will not meddle with.
• Turkey Designates Tahrir al-Sham as Terrorist Group Sputnik 01 Sep 2018 -- Turkey has listed the Jabhat al-Nusra* armed Islamist group as a terrorist organization, according to a decree signed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
• Thousands Will Attend Schools in DRC's Ebola-Affected Areas VOA 01 Sep 2018 -- Government authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo say 250 schools in North Kivu and Ituri provinces will open their doors to more than 82,500 children when the new school year begins Monday.
• Erdogan Calls For Stronger Turkish-Kyrgyz Ties RFE/RL 01 Sep 2018 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for closer ties with Kyrgyzstan during a two-day official visit to the Central Asian nation.
• Erdogan: Rating Agencies 'Can't Topple Turkey With Dollars' Sputnik 01 Sep 2018 -- A fierce tariff spat with the US and a diplomatic row over the fate of American pastor Andrew Brunson, detained in Turkey in 2016, have dealt a heavy blow to the Turkish national currency, sending consumer prices up and the lira tumbling down.
• Mauritania: UN chief urges peaceful, credible elections UN News 01 Sep 2018 -- United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called on all parties in Mauritania to ensure peaceful and credible elections as the country holds legislative, regional and municipal polls on Saturday.