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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Dropping steel rain, artillerymen deter enemy rockets in Afghanistan Army News 22 Oct 2018 -- For Sgt. James Bess, there's nothing like the sound of thunder erupting from a howitzer when it sends a 155 mm artillery round to an enemy position.
• NATO soldier killed in Taliban-claimed attack in Afghanistan's Herat Press TV 22 Oct 2018 -- A NATO soldier has been killed and two others wounded in the western Afghan province of Herat, in an attack claimed by the Taliban militant group.
• Afghan Leaders Say Election Turnout Shows Voters Are Rejecting The Taliban RFE/RL 22 Oct 2018 -- Senior Afghan officials have praised voters who cast ballots in weekend parliamentary elections that were plagued by violence and organizational problems, saying the turnout shows that Afghans are rejecting the ideology of Taliban militants.
• Pentagon Acknowledges U.S. General Hurt In Kandahar Attack RFE/RL 22 Oct 2018 -- U.S. Army Brigadier General Jeffrey Smiley was wounded in the attack in Afghanistan's southern city of Kandahar last week that killed two senior Afghan officials, the Pentagon says.
• Readout of the Vice President's Call with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani The White House 22 Oct 2018

Defense Policy / Programs

• UK backs US withdrawal from nuke pact, accuses Russia of breach Press TV 22 Oct 2018 -- The United Kingdom has defended US President Donald Trump's decision to drop out of a decades-long agreement with Russia to control proliferation of nuclear weapons, accusing Moscow of violating the deal.
• Withdrawal Syndrome: Experts On Possible U.S. Exit From INF Treaty RFE/RL 22 Oct 2018 -- Experts and analysts are struggling to grasp the implications of the growing likelihood that the United States will withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. As U.S. national-security adviser John Bolton holds talks on the matter with counterparts in Moscow, RFE/RL takes a look at some of the more interesting reactions.
• Bolton Says U.S. Not Blackmailing Russia With INF Pullout Pledge RFE/RL 22 Oct 2018 -- U.S. national-security adviser John Bolton has denied Russian allegations the United States is threatening to withdraw from a nuclear arms treaty in an attempt to blackmail Moscow over what Washington says is a new medium-range nuclear missile being developed by Russia.
• Mattis Sides With Trump on US Withdrawal From INF Treaty With Russia - Pentagon Sputnik 22 Oct 2018 -- US Secretary of Defense James Mattis' position on a possible US exit from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Russia is similar to President Donald Trump's stance on the matter, Pentagon spokesman Col. Rob Manning told reporters on Monday.
• Trump: US to Build Up Nuclear Arsenal Until Russia, China Come to Their Senses Sputnik 22 Oct 2018 -- The United States will continue to develop its nuclear weapon stockpile, the US president told reporters Monday, until nations around the world come to their senses.
• ISIS-Controlled Syrian Mosque Destroyed, Navy Ships Transit Taiwan Strait AFPS 22 Oct 2018 -- A U.S.-led coalition airstrike leveled a Syrian mosque today among other buildings used by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria to attack the Syrian Democratic Forces, Army Col. Rob Manning, the Pentagon's director of press operations, told Pentagon reporters today.
• 'Bulldog' brigade arrives to the Republic of Korea Army News 22 Oct 2018 -- The 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team "Bulldog," 1st Armored Division assumed responsibility as the rotational armored brigade combat team during a transfer-of-authority ceremony Monday, Oct. 22.
• Army to fuse laser technology onto air defense system Army News 22 Oct 2018 -- U.S. forces have long held a strategic advantage in ballistic missile defense dating back to the Operation Desert Storm era, Army leaders said.
• Defense ministry confirms passage of two U.S. Navy vessels CNA 22 Oct 2018 -- Two United States Navy vessels have sailed into the Taiwan Strait from the south and were continuing on a northeasterly course on Monday, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) confirmed.
• US Warships Sail Through Taiwan Strait Amid Trade War With China Sputnik 22 Oct 2018 -- While a US Pacific Fleet representative claimed that the ship's journey "demonstrates the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific", Taiwanese officials claimed that the island's defense ministry was in full control of the situation and "has the ability to maintain the security of the seas."
• U.S. Forces Ready for NATO Exercise Trident Juncture 18 NNS 22 Oct 2018 -- More than 14,000 U.S. service members from the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps will take part in Exercise Trident Juncture 18, which begins Oct. 25, 2018.
• USNS Comfort Begins Medical Site Set-up in Ecuador NNS 22 Oct 2018 -- A team comprised of more than 900 personnel, embarked aboard USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), commenced their first mission stop as part of U.S. Southern Command's Enduring Promise initiative in Esmeraldas, Ecuador, Oct. 20.
• U.S. Navy Holds Ceremony to mark First Dedicated UAS Test Squadron NNS 22 Oct 2018 -- The U.S. Navy commissioned its first Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) test and evaluation squadron during a ceremony Oct. 18, at Naval Air Station Patuxent River's Webster Outlying Field.
• NATO Allies Meet for Trident Juncture 18 Pre-Sail Conference NNS 22 Oct 2018 -- NATO allies gathered together in Reykjavik, Iceland for a Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO pre-sail conference in support of NATO-led exercise Trident Juncture 18 Oct. 20.
• New Navy Medicine Clinic Opens in Gulfport NNS 22 Oct 2018 -- A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Oct. 19 for the new Naval Branch Health Clinic (NBHC) Gulfport on board Naval Construction Battalion Center.
• Gravely Responds to Distressed Sailboat NNS 22 Oct 2018 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107) responded to a sailboat in distress at approximately 6:30 p.m., Oct. 21.
• Russia will act to restore balance of military power if US exits nuclear treaty: Peskov Press TV 22 Oct 2018 -- Moscow has warned Washington against a plan to leave a landmark Cold War-era nuclear arms control treaty with Russia, saying it will be forced to respond in kind if the US goes ahead with the plan and begins producing the types of missiles banned by the agreement.
• Russia Signals Willingness to Consider US Complaints about Arms Treaty VOA 22 Oct 2018 -- Russia signaled Monday it is willing to consider mutual complaints the United States and it have about their continued implementation of the 1987 nuclear weapons treaty between the two world powers.
• Belgium Reportedly Picks US F-35 Over Eurofighter Typhoon Sputnik 22 Oct 2018 -- In February, the US defense contractor Lockheed Martin and a European consortium of aerospace manufacturers became the only two participants in a competition to provide state-of-the-art warplanes to Belgium, pitting the F-35 against the Eurofighter Typhoon.
• Seaplane to boost maritime capability, firefighting People's Daily 22 Oct 2018 -- China will have better capability in maritime search, rescue and firefighting as it moves closer to putting the world's largest amphibious aircraft into use.
• Indian Shipyard Seeks Foreign Partner for $1.3 Bln Naval Fleet Support Project Sputnik 22 Oct 2018 -- The fleet support ships, capable of carrying ballistic weapons will deliver fluids such as low speed and high-speed diesel, aviation fuel, fresh water, and feed water ships, will be crucial to the Indian Navy in boosting warfare capabilities in the southern Indian Ocean Region including the Mediterranean Sea.
• India-Russia Military Cooperation to Soar Higher With New Technical Wing Sputnik 22 Oct 2018 -- The new department under the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Co-operation will be headed by a high-level official of the integrated defense staff. The integrated defense staff acts as a single point organization for jointmanship in defense ministry which integrates policy, doctrine, warfighting and procurement.
• IRGC commander arrives in Pakistan IRNA 22 Oct 2018 -- Commander of the Ground Forces of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour arrived in Islamabad on Monday to discuss with Pakistani officials the fate of abducted Iranian border guards.
• Iran says has 'strategic partnership' with Russia in Syria Press TV 22 Oct 2018 -- (This is the fourth news article in the series "Iran's point man on Middle East." To read the third, click here; the second, here; and the first, here. To read a report of the interview with Hossein Jaberi Ansari, see here.)
• Pakistan, Russia Begin Joint Anti-Terror Military Drills VOA 22 Oct 2018 -- Pakistan and Russia have begun annual joint military drills to boost counterterrorism cooperation to tackle the growing threat of Islamic State stemming from neighboring Afghanistan.
• China, ASEAN states start inaugural joint maritime exercises Press TV 22 Oct 2018 -- China and Southeast Asian states have kicked off their first joint maritime exercises as part of efforts to promote stability and ease tensions across the disputed South China Sea.
• Remarks by President Trump Before Marine One Departure The White House 22 Oct 2018

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 22, 2018

Other Conflicts

• 22 October 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 22 Oct 2018
• South China Sea Code of Conduct Gains Momentum as China Moves to Complete Militarization VOA 22 Oct 2018 -- As China moves to complete the creation of military outposts in the South China Sea, Beijing's negotiation with southeastern Asian nations over a binding code of conduct is gaining momentum.
• Nearly 8k terrorists killed in clashes with Syrian army IRNA 22 Oct 2018 -- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Monday 7,569 members of Daesh Takfiri terrorist groups have thus far been killed in clashes with the Syrian troops in several areas of the country.
• Syria never used chemical weapons despite terrorists' threats: Deputy FM Press TV 22 Oct 2018 -- Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mikdad says Damascus has never used chemical weapons in its war against foreign-backed terrorists and it will never use any such banned munitions in the future.
• Russia curbs Israeli flights near Syrian skies: Paper Press TV 22 Oct 2018 -- Israel's leading newspaper Haaretz says Russia has been taking a more forceful stance toward flights by Israeli aircraft near the Syrian border in the north.
• Russian Air Defense Boost to Syria Seen Unlikely to Shield Iran's Forces from Israel VOA 22 Oct 2018 -- Israel is expressing confidence that it can pursue attacks on Iran's forces in Syria even after Iranian partner Russia transferred an advanced air defense system to Syrian territory earlier this month.
• Darfur: Inter-communal tensions still high despite improved security, Mission head tells Security Council UN News 22 Oct 2018 -- While security has improved in Darfur, inter-communal tensions in the conflict-plagued region of Sudan are still high, with clashes over land and livestock, the head of the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission said on Monday.

News Reports

• Novaya Gazeta Reports Claims Of 'Putin's Chef' Involved In Attacks, Killing RFE/RL 22 Oct 2018 -- Russia's independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper has quoted a purported security aide of Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin as saying that Prigozhin was involved in several attacks against his opponents, including at least one killing.
• S. Korea, DPRK, UN Command hold 2nd consultation on disarming JSA People's Daily 22 Oct 2018 -- South Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United Nations Command held the second consultation Monday on disarming the Joint Security Area (JSA) in the inter-Korean border area, Seoul's defense ministry said.
• Two Koreas, UN Command agree to remove firearms, guard posts from common border Press TV 22 Oct 2018 -- North and South Korea and the US-led United Nations Command (UNC) have reached an agreement to withdraw firearms and guard posts from the Joint Security Area (JSA) in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) village of Panmunjom, Seoul's defense ministry says.
• North, S Koreas to Pull Firearms From Joint Security Area by Thursday - Seoul Sputnik 22 Oct 2018 -- Seoul, Pyongyang, and the UN Command (UNC) on Monday agreed to withdraw firearms and military posts from the village of Panmunjom, known as the Joint Security Area (JSA), in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) by Thursday, the Ministry of Defense said.
• Zarif confident about Iran's overcoming US, allies sanctions Press TV 22 Oct 2018 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has expressed confidence that the Islamic Republic will manage to overcome sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies.
• Saudi investigation on Khashoggi entails hypotheses: UK Press TV 22 Oct 2018 -- The British government has called on Saudi Arabia to go beyond pure hypotheses while investigating the mysterious death of a dissident journalist.
• Riyadh tried to 'trap' us in overseas embassies: Saudi dissidents Press TV 22 Oct 2018 -- The murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom's consulate in Turkey's Istanbul has sent a shock wave through Saudi critics in exile, with many revealing discreet government attempts to entice them into the kingdom's diplomatic missions in a bid to either force them to return or expose them to potentially the same fate as Khashoggi.
• US lawmakers want MBS's role in Khashoggi case clarified Press TV 22 Oct 2018 -- Lawmakers on both sides of the US political spectrum continue to demand answers over Saudi Crown Prince bin Salman (MBS)'s role in the murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey, even as President Donald Trump tries his best to protect the prince from criticism.
• Trump 'Not Satisfied' With Saudi Explanation On Missing Journalist RFE/RL 22 Oct 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump says he is still not satisfied with what he has heard from Saudi Arabia about the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but he also does not want the United States to lose investments from Riyadh.
• HRH the Crown Prince meets US Treasury Secretary and stresses importance of Saudi-US strategic partnership, future role of this partnership according to the vision of the Kingdom 2030 SPA 22 Oct 2018 -- His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz, the Crown Prince, Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Defense, met in Riyadh today with United States Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin.
• Trump: 'I'm Not Satisfied' With Saudi Explanations of Khashoggi's Death Sputnik 22 Oct 2018 -- Speaking on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, Monday, US President Donald Trump told reporters, "I'm not satisfied" with the explanation he received from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death earlier this month at their consulate in Istanbul.
• CIA Director Travels to Turkey Over Death of Saudi Journalist VOA 22 Oct 2018 -- U.S. media reports say CIA director Gina Haspel is traveling to Istanbul to meet with Turkish officials who are investigating the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
• Ebola in DR Congo: UN chief 'outraged' by recent killings of civilians and health workers UN News 22 Oct 2018 -- The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres said on Monday he is "outraged by the continued killing and abduction of civilians by armed groups" near Beni, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)'s North Kivu region, which has been grappling with an Ebola outbreak since August.
• Iran-backed Hezbollah Sanctioned by US Senate VOA 22 Oct 2018 -- U.S. Senate has recently passed two bills sanctioning the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
• China attempting to meddle in Taiwan elections: intelligence chief CNA 22 Oct 2018 -- China has been trying to sway next month's local government elections in Taiwan by employing tactics such as pouring money into the campaign coffers of candidates it favors, Leu Wen-jong (呂文忠), head of Taiwan's Investigation Bureau, said Monday.
• Putin Signs Decree On 'Special Economic Measures' Against Ukraine RFE/RL 22 Oct 2018 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree setting the stage for "special economic measures" in response to what the document calls Ukraine's "unfriendly actions" against Russian citizens and companies.
• Armenian PM Accuses Lawmakers of 'Sabotage' Over Electoral Code Vote RFE/RL 22 Oct 2018 -- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on October 22 accused the country's outgoing parliament of "sabotage" after it voted down major amendments to the Electoral Code drafted by his government for snap general elections expected in December.
• Cameroon's Biya Declared Election Winner VOA 22 Oct 2018 -- Cameroon's longtime leader Paul Biya has been declared the winner of the country's October 7 presidential poll. Opposition parties are rejecting the results, but the Constitutional Council has already thrown out petitions to nullify the election.