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Defense Policy / Programs

• Trump Agrees to Boost Pentagon's Budget to $750 Bln in 2019 - Reports Sputnik 10 Dec 2018 -- US President Donald Trump agreed with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis's proposal to increase the Defense Department's funding to $750 billion in 2019, local media reported, citing sources in the US administration.
• B-21 Raider program holds weapons system critical design review AFNS 10 Dec 2018 -- The Air Force successfully held a critical design review of the B-21 weapon system November 28-30, 2018. The event served as a multi-disciplined technical review that ensured the Air Force's newest bomber has a stable and mature design as the program moves forward into manufacturing and flight test.
• DOD Spokesman: As U.S. Provides Aid to Central, South America, Russia Sends Bombers AFPS 10 Dec 2018 -- Medical personnel aboard the hospital ship USNS Comfort have thus far treated more than 20,000 civilians, and performed more than 600 surgeries in several Central and South American nations, Army Col. Rob Manning, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters today.
• Future USS Michael Monsoor Makes Panama Canal Transit NNS 10 Dec 2018 -- Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) made its way through the Panama Canal for the first time in her history, successfully navigating the 50-mile long waterway Nov. 28.
• War Preparations? Large US Military Drill Simulates Forcible Entry Operation Sputnik 10 Dec 2018 -- The US Air Force conducted a large drill to simulate an invasion of foreign territory in Nevada over the weekend.
• Two Russian Long-Range Bombers Arrive In Venezuela RFE/RL 10 Dec 2018 -- Russia's Defense Ministry has sent two nuclear-capable strategic bombers to Venezuela, in an unusual display of Russian military force in South America.
• Russia Rises To Second In Global Arms Sales, With U.S. Still At No. 1 RFE/RL 10 Dec 2018 -- The United States remains the global leader in arms sales, while Russia has surpassed Britain to take the No. 2 spot as it attempts to modernize its military, a leading research group says.
• Belgian Defence Chief 'Absolutely' Agrees Russia Bigger Threat Than Terrorism Sputnik 10 Dec 2018 -- Earlier, UK Chief of General Staff Mark Carleton-Smith claimed Russia "indisputably" presented a "far greater threat" to Britain than Islamist extremist groups like al-Qaeda and Daesh (ISIS)*. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov responded by saying Russia couldn't "forbid anyone" from "demonstrating their intellectual…capabilities" with such remarks.
• Centre for Maintenance of Russian Helicopters Opens in Peru Sputnik 10 Dec 2018 -- The Helicentro Peru repair centre for the maintenance of earlier delivered Russian helicopters opened not far from the Peruvian capital of Lima on Monday, a Sputnik correspondent reported.
• Be-200 Amphibious Aircraft to Be Commissioned for Russian Navy by End of 2019 Sputnik 10 Dec 2018 -- The Russian Navy will receive the Beriev Be-200 amphibious aircraft intended for rescue operations by the end of 2019, Maj. Gen. Igor Kozhin, the chief of Russia's naval aviation, said.
• Norwegian F-16 Jets Shadowed Russian Tu-160s en Route to Venezuela - MoD Sputnik 10 Dec 2018 -- Two Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers, an An-124 heavy-lift military transport aircraft and an IL-62 plane have carried out a flight from Russia to Venezuela, landing at the Simon Bolivar International Airport in capital Caracas, the Russian Defense Ministry said Monday.
• China sends new naval fleet for escort mission People's Daily 10 Dec 2018 -- The 31st fleet from the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy has left the port city of Zhanjiang in south China's Guangdong Province for the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia to escort civilian ships.
• Martial Law Will Cost Kiev Billions of Dollars - Ukrainian Lawmaker Sputnik 10 Dec 2018 -- The launch of the Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle with a US military reconnaissance satellite for the US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) was called off seven seconds before launch, the launch's operator United Launch Alliance (ULA) reported.
• India, Russia to Finalize Logistic Support Agreement Soon Sputnik 10 Dec 2018 -- The proposal for a logistic support agreement was made by Russia in July this year. As the defense ties between the two countries are deep and intense, it took less than five months for them to complete the draft agreement in comparison to the 2016 agreement with the US that almost a decade to be finalized.
• A Year Later: India-China Resume Joint Military Exercise Sputnik 10 Dec 2018 -- The two countries had suspended the annual military exercise in 2017 following a 73-day bitter standoff at the Doklam plateau which ended thanks to diplomatic efforts in August 2017.
• India Test-Fires its Longest Range Nuclear Capable Ballistic Missile Agni-V Sputnik 10 Dec 2018 -- Considered a major deterrent against China, Agni-V is expected to join India's Strategic Forces Command very soon. The missile is capable of hitting targets anywhere in Asia, and parts of Africa and Europe.
• Iran Navy to stage military drill in Indian Ocean ISNA 10 Dec 2018 -- Iranian naval forces plan to stage a large-scale drill in the Indian Ocean to boost and put on display the country's military prowess, a senior commander says.
• Three shipbuilding teams shortlisted to build new warships in UK UK MOD 10 Dec 2018 -- Teams will receive contracts worth up to £5 million to push ahead with plans to build five new Type 31e warships.
• Typhoons launch with new missile UK MOD 10 Dec 2018 -- RAF Typhoons launch for the first time with the Meteor Air-to-Air missile.
• Helicopter crash injures 5 in Kandahar IRNA 10 Dec 2018 -- Kandahar Governorate spokesmen announced on Monday that an army helicopter crashed in Kandahar airport and 5 people on board were injured.
• Armenia Has No Plans to Become NATO Member - Acting Prime Minister Pashinyan Sputnik 10 Dec 2018 -- Acting Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Monday his country had no plans to join NATO.
• Arab NATO Still On, Talks With US on Defence Pact Continuing – Riyadh Sputnik 10 Dec 2018 -- The fate of the proposed alliance was put into question in recent months after the death of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post journalist who was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in early October.
• Persian Gulf kingdom sought to buy Israeli Hermes attack drones: Report Press TV 10 Dec 2018 -- A recent report has disclosed that a Persian Gulf kingdom wanted to purchase Israeli-made unmanned aerial vehicles several years ago amid reports that a number of Arab countries are dramatically warming up their relations with the Tel Aviv regime after secret contacts.
• Briefing on European Energy Security and the Nord Stream 2 US Dept. of State 10 Dec 2018 -- Special Briefing by Francis R. Fannon, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Energy Resources

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for December 10, 2018
• US sold most weapons last year, Russia distant second: SIPRI Press TV 10 Dec 2018 -- American weapons makers continue to dominate the global arms trade, accounting for over half of all the weapons sold in the world last year while Russia continued to gradually expand its market, a new study shows.
• Russia Now World's No. 2 Arms Producer - Think Tank Sputnik 10 Dec 2018 -- The arms sales of the Russian companies listed among the world's 100 largest arms manufacturers accounted for 9.5 percent of the hundred's total in 2017, making Russia world's second biggest arms producer after the United States, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in a press release on Monday.

Other Conflicts

• 10 December 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 10 Dec 2018
• US commanding aggression against Yemen: Al-Houthi IRNA 10 Dec 2018 -- Head of the Supreme Revolutionary Committee of Yemen emphasized that Washington commanded the aggression and military strikes against Yemen.
• 455 Saudi mercenaries killed in Yemen in 7 days IRNA 10 Dec 2018 -- The Yemeni army and popular committees announced that 455 Saudi forces have been killed in Yemen over the past 7 days.
• Yemen's Ansarullah: Closing Sana'a airport, war crime IRNA 10 Dec 2018 -- The deposed government of Yemen will not take control of Aden airport and closing Sana'a airport is a war crime, head of Ansarullah delegation in Sweden peace talks said.
• Houthi, former Yemeni govt. delegations agree to prisoner swap Press TV 10 Dec 2018 -- Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement and the country's former Saudi-backed government say they have reached an agreement to carry out a mass prisoner swap, finalizing a key issue at UN-brokered peace negotiations in Sweden.
• Amnesty urges ICC to formally investigate Boko Haram conflict atrocities Press TV 10 Dec 2018 -- Amnesty International urges the International Criminal Court (ICC) to launch a full-blown probe into the atrocities committed by both the Boko Haram terrorists and the Nigerian military during the militancy campaign in the African country, criticizing Abuja for not doing enough to bring those responsible to justice.
• Syrian army destroys terrorists' fortified dens IRNA 10 Dec 2018 -- Syrian Arab Army units operating in the northern Hama countryside thwarted terrorist groups' infiltration attempts towards military points, killing and injuring a number of terrorists.
• Meeting Readout of The Secretary's Special Representative on Syria Engagement in Gaziantep US Dept. of State 10 Dec 2018
• Major UN aid operation for 650,000 gets underway across Syria-Jordan border UN News 10 Dec 2018 -- The United Nations began a four-week operation on Sunday, delivering lifesaving assistance to hundreds of thousands of Syrians in desperate need, from across the border in neighbouring Jordan.
• Syrian Media Deny Earlier Reports of Air Strike on Damascus Airport Sputnik 10 Dec 2018 -- Syrian state media outlets including broadcaster Al-Ikhbariya and the SANA news agency issued a report on Sunday claiming that Syrian air defences had repelled an attack near the Damascus international Airport, however, later in the day, quoting local sources, they took back the story, asserting that a strike did not happen.
• Iraq: Over 150,000 children endangered by 'freezing' temperatures, warns UNICEF UN News 10 Dec 2018 -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has ramped up efforts to provide warm clothes and life-saving supplies to more than 150,000 displaced children across northern Iraq whose lives are threatened by freezing temperatures.
• Poroshenko Signs Law Terminating Ukrainian-Russian Friendship Treaty RFE/RL 10 Dec 2018 -- President Petro Poroshenko has signed into law a bill to terminate Ukraine's friendship treaty with Russia.
• EU Blacklists Nine People Over Ukraine Separatist Vote RFE/RL 10 Dec 2018 -- The European Union has blacklisted nine individuals involved in the organization of last month's elections in the areas controlled by Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
• Poroshenko Signs Law Terminating Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation With Russia Sputnik 10 Dec 2018 -- Kiev sent a diplomatic note to Moscow in September saying it would not renew the 1997 treaty.
• EU to Consider New Russia Sanctions Based on Situation in Azov Sea - Minister Sputnik 10 Dec 2018 -- The EU must maintain its sanctions on Russia until there is progress on implementing the Minsk agreements and will decide on whether to introduce new sanctions based on the situation in the Sea of Azov, Belgian Foreign Minister Reynders said.
• Indian troops kill 3 militants in Kashmir, spark local protests Press TV 10 Dec 2018 -- Indian troops have killed at least three pro-independence militants in New Delhi-controlled Kashmir's main city, Srinagar, prompting angry protests by residents against the Indian government.
• Why One Philippine Island Can't Get Enough of Martial Law VOA 10 Dec 2018 -- Martial law seldom excites people who live under it. Ukrainians were nervous when an order took effect last month, against a growing threat from Russia, to let the military mobilize citizens, ban mass gatherings and take private property. In Thailand, a youth group protested in September against localized martial law requiring that all vehicles and firearms be registered, the follow-up to an ambush against law enforcement.

News Reports

• Statement from the Press Secretary The White House 10 Dec 2018 -- "Since President Donald J. Trump's first day in office, he has remained resolute in his commitment to defend the American people from the threat of terrorism. In October, the President signed a comprehensive National Strategy for Counterterrorism, which details the Administration's approach to defeating ISIS and other extremist groups at home and abroad."
• At least 14 Trump associates interacted with Russians during election: Report Press TV 10 Dec 2018 -- Russian citizens made contact with at least 14 associates of US President Donald Trump during his 18-month election campaign and presidential transition period, according to reports in US media.
• Woman Accused By U.S. Of Working As Russian Agent May Plead Guilty RFE/RL 10 Dec 2018 -- A Russian woman accused of working as an unregistered foreign agent in the United States has reached a deal with prosecutors, a possible indication she may change her plea to guilty.
• Russian National Butina Seeks Hearing to Plead Guilty - Court Filing Sputnik 10 Dec 2018 -- Russian national Maria Butina is seeking a hearing as soon as possible to change her plea on criminal charges of acting as a foreign agent for Russia in the United States, a newly published court filing showed on Monday.
• Accused Russian Spy in US Reaches Deal to Plead Guilty VOA 10 Dec 2018 -- An accused Russian spy held by the United States on charges of infiltrating Republican Party circles to provide information to Moscow has reached a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty, court records showed Monday.
• US Sanctions 3 Senior N Korean Officials, Including Top Aide to Kim - Treasury Sputnik 10 Dec 2018 -- The United States has sanctioned three senior North Korean government officials, including the Vice Chairman of the country's Workers Party, Ryong Hae Choe, over their human rights abuses, the US Treasury Department said in a press release on Monday.
• Release of the Report on Human Rights Abuses and Censorship in North Korea US Dept. of State 10 Dec 2018 -- Today, in commemoration of International Human Rights Day and as part of our continued efforts to promote accountability for North Korean officials, we are releasing our report, which identifies three individuals and three groups as responsible for serious human rights abuses or censorship.
• Treasury Sanctions North Korean Officials and Entities in Response to the Regime's Serious Human Rights Abuses and Censorship US Treasury 10 Dec 2018 -- U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today designated three individuals in response to the North Korean regime's ongoing and serious human rights abuses and censorship. Treasury is taking this action in conjunction with the State Department's "Report on Serious Human Rights Abuses and Censorship in North Korea," which is being submitted in accordance with the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2016 (NKSPEA).
• EU will launch financial mechanism with Iran by year-end: Mogherini Press TV 10 Dec 2018 -- The European Union will establish a mechanism to facilitate non-dollar transactions with Iran in the near future in an attempt to circumvent sanctions imposed by the United States against Tehran, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini says.
• Huawei Executive Asks Canadian Court to Grant Bail VOA 10 Dec 2018 -- A Canadian court is considering whether to grant bail to the chief financial officer for Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies while she awaits possible extradition to the United States to face fraud charges.
• China engaged in spreading fake news in Taiwan: NSB official CNA 10 Dec 2018 -- Although there is no evidence China meddled in Taiwan's Nov. 24 local elections, Beijing and foreign-based forces frequently spread fake news in Taiwan, a National Security Bureau (NSB) official said Monday.
• GCC must adopt 'independent, logical' approach, stop praising divisive policies: Iran Press TV 10 Dec 2018 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman has slammed "baseless" statements of the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), saying that the council has turned into a front for proclaiming the policies of some of its member states.
• Regional Rivals Saudi Arabia, Iran Trade Accusations Amid Ongoing Tensions RFE/RL 10 Dec 2018 -- Saudi Arabia's King Salman has accused regional rival Iran of meddling in other countries' affairs, as he addressed a regional summit in Riyadh.
• Gulf Cooperation States Want Council to Remain Unaffected by Qatar Row – Riyadh Sputnik 10 Dec 2018 -- The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations do not want the diplomatic crisis around Qatar to affect the work of this regional organization, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Sunday.
• Macron gives in to protesters' demands, offers wage rise Press TV 10 Dec 2018 -- French president Emmanuel Macron on Monday tried to placate the so-called "yellow vest" protesters and control the ongoing crisis in France by introducing a series of concrete measures including wage rises and tax exemptions.
• Macron 'Takes Share of Responsibility' for French Anti-Government Protests VOA 10 Dec 2018 -- French President Emmanuel Macron was both humble and resolute as he spoke publicly for the first time on the anti-government protests that have shaken the country.
• Netanyahu Says Oman Allowed Israeli Planes to Use Country's Airspace Sputnik 10 Dec 2018 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that the authorities of Oman had allowed Israeli planes to use the country's airspace for flights, adding that Israel was working toward getting similar authorization from Saudi Arabia.
• Turkey calls for international inquiry into Khashoggi's killing Press TV 10 Dec 2018 -- Turkey has called for an international investigation into the case of slain Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, after Riyadh refused to extradite two senior Saudi officials suspected of planning his murder in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul in October.
• Saudi in talks with US for Arab front against Iran: Jubeir Press TV 10 Dec 2018 -- Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir says the kingdom is in talks with the United States about a new security alliance of Arab countries specifically aimed at countering Iran.
• Transcript of Khashoggi's last words reveals premeditated murder Press TV 10 Dec 2018 -- A full translated transcript of an audio recording of the murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2 has showed that the killing was pre-planned, refuting Ryiadh's claims.
• Ohio Man Arrested on Terrorism Charge After Planning Attack on Jewish Synagogue US Dept. of Justice 10 Dec 2018 -- Damon M. Joseph, 21, of Holland, Ohio, was charged today in federal court with one count of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, for allegedly planning an attack on a synagogue in the Toledo, Ohio area. Joseph was arrested Friday evening after he took possession of two semi-automatic rifles.
• May defers Brexit vote in parliament amid rows over 'backstop' Press TV 10 Dec 2018 -- British Prime Minister Theresa May has finally decided to postpone a crunch parliamentary vote on her European Union withdrawal agreement, saying she would seek further assurances from the EU over a controversial clause in the agreement which outlines contingencies for the future situation of border on the island of Ireland.
• EU court rules Britain can unilaterally cancel Brexit Press TV 10 Dec 2018 -- The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has finally ruled that the United Kingdom can cancel a 2016 decision to leave the European Union without gaining the approval of other bloc members.
• Britain's May Postpones Crucial Brexit Vote VOA 10 Dec 2018 -- Britain's already disorderly departure from the European Union turned even more chaotic Monday when Prime Minister Theresa May postponed a House of Commons vote on her Brexit withdrawal deal, an agreement that took months of tortuous negotiations with Brussels to conclude.
• Public Designation of The Gambia's Yahya Jammeh US Dept. of State 10 Dec 2018 -- The Department is publicly designating former president of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, under the terms of Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 2018, due to his involvement in significant corruption.
• Happy Space Trails: NASA's Voyager 2 Probe Departs Solar System Sputnik 10 Dec 2018 -- On December 10, the Voyager 2 probe became the second man-made object to leave our solar system, crossing the barrier between the sun's area of influence and the wilds of interstellar space. Only its sister probe, Voyager 1, has made this journey before.
• Armenian PM's bloc scores landslide victory in snap parliamentary elections Press TV 10 Dec 2018 -- The alliance of Armenia's acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has scored a landslide victory in snap parliamentary elections, enabling the premier to consolidate his authority months after he rose to power on the back of anti-government protests in the ex-Soviet state.
• Monitors Hail Armenian Vote, Call For Further Electoral Reforms RFE/RL 10 Dec 2018 -- Armenia's snap parliamentary election respected fundamental freedoms and were characterized by "broad public trust" and "genuine competition," international observers say, calling for further electoral reforms to preserve public trust.
• Pashinyan's Alliance Wins Snap Parliamenary Election in Armenia Sputnik 10 Dec 2018 -- The snap parliamentary elections were held in Armenia on Sunday for the first time in the country's history. Earlier in the day, CEC Chairman Tigran Mukuchyan announced that the turnout in the elections totaled 48.63 percent.
• Former Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister Arrested On Corruption Charges RFE/RL 10 Dec 2018 -- Kyrgyz authorities have arrested a former deputy prime minister on corruption charges.
• Maduro Believes US Plotting Coup Against Venezuelan Government Sputnik 10 Dec 2018 -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has said that the United States is preparing to topple the Venezuelan government.
• Governments adopt UN global migration pact to help 'prevent suffering and chaos' UN News 10 Dec 2018 -- The Global Compact for Migration was adopted on Monday by leading representatives from 164 Governments at an international conference in Marrakesh, Morocco, in an historic move described by UN Chief António Guterres as the creation of a "roadmap to prevent suffering and chaos".
• More Than 150 Nations Adopt UN Migration Pact VOA 10 Dec 2018 -- U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday migration "should be well managed and safe, not irregular and dangerous" as he praised a group of more than 150 nations for adopting a global pact meant to improve the way the world handles the flow of migrants.