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Defense Policy / Programs
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Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Pentagon Signs Order on US Troop Withdrawal From Syria - Reports Sputnik 24 Dec 2018 -- The US Department of Defense has enacted the execute order for the pullout of the US troops from Syria, AFP reported Sunday, citing a US military spokesperson.
• Pentagon signs order for US pullout from Syria: Military official Press TV 24 Dec 2018 -- The US military has announced that the order to pull the American forces out of Syria has been signed, after the US and Turkish presidents agreed on subsequent measures.
• Pentagon Withdrawal Order For U.S. Troops From Syria 'Signed' RFE/RL 24 Dec 2018 -- The Pentagon has said the order for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria has been signed following President Donald Trump's December 19 announcement setting out plans for a full pullout, U.S. media are reporting.
• White House: Trump Won't Rethink US Troop Pullout Amid High-Profile Resignations Sputnik 24 Dec 2018 -- US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in a resignation letter he was stepping down at the end of February, citing the fact that US President Donald Trump needed to find a defense chief whose views were more aligned with his own.
• Ex-NATO Commander Questions Trump Rationale to Withdraw US Troops From Syria Sputnik 24 Dec 2018 -- Former NATO Commander Wesley Clark questioned in an interview on Monday whether Turkish Recep Tayyip Erdogan is behind US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw all United States military forces from Syria.
• Blast rocks eastern Afghan capital IRNA 24 Dec 2018 -- According Afghan police explosion of a bomb-laden car rocked Makroyan District, in eastern Kabul, Afghanistan on Monday.
• Blast, gunfire rock Afghan capital, nearly 30 killed Press TV 24 Dec 2018 -- At least 29 people have been killed and several others injured as militants detonated a car packed with explosives before storming a Kabul government compound in an ongoing attack in the Afghan capital.
• Dozens Killed, Injured In Militant Raid On Kabul Government Compound RFE/RL 24 Dec 2018 -- Security forces in the Afghan capital, Kabul, say 29 people were killed and at least 23 injured in a daylight militant attack on a government compound in the eastern part of the city on December 24.
• Pakistani Foreign Minister In Kabul To Discuss Afghan Peace Process RFE/RL 24 Dec 2018 -- Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has arrived in Kabul for talks with the government on the Afghan peace process.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Trump names acting Pentagon chief, forcing Mattis out earlier People's Daily 24 Dec 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he has picked Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan as the acting Pentagon chief, forcing outgoing James Mattis to step down earlier than planned.
• US Defense Chief's Resignation Stirs Doubts in Asia about Help Resisting China VOA 24 Dec 2018 -- U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis visited Vietnam twice this year and suggested in October stronger relations as China bears down on Vietnamese maritime claims. In the Philippines a month later, Mattis swore to uphold a decades-old military alliance that helps Manila resist China. A U.S. naval ship passes through the South China Sea every couple of months or so as support for keeping the resource-rich waterway open, not just for Chinese use.
• US military launches most powerful GPS satellite into orbit Press TV 24 Dec 2018 -- The US military has finally launched its most powerful Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite into space after delaying the operation several times.
• USS Anchorage Strengthens Partnerships in Visakhapatnam, India NNS 24 Dec 2018 -- Amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD 23), with the embarked 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) arrived in Visakhapatnam, India, for a port visit Dec. 22.
• No Deal Will Reduce 40 Security Programmes & UK Soft Power - Defence Minister Sputnik 24 Dec 2018 -- An MP in the UK Ministry of Defence has spoken out against a no-deal Brexit and warned severing ties with the European Union without an agreement in place would have implications for national security.
• Venezuela Navy Intercepts Fossil Fuel Survey Ship in Guyana Waters Sputnik 24 Dec 2018 -- The privately-owned survey vessel was forced to interrupt operations and retreat eastward, the ship's owner said in a statement.
• Army Air Force at peak of power: Commander IRNA 24 Dec 2018 -- A senior commander said that the Air Force of the Iranian Army is at the peak of its power, ruling out the rumors that the country's Air Force has out of date military hardware and equipment.
• IRGC spokesman: Region security increased in past 10 months IRNA 24 Dec 2018 -- Spokesman for the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said that over past 10 months, due to the absence of an American carrier in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, this strategic area witnessed increasing security and calmness with reduced accidents.
• Iran not to let US warships near borders IRNA 24 Dec 2018 -- Tehran will not allow US warships to approach Iran territorial waters, said deputy commander of the Iranian Army for coordination on Monday.
• Iran will not allow USS John C. Stennis to come near territorial waters ISNA 24 Dec 2018 -- Coordinating Deputy of Islamic Republic of Iran Army, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari stressed, "We will not allow Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis to come near our territorial waters in the Persian Gulf".
• US warships never allowed to approach Iran's territorial waters: Commander Press TV 24 Dec 2018 -- A senior Iranian commander says Iran will never allow US warships to sail near its territorial waters, reiterating once again that the Islamic Republic is ready to respond to any action by Washington.
• Saudi Arabia gets armored vehicles despite Canada's pledge to halt deal Press TV 24 Dec 2018 -- Military manufacturer General Dynamic Land Systems Canada has been contracted to deliver 742 armored vehicles to the kingdom whose war on Yemen has recently come under increased scrutiny.
• Turkey: US missile deal not to impact S-400 purchase from Russia Press TV 24 Dec 2018 -- Turkish Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin says his country's possible purchase of Patriot missile systems from the United States will not affect a deal with Russia to buy S-400 missile systems.
• Possible Purchase of US Patriots Not Alternative to S-400 - Erdogan's Spokesman Sputnik 24 Dec 2018 -- The possible purchase of Patriot air defence systems from the United States will not affect Turkey-Russia agreement of the purchase of S-400 missiles, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Monday.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• THE COMMITTEES: Disarmament for a peaceful world, defines work of UN General Assembly's First Committee UN News 24 Dec 2018 -- Every year in September, the United Nations General Assembly makes the headlines as world leaders gather at UN headquarters to set the agenda for the year ahead. But for the nitty-gritty discussions of how to turn decisions into action, Member States break out into six specialized "Main Committees". For this first in our series of Committee explainers, we'll take you inside the work of the First – tasked with addressing issues of disarmament and international security.
• UN ceasefire monitoring chief tours Yemeni port of Hudaydah UN News 24 Dec 2018 -- The head of the UN team which is monitoring and helping implement a ground-breaking ceasefire across Yemen's crucial port city of Hudaydah, had his first face-to-face meeting with authorities there on Monday.
• Regional Players Prepare for Imminent US Pullout from Syria VOA 24 Dec 2018 -- Major players in and around Syria have started positioning their forces as discussions get under way on how to proceed once U.S. forces vacate the country and their fight against the last remnants of the Islamic State terror group's self-proclaimed caliphate.
• Turkey-backed FSA militants prepare to replace American troops in Syria Press TV 24 Dec 2018 -- The Turkey-supported militants of the so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA) say they are preparing to deploy in eastern Syria alongside Turkey's army troops as soon as the announced pullout of the American forces in the region is completed, an FSA spokesman say.
• Saudi Arabia Agrees to Finance Rebuilding of Syria - Trump Sputnik 24 Dec 2018 -- US President Donald Trump said in a statement on Monday that Saudi Arabia has agreed to pay for the reconstruction of Syria rather than the United States financing the reconstruction of that country.
• US continues to violate UN resolutions on Syria, says Russian FM Press TV 24 Dec 2018 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has denounced as "illegitimate" the military presence of American troops in Syria, stressing that the US continues to violate the main resolutions of the UN Security Council on the war-torn Arab country despite a troop withdrawal announcement.
• Netanyahu: Israel Able To Contain Iran In Syria After U.S. Pullout RFE/RL 24 Dec 2018 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to pull all American troops out of Syria will not stop Israel's efforts to prevent Iran from establishing a permanent presence in Syria.
• Netanyahu Unsuccessfully Tried to Split Up Syria - Turkish PM Sputnik 24 Dec 2018 -- The Turkish PM's statement comes amid the ongoing war of words between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On Sunday, the Israeli prime minister called the Turkish president an "anti-Semitic dictator" who is "obsessed with Israel." Erdogan responded by describing Netanyahu as "the head of state terror."
• Erdogan Pledged to Eradicate 'Whatever Left' of Daesh in Syria, Trump Says Sputnik 24 Dec 2018 -- On Wednesday, Trump declared Daesh defeat in Syria and subsequent withdrawal of US troops from the Arab country, where they had been staying solely to counter the Daesh. On Saturday, he added that "local countries, including Turkey" should be able to "easily take care of whatever remains."
• Iran Seeking to 'Build a Force of 100,000 Ground Troops' in Syria - IDF Chief Sputnik 24 Dec 2018 -- Late last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed the Jewish state's commitment to counter Iran in Syria despite Washington's recent announcement to withdraw US troops from the Arab country.
• Macron Vows to Keep French Forces in Levant Region Amid US Withdrawal Sputnik 24 Dec 2018 -- France will retain its military presence in the Levant region, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday, while commenting on the US decision to withdraw troops from Syria.
• No Party Can Be Excluded From Libyan Settlement - Moscow Sputnik 24 Dec 2018 -- Moscow believes that no eligible candidate can be deprived of the right to run in the Libyan presidential election, including Saif Islam Gaddafi, the son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told Sputnik on Monday.
• UK reaffirms support for Ukraine in face of Russia 'aggression' Press TV 24 Dec 2018 -- The UK has reaffirmed its support for Ukraine in the face of "Russian aggression," as Moscow and Kiev continue to trade barbs over political and territorial disputes.
• Russia Repeats Claim That Ukraine Is Preparing A 'Provocation' RFE/RL 24 Dec 2018 -- Russia's Foreign Ministry has said "it is quite possible" that Ukraine "might switch to full-scale combat actions within the next few days."
• Somalia executes mastermind of 2017 al-Shabab bombings Press TV 24 Dec 2018 -- Somalia has executed a member of the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab militant group convicted of having masterminded a series of fatal car bomb attacks in the capital, Mogadishu, last year.

News Reports

• China wants to wipe out Republic of China with '1992 consensus': MAC CNA 24 Dec 2018 -- The "1992 consensus" China wants Taiwan to adhere to does not acknowledge that the two sides can interpret the meaning of "one China" based on their own definition but is meant to wipe out the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) warned Monday in a statement.
• China Demands Explanation From US on Embassies Buying Spy Equipment Sputnik 24 Dec 2018 -- The statement comes after papers released by WikiLeaks exposed the "US Embassy Shopping List" database with more than 16,000 procurement requests by US embassies around the globe, including those related to spying equipment.
• Volcano-triggered tsunami kills 222 in Indonesia, rescue operation underway People's Daily 24 Dec 2018 -- The death toll from a volcano-triggered tsunami in Indonesia rose to 222 with at least 843 others injured, the disaster management agency confirmed on Sunday, while the figures are feared to mount as damage verification goes on.
• US Court Orders North Korea to Pay Family $500 Million Over Student's Death Sputnik 24 Dec 2018 -- US District Court Chief Judge Beryl Howell ruled on Monday that North Korea is liable for the hostage-taking, torture and death of 22-year-old Ohio man Otto Warmbier, who was arrested for theft in the country in 2016.
• EU should adopt practical support for JCPOA: Araqchi IRNA 24 Dec 2018 -- Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for political affairs Abbas Araqchi said on Monday that the stands adopted by Europe with regards to Iran and the JCPOA are not enough and they should adopt practical stands to this end.
• Iran will not stand by for Europe to fulfill JCPOA commitments: FM Zarif Press TV 24 Dec 2018 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Tehran will not stand by for Europeans to fulfill their commitments under a multilateral nuclear agreement signed between Iran and six major world powers in 2015, following the United States' move to pull out from the deal.
• Powerful Iranian Cleric Shahrudi Dies In Tehran RFE/RL 24 Dec 2018 -- Senior Iranian cleric and former chief justice Ayatollah Mahmud Hashemi Shahrudi has died in Tehran following a long illness, Iranian state media reported on December 24.
• Iran's senior cleric Ayatollah Shahroudi passes away Press TV 24 Dec 2018 -- Head of Iran's Expediency Council, Ayatollah Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi-Shahroudi, has passed away at the age of 70 after months of suffering acute ill health.
• China rises to 2nd largest contributor to UN budget People's Daily 24 Dec 2018 -- China will become the second largest contributor to the United Nations regular budget starting next year, surpassing Japan.
• China mulls unified foreign investment law People's Daily 24 Dec 2018 -- A draft law on foreign investment has been submitted to a bimonthly session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, which opened Sunday.
• Fresh moves announced to spur economy People's Daily 24 Dec 2018 -- China's ministerial policymakers vowed on Sunday to make substantial efforts to boost investment, promote consumption and technological innovation, increase imports and expand opening-up, all moves that are in line with requirements of the newly concluded tone-setting Central Economic Work Conference.
• Israel to dissolve Knesset, hold early vote as tensions soar Press TV 24 Dec 2018 -- The coalition of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced a decision to dissolve Israel's parliament, the Knesset, calling for snap general elections as soon as April.
• Israeli Parliament to Dissolve, Election to Take Place in April - PM's Spokesman Sputnik 24 Dec 2018 -- The resignation of Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman and the withdrawal of his party from the governing coalition in mid-November left Netanyahu with just a one-seat majority in the Knesset.
• Israel to Hold Early Elections, Dissolve Knesset VOA 24 Dec 2018 -- Israel will hold early general elections in April and the Knesset will be dissolved, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's party said Monday.
• Ousted Pakistani premier Sharif sentenced to seven years in jail for graft Press TV 24 Dec 2018 -- A Pakistani court has jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for seven years on graft charges and fined him $25 million for corruption, the latest conviction in a series of allegations which saw him ousted from power last year.
• Pakistan Ex-PM Sharif Sentenced To Seven Years In Prison RFE/RL 24 Dec 2018 -- An anticorruption court in Pakistan has sentenced former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to seven years in prison on a charge of possessing assets beyond his known sources of income, the latest conviction in a series of graft allegations against him.
• Ex Pakistani PM Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison by Accountability Court - Report Sputnik 24 Dec 2018 -- Last year, Nawaz Sharif had to resign as prime minister after the Supreme Court disqualified him from holding public office amidst a corruption case against him.
• Pakistan's Former PM Sentenced to 7 Years in Jail for Corruption VOA 24 Dec 2018 -- An anti-corruption court in Pakistan sentenced former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to seven years in prison for owning assets beyond his known sources of income.
• Ankara working to carry Khashoggi investigation to UN: Turkey's FM Cavusoglu Press TV 24 Dec 2018 -- Turkey says it is working with other countries to carry the investigation into the murder of Jamal Khashoggi to the United Nations, more than two months after the dissident Saudi journalist was gruesomely murdered inside the Arab kingdom's consulate in Istanbul.
• Turkey Plans to Raise Issue of Khashoggi Killing at UN - Foreign Minister Sputnik 24 Dec 2018 -- Turkey is cooperating with other countries in order to raise the issue of murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the United Nations' session, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.
• Russian Law Enforcement Examining Samples From Soyuz Spacecraft Hole RFE/RL 24 Dec 2018 -- Russia's Roskosmos space agency has turned over to law enforcement agents samples taken from a mysterious hole in a Soyuz capsule docked at the International Space Station (ISS).
• Fresh clashes break out between Sudanese police, protesters on fifth day of unrest Press TV 24 Dec 2018 -- Sudanese police have fired tear gas to disperse a large crowd of people demonstrating in the capital, Khartoum, for the fifth consecutive day against President Omar al-Bashir's three-decade rule.
• Sudan's Bashir Makes First Comments on Ongoing Protests VOA 24 Dec 2018 -- Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has made his first public comments about ongoing anti-government protests, urging citizens to reject what he called "attempts to plant frustration."
• Indonesia tsunami: Many still missing as death toll rises UN News 24 Dec 2018 -- Indonesians are being warned to stay away from beaches along the Sunda Strait, between the islands of Sumatra and Java, following this weekend's devastating tsunami in the area, which government and humanitarian agency reports indicate has claimed hundreds of lives, with the total likely to rise.