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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Airstrikes Target Last Defenders of IS Caliphate VOA 21 Mar 2019 -- A series of airstrikes late Thursday slammed into two pockets of Islamic State fighters trying to cling to the last scraps of land to be part of the terror group's self-declared caliphate.
• Trump's Numerous Declarations of Victory Over IS VOA 21 Mar 2019 -- In late 2018, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would withdraw almost all of its troops from Syria, saying the Islamic State terror group had been defeated and there was no longer a reason to deploy U.S. forces in the war-torn nation.
• UN: Afghan Peace Talks Offer Glimmer of Hope VOA 21 Mar 2019 -- A report to the U.N. Human Rights Council says nascent peace talks in Afghanistan offer a glimmer of hope to a country that has been at war for decades.
• Explosions Rock Persian New Year Celebrations in Kabul Killing 6 VOA 21 Mar 2019 -- Three explosions by landmines planted in the western part of Kabul killed at least six people and wounded more than 20 Thursday morning, as people were celebrating Nowruz, the first day of Persian new year.
• Blasts in Afghan capital kill 6 during New Year festival Press TV 21 Mar 2019 -- At least six people have been killed and 23 others wounded in multiple explosions in Afghanistan's capital of Kabul during celebrations to mark Nowruz, the start of the Persian New Year.
• Norouz Attack In Kabul Kills At Least Six; IS Claims Responsibility RFE/RL 21 Mar 2019 -- Multiple explosions have killed at least six people and wounded 23 near a Shi'ite shrine in Kabul, Afghan officials say.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Dunford Describes U.S. Great Power Competition with Russia, China DoD News 21 Mar 2019 -- Russia and China are competitors to the United States and both nations are looking to overturn the current rules-based international order, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today at the Atlantic Council's Commanders' Series here.
• SNMG-1 and SNMCMG-1 Visit Plymouth NNS 21 Mar 2019 -- Sailors from Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG) 1 and Standing NATO Mine Countermeasure Group One (SNMCMG) 1 successfully completed a scheduled port visit to Plymouth, England.
• Under Secretary of the Navy visits Bahrain NNS 21 Mar 2019 -- Under Secretary of the Navy Thomas B. Modly arrived in Bahrain for a three-day engagement with U.S. and local officials and military leadership to discuss pertinent issues related to the region March 17-19.
• As South China Sea Showdown Heats Up, US Marines Revisit Island-Hopping Strategy Sputnik 21 Mar 2019 -- With relations between China and Western powers in the South China Sea showing little sign of cooling down, the US Marine Corps has decided to refresh its island-hopping skills, practicing storming an island in Japan last week and on the California coast this week.
• US Army Certifies Northrop Grumman to Compete to Develop Electromagnetic Weapons Sputnik 21 Mar 2019 -- The US Army has selected Northrop Grumman as one of multiple companies to compete for orders issued in a $982 million effort to develop a range of offensive electromagnetic weapons, the defence contractor announced in a press release.
• Pentagon Investigates Acting Defence Secretary Over Pro-Boeing Bias - Reports Sputnik 21 Mar 2019 -- The US Department of Defence has opened an investigation about reports that acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan has backed Boeing, where he worked for more than three decades, at the expense of competitors, according to media reports on Wednesday.
• Kremlin: US Bombers Near Russian Borders Creates Additional Tension Sputnik 21 Mar 2019 -- The appearance of US bombers near Russia does not strengthen the security atmosphere in the region that is directly adjacent to the Russia's borders but rather creates additional tension, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.
• Nuclear Weapons Use Threshold Lowering Due to US Actions - Moscow Sputnik 21 Mar 2019 -- The threshold for the use of nuclear weapons is lowering due to the US actions and its new strategy, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Thursday commenting on earlier statements by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
• UK Army Activates Team in Nuclear Bunker Beneath MoD Amid No Deal Fears - Report Sputnik 21 Mar 2019 -- The reported move follows the UK prime minister's call on Brussels to extend Article 50 until 30 June, with European Council President stating that a short Brexit extension is possible if the UK House of Commons supports the agreement reached by Theresa May with the EU, which had previously been rejected twice.
• Royal Navy's new offshore patrol vessel named HMS Tamar UK MOD 21 Mar 2019 -- HMS Tamar, which is part of a five-strong OPV contract with BAE Systems, worth a combined £635m, was formally named in Glasgow today.
• US 'Reconciling' Presence of Russia-Made S-400, F-35 in Turkey - Top General Sputnik 21 Mar 2019 -- The United States hopes to find a solution to the dispute with Turkey over Ankara's purchase of Russian S-400 air defence systems, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Commander Gen. Joseph Dunford said at the Atlantic Council on Thursday.
• US Wants to 'Send Signals' to Turkey on F-35 Supplies Amid S-400 Spat - Report Sputnik 21 Mar 2019 -- A spokesman for the F-35 programme Joe DellaVedova previously told Turkish media that preparations for the delivery of F-35s to Turkey are going as planned "until otherwise directed" with the first two jets scheduled for transfer in November 2019.
• Iran's Armed Forces in best position to counter enemies IRNA 21 Mar 2019 -- Commander of Iranian Army's Ground Force Brigadier General Kioumars Heidari said the Armed Forces are more prepared than ever before to confront any kinds of threats by the enemies.
• Taiwan to donate patrol boats to Palau, Nauru: MOFA CNA 21 Mar 2019 -- Taiwan will donate coast guard patrol vessels to Palau and Nauru, two of its diplomatic allies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) confirmed Thursday before President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed on a visit to the Pacific island nations.
• Joint Declaration Between Cyprus, Greece, Israel, and the United States After the Sixth Trilateral Summit US Dept. of State 21 Mar 2019
• Briefing With Traveling Press US Dept. of State 21 Mar 2019 -- Special Briefing by Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State
• Remarks With Israeli President Reuben Rivlin Before Their Meeting US Dept. of State 21 Mar 2019 -- Remarks by Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State

Defense Industry

• Contracts for March 21, 2019

Other Conflicts

• 21 March 2019 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 21 Mar 2019
• Thousands More Flee Last Islamic State Enclave in Syria VOA 21 Mar 2019 -- It may be almost over for the last enclave of Islamic State fighters in Syria, but the latest humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region is rapidly growing.
• US-Backed SDF Reportedly Contradict Trump's Claim on Last Daesh Stronghold Sputnik 21 Mar 2019 -- On Wednesday, the US president announced that the last Daesh stronghold in Syria "will be gone by tonight," adding that some 400 US troops would remain in the country, with 200 of the military set to be deployed "closer to Israel."
• US-backed Forces Sweeping to Victory in Baghuz VOA 21 Mar 2019 -- U.S.-backed forces are sweeping through the rubble in what is left of the Islamic State's final enclave in northeastern Syria, edging closer to declaring victory over the terror group's self-declared caliphate.
• Trump: US Recognizes Israeli Sovereignty Over Golan Heights VOA 21 Mar 2019 -- President Donald Trump said Thursday the United States is recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, the Syrian territory it captured in 1967's Six-Day War and has controlled since then.
• Trump: Time for US to recognize Syria's Golan as Israeli territory Press TV 21 Mar 2019 -- US President Donald Trump says it was time to back what he described as the Israeli regime's "sovereignty" over the Golan Heights, a Syrian territory under Israeli occupation since 1967.
• Bosnian Massacre Survivors Hail UN Court Ruling on Karadzic Sentence RFE/RL 21 Mar 2019 -- Relatives of victims of the Srebrenica massacre have hailed a UN court decision that ordered Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic to serve the rest of his life in prison on genocide and war crimes charges.
• 'Massive and protracted' humanitarian crisis in DR Congo can be 'beaten back' if donors step up UN News 21 Mar 2019 -- "Urgent and sustained funding" for a Government-led response to what is now a "massive and protracted" humanitarian crisis across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is required, said the head of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN relief chief on Thursday.
• UN Calls for More Relief for Democratic Republic of Congo VOA 21 Mar 2019 -- The United Nations humanitarian chief and the U.N. agency for child welfare, UNICEF, are calling on the new government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to commit humanitarian aid to people in war-torn areas where some 13 million people are still struggling for access to food, housing and education after years of violent conflict.
• UN: Horrors Await Migrants in Libyan Detention Centers VOA 21 Mar 2019 -- A United Nations report finds migrants are being subjected to what it calls unimaginable horrors from the moment they enter Libya. The report by the U.N. high commissioner for human rights has been submitted to the U.N. human rights council in Geneva.

News Reports

• Toughest US Sanctions Against Venezuela 'Yet to Come' - Bolton Sputnik 21 Mar 2019 -- The United States has yet to impose its toughest sanctions against the government of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, US National Security Advisor John Bolton said in a statement on Thursday.
• Venezuelan Agents Arrest Guaido's Top Aide VOA 21 Mar 2019 -- Venezuelan opposition leader and self-declared interim president Juan Guaido says intelligence agents have detained his chief of staff.
• Idai disaster: Stranded victims still need rescue from heavy rains as UN scales up response UN News 21 Mar 2019 -- Dire conditions persist in vast areas of southern Africa affected by Cyclone Idai as heavy rain continues to cause "massive destruction", the UN said on Thursday, while aid teams scale up efforts to reach those most in need.
• Rescue, Relief Efforts Underway in Cyclone-Hit Southern Africa VOA 21 Mar 2019 -- The Red Cross says it its deploying two major emergency response units to the port city of Beira in Mozambique to provide services for thousands of people affected by last week's Cyclone Idai, one of the most destructive storms to hit southern Africa in decades.
• Two Russian Governors Resign Amid Shake-Up Of Regional Leadership RFE/RL 21 Mar 2019 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted the resignations of two regional governors amid an ongoing shake-up of regional leadership.
• US imposes North Korea sanctions on Chinese shipping companies Press TV 21 Mar 2019 -- The United States has targeted two Chinese shipping companies over the alleged evasion of sanctions imposed on North Korea, the first such steps since US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's summit collapsed last month.
• US Imposes First N. Korea-Linked Sanctions Since Failed Summit VOA 21 Mar 2019 -- With negotiations at an impasse, Washington has imposed additional sanctions on those assisting Pyongyang – the first such action since February's failed summit in Hanoi between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
• Treasury Designates Two Shipping Companies for Attempted Evasion of North Korea Sanctions US Treasury 21 Mar 2019 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today announced the designation of two shipping companies that have helped North Korea evade sanctions.
• Trump Reportedly Takes Helm in US-DPRK Negotiations as MSM Cries Foul Sputnik 21 Mar 2019 -- In the aftermath of the failed Hanoi summit between the US and North Korea, US President Donald Trump has reportedly taken the helm in denuclearization negotiations with Pyongyang. Meanwhile, Seoul now sees the ball as having landed in its court to convince its neighbor to give up its weapons and rocket programs.
• Iranians seize opportunity of economic hardship caused by US to advance, FM Zarif says Press TV 21 Mar 2019 -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Iran has "proudly outlived" many aggressors throughout history and seized the opportunity of economic hardship to make progress.
• Ayatollah Khamenei: Iran will defeat economic war, but it is not enough Press TV 21 Mar 2019 -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the enemy is waging an "economic war" on Iran, but the country will defeat it.
• Brexit Day Delayed as EU Seizes Control of Exit Date VOA 21 Mar 2019 -- In the past two years, British Prime Minister Theresa May has insisted repeatedly that Britain will exit the European Union on schedule on March 29 – she has said so 108 times from the dispatch box in the House of Commons.
• PM statement at the EU Council: 21 March 2019 UK FCO 21 Mar 2019 -- Prime Minister Theresa May's press statement at the EU Council.
• Treasury Sanctions Congolese Officials Responsible for Undermining DRC Elections US Treasury 21 Mar 2019 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned three senior Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) officials pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13413, as amended by E.O. 13671, which authorizes sanctions in light of actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions in the DRC.
• Ukrainian MP Demands Evidence of Alleged 'No Prosecute' List VOA 21 Mar 2019 -- A Ukrainian parliamentarian is asking Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko to prove allegations he recently made that Marie Yovanovitch, U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, gave him a list of people who should not be prosecuted – a claim quickly rejected by the United States.
• U.S. Rejects Ukraine Top Prosecutor's 'Don't Prosecute' Accusation RFE/RL 21 Mar 2019 -- The U.S. State Department has denied an explosive claim by Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Yuriy Lutsenko that U.S. Ambassador to Kyiv Marie Yovanovitch gave him "a list of people whom we should not prosecute" during their first in-person meeting.
• Amendments to the Terrorist Designations of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria US Dept. of State 21 Mar 2019 -- The Department of State has amended the terrorist designations of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to include Amaq News Agency, Al Hayat Media Center, and other aliases.
• Resignation of President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev US Dept. of State 21 Mar 2019 -- "The United States deeply values the contributions of Kazakhstan's first President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, in establishing and promoting enduring, dynamic relations between the United States and Kazakhstan."
• Brazil Ex-President Temer Arrested Amid Corruption Investigation - Reports Sputnik 21 Mar 2019 -- The Brazilian authorities have detained former president Michel Temer amid an anti-corruption investigation, news portal Globo reported on Thursday. Temer, 78, was president from 2016 to 2018, taking office following the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff.
• US Man Pleads Guilty of Mailing Bombs to Trump Foes VOA 21 Mar 2019 -- A Florida man pleaded guilty Thursday of mailing pipe bombs to prominent Democrats and critics of President Donald Trump in late 2018.
• EU Weighs Designating Pakistani Militant a Terrorist VOA 21 Mar 2019 -- The European Union is reportedly contemplating designating the leader of Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) a terrorist.