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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• 87 ISIS terrorists killed in eastern Afghanistan IRNA 27 Mar 2019 -- Afghanistan National Security Council spokesman announced that 87 members of ISIS (Daesh) were killed in Achin District, Nangarhar Province.
• On The Road Again: U.S. Afghan Envoy Heads Back To Region Amid Rift Over Peace Talks RFE/RL 27 Mar 2019 -- The U.S. envoy seeking a peace deal with the Taliban to end nearly 18 years of war in Afghanistan is heading back to the region amid growing tensions between Washington and Kabul over the absence of the Afghan government from the talks.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Selected Guard units to increase OPTEMPO in FY20 Army News 27 Mar 2019 -- As threats from near-peer adversaries grow, the fiscal year 2020 budget will allow some National Guard units to bump up their operational tempo, Army senior leaders told lawmakers Tuesday.
• Readout of Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan's Meeting With Iraqi Council of Representatives Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi DoD 27 Mar 2019
• PP19 Wraps Up Mission in Marshall Islands NNS 27 Mar 2019 -- Pacific Partnership 2019 (PP19) recently conducted a series of exchanges centered on humanitarian assistance/disaster relief (HADR) during their mission stop in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, March 11-28.
• Ike Completes Fast Cruise NNS 27 Mar 2019 -- USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) successfully completed its five-day fast cruise, March 25, in another step toward returning to sea for the first time since July 2017.
• Skyborg program seeks industry input for artificial intelligence initiative US Air Force 27 Mar 2019 -- The Air Force office of Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation at the Air Force Research Laboratory is working on fielding a prototype Autonomous, Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle as an Early Operational Capability as early as 2023.
• Text of a Letter to Certain Congressional Committees on the North Macedonia NATO Accession Report The White House 27 Mar 2019
• 'Star' Productions: Russia's Armed Forces Are Launching A Film Studio RFE/RL 27 Mar 2019 -- The Russian Defense Ministry already has its own federal TV channel, Zvezda (Star), a steady diet of Soviet war movies, commercials for the country's armed forces, and anti-Western propaganda. It now intends to launch its own film studio, tapping into the zeitgeist by producing the kind of patriotic fare that is enjoying growing approval from Russian cinemagoers.
• NATO Boosts Reconnaissance Near Russian Borders - Deputy Foreign Minister Sputnik 27 Mar 2019 -- NATO is increasing its reconnaissance activities near Russia's frontiers, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Wednesday.
• India successfully conducts anti-satellite missile test All India Radio News 27 Mar 2019 -- Defence Research and Development Organisation, DRDO, on Wednesday successfully conducted an Anti-Satellite (A-SAT) missile test, under Mission Shakti from Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha.
• India shoots down own satellite, declares self 'space power' Press TV 27 Mar 2019 -- India shot down a satellite of its own with a missile on Wednesday, joining the world's most advanced space superpowers; and prompting its arch rival Pakistan to urge avoiding militarization of space.
• Pakistan Decries Militarization Of Space After Indian Missile Test RFE/RL 27 Mar 2019 -- Pakistan has spoken out against the militarization of space after neighboring India said it had successfully managed to shoot down a low-orbit satellite in a missile test.
• India Claims Successful Anti-Satellite Weapon Test VOA 27 Mar 2019 -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi says the country has shot down a satellite in low orbit, entering an exclusive club of nations that have developed anti-satellite weapons.
• Guangdong firm to build China's first 10,000 ton maritime patrol vessel Global Times 27 Mar 2019 -- The Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration signed a contract for China's first 10,000 ton-class maritime patrol vessel on Tuesday, which experts said could sail the high seas and provide assistance to Chinese and foreign ships in need.
• All 13 People On Board Crashed Helicopter of Kazakh MoD Killed - President Sputnik 27 Mar 2019 -- The crew of the Mi-8 military helicopter, which crashed on Wednesday in the Kyzylorda region of Kazakhstan, were killed, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said Wednesday.

Defense Industry

• Contracts for March 27, 2019

Other Conflicts

• 27 March 2019 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 27 Mar 2019
• Yemen hospital airstrike under investigation amid resurgence of deadly cholera UN News 27 Mar 2019 -- UN human rights staff in Yemen are investigating an apparent airstrike on a hospital in opposition-held territory which reportedly killed at least seven civilians on Tuesday, amid fears that cholera is spreading "like wildfire", one of the organization's senior humanitarian officials has warned.
• *The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Refers One of the Results of Targeting Operations to the Joint Incident Assessment Team to Assess the Possibility of an Incident SPA 27 Mar 2019 -- The Official Spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Colonel Turki Al-Malki, stated that the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition has referred one of the results of the targeting operations in the Theater of Operations to the Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) to assess the possibility of an incident.
• Trump's Golan move part of 'criminal project': Syria at UN Press TV 27 Mar 2019 -- Syria's ambassador to the United Nations has lashed out at US President Donald Trump's recognition of "Israeli sovereignty" over the occupied Golan Heights, describing the move as part of a "criminal project" aimed at prolonging chaos and destruction in the region.
• Attempt to defy international law over Golan Heights sovereignty 'doomed to failure' Security Council hears UN News 27 Mar 2019 -- A majority of Security Council members on Wednesday stressed the importance of upholding international law regarding the occupied Golan Heights, in the face of the unilateral move by the United States to recognize Israel's sovereignty over them.
• As Syria conflict enters ninth year, humanitarian crisis 'far from over', Security Council hears UN News 27 Mar 2019 -- Eight years ago this month, the Syria conflict began, leading to a humanitarian crisis that remains "far from over", the UN Security Council heard on Wednesday. 11.7 million need humanitarian assistance and protection, and more than 5.6 million Syrians are living as refugees across the region.
• Pakistan condemns US decision on Syrian Golan Heights IRNA 27 Mar 2019 -- Pakistan has strongly condemned the US Administration's decision to recognize Zionist Regime's occupation over Syrian Golan Heights.
• Islamabad Says Shares 'International Outrage' Over US Decision on Golan Heights Sputnik 27 Mar 2019 -- Islamabad joins other countries in expressing "outrage" over the US move to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and warns of a ripple effect that it will have on the region and the world, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
• Spokesperson for DPRK Foreign Ministry on Golan Heights in Syria KCNA 27 Mar 2019 -- A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea gave the following answer to a question put by KCNA on March 27 as regards the issue of the Golan Heights in Syria:
• The Shura Council expresses its total rejection of declaration issued by US Administration to recognize Israel's sovereignty over occupied Syrian Golan Height SPA 27 Mar 2019 -- The Shura Council expressed its total rejection of the declaration issued by the United States Administration to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan Height.
• Saudi Press: Middle East Region Faces New Phase of Imposing A Fait Accompli without Considering Negative Consequences SPA 27 Mar 2019 -- Saudi newspapers highlighted in their editorials today a number of issues at local, regional and international arenas.
• EU Still Refuses to Recognise Israeli Sovereignty Over Golan Heights Sputnik 27 Mar 2019 -- The European Union has not changed its position regarding the Golan Heights and does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the occupied territory, Maja Kocijancic, the spokesperson for EU diplomatic service, said in a statement on Wednesday.
• Israeli regime bombards Gaza Strip IRNA 27 Mar 2019 -- The Zionist regime of Israel has bombarded some areas in Gaza Strip with missile.
• Hamas leader Hanieh says Palestinians will not give up resistance Press TV 27 Mar 2019 -- A senior leader of the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, says Palestinians will not give up resistance in the face of Israeli aggression.
• Palestinian resistance groups retaliate against Israel's airstrikes on Khan Yunis, Rafah crossing Press TV 27 Mar 2019 -- Palestinian resistance groups have fired rockets into Israel in response to the regime's fresh airstrikes on the besieged Gaza Strip for the second night in a row.
• Israeli Army Intercepts Projectile Launched by Hamas – Statement Sputnik 27 Mar 2019 -- The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said Wednesday that it intercepted a missile launched by the Hamas movement targeting the territory of Israel.
• Tibet enjoys one of its best periods in history: official Global Times 27 Mar 2019 -- A senior official from Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region said the human rights situation in the region is "very good" and Tibet is enjoying one of its best periods in history as people's aspirations for a stable society are stronger than ever.
• Pakistan Seeks More Evidence from India to Act Against Kashmir Terror Attackers Sputnik 27 Mar 2019 -- The Pakistani administration has shared preliminary findings with the government of India after examining the Indian dossier on the mid-February Pulwama terror attack in Kashmir that killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel.
• UN's Bachelet rejects Sri Lankan official's 'spin' on Human Rights Council encounter, urges reforms UN News 27 Mar 2019 -- The UN's top rights official on Wednesday rejected claims by Sri Lankan officials that she distanced herself from a report on the country and instructed her staff to be more "cautious" in future, before stressing her commitment to justice for victims of grave abuses during the civil war.

News Reports

• White House Sets New Daring Deadline for Lunar Comeback Sputnik 27 Mar 2019 -- Since the success of the American Apollo programme, no other nation has successfully pursued the goal of carrying out a manned landing on the Earth's natural satellite, with the Soviet Union and China having conducted unmanned landings on its surface.
• Top U.S. Legal Officer To Release Mueller Report Within Weeks RFE/RL 27 Mar 2019 -- The head of the U.S. Justice Department has said he plans within weeks to issue a public version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report, which did not find that President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign conspired with Russia.
• Remarks by President Trump and First Lady Fabiana Rosales of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Before Bilateral Meeting The White House 27 Mar 2019
• Remarks by Vice President Pence and First Lady Fabiana Rosales of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Before Bilateral Meeting The White House 27 Mar 2019
• Russia confirms, defends sending military experts to Venezuela Press TV 27 Mar 2019 -- Russia has confirmed and defended sending military experts to Venezuela, saying the dispatch is based on a military-technical cooperation agreement signed by the two countries in 2001.
• U.S. President Donald Trump Tells Russia To 'Get Out' Of Venezuela RFE/RL 27 Mar 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has called on Russia to withdraw its troops from Venezuela and warned that "all options" were open to achieve that.
• US Views Russian Military Planes Arrival in Venezuela as 'Provocation' - Pence Sputnik 27 Mar 2019 -- The United States perceives the arrival of Russian military aircraft in Venezuela as an unwelcomed provocation and calls on Moscow to stop supporting the government of Nicolas Maduro, US Vice President Mike Pence told reporters.
• Trump: Russian Military Must 'Get Out' of Venezuela VOA 27 Mar 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump says Russia "has to get out" of Venezuela, following the recent arrival of Russian military personnel in the country.
• Algeria Army in Spotlight as North African Nation Faces Popular Uprising VOA 27 Mar 2019 -- Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's days seemed numbered Wednesday, as the country's ruling party and top labor union joined cascading calls for the ailing 82-year-old leader to resign.
• Algeria's top military official urges President Bouteflika's dismissal Press TV 27 Mar 2019 -- Algeria's chief of military staff has called for a constitutional move that would end President Abdel Aziz Bouteflika's rule before his term officially ends.
• Party of Algerian Ruling Coalition Calls on President Bouteflika to Step Down Sputnik 27 Mar 2019 -- The party of the Algerian ruling coalition, the Democratic National Rally (RND), on Wednesday called on Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to step down, the party said in a statement.
• Former Soviet Defense Chief Convicted Of War Crimes In 1991 Vilnius Crackdown RFE/RL 27 Mar 2019 -- A Lithuanian court has convicted a former Soviet military chief and a senior KGB officer of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during Moscow's 1991 crackdown on the country's independence movement.
• Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Guides 5th Meeting of Company Leaders and Political Instructors of KPA KCNA 27 Mar 2019 -- The 5th meeting of company leaders and political instructors of the Korean People's Army (KPA) took place here on March 2
• North Korea Spanish Embassy Raid Mystery Deepens VOA 27 Mar 2019 -- Spain is seeking the extradition of as many as 10 people from the United States who burst into the North Korean embassy in Madrid last month and tried to pass stolen information to the FBI.
• US Envoy to Iran: More Sanctions, No New Oil Waivers VOA 27 Mar 2019 -- The United States will redraw government maps consistent with Washington's decision to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights. The move comes days after U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation Monday officially granting U.S. recognition of the Golan Heights as Israeli territory.
• Xi meets European leaders on advancing ties, global governance Global Times 27 Mar 2019 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker met here Tuesday and agreed to strengthen China-European Union (EU) relations and global governance cooperation.
• Xi's visit sets tone for China-EU relations Global Times 27 Mar 2019 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping returned to Beijing on Wednesday after his visit to Europe, bringing a fruitful outcome and the visit assures the cooperative trend of China-EU relations, analysts noted.
• Former public security vice minister expelled from office and CPC Global Times 27 Mar 2019 -- Meng Hongwei, former vice minister of public security of China, has been expelled from office and the Communist Party of China (CPC) for serious discipline violations, the National Supervisory Commission of the CPC Central Committee announced on Wednesday.
• China to Prosecute Ex-Interpol Chief for Insubordination, Abuse of Power - CCDI Sputnik 27 Mar 2019 -- The former president of Interpol, Meng Hongwei, has been removed from all of his official positions and is expected to face legal prosecution for serious disciplinary violations, the anti-corruption watchdog of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) said in a statement.
• Taiwan Assurance Act introduced in U.S. Senate CNA 27 Mar 2019 -- A group of American senators across party lines introduced a bill in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday that would cement two-way ties with Taiwan and support its international presence with the Taiwan Relations Act set to mark its 40th anniversary.
• Han's visits to Beijing offices 'politically sensitive': MAC CNA 27 Mar 2019 -- Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chen Ming-tong (陳明通) said Wednesday that Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu's (韓國瑜) recent visits to Beijing's liaison offices in Hong Kong and Macau were "politically sensitive" and a first for a Taiwan politician.
• British Lawmakers Voting on New Brexit Plans VOA 27 Mar 2019 -- The British parliament is voting Wednesday on new Brexit plans to split from the European Union after twice overwhelmingly rejecting the deal offered by Prime Minister Theresa May.
• First 2019 Launch From Vostochny Space Centre Slated for 27 June - Roscosmos Sputnik 27 Mar 2019 -- The blastoff of the Meteor-M meteorological satellite number 2-2 by the Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket with the Fregat upper stage from the Vostochny space center is scheduled to take place in three months, Russian state space corporation Roscosmos told Sputnik.
• U.S. Lifts Uzbek Cotton Ban, Saying Forced Child Labor 'Significantly Reduced' RFE/RL 27 Mar 2019 -- The United States has removed Uzbek cotton from a list of products that are barred from the country of concerns about child labor.
• The Split Of Kyrgyzstan's Ruling Party And Its Wider Implications RFE/RL 27 Mar 2019 -- It has been a year in coming, but it appears there is finally an official split in the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan (SDPK), the largest party in Kyrgyzstan's parliament and the party of the current president and his immediate predecessor.
• Thailand's opposition parties form alliance against junta Press TV 27 Mar 2019 -- Seven opposition parties in Thailand have agreed to form an alliance in an attempt to seize power from the ruling junta-backed party, which gained power after a 2014 coup.
• Thailand Anti-Junta Parties Form Opposition Alliance, Claim Governing Mandate VOA 27 Mar 2019 -- Thailand's main anti-junta Pheu Thai party says it has joined forces with six smaller parties to claim a majority of seats in the lower house of parliament and form the next government.
• Are We on the Brink of Another Arab Spring? VOA 27 Mar 2019 -- Are anti-government protests in Algeria the herald of an Arab-spring sequel? Some regional autocrats appear to fear so and are cracking down on even the mildest of dissent, say analysts.
• Terrorist Financing Targeting Center Hosts Exercise on Disrupting Illicit Finance US Treasury 27 Mar 2019 -- The Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TFTC) this week convened a regional capacity-building workshop in Riyadh focused on Iranian illicit finance schemes and the risks Iran poses to the international financial system.