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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• US military admits to killing civilians in Somali airstrikes Press TV 06 Apr 2019 -- The United States military has admitted for the first time that it killed two Somali civilians in one of its airstrikes in the African country's central El Burr region.
• 'Zero Casualties' No More: US AFRICOM Admits to Killing Civilians in Somalia Sputnik 06 Apr 2019 -- US Africa Command (AFRICOM) admitted on Friday that a 2018 airstrike in Somalia killed two civilians, claiming a clerical error previously obscured it. However, it's no mere error of reporting: AFRICOM's very method for analyzing airstrike victims omits the possibility they could be civilians.
• At Least 10 People Killed in Afghanistan Attacks VOA 06 Apr 2019 -- At least seven policemen and three civilians were killed Saturday in a series of attacks in Afghanistan, officials said.

Defense Policy / Programs

• USS Wasp Carrying F-35s Sails in S China Sea Amid Tensions With Beijing - Report Sputnik 06 Apr 2019 -- The US military has been eyeing the possibility of transforming their amphibious ships into light carriers amid the Pentagon's plans to reduce the number of their "bigger brothers".
• NATO Chief Rejects 'Spheres of Influence' VOA 06 Apr 2019 -- At the final press conference marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a question was raised as to whether NATO was partly responsible for current tensions with Moscow, "because it has expanded right up to the borders of Russia" and whether it was a good idea to "publicly advertise open invitations to Georgia and Ukraine" to join the alliance.
• Russian Aerospace Forces Test New Pantsir-SM - Deputy Commander Sputnik 06 Apr 2019 -- The Russian Aerospace Forces have tested the newest Pantsir-SM anti-aircraft missile system, it showed itself well against quadcopters, the forces' deputy commander Lt. Gen. Yuri Grekhov, said Saturday.
• Dutch F-16 Jet Damaged by Its Own Ammunition During Training - Reports Sputnik 06 Apr 2019 -- During an exercise in January, a pilot of the Royal Netherlands Air Force had to reportedly opt for an emergency procedure after an F-16 was damaged by its own ammunition, some of which ended up in the jet's engine.
• MOFA refutes report saying U.S. arm sales to Taiwan on hold CNA 06 Apr 2019 -- The U.S. sale of F-16V fighter jets to Taiwan has not been put on hold, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said on Saturday, refuting a claim in a U.S. media report that the Trump Administration has temporarily set aside the arms sale in order to reach a trade deal with China.
• Trump delays Taiwan aircraft deal amid China trade talks: Report Press TV 06 Apr 2019 -- United States President Donald Trump has postponed an arms deal with Taiwan until after he secures a trade deal with China, according to a new report.
• Explosion Rocks Iranian Military Shipyard Killing at Least Three - Reports Sputnik 06 Apr 2019 -- The blast has ripped through a shipbuilding plant some 37 kilometres west of the port of Bandar Abbas near the Strait of Hormuz, according to local media.
• Make US troops leave Iraq as soon as possible: Ayatollah Khamenei Press TV 06 Apr 2019 -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the Baghdad government should expel US forces from Iraq as soon as possible.
• Iran's Supreme Leader Tells Iraq To Push U.S. Troops Out As Soon As Possible RFE/RL 06 Apr 2019 -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned Iraq about the "detrimental" effects of having U.S. forces on its territory and urged its neighbor to get the troops to leave as soon as possible.
• Iran's Supreme Leader Urges Iraq to Ensure US Troops Leave "as Soon as Possible" Sputnik 06 Apr 2019 -- Earlier in the day, Iran vowed to equate US troops to the Daesh* if Washington designates its Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• Forces Loyal to Haftar Advance on Parts of Tripoli VOA 06 Apr 2019 -- Forces loyal to eastern Libyan military commander Gen. Khalifa Haftar appear to have gained ground along the outskirts of the Libyan capital, Tripoli.
• Libya's Haftar forces targeted by airstrike as they march for capital Tripoli Press TV 06 Apr 2019 -- Forces of the so-called Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Libya's strongman Khalifa Haftar, say they have been targeted by an airstrike south of Tripoli, as they are pushing forward to seize the capital reportedly with support from the United Arab Emirtes, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.
• Libya's Haftar forces close in on Tripoli, capture former international airport Press TV 06 Apr 2019 -- Forces loyal to Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar say they have advanced into the southern outskirts of the country's capital city and seized the former Tripoli International Airport in a dangerous escalation.
• UN To Press Ahead With Libya Election Conference Amid Uptick In Fighting RFE/RL 06 Apr 2019 -- The United Nations says it will press ahead with a national conference next week on possible Libyan elections even as the country teeters on the brink of civil war.
• French Foreign Minister: Libyan Crisis Can Only Be Resolved by Political Means Sputnik 06 Apr 2019 -- The Libyan crisis cannot be resolved through "a military victory," as a political settlement is the only option in light of growing tensions in the Maghreb country, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian stated.
• UN Keeps Working in Libya to Resolve Conflict - Special Envoy Sputnik 06 Apr 2019 -- G7 Urges Libyan Conflicting Parties to Avoid Using Oil Facilities for Political Purposes
• Libyan Government of National Accord Appoints Official Spokesman of Armed Forces Sputnik 06 Apr 2019 -- Prime Minister of the Tripoli-based UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez Sarraj appointed Col. Muhammad Kanunu on Saturday as the official spokesman of the army.
• Russia Concerned Over Use of Combat Aircraft by Armed Groups in Libya Sputnik 06 Apr 2019 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has addressed the tense situation in Libya, which has recently escalated amid the Libyan National Army's advance toward Tripoli. The offensive is aimed, according to LNA head Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, to liberate the city from militants.
• LNA Announces No-Fly Zone for Combat Aircraft Amid Advance on Tripoli - Reports Sputnik 06 Apr 2019 -- According to Al Jazeera, aircraft from the Government of National Accord (GNA) have conducted an airstrike against troops from the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, 80 kilometres south of Tripoli.
• Libyan GNA Chief Agrees to Meet With LNA's Haftar Who Rejects Option - Reports Sputnik 06 Apr 2019 -- Fayez Sarraj, prime minister of the UN-backed Libyan Government of National Accord, agreed to meet with Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the rival Libyan National Army (LNA), but the latter has refused to attend such a meeting, media reported, citing diplomatic sources in the UN Security Council, on Saturday.
• UNSC Says to Hold Those Responsible for Libyan Conflict Escalation Accountable Sputnik 06 Apr 2019 -- The United Nations Security Council has called on Libyan parties to the conflict to de-escalate tensions and cease military activity, saying that there can be no military solution.
• Efforts Underway to Help Rohingya in Bangladesh Weather Next Monsoon Season VOA 06 Apr 2019 -- The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR and partners are scaling up emergency preparations to help hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees withstand a second monsoon season in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
• Pakistan Says Indian Claim Of Downing F-16 Proven 'False' RFE/RL 06 Apr 2019 -- Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan says India's claim it downed a Pakistani F-16 fighter aircraft during a military standoff in February has proven to be "false."
• Israel's Netanyahu vows to annex occupied West Bank Press TV 06 Apr 2019 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken a further step in violating the international law by saying that he would annex the occupied Palestinian region of West Bank if he wins another term in office.
• Netanyahu: Israel to 'Extend Sovereignty' Over West Bank Settlements Sputnik 06 Apr 2019 -- Earlier, the Israeli prime minister hinted that he may annex the West Bank's Area C, which is fully controlled by Tel Aviv. He also announced that he had told US President Donald that in his opinion, all settlements in the West Bank "must remain under Israeli sovereignty".
• UN chief reaffirms commitment to untying 'Gordian knot' of Middle East conflict and instability UN News 06 Apr 2019 -- Underlining the "enormous" opportunities for sustainable development and investment in the Middle East, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has reaffirmed the Organization's deep engagement in a "surge of diplomacy for peace," to "untie the Gordian knot of conflict and instability."
• Boko Haram Militants Target Civilians in Niger's Diffa Region VOA 06 Apr 2019 -- The United Nations reports armed men killed dozens of civilians and displaced thousands during increasingly violent and frequent attacks last month in the Diffa region in southeastern Niger. The Diffa region, which borders Nigeria and Chad, is home to more than 200,000 internally displaced people and refugees victimized by the Boko Haram insurgency in northeastern Nigeria.
• Cameroon Deploys Troops Bracing for Anti-Biya Protests VOA 06 Apr 2019 -- Cameroon has deployed troops to crack down on protesters calling for the release from jail of 150 opposition party members, including their leader Maurice Kamto, who says he won the October presidential election, not long-serving President Paul Biya. Kamto has been in jail for more than two months and his supporters say he should be unconditionally released.

News Reports

• Pence announces sanctions on Venezuela oil vessels, Cuba shippers Press TV 06 Apr 2019 -- The United States announces sanctions on 34 vessels of Venezuela's state oil company and two companies that ship crude to Cuba.
• Cuban President Slams New US Sanctions on Venezuela as 'Act of Interference' Sputnik 06 Apr 2019 -- Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Saturday strongly condemned Washington's new round of sanctions targeting vessels and companies linked to Venezuela's oil giant PDVSA.
• EU backs ICC after US revokes prosecutor's visa over probe into Afghan war crimes Press TV 06 Apr 2019 -- The European Union has expressed its "full support" for the International Criminal Court (ICC), voicing "serious concern" after the United States revoked the entry visa for the intergovernmental organization's chief prosecutor over a possible probe into US soldiers' actions in Afghanistan.
• Pakistan Opposition Questions Need for Tribunals VOA 05 Apr 2019 -- Prominent opposition parties in Pakistan have demanded a debate in Parliament over the possible reinstatement of military courts and have called for them to be disbanded, deeming them "illegal" and "unconstitutional."
• Putin Offers Russian Help To Build Kazakh Nuclear Plant RFE/RL 06 Apr 2019 -- There is once again talk in Kazakhstan of constructing a nuclear power plant (NPP) -- a proposal that's been debated on and off since the late 1990s. This time, the idea seems to have quickly picked up momentum.
• Erdogan accuses US, Europe of 'meddling' in Turkey's internal affairs Press TV 06 Apr 2019 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the United States and Europe of "meddling" in Turkey's internal affairs after its Western allies issued statements following his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)'s challenge to local election results.
• Sudan Protesters Reach Military Headquarters for First Time VOA 06 Apr 2019 -- Many of the thousands of Sudanese demonstrators marching in Khartoum Saturday reached the country's military's headquarters for the first time since deadly anti-government protests erupted nearly four months ago.
• Sudanese protesters march on President Bashir's residence Press TV 06 Apr 2019 -- Thousands of protesters marched on the residence of Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir in the capital Khartoum on Saturday, in what seemed to be the biggest anti-government rally since protests erupted last year.
• Maldives Holds Parliamentary Election VOA 06 Apr 2019 -- Voters in the Maldives are going to the polls for a parliamentary election.