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News Reports

Current Operations

• Afghanistan's Loya Jirga urges both govt., Taliban to announce ceasefire Press TV 02 May 2019 -- Attendees at Afghanistan's most important national gathering have urged ceasefire between the government and the Taliban militant group as a foretaste to a potential peace deal.
• Trying to 'Cover Up a Problem': US Stops Reporting Afghan District Control Data Sputnik 02 May 2019 -- Resolute Support, the US-led mission in Afghanistan, has told the government watchdog SIGAR it will no longer report "district control data" showing what percentage of the Afghan population is controlled by the Taliban, saying the data was of little use.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Dr. Elizabeth Van Winkle and Rear Adm. Ann Burkhardt Media Engagement on DOD Sexual Assault Prevention and Response, May 2, 2019 DoD 02 May 2019 -- Dr. Nathan W. Galbreath, deputy director, Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office; Dr. Elizabeth Van Winkle, executive director, Office of Force Resiliency; Rear Admiral Ann Burkhardt, director, Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office; Dr. Ashlea Klahr, director, Health and Resilience Research, Office of People Analytics
• DOD Leaders Concerned Over Revelations in Sexual Assault Report DoD News 02 May 2019 -- DOD officials said they are concerned over the revelations from the annual report on sexual assault in the military released today.
• Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman: Leadership Key to Eliminating Sexual Assault DoD News 02 May 2019 -- Combating sexual assault and sexual harassment is about leaders stepping up at all levels of command, Army Command Sgt. Maj. John Wayne Troxell, the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman said.
• Latest Sex Assault Stats are 'Call to Action' for DOD Leaders, Official says DoD News 02 May 2019 -- The Defense Department is seeing an increase in sexual assault concentrated on young servicewomen, said Elizabeth Van Winkle, DOD's executive director for force resiliency.
• DOD Reform Strides Lauded by Senior Defense Officials DoD News 02 May 2019 -- Performing the duties of deputy defense secretary, David L. Norquist spoke at the Defense Department Gears of Government Awards Ceremony in the Pentagon May 1.
• Timorese Officials Participate in PP19 Disaster Preparedness Symposium NNS 02 May 2019 -- Pacific Partnership 2019 (PP19) partner nation and local civilian and military personnel met for a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) workshop, April 29.
• USS Carney Departs Faslane NNS 02 May 2019 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) departed Faslane, Scotland, following a scheduled port visit, May 1, 2019.
• Sailors, Marines of Boxer Amphibious Ready Group Deploy from San Diego NNS 02 May 2019 -- Sailors and Marines from Boxer Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) departed their homeport of Naval Base San Diego, May 1, for a regularly scheduled deployment.
• Albanian President Visits Abraham Lincoln NNS 02 May 2019 -- President Ilir Meta of the Republic of Albania, along with top Albanian military leaders and diplomats, visited May 1 the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72).
• USS Mitscher Returns from Deployment NNS 02 May 2019 -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Mitscher (DDG 57) returned May 2 to Naval Station Norfolk, marking the end of a seven-month independent deployment to the U.S. Navy's 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation.
• US Plans to Test 2 Hypersonic Missiles by End of 2019 - Defence Agency Sputnik 02 May 2019 -- The United States plans to test two hypersonic missiles currently being developed jointly by the US Defence Department's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the US Air Force by the end of 2019, DARPA's director, Steven Walker, said.
• Statement from President Donald J. Trump on America's Cybersecurity Workforce The White House 02 May 2019
• No Margin for Error: Nuclear Capability Must be Upgraded Now, Defense Official Says DoD News 02 May 2019 -- The U.S. doesn't have any wiggle room in the effort to upgrade its nuclear capability: modernization must be done now, without interruption, or the U.S. stands to lose its deterrence edge, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment told the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday.
• US Signed Over $1 Billion in Missile Contracts Since INF Treaty Withdrawal Sputnik 02 May 2019 -- The US has signed over $1 billion in contracts for the development of new missiles in the three months since Washington announced it would withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in October 2018.
• Squadron of NATO Naval Warships Enters Baltic Sea – Report Sputnik 02 May 2019 -- Earlier this week, NATO kicked off its annual Spring Storm drills in Estonia, with 10,000 troops from over a dozen countries involved in the exercises. The alliance is expected to further beef up its regional presence ahead of the upcoming Baltic Protector and BALTOPS naval exercises, set to take place later in May and in June.
• Text of a Letter from the President to Selected Congressional Committee Leadership Regarding Defense Spending by NATO Members The White House 02 May 2019
• UK Warplanes Kick Off Airspace Policing Mission Along Russian Borders in Baltic Sputnik 02 May 2019 -- NATO has beefed up its presence in the Baltic region considerably recently ahead of a series of massive army and naval drills taking place over the next two months.
• Fourth Quick Reaction Alert Squadron for RAF Lossiemouth UK MOD 02 May 2019 -- RAF Lossiemouth welcomed a new, fourth operational Typhoon squadron to augment its mission to protect UK and NATO airspace today, Thursday, 2 May 2019.
• UK Defense Secretary fired over "unauthorized disclosure of information" Global Times 02 May 2019 -- Downing Street said Wednesday in a statement that Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson had been sacked by the Prime Minister for "unauthorized disclosure of information".
• Sacked UK defense secretary denies he leaked Huawei discussions Press TV 02 May 2019 -- Former UK defense minister Gavin Williamson has denied that he was behind a leak of government discussions on involvement of Chinese telecommunication company Huawei in UK's future internet projects, saying his sacking was a politically motivated decision.
• China's J-20 Stealth Jet Could Be Wheels Up This Year, US Commander Says Sputnik 02 May 2019 -- General Charles Brown, head of the US' Pacific Air Forces, recently revealed that if all things remain on pace, China's Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter could "possibly" be deemed combat ready by Chinese officials this year.
• Iran to firmly resist all threats: Army deputy IRNA 02 May 2019 -- Iran will resist any threats and excessive demands on the part of the enemies, said Deputy Commander of the Islamic Republic Army for Coordination Affairs Admiral Habibullah Sayyari on Thursday.
• Pakistan Set to Buy Russian Surface-to-Air Missiles to Boost Defence - Report Sputnik 02 May 2019 -- The urgency to purchase new air defence systems arose after the Indian airstrike in Balakot during which over a dozen Mirage 2000 aircraft of Indian Air Force crossed the border and destroyed alleged terror infrastructure inside Pakistan, the media outlet reports.
• Pentagon Claims Turkey Won't Get F-35 If S-400 Deal Goes Through Sputnik 02 May 2019 -- US authorities have repeatedly voiced concerns about sensitive tech potentially falling into Russia's hands if Turkey were to simultaneously acquire both F-35 stealth warplanes and S-400 anti-air weapon systems.

Defense Industry

• Contracts for May 2, 2019

Other Conflicts

• 2 May 2019 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 02 May 2019
• Senate Fails to Override Trump Veto of Yemen Bill VOA 02 Apr 2019 -- The U.S. Senate on Thursday failed to override President Donald Trump's veto of a bill demanding the U.S. stop supporting the Saudi coalition fighting in Yemen.
• Saudi aggressors kidnap 150 Yemeni fishermen off Hudaydah Press TV 02 May 2019 -- The Saudi-led coalition, which has been waging a deadly war on Yemen, has abducted more than 150 fishermen in the waters off the embattled port city of Hudaydah.
• Russian military: 12 drone, rocket attacks by terrorists repelled in Syria's Latakia Press TV 02 May 2019 -- Russia's military says during the past month it has repelled 12 drone and rocket attacks by terrorists based in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib against a Russian airbase and Syrian positions in Latakia.
• Militants Attempted to Shell Hmeymim Base in Syria - MoD Sputnik 02 May 2019 -- On 1 May, the Russian military stated that terrorists tried to shell the Hmeymim Airbase using multiple rocket launchers as well as drones twelve times over the past month.
• Grave concern over escalating humanitarian crisis, casualties, displacement across northwest Syria: UN UN News 02 May 2019 -- The UN has said it is "gravely concerned" over reports of a worsening humanitarian situation facing civilians across northwest Syria, with rising casualties, and "waves of displacement" due to intensifying conflict.
• Russia, Iran Maneuver for Influence in Syria VOA 02 May 2019 -- Once-hidden Russian-Iranian disagreements over Syria are starting to surface. Moscow and Tehran are jostling to wield the main influence over the government of President Bashar al-Assad, adding further complexity to the still-far-from-complete endgame of Syria's brutal civil war, say diplomats and analysts.
• Violent Standoff in Tripoli; Civilians Displaced, Suffering VOA 02 May 2019 -- "We need this war to end and to go back to civilian life," says Mohammed, a 27-year-old soldier at a base in the suburbs of Tripoli.
• Myanmar troops shoot dead six, detain scores over suspected rebel links in Rakhine Press TV 02 May 2019 -- Myanmar security forces have shot dead at least six people and detained nearly 300 others in the troubled western state of Rakhine amid the ongoing fighting between the army and ethnic rebels.
• India, Pakistan Exchange Heavy Fire, Shelling along Line of Control Sputnik 02 May 2019 -- The exchange of fire came after a lull in hostilities which lasted over a week. Both sides targeted each other's security posts in the Shahpur and Kerni sectors. There was no immediate report of any loss of life on either side of the Line of Control (LoC), the de-facto border between India and Pakistan.

News Reports

• Democrats Enraged After U.S. Attorney General Barr Boycotts Judiciary Hearing RFE/RL 02 May 2019 -- U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has accused Attorney General William Barr of lying to Congress in his testimony to a Senate committee over his handling of special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election.
• Trump's Favored Sanctions Meet Resistance VOA 02 May 2019 -- President Donald Trump is increasingly reliant upon economic sanctions to achieve his foreign policy goals, despite a repeated emphasis that the use of military force remains a viable option. However, these coercive measures, analysts say, have not produced their intended results, and at times have put the United States at odds with allies.
• Russia: US Courting 'Drastic Consequences' in Venezuela VOA 02 May 2019 -- Venezuela's socialist President Nicolas Maduro clung to power Thursday, calling on the country's armed forces to oppose "any coup plotter" after opposition leader Juan Guaido failed to win defections from military leaders.
• Venezuelan Opposition Leader Tries New Tactic to Topple Maduro VOA 02 May 2019 -- Juan Guaido, Venezuela's self-proclaimed president, says a staggered industrial action would start Thursday, leading to a general strike.
• Venezuela's Maduro exhorts armed forces to fight 'any coup plotter' Press TV 02 May 2019 -- President Nicolas Maduro has urged Venezuela's armed forces to fight "any coup plotter", two days after US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido attempted a coup in the South American country.
• US sending mixed signals on Venezuela military action Press TV 02 May 2019 -- American officials and military commanders are sending mixed messages about a possible US military intervention in Venezuela as the ongoing turmoil in the Latin American country approaches a critical stage following the recent military coup attempt by the opposition.
• Russian FM Lavrov slams US 'destructive' interference in Venezuela Press TV 02 May 2019 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has denounced Washington's "destructive" support for Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido, who lately claimed the backing of the armed forces in a short-lived coup against President Nicolas Maduro.
• Brutal Repression' Of Venezuelan People 'Must End,' Trump Says As Lavrov, Pompeo Agree To Meet Next Week RFE/RL 02 May 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has appealed for a swift end to the "brutal repression" of the Venezuelan people, after U.S.-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido's call for a military uprising appeared to fall short.
• Venezuela Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Opposition Politician Leopoldo Lopez Sputnik 02 May 2019 -- Earlier, Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said that Venezuelan opposition politician Leopoldo Lopez had not applied for asylum. Lopez took refuge in the Spanish embassy in Caracas after fleeing house arrest.
• Sudan protesters flood to capital as standoff with military drags on Press TV 02 May 2019 -- Crowds of Sudanese demonstrators have begun converging outside the army headquarters in the capital Khartoum for a "million-strong" march to press for a civilian rule.
• Belarus Says 'Clean' Russian Oil Arriving Again Via Druzhba Pipeline RFE/RL 02 May 2019 -- Belarus's state-run oil-transport firm Belneftekhim says "clean" Russian oil shipments have begun to arrive in Belarus via the Druzhba pipeline after a weeklong shutdown caused by the contamination of Russian supplies.
• Japan wants to 'break shell of distrust' with North Korea Press TV 02 May 2019 -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he is ready to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "unconditionally" in what could potentially lead to the restoration of ties between Tokyo and Pyongyang.
• US attempting to lobby UN against Iran's missile work: UN envoy Press TV 02 May 2019 -- Iran's envoy to the UN has denounced US attempts to portray Tehran's conventional missile program as a breach of Security Council Resolution 2231 that endorsed a 2015 nuclear deal, saying Washington must first explain why it has, itself, violated that international document by abandoning the landmark agreement.
• Zarif: Iran will never submit to US pressures Press TV 02 May 2019 -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says hard as it may be, Iran will never succumb to pressures being exerted on it by the United States.
• It's impossible to exclude Iran oil from market: OPEC secretary-general Press TV 02 May 2019 -- Speaking from Tehran, the OPEC chief says it is "impossible" to eliminate Iranian crude from the global market, as the United States steps up a Saudi-sponsored push to force Tehran's crude exports to "zero" as part of its unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
• Iran mission to UN slams US for violating Resolution 2231, pressuring others to do so Press TV 02 May 2019 -- Iran's mission to the UN has blasted the US for violating Resolution 2231 – which endorsed a 2015 multilateral nuclear deal – and "shamelessly" threatening other UN members to do the same, saying such an approach is "destructive and hypocritical."
• Ration Rumors Spark Long Lines At Iranian Gas Stations RFE/RL 02 May 2019 -- Iranian drivers queued up in long lines at gasoline stations in the Iranian capital and several other cities on May 1 to fill their gas tanks amid rumors that gasoline rationing would go into effect on May 2.
• US Ending Iranian Oil Sanctions Waivers VOA 02 May 2019 -- The United States is tightening its economic sanctions on Iran by ending a set of waivers Thursday that had allowed some of the country's largest oil buyers to continue their purchases.
• Iran Warns Using Oil Cuts as Weapon Could Collapse OPEC Sputnik 02 May 2019 -- Iranian Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh says a US bid to cut Iran's oil exports to zero is a "pious hope," and noted that the use of oil sanctions could lead to further volatility in the global market.
• HRW: 'Mass Surveillance App' Used To Target Muslims In China's Xinjiang RFE/RL 02 May 2019 -- The Chinese authorities are using a "mass surveillance" app to profile, investigate, and detain Muslims in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says.
• Dozens Arrested in Rare Public Protests in Kazakhstan VOA 01 May 2019 -- Kazakh police arrested dozens of people Wednesday in a rare public protest against the upcoming election.
• UN Adds Pakistan-Based JeM Leader Azhar To Global Terror List RFE/RL 02 May 2019 -- The United Nations has added Masood Azhar, the leader of a Pakistan-based Islamist group, to its list of global terrorists after the organization claimed responsibility for a February suicide attack in Kashmir that killed 40 Indian soldiers.
• Power Glitch in US Segment of ISS Fixed, Station Back to Full Power - NASA Sputnik 02 May 2019 -- As NASA explained it earlier, on 29 April the ISS team identified an issue with one of the station's Main Bus Switching Units that distributes power to two of the eight power channels on the station.
• NASA Says It Lost $700 Million in Failed Rocket Launches Due to Fraud Scheme Sputnik 02 May 2019 -- A company that supplied faulty aluminium parts for rocket launches will pay $46 million to NASA, the Department of Defence, and other victims of its fraud scheme.
• Kosovo's President Says U.S. Help Needed To Normalize Relations With Serbia RFE/RL 02 May 2019 -- Kosovo's President Hashim Thaci has said Washington must have a "leading role" in the process of normalizing relations with Serbia because the European Union is too "weak" and "not united."
• Rage Over South Africa Corruption Turns Off Voters VOA 02 May 2019 -- For many South African voters, the government's struggle with corruption – which in the past five years has provoked numerous inquiries, dominated headlines, and even forced out former President Jacob Zuma – isn't about the staggering scope of the problem, though a minister in the ruling African National Congress has estimated that corruption could be costing the economy nearly $2 billion every year.