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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Pence drops hints of prolonged US wars in Afghanistan, Iraq Press TV 26 May 2019 -- US Vice President Mike Pence has indicated that America's might extend its ongoing military presence in Afghanistan and Iraq, telling young military graduates that they should look forward to see combat in those two countries and other parts of the world.
• Afghan Taliban Accused Of Subjecting Captives To Ill-Treatment, Torture RFE/RL 26 May 2019 -- Afghan captives held by the Taliban have been subjected to "ill-treatment and actions that may amount to torture," according to the United Nations' Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
• UN Mission in Afghanistan gravely concerned about ill-treatment of prisoners by Taliban, following first-hand testimony UN News 26 May 2019 -- The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) expressed "grave concern" on Sunday over "credible accounts" it has been given that Taliban militants have been mistreating prisoners, which in some cases "may amount to torture".
• Local Daesh Commander Killed in Raid in Eastern Afghanistan - Reports Sputnik 26 May 2019 -- A local Daesh* commander and four militants were killed in a raid carried out by the Afghan Special forces in Nangarhar province in the east of the country, local media reported on Saturday.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Russia Launches New Icebreaker As It Seeks To Dominate Arctic RFE/RL 26 May 2019 -- Russia has launched a nuclear-powered icebreaker as it looks to strengthen its position in the Arctic Ocean to capitalize on its growing commercial potential.
• Type 055 destroyer 'pillar' of North China Sea fleet: report Global Times 26 May 2019 -- China's first 10,000-ton-class Type 055 destroyer Nanchang is reportedly joining the North China Sea Fleet of the People's Liberation Army Navy, a move that Chinese military experts hailed as crucial to the fleet's combat capability.
• China's new cybersecurity rule indicates possible retaliation against US Global Times 26 May 2019 -- A new draft regulation on cybersecurity could set the stage for Chinese regulators to take necessary action against US technology companies if their products and services are found to pose a threat to China's national security, an industry analyst said on Sunday.
• Planes to land, takeoff on freeway Tuesday in Taiwan's military drill CNA 26 May 2019 -- Fighter jets and other combat aircraft will use Taiwan's main highway as an emergency airstrip Tuesday, during this year's Han Kuang series of military exercises.
• Turkey Buys Russian S-400s Amid Threat of 'Long-Range Missile' Attack − Minister Sputnik 26 May 2019 -- For over a year now, the United States has been trying to pressure Turkey into cancelling the deal to buy advanced Russian anti-aircraft systems, but Ankara appears willing to honour its commitment regardless.
• Experts: Combine US, S. Korean Missile Systems to Boost Defense vs. North VOA 26 May 2019 -- South Korea should integrate its missile defense system with that of the U.S. to maximize the combined capabilities to counter a potential incoming flight of North Korea's missiles across the border, experts said in the wake of Pyongyang's two missile launches in early May.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• From violence to dialogue: as land conflicts intensify, UN boosts efforts to resolve disputes through mediation UN News 26 May 2019 -- The town of Kitchanga, in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), hosts the highest concentration of internally displaced people in the country, and has been one of the regions most affected by clashes between local communities, made up of Tutsis and Hutus, especially in terms of accessing land. Today, however, thanks to a UN initiative, many disputes over land in Kitchanga are resolved through dialogue instead of violence, and families can cultivate, rent and make a profit from their land.
• Yemen launches fresh retaliatory attacks on Saudi Arabia Press TV 26 May 2019 -- Yemeni armed forces have conducted fresh retaliatory attacks on Saudi Arabia's southwestern Jizan region.
• Coalition's Joint Forces Command "Coalition for Support of Legitimacy in Yemen": RSADF Intercept and Destroy Explosive-Laden Drone Launched by Houthi Terrorist Militia Towards King Abdullah Airport in Jazan SPA 26 May 2019 -- Official Spokesman for the coalition forces "coalition to support the legitimacy in Yemen" Colonel Turki Al-Malki said that at 07:14 o'clock this morning, the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces (RSADF) managed to intercept and destroy a drone carrying explosives launched by Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist militia in an attempt to target King Abdullah Airport in Jazan, being used daily by thousands of Saudis and expatriates without any regard for international humanitarian law and its customary rules, which gives special protection to civilian objects.
• Saudi Air Defence Intercepts Drone Launched by Houthis Towards Airport - Report Sputnik 26 May 2019 -- Houthi militants reportedly launched a drone attack on Saudi Arabia's Jizan Airport in the vicinity of the border with Yemen earlier today.
• 5 Civilians Dead, 12 Injured as Terrorists Shell City in Hama - Russian MoD Sputnik 26 May 2019 -- Terrorists from the the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorist group launched 38 rockets from the Idlib de-escalation zone on Syria's Al Suqaylabiyah, leaving 5 civilians dead and 12 more injured, Major General Viktor Kupchishin the commander of the Russian centre for Syrian reconciliation said on Sunday.
• SDF Forces Arrest 200 Men in Syria for Resisting Forced Recruitment - Report Sputnik 26 May 2019 -- Civilians refusing to enlist are being imprisoned or executed, sparking violent protests among locals, according to reports. In the meantime, the SDF forcibly thwarted an attempt by a group of women and children trying to escape a camp in al-Hawl.
• Iraqi sentences 3 French citizens to death over Daesh membership Press TV 26 May 2019 -- An Iraqi court has sentenced three French citizens to death over membership in the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group and involvement in acts of terror across the conflict-ridden Arab country and neighboring Syria.
• Truck bomb explosion kills five, injures eight in Iraq's Nineveh Press TV 26 May 2019 -- At least five people have lost their lives and eight others sustained injuries when a truck bomb ripped through a popular market in Iraq's northern province of Nineveh.
• Three French 'Daesh Members' Sentenced to Death in Iraq - Reports Sputnik 26 May 2019 -- Earlier, UN Special Representative for Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said that a new generation of Daesh fighters might emerge in Iraq if the issue of returning terrorists from Syria is not appropriately managed.
• Defiant renegade general in Libya 'to continue fighting' Press TV 26 May 2019 -- A Saudi-backed renegade general wreaking havoc in Libya says he will continue fighting forces loyal to the internationally-recognized government of the North African country until they are defeated.
• Militants wreak havoc in Nigerian village, kill 25 soldiers Press TV 26 May 2019 -- Suspected Daesh-linked militants have killed more than two dozen soldiers and a number of civilians in an ambush in northeast Nigeria, in the second deadly attack on the army this week.
• At least 25 Soldiers Killed in Boko Haram Ambush in Nigeria - Reports Sputnik 26 May 2019 -- At least 25 soldiers and several civilians were killed in an ambush organized by the Boko Haram militant group in northeast Nigeria, Reuters said, citing two security sources.
• Deadly Violence Mars Protest In Northwestern Pakistan RFE/RL 26 May 2019 -- Three people were killed and at least 10 others in clashes between Pakistani security forces and protesters in the country's northwestern tribal region, the military and eyewitnesses say.​
• 3 Killed in Skirmish Between Pakistan Security Forces, Rights Activists VOA 26 May 2019 -- At least three people were killed and several dozen wounded Sunday morning when Pakistan's security forces and protesters skirmished at a security checkpoint in North Waziristan.
• Separatist figure jailed in Turkey calls for end to hunger strikes Press TV 26 May 2019 -- A separatist figure jailed in Turkey has called for an end to the hunger strikes staged by a number of Kurdish legislators and prisoners in the country in solidarity with him.
• Jailed PKK Leader Calls for End to Mass Hunger Strike VOA 26 May 2019 -- Thousands of prisoners in Turkish jails have ended a 200-day-long hunger strike after jailed Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan was allowed to see his lawyer for the first time in eight years.
• US 'blind' to China's help for Tibet Autonomous Region Global Times 26 May 2019 -- As his trip to Tibet ended Saturday, US Ambassador to China Terry Branstad made unconstructive remarks that interfered with China's internal affairs, Chinese observers noted Sunday, saying that the US is blind to the successful development of the region.
• Pakistani, Indian PMs Speak For First Time Since Military Standoff RFE/RL 26 May 2019 -- Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, spoke for the first time since a military standoff earlier this year.
• 3 Dead After 2 Explosions in Nepal VOA 26 May 2019 -- Two powerful explosions in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital, killed three people and injured at least five others on Sunday.

News Reports

• Impeachment Questions Still Swirling in Washington VOA 26 May 2019 -- President Donald Trump and U.S. lawmakers are away from Washington, but questions about possible impeachment of the president continue to swirl as the White House thwarts multiple investigations led by House Democrats after the conclusion of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe. While the House could impeach, Trump is virtually assured of remaining in office as there is almost zero chance the Republican-led Senate would convict him.
• NSA cyber weapon leaked, now turned against US cities: Report Press TV 26 May 2019 -- US National Security Agency's most powerful cyber weapon has reportedly fallen into enemy hands and is being used against American cities with "alarming frequency" by the very foreign hackers it was designed to counter.
• US City of Baltimore Under Attack by NSA Cyber Weapon – Report Sputnik 26 May 2019 -- The cyber weapon was developed by the US tech spying agency to break into foreign computers, but now the US itself is under attack by the malware, and tech experts say it's the handiwork of the NSA.
• MI6 Smuggled Russia's Secrets in Tea Bag on Flight to Venezuela, UK Media Claims Sputnik 26 May 2019 -- In what seems more like a plot from a spy novel rather than an actual intelligence operation, Britain's MI6 is said to have hatched the plan together with the United States' CIA and Israel's Mossad.
• Venezuela's Guaido Demands Maduro's Exit Amid Oslo Talks Sputnik 26 May 2019 -- This call comes just hours after Norway announced that negotiations between delegations of Venezuela's legitimate president Maduro and self-imposed interim president Guaido will continue next week.
• Norway Announces New Round of Oslo Talks on Venezuelan Crisis - Statement Sputnik 26 May 2019 -- Norway's Foreign Ministry announced that his country would host another round of talks between the main political actors involved in the ongoing Venezuelan political crisis next week.
• Sudanese opposition divided over general strike Press TV 26 May 2019 -- One Sudanese opposition body has rejected a call by another for a general strike, in a first sign of differences growing within the protest movement in the African country.
• Germany-China tensions rise over military snooping claims Press TV 26 May 2019 -- A diplomatic row is brewing between Germany and China over allegations of Chinese reporters snooping around a military base during a visit by Chancellor Angela Merkel this month.
• Kim Jong Un 'small weapons' do not disturb me, Trump says Press TV 26 May 2019 -- US President Donald Trump has downplayed North Korea's missile tests amid negotiations with Washington, asserting that he is not disturbed by the "small weapons" fired by Kim Jong Un.
• Trump Downplays North Korean Missile Launches, Says Kim Will Meet Promises RFE/RL 26 May 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has downplayed recent missile launches by North Korea, saying he believes that the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, will follow through on promises he had made.
• Iran's Oil Industry dates back to 111 years ago IRNA 26 May 2019 -- Iranian oil industry dates back to 111 years ago when William Knox D'Arcy initiated investment in Iranian oilfield.
• Iran rejects claims of involvement in any 'direct, indirect' talks with US Press TV 26 May 2019 -- Iran has categorically rejected recent claims about the beginning of negotiations between the Islamic Republic and the United States with the goal of reducing tensions between the two sides.
• US in 'weakest' regional presence in history: IRGC commander Press TV 26 May 2019 -- A senior commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says the United States' presence in the Middle East is at its "weakest in history" of Washington's military presence in this region, amid spiraling tensions between the two countries.
• Iran repeats offer on non-aggression pact with Arab states Press TV 26 May 2019 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Iran has offered to sign non-aggression agreements with all countries in the Persian Gulf region and those offers are still on the table.
• Zarif Calls For Improved Ties With Gulf Neighbors Amid U.S. Tensions RFE/RL 26 May 2019 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has reiterated that his country wanted to build balanced relations with its Arab neighbors in the Persian Gulf.
• US Military in Mideast 'Weakest in History' - Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps Sputnik 26 May 2019 -- Earlier, the United States deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Persian Gulf to send a "clear and unmistakable message" to Iran.
• Baghdad Backs Tehran, Will Reject Unilateral US Action - Iraq's Foreign Minister Sputnik 26 May 2019 -- Earlier, the United States had sent at least seven warships, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, to the Gulf region.
• Iranian FM Met With Iraqi PM to Discuss Middle East Situation - Baghdad Sputnik 26 May 2019 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met with Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi in Baghdad to discuss the situation in the Middle East amid rising tensions between the Teheran and Washington, the Iraqi government said.
• In Tel Aviv, tens of thousands protest immunity for Netanyahu Press TV 26 May 2019 -- Tens of thousands of people have held a demonstration in Tel Aviv against legislative steps that could grant Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immunity from prosecution and curb the powers of the Supreme Court in his favor.
• Smaller Pro-EU Parties Surge in European Elections; Centrists Lose Seats VOA 26 May 2019 -- Smaller European parties saw a surge of support in continent-wide elections for the European Parliament in what politicians and analysts agree will likely be seen as the most consequential since 1979, when European Union voters first began casting ballots for the bloc's legislature.
• EU Votes as Nationalism, Immigration Take Center-Stage VOA 26 May 2019 -- Voters in 21 European nations streamed to the polls Sunday in the final day of pivotal elections for the European Union parliament, a continent-wide referendum pitting nationalist and populist candidates against those calling for tighter EU unity.
• Romanians Reject Controversial Changes To Anti-Corruption Laws, Judicial Reforms RFE/RL 26 May 2019 -- Exit polls suggest Romanians have overwhelmingly rejected measures seen as making it more difficult to combat rampant state corruption.
• Curse Thine Enemy: Turkmen Keep President's Foes In Ramadan Prayers RFE/RL 26 May 2019 -- Religious sermons in Turkmenistan's state-controlled mosques often find a way to praise the president and wish him health and success.