Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Taliban Insurgents Assault Key Afghan City as Peace Talks Continue VOA 31 Aug 2019 -- The Taliban staged a "large-scale" predawn attack Saturday on an important city in northern Afghanistan, even as leaders of the insurgent group are engaged in marathon peace talks with the United States on ending the deadly war.
• Taliban militants attack Afghan city amid 'peace talks' with US Press TV 31 Aug 2019 -- The Taliban have launched a massive offensive against Afghanistan's strategic city of Kunduz in the midst of reports that the militant group and the US are close to a "peace" deal.
• Taliban Launch 'Massive' Attack On Afghan City Of Kunduz Amid Peace Talks RFE/RL 31 Aug 2019 -- Taliban militants have launched a major attack on one of Afghanistan's largest cities, despite holding talks with the United States aimed at ending the country's nearly 18-year conflict.
• Trump Says Taliban Talks Going Well, But No Deal Yet Amid Reports Of Lawmakers' Unease RFE/RL 31 Aug 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump says negotiations are going well with the Taliban but that the sides have not yet reached a deal over a U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.
• Afghanistan's Taliban Movement Says Attacked Northern City of Kunduz Killing 10 Policemen Sputnik 31 Aug 2019 -- The Taliban movement said on Saturday that 10 Afghan national police officers had been killed in the group's attacks on four areas of the country's northern city of Kunduz.
• Bolton Excluded From Afghan Policy Decisions After Irritating Trump - Reports Sputnik 31 Aug 2019 -- White House National Security Adviser John Bolton has been kept out of any discussions related to the ongoing US-Taliban negotiations because his opposition to diplomacy has irritated President Donald Trump, US media reported.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Trump Revealed US Top-Secret Military Spy Tech by Posting Iranian Launch Site Pic, Experts Claim Sputnik 31 Aug 2019 -- An image of a failed Iranian launch tweeted by the US President set experts and netizens on their toes, as the high resolution of the photo cannot be achieved with known satellite technology.
• Navy Helicopter Squadrons in Florida Set to HURREVAC NNS 31 Aug 2019 -- Commander, Helicopter Maritime Strike Wing Atlantic (CHSMWL) has ordered aircraft at Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville and Naval Station (NS) Mayport to set Sortie Condition Alpha and evacuate on Sept. 1 as Hurricane Dorian heads toward Florida's Atlantic Coast.
• Russian Military Launches Manoeuvrable Iskander Missile Sputnik 31 Aug 2019 -- Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the defence ministry to analyse the potential threats emanating from recent US ground-based missile testing activities which followed the US move to scrap a key arms treaty, and to formulate a "symmetrical response." Putin noted that Russia wouldn't allow itself to be dragged into an arms race.
• General Staff of Armed Forces highlights sustainable security achieved by air defense IRNA 31 Aug 2019 -- General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic in a statement issued on the occasion of the formation of Khatam ul-Anbia Air Defense Base on September 1 emphasized that powerful air defense has provided lasting security for the country's air borders.
• Army Cmdr says any "impudence" of enemy will be thwarted strongly IRNA 31 Aug 2019 -- The commander of the ground forces of the Army of Iran said in a ceremony held on the occasion of the Government Week that Iran will not leave unanswered any impudence on the part of the enemy.
• Iran Navy to stage maneuver in Caspian Sea in near future: Commander Press TV 31 Aug 2019 -- Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi says a massive four-day war game will be held in the Caspian Sea in near future with the purpose of boosting collective security in the region.
• Experts: Muted US Criticism of North Korea's Missile Tests Emboldens Its Weapons Program VOA 31 Aug 2019 -- Muted U.S. criticism of North Korea's missile tests is encouraging Pyongyang to escalate its weapons program, undermining Washington's own diplomatic efforts aimed at denuclearization, experts have told VOA in recent days.
• Japanese Defence Ministry Requests Record $50Mln Budget for 2020 Fiscal Year Sputnik 31 Aug 2019 -- Japan may spend a record 5.32 trillion yen (about $50 billion) on defence in 2020, amid rising tensions with its neighbors in the Asia-Pacific, if the Defence Ministry's budget request, which it made public on its website, is approved.
• Captain Admits 'a Flood a Week' on Board UK Royal Navy's Most Powerful Warship Sputnik 31 Aug 2019 -- Last month, the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier sprang a leak, forcing the UK Royal Navy's flagship to cut its five-week long sea trials short and return to port in Portsmouth, UK.
• Uzbekistan's New Security Powerhouse: The National Guard RFE/RL 31 Aug 2019 -- For more than 25 years, Uzbekistan's National Security Service (SNB) was the most feared law enforcement body in Uzbekistan. So when Shavkat Mirziyoev took over as president and soon moved to not only rein in the SNB but criticize and humiliate the security service for years of abuse, the people of Uzbekistan welcomed the SNB's relegation.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• Tokyo Lodges Protest With Seoul Over South Korean Lawmakers' Visit to Disputed Islands Sputnik 31 Aug 2019 -- Kenji Kanasugi, the director general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, on Saturday lodged a protest with Seoul over of the visit of South Korean lawmakers to the disputed Liancourt Rocks islands.
• UAE-backed separatists arrest scores of pro-Saudi forces in Aden Press TV 31 Aug 2019 -- Southern Yemeni separatists, who are supported by the United Arab Emirates, say they have arrested dozens of rival Saudi-backed militants in Aden after they withdrew from the port city following airstrikes by the UAE.
• UAE calls Saudi-backed militants terrorist, reveals deep rift in anti-Yemen coalition Press TV 31 Aug 2019 -- The United Arab Emirates has termed Saudi-backed elements operating in southern Yemen "terrorist militias," exposing a deep rift between the two camps leading a coalition in a bloody war on Yemen.
• Yemeni Vice President Appreciates Saudi Support to Complete Yemen's Battle for Liberation SPA 31 Aug 2019 -- Yemeni Vice President Lt. Gen. Ali Mohsen Saleh expressed appreciation for Saudi Arabia's support and continued interest in completing the Yemen's battle for liberation and expelling the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist militia.
• At least 45 militants killed in post-truce missile attack in Syria's Idlib: Monitor Press TV 31 Aug 2019 -- At least 45 foreign-backed militants have been killed in a missile attack in Syria's embattled province of Idlib, says a UK-based monitor.
• Syrian army starts observing ceasefire in Idlib de-escalation zone Press TV 31 Aug 2019 -- Syrian government forces have started implementing a unilateral ceasefire in the de-escalation zone of Syria's embattled northwestern province of Idlib, which is the last major stronghold of foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants in the crisis-plagued Arab country.
• Pentagon Confirms Carrying Out Strike on al-Qaeda-Linked Terrorists in Idlib, Syria Sputnik 31 Aug 2019 -- Earlier this month, the Syrian Army launched an offensive in the province, citing militants' constant violations of a ceasefire, and has liberated multiple settlements, including Khan Sheikhoun, which had served as a major strongpoint for anti-government militias and terrorist groups.
• New Ceasefire in Syria's Idlib to Enter Into Force on Saturday Sputnik 31 Aug 2019 -- A new ceasefire will enter into force in the Idlib de-escalation zone in northwestern Syria on Saturday.
• Turkey Warns of Launching Own Offensive in Northern Syria Sputnik 31 Aug 2019 -- Turkey intends to launch its own long-promised military operation against Kurdish forces in Syria to the east of the Euphrates River if the United States fails to meet Ankara's conditions for a safe zone within several weeks, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday.
• Hezbollah determined to respond to Israeli drone incursion: Nasrallah Press TV 31 Aug 2019 -- Leader of the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah says the group is decided to give a response to Israel over its recent drone incursion into Lebanon.
• Hezbollah to hit targets deep inside Israel in case of new war on Lebanon: Official Press TV 31 Aug 2019 -- A senior Hezbollah official says the Lebanese resistance movement will hit targets deep inside the Israeli-occupied territories in case the Tel Aviv regime launches a new war of aggression against Lebanon.
• IDF Postpones Massive Drills, Redeploys Troops Amid Hezbollah Attack Threat - Report Sputnik 31 Aug 2019 -- The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have called off massive military maneuvers slated for next week and instead kicked off preparing ground, air and naval troops for the possibility of a major attack by Hezbollah, amid continuing threats from the Lebanese-based group, local media reported Saturday.
• Hezbollah Leader Dismisses Israeli 'Missile Factory' Claims, Accuses Netanyahu of Seeking Pretext for Attack Sputnik 31 Aug 2019 -- On Thursday, the Israeli military accused Iran's Revolutionary Guards of working "inside Lebanon" alongside Hezbollah to try to create missile factories to build weapons which can attack Israel.
• UN chief and senior officials show solidarity with DR Congo during three-day visit UN News 31 Aug 2019 -- United Nations chief António Guterres and senior members of the UN, have embarked on a three-day visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where civilians are facing insecurity and ongoing health crises, including a year-long Ebola epidemic which has claimed more than 2,000 lives.
• Washington Names Matthew Palmer As Special Envoy To Western Balkans RFE/RL 31 Aug 2019 -- The U.S. State Department says it has appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary Matthew Palmer as the special representative for the Western Balkans with a mandate to help integrate the region into Western institutions.
• 9 FARC Rebels Killed in Raid by Colombian Military VOA 31 Aug 2019 -- The Colombian military has killed nine rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces in Colombia (FARC), President Ivan Duque said.
• Georgian Deputy FM: Russia Exclusively to Blame Over Latest Tensions VOA 31 Aug 2019 -- A senior Georgian official Friday said demands by Russian-backed separatists in occupied South Ossetia that Georgia remove a police observation tower could cause a "serious confrontation" between the breakaway regions and Georgian authorities.

News Reports

• Venezuela Says it Has Proof Colombian Paramilitary Training Camps Used in Anti-Maduro Plot Sputnik 31 Aug 2019 -- In March 2019, Venezuelan Communication Minister Jorge Rodriguez said that the country's opposition, headed by self-proclaimed President Juan Guaido, had recruited killers and paramilitaries and then sent them to Colombia for training.
• Sudan's Bashir Claims in Testimony He Received Undeclared Currency Worth Over $27Mln From Saudi Crown Prince Sputnik 31 Aug 2019 -- Sudan's former President Omar Bashir claimed on Saturday during his first court hearing that the millions of undeclared dollars, which the authorities found in his apartment, had been given to him by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to be donated to Sudanese organizations.
• Russia maps five new islands after student discovered them in the Arctic Press TV 31 Aug 2019 -- A Russian Arctic expedition has mapped five new islands in the country's north, three years after a student spotted them in satellite imagery.
• Fifteen Years On, Beslan Victims Still Demand 'A Worthy Investigation' RFE/RL 31 Aug 2019 -- On September 1, 2004, School No. 1 in Beslan, North Ossetia, welcomed children back after the summer break. There were nerves and excitement as a crowd of 1,128 parents, teachers, and pupils lined up in the courtyard at 9 a.m. for a ceremonial assembly ringing in the new school year.
• Fifteen Years After Beslan Tragedy, Emotions Still Run High RFE/RL 31 Aug 2019 -- It started 15 years ago as a hostage taking in a small town in southern Russia. It ended three days later in bloodshed that left hundreds dead, the majority of them children, in one of the worst terror attacks in Russian history.
• Thousands March In Moscow Protest Defying Authorities RFE/RL 31 Aug 2019 -- Thousands of Russians defied authorities and marched in central Moscow, ignoring officials' warnings and pressing demands to let independent candidates run in upcoming city council elections.
• Taiwan vows to join int'l efforts to sanction NKorea oil transports CNA 31 Aug 2019 -- Taiwan on Saturday vowed to join the international community's efforts to sanction North Korea, as the United States included into its sanctions list several Taiwanese individuals and shipping companies allegedly involved in covertly trading petroleum products with Pyongyang.
• Chinese Foreign Minister to Visit DPRK KCNA 31 Aug 2019 -- Wang Yi, state councilor and minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, will soon visit the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at the invitation of DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho. -0-
• DPRK Will Always Emerge Victorious with Its Strong Military Muscle for Self-Defense: Rodong Sinmun KCNA 31 Aug 2019 -- A series of news upon the development and completion of weapons of Juche demonstrating the powerful military muscle of socialist Korea is infusing the Korean people with greater pride and honor of being citizens of a powerful nation and confidence in and optimism about sure victory, says Rodong Sinmun Saturday in an article.
• Press Statement by First Vice-Foreign Minister of DPRK KCNA 31 Aug 2019 -- Choe Son Hui, first vice-foreign minister of the DPRK, released the following statement on Saturday:
• Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Inspects Yangdok County Hot Spring Resort under Construction KCNA 31 Aug 2019 -- Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and supreme commander of the armed forces of the DPRK, gave field guidance to the construction site of the Yangdok County Hot Spring Resort.
• Pompeo's 'thoughtless' remarks on North Korea make talks more difficult: Pyongyang Press TV 31 Aug 2019 -- North Korea says recent "thoughtless" remarks made by US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, about Pyongyang's behavior will make resumption of talks with Washington even more difficult.
• North Korean Diplomat Says Pompeo's Comment on 'Rogue' Pyongyang May Stifle Dialogue With US Sputnik 31 Aug 2019 -- Recent remarks made by US State Secretary Mike Pompeo on North Korea's "rogue behavior" make future dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang difficult, North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said on Saturday.
• Zarif says Iran to sell its oil to all buyers IRNA 31 Aug 2019 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif referred to US complains against Iran، saying Iran will sell its oil to all buyers.
• Iran urges EU states to seriously act on JCPOA commitments IRNA 31 Aug 2019 -- Iran Ambassador to Slovakia Abdollah Molaie called on the EU states to take more serious and responsive measures to implement commitments to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
• US imposes fresh sanctions on Adrian Darya oil tanker IRNA 31 Aug 2019 -- US Department of Treasury imposed fresh sanctions on Adrian Darya, the tanker carrying Iran oil released by Gibraltar.
• Araghchi: Full implementation of JCPOA depends on meeting Iran's demands IRNA 31 Aug 2019 -- Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araghchi said that export of oil and restoring banking ties are Iran's basic demand from the parties to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
• US shows flexibility in issuing waivers for Iran's oil sales: Araghchi ISNA 31 Aug 2019 -- Iranian deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Abbas Araghchi stressed that Iran's return to full implementation of 2015 nuclear deal is condition on the country's legal demands, such as oil sales and banking ties, fully met.
• France's Macron hails Iran commitment to talks amid nuclear standoff Press TV 31 Aug 2019 -- French President Emmanuel Macron has praised Iran's commitment to talks on how to resolve a standoff over its nuclear program.
• Iran will sell oil to any & all buyers despite US piracy, threats: FM Zarif Press TV 31 Aug 2019 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the United States resorts to "piracy and threats" to stop Iran's oil sales but the Islamic Republic will continue to "sell oil to any and all buyers."
• US showing 'some flexibility' on Iran oil sales: Iran deputy FM Press TV 31 Aug 2019 -- The Iranian deputy foreign minister for political affairs says the United States has shown "some flexibility" on the licensing of Iranian oil sales, and this showed that Washington failed in its policy of maximum pressure against Tehran.
• U.S. Sanctions Wandering Iranian Tanker, Says It's Headed For Syria RFE/RL 31 Aug 2019 -- The United States has sanctioned the Iranian oil tanker Adrian Darya 1 and its captain under an executive order that "targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorism or acts of terrorism."
• US Shows Flexibility in Issue of Granting Permits for Iranian Oil Exports - Tehran Sputnik 31 Aug 2019 -- Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Saturday that the United States had demonstrated certain flexibility regarding the possibility of granting permits for Iranian oil sales in exchange for Tehran's full compliance with the nuclear deal.
• 19th CPC Central Committee to hold fourth plenary session in October People's Daily 31 Aug 2019 -- The fourth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) will be held in October in Beijing, according to a decision made at a CPC Central Committee Political Bureau meeting on Friday.
• Commentary: violence kidnapping HK's future should not be tolerated People's Daily 31 Aug 2019 -- For the past two months, the violence of radical demonstrators in Hong Kong has escalated, causing more harm to social stability. The Hong Kong police noted that nearly 900 protestors have been arrested so far, while more legal actions will be carried out in an effort to bring the perpetrators to justice. The central government firmly supports the HK SAR government, as well as the actions of the HK police against violence in accordance with the law. The central government also expressed its firm stance on safeguarding national sovereignty, security, development as well as Hong Kong's prosperity and stability, stressing the importance of stopping violence from stealing the future of Hong Kong.
• China Lodges Protest Over US Senators' Comments on Situation in Hong Kong Sputnik 31 Aug 2019 -- China lodged protest with Washington on Saturday over statements made by two US senators concerning its handling of the protests in its semi-autonomous city of Hong Kong, the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Hong Kong office said.
• Pro-Democracy Protesters, Police Again Clash in Hong Kong VOA 31 Aug 2019 -- Pro-democracy protesters clashed with police in Hong Kong Saturday as they took to the streets for the 13th straight weekend in defiance of a government ban on demonstrations.
• China's KZ-1A rocket launches two satellites Global Times 31 Aug 2019 -- Two satellites for technological experiments are sent into space by a Kuaizhou-1A, or KZ-1A, carrier rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gansu Province, on Aug. 31, 2019.
• Indian government makes nearly 2 million people, mostly Muslims, stateless in Assam Press TV 31 Aug 2019 -- Nearly two million people, most of them expected to be Muslims, in northeast India are left facing statelessness as the Indian government seeks to weed out "foreign infiltrators."
• Over 1.9 Million Residents of India's Assam Declared Non-Citizens in Court-Monitored Headcount Sputnik 31 Aug 2019 -- India's first campaign to identify genuine citizens in the northeastern state of Assam, which has seen a tide of illegal migration from Bangladesh, has published a final headcount. The process of updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam started in 2013 with a Supreme Court of India mandate.
• 2 Million in India's Assam State Face Prospect of Becoming Stateless VOA 31 Aug 2019 -- About two million people living in India's northeastern state of Assam face the unnerving prospect of becoming stateless as authorities wind down a mammoth process to identify illegal immigrants.
• US court say travelers can sue TSA over abusive airport screeners Press TV 31 Aug 2019 -- A US appeals court says travelers can sue the American government over abusive conduct by federal airport screeners because the agents can act like law enforcement officers, including when they conduct invasive searches.
• Individual Who Planned Attack in Queens Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS US Dept. of Justice 30 Aug 2019 -- Awais Chudhary Recorded Videos and Took Photos of the Flushing Bay Promenade And the World's Fair Marina in Preparation for an Attack
• Uganda Returns 5 to DRC; All Had Contact With Ebola Victim VOA 30 Aug 2019 -- Uganda's Health Ministry on Friday evening repatriated five Congolese people who had contact with a 9-year-old girl with Ebola to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• China, Philippines common interests "far greater" than differences: Premier Li Global Times 31 Aug 2019 -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Friday that the common interests between China and the Philippines far outweigh the differences in his meeting with visiting Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
• Philippine gov't hails China's commitment to boost bilateral trade Global Times 31 Aug 2019 -- The Philippines government on Friday hailed China's commitment to enhance trade relations and buy more agricultural and agri-based products from the Philippines.
• China, Philippines common interests "far greater" than differences: Premier Li People's Daily 31 Aug 2019 -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Friday that the common interests between China and the Philippines far outweigh the differences in his meeting with visiting Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.