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News Reports

Current Operations

• Ending war only 'real hope' for prosperous Afghanistan: UN mission chief UN News 26 Dec 2019 -- Only by ending the war in Afghanistan can there be "real hope" for a prosperous future for the country, the top UN official there said on Thursday.
• Afghan Presidential Hopeful Hekmatyar Says Peace Impossible in Presence of Foreign Troops Sputnik 26 Dec 2019 -- Peace cannot come to Afghanistan until foreign troops leave the country, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a presidential candidate in the recent Afghan election, said on Thursday, calling for a national unity government that would negotiate the withdrawal of such forces.
• Suicide Car Bomb Hits Afghan Army Compound RFE/RL 26 Dec 2019 -- At least six Afghan soldiers have been killed in a powerful suicide car bombing that targeted a military compound in the country's northern Balkh Province in the early morning of December 26, officials say.
• Kidnapped Afghan Peace Marchers 'Released Without Harm' RFE/RL 26 Dec 2019 -- Twenty-seven Afghan peace activists who were kidnapped by the Taliban in the country's west have been freed "after being held by the militants for 45 hours," an official has said.
• Afghan war has caused over 100,000 civilian casualties since 2009: UN Press TV 26 Dec 2019 -- The United Nations says more than 100,000 civilians have been killed or injured over the past decade across Afghanistan, as it renews calls for an end to the longest US military intervention.
• SecAF visits service members at Nigerien Air Base 201 US Air Force 26 Dec 2019 -- Secretary of the Air Force Barbara M. Barrett traveled to Agadez, Niger, to meet and thank personnel at Nigerien Air Base 201 during the holidays, Dec. 21-22.

Defense Policy / Programs

• F-16 downs drone during cruise missile defense testing US Air Force 26 Dec 2019 -- The 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron shot down a subscale drone using an AGR-20A Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System laser-guided rocket Dec. 19, providing a proof of concept for using rockets queued from an F-16 Fighting Falcon targeting pod as viable munitions to perform cruise missile defense.
• USS Ross Arrives in Ukraine NNS 26 Dec 2019 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) arrived in Odessa, Ukraine, Dec. 24 for a scheduled port visit as part of its continued Black Sea presence and support to regional partners.
• Sub Tender Frank Cable Completes Sea Trials NNS 26 Dec 2019 -- The submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40) returned to Guam after completing sea trials Dec. 19.
• USS Detroit Gives Back in Jamaica NNS 26 Dec 2019 -- Sailors assigned to USS Detroit (LCS 7) participated in two community relations events during a port visit to Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Dec. 20.
• Squadron Wraps Up Diesel-Electric Submarine Event With Peruvian Navy NNS 26 Dec 2019 -- Submarine Squadron 11 (CSS-11) hosted a ceremony concluding the 2019 Diesel-Electric Submarine Initiative (DESI) program with the diesel-electric Peruvian Submarine BAP Angamos (SS-31) on Naval Base Point Loma Dec. 19.
• Russia's Aerospace Forces to Receive Large-Scale Deliveries of Su-57 Jets in 2020 - Rostec Sputnik 26 Dec 2019 -- Russia's aerospace forces will receive large-scale deliveries of Su-57 fighter jets starting from 2020, Russia's Rostec State Corporation CEO Sergei Chemezov said Thursday.
• UK Warship Shadows Russian Training Vessel Through English Channel - Reports Sputnik 26 Dec 2019 -- A UK Royal Navy patrol ship escorted a Russian training vessel through the English Channel on Christmas Eve, the Sky News broadcaster reported on Thursday.
• China's first indigenous aircraft carrier transits Taiwan Strait CNA 26 Dec 2019 -- China's first domestically-built aircraft carrier "Shandong" is sailing through the Taiwan Strait as of Thursday evening, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) said in a statement.
• China Sails Carrier Through Taiwan Strait VOA 26 Dec 2019 -- Taiwan's Defense Ministry said Thursday that China had sailed its newest aircraft carrier through the Taiwan Strait for a second time.
• China vows to take countermeasures against US defense bill Global Times 26 Dec 2019-- China on Thursday excoriated certain provisions in a recently adopted US defense bill that puts restrictions on Chinese products and companies, vowing to take "necessary" countermeasures if the US hurts Chinese interests.
• Beijing slams U.S. defense act targeting China PLA Daily 26 Dec 2019-- China strongly opposes the United States including clauses that interfere with China's domestic affairs in its 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, which was signed into law on December 20, China's Ministry of National Defense said Thursday.
• China denounces US's 2020 defense bill for interfering in Taiwan, Hong Kong's affairs Press TV 26 Dec 2019 -- The Chinese government has scathingly lambasted as "gross interference" in China's domestic affairs the contents of the US National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020.
• China opposes US's 2020 defense bill for targeting Chinese firms Press TV 26 Dec 2019 -- China says it opposes the articles of the US defense draft bill for 2020 that target Chinese firms.
• Pentagon Says Monitoring Russia-Iran-China Naval Drills, Will Work to Ensure Freedom of Navigation Sputnik 26 Dec 2019 -- The United States is monitoring joint Iran-Russia-China naval drills in the Indian Ocean and will cooperate with allies to ensure the freedom of navigation, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Robertson said on Thursday.
• China to send guided-missile destroyer to joint drills with Iran, Russia Press TV 26 Dec 2019 -- China says it is to dispatch a guided-missile destroyer to the joint naval drills with Iran and Russia -- which are to be held not only to hone the trio's maritime security and anti-piracy prowess, but also to demonstrate their close alliance.
• China Assures Naval Drills in Gulf of Oman With India and Russia Unrelated to Regional Tensions Sputnik 26 Dec 2019 -- According to Defence Ministry spokesman, the four-day drills starting this Friday would be "a normal, routine exercise… which is in line with international laws".
• India Moves to Improve Combat Readiness of Russian-Origin Fighter Jets, Tanks Sputnik 26 Dec 2019 -- Around 70% of equipment and platforms like warships, submarines, fighter jets, and tanks being used by the Indian Armed Forces are of Russian origin. Hence, it is expected that a new policy document issued by the Defence Ministry will enhance the operational readiness of the equipment.
• Israel Unveils Laser System That Would Shoot Down Balloons and Drones Launched From Gaza Strip Sputnik 26 Dec 2019 -- The weapon was developed for police and the Israel Defence Forces by three engineers from the private sector, working together with researchers at Ben Gurion University.
• Imran Khan Government Challenges Supreme Court Verdict on Army Chief's Extension Sputnik 26 Dec 2019 -- The cabinet of Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has twice approved a three-year extension for the country's Army Chief, citing a worsening national security situation in the region over its rivalry with India. A Pakistani army chief usually serves for three years.
• Ukraine Signs Deal with US for 2nd Batch of Javelin Systems - Deputy Defenсe Minister Sputnik 26 Dec 2019 -- Ukraine signed a deal with the United States to receive the second batch of anti-tank missile systems Javelin, Deputy Defen?e Minister Anatolii Petrenko said.

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Dec. 26, 2019

Other Conflicts

• Deadly attack on Yemen market 3rd in just over month, UN says Press TV 26 Dec 2019 -- The United Nations has strongly condemned the recent attack against a popular market in Yemen's mountainous northwestern province of Sa'ada, describing it as the third deadly assault on the same location in just over a month.
• The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen: Referral of A Targeting Operation Result to the Joint Incident Assessment Team (JIAT) to Assess the Possibility of Incidental Losses and Collateral Damage SPA 26 Dec 2019 -- The Official Spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, COL Turki Al-Malki issued the following statement:
• Nearly dozen Yemeni oil tankers detained in Saudi Arabia's Jizan port: Oil firm Press TV 26 Dec 2019 -- A Yemeni government-owned oil and natural gas exploration and production company says nearly a dozen ships carrying energy derivatives destined for the conflict-plagued Arab country remain in the hands of the Saudi-led coalition despite the fact the vessels possess the required permits from relevant international bodies.
• Syrian forces retake more terrorist-held towns in Idlib Province Press TV 26 Dec 2019 -- Syrian troops have liberated several key villages and adjoining farms during a large-scale counter-terrorism offensive in the northwestern province of Idlib.
• Syria says planning to sue US for stealing its oil resources Press TV 26 Dec 2019 -- A senior advisor to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says Damascus plans to file a lawsuit against Washington for plundering the Arab country's oil resources.
• Syrian Army Liberates Several More Settlements in Eastern Idlib - Source Sputnik 26 Dec 2019 -- Syrian government troops on 26 December liberated several villages and smaller settlements in the eastern part of the Idlib province during a large-scale counterterrorism offensive, a Sputnik correspondent reported, citing a military source.
• Russian military police enter base in Syria's Raqqah as US troops leave Press TV 26 Dec 2019 -- Russian military police have taken control of a base near Syria's northern city of Raqqah only a few days after US servicemen left the site, which lies in a strategic area at a crossroads linking the strategic city with the central and northern regions of the war-ravaged country.
• Turkey will soon pass bill to send troops to Libya: President Erdogan Press TV 26 Dec 2019 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the Turkish parliament will soon pass a bill to send military forces to Libya as Tripoli has offered an "invitation" for the deployment.
• Erdogan: Turkish Parliament to Vote on Sending Troops to Libya VOA 26 Dec 2019 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday lawmakers will vote in early January on a measure seeking authorization to send troops to Libya in support of the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli.
• Libya's Government of National Accord Officially Requests Turkey's Military Aid Sputnik 26 Dec 2019 -- The office of Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) officially requested Turkey's military aid.
• Arab League Warns Foreign Interference Will Only Prolong Libyan Crisis Sputnik 26 Dec 2019 -- Foreign interference in Libya's affairs will only prolong the internal conflict and add to the suffering of Libyan people, the League of Arab States (LAS) said on Thursday, amid the Turkish president's plans to get a mandate to send troops to the conflict-hit country.
• Eastern-Based Libyan Administration Calls Turkey's Offer of Troops to GNA 'Provocation' Sputnik 26 Dec 2019 -- The spokesman for the speaker of Libya's eastern-based parliament has called Turkey's offer to send troops to the aid of the rival Government of National Accord a ploy to sow discord among eastern forces.
• Russia Opposes Meddling in Libyan Affairs as Turkey Vows to Send Troops to Conflict-Torn Country Sputnik 26 Dec 2019 -- The Turkish leader approved earlier in the day the memorandum on military cooperation with the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA), recently ratified by the Turkish parliament. Erdogan has said that Turkey may send its troops to Libya if the GNA makes such a request.
• Haftar's Army Accuses Turkey of Smuggling Daesh, Nusra Terrorists to Libya Via Tunisia Sputnik 26 Dec 2019 -- Turkey smuggles Syria-based militants from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly known as Al-Nusra Front), and Daesh* to Libya via Tunisia, the Libyan National Army (LNA) spokesman told Egypt's El-Watan newspaper on Wednesday.
• Around Dozen Soldiers Killed in Another Burkina Faso Attack - Reports Sputnik 26 Dec 2019 -- The small West African nation has been fighting Islamist groups linked to al-Qaeda* and Daesh* terrorist organizations since 2016.
• Local NLD Leader Killed by Mortar Blast in Myanmar's War-Ravaged Rakhine State Radio Free Asia 26 Dec 2019 -- A political party leader in Myanmar's Rakhine state abducted by the Arakan Army nearly two weeks ago for organizing a public rally in support of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi was killed in a mortar attack Wednesday, a spokesman for the rebel ethnic force said.
• Japanese Ambassador Voices Support For Myanmar on Genocide Charges Radio Free Asia 26 Dec 2019 -- Japan believes that Myanmar did not commit state-sponsored genocide against Rohingya Muslims during a 2017 military-led crackdown that left thousands dead and drove more than 740,000 out of the country, Japan's ambassador to Myanmar said Monday, despite legal action being taken on such charges in international courts.
• Doctors Without Borders Quits a DRC Ebola Operation VOA 26 Dec 2019 -- Medical aid group Doctors Without Borders says it has stopped Ebola prevention operations and other services in a town in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The group said it took the action because of the presence of armed government forces inside several health facilities in Biakato, which is in Ituri province, just north of North Kivu. Both provinces are struggling to control the epidemic.
• Israeli military conducts new attacks on besieged Gaza enclave Press TV 26 Dec 2019 -- Israeli warplanes, choppers, and navy boats have conducted new attacks on the Gaza Strip, targeting several positions in the north, west and south of the besieged enclave.
• Israeli Defence Forces Say Struck Hamas Targets in Response to Rocket Fired From Gaza Sputnik 26 Dec 2019 -- Earlier in the day, the Israeli military intercepted a missile launched from the Gaza Strip in southern Israel as Jews celebrate Hanukkah from 22 to 30 December.
• 6 soldiers reportedly killed in heavy border fire exchange in Kashmir Press TV 26 Dec 2019 -- Troops from India and Pakistan have exchanged heavy fire and mortar shelling along the restive Line of Control (LoC) that divides Kashmir between the two countries, with a total of six soldiers reportedly killed from both sides.
• Six Killed in Massive Border Firings between India and Pakistan Sputnik 26 Dec 2019 -- The heavily militarised Indo-Pakistani border has frequently witnessed cross border exchanges of fire between the two armies, causing mainly civilian casualties on both sides.
• Several Killed in Border Clashes Between Pakistan, India VOA 26 Dec 2019 -- The latest military clashes between Pakistan and India along the disputed Kashmir border are said to have inflicted several casualties on both sides.
• Niger Interior Ministry Says 14 Soldiers Killed in Attack in Western Part of Country Sputnik 26 Dec 2019 -- Niger's Minister of Interior Mohamed Bazoum has posted a communique on Twitter saying that a convoy of National Gendarmerie officers and the National Guard of Niger, escorting teams responsible for electoral registration in the town of Sanam (department of Abala), was ambushed strained by heavily armed terrorists.
• Huge Numbers of Cameroonians Fleeing Separatist Crisis Return Home VOA 26 Dec 2019 -- Large numbers of English-speaking Cameroonians who fled the separatist crisis that has killed more than 3,000 people in three years have been returning to their homes to celebrate the Christmas and New Year holidays. Their return however is limited to major English-speaking towns as their villages remain battle grounds for separatist fighters and the military.

News Reports

• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, December 26, 2019 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 26 Dec 2019
• Russian Police Raid Navalny's Office Over Critical Video RFE/RL 26 Dec 2019 -- Russian police have raided the office of opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) in Moscow, a step he claims is an attempt to disrupt the publication of a damning investigation against the head of Russia's second-largest bank.
• Russia's Oldest Rights Group Fined 19th Time Under 'Foreign Agent' Law RFE/RL 26 Dec 2019 -- Russian human rights group Memorial has been fined for the 19th time for violating what critics say is a repressive law designed to stifle civil society and muzzle dissent.
• The Year Is Ending, But Russia's Sports-Doping Scandal Isn't RFE/RL 26 Dec 2019 -- The storm clouds were gathering, once again casting a pall over the future of Russian sports, and the country's athletes were told to prepare for the best -- even when the worst appeared inevitable.
• No North Korean 'Christmas Gift' Yet, But Deadline Looms VOA 26 Dec 2019 -- North Korea may not have delivered a so-called "Christmas gift" to the United States, at least not on Christmas Day, but U.S.-North Korea tensions appear far from resolved as Pyongyang's end-of-year deadline for nuclear talks approaches.
• Iran begins extraction of natural gas from offshore rig at South Pars Press TV 26 Dec 2019 -- Iran has officially started extracting gas from an offshore field in the Persian Gulf to add some 14.2 million cubic meters (mcm) a day to its current output of more than 800 mcm.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on December 26, 2019 PRC MofA 26 Dec 2019
• Hong Kong Police Harass Protesters, Shoppers, Residents With Searches, Checks Radio Free Asia 26 Dec 2019 -- Police in Hong Kong once more raided shopping malls in the city as protesters continued to gather for a third day of "Christmas shopping" trips, chanting slogans and calling on businesses to close for the day.
• Riot Police Storm Shopping Malls as Protests Continue in Hong Kong VOA 26 Dec 2019 -- Riot police stormed shopping malls for a third day of Christmas protests in Hong Kong on Thursday and detained a number of people after masked protesters roamed through shops, some throwing paint and disrupting restaurant services.
• US-China Phase One Deal Suggests Cease-fire, Not Long-Term Truce: Analysts VOA 26 Dec 2019 -- The U.S. and China are said to be close to signing a phase-one trade deal in early January a move that will see Washington reduce tariffs on Chinese goods, or at least temporarily calm fears of an escalating trade war between the world's two largest economies.
• Policies to benefit Taiwan compatriots People's Daily 26 Dec 2019 -- As the Democratic Progressive Party of erects barriers to cross-Straits exchanges, the mainland is concerned about the interests and well-being of the island's residents, the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office said on Wednesday.
• Chinese company successfully tests reusable liquid rocket engine Global Times 26 Dec 2019-- China's private rocket sector has achieved another major breakthrough as Beijing-based firm i-Space successfully conducted a 500-second, whole-process test run of its 15-ton reusable liquid oxygen-methane engine on Wednesday.
• Iraqi president submits resignation after rejecting nominee for prime minister Press TV 26 Dec 2019 -- Iraqi President Barham Salih has submitted his resignation to parliament after refusing to designate the nominee for premiership, Assad al-Eidani, arguing that he would rather step down than appoint the position to a figure strongly rejected by protesters.
• Iraq President Refuses to Nominate Parliament's Prime Minister Pick VOA 26 Dec 2019 -- Iraqi President Barham Saleh said Thursday he would rather resign than appoint a prime minister chosen by a bloc in parliament that is influenced by Iran.
• Netanyahu Claims 'Huge Win' in Likud Leadership Race VOA 26 Dec 2019 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed a "huge win" in Thursday's primary election for the leadership of his ruling Likud party.
• UN Rapporteur Urges Probe in Saudi Chain of Command to Find Khashoggi Murder Masterminds Sputnik 26 Dec 2019 -- The UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial or arbitrary executions, Agnes Callamard, has called on a probe into Saudi Arabia's chain of command in order to find organisers of the murder of Saudi-born journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
• Russian, Ukrainian State Gas Companies To Meet On Finalizing New Contract RFE/RL 26 Dec 2019 -- The state-owned gas companies of Russia and Ukraine are set to meet in Vienna on December 26 to finalize a new transit contract.
• Efforts underway to tackle Lebanon's financial crisis: Central bank governor Press TV 26 Dec 2019 -- The governor of the central bank of Lebanon, officially known as Banque du Liban, says efforts are underway to tackle the worsening financial crisis that has caused several businesses to close and many people to lose their jobs amid growing fears about the country's economic future.
• Drought, Dams Cause Mekong River in Laos to Turn Unhealthy Blue Radio Free Asia 26 Dec 2019 -- A section of the Mekong river in Laos has changed color from muddy brown to blue–a warning sign indicating poor health in Southeast Asia's most important waterway.
• Botswana's Ex-President Worries About Decline in Democracy, Rebuffs Corruption Claims VOA 26 Dec 2019 -- Botswana's former President Ian Khama is strongly denying allegations of corruption and voicing his concerns about the direction of the country.
• Uganda's Bobi Wine Vows to Rock Halls of Power VOA 26 Dec 2019 -- As Uganda's presidential nominations draw closer, politician Robert Kyagulanyi, better known as the musician Bobi Wine, has vowed to rock the halls of power with a run for the top job. Wine describes President Yoweri Museveni's 33 years in power as a dictatorship. Museveni has described Wine as an enemy of prosperity, and in November called for more riot police to deal with his opponent.