• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• 4,000 US troops ordered to deploy in Middle East amid Iraq unrest: Officials Press TV 01 Jan 2020 -- Up to 4,000 American paratroopers have been ordered to deploy to the Middle East region following mass protests outside the US embassy by Iraqi protesters infuriated over Washington's recent deadly military aggression on the Arab country.
• DoD to Immediately Deploy 750 More Soldiers to Middle East After US Embassy Attack in Iraq - Esper Sputnik 01 Jan 2020 -- On Tuesday Iraqi protesters set on fire the outside fence of the US Embassy in the capital of Baghdad, reportedly in response to American airstrikes against the Iraqi Shia Kata'ib Hezbollah militia. US officials were quick to claim that Iran had orchestrated the demonstration.
• Iraqi Paramilitaries Withdraw From U.S. Embassy In Baghdad RFE/RL 01 Jan 2020 -- Iraq's military said pro-Iran paramilitary groups have withdrawn from outside the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, a day after a mob attacked the compound, prompting U.S. authorities to deploy hundreds more troops to the region.
• Iranian-Backed Protesters Withdraw From US Embassy Compound in Baghdad VOA 01 Jan 2020 -- Iranian-backed paramilitary groups protesting U.S. airstrikes in Iraq withdrew from the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad Wednesday after a second day of protests while Tehran and Washington traded threats.
• Secretary Michael R. Pompeo's Call with Iraqi PM al-Mahdi US Dept. of State 01 Jan 2020
• Leader: US taking revenge from Iraqi Shia volunteers for fighting ISIS IRNA 01 Jan 2020 -- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Wednesday strongly condemned US air raids on Hashd al-Shaabi Iraqi Shia volunteers, saying that they are taking revenge from the Iraqi Shia group for fighting ISIS.
• US accusations against Iran aimed at distracting attentions from Iraqis' anger toward Washington: Ravanchi ISNA 01 Jan 2020 -- Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to the UN, Majid Takht Ravanchi said that US bogus accusations against Iran are aimed at distracting public opinion from their 17 years of military occupation in Iraq and killing over 300,000 innocent civilians.
• Iran warns US against showing any thoughtless, wrong reaction ISNA 01 Jan 2020 -- Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran has hit back at the US for its barefaced accusations against Iran following the recent protests in Iraq over a ferocious American military attack on the Iraqi forces.
• Trump blames Iran for demonstrators storming U.S. Embassy in Baghdad People's Daily 01 Jan 2020 -- The Iraqi paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces called Wednesday on protesters who stormed the U.S. embassy in Baghdad to withdraw, a Hashd Shaabi statement said.
• Trump Threatens Iran, Does Not See War After Baghdad Embassy Attack VOA 01 Jan 2020 -- Security forces at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq's capital used tear gas Wednesday to disperse protesters led by pro-Iran militiamen as they gathered for a second day at the diplomatic site.
• US embassy in Baghdad suspends consular operations Press TV 01 Jan 2020 -- The US Embassy in Baghdad says it has suspended all of its public consular operations, a day after thousands of Iraqi demonstrators gathered there to condemn Washington's fatal military aggression targeting Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units (PMU).
• Taliban Attacks On Afghan Security Forces Leave Dozens Dead RFE/RL 01 Jan 2020 -- At least 26 members of Afghanistan's security forces were killed in a new wave of Taliban attacks in northern Afghanistan, local officials said on January 1.
• 8 Policemen Killed in Afghanistan's Balkh Province Following Taliban Attack Sputnik 01 Jan 2020 -- Taliban militants have attacked a police checkpoint in the northern Afghan province of Balkh, leaving eight people dead and three others injured, Balkh Police Chief Ajmal Fayez said on Wednesday.
• Dozens of Afghan Forces Killed in New Taliban Attacks VOA 01 Jan 2020 -- Officials in Afghanistan said Wednesday Taliban insurgents have killed at least 28 pro-government forces in overnight attacks in the country's north.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US Army bans China's TikTok over security worries Press TV 01 Jan 2020 -- US Army soldiers have been banned from using the hugely popular short video app TikTok over a security threat, according to an Army spokeswoman.
• Upgraded JF-17 fighter jet makes maiden flight, equipped with J-20 tech: report Global Times 01 Jan 2020 -- The latest, powered-up version of the JF-17 fighter jet reportedly features technologies from China's top-notch J-20 fighter jet and made its maiden flight in December, as the warplane co-developed by China and Pakistan saw major upgrades in electronic devices that will significantly increase its combat efficiency, experts said.
• NK's new strategic weapon 'targets US' Global Times 01 Jan 2020 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the world will witness a new strategic weapon from his country in the near future, and Chinese analysts said Washington should take responsibility for the backward Korean Peninsula situation, as it didn't adopt flexibility in its policy and accept China's and Russia's proposal to ease sanctions when Pyongyang already showed its sincerity on denuclearization.
• North Korea 'to develop new strategic weapon soon,' as deadline for US passes Press TV 01 Jan 2020 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called off two years of a moratorium on nuclear and missile tests, saying that North Korea will soon develop a "new strategic weapon," after the United States missed a year-end deadline for the resumption of talks with Pyongyang.
• UN chief 'deeply concerned' following end of DPRK nuclear test moratorium UN News 01 Jan 2020 -- The UN Secretary-General is "deeply concerned" that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has ended a moratorium on nuclear and missile tests, his spokesman said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
• India, Pakistan Exchange Lists of Nuclear Facilities Amid War Threat Sputnik 01 Jan 2020 -- Despite downgrading diplomatic relations in the aftermath of a "unilateral decision" by the Indian Parliament to revoke the disputed Kashmir region's special status last August, arch-rivals India and Pakistan have continued to fulfill their formal obligations under bilateral agreements.
• Pompeo Postpones Trip To Ukraine, Belarus, Central Asia Amid Iran Tensions RFE/RL 01 Jan 2020 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has postponed his upcoming travels to Ukraine, Belarus, and two Central Asian nations due to rising tensions in Iraq and the Middle East.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• A Year of Multiple Standoffs, Few Solutions in South China Sea Dispute VOA 01 Jan 2020 -- China confirmed its lead this year in Asia's biggest maritime sovereignty dispute by sending nonmilitary ships to waters normally controlled by other countries, allowing it to flex muscle without conflicts or diplomatic losses.
• Yemeni forces shoot down another Saudi-led reconnaissance drone in Jizan Press TV 01 Jan 2020 -- Yemeni army forces, supported by allied fighters from the Popular Committees, have intercepted and targeted an unmanned aerial vehicle belonging to the Saudi-led military coalition while flying in the skies over the kingdom's southern border region of Jizan.
• Yemeni forces shoot down another Saudi-led reconnaissance drone in Jizan Press TV 01 Jan 2020 -- Yemeni army forces, supported by allied fighters from the Popular Committees, have intercepted and targeted an unmanned aerial vehicle belonging to the Saudi-led military coalition while flying in the skies over the kingdom's southern border region of Jizan.
• Russia foils militant rocket attack on its airbase in Syria's Latakia Press TV 01 Jan 2020 -- The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says Russian surface-to-air missile systems have managed to foil an attack by foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants against the strategic Hmeimim airbase in Syria's western coastal province of Latakia.
• Surge of IS Violence Seen in Syria VOA 01 Jan 2020 -- Islamic State militants have increased their terror activity in recent weeks in Syria, carrying out deadly attacks against Syrian regime troops and U.S.-backed forces.
• Turkey Will Not Send Troops to Libya If Haftar Ceases Offensive in Tripoli - Vice President Sputnik 01 Jan 2020 -- Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said that Ankara would not send its troops to Libya if the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, stopped its attack on Tripoli.
• India says 2 soldiers killed in gunfight with militants in Kashmir Press TV 01 Jan 2020 -- Two Indian soldiers have reportedly been killed in a gunfight with suspected militants along the restive Line of Control (LoC) that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
• Two Indian Army Soldiers Killed in Gunfight with Suspected Infiltrators from Pakistan Sputnik 01 Jan 2020 -- The intruders were reportedly intercepted in the Khari Thrayat forest area as they were attempting to enter India from Pakistan's side of Kashmir. The counter-offensive against the suspected infiltrators is said to still be on, media reports quoted official sources as saying.
• Mixed Reaction to Cameroon's Renewed Threats to Separatists VOA 01 Jan 2020 -- There have been mixed reactions in Cameroon to President Paul Biya's renewed threat to crush separatist fighters in the country's two English-speaking regions. Many Cameroonians were expecting Biya to announce new peace measures in an end-of-year message.
• College Teacher Convicted for Leading Al-Shabab Operations in Mogadishu VOA 01 Jan 2020 -- A college teacher who is the son of a senior police officer has been found guilty of leading al-Shabab's operations in Mogadishu for several years.
• Nigerian IDPs, Citizens Hope for Better in 2020 VOA 01 Jan 2020 -- Many Nigerian citizens are hoping for a better year in 2020. Last year, besides anxieties ahead of the general elections in February, the West African nation endured security challenges on multiple fronts. President Muhammadu Buhari has promised that his cabinet will address these issues.

News Reports

• German, U.S. Envoys Join Poland In War Of Words With Russia Over Who Started WWII RFE/RL 01 Jan 2020 -- The U.S. and German ambassadors to Poland have taken to social media to defend Warsaw in its spat with Russia over who was to blame for starting World War II.
• Cost Of Vodka, Cigarettes Climb As Russia Rings In 2020 RFE/RL 01 Jan 2020 -- President Vladimir Putin has ordered an increase in payments aimed at encouraging Russians to have more children, the second welfare initiative he has signed into law to usher in 2020.
• Report on 5th Plenary Meeting of 7th C.C., WPK KCNA 01 Jan 2020 -- The 5th Plenary Meeting of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea was held at the headquarters building of the WPK Central Committee from December 28 to 31, Juche 108 (2019).
• Kim Vows DPRK to Continue Strategic Weapons Development Unless Trump Ends Hostile Policy - Report Sputnik 01 Jan 2020 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un earlier promised a "Christmas gift" for the United States unless the Trump administration changes its stance on denuclearization. Early on Wednesday, Kim, in a statement released by the North Korean news agency KCNA, warned of a "shocking" action, vowing that the world will soon see "new strategic weapons".
• Rouhani: US sanctions deprived Iran of earning dlrs 200b IRNA 01 Jan 2020 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the US Administration should stand accountable for the dlrs-200-billion damages it inflicted on Iran by its unlawful sanctions.
• Iran not after wars: Ayatollah Khamenei ISNA 01 Jan 2020 -- On the occasion of the auspicious birth of Lady Zeinab al-Kubra (p.b.u.h.), thousands of nurses from across the country met with the Leader of the Islamic revolution, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday.
• Iran's Supreme Leader: 'If Anyone Threatens Us, We Will Unhesitatingly Confront and Strike Them' Sputnik 01 Jan 2020 -- Iraqi protesters on 31 December stormed the US Embassy in Baghdad and torched its outer fence in protest against recent US airstrikes targeting Kata'ib Hezbollah Shiite militants in Iraq and Syria.
• Iran Had A Rough Year -- And 2020 Is Likely To Be Equally Difficult RFE/RL 01 Jan 2020 -- Iran had a rough year in 2019 and the New Year is quite likely to bring just as many difficulties to the door of the Islamic republic.
• Protesters rally in Hong Kong on New Year's Day Press TV 01 Jan 2020 -- Tens of thousands of protesters have held anti-government rallies in Hong Kong on New Year's Day, clashing with security forces.
• One Million Join New Year Protest March in Hong Kong Radio Free Asia 01 Jan 2020 -- More than a million people took to the streets of Hong Kong on New Year's Day in a resounding reminder to the city authorities that the past six months of pro-democracy protests will continue into 2020.
• About 400 People Arrested in Hong Kong During Protest - Police Sputnik 01 Jan 2020 -- The Hong Kong Police have detained at least 400 people during 1 January's anti-government protest, Senior Superintendent of Hong Kong Island Region Jim Ng Lok-Chun said.
• Protests, Tear Gas Mark Hong Kong's New Year's Day VOA 01 Jan 2020 -- Hong Kong's celebratory mood on the first day of 2020 was marred by tear gas and water cannons deployed by police on a largely peaceful crowd, and the arrest of some 400 people at a march attended by hundreds of thousands in what has been a months-long anti-government movement.
• Hong Kong rioters go on rampage in protest on New Year's Day Global Times 01 Jan 2020 -- Rioters took advantage of a protest to wreak havoc again in Hong Kong on New Year's Day, trashing an HSBC branch, setting fire on streets, and spray-painting insulting words on the outer wall of the High Court.
• HKSAR gov't rejects foreign interference in Hong Kong's affairs Global Times 01 Jan 2020 -- The government of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) rejected foreign interference in Hong Kong's affairs in a statement in the small hours on Wednesday.
• Full text of President Tsai's New Year's Day speech CNA 01 Jan 2020 -- President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) delivered her 2020 New Year's address Wednesday in the Presidential Office reception hall.
• Taiwan rejects China's offer to unify with mainland under Hong Kong model Press TV 01 Jan 2020 -- Taiwan's president Tsai Ing-wen has rejected China's offer to use the "one country, two systems" model in order to unify the self-ruled island with mainland China, claiming that that political arrangement has failed in Hong Kong.
• President Tsai Ing-wen Calls on Beijing to Treat Taiwan as a Sovereign State Radio Free Asia 01 Jan 2020 -- Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Wednesday that the democratic island would only deal with China on an equal footing, and would continue to insist on its freedom, democracy and sovereignty in the face of a growing threat from Beijing.
• President defends Anti-infiltration Act in New Year's Day speech CNA 01 Jan 2020 -- President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) used her 2020 New Year's Day speech Wednesday to defend her decision to ram through legislation a day earlier that criminalizes political activities backed by China.
• China tests world's 1st mobile quantum satellite ground station Global Times 01 Jan 2020 -- China's Quantum Experiments at Space Scale, or better known as the Micius, have successfully conducted an eight-minute-long encrypted data transmission with a mobile ground station, marking a world's first.
• India Approves Third Lunar Mission Chandrayaan-3, ISRO Chief Reveals Sputnik 01 Jan 2020 -- Three months after suffering a major jolt in its second lunar mission, India's space agency ISRO has announced a new mission, Chandrayaan-3, on New Year's Day. New Delhi's ambition to soft-land on the Moon had crashed when the Chandrayaan-2 failed to touch down on the lunar surface as planned on 7 September 2019.
• Ukraine's Zelenskiy Underlines National Unity In New Year's Address RFE/RL 01 Jan 2020 -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called for national unity as he used his first New Year's address to push a message of reconciliation for the country, now in its sixth year of war with Russia-backed separatists.
• Southeast Asia's Water Troubles Underscore Climate Threat Radio Free Asia 01 Jan 2020 -- Over the past year, growing environmental threats in Asia have had much to do with water–most importantly rising seas driven by global warming.
• Embalo Wins Guinea-Bissau Presidential Election VOA 01 Jan 2020 -- Umaro Cissoko Embalo was declared the winner of Guinea-Bissau's presidential race on Wednesday. He defeated Domingos Simoes Pereira, from the majority PAIGC party.