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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Statement by the Department of Defense DOD 02 Jan 2020 -- At the direction of the President, the U.S. military has taken decisive defensive action to protect U.S. personnel abroad by killing Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
• Statement by Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper as Prepared DoD 02 Jan 2020 -- "Last Friday, the Iranian-backed militia Kata'ib Hizbollah or KH launched yet another attack against American forces in Iraq, resulting in the death of one American civilian, and injuries to four American service members, as well as two of our partners in the Iraqi Security Forces. This continues a string of attacks against bases with U.S. forces and Iraqi Security Forces. KH has a strong linkage to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Force and has received lethal aid, support, and direction from Iran."
• US rehashes anti-Iran claims, threatens 'preemption' Press TV 02 Jan 2020 -- Repeating a warmed-over allegation, the US defense secretary claims Iran and, what he describes as, the Islamic Republic's allies may be planning to attack America's "interests" in the region, threatening "preemptive" action.
• Esper: US Prepared to Take 'Preemptive' Action on Iran VOA 02 Jan 2020 -- The U.S. is prepared to take "preemptive" military action to prevent future attacks on U.S. forces, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Thursday.
• Press Gaggle by Secretary Esper and Chairman Milley DoD 02 Jan 2020 -- Secretary Of Defense Mark T. Esper, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley
• Esper: Kataeb Hezbollah Will 'Likely Regret' Further Provocative Behavior DoD News 02 Jan 2020 -- U.S. forces in Iraq were attacked Dec. 27 near Kirkuk by Kataeb Hezbollah, a group with links to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's Quds Force. The attack, which involved 31 rockets fired, killed one American civilian contractor and injured four American service members as well as two partners in the Iraqi security forces, Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper said.
• Iraq's Hashd Shaabi calls its protesters near U.S. embassy in Baghdad to withdraw People's Daily 02 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.
• US Chief Negotiator to Meet Taliban in Qatar VOA 02 Jan 2020 -- U.S. lead negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad is expected to meet Qatar-based Taliban envoys later this week to find out whether the insurgent group is ready to reduce violence in Afghanistan for the sake of resuming peace talks.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Marines Gain Ammo Advantage via Upgraded Software Suite NNS 02 Jan 2020 -- With a little help from the Navy, Marines are ringing in the New Year with a new set of tools to manage their complete inventory of ammunition and associated services through a revamped all-in-one software suite.
• US Navy's Sealift Fleet in Dire Straits Following Largest-Ever Stress Test Sputnik 02 Jan 2020 -- A recent, massive test of the US Navy's emergency cargo fleet has revealed some major shortcomings, with only half of the ships expected to be quickly ready for operation unable to even leave the dock.
• US flies spy aircraft over Korean Peninsula: Report Press TV 02 Jan 2020 -- A United States aircraft has conducted a reconnaissance flight over the Korean Peninsula, an aviation tracker says, as North Korea ends a unilateral moratorium on the testing of missiles.
• NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission Reduces Number of Fighter Jets From 12 to 8 - Reports Sputnik 02 Jan 2020 -- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is reducing the number of fighter jets patrolling the Baltic airspace from 12 to eight, the Delfi news portal reported.
• Xi signs mobilization order for training of armed forces PLA Daily 02 Jan 2020 -- President Xi Jinping Thursday signed a mobilization order for the training of the armed forces, the first order of the Central Military Commission (CMC) in 2020.
• Chinese troops return home after China-Pakistan "Warrior VII" drill PLA Daily 02 Jan 2020 -- Over 100 Chinese service members participating in the "Warrior VII" China-Pakistan joint military drill boarded the homebound flight at Islamabad International Airport on December 30, 2019, and arrived at China's Kashgar Airport at around 2 p.m. on the same day.
• Destroyer Xining completes China-Russia-Iran naval exercise PLA Daily 02 Jan 2020 -- The Chinese navy's guided-missile destroyer Xining (Hull 117) sailed out of the Chabahar Port in southern Iran on December 30, 2019, local time, after completing the four-day China-Russia-Iran joint naval exercise.
• Newest Version of China-Pakistan JF-17 Jet Features Futuristic Pilot Display, Radar Sputnik 02 Jan 2020 -- The Block III upgrade of the JF-17 Thunder fighter jet jointly produced by China and Pakistan made its maiden flight last month in southwestern China. The new version sports many of the advanced technologies used in other Chinese jets, including the stealthy J-20 Weilong.
• China delivers first littoral mission ship to Malaysia Global Times 02 Jan 2020 -- China's shipbuilding giant has delivered the first of four littoral mission ships (LMS) to the Royal Malaysian Navy, marking the high-level military cooperation between China and Malaysia, analysts said on Wednesday.
• Most German Military Helicopters Not Ready for Use - Report Sputnik 02 Jan 2020 -- The readiness of the German Armed Forces, the Bundeswehr, has been the topic of heated debate amid reports of staff-shortages, problems with ammunition, weapons, and even aging jets – as well as underfunding. Germany has also been the target of US criticism for spending less than 2% of GDP on defence, as NATO countries agreed to do years ago.
• US resorts to blame game against Iran wherever it faces defeat: Chief IRGC cmdr. Press TV 02 Jan 2020 -- The chief commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has blasted the US for playing a blame game over the developments in Iraq, saying Washington points the finger at Tehran wherever it faces defeat.
• Iran Says 'Not Afraid Of War' After Trump 'Threat' RFE/RL 02 Jan 2020 -- Iranian military leaders have warned Washington against threatening military action after U.S. President Donald Trump said Tehran would be held responsible for anti-U.S. protests in Iraq.
• Israel Unveils Unseen New Military Unit 'to Operate in All Fronts of the War' Sputnik 02 Jan 2020 -- The military did not reveal when it will become operational, but said troops that would be part of it have already arrived at a base, whose location has not been disclosed.
• Pakistan dismisses new Indian Army Chief's statement IRNA 02 Jan 2020 -- Pakistan on Thursday rejected the new Indian Army Chief, Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane's statement about pre-emptive strikes inside Pakistan administered Kashmir region.
• Taiwan military helicopter down, eight killed People's Daily 02 Jan 2020 -- A military helicopter with 13 people on board was forced to land in a mountainous area of northern Taiwan Thursday morning with eight passengers killed and five rescued, the local authorities said.
• Taiwan Military Chief, Seven Colleagues Killed in Chopper Crash Radio Free Asia 02 Jan 2020 -- Taiwan's main political parties suspended election campaigning just days ahead of general elections on Jan. 11 after a top military chief charged with organizing a defense against possible invasion from China died in a helicopter crash.
• Confirmed: Taiwanese Top Military Official Killed in Helicopter Crash Sputnik 02 Jan 2020 -- A Blackhawk military helicopter with 13 people on board crashed on Thursday in the mountains outside the city of Taipei.
• Taiwan's Uniformed Military Chief Killed in Helicopter Crash VOA 02 Jan 2020 -- Taiwan's top military officer was among eight people killed Thursday when their helicopter crashed in a mountainous area outside the capital, Taipei.
• Taiwan's senior military officer confirmed dead in helicopter crash: reports Global Times 02 Jan 2020 -- A Taiwan military Black Hawk helicopter carrying 13 people including three senior military officers crashed in a mountainous area in northern Taiwan on Thursday, killing eight people including the island's "Chief of the General Staff" Shen Yi-ming.
• Chief of general staff among eight killed in military chopper crash CNA 02 Jan 2020 -- The ROC military's Chief of General Staff Shen Yi-ming (沈一鳴) was among eight confirmed dead after a military chopper crashed in New Taipei Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said in a statement.
• 52 Black Hawk helicopters grounded after fatal crash CNA 02 Jan 2020 -- Taiwan has grounded 52 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters after the nation's chief of general staff and seven other officers were killed when a military Black Hawk helicopter crashed in a mountainous region in the north of the country Thursday.
• Eight dead, five rescued in UH-60M Black Hawk crash CNA 02 Jan 2020 -- Five people were rescued and eight were confirmed dead aboard a military UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter that came down in New Taipei's mountainous Wulai District Thursday, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND).

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Jan. 2, 2020

Other Conflicts

• China Has Right to Sail Near Indonesia's Natuna Islands, Beijing Says Radio Free Asia 02 Jan 2020 -- China has a right to sail ships near the Natuna Islands, a foreign ministry spokesman said Thursday, as Beijing hardened its stance in a diplomatic spat after Indonesia protested about dozens of Chinese boats, including two coast guard ships, entering its Exclusive Economic Zone late last month.
• Yemen's southern separatists withdraw from Riyadh Agreement committees Press TV 02 Jan 2020 -- The UAE-backed separatists in southern Yemen say they have pulled out of committees implementing a recent power-sharing agreement with Saudi-backed forces loyal to ex-Yemeni president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.
• UNICEF chief hopes 2020 will be 'a year of peace' for Syria's children UN News 02 Jan 2020 -- Only an end to the war in Syria can bring safety to children there, the head of the UN child rights agency said on Thursday.
• Turkey dispatches new military convoy to Syria's Idlib: SOHR Press TV 02 Jan 2020 -- Turkey has brought in a new column of military forces and hardware to be deployed in its observation posts in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, only days after Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said the Turkish military will not leave the posts, a Britain-based war monitor says.
• Iraq's PMU forces launch anti-terror operation in Nineveh province, secure 8 villages Press TV 02 Jan 2020 -- Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) have launched an offensive to clear remnants of the Daesh terrorist group from a strategic area in the Arab country's northern province of Nineveh.
• Secretary Pompeo's Call with the Speaker of Iraq's Council of Representatives Mohammed al-Halbousi US Dept. of State 02 Jan 2020
• Turkey's lawmakers approve troop deployment to Libya Press TV 02 Jan 2020 -- Turkey's parliament approves military deployment to Libya, aimed at shoring up the UN-backed government in Tripoli, which has been under sustained attack since April by military strongman General Khalifa Haftar.
• Turkey's Parliament Passes Bill on Troop Deployment in Libya Sputnik 02 Jan 2020 -- Previously, Ankara and the UN-recognised Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) presiding in Tripoli signed an agreement on military cooperation in November 2019.
• Turkish Parliament Sanctions Libya Military Deployment Amid Concerns, Condemnation VOA 02 Jan 2020 -- A motion sanctioning the deployment of armed forces to Libya easily passed the Turkish Parliament on Thursday, but the specter of Turkish forces entering the Libyan civil war is triggering alarm and condemnation.
• Trump warns Turkey's Erdogan against military intervention in Libya Press TV 02 Jan 2020 -- US President Donald Trump has warned his Turkish counterpart against sending troops to Libya hours after Turkey's parliament approved a bill allowing the government to do so.
• Trump Tells Erdogan 'Outsiders' Trying To Complicate Situation In Libya RFE/RL 02 Jan 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call on January 2 that outsiders were complicating the situation in Libya.
• Arab League Condemns Turkish Parliament Approval to Send Troops to Libya SPA 02 Jan 2020 -- The Arab League strongly condemned and denunciated the Turkish parliament's approval to authorize the Turkish president to send troops to Libya .
• Egypt Condemns Turkish Parliament Approval to Send Forces to Libya SPA 02 Jan 2020 -- Egypt strongly condemned today the Turkish parliament approval of a memorandum of understanding presented by the Turkish president to send military forces to Libya.
• Bangladesh assisting Rohingya refugees: Diplomat Press TV 02 Jan 2020 -- Bangladesh's ambassador to Iran says his country is providing the Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar with basic needs and other types of assistance, Press TV reports.
• Myanmar Ethnic Alliance Cease-fire Makes No Difference as Rakhine Fighting Rages in 2020 Radio Free Asia 02 Jan 2020 -- A unilateral cease-fire extended into the New Year by the "Three Brotherhood Alliance" of ethnic armies battling Myanmar's armed forces appeared to make little difference as residents across the conflict zone in Rakhine state reported fighting this week.
• Israel plans to replace UN-run Palestinian schools in occupied al-Quds with its own Press TV 02 Jan 2020 -- Israeli authorities are planning to close down UN-run Palestinian schools in occupied Jerusalem al-Quds and replace them with new ones that follow the Israeli regime's education curriculum.
• Tibetan Buddhist Centers Linked to Larung Gar Shut Down Under Suspected Chinese Pressure Radio Free Asia 02 Jan 2020 -- A worldwide network of Tibetan Buddhist centers founded by a senior abbot of the Larung Gar Academy in China's Sichuan province has been closed down, with followers suspecting Chinese pressure behind the move, a Tibetan advocacy group said on Thursday.
• Open Letter Accuses Serbs Of 'Threatening Peace' In Montenegro, Region RFE/RL 02 Jan 2020 -- Dozens of prominent current and former officials, academics, and cultural figures in the Balkans have joined an online petition warning of regional "threats to peace" from Belgrade amid ongoing fallout from a new law on religion in neighboring Montenegro.
• Troika Statement at the 50-Day Mark: A Progress Review of the Formation of South Sudan's Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity US Dept. of State 02 Jan 2020 -- The text of the following statement was issued jointly by the Governments of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and Norway.
• South Sudan Pardons High-Profile Prisoners VOA 02 Jan 2020 -- Lawyers say South Sudan pardoned dozens of prisoners Thursday, including prominent academic Peter Biar Ajak and Kerbino Wol, a South Sudanese businessman who has been in prison since April 2018.
• Cameroon Receives First Returning Asylum-Seekers, Ex-Separatists from Nigeria VOA 02 Jan 2020 -- A chartered plane from the Nigerian city of Lagos landed at Yaounde's international airport late Tuesday with 87 Cameroonian asylum-seekers and former separatists on board.
• 3 Killed in Suspected Al-Shabab Attack on Kenya Bus VOA 02 Jan 2020 -- Kenyan security forces on Thursday launched a manhunt in coastal Lamu County after suspected militants attacked a bus.
• At Least 18 Killed, Including Children, In Military Plane Crash in Sudan's West Darfur Sputnik 02 Jan 2020 -- An Antonov An-12 aircraft crashed in El Geneina, western Sudan, on Thursday, some 3 miles from the airport of Al Junaynah, killing the crew. The region has recently seen several deadly clashes between local ethnic groups.
• Cyprus, Greece, and Israel Sign Gas Pipeline Mega Deal Amid Tensions With Turkey Sputnik 02 Jan 2020 -- After signing a memorandum of understanding last year, the Mediterranean trio is taking the next formal step towards building a route for delivering billions of tons of fuel from the region to Europe. The move comes shortly after Turkey and Libya agreed to delineate maritime borders, affirming claims to the zone that the pipe might run through.

News Reports

• As Beijing Prepares Huge Food-Aid Operation, Trains for North Korea Stop Shipping Commercial Freight Radio Free Asia 02 Jan 2020 -- Trade officials in China are limiting commercial freight train shipments to North Korea because Beijing has plans to provide a massive amount of food aid to Pyongyang, according to RFA sources in the Chinese border city of Dandong.
• Kim Jong Un Warns of Hard Times in 'Long-Term Confrontation' with US VOA 02 Jan 2020 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may not have formally abandoned nuclear talks in his New Year's comments published Wednesday. But Kim appears to be preparing his domestic audience for a long-term future without sanctions relief, effectively dismissing the possibility of progress in negotiations that have been stalled for months.
• Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Visits Kumsusan Palace of Sun KCNA 02 Jan 2020 -- 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, visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on the occasion of the New Year 2020.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on January 2, 2020 PRC MofA 02 Jan 2020
• Hong Kong moves into dim 2020 Global Times 02 Jan 2020 -- Tear gas, hit-and-run, rampage and vandalism… Hong Kong's black-clad protesters spent the first day of 2020 in a reckless way while people across the world celebrated New Year's Day with shining fireworks, flowers, family reunion to embrace the beginning of the new decade.
• Commissioner's office of Chinese foreign ministry in HKSAR slams foreign interference in Hong Kong Global Times 02 Jan 2020 -- The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Wednesday urged foreign politicians to stop confusing right and wrong and interfering in Hong Kong affairs.
• Hong Kong Isolates Fever Patient After Mystery Virus Hits China's Wuhan Radio Free Asia 02 Jan 2020 -- Hong Kong's Hospital Authority said on Thursday it had isolated a patient who arrived from the central Chinese city of Wuhan, which state media says has seen an outbreak of "viral pneumonia" in recent days, but that she tested negative for SARS, avian and seasonal influenza.
• Presidential candidates halt campaigns after military chopper crash CNA 02 Jan 2020 -- The three candidates running for president in Taiwan's Jan. 11 election announced Thursday they would temporarily suspend their campaigns, after eight armed forces members, including Chief of the General Staff Shen Yi-ming (沈一鳴), were killed in a helicopter crash earlier that day.
• Taiwan incident might bring uncertainty to regional election Global Times 02 Jan 2020 -- The crash of a US-made Taiwan military helicopter on Thursday killed three senior officers including the "chief of the general staff" of the island's defense forces.
• Cambodia PM Hun Sen Using 'Thank You Peace' Campaign to Divert Attention From Abuses: Analyst Radio Free Asia 02 Jan 2020 -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's new "Thank You Peace" slogan campaign is a sleight of hand trick meant to "divert public attention" from his abuse of power and the constitution to further his personal interests, a political analyst said Thursday.
• The Four Big Issues Central Asia Faced In 2019 (And They're Not Going Away) RFE/RL 02 Jan 2020 -- 2019 was a momentous year of events and change in Central Asia. Here's a look at four of the most important issues reverberating in the region: the five countries and their relations with China, the perennial threat of Islamic terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, how governments can impede the flow of information by controlling the Internet, and the invasion of facial recognition technology into the region.
• Croatia Will Work To Restart EU Talks With North Macedonia, Albania RFE/RL 02 Jan 2020 -- Croatia will work to restart European Union membership talks with Albania and North Macedonia while the country holds the EU presidency for the next six months.
• Protests In Montenegro Carry Into New Year Over Church Bill RFE/RL 02 Jan 2020 -- Protests in Montenegro continued into the new year over a religious property bill that the Serbian Orthodox Church and Russia oppose.
• Islamic State Claims Responsibility For Deadly Attack In Ingushetia RFE/RL 02 Jan 2020 -- The Islamic State (IS) extremist group has claimed responsibility for an attack in Russia's North Caucasus region of Ingushetia, in which a police officer was killed.
• Public Designation of Leopoldo Cintra Frias Due to Involvement in Gross Violations of Human Rights US Dept. of State 02 Jan 2020 -- The Department is publicly designating Leopoldo Cintra Frias, Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba (MINFAR), under Section 7031(c) of the FY 2019 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, due to his involvement, by command responsibility, in gross violations of human rights.
• Netanyahu to Seek Immunity in 3 Corruption Cases VOA 02 Jan 2020 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday said he will seek immunity from criminal prosecution in three corruption cases dealing with bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
• UN envoy commends successful conclusion of Guinea-Bissau presidential election UN News 02 Jan 2020 -- The head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) has underlined the Organization's support for Guinea-Bissau following the conclusion of its presidential election.