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10 January 2020 Military News

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Defense Policy / Programs
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Current Operations

Airstrikes Target Popular Mobilization Forces Depot on Syria-Iraq Border - Reports Sputnik 10 Jan 2020 -- Airstrikes targeted trucks and individuals near the Iraqi-Syrian border, including Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in the area, in an early morning airstrike, according to translations from Arabic-language outlet Al Mayadeen, citing tribesmen.

Defense Policy / Programs

U.S. House Passes Nonbinding Resolution To Limit Trump's Actions Against Iran RFE/RL 10 Jan 2020 -- The U.S. House of Representatives, as expected, on January 9 passed a nonbinding resolution limiting President Donald Trump's ability to take military action against Iran.
US House Votes to Curb Trump's Unilateral Warmaking Power Against Iran Sputnik 10 Jan 2020 -- The US House of Representatives has approved a resolution that will limit US President Donald Trump's ability to make unilateral warmaking decisions under the 1973 War Powers Act, following his assassination of a top Iranian general in Baghdad last week.

Pentagon: Russian warship 'aggressively approached' US destroyer in Arabian Sea Press TV 10 Jan 2020 -- The US military has accused the Russian navy of aggressive actions in the North Arabian Sea after one of its ships hardly avoided a dangerous near-collision with an American Navy destroyer.
Russian Navy Ship 'Aggressively Approached' U.S. Destroyer In Arabian Sea RFE/RL 10 Jan 2020 -- The U.S. Navy says a Russian ship has "aggressively approached" an American destroyer that was conducting routine operations in the North Arabian Sea.
Today's Army Is More Than Tanks, Bradleys, Army Secretary Says DoD News 10 Jan 2020 -- The United States must maintain overmatch – be stronger, better armed, or more skillful than its adversaries, the Army secretary said at the Brooking Institution in Washington.
Vice Chairman Looks to Ensure DOD Remains Competitive DoD News 10 Jan 2020 -- BY Air Force Gen. John Hyten has the perfect background to advance the National Defense Strategy and change Defense Department processes so it remains in the lead in a world dominated by great power competition.
Interaction Between USS Farragut and Russian Navy Ship NNS 10 Jan 2020 -- On Thursday, Jan. 9, while conducting routine operations in the North Arabian Sea, USS Farragut (DDG 99) was aggressively approached by a Russian Navy ship.

Iraq wants US to set up mechanism for withdrawal of troops Press TV 10 Jan 2020 -- Iraq's caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi has called on the United States to dispatch a delegation to Baghdad tasked with formulating a mechanism for the withdrawal of US troops from the country in the wake of the assassination of Iran's Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU).
U.S. Focuses On 'How To Best Recommit' After Iraqi PM's Request For Plan On Withdrawal RFE/RL 10 Jan 2020 -- The United States has seemingly dismissed an Iraqi government request to discuss plans for pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq, saying the United States is "a force for good in the Middle East" and its focus and military presence in Iraq should be on fighting Islamic State (IS) militants and "protecting Americans, Iraqis, and our coalition partners."
The U.S. Continued Partnership with Iraq US Dept. of State 10 Jan 2020 -- America is a force for good in the Middle East. Our military presence in Iraq is to continue the fight against ISIS and as the Secretary has said, we are committed to protecting Americans, Iraqis, and our coalition partners.

Doorstep statement by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg prior to the Extraordinary Meeting of the European Union Foreign Affairs Council NATO 10 Jan 2020
Trump Says Wants to Include Middle East in NATO and Dub it 'NATO-ME' Sputnik 10 Jan 2020 -- Addressing the nation on Wednesday, President Trump said he would ask NATO to boost its involvement in the process in the Middle East. The message came after Iran attacked US military facilities in Iraq.

China-Pakistan joint naval exercise concludes first phase activities PLA Daily 10 Jan 2020 -- The port-training phase of the PN-PLAN Sea Guardians-2020 Bilateral Exercise wrapped up on Thursday. The Chinese-Pakistani composite fleet set sail from the Karachi Port to the scheduled exercise area in northern Arabian Sea for the second phase of live fire fleet drill on Friday morning.
Chinese peacekeepers to S. Sudan finishes first patrol & escort mission in 2020 PLA Daily 10 Jan 2020 -- The 6th Chinese peacekeeping infantry battalion to South Sudan finished its first short-distance patrol and escort mission in 2020 and safely returned to their barracks on January 8, local time. Chinese peacekeepers were highly praised in the Juba Theater and by the escorted personnel and contingents.

US Approves $2.7 Billion Potential Sale of 12 F-35B Jets to Singapore Sputnik 10 Jan 2020 -- The US State Department green-lighted the sale of 12 F-35B fighter jets to Singapore in a deal worth more than $2.7 billion, the Defence Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.

Defense Industry

Contracts For Jan. 10, 2020

Other Conflicts

10 January 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 10 Jan 2020

Several Hashd al-Sha'abi forces killed in Israeli raids on Syria: Report Press TV 10 Jan 2020 -- Israel has launched several airstrikes on eastern Syria near the Iraqi border, killing at least eight fighters of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), a key player in the fight against Daesh and other Takfiri groups in the region.
UN Approves Syrian Aid Effort, Scaled Back To Appease Russia RFE/RL 10 Jan 2020 -- The United Nations has renewed a six-year-long cross-border aid operation to Syrian civilians, but the scale of the effort was significantly reduced to avoid another veto by Russia.
Security Council beats midnight deadline, renews Syria cross-border aid in contentious vote UN News 10 Jan 2020 -- The Security Council on Friday evening renewed a UN operation delivering humanitarian aid across the Syrian border to millions of civilians, but some of the body's members expressed disappointment that the "watered down" measure cut in half the number of crossing points and duration of the authorization.
UN Security Council Authorizes Scaled-Back Cross-Border Aid into Syria VOA 10 Jan 2020 -- The U.N. Security Council voted Friday to allow scaled-back cross-border humanitarian aid operations to continue into Syria, adopting a resolution just hours before the operations were due to expire.

Haftar rejects Turkey-Russia's call for Libyan ceasefire Press TV 10 Jan 2020 -- Libyan renegade general Khalifa Haftar has rejected calls for a ceasefire by Turkey and Russia, insisting that he would continue the offensive against forces of the internationally-recognized government in Tripoli.
Libyan Warlord Vows To Continue Fight Amid Cease-Fire Call By Russia, Turkey RFE/RL 10 Jan 2020 -- Forces loyal to Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar said they would not halt their campaign to drive the UN-backed government from Tripoli amid calls from Russia and Turkey for a cease-fire in the war-torn North Africa nation.

Fate of Rohingya Boat People Remains Unknown as They Are Returned to Myanmar's Rakhine State Radio Free Asia 10 Jan 2020 -- Scores of Rohingya Muslims detained in December by the Myanmar Navy aboard a boat in the Andaman Sea as they attempted to leave the country have been transferred to western Myanmar's Rakhine state, a coastal forces commander and state immigration minister said Friday.

25 Soldiers, 63 "Terrorists' Killed in Attack on Military Base in Niger - Reports Sputnik 10 Jan 2020 -- According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, attacks in Niger have increased fourfold last year, with over 400 people killed, despite the efforts on the part of the international community to prevent Islamist raids in the region.

Kyrgyz PM Orders Increased Security After Incident Along Tajik Border RFE/RL 10 Jan 2020 -- Kyrgyz Prime Minister Mukhammedkalyi Abylgaziev has ordered security along the border with Tajikistan to be beefed up following an incident overnight where gunshots were fired.

'Presidential Election' Results In Georgia's Breakaway Abkhazia Annulled RFE/RL 10 Jan 2020 -- The de facto Supreme Court in Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia has annulled the results of last year's "presidential election" and ordered a rerun of the vote.

Cameroon Deploys Troops Ahead of February Elections VOA 10 Jan 2020 -- About 400 military police officers arrived in Bamenda from Cameroon's capital, Yaounde, recently, vowing to defend the country's territorial integrity.

Killings and violence targeting ethnic group in DR Congo 'may amount to crimes against humanity' UN News 10 Jan 2020 -- The targeting of the Hema community in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with violence, including killings and rape, may amount to crimes against humanity, said the UN on Friday.
Ethnic Violence in DR Congo Triggers Possible Crimes Against Humanity VOA 10 Jan 2020 -- The United Nations human rights office accused members of the ethnic-Lendu community in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ituri Province of mass violations against the ethnic Hema community, which could constitute crimes against humanity.

Turkish, Greek Diplomats Meet Amid Rising Tensions VOA 10 Jan 2020 -- Turkish and Greek diplomats met Friday in a bid to defuse rising bilateral tensions over control of the eastern Mediterranean Sea, which is at the center of a regional scramble for what might be vast gas reserves.

News Reports

The Week In Russia: Just Enough War, Just Enough Chaos RFE/RL 10 Jan 2020 -- Despite Russia's bad reviews of the U.S. drone strike that killed top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani -- it was a "crude violation of international law," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, according to a statement -- there is clearly a potential upside for the Kremlin in the spike in tension between the United States and Iran.

Agitation Activities Encourage All-People Grand March in DPRK KCNA 10 Jan 2020 -- Now, the people in the DPRK have turned out in the new year advance of victory in response to the appeal of the Workers' Party of Korea calling for offensive of making a breakthrough head-on.
High-Rise Apartments Built With Illegal Chinese Materials All the Rage in North Korea Radio Free Asia 10 Jan 2020 -- New high-rise apartment buildings in North Korea constructed with Chinese building materials are causing a major shift in the North Korean real estate market, RFA has learned.

Trump administration imposes new sanctions on Iran Press TV 10 Jan 2020 -- The administration of US President Donald Trump has imposed new sanctions on Iran targeting the country's metals sector and several senior government officials following Tehran's retaliation for the assassination of Iranian Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani.
EU claims respects JCPOA, not to use dispute mechanism Press TV 10 Jan 2020 -- The European Union claims the bloc continues to respect a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world countries, and will not trigger a dispute settlement mechanism that could restore UN Security Council sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
U.S. Announces New Iran Sanctions On Senior Officials, Metals Industry RFE/RL 10 Jan 2020 -- The United States has announced new sanctions on eight senior Iranian officials and that country's steel and other metals industry, along with a presidential executive order that promises further moves to curb the Iranian leadership's access to revenues.
France Warns Iran Could Have Nuclear Weapon Within One To Two Years RFE/RL 10 Jan 2020 -- French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has warned that Iran could have nuclear weapons in one or two years if Tehran continues to violate a landmark nuclear accord with world powers.
Intensified Sanctions on Iran US Dept. of State 10 Jan 2020 -- Today, the United States is taking a series of actions in response to Iran's attacks against U.S. forces and interests, and to deprive the Iranian regime of revenue to conduct its violent foreign policy. We will continue to hold individuals and entities accountable for supporting the Iranian regime's many fronts of terror.
Treasury Targets Iran's Billion Dollar Metals Industry and Senior Regime Officials US Treasury 10 Jan 2020 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action against eight senior Iranian regime officials who have advanced the regime's destabilizing objectives, as well as the largest steel, aluminum, copper, and iron manufacturers in Iran, who collectively generate billions of dollars annually.
Did Iran Blink? VOA 10 Jan 2020 -- Will U.S. President Donald Trump's gamble in the Mideast pay off or prove to be a costly blunder? Western officials and analysts say Iran's measured response to date to the slaying of its top general, Qassem Soleimani, shows Tehran has no appetite for a head-to-head confrontation with Washington.
US Imposes New Sanctions on Iran VOA 10 Jan 2020 -- The U.S. placed more sanctions on Iran Friday in response to its missile attack on U.S. military troops in Iraq last week, and it threatened further action to weaken Iran's economy if Tehran continues to carry out what it considers terrorist actions.
Questions Persist Over Legality of US Killing of Iranian General VOA 10 Jan 2020 -- The U.S. killing last week of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani has sparked a fierce debate about the legality of the strike – and a subsequent Iranian counterstrike on two military bases in Iraq – under international law.
EU Reaffirms Support for Iran Deal, Warns Against Regional Conflict VOA 10 Jan 2020 -- European Union foreign ministers Friday called for an urgent de-escalation of spiraling violence in the Middle East and Libya, saying the region cannot afford another war – and they reiterating their commitment to the Iran nuclear deal.
Message to the Congress on Imposing Sanctions with Respect to Additional Sectors of Iran The White House 10 Jan 2020
Statement from President Donald J. Trump Regarding Executive Order to Impose Sanctions with Respect to Additional Sectors of Iran The White House 10 Jan 2020
Press Briefing by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin on Iran Sanctions The White House 10 Jan 2020
Iran stresses no missile hit Ukrainian passenger plane IRNA 10 Jan 2020 -- The head of Civil Aviation Organization of Islamic Republic of Iran (CAO.IRI) underlined that no missile had hit the Ukrainian passenger plane and any comment on the missile strike is out of context and not scientifically-backed and the reason behind the crash is determined after reopening of the black box.
FM Zarif: US behaving like ISIS in threatening to destroy Iran's cultural heritage IRNA 10 Jan 2020 -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the US seeks to emulate the war crimes of DAESH, menacing the cultural heritage of the millennia-old civilization of Iran.
FM Spox: Iran investigatng cause of plane crash on ICAO standards IRNA 10 Jan 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi said Iran has started to probe into the cause of the Ukrainian plane crash according to the international standards and International Civil Aviation Organization's regulations.
Iran go'vt issues statement on Ukrainian airline plane crash IRNA 10 Jan 2020 -- Iranian government in a statement on Thursday night blasted the US approach towards the plane crash near Tehran and said the psychological operations and the lies by the American government which is supported by their agents further aggravate the plight of the victims' families.
Iran says is certain no missile hit Ukrainian plane before crash Press TV 10 Jan 2020 -- Iran's top aviation official says the results of a probe into the crash of a Ukrainian passenger plane in Tehran will show what has happened, but Iran is certain no missile hit the aircraft.
Bulldozers And Scavengers: Concerns Over Iran Crash Site RFE/RL 10 Jan 2020 -- As Iran and Western states offer diverging explanations for what caused Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 to fall out of the sky just a few minutes after takeoff on January 8, there are growing concerns that crucial evidence may have been compromised.
Ukrainians Looking Closely At Missile, Terrorism Scenarios In Iran Air Crash RFE/RL 10 Jan 2020 -- Ukrainian officials said on January 10 that they were focusing in particular on a missile strike or act of terrorism as two possible causes of the crash of a Ukrainian passenger airliner after takeoff from Tehran's international airport, adding that they wanted to establish an international coalition to conduct an investigation into the January 8 tragedy.
Iran To Download Data From Crashed Plane Amid Suggestions Missile To Blame RFE/RL 10 Jan 2020 -- Iran says it will download data from the black boxes recovered from the Ukrainian airliner that crashed near Tehran earlier this week, killing all 176 people on board, amid Western suggestions that a missile brought down the aircraft.
Secretary Michael R. Pompeo's Call with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy US Dept. of State 10 Jan 2020
Iran Invites NTSB, Boeing to Participate in Ukrainian Plane Crash Investigation VOA 10 Jan 2020 -- Iran has invited the National Transportation Safety Board, the U.S. accident investigation agency, to participate in the probe of the Ukrainian Boeing commercial jetliner that crashed near Tehran earlier this week.
Iran Denies Shooting Down Passenger Jet VOA 10 Jan 2020 -- Iran is denying allegations that one of its missiles shot down a Ukrainian jetliner outside Tehran and is urging the U.S. and Canada to provide any information about the crash that killed all 176 people on board.
FM Spox: Iran investigatng cause of plane crash on ICAO standards IRNA 10 Jan 2020 -- Mousavi made the remarks in reaction to suspicious propaganda ballyhoo being promoted by Western sources.
Iran go'vt issues statement on Ukrainian airline plane crash IRNA 10 Jan 2020 -- The statement reads that a committee in charge of investigating the incident has been formed on the basis of regulations of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) which will examine the incident transparent ally, precisely, quickly with the participation of all experts from relevant countries.
Iranian minister says Ukraine plane crash caused by technical failure People's Daily 10 Jan 2020 -- Iran's Minister of Road and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami rejected the speculations that the crash of a Ukrainian airplane in Tehran has anything to do with the launch of Iran's missiles at a U.S. base in Iraq, Press TV reported on Thursday.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on January 10, 2020 PRC MofA 10 Jan 2020
One in Three Hong Kong Adults Likely Have Post-Traumatic Stress: Study Radio Free Asia 10 Jan 2020 -- Around one third of adults in Hong Kong have reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) since the protest movement escalated last June, according to a mental health survey published in The Lancet on Friday.
New liaison office head vows continuous support to HKSAR govt Global Times 10 Jan 2020 -- Luo Huining, newly-appointed chief of the liaison office of the central government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), met with Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Thursday, praising her efforts amid months of unrest and committed to supporting her work by implementing policies in accordance with the law.

President Tsai Wraps up Election Campaign With Clarion Call to Taiwan's Youth Radio Free Asia 10 Jan 2020 -- On the eve of crucial elections that could set the course for Taiwan's future, incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen issued a rallying call to voters to turn out in support of their hard-won freedoms, after months of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
How China, and the Law, Jumped in as Taiwan's Presidential Campaign Shifted to Social Media VOA 10 Jan 2020 -- About 97% of internet users in Taiwan use Facebook. The island also has Asia's second highest smartphone penetration after South Korea. Given these statistics, the first announced by Facebook in 2018 and the other by a market research firm, it made sense that a lot of campaigning for tomorrow's presidential election would jump from the streets to the internet.

Kosovo President Again Asks Party Leader To Name Prime Minister RFE/RL 10 Jan 2020 -- Kosovar President Hashim Thaci has sent an open letter to Albin Kurti, the leader of the Self-Determination Movement (Vetevendosje), asking him to name a candidate for prime minister or clarify whether his party refuses to do so.

Starvation Stalks Counties in South Sudan Cut Off by Floods, Insecurity VOA 10 Jan 2020 -- In many homes around Jebel Boma County, dinner consists of bitter-tasting leaves that can be picked off the bushes outside. The leaves are neither filling nor nutritious, but in South Sudan's Jebel Boma and Pochalla counties, there's not much else to eat.
South Sudan's First VP Denies Allegations of Human Rights Abuses VOA 10 Jan 2020 -- South Sudanese First Vice President Taban Deng Gai is denying allegations of human rights abuses and criticizing U.S. sanctions against him.

United States Further Restricts Air Travel to Cuba US Dept. of State 10 Jan 2020 -- Today, at my request, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) suspended until further notice all public charter flights between the United States and Cuban destinations other than Havana's José Martí International Airport

Is Angola's Anti-Corruption Drive Real or Cosmetic? VOA 10 Jan 2020 -- Angola's president, Joao Lourenco, quickly earned an impressive nickname after he swept into office in 2017 and launched an anti-corruption drive after 38 years of cronyism under former leader Jose Eduardo Dos Santos.

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