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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Current Operations

• Special Representative for Syria Engagement and Special Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS James Jeffrey US Dept. of State 23 Jan 2020 -- Special Briefing
• Trump, Iraqi President Agree On Need For Continued U.S. Troop Presence RFE/RL 23 Jan 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump and his Iraqi counterpart Barham Salih have agreed on the need for U.S. military to maintain its presence in the Middle Eastern country, the White House says following a meeting of the two in Switzerland.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Esper: More Comprehensive Vetting for Foreign Students on the Way DoD News 23 Jan 2020 -- As many as 60,000 students pass through Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida each year for a variety of training opportunities, including new pilots, new sailors, and students from as many as 150 foreign countries, and new vetting is on the way for those foreign students, Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper said.
• DOD Agency Offers 'milDrive' Desktop-Integrated Cloud Computing DoD News 23 Jan 2020 -- The Defense Information Systems Agency has been offering "milDrive," a cloud-based storage solution for desktop users, for nearly a year.
• Lightning Strikes Miramar: 3rd MAW welcomes Corps' first F-35C USMC News 23 Jan 2020 -- Marine Corps and aviation history was made as 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing welcomed its first F-35C Lightning II fighter jet to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314 and MCAS Miramar on Jan. 21.
• Second MSC Ship Departs Port Hueneme In Support of Operation Deep Freeze 2020 NNS 23 Jan 2020 -- Military Sealift Command (MSC) charter ship SLNC Magothy concluded cargo onload operations and departed Port Hueneme, California. The ship heads for the remote Antarctica outpost of McMurdo Station, in support of Operation Deep Freeze (ODF), the Joint Task Force Support for Antarctica mission to the NSF-managed U.S. Antarctic Program.
• CTF-72 Participates in Sea Dragon Exercise NNS 23 Jan 2020 -- The U.S. Navy and its maritime partners kicked off operations Jan. 20 for the multilateral exercise Sea Dragon 2020.
• America Expeditionary Strike Group, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit Complete Carrier Qualifications NNS 23 Jan 2020 -- Aviators assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 265 (Reinforced), 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), completed carrier qualifications aboard amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), Jan. 21.
• CNO Meets with Chief of Royal New Zealand Navy, Advances Partnership NNS 23 Jan 2020 -- Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday hosted Chief of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) Rear Adm. David Proctor, at the Pentagon for a meeting, Jan. 23.
• NATO Secretary General stresses importance of transatlantic bond in Davos NATO 23 Jan 2020 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed the importance of Allied unity and the transatlantic bond at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday (23 January 2020).
• Iran to respond to any threat with high sophisticated defensive weapons: Minister IRNA 23 Jan 2020 -- Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier Amir Hatami said on Thursday that Iran will react to any threat at all levels using highly advanced defense capabilities.
• Iran stands ready to counter any threat with quality defensive arms: Hatami Press TV 23 Jan 2020 -- Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami says the Islamic Republic is determined to respond to any possible threat with its quality defensive weapons.
• Russian S-400 compatible with NATO's security system, says Turkish foreign minister Press TV 23 Jan 2020 -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu seeks to assuage NATO' concerns about Ankara's purchase of advanced Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems, saying the military hardware is compatible with the alliance's security systems.
• Indian Air Force Lands AN-32 Flying on Biofuel Near China Border Sputnik 24 Jan 2020 -- The Indian Air Force is aiming to cut fuel costs by around $4 billion by 2024. With the successful landing of the biofuel- blend-powered transport aircraft at a height of around 3,524 metres, the force will gradually move to use the fuel in other aircraft as well.
• India Successfully Completes Developmental Trial of its Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile Sputnik 24 Jan 2020 -- Nuclear capable K-4 missiles have so far been successfully tested four times from underwater pontoons. India is the sixth nation in the world which has the capability to fire nuclear missiles from all three platforms – land, undersea and air.
• Pakistan test-fires short range ballistic missile IRNA 23 Jan 2020 -- Pakistan on Thursday conducted a successful training launch of surface-to-surface ballistic missile, according to Pakistan's military statement.
• Taiwan aware of Chinese fighters flying close to its territory: MND CNA 23 Jan 2020 -- Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) said it was closely monitoring military activity by China on Thursday, when several Chinese fighter jets flew over the Bashi Channel south of Taiwan.
• What America Stands For US Dept. of State 23 Jan 2020 -- Speech by Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State
• Remarks by President Trump in a Press Gaggle Aboard Air Force One The White House 23 Jan 2020

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Jan. 23, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 23 January 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 23 Jan 2020
• Car bomb kills several Turkish soldiers in northern Syria: SANA Press TV 23 Jan 2020 -- Several people have lost their lives when a car bomb explosion struck a northern Syrian village seized by Turkish military forces and their allied militants in the aftermath of a cross-border incursion against militants of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG).
• 40 Syrian forces killed, scores wounded in militant attack in Idlib Press TV 23 Jan 2020 -- Up to 40 Syrian soldiers have been killed and 80 others wounded in a multi-pronged attack by militants in the northwestern province of Idlib.
• Mustafa Al-Imam Sentenced to More than 19 Years in Prison for September 2012 Terrorist Attack in Benghazi, Libya US Dept. of Justice 23 Jan 2020 -- Mustafa al-Imam, a 47-year-old Libyan national, was sentenced today to 236 months in prison on federal terrorism charges and other offenses stemming from the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attack on the U.S. Special Mission and CIA Annex in Benghazi, Libya. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and U.S. government personnel Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty died in the attack.
• Mustafa Al-Imam Sentenced for Terrorist Attacks in Benghazi, Libya US Dept. of State 23 Jan 2020 -- Mustafa Al-Imam was sentenced on January 23 to more than 19 years in prison for his participation in the September 11, 2012, terrorist attacks on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya. Al-Imam's sentencing today sends a strong message to those who would attempt to commit such a heinous crime.
• Top UN court orders Myanmar to protect Rohingya from acts of genocide Press TV 23 Jan 2020 -- The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered Myanmar to do everything in its power to prevent the genocide of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine, where state-sponsored violence has prevailed in recent years.
• UN Top Court Issues Ruling on Provisional Measures to Protect Myanmar's Rohingya Radio Free Asia 23 Jan 2020 -- The U.N.'s top court ordered Myanmar on Thursday to protect Rohingya Muslims from genocidal acts and refrain from destroying evidence of alleged crimes that could be used in later hearings, prompting an ambiguous response from the government and applause from rights groups.
• Rohingya Refugees Hail World Court's Ruling in Myanmar Genocide Case Radio Free Asia 23 Jan 2020 -- Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh expressed elation Thursday over an International Court of Justice ruling that went against Myanmar in a landmark genocide case, saying it gave them hope that they could return safely to Rakhine state one day.
• Top UN court orders Myanmar to protect Rohingya from genocide UN News 23 Jan 2020 -- Myanmar must take steps to protect its minority Rohingya population, the top UN court unanimously ruled on Thursday.
• UN Court Orders Myanmar to Take Steps to Protect Rohingya Muslims VOA 23 Jan 2020 -- The U.N.'s International Court of Justice has ordered Myanmar to "take all measures within its power" to prevent any acts of genocide against ethnic Rohingya Muslims, who fled the country amid a bloody military crackdown in 2017.
• Seven Local Soldiers Killed, Two French Troops Wounded in Attack in Mali Sputnik 23 Jan 2020 -- Earlier in the month, around 20 people, including 18 UN peacekeepers, were reportedly wounded in a rocket attack on a military base in the north of the country, according to a statement by UN mission spokesman Olivier Salgado.
• Deadly Attack Near Abyei Leaves Over 30 Dead VOA 23 Jan 2020 -- An attack on a village near the Sudan-South Sudan border has killed at least 15 people, according to officials in the disputed Abyei reigon.

News Reports

• Fight Intensifies Over Calling Witnesses for Trump's Impeachment Trial VOA 23 Jan 2020 -- As the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump grinds on after a bitter fight over rules, the two sides in the high-stakes proceeding are bracing for another round of partisan bickering over a deeply divisive issue: witnesses.
• U.S. Senate passes Republican-proposed resolution guiding Trump impeachment trial People's Daily 23 Jan 2020 -- The U.S. Senate on early Wednesday voted to pass the Republican-proposed resolution laying out rules guiding the ongoing impeachment trial against President Donald Trump, after a marathon debate killed 11 amendments introduced by Democrats.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, January 23, 2020 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 23 Jan 2020
• Russia's lower house of parl. approves Putin's constitutional amendments Press TV 23 Jan 2020 -- Legislators in the lower house of Russia's parliament have unanimously approved a package of constitutional amendments proposed by President Vladimir Putin, in the first of three readings, two days after the Russian leader approved a new government.
• Russian Lawmakers Give Rapid First Approval To Putin Reforms RFE/RL 23 Jan 2020 -- Russian lawmakers have unanimously approved in its first reading a sweeping constitutional reform bill put forward by President Vladimir Putin.
• Bulgaria Charges Three Russians In Absentia Over Attempted Murders In 2015 RFE/RL 23 Jan 2020 -- Bulgarian prosecutors have charged three Russians in absentia for the attempted murder of a weapons manufacturer, his son, and the production manager of the company.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on January 23, 2020 PRC MofA 23 Jan 2020
• China Jails Student For Tweets Sent in US Showing President as Winnie The Pooh Radio Free Asia 23 Jan 2020 -- A student who tweeted a cartoon of Winnie the Pooh in connection with President Xi Jinping while studying in the U.S. was jailed for six months on his return to China for the summer vacation last year.
• Uyghur Escape in Thailand Draws International Focus on Minority Muslim Group Radio Free Asia 23 Jan 2020 -- The futile escape by seven Uyghurs from a detention center in Thailand's northeastern region earlier this month has highlighted the plight of the dozens from China's minority ethnic group who fled the restive Xinjiang region to the Southeast Asian nation more than five years ago.
• Hong Kong Protesters Show Their Might With Economic Power VOA 23 Jan 2020 -- Pro-democracy patrons of a bustling Chinese New Year market touting locally made goods chanted "Reclaim Hong Kong! Revolution of our era!" at closing time recently in a show of support for the ongoing anti-government movement.
• 'Compelled to Seek a New Path': Pyongyang to End Nuclear Moratorium Amid US Intransigence Sputnik 23 Jan 2020 -- North Korea asserted Tuesday that it would no longer adhere to the moratorium placed on its nuclear and ballistic missile tests, as the US has not held up it end of the agreement and has instead slapped Pyongyang with "the most brutal and inhumane sanctions."
• US threatens to assassinate new chief of elite Quds Force of IRGC Press TV 23 Jan 2020 -- The US special representative for Iran has threatened the Islamic Republic with yet another act of state terrorism, saying Washington will assassinate the successor of senior anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani as well if he follows in the path of the martyred general.
• The United States Imposes Further Sanctions on Iran's Petrochemical Industry US Dept. of State 23 Jan 2020 -- Today, the United States is taking new steps as part of our maximum economic pressure campaign to deny the Iranian regime all sources of revenue to fund its destabilizing activities.
• Treasury Targets International Network Supporting Iran's Petrochemical and Petroleum Industries US Treasury 23 Jan 2020 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action against four international petrochemical and petroleum companies that have collectively transferred the equivalent of hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of exports from the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), an entity instrumental in Iran's petroleum and petrochemical industries, which helps to finance Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and its terrorist proxies.
• Lao Government Allows Tree Felling Near Site of Dam Collapse Radio Free Asia 23 Jan 2020 -- Authorities in Laos are allowing timber companies to fell trees in an area that was flooded after a dam collapse described as Laos' worst flooding in decades, much to the ire of residents of the formerly flooded forests.
• Turkmenistan's Authoritarian Leader Reprimands Ministers Of National Security, Defense RFE/RL 23 Jan 2020 -- Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has handed down a "severe" reprimand to his national security chief and the defense minister over perceived shortcomings in their performance.
• How Many People Live In Turkmenistan? The Official Figure Is Hard To Believe RFE/RL 23 Jan 2020 -- Years before there was "fake news," there were official statistics from Turkmenistan.
• At Davos, UN chief urges 'big emitters' to take climate action UN News 23 Jan 2020 -- The world is "doomed" in the face of climate change unless major industrial nations reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday.
• Myanmar: Departing UN rights expert still hopeful for democratic transition UN News 23 Jan 2020 -- An independent human rights expert said she has not given up hope for a democratic transition in Myanmar even though the country has yet to address "grave allegations" of international crimes, including possible genocide.
• Senior State Department Official Readout of Recent Counterterrorism Ministerial in Bogota, Colombia US Dept. of State 23 Jan 2020 -- Special Briefing
• Ukraine's Population Shrinks By Nearly A Quarter RFE/RL 23 Jan 2020 -- A so-called electronic census found Ukraine's population has dwindled by almost a quarter since 2001, driven by migration, death rates exceeding birth rates, but also because it was impossible to count residents in Russia-occupied Crimea and the territories in the country's east that Kyiv doesn't control.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation report - 03 WHO 23 January 2020
• IHR Emergency Committee for Pneumonia due to the Novel Coronavirus 2019-nCoV transcript of a press briefing - 23 January 2020 WHO
• China Orders Police Not to Enter Businesses Where North Koreans Work Radio Free Asia 23 Jan 2020 -- Authorities in China are ordering police officers not to enter or otherwise access businesses that employ North Korean workers, leading sources to believe that Beijing is looking the other way as the workers are in direct violation of U.N. sanctions.
• Virus-Related Tourism Ban Could Hurt North Korea's Economy VOA 23 Jan 2020 -- North Korea has temporarily banned foreign tourists in response to the outbreak of a dangerous new virus in neighboring China. Depending on how long the ban lasts, it could hurt North Korea's economy, which though heavily sanctioned, has received a boost by a recent influx of Chinese tourists.
• Taiwan closes borders to current, former Wuhan residents CNA 23 Jan 2020 -- Taiwan tightened its border control Thursday, mandating a health declaration by all visitors from China and banning the entry of residents of the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of a deadly new coronavirus.
• Inbound transport to Wuhan suspended: ministry Global Times 23 Jan 2020 -- China's transport ministry announced Thursday to suspend all road and waterway passenger inbound transport services into Wuhan following an early notice from the city authorities which requires to suspend all outbound public transportation, in an apparent escalated fight against the pneumonia outbreak that has claimed 17 lives.
• WHO extends emergency talks over coronavirus outbreak in China Global Times 23 Jan 2020 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday night extended to Thursday its emergency talks on whether the novel coronavirus outbreak in China constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
• China locks down city at center of new virus outbreak Press TV 23 Jan 2020 -- China has imposed quarantine measures on a major city at the center of a virus outbreak, banning trains and planes from leaving it in an attempt to curb the contagious disease that has so far claimed the lives of 17 people.
• Wuhan Residents Scramble to Leave Virus-Hit City as Shelves Empty Radio Free Asia 23 Jan 2020 -- Authorities in central China's Hubei province on Thursday locked down the provincial capital Wuhan and two neighboring cities, leaving some 18 million people with no way to leave amid the ongoing coronavirus epidemic.
• Conditions Put Xinjiang Internment Camps at Risk as Region Confirms First Coronavirus Cases Radio Free Asia 23 Jan 2020 -- Poor sanitation and cramped quarters could lead to an epidemic at internment camps in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), experts said Thursday, as state media confirmed the region's first two cases of the new coronavirus traced to Hubei province.
• Beijing Confirms Cancellation of Chinese New Year Celebrations Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Sputnik 23 Jan 2020 -- According to recent data, more than 600 cases of the disease have been confirmed in 25 Chinese provinces, and 17 people have died as a result of the so-called Novel Coronavirus that was first detected in Wuhan in late December.
• Coronavirus: 'An emergency in China, but not yet a global health emergency' UN News 23 Jan 2020 -- The head of the UN health agency, WHO (World Health Organization), declared on Thursday that the respiratory disease Novel Coronavirus, is not yet an official Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), but warned that is an emergency in China.
• WHO: Deadly Virus Not Yet Global Emergency VOA 23 Jan 2020 -- The World Health Organization said Thursday the deadly virus that prompted the Chinese government to lock down nearly 20 million people in three cities has not developed into a worldwide health emergency.
• Pakistan Begins Screening Travelers From China for Coronavirus VOA 23 Jan 2020 -- Pakistan announced Thursday airport authorities have begun screening travelers from neighboring China for signs of the coronavirus.