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

Current Operations

• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Assistant to the Secretary of Defense Hoffman DoD 24 Jan 2020 -- Jonathan Rath Hoffman, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
• DOD Official Says 34 Service Members Injured by Iranian Blast DoD News 24 Jan 2020 -- The number of U.S. service members injured with traumatic brain injuries totals 34 after a Jan. 8 attack when Iran shot missiles into Al Asad Airbase in Iraq, the Defense Department's chief spokesperson said today.
• 34 US troops suffered concussion, brain injury in Iranian strike: Pentagon Press TV 24 Jan 2020 -- The Pentagon has said that dozens of US troops were wounded in an Iranian retaliatory missile attack earlier this month despite Washington's initial claim denying casualties.
• U.S. Says 34 Troops Suffered Brain Injuries In Iran Missile Strike RFE/RL 24 Jan 2020 -- The United States says 34 of its soldiers have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries following this month's Iranian missile attack on a military base in Iraq.
• Pentagon Says 34 Personnel Diagnosed With Concussions After Iran Strikes on Bases in Iraq Sputnik 24 Jan 2020 -- Thirty-four US service members have been diagnosed with concussions and traumatic brain injuries after Iran conducted ballistic missile strikes on two bases in Iraq with half of them still undergoing medical treatment, Department of Defence spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a press briefing on 24 January.
• 34 US Troops Treated for Brain Injuries Following Iran Missile Attack VOA 24 Jan 2020 -- The Pentagon said Friday that 34 U.S. troops had been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries or concussions as a result of Iran's missile attack on bases in Iraq earlier this month.
• 'Idiot' Trump had better pull out troops from Iraq voluntarily: Hashd al-Sha'abi leader Press TV 24 Jan 2020 -- President Donald Trump had better voluntarily order the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq before they are forced out, says a high-ranking official from the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), better known by the Arabic word Hashd al-Sha'abi.
• Thousands Rally In Baghdad Against U.S. Military Presence RFE/RL 24 Jan 2020 -- Thousands of Iraqis have gathered at two locations in central Baghdad after a prominent Shi'ite cleric called for a "million-strong" protest against the U.S. military presence in the country.
• Tens of Thousands Turn Out in Baghdad for Anti-US Protest VOA 24 Jan 2020 -- Tens of thousands of people poured into a central Baghdad square Friday for what had been billed as a "million-man" march, carrying Iraqi flags and signs and shouting "No, No America."
• Rights Group: US-Taliban Must Commit to End Attacks on Afghan Civilians VOA 24 Jan 2020 -- An international rights group Friday demanded that peace talks between the United States and the Afghan Taliban must include a commitment by both sides to end all attacks on civilians in line with the laws of war.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Audit of Surge Sealift Readiness Reporting (DODIG-2020-047) DODIG 24 Jan 2020 -- The objective of this audit was to determine whether U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) provided adequate oversight of the reporting on surge sealift activation requirements. To assess the accuracy of this reporting, we reviewed surge sealift readiness reporting in the Defense Readiness Reporting System–Navy (DRRS-N) and the Defense Readiness Reporting System–Strategic (DRRS-S) from FYs 2017 and 2018.
• Army's cloud office set to fully operate by March Army News 24 Jan 2020 -- The Army's Enterprise Cloud Management Office is set to be in full swing by March, said the service's chief information officer, following the force's data strategy push to modernize and safeguard its networks against great-power competitors.
• DARPA Scraps 'Phantom Express' Space Plane Project After Boeing Withdraws - Reports Sputnik 24 Jan 2020 -- The US military had selected Boeing to enter into a collaborative venture to construct an Experimental Spaceplane called Phantom Express. The project, however, began to wane before being cancelled altogether.
• Addressing China Threats Requires Unity of U.S., World Effort, Esper Says DoD News 24 Jan 2020 -- The National Defense Strategy identifies China and Russia as competitors of the United States in the so-called great power competition.
• Norfolk Naval Shipyard Breaks Ground for $200 Million Renovation of Historic Dry Dock 4 NNS 24 Jan 2020 -- Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) held a groundbreaking for the renovation of its historic Dry Dock 4 January 23.
• US Defense Secretary Esper Says Pentagon Mulling Global Troop Rebalancing in 2020 Sputnik 24 Jan 2020 -- US Defense Secretary Mark Esper suggested on Thursday he could be ready to start a highly anticipated global force repositioning in accordance with what he called a "defense-wide review," which is expected to trigger a refocus in troop movements.
• US Delivers Six Light Attack Helicopters to Kenyan Army Amid Troop Withdrawal Debate Sputnik 24 Jan 2020 -- The US has delivered six light attack helicopters to the Kenyan military weeks after an al-Shabaab attack on a US base there killed three Americans. The move comes amid a debate in US foreign policy circles about withdrawing significant US forces from Africa.
• Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With Mary Louise Kelly of NPR's All Things Considered US Dept. of State 24 Jan 2020
• Secretary Michael R. Pompeo with Tony Perkins of Washington Watch with Tony Perkins US Dept. of State 24 Jan 2020
• Pompeo Heading To Ukraine, Belarus Next Week Before Visiting Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan RFE/RL 24 Jan 2020 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo plans to travel to Ukraine next week as part of a weeklong regional tour that would also include legs in Britain, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, the State Department said on January 24.
• Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South And Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells US Dept. of State 24 Jan 2020 -- Special Briefing by Alice G. Wells, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
• Remarks by Vice President Pence in a Press Gaggle The White House 24 Jan 2020
• Remarks by Vice President Pence and Prime Minister Netanyahu of the State of Israel After Bilateral Meeting | Jerusalem, Israel The White House 23 Jan 2020
• Remarks by Vice President Pence and Prime Minister Netanyahu of the State of Israel After Bilateral Meeting The White House 23 Jan 2020

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Jan. 24, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 24 January 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 24 Jan 2020
• Yemeni troops, allies seize strategic areas east of Sana'a from pro-Hadi forces Press TV 24 Jan 2020 -- Yemeni army forces, backed by allied fighters from the Popular Committees, have reportedly seized strategic areas in the country's capital province of Sana'a from Saudi-backed militiamen loyal to former President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.
• Syria forces close in on key militant-held city in Idlib: Monitor Press TV 24 Jan 2020 -- Syrian forces have made decisive advances towards a key city in the northwestern province of Idlib, which contains the largest remaining concentrations of Takfiri terrorists in the Arab country, a monitor says.
• Libyan crisis can affect entire Mediterranean region: Erdogan Press TV 24 Jan 2020 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that chaos in Libya will affect the entire Mediterranean region if peace is not established as soon as possible.
• Erdogan Says 'Syrian Mistake' Should Not Be Repeated in Libya, Calls for Pressure on Haftar Sputnik 24 Jan 2020 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday voiced concerns over Libya repeating Syria's fate and called on the international community to increase pressure on Khalifa Haftar, the Libyan National Army (LNA) commander, who is involved in the military conflict in the country.
• Erdogan Looks to Diplomacy Amid Concerns About Military Deployment in Libya VOA 24 Jan 2020 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is accusing Libyan militia leader General Khalifa Haftar of violating a cease-fire agreement. Despite deploying Turkish forces to back the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA), though, Erdogan seems to be increasingly looking to diplomacy rather than force.
• Myanmar's Ruling Party Says No Special Measures Required After ICJ Ruling Radio Free Asia 24 Jan 2020 -- Following Thursday's ruling by the U.N.'s top court that ordered Myanmar to protect Rohingya Muslims from genocidal acts, the country's ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party said that the government need not implement special measures.
• Cameroon Separatists Ignore Calls For Peaceful Elections VOA 24 Jan 2020 -- Separatists in Cameroon have ignored calls to allow voters in the northwest and southwest regions to vote in next month's elections. Fighters have attacked staff of the elections body ELECAM and destroyed voting materials ahead of the official launch of campaigning Saturday.
• Trump to Unveil Long Postponed Mideast Peace Plan VOA 24 Jan 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump says he plans to release his long delayed Middle East peace plan before hosting Israeli leaders at the White House next Tuesday.
• Ukrainian Pension Policies Create 'Hardships' On Pensioners In Separatist-Held Areas RFE/RL 24 Jan 2020 -- Human Rights Watch (HRW) says Ukrainian pension policies impose "hardships" on pensioners with limited mobility who live in areas controlled by Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
• Sudan Strikes Preliminary Deal Over Contested States with Rebel Group Sputnik 24 Jan 2020 -- The agreement between Khartoum's delegation, headed by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), has been signed in Juba, South Sudan's capital.

News Reports

• Democrats Argue Trump Will Continue to Abuse Power if Not Removed VOA 24 Jan 2020 -- U.S. Democratic lawmakers closed out their final arguments against President Donald Trump at his historic Senate impeachment trial Friday, arguing that if Trump is not removed from office he will continue to abuse power.
• Trump's Lawyers Ready to Argue That Abuse of Power Is Not Impeachable VOA 24 Jan 2020 -- As U.S. President Donald Trump's lawyers begin three days of opening statements in his impeachment trial on Saturday, they'll push a widely disputed theory: that abuse of power is not an impeachable offense.
• 'Truth Matters,' Schiff Tells Senate in Impeachment Trial VOA 24 Jan 2020 -- Friday is the last day for the Democrats' opening arguments in the Senate in the impeachment trial against U.S. President Donald Trump.
• On 3rd day of impeachment trial, Democrats try to convince Senate Trump abused power People's Daily 24 Jan 2020 -- U.S. House managers, a group of seven Democrats acting as prosecutors, tried on Thursday to convince senators that President Donald Trump abused the power of his office, as his impeachment trial entered its third day.
• Democrats say Trump abused his power for political gain at impeachment trial Press TV 24 Jan 2020 -- Democrats worked carefully at the impeachment trial of US President Donald Trump on Thursday to prove the Republican president abused his power by pressing Ukraine to investigate his Democratic rival Joe Biden and his son purely for political gain.
• The Week In Russia: Options For Putin, Not For The People RFE/RL 24 Jan 2020 -- Prime minister, parliament speaker, party chief, head of a supercharged State Council that would set guidelines for Russia's domestic and foreign policy and goals for the country's development.
• Russian Activists Launch 'Public Campaign' Against Putin's 'Constitutional Coup' RFE/RL 24 Jan 2020 -- A group of more than 30 activists, public figures and local Moscow politicians have created an online "manifesto" urging Russian citizens to resist President Vladimir Putin's proposed constitutional amendments.
• A Foul-Mouthed Culture Minister Who Hates Museums? Russia May Have One Now -- And Some Say It's An Improvement RFE/RL 24 Jan 2020 -- By her own apparent blog accounts, the Olga Lyubimova of two decades ago had an affinity for drugs, approached life in Russia as she felt a rape victim might, and was admittedly not a "cultural person."
• Bulgaria Considers Expelling Two Russian Diplomats Over Espionage RFE/RL 24 Jan 2020 -- Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva says the government is likely to expel two unnamed Russian diplomats over spying allegations.
• Two Russian Diplomats Declared Persona Non Grata in Bulgaria - Embassy Sputnik 24 Jan 2020 -- Earlier in the day, Reuters reported that Bulgaria was likely to expel two Russian diplomats on suspicion of espionage.
• China firmly opposes US defaming China-LatAm cooperation: spokesperson Global Times 24 Jan 2020 -- China firmly opposes the United States making irresponsible remarks on China-Latin America mutually beneficial cooperation, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Thursday.
• Xi stresses racing against time to reach Chinese Dream People's Daily 24 Jan 2020 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday stressed racing against time and keeping abreast with history to reach the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.
• Two Uyghur Cadres Jailed Over Failure to Confiscate 'Illegal Religious Text' Radio Free Asia 24 Jan 2020 -- Two Uyghur cadres in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) have been sentenced to prison over an Islamic book, according to sources, in a case highlighting how even those loyal to the ruling Communist Party can fall prey to Beijing's policies in the region.
• Hong Kong Protesters Pin Hopes For Political Change on Year of The Rat Radio Free Asia 24 Jan 2020 -- Hong Kong's protesters saw off the Year of the Pig and counted in the Year of the Rat on Friday with the same message to their government and the ruling Chinese Communist Party in Beijing as they had on Jan. 1: a demand for fully democratic elections and accountability for police violence during the protest movement that has rocked the city since last June.
• North Korea picks new foreign minister to follow 'new path' toward US Press TV 24 Jan 2020 -- North Korea has confirmed it has appointed an outspoken former military officer as its new foreign minister in an indication that it plans to follow a "new path" after the US failed to drop its hostile policy toward Pyongyang.
• As North Korean Citizens Fear Spread of Coronavirus, Trade with China Continues Radio Free Asia 24 Jan 2020 -- North Korean residents are terrified about the rapid spread of Wuhan pneumonia caused by the coronavirus, but despite those fears, trade with China is continuing as normal.
• EU : JCPOA parties agree to extend dispute mechanism timeline IRNA 24 Jan 2020 -- High Representative of the European Union Josep Borrell in a statement on Friday reiterated JCPOA parties determination to preserve the deal, saying they all agreed to extend the timeline to trigger the Dispute Resolution Mechanism.
• EU extends 'timeline' for 2015 Iran nuclear deal's dispute mechanism Press TV 24 Jan 2020 -- The European Union will give its members more time to discuss, under a dispute mechanism triggered by France, Germany and Britain, possible ways to preserve a nuclear deal signed in 2015 between Iran and six countries.
• U.S. Slaps Sanctions On Four Energy Firms For Aiding Iran's Quds Force RFE/RL 24 Jan 2020 -- The United States has imposed economic sanctions on four energy firms that it accuses of helping to move oil exports for the Quds Force of Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
• Iran Accuses US of 'Officially' Promoting 'State Terrorism' Over Threats to New Quds Head Sputnik 24 Jan 2020 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry has taken aim at the rhetoric of US special representative for Iran, Brian Hook, as the latter unambiguously stated that Commander Soleimani's successor General Ghaani could meet the same fate.
• Brexit bill becomes law after receiving royal assent People's Daily 24 Jan 2020 -- British government's Brexit bill became law Thursday after Queen Elizabeth II gave it her royal assent, paving the way for Britain's exit from the European Union (EU) on Jan. 31.
• Lawyer: Russian Accused In Massive Bitcoin Theft Abruptly Extradited To France RFE/RL 24 Jan 2020 -- A Russian man wanted by the United States for a massive bitcoin-theft scheme has been extradited from Greece to France, the latest development in a multinational legal fight that focused attention on cryptocurrency money laundering.
• Do Putin's Changes Mean An End To 'Integration' With Belarus? RFE/RL 24 Jan 2020 -- In his state-of-the-nation address this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not say a word about Belarus. But the fate and the future of Russia's smaller western neighbor could be affected by the proposals made by Putin.
• France's Government Introduces Pension Bill Amid New Protests VOA 24 Jan 2020 -- Tens of thousands of French took to the streets Friday for another day of protests as the government unveiled its controversial legislation to reform the country's pension system.
• Pakistan's Beleaguered Ahmadis Decry 'Deplorable' Attempt To Isolate Them RFE/RL 24 Jan 2020 -- To be considered Muslim, members of Pakistan's minority Ahmadi sect must deny the beliefs of their religion.
• Saudi Arabia attempted to spy on Khashoggi's fiancée Press TV 24 Jan 2020 -- American intelligence authorities tipped off their counterparts in the United Kingdom to a plan by Saudi Arabia to spy on Hatice Cengiz, the Turkish fiancée of the slain Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, in the UK last year.
• Ukrainian Ex-President Arrives For Questioning In Treason Probe RFE/RL 24 Jan 2020 -- Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has arrived at the State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) for questioning as a witness in one of the inquiries launched into activities he may have played a role in during his presidency.
• Serbia, Kosovo 'Agree In Principle' On Reviving Railway Links RFE/RL 24 Jan 2020 -- Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and the U.S. special envoy for Serbia and Kosovo say talks are planned for next week about restoring a railway link between the two Balkan neighbors.
• Amid Impeachment Drama, Balkan Dispute Gets High-Level US Attention VOA 24 Jan 2020 -- While Washington obsesses about tensions with Iran and the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, a pair of high-ranking administration officials has been crisscrossing Europe and the Western Balkans in pursuit of a solution to a dispute that most Americans have barely noticed.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation report - 04 WHO 24 January 2020
• China Reports 15 More Deaths From Coronavirus, Bringing Toll to 41 VOA 24 Jan 2020 -- China is reporting another 15 deaths from the coronavirus, bringing the toll from the disease to 41, and an additional 180 people sickened in central Hubei province.
• Taiwan widens criteria for reporting suspected cases of coronavirus CNA 24 Jan 2020 -- Taiwan's government on Friday widened its requirements for reporting suspected cases of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and urged Taiwanese returning from China for the Lunar New Year to avoid visiting crowded places, as part of its preventive efforts against the deadly disease that originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
• WHO officials questioned over Taiwan's exclusion from virus response CNA 24 Jan 2020 -- Officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) were questioned Thursday about Taiwan's exclusion from the organization and its global disease prevention efforts amid escalating fears over the spread of a new coronavirus that originated in China.
• Testing kits urgently needed in Wuhan Global Times 24 Jan 2020 -- Shortage of medical resources, especially the testing kits, keep hovering hospitals in Wuhan, capital of central Central China's Hubei Province, while the whole China is fighting together against the novel coronavirus originatinged in the city.
• Wuhan to follow Beijing's SARS treatment model in new coronavirus control Global Times 24 Jan 2020 -- The central China metropolitan of Wuhan will follow Beijing's SARS treatment model to build a special hospital for admitting patients infected in the outbreak of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus.
• WHO says "too early" to declare coronavirus outbreak in China a global emergency People's Daily 24 Jan 2020 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that it was "too early" to declare the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).
• More Die From Wuhan Pneumonia Virus Amid Fears City Hospitals Can't Cope Radio Free Asia 24 Jan 2020 -- The number of confirmed cases of a newly emerging coronavirus that causes pneumonia continued to rise in China on Friday, as the nation marked the end of the Year of the Pig.
• Number of Confirmed Coronavirus Cases in China Rises to 1,287, Death Toll Stands at 41 Sputnik 24 Jan 2020 -- Earlier, ten cities in the Chinese province of Hubei, including Wuhan, officially announced the suspension of transport connections over the outbreak of a new coronavirus.
• French Health Ministry Confirms Three Cases of Coronavirus Sputnik 24 Jan 2020 -- Earlier, two cases of a new type of coronavirus were confirmed in the French cities of Paris and Bordeaux, the first in Europe, French Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn said.
• First Confirmed Case of New Coronavirus Registered in Nepal - Official Sputnik 24 Jan 2020 -- Nepal has recorded the first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus, Hemanta Chandra Ojha, an official at the country's Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, said on 24 January.
• Two More Cases of Coronavirus From China Reportedly Confirmed in Singapore Sputnik 24 Jan 2020 -- On 23 January, officials in Singapore confirmed the first case of Wuhan coronavirus, the outbreak of which was first reported by Chinese authorities in late December.
• Second Case of Wuhan Coronavirus Confirmed in South Korea - Report Sputnik 24 Jan 2020 -- A new strain of coronavirus, labelled as 2019-nCoV or Novel Coronavirus, originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late December, with at least 25 deaths confirmed so far by the Chinese authorities.
• China Tries to Stop Spread of Virus But No Vaccine in Sight VOA 24 Jan 2020 -- China has locked down 10 cities out of concern about the spread of the mysterious new coronavirus, which has infected more than 880 people and killed at least 41.
• China Reports 15 More Deaths From Coronavirus, Bringing Toll to 41 VOA 24 Jan 2020 -- China is reporting another 15 deaths from the coronavirus, bringing the toll from the disease to 41, and an additional 180 people sickened in central Hubei province.
• Residents Cope, Flee as Coronavirus Locks Down China's Wuhan VOA 24 Jan 2020 -- China's efforts to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus with a transportation lockdown are sparking confusion among residents who are unsure of what steps to take.