Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Statement from the President The White House 06 Feb 2020
• US Eliminates Al-Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula Leader During Counterterrorism Operation – White House Sputnik 06 Feb 2020 -- It was reported earlier that Washington was awaiting confirmation of the death of the al-Qaeda* leader in the region, who was reportedly plotting attacks against the United States and Europe.
• Trump Confirms Death of Al-Qaida Affiliate Leader in Yemen VOA 06 Feb 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday confirmed the death of an al-Qaida leader in a U.S. drone strike in Yemen.
• Iraqi officials believe Popular Mobilization Units not behind US base attack: NY Times Press TV 06 Feb 2020 -- Iraq's military officials say an attack on the country's K-1 military base, which killed an American contractor, was not carried out by the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) forces, as rockets were fired from an area frequented by the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.
• Worry-Free Warlord: Fugitive Afghan Militia Leader Is Hiding -- In Plain Sight RFE/RL 06 Feb 2020 -- Considering he is a fugitive Afghan warlord, Nizamuddin Qaisari has done little to conceal himself.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DOD Statement - Flight Evacuations DoD 06 Feb 2020 -- In support of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Defense is prepared to receive two Department of State chartered evacuation flights from Wuhan, China currently scheduled to arrive on February 7th.
• DOD Statement on Additional Request From HHS DoD 06 Feb 2020 -- Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper is expected to support a request from the Department of Health and Human Services which asked DOD to identify military installations near 11 major airports that could house additional passengers, should HHS facilities become filled. These are tertiary locations, and HHS already has primary and secondary locations identified that are not DOD facilities.
• On-The-Record, Off-Camera Press Conference on U.S. Space Force DoD 06 Feb 2020 -- Stephen L. Kitay, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy; Air Force Lt. Gen. David D. Thompson, Vice Commander, U.S. Space Force; Shawn J. Barnes, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Acquisition and Integration; And Air Force Maj. Gen. Clint E. Crosier, Director, U.S. Space Force Planning Office
• 'milDrive' offers DoD more secure cloud storage solution Army News 06 Feb 2020 -- The Defense Information Systems Agency has been offering "milDrive," a cloud-based storage solution for desktop users, for nearly a year.
• Esper Discusses 2 Years of National Defense Strategy Efforts DoD News 06 Feb 2020 -- Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper returned to the venue where the National Defense Strategy was unveiled two years ago to discuss how the Defense Department is implementing it.
• Defense-Wide Review Finds $5.7 Billion for Higher Priorities DoD News 06 Feb 2020 -- Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper's Defense-Wide Review is paying off, with $5.7 billion freed up for more important priorities, senior defense officials said.
• SWRMC Manufactures First Ever Wave Break In-House for USS Paul Hamilton NNS 06 Feb 2020 -- Southwest Regional Maintenance Center's (SWRMC) Intermediate Level Production Shop fabricated its first ever wave break in-house for USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60) prior to deployment in early 2020.
• NAVFAC Washington Completes State-of-the-Art Academic Facility at Health Sciences Campus NNS 06 Feb 2020 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Washington leadership attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Feb. 6 commemorating the completion of Charles L. Rice Hall on the campus of Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
• USS Little Rock Departs on Maiden Deployment NNS 06 Feb 2020 -- Beginning its maiden deployment, USS Little Rock (LCS 9) departed its Mayport, Florida, homeport Feb. 6 for the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility, where the Freedom-variant littoral combat ship will operate.
• US, Japan bomber-fighter integration showcases alliance, global power projection US Air Force 06 Feb 2020 -- U.S. Air Force aircraft from the Pacific theater and the continental United States integrated with the Koku Jieitai (Japan Air Self Defense Force or JASDF) to conduct bilateral and theater familiarization training near Japan, Feb. 3.
• Building partnerships: US, Bangladesh Air Forces conduct tactical airlift exercise US Air Force 06 Feb 2020 -- Airmen with the 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan, and the Bangladesh Air Force participated in exercise Cope South 20, Feb. 1- 6, at BAF Kurmitola Cantonment, Dhaka, and Operating Location-Alpha, Sylhet, Bangladesh, for a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored, bilateral tactical airlift exercise.
• Oregon Guard members learn the basics of hazardous operations Army News 06 Feb 2020 -- The biting cold onshore breeze stabs through the buildings at Camp Rilea on the Oregon coast, just south of Astoria. The salt-stained air is brightly lit by the steel grey sky. It is definitely woobie weather.
• Jared Kushner Had No Idea 'What NATO Actually Does' in 2017, Book Claims Sputnik 06 Feb 2020 -- The 39-year-old Trump son-in-law and senior policy advisor has been the go-to guy for multiple foreign officials dealing with the White House, but has raised eyebrows over his alleged lack of knowledge on foreign policy issues.
• India Unveils Domestically Developed Anti-Ship Missile for Naval Helicopters, Warships Sputnik 06 Feb 2020 -- The Indian Navy deploys short-range anti-ship missiles on its frigates and destroyers. But for longer-range targets, it has decided to equip all of its warships with the Indo-Russian BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.
• India Has Begun Deployment of Spike Anti-Tank Missiles along Pakistan's Border, Says Army Chief Sputnik 06 Feb 2020 -- India has strengthened its military power along its border with arch-rival Pakistan by deploying its Spike Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) and other weapons amid a rising number of ceasefire violations and the alleged infiltration of terrorists into India.
• Russia Negotiating Manufacture of 'Igla-S' Air Defence Systems in India - Military Sputnik 06 Feb 2020 -- Contracts are under negotiation to supply India with Russian-made Igla-S man-portable air defence missiles and to organize their production on Indian soil, an official representative of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation told reporters on Thursday.

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Feb. 6, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 6 February 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 06 Feb 2020
• Syria: 'Massive waves of civilian displacement and loss of life must stop now': UN Special Envoy UN News 06 Feb 2020 -- Air and ground strikes in the region of Idlib, northwest Syria, are causing "massive waves of civilian displacement and major loss of civilian life", causing unacceptable human suffering which must stop now, Geir Pedersen, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, told the Security Council on Thursday.
• Syrian Government Whittles Away at Turkish-supported Rebel Enclave of Idlib VOA 06 Feb 2020 -- Syrian government forces continue to whittle away at Turkish-supported rebel forces inside Syria's besieged Idlib enclave, gaining more ground along the strategic Damascus-to-Aleppo highway. Despite warnings by both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and French President Emmanuel Macron to halt the offensive, the Syrian army appears poised to capture another strategic town.
• Suspected Israeli Airstrikes Reportedly Kill 23 Syrian Combatants VOA 06 Feb 2020 -- A British monitoring group says Israeli missile strikes killed at least 23 pro-Iranian fighters near Damascus Thursday. Israel is not commenting, but Syrian state media said their air defense repelled a number of attacks.
• Militants attack Russian forces from Turkey's zone in Syria's Idlib: Moscow Press TV 06 Feb 2020 -- Russia says a number of its troops have been killed during attacks launched by militants from Turkey's de-escalation zone in Syria's Idlib province, where an intensified offensive is underway by the Syrian army forces against foreign-backed militant outfits.
• Syria's air defense system intercepts Israeli missiles over Damascus Press TV 06 Feb 2020 -- Syrian air defense forces have intercepted several missiles launched from the occupied Golan Heights, according to Syrian state media.
• Turkey military convoy enters Idlib to protect terrorists, impede Syrian forces advance: Army Press TV 06 Feb 2020 -- The Syrian army says a Turkish military convoy has passed into Syria to protect foreign-sponsored Takfiri terrorists and impede army advances in the country's northwestern province of Idlib simultaneously with the recent Israeli air aggression against the Arab country.
• Turkey Expects Russia To Immediately Stop Syrian Regime Attacks In Idlib RFE/RL 06 Feb 2020 -- Turkey says it expects Moscow to put an end to the Syrian government forces' attacks in the northwestern province of Idlib immediately.
• Russia objects to UN draft resolution on Libya Press TV 06 Feb 2020 -- Russia has blocked a United Nations Security Council draft resolution on the Libyan conflict, insisting that any foreign militants in Libya be labeled "foreign terrorist fighters," not just "mercenaries," as the draft text proposed.
• 'Convergence' over lasting Libya ceasefire, as negotiator urges against 'provocative' acts UN News 06 Feb 2020 -- On day four of UN-led talks to transform an uncertain truce in Libya into a permanent ceasefire, veteran negotiator Ghassan Salamé on Thursday welcomed the "progress" that had been made so far, before urging an end to any "provocative" military action that might dash the chance of a successful outcome.
• Karen Rebel Group Accuses Myanmar Army of Using Drones to Surveil Its Headquarters Radio Free Asia 06 Feb 2020 -- An ethnic Karen armed group has accused the Myanmar military of using drones to surveil its headquarters in contested areas of southeastern Myanmar's Kayin state despite an official complaint, dampening already strained relations between the two forces.
• Rohingya Boat People to be Returned to Homes in Myanmar's Rakhine State Radio Free Asia 06 Feb 2020 -- Myanmar authorities have confirmed that more than 130 Rohingya Muslims who were part of a larger group detained in December by the Myanmar Navy in waters off Tanintharyi region while traveling to a third country are residents of Rakhine state, a district official said Thursday.
• Court In Russian-Occupied Crimea Extends Pretrial Arrest For Pro-Ukrainian Activist RFE/RL 06 Feb 2020 -- A court in Crimea has extended the pretrial detention of pro-Ukrainian activist Oleh Prykhodko.
• Kremlin Says It Has No Part In Russian Citizen Becoming 'Prime Minister' In Ukraine's Separatist Region RFE/RL 06 Feb 2020 -- The Kremlin has distanced itself from the naming of a Russian citizen as the separatist prime minister in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.
• Central African Republic: One year after peace deal, a 'long, steep' road ahead to ensure child rights protections UN News 06 Feb 2020 -- A year since the signing of a peace deal between the Government of the Central African Republic (CAR) and 14 armed groups, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported on Thursday that millions of children across the country remain threatened by violence and a lack of access to food, health care and other basic needs.
• Scared Cameroonians Flee From English-Speaking Regions Ahead of Sundays Polls VOA 06 Feb 2020 -- Economic activity is at a standstill in Northwest and Southwest Cameroon, as separatist fighters have imposed a travel ban and vowed that local and parliamentary elections set for Sunday will not take place. Civilians say they do not believe the government will be able to protect them from separatists who have been abducting candidates, election officials and people found with voters cards.
• South Sudan Opposition Official Says 'Unified Force Not Ready' VOA 06 Feb 2020 -- A top South Sudanese opposition official says a unified military force will not be in place by February 22, the deadline for the country's rival parties to form a transitional unity government.

News Reports

• Senate Intel Releases Bipartisan Report on Obama Admin Response to Russian Election Interference Senate Select Committee on Intelligence 06 Feb 2020 -- "Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC) and Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA) today released the third volume in the Committee’s bipartisan investigation into Russian election interference, “U.S. Government Response to Russian Activities.” The report examines the Obama Administration’s reaction to initial reports of election interference and the steps officials took or did not take to deter Russia’s activities."
• Fired-up Trump Basks in Impeachment Acquittal VOA 06 Feb 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump strode into the White House East Room on Thursday to celebrate his acquittal in the Senate that prevented his immediate removal from office.
• Remarks by President Trump to the Nation The White House 06 Feb 2020
• U.S. Senate acquits Trump on both articles of impeachment People's Daily 06 Feb 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump was acquitted on Wednesday afternoon by the Senate after the chamber voted down both articles of impeachment against him that the House approved late last year.
• Treasury Announces 2020 National Illicit Finance Strategy US Treasury 06 Feb 2020 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury today issued the 2020 National Strategy for Combating Terrorist and Other Illicit Financing (2020 Strategy), which provides a roadmap to modernize the U.S. anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regime to make it more effective and efficient.
• God, Gays, And 'Victorious Power': Other Proposed Amendments To Russia's Constitution RFE/RL 06 Feb 2020 -- When President Vladimir Putin dropped his bombshell announcement calling for changing Russia's constitution, the immediate focus was on what it meant for his future.
• Russian Police Detain Man Suspected In 2009 Killing Of Notorious Crime Boss RFE/RL 06 Feb 2020 -- Russian police have detained a person suspected of being involved in the 2009 high-profile killing of Russia's most notorious crime boss, Vyacheslav Ivankov, also known as Yaponchik (The Little Japanese).
• Russian FM Lavrov slams US policies toward crisis-plagued Venezuela Press TV 06 Feb 2020 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has condemned the United States for seeking "regime change" in Venezuela by imposing sanctions on the country's state energy giant Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), supporting opposition leader Juan Guaido and attempting to create a pretext for military intervention there.
• Trump expresses 'full support' for Venezuela's opposition leader Guaido Press TV 06 Feb 2020 -- US President Donald Trump has described the Venezuela's opposition leader as the legitimate president of Venezuela, further expressing his support for Juan Guaido, who had been at daggers-drawn with the country's democratically-elected President Nicolas Maduro in a yearslong political stalemate.
• Venezuela's president slams Trump for meeting with opposition figure Press TV 06 Feb 2020 -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has condemned US President Donald Trump for inviting Venezuelan opposition figure Juan Guaido to Washington.
• Briefing With Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams US Dept. of State 06 Feb 2020
• Secretary Michael R. Pompeo's Meeting with Interim President Juan Guaido of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela US Dept. of State 06 Feb 2020
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Daily Briefing Online on February 6, 2020 PRC MofA 06 Feb 2020
• Over 1.4 million surgical masks sold on first day of new rationing system CNA 06 Feb 2020 -- Over 1.4 million disposable surgical masks were sold on Thursday, when a new rationing system was rolled out as part of the Taiwan government's efforts to ensure a consistent supply amid fears of the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
• Government has requested experimental coronavirus drug: Health Ministry CNA 06 Feb 2020 -- Health and Welfare Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said Thursday that the Taiwan government has asked the American drugmaker Gilead Sciences to reserve doses of its experimental drug Remdesivir for potential use in Taiwan, amid reports that the antiviral medication may be effective in treating the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
• Taiwan's Foreign Minister blasts WHO for shifting designations CNA 06 Feb 2020 -- Taiwan's foreign minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) on Thursday blasted the World Health Organization (WHO) for repeatedly giving Taiwan "inappropriate designations" and reiterated that Taiwan is not part of China.
• Repatriations from China must be through proper channels: premier CNA 06 Feb 2020 -- Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said Thursday that there will be no more repatriations of Taiwanese nationals stranded in Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak, unless such arrangements are made through the established communication channels between both sides of the Taiwan Strait rather than private groups.
• Taiwan targets 4.6 million masks a day in two weeks CNA 06 Feb 2020 -- Taiwan currently produces 3.2 million surgical face masks a day, but is hoping to boost that to 4.6 million within two weeks as new equipment is installed at production facilities across the nation, Economic Affairs Minister Shen Jong-chin (沈榮津) said Thursday.
• Mainland urges Taiwan authority to stop impeding Taiwan compatriots returning from Hubei People's Daily 07 Feb 2020 -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson Thursday urged the Taiwan authority to stop impeding Taiwan compatriots stranded in the coronavirus-hit Hubei Province from returning to the island.
• Mask Production Brisk KCNA 06 Feb 2020 -- The Garment Technical Preparation Center under the Pyongyang Municipal Garment Industry Management Bureau speeds up the production of masks needed for checking the novel coronavirus infection.
• Experts: Sanctions Relief Will Not Make North Korea Denuclearize VOA 06 Feb 2020 -- North Korea is unlikely to give up its nuclear weapons even if sanctions are eased, according to experts who think increasing pressure and enforcing sanctions will lead Pyongyang to relent on its nuclear program.
• Zarif: Iran will sue Trump for economic, military and cultural terrorism Press TV 06 Feb 2020 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the Islamic Republic will take legal action against US President Donald Trump on charges of committing economic, military and cultural terrorism against the country.
• IAEA: Iran not taken any new measure in violation of JCPOA Press TV 06 Feb 2020 -- Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says Iran has not taken any new measures in violation of the 2015 nuclear deal after it declared last month it will scrap all its commitments under the accord.
• Lukashenka Complains About Halt On Russian Oil Supplies Ahead Of Putin Talks RFE/RL 06 Feb 2020 -- Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has arrived in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi, state news agency BelTA reported, for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin that are expected to focus on disagreements over tariffs for Russian oil.
• On Attacks Against Protesters in Iraq US Dept. of State 06 Feb 2020 -- "We are outraged by the violence perpetrated in the city of Najaf on February 5 that led to the killing and wounding of peaceful demonstrators."
• Sudan leader made no promise to normalize ties with Israel: Cabinet Press TV 06 Feb 2020 -- Sudan's cabinet says the country's leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who heads the ruling council, made no promise to Israel's prime minister of "normalizing ties" between the two sides during recent secret talks.
• Serbia's Vucic Backs Changes To EU Accession Process RFE/RL 06 Feb 2020 -- Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has expressed support for a new proposed methodology aimed at making the EU membership process more credible, predictable, and politically inclusive.
• Bulgaria Changes Legislation To Join Euro 'Waiting Room' RFE/RL 06 Feb 2020 -- Bulgaria's parliament has adopted amendments to the country's central-bank law in order to ease its accession to the "waiting room" of the eurozone.
• Azerbaijan's 'Equal Coverage' Law Stifles Media Reports On Elections RFE/RL 06 Feb 2020 -- Imagine a national election where most TV and radio broadcasters don't report on the candidates, campaigns, or political issues.
• Jailed Azerbaijani Banker's Wife Loses Battle Over U.K.'s First Unexplained Wealth Order RFE/RL 06 Feb 2020 -- A jailed Azerbaijani banker's wife who spent 16 million pounds ($21 million) over a decade in London's Harrods department store and was the target of Britain's first unexplained wealth order (UWO) has lost her appeal against a court order to reveal the source of her money.
• New Kosovo Prime Minister Pledges to Remove 100% Serbian Import Tariffs VOA 06 Feb 2020 -- Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti pledges to abolish the 100% tariffs on Serbian imports, an impediment in normalization efforts between the two countries since 2018.