Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• US closing 'very promising' deal with Taliban, but it's not without risk Press TV 15 Feb 2020 -- US Defense Secretary Mark Esper has described the recent talks between American officials and representatives of the Afghan Taliban as "very promising".
• Esper: U.S., Taliban Deal On Reducing Violence In Afghanistan 'Promising,' But With Risks RFE/RL 15 Feb 2020 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said a deal between the United States and the Taliban on a weeklong reduction of violence in Afghanistan "looks very promising," but warned it was not without risk.

Defense Policy / Programs

• U.S. Holding Off On New START Extension, Hoping To Bring China Into Deal RFE/RL 15 Feb 2020 -- The U.S. administration has not decided whether to extend the historic New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) with Russia because it wants more time to persuade China to join the negotiations.
• U.S. warship sails through Taiwan Strait: MND CNA 15 Feb 2020 -- A United States warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Saturday, marking the third appearance by U.S. military forces in the area this week, following two recent incidents in which Taiwan had to scramble its F-16 fighter jets to monitor the movements of Chinese warplanes, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND).
• Theodore Roosevelt and America Strike Groups Conduct Operations in U.S. 7th Fleet NNS 15 Feb 2020 -- The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group and the America Expeditionary Strike Group joined forces to conduct Expeditionary Strike Force operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific on Feb. 15.
• Naval Supply Signs $2.3 Billion UH-60 Renewal Contract NNS 15 Feb 2020 -- Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support (NAVSUP WSS) renewed a $2.3 billion H-60 Seahawk Performance Based Logistics (PBL) contract with Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission System (LMRMS) located in Owego, N.Y., Feb. 1.
• Secretary General discusses security issues with world leaders in Munich NATO 15 Feb 2020 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg joined other world leaders for talks while at the Munich Security Conference on Friday and Saturday (14-15 February 2020). He had discussions with heads of state and government, ministers, parliamentarians and officials.
• Opening remarks by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Munich Security Conference NATO 15 Feb 2020
• NATO Chief Defends Alliance, Calls For Europe, U.S. To Work More Closely RFE/RL 15 Feb 2020 -- NATO's secretary-general offered a robust defense of the alliance's importance, downplaying disagreements over trade and defense policy, and calling on European allies and the United States to do more to work together.
• Iran Air Force outfits F1 warplanes with indigenous radar, other military equipment Press TV 15 Feb 2020 -- The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) says it has outfitted its Mirage F1 fighter jets with indigenously-developed radars and various other equipment of domestic manufacture.
• The West Is Winning US Dept. of State 15 Feb 2020 -- Speech by Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State
• 'The West Is Winning:' Pompeo Makes Forceful Speech At Munich Conference RFE/RL 15 Feb 2020 -- The U.S. secretary of state has declared that "the West is winning" as he pushed back against assertions that Washington was retreating from global engagement, and against warnings from Germany's president about a new "great power" competition.
• Background Briefing with Senior State Department Officials on the Munich Security Conference US Dept. of State 15 Feb 2020

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• IRGC rejects US claim about seizure of Yemen-bound Iranian weapons in Gulf of Aden Press TV 15 Feb 2020 -- A senior commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has dismissed a recent allegation leveled by the United States about the seizure of an Iranian Yemen-bound arms cache in the Gulf of Aden, saying the US makes such claims in an attempt to make up for its defeats in Yemen.
• At least 30 civilians killed in fresh Saudi airstrikes on Yemen's Jawf Press TV 15 Feb 2020 -- At least 30 civilians have been killed and many others injured in fresh air raids conducted by Saudi warplanes on Yemen's northern Jawf Province, Yemeni media report.
• The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen: We Hold the Terrorist Iran-backed Houthi Militia Responsible for the Lives and Wellbeing of the (Tornado) Air Crew under The International Humanitarian Law and the Third Geneva Convention SPA 15 Feb 2020 -- Statement by the Official Spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen COL Turki Al-Malki
• The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen: A Combat Search and Rescue Operation in the Crash Site of the (Tornado), A possibility of Collateral Damage to Civilians SPA 15 Feb 2020 -- Statement by the Official Spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen COL Turki Al-Malki
• Joint Forces Command of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen: A Coalition Fighter Jet Crashes in the Area of Operations in Al Jawf Governorate, Yemen SPA 15 Feb 2020 -- A statement by the Official Spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen COL Turki Al-Malki
• Syrian army advances in fierce battles against militants in Idlib Press TV 15 Feb 2020 -- Syrian government forces, backed by allied fighters from popular defense groups, have advanced in the battles against foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants in the country's northwestern province of Idlib, wresting full control over a number of villages.
• Turkey fulfilled responsibilities under Sochi deal with Russia over Syria's Idlib: Ankara Press TV 15 Feb 2020 -- Turkey has hit back at Moscow that blamed Ankara for failing to honor a 2018 buffer zone deal, insisting that the Turkish government has so far carried out its responsibilities in Syria's volatile province of Idlib, which militant groups have been using as a launch pad for attacks against Syrian forces and civilians.
• Myanmar Says it Will Compensate Those Who Lose Land to Chinese Project in Kyaukphyu Radio Free Asia 14 Feb 2020 -- The Myanmar government will compensate local residents for more than 1,800 acres they had to forfeit for the building of the China-backed Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone in western Rakhine state, a Myanmar government official said Friday, yielding to demands for money as payment for their losses.
• Armenian, Azerbaijani Leaders Debate Nagorno-Karabakh, Make Little Visible Progress RFE/RL 15 Feb 2020 -- Armenia and Azerbaijan's leaders butted heads over the frozen conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, but made little visible progress toward resolving the more-than-30-year-old dispute.
• Zelenskiy Calls For Elections in Donetsk, Lukhansk In October RFE/RL 15 Feb 2020 -- Ukraine's president has called for holding local elections in the war-torn east, along with the rest of the country, in October, despite the ongoing conflict in the region.

News Reports

• Building A Fortune On Misfortune: Pyramid Schemes Still A Bane In Russian Hinterland RFE/RL 15 Feb 2020 -- Posters outside the Veliky Ustyug Cultural-Entertainment Center advertise a concert on February 23 to mark Defender of the Fatherland Day and, a couple weeks later, a performance of Tchaikovsky's opera Eugene Onegin.
• Lavrov Accuses NATO, Europe Of Stoking Tensions RFE/RL 15 Feb 2020 -- Russia's foreign minister has accused NATO, and Europe more broadly, of stoking tensions on the continent, as he called on leaders to "abandon the phantom of the Russian threat."
• Macron Calls For New Russian Policy Despite Ongoing Kremlin Efforts To Destabilize West RFE/RL 15 Feb 2020 -- France's president has said that Russia would continue trying to destabilize Western democracies, but he called for Europe to adopt a new approach toward Moscow.
• Yemeni Interior Ministry breaks up two Saudi, Emirati spy rings Press TV 15 Feb 2020 -- Yemen's Interior Ministry says it has separately broken up two spy rings operating for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and arrested a number of professional spies.
• US officials warn NATO members against Huawei Press TV 15 Feb 2020 -- US officials have once more expressed concerns about the Chinese mobile company Huawei, warning that the tech giant posed a serious threat to NATO.
• China rejects Pompeo's remarks about Chinese infiltration into US government Press TV 14 Feb 2020 -- China's Foreign Ministry has rejected recent remarks by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, calling on Washington to stop slandering China's political system.
• Esper Makes Case That China is a Growing Threat to Europe DoD News 15 Feb 2020 -- In Europe, there is a focus on the threat from Russia. However, there is also a threat from China, the Pentagon's number one concern, said Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper.
• Coronavirus epidemic will soon be over, economy to rebound strongly: China Press TV 15 Feb 2020 -- China has expressed confidence that the coronavirus epidemic will be over soon and the impact of the flu-like virus will be temporary on the country's economy.
• Pentagon chief warns China rejecting US 'world order' Press TV 15 Feb 2020 -- US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has warned that China is pursuing aggressive economic and military policies at the expense of other nations and challenging the "international order" established by Washington.
• Zarif says Trump responsible for escalation with Iran IRNA 15 Feb 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Saturday that US President Donald Trump is responsible for escalation with Iran and it is up to Trump to de-escalate by lifting the inhumane sanctions on Iran.
• FM Zarif says General Soleimani assassination a miscalculation by US IRNA 15 Feb 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said late on Friday that the US killing of a top Iranian general was a miscalculation that has had the effect of bolstering support in Iraq for the removal of American troops, a longtime goal of Tehran.
• Zarif Tries To Downplay U.S. 'Maximum Pressure' RFE/RL 15 Feb 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that U.S. President Donald Trump was receiving bad advice if he believed America's "maximum pressure" campaign against his country would cause the government in Tehran to collapse.
• Zarif: Iran Willing To Return To Full Compliance With Nuclear Deal If Europe Helps RFE/RL 15 Feb 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Tehran would be willing to move back to full compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal if Europe provides "meaningful" economic benefits.
• Macron Says Open To Starting EU Membership Talks With North Macedonia, Albania RFE/RL 15 Feb 2020 -- French President Emmanuel Macron has said he would support the EU starting formal membership talks with North Macedonia and Albania if the bloc's executive gives them a positive review next month.
• North Macedonia Parliament Votes To Fire Labor Minister Over Name Dispute RFE/RL 15 Feb 2020 -- The parliament in North Macedonia has dismissed Labor Minister Rashela Mizrahi for failing to use the country's new official name during a press conference -- a sensitive issue in the Western Balkan nation following a long-standing dispute over the moniker.
• The United States Condemns Detention of Interim President Guaido's Family Member US Dept. of State 15 Feb 2020 -- The United States strongly condemns the detention of Juan Jose Marquez, uncle of interim President Juan Guaido, and demands his immediate release. The preposterous charges that have been put forward further exemplify the increasing desperation of Maduro and his corrupt associates.
• Myanmar Government, NGOs Try to Help Wary Workers Stranded in China's Wuhan Radio Free Asia 14 Feb 2020 -- Thousands of undocumented migrant workers from Myanmar are stuck in and around the Chinese city of Wuhan, under lockdown for weeks because of the highly contagious coronavirus, with travel in and out of the area temporarily halted, according to a diplomat and Myanmar labor rights groups.
• Senior U.S. Senators Meet Zelenskiy In Kyiv, Reaffirm Bipartisan Backing For Ukraine RFE/RL 15 Feb 2020 -- Three senior U.S. senators arrived in Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and reaffirm bipartisan support for continued strong relations between the two countries, despite an impeachment process that put Kyiv in the middle of a sensitive political situation.