Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• CENTCOM: US to deploy missile systems in Iraq for fear of more Iran retaliatory attacks Press TV 10 Mar 2020 -- The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) says it is set to deploy missile systems in Iraq for fear of more Iranian attacks in retaliation for the assassination by the US military of top anti-terror general Qassem Soleimani.
• Security Council resolution endorses moves towards long-sought Afghanistan peace UN News 10 Mar 2020 -- The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Tuesday afternoon welcoming recent steps towards ending the conflict in Afghanistan. All 15 members supported the resolution, tabled by the United States, which endorses a joint US-Afghan declaration on peace and an agreement signed between Washington and the Taliban.
• U.S. forces start withdrawal from Afghanistan People's Daily 10 Mar 2020 -- The U.S. Forces Afghanistan has begun withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan, the coalition forces confirmed on Tuesday.
• Afghan Taliban 'send vehicles to pick up prisoners' under US deal Press TV 10 Mar 2020 -- The Taliban militant group has sent vehicles to collect jailed militants expected to be released by the Afghan government in a prisoner exchange under a deal that Kabul was not a party to.
• Hillary Clinton Urges Inclusive Peace Process for Afghanistan VOA 10 Mar 2020 -- Hillary Clinton said Tuesday a sustainable peace will take hold in Afghanistan only if it is inclusive, and that foreign troop withdrawals must be conditioned on the Taliban meeting their obligations under the recently signed peace agreement.
• US Begins Troop Drawdown Amid Deepening Afghan Political Crisis VOA 10 Mar 2020 -- Officials in Afghanistan say a presidential decree is expected to be issued Tuesday that would set in motion the process of releasing thousands of Taliban prisoners as the U.S. military begins a troop drawdown in the country–steps outlined in a deal with the Islamist insurgent group aimed at ending the nearly 19-year-old war.
• Afghanistan peace prospects 'slim' without women's participation: Hillary Clinton UN News 10 Mar 2020 -- There can be no sustainable peace in Afghanistan if women are not at the negotiating table, former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told ambassadors and activists at UN Headquarters on Tuesday.
• Federal Government of Somalia, AFRICOM target al-Shabaab AFRICOM 10 Mar 2020 -- In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted an airstrike targeting al-Shabaab terrorists in the vicinity of Janaale, Somalia, Mar. 10.
• Military Leaders Adjust Scope of Exercise African Lion to Protect Against COVID-19 AFRICOM 10 Mar 2020 -- BUG: the mark does not exist in the description file
• National Guard Sent Into New York Suburb to Control Coronavirus VOA 10 Mar 2020 -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo has called out the National Guard to help set up a containment zone in the New York City suburb of New Rochelle, which the governor says contains the country's largest cluster of coronavirus cases.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Air Force update for COVID-19 affected activities: March 10, 2020 US Air Force 10 Mar 2020 -- In an effort to minimize the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 and to prioritize the health and safety of Department of the Air Force personnel, the following modifications have been made:
• US Scales Down Military Exercises in Africa Due to Coronavirus VOA 10 Mar 2020 -- One of the U.S. military's largest exercises in Africa has been significantly scaled down due to the threat of the coronavirus.
• Army budgets target transformational change Army News 10 Mar 2020 -- Anyone wanting to stay abreast of the initiatives set through the Army's budget can now download a document which explains many of the Army's sought-after changes.
• Soldier-centered approach helping lead ground modernization efforts Army News 10 Mar 2020 -- Nearly two years into its largest modernization overhaul in four decades, the Army looks to continue its momentum of developing new ground systems centered on input from Soldiers.
• Defense Leaders Detail How Middle East, Africa Fit in U.S. Strategy DoD News 10 Mar 2020 -- Since the National Defense Strategy was published in 2018, Defense Department officials who testify before Congress have stressed proposals based on that strategy.
• Near-Peer Threats at Highest Point Since Cold War, DOD Official Says DoD News 10 Mar 2020 -- The United States faces an array of threats from near-peer competitors China and Russia that have not been seen since before the fall of the Berlin Wall, a DOD official said today.
• Middle East, Africa Commanders Discuss Terror Threats DoD News 10 Mar 2020 -- Although there is no country or group in Africa and the Middle East that poses an existential threat to the United States, that doesn't mean America can withdraw from the regions.
• Military Doing Better Today Than 4 Years Ago, Norquist Says DoD News 10 Mar 2020 -- The U.S. military is doing better today than it was four years ago based on several metrics, Deputy Defense Secretary David L. Norquist said.
• Missile Security Operations Concept creates 341st Missile Security Operations Squadron US Air Force 10 Mar 2020 -- The 341st Security Forces Support Squadron adopted new mission sets over time since implementation of the Missile Security Operations Concept nearly three years ago and is now officially known as the 341st Missile Security Operations Squadron.
• Ceremony Inaugurates First-Ever Navy Reserve Cyber Protection Unit NNS 10 Mar 2020 -- Navy Reserve leaders formally inaugurated the Navy's first reserve Cyber Protection Team during a ceremony at the Baltimore Navy Operational Support Center in Baltimore, March 7.
• Army looks to leverage 'low Earth orbit' satellites Army News 10 Mar 2020 -- Constellations of small satellites orbiting close to Earth may provide faster communications and be less vulnerable than traditional ones, defense officials said Thursday.
• US, Canada jets intercept Russia reconnaissance aircraft above Alaska: NORAD Press TV 10 Mar 2020 -- US and Royal Canadian air force fighter jets have intercepted a Russian reconnaissance aircraft, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has claimed.
• U.S. Official: New START Treaty Should Cover Russian Weapon Systems Under Development RFE/RL 10 Mar 2020 -- An extension of the last remaining nuclear arms treaty between the United States and Russia should include new weapons systems that Moscow is developing, a U.S. State Department official said in a briefing on March 9.
• NATO Secretary General meets the Foreign and Defence Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina NATO 10 Mar 2020 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Minister of Foreign Affairs Bisera Turković and Minister of Defence Sifet Podžić at NATO Headquarters on 10 March 2020 to discuss cooperation between NATO and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• China to launch 2nd amphibious assault ship soon: reports Global Times 10 Mar 2020 -- China is reportedly set to launch its second Type 075 amphibious assault ship soon following the launch of the first one in September, leading analysts to say that China has grasped related shipbuilding technologies. The development of aircraft to be used on the ships is also progressing smoothly, they said.
• Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Guides Another Firepower Strike Drill of Long-range Artillery Sub-units of KPA on Front KCNA 10 Mar 2020 -- Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and supreme commander of the armed forces of the DPRK, guided another firepower strike drill of long-range artillery sub-units of the Korean People's Army on the front on March 9.
• UAE, US begin joint military exercise 'Native Fury 20' SPA 10 Mar 2020 -- The UAE-US joint military exercise, "Native Fury 20" kicked off in Abu Dhabi, with the participation of the UAE forces and their US counterparts.

Defense Industry

• Contracts For March 10, 2020

Other Conflicts

• Islamic State, Al-Qaida 'On the March' in Africa VOA 10 Mar 2020 -- Western-backed efforts to counter terror groups across Africa are falling short, increasing the chances one or more affiliates of Islamic State or al-Qaida could try to carve out their own caliphate on the continent, according to the latest assessment by a top U.S. commander.
• Yemeni army forces, allies shoot down Saudi-led reconnaissance drone in Hudaydah Press TV 10 Mar 2020 -- Yemeni army forces, supported by allied fighters from Popular Committees, have intercepted and targeted an unmanned aerial vehicle belonging to the Saudi-led military coalition as it was flying in the skies over the country's western coastal province of Hudaydah.
• Kazakh FM Says Syria Talks In Nur-Sultan Likely Postponed RFE/RL 10 Mar 2020 -- Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi says it's unlikely the so-called "Astana format" peace talks on Syria in the Kazakh capital will happen this month as planned.
• Special Briefing With Ambassador James Jeffrey and Ambassador David Satterfield US Dept. of State 10 Mar 2020 -- Special Briefing by James F. Jeffrey, Special Representative for Syria Engagement and Special Envoy to the Global Coalition To Defeat ISIS, Ambassador David Satterfield, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey
• Syrian army uncovers militant chemical weapons workshop in western Aleppo Press TV 10 Mar 2020 -- Syrian government forces have discovered a workshop in the western countryside of the country's embattled northwestern province of Aleppo, which foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants used to manufacture toxic chemical weapons for their attacks against army troops and civilians in government-controlled areas.
• Syria Cease-fire Hangs by a Thread VOA 10 Mar 2020 -- The cease-fire agreement that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin reached for Syria's battered Idlib province was hanging by a thread Tuesday.
• Turkey proposes running Syria oilfields jointly with Russia Press TV 10 Mar 2020 -- Turkey's president says he has proposed to his Russian counterpart that the two countries jointly operate the eastern Syrian oilfields, adding he could make the same offer to the United States, which is already implicated in stealing the Syrian crude.
• Senior Hashd al-Sha'abi cmdr. killed, four aides wounded in Daesh attack in Iraq's Diyala Press TV 10 Mar 2020 -- Daesh Takfiri terrorists have killed a senior commander of the Popular Mobilization Units in Iraq's eastern province of Diyala as government troops and allied fighters are engaged in joint counter-terrorism operations across the crisis-hit Arab country to flush out the last remnants of the extremist outfit.
• No military solution to Libyan conflict: Germany's Merkel Press TV 10 Mar 2020 -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel says there is no military solution to the conflict in war-torn Libya, stressing that an immediate ceasefire is necessary for a political process to continue.
• Egypt, UAE establish Libyan naval commando unit to fight Turkey Press TV 10 Mar 2020 -- Backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt has reportedly set up a special naval operations force made up of Libyan commandos, which is tasked with targeting Turkish naval interests off Libyan coasts.
• Two Civilians Killed as Myanmar Army Hits Chin State Village With Air Strikes Radio Free Asia 10 Mar 2020 -- Heavy artillery fired during airstrikes killed two civilians and injured four others in a village in western Myanmar's Chin state on Monday, where government forces are fighting the rebel Arakan Army, a resident and a military spokesman said.
• UN Investigator Wants Myanmar Brought Before International Criminal Court VOA 10 Mar 2020 -- A U.N. investigator is calling for Myanmar to be referred to the International Criminal Court and tried for alleged international crimes, including the persecution of ethnic minorities that have forced millions to flee, fearing for their lives. The investigator has submitted a report on Myanmar to the U.N. Human Rights Council.
• Abkhazia Election Back On Track After Race Tainted By 'Poisoning' RFE/RL 10 Mar 2020 -- Abkhazia's electoral race appears to be back on track after a poison scare, violent street protests, and repeated delays that have underscored the volatility of politics in the Russia-backed breakaway region on Georgia's Black Sea coast.
• Attack in Cameroon by Anglophone Separatists Sows Panic VOA 10 Mar 2020 -- There is an uneasy calm in Cameroon's French-speaking towns and villages that share a border with the English-speaking regions after separatist fighters supporting the creation of an English-speaking state crossed into the French-speaking regions last weekend, killed government troops and left with huge consignments of weapons and ammunitions. Civilians say they are not sure the military can protect them from the wrath of the separatists as the government claims.

News Reports

• American Professor Pleads Guilty in Connection with China Work VOA 10 Mar 2020 -- A former West Virginia University physics professor has pleaded guilty to a fraud charge in connection with his work for one of China's premier foreign talent recruitment programs, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.
• Putin Opens The Door - Wide - To Staying On As President Past 2024 RFE/RL 10 Mar 2020 -- In 2012, after four years of ostensibly playing second fiddle to Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin returned to the presidency.
• Russian Lawmakers OK Constitutional Change That Would Allow Putin To Run In 2024 RFE/RL 10 Mar 2020 -- Russia's lower chamber of parliament, the State Duma, has approved a constitutional amendment that would allow President Vladimir Putin to run for a new term in 2024.
• Russia's lower house of parliament votes to scrap presidential term limits Press TV 10 Mar 2020 -- Russia's lower chamber of parliament has approved a constitutional amendment that would allow incumbent President Vladimir Putin to potentially run for a new term in 2024 by suspending a law that limits presidents to two consecutive terms.
• The Reasons And Risks Behind Russia's Big Oil Bet RFE/RL 10 Mar 2020 -- For years now, Russia has been laser-focused on insulating itself from an external economic shock.
• Russia-Saudi Oil Spat Sends Shock Waves Through Moscow Markets RFE/RL 10 Mar 2020 -- Russian stocks were down sharply across the board in early trading on March 10 after a public holiday, following a crash in oil prices that saw the ruble tumble and global markets plunge.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on March 10, 2020 PRC MofA 10 Mar 2020
• Wuhan Residents 'Under Armed Guard' During President's Visit to City Radio Free Asia 10 Mar 2020 -- Chinese president Xi Jinping on Tuesday visited the virus-hit city of Wuhan to proclaim victory in the fight against the epidemic, as dissent continued to simmer among residents and commentators.
• U.S. Companies Must Stop Buying Goods Made By Forced Uyghur Laborers, Senator Says RFE/RL 10 Mar 2020 -- The Senate Foreign Relations Committee's top Democratic member has called on the Commerce Department to stop U.S. companies from buying goods made by forced Uyghur laborers.
• Detained Saudi royals sought to block crown prince's accession: Report Press TV 10 Mar 2020 -- Two senior Saudi royals arrested recently had reportedly been seeking to block the accession to the throne of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) using a procedural body.
• Kazakhstan Lowers Lending Rate Amid Plunging Oil Prices Over Virus Fears RFE/RL 10 Mar 2020 -- Fears over the spread of a new respiratory illness originating in China have led to an average drop of 25 percent in the price of oil and prompted oil-rich Kazakhstan's central bank to hike its policy rate to 12 percent from 9.25 percent.
• EU May Direct More Funding For Eastern Partnership Nations To Reducing Russian Energy Dependence RFE/RL 10 Mar 2020 -- The European Union plans to better tie financial assistance to the six nations of its Eastern Partnership program to improvements in their rule of law and may increase funding for alternative energy to ween them off Russian fossil fuels.
• U.S. Senator Calls On Kosovo To End Tariffs Or Face U.S. Troop Withdrawal RFE/RL 10 Mar 2020 -- A member of the Senate Armed Services Committee has called on Kosovo to annul tariffs on Serbian goods and services or face a withdrawal of U.S. troops.
• Armenia's Pashinian Kicks Off Campaign On Constitutional Reform RFE/RL 10 Mar 2020 -- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has urged voters to back proposed changes to the constitution that would lead to the removal of a majority of Constitutional Court judges.
• London Mansion Linked To Nazarbaev Family At Center Of British Court Battle RFE/RL 10 Mar 2020 -- A court in London is set to decide the fate of a luxurious London mansion and two other properties linked to the family of former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev.
• Nicaragua: After two years of crisis, more than 100,000 have fled the country UN News 10 Mar 2020 -- Over the past two years, more than 100,000 people in Nicaragua have sought asylum abroad, reportedly fleeing persecution and human rights abuses, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Tuesday.
• Burundi election countdown amid 'deteriorating' human rights situation UN News 10 Mar 2020 -- Two months ahead of Burundi's planned local and presidential elections, senior UN-appointed independent rights investigators have urged the Government to reopen the "democratic, civil and political space" there.
• US sanctions impact millions of Venezuelan lives: UN rights chief Press TV 10 Mar 2020 -- United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has expressed concern about US-imposed sanctions against Venezuela, saying the restrictive measures have impacted millions of people's lives in the Latin American country.
• UN: Attacks in Venezuela Spike Against Government's Political Opponents VOA 10 Mar 2020 -- The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights is deploring the violent, escalating attacks against political opponents of the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Michelle Bachelet presented an oral update of the situation in Venezuela to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva Tuesday.
• Cambodia's PM Hun Sen Threatens Opposition Leader Kem Sokha With Return to Prison Radio Free Asia 10 Mar 2020 -- Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday threatened to cut short opposition chief Kem Sokha's bail and return him to prison, suggesting he was trying to "get away" with treason amid a postponement in his trial.