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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
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News Reports

Current Operations

• US officer killed in ambush in eastern Syria Press TV 07 Apr 2020 -- A US officer has been killed in an ambush in the eastern Syrian province of Dayr al-Zawr.
• US forces preparing to withdraw from base west of Baghdad Press TV 07 Apr 2020 -- The US-led coalition purportedly fighting the Daesh terror group in Iraq is reportedly preparing to evacuate troops from a military base in the city of Abu Gharib, west of the capital Baghdad.
• Taliban Calls Back Negotiators After Suspending Prisoner-Exchange Talks RFE/RL 07 Apr 2020 -- The Taliban called back its team of negotiators from Kabul hours after saying it broke off talks with the Afghan government on a prisoner exchange.
• Taliban quit talks with Afghan government on prisoner swap Press TV 07 Apr 2020 -- The Taliban militant group in Afghanistan has quit talks with the government on a prisoner swap, claiming that Kabul is delaying the exchange.
• Taliban Breaks Off 'Fruitless' Talks With Afghan Government On Prisoner Exchange RFE/RL 07 Apr 2020 -- The Taliban has broken off talks with the Afghan government on a prisoner exchange, a main step in peace talks being brokered by the United States.
• HRW Urges War Crimes Charges For Jailed IS-Linked Group's Head RFE/RL 07 Apr 2020 -- Human Rights Watch (HRW) is urging the Afghan government to bring war crimes charges against the captured leader of the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), an affiliate of the extremist group Islamic State (IS).
• Taliban Look to US for Prisoner Release After Calling Off Talks With Kabul VOA 07 Apr 2020 -- The Afghan Taliban said Tuesday they will now approach the Americans to resolve the prisoner release issue, after telling its technical team in Kabul to stop participating in what they called "fruitless meetings" with representatives of Afghan government.
• Federal Government of Somalia, AFRICOM target al-Shabaab AFRICOM 07 Apr 2020 -- In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted an airstrike targeting al-Shabaab terrorists in the vicinity of Jilib, Somalia, Apr. 6.
• Precision airstrike eliminated al-Shabaab senior leader AFRICOM 07 Apr 2020 -- U.S. Africa Command post-strike assessments confirm that one of the three terrorists killed in the command's Apr. 2 precision airstrike was a long-standing, high-ranking leader in the al-Shabaab terrorist organization.
• Comfort, Javits Center Open Care to COVID-19 Patients DoD News 07 Apr 2020 -- The Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort and the Defense Department-run alternate care facility at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, both in New York City, are now taking patients with COVID-19, defense medical officials said.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper Accepts Resignation of Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly DoD 07 Apr 2020 -- Today, Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper accepted the resignation of Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly and announced that he is appointing current Army Undersecretary Jim McPherson as Acting Secretary of the Navy.
• US Navy chief offers resignation over aircraft carrier coronavirus crisis Press TV 07 Apr 2020 -- The US Navy chief has offered to resign in the wake of an aircraft carrier coronavirus crisis.
• Acting Secretary of Navy Modly Apologises to Fired Captain Crozier After Calling Him 'Stupid' Sputnik 07 Apr 2020 -- Earlier, Modly, in a 15-minute commentary to the ship's crew on Sunday, blasted recently-fired US Navy Captain Brett Crozier, saying that the latter was either "too naive or too stupid" to be in command. The captain was fired after a letter he penned begging for help in combating the COVID-19 outbreak on the warship was leaked to the media.
• Department of Defense Press Briefing via Teleconference by Assistant to the Secretary of Defense Hoffman DoD 07 Apr 2020 -- Jonathan Rath Hoffman, Assistant To The Secretary Of Defense For Public Affairs; Navy Vice Admiral Andrew L. Lewis, Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet And Joint Forces Command Norfolk; Army Major General William "Bill" A. Hall, Commander, Joint Task Force Civil Support; Army Major General Jeffrey L. Milhorn, Commander And Division Engineer For North Atlantic Division, U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers; Army Brigadier General Michel A. Natali, Dual-Status Commander For The State Of New York And Assistant Adjutant General For Joint Forces Headquarters; Colonel Kim Aiello
• Air Force update for COVID-19 US Air Force 07 Apr 2020
• Crew Member of USNS Comfort Tests Positive for COVID-19, Personnel Isolated Sputnik 07 Apr 2020 -- The US Navy announced late Monday evening that a crew member aboard the USNS Comfort had tested positive for the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, just hours after US President Donald Trump announced the near-empty Comfort would begin accepting infected patients to provide relief to New York City and New Jersey hospitals.
• Corps fields next-generation body armor to Marines USMC News 07 Apr 2020 -- The Marine Corps has begun fielding a next-generation protective vest that provides improved fit, form and function for Marines.
• Travis AFB works to prevent COVID-19 spread, ensure readiness US Air Force 07 Apr 2020 -- As COVID-19 sweeps across the United States and the world, Travis Air Force Base has taken several actions to prevent further spread of the virus while ensuring readiness.
• Ford's Combat Systems put to the Test NNS 07 Apr 2020 -- USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) recently completed testing of vital combat systems while underway in the Atlantic Ocean.
• NAVWAR Enterprise Delivers Innovative Solutions for Increased Readiness in Support of COVID-19 Relief Efforts NNS 07 Apr 2020 -- Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) Enterprise rapidly delivered engineering expertise to Military Sealift Command hospital ships, USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) and USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), to provide secure and reliable pier-to-ship connectivity, increasing bandwidth and improving communications in support of the nation's Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) relief efforts.
• NJ Guard's 177th Fighter Wing still flying during pandemic US Air Force 07 Apr 2020 -- The 177th Fighter Wing, New Jersey Air National Guard, continues defending the nation's borders and preparing for combat deployment during the COVID-19 global pandemic.
• NATO Forces visit Georgia NATO 07 Apr 2020 -- NORTHWOOD, UK - Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) units are visiting the Georgian port of Poti between 7-9 April, 2020.
• Coronavirus response: Secretary General welcomes Allies' support for North Macedonia NATO 07 Apr 2020 -- In a phone call with President Stevo Pendarovski on Tuesday (7 April 2020), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed that North Macedonia is now participating in all NATO meetings as a full member of the Alliance, following accession on 27 March 2020 as NATO's 30th member.
• Russian Aerospace Forces to Get 2 More Modernised An-124 Military Cargo Planes Sputnik 07 Apr 2020 -- The Russian Aerospace Forces will receive two additional An-124 Ruslan super-heavy military transport aircraft, a source in the aviation industry revealed.
• Amphibious AG600 airplane plans sea test Global Times 07 Apr 2020 -- The AG600, China's large amphibious airplane that will be capable of covering all of the South China Sea, is preparing in Hubei Province to conduct its first maritime test flight this year as planned, despite the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) epidemic.
• PLA Air Force's first batch of female flight instructors take cadets to sky PLA Daily 07 Apr 2020 -- The first batch of female flight instructors of the PLA Air Force and the pilot cadets they instructed leap into the blue sky together in China's primary trainer aircraft CJ-6 at the training base of a regiment under the PLA Air Force Aviation University in late March.
• Secretary Michael R. Pompeo Remarks to the Press US Dept. of State 07 Apr 2020

Defense Industry

• Contracts For April 7, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 7 April 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 07 Apr 2020
• 'Deep Plowing The South China Sea': China Eyes Resources, Steps up Research Radio Free Asia 07 Apr 2020 -- China's recent establishment of two new research stations on artificial islands it occupies in the disputed South China Sea comes as it ramps up its exploration and exploitation of deep sea environments, seeking fuel, rare metals and biotechnology, analysts say.
• Yemen's Ansarullah agrees to UN offer for large-scale prisoner exchange with Saudi-backed ex-govt. Press TV 07 Apr 2020 -- Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement has reportedly agreed to an offer by the United Nations to implement a major prisoner swap with Saudi-sponsored Yemeni militiamen loyal to the country's former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.
• 22 Houthi Militias Killed and Injured in Clashes in West of Taiz SPA 07 Apr 2020 -- Seven members of the Houthi militia were killed today and 15 others were injured in clashes with the Yemeni National Army in west of Taiz, Yemen.
• Syrian troops, residents block another US convoy in Hasakah, force it to retreat Press TV 07 Apr 2020 -- Another US military convoy has been forced to retreat from an area in Syria's northeastern province of Hasakah after local residents, in coordination with government forces, prevented the foreign forces from passing through the community.
• UN Probe Blames Syria, Allies For Civilian Attacks, Avoids Blaming Russia RFE/RL 07 Apr 2020 -- A United Nations investigation has concluded the Syrian government or its allies was likely responsible for attacks on a school, a hospital, and two other civilian facilities, but the probe avoided specifically blaming Syria's main military sponsor, Russia, drawing rebukes from rights activists.
• Turkish forces, allied militants shell villages in Syria's Hasakah: Report Press TV 07 Apr 2020 -- Turkish army forces and militants allied to Ankara have attacked several villages in Syria's northeastern province of Hasakah, a report says.
• Libya government forces say Emirati drones supporting rebels Press TV 07 Apr 2020 -- Government forces in Libya say Emirati drones have carried out two airstrikes in support of Libyan rebels near the city of Sirte.
• Libya War Escalates as Health Care System Crumbles VOA 07 Apr 2020 -- Minutes after the explosion on Monday, doctors and other witnesses started circulating videos online. Another hospital compound in Tripoli had been hit.
• Mass Grave Discovered in Rwanda May Contain Remains of 30,000 Genocide Victims - Officials Sputnik 07 Apr 2020 -- The executive secretary of the genocide survivor organisation Ibuka said that work to exhume the bodies has been hampered by water from a dam located near the area and the coronavirus lockdown, which prohibits people from gathering in large numbers.
• Mali: UN mission fulfills mandate, aids battle against coronavirus UN News 07 Apr 2020 -- As the COVID-19 pandemic plagues the world, the head of the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali told the Security Council on Tuesday that the mission continues to fulfill its mandate while doing whatever it can to prevent the coronavirus outbreak from overrunning the country.
• War Refugees in Myanmar's Rakhine State Face Housing Crunch as Monsoon Looms Radio Free Asia 07 Apr 2020 -- About 8,700 civilians displaced by ongoing armed conflict in Myanmar's war-ridden Rakhine state and living outdoors require emergency shelter before the onset of the annual monsoon season because a local Buddhist monastery cannot accommodate them, a local lawmaker and the monastery's abbot said Tuesday.
• Pakistani Security Forces 'Kill Seven Militants' Near Afghanistan RFE/RL 07 Apr 2020 -- Security forces raided two militant hideouts in former Taliban strongholds in northwestern Pakistan near the Afghan border on April 7, killing seven militants, the military said.

News Reports

• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on April 7, 2020 PRC MofA 07 Apr 2020
• China Confirms Party Probe Into Outspoken Property Tycoon Radio Free Asia 07 Apr 2020 -- The ruling Chinese Communist Party has confirmed it is investigating property tycoon Ren Zhiqiang after he penned an article highly critical of President Xi Jinping, amid an ongoing crackdown on critics of the president.
• US to continue with economic sanctions on Iran despite epidemic: Pompeo Press TV 07 Apr 2020 -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says Washington will continue with its economic sanctions against Iran as part of its attempts to bring about regime change.
• Zarif: Iran needs no charity from US, only wants bans lifted amid virus crisis Press TV 07 Apr 2020 -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Iran, as a resource-rich nation, needs no charity from US President Donald Trump in its battle against a coronavirus pandemic, urging Washington instead to stop standing in the way of Tehran's oil sales and banking transactions.
• Macron Calls On Iran To Respect Nuclear Obligations In Call With Rohani RFE/RL 07 Apr 2020 -- French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Iran to respect its nuclear obligations as the world focuses its attention on the coronavirus pandemic.
• Eminence Grise Goes: The Turkmen President's 'Wallet' Retires RFE/RL 07 Apr 2020 -- After 12 years as one of the most trusted aides of Turkmenistan's mercurial president, speculation is rife as to why Aleksandr Dadaev suddenly left his influential post in Ashgabat.
• Former Ecuadorian President Convicted on Corruption Charges, Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison Sputnik 07 Apr 2020 -- Ecuadorian Attorney General Inigo Salvador pressed aggravated bribery charges against 24 people, including former President Rafael Correa, his vice president, and several ministers last November as part of an investigation into illegal donations to Correa's political party.
• Cambodia to Proceed With Draft Law on State of Emergency Despite Calls For Further Review Radio Free Asia 07 Apr 2020 -- Cambodia's National Assembly will proceed with a review of draft legislation authorizing a state of emergency to contain the spread of the coronavirus, despite concerns that the bill has not been adequately vetted and Prime Minister Hun Sen saying Tuesday that there is no need to invoke it any time soon.
• Cabinet Holds Session and Reviews Several Issues via Virtual Network SPA 07 Apr 2020 -- The Cabinet held today via the virtual network a session and was briefed on the telephone calls made between the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud with King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; President Kais Saied of the Republic of Tunisia, and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte of Italy. The phone conversations dealt with the latest developments in the world due to outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in addition to the international efforts to curb and limit its spread.
• Ex-Chad Leader Temporarily Released from Jail Due to Coronavirus Quarantine VOA 07 Apr 2020 -- Chad's former dictator Hissene Habre has been granted a two months reprieve from his life sentence by a judge in Senegal, where he was convicted of crimes against humanity.