Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Taliban Claims Bombing of Afghan Military Center, Gives Much Higher Death Toll Than Kabul Sputnik 04 May 2020 -- The Taliban has claimed responsibility for killing or wounding "dozens of members belonging to the enemy forces," but the Afghan government has reported only a single injury in the Sunday attack on its military post.
• US Defense Secretary: Afghanistan Peace Process 'Behind Schedule' VOA 04 May 2020 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper says the peace process in Afghanistan is not going as quickly as expected, with the Taliban failing to reduce violence in the war-torn country.
• Taliban Claim Attack on Afghan Army Base VOA 04 May 2020 -- Taliban have claimed an attack on an Afghan military and intelligence base in Helmand province Sunday night that killed at least seven and wounded more than a dozen, according to a security source. The attack was confirmed by multiple Afghan officials, including the spokesman for Helmand governor Omar Zawak, albeit with a lower number of casualties. The Afghan ministry of defense said only one person was wounded.
• Taliban stage deadly bomb attack in Afghanistan Press TV 04 May 2020 -- Taliban militants in Afghanistan have detonated an explosive-laden vehicle near an outpost housing members of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) and Army forces in the country's Helmand Province.
• Taliban Truck Bombing Kills At Least Five At Afghan Military Center RFE/RL 04 May 2020 -- A truck-bomb attack at a military center in Afghanistan's southern Helmand Province has killed at least five people and wounded several others.
• HRW Calls For Investigation Into 'Shocking' Allegation Of Iranian Border Guards Drowning Afghan Migrants RFE/RL 04 May 2020 -- Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called for a "thorough investigation" into "shocking" allegations that Iranian border guards beat and then forced a group of Afghan migrants into a river.
• Kansas National Guard stands up Joint Task Force Army News 04 May 2020 -- Soldiers and Airmen of the Kansas National Guard are supporting the COVID-19 response through the Joint Task Force Ready Guardian at the Armed Force Reserve Center in Topeka.
• NY Guard delivers 4.5 million meals, half-million test kits Army News 04 May 2020 -- Sixty-two days after the first New Yorker was diagnosed with COVID-19, and 55 days after being called to duty to help contain the pandemic, the New York National Guard has 3,629 members on duty.
• Indiana National Guard Soldiers serve their community Army News 04 May 2020 -- Indiana National Guard Soldiers and Airmen in northeast Indiana helped conduct a statewide COVID-19 testing study April 24-29.

Defense Policy / Programs

• B-1B Lancers return to Indo-Pacific for bomber task force deployment US Air Force 04 May 2020 -- B-1B Lancers returned to the Indo-Pacific region May 1 to conduct bomber task force operations out of Andersen Air Base, Guam.
• US Navy Ships Enter Arctic's Barents Sea for First Time in Decades VOA 04 May 2020 -- Four U.S. Navy surface ships entered the Barents Sea on Monday for the first time in decades as part of maritime security operations aimed at asserting freedom of navigation in the Arctic Circle.
• U.S., U.K. Ships Operate in the Barents Sea NNS 04 May 2020 -- Four U.S. Navy ships and a Royal Navy ship entered the Barents Sea, working together to conduct maritime security operations in the challenging environmental conditions above the Arctic Circle, May 4, 2020.
• U.S. Navy Operates Ships In Barents Sea For First Time In Decades As Russia Increases Arctic Capabilities RFE/RL 04 May 2020 -- Four U.S. Navy ships and a British Royal Navy frigate entered the Barents Sea north of Russia on May 4 to conduct Arctic security operations, the Pentagon said.
• HSC-26 Maintains Mission Readiness during COVID-19 Pandemic NNS 04 May 2020 -- As the world adapts to the unique challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the "Chargers" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 26 have demonstrated flexibility while continuing to execute training and operational missions in support of the nation's defense at home and abroad.
• Air Force update for COVID-19 US Air Force 04 May 2020
• Esper Details Defense Readiness in Face of Pandemic DoD News 04 May 2020 -- Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper discussed the immediate operations against COVID-19 and the second order of effects the pandemic will have on the U.S. military during a Brookings Institution webinar.
• Naval Special Warfare Center Resumes Portions of Paused SEAL and SWCC Training NNS 04 May 2020 -- Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Center resumed two paused phases of its SEAL and Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewman (SWCC) selection-and-assessment training, May 4.
• Commander, Navy Installations Command Remains Committed to Keeping Sailors Fit for Duty NNS 04 May 2020 -- The Navy's shore enterprise continues its mission of providing resources for Sailors to stay physically fit and mission ready.
• Modified exercise Spring Storm kicks off in Estonia NATO 04 May 2020 -- Allied forces have kicked off live-fire training in Estonia, as part of the annual exercise Spring Storm. Led by Estonia, Spring Storm tests the integration between NATO troops and the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF), strengthening their ability in times of crisis. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's exercise is scaled down, with around 3,200 troops participating, compared to 9,000 last year.
• NATO report looks at impact of technology on our security NATO 04 May 2020 -- NATO has published a major new report looking at defence technology trends over the next 20 years and their impact on our collective security. The report targets leaders and opinion-makers in the defence and security sector, as well as experts seeking insights into specific technologies.
• Russia's Northern Fleet Tracks NATO Warships Crossing Into Barents Sea - Defence Ministry Sputnik 04 May 2020 -- According to the National Defence Operations Centre, the NATO battle group sailed into the Barents Sea on Monday, 7 a.m. Moscow time.
• Xi Jinping Receives Warning of Potential Military Conflict With US, Report Claims Sputnik 04 May 2020 -- The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has added another point of tension to an increasingly souring relationship between the United States and China. As the Trump administration fuels anti-Chinese sentiment, details in a reported internal government document reveal how the worst-case scenario looks like.
• China's New Stealth Bomber Expected to Make First Public Appearance Before End of Year - Report Sputnik 04 May 2020 -- According to an unnamed source in the People's Liberation Army (PLA), China's new H-20 stealth bomber will likely make its first public appearance at the Zhuhai Air Show in November, assuming the event isn't cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Two Advances for Chinese Navy after Monthlong Aircraft Carrier Voyage near Japan, Taiwan VOA 04 May 2020 -- China's navy just learned from a monthlong aircraft carrier training mission how to keep troops safe from COVID-19 and what it would be like to spar with Japan or Taiwan, analysts believe.
• Regular Press Conference of the Ministry of National Defense on Apr. 30 PLA Daily 04 May 2020
• One more person tests positive in Navy Panshi cluster CNA 04 May 2020 -- A new case of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) resulting from a cluster infection on board a naval ship was confirmed by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Monday evening, raising the total number infections in Taiwan to 438.
• 367 Navy sailors test negative for COVID-19, released from quarantine CNA 04 May 2020 -- A group of 367 Navy sailors, who were on a flotilla that had a recent outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus, were released from quarantine Monday after testing negative for the virus.
• Taiwan takes part in PACAF teleconference on COVID-19 response CNA 04 May 2020 -- Taiwan was among 19 countries that participated in a video conference on the response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, which was held last week by the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF).
• Taiwan's annual war game to test reservist mobilization CNA 04 May 2020 -- The 2020 edition of Taiwan's annual war games, the Han Kuang exercises (漢光演習), will test its ability to mobilize reserve forces at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the militaries of many countries, Taiwan's defense chief said Monday.
• Remarks by President Trump in a Fox News Virtual Town Hall The White House 04 May 2020

Defense Industry

• Contracts For May 4, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 4 May 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 04 May 2020
• Record child displacement figures due to conflict and violence in 2019: UNICEF UN News 04 May 2020 -- A new UN report finds that some 19 million children were displaced within their own countries due to conflict and violence in 2019, more than in any other year, making them among the most vulnerable to the global spread of COVID-19.
• Vietnamese, Philippine Fishermen Protest China's Fishing Ban in SCS Radio Free Asia 04 May 2020 -- Fishermen's associations in Vietnam and the Philippines protested Monday China's annual summer fishing ban in the South China Sea and called for their national governments to oppose it, amid the threat of strict enforcement by the China Coast Guard.
• Saudi-led militants start takeover of Yemen's Socotra after fierce infighting Press TV 04 May 2020 -- Saudi Arabian-backed militants loyal to Yemen's former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi have started to take control of Socotra Island's provincial capital of Hadibo after fierce fighting with UAE-supported mercenaries.
• Syria's air defenses thwart aerial missile attack in skies of Aleppo: SANA Press TV 04 May 2020 -- The Syrian army's air defense units have foiled an aerial missile attack in the skies of the northern province of Aleppo, Syria's official news agency reports.
• Assad: Syria facing unjust embargo in its fight against pandemic Press TV 04 May 2020 -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says unjust sanctions imposed by Western countries against Damascus constitute a major obstacle on the way of fighting the ongoing deadly pandemic of the new coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.
• Unknown terrorists murder nine policemen in Syria's Dara'a Press TV 04 May 2020 -- At least nine Syrian policemen have been killed after a group of unidentified armed men launched an attack on a government building in southwestern province of Dara'a.
• US forces transport imprisoned Daesh terrorists from Syria to Iraq: SANA Press TV 04 May 2020 -- US forces have reportedly transported an unspecified number of imprisoned members of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in the northeastern province of Hasaka to their occupied bases in Iraq.
• Investigation Urged into Syrian Gorge Used to Dump Dead Bodies VOA 04 May 2020 -- Human Rights Watch is calling for an investigation into a gorge in northwest Syria that was used as a dumping site for dead bodies over the years.
• Israel's Likud submits bill to Knesset to annex more Palestinian land Press TV 04 May 2020 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party has submitted a bill to the Knesset that calls for occupying more Palestinian territories against the backdrop of a much-condemned peace scheme proposed by President Donald Trump of the United States emboldening Israel to usurp more Palestinian land.
• Palestinian foreign ministry slams Israeli plan to seize land near Ibrahimi Mosque in al-Khalil Press TV 04 May 2020 -- The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates has strongly condemned the Israeli regime's plan to seize Palestinian land in the area of the Ibrahimi Mosque in the southern occupied West Bank city of al-Khalil.
• PMU repels several Daesh attacks as report warns of US-Saudi scheme to revive group Press TV 04 May 2020 -- The Daesh Takfiri terrorist group has launched several attacks across Iraq as the Kata'ib Hezbollah resistance group warns of a Saudi-US plan to revive the group.
• Myanmar Anti-Hate Speech Orders Aimed at Halting Discrimination Against Rohingya Radio Free Asia 04 May 2020 -- The government of Myanmar has ordered all civil servants to stop using hate speech on social media, a persistent problem in the majority Buddhist country, nearly three years after soldiers and local militias drove more than 740,000 Muslim Rohingya into neighboring Bangladesh.
• More Than Two-Dozen Rohingya Refugees Sent to Flood-Prone Island Off Coast of Bangladesh VOA 04 May 2020 -- Bangladesh has relocated more than two-dozen Rohingya refugees who had been stranded at sea for several days to a flood-prone island in the Bay of Bengal.
• Three Indian Security Personnel, One Terrorist Killed After Clash in Kashmir - Police Sputnik 04 May 2020 -- Terror activities in India's Jammu and Kashmir have increased since April. On Sunday, five Indian army security personnel were killed in an overnight encounter in the Kupwara district and a further seven sustained injuries in a nearby explosion.
• India Asks Pakistan to Vacate "Occupied Area of Kashmir", Issues Statement to Diplomat Sputnik 04 May 2020 -- The two South Asian foes, India and Pakistan claim Kashmir in full but have controlled it in parts as "Indian-administered Kashmir" and "Pakistan-administered Kashmir" since independence from the British in 1947.
• UNHCR Condemns Attacks Against Malian Refugees by Burkina Faso Security Forces VOA 04 May 2020 -- The United Nations refugee agency is calling for an investigation into a violent attack against Malian refugees on May 2 by Burkina Faso security forces, which left dozens injured, many seriously.
• Cameroon Military Denies Civilian Deaths in 'Successful' Raids on Rebels VOA 04 May 2020 -- Cameroon's military says it killed at least 22 separatist fighters in a week of raids on seven rebel camps in the country's troubled western regions. Villagers, however, say the military killed at least 13 civilians in the raids, which involved hundreds of troops.
• France, G5 Sahel Nations Urge Chad to Continue Counterterrorism Support VOA 04 May 2020 -- France and other countries in Africa's Sahel region have called on Chad to send additional troops "as soon as possible" to an area wracked by instability and violent extremism.

News Reports

• Global Leaders Pledge Millions to Virtual Summit on COVID VOA 04 May 2020 -- An alliance of world leaders held a virtual summit Monday with the goal of raising billions of dollars to fund research into a vaccine for the coronavirus as well as develop new treatments and better testing.
• UN health agency hails 7.4 billion Euro pledge for COVID-19 treatments UN News 04 May 2020 -- World leaders on Monday pledged 7.4 billion Euros to support research and development for medicines to fight COVID-19 which the top UN health official has hailed as "a powerful and inspiring demonstration of global solidarity".
• Venezuela on high alert after abortive US-backed military raid Press TV 04 May 2020 -- The Venezuelan military has been placed on heightened alert after foiling a raid by US-backed mercenaries.
• Colombia Denies Involvement in Failed Boat Invasion of Venezuela Sputnik 04 May 2020 -- Colombia is rejecting Venezuela's claims that it was involved in the failed boat invasion on Sunday, Colombia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
• Third Russian Doctor Mysteriously Falls From Hospital Window Amid Coronavirus Outbreak RFE/RL 04 May 2020 -- A doctor at an ambulance unit in Russia's western Voronezh region is in serious condition after falling from a hospital window following complaints that he was forced to work even after testing positive for COVID-19, the third such case in the country in recent days.
• Russia Reports Record Daily Rise of New Coronavirus Cases VOA 04 May 2020 -- Russia has seen a record rise in coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, according to government figures reported Sunday.
• U.S. Repatriates over $311.7 Million in Assets to the Nigerian People that were Stolen by Former Nigerian Dictator and His Associates US Dept. of Justice 04 May 2020 -- The Department of Justice announced today that it has transferred $311,797,876.11 to the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Nigeria) in accordance with a Feb. 3, 2020, trilateral agreement among the governments of the United States, Nigeria and the Bailiwick of Jersey (Jersey) to repatriate assets the United States forfeited that were traceable to the kleptocracy of former Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha and his co-conspirators.
• Remarks by Deputy National Security Advisor Matt Pottinger to the Miller Center at the University of Virginia The White House 04 May 2020
• US Warns China Faces Populist Backlash VOA 04 May 2020 -- A top U.S. official behind the Trump administration's China policies is reaching out directly to the Chinese people in pressing U.S. concerns over China's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Trump Aide, Speaking in Chinese, Chides Beijing For Stifling China's Democratic Hopes Radio Free Asia 04 May 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump's top Asia adviser deployed fluent Chinese Monday in a speech chastising China's rulers for thwarting their people's century-long quest for democracy--likening censored coronavirus doctors and Hong Kong protesters to key figures in "a long-running struggle for the soul of modern China."
• Police Arrest Professor Who Linked Virus to The Chinese Communist Party Radio Free Asia 04 May 2020 -- Authorities in the Chinese capital have formally arrested a retired professor who called COVID-19 a "Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus," as supporters of the ruling party unleash a political backlash against its critics and the authorities investigate supporters of Wuhan Diary author Fang Fang.
• State Security Police Raid House Church Meeting in Chinese Port City of Xiamen Radio Free Asia 04 May 2020 -- Authorities in the southeastern Chinese city of Xiamen are holding nine people after hundreds of police raided a Protestant church gathering at the weekend, RFA has learned.
• HK Q1 economy posts biggest contraction since 1974 Global Times 04 May 2020 -- Hong Kong's economy fell 8.9 percent in real terms in the first quarter from the year be-fore, the most significant drop since the first quarter of 1974. That's when the quarterly numbers became available, according to official estimates on Monday, illustrating the economic shock of the COVID-19 outbreak that has pushed the local economy deeper in the red.
• Liaison office of China's central gov't in HKSAR condemns foreign interference in HK affairs People's Daily 04 May 2020 -- The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Sunday expressed strong condemnation of and firm opposition to the blatant interference in Hong Kong affairs and the malicious smear of "one country, two systems" by Western anti-China politicians and organization.
• North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un's Reappearance May Have Been Calculated Event to Dispel Rumors of His Demise Radio Free Asia 04 May 2020 -- An exchange of gunfire at the border between North and South Korea over the weekend, just after North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un reappeared in public after a three-week absence, appeared to be a deliberate message from the North that the status quo remains unchanged, North Korea watchers told RFA Monday.
• WFP Resumes Supplies to N. Korea After Disruptions Over Coronavirus-Related Restrictions Sputnik 04 May 2020 -- The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has resumed its supplies to North Korea that have been hampered by coronavirus-related movement restrictions and expects the imports to reach the levels that were in place before the pandemic, Elisabeth Byrs, a senior spokeswoman in WFP Geneva Office, said on Monday.
• Two North Korea defectors apologize for rumor about Kim's death Press TV 04 May 2020 -- Two defector-turned-lawmakers in South Korea have apologized for publicly raising suspicions over the health of Kim Jong-un, after a recent appearance by the North Korean leader ended a global speculation about his well-being.
• Defectors Who Claimed Kim Jong-un Was Gravely Ill or Dead Apologize for False Speculation Sputnik 04 May 2020 -- Weeks of speculation regarding the whereabouts and health status of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un fueled by South Korea-based English-language media and CNN were brought to an abrupt end late last week after Kim reemerged in public, seemingly alive and well.
• Taiwan's intelligence head grilled over Kim Jong-un health remark CNA 04 May 2020 -- Taiwan's intelligence chief has defended his widely cited assessment last Thursday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was sick a day before the dictator made an appearance at a May Day celebration.
• US invocation of UNSCR2231 a travesty, says diplomat IRNA 04 May 2020 -- Iran's Ambassador to the United Nations headquarters at Geneva said on Monday that the United States' invocation of UNSC Resolution 2231 against Iran is a travesty and it should be held accountable for abusing the UN Security Council.
• Iran Officials Make Conflicting Remarks On Consequences Of Extending Arms Embargo Radio Farda 04 May 2020 -- While the Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi has said that nothing will be left of the 2015 nuclear deal if the UN security Council extends the arms embargo against Iran beyond October 2020, President Hassan Rouhani's Spokesman, Ali Rabiei, says Iran is not planning to withdraw from the nuclear deal.
• Iran: U.S. Push To Extend Arms Embargo 'Illegitimate' RFE/RL 04 May 2020 -- Iran has criticized what it calls the "illegitimate" efforts by the United States to prolong the UN Security Council arms embargo on Tehran and said it would react to them with "proportionate" measures.
• Iran to 'decisively' counter potential arms embargo extension Press TV 04 May 2020 -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi says Iran will serve a "decisive response" to a potential extension of an arms embargo against the country that is legally bound to expire under its nuclear agreement with world powers.
• Response to 'Illegitimate' US Plan to Extend Iran's Arms Embargo Will Be Proportionate - Mousavi Sputnik 04 May 2020 -- Earlier, US State Secretary Mike Pompeo said that Washington would do everything to extend the arms embargo against Iran and is working with the UN Security Council members on the issue.
• US must be held accountable for abusing UN Security Council: Iran envoy Press TV 04 May 2020 -- Iran's permanent ambassador to the United Nations office in Geneva has criticized the United States for attempting to extend an arms embargo against the Islamic Republic, saying the US must be held to account for taking advantage of the UN Security Council to achieve its own political goals.
• Spokesman Says Iran Still Prepared For Prisoner Exchange With US, Europe Radio Farda 04 May 2020 -- The Spokesman of Iran's Foreign Ministry on Monday said Iran is still prepared for prisoner exchange with the United States and European countries.
• Iran Official Says Five Military Personnel Are In Jail Abroad, Blames The US Radio Farda 04 May 2020 -- An Iranian lawmaker has quoted a deputy defense minister as saying that more than 30 Iranians "active in military affairs" have been in jail outside Iran, but currently there are five individuals in prison abroad on charges of "military activity."
• Iran parliament approves currency overhaul bill Press TV 04 May 2020 -- The Iranian parliament has approved a bill to allow a major overhaul in the country's currency rial.
• Iran Parliament Approves Bill To Change Currency, Slash Four Zeros Radio Farda 04 May 2020 -- The Iranian Parliament on Monday voted for the details of a government monetary reform bill which will change the country's currency name and drop four zeros from banknotes.
• Iran To Cut Four Zeros From Currency To Fight Hyperinflation RFE/RL 04 May 2020 -- Iran's parliament has voted to slash four zeros from the national currency, the rial, to fight hyperinflation caused by crippling U.S. sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic.
• Iran to Drop Four Zeros From National Currency Rial, Rename It as the Toman Sputnik 04 May 2020 -- Iran's central bank has been planning to overhaul its currency since 2008, but the idea began to materialise only after the rial lost more than half of its value due to the US withdrawal from the landmark nuclear deal in May 2018.
• Iran to launch 5 new free trade zones Press TV 04 May 2020 -- The Iranian parliament has approved plans for launching five new free trade zones (FTZ) in north and east of the country.
• The Ten Million Dollar Hezbollah Sheikh, 'Wanted' Radio Farda 04 May 2020 -- Last month the United States offered a prize for providing "any information on the activities, networks and colleagues" of a senior Lebanese Hezbollah official, thought to have replaced Qassem Soleimani as an operative in the region.
• Activists Decry Bid by Russia, Cuba, Saudi Arabia to Join UN Rights Body VOA 04 May 2020 -- A watchdog group is calling on democratic nations to prevent the election of Russia, Cuba and Saudi Arabia to the 47-member U.N. Human Rights Council, saying their abysmal human rights records disqualify them from membership.
• Election Of New Kazakh Parliament Speaker Sparks Talk Of Power Struggle RFE/RL 04 May 2020 -- The former deputy chief of the Kazakh presidential administration, Maulen Ashimbaev, has replaced as parliament speaker Dariga Nazarbaeva, the daughter of former President Nursultan Nazarbaev, in a sign of a possible power struggle at the top of the country's leadership.
• What's Behind The Ouster Of Nazarbaev's Powerful Daughter In Kazakhstan? RFE/RL 04 May 2020 -- The abrupt dismissal from parliament of Darigha Nazarbaeva -- the powerful chairwoman of the Senate and eldest daughter of Kazakhstan's founding father, Nursultan Nazarbaev -- has raised questions about the country's political leadership and the future of the ruling family.
• Pakistan's Fight Against Coronavirus Threatens Its Drive To Eradicate Polio RFE/RL 03 May 2020 -- Pakistan's long battle to eradicate the crippling polio virus has been thwarted by militant attacks, radical Islamic clerics, and anti-vaccination propaganda.
• Briefing on Jewish American Heritage Month and U.S. Efforts To Respond to and Combat Anti-Semitic Attacks Globally US Dept. of State 04 May 2020
• Myanmar Awaits Workers Returning from Thailand, While Laos Keeps Its Border Closed Radio Free Asia 04 May 2020 -- Myanmar's military and authorities in the country's capital Naypyidaw are mandating a three-week coronavirus quarantine for migrant workers returning from Thailand, with about 600 returnees now expected in a new group of arrivals, sources in Myanmar say.
• Nasrallah: Germany bowing to US will in blacklisting Hezbollah as terrorist org. Press TV 04 May 2020 -- The secretary general of Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement has roundly denounced Germany's banning of his group and its designation as a terrorist organization, saying the move was taken under pressure from Israel and the United States.