Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Ghani, Abdullah Sign Deal Ending Afghan Political Impasse VOA 17 May 2020 -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani signed a power-sharing deal with his rival Abdullah Abdullah Sunday, marking a possible end to months of post-presidential-election turmoil and years of political tug of war between the two camps.
• Afghan President Ghani and Opposition Leader Abdullah Strike Deal Sputnik 17 May 2020 -- The politicians have been engaged in a dispute since September, as Abdullah refused to recognise the results of the presidential elections in the country. Both Ghani and Abdullah held inauguration ceremonies in March.
• Secretary Pompeo's Call with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah US Dept. of State 17 May 2020
• Statement on Afghanistan by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg NATO 17 May 2020
• Afghan President Ghani, rival Abdullah strike power-sharing deal after feuding for months Press TV 17 May 2020 -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, a former official and a rival to the incumbent President, have signed a power-sharing deal in a bid to put an end to a months-long feud that plunged the country into political crisis.
• Afghan President Ghani, Political Rival Abdullah Agree On Power-Sharing Deal RFE/RL 17 May 2020 -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his political rival Abdullah Abdullah, both of whom claimed to have won Afghanistan's presidential election in September, have reached a power-sharing agreement under which Abdullah will lead the government's efforts to reach a peace deal with the Taliban.
• No US airstrikes in Somalia for five weeks: AFRICOM Press TV 17 May 2020 -- US military's Africa Command (AFRICOM) has announced that airstrikes in Somalia have not been carried out for five weeks -- the longest halt in more than a year – due to torrential rains that have complicated the battlefield environment.

Defense Policy / Programs

• NEPLOs Coordinate Cross-Country Move of Navy Medical Personnel in COVID-19 Fight NNS 17 May 2020 -- On April 22-23 Navy Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officers (NEPLO) in Texas, Louisiana, New Jersey, and Connecticut coordinated the transfer of 49 medical personnel from Texas and Louisiana to the Bennett Medical Center in Stamford, Connecticut.
• Yard Patrol 686 Craft Completes Service Life Extension Program NNS 17 May 2020 -- The Navy recently completed a Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) on Yard Patrol (YP) 686 and returned the modernized craft to the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), May 14.
• US special operations forces ill-equipped to counter China, Russia Press TV 17 May 2020 -- American military officials say the US special operations forces are ill-equipped for high-tech warfare with China and Russia, stressing the need for Washington to develop new capabilities in the field of military power to be able to compete with the two geopolitical rivals.
• Chinese, Malaysian defense ministers talk over phone PLA Daily 17 May 2020 -- Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe held phone talks with the Malaysian Defense Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Friday afternoon.
• OP SAMUDRA SETU PHASE 2 - INS JALASHWA BRINGS HOME 588 INDIANS FROM MALDIVES India PIB 17 May 2020 -- INS Jalashwa, deployed for Op Samudra Setu, entered Kochi harbour today morning concluding her second voyage to bring back Indians from Male, Maldives. The ship disembarked 588 Indian citizens including 70 women (06 expectant mothers) and 21 children at the Samudrika Cruise Terminal, of Cochin Port Trust.
• Remarks by President Trump After Marine One Arrival The White House 17 May 2020

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• Saudi Arabia impounding 22 ships carrying fuel, food at Jizan port: Official Press TV 17 May 2020 -- A official at Yemen's Hudaydah port says Saudi authorities have impounded nearly two dozen ships carrying energy derivatives and food destined for the impoverished and war-ravaged Arab country.
• At least 14 killed as UAE, Saudi mercenaries clash in south Yemen Press TV 17 May 2020 -- At least 14 UAE-backed southern separatists and Saudi-led militants have been killed as clashes between the two s
• Pirates Attack British-flagged Tanker off Yemen VOA 17 May 2020 -- Pirates attacked a British-flagged oil tanker off the coast of Yemen Sunday, causing some minor damage but no injuries.
• US aircraft drops incendiary balloons, sets fire to wheat crops in NE Syria Press TV 17 May 2020 -- An American aircraft has reportedly dropped thermal balloons over agricultural lands in Syria's northeastern province of Hasakah, setting fire to wheat crops in the area.
• Militants Shell Towns in 3 Provinces of Syria, Russian Military Says Sputnik 17 May 2020 -- Militants from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham* terrorist group have conducted numerous attacks in the Syrian provinces of Idlib, Aleppo, and Latakia, Rear Admiral Oleg Zhuravlev, the head of the Russian Defence Ministry's centre for Syrian reconciliation, said on Saturday.
• Iraq launches massive operation against Daesh near Syria border Press TV 17 May 2020 -- Iraq's Armed Forces have launched a new military operation against the Daesh terrorist group covering the provinces of Anbar, Nineveh and Salahuddin to the Syrian border.
• Libya's UN-backed GNA forces destroy Haftar's air defense system, drone south of Tripoli Press TV 17 May 2020 -- Libya's UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) says its forces have managed to shut down another air defense system and shoot down a drone belonging rebels loyal to renegade General Khalifa Haftar southwest of capital Tripoli.
• UAE dispatched mercenaries to help rebels in Libya: UN report Press TV 17 May 2020 -- A confidential report by the United Nations says two private military companies based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have sent foreign mercenaries to support Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar in his offensive to seize the country's capital Tripoli.
• Israeli PM defies intl. backlash, says next govt. must annex West Bank Press TV 17 May 2020 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has once again defied the international outcry against his plan to annex more parts of the occupied West Bank, saying that the regime's new cabinet must enforce Tel Aviv's rule over settlements constructed in the occupied territory.
ides entered a sixth day in the southern Yemeni province of Abyan.
• Pompeo warns ICC of 'consequences' if it probes Israeli war crimes Press TV 17 May 2020 -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has threatened that Washington will "exact consequences" if the International Criminal Court (ICC) moves ahead with a potential war crimes investigation into Israel.
• Israeli Law Should Apply to West Bank Settlements, Netanyahu Says Sputnik 17 May 2020 -- The new unity government of Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud and Benny Gantz's Blue and White alliance is set to be sworn in, ending more than a year of political deadlock.
• Suicide Bomb Kills Somali Governor VOA 17 May 2020 -- A suicide bomb explosion in central Somalia has killed at least five people including a regional governor on Sunday, officials told VOA Somali.
• UN, Aid Agencies Cite Unprecedented Humanitarian Needs in Sahel VOA 17 May 2020 -- United Nations and private aid agencies warned Friday that an unprecedented number of people in Africa's volatile Sahel region are in desperate need of life-saving assistance and protection.

News Reports

• Obama Speaks to the Class of 2020 VOA 17 May 2020 -- Former U.S. President Barack Obama delivered two virtual commencement speeches Saturday – one to the 2020 graduates of historically black colleges and universities, known as HBCUs, the other to this year's high school graduates.
• Democrats Open Investigation into Trump's Firing of State Dept. Inspector General VOA 17 May 2020 -- U.S. Democratic lawmakers are launching an investigation into President Donald Trump's firing of the State Department's inspector general, the fourth time in recent weeks that Trump has ousted a government watchdog.
• Democrats launch probe into Pompeo, sacking of State Dept watchdog Press TV 17 May 2020 -- Top congressional Democrats overseeing foreign relations in both the US Senate and House of Representatives have launched a probe into the sacking of State Department's inspector general, charging that the firing was politically motivated.
• American Journalists Based in Hong Kong US Dept. of State 17 May 2020
• HK urged to nurture 'closer economic ties' with mainland Global Times 17 May 2020 -- With China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) facing a worsening outlook in economic growth and rising unemployment, experts called for closer economic ties with the Chinese mainland.
• Pompeo Warns US May Reassess Hong Kong Status After Alleged Attack on Press Sputnik 17 May 2020 -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned China on Sunday that the United States could change its view of Hong Kong's status in light of what it sees as interference with free press.
• Health assembly should not be diverted by political agenda: observers Global Times 17 May 2020 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) is scheduled to hold its 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva on Monday.
• China urges US to immediately stop wrongdoing: MOFCOM Global Times 17 May 2020 -- China urges the US to immediately stop its wrongdoing and create the conditions for business involvement in normal trade and cooperation, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Sunday, hitting back against the latest technology tightening and coercion by the US.
• Huawei ban drags China, US into tech cold war Global Times 17 May 2020 -- The latest US ban on Chinese high-tech firm Huawei Technologies has officially dragged the two countries, which have seen bilateral ties sour amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, into a prolonged cold war in the tech sector, as such a blatant attack against a Chinese company in full swing sent out a warning shot to the entire domestic industry, which has been partially dependent on the US in core technologies, especially high-end chipsets.
• China says will take all necessary measures to protect rights of its firms Press TV 17 May 2020 -- China has warned the United States of retaliation over its new restrictions on Chinese tech giant Huawei, saying it will take "all necessary measures" to safeguard the company's legitimate rights and interests.
• US unlikely to default on its debt held by China: experts Global Times 17 May 2020 -- It is unlikely the US government will default on its debt held by China and other countries, as some US politicians have suggested, but the threat signals Washington's lack of confidence, as the US' leading economic position is being challenged by China, Chinese financial experts say.
• China's Chang'e-4 probe survives 500 Earth days on Moon's far side Global Times 17 May 2020 -- China's Chang'e-4 probe has survived 500 Earth days on the far side of the moon while conducting a scientific exploration of the virgin territory.
• Iran Warns Against US 'Piracy' VOA 17 May 2020 -- Iran is warning the United States against threatening its tankers carrying fuel to Venezuela, where gasoline and oil are in desperately short supply despite Venezuela being a major oil production center.
• Ayatollah Khamenei: Americans support terrorists, will be expelled from Syria and Iraq Press TV 17 May 2020 -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says due to its support for terrorists, the US is hated in most parts of the world and will be soon expelled from Syria and Iraq, where it is illegally present in the two Arab countries.
• US Will Be 'Expelled From Iraq and Syria', Iran's Supreme Leader Says Sputnik 17 May 2020 -- The situation between Iran and the United States almost escalated into a full conflict after a US drone strike killed top Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad in January, prompting Tehran to retaliate by firing ballistic missiles at two bases in Iraq hosting US forces.
• Supreme Leader: US to be expelled from Iraq, Syria IRNA 17 May 2020 -- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Sunday that the US government's long-term performance has led to its being abhorred by a major part of the world and the Americans won't stay in Iraq and Syria; they'll be expelled.
• Iran FM: Threatening Iranian tankers by US amounts to piracy, jeopardizes intl. peace Press TV 17 May 2020 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has issued stern warning against the US provocative acts through dispatching its naval forces to the Caribbean Sea with the goal of disrupting the course of Iranian tankers carrying fuel for Venezuela.
• Rouhani Aide Defends Iran's Trade With Venezuela Radio Farda 17 May 2020 -- A senior Iranian official has defended shipping fuel to Venezuela, saying two independent countries are free to conduct trade and it is no one's business.
• Russian envoy: US needs to be JCPOA party to initiate snapback mechanism IRNA 17 May 2020 -- Russian envoy in a message urged US partners to read the UNSC resolution 2231 text more carefully, saying if the US wants to initiate a snapback mechanism it needs first to be a party to the deal.
• Russia says US cannot trigger snapback of UN sanctions on Iran Press TV 17 May 2020 -- Russia has slammed the United States' wrong interpretation of the UN resolution that enshrined a 2015 nuclear deal, stressing that the document does not allow Washington to trigger the so-called snapback of all UN sanctions on Iran.
• Defense minister: Iran ready for strategic partnership with Iraq Press TV 17 May 2020 -- Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami has voiced Iran's willingness to forge a strategic partnership with neighboring Iraq and turn bilateral ties into a "successful model for cooperation."
• Tehran's Booming Stock Market Begins To Run Out Of Steam Radio Farda 17 May 2020 -- Despite a drop of more than 90,000 points in the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE) index in the past few days, the CEO of TSE announced that investors have not withdrawn funds from the stock market.
• How Iran Uses Cultural Centers To Expand Its Influence In Latin America Radio Farda 17 May 2020 -- Buenaventura is one of the most violent and poorest cities in Colombia. In one of the most dangerous neighborhoods, a music sang by children voices is wafting from a house with a big sign saying Mezquita in front of it. It is a mosque and a headquarters of the local Shia Muslim community led by Sheikh Munir Valencia, a Colombian cleric who got educated in Iran.
• Tajik Villagers Block Road To Protest Lack Of Government Aid Following Floods RFE/RL 17 May 2020 -- Dozens of Tajiks affected by some of the worst flooding and mudslides in years have blocked a key road in a rare instance of public protest in the authoritarian Central Asian nation.
• Israel Swears-In New Unity Government VOA 17 May 2020 -- Israel finally has a new government after more than a year of deadlock, but the new power-sharing administration between the right and centrist wings has not put the political controversy to rest.
• AU and UN appeal for 'stable and peaceful environment' for Burundi elections UN News 17 May 2020 -- Ahead of presidential and local elections in Burundi on Wednesday, the African Union (AU) Commission and the United Nations (UN) urged the authorities to provide a safe and secure environment for citizens to cast their votes.