Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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Current Operations

Defense Policy / Programs

• Theodore Roosevelt, Nimitz Carrier Strike Groups Operate Together in 7th Fleet NNS 20 Jun 2020 -- The USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) and USS Nimitz (CVN 68) strike groups commenced dual carrier flight operations in the Philippine Sea, June 21.
• Naval Littoral Combat Ship USS Kansas City Joins the Fleet DoD 20 Jun 2020 -- The U.S. Navy commissioned Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Kansas City (LCS 22) today, June 20.
• U.S., Russia To Hold Arms Talks Next Week In Move To Preserve New START RFE/RL 20 Jun 2020 -- The United States says disarmament talks between its top arms control negotiator and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov will take place next week in Austria.
• NATO Allied ships patrol in the Black Sea NATO 20 Jun 2020 -- The United States Navy dock landing ship USS Oak Hill joined the guided missile destroyer USS Porter in the Black Sea on Thursday (18 June 2020) for maritime security operations and to train with Allies and partners in the region. Porter entered the Black Sea on Wednesday.
• US new space strategy 'aggressive', Washington seeing space as arena for waging war: Russia Press TV 19 Jun 2020 -- Russia has lambasted the US's newly-unveiled space strategy document as "aggressive", saying Washington views space as a new "arena" to wage "war."
• RAF Fighter Jets, Surveillance and Refuelling aircraft have been in action across Europe this week in support of NATO allies UK MOD 20 Jun 2020 -- Missions included escorting US strategic bombers and scrambling twice to monitor Russian planes operating around the Baltic Nations airspace.
• Iran to produce supersonic missiles in near future: Navy cmdr. Press TV 20 Jun 2020 -- Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi says the country will soon manufacture supersonic missiles equipped with a jet engine variant.
• Remarks by President Trump Before Marine One Departure The White House 20 Jun 2020

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• US threatens UAE with sanctions over Syria rapprochement Press TV 20 Jun 2020 -- The US has threatened to slap sanctions on the United Arab Emirate as Abu Dhabi presses ahead with efforts to normalize ties with the Syrian government.
• Egypt Warns Forces Fighting for Libya's Tripoli Government to Stay Out of Sirte VOA 20 Jun 2020 -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi warned Saturday that Cairo would not allow militias fighting for Libya's U.N.-recognized government in Tripoli to capture the coastal port town of Sirte or the al-Jufra airbase in central Libya.
• Egypt warns Turkey, orders army to be ready for intervention in Libya Press TV 20 Jun 2020 -- Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has warned of direct military intervention in Libya if Turkish-backed forces continue their advance.
• Turkey says Haftar forces must withdraw from Libya's Sirte for lasting truce Press TV 20 Jun 2020 -- Turkey says forces loyal to Libya's renegade General Khalifa Haftar need to pull out of the strategic city of Sirte for a lasting ceasefire, denouncing France for "jeopardizing" NATO's security by supporting the strongman.
• Turkey Seeks Diplomatic Gains After Risky Libya Military Intervention VOA 20 Jun 2020 -- Turkey is seeking to reap diplomatic rewards from its military success in Libya. Recent gains by Turkish-backed forces of the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) are enhancing Ankara's influence in Libya and with the European Union.
• Modi Says No Border Intrusion in Wake of Deadly Clash with China VOA 20 Jun 2020 -- Days after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a bloody clash with Chinese soldiers along their Himalayan border, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India has not lost any territory.
• Rights Group Calls on Myanmar to End Internet Ban in Rakhine, Chin States Radio Free Asia 19 Jun 2020 -- Human Rights Watch Friday called on Myanmar to end its yearlong internet shutdown, which has prevented more than a million people in Rakhine and Chin states from getting information about the coronavirus pandemic and hampered the work of aid workers and journalists in a war zone.
• Uganda, Strapped for Funds, Admits 4,000 Refugees From DRC VOA 20 Jun 2020 -- Ahead of Saturday's World Refugee Day, Uganda admitted another 4,000 people fleeing clashes in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo, but a top Ugandan official said more funding was needed to support the new refugees, 44 of whom have tested positive for COVID-19.

News Reports

• Statement from the Press Secretary The White House 20 Jun 2020
• Judge Rules Book About Trump Presidency Can Be Published VOA 20 Jun 2020 -- A U.S. federal judge ruled Saturday that former U.S. national security adviser John Bolton's book about the Trump Administration can be published, despite an emergency request from the Justice Department to block it.
• Update: New central govt commissioner's office to supervise HK to carry out natl security duties Global Times 20 Jun 2020 -- China's top legislature has reviewed the draft law on national security for Hong Kong at the three-day meeting of the 19th session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee which concluded on Saturday, paving the way for the next stage of the legislative process of the draft law.
• Central govt to handle special natl security cases while HKSAR to deal with 'normal' ones, showing clear division of authority under draft Global Times 20 Jun 2020 -- China's central government assumes fundamental responsibilities for the national security affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) while the SAR has constitutional responsibilities and should perform its duties, according to the newly unveiled draft of the national security law for Hong Kong, which also clearly stipulates case jurisdiction, law application and related procedures.
• HK natl security commission empowers chief exec. to play a more important constitutional role: analysts Global Times 20 Jun 2020 -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will set up a commission for safeguarding national security, assuming the main responsibilities of maintaining national security in HKSAR and accepting the supervision of the central government, according to detailed provisions of the draft law on national security for Hong Kong released on Saturday.
• China denounces as 'improper' UN rights chief's remarks on Hong Hong's new security law Press TV 20 Jun 2020 -- China has lambasted as "improper" the remarks made by the United Nations Human Rights chief Michelle Bachelet regarding Beijing's national security law proposed for Hong Kong, saying such comments are "gross" interference in China's internal affairs.
• China Unveils Details of Planned National Security Law for Hong Kong VOA 20 Jun 2020 -- China unveiled the details Saturday of a planned national security law for Hong Kong that will allow the Communist Party to markedly expand its power in and tighten its control of the Asian financial hub.
• Hong Kong Media Tycoon Laments Hong Kong's Future Under Looming National Security Law VOA 20 Jun 2020 -- For Jimmy Lai, a prominent pro-democracy figure and the founder of Hong Kong's best-selling newspaper Apple Daily, the prospect of going to jail had never felt so real.
• Pompeo reiterates U.S. support for Taiwan's participation in WHA CNA 20 Jun 2020 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated on Friday in the third Copenhagen Democracy Summit that the United States supports Taiwan's participation in the World Health Assembly (WHA), saying Taiwan's presence will be "useful" to the global community at a time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• North Korea vows to send retaliatory leaflets against South as tensions rise Press TV 20 Jun 2020 -- North Korea is reportedly preparing to send its own propaganda material against the South and North Korean defectors based in the country over its southern border as part of its persisting retaliatory measures aimed at Seoul amid growing tensions between the rival neighbors.
• N. Korea Preparing to Send Anti-South Leaflets, Denouncing Defectors VOA 20 Jun 2020 -- North Korea is preparing to send anti-South leaflets to South Korea, the state media of the communist country said Saturday.
• Spokesman Says IAEA Resolution On Full Inspections Sets 'No Obligation' For Iran Radio Farda 20 Jun 2020 -- The spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) says the new resolution of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) sets "no obligation" for the Islamic Republic.
• Iran strongly condemns E3 ISNA 20 Jun 2020 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman has dismissed as unconstructive and irresponsible the recent move by the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors to adopt a resolution on Iran, and strongly condemned the measure from EU3 to initiate the resolution.
• E3 accessories to Trump, Netanyahu: Iran FM ISNA 20 Jun 2020 -- Iran's Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif stressed that Europeans admitted that they are total impotence in resisting US bullying.
• Pompeo Lauds IAEA Resolution, Says Iran Must Grant Access To Disputed Sites Radio Farda 20 Jun 2020 -- In a statement on June 19, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Iran must immediately comply with the demands of UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and provide full access to international inspectors.
• U.S. Iran Envoy Calls IAEA Resolution 'Significant,' Says Russia, China Votes Against Were 'Irresponsible' RFE/RL 20 Jun 2020 -- The U.S. special envoy for Iran has welcomed a resolution passed on June 19 by the board of governors of the United Nations' atomic agency that urges Iran to provide access to two sites where nuclear activity may have occurred in the past.
• Iran awaiting Romania's report on cause of Iranian judge's death ISNA 20 Jun 2020 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi has confirmed the reports on the death of Iranian judge Gholam-Reza Mansouri in Romania.
• Iran asks Romania to allow fact-finding team to probe judge's death Press TV 20 Jun 2020 -- Iran's international police have requested to send a fact-finding mission to Romania to investigate the death of a fugitive Iranian judge in Bucharest.
• Dead Iran Judge Spoke With Family And Was Fine Hours Before Body Found Radio Farda 20 Jun 2020 -- A former Iranian judge who fled to Romania and was found dead in Bucharest on June 19 spoke with his family and sounded fine hours before his body was found in a hotel, his attorney says.
• Who Benefits From The Death Of Fugitive Iran Judge Radio Farda 20 Jun 2020 -- Judge Gholamreza Mansuri is now the prime figure in one of Iran's biggest ongoing financial corruption cases after he mysteriously fell from the 6th floor of a hotel in Bucharest and died on Friday June 19.
• Another Iranian ship approaching Venezuela in defiance of US bans Press TV 20 Jun 2020 -- Another Iranian ship has sailed into Venezuela's territorial waters and is expected to dock in the Latin American country's ports over the next couple of days, the American media say.
• Faster Mobile Internet Growing In Iran Despite Higher Cost Radio Farda 20 Jun 2020 -- According to the latest figures released by Iran's Internet regulatory body, more than one million fixed broadband customers have ended their subscriptions in favor of mobile internet in the past one year despite the higher costs.
• Iran's Currency Plummets To Record Low Against Dollar Amid Coronavirus, U.S. Sanctions RFE/RL 20 Jun 2020 -- Iran's currency has tumbled against the dollar to its lowest level ever as the country grapples with U.S. sanctions, the coronavirus, and low oil prices.
• More Than 100 Opposition Supporters Detained In Belarus After Lukashenka Says He Stopped 'Revolution' RFE/RL 20 Jun 2020 -- Police in Belarus have detained more than 100 people at opposition rallies in the capital, Minsk, and elsewhere after President Alyaksandr Lukashenka announced his government had thwarted a "revolution" amid a widening crackdown on opposition leaders and activists, including the arrest of a potential presidential challenger.
• Zimbabwe Health Minister Detained on Corruption Charges VOA 20 Jun 2020 -- Zimbabwe's health minister was released from police custody Saturday on about $600 bail after being arrested the day before on corruption charges related to the illegal procurement of COVID-19 medical equipment.