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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Report: US Global War on Terror Has Displaced Up to 59 Million People VOA 08 Sep 2020 -- The U.S. war against global terrorism has displaced as many as 59 million people since 2001, according to a new report released Tuesday by Brown University.
• Roadside bombs target two US military convoys in Iraq Press TV 08 Sep 2020 -- Two US military and logistics convoys have been targeted by roadside bombs in Iraq, the latest in a series of explosions that hit US occupation forces amid anti-American sentiment in the country.
• 'US envoy meets new Taliban chief negotiator' Press TV 08 Sep 2020 -- US special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad has reportedly held a meeting with the Taliban militant group's new chief negotiator in the Qatari capital of Doha ahead of planned peace talks between the Afghan government and the group.
• Taliban attack on Afghan district repulsed, 10 including 7 militants killed People's Daily 08 Sep 2020 -- Taliban attempts to overrun Dasht-e-Archi district, Kunduz province, have been repulsed and the militants fled away after leaving seven bodies behind, district governor Nasrudin Nazari said Tuesday.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Tunisian, U.S. military aircraft conduct interoperability mission in North Africa AFRICOM 08 Sep 2020 -- U.S. Strategic Command, in support of U.S. Africa Command, conducted a B-52 interoperability training mission with the Tunisian Air Force over the Mediterranean Sea, Sept. 8.
• Department of the Air Force awards contract for new ICBM system that enhances, strengthens US triad US Air Force 08 Sep 2020 -- The Department of the Air Force awarded an Engineering and Manufacturing Development contract for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program to Northrop Grumman on Sept. 8.
• North Macedonia, U.S. enhance readiness with exercise Army News 08 Sep 2020 -- Approximately 120 military members from the United States and North Macedonia participated in the U.S.-led exercise Reinforced Dam Sept. 1-7 at Krivolak Training Area in North Macedonia. Reinforced Dam is the first joint training exercise between the U.S. and North Macedonia since North Macedonia became a NATO partner earlier this year.
• Noble Partner 20 multinational exercise begins Army News 08 Sep 2020 -- Allied and partner nations from around the world gathered at Vaziani Training Area, Georgia, for the opening ceremony of Noble Partner 20 Sept. 7.
• U.S. Military lands C130 on newly renovated Angaur Airfield in Palau Army News 08 Sep 2020 -- A U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules delivered U.S. Army Pacific Soldiers onto the newly renovated Angaur Airfield for training exercises in the Republic of Palau, Sept. 5.
• Air Force update for COVID-19 US Air Force 08 Sep 2020
• Task force Marines increase unit readiness with small unmanned aircraft system USMC News 08 Sep 2020 -- The crisis-response capabilities of Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force - Southern Command reached new heights.
• NATO Secretary General discusses regional security with Kosovo's Avdullah Hoti NATO 08 Sep 2020 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met Kosovo's Avdullah Hoti at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday (8 September 2020) for talks on current developments in the Western Balkans. This was the first in-person meeting between the two.
• NATO Secretary General speaks with Foreign Ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland NATO 08 Sep 2020 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg held separate phone calls with Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu of Estonia on Tuesday (8 September 2020), and with Foreign Ministers Edgars Rinkēvičs of Latvia, Linas Linkevičius of Lithuania, and Zbigniew Rau of Poland on Monday. The discussions covered a range of issues, including the ongoing crisis in Belarus, preparations for upcoming NATO ministerials, and ongoing consultations on the NATO 2030 reflection process.
• Several NATO Countries Organizing Joint Arctic Operation, Royal Navy Says Sputnik 08 Sep 2020 -- A number of NATO states will hold an operation in the Arctic, the United Kingdom's Royal Navy has announced, saying that the operation aims to help maintain peace in the region.
• U.K. leads U.S. and Norwegian Ships to Train in the Barents Sea US Navy 08 Sep 2020 -- Ships from Norway, the U.S. and U.K. entered the Barents Sea Sept. 7, 2020, working together to conduct maritime security operations in the challenging environment above the Arctic Circle.
• Russian Mig-29 Intercepts Norwegian Military Plane Over Barents Sea, MoD Says Sputnik 08 Sep 2020 -- A Russian MiG-29 fighter jet intercepted a Norwegian Air Force plane over the Barents Sea, the Russian National Defence Control Centre reported.
• Iran's Military To Get Involved In Messenger Apps Radio Farda 08 Sep 2020 -- The Islamic Republic Minister of Communications and Information Technology (ITC), Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi, says the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces will begin developing infrastructure related to cyberspace.
• Belarusian, Russian, Serbian Military to Hold Counter-Terrorism Drills, Defence Ministry Says Sputnik 08 Sep 2020 -- Belarusian, Russian and Serbian troops will practice counter-terrorism tasks during the Slavic Fraternity military exercise, which Belarus will host later in September, the Belarusian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.
• Three indicted over graft in military speedboat deal CNA 08 Sep 2020 -- Two military officers and the owner of a local shipbuilding company were indicted on corruption charges by Taoyuan prosecutors Tuesday over an Army speedboat procurement deal in 2007.
• UAE sets up 8 telecom towers, plans to build military base on Yemen's Socotra: Reports Press TV 08 Sep 2020 -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE), a key party to the Saudi-led coalition waging war on Yemen, has reportedly set up telecommunications towers on the strategic island of Socotra and plans to build a military facility there.
• Poland Reaches Deal With US to Purchase FGM-148F Javelin Anti-Tank Missiles, Reports Suggest Sputnik 08 Sep 2020 -- Poland inked a deal with the United States to acquire FGM-148F Javelin anti-tank missile systems, the Polish defence24 agency, which specializes in military news, reported on Tuesday, citing the Armed Forces Inspectorate.
• Remarks by President Trump Before Air Force One Departure | Joint Base Andrews, MD The White House 08 Sep 2020

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• 8 September 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 Sep 2020
• Yemen's Houthi rebels launch drone attack toward Saudi border airport People's Daily 08 Sep 2020 -- Yemen's Houthi militia said it launched a drone attack toward a Saudi border airport on Tuesday morning, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported.
• Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport targeted again in Yemeni drone attacks Press TV 08 Sep 2020 -- The Yemeni army has launched a series of retaliatory attacks against the Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia's southwestern region of Asir, using a squadron of domestically-manufactured Sammad-3 (Invincible-3) combat drones.
• Joint Forces Command of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen: Interception, Destruction of Bomb-Laden UAV Launched by Terrorist, Iran-Backed Houthi Militia Toward the Kingdom SPA 08 Sep 2020 -- Statement by the Official Spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen COL Turki Al-Malki
• Syrian Economy Continues to Struggle as Sanctions Bite, Shortages Hit VOA 08 Sep 2020 -- A day after a high profile visit to Syria by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss reviving the Syrian economy, Arab media is reporting that bakeries across the country are running out of flour for bread and fuel stations are running out of petrol.
• India fired first in latest border dispute incident, destroys tranquility on border since 1975: Chinese FM Global Times 08 Sep 2020 -- It was the Indian side that fired first in the Monday incident in which Indian troops again illegally crossed the Line of Actual Control (LAC) of the China-India border and outrageously fired warning shots at Chinese border defense patrol personnel who were attempting to negotiate, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
• Situation Update : Situation in Eastern Ladakh India PIB 08 Sep 2020 -- India, while is committed to disengagement and de-escalating the situation on the LAC, China continues to undertake provocative activities to escalate.
• PLA 'takes countermeasures' after shots fired at China-India border People's Daily 08 Sep 2020 -- The Chinese military was "forced to take countermeasures" to maintain stability at the China-India border after Indian troops trespassed via the southern bank of Pangong Tso Lake on Monday and fired warning shots at Chinese border patrols, said Senior Colonel Zhang Shuili, spokesman for the People's Liberation Army Western Theater Command, in a statement on early Tuesday.
• India's move is grave military provocation: Chinese military PLA Daily 08 Sep 2020 -- Indian troops illegally trespassed the Line of Actual Control (LAC) via southern bank of Pangong Tso Lake on the western section of the China-India border on September 7, said Senior Colonel Zhang Shuili, spokesperson for the Western Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army in a statement on the same day.
• China-India tensions: Neighbors engage in blame game over fresh border escalation Press TV 08 Sep 2020 -- Tensions between China and India appear to have escalated anew with the two sides accusing each other of committing border aggression.
• China Accuses India of Illegally Crossing Line of Actual Control Amid Renewed Tensions Sputnik 08 Sep 2020 -- The Line of Actual Control, which serves as the de facto border between India and China, has seen intensified skirmishes over the past several months, escalating the long-standing border tensions between the two countries.
• Indian Army Says China Continues to Undertake 'Provocative Activities' to Escalate Tensions Sputnik 08 Sep 2020 -- Border tensions between India and China have recently intensified as a result of skirmishes between the countries' troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
• In Video Testimony, Ex-Myanmar Soldiers Confess to Atrocities Against Rohingya Muslims VOA 08 Sep 2020 -- Two news outlets say two Myanmar soldiers have recounted gruesome details of the 2017 military campaign against Rohingya Muslims in northern Rakhine state that the United Nations has categorized as genocide.
• Two Myanmar soldiers at ICC after confessing to Rohingya killings: Reports Press TV 08 Sep 2020 -- Two Myanmarese soldiers have been taken to the International Criminal Court (ICC) after confessing to their participation in the 2017 massacre of countless Rohingya Muslims, two news organizations and a rights group say.
• Myanmar Soldiers Turn Up at International Criminal Court, Confessing to Atrocities Against Rohingya Radio Free Asia 08 Sep 2020 -- Two Myanmar soldiers who deserted their army posts and were held captive by the rebel Arakan Army are now in the custody of the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands after admitting that they committed atrocities against Rohingya Muslims three years ago, a human rights group said Tuesday.
• Two Children Slain as Myanmar's Rakhine War Rages Amid COVID-19 Uptick Radio Free Asia 08 Sep 2020 -- At least four villagers, including two five-year-olds, died and eight others were injured when Myanmar soldiers allegedly shelled their community in Rakhine state Tuesday, a relief volunteer and local residents said, as fighting in the 21-month-long war raged on amid a spike in coronavirus infections.
• Rohingya Leaders Say Bangladesh Island Appears Suitable for Refugee Relocation Radio Free Asia 08 Sep 2020 -- Rohingya leaders taken over the weekend to evaluate conditions on a Bay of Bengal island developed to house refugees reported the site is safe and well managed, but about 300 refugees living there since May said they are eager to move to camps on the mainland.
• Russia offers to mediate between Cyprus, Turkey in maritime dispute Press TV 08 Sep 2020 -- Russia has offered to mediate between Cyprus and Turkey in a dispute over energy exploration rights in the Mediterranean Sea.
• Russia Rejects Any Steps in Mediterranean That Can Lead to Further Escalation, Lavrov Says Sputnik 08 Sep 2020 -- Turkey and Greece have recently clashed over a disputed part of the eastern Mediterranean after Ankara sent a research vessel to look for energy resources off the coast of Cyprus.
• Boko Haram Attacks Leave Cameroon Villagers in Need of Aid VOA 08 Sep 2020 -- Cameroonian villagers along the Nigerian border need humanitarian aid after deadly Boko Haram attacks displaced at least 7,000 people, authorities and rights groups say. Villagers have been fleeing their homes since early August because of attacks, which killed at least 22 people and wounded 29.

News Reports

• South Africans Bristle Over Alleged Trump Comments on Mandela VOA 08 Sep 2020 -- South Africans are angry about comments that U.S. President Donald Trump allegedly made in private about South African icon Nelson Mandela, the nation's first black president and Nobel Peace laureate. The alleged comments - which Trump denies - are full of profanity and include Trump saying of Mandela, "he was no leader," and are part of a tell-all book by indicted former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen.
• Russia summons German envoy over assertions about Navalny Press TV 08 Sep 2020 -- Russia has summoned the German ambassador to Moscow over assertions by German officials about the alleged poisoning of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny.
• Germany: Navalny out of coma, responding to verbal stimuli Press TV 08 Sep 2020 -- Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny has come out of a medically-induced coma, says the German hospital where he is being treated, less than a week after Berlin claimed he had been poisoned with a lethal nerve agent.
• G7 Ministers Urge Russia To Find Those Behind 'Abhorrent' Navalny Poisoning, UN Commissioner Calls For Probe RFE/RL 08 Sep 2020 -- The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven nations have condemned the "confirmed poisoning" of Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, and demanded that Russia quickly find and prosecute those behind the "abhorrent" attack.
• Assailants Use Unknown Chemical Liquid Attacking Navalny's Team In Novosibirsk RFE/RL 08 Sep 2020 -- Two attackers threw a glass jar with an unknown chemical liquid into an office housing the independent political coalition supported by opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's team in Russia's third-largest city, Novosibirsk.
• G7 Foreign Ministers' Statement on the Poisoning of Alexei Navalny US Dept. of State 08 Sep 2020 -- The text of the following statement was released by the G7 foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union.
• Alexei Navalny poisoning must get independent probe, says UN's Bachelet UN News 08 Sep 2020 -- UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday urged Russia to carry out or cooperate with a rapid and transparent criminal investigation into the poisoning of opposition activist Alexei Navalny.
• UN Rights Chief Condemns Navalny Poisoning, Calls for Probe VOA 08 Sep 2020 -- U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has condemned the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, allegedly by Russian agents, and is calling for a thorough, impartial investigation.
• Senior Russian Energy Official Detained In Fraud Probe RFE/RL 08 Sep 2020 -- Russian Deputy Energy Minister Anatoly Tikhonov has been detained in Moscow and questioned as a suspect in a fraud investigation.
• US Expanding Restrictions on Chinese Students VOA 08 Sep 2020 -- U.S. officials are considering broader restrictions against Chinese students attending American schools, as part of a deepening standoff between the two countries.
• Australian Journalists Flee China After Threat of Travel Ban, Police Visits Radio Free Asia 08 Sep 2020 -- Two Australian journalists have been recalled from China amid the threat of arrest and a travel ban, their respective news organizations reported on Tuesday.
• China launches global data security initiative, respects data sovereignty Global Times 08 Sep 2020 -- China will launch a global data security initiative that can serve as a global standard for data security, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said via video at an international seminar on "Seizing digital opportunities for cooperation and development" on Tuesday in Beijing.
• China Launches Data Security Initiative VOA 08 Sep 2020 -- China's foreign minister announced Tuesday the start of a global data security initiative, outlining principles that should be followed in areas ranging from personal information to espionage.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on September 8, 2020 PRC MofA 08 Sep 2020
• US urged to extend visas for Chinese journalists People's Daily 08 Sep 2020 -- China called on the United States to extend visas for all Chinese journalists in the US as soon as possible out of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said in Beijing on Monday, adding that the US is very clear that China has all options on the table.
• Australian Journalists Rushed Out of China as Diplomatic Tensions Rise VOA 08 Sep 2020 -- Two Australian media outlets have flown their reporters out of China over what they say was a diplomatic standoff - the latest tense episode as relations between Beijing and Australia continue to deteriorate.
• Freedom of speech unchanged in HK: Carrie Lam on arrest of Tam Global Times 08 Sep 2020 -- Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said on Tuesday that she stands firm in supporting Hong Kong's freedom of speech and press as long as it abides by the law, following the recent arrest of rioter Tam Tak-chi.
• HK suspects arrested in Guangdong to be charged under mainland law: Lam Global Times 08 Sep 2020 -- Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Tuesday that the 12 Hong Kong residents suspected of violating the national security law in Hong Kong and arrested in Chinese mainland waters while on the run will be charged according to mainland law.
• Three Internment Camps Operating in Xinjiang's Kashgar, Despite Chinese Claims of Closures Radio Free Asia 08 Sep 2020 -- One of the largest internment camps in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region's (XUAR) Kashgar city–as well as camps in the city's airport and a neighboring county–remains in operation, according to local officials, despite claims by authorities that all of the region's detention centers have been shuttered.
• US May Ban Cotton-Made Products from China's Xinjiang Region: New York Times VOA 08 Sep 2020 -- The New York Times on Tuesday reports the Trump administration is considering imposing a ban on some or all products made with cotton from China's Xinjiang region amid reports of forced labor and other human rights violations.
• Don't Ignore North Korea Human Rights, UN Says VOA 08 Sep 2020 -- Negotiations with North Korea have been stalled for months, but if and when they resume, the United States and South Korea should ensure the talks incorporate concerns about North Korean human rights abuses, the United Nations' human rights office in Seoul said Tuesday.
• Iran constructing more advanced building near Natanz nuclear site after sabotage: AEOI Press TV 08 Sep 2020 -- The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) says a modern building will be constructed near the Natanz nuclear facility in central Iran in the wake of an act of sabotage at the site in July.
• Iran Building New Site 'In The Heart Of The Mountain' Near Natanz Radio Farda 08 Sep 2020 -- Iran says it has begun to build an underground hall near the country's main uranium-enrichment center in Natanz in the wake of a July explosion that badly damaged a building housing centrifuges.
• Iran's giant field reaches 650,000 bpd production plateau Press TV 08 Sep 2020 -- Iran is currently producing 650,000 barrels per day of condensate from its giant South Pars gas field, which is mainly used in the Persian Gulf Star Refinery, a senior energy official says.
• Iran Sentences Iraqi, Iranian IS Teens To Prison Over Planned Attack Radio Farda 08 Sep 2020 -- A court in Tehran has sentenced two Iraqis and one Iranian to prison over their participation as minors in a purported suicide mission planned by the Islamic State (IS) extremist group, according to the government-run Iran daily.
• Abduction of Opposition Leaders in Belarus US Dept. of State 08 Sep 2020 -- The United States is deeply concerned by the reported abduction September 7 in Belarus of Coordination Council member Mariya Kalesnikava, Spokesman Anton Rodnenkou, and Executive Secretary Ivan Krautsou, and the attempted forced expulsion over the border to Ukraine September 8.
• Lukashenka Says He 'Maybe Overstayed A Bit' Amid Outrage Over Missing Foe's 'Detention' At Border RFE/RL 08 Sep 2020 -- Embattled Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenko has reportedly acknowledged on Russian television that he "maybe overstayed a bit" as anger mounts over the disappearance and subsequent detention of a leading opposition organizer on September 8.
• Belarus Border Officials Say Opposition Figure Detained While Trying to Enter Ukraine VOA 08 Sep 2020 -- Belarus border officials say Maria Kolesnikova, a leading member of Belarus' opposition, was detained early Tuesday while trying to cross into neighboring Ukraine.
• Belarus' missing opposition figure detained at Ukraine border Press TV 08 Sep 2020 -- Border officials in Belarus say Maria Kolesnikova, an opposition figure who had been reported missing, was detained while trying to enter Ukraine.
• 'We're Belarusians, Not A Russian Region': Protests Take Aim At Kremlin RFE/RL 08 Sep 2020 -- Belarusians have taken to the streets in the thousands every day since a disputed August 9 election, demanding authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka step down after a vote they contend was rigged to hand him a landslide win over an opposition candidate who drew unprecedented support before the balloting.
• Number Of Political Prisoners On Rise In Kazakhstan, Activists Say RFE/RL 08 Sep 2020 -- The number of political prisoners in Kazakhstan has risen to nine, local human rights defenders say in an update of a register they keep of such persons.
• Khashoggi overturned verdict 'parody of justice' - independent UN rights expert UN News 08 Sep 2020 -- An independent UN human rights investigator called the overturned verdict of Saudi Arabia's prosecutor in the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey a "parody of justice" that spared "high-level" plotters.
• UN on Saudi Khashoggi ruling: Punishment doesn't fit the crime Press TV 08 Sep 2020 -- The United Nations has condemned the disproportion between a Saudi court ruling on the 2018 assassination of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the enormity of the crime.
• Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Chairs Cabinet's Virtual Session SPA 08 Sep 2020 -- The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired here today the Cabinet's virtual session.
• Theater, Brinkmanship Mark Brexit Talks VOA 08 Sep 2020 -- Negotiators on both sides of the English Channel say this week is the "moment of reckoning" for a post-Brexit trade deal between the European Union and Britain. But after six months of toxic wrangling the odds are mounting an agreement will not be struck, both British and European officials concede.
• The United States Designates Former Lebanese Government Ministers US Dept. of State 08 Sep 2020 -- For too long, Lebanon's political leaders have ignored their responsibility to address the needs of their people and instead built a political system that serves their private interests.
• Treasury Targets Hizballah's Enablers in Lebanon US Treasury 08 Sep 2020 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned former Lebanese government ministers Yusuf Finyanus and Ali Hassan Khalil, who provided material support to Hizballah and engaged in corruption.
• ECOWAS: Mali junta has one week to name civilian president, prime minister Press TV 08 Sep 2020 -- Mali's military junta has been given a week by a grouping of regional countries to name a civilian president and prime minister.
• The Untouchable Governor Of Uzbekistan's Ferghana Province RFE/RL 08 Sep 2020 -- Despite what Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev and other top officials say about reforming the system and respecting the rights of all Uzbeks, the governor of the eastern Ferghana Province is busy demonstrating he can do and say anything he wants and get away with it.
• Vietnam Court Set to Try 20 on 'Terrorism' Charges Radio Free Asia 08 Sep 2020 -- A court in southern Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City is set to try a group of 20 linked to the bombing of a city police station in a plot allegedly tied to a Canada-based exile group, state media reports said without specifying a date for the coming trial.
• Cambodia Arrests Six for Incitement in Latest Crackdown on Freedom of Expression Radio Free Asia 08 Sep 2020 -- Authorities in Cambodia over the weekend arrested six activists, including an ordained monk and a rapper, for protesting or singing songs about Cambodia's border dispute with Vietnam, drawing criticism for a crackdown on freedom of expression.
• Burkina Faso: Over 535,000 children under five 'acutely' malnourished UN News 08 Sep 2020 -- New data from UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has revealed worsening nutritional situation for children in Burkina Faso, with more than 535,000 children under the age of five suffering from acute malnutrition – an unprecedented level.
• Venezuelan Opposition Leader Urges Military to Back Election Boycott VOA 08 Sep 2020 -- Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido is urging military leaders to support a boycott of the country's December 6 legislative elections.