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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Update: air strikes against Daesh UK MOD 12 Sep 2020 -- The RAF are continuing to take the fight to Daesh in Iraq and Syria.
• Historic Afghan talks present 'major opportunity' for peace: UN Secretary-General UN News 12 Sep 2020 -- The first ever direct talks between Afghan Government representatives and the Taliban which began on Saturday, present "a major opportunity" to finally realise the "long-held aspirations" of the people, for a peaceful future, the UN chief has said.
• Afghan Rivals Begin Historic Peace Talks; US Cautiously Optimistic VOA 12 Sep 2020 -- The United States pressed Afghanistan's warring factions Saturday to approach their first-ever direct peace talks with an intent to strike a power-sharing deal that would accommodate "competing views" and permanently end decades of bloodshed in the country.
• Afghan Peace Talks Begin Nearly Two Decades After U.S. Invasion RFE/RL 12 Sep 2020 -- Nineteen years after the September 11 terror attacks in the United States led to a bloody conflict that ravaged Afghanistan and killed tens of thousands of people, talks designed to bring peace to the country are getting under way.
• Intra-Afghan Peace Talks Between Afghan Government, Taliban Start in Qatar Sputnik 12 Sep 2020 -- Intra-Afghan negotiations to reach peace between the Kabul administration and the Taliban movement started in Qatar's Doha on Saturday, a Sputnik correspondent reported.
• Secretary Pompeo's Meeting with the Taliban US Dept. of State 12 Sep 2020
• Secretary Pompeo's Meeting with Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and Afghan Acting Foreign Minister Atmar US Dept. of State 12 Sep 2020
• Secretary Michael R. Pompeo at Intra-Afghan Negotiations Opening Ceremony US Dept. of State 12 Sep 2020
• Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper Statement on the Commencement of Afghanistan Peace Negotiations DoD 12 Sep 2020 -- "The start of Afghanistan peace negotiations marks an historic moment in the Afghan peace process and is an important step in advancing the President's South Asia Strategy."
• NATO welcomes the start of Afghan peace negotiations in Doha NATO 12 Sep 2020 -- Today (12 September 2020), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke via video link at the opening ceremony of intra-Afghan negotiations held in Doha, under the chairmanship of the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "With the start of intra-Afghan negotiations, we are entering a new phase of the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process," the NATO Secretary General said. "Afghans want peace and so does the international community, which has supported Afghanistan on this long, hard road," he added.
• North Atlantic Council Statement on Afghanistan NATO 12 Sep 2020
• Intra-Afghan peace talks kick off in Qatar's Doha Press TV 12 Sep 2020 -- Long-delayed direct talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban militant group have started in the Qatari capital of Doha, as part of efforts aimed at ending two decades of war in the country.
• Afghanistan: UK statement on historic talks UK FCDO 12 Sep 2020 -- Foreign Secretary urges parties to 'seize opportunity' in historic Afghan peace talks.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Belarusian Minister of Defence Says US Tank Battalion Transferred to Lithuania Sputnik 12 Sep 2020 -- A US tank battalion is being transferred to a Lithuanian military training ground located just 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) from the border with Belarus, Viktor Khrenin, the Belarusian minister of defence, said on Saturday.
• Two Russian Surveillance Aircraft Conduct Flight Above Northern Neutral Waters, Navy Says Sputnik 12 Sep 2020 -- Two Tupolev Tu-142 maritime patrol aircraft of the Russian armed forces have conducted scheduled flights above the neutral waters of the Barents, Norwegian and North Seas, the Northern Fleet of the Russian navy said on Saturday.
• British military intelligence chief warns of 'supercharging' adversaries Press TV 13 Sep 2020 -- The Chief of Defense Intelligence (DI) has sounded the alarm over the rising threat emanating from Britain's state adversaries and has called on the government to take corrective action.
• Chief of Defence Intelligence comments on threats the UK will face in coming decades UK MOD 13 Sep 2020 -- Lieutenant-General Jim Hockenhull looks to the future, outlining the changing character of the threat and the role of UK Defence
• Intruding US aircraft shooed away by Iran's Army drone from near naval drills zone IRNA 12 Sep 2020 -- The Islamic Republic of Iran Army in a statement on Friday announced that it intercepted three US aircraft that had intruded into the country's Air Defense Zone in violation of rules that regulate large-scale naval exercises.
• Iran Claims It Drove Away U.S. Aircraft From Area Near Military Maneuvers RFE/RL 12 Sep 2020 -- Iran's military says it drove away U.S. aircraft that flew close to an area where a three-day military exercise was being conducted near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
• US, South Korea Review Pushes Ahead With Combined Command Move From Seoul, Pentagon Says Sputnik 12 Sep 2020 -- Senior US and South Korean officials pledged to push ahead with the relocation of their Combined Forces Command joint headquarters out of the Seoul area in an alliance teleconference between senior defense officials, a joint statement said.
• UK to 'triple' size of Oman military base Press TV 12 Sep 2020 -- The UK is planning to significantly expand the size of its military base on the coast of Oman ostensibly to enhance the Royal Navy's presence "east of Suez".
• Defense secretary Wallace intervenes in tank debate Press TV 12 Sep 2020 -- The defense secretary, Ben Wallace, has pushed back against "rumors" that the UK's entire tank fleet could be ditched as part of the government's integrated review of defense, foreign and security policy.
• UK Defence Minister Refutes Reports That Country Will Scrap Entire Tank Fleet Sputnik 12 Sep 2020 -- The development comes as the UK government is looking to give British foreign policy its biggest revamp in decades, which will reportedly include focusing on more modern technological capabilities in order to keep pace with the "changing nature of warfare" while at the same time expanding overseas basing.
• Secretary Michael R. Pompeo at the Cyprus Center for Land, Open-seas, and Port Security Memorandum of Understanding Signing Ceremony US Dept. of State 12 Sep 2020

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• Four major tribes strike non-aggression agreement with Ansarullah fighters in Yemen's Ma'rib Press TV 12 Sep 2020 -- Major Yemeni tribes, previously sponsored by Saudi Arabia waging a devastating war on the impoverished Arab country, have signed a non-aggression agreement with fighters from the popular Houthi Ansarullah movement in the strategic central province of Ma'rib.
• At least 4 civilians killed, several others wounded in bomb attack in Syria's Hasakah Press TV 12 Sep 2020 -- At least four civilians have been killed and several others wounded in a bomb attack in Syria's northeastern province of Hasakah, the state media reports.
• US Embassy Says Libyan National Army Offered Assurances on Resumption of Oil Production Sputnik 12 Sep 2020 -- The US Embassy in Libya welcomes the assurance of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the head of the Libyan National Army (LNA), that the energy sector in the country would reopen no later than 12 September.
• IRGC blasts Bahrain over establishing diplomatic ties with Zionist regime IRNA 12 Sep 2020 -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) in a statement on Saturday strongly condemned establishment of ties between Bahrain and the Zionist regime.
• Iran Condemns Bahrain Deal With Israel Radio Farda 12 Sep 2020 -- Iran has condemned Bahrain's decision to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel.
• Bahrain Peace Deal With Israel Gets Mixed Reaction Across Middle East VOA 12 Sep 2020 -- Reaction from around the Middle East to the Israel-Bahrain peace agreement has been mixed, though most criticism of the deal has been fairly muted.
• Five Indians 'missing' in south Tibet region are India's intelligence personnel disguised as hunters: source Global Times 12 Sep 2020 -- Five Indians, who were allegedly "kidnapped" by the China's People Liberation Army or as some called went missing in the south Tibet region, are India's intelligence staff who had disguised themselves as hunters, a source told the Global Times.
• China to release 5 Indian 'intelligence agents': Report Press TV 12 Sep 2020 -- China will release five Indian intelligence agents who were detained earlier this month in a region bordering Tibet against the backdrop of an agreement between Beijing and New Delhi to work for peace.
• China Hands Over 5 Missing Indians Amid Border Hostilities Sputnik 12 Sep 2020 -- Panic gripped several families when five men, who had gone out hunting in the jungle, went missing in Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Subansiri district on the Sino-Indian border on 2 September. The kin of the missing men and Indian politician Ninong Ering alleged that the five had been abducted by the Chinese Army amid a border standoff in Ladakh.
• Challenges Remain Despite Deal in India-China Border Spat VOA 12 Sep 2020 -- India and China have agreed to disengage troops and de-escalate tensions that flared this week along their contested border, but analysts say overcoming their differences will not be easy.
• Tibetan School Year Begins Under New Restrictions, Mandarin-only Instruction Radio Free Asia 12 Sep 2020 -- The school year for children living in Tibetan areas of China has started under harsh new restrictions, with children in one Qinghai county ordered by authorities out of their homes and into Chinese boarding schools, and the language of classroom instruction in another county switched from Tibetan to Chinese, Tibetan sources say.
• President Erdogan warns Macron not to 'mess' with Turkey over dispute with Greece Press TV 12 Sep 2020 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron "not to mess" with Turkey, as tensions between the two NATO allies rise regarding the simmering standoff between Turkey and Greece over sea boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean.
• 'Don't Mess With Turkey': Erdogan Warns Macron After Paris Slams Ankara Over Gas Drilling Row Sputnik 12 Sep 2020 -- Tensions between Athens and Ankara spiked early last month, after the Greek Foreign Ministry urged Turkey to immediately stop "illegal" oil and gas drilling activities in the eastern Mediterranean, warning that Athens would defend itself if necessary.
• Daesh-linked militants seize two islands in Mozambique Press TV 12 Sep 2020 -- Daesh-linked militants in northern Mozambique have seized two tiny islands in the Indian Ocean, threatening sea traffic in an area where a multi-billion-dollar offshore gas exploration project is under development.

News Reports

• Moscow slams simulated US strikes on Russia by strategic B-52 bombers Press TV 12 Sep 2020 -- Top commander of Russia's Aerospace Forces has slammed as "provocative" a US aerial drill late last month in which strategic B-52h bombers simulated strikes against Russia by cruise missiles from Estonia and Canada.
• Novosibirsk Opposition Faces Dirty Tricks In Bid To Dislodge Ruling United Russia Party RFE/RL 12 Sep 2020 -- Two unknown attackers entered the headquarters of the liberal opposition Novosibirsk-2020 election campaign and threw a bottle containing an unknown liquid with an acrid odor onto the floor.
• Local Polls Seen As Key Test For Putin's United Russia Party Ahead Of 2021 Duma Elections RFE/RL 12 Sep 2020 -- Russians in 41 regions go to the polls on September 13 for local elections that are viewed as a crucial test for the increasingly unpopular ruling United Russia party ahead of national legislative elections next year.
• Khabarovsk Protest Held For 64th Straight Day In Russia's Far East RFE/RL 12 Sep 2020 -- Hundreds of people in the Far Eastern Russian city of Khabarovsk have taken to the streets for the 64th consecutive day to protest the arrest in July of the region's popular former governor.
• The US has gone too far and overstretched its reach: Chinese FM Global Times 12 Sep 2020 -- China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday rebutted the accusation that China has interfered in US internal affairs, saying it's time China asked the US not to interfere in China's internal affairs.
• China, Russia should strengthen cooperation in four areas: senior Chinese official People's Daily 12 Sep 2020 -- China and Russia should strengthen cooperation in the fight against COVID-19 and other areas to promote bilateral relations, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.
• Not 'wise' to allow politically-driven UK provocations against China over HK to extend to financial sector: experts Global Times 12 Sep 2020 -- The decision by the Court of Common Council in the City of London to back the UK government's plan to provide British National Overseas (BNO) passport holders in Hong Kong with access to British citizenship is a result of domestic political pressure, Chinese observers said Saturday, calling on the financial circle in the City of London to be rational and cherish China-UK fruit in the sector.
• Commissioner's office of Chinese foreign ministry in HKSAR urges US politicians to stop interfering in China's internal affairs Global Times 12 Sep 2020 -- The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese foreign ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Saturday urged some U.S. politicians to immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs as a whole.
• China's Gaofen 02C satellite fails to reach orbit Global Times 12 Sep 2020 -- China's optical remote-sensing satellite Jilin-1 Gaofen 02C failed to enter the preset orbit on Saturday.
• KMT mulls cross-strait forum boycott over 'sue for peace' comment CNA 12 Sep 2020 -- The Kuomintang (KMT), Taiwan's main opposition party, is considering boycotting an annual cross-Taiwan Strait forum should a Chinese state-owned broadcaster refuse to apologize over its "sue for peace" headline.
• Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Inspects Reconstruction Site of Flood-Hit Area in Taechong-ri, Unpha County, North Hwanghae Province KCNA 12 Sep 2020 -- Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and supreme commander of the armed forces of the DPRK, inspected the reconstruction site of flood-hit Taechong-ri area of Unpha County, North Hwanghae Province.
• Dinner Party Gone Wrong: Kim Jong-un Executed 5 Top Officials for Bashing His Policy - S Korea Media Sputnik 12 Sep 2020 -- On Thursday, US media referred to a soon-to-be-released book by veteran American reporter Bob Woodward, who claimed, in particular, that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had once bragged about putting the head of his uncle on display after having him executed.
• Iran Judiciary sentences own high-ranking official to 31 years in jail Press TV 12 Sep 2020 -- Iran's Judiciary has sentenced a high-ranking official in its executive branch to a total of 31 years in prison over involvement in a major financial corruption case.
• Police Arrest Dozens In Minsk As Women Keep Up Protests Against Belarus's Lukashenka RFE/RL 12 Sep 2020 -- Police in Belarus on September 12 arrested dozens of women who took part in a protest against the disputed reelection of longtime authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka and the detention of activists and others in the government's postelection crackdown.
• Belarusian Riot Police Detain Participants of Women's March in Minsk Sputnik 12 Sep 2020 -- The Belarusian riot police have started to detain people during a so-called women's march that is underway in downtown Minsk, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Saturday.
• Masked Men Detain Female Protesters in Belarus VOA 12 Sep 2020 -- Thousands of Belarusians demonstrated Saturday in Minsk to demand the release of opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova, who was jailed this week after she resisted expulsion from the country.
• Algerian Lower House of Parliament adopts constitution draft Global Times 12 Sep 2020 -- Algerian People's National Assembly (APN) Thursday unanimously adopted the draft of the new constitution, according to the official APS news agency.
• Controversy And Fierce Competition In Kyrgyz Parliamentary Elections RFE/RL 12 Sep 2020 -- Amid campaigning for the wide-open and unpredictable parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan, the sudden inclusion of a previously banned opposition party has raised questions and made the vote's outcome even harder to forecast.
• Malawi Sweeps Access to Information Law Into Effect VOA 12 Sep 2020 -- Malawi's government has moved to implement the Access to Information law. The approval came four years after the law was passed by the country's parliament. This follows the official publication of the law Friday by the information minister.
• DRC, Congo Face Risk of Ebola Spreading Across Border VOA 12 Sep 2020 -- The World Health Organization is raising the prospect that the deadly Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Equateur province could spread across borders.
• Boris Johnson Accuses EU of Threatening UK's Territorial Integrity Amid Row Over New Bill Sputnik 12 Sep 2020 -- UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has accused the European Union of threatening the United Kingdom's territorial integrity as he urged the country's lawmakers to pass the government's proposed Internal Market Bill, which has created a diplomatic row with Brussels, in an op-ed published in the Daily Telegraph newspaper on Saturday.
• UK reaches first major post-Brexit free trade deal with Japan People's Daily 12 Sep 2020 -- Britain and Japan on Friday secured a free trade agreement, which is Britain's first major trade deal as an independent trading nation after Brexit, the British government said Friday.