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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Afghan-Taliban Peace Talks Continue as Fighting Kills Dozens VOA 17 Sep 2020 -- Officials in Afghanistan said Thursday the latest clashes between security forces and Taliban insurgents had killed around 60 combatants on both sides since Wednesday, even as delegates of the two adversaries negotiate peace.
• China Foreign Minister Calls for Responsible Withdrawal of Foreign Troops From Afghanistan Sputnik 17 Sep 2020 -- The upcoming withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan must be responsible to ensure the stability in the conflict-torn country, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the Xinhua news agency in an interview.
• Taliban Attacks in Afghanistan's Nangarhar Province Leave 8 Police Officers Killed – Source Sputnik 17 Sep 2020 -- The Taliban has attacked three police posts in the eastern province of Nangarhar, leaving eight officers killed and four more injured, a source told Sputnik on Thursday.
• Taliban Kills 20 Afghan Government Troops Amid Ongoing Peace Talks RFE/RL 17 Sep 2020 -- Fierce fighting between Afghan forces and Taliban militants has left at least 20 government troops dead, even as peace talks continued in an effort to end the 19-year war.
• Dozens killed in fighting as intra-Afghan talks continue in Doha Press TV 17 Sep 2020 -- Fierce fighting between Afghan forces and the Taliban has resulted in dozens of casualties in a restive eastern province as negotiators from both warring sides pushed ahead with talks in the Qatari capital, Doha.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Coast Guard releases new plan to combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing worldwide US Coast Guard 17 Sep 2020 -- The Coast Guard released a new strategy to enhance global safety, security and stewardship of the maritime domain by combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, Thursday.
• Carrier Strike Group TWELVE Units Operate Independently At Sea US Navy 17 Sep 2020 -- Rear Adm. Craig Clapperton, Commander, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12 conducted a strike group circulation to visit Sailors assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 91) and the strike group flagship, aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), during each unit’s independent operations in the Atlantic Ocean, Sept. 11-14.
• Qatari and U.S. Defense Delegations Conduct Discussion of Defense Cooperation DoD 17 Sep 2020 -- The U.S.-Qatar Military Consultative Commission (MCC) was held in Washington, D.C. September 16-17, 2020. Dr. Michael Cutrone, Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, led the U.S. delegation, while Brigadier General Abdulaziz Al- Sulaiti, Chief of Qatar’s International Military Cooperation Authority, led the Qatari delegation.
• DOD Works to Increase Cybersecurity for U.S., Allies DoD News 17 Sep 2020 -- Open and reliable access to the Internet is essential for global security and prosperity. However, growing cyber threats from state and non-state actors threaten those values, the Defense Department's principal director for Cyber Policy said.
• Program Office awards $7.4 billion ceiling MQ-9 Reaper contract US Air Force 17 Sep 2020 -- In an effort to field MQ-9 Reapers faster and meet an increasing operational demand for the aircraft, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's MQ-9 Program Office awarded a $7.4 billion ceiling Agile Reaper Enterprise Solution (ARES) contract to General Atomics Sept. 17.
• USS Hershel 'Woody' Williams Conducts Tracking Exercise With Royal Moroccan Navy US Navy 17 Sep 2020 -- The Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB 4) conducted a tracking exercise with the Royal Moroccan Navy in the Atlantic Ocean, Sept. 15, 2020.
• NAVSUP Yokosuka Completes First COOP Exercise US Navy 17 Sep 2020 -- Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) Yokosuka completed a first-of-its-kind continuity of operations exercise (COOPEX) to test its ability to perform mission essential functions in a contested environment for its customers and mission partners.
• Exercise Black Widow 2020 Kicks off in the Atlantic US Navy 17 Sep 2020 -- U.S. Navy aircraft, surface ships and submarines will participate in Exercise Black Widow 2020 in the North Atlantic Sept. 12-18.
• U.S. Africa Command leaders discuss partnership with French military AFRICOM 17 Sep 2020 -- U.S. Africa Command leaders visited with French Chief of the Defense Staff, General Francois Lecointre, and other French senior officials to discuss continued U.S.-French cooperation in Africa.
• Readout of Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Dr. James H. Anderson's Meetings With Indonesian Officials DoD 17 Sep 2020
• Qatari and U.S. Defense Delegations Conduct Discussion of Defense Cooperation DoD 17 Sep 2020 -- The U.S.-Qatar Military Consultative Commission (MCC) was held in Washington, D.C. September 16-17, 2020. Dr. Michael Cutrone, Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, led the U.S. delegation, while Brigadier General Abdulaziz Al- Sulaiti, Chief of Qatar's International Military Cooperation Authority, led the Qatari delegation.
• Pentagon vows 'more new ships' in pursuit of absolute military superiority Global Times 17 Sep 2020 -- Pentagon chief Mark Esper on Wednesday continued to hype the "China threat" and vowed to build more new ships despite acknowledging that the Chinese navy is no match for the US.
• 'Tipping Point' Is Here for Nuclear Modernization, Defense Official Says DoD News 17 Sep 2020 -- The Defense Department has long talked about modernization of the nuclear deterrent capability it maintains and operates and has issued warnings about the risks of allowing that deterrent, the nuclear triad, to become too old to effectively perform its mission.
• Vice Chairman Discusses Weapons of Mass Destruction at Symposium DoD News 17 Sep 2020 -- The new Joint Warfighting Concept will be enabled by deterrence – a concept in vogue during the Cold War, but becoming relevant again, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today.
• US Forces Need to Prevent Space-Launched Attacks on Military Assets - Space Command Sputnik 17 Sep 2020 -- US Space and Cyber Forces must be able to disrupt adversaries' efforts disrupt to terrestrial forces through their own space forces, US Space Command Chief Architect Michael Dickey told the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) AscentX Conference on National Security Space.
• NATO's new Atlantic command declared operational NATO 17 Sep 2020 -- NATO's new Atlantic Command was declared operational in a ceremony in Norfolk, Virginia on Thursday (17 September 2020). Joint Force Command Norfolk, established to protect sea lanes between Europe and North America, is the first NATO headquarters dedicated to the Atlantic since 2003.
• Secretary General participates in NATO seminar on security and the environment NATO 17 Sep 2020 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg today (17 September 2020) participated in a seminar at NATO Headquarters in Brussels entitled 'NATO and Nature, a changing climate: why the environment matters to NATO, and what to do about it.' The event discussing security and the environment was jointly organized by the delegations of Italy and the United Kingdom.
• Russia's Su-27 Scrambled to Intercept US, Swedish Military Planes Over Baltic Sea Sputnik 17 Sep 2020 -- Russian fighter Su-27 was scrambled to intercept US and Swedish military aircraft over the Baltic Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry's National Defence Control Centre (NDCC) said on Thursday.
• Russia's Su-27 Scrambled to Intercept US, UK Planes Over Black Sea Sputnik 17 Sep 2020 -- Russia's Su-27 plane was scrambled to intercept US and UK military aircraft over the Black Sea as they were getting closer to the Russian border, the national defence control centre said Thursday.
• Russian Fighter Intercepts Two US Bombers Over Bering Sea Sputnik 17 Sep 2020 -- A Russian fighter intercepted on Thursday two strategic bombers of the US Air Force over the Bering Sea, the Russian Defence Ministry said.
• Top aides to Pompeo grilled at Congress over US arms sales to Saudi Arabia Press TV 17 Sep 2020 -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's top aides have been questioned by Congress over President Donald Trump's dismissal of a top administration official while he was investigating billions of dollars of arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
• MND website makes Chinese military intrusions public CNA 17 Sep 2020 -- Taiwan's military on Thursday opened a section on its website in which it makes public the latest movements of the Chinese military near Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), in a move to keep the public better informed about China's military maneuvers.
• US sale of weapons systems to Taiwan island is media speculation: Taiwan authorities Global Times 17 Sep 2020 -- The Taiwan "defense authorities" said on Wednesday that media reports of US plans to sell seven major weapons systems to the island were merely speculation by local media, huanqiu.com reported on Thursday.
• US delivers four aircraft to the Afghan Air Force, as part of NATO continued support to the Afghan security forces NATO 17 Sep 2020 -- Today (17 September 2020), the United States, as a contributing nation to the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission, transferred four A-29 Super Tocano aircraft to the Afghan Air Force, during a ceremony in Kabul.
• Romania's Military Gets First Shipment Of U.S. Patriot Missiles RFE/RL 17 Sep 2020 -- Romania's military received its first shipment of U.S. Patriot surface-to-air missiles on September 16, part of efforts to upgrade the NATO member's defense capabilities.
• Secretary Michael R. Pompeo And Suriname President Chandrikapersad "Chan" Santokhi At a Press Availability US Dept. of State 17 Sep 2020
• Remarks by President Trump Before Marine One Departure The White House 17 Sep 2020

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Sept. 17, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 17 September 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 17 Sep 2020
• Germany, France, U.K. Rebuke Beijing Over South China Sea Radio Free Asia 17 Sep 2020 -- The United Kingdom, France and Germany have signed a joint note denouncing China's claims in the South China Sea, in a sign of growing European interest in the maritime disputes there and China's militarization of occupied islets.
• Beijing Urges ASEAN States to Resist US 'Interference' in South China Sea Radio Free Asia 17 Sep 2020 -- China called on Southeast Asian countries Thursday to resist "interference" from the United States in territorial disputes in the South China Sea, over which Washington has been ratcheting up diplomatic pressure lately.
• Yemen has “never looked more likely to slide into famine”, Foreign Secretary warns UK FCDO 17 Sep 2020 -- New funding announced today takes the UK’s contribution to the crisis to over £1 billion.
• ‘Tens of millions of Yemenis’ devastated by unabated war and COVID-19 UN News 17 Sep 2020 -- More than five years of war have “devastated the lives of tens of millions of Yemenis”, with experts estimating that up to one million may have been affected by COVID-19, the UN chief told the General Assembly on Thursday.
• Military targets at airport in Saudi's Asir region hit by Yemeni drone strikes: Yemen's army Press TV 17 Sep 2020 -- Yemeni armed forces say they have successfully hit a military target at an airport in Saudi Arabia's southwestern province of Asir with drone strikes.
• Yemen under attack by Saudi Arabia due to firm anti-Israel stance: Ansarullah Press TV 17 Sep 2020 -- The Houthi Ansarullah movement reaffirms Yemen's firm support for the Palestinian cause, adding that the Saudi-led war on Yemen is in fact the price the Arab nation is paying for taking a firm stance against the Israeli occupation.
• Turkey, Russia Failed to Reach Common Position on Syria's Idlib – Source Sputnik 17 Sep 2020 -- According to the source, Turkey refused to leave checkpoints on the territories controlled by the Syrian army as well as reduce the number of its troops in the region and withdraw heavy weapons.
• Libya's Prime Minister Sarraj says will resign by end of next month Press TV 17 Sep 2020 -- Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj of Libya's internationally-recognized government says he will step down by the end of next month, amid efforts to find a solution to the North African country's years-long political conflict.
• Libya's UN-backed Prime Minister 'Ready to Step Down' if New Leader Chosen VOA 17 Sep 2020 -- As rival Libyan political leaders prepare for a new round of talks in Geneva next month, U.N.-backed Tripoli-based Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj says that he is ready to step down to ensure a "peaceful transition of power."
• Text of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh Statement in Rajya Sabha on September 17 India PIB 17 Sep 2020
• Chinese PLA loudspeakers tactic signals isolated, besieged Indian army: insider Global Times 17 Sep 2020 -- The People's Liberation Army has reportedly installed loudspeakers at areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and played Punjabi songs to Indian soldiers, a move which sends a message to India that the Indian army is isolated and besieged on all sides, an insider told the Global Times on Thursday.
• India's sincerity key to ending conflict before winter Global Times 17 Sep 2020 -- The Meeting of BRICS National Security Advisors on Thursday is a good opportunity to ease the ongoing border tensions between China and India, with experts saying that expectations of disengagement and de-escalation near the Line of Actual Control are high. But whether border tensions can be peacefully settled before winter depends on India's sincerity.
• India, China Call on Each Other to Pull Back Troops VOA 17 Sep 2020 -- Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said Thursday that New Delhi wants a peaceful resolution to its border dispute with China but is prepared for all contingencies to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
• Clashes erupt in Indian-controlled Kashmir after 4 killed Press TV 17 Sep 2020 -- Hundreds of protesters have clashed with government forces in the Indian-administered Kashmir after a fire exchange that left three suspected militants and a woman dead in the disputed Himalayan region.
• Sudan Security Forces Seize Explosives, Bomb-making Materials VOA 17 Sep 2020 -- Sudanese security forces targeted a suspected terrorist cell in Khartoum and seized massive amounts of explosives, including TNT and ammonium nitrate, authorities announced Wednesday. At least 41 people were arrested and are being investigated, according to Sudan Attorney General Taj Alsir Alhibir.
• Turkey 'open to constructive dialog' with Greece in maritime dispute Press TV 17 Sep 2020 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey is open to "constructive" dialog with Greece in a dispute over energy exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
• Scores of Rohingya Refugees Victimized by Extrajudicial Killings in Bangladesh, Amnesty Alleges Radio Free Asia 17 Sep 2020 -- A global human rights group has claimed that more than 100 Rohingya refugees were victims of extrajudicial killings in Bangladesh since 2017, but a senior government official told BenarNews that all Rohingya slain in “crossfire” incidents were drug traffickers.

News Reports

• Russia Leading 'Drumbeat' of Disinformation Ahead of US Presidential Election VOA 17 Sep 2020 -- FBI Director Christopher Wray told lawmakers Thursday that Russia is not letting up in its efforts to sway the outcome of the November presidential election, backing earlier assessments from U.S. counterintelligence officials that Moscow's main goal is to damage the campaign of Democratic candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden.
• The United States Designates Hizballah Companies and Official US Dept. of State 17 Sep 2020 -- Lebanon's political leaders have long exploited the lack of transparency in Lebanon's economy to conceal their self-enrichment, while pretending they are defending the rights of their people. Despite its claims to the contrary, the terrorist group Hizballah is every bit as involved in this deception as other actors.
• Treasury Targets Hizballah Executive Council Companies and Official US Treasury 17 Sep 2020 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned two Lebanon-based companies, Arch Consulting and Meamar Construction, for being owned, controlled, or directed by Hizballah. Additionally, OFAC designated Sultan Khalifah As'ad, a Hizballah Executive Council official, who is closely associated with both companies.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, September 17, 2020 Russia MFA 17 Sep 2020
• Top EU Court Upholds Sanctions On Russian Energy Firms, Calls Them 'Duly Justified' RFE/RL 17 Sep 2020 -- The European Union's top court has upheld restrictive measures adopted by the 27-nation bloc against Russian oil and gas companies in connection with Moscow's actions in Ukraine.
• Navalny's Team Says Water Bottle With Traces Of Novichok Found In His Hotel Room In Tomsk RFE/RL 17 Sep 2020 -- Associates of Aleksei Navalny say traces of the nerve agent used to poison the Russian opposition politician were found on a water bottle in the hotel room he was staying in in the Russian city of Tomsk.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on September 17, 2020 PRC MofA 17 Sep 2020
• HK government officially acts on US' new product marking order Global Times 17 Sep 2020 -- The Hong Kong government said that it is taking a formal step in dealing with the US' new rule on labeling of products of Hong Kong origin, which does not allow products to carry the "made in Hong Kong" label.
• Family of Detained Hong Kong Teen Face Obstacles At Every Turn Radio Free Asia 17 Sep 2020 -- The family of a Hong Kong teenager detained in mainland China after he tried to flee to the democratic island of Taiwan says he hasn't been allowed to see a lawyer, and that they have had scant assistance from the Hong Kong authorities.
• Hong Kong Political Refugees Eye Taiwan, But Are Speedboats the Solution? VOA 17 Sep 2020 -- Hong Kong political activists reportedly fleeing toward Taiwan by speedboat have put Taiwanese aid agencies and organizations in a bind over how to offer support – both parties want to resist China – despite a ban on illegal entry and the absence of a legal guarantee of asylum, lawmakers and experts say.
• China releases white paper to justify Xinjiang's employment and labor rights progress Global Times 17 Sep 2020 -- Xinjiang implements a proactive employment policy, protects lawful labor rights and interests of people of all ethnic groups, and strives to provide decent work and a better life for people of all ethnic groups, said a white paper released by the Information Office of the State Council on employment and labor rights in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Thursday.
• U.S. Under Secretary of State Krach arrives in Taipei on 3-day visit CNA 17 Sep 2020 -- American Under Secretary of State Keith Krach arrived in Taipei on Thursday afternoon on a three-day visit to attend a memorial service for former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝).
• US State Department Official Lands in Taiwan Ahead of Memorial Service Radio Free Asia 17 Sep 2020 -- U.S. Under Secretary of State Keith Krach arrived in Taiwan on Thursday, at the start of a three-day trip that will see him attend a memorial service for the island's first directly elected leader.
• China files formal complaint with US over senior official visiting Taiwan Press TV 17 Sep 2020 -- China says it has filed a formal complaint with the United States over a visit by US Undersecretary for Economic Affairs Keith Krach to Taiwan, the highest-ranking State Department official to visit Taipei in four decades, in open defiance of China, which has sovereignty over the island.
• China strongly opposes official contact between US, Taiwan: spokesperson Global Times 17 Sep 2020 -- China has expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition, and has lodged solemn representations with the United States over the upcoming visit of US Undersecretary of State Keith Krach to Taiwan, said Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, on Thursday.
• U.S. announces Taiwan visit of ranking state department official CNA 17 Sep 2020 -- United States Under Secretary of State Keith Krach will travel to Taiwan to attend the memorial service for former President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) on Sept. 19, the U.S. State Department announced Wednesday.
• North Korea Orders Drive to Instill Reverence For Kim Portraits After Image Found in Scrap Paper Radio Free Asia 17 Sep 2020 -- North Korean propaganda authorities sprang into action recently after images of leader Kim Jong Un and his predecessors from recycled publications were found in scrap paper, ordering inspections and "ideological education" in regional offices of the ruling Korean Workers' Party, sources in the country told RFA.
• Department of Justice and Partner Departments and Agencies Conduct Coordinated Actions to Disrupt and Deter Iranian Malicious Cyber Activities Targeting the United States and the Broader International Community US Dept. of Justice 17 Sep 2020 -- Starting on Sept. 14, 2020 and continuing through today, the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of the Treasury have engaged in a coordinated effort to disrupt and deter malicious cyber activities by actors associated with the Islamic Republic of Iran’s (Iran) Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as other Iran-based individuals.
• Rouhani Celebrates 'Washington's Defeat' Ahead Of UNSC Session Radio Farda 17 Sep 2020 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani anticipated "America's defeat" at the upcoming United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting next weekend, preemptively speaking about Iran's "victory over the U.S."
• U.S. threatens sanctions over arms trade with Iran People's Daily 17 Sep 2020 -- The United States on Wednesday threatened to impose new sanctions to prevent foreign arms trade with Iran after the expiration of the UN arms embargo against Tehran.
• FM Zarif: US not JCPOA participant anymore, can't return Iran sanctions on 9/20 Press TV 17 Sep 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says despite recent remarks by the US secretary of state, Washington cannot re-impose the UN sanctions on Tehran on September 20 -- which is one month after the US demanded activation of a sanctions snapback mechanism inside the Iran nuclear deal -- because the US is not a party to the agreement anymore.
• After failure at UN, US says will work to hinder arms trades with Iran with its own action Press TV 17 Sep 2020 -- Following a humiliating failure at the UN Security Council to secure an extension of the arms embargo against Iran, the United States has threatened to use its "secondary" sanctions to block any arms trades with Tehran after the expiry of the UN ban next month.
• State-Sponsored Iranian Hackers Indicted for Computer Intrusions at U.S. Satellite Companies US Dept. of Justice 17 Sep 2020 -- An indictment was unsealed today charging three computer hackers, all of whom were residents and nationals of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran), with engaging in a coordinated campaign of identity theft and hacking on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated foreign terrorist organization, in order to steal critical information related to U.S. aerospace and satellite technology and resources.
• US imposes sanctions on several Iranian entities and individuals Press TV 17 Sep 2020 -- The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on a number of Iranian entities and individuals over alleged attempts to launch a malware campaign.
• U.S. Charges Two Iranians Over 'Cyberintrusion Campaign' RFE/RL 17 Sep 2020 -- U.S. prosecutors say they have indicted two Iranians on allegations they were hackers connected with a "coordinated cyberintrusion campaign" that targeted American and foreign universities, a Washington-based think tank, and other organizations in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East.
• U.S. Places Sanctions On Hacking Group With Alleged Ties To Iranian Intelligence RFE/RL 17 Sep 2020 -- The U.S. Treasury Department has announced sanctions against an Iranian hacking group, a front company, and more than 45 individuals accused of carrying out a years-long campaign targeting Iranian dissidents, journalists, and international travel companies on behalf of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS).
• The United States Sanctions Cyber Actors Backed by Iranian Intelligence Ministry US Dept. of State 17 Sep 2020 -- The Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the world's leading threats to cybersecurity and human rights online.
• Treasury Sanctions Cyber Actors Backed by Iranian Intelligence Ministry US Treasury 17 Sep 2020 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on Iranian cyber threat group Advanced Persistent Threat 39 (APT39), 45 associated individuals, and one front company.
• US Charges 3 Iranians in Connection With State-Sponsored Identity Theft VOA 17 Sep 2020 -- The U.S. Department of Justice has announced criminal charges against three Iranian men for their alleged participation in state-sponsored identity theft and hacking by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
• US Sanctions Cyber Actors Linked to Iranian Intelligence Ministry VOA 17 Sep 2020 -- The U.S. has sanctioned entities and individuals associated with Iran's intelligence and security ministry for allegedly engaging in a malware campaign targeting Iranian dissidents, other individuals and companies, the U.S Treasury Department said Thursday.
• Iran completes developing SPGF IRNA 17 Sep 2020 -- Iran has completed 13 phases of South Pars Gas Field (SPGF) in the past seven years to bring the country's production of natural gas to 700 million cubic meters from this field.
• 'No Regrets': Ex-Iranian President Ahmadinejad On His Presidency, State Violence, His Tweets -- And Trump/Biden RFE/RL 17 Sep 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, differ on most foreign policy issues, including on how to deal with Iran.
• Pompeo Expects 'Every Nation' to Comply With 'Snapback' Sanctions on Iran VOA 17 Sep 2020 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday that he expected every nation to comply with a U.N. Security Council resolution regarding a "snapback" of sanctions on Iran.
• Belarus: UK triggers Moscow Mechanism at OSCE to investigate elections UK FCDO 17 Sep 2020 -- The UK and 16 other states have triggered the Moscow Mechanism to investigate Belarus elections.
• U.S., European Allies Among 29 Countries Condemning Internet Shutdowns In Belarus RFE/RL 17 Sep 2020 -- Twenty-nine countries including the United States and Germany issued a joint statement on September 17 condemning Belarus for Internet shutdowns and blocking websites after a "fraudulent" presidential election last month.
• Joint Statement on Internet Shutdowns in Belarus US Dept. of State 17 Sep 2020 -- The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine.
• European Parliament Rejects Belarusian Vote Results; Lukashenka Announces Border Closures RFE/RL 17 Sep 2020 -- The European Parliament has overwhelmingly passed a resolution rejecting Alyaksandr Lukashenka as the country's president once his current term of office expires in November, rejecting the results of an election last month that the opposition and the West have called rigged.
• EU Parliament Votes to Stop Recognizing Belarus President When His Term Expires VOA 17 Sep 2020 -- The European Parliament said Thursday that Alexander Lukashenko should not be recognized as the president of Belarus when his term expires on November 5.
• Lukashenka Accuses West Of Trying To 'Destroy' Belarus With Another 'Color Revolution' RFE/RL 16 Sep 2020 -- Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has accused the West of attempting "to destroy our country" by ignoring the results of last month's election, an accusation opposition leaders rejected, saying the authoritarian leader himself is to blame for current protests sparked by his falsifying of the balloting after nearly three decades of rule.
• Russia accuses U.S. of key role in staging Belarus protests People's Daily 17 Sep 2020 -- The United States has been accused by Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergei Naryshkin of playing a key role in preparing the protests following Belarus' presidential elections.
• OSCE Launches Probe Into Belarus Election Fraud, Rights Abuses RFE/RL 17 Sep 2020 -- The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has launched an investigation into alleged human rights abuses and election fraud in Belarus.
• Lukashenka Strips Diplomatic Status Of Three Belarusian Officials Who Supported Protesters RFE/RL 17 Sep 2020 -- Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has stripped the diplomatic status of two ambassadors who openly supported ongoing public protests challenging official results of a presidential election they say was rigged to hand the authoritarian leader a sixth term in office.
• Myanmar Gears Up for November Election VOA 17 Sep 2020 -- Myanmar's ruling National League for Democracy party will almost certainly dominate the country's November 8 general elections but could lose the majority it has and needs in parliament to keep governing alone after a bruising first term, analysts say.
• UN Report on Alleged Human Rights Violations in Venezuela Full of Lies, Foreign Minister Says Sputnik 17 Sep 2020 -- The report of the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the alleged human rights violations in Venezuela is politicized and full of lies, country's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said.
• Venezuela blasts UN rights report as 'riddled with falsehoods' Press TV 17 Sep 2020 -- The Venezuelan government has censured as "riddled with falsehoods" a United Nation (UN) report that accused President Nicolas Maduro and other officials of being responsible for rights violations.
• Uzbek Activists Urge Switzerland To Ensure Karimova's Returned Money Is Not Misused RFE/RL 17 Sep 2020 -- Uzbek rights defenders and former political prisoners, some of whom reside abroad, have called on Switzerland, Uzbekistan, and the United States to ensure that money confiscated from the oldest daughter of the late Uzbek President Islam Karimov, Gulnara Karimova, will not be misused again.
• Uzbek State Workers Say They're Still Being Forced To Pick Cotton RFE/RL 17 Sep 2020 -- Reports from Uzbekistan contradict the government's claim that it has phased out its internationally-criticized policy of forcing citizens into farm fields to pick cotton every autumn.
• Human rights violations continue in Burundi under new Government: UN report UN News 17 Sep 2020 -- UN-appointed investigators have issued fresh warnings about ongoing rights violations and impunity in Burundi, since the death of former President Pierre Nkurunziza, who ran for a third term in 2015, in a move deemed by opposition to be unconstitutional.
• UN Watchdog: No Improvement in Burundi's Rights Record VOA 17 Sep 2020 -- A U.N. watchdog group reports gross violations of human rights, many of which could amount to crimes against humanity, continue unabated in Burundi despite a change in leadership. The Commission of Inquiry on Burundi, which was appointed four years ago, will submit its just launched final report to the U.N. Human Rights Council next week.
• South Sudan President Fires Finance Minister Amid Looming Economic Meltdown VOA 17 Sep 2020 -- South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit fired longtime Finance Minister Salvatore Garang Mabiordit Wol in an executive order read on national television Wednesday.