Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Is The Taliban Seeking A 'Sunni Afghan Version' Of Iran? RFE/RL 02 Oct 2020 -- The Afghan government and the Taliban will need to find compromises on a plethora of contentious issues to reach a peace settlement - from civil liberties and women's rights to the country's name and flag.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Great power competition: US Army Africa competes to win Army News 02 Oct 2020 -- U.S. Army Africa is scheduled to host a breakout session on "Great Power Competition" on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 2 p.m. for the Association of the United States Army's annual conference, which will be held Oct. 13-16. For the first time, organizers have planned to host the event exclusively online because of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper's Meeting With Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Nasser Bourita DoD 02 Oct 2020
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper's Meeting With Moroccan Minister for Administration of National Defense Abdellatif Loudiyi DoD 02 Oct 2020
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper's Meeting With Inspector General of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces Lieutenant General Abdelfattah Louarak DoD 02 Oct 2020
• Readout of Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Dr. James Anderson's Bilateral Engagement With Senegalese Minister of Armed Forces, Minister Sidiki Kaba DoD 02 Oct 2020
• Policy Chief Outlines Changes to U.S. Defense Postures in Germany, European Theater DoD News 02 Oct 2020 -- The Defense Department continues to prioritize implementation of the National Defense Strategy, including building a more lethal force and strengthening alliances, DOD's acting undersecretary of defense for policy told the House Armed Services Committee.
• U.S., Morocco Chart Defense Cooperation Through 2030 DoD News 02 Oct 2020 -- Morocco and the United States renewed the alliance between the two nations as a foundation stone for peace in Africa.
• Army, Air Force Form Partnership, Lay Foundation for Interoperability DoD News 02 Oct 2020 -- Unity among military branches and a combined, all-domain effort could be the difference in winning the large-scale, multi-domain battles the Army expects to fight in the future.
• Great Power Competition Can Involve Conflict Below Threshold of War DoD News 02 Oct 2020 -- Unity among military branches and a combined, all-domain effort could be the difference in winning the large-scale, multi-domain battles the Army expects to fight in the future.
• Irregular Warfare Annex to National Defense Strategy Made Public DoD News 02 Oct 2020 -- This unclassified summary of the IW Annex allows the department to communicate to interagency and industry partners, along with the American public, about the proactive efforts by the department to avoid crises, said Joe Francescon, deputy assistant secretary of defense for special operations and combatting terrorism.
• Task force Marines integrate with Navy, provide security aboard USNS Burlington USMC News 02 Oct 2020 -- Ten U.S. Marines with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force – Southern Command teamed up with the U.S. Navy for an upcoming deployment aboard the Spearhead-class USNS Burlington (T-EPF 10) at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Virginia, September 26.
• HSC-9 Completes Unit-Level Training in the Appalachian Mountains US Navy 02 Oct 2020 -- More than 100 pilots, maintainers, and aircrew personnel assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 9 the "Tridents", based out of Naval Station (NS) Norfolk are conducting a nine-day unit-level training in the Appalachian Mountains, Sept. 25-Oct. 4.
• USS Hershel "Woody" Williams Shifts Homeport to Greece US Navy 02 Oct 2020 -- The Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB 4), shifted its homeport from Norfolk, Va., to Souda Bay, Greece, effective 1, Oct., 2020.
• USS America Expeditionary Strike Group Stops in Guam to Increase Readiness US Navy 02 Oct 2020 -- The USS America (LHA 6) Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) departed Guam following a port visit Oct 2, 2020.
• USS Roosevelt Completes Operations in Black Sea US Navy 02 Oct 2020 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) completed operations in the Black Sea, Oct. 2, 2020.
• USS Roosevelt Conducts Passing Exercise with Turkish Navy US Navy 02 Oct 2020 -- The Arleigh Burke-Class guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) completed a series of passing and communication exercises (PASSEX) with the Turkish Navy, Oct. 1, 2020 in the Black Sea.
• Guterres: Only way to remove nuclear risk, 'completely eliminate nuclear weapons' UN News 02 Oct 2020 -- The elimination of nuclear weapons is vital to the "survival of life on this planet", the UN chief told the final major event of the General Assembly's high level week on Friday.
• Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David R. Stilwell on the Secretary's Travel to Japan, Mongolia, and the Republic of Korea US Dept. of State 02 Oct 2020
• Secretary Michael R. Pompeo Briefing with the Traveling Press US Dept. of State 02 Oct 2020
• Secretary Michael R. Pompeo and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic at a Press Availability US Dept. of State 02 Oct 2020
• Secretary Michael R. Pompeo Remarks to Traveling Press US Dept. of State 02 Oct 2020

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Oct. 2, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 2 October 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 02 Oct 2020
• Iran, Russia urge immediate ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh IRNA 02 Oct 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov reviewed latest developments in Nagorno-Karabakh in a phone call late on Friday, calling for immediate ceasefire in the region.
• Pakistan rejects reports of military presence in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict IRNA 02 Oct 2020 -- Pakistan has strongly rejected media reports claiming its army is fighting alongside Azerbaijani forces against Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh.
• Protests Erupt In Iran Backing Azerbaijan In Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict RFE/RL 02 Oct 2020 -- Protests have erupted in several Iranian cities, including the capital, Tehran, and and the northwestern city of Tabriz, in support of Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
• Armenia Willing To Engage In OSCE Peace Talks Over Nagorno-Karabakh RFE/RL 02 Oct 2020 -- Armenia on October 2 said it is willing to engage in peace talks through the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as international leaders continued to call for an immediate end to fighting with Azerbaijani forces over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
• Former U.S. Ambassador To Azerbaijan Says The Game Has Changed In Nagorno-Karabakh RFE/RL 02 Oct 2020 -- After six days of heavy fighting over Azerbaijan's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Baku's forces appear to be trying to consolidate control over a series of abandoned towns and villages they claim to have retaken around the ethnic Armenian-held capital, Stepanakert.
• UN chief welcomes agreement on Israel-Lebanon border demarcation talks People's Daily 02 Oct 2020 -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday welcomed the announcements of an agreement to launch talks on border delineation between Lebanon and Israel, said his spokesman.
• Worship Area in Front of Lhasa's Jokhang Temple Closed Following Repairs Radio Free Asia 02 Oct 2020 -- A public square in front of Lhasa's famed Jokhang temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site, remains closed to worshippers despite the completion two months ago of nearby construction work, according to sources in Tibet's regional capital.

News Reports

• Statement by Jonathan Hoffman, Chief Pentagon Spokesman on the Health of the President, First Lady and Military Readiness DoD 02 Oct 2020
• Trump says he and wife test positive for COVID-19 People's Daily 02 Oct 2020 -- US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19, he said in a tweet early on Friday.
• China Has Mixed Reactions to News of Trump's COVID-19 Status Radio Free Asia 02 Oct 2020 -- China's state media on Friday widely reported the news that U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for COVID-19, in a tone that remained mostly neutral.
• HRW Warns Of Privacy Concerns As Russia Expands Facial-Recognition Systems RFE/RL 02 Oct 2020 -- Two months after the Soviet-made "Lun" ekranoplan was hauled onto a remote beach in Daghestan to star in a military-themed Patriotic Park, the legendary craft remains wallowing in the breakers, sporting what appears to be significant damage.
• Facebook Accounts in Line With Beijing's Aims Likely 'Inauthentic': Report Radio Free Asia 02 Oct 2020 -- Accounts serving the aims of the Chinese Communist Party are increasingly taking to Facebook to air "inauthentic content," a new report by an Australian think tank has found.
• China Forecasts Lower Gas Growth This Year Radio Free Asia 02 Oct 2020 -- China is expecting lower growth in natural gas consumption and imports this year despite claims of economic recovery and plans to promote cleaner-burning fuels.
• China works to ensure long-term peace, stability for Xinjiang People's Daily 02 Oct 2020 -- The long-term peace and stability of Xinjiang concerns the general reform and development of China, the national unity and ethnic solidarity of China, as well as the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It is also an ultimate goal of China's work related to Xinjiang for the present and the years to come.
• Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Inspects Sites of Reconstruction in Kimhwa County KCNA 02 Oct 2020 -- Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and supreme commander of the armed forces of the DPRK, inspected the site of reconstruction from damage in Kimhwa County.
• North Korea Arms State-Run Farms and Businesses to Prevent Theft Radio Free Asia 02 Oct 2020 -- North Korean authorities are sending weapons to state enterprises and cooperative farms that have been ordered to create armed security forces to guard warehouses against theft of food and equipment by people driven to theft by dire economic conditions under the coronavirus pandemic, sources in the country told RFA.
• There is no "snapback" over Iran sanctions: Security Council president Global Times 02 Oct 2020 -- The "snapback" mechanism on sanctions against Iran has not been invoked, contrary to a U.S. claim, said Vassily Nebenzia, the Russian ambassador to the United Nations, in his capacity as president of the Security Council for the month of October.
• Iranian President and his Deputy Praise 25-Year Contract with China Radio Farda 02 Oct 2020 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is hailing the signing of a 25-year cooperative agreement between Iran and China as a "major step" in advancing Tehran and Beijing's shared interests.
• Eternal Sunset for Persian Carpet Radio Farda 02 Oct 2020 -- Legendary Persian hand-woven carpets are on the verge of disappearing from the world market after years of decline, according to Tehran's economic sources.
• Belarus Cancels Accreditations Of All Foreign Journalists Amid Protests RFE/RL 02 Oct 2020 -- The Belarusian Foreign Ministry has canceled the accreditations of all foreign journalists in the country, saying the move was made as part of a reforming of the country's regulations and procedures for the media.
• U.S., EU Slap Sanctions On Belarus Over Election, Crackdown RFE/RL 02 Oct 2020 -- The United States and EU on October 2 slapped sanctions on Belarusian officials responsible for fraud in the August presidential election and a brutal crackdown on protesters and opposition members, drawing a sharp response from Belarus and its ally Russia.
• The U.S.' Action Against Belarusian Individuals Involved in Efforts To Undermine Belarusian Democracy US Dept. of State 02 Oct 2020 -- Today, in response to the continued, brutal repression of peaceful, pro-democracy protesters in Belarus, the United States and the European Union have taken coordinated action against Belarusian individuals involved in efforts to undermine Belarusian democracy.
• Treasury Sanctions Belarus Officials for Undermining Democracy US Treasury 02 Oct 2020 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated eight individuals for their roles in the fraudulent August 9, 2020 Belarus presidential election or the subsequent violent crackdown on peaceful protesters.
• Freedom House: Pandemic Deepens Crisis For Democracy Globally RFE/RL 02 Oct 2020 -- The COVID-19 pandemic has deepened a crisis for democracy across the world, providing for governments to disrupt elections, clamp down on critics and the press, and undermine the accountability needed to protect human rights as well as public health, Freedom House said on October 2.
• All That Is Good About Kyrgyzstan's Upcoming Parliamentary Elections RFE/RL 02 Oct 2020 -- Campaigning for seats in Kyrgyzstan's parliament is ending, and on October 4 the country's voters - along with thousands of expatriates - will head to the polls to choose from 16 parties in a vote whose outcome is completely unpredictable.
• Pro-Kyrgyz Government Party Aide Detained For Vote Buying Before Election RFE/RL 02 Oct 2020 -- Police in the southern Kyrgyz region of Osh say they have detained a person affiliated with a pro-government party for "distributing cash" among potential voters just two days before parliamentary elections.
• Sudan alert: Flooding and surging inflation threaten humanitarian assistance UN News 02 Oct 2020 -- Catastrophic flooding and rising food and health costs in Sudan, have driven up the number of people in need, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Friday.