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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• In Moscow, Afghan Government, Taliban Agree To Accelerate Peace Talks RFE/RL Gandhara 19 Mar 2021 -- A senior Afghan official says the government and the Taliban have agreed at a meeting in Moscow to try to accelerate talks aimed at ending decades of war in the country.
• Afghan President Names Acting Heads Of Key Security Ministries RFE/RL Gandhara 19 Mar 2021 -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani made surprise appointments atop two key power ministries on March 19 in an apparent bid to shore up security with international pressure mounting on Kabul and Taliban militants to hammer out a peace deal for the war-torn state.
• 8 militants, 2 soldiers killed in northern Afghanistan's clashes People's Daily 19 Mar 2021 -- At least eight Taliban militants and two Afghan security forces members were killed during clashes in the country's northern Badakhshan province early Thursday, a local official confirmed.
• Joint Statement on the Occasion of a Trilateral Discussion among Afghanistan, Tajikistan and the United States US Dept. of State 19 Mar 2021 -- The following statement was released by the Governments of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Republic of Tajikistan, and the United States of America on the occasion of a trilateral discussion among Afghanistan – Tajikistan – and the United States.
• Untangling Taliban's Ties With Al-Qaeda 'Extremely Difficult' RFE/RL 19 Mar 2021 -- Afghan special forces stormed an isolated mudbrick house in a Taliban-controlled district of Ghazni Province in October, killing six suspected militants -- including Husam Abd-al-Ra'uf, the No. 2 figure in the Al-Qaeda terrorist network.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Army analyzing needs for Arctic operations Army News 19 Mar 2021 -- The Army is currently conducting a gap analysis as part of its new Arctic strategy to identify if any new equipment or training sites will be needed or expanded to prepare Soldiers for upcoming missions in extreme cold weather.
• U.S. Africa Command forces conduct operational assessment in Timbuktu, Mali AFRICOM 19 Mar 2021 -- U.S. Africa Command forces stationed in Djibouti conducted their second operational assessment in Mali today. The initial assessment was March 3 in Gao, Mali.
• Pentagon chief: US 'ready to fight tonight' with North Korea Press TV 19 Mar 2021 -- Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin has threatene North Korea with a war after Pyongyang denounced the resumption of drills between the US and South Korea.
• Space Domain Critical to Combat Operations Since Desert Storm DoD News 19 Mar 2021 -- This year marks the 30-year anniversary of Operation Desert Storm. Due to the Defense Department's successful use of space-based capabilities during the conflict, many experts consider Desert Storm to have been the first space war.
• Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. Kathleen Hicks Delivers Virtual Remarks to National War College Students and Faculty DoD 19 Mar 2021-- Dr. Kathleen Hicks, Deputy Secretary Of Defense; Greg Pollock, Secretary Of Defense Chair, National War College
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Visit to India, Day 1 DoD 19 Mar 2021
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Phone Call with Australian Acting Minister for Defence Payne DoD 19 Mar 2021
• Improvements to Organic Industrial Base Prepare Services for Future Fight DoD News 19 Mar 2021 -- The Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps are all putting significant effort into improving their portions of the organic industrial base — that Defense Department-owned collection of depots, arsenals, shipyards and ammunition plants that repair and maintain military weapons systems, as well as some specialized ammunition.
• Austin Stays in Touch With Australian Leaders During Indo-Pacific Trip DoD News 19 Mar 2021 -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III continued his outreach to Indo-Pacific allies and partners with a call to Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne even as he was flying to meet with Indian leaders in New Delhi.
• New active component added to Air National Guard KC-135 at Eielson AFB US Air Force 19 Mar 2021 -- The Department of the Air Force plans to increase the size of its existing Air National Guard KC-135 Stratotanker squadron at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, by adding an active-duty component to the unit.
• Winston S. Churchill Returns to Homeport after 9-month Deployment US Navy 19 Mar 2021 -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) returned to homeport in Naval Station Norfolk March 19, after nearly nine months deployed in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation.
• PLA's Type 055 destroyer enters Sea of Japan for 1st time Global Times 19 Mar 2021 -- A Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy flotilla led by the country's first 10,000 ton-class Type 055 large destroyer sailed through the Tsushima Strait on Thursday and headed toward the Sea of Japan, a few days after US and Japan released "2+2" ministers' joint statement that seriously provoked China.
• In India, Austin Looks for Ways to Increase Cooperation With Allies DoD News 19 Mar 2021 -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a stop in New Delhi today.
• MoD signs contract with BDL to supply 4,960 Anti-Tank Guided Missiles to Indian Army India PIB 19 Mar 2021-- Acquisition Wing of Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract with Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for supply of 4,960 MILAN-2T Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs) to Indian Army at a cost of Rs 1,188 crore, in New Delhi on March 19, 2021. This will further boost the 'Make in India' initiative of the Government. It is a 'Repeat Order' of contract, which was signed with BDL on March 08, 2016.
• INDO-UZBEKISTAN FIELD TRAINING EXERCISE 'DUSTLIK' CULMINATES IN RANIKHET(UTTARAKHAND) India PIB 19 Mar 2021
• India to Make Around 5,000 Anti-Tank Guided Missiles to Boost War Capabilities Sputnik 19 Mar 2021 -- France-based MBDA Missile Systems transferred the technology to manufacture the Milan 2T anti-guided missile to an Indian company in 2009. The Milan 2T is a second-generation semi-automatic command to line-of-sight (SACLOS) guided missile which can hit targets at range of around 1,800 metres.
• Korea - AGM-114R Hellfire Missiles DSCA 19 Mar 2021 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Republic of Korea of AGM-114R Hellfire Missiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $36 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• Saudi Naval Forces Complete Preparations for Conducting "Al-Fulk 4" Joint Naval Exercises with Sudanese Navy SPA 19 Mar 2021 -- The Royal Saudi Naval Forces, represented by the Western Fleet and the Sudanese Naval Forces, will conduct the mixed naval exercises "Al-Fulk 4", at King Faisal Naval Base in Jeddah.
• Ukrainian PM Reiterates Kyiv's Plans To Join EU, NATO RFE/RL 19 Mar 2021 -- Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal says his country has accelerated reforms as it continues to move toward its goal of membership in the European Union and NATO.
• Department Press Briefing – March 19, 2021 US Dept. of State 19 Mar 2021
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan Statements to the Press US Dept. of State 19 Mar 2021
• Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Aboard Air Force One En Route Atlanta, Georgia The White House 19 Mar 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For March 19, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 19 March 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 19 Mar 2021
• Yemeni army launches new drone strike on Aramco facility in Saudi capital Press TV 19 Mar 2021 -- Yemen's army says it has successfully carried out another drone strike against a facility belonging to oil giant Aramco in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, in retaliation against the kingdom's ongoing military aggression and siege against its southern neighbor.
• Yemeni army forces, allies make major progress in Ma'rib, liberate strategic Hilan mountain Press TV 19 Mar 2021 -- Yemeni armed forces have made major gains against Saudi mercenaries in the strategic central province of Ma'rib, establishing full control over Mount Hilan overlooking the provincial capital.
• Tigray crisis: Children must be protected from harm, urges UNICEF UN News 19 Mar 2021 -- The situation for children in Tigray is becoming increasingly serious as the conflict in the northern Ethiopian region continues to escalate, according to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
• UNICEF Points to Continuing Crisis for Children in Tigray Region VOA 19 Mar 2021 -- As conflict escalates in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, UNICEF is underscoring the need for continual aid for affected children amid a worsening situation.
• Pakistan to India: 'Time to Bury the Past' for Regional Peace VOA 19 Mar 2021 -- Pakistan's military chief Thursday advocated a "stable" relationship with archrival India, saying unsettled disputes between the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbors are "dragging the region back to the swamp of poverty and underdevelopment."
• 8 Killed in Suspected South Sudan Revenge Attack VOA 19 Mar 2021 -- Leaders in South Sudan's Central Equatoria state say at least eight people were killed in a suspected revenge attack Thursday.
• UN: Armed Group in Northeastern DRC Goes on Killing Rampage VOA 19 Mar 2021 -- The U.N. refugee agency said an armed group in the Democratic Republic of Congo is on a rampage that has killed nearly 200 people and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes since the start of this year.

News Reports

• Foreign Nationals Sentenced for Roles in Transnational Cybercrime Enterprise US Dept. of Justice 19 Mar 2021 -- The Infraud Organization victimized millions of people in all 50 states and caused more than $568 million in financial losses
• Russian Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy To Introduce Malware Into Tesla's Computer Network RFE/RL 19 Mar 2021 -- A Russian citizen who was arrested in the United States last summer has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to introduce malware into the computer network of automaker Tesla.
• Indonesia, Malaysia Call For Urgent ASEAN Summit on Myanmar Crisis Radio Free Asia 19 Mar 2021 -- Concerned over the Myanmar military junta's relentless deadly crackdown on protesters, Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin called for an emergency ASEAN summit Friday to discuss the turmoil in their fellow member state.
• Scores of schools 'reportedly occupied' by security forces in Myanmar, as Guterres condemns continuing brutality UN News 19 Mar 2021 -- Security forces in Myanmar have reportedly occupied more than 60 schools and university campuses across the country, marking a further escalation of the crisis, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday. In a statement issued later in the day, the UN Secretary-General condemned the "continuing brutal violence" being directed at peaceful protesters as the death toll mounts.
• UN Chief: Killing of Myanmar Protesters 'Utterly Unacceptable' VOA 19 Mar 2021 -- U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the continuing brutality of the Myanmar military, as at least eight anti-coup demonstrators were killed Friday in the central town of Aungban in eastern Shan state.
• Two Journalists Arrested in Myanmar, Where Forces Kill 10 Anti-Coup Protesters Radio Free Asia 19 Mar 2021 -- Police in Myanmar Friday arrested two journalists covering the trial of a civilian official ousted in last month's military takeover as brutal crackdowns on anti-coup protests killed at least 10, sources in Myanmar told RFA.
• Myanmarese forces kill 9 more protesters, world increasingly concerned Press TV 19 Mar 2021 -- Security forces in Myanmar have again opened fire on anti-coup demonstrators, killing at least nine people in different parts of the country, despite calls by regional and other states on the Myanmarese junta to end the violence and restore democracy.
• Eight Myanmar Protesters Reportedly Killed by Junta Forces VOA 19 Mar 2021 -- Security forces in Myanmar fired live rounds and tear gas on coup protesters Friday, reportedly killing eight people in the central town of Aungban in the eastern Shan state.
• 'Local People Would Not Burn Their Own Homes to Ashes,' Says Myanmar Plant Owner Radio Free Asia 19 Mar 2021 -- Amid nationwide protests against Myanmar's military regime, a series of arson attacks on 32 Chinese-funded factories in the Yangon industrial townships of Hlaingthaya and Shwepyitha on March 14 and 15, causing what China's state media was nearly 240 million yuan (U.S. $37 million) in damages. A Myanmar owner who rented warehouse space to destroyed textile factories spoke to RFA's Myanmar Service on the attacks that took place in Shwepyitha on March 15.
• Bulgaria Says It Has Broken Up Spy Ring Suspected Of Working For Russia RFE/RL 19 Mar 2021 -- Bulgaria says it has detained and charged six people suspected of passing classified information to Russia.
• Kremlin Says It Offered Public Call With Biden RFE/RL 19 Mar 2021 -- A spokesman for President Vladimir Putin said on March 19 that the Russian leader made an unconventional offer this week of a public conversation with U.S. President Joe Biden to repair rapidly fraying relations but hasn't heard back from the White House.
• Dying For A Dose Of Putin? With Sagging Ratings, Russian President Holds Mask-Optional Rally RFE/RL 19 Mar 2021 -- Two events in Moscow on March 18 threw a harsh spotlight on the contradictions of the political scene in the Russia of longtime authoritarian President Vladimir Putin.
• The Week In Russia: Killer In The Kremlin? Biden's Remark And The Russian Response RFE/RL 19 Mar 2021 -- After U.S. President Joe Biden said he believes his Russian counterpart is a killer, Vladimir Putin hit back with a schoolyard retort that translates as: "I know you are, but what am I?" Will Russia's response stop there? And what does it mean for an already poisoned relationship?
• Chief Of Navalny's Team In Khabarovsk, Others Detained In Ongoing Crackdown RFE/RL 19 Mar 2021 -- The chief of jailed opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's network in Russia says police have swept through the Far East city of Khabarovsk and detained several Navalny activists, local opposition politicians, and journalists.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on March 19, 2021 PRC MofA 19 Mar 2021
• US Concludes 'Tough' Talks With China in Alaska VOA 19 Mar 2021 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States shared "significant concerns" with China during the first face-to-face meeting between the two countries under the Biden administration, concluding two days of contentious talks.
• Chinese, US Officials Meet in Alaska Amid 'Gunpowder And Drama' Radio Free Asia 19 Mar 2021 -- The United States and China traded barbs in Anchorage, Alaska on Friday ahead of their first top-level diplomatic talks since President Joe Biden took office, with Beijing rejecting criticism of its human rights record.
• Hicks: Governance Differences Between U.S., China Are in Sharp Focus DoD News 19 Mar 2021 -- China is the pacing challenge for the U.S. military, and, in the past several decades and across multiple administrations, the economic security and governance differences between the United States and China have come into sharper focus, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen H. Hicks said today.
• Chinese diplomats deal vigorous counterblows to condescending US representatives; common ground hard to reach on contrasting logics Global Times 19 Mar 2021 -- Unsurprisingly and without any greetings, the world closely watched the China-US Alaska talks turn into an intense back-and-forth within minutes of opening, but the two sides' hardline stances were still beyond the expectations of observers.
• China-US Alaska dialogue 'could still be meaningful' despite tough opening Global Times 19 Mar 2021 -- The China-US high-level strategic dialogue in Anchorage, Alaska started intensely due to the US behavior without hospitality and diplomatic etiquette, and China's chief diplomats' tough response that impressed observers worldwide shows that China is not there to compromise on key issues and hear lectures, but to point out the US problems face-to-face and find solutions with sincerity.
• After China-US confrontational talks, eyes turn to trade for possible cooperation Global Times 19 Mar 2021 -- After the world saw what has been characterized as an unprecedented open confrontation between China and the US, many in the business world are turning their eyes to trade in the hope of possible cooperation, as the two biggest economic powers appear to be in a deadlock on major political and security issues, but there remains massive mutual economic interests that could pull the countries from plunging into wider conflict.
• Senior Chinese official tells U.S. to stop interference, avoid confrontation People's Daily 19 Mar 2021 -- The United States should stop its interference in China's internal affairs, and avoid confrontation between the two major countries, said a senior Chinese official here on Thursday.
• U.S. had better quit political threatening People's Daily 19 Mar 2021 -- The U.S. Department of State issued a so-called statement Wednesday, in which it slandered the decision of the National People's Congress (NPC) of China to improve the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and threatened to implement financial sanctions against Chinese officials.
• Top US, China diplomats clash at first summit of Biden presidency Press TV 19 Mar 2021 -- The United States and China clashed during the first high-level, in-person meeting of the Biden administration held in Anchorage, Alaska on Thursday with officials from both sides trading barbs at each other.
• China's Top Diplomat After Talks With US in Alaska Says There Are 'So Many Major Differences' Sputnik 19 Mar 2021 -- The Biden administration's first summit with China, being held in Alaska, has seen the two sides competing over how their relationship will proceed, with Washington assuming an offensive position including new sanctions, while China has sought dialogue but refused to back down.
• China Says Alaska Talks With US Just Beginning, 'Main Meal Yet to Come' Sputnik 19 Mar 2021 -- The scandal at the US-China talks in Anchorage, located the US state of Alaska, is just a beginning, the most essential part is yet to come, Zhao Lijian, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, said on Friday.
• Canadian Michael Spavor Tried For 'Spying' in Northeast China Radio Free Asia 19 Mar 2021 -- A Canadian national detained by the Chinese authorities days after the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou stood trial in the northeastern province of Liaoning on Friday for "spying."
• China's Five-Year Plan Stalls Climate Progress, Experts Say Radio Free Asia 19 Mar 2021 -- China's recently announced energy and environmental plans have received poor reviews as climate concerns continue to take a back seat to economic growth.
• North Korea cuts ties with Malaysia over extradition of citizen to US Press TV 19 Mar 2021 -- Pyongyang has cut diplomatic ties with Malaysia, responding to a "nefarious" court ruling allowing the extradition of a North Korean citizen to the US.
• Malaysia, North Korea Ties Snap After North Korean Extradited to US Radio Free Asia 19 Mar 2021 -- Malaysia ordered its embassy in Pyongyang closed on Friday in a tit-for-tat escalation after North Korea severed diplomatic ties with Kuala Lumpur over the extradition of a North Korean man to the United States to face money-laundering charges.
• Unfairness Would Not Escape from Stern Judgment of Fairness: DPRK Ministry of Foreign Affairs KCNA 19 Mar 2021 -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) issued the following statement on Friday:
• Iranian Nationals Charged with Conspiring to Evade U.S. Sanctions on Iran by Disguising $300 Million in Transactions Over Two Decades US Dept. of Justice 19 Mar 2021 -- A federal criminal complaint unsealed today charges 10 Iranian nationals with running a nearly 20-year-long scheme to evade U.S. sanctions on the Government of Iran by disguising more than $300 million worth of transactions – including the purchase of two $25 million oil tankers – on Iran's behalf through front companies in the San Fernando Valley, Canada, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, a forfeiture complaint filed today seeks a money laundering penalty in the amount of $157,332,367.
• FM sopx: US must make fundamental change in its approaches IRNA 19 Mar 2021 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh on Friday said that the US must change its approaches fundamentally.
• Nuclear energy diplomacy advancing for sake of economic growth: Official IRNA 19 Mar 2021 -- Iranian Government Spokesman Ali Rabiee on Friday said that nuclear energy diplomacy is moving forward for the economic development of the country.
• Zarif: E3 must act responsibly on Iran deal instead of trying to appease Israel Press TV 19 Mar 2021 -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif of Iran has urged the three European parties to the 2015 nuclear deal to assume their responsibly vis-à-vis the embattled agreement instead of trying to appease the Tel Aviv regime, after the French president leveled baseless accusations against Tehran following a meeting with his Israeli counterpart.
• Iran set to cold test redesigned Arak heavy water reactor soon Press TV 19 Mar 2021 -- The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) says the country plans to cold test the redesigned version of the Arak heavy water reactor shortly before it becomes fully functional, as Tehran steps up its counter-measures against America's withdrawal from a multilateral nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic.
• Lukashenka Holds Up Sanctioned Ex-Ministers As Possible Successors In Belarus RFE/RL 19 Mar 2021 -- Alyaksandr Lukashenka used a televised appearance on March 19 to say that two former Belarusian government ministers currently under Western sanctions would be "strong candidates" who could succeed him after a possible presidential election.
• UN Expert Denounces 'Increasing Crackdown' On Belarus Rights Activists RFE/RL 19 Mar 2021 -- The UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders has expressed concerns over an "increasing crackdown" against activists in Belarus, following reports of "suspected reprisals" against two defenders who have collaborated with the UN Human Rights Office.
• Pakistan's China-Built Nuclear Reactor Starts Operation VOA 19 Mar 2021 -- Pakistan has connected its new Chinese-built nuclear power plant, with an installed capacity of 1,100 megawatts, to the national grid.
• Russia To Help On Project To Extend Life Of Armenian Nuclear Power Plant RFE/RL 19 Mar 2021 -- Russia will help Armenia extend the life of its nuclear power plant in Metsamor for another 10 years, according to the director of the station.
• Uzbek President Says Secretive Retreat Uncovered By RFE/RL Report Is For VIPs RFE/RL 19 Mar 2021 -- Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev says a secretive mountain retreat that was allegedly built for him belongs to the state and is used to entertain "high-ranking guests."
• Samia Suluhu Hassan Becomes Tanzania's First Woman President VOA 19 Mar 2021 -- Friday marked a new chapter of leadership in Tanzania as the first-ever female president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, took the oath of office.