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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• US Defense Chief Visits Kabul 'to Listen and Learn' VOA 21 Mar 2021 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday made his first visit to Afghanistan since taking up his post, as Washington considers whether to comply with a May 1 deadline for pulling out all troops from the country under a year-old deal it signed with the Taliban.
• Taliban Claim Reduction in Violence in Their Proposal VOA 21 Mar 2021 -- The Taliban claim they, not the U.S., originated the pending proposal for a three-month reduction in violence, or RIV, to "create a conducive atmosphere" for intra-Afghan peace negotiations, two Taliban officials told VOA Saturday.
• Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Press Conference in Afghanistan DoD 21 Mar 2021
• Austin Meets With Afghan, U.S., Coalition Leaders; Gathers Info to Aid Biden Decision on U.S. Effort DoD News 21 Mar 2021 -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met Afghan, American and coalition leaders in Kabul to better understand the situation in the country and see the way forward to a just peace in the long-troubled land.
• U.S. Defense Chief Makes Unannounced Afghan Visit As Troop Withdrawal Deadline Looms RFE/RL Gandhara 21 Mar 2021 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on March 21 just weeks before Washington is due to withdraw the last of its troops under a deal struck with the Taliban last year.
• US defense secretary, Afghan president meet in Kabul Press TV 21 Mar 2021 -- US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul at a time when Washington is due to withdraw the last of its troops under a deal struck with the Taliban last year.
• Pentagon Chief Pays Unannounced Visit to Afghanistan After Trip to India, Reports Say Sputnik 21 Mar 2021 -- US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has arrived in the Afghan capital of Kabul to hold talks with the country's senior officials in an unannounced visit following his trip to India, Afghan media reported on Sunday, citing sources.
• US Yet to Make Final Decision on Withdrawal of Troops From Afghanistan, Pentagon Chief Says Sputnik 21 Mar 2021 -- US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin says US President Joe Biden has not made a final decision on the pullout of US troops from Afghanistan yet.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Phone Call With Pakistan Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa DoD 21 Mar 2021
• US Has Quietly Removed Third of Its Nukes From Europe, Report Says Sputnik 21 Mar 2021 -- The United States deployed nuclear weapons in Western Europe in the 1950s, growing the arsenal to about 8,000 warheads at the height of the Cold War. The number of nukes stationed on the continent was cut down dramatically in the 1990s but the weapons were never eliminated completely, to the chagrin of Moscow and some of Washington's own allies.
• Group Arabian Sea Warfare Exercise 21 Underway in U.S. 5th Fleet US Navy 21 Mar 2021 -- France, Belgium, Japan and the U.S. are participating in Group Arabian Sea Warfare Exercise (GASWEX) 21, a multilateral maritime exercise in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman.
• Fleet Readiness Center East sets Focus on Reduced Turnaround Time for H-53 US Navy 21 Mar 2021 -- Following a string of successful outcomes in reducing maintenance, repair and overhaul turnaround times on V-22 Osprey aircraft, Fleet Readiness Center East has set its sights on improving turnaround times for the H-53 heavy lift helicopter.
• Russian ambassador to US in Moscow for consultations over Biden insult against Putin Press TV 21 Mar 2021 -- The relations between the Kremlin and the White House have hit a new low, with Russian Ambassador to the United States now back in Moscow for "consultations," following US President Joe Biden's recent labeling of Russia's President Vladimir Putin a "killer."
• Russia's Envoy To U.S. Back In Moscow After Spat Over Biden's Comment About Putin Being A Killer RFE/RL 21 Mar 2021 -- Russia's ambassador to the United States returned to Moscow on March 21 after being recalled for emergency consultations amid rising tensions with Washington following President Joe Biden's comments that he believed his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, was a killer.
• PLA to install new, performance-enhancing fire control system on airborne fighting vehicles Global Times 21 Mar 2021 -- The Type 03 airborne infantry fighting vehicle, currently in service with the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force, will soon get a newly developed fire control system that will enable the air-droppable armored vehicle to fire while moving, a capability that can greatly enhance the vehicle's combat performance, analysts said on Sunday.
• China's refitted Sovremenny-class destroyer conducts exercises as combat capability improved Global Times 21 Mar 2021 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy recently held a series of naval exercises that featured two Sovremenny-class destroyers imported from Russia, one recently refitted and modernized by China, a move which will lead to enhanced combat capability, analysts said on Sunday.
• Defense report focuses on building far-strike capabilities CNA 21 Mar 2021 -- A military defense strategy report recently sent to lawmakers for review has made clear that building Taiwan's far-strike capabilities is the armed forces' top priority in the coming years.
• Defense Secretary Wallace implicitly admits to Moscow destruction in event of war Press TV 21 Mar 2021 -- The Defense Secretary, Ben Wallace, has tried to defend the government's decision to increase the country's nuclear arsenal from 180 warheads to 260 on the grounds that Russian defenses have gotten stronger in recent years.
• Pashinyan Confirms Armenia Purchased Russia's Su-30 Fighters Without Missiles in 2020 Sputnik 21 Mar 2021 -- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed that Yerevan had purchased Russian Su-30SM fighters without missiles back in May 2020, months before the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
• Remarks by President Biden After Marine One Arrival The White House 21 Mar 2021

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• Stop incursion into PH sovereign territory, Lorenzana to Chinese PNA 21 Mar 2021 -- The Department of National Defense (DND) on Sunday expressed its concern on reports regarding the presence of 220 Chinese militia boats off the Julian Felipe Reef (Union Reef) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) as he called to stop incursion into Philippine territory.
• Army spokesman: Yemeni forces will continue to fight until Saudi aggression stops Press TV 21 Mar 2021 -- The spokesman for Yemeni army and fighters from popular committees says the country's armed forces will continue their operations against military and economic targets deep inside Saudi Arabia until Riyadh stops its aggression and lifts the all-out blockade it has imposed on Yemenis.
• Houthi: Yemen war will end once Saudi-led aggression, siege stop Press TV 21 Mar 2021 -- A high-ranking member of Yemen's Supreme Political Council says the ongoing conflict in the impoverished country will finish once the Saudi-led coalition puts an end to its aggressive military campaign and lifts its sea and air blockade.
• Turkish warplane bombs positions held by US-backed SDF militants in Syria's Raqqah: SOHR Press TV 21 Mar 2021 -- A so-called war monitor says a Turkish fighter jet has carried out airstrikes against an area held by US-sponsored SDF militants in Syria's northern province of Raqqah.

News Reports

• US Homeland Security Chief: 'Border is Secure' VOA 21 Mar 2021 -- U.S. Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday that the country's southwestern border with Mexico is "secure" and "closed," even as thousands of Central American migrants are pouring into the United States at a rate that is on pace to be the highest in 20 years.
• Medical Personnel in Myanmar Participate in Anti-Government Rally VOA 21 Mar 2021 -- Defying Myanmar's military crackdown, anti-coup protesters in Mandalay held a rally at dawn early morning Sunday to avoid major confrontations with security forces and police.
• Myanmar rare earths heading toward China encounter shipment obstacles amid upheaval Global Times 21 Mar 2021 -- Some Chinese rare-earth companies and their downstream firms are finding that their raw materials could not be shipped smoothly from Myanmar, a key supplier of medium and heavy rare earths for China, amid political upheaval in the Southeast Asian nation, although mining operations remain unaffected, several sources at those companies told the Global Times on Sunday.
• Myanmar health workers rally to protest military coup Press TV 21 Mar 2021 -- Doctors and nurses have poured out into the streets in central Myanmar to protest the military's deadly crackdown on anti-coup demonstrations, in an early morning march to avoid confrontation wih security forces.
• UK's New Surveillance Ship to Protect Undersea Cables From Russian 'Interest', Wallace Says Sputnik 21 Mar 2021 -- The United Kingdom's multi-role surveillance ship under construction will protect "critical" undersea cables from Russia's activities, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told the BBC.
• Bulgaria Tells Russia To Stop Spying, Threatens To Expel Diplomats RFE/RL 21 Mar 2021 -- Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has called on Russia to stop spying on his country, a day after authorities in the NATO member busted an espionage group passing military secrets to Russia.
• US will get 'strategic overdraft' to confront China, Russia at the same time Global Times 21 Mar 2021 -- Two days after an extremely intense but impressive dialogue with the US in Alaska, China will welcome its close and powerful strategic partner Russia at home to share information and strengthen cooperation as Chinese experts said the Biden administration is pushing the two nuclear-armed major powers to stand closer which will make the US have to face a "strategic overdraft."
• Alaska talks a good beginning to amplify positive factors in China-US ties: expert Global Times 21 Mar 2021 -- Senior diplomats from China and the US wrapped up their first face-to-face meeting under the Biden administration over the weekend, such high-profile and candid dialogue, with tough exchanges, not only attracted global attention but also offered some clues for the tone of China-US relationship, with experts seeing specific issues on which the two countries will soon work on such as climate change, diplomatic facilities and staff as well as media personnel.
• US attempt to unite Asian allies against China fails to live up to expectations: observers Global Times 21 Mar 2021 -- The US' attempt to build an Asian alliance to counter China has proved bleaker than expected, perhaps even fizzling out, after two of the three countries, India and South Korea, were reluctant to directly point fingers at China in their joint statement with the US, despite Washington's hard sell of the "China threat" theory, said Chinese observers.
• Ex-Vice President Annette Lu unveils proposal on cross-strait ties CNA 21 Mar 2021 -- Former Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) on Sunday proposed a new initiative to break the impasse between China and Taiwan by using "one Chinese" to replace "one China" and "integration" to supersede "unification" of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
• Expelled North Korean Diplomats Leave Malaysia Radio Free Asia 21 Mar 2021 -- North Korean embassy officials and their families left Malaysia on Sunday after Pyongyang severed decades-old diplomatic ties following the extradition of a North Korean national to the United States to face criminal trial.
• Ayatollah Khamenei: US must lift all sanctions before Iran returns to JCPOA commitments Press TV 21 Mar 2021 -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the United States must first lift all sanctions it has imposed on Tehran after unilaterally withdrawing from a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran before the Islamic Republic would return to full compliance with its its commitments under the deal.
• Iran's Position On Reviving Nuclear Deal Has Not Changed, Says Khamenei RFE/RL 21 Mar 2021 -- Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reiterated Iran's "definite policy" that Washington must lift all sanctions if the United States and its allies want to see Tehran return to its commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal.
• Khamenei Says Iran 'in No Hurry' to Return to Nuclear Deal, Says US Should Lift Sanctions First Sputnik 21 Mar 2021 -- Iran and the Biden administration have engaged one another in a high-stakes blinking contest for over two months now, with neither side budging on its demands that the other become the first to take steps to return to compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal.
• Belarusian Opposition Looks To Reenergize Protests Against Lukashenka RFE/RL 21 Mar 2021 -- Over the winter, fewer Belarusians have taken to the streets to demand the ouster of longtime authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka amid cold weather, a brutal government crackdown, and perhaps fatigue.
• Protests In Minsk, Warsaw Show Solidarity With Belarusian Opposition RFE/RL 21 Mar 2021 -- Demonstrations took place in Minsk, towns outside the Belarusian capital, and in Warsaw on March 21 as part of ongoing protests sparked by the August presidential election that the Belarusian opposition says was rigged.
• Biden Condemns Turkish Withdrawal from Treaty Aimed at Protecting Women VOA 21 Mar 2021 -- U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday criticized Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's surprise withdrawal from a European treaty aimed at protecting women against violence.
• Statement by President Biden on Turkey's Withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention The White House 21 Mar 2021
• Turkey arrests, expels pro-Kurdish MP after parliament immunity revoked Press TV 21 Mar 2021 -- Turkish pro-Kurdish opposition lawmaker Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu was detained and dragged away from parliament by police as he refused to leave parliament for several days after his seat was revoked.
• Detention of Bolivian Former Interim President Extended to Half a Year - Reports Sputnik 21 Mar 2021 -- The four-month detention of Bolivia's ex-interim President Jeanine Anez has been extended to six months amid a coup probe, the El Deber newspaper reports citing a court decision.
• Face of Sudan's democratic transition 'is female and it is young', says UN agency chief UN News 21 Mar 2021 -- The head of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has called for increased international support for peace and stability in Sudan, highlighting that investing in the country's youth and women, is investing in the nation's future.
• Pro-democracy Protesters Injured as Thai Police Break Up Protest VOA 21 Mar 2021 -- Dozens of pro-democracy protesters and police officers were injured Sunday when Thai police used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons to disperse a crowd gathered near the Grand Palace in the capital Bangkok.
• Somalia's Leaders Plan to Move Forward with Polls Following US Call VOA 21 Mar 2021 -- Somalia's government says it is making a commitment to conduct delayed presidential and parliamentary polls after the U.S. urged the leadership to hold transparent elections. On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said leaders should set aside "narrow political objectives" and "uphold their responsibilities to the people of Somalia."