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News Reports

Current Operations

• Taliban to Target Foreign Troops If US Fails to Pull Forces Out of Afghanistan By 1 May Sputnik 26 Mar 2021 -- US President Joe Biden earlier claimed that it would be difficult to withdraw all American forces from Afghanistan by 1 May, thus suggesting that Washington might violate obligations made under a peace agreement with the Taliban (considered a terrorist organisation in Russia).

Defense Policy / Programs

• Entire Force May Be Vaccinated for COVID-19 by Early Summer DoD News 26 Mar 2021 -- Defense Department officials have said the department will be ready to offer COVID-19 vaccinations to all eligible beneficiaries by May 1, in keeping with a White House announcement that on that date, all Americans will be able to get vaccinated if they want to.
• US B-1 Bombers Accomplished First Ever Landing in Arctic Circle, Air Force Announces Sputnik 26 Mar 2021 -- A group of US B-1 bomber aircraft have accomplished the first ever landing in the Arctic Circle as well as in Poland as part of the most recent Bomber Task Force mission, the US Air Force said in a release on Friday.
• First-Ever West Africa Joint Ops Exercise Links Counterterrorism Investigators in Three Nations US Dept. of State 26 Mar 2021 -- The Department of State Antiterrorism Assistance Program (ATA) plans to facilitate the first-ever West Africa Joint Operations (WAJO) regional exercise in late March 2021, designed to connect counterterrorism investigators with their judicial counterparts in three nations.
• NAVFAC Washington Awards Construction Contract for Wargaming Center at Marine Corps Base Quantico US Navy Press Release 26 Mar 2021 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Washington has awarded a $78,981,000 firm-fixed-price construction contract to Clark Construction Group, LLC of Bethesda, Md. for construction of the Wargaming Center at Marine Corps Base Quantico.
• The Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Nikolai Yevmenov, reported on the course of the comprehensive Arctic expedition to the President President of Russia 26 Mar 2021
• Putin Praises Russian Military Arctic Exercise VOA 26 Mar 2021 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday praised a recent Russian military exercise in the Arctic region showcasing the Russian military's ability to operate in extreme conditions.
• Academy of Defence Science Test-fires New-type Tactical Guided Projectile KCNA 26 Mar 2021 -- The Academy of Defence Science of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea test-fired newly developed new-type tactical guided projectile on Thursday.
• DPRK announces launch of "newly-developed" missiles People's Daily 26 Mar 2021 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has launched two "newly-developed" tactical guided missiles, the official Korean Central News Agency reported Friday.
• New amphibious armored ambulance commissioned to PLA plateau troops PLA Daily 26 Mar 2021 -- Recently, the new generation of amphibious armored ambulance commissioned to the plateau-stationed troops made public debut on a field training ground at an elevation of over 4,300m during a rescue drill held by a combined regiment under the PLA Xinjiang Military Command.
• Seoul Notes Importance of Further Dialogue With US, North in Wake of New Missile Tests Sputnik 26 Mar 2021 -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday announced the importance of further attempts to continue a dialogue with the United States and North Korea, noting that Seoul can protect itself from any provocations.
• Saudi Naval Forces and Their Sudanese Counterpart Conclude Joint Naval Drill (Al-Fulk 4) SPA 26 Mar 2021 -- Royal Saudi Navy forces and their Sudanese counterparts concluded the joint naval drill "Al-Fulk 4", at King Faisal Naval Base, in the presence of the Commander of the Western Fleet, Commander of the Exercise, Major General Yahya bin Muhammad Asiri.
• Future Maritime Support Programme contracts awarded UK MOD 26 Mar 2021 -- Following a robust competition, five contracts have been awarded as part of the Future Maritime Support Programme (FMSP).
• Sirius ready to refuel others Australia DOD 26 Mar 2021 -- HMAS Sirius has completed her 715th replenishment at sea (RAS) when she supplied fuel to HMAS Anzac (III) during a transit through the South China Sea.
• NUSHIP Supply leads Navy in Indigenous integration Australia DOD 26 Mar 2021 -- The crew of NUSHIP Supply, with Les Kosez from Eden Aboriginal Land Council, has officially unveiled the main passage way sign inside Navy's newest ship. This is a lasting symbol of the effort to lead The Royal Australian Navy in Indigenous cultural integration.
• Remarks by President Biden Before Marine One Departure The White House 26 Mar 2021
• Remarks by President Biden After Air Force One Arrival The White House 26 Mar 2021
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, March 26, 2021 The White House 26 Mar 2021
• Briefing With Bureau of International Organization Affairs Senior Bureau Official, Ambassador Erica Barks-Ruggles On Secretary Antony J. Blinken's Upcoming Virtual Travel to the United Nations US Dept. of State 26 Mar 2021
• Department Press Briefing – March 26, 2021 US Dept. of State 26 Mar 2021
• Readout of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Call with Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom The White House 26 Mar 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For March 26, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 26 March 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 26 Mar 2021
• Chinese 'Flotilla' in Contested Waters Further Sours Once-Upbeat Relations VOA 26 Mar 2021 -- A Philippine demand for the removal of 220 fishing Chinese vessels spotted in a contested sea has further hurt relations between two Asian countries that had gotten along just fine years ago, despite the simmering maritime dispute, analysts believe.
• Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen: Interception, Destruction of Ballistic Missile Launched by Terrorist, Iran-Backed Houthi Militia Toward the City of Najran SPA 26 Mar 2021 -- Statement by the Official Spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Brigadier General Turki Al-Malki
• Ministry of Defense: The Act of Vandalism Against Jazan's Petroleum Products Distribution Terminal, The Attempt To Target Civilians, Civilian Objects Confirm Terrorist Houthi Militia's Rejection of Kingdom's Peace Initiative, Reaffirm Iran's Control Of Militia's Political, Military Decisions. SPA 26 Mar 2021 -- Statement by the Official Spokesman of the Ministry of Defense Brigadier General Turki Al-Malki.
• An official spokesman at the Ministry of Energy condemned the attack on the Jizan's petroleum products distribution terminal with a projectile and stressed that such acts of sabotage target the security of energy supplies SPA 26 Mar 2021 -- An official spokesman at the Ministry of Energy said that today at 09:08 PM an attack with a projectile was made on the petroleum products distribution terminal in Jizan. The attack resulted in a fire in one of the terminal's tanks. The attack left no casualties.
• Yemeni army strikes Saudi Aramco oil facilities, airbase in retaliatory attacks Press TV 26 Mar 2021 -- Yemeni armed forces have carried out a series of retaliatory missile and drone strikes against Saudi Arabia, targeting state-owned Saudi Aramco oil facilities in the kingdom's southern regions as well as King Abdulaziz Air Base in the Eastern Province.
• Houthis Attack, Yemenis Suffer US Dept. of State 26 Mar 2021 -- The United States again joins the international community in strongly condemning the attacks against Saudi Arabia that struck an oil facility in Jizan.
• Libya wants all foreign mercenaries out 'immediately' Press TV 26 Mar 2021 -- Libya's new interim government has demanded the "immediate" withdrawal of all foreign mercenaries amid efforts to end a decade of violence in the North African country.
• Four Ukrainian Soldiers Killed By Separatist Shelling RFE/RL 26 Mar 2021 -- The Ukrainian military says four of its soldiers have been killed in shelling in the country's east, where fighting between government forces and Russia-backed separatists has killed more than 13,000 people since April 2014.
• Washington to re-open diplomatic channels of communication with Palestine, says U.S. envoy People's Daily 26 Mar 2021 -- Washington will "re-open diplomatic channels of communication" with Palestine that has been cut off under the previous Donald Trump administration, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the Security Council on Thursday.
• Ethiopian PM says Eritrea agreed to withdraw troops from border region Press TV 26 Mar 2021 -- Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says Eritrea has greed to pull out its troops from border regions in Ethiopia, days after he admitted that the foreign forces were present in the country's northern region of Tigray.
• Ethiopian PM: Eritrea Agrees to Withdraw Troops From Tigray Sputnik 26 Mar 2021 -- Eritrea has agreed to pull its forces from Ethiopia's restive border region of Tigray, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali said on Friday.
• Deep concern for thousands of Eritrean refugees 'scattered' in Ethiopia's Tigray UN News 26 Mar 2021 -- In Ethiopia's embattled Tigray region there's deep concern for thousands of Eritrean refugees whose camps have been found burned to the ground, confirming satellite imagery and testimony from those who have fled attacks.
• UN Finds Destroyed, Deserted Eritrean Refugee Camps in Northern Tigray VOA 26 Mar 2021 -- The U.N. refugee agency says two refugee camps for Eritreans in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region have been destroyed and abandoned.
• Mali Officials Accuse French Military of Killing Civilians VOA 26 Mar 2021 -- Officials in Mali on Friday accused the French military of killing civilians in a Thursday airstrike.
• Kyrgyz Security Chief Says Border Issues With Uzbekistan 'Fully Resolved' RFE/RL 26 Mar 2021 -- Kyrgyzstan says long-standing border issues with Uzbekistan have been "100 percent fully resolved."
• France Found Bearing 'Overwhelming' Responsibilities Over Rwanda Genocide, Duclert Commission Says Sputnik 26 Mar 2021 -- A commission of historians headed by Vincent Duclert has been gathering data for two years to establish the level of France's complicity in Rwanda's 1994 massacres that left at least 800,000 people dead.
• Terrorist Attack in Mozambique US Dept. of State 26 Mar 2021 -- The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attacks and violence against civilians in Cabo Delgado province in northern Mozambique.

News Reports

• Prosecutors Shift Focus to Possible Seditious Conspiracy in Capitol Insurrection Probe VOA 26 Mar 2021 -- Since launching a wide-ranging investigation into the U.S. Capitol riot nearly three months ago, federal prosecutors have charged nearly 400 participants in the bloody insurrection with a variety of charges.
• Reports: Russian-Backed Hackers Target German Lawmakers RFE/RL 26 Mar 2021 -- Suspected Russian state-backed hackers with a history of running disinformation campaigns against NATO have targeted dozens of German lawmakers, German media reported on March 26.
• California Woman Sentenced to 15 Months for Threatening to Bomb Catholic Prep School US Dept. of Justice 26 Mar 2021 -- The Justice Department announced today that Sonia Tabizada, 36, of San Jacinto, California, was sentenced to 15 months and 13 days for intentionally obstructing persons in the enjoyment of their free exercise of religious beliefs by threatening to bomb the Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in Washington, D.C.
• Defense Department Linguist Pleads Guilty to Transmitting Highly Sensitive Classified National Defense Information to Aid a Foreign Government US Dept. of Justice 26 Mar 2021 -- A Minnesota woman pleaded guilty today to one count of delivering national defense information to aid a foreign government.
• Former US Military Translator Pleads Guilty of Espionage VOA 26 Mar 2021 -- A former U.S. military translator pleaded guilty Friday of divulging classified information to a Lebanese national with suspected ties to the Lebanese Hezbollah.
• U.S. Invites Russian, Chinese Leaders To Climate Summit In April RFE/RL 26 Mar 2021 -- U.S. President Joe Biden has invited the leaders of China and Russia to a climate summit he is hosting in April, despite deep differences with the two countries on a host of other issues.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, Moscow, March 26, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 26 Mar 2021
• Navalny's Prison Ordeal Revives Grim Memories Of Magnitsky's Death In 2009 RFE/RL 26 Mar 2021 -- "Did they want to kill him?" wondered Jamison Firestone in a November 2009 interview with RFE/RL's Russian Service. "I don't know."
• The Week In Russia: Prison 'Torture' And Putin's Propaganda RFE/RL 26 Mar 2021 -- The peculiarities of Putin's propaganda were in the spotlight as a Siberian sojourn in sheepskin is captured on camera, while his alleged COVID-19 vaccination is not. Also unseen: imprisoned Kremlin foe Aleksei Navalny, whose lawyers raised the alarm about his treatment, saying he is in severe pain and accusing the authorities of a "deliberate campaign" to undermine his health.
• U.S., EU Demand Navalny's Freedom As Worries Grow Over Russian Opposition Leader's Health RFE/RL 26 Mar 2021 -- The United States and the European Union have reiterated their calls for Russia to immediately release of Aleksei Navalny, after the jailed opposition politician said he was suffering from severe back pains and that "nothing" was being done by prison authorities to solve the problem.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Announces Sanctions on Relevant UK Individuals and Entities PRC MofA 26 Mar 2021 -- "The United Kingdom (UK) imposed unilateral sanctions on relevant Chinese individuals and entity, citing the so-called human rights issues in Xinjiang. This move, based on nothing but lies and disinformation, flagrantly breaches international law and basic norms governing international relations, grossly interferes in China's internal affairs, and severely undermines China-UK relations"
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on March 26, 2021 PRC MofA 26 Mar 2021
• Biden vows to curb China's rise in first presser as president Press TV 26 Mar 2021 -- US President Joe Biden created a stir recently when he said his approach toward Beijing would be different from his predecessor. The approach seems to be that of harrying and brinkmanship.
• China Announces Retaliatory Sanctions Against Britain In Dispute Over Treatment Of Uyghurs RFE/RL 26 Mar 2021 -- China has announced sanctions against organizations and individuals in the United Kingdom over what Beijing called "maliciously spread lies and disinformation" over China's treatment of its Muslim Uyghur minority.
• China hits back to sanction UK individuals and entities behind smears of Xinjiang Global Times 26 Mar 2021 -- China hit back after the UK's unilateral move of sanctioning Chinese individuals and entities over Xinjiang affairs, with countermeasures of sanctioning nine UK individuals and four entities including chairman of the foreign affairs committee Tom Tugendhat and other MPs and scholars who have spread lies and rumors about China's Xinjiang region, and some major think tanks that have played infamous roles in the matter.
• China imposes sanctions on UK entities, individuals for 'spreading lies' Press TV 26 Mar 2021 -- China has imposed sanctions on several organizations and individuals in the United Kingdom for spreading "lies and disinformation" about Xinjiang.
• Minister Adams summons Chinese Charge d'Affaires following China's sanctions UK FCDO 26 Mar 2021 -- Charge d'Affaires Yang Xiaoguang was summoned to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office following China's sanctioning of 9 British individuals and 4 entities.
• UK Slams China Sanctions Over Alleged Uyghur Disinformation VOA 26 Mar 2021 -- The British government announced Friday its full support for parliamentarians and other citizens of Britain sanctioned by China for raising their voices in defense of the Uyghur Muslim minority in the Asian country.
• Time to end US 'drama' over Xinjiang rumors: Chinese FM Global Times 26 Mar 2021 -- The so-called "Xinjiang Uygur question," is nothing but a strategic US plot to destabilize China from the inside, as former US senior official Lawrence Wilkerson has admitted, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying on Friday.
• Xinjiang officials rebuke sanctions against them 'nothing but a piece of wastepaper' Global Times 26 Mar 2021 -- Former and current officials in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region strongly condemned and rebuked the so-called sanctions by the US, Canada, the UK and the EU against them, saying the sanctions "are nothing but a piece of wastepaper," as they have no assets in those countries and regions, nor do they want to go there.
• Uyghur Activists in Exile Emboldened by Beijing's Attacks VOA 26 Mar 2021 -- Uyghur and Kazakh women activists who have been at the forefront of international criticism of Beijing's repressive policies in Xinjiang say they are not backing down after Chinese officials publicly smeared their character to try to discredit them.
• Arrested Speedboat Fugitive Andy Li 'Missing' After Return to Hong Kong Radio Free Asia 26 Mar 2021 -- A Hong Kong activist who served a seven-month jail term in southern China after trying to flee his home city along with 11 others by speedboat is incommunicado following his return to Hong Kong, his family and a concern group have said.
• China's Energy Security Fears Slow Climate Drive Radio Free Asia 26 Mar 2021 -- China's growing concerns over energy security and potential conflicts with the United States may be slowing its efforts to fight climate change, experts and recent reports say.
• Uyghur Leader Detained in Turkey as China Foreign Minister Visits VOA 26 Mar 2021 -- The house detention of a Uyghur leader during the Chinese foreign minister's visit to Turkey this week is stoking concerns among Turkey's large Uyghur refugee community about deepening ties between Ankara and Beijing.
• Coast guard cooperation signifies strong Taiwan-U.S. relations: FM CNA 26 Mar 2021 -- The signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Taiwan and the United States to establish a Coast Guard Working Group (CGWG) signifies the strong relations between the two countries, Taiwan's foreign minister said Friday.
• U.S. House committee approves bill to back Taiwan's WHO bid CNA 26 Mar 2021 -- The Foreign Affairs Committee in the United States House of Representatives on Thursday approved a bipartisan bill that seeks to mandate U.S. assistance to Taiwan in its bid to regain observer status in the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Taiwan, U.S. sign MOU to strengthen maritime cooperation CNA 26 Mar 2021 -- Taiwan and the United States on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a Coast Guard Working Group (CGWG), with the aim of strengthening their maritime cooperation.
• 20 Chinese planes enter Taiwan's ADIZ after coast guard pact signed CNA 26 Mar 2021 -- A total of 20 Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Friday, including bombers and fighter jets, after Taipei and Washington signed an accord to strengthen maritime cooperation.
• Washington becoming proactive in face of China threats: analysts CNA 26 Mar 2021 -- The United States is becoming proactive in face of threats from China, according to political analysts in Taiwan, when asked on Friday to comment on President Joe Biden's remarks at his first press conference since taking the office on Jan. 20.
• Taiwan Hits Out at Celebs Who Join Beijing's Global Fashion Boycott Radio Free Asia 26 Mar 2021 -- A-list actors and singers with a major slice of their fan base in mainland China have been lining up to sever ties with international fashion brands after they vowed to remove cotton sourced in Xinjiang -- which has been linked to mass incarceration, rights abuses and forced labor -- from their supply chains.
• US warns of 'consequences' as North Korea confirms new missile test Press TV 26 Mar 2021 -- North Korea confirms it has tested a new guided missile that accurately hit the target off the eastern coast, in the first major weapons test this year, which prompted US President Joe Biden to threaten Pyongyang with "consequences."
• Lonely 'Tatmadaw Day' for Myanmar's Unloved Armed Forces Radio Free Asia 26 Mar 2021 -- Myanmar's ruling military will mark Armed Forces Day Saturday, nearly two months after it overthrew the country's elected government, with seemingly little to celebrate as foreign diplomats and ethnic armies plan to shun the army ceremony to avoid any appearance of lending legitimacy to the junta.
• Myanmar army putting country's future at risk, UN Special Envoy warns UN News 26 Mar 2021 -- The military in Myanmar has turned on citizens and is putting the nation's future at risk, the UN Special Envoy for the country warned on Friday in a statement issued on the eve of the annual celebration of Armed Forces Day.
• Myanmar Activist: People 'Expecting' Civil War VOA 26 Mar 2021 -- The military coup in Myanmar is nearly two months old, but the armed forces, also known as the Tatmadaw, are continuing their violent pushback against anti-coup demonstrators.
• Myanmar's Junta Warns Protesters of Deadly Force Ahead of Armed Forces Day, Report Says VOA 26 Mar 2021 -- Myanmar's military government reportedly has warned protesters they could be shot in the head during possible anti-coup demonstrations Saturday as the country observes Armed Forces Day.
• 9 Killed After Anti-Coup Demonstrations Resume in Myanmar VOA 26 Mar 2021 -- Nine people were killed Thursday in Myanmar, according to the daily report of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
• Freedom Day March Highlights Challenges Facing Belarusian Opposition RFE/RL 26 Mar 2021 -- As pro-democracy supporters marched down the streets of Minsk on March 25, a reporter did a video interview with Nina Bahinskaya, a frail yet fiery veteran of protests in Belarus for decades.
• Armenian High Court Drops Criminal Case Against Ex-President Kocharian RFE/RL 26 Mar 2021 -- Armenia's Constitutional Court has ruled that a criminal case against former President Robert Kocharian must be dropped, ending a legal saga over a deadly crackdown on protesters more than a decade ago.
• Nepotism 'Strong in Laos' as Children of Party Faithful Fill Top Jobs Radio Free Asia 26 Mar 2021 -- Senior posts in the government of Laos are being given mainly to the children of Party leaders, with seven out of 17 new cabinet members drawn from two famous families alone, in a trend some observers are calling cases of "inherited power," Lao sources say.
• Statement from U.S. Treasury Department on Sudan Bridge Financing US Treasury 26 Mar 2021 -- The United States commends Sudan's Civilian-Led Transitional Government (CLTG) for moving forward with reforms that will help restore economic stability, advance the country's efforts to secure debt relief, and ultimately improve the economic prospects of its citizens.
• Haiti Frees Most of Those Accused of Plotting a Coup VOA 26 Mar 2021 -- Fifteen people accused of plotting a coup in Haiti were released from prison Friday, 48 hours after an appeals court judge's order.