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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Defeat IS Coalition Worries About Resurgence VOA 30 Mar 2021 -- The United States and other key members of the global coalition to defeat Islamic State are voicing renewed concerns about the terror group against the backdrop of a massive campaign to root out operatives trying to turn a once-liberated area into a new stronghold.
• NATO Secretary General joins meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS NATO 30 Mar 2021 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg took part in a virtual meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS on Tuesday (30 March 2021), co-hosted by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmès.
• Afghan President Offers Three-Step Peace Plan VOA 30 Mar 2021 -- Addressing a conference on Afghanistan, President Ashraf Ghani described a three-step process for "making, building and sustaining peace" that he said should result in a "sovereign, democratic, united, neutral and connected Afghanistan."
• Afghan President Ready To Step Aside If Election Is Held RFE/RL Gandhara 30 Mar 2021 -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told a regional summit on March 30 that he "strongly" backs early elections and would hand over power to an elected successor.
• US Leaving Afghanistan by May 1 Deadline 'Dangerous', House Armed Services Chair Says Sputnik 30 Mar 2021 -- Trying to keep former President Donald Trump's May 1 deadline for a total US military withdrawal from Afghanistan is unrealistic and dangerous, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith said at virtual panel discussion.
• Amnesty Report Makes Plea For Afghanistan's Displaced People Left Badly Exposed To Pandemic RFE/RL Gandhara 30 Mar 2021 -- Amnesty International is urging the Afghan government and the international community to scale up efforts to support the country's 4 million internally displaced people (IDPs) who it says have "little or no means" of protecting themselves from contracting, spreading, and recovering from COVID-19.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Pentagon Press Secretary Holds an Off-Camera Press Briefing DoD 30 Mar 2021
• Air Force update for COVID-19 US Air Force 30 Mar 2021
• Civil Air Patrol completes full year of COVID-19 support US Air Force 30 Mar 2021 -- Civil Air Patrol, the U.S. Air Force auxiliary, logged 365 continuous days in support of America's humanitarian response to the coronavirus pandemic March 24.
• 5th Fleet Reaches Nearly 13,000 COVID-19 Vaccines Administered US Navy 30 Mar 2021 -- U.S. 5th Fleet has reached nearly 13,000 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines administered during a fleet-wide effort to protect the force, as of March 28.
• Tyndall AFB selected to host three F-35 squadrons US Air Force 30 Mar 2021 -- A Record of Decision was issued by the U.S. Air Force making Tyndall Air Force Base the official location to host three new squadrons of the F-35A Lightning II.
• USS Gabrielle Giffords Successfully Launches Naval Strike Missile US Navy 30 Mar 2021 -- The Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) successfully launched the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) as part of shipboard operational testing and evaluation, March 19.
• USS Blue Ridge Operates with Japan Maritime Self Defense Force US Navy 30 Mar 2021 -- U.S. 7th Fleet flagship, USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) operated with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) JS Kongo (DDG 173), March 29, 2021 as a test of the partner nation's combined maritime skills and intercommunication capabilities.
• NATO jets intercept Russian warplanes during unusual level of air activity NATO 30 Mar 2021 -- NATO fighter jets scrambled 10 times on Monday, March 29, 2021, to shadow Russian bombers and fighters during an unusual peak of flights over the North Atlantic, North Sea, Black Sea and Baltic Sea. In all, NATO aircraft intercepted six different groups of Russian military aircraft near Alliance airspace in less than six hours.
• NATO Warplanes Scrambled Amid 'Unusual Peak' In Russian Air Activity RFE/RL 30 Mar 2021 -- NATO says it scrambled fighter jets 10 times amid what it called an unusual level of Russian air activity over Europe.
• New policies to promote transformation of China's defense technologies PLA Daily 30 Mar 2021 -- The 6th China's Manufacturing Power Forum themed "Stabilize manufacturing, boost real economy, break new grounds" kicked off in Baoding, central China's Hebei province on March 28.
• Indian and US Special Forces Conclude Joint Training Exercise India PIB 30 Mar 2021 -- The 11th edition of Indo-US Joint Special Forces Exercise VAJRA PRAHAR 2021 was conducted at Special Forces Training School located at Bakloh, HP in March 2021.
• FRENCH NAVAL SHIPS IN KOCHI India PIB 30 Mar 2021 -- French Naval Ships Tonnerre (Amphibious Assault Ship) and Surcouf (Frigate Class Ship) are on a two day good will visit to Kochi. The ships arrived at Cochin Port Trust on 30 Mar 21 and were received by Senior Naval Authorities in the background of fanfare by the naval band.
• BEL hands over second interim dividend cheque of Rs. 174.43 Crore for FY 2020-21 to Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh India PIB 30 Mar 2021 -- Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), a Navratna Defence PSU, has paid second interim dividend of 140% on its paid-up capital to the Government of India for financial year 2020 – 21.
• All Air Force planes except F-5s to resume flights soon CNA 30 Mar 2021 -- All Taiwan military aircraft, except for the F-5 fighter jets, will resume operations before the end of the month, after being grounded in the wake of a fatal crash last week, Air Force Chief of Staff Huang Chih-wei (黃志偉) said Tuesday.
• Taiwan hints at Coast Guard alliance with U.S., Palau CNA 30 Mar 2021 -- A tripartite Coast Guard alliance between Taiwan, Palau and the United States is being formed, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) hinted Tuesday in the presence of American's top envoys in Taiwan and Palau.
• Defence outlines greener future UK MOD 30 Mar 2021 -- The Ministry of Defence has published its roadmap to becoming more resilient and sustainable in the face of the immense challenge of global climate change.
• Japan, Indonesia Sign Defense Deal Amid Beijing's Maritime Expansion Radio Free Asia 30 Mar 2021 -- Indonesia and Japan signed an agreement on Tuesday for the export of Japanese-made military equipment and technology to Jakarta, as both nations face Beijing's increasing expansionism and maritime activities in disputed regional waters.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, March 30, 2021 The White House 30 Mar 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Romanian Foreign Minister Aurescu US Dept. of State 30 Mar 2021
• Readout of Vice President Kamala Harris Call with President Alejandro Giammattei of Guatemala The White House 30 Mar 2021
• Statement by National Security Council Spokesperson Emily Horne on the U.S.-Japan-Republic of Korea Trilateral National Security Advisors' Dialogue The White House 30 Mar 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For March 30, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 30 March 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 30 Mar 2021
• Yemeni armed forces advance further towards heart of Ma'rib Press TV 30 Mar 2021 -- Yemen's army and Popular Committees have liberated more areas from Saudi Arabia-led forces in the countryside of Ma'rib, the capital of a west-central province of the same name.
• Yemen: US initiatives far from reality, prospects of peace Press TV 30 Mar 2021 -- A high-ranking member of Yemen's Supreme Political Council has dismissed the so-called peace initiatives presented by the United States to end the war in the country, saying such plans are not favorable since they fail to include the Yemeni nations demands.
• Saudi-Led Coalition Reportedly Destroyed Two Drones Launched by Yemen's Houthis Sputnik 30 Mar 2021 -- Earlier, the Saudi-led coalition said that it had intercepted an explosive-laden drone launched by Houthis towards the Saudi city of Khamis Mushait.
• Ending Syria's war is our collective responsibility, UN chief tells donor conference UN News 30 Mar 2021 -- Ending the war in Syria is the collective responsibility of the international community, UN Secretary-General António Guterres reaffirmed during a major pledging event on Tuesday which raised $6.4 billion to support people affected by the conflict.
• Donors Pledge $4.4 Billion for Syria Humanitarian Response VOA 30 Mar 2021 -- The international community pledged $4.4 billion on Tuesday to assist millions of Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons this year, as the civil war entered its second decade this month with no end in sight.
• EU Pledges $650 Million at Syria Aid Conference VOA 30 Mar 2021 -- The European Union has pledged more than $650 million in humanitarian aid for Syrians during a Brussels pledging conference co-hosted by the United Nations, as aid officials warn of escalating needs inside and outside the war-torn country.
• Germany, US, UAE Pledge Over $2.5 Billion for Syrian Humanitarian Efforts Sputnik 30 Mar 2021 -- Germany announces its largest pledge in the past four years for Syria peace efforts, over $2 billion, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Tuesday.
• U.S. Announces Additional Humanitarian Assistance for the Syria Crisis Response US Dept. of State 30 Mar 2021 -- "Today at the fifth Brussels Conference on "Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region," U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced more than $596 million in new humanitarian assistance to respond to the Syrian crisis."
• UN humanitarian chief demands more access to Syria People's Daily 30 Mar 2021 -- UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock on Monday asked for more access to Syria as humanitarian needs surge to an unprecedented level.
• UNICEF calls for more access to Syria, protection of children People's Daily 30 Mar 2021 -- UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Henrietta Fore on Monday called for more humanitarian access to Syria and for the protection of children in the war-torn country.
• Many issues concerning Syria warrant deep reflections: Chinese envoy People's Daily 30 Mar 2021 -- As 10 years of protracted conflict in Syria have brought untold suffering to the country and its people, many issues with regard to the current situation in the country warrant deep reflections, said a Chinese envoy on Monday.
• Analysts Urge Diplomatic Pressure on Russia to Allow Syria Aid Convoys VOA 30 Mar 2021 -- Analysts say the U.S. needs use its diplomatic leverage on Russia to ensure humanitarian aid continues to flow into Syria, where 90% of the population lives in poverty and is completely aid dependent. Improving the humanitarian situation there could be a major advance for U.S. policy, they say, as Washington is also the biggest single donor of assistance to the war-ravaged country.
• Two Humanitarian Routes in Syria Come Under Fire From Militants, State Media Says Sputnik 30 Mar 2021 -- Two humanitarian corridors in Syria have been blocked after militant groups shelled the routes for the safe crossing of civilians, the Syrian state-run news agency, SANA, reported on Tuesday.
• U.S. Notes 'Atrocities' Of Assad Regime, Russian Air Strikes In Pledging Aid To Syria RFE/RL 30 Mar 2021 -- The United States has announced nearly $600 million in new humanitarian assistance in response to the war in Syria, noting that it is aimed at helping people who have faced "innumerable atrocities," including air strikes carried out by the regime and its ally, Russia.
• Six Die in Myanmar Airstrikes on Karen Villages Near The Thai Border Radio Free Asia 30 Mar 2021 -- Army airstrikes killed six villagers in Myanmar's eastern Kayin state Tuesday, as thousands of ethnic Karen people who sought refuge in Thailand were turned back by Thai authorities, and three rebel armies in Myanmar warned they might let a cease-fire lapse and fight to protect civilians from government forces.
• UN Steps Up Relief Effort for Rohingya Fire Survivors VOA 30 Mar 2021 -- A huge relief operation is under way to support tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees affected by a massive blaze last week in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
• Pakistan's PM 'Desires Peaceful Relations' With India RFE/RL Gandhara 30 Mar 2021 -- Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has responded to a letter from his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, saying Islamabad desires peaceful relations with New Delhi, according to an official source quoted by Reuters.
• UN incriminates France in January massacre of civilians in Mali Press TV 30 Mar 2021 -- UN) probe has found France guilty of killing a large number of civilians in central Mali, where a persisting French military intervention has already sparked controversy.
• Grave concern for women and children targeted in northern Mozambique UN News 30 Mar 2021 -- Disturbing reports of targeted attacks against civilians have continued to emerge from the northern Mozambique town of Palma, marking a serious escalation of violence and volatility in the Cabo Delgado region.
• UN Scaling Up Aid for Victims of Brutal Attack in Mozambique VOA 30 Mar 2021 -- The UN.'s International Organization for Migration said Tuesday that more than 3,360 deeply traumatized survivors of last week's massacre in Palma District in northern Mozambique have arrived in Pemba, the capital of Cabo Delgado province, and many more reportedly are on the way.
• Islamic State Claims Dayslong Attack on Mozambique Town VOA 30 Mar 2021 -- The Islamic State group claimed responsibility Monday for a dayslong attack on the northern Mozambique town of Palma that began last week and has prompted thousands of people to flee.
• Cameroon Says Boko Haram Has Intensified Attacks for Supplies VOA 30 Mar 2021 -- Cameroon's military on Tuesday said it deployed troops to its northern border with Nigeria after a series of attacks authorities say were carried out the terrorist group Boko Haram. The group did not claim responsibility, but Cameroonian authorities said they also deployed village militias in response to the attacks.
• Cameroon Hopes for Stability as CAR President Is Sworn In VOA 30 Mar 2021 -- Cameroon Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute said chaos in the Central African Republic has stalled development efforts and peace initiatives in Cameroon. Ngute met Monday night with Faustin-Archange Touadéra before Tuesday's second inauguration of the C.A.R. leader.
• ICC Upholds Convictions of Former Congolese Warlord VOA 30 Mar 2021 -- The International Criminal Court upheld the convictions and a prison sentence of a former Congolese warlord Tuesday, dismissing his lawyers' arguments that legal errors tainted his original trial.

News Reports

• Global Human Rights Abuses Were Pervasive in 2020, US Concludes VOA 30 Mar 2021 -- Human rights abuses abounded across the globe in 2020, the U.S. State Department concluded Tuesday in its annual review of how the world's governments treat their people.
• U.S. Report Shows 'Trend Lines' On Human Rights Moving In Wrong Direction, Blinken Says RFE/RL 30 Mar 2021 -- A U.S. report on human rights around the world highlights a deteriorating picture in many countries, including Belarus, where the report outlines the use of "brute force" against peaceful pro-democracy protesters, and Russia, where opposition politician Aleksei Navalny was targeted.
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken On Release of the 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices US Dept. of State 30 Mar 2021
• Briefing with Acting Assistant Secretary Lisa Peterson of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor On Release of the 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices US Dept. of State 30 Mar 2021
• Acting Assistant Secretary Lisa Peterson On the Release of the 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices US Dept. of State 30 Mar 2021
• Russian Physicians Demand Prison Medical Assistance For Navalny RFE/RL 30 Mar 2021 -- Hundreds of Russian physicians have demanded authorities provide immediate medical assistance to jailed opposition politician Aleksei Navalny amid growing concerns over the state of his health.
• Putin Tells Merkel, Macron Russia Ready to Restore Interaction With EU, If Sees Interest Sputnik 30 Mar 2021 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin told German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron that Russia was ready to restore normal interaction with the EU, if there is an interest in this, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on March 30, 2021 PRC MofA 30 Mar 2021
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson's Remarks on the Adoption of the Amendments to Annexes I and II to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong SAR by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress PRC MofA 30 Mar 2021 -- "The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress deliberated on and adopted the amendments to Annexes I and II to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong SAR."
• China Approves Major Overhaul of Hong Kong Electoral System VOA 30 Mar 2021 -- China's national legislature has approved several new changes to Hong Kong's electoral system that further shuts out the city's pro-democracy forces from the legislature.
• China's top legislature adopts amended annexes to HKSAR Basic Law People's Daily 30 Mar 2021 -- China's top legislature on Tuesday voted unanimously to adopt the amended Annex I and Annex II to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
• Top legislature adopts HK electoral reform bills PLA Daily 30 Mar 2021 -- China's top legislature on Tuesday voted unanimously to adopt the amended Annex I and Annex II to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
• Hong Kong Chief Welcomes Beijing's Approval of Autonomous City's Electoral System Reform Sputnik 30 Mar 2021 -- Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Tuesday welcomed the decision of the Chinese authorities to approve the reform of the special administrative region's electoral system and commended it as a way to uphold the one country, two systems principle.
• China's President Signs Decrees to Amend Hong Kong's Electoral System, State Media Says Sputnik 30 Mar 2021 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday signed a set of decrees to put in effect amendments to annexes of Hong Kong's basic law, which reform the special administrative region's electoral system, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
• Hong Kong National Security Police to Vet Election Candidates For Loyalty Radio Free Asia 30 Mar 2021 -- Beijing on Tuesday unveiled comprehensive plans to ensure that anyone standing for election to Hong Kong's legislature is a staunch supporter of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP), with all candidates to be vetted by the national security police before being allowed to stand.
• Xinjiang Abuses at Forefront of Global Human Rights Decline in 2020: State Department Radio Free Asia 30 Mar 2021 -- Abuses in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), recently labeled crimes against humanity and part of a policy of genocide, are indicative of a larger trend of declining human rights around the world, the U.S. Department of State said Tuesday.
• China-Africa cooperation: a boon for the continent People's Daily 30 Mar 2021 -- China-Africa cooperation is flourishing, but not everyone is happy about it. Speculation against China-Africa cooperation has almost become daily headlines in the West. Some Western media and politicians enthusiastically demonize China's role in China-Africa cooperation, accusing it of setting up "debt traps" and conducting imperialism in Africa. But is this the case?
• PLA aircraft again surround Taiwan in drills with US intervention on mind Global Times 30 Mar 2021 -- Warplanes of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) again surrounded the island of Taiwan from both west and east in an exercise on Monday after a similar drill on Friday, and this time additional aircraft crossed the Miyako Strait to reach Taiwan's eastern side.
• French senators look to back Taiwan's international participation CNA 30 Mar 2021 -- Nearly 20 French senators, headed by French-Taiwan Friendship Group Chair Alain Richard, have put forth a proposal calling on the government to further support Taiwan's participation in the activities of international organizations.
• Biden 'doesn't intend' to meet North Korea's Kim Jong-un as tensions simmer Press TV 30 Mar 2021 -- The odds of de-escalation between Washington and Pyongyang have further diminished after the White House said the US President Joe Biden does not intend to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
• North Korean Ore Trader's Death Highlights Pressures to Raise Cash for Pyongyang Radio Free Asia 30 Mar 2021 -- A North Korean trade representative in China tasked with bringing in a million U.S. dollars a year for the Pyongyang regime took his life when the coronavirus made raising the funds impossible, fellow traders in China told RFA.
• VP: US must return to JCPOA, lift sanctions IRNA 30 Mar 2021 -- Iran's First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri said on Tuesday that the US must return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and lift the sanctions.
• Iran 'Rejects' Ending 20 Percent Uranium Enrichment Before U.S. Lifts Sanctions RFE/RL 30 Mar 2021 -- Tehran won't agree to stop its 20 percent uranium-enrichment work before the United States lifts all sanctions, state television quoted an unnamed official as saying, after a U.S. media report said Washington would offer a new proposal for talks to resolve the standoff over Iran's nuclear program.
• Iran May Reportedly Cease 20% Enrichment of Uranium Supplies if US Lifts 'All the Sanctions' Sputnik 30 Mar 2021 -- Earlier, a new report surfaced detailing that the Biden administration would be putting forth a new proposal to reinstate talks with Iran before the Middle Eastern nation's looming election put off talks for several months.
• More Demonstrators Killed in Myanmar Anti-Coup Protests VOA 30 Mar 2021 -- Two more people were killed as thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators took to the streets again Tuesday in Myanmar's largest city of Yangon and in several other towns to oppose military rule of the country since the Feb. 1 coup.
• Deaths from crackdown in Myanmar surpass 500 Press TV 30 Mar 2021 -- A local monitoring group in Myanmar says more than 500 people have so far been killed in a brutal crackdown by the country's junta on protesters. Meanwhile, activists plan to step up a civil disobedience campaign by launching a "garbage strike."
• Moldovan President Goes To Top Court On Snap Elections Bid RFE/RL 30 Mar 2021 -- Moldovan President Maia Sandu says she has appealed to the Constitutional Court for its opinion regarding her intention to dissolve parliament and call early parliamentary elections.
• Coming To Their Census: In The Balkans, Counting Is Never As Easy As 1-2-3 RFE/RL 30 Mar 2021 -- It's a census year, virtually, like no other. Nearly all of the world's national statistical snapshots this year will be skewed by distance working and learning, travel bans, and other household anomalies brought on by lockdowns in one of the most transformative global health crises in human history.
• Honduran President's Brother Sentenced to Life in Prison Over Massive Drug Trafficking Scheme Sputnik 30 Mar 2021 -- Tony Hernandez is a former member of the National Congress of Honduras, and also happens to be the brother of Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez. The former congressional lawmaker was arrested in 2018 and convicted in 2019 over conspiracy charges tied to drug smuggling and possession of machine guns.
• Newlyweds Used Pressure Cooker Bombs in Church Attack, Indonesian Police Say VOA 30 Mar 2021 -- Indonesian authorities have identified a recently married couple with ties to the Islamic State-linked Jamaah Ansarud Daulah (JAD) as the main suspects behind a suicide bombing Sunday that targeted a Catholic church in Makassar, the provincial capital of South Sulawesi.