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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Austin Approves Plan to Transfer Authority, Retrograde Should be Done by End of August DOD News 02 Jul 2021 -- As part of the drawdown process from Afghanistan, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III approved a plan to transfer authority from Army Gen. Austin S. Miller to Marine Corps Gen. Frank McKenzie, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said today.
• US Withdrawal From Afghanistan Largely Complete, to Finish by Late August VOA 02 Jul 2021 -- Almost 20 years after the United States first went to Afghanistan, and just months after President Joe Biden announced his intent to pull all combat troops from the country, the U.S. withdrawal is nearly complete, with America's military presence limited largely to the capital of Kabul and the nearby international airport.
• US Hands Control of Bagram Airfield to Afghan National Security Forces VOA 02 Jul 2021 -- U.S. forces have left Bagram Airfield, the main American base in Afghanistan, and handed control over to Afghan National Security Forces, a U.S. defense official confirmed to VOA.
• Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan Faces Looting After American Troop Withdrawal Sputnik 02 Jul 2021 -- On Friday, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby revealed that the United States had handed over control of the Bagram Air Base to the Afghan forces and removed its troops as part of the ongoing drawdown of the American military presence in the region.
• U.S., NATO Forces Leave Key Afghan Base As Complete Pullout Nears RFE/RL Gandhara 02 Jul 2021 -- The White House says it expects the drawdown of U.S. forces from Afghanistan to be completed by the end of next month, after all American and NATO soldiers left the war-torn nation's biggest air base.
• Afghanistan's Reconciliation Chief Abdullah Warns Taliban Talks Making 'Very Little Progress' Sputnik 02 Jul 2021 -- As the final withdrawal date for US forces in Afghanistan grows close, all eyes are on the turbulent relationship between the Taliban and the government in Kabul. Abdullah Abdullah, head of the Afghan government's High Council for National Reconciliation, recently said the peace talks have made little headway - but the Taliban offensive has.
• US Will Establish Office in Qatar to Support Afghan Forces After Pullout Sputnik 02 Jul 2021 -- On Friday, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby confirmed earlier reports that the US had withdrawn its forces from the Bagram Air Base outside of Kabul, Afghanistan, handing control of the facility to Afghan forces.
• US Withdrawal From Afghanistan Should Not Result in Deployment of Troops to Asia, Moscow Says Sputnik 02 Jul 2021 -- The withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan should not lead to a redeployment of US and NATO military infrastructure to Central Asia, Russia's special presidential envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, told Sputnik on 2 July.
• Taliban Welcome US Forces' Withdrawal From Bagram Air Base Sputnik 02 Jul 2021 -- The Taliban movement welcomes the US forces' withdrawal from Afghanistan's Bagram air base and believes all foreign troops should leave the country, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Sputnik on 2 July.
• Turkey Says Yet to Decide on Role in Guarding Kabul Airport After Troop Withdrawal Sputnik 02 Jul 2021 -- Turkey has not made a final decision on its participation in ensuring the security of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul after foreign troops leave, as talks regarding the issue are still ongoing, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on 2 July.
• Pakistani Army Warns Of Blowback In Crackdown On Afghan Taliban RFE/RL Gandhara 02 Jul 2021 -- Pakistan's top military leadership has warned members of parliament that an army crackdown against militants of the Afghan Taliban group inside Pakistan could result in blowback, lawmakers say.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Cyber Warriors: Guam Guard participates in Exercise Orient Shield Army News 02 Jul 2021 -- One Sergeant, three Specialists, and a Senior Airman in a room with a few laptops might not look like much. But in the realms of Electronic and Cyber Warfare, small teams like this can make the difference.
• Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby Holds a Press Briefing DoD 02 Jul 2021
• Sexual Assaults Will No Longer be Prosecuted by Commanders DoD News 02 Jul 2021 -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III accepted all of the recommendations of an independent review commission that stood up in March and delivered its findings just last week. The commission recommended an array of changes in how the defense department and the services that fall under it will handle sexual assaults.
• Saudi, U.S. Forces Conclude Amphibious Training in Tabuk CENTCOM 02 Jul 2021 -- U.S. Marines and Sailors assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) and Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) completed bilateral theater amphibious combat rehearsal (TACR) training with the Royal Saudi Land Forces in Tabuk, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, June 26.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Meeting With the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan Sirojiddin Muhriddin DoD 02 Jul 2021
• Independent Review Commission Recommendations on Countering Sexual Assault in the Military DoD 02 Jul 2021 -- Today, the department released the Secretary of Defense's guidance on, and the recommendations from, the Independent Review Commission (IRC) on Sexual Assault in the Military.
• CNATTU North Island welcomes Indian Navy US Navy 02 Jul 2021 -- Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit North Island (CNATTU NI) staff and Indian Sailors are set to begin the first MH-60R Seahawk helicopter training courses between the two naval military branches.
• 4th Fleet Conducts Maritime Staff Talks with Argentine Navy US Navy 02 Jul 2021 -- Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet, Rear Adm. Don Gabrielson, hosted delegates from the Argentine Navy (Armada de la Republica de Argentina, or ARA) for the annual Maritime Staff Talks (MST) June 30.
• Russia Working on Updated Concept for Security in the Persian Gulf, Lavrov Says Sputnik 02 Jul 2021 -- Russia first unveiled a 'Security Concept for the Persian Gulf Region' in mid-2019, in the aftermath of a series of dangerous and destabilising incidents including tanker seizures, sabotage attacks, and the shoot down of a $200 million US spy drone over Iranian airspace - which nearly prompted Washington to launch strikes into Iran.
• China's nuclear deterrence buildup cannot be tied down by the US: Global Times editorial Global Times 02 Jul 2021 -- Commenting on a report in the Washington Post about China's nuclear capability building, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Thursday that the build-up of nuclear forces had become more difficult for China to hide and it appeared to be deviating from decades of nuclear strategy based on minimal deterrence. Price said China's nuclear arsenal "will grow more quickly, and to a higher level than perhaps previously anticipated." "This build-up is concerning," he noted.
• US Concerned About Report China is Expanding Missile Silos VOA 02 Jul 2021 -- American researchers using commercial satellite imagery say China appears to be significantly expanding the number of launch silos for its arsenal of intercontinental range ballistic missiles, raising fears that nuclear weapons will become a new issue of contention between Washington and Beijing.
• Ankara 'Rejects' US Decision to Add Turkey to List of States Using Child Soldiers Sputnik 02 Jul 2021 -- The Biden administration has sought to find ways to mend relations with its Turkish ally in the aftermath of the F-35/S-400 scandal. Tensions have remained heightened, however, following a US decision to recognize the Armenian Genocide and ongoing disagreements over US cooperation with Kurdish forces in Syria.
• Attack directed from the Shadows Australia DOD 02 Jul 2021 -- M777A2 Howitzers were brought into action ready to fire. Tiger helicopters established battle positions ready to engage targets.
• DRDO's Short Span Bridging System-10 m inducted into Indian Army India PIB 02 Jul 2021 -- The first production lot of 12 Short Span Bridging System (SSBS)-10 m, designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has been inducted into Indian Army by Chief of the Army Staff General MM Naravane during a ceremony held at Cariappa Parade Ground, Delhi Cantt. on July 02, 2021.
• Blinken Meets Top Tajik, Uzbek Diplomats, With Afghanistan In Sharp Focus RFE/RL Gandhara 02 Jul 2021 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the top diplomats of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan on July 1, with Afghanistan high on the agenda as U.S. forces prepare to exit the war-torn country and Washington seeks Central Asian partners.
• Statement by NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Call with Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi of Indonesia The White House 02 Jul 2021
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki and Director of the National Economic Council Brian Deese, July 2, 2021 The White House 02 Jul 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For July 2, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 2 July 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 02 Jul 2021
• UN Calls on Tigray Forces to Endorse Cease-fire VOA 02 Jul 2021 -- The United Nations' political chief urged Tigrayan forces in northern Ethiopia on Friday to "immediately and completely" endorse a cease-fire declared by the government so that food aid can reach a growing number of starving people in the embattled region.
• World Food Program Resumes Life-Saving Operation in Ethiopia's Tigray Province VOA 02 Jul 2021 -- The World Food Organization reports it has resumed its humanitarian operation in northern Ethiopia's Tigray province but says lack of security and other impediments are threatening its ability to reach millions of people in need.
• Fighting Abates in Ethiopia's Tigray; Getting Aid to Region Still a Challenge VOA 02 Jul 2021 -- The International Rescue Committee said Thursday that a bridge that provides one of the main supply routes into Ethiopia's Tigray region has been destroyed.
• US State Dept. Warns Americans in Tigray to Shelter in Place Amid Unrest Sputnik 02 Jul 2021 -- The US State Department issued an alert on Friday urging Americans in the Tigray region to shelter in place amid the current unrest following clashes between the Ethiopian government and local rebel forces.
• 'Free, unfettered access' needed to assist millions in war-torn Tigray UN News 02 Jul 2021 -- The World Food Programme (WFP) has resumed operations in Ethiopia's Tigray region, after fighting halted the emergency response last week, although the agency warned on Friday that "serious challenges" continue to threaten the entire humanitarian response.
• 'It is time to put the interests of Ethiopian people first' UK FCDO 02 Jul 2021 -- Statement by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, UK Minister of State for the UN, at the Security Council briefing on the situation in Ethiopia
• 400,000 in Tigray cross 'threshold into famine', with nearly 2 million on the brink, Security Council told UN News 02 Jul 2021 -- Senior UN officials appealed on Friday for immediate and unrestricted humanitarian access to Tigray – and for an end to deadly attacks on aid workers - as the Security Council held its first open meeting on the conflict in the restive northern Ethiopian region.
• More Than 2 Million in Niger Face Humanitarian Crisis, UN Agency Says VOA 02 Jul 2021 -- The U.N. Children's Fund is urging the international community to pay more attention to Niger, where more than 2 million people are malnourished and living in dire conditions.
• Cameroon Decries Beheading of Government Troops by Suspected Separatists VOA 02 Jul 2021 -- There has been widespread condemnation in Cameroon of the killing and beheading of government troops and civilians, including an influential cleric, by suspected separatist fighters. Cameroonian officials say June was the bloodiest month of the year, with more than 40 people killed and 70 houses torched.

News Reports

• The President approved the National Security Strategy President of Russia 02 Jul 2021 -- Vladimir Putin signed Executive Order On the National Security Strategy of the Russian Federation.
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's statement and answers to media questions at a joint news conference following talks with Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani, Moscow, July 2, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 02 Jul 2021
• The Week In Russia: The 'Make-Believe World' Of President Putin RFE/RL 02 Jul 2021 -- President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly used high-profile appearances to call for a "breakthrough" in Russia. Observers said his remarks at a call-in show on June 30 won't bring a breakthrough on Russia's tough COVID-19 situation and its snail's-pace vaccination drive.
• Telephone conversation with President of France Emmanuel Macron President of Russia 02 Jul 2021 -- Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron at the latter's initiative.
• Grand celebrations showcase confidence Global Times 02 Jul 2021 -- Addressing a grand ceremony to celebrate the centennial of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing on Thursday marked by palpable joy and thundering cheers of a large crowd representing all sectors of Chinese society, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, highlighted remarkable achievements of the past century, drew a promising future for the country's "irreversible" path toward rejuvenation while delivering stern warnings to forces that seek to undercut that path and divide the country.
• Chinese Censors Delete Account of Journalist Who Criticized Centenary Performances Radio Free Asia 02 Jul 2021 -- A journalist who criticized the performance of a hand-picked youth representative at the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s centenary celebrations on Tiananmen Square has had her social media account deleted, RFA has learned.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on July 2, 2021 PRC MofA 02 Jul 2021
• International Public Opinion Gives China's CCP, Xi Jinping Low Ratings: Report Radio Free Asia 02 Jul 2021 -- As the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) marks its centenary amid a wave of state propaganda aimed at audiences at home and overseas, international public opinion of Beijing remains low, a new research report has found.
• Hong Kong Reels After One Year of National Security Law Imposed by China VOA 02 Jul 2021 -- As China exuberantly celebrated the 100-year anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing, the mood and atmosphere for many in Hong Kong was different, as the territory marked the one-year anniversary of a controversial national security law critics say has significantly curtailed democratic freedoms.
• US Lawmaker Calls for 'Special Envoy on Uyghur Genocide' Radio Free Asia 02 Jul 2021 -- A U.S. lawmaker from New Jersey has called for the establishment of a U.S. Special Envoy to address what is increasingly being seen as a Chinese campaign of genocide against the country's Muslim Uyghur minority group, adding the proposal as an amendment to a bill already under consideration by the House Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. Congress.
• U.S. urges 'peaceful resolution' of cross-strait issues CNA 02 Jul 2021 -- The United States on Thursday reiterated its support for a "peaceful resolution" of cross-strait issues after Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) vowed to crush any Taiwan independence attempts as well as forces meddling with its unification goal.
• 15th Plenary Meeting of 14th Standing Committee of Supreme People's Assembly of DPRK Held KCNA 02 Jul 2021 -- The 15th Plenary Meeting of the 14th Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was held at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on July 1.
• The United States Takes Further Actions against the Burmese Military Regime US Dept. of State 02 Jul 2021 -- In response to the brutal campaign of violence perpetrated by the Burmese military regime and to continue imposing costs in connection with the military coup, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Assets Control is designating today 22 individuals connected to the regime, pursuant to Executive Order 14014 "Blocking Property With Respect to the Situation in Burma."
• Treasury Sanctions Senior Officials and Family Members Connected to Burma's Military US Treasury 02 Jul 2021 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated 22 individuals connected to Burma's military regime.
• Commerce Increases Restrictions on Burmese Military by Adding Four Entities to Entity List in Continued Response to the Recent Military Coup US Dept. of Commerce 02 Jul 2021 -- The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has added four entities to the Entity List in its latest action in response to the February 1, 2021 military coup in Burma
• US Levels New Sanctions on Junta Figures, Calls For Restoration of Democracy in Myanmar Radio Free Asia 02 Jul 2021 -- The U.S. government on Friday announced new sanctions targeting Myanmar nationals and entities with ties to the country's military regime, which has violently suppressed protests in the wake of its February coup, and vowed to take additional actions unless the junta agrees to step down from power.
• US Targets Myanmar's Military With Another Round of Sanctions VOA 02 Jul 2021 -- The United States on Friday announced sanctions against military officials and individuals and companies tied to Myanmar's military in the latest response to the February 1 coup in the Southeast Asian country.
• Lukashenka Orders Closure Of Belarus-Ukraine Border Amid Growing International Pressure RFE/RL 02 Jul 2021 -- Belarus's authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka says he ordered the full closure of the border with Ukraine, citing security reasons, and claimed the authorities had exposed Western-linked "terrorist" sleeper cells, as his regime faces growing international pressure over its brutal crackdown on dissent in the wake of last year's disputed presidential election.
• Cambodian Court Sentences Dissidents, Land Activists to One-Year Prison Terms Radio Free Asia 02 Jul 2021 -- A court in Cambodia's Tbong Khmum province on Friday sentenced 14 political opposition figures and land-rights activists charged with conspiracy and incitement to one-year prison terms amid a continuing nationwide crackdown by authorities on political dissent in the Southeast Asian country.
• Turkmen President Replaces Interior Minister, Deputy Takes Cabinet Seat RFE/RL 02 Jul 2021 -- Turkmenistan's authoritarian ruler Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has replaced the tightly controlled former Soviet republic's interior minister, saying Mammetkhan Chakiyev is being "moved to another job."
• Armenian Opposition Asks Court To Overturn Pashinian's Election Victory RFE/RL 02 Jul 2021 -- The opposition bloc Armenia Alliance, led by former President Robert Kocharian, has asked the Constitutional Court to overturn the results of last month's elections, which it lost to acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian's Civil Contract party.