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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Rocket Attacks Target US Embassy, Troops in Iraq VOA 08 Jul 2021 -- Multiple rockets were fired at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq's capital early Thursday, according to Iraqi security sources, the latest in a series of attacks on U.S. military and diplomatic sites in recent days.
• Remarks by President Biden on the Drawdown of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan The White House 08 Jul 2021
• Biden Says 'America's Longest War Is Ending' On August 31 Despite Surge In Afghan Violence RFE/RL Gandhara 08 Jul 2021 -- President Joe Biden has said the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on August 31, adding that "speed is safety" as the United States seeks to end the nearly 20-year war despite growing concerns about a possible civil war amid a string of military successes by the Taliban that have seen large swaths of territory fall to the militants.
• Press release on consultations with a Taliban delegation Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 08 Jul 2021 -- On July 8, Special Presidential Representative for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov held consultations with a delegation from the Taliban's political office. The discussion focused on the situation in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the prospects for starting intra-Afghan talks.
• US Military Mission in Afghanistan Ends August 31, Biden Announces VOA 08 Jul 2021 -- "Our military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on August 31st," U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Thursday.
• Iran Hosts Taliban, Afghans for Talks VOA 08 Jul 2021 -- Afghan and Taliban representatives are speaking of progress toward peace and promising further talks after two days of dialogue in Tehran between a senior Taliban delegation and representatives of the Kabul government.
• Operation TORAL draws to an end as UK transitions to new phase of support to Afghanistan UK MOD 08 Jul 2021 -- As Operation TORAL draws to a close, a small number of UK military personnel will temporarily remain to support the transition to a new phase of UK Government support to Afghanistan.
• Britain Confirms Most UK Troops Have Left Afghanistan VOA 08 Jul 2021 -- The UK says most of its troops have left Afghanistan.
• China: Collective Efforts Required to Contain Afghan Insecurity 'Spillover' VOA 08 Jul 2021 -- China has declared the future of Afghanistan's worsening conflict a "practical challenge" to neighboring countries and stressed the need for collectively tackling it to ensure regional peace.
• Pentagon Official Says Afghans Have Training, Capability for Stability DoD News 08 Jul 2021 -- Afghan security forces have modern weapons — including a capable air force — training and sufficient personnel to provide security in Afghanistan, the Pentagon press secretary said.
• Afghan Security Forces, Taliban Militants Clash In Northern Provincial Capital For Second Day RFE/RL Gandhara 08 Jul 2021 -- Afghan government forces and the Taliban clashed in a provincial capital in northwestern Afghanistan for a second day as Kabul sent hundreds of additional troops to repel the militants' assault.
• Afghan Taliban Says Progress Made In Tehran Talks, Makes Pledge On Tajik Border Area RFE/RL Gandhara 08 Jul 2021 -- Taliban militants say progress has been made in talks with a delegation of Afghan government representatives in Tehran on finding a political solution to the escalating violence in the war-torn country amid the withdrawal of U.S. troops.
• Tajikistan Reportedly Calls On Allies For Help With Security Challenges From Afghanistan RFE/RL Gandhara 08 Jul 2021 -- Tajikistan has appealed to members of a Russian-led military alliance of ex-Soviet states for help in dealing with security challenges emerging from neighboring Afghanistan, according to media reports.
• Commentary: The United States' Parting Gift To Afghanistan Of Theocratic Democracy RFE/RL Gandhara 08 Jul 2021 -- A civil war in Afghanistan seems increasingly probable amid the withdrawal of foreign forces, the Taliban's unwillingness to compromise, and the Afghan elites' inability to come to a consensus. But we shouldn't give up hope for peace or stop discussing how to make such a peace sustainable.
• Russian Envoy, Taliban Delegation Discuss Prospects for Launching Intra-Afghan Talks Sputnik 08 Jul 2021 -- The Russian president's special envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, at a meeting with a delegation from the political office of the Taliban movement* discussed the prospects of launching intra-Afghan negotiations, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
• Afghan Forces Launch Operation to Regain Full Control of Qala-e-Naw Sputnik 08 Jul 2021 -- The Afghan military has launched a counter-operation to liberate the city of Qala-e-Naw in the northwestern province of Badghis from the Taliban radical movement (banned in Russia), the Afghan Defenсe Ministry said on Thursday.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Readout of Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks' Travel to Boston, Massachusetts DoD 08 Jul 2021
• Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby Holds a Press Briefing DoD 08 Jul 2021
• US Air Force Tested Warhead for Its ARRW Hypersonic Missile That Still Won't Fly Sputnik 08 Jul 2021 -- The US Air Force announced on Wednesday it has for the first time successfully detonated the warhead that will sit at the ultra-maneuverable tip of the AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), a hypersonic missile currently under development. However, the missile itself has so far failed to fire.
• US Navy $172Mln Contract Launches Production of Mid-Band Signal Jammer Sputnik 08 Jul 2021 -- The first production lot of a mid-range signal jammer will begin with award of a $171.6 million US Navy Contract, Raytheon announced on Thursday.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Phone Call With Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar DoD 08 Jul 2021
• Lithuanian, Spanish Leaders Interrupted by Jets Scrambling to Intercept Russian Planes VOA 08 Jul 2021 -- A news conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at a NATO airbase in Lithuania was interrupted Thursday when fighter jets were scrambled to intercept two Russian jets.
• Russian Fighter Su-27 Escorts French Spy Plane Over Baltic Sea, Military Says Sputnik 08 Jul 2021 -- Remarkably, since 2014, the US and its allies have intensified reconnaissance activities close to the Russian borders, particularly, over Baltic Sea airspace (near Kaliningrad) and the Black Sea.
• Russian Fleet Monitoring US Navy Ship Yuma in Black Sea Sputnik 08 Jul 2021 -- The US Sixth Fleet said earlier in the day that its expeditionary fast transport the USNS Yuma had been sent to the Black Sea.
• Two Russian Su-24 Planes Flying Over Baltic Sea Didn't Enter Foreign Airspace, Military Says Sputnik 08 Jul 2021 -- Two Russian Su-24 bombers performed a planned flight over neutrals waters of the Baltic Sea on Thursday, and they did not enter the airspace of foreign countries, the Russian Defence Ministry said.
• Future AWACS to include multiple platforms: Chinese designers Global Times 08 Jul 2021 -- A future airborne warning and control system (AWACS) will likely not be one single early warning aircraft, but a cluster of platforms that can accomplish different missions and build an information network, said chief designers of China's early warning aircraft this week.
• China to hold major military activity in Yellow Sea amid fall of rocket debris Global Times 08 Jul 2021 -- China will hold a major military activity in the Yellow Sea from Friday to Tuesday, the country's maritime safety authorities announced on Thursday. The event will coincide with the anticipated fall of rocket debris on Friday, also in the Yellow Sea.
• Photos: Is China Testing Another Su-27 Derivative for Aircraft Carriers Alongside Its Infamous J-15? Sputnik 08 Jul 2021 -- As China puts the final touches on a catapult-assisted takeoff aircraft carrier, expectations are high about newer, heavier aircraft with the potential to join Chinese naval aviation. However, photos posted on Chinese social media might have accidentally hinted at an as-yet unknown potentiality: A J-11B or J-16 modified for carrier operations.
• China Tests Underwater Robotic Vehicle Able to Fire Torpedoes Without Human Control - Reports Sputnik 08 Jul 2021 -- The unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) was reportedly deployed on a fixed course some 9 meters (30 feet) below the surface in the Taiwan Strait trials. It was able to pinpoint the submarine's location, adjust course, circle the target, and then fire an unarmed torpedo at the dummy.
• DRDO & AICTE launch regular M. Tech. Program in defence technology India PIB 08 Jul 2021 -- A regular M.Tech. Program in Defence Technology has been launched by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to impart necessary theoretical & experimental knowledge, skill and aptitude in various defence technology areas.
• Navies prove strength in numbers Australia DOD 08 Jul 2021 -- Warships from Australia, Japan, South Korea and the US have joined forces to conduct a series of high-end warfighting activities for five days.
• New Chinooks boost heavy-lift capability Australia DOD 08 Jul 2021 -- The ADF heavy-lift battlefield aviation capability has been boosted with the arrival of two new CH-47F Chinooks in Townsville last night.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, July 8, 2021 The White House 08 Jul 2021
• Department Press Briefing – July 8, 2021 US Dept. of State 08 Jul 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For July 8, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 8 July 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 Jul 2021
• US Think-Tank: China Coast Guard Harasses Malaysian Oil, Gas Operation Off Sarawak Radio Free Asia 08 Jul 2021 -- Chinese coast guard ships since early June have been putting pressure on and harassing new Malaysian oil and gas projects in the South China Sea off Sarawak state on Borneo Island, a U.S.-based think-tank said in a report released this week.
• Joint Statement by the Representatives of Iran, Russia and Turkey on the 16th International Meeting on Syria in the Astana Format, Nur-Sultan, 7-8 July 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 08 Jul 2021
• Iran, Russia, Turkey to cooperate to eradicate terrorism in Syria IRNA 08 Jul 2021 -- At the end of the 16th round of talks on Syria, known as the Astana Process, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Russia, and Turkey announced in a joint statement that they will continue their cooperation until the complete eradication of the ISIS and other terrorist groups in Syria.
• Russia Will Not Support 1-Year Extension of Cross-Border Aid into Syria, Amsassador to UN Says Sputnik 08 Jul 2021 -- Russia will not support the extension for 12 months of the cross-border humanitarian aid delivery mechanism into Syria as the UN Security Council prepares to vote on the issue on Friday, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia told reporters on Thursday.
• Troika Statement South Sudan's 10 Year Independence Anniversary US Dept. of State 08 Jul 2021 -- The Troika (United States, United Kingdom, and Norway) congratulates the people of South Sudan on 10 years of independence. On July 9, 2011, South Sudanese joined together in unity to celebrate the country's birth. It was a joyous occasion, filled with hope and possibility.
• UNICEF Warns of Grim Future for South Sudan's Children VOA 08 Jul 2021 -- Ahead of South Sudan's 10th year of independence, the U.N. Children's Fund warns the country is facing a catastrophic humanitarian situation, with two out of every three children in need of international aid.

News Reports

• A Growing Dilemma: Whether to Pay Ransomware Hackers VOA 08 Jul 2021 -- The largest ransomware attack of 2021 has further fueled a debate among policymakers, cybersecurity experts and corporate leaders over whether, as part of an effort to counter the growing cyber threat, businesses should be barred from paying off cybercriminals.
• States Plan to Deploy National Guard, Police to US-Mexico Border VOA 08 Jul 2021 -- Amid record-setting migrant arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border, several Republican-led states as far away as South Dakota are mobilizing to send National Guard units to the region at the behest of the Republican governors in Texas and Arizona who have criticized the Biden administration's response to the surge.
• Haiti Hunts for More Suspects in Killing of President VOA 08 Jul 2021 -- Haiti was engulfed in chaos Thursday, a day after President Jovenel Moise was assassinated, with authorities vowing to hunt down more alleged mercenaries responsible for shooting him to death in the bedroom of his home.
• UN Envoy in Haiti: Police Have Cornered More Suspects in Moise Assassination VOA 08 Jul 2021 -- The U.N.'s top diplomat in Haiti said Thursday that there have been more arrests in the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and that police have surrounded a larger group of possible suspects at their hideouts.
• Key Events in Haiti Before Killing of Haitian President Moise VOA 08 Jul 2021 -- The assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise occurred amid political and other crises in the Caribbean country, further roiling the world's first Black-led republic that won its freedom from France during a 19th century slave revolution.
• 4 Suspects in Assassination of Haiti's President Moise Die in Shootout VOA 08 Jul 2021 -- The head of Haiti's National Police Force said four people suspected of carrying out Wednesday's assassination of President Jovenel Moise were killed in a shootout with police.
• Four of Haitian president's suspected killers dead, two arrested People's Daily 08 Jul 2021 -- Haitian police have arrested two of the gunmen who are suspected to have assassinated President Jovenel Moise early Wednesday, while four others were killed when apprehended by the authorities, said Leon Charles, director general of the National Police.
• Haitian Minister Says There Were 26 People in Unit That Killed President Moise - Reports Sputnik 08 Jul 2021 -- The unit of mercenaries that killed Haitian President Jovenel Moise consisted of 26 people, national Elections Minister Mathias Pierre said, as quoted by the Reuters news agency.
• Haitian Police Chief: All of Moïse Hit Squad Arrested or Killed, Officers Now Hunting Masterminds Sputnik 08 Jul 2021 -- A day after Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was killed by gunmen at his house outside Port-au-Prince, Haitian National Police (PNH) have apprehended several suspects and killed several more. Mathias Pierre, Haiti's minister of elections and inter-party relations, said the commando behind the assassination had 26 members.
• Top UN Haiti envoy hails commitment to hold new elections UN News 08 Jul 2021 -- The UN Special Representative for Haiti on Thursday, acknowledged the legitimacy of Prime Minister Claude Joseph to lead the Caribbean nation, following the "cowardly" assassination of President Jovenel Moïse on Wednesday, and welcomed his government's commitment to hold national elections later this year.
• Egypt, Sudan Seek UN Help to Resolve Mega Dam Dispute with Ethiopia VOA 08 Jul 2021 -- The foreign ministers of Egypt and Sudan appealed to the U.N. Security Council on Thursday to intervene in their dispute with Ethiopia over the operation of a mega dam on the Nile River.
• Egypt to Protect Its Interests With All Means Available on Dam Dispute, Foreign Minster Says Sputnik 08 Jul 2021 -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said his country will use all means available at its disposal to protect its interests if no agreement is reached on the filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
• UN ready to promote 'win-win solution' for Blue Nile dam project UN News 08 Jul 2021 -- The United Nations stands ready to support Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan in efforts to resolve their decade-long disagreement over the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), senior officials told the Security Council on Thursday.
• Leading Activist Groups Call On UN To Push Russia On Rights RFE/RL 08 Jul 2021 -- A group of leading rights organizations has urged the United Nations to condemn the deterioration of civil rights in Russia, which has "constructed a legal landscape that is inconsistent" with international standards.
• Full Text: Keynote address by Xi Jinping at CPC and World Political Parties Summit People's Daily 08 Jul 2021 -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, on Tuesday delivered a keynote address at the CPC and World Political Parties Summit via video link in Beijing.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on July 8, 2021 PRC MofA 08 Jul 2021
• US is behind anti-China bloc that smears China People's Daily 08 Jul 2021 -- Canada, on behalf of Western countries, made unwarranted accusations against China over issues related to Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Tibet in a statement at the 47th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
• US urged to drop its fantasy of meddling in HK: Foreign Affairs Ministry's commissioner office Global Times 08 Jul 2021 -- After US President Joe Biden declared to extend a national emergency with respect to Hong Kong, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region condemned the US government's continuous meddling in Hong Kong affairs - purely China's internal affairs, and urged it to correct its mistakes.
• Whoever sanctions China over Hong Kong will receive relentless retaliation: Global Times editorial Global Times 08 Jul 2021 -- The European Parliament (EP) on Thursday adopted a resolution appealing to sanctions on officials of both Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland as well as a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games. On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden extended a national emergency designation with respect to Hong Kong put in place by former president Donald Trump in 2020. These two developments together mark the blind arrogance and paranoia against China among some people in the US and Europe.
• European Parliament HK resolution not binding, no bearing on EU: analysts Global Times 08 Jul 2021 -- Just a few days after the holding of the China-France-Germany virtual summit where the top leaders of the three countries reached an agreement to expand cooperation, some politicians in the European Parliament are trying to interrupt the recovering China-Europe ties again by using the "human rights" and China's Hong Kong affairs as excuses to launch a new round of provocations.
• National security law reinforces foundation of "one country, two systems": various sectors of Hong Kong People's Daily 08 Jul 2021 -- As the national security law in Hong Kong has come into force for a year, various sectors of the financial hub agreed that the law has been effective in bringing back peace and order and reinforcing the foundation of "one country, two systems."
• Dozens of Pro-Democracy Politicians Resign in Hong Kong Ahead of Oath Requirement Radio Free Asia 08 Jul 2021 -- Dozens of democratically elected district council members in Hong Kong are resigning amid government plans to screen and disqualify them through a new political vetting system and compulsory oaths of allegiance.
• China tightens crackdown on capital market violations People's Daily 08 Jul 2021 -- China has tightened crackdown on illegal activities in the securities market to promote the high-quality development of the country's capital market.
• On the 6th Anniversary of the 709 Crackdown in China US Dept. of State 08 Jul 2021 -- This July 9, we honor the more than 300 lawyers and human rights defenders who were unjustly detained, interrogated, and imprisoned by authorities in the People's Republic of China (PRC) on July 9, 2015, in what is known as the "709 crackdown."
• U.S. warns against using force to change status quo across Taiwan Strait CNA 08 Jul 2021 -- The U.S. State Department on Wednesday reiterated that the use of force by any party to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait will be a "profound mistake."
• North Korea Cracks Down on Counterfeiting, on the Rise as Economy Worsens Radio Free Asia 08 Jul 2021 -- North Korea has labeled counterfeiters of the country's currency as "traitors who are aligned with external enemies" as starving citizens forge notes worth less than a dollar to buy food and other necessities, sources told RFA.
• South Korean Spies Suggest Kim Jong-un in Good Health Despite Heavy Weight Loss Sputnik 08 Jul 2021 -- South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) has revealed that the leader of its northern neighbour, Kim Jong-un, has no health problems despite losing 10-20 kilograms (22-44 pounds) over the past few months, the Yonhap news agency reported on Thursday, citing an official.
• Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Representatives from Burma's Civil Society Organizations US Dept. of State 08 Jul 2021
• Families of Victims of Crackdown Call on ICC to Prosecute Myanmar Junta Leaders Radio Free Asia 08 Jul 2021 -- Families of the victims of a brutal crackdown on anti-junta protests in Myanmar are calling on the Netherlands-based International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute those responsible for the death or dismemberment of their loved ones.
• UN Investigator Calls for Myanmar's Generals to be Restrained VOA 08 Jul 2021 -- A United Nations investigator is calling for international coordinated action to stem abuse by Myanmar's military leaders against its people. In a report to the U.N. Human Rights Council, the U.N. special rapporteur lists measures for bringing the country's generals into compliance with international human rights norms.
• Kyrgyz Officials Deny Role In Kidnapping Of Educator By Turkish Intelligence RFE/RL 08 Jul 2021 -- Kyrgyz officials have denied claims they colluded with Turkish intelligence to abduct a Turkish-Kyrgyz educator who disappeared from Bishkek last month.
• India's Modi Undertakes Massive Cabinet Revamp VOA 08 Jul 2021 -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made sweeping changes in his cabinet and junior ministers, in what is being seen as a bid to restore his government's image hit both by a deadly second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and a faltering economy.
• Environmental Concerns, Rising Costs Plague China's Flagship Indonesian Project Radio Free Asia 08 Jul 2021 -- An ongoing China-backed high-speed railway project in Indonesia has worsened air quality, clogged canals, and damaged homes of many people who live along the 89-mile stretch of the future line, residents told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.
• Canadian Firm Files Further Claims Against Kyrgyzstan Over Kumtor Gold Mine RFE/RL 08 Jul 2021 -- Canada's Centerra Gold says it has filed additional arbitration claims against the Kyrgyz government as it battles for control of the Central Asian country's Kumtor gold-mine project.
• Kyrgyz Republic's New Law Directed at NGOs US Dept. of State 08 Jul 2021 -- The United States expresses its deep concern with the Kyrgyz Republic's recent approval of a law imposing onerous financial and programmatic reporting requirements on non-governmental organizations (NGOs).