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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Update on withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan July 12, 2021 CENTCOM 13 Jul 2021 -- U.S. Central Command provides the following update on the orderly and responsible withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, as of 10 a.m. on July 12, 2021.
• Taliban Threaten Turkish Troops with 'Jihad' if They Stay in Afghanistan VOA 13 Jul 2021 -- The Taliban warned Tuesday that if Turkey extends its military presence in Afghanistan the Islamist group will view Turkish troops as "occupiers" and wage "jihad" against them.
• Afghanistan on Brink of New Humanitarian Crisis, UN Officials Say VOA 13 Jul 2021 -- The U.N. refugee agency warns Afghanistan is on the brink of another humanitarian crisis as escalating conflict is causing civilian casualties to rise and is driving hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes in search of safety.
• Pakistan Refuses to Host Additional Afghan Refugees VOA 13 Jul 2021 -- Pakistan's government said it has reached its limit and cannot accept more Afghan refugees as the threat of violence looms in Afghanistan.
• Why The Taliban Is Sweeping Northern Afghanistan RFE/RL Gandhara 13 Jul 2021 -- The lightning speed with which the Taliban has overrun large swathes of rural territories in Afghanistan's north has shocked locals and surprised foreign observers with some worrying whether the internationally recognized government in Kabul can weather the storm.
• Four Killed In Kabul Blast As UN Warns Afghanistan 'On Brink Of Humanitarian Crisis' RFE/RL Gandhara 13 Jul 2021 -- At least four civilians were killed and five others were wounded in an explosion in Kabul on July 13, police said, as the United Nations warned that Afghanistan was "on the brink" of a new humanitarian crisis as violence intensified amid a hasty withdrawal of U.S.-led forces from the war-torn country.
• Taliban Warns Turkey Over Kabul Airport Plans As Ghani Visits North RFE/RL Gandhara 13 Jul 2021 -- Taliban representatives have warned Turkey against keeping troops in Afghanistan after the departure of the U.S.-led forces following Ankara's announcement that it was considering maintaining a contingent to protect the Kabul airport.
• How big a security threat does China face as Taliban draws closer to border with Xinjiang? Global Times 13 Jul 2021 -- There are increasing concerns that Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is facing a resurgence of terrorism infiltrating through the Wakhan corridor, on the Afghanistan border, after the Taliban swept through northeastern Badakhshan province and is drawing closer to the border with China's Xinjiang.
• Afghanistan: 270,000 newly displaced this year, warns UNHCR UN News 13 Jul 2021 -- The worsening security situation across Afghanistan in the wake of foreign troop withdrawal and Taliban advances, has forced an estimated 270,000 from their homes since January, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) reported on Tuesday, bringing the total internally displaced to more than 3.5 million.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Secretary of Defense Austin Remarks at the Global Emerging Technology Summit of The National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (As Delivered) DoD 13 Jul 2021
• Carrier Air Wing 3 Returns from 2021 Eisenhower Strike Group Deployment US Navy 13 Jul 2021 -- The nine aircraft squadrons of Carrier Air Wing Three (CVW-3) returned to Naval Air Station Oceana, Naval Station Norfolk, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, and Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Jul. 13 after their six-month deployment aboard the nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (IKE).
• Air Force update for COVID-19 US Air Force 13 Jul 2021
• U.S. Army Special Forces conclude training with Nigeria Navy Special Boat Service AFRICOM 13 Jul 2021 -- Officers of the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service completed a five-week Joint Combined Exchange Training alongside a team of U.S. Army Special Forces on July 8 in Lagos, Nigeria.
• Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby Holds An Off-Camera Press Briefing DoD 13 Jul 2021
• USS Hershel "Woody" Williams Swaps Crew US Navy 13 Jul 2021 -- The forward-deployed Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB 4) swapped crews at Naval Station Rota after completing the ship's second deployment through the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations, July 9, 2021.
• UK and US extend carrier cooperation agreement UK MOD 13 Jul 2021 -- Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and his US counterpart Lloyd Austin extended an enhanced cooperation agreement on carrier operations as they met in Washington
• Defence Secretary's speech at the American Enterprise Institute UK MOD 13 Jul 2021 -- Defence Secretary Ben Wallace at the American Enterprise Institute on the importance of alliances and shared values in tackling new threats.
• Deputy Secretary General: international cooperation is essential to retain our technological edge NATO 13 Jul 2021 -- In a panel discussion at the US National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI) Global Emerging Technology Summit on 13 July 2021, NATO's Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoaña stressed the importance of international cooperation on Artificial Intelligence (AI) as the most pervasive emerging and disruptive technology, especially when combined with other technologies such as big data, autonomy or biotechnologies.
• PLA's first Y-9 medical service aircraft completes missions in Xinjiang and Tibet Global Times 13 Jul 2021 -- The first Y-9 medical service aircraft of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has completed several missions in plateau regions, including Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province and Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
• Japan defense paper mentions importance of Taiwan peace for first time CNA 13 Jul 2021 -- Japan for the first time mentioned the importance of maintaining stability around Taiwan in its annual defense report released Tuesday as Taiwanese scholars said the move shows Tokyo is now taking a clearer stance over the Taiwan issue.
• Japan would 'lose badly' if it defends Taiwan secessionists Global Times 13 Jul 2021 -- Japan is continuing to provoke China on the Taiwan question as its annual defense white paper released on Tuesday mentioned Taiwan stability for the first time.
• Show of strength for Talisman Sabre Australia DOD 13 Jul 2021 -- The stage is set for the ADF and its United States (US) partners to undertake high-end joint land combat against a capable enemy force during the field component of Exercise Talisman Sabre 21 (TS21).
• Secretary Blinken's Meeting with ASEAN Foreign Ministers and the ASEAN Secretary General US Dept. of State 13 Jul 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with OAS Secretary General Almagro US Dept. of State 13 Jul 2021
• Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre En Route Philadelphia, PA The White House 13 Jul 2021
• Department Press Briefing – July 13, 2021 US Dept. of State 13 Jul 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For July 13, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 13 July 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 13 Jul 2021
• US attempts to monitor PLA submarines with increased spy ship activities in S.China Sea: think tank report Global Times 13 Jul 2021 -- A Beijing-based think tank is keeping an eye on an increase in close-range reconnaissance activities this year by US Navy ocean surveillance ships in the South China Sea, saying in a report released on Tuesday that the US is attempting to monitor Chinese submarine activities in the region and provide anti-submarine intelligence support.
• PLA expels destroyer on South China Sea arbitration anniversary, as US acting like disrupter in the past 5 yrs People's Daily 13 Jul 2021 -- On Monday, which marks the fifth anniversary of the so-called South China Sea arbitration and the so-called award, the US suffered a head-on blow when trying to make provocations in South China Sea, fully exposing the US nature again as the "destroyer of regional stability."
• Himalayan Dam Celebrated by China Raises Concern Downriver in India Radio Free Asia 13 Jul 2021 -- When China celebrated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party on July 1, among other achievements it highlighted was a mega-dam that the country has built in southeastern Tibet.
• Tibetans Defy China to Celebrate Dalai Lama's Birthday Online VOA 13 Jul 2021 -- When His Holiness the Dalai Lama turned 86, he observed his birthday by promising to continue serving humanity and advocating for the environment. Celebrations worldwide marked the day.
• UN appeals for faster passage for aid convoys to Ethiopia's Tigray UN News 13 Jul 2021 -- UN humanitarians appealed on Tuesday for far quicker access to Ethiopia's embattled Tigray region, after the first aid trucks in days to reach the local capital, Mekelle, encountered multiple checks delaying their arrival.
• UN Calls for Swift Pullout of Eritrean Troops From Tigray VOA 13 Jul 2021 -- The United Nations Human Rights Council passed a resolution Tuesday calling for the swift pullout of Eritrean troops from Ethiopia's embattled northern Tigray region.

News Reports

• CISA Issues Emergency Directive Requiring Federal Agencies to Mitigate Windows Print Spooler Service Vulnerability CISA 13 Jul 2021 -- The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued Emergency Directive (ED) 21-04 today to mitigate a Microsoft Windows print spooler service vulnerability CVE-2021-34527
• Iranian Intelligence Officials Indicted on Kidnapping Conspiracy Charges US Dept. of Justice 13 Jul 2021 -- Iranian Intelligence Services Allegedly Plotted to Kidnap a U.S. Journalist and Human Rights Activist from New York City for Rendition to Iran
• Iranian Hackers Pose as UK Scholars to Target Experts VOA 13 Jul 2021 -- A notorious group of hackers tied to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has waged a covert campaign targeting university professors and other experts based in the U.K. and the U.S. in an attempt to steal their sensitive information, according to research by the cybersecurity firm Proofpoint.
• Report highlights threat of ransomware attacks on government agencies CNA 13 Jul 2021 -- An annual report by the Cabinet has found that the number of information security incidents involving Taiwan government agencies decreased last year, but warned that the widespread threat of ransomware attacks requires additional response measures to limit their duration and severity.
• EU Agrees on Infrastructure Plan to Rival China's New Silk Road VOA 13 Jul 2021 -- European Union foreign ministers agreed Monday on an ambitious global infrastructure plan linking Europe to the world.
• Russian Ombudsman Ends Campaign To Repatriate Foreign-Based Businesspeople RFE/RL 13 Jul 2021 -- Russian business ombudsman Boris Titov says he has stopped his campaign to repatriate foreign-based Russian businesspeople over concerns they may face arrest upon arrival.
• Outspoken Kremlin Critic Leaves Russia For 'Foreseeable Future' RFE/RL 13 Jul 2021 -- Fyodor Krasheninnikov, an outspoken Kremlin critic and noted political observer, says he has left Russia for Lithuania for the "foreseeable future" after coming under pressure from authorities for his work.
• U.S., Russia Say Cooperation On Climate Change Positive For Relations RFE/RL 13 Jul 2021 -- U.S. climate change envoy John Kerry told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on July 12 that Washington wants to work with Moscow ahead of the UN climate change conference later this year.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on July 13, 2021 PRC MofA 13 Jul 2021
• Taking down China is not the cure for US domestic problems and China will never yield to coercion: Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Global Times 13 Jul 2021 -- Chinese Vice Foreign Minister, Le Yucheng, said in a recent interview that taking down China is never the cure for US' problems, as some people in the US are trying every means to blame China for their domestic problems. Le also stressed that the biggest challenge for the US is always itself and the Chinese people never yield to coercion.
• High time for CPC to dispel misunderstanding and engage in open interaction with HK residents: Cheung Global Times 13 Jul 2021 -- A year after the national security law for Hong Kong took effect and as the city undertook electoral reform, social stability has been restored in the special administrative region and black-clad protests are a thing of the past.
• More reforms to be done as HK has severe problems in education sector: Ip Global Times 13 Jul 2021
• University of Hong Kong Nixes Student Union After Leader's 'Anger' Radio Free Asia 13 Jul 2021 -- Senior management at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) on Wednesday derecognized the student union after the city's leader Carrie Lam called for further action over last week's motion on the suicide of a man who attacked a police officer.
• Xinjiang condemns US' sanctions on PV companies as 'completely illegal and a piece of waste paper' Global Times 13 Jul 2021 -- On Tuesday, the legislative and political advisory bodies of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous region, as well as the regional government, expressed their strong condemnation and opposition against US' sanctions on four Xinjiang Photovoltaic (PV) enterprises, saying they are "completely illegal" and their "vicious intention is to contain Xinjiang's solar industry."
• US listing of China as 'risk of genocide' a joke: Chinese FM spokesperson Global Times 13 Jul 2021 -- "I want to tell you a joke. The US wrote in a report that its government will safeguard and protect human rights of all people of the world," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Tuesday, in response to a US annual report accusing China of "committing genocide and crimes against humanity."
• US, EU Tighten Scrutiny on China's Xinjiang Over Uyghur Forced Labor Issue Radio Free Asia 13 Jul 2021 -- The U.S. government on Tuesday expanded its warning about doing business in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), citing forced labor and genocide against the Uyghur ethnic group, while the European Union issued new guidelines to halt the import of goods made with suspected forced labor.
• Issuance of the Updated Xinjiang Supply Chain Business Advisory US Dept. of State 13 Jul 2021 -- The U.S. Department of State, alongside the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and the U.S. Department of Labor, issued an updated Xinjiang Supply Chain Business Advisory in response to the government of the People's Republic of China's (PRC) ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and the growing evidence of its use of forced labor there.
• North Korea Sets Stern Punishments for 'Anti-Socialist' Acts Radio Free Asia 13 Jul 2021 -- North Korea is trying to reinforce its brand of socialism by punishing citizens for "anti-socialist acts," including distorting the lyrics of revolutionary songs, and forcing party officials to spend an extra two hours a day studying political ideology, sources in the country told RFA.
• Foreign Ministry's final report on JCPOA IRNA 13 Jul 2021 -- "Iran" Newspaper published an artile on Tuesday addressing the Foreign Ministry's quarterly report on implementing the JCPOA which reviewed developments of the deal, including technical disagreements, achieved agreements, consequences of US withdrawal from the deal and elaboration on ongoing talks in Vienna on possible return of the US to the deal.
• Iran Foreign Ministry's latest report on JCPOA IRNA 13 Jul 2021 -- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran has submitted its 22nd and the latest report on the 2015 nuclear deal to the parliament to shed light on efforts made by the ministry concerning the international accord.
• Iran Says It Is Holding Talks On Prisoner Swap With U.S. RFE/RL 13 Jul 2021 -- Iran said on July 13 that it is holding talks on prisoner exchanges with the United States, a few days after a U.S. official said Washington was working to release its detained citizens.
• Mass Murder of Civilians in Myanmar's Sagaing Region Amounts to 'War Crime,' Says Rights Lawyer Radio Free Asia 13 Jul 2021 -- The murder of more than a dozen people whose bodies exhibited signs of torture and were left to rot in a forest in Myanmar's remote Sagaing region this week was carried out by troops loyal to the country's junta and should be classified as a "war crime," witnesses and a rights lawyer said Tuesday.
• Lukashenka Tells Putin That Belarus Will Meet Its Russia Obligations 'At Any Cost' RFE/RL 13 Jul 2021 -- Authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka says Belarus, hit hard by rounds of Western economic sanctions over its brutal crackdown on dissent and independent media, will fulfill its financial obligations to Russia "at any cost."
• Lithuanian Parliament Approves Mass Detention Of Migrants Amid Surge From Belarus RFE/RL 13 Jul 2021 -- Parliament in Lithuania has approved the mass detention of asylum seekers amid a rise in numbers crossing the border with Belarus that Vilnius says is being organized by Alyaksandr Lukashenka's government to punish the Baltic nation for its vocal support of Belarus's democratic opposition.
• State Department Urges 'Calm' in Cuba VOA 13 Jul 2021 -- The U.S. State Department Tuesday called for "calm" in Cuba after the biggest protests in decades against the island's communist government roiled the country Sunday.
• Cuban Protests: What We Know VOA 13 Jul 2021 -- There was a heavy police presence in Cuba's capital, Havana, on Monday, with the streets calm following Sunday's anti-government protests.
• A Timeline of Recent Events in Cuba VOA 13 Jul 2021
• Pakistani Prime Minister Defends China's Political Model And 'All-Weather Friendship' With Beijing RFE/RL Gandhara 13 Jul 2021 -- Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has come under fire from politicians and commentators for his praise of China's autocratic one-party system, which he said offered a better model for countries compared to electoral democracy.
• 72 People Killed in South African Riots VOA 13 Jul 2021 -- Seventy-two people have been killed in riots and looting in South Africa, police said Tuesday, amid protests over the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma.
• Zelenskiy Trolls Putin After Russian President Publishes Article On Ukraine RFE/RL 13 Jul 2021 -- Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has trolled his Russian counterpart, saying he was "envious" that Vladimir Putin has enough free time on his hands to research the history of their peoples.
• Ukraine's Powerful Interior Minister Tenders Resignation RFE/RL 13 Jul 2021 -- Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, one of the nation's most powerful officials, has resigned after more than seven years in the job.
• Moldovans Hail End To 'Coalition Nightmare' Following Pro-European Party's Win, But Challenges Loom RFE/RL 13 Jul 2021 -- Moldovans are cautiously optimistic that the July 11 elections that handed a powerful mandate to the center-right party founded by President Maia Sandu could mark a new, more productive stage in the impoverished country's post-Soviet development.
• Bulgarian Showman's 'Brinkmanship' Could End Up Boosting Fortunes Of His Flagging Election Rival RFE/RL 13 Jul 2021 -- Bulgarian late-night talk-show host Slavi Trifonov has done what no other politician could do over the past 12 years: overtake former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov's party in parliamentary elections.
• Haiti Assassination Suspect Was DEA Informant VOA 13 Jul 2021 -- One of the suspects implicated in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise was a DEA informant, a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration official told VOA in an emailed statement.