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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby Holds a Press Briefing on Afghanistan DoD 12 Aug 2021
• France, Switzerland Latest European Countries To Suspend Deportations Of Afghans RFE/RL Gandhara 12 Aug 2021 -- France and Switzerland have joined other European countries in announcing a suspension of deportations to Afghanistan due to the deteriorating security situation in the country as the Taliban presses its offensive across Afghanistan.
• Secretary Blinken's Calls with Foreign Minister Garneau, Foreign Minister Maas, and NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg US Dept. of State 12 Aug 2021
• UK steps up support to help British nationals leave Afghanistan UK MOD 12 Aug 2021 -- Additional UK military personnel will deploy to Afghanistan on a short-term basis to provide support to British nationals leaving the country, the Defence Secretary has announced.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call With President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani DoD 12 Aug 2021
• DOD Deploys Forces to Protect Kabul Embassy Drawdown DoD News 12 Aug 2021 -- U.S. forces will deploy to Afghanistan and other sites in U.S. Central Command to ensure safety of American embassy personnel and to facilitate the departure of Afghans under the special immigrant visa program, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said today.
• Taliban Seize Strategic Afghan City of Ghazni VOA 12 Aug 2021 -- Taliban insurgents Thursday captured Afghanistan's strategically important southeastern city of Ghazni, bringing them a step closer to the national capital, Kabul.
• US Getting Civilian Personnel Out of Kabul VOA 12 Aug 2021 -- Just weeks away from completing its military withdrawal from Afghanistan, the United States is sending thousands of combat troops back to Kabul in a last-ditch attempt to move diplomatic personnel and Afghan allies out of harm's way.
• Taliban Seize Provincial Capitals in Afghanistan VOA 12 Aug 2021 -- The Taliban's advance in Afghanistan took them closer to Kabul with the seizure of Ghazni, a city about 150 kilometers from the capital.
• US Embassy in Kabul Urges Americans to Leave Afghanistan Immediately VOA 12 Aug 2021 -- The United States Thursday urged Americans to leave Afghanistan immediately as the Taliban continued their advance across the country with the seizure of a strategic city near the capital of Kabul.
• Afghanistan: UN chief following escalation in fighting 'with deep concern' UN News 12 Aug 2021 -- With Taliban fighters continuing to gain ground in Afghanistan, the UN Secretary-General is following events "with deep concern" said the UN Spokesperson on Thursday, including the battle for Herat and Kandahar, the country's second and third largest cities.
• Secretary Blinken and Secretary Austin's Call with Afghan President Ghani US Dept. of State 12 Aug 2021
• Taliban Seizes 10th Afghan Provincial Capital As Ghazni Falls RFE/RL Gandhara 12 Aug 2021 -- The Taliban has captured Ghazni, the 10th Afghan provincial capital to fall to the militants over the past week, and security forces arrested the province's governor after he fled the city.
• Turkmen, Uzbek, Russian Officials Hold Talks With Taliban Amid Deteriorating Afghan Security RFE/RL Gandhara 12 Aug 2021 -- The Taliban says representatives of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Russia have held talks with the chief of the group's political office in Qatar amid growing regional concerns over the insurgents' military offensives across Afghanistan.
• Afghanistan's Anti-Taliban Stronghold Gears Up For New Fight Against Militants RFE/RL Gandhara 12 Aug 2021 -- With its soaring cliffs and steep gorges, this famed region has never been conquered by invading forces during more than 40 years of war.
• U.S. Sending Troops To Kabul Airport To Help Evacuate Embassy Staff RFE/RL Gandhara 12 Aug 2021 -- The United States is sending additional troops to Kabul's international airport to help evacuate some diplomatic staff from Afghanistan as the Taliban makes striking battlefield gains that could threaten the capital.
• Iran temporarily closes consulate general in Mazar-i-Sharif IRNA 12 Aug 2021 -- Following intensified fights in the northern regions of Afghanistan, Iran has temporarily closed its Consulate General in Mazar-i-Sharif and moved it to Kabul.
• Taliban seizes key Afghan cities, Washington stuck in limbo amid troop withdrawal People's Daily 12 Aug 2021 -- The Taliban on Tuesday claimed it has seized Farah city, capital of Afghanistan's western Farah province, which is the seventh provincial capital it has captured over the past four days.
• Afghan government offers power-sharing as Taliban take Herat, Kandahar Press TV 12 Aug 2021 -- Afghan government negotiators in Qatar have offered the Taliban a power-sharing deal in return for an end to fighting amid the militants' rapid advances across the war-torn country.
• Taliban can take over Afghan capital in 90 days: US intelligence Press TV 12 Aug 2021 -- A new US military assessment says the Taliban could isolate Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, in 30 days and potentially take it over in 90 days, amid the militants' rapid advances across the war-ravaged country.
• Taliban Establish Control Over Kandahar, Afghanistan's 2nd Biggest City, Reports Say Sputnik 12 Aug 2021 -- The Taliban* Islamist movement has established control over Kandahar, Afghanistan's second-largest city, the Associated Press news agency reported, citing regional authorities.
• US Deploying 3,000 Troops to Afghanistan to Assist in Departure of Embassy Staff, Pentagon Reveals Sputnik 12 Aug 2021 -- Earlier, the US State Department ordered the evacuation of staff at the US embassy in Afghanistan in light of the "security conditions" being posed by the increasing control by the Taliban. Officials, however, have also stressed that the move it part of ongoing withdrawal procedures from the war-torn nation.
• State Dept Asks US Nationals to Leave Afghanistan, Reportedly Urges Taliban Not to Attack Embassy Sputnik 12 Aug 2021 -- The security situation in the war-torn country has deteriorated dramatically of late, with the Taliban overrunning nearly a dozen provincial capitals and taking control of major road arteries amid the US' ongoing withdrawal.
• Taliban Reportedly Release 1,000 Inmates in Occupied Afghan Cities Sputnik 12 Aug 2021 -- The Taliban* have released some 1,000 inmates after seizing six Afghan cities in recent days, TOLOnews reported on Thursday, citing prison authorities.
• Turkey's Role in Management of Kabul Airport to Be Decided Soon, Minister Says Sputnik 12 Aug 2021 -- The role of the Turkish military in the future management of the international airport in Kabul will be decided in the coming days, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Thursday.

Defense Policy / Programs

• 36th Sustainment Brigade conducts successful re-sustainment airdrop at Northern Strike Army News 12 Aug 2021 -- This year's Northern Strike exercise featured something not done in years past: Humvees dropping from the sky.
• New Hampshire Guard radar operators train at Northern Strike Army News 12 Aug 2021 -- Field artillery firefinder radar operators honed their skills to detect enemy fire during Northern Strike 21-2 at Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center.
• China, Russia Pose Strategic Challenges for U.S., Allies, Admiral Says DoD News 12 Aug 2021 -- The U.S. is now navigating through uncharted waters with the possibility of strategic deterrence failing under rapidly growing threats from China and Russia, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command said.
• STRATCOM: US Sensor Architecture Not Sufficient to Detect Hypersonic Missiles Sputnik 12 Aug 2021 -- US military's sensor architecture is not sufficient to effectively detect hypersonic missiles across the world while Russia today is the leading nation for this technology, US Strategic Command chief Adm. Charles Richard said on Thursday.
• SECNAV Del Toro Visits USS Kearsarge First Day on the Job US Navy 12 Aug 2021 -- With less than 24 hours clocked as the Department of the Navy's top leader, USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) and its crew made a big impression upon the Honorable Carlos Del Toro, the Navy's 78th and newest Secretary of the Navy.
• Vice Admiral Discusses Potential of AI in Missile Defense Testing, Operations DoD News 12 Aug 2021 -- Mountains of data are generated when the U.S. military conducts missile testing, and not all of that data is even used, simply because there's more information to be processed than there are people to process it, the director of the Missile Defense Agency said.
• NATO Allies stand together against wildfires NATO 12 Aug 2021 -- Albania, Greece, North Macedonia and Turkey have received support from their NATO Allies in dealing with devastating wildfires faced since July. The assistance provided included the delivery of ground and air assets most needed to help contain the spread of the fires.
• Russian Military Reports Threefold Increase in NATO Reconnaissance Flights Over Black Sea Sputnik 12 Aug 2021 -- NATO reconnaissance aircraft have increased their flights over the Black Sea almost threefold this year, hitting new peaks compared to aerial activities over the previous years, Nikolay Gostev, the commander of the fourth air and air defence forces army of Russia's Southern Military District, said.
• PLA Likely Begins Construction of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Silo Site near Hanggin Banner Air University (AU) - China Aerospace Studies Institute 12 Aug 2021 -- By mid-May 2021, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) likely began construction of a potential intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) silo site in Hanggin Banner, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia (approximately at 40.113, 108.104). Images taken by the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 mission between 16 May and 9 August 2021 reveal a construction footprint similar to those found at known PLA ICBM silo construction sites at Jilantai, Guazhou (typically referred to as the Yumen site), and Hami.
• US Strategic Command Chief Says China's Nuclear Modernisation 'Breathtaking' Sputnik 12 Aug 2021 -- US Strategic Command chief Adm. Charles Richard said on Thursday that China's nuclear and conventional forces modernisation efforts are "breathtaking" and warned that Beijing will soon become a nation "capable of coercion."
• Type 054A frigate good choice to expand PLA naval fleet and boost combat preparedness: experts Global Times 12 Aug 2021 -- China is reportedly building another batch of Type 054A frigates for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLA Navy) after it had launched two new ships of this class over the past few months, a move Chinese military observers said on Thursday was aimed at rapidly expanding the country's naval fleet amid the need to boost its combat preparedness.
• Carrier-based fighter jets make breakthroughs in live-fire drills Global Times 12 Aug 2021 -- Aircraft carrier-based J-15 fighter jets of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy recently conducted a series of live-fire missile drills that broke several records, including the number of aircraft sortied and types of weapons fired.
• Joint planning drill conducted in exercise "ZAPAD/INTERACTION-2021" PLA Daily 12 Aug 2021 -- The first-phase joint planning drill of exercise ZAPAD/INTERACTION-2021 kicked off at the combined arms tactical training base of the PLA Army in Qingtongxia City of West China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region on August 10, 2021. The joint command of the Chinese and Russian armed forces carries out corresponding organizing and coordination work.
• Newly revised regulations on Chinese naval vessels come into force PLA Daily 12 Aug 2021 -- With the approval of China's Central Military Commission (CMC), the trial version of the newly revised regulations on naval vessels has formally come into effect since July 1, 2021. The regulations have systematically adjusted and re-standardized the provisions on combat readiness, training, management, and support of naval vessels.
• VALIDATION & CLOSING CEREMONY EXERCISE INDRA-21 India PIB 12 Aug 2021 -- The closing ceremony of the Indo-Russia joint exercise INDRA was held on 12 Aug 2021. The aim of the exercise was to acquaint each other with operational planning, procedures, combat drills and conducting of joint operations against internationalterrorist groups.
• MAIDEN AL-MOHED AL-HINDI EXERCISE SET TO BEGIN BETWEEN INDIAN NAVY AND SAUDI ARABIA NAVY India PIB 12 Aug 2021 -- The Indian Navy's visit to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was set rolling with the Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF), Rear Adm Ajay Kochhar visiting the Fleet Cdr of Royal Saudi Navy's Eastern Fleet, Rear Adm Majid Al Qahtani on 10 Aug 21.
• Iran cmdr.: Air defense systems 'at the ready' to protect Persian Gulf, Sea of Oman Press TV 12 Aug 2021 -- Commander of Iran's Air Defense Force Brigadier General Alireza Sabahi-Fard says the force's radar and missile systems are at the ready at the mouth of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman to protect those vital waterways against any hostile act.
• Iran Warns Its Air Defences Keeping 'Watchful Eye' Over Sensitive Airspace Amid Raging Gulf Tensions Sputnik 12 Aug 2021 -- The Islamic Republic has one of the densest and most sophisticated air defence networks in the Middle East, and the country's military industry has created a number of advanced, combat-tested missile systems, including the Khordad-3 road-mobile medium-range air defence platform, which shot down a US spy drone over the Strait of Hormuz in 2019.
• Saudi Arabia considers purchasing Russian Abakan air defense system: Report Press TV 12 Aug 2021 -- Saudi Arabian military officials are reportedly mulling over buying the Russian-made Abakan surface-to-air missile defense system to protect the country's oil infrastructure and supply in the wake of retaliatory drone and missile attacks by Yemeni armed forces.
• Coast guard denies report of French warship anchoring off Taiwan CNA 12 Aug 2021 -- The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said Thursday there was no truth to a social media report that a French military vessel had anchored in waters off Taiwan's west coast the previous day.
• Taiwan confirms anchoring of French warship off its west coast CNA 12 Aug 2021 -- A French naval warship has anchored in waters off the coast of Changhua County's Fangyuan Township, an official from Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) confirmed on Thursday without disclosing any further details.
• Secretary Blinken Meeting with Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Al-Thani US Dept. of State 12 Aug 2021
• Department Press Briefing – August 12, 2021 US Dept. of State 12 Aug 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Aug. 12, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 12 August 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 12 Aug 2021
• US blocking political solution to Yemen crisis: Ansarullah Press TV 12 Aug 2021 -- Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement has slammed the United States' interventionist measures in Yemen, saying Washington is hindering a political resolution of the conflict gripping the impoverished country.
• More Than 80 Civilians Killed by Myanmar Forces in Sagaing Township Radio Free Asia 12 Aug 2021 -- More than 80 civilians have died during clashes in nearly four months of fighting between local militia members and junta forces in one strife-torn township in northwestern Myanmar's Sagaing, said the local militia in a statement that accused regime troops of killing 46 in three massacres.
• Armenia Rejects Azerbaijan's Accusations of Violation of Trilateral Statement on Karabakh Sputnik 12 Aug 2021 -- The Armenian Foreign Ministry rejected on Wednesday accusations by the Azerbaijani side that Yerevan violated the trilateral statement on the cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, signed by the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan in November 2020.
• More Than 50 Dead in Attacks on Mali Villages VOA 12 Aug 2021 -- Militants in Mali have massacred more than 50 villagers near the borders with Burkina Faso and Niger. The area has seen increasing violence from armed Islamists, and activists are calling on authorities to act.
• UN, AU Urge Somalia to Hold Elections Without Further Delay VOA 12 Aug 2021 -- The United Nations and the African Union urged Somalia on Thursday to hold already delayed national elections this October despite attempted intimidation by Islamist militants.
• Top UN envoy points to fresh hope for democratic Somalia UN News 12 Aug 2021 -- Political strides are breathing new hope into the country's fragile State-building process, driven by an electoral agreement signed by Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, and the heads of Somalia's federal member states, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Thursday.

News Reports

• San Fernando Valley Man Found Guilty in Terror Plot to Bomb a Rally in Long Beach US Dept. of Justice 12 Aug 2021 -- A federal jury convicted a California man today for attempting to bomb a rally in Long Beach for the purpose of causing mass casualties.
• Biden Administration Struggles to Find Coherent Message on US-Mexico Border, Critics Say VOA 12 Aug 2021 -- The Biden administration has struggled to deliver a coherent message about the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border, critics contend.
• Lithuanian Official Confirms Important Data Stolen From Country's Foreign Ministry Sputnik 12 Aug 2021 -- Asta Skaisgiryte, the chief foreign policy adviser to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda confirmed on Thursday that the country's foreign ministry was hacked and important documents were stolen, and speculated that they might be linked to the recent civil unrest.
• Spyware: Rights experts push for surveillance technology moratorium UN News 12 Aug 2021 -- A group of UN-appointed experts on Thursday called for a moratorium on the sale of surveillance technology, warning against the danger of allowing the sector to operate as "a human rights-free zone."
• Russia arrests top hypersonic research scientist suspected of treason Press TV 12 Aug 2021 -- Russia has arrested the head of a research institute specializing in hypersonic technology on suspicion of state treason, Russian media report.
• Russia Detains Hypersonic Flight Expert In Treason Case RFE/RL 12 Aug 2021 -- Russian authorities have detained the head of an institute researching hypersonic flight on charges of high treason.
• Moscow Court Orders Hypersonic Tech Expert Kuranov Into Custody in Treason Case Sputnik 12 Aug 2021 -- A Moscow district court on Thursday ordered a 73-year-old hypersonic technology scientist to be held in custody on suspicion of state treason.
• Disqualified In 2019, Prospective Russian Duma Candidate Pulls Out All The Stops This Time RFE/RL 12 Aug 2021 -- The numbers tell the story of 27-year-old Anastasia Bryukhanova's uphill effort to be registered as an independent candidate for the State Duma in Moscow's 198th single-mandate district.
• Peaceful Protests 'Become Almost Impossible' In Russia, Report Says RFE/RL 12 Aug 2021 -- Russian authorities have stifled people's right to peaceful protests to such an extent that is has become almost impossible for Russians to protest in any meaningful way, Amnesty International has said in a report.
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Meeting with People's Republic of China Appointed Ambassador Qin Gang US Dept. of State 12 Aug 2021
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Remarks on Wanton Comments by Canada on China's Lawful Handling of Cases Involving Canadian Citizens in China PRC MofA 12 Aug 2021
• Chinese Foreign Ministry, embassies lash out at Canada ganging up with other countries on judicial cases involving Canadian nationals Global Times 12 Aug 2021 -- Chinese Foreign Ministry and embassies lashed out at Canada ganging up with other countries over the cases of Canadian Michael Spavor who was convicted of espionage and Canadian drug smuggler Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, and urged these countries to respect the rule of law in Cina and stop politicizing judicial cases.
• Largest HK opposition group likely to disband; city no longer secessionism hotbed Global Times 12 Aug 2021 -- Hong Kong's Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF), the biggest opposition alliance in the city, was reportedly scheduled to announce its disbandment at the earliest possible time on Friday. It came as a number of radical anti-government opposition groups and platforms, which had engaged in anti-China and trouble-making movements over the past years, including the secessionist tabloid Apple Daily and the Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union (PTU), stopped operating.
• Beijing Hopes To Replicate Pakistani Model For Returning Uyghurs To China RFE/RL Gandhara 12 Aug 2021 -- China has used its massive economic clout in Pakistan to gain Islamabad's cooperation in its transnational campaign targeting Uyghurs, a model that Beijing wants to export across Asia and the Middle East, a new report finds.
• Fears About National Security Law Chill Hong Kong Media VOA 12 Aug 2021 -- One year ago this week, Hong Kong authorities raided Apple Daily's offices and arrested the pro-democracy news outlet's founder, Jimmy Lai.
• China's Ruling Party on Track to Ensure Everyone Sings The Right Tunes Radio Free Asia 12 Aug 2021 -- As the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) heads to the seaside resort of Beidaihe for its summer conference, the administration of general secretary Xi Jinping has ordered the deletion of songs with banned political content from the nation's karaoke parlors.
• Researchers Spot Deep Fake Profile Photos Linked to Pro-China Twitter Accounts Radio Free Asia 12 Aug 2021 -- Researchers in the United Kingdom have discovered a coordinated network of "deep-fake" social media accounts pushing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s views in the guise of ordinary account-holders.
• Shanghai Bans English Exams Amid Calls For Less English Teaching Radio Free Asia 12 Aug 2021 -- Authorities in Shanghai have canceled primary school English exams in a bid to lighten the burden on children and parents, amid growing calls for English to be de-emphasized in China's state schools.
• Seven Chinese warplanes enter Taiwan's ADIZ CNA 12 Aug 2021 -- Seven Chinese military aircraft, including fighter jets, entered Taiwan's southwestern air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Thursday, amid unconfirmed reports that a French frigate was spotted near Taiwan's west coast.
• US, Taiwan crossing the red line will create historic opportunity for PLA fighter jets to fly over island: Global Times editorial Global Times 12 Aug 2021 -- On Wednesday, the White House announced that US President Joe Biden "will bring together leaders from a diverse group of the world's democracies at a virtual Summit for Democracy, to be followed in roughly a year's time by a second, in-person Summit."
• China urges U.S. to stop sending wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" forces People's Daily 12 Aug 2021 -- China urges the United States to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, properly handle Taiwan-related issues and stop sending wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" forces, a spokesperson said Wednesday.
• China urges US to stop sending wrong signals to Taipei's separatist forces Press TV 12 Aug 2021 -- China has urged the United States to stop interfering in the affairs of Chinese Taipei and sending wrong signals to separatist forces in the self-governed Chinese island.
• Former Belarusian Presidential Candidate Detained Amid Ongoing Crackdown On Dissent RFE/RL 12 Aug 2021 -- Belarusian authorities have detained more pro-democracy figures and activists amid an intensifying crackdown on opponents of authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
• Israel, Morocco Agree to Open Embassies, Says Israeli Foreign Minister VOA 12 Aug 2021 -- Israel and Morocco are moving ahead with plans to open their respective embassies, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid announced Thursday during a trip to the North African country.
• South Africa's President Says ANC Cleaning Up Corruption VOA 12 Aug 2021 -- South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has acknowledged rampant corruption within his ruling African National Congress party under former President Jacob Zuma. Addressing a judicial inquiry on graft this week, Ramaphosa said a line had been drawn in the sand and said the party is going to be very serious in dealing with corruption.
• Lebanon government accuses central bank of breaking law by removing fuel subsides Press TV 12 Aug 2021 -- Caretaker PM Hassan Diab says Lebanon's central bank has violated the law by eliminating fuel subsidies, adding the damage will dwarf the benefits of preserving the mandatory reserves, which the bank is trying to protect.
• US Special Envoy Meets with Haitian Civil Society, Opposition Politicians VOA 12 Aug 2021 -- President Joe Biden's special envoy for Haiti, Ambassador Daniel Foote, met virtually with Haitian civil society representatives and politicians Wednesday.
• Haiti to hold presidential, other elections in November Press TV 12 Aug 2021 -- Haiti will hold a presidential election on November 7, following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise last month, which threw the country into political chaos.
• Heavy Voter Turnout Reported for Zambia Presidential Election VOA 12 Aug 2021 -- Zambians voted in general elections Thursday after a tense campaign dominated by economic woes, a debt crisis and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
• North Macedonia, Albania Face New Obstacles on Path to EU VOA 12 Aug 2021 -- North Macedonia's bid for membership in the European Union was held up for two decades by a dispute with Greece over its name. One painful compromise later, the road forward is being blocked again — this time by Bulgaria in a dispute over language and historical grievances.