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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• 31st Special Session of the Human Rights Council: The serious human rights concerns and situation in Afghanistan - Statement by Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights UNOHCHR 24 Aug 2021
• Remarks by President Biden on the Ongoing Evacuation Efforts in Afghanistan and the House Vote on the Build Back Better Agenda The White House 24 Aug 2021
• Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on Afghan Arrival Processing The White House 24 Aug 2021
• Statement by Press Secretary Jen Psaki on President Biden's Meeting with G7 Leaders The White House 24 Aug 2021
• Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby and Major General Hank Taylor, Deputy Director of the Joint Staff For Regional Operations Press Briefing DoD 24 Aug 2021 -- Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby; Major General Hank Taylor, Deputy Director of the Joint Staff For Regional Operations, J-35
• Nearly 22k Personnel Out of Afghanistan in Last 24 Hours DoD News 24 Aug 2021 -- Using U.S. C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules aircraft along with coalition and partner airlift, about 21,600 personnel have been evacuated from Afghanistan in the last 24 hours, said the Joint Staff deputy director for regional operations, who said the numbers are the best since evacuation operations started.
• Taliban Imposes 'Severe' Rules For Afghan Media, Group Says RFE/RL Gandhara 24 Aug 2021 -- Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says the Taliban is imposing "very severe constraints" on the media -- even if they are not yet official -- in an effort to gain control over information despite the hard-line Islamist group's pledge to respect press freedom.
• G7 Leaders Vow 'Steadfast' Commitment To Afghanistan, Call For Inclusive Government RFE/RL Gandhara 24 Aug 2021 -- The Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies has pledged its "steadfast commitment" to the people of Afghanistan and expressing "grave concern" about the situation in the war-torn country following the seizure of power by the Taliban.
• EU Quadruples Humanitarian Aid For Afghans To More Than $234 Million RFE/RL Gandhara 24 Aug 2021 -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced an increase in humanitarian support for Afghans to more than 200 million euros ($234 million) from the current 50 million euros.
• UN Rights Chief Cites Credible Reports Of Taliban Executions, Restrictions On Women RFE/RL Gandhara 24 Aug 2021 -- UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet says she has received credible reports of serious violations committed by the Taliban in Afghanistan, including summary executions of civilians and restrictions on women.
• Britain Says Kabul Evacuation Extension 'Unlikely' But Will Still Push For It RFE/RL Gandhara 24 Aug 2021 -- British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace says it is "unlikely" the evacuation operation from Kabul airport will be extended past the August 31 deadline.
• Biden Cites Risk Posed By Islamic State Splinter Group In Keeping Afghan Withdrawal Deadline RFE/RL Gandhara 24 Aug 2021 -- President Joe Biden says the U.S.-led airlift from Kabul must finish by the August 31 deadline he set because of an increasing threat from a branch of the Islamic State terrorist group.
• Minnesota National Guard unit supports Afghanistan evacuation Army News 24 Aug 2021 -- Minnesota National Guard's Task Force 1-194 mobilized in March 2021 to serve as the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) Regional Response Force based in Camp Buehring, Kuwait. The Regional Response Force, part of Task Force Spartan under Operation Spartan Shield, is postured for rapid deployment within the CENTCOM area to support strategic and operational requirements.
• NATO Secretary General participates in G7 meeting on Afghanistan NATO 24 Aug 2021 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg took part in the virtual summit of the Group of Seven (G7) on Afghanistan on Tuesday (24 August 2021). He stressed the importance of keeping Kabul airport open in order to continue evacuations. Mr Stoltenberg said that several hundred NATO staff and contractors have been providing critical services, such as air traffic control, fuel supply, and communications at the airport. He added that NATO has also taken on a coordinating role to ensure that people can be evacuated as effectively as possible.
• Taliban warn US against extending evacuation deadline Press TV 24 Aug 2021 -- The Taliban have rejected the potential extension of a looming deadline for US and other foreign troops to completely withdraw from Afghanistan, and called on Washington to stop evacuating skilled Afghans after the group's takeover of the country.
• US spy chief holds secret meeting with Taliban leader: Report Press TV 24 Aug 2021 -- CIA Director William J. Burns has held a secret meeting with Taliban leader Abdul Ghani Baradar, more than a week after the Taliban's capture of Afghanistan's capital of Kabul.
• US accelerates Afghan evacuations as G7 convenes to discuss deadline, Taliban recognition Press TV 24 Aug 2021 -- More than a week after the Taliban's lightning capture of Kabul, American troops are still pushing ahead with an ill-prepared military pullout and a poorly-handled evacuation plan, just as the Taliban warned against prolonging the withdrawal beyond the August 31 deadline.
• Special session of the Human Rights Council on Afghanistan: UK statement UK FCDO 24 Aug 2021 -- Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon addressed the UN Human Rights Council during the special session on serious human rights concerns and situation in Afghanistan.
• Afghanistan: Negotiations to bring in urgent medical supplies ongoing, says WHO UN News 24 Aug 2021 -- Negotiations are underway to bring 500 metric tonnes of urgently needed medical supplies into Afghanistan, senior regional officials with the World Health Organization (WHO) said during an online briefing on Tuesday.
• Afghanistan women's rights are 'red line', UN rights chief tells States UN News 24 Aug 2021 -- UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet led calls on Tuesday for Afghanistan's new Taliban leaders to respect the rights of all Afghans and warned that the treatment of women and girls is a "fundamental red line" that should not be crossed.
• U.S. Africa Command conducts strike against al-Shabaab AFRICOM 24 Aug 2021 -- In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted a collective self-defense strike against al-Shabaab fighters engaged in active combat with our Somali partners in the vicinity of Cammaara, Somalia, on Aug. 24.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Spacecom Attains Initial Operational Capability, Commander Says DoD News 24 Aug 2021 -- The U.S. Space Command reached initial operational capability today and is on the path to meeting full operational capability in the near future, its commander said.
• Kendall, Raymond stress importance of space and Space Force's success in separate, high-profile speeches US Air Force 24 Aug 2021 -- Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall offered unambiguous support Aug. 24 for the still-evolving U.S. Space Force, noting the critical role space plays in the nation's security, the essential functions space enables in everyday life, and why access must be assured as space becomes more congested and contested.
• Air Force update for COVID-19 US Air Force 24 Aug 2021
• NAVCENT Stands Up Task Force Supporting Afghanistan Evacuation US Navy 24 Aug 2021 -- A U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) task force established Aug. 19 is temporarily assisting the safe evacuation of personnel from Afghanistan.
• Hershel "Woody" Williams Joins Brazilian Navy for Inaugural Operation Guinex US Navy 24 Aug 2021 -- The Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB 4) participated in the first iteration of the Brazilian-led, Gulf of Guinea exercise called Operation Guinex with the Brazilian Frigate Independencia, Aug. 23, 2021.
• VMFA-211 Conducts First Cross-Deck Aviation Mission in Modern Naval History USMC News 24 Aug 2021 -- Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 conducted a first-of-its-kind operation which saw F-35B aircraft launched from HMS Queen Elizabeth land on the amphibious assault ship USS America to load ordnance, refuel, and strike follow-on objectives on August 20th, 2021.
• Russia slams US plans to deploy forces to Central Asia after Afghanistan pullout Press TV 24 Aug 2021 -- Russia has slammed reported plans by the United States to deploy troops to the Central Asia region following the hasty withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan and the Taliban's takeover of the country.
• US, Royal Thai Armed Forces complete 40th Exercise Cobra Gold Army News 24 Aug 2021 -- The 40th iteration of Exercise Cobra Gold took place Aug. 3 to 13, 2021, in the Kingdom of Thailand.
• Air Force BRAC program nears transfer milestones US Air Force 24 Aug 2021 -- Just over an acre of land in the middle of Alaska and 263 acres outside a small town in Illinois, while the numbers may not seem impressive, represent an Air Force milestone.
• Secretary Blinken's Call with NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg US Dept. of State 24 Aug 2021
• Russia navy overhaul: New warships, nuclear subs under construction Press TV 24 Aug 2021 -- Russia is pushing forward with plans to modernize its navy using cutting-edge technology, with President Vladimir Putin revealing that several new warships and nuclear submarines are in the pipeline.
• Type 055 large destroyer enters Sea of Japan, 'sends warning to militarists' Global Times 24 Aug 2021 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) reportedly dispatched a powerful naval flotilla led by a Type 055 large destroyer to the Sea of Japan for the second time this year on Sunday, a move Chinese military experts said on Tuesday will send a warning to Japanese right-wing forces and militarists. The move came after some Japanese senior politicians recently honored World War II war criminals at the Yasukuni Shrine and the country released a defense paper that provoked China on questions involving the island of Taiwan and the Diaoyu Islands.
• First batch of Multi-Mode Hand Grenades handed over to Indian Army in the presence of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh in Nagpur India PIB 24 Aug 2021 -- Raksha Mantri terms it a shining example of public-private partnership to achieve self-reliance in defence manufacturing
• Mission Sagar - Indian Naval Ship Airavat Arrives at Jakarta, Indonesia to deliver Medical Supplies India PIB 24 Aug 2021 -- Indian Navy's Landing Ship Tank (Large) INS Airavat arrived at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, Indonesia on 24 August 2021 to deliver 10 Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) containers, based on the requirement projected by the Government of Indonesia.
• Commander: Iran's army in full readiness IRNA 24 Aug 2021 -- Commander of the Iranian Army in northwestern headquarters Brigadier-General Ali Hajilou said on Tuesday that today the Islamic Republic of Iran army is in its full readiness.
• Saudis Sign Military Cooperation Agreement With Russia RFE/RL 24 Aug 2021 -- Saudi Arabia and Russia have signed a military cooperation agreement at an arms expo outside Moscow.
• US Vice-President Harris in Vietnam for Covid-19 Cooperation and Security Talks Radio Free Asia 24 Aug 2021 -- U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris flew into Vietnam on Tuesday for a two-day visit aimed at strengthening a bilateral security partnership and helping Hanoi fight the coronavirus pandemic, as Washington tries to challenge what she called Chinese coercion and intimidation in the region.
• Remarks by Vice President Harris on the Indo-Pacific Region The White House 24 Aug 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu US Dept. of State 24 Aug 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Canadian Foreign Minister Garneau US Dept. of State 24 Aug 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with German Foreign Minister Maas US Dept. of State 24 Aug 2021
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, August 24, 2021 The White House 24 Aug 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Aug. 24, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 24 August 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 24 Aug 2021
• 5 million Yemenis just one step away from famine, related diseases: UN Press TV 24 Aug 2021 -- A high-ranking United Nations official has warned that Yemen is spiraling faster toward food shortages and other humanitarian catastrophes, with millions of people in the Arab country ravaged by a Saudi-led war being "a step away" from famine and related diseases.
• A moment to inject new momentum to peace efforts in Yemen UK FCDO 24 Aug 2021 -- Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the Security Council briefing on Yemen
• Shelter needs soar for displaced in Yemen's Marib region UN News 24 Aug 2021 -- Humanitarian needs, including a lack of shelter, are soaring among displaced communities, as fighting continues in Yemen's Marib governorate, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warned on Tuesday.
• The besiegement in Daraa must stop UK FCDO 24 Aug 2021 -- Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the Security Council briefing on Syria
• Increased Syria violence prompts largest civilian displacements in a year, as gridlock stymies political talks UN News 24 Aug 2021 -- Progress towards resolving Syria's decade-long conflict has reached an impasse, the chief United Nations mediator told the Security Council on Tuesday, as an uptick in fighting throughout the country led to some of the largest civilian displacements in a year.
• NATO Deputy Secretary General: Crimea is Ukraine NATO 24 Aug 2021 -- NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana arrived in Kyiv, Ukraine on Monday (23 August 2021) to participate in the inaugural Crimean Platform Summit.
• Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on the meeting of the so-called Crimea Platform in Kiev Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24 Aug 2021
• Armenian PM Says Almost 3,800 Soldiers Killed In War With Azerbaijan RFE/RL 24 Aug 2021 -- A total of 3,773 Armenian servicemen were killed during the 44-day war with Azerbaijan last autumn, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said in giving the first official military death toll in the conflict over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region.
• 4 Years After Fleeing Myanmar, Rohingya Still Risk Death Seeking a Better Life Radio Free Asia 24 Aug 2021 -- At least eight Rohingya children drowned in the Bay of Bengal last week – casualties of a desperate people's desire to get away from the Bangladeshi camps where they've been confined since fleeing Myanmar four years ago.
• Marking the Fourth Anniversary of the Ethnic Cleansing in Rakhine State US Dept. of State 24 Aug 2021 -- Four years ago, Burma's military launched a horrific ethnic cleansing against Rohingya in northern Rakhine State. The brutality of the military's atrocities on that day shocked the conscience of the international community – but we recognize the Rohingya had already suffered decades of grave human rights abuses, and that many of those abuses continue today.

News Reports

• Who Might Russia Declare A 'Foreign Agent' Journalist? Pretty Much Anyone, Really. RFE/RL 24 Aug 2021 -- As the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin accelerates its campaign against independent journalism, declaring multiple investigative outlets "foreign agents," reporters caught up in the dragnet have long been wondering why some have been targeted while others have not.
• Lavrov Says Russia Doesn't Want To See U.S. Troops In Central Asia RFE/RL 24 Aug 2021 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow does not want to see U.S. troops in Central Asia because it would make the region a target for attacks.
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's opening remarks during talks with Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen, Budapest, August 24, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24 Aug 2021
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's statement and answers to media questions at a joint news conference with Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto, Budapest, August 24, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24 Aug 2021
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's opening remarks during talks with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto, Budapest, August 24, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24 Aug 2021
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on August 24, 2021 PRC MofA 24 Aug 2021
• US rules-based order means 'arbitrary intervention' in sovereign countries, 'paying no price': Chinese FM Global Times 24 Aug 2021 -- Chinese Foreign Ministry refuted US Vice President Kamala Harris' remarks which accused China of "intimidation" in the South China Sea, saying that what is happening in Afghanistan clearly demonstrates that the US' so-called "rules-based order" is a way to arbitrarily intervene militarily in a sovereign country without being held responsible for the suffering of its people.
• Central gov't official says policy towards Hong Kong will not change People's Daily 24 Aug 2021 -- The Chinese central government's policy towards the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will not change, Huang Liuquan, deputy head of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, said Tuesday.
• National delegation introduces 14th Five-Year Plan opportunities for Hong Kong People's Daily 24 Aug 2021 -- The first of a series of activities on the introduction of the outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for national socio-economic development was held here Monday, with participants discussing fresh opportunities from the national development scheme for Hong Kong to better integrate into the overall development of the country.
• Hong Kong to Censor Critical Movies Under National Security Law Radio Free Asia 24 Aug 2021 -- The Hong Kong government on Tuesday tabled a legislative amendment that will add new requirements to current guidelines for the board of film censors, requiring them to prevent films from being screened if they contain scenes, ideas, or images critical of the authorities.
• Uyghurs in Afghanistan Fear Deportation to China or Persecution Under The Taliban Radio Free Asia 24 Aug 2021 -- Uyghurs living in Afghanistan are terrified that the Taliban's takeover of the country could mean they will be extradited to face harsh punishment in China or suffer other dangers in the war-torn South Asian nation.
• North Koreans Pressed to Donate Labor, Cash For Flood Recovery Work Radio Free Asia 24 Aug 2021 -- Factories and residents in North Korea are chafing at new orders to help fund and build new houses for people on the country's east coast whose homes were destroyed in floods early this month, sources in the region told RFA.
• Myanmar junta considers forming militia groups in villages to fight opposition Press TV 24 Aug 2021 -- More than six months after taking over Myanmar in a coup d'etat, the military is now trying to further assert its rule by raising local militias in villages to fight opposition groups.
• Thirty Youths Arrested in Yangon Raids After Myanmar Shadow Govt Warns of 'D-Day' Operation Radio Free Asia 24 Aug 2021 -- Security forces have detained more than 30 youths in Myanmar's largest city Yangon as authorities conducted a series of raids in response to the country's shadow government warning of a "D-Day" operation to oust the junta nearly seven months after it seized power through a coup.
• Lithuania Wants EU Sanctions On Belarus Over Migrant Inflow RFE/RL 24 Aug 2021 -- Lithuania says it has proposed that the European Union impose sanctions on Belarusian citizens and companies it says are helping migrants cross into the bloc.
• Former Kyrgyz PM Abylgaziev Released From Pretrial Detention In Kumtor Case RFE/RL 24 Aug 2021 -- Former Kyrgyz Prime Minister Mukhammedkalyi Abylgaziev, who was charged with corruption during the development of the Kumtor gold-mine project, has been released from pretrial detention.
• Kyrgyz President Signs Controversial 'False Information' Bill Into Law RFE/RL 24 Aug 2021 -- Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has signed into law the controversial "false information" bill that many domestic and international rights groups have harshly criticized, saying the legislation could be used to suppress press freedoms in the Central Asian nation.
• United States Sanctions Corrupt Actors in Paraguay US Dept. of State 24 Aug 2021 -- he United States is imposing financial sanctions on three Paraguayan individuals for their roles in corruption schemes in Paraguay, as well as on five associated entities connected with those schemes, pursuant to Executive Order 13818.
• Treasury Targets Corruption Networks in Paraguay US Treasury 24 Aug 2021 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned three Paraguayan individuals, Kassem Mohamad Hijazi, Khalil Ahmad Hijazi, and Liz Paola Doldan Gonzalez, for their roles in corruption in Paraguay, as well as five associated entities connected with their corruption schemes.