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News Reports

Current Operations

• Secretary Antony J. Blinken On Afghanistan US Dept. of State 25 Aug 2021
• Vermont National Guard supports Afghanistan evacuation Army News 25 Aug 2021 -- Vermont National Guard units deployed to U.S. Central Command are supporting Operation Allies Refuge.
• National Guard helps with massive Afghanistan evacuation Army News 25 Aug 2021 -- National Guard Airmen and Soldiers from around the United States are playing a key role in the historic evacuation of tens of thousands of people from Afghanistan.
• 405th AFSB to establish facilities for 4,200 more Afghan evacuees in Germany, Kosovo Army News 25 Aug 2021 -- Evacuees from Afghanistan began arriving in Kaiserslautern this week as part of Operation Allies Refuge.
• Gen. Tod D. Wolters, Commander, U.S. European Command and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby Press Briefing DoD 25 Aug 2021 -- Air Force Gen. Tod D. Wolters, Commander, U.S. European Command and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby
• Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby and Major General Hank Taylor, Deputy Director of the Joint Staff For Regional Operations Press Briefing DoD 25 Aug 2021 -- Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby; Major General Hank Taylor, Deputy Director of the Joint Staff For Regional Operations, J-35
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call with German Federal Minister of Defense Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer DoD 25 Aug 2021
• Eucom Ready for 25,000 Afghan Evacuees at a Time DoD News 25 Aug 2021 -- Military installations in the U.S. European Command are now ready to accept thousands of evacuees from Afghanistan at a time, the commander of Eucom said.
• With Afghanistan Evacuation, It's Lives Over Equipment ... Period, DOD Spokesman Says DoD News 25 Aug 2021 -- The U.S. military is planning to leave Afghanistan by August 31. The plan for that departure includes not just U.S. service members, but also some of the important military equipment still in the country.
• Will The Taliban Stay United To Govern, Or Splinter Into Regional Fiefdoms? RFE/RL Gandhara 25 Aug 2021 -- As the Taliban transforms its military chain of command into a governing structure for Afghanistan, alliances and tribal configurations that kept two rival Taliban factions together in recent years are now being tested.
• Poland Urged To Allow Entry For Afghans Stuck At Border With Belarus RFE/RL Gandhara 25 Aug 2021 -- Amnesty International is urging Poland to allow entry and provide humanitarian assistance to a group of 32 people from Afghanistan who have been held at the border between Poland and Belarus without proper food, clean water, shelter, and medicine for two weeks.
• Media Reports Say Senior Taliban Veterans Picked For Key Afghan Ministerial Posts RFE/RL Gandhara 25 Aug 2021 -- The Taliban has appointed senior veterans as finance and defense ministers, media reports say, following the seizure of much of Afghanistan by the hard-line Islamist group.
• Tajik President Calls For 'Inclusive Government' In Afghanistan RFE/RL Gandhara 25 Aug 2021 -- Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has expressed his vision of the future government of Afghanistan under the Taliban's control, saying that Dushanbe wants to see all ethnic groups in the country represented in the next cabinet.
• Almost All Brits Without Dual Citizenship Have Left Afghanistan: Raab RFE/RL Gandhara 25 Aug 2021 -- British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on August 25 that almost all British citizens without dual nationality have been evacuated from Afghanistan.
• Russia To Evacuate 500 From Kabul; Hungary Winding Down Afghan Airlifts RFE/RL Gandhara 25 Aug 2021 -- Russia will use four military transport aircraft to evacuate more than 500 citizens from Afghanistan, Russian news agencies reported on August 25, as the Taliban said an August 31 deadline for all foreign evacuations to be completed will not be extended.
• World Bank Pauses Disbursements To Afghanistan RFE/RL Gandhara 25 Aug 2021 -- The World Bank has suspended aid to Afghanistan, saying it is "deeply concerned" about the situation in the country and the impact that the Taliban's seizure of power will have on development prospects, especially for women.
• Thousands Still At Kabul Airport As West Races To Complete Withdrawal Before Deadline RFE/RL Gandhara 25 Aug 2021 -- More than 10,000 people seeking to leave Afghanistan remain at the Kabul airport and the figure could rise in the coming days, the Pentagon says, as the United States and its allies race to meet an August 31 deadline to finish the evacuations that President Joe Biden said are becoming more risky each day for U.S. troops still on the ground.
• China maintains smooth communication with Taliban, respects choice of Afghans: FM Global Times 25 Aug 2021 -- China has maintained smooth and effective communication and consultation with the Afghan Taliban and Kabul is an important platform and channel for the two sides to discuss affairs of common concern, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday in response to a question on the meeting between a Taliban delegation and the Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan Wang Yu.
• Top Chinese diplomats highlight political settlement on Afghan issue, urge respect on choice of Afghan people Global Times 25 Aug 2021 -- Senior Chinese diplomats including Yang Jiechi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, and Wang Yi, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister, on Tuesday stressed the political settlement on the Afghan issue, condemned US' wanton sanctions on Afghanistan, and called on the international community to help the nation to enhance its ability to achieve self-development.
• Xi says China ready to strengthen coordination with Russia, world on Afghanistan PLA Daily 25 Aug 2021 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that China stands ready to strengthen communication and coordination with Russia and the broader international community on the Afghanistan issue.
• Turkey, Taliban in airport 'technical support' talks: Report Press TV 25 Aug 2021 -- The Taliban militant group has reportedly initiated talks with Turkey to see whether the country would give the group "technical assistance" at the Kabul International Airport once all foreign forces leave Afghanistan by the end of August.
• Taliban appoint veterans to key ministerial posts Press TV 25 Aug 2021 -- The Taliban have appointed senior veterans to the positions of Afghanistan's finance minister, interior minister, and defense minister, but the appointments have not been formally announced.
• Russia starts evacuations from Afghanistan Press TV 25 Aug 2021 -- Russia has started the evacuation of hundreds of people from Afghanistan amid violent chaos at the Kabul international airport and and jitters in the Afghan capital over the takeover of the country by the Taliban militant group.
• Tajik President Calls For 'Inclusive Government' In Afghanistan RFE/RL 25 Aug 2021 -- Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has expressed his vision of the future government of Afghanistan under the Taliban's control, saying that Dushanbe wants to see all ethnic groups in the country represented in the next cabinet.
• Amidst turmoil, displacement and plunging economy, Afghanistan's future 'very difficult…to see' UN News 25 Aug 2021 -- A crisis of incredible proportions is unfolding in Afghanistan as conflict, combined with drought and COVID-19, is pushing Afghans into a humanitarian catastrophe, the UN food relief agency said on Wednesday.
• DOD Continues Providing Humanitarian Assistance to Haiti DoD News 25 Aug 2021 -- Joint Task Force Haiti has conducted some 364 full-spectrum missions, as of yesterday, using DOD and U.S. Coast Guard assets, which have assisted in saving about 436 lives and delivering vital aid, according to the Joint Staff deputy director for regional operations.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DOD Awards $14.7 Million Contract to SteriPack to Establish Domestic Production Capability of ExpressCollect (Swab-in-Tube) Collection Devices DoD 25 Aug 2021 -- On August 24, 2021, the Department of Defense (DOD), on behalf of and in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services, awarded a $14.7 million contract to SteriPack to develop domestic production capability of ExpressCollect (Swab-in-Tube) that is compatible with nasal swab tests.
• Secretary of Defense Austin Issues Guidance for Mandatory Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination of Department of Defense Service Members DoD 25 Aug 2021 -- Today, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III issued a memorandum for Mandatory Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination of Department of Defense Service Members.
• Secretary of Defense Mandates COVID-19 Vaccinations for Service Members DoD News 25 Aug 2021 -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III yesterday issued a memorandum directing mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for service members, a Pentagon official said today. John F. Kirby, Pentagon press secretary, said only Food and Drug Administration-approved vaccines will be mandatory.
• Fueled to Fight Tonight: Bulk Fuel Company makes history during Large Scale Exercise 2021 USMC News 25 Aug 2021 -- Fueling operations are, by no means, a glamorous occupation in the Marine Corps. Working with a flammable liquid in a tactical setting leaves uniforms reeking of fumes, hands swollen, and bodies fatigued as bulk fuel specialists provide this vital form of combat service support to the greater Marine Air-Ground Task Force.
• NIWC Atlantic Completes Integration of 1,000th Light Vehicle for the Marines US Navy 25 Aug 2021 -- Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic integrated its 1,000th Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) for the U.S. Marine Corps on Aug. 13, a significant accomplishment since fully consolidating its integration operations to Charleston a short eight months ago
• USS Hershel "Woody" Williams Arrives in Equatorial Guinea, NAVAF Leaders Further Partnerships US Navy 25 Aug 2021 -- The Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB 4) arrived in Bata, Equatorial Guinea for a scheduled port visit, Aug. 24, 2021.
• USS America Conducts Cyclic Flight Operations with HMS Queen Elizabeth US Navy 25 Aug 2021 -- USS America (LHA 6), the Navy's only forward-deployed amphibious assault ship, participated in cyclic flight operations with HMS Queen Elizabeth (R 08) in the Philippine Sea, Aug. 22-24.
• Kidd-class destroyers join missile interception drills: Navy CNA 25 Aug 2021 -- All four of Taiwan's Kidd-class destroyers recently took part in a live-fire drill staged in waters off Taiwan that simulated the interception of incoming enemy missiles, according to the Navy on Wednesday.
• Taiwan, Japan ruling parties set to hold security talks Friday CNA 25 Aug 2021 -- Lawmakers from the ruling parties of Taiwan and Japan will hold bilateral talks online on a range of issues Friday including regional security and China, a legislative source said Wednesday.
• Iran's naval fleet in Atlantic Ocean challenges Americans: Commander IRNA 25 Aug 2021 -- Deputy commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy said on Tuesday that during the past recent months we have been witnesses to the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy's presence in the Atlantic Ocean that is quite prominent and it has managed to challenge the Americans.
• Australia - Defense Services Related to Future Standard Missile Production DSCA 25 Aug 2021 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Australia of Defense Services Related to Future Standard Missile Production and related equipment for an estimated cost of $350 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• Korea - Precision Guided Munitions DSCA 25 Aug 2021 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Republic of Korea of Precision Guided Munitions and related equipment for an estimated cost of $258 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• US Vice-President Keeps Focus on China, Covid in Vietnam Talks Radio Free Asia 25 Aug 2021 -- U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in talks with Vietnam's leaders Wednesday called for shared efforts to counter "bullying" by China in the South China Sea, keeping a focus on regional security on a visit in which she unveiled new American efforts to help Hanoi fight the coronavirus.
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Meeting with Omani Deputy Foreign Minister Sheikh Al Harthy US Dept. of State 25 Aug 2021
• Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to the Pentagon DoD 25 Aug 2021
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Meeting With Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett DoD 25 Aug 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Bennett US Dept. of State 25 Aug 2021
• Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on President Biden's Official Working Visit with Prime Minister Bennett of the State of Israel The White House 25 Aug 2021
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, August 25, 2021 The White House 25 Aug 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Aug. 25, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 27 August 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 25 Aug 2021
• Yemen: UAE, Israel occupying Mayyun Island to exploit its strategic position Press TV 25 Aug 2021 -- A senior Yemeni official says the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Israeli regime are occupying the Yemeni volcanic island of Mayyun in the Strait of Mandeb — which lies at the southern entrance to the Red Sea — to exploit its strategic geographic position.
• Shut-Down Threatened For Tibetan School in Sichuan Radio Free Asia 25 Aug 2021 -- Authorities in a Tibetan-populated region of western China's Sichuan province are threatening to close a local school, saying it will be immediately shut down if it fails to provide classroom instruction exclusively in Chinese, Tibetan sources say.
• Russia Launches Probe Into 'Ecocide' Over Ukraine's Suspension Of Water Deliveries To Annexed Crimea RFE/RL 25 Aug 2021 -- Russia has launched a probe into what it called "ecocide" over Ukraine's decision to suspend water deliveries to Russia-annexed Crimea.
• 'Solutions must be found' for millions displaced from Sudan and South Sudan UN News 25 Aug 2021 -- Finding solutions based on peace and development is crucial for the future of the nearly seven million forcibly displaced people from Sudan and South Sudan, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said following a three-day visit to the two countries.
• Fighting Seen Intensifying in Myanmar as Junta Deploys Troops to Ethnic Controlled Territories Radio Free Asia 25 Aug 2021 -- Fighting between Myanmar's military and ethnic armed groups has ticked up in August and will intensify in coming days as the junta sends reinforcements to rebel-held territories in the embattled states of Kayah, Kayin, and Kachin, ethnic leaders said Wednesday.
• Four Years After Massacres and Purge, Sympathy for the Rohingya Grows in Myanmar Radio Free Asia 25 Aug 2021 -- Four years after the Myanmar military attacked ethnic Rohingya communities in the country's western Rakhine state, burning villages, killing residents, and driving hundreds of thousands as refugees across the border with Bangladesh, sympathy has grown for the Muslim minority, sources in the country say.

News Reports

• Mansfield-Lahm ANG Base named preferred location for Cyber Warfare Wing US Air Force 25 Aug 2021 -- The Department of the Air Force announced today that it has identified Ohio's Mansfield-Lahm Air National Guard Base as the preferred location for a new Cyber Warfare Wing mission. The transformation will support Air Combat Command's future requirements and result in operational mission changes, including an increase of approximately 175 Airmen and associated infrastructure support.
• Remarks by President Biden on Collectively Improving the Nation's Cybersecurity The White House 25 Aug 2021
• Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on the President's Upcoming Cybersecurity Meeting The White House 25 Aug 2021
• Telephone conversation with Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan President of Russia 25 Aug 2021 -- Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Imran Khan.
• Vote Now, Get Bonus Later: Putin Accused Of Bribing Electorate To Save Ruling Party RFE/RL 25 Aug 2021 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin was in a generous and agreeable mood when he attended a congress of the ruling but reeling United Russia party just weeks ahead of nationwide legislative elections.
• In First Interview From Jail, Russia's Navalny Describes 'Psychological Violence' RFE/RL 25 Aug 2021 -- In his first media interview from the penal colony where he is being held, Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny discussed his life as a political prisoner, saying he was being forced to watch Russian state television and selected propaganda movies for more than eight hours a day.
• Answer by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova to media questions about the impossibility of obtaining an entry visa to the United States Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 25 Aug 2021
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's opening remarks during a meeting with members of the Sochi Dialogue Russian-Austrian Public Forum's core group, Vienna, August 25, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 25 Aug 2021
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks and answers to media questions at a joint news conference following talks with Austrian Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs Alexander Schallenberg, Vienna, August 25, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 25 Aug 2021
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on August 25, 2021 PRC MofA 25 Aug 2021
• Xi holds phone conversation with Putin PLA Daily 25 Aug 2021 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone conversation on Wednesday with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
• Hong Kong March Organizers Accused by National Security Police of Acting as 'Foreign Agents' Radio Free Asia 25 Aug 2021 -- Hong Kong's national security police have written to the organizers of a now-banned candlelight vigil for the victims of the June 4, 1989 massacre in Beijing, asking them to reveal details of the group's previous contacts with overseas-based organizations.
• 14th Five-Year Plan shows central govt's staunch support for Hong Kong: Carrie Lam People's Daily 25 Aug 2021 -- Chief Executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam said on Tuesday that the contents relating to Hong Kong in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) are important and encouraging, which demonstrate the central government's staunch support for the HKSAR.
• Chinese Official Dismisses Wave of Emigration From Hong Kong Radio Free Asia 25 Aug 2021 -- A ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official in charge of Hong Kong on Wednesday dismissed a wave of emigration from the city in the wake of a crackdown on dissent under Beijing's national security law.
• North Korea Gets Tough With Residents Caught With South Korean Products or Cash Radio Free Asia 25 Aug 2021 -- A North Korean used-clothing trader who kept two South Korean banknotes she found in a bundle of garments was hauled away by state security agents in June and hasn't been heard from since — the victim of a tightening crackdown on foreign cultural influences, sources in the reclusive state told RFA.
• Raeisi: Iran to vigorously pursue US sanctions relief, but not to tie economic growth to it Press TV 25 Aug 2021 -- President Ebrahim Raeisi vows that his administration will resolutely pursue the removal of the United States' oppressive sanctions, but not condition the growth of the national economy to the elimination of the bans.
• Russia: Iran's steps away from JCPOA due to halt in Vienna talks, US sanctions Press TV 25 Aug 2021 -- Russia says Iran's decision to take more steps away from the 2015 nuclear deal by producing uranium metal and increasing uranium-enrichment capacities stem from a lack of progress in negotiations on a revival of the agreement as well as the US's refusal to remove its unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Republic, calling for a swift resumption of the talks.
• U.S. Envoy Raises Doubts About Tehran's Intent To Come Back To 2015 Nuclear Deal RFE/RL 25 Aug 2021 -- The U.S. special envoy for Iran says Washington has started to question whether Tehran is still willing to return to full compliance with a 2015 nuclear deal, which imposed significant restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for relief from crippling sanctions.
• Iranian Parliament Approves New President's Hard-Line Cabinet RFE/RL 25 Aug 2021 -- Iran's parliament has approved almost all of President Ebrahim Raisi's hard-line nominees for a cabinet, enabling him to form a government that will have the task of implementing his plans to ease U.S. sanctions and tackle a deepening economic crisis.
• Poland Urged To Allow Entry For Afghans Stuck At Border With Belarus RFE/RL 25 Aug 2021 -- Amnesty International is urging Poland to allow entry and provide humanitarian assistance to a group of 32 people from Afghanistan who have been held at the border between Poland and Belarus without proper food, clean water, shelter, and medicine for two weeks.
• Iraq: Clock ticks on all-important elections, commitment to credibility needed UN News 25 Aug 2021 -- With just 46 days until Iraq goes to the polls, the UN Assistance Mission for the country (UNAMI) is stepping up its communications to inform voters about their conduct, Special Representative Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert told the Security Council on Wednesday, stressing that it is up to the political parties themselves to refrain from attempts to distort the results.
• Indonesian Navy Holding Tanker, Crew Wanted by Cambodia for Alleged Oil Theft Radio Free Asia 25 Aug 2021 -- Indonesia is holding a Bahamas-flagged oil tanker, its Bangladeshi captain and 18 other crew members who are suspected of stealing nearly 300,000 barrels of crude oil from Cambodia, authorities said Wednesday.
• Former Kyrgyz Prime Minister Remanded In Pretrial Detention In Kumtor Case RFE/RL 25 Aug 2021 -- Former Kyrgyz Prime Minister Temir Sariev, who was charged with corruption during the development of the Kumtor gold mine project, has been remanded in pretrial detention.
• Haiti: $187.3 million appeal to support people affected by earthquake UN News 25 Aug 2021 -- The UN and partners on Wednesday launched a $187.3 million appeal to support half a million people affected by the deadly earthquake in southwestern Haiti nearly two weeks ago.