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Current Operations

• Statement by President Joe Biden The White House 30 Aug 2021
• Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III On the End of the American War in Afghanistan DoD 30 Aug 2021 -- "Today, we completed the U.S. military evacuation of civilians and the removal of all U.S. forces from Afghanistan."
• Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby and General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. Hold a Press Briefing DoD 30 Aug 2021 -- Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby; General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. (USMC), commander, U.S. Central Command
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken's Remarks on Afghanistan US Dept. of State 30 Aug 2021
• Military Phase of Evacuation Ends, as Does America's Longest War DoD News 30 Aug 2021 -- The last military planes have left Kabul and the evacuation operation is over, Marine Corps Gen. Frank McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command told Pentagon reporters today.
• U.S. Troops Leave Kabul, Ending 20-Year War In Afghanistan RFE/RL Gandhara 30 Aug 2021 -- The United States completed the withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan, ending America's longest war after 20 years and a chaotic final evacuation that left behind thousands of Afghans looking to escape Taliban rule.
• US Says Its Military Presence in Afghanistan is Over VOA 30 Aug 2021 -- The United States' two-decadeslong presence in Afghanistan is over.
• Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby and Army Major General William "Hank" Taylor Hold a Press Briefing DoD 30 Aug 2021 -- Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby and Army Major General William "Hank" Taylor Hold A Press Briefing
• Force Protection Measures at Kabul Airport Thwart Attacks, General Says DoD News 30 Aug 2021 -- The Joint Staff deputy director for regional operations said force protection measures are in place at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, to protect U.S. service members, Afghans and Americans who are awaiting evacuation.
• Statement by the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS US Dept. of State 30 Aug 2021 -- "The Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS strongly condemns the attacks that occurred in Kabul, Afghanistan on August 26, 2021."
• Statement by Press Secretary Jen Psaki on the Rocket Attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport The White House 30 Aug 2021
• Islamic State Claims It Fired Rockets At Kabul Airport Amid Race To Evacuate Thousands RFE/RL Gandhara 30 Aug 2021 -- Islamic State has claimed responsibility for firing six rockets at Kabul's airport on August 30.
• U.S. carries out airstrike targeting suspected ISIS-K vehicle in Kabul People's Daily 30 Aug 2021 -- U.S. Central Command said on Sunday that U.S. military forces carried out an airstrike in Kabul against a suspected ISIS-K vehicle, which could pose an imminent threat to the airport.
• Pentagon prepared for 'mass casualty' attack hours before Kabul blast: Classified notes Press TV 30 Aug 2021 -- The Pentagon instructed senior US military leaders to make preparations for an imminent "mass casualty event" just 24 hours before a bombing killed 13 US servicemen and scores of Afghan civilians at Kabul's international airport on Thursday, according to classified detailed notes of the gathering obtained by Politico.
• Rockets fired at Kabul airport after US drone strike against potential Daesh threat Press TV 30 Aug 2021 -- As many as five rockets have been fired at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul after the United States conducted a drone strike allegedly targeting a potential planner with the Daesh terrorist group.
• Pentagon Says Threat to Kabul Airport Remains 'Real' and 'Specific' as Evacuations Wrap Up Sputnik 30 Aug 2021 -- According to media reports, the US plans to finish the withdrawal from Afghanistan on 31 August despite earlier mulling to stay as long as needed to evacuate all eligible persons. The same report suggested that Washington had already evacuated all Afghan employees of the now closed embassy in Kabul.
• Taliban Blasts US Airstrikes in Kabul: 'Arbitrary Attacks Are Illegal' Sputnik 30 Aug 2021 -- Late last week, the Pentagon said that two Daesh* leaders were killed and one more was wounded in Friday's US drone strike in Afghanistan.
• NATO Secretary General attends virtual ministerial meeting on Afghanistan NATO 30 Aug 2021 -- In a virtual meeting of Foreign Ministers from the G7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, US) together with Turkey, Qatar, and the European Union on Monday (30 August 2021), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the evacuation of over 100,000 people from Afghanistan was a historic operation executed under extreme duress. Thanking Allies and Qatar for their efforts, Mr Stoltenberg noted NATO's role in coordinating evacuations and running Kabul airport operations, and emphasized the need to ensure safe passage for those who worked with NATO and those at risk who are still in Afghanistan.
• U.S. To Host Partner Foreign Ministers For Talks On Future Afghanistan Policy RFE/RL Gandhara 30 Aug 2021 -- Foreign ministers from several countries will meet virtually on August 30 to discuss coordinating policy toward Afghanistan, the U.S. State Department said, as U.S. forces prepare to leave the Taliban-controlled country and wind down an airlift from Kabul.
• Russia says US must release Afghanistan's blocked reserves, cause no more problems for country Press TV 30 Aug 2021 -- Russia has called on the United States to release blocked reserves of the Afghan central bank and stop making more problems for the Taliban-controlled country.
• Security Council urges Taliban to provide safe passage out of Afghanistan UN News 30 Aug 2021 -- The UN Security Council passed a resolution on Monday that calls for the Taliban to facilitate safe passage for people wanting to leave Afghanistan, allow humanitarians to access the country, and uphold human rights, including for women and children.
• UN Warns A 'Far Greater' Crisis Looms In Afghanistan For Those Left Behind RFE/RL Gandhara 30 Aug 2021 -- UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has issued a stark warning that as thousands of people flee Afghanistan, "a far greater humanitarian crisis is just beginning" for the war-torn country and its 39 million people following the Taliban's seizure of power.
• What Now for Afghans Desperate to Flee? VOA 30 Aug 2021 -- Many Afghans harbor a bitter sense of betrayal. Others lament being left behind by Western governments they worked with over the past two decades but say they have little time for recriminations now and are focused on how they can get out of Afghanistan.
• Countries Urged To Cooperate In Getting Afghans Out After Airlift Ends RFE/RL Gandhara 30 Aug 2021 -- British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has urged countries that took part in the airlift in Afghanistan to work together to provide safe passage for those eligible to leave.
• UN health agency secures life-saving medical supplies to Afghanistan UN News 30 Aug 2021 -- Lifesaving medical supplies reached Afghanistan by air on Monday, the first UN shipment to arrive since the Taliban takeover more than a week ago, as UN human rights experts called on the country's new rulers to live up to their promise to fully protect the rights of women and girls in the country.
• First WHO Health Supplies Land in Taliban-Held Afghanistan VOA 30 Aug 2021 -- The World Health Organization says an aircraft provided by Pakistan Monday delivered the first shipment of much-needed medicine and health supplies to Afghanistan since the country came under control of the Taliban.
• In Afghanistan, Aid Agencies Adjust to New Environment VOA 30 Aug 2021 -- Afghanistan was already deeply mired in one of the world's worst humanitarian crises before the Taliban swept into Kabul on August 15. Now aid organizations are scrambling to deal with thousands of newly displaced persons, growing needs, and an uncertain operating environment.
• Commentary: The True Cost Of Cutting Funding To Afghanistan RFE/RL Gandhara 30 Aug 2021 -- A growing number of Western governments have decided to halt development assistance to Afghanistan after the Taliban took control of virtually the entire country on August 15 in a move that will put a severe strain on the militant Islamist group's ability to govern.
• Spokesman to Press TV: Taliban seeks political system approved by all Afghan people Press TV 30 Aug 2021 -- The spokesman for the Taliban group, which is now in control of most parts of Afghanistan and is planning to establish the new government once the occupying foreign forces leave, has told Press TV that the group seeks to build a political system in the country that would be approved by its people and accountable to people.
• Taliban spokesman says US exit to result in end to Daesh attacks Press TV 30 Aug 2021 -- The Taliban, now in control of most parts of Afghanistan, say they will crack down on attacks by the Daesh Takfiri terrorists and expect the offensives to end once US-led foreign forces leave the war-ravaged country.
• Dramatic Power Shift in Afghanistan Seen as Strategic Setback for India VOA 30 Aug 2021 -- Less than six years ago, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Afghanistan's Parliament building in Kabul — a landmark symbol of the fledgling democracy that New Delhi hoped would become a hedge against its rival, Pakistan.
• Maas Says Uzbekistan Ready To Help Germany With Afghan Evacuations RFE/RL Gandhara 30 Aug 2021 -- German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas says Uzbekistan is willing to open its borders to people fleeing from Taliban rule in Afghanistan who are on a German list of those in need of being evacuated from the war-torn country.
• UK 'willing to engage' with Taliban, says minister Press TV 30 Aug 2021 -- The UK is "willing to engage" with the Taliban "if [they] start acting like a government," says the government minister, stressing that in spite of the withdrawal, Britain will continue to help people eligible for resettlement.
• China urges US to avoid playing 'double standards' in Afghanistan Press TV 30 Aug 2021 -- China has advised the United States to "positively guide" the Taliban instead of practicing "double standards" on fighting terrorism in Afghanistan.
• DOD Continues Aiding Haitians Following Earthquake, Tropical Storm DoD News 30 Aug 2021 -- The U.S. military has flown 560 sorties to Haiti, providing rapid logistical and airlift support, including delivery of more than 348,000 pounds of aid, the Joint Staff deputy director for regional operations said.
• More than 5,000 Guard members supporting hurricane relief Army News 30 Aug 2021 -- More than 5,600 National Guard members from five states are activated to assist with rescue and relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Ida's destructive path through Louisiana and Mississippi.
• Readout of President Biden's Briefing with Gulf Coast Elected Officials on Hurricane Ida The White House 30 Aug 2021
• National Guard Deployed to Areas Ravaged by Hurricane Ida DoD News 30 Aug 2021 -- As of this morning, the National Guard has activated more than 5,200 personnel in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Alabama in response to Hurricane Ida, the Joint Staff deputy director for regional operations said.
• Biden declares major disaster in Louisiana as hurricane leaves over 1 million homes with no power Press TV 30 Aug 2021 -- US President Joe Biden has declared a major disaster in the state of Louisiana as powerful Hurricane Ida made landfall on Sunday afternoon.

Defense Policy / Programs

• 38 RQS trains to support SpaceX, Boeing US Air Force 30 Aug 2021 -- Pararescuemen, aircrew flight equipment Airmen and maritime operations specialists assigned to the 38th Rescue Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, conducted rescue training in the Banana River and Atlantic Ocean near Patrick Space Force Base, Aug. 23-27.
• NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center Yokosuka Completes Second COOP Exercise, Expands Scope and Participation US Navy 30 Aug 2021 -- Between Aug. 9 and Aug. 12, Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) Yokosuka performed its second annual Continuity of Operations Exercise (COOPEX).
• USS Tripoli Conducts Final Contract Trials US Navy 30 Aug 2021 -- USS Tripoli (LHA 7), the U.S. Navy's second America-class amphibious assault ship completed final contract trials (FCT), Aug. 26.
• Hundreds Of Russian Troops Take Part In Military Drills In Tajikistan RFE/RL Gandhara 30 Aug 2021 -- Russia says about 500 of its troops are taking part in military drills in Tajikistan amid fears of instability across its Central Asian allies after the Taliban gained control of much of Afghanistan, including its northern areas.
• 9th Chinese peacekeeping force to Mali sets out PLA Daily 30 Aug 2021 -- The setting-out ceremony for the 9th Chinese peacekeeping force to Mali was held at the training ground of a brigade of the PLA 80th Group Army on August 26. After the ceremony, 212 peacekeepers of the first echelon took a special plane from Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport to the mission area in Mali, West Africa to perform a one-year peacekeeping mission.
• INS AIRAVAT ARRIVES AT HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM WITH COVID RELIEF SUPPLIES India PIB 30 Aug 2021 -- As part of the ongoing Mission SAGAR, INS Airavat arrived at Ho Chi Minh City Port in Vietnam with COVID Relief Material on 30 August 2021. The ship is carrying 100 Metric Tons of Liquid Medical Oxygen in 05 ISO Containers and 300 Oxygen Concentrators of 10 LPM capacity each based on the requirement projected by the Government of Vietnam in its fight against the ongoing COVID19 pandemic.
• Kazakhstan Arms Depot Blast Death Toll Rises To 14 RFE/RL 30 Aug 2021 -- The death toll from a series of blasts triggered by a fire at an arms depot in southern Kazakhstan has risen to 14 after another victim was discovered.
• Turkey expands drone fleet with locally made UAVs Press TV 30 Aug 2021 -- Turkey has expanded its fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles with locally made armed drones amid President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's efforts to achieve military self-sufficiency.
• Kosovo Receives 55 Armored Vehicles Donated By U.S. RFE/RL 30 Aug 2021 -- Kosovo has received 55 armored security vehicles donated by the United States for the Kosovo Security Force (KSF).
• Australia to host French icebreaker on Antarctic resupply mission Australia DOD 30 Aug 2021 -- Australia will host a French polar patrol ship on its annual summer resupply mission to support research in the Antarctic.
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Australian Foreign Minister Payne US Dept. of State 30 Aug 2021
• Special Representative Kim Meeting with ROK Special Representative Noh US Dept. of State 30 Aug 2021
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, August 30, 2021 The White House 30 Aug 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Aug. 30, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 30 August 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 30 Aug 2021
• Four Chinese Ships Enter Japan's Territorial Waters Off Disputed Senkaku Islands, Reports Suggest Sputnik 30 Aug 2021 -- Four Chinese vessels entered Japan's territorial waters near the Senkaku Islands on Monday morning, NHK reported, citing the Japanese Coast Guard.
• Yemen FM: IMF loan to Saudi-backed govt. only prolongs aggression Press TV 30 Aug 2021 -- Yemen's foreign minister has denounced a decision by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to grant a $650-million loan to Yemen's former Saudi-backed regime, warning that the financial aid only serves to prolong the years-long war on the impoverished country.

News Reports

• Department of State Offers Reward for Information to Bring Chinese Fentanyl Trafficker to Justice US Dept. of State 30 Aug 2021 -- The U.S. Department of State is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of People's Republic of China (PRC) national Zhang Jian, a key leader of the transnational criminal Zhang Drug Trafficking Organization. This reward is also offered for information leading to his location.
• Estonia Expels Another Russian Diplomat In Latest Tit-For-Tat Move RFE/RL 30 Aug 2021 -- Estonia says it won't issue a visa to a Russian diplomat in response to Moscow's expulsion of one of the Baltic country's diplomats from Russia last month.
• Navalny's Spokeswoman Reportedly Leaves Russia RFE/RL 30 Aug 2021 -- The Interfax news agency has quoted two sources as saying that Kira Yarmysh, the spokeswoman for jailed opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, has left Russia after a court restricted her freedom for allegedly violating coronavirus protocols by urging people to rally in support of the Kremlin critic.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on August 30, 2021 PRC MofA 30 Aug 2021
• Chinese FM holds phone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State People's Daily 30 Aug 2021 -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a phone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday, exchanging views on the situation in Afghanistan and China-U.S. ties.
• HK needs new strategic planning to align with five-year plan: HKSAR finance chief People's Daily 30 Aug 2021 -- Paul Chan, financial secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, said on Sunday that Hong Kong needs to have its own strategic planning for formulating new development directions to align with the nation's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025).
• State Media Calls on Hong Kong to Compensate For Tide of Emigration Radio Free Asia 30 Aug 2021 -- Net departures from Hong Kong hit nearly 90,000 in the year following the imposition of the national security law by Beijing, according to recent figures from the city's census and statistics department.
• Xi elaborates on China's approaches to handling ethnic affairs People's Daily 30 Aug 2021 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping pays high attention to consolidating the sense of community for the Chinese nation, and has called for high-quality development of the Communist Party of China (CPC)'s work on ethnic affairs in the new era.
• China's Xinjiang will maintain peace and stability regardless of changes in neighboring Afghanistan: spokesperson Global Times 30 Aug 2021 -- Since China shares border with Afghanistan in its Northwest Xinjiang region, terrorist groups that once gathered in Afghanistan, including the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), posed threats to China's national security, senior officials from the Xinjiang regional government said on Monday. They urged the Afghan Taliban to break off with all kinds of terrorism and firmly crack down on them.
• China's Plans to Dilute Southern Xinjiang's Uyghur Population Could Constitute Genocide, Scholar Says Radio Free Asia 30 Aug 2021 -- China is pursuing a "population optimization strategy" to dilute the Uyghur majority in southern Xinjiang by raising the proportion of Han Chinese through immigration while imposing strict birth controls on the Uyghurs, says a report based on official Chinese documents and academic debate.
• Profit-seeking capital drives 'fan circle' chaos Global Times 30 Aug 2021 -- Fanquan (fans circle) culture is in the spotlight in China amid the country's fierce rectification campaign in the field. But fans' irrational actions are just externalities of the fanquan chaos, and the essential reason driving the circle into chaos is the profit-seeking operation of capital in the entertainment industry amid a lack of management.
• China to Severely Limit Video Game Access to Minors VOA 30 Aug 2021 -- China is taking dramatic steps to prevent teenagers from becoming addicted to video games.
• Report on North Korea's Yongbyon Prompts Calls by US, South Korea For Restart of Denuclearization Talks Radio Free Asia 30 Aug 2021 -- A new report by the U.N.'s atomic energy agency that North Korea may have restarted a five-megawatt nuclear reactor at its Yongbyon nuclear power facility believed to be capable of producing plutonium for nuclear weapons, has sparked calls by the United States and South Korea for the resumption of international talks to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.
• North Korean Phone Brokers Take Huge Risk to Resume Remittances Radio Free Asia 30 Aug 2021 -- Despite a harsh crackdown on contacting people outside the country, people who facilitate overseas remittances in North Korea are returning to work at great risk as the economic situation in the country worsens, sources in the country told RFA.
• IAEA suspects North Korea has restarted nuclear reactor Press TV 30 Aug 2021 -- North Korea appears to have resumed operation at its main nuclear reactor that is widely suspected to have produced weapons fuels, the UN atomic watchdog reported, describing the development as "deeply troubling."
• IAEA Estimates North Korea Could Have Restarted Yongbyon Nuclear Reactor Sputnik 30 Aug 2021 -- Denuclearization talks between North Korea and the United States have stalled, with Washington calling for Pyongyang to step away from its nuclear program, and in particular to dismantle its nuclear sites, Yongbyon among them. The US was reluctant, however, to first offer sanction relief, which caused the deal to fall apart.
• JCPOA doesn't need mediator: Iran ISNA 30 Aug 2021 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh stressed that the issue of Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) doesn't need a mediator.
• Iran Appoints New Atomic Energy Chief With No Nuclear Expertise RFE/RL 30 Aug 2021 -- Iran's newly elected President Ebrahim Raisi has appointed a new head of the country's atomic agency, replacing the nation's most prominent nuclear scientist with someone with no expertise in the field.
• Russia Seeks Arms Market, Foothold in SE Asia in Courting Myanmar's Isolated Junta Radio Free Asia 30 Aug 2021 -- Russia is strengthening ties with Myanmar's increasingly isolated junta in a bid to grow its global arms market and expand its influence in Southeast Asian regional affairs, political analysts said Monday, following Moscow's confirmation of plans to deliver military equipment to the nation.
• Telephone conversation with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko President of Russia 30 Aug 2021
• Ukraine, US Leaders May Address Sensitive Issues at Next Meeting VOA 30 Aug 2021 -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is scheduled to visit the White House on Wednesday, a trip that has been in the works for two years and delayed one day by events in Afghanistan.
• Central Asian States See Better Ties After 30 Years Of Independence RFE/RL 30 Aug 2021 -- It was all smiles and handshakes at Turkmenistan's Caspian resort area of Awaza on August 6 when leaders of the five former Soviet republics in Central Asian gathered for a summit. But it has taken some 30 years to reach that point.
• Protests in South Sudan Fizzle Amid Security Presence, Internet Outage VOA 30 Aug 2021 -- Planned protests against South Sudan's government failed to materialize Monday amid a heavy deployment of security forces in the capital, Juba, and a nationwide disruption of internet service.
• Hungary's Election Authority Approves Bid To Hold Referendum On Chinese University RFE/RL 30 Aug 2021 -- Hungary's election authority has approved a bid to hold a referendum over the planned construction of a Chinese university in Budapest, the mayor of the Hungarian capital said on August 30.