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Current Operations

Defense Policy / Programs

• Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby and Air Force Gen. Tod D. Wolters, Commander, U.S. European Command, Hold a Press Briefing DoD 02 Sep 2021 -- Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby; Air Force General Tod D. Wolters, Commander, U.S. European Command
• Army South hosts 2nd Operation Alamo Shield Mission Prep for rotating Security Force Assistance Teams Army News 02 Sep 2021 -- U.S. Army South hosted the second pre-deployment training seminar, Operation Alamo Shield Mission Prep, at their headquarters Aug. 31-Sept. 1 to prepare teams assigned to the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade for future training and advising missions in Colombia, Honduras and Panama.
• U.S., Chilean armies complete Southern Vanguard training exercise Army News 02 Sep 2021 -- Tucked high in the frigid, snow-covered Andes Mountains, U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 10th Mountain Division completed the 13-day Southern Vanguard training exercise Aug. 30 with the Chilean army.
• Readout of U.S.-India 2+2 Intercessional Dialogue DoD 02 Sep 2021
• Artillerymen Must Be Ready to Operate in Space Degraded, Denied Environments, Spacecom Leader Says DoD News 02 Sep 2021 -- The U.S. Space Command provides capability to warfighters, including those in precision fires; leaders involved in fires should also be prepared — and prepare soldiers — to operate without that space capability in case the environment is denied or degraded, the Spacecom commander said.
• Navy Forces Europe-Africa Band Hold Community Performances US Navy 02 Sep 2021 -- The visit included engagement opportunities with Gabon's government and military leaders. Gabon is an important partner of the United States in promoting peace and security in Africa.
• MISSION SAGAR - INS SAVITRI ARRIVES AT CHITTAGONG India PIB 02 Sep 2021 -- Indian Navy's Offshore Patrol Vessel INS Savitri arrived Chattogram harbour, Bangladesh on 02 September 2021 carrying two 960 LPM (Litres Per Minute) Medical Oxygen Plants (MOP) to support the ongoing efforts of the Bangladesh military and government agencies in combating the ongoing wave of the Covid pandemic in their country. The MOPs have been developed and manufactured by DRDO in India.
• South Korea developing new ballistic missile in apparent race with North Press TV 02 Sep 2021 -- South Korea has been developing a ballistic missile that can carry a warhead of up to an upgraded 3 tons, according to Seoul's latest military plan.
• UK MoD Accused of Turning to Foreign Firms to Build Royal Navy's Fleet Solid Support Ships Sputnik 02 Sep 2021 -- The three new so-called Fleet Solid Support (FSS) vessels will carry munitions, food, stores, and provisions for the UK Royal Navy's aircraft strike groups while at sea. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary currently operates only one Fort Victoria-class FSS ship.
• EU Mulls Rapid Reaction Force After U.S.-Led Kabul Evacuations RFE/RL Gandhara 02 Sep 2021 -- Calls are growing within the European Union for the creation of a rapid reaction military force to respond to crises around the world in the wake of the chaotic scenes at Kabul airport after the Taliban seized power more than two weeks ago.
• EU Defense Ministers Mull Rapid Response Force after Afghanistan's Fall VOA 02 Sep 2021 -- European Union defense ministers discussed Thursday how to better respond to future crises following the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, including the creation of a rapid response force.
• Australia Marks 70th Anniversary of Key US Military Alliance VOA 02 Sep 2021 -- Australia and the United States have commemorated the 70th anniversary of the ANZUS defense accord. Analysts have said while the Australia, New Zealand and United States Security Treaty has offered some benefits, it has also drawn Australia into long conflicts.
• Readout of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.'s Call with Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia The White House 02 Sep 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Spanish Foreign Minister Albares US Dept. of State 02 Sep 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Italian Foreign Minister Di Maio US Dept. of State 02 Sep 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud US Dept. of State 02 Sep 2021
• Readout of Vice President Harris Call with Crown Prince Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jabir Al-Sabah of Kuwait The White House 02 Sep 2021
• Readout of Vice President Harris Call with Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain The White House 02 Sep 2021
• Department Press Briefing – September 2, 2021 US Dept. of State 02 Sep 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Sept. 2, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 2 September 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 02 Sep 2021
• Taliban Says China Will Be 'Main Partner' To Rebuild Afghanistan RFE/RL Gandhara 02 Sep 2021 -- The Taliban says China will maintain diplomatic relations with Afghanistan and the new rulers in Kabul will rely on Beijing for economic support after the withdrawal of U.S.-led international forces.
• UN experts urge Afghanistan's new rulers to prohibit torture 'in any circumstances' UN News 02 Sep 2021 -- Experts serving on a UN human rights treaty body called on Thursday for the new Taliban-led authorities of Afghanistan to uphold "the international obligations of the State", particularly in complying with all provisions of the Convention against Torture, outlawing the practice "in any circumstances".
• Taliban Detain Former British Soldier, Ending Bid to Evacuate NGO Staff VOA 02 Sep 2021 -- The Taliban on Thursday briefly detained a former British soldier who was trying to evacuate overland 50 Afghan employees and 350 of their relatives, according to British media reports.
• Qatar Cites Efforts to Reopen Airport in Kabul VOA 02 Sep 2021 -- Qatar's foreign minister said Thursday that efforts are underway to reopen the airport in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, but cautioned it was unclear when flights would resume.
• 'Hunger Games' Evacuations as US Left Afghanistan VOA 02 Sep 2021 -- When the U.S. ended its 20-year war in Afghanistan this week, the Biden administration underscored the success of the evacuation effort from Hamid Karzai International Airport.
• US 'Haunted' About Leaving 'Majority' of Afghan Allies Behind VOA 02 Sep 2021 -- Senior American officials are painting a very different picture of the United States' last days in Afghanistan and the rushed evacuation of more than 124,000 civilians, described by U.S. President Joe Biden as an "extraordinary success."
• 'We Don't Have Any Money': Taliban Takeover Plunges Afghanistan Into Economic Turmoil RFE/RL Gandhara 02 Sep 2021 -- Hundreds of Afghans stand along dusty roadsides in the capital, Kabul, desperately trying to sell their meager possessions.
• Taliban Set To Unveil Government As World Watches Its Actions, Not Words RFE/RL Gandhara 02 Sep 2021 -- The Taliban appears set to unveil its government just weeks after seizing control of most of the country, but international recognition of the militants as rulers remains a distant goal as many of the world's leading nations wait to see if the administration's actions are in line with its vows of being more moderate than their previous rule two decades ago.
• Afghan Women Stage Protest In Herat, Call For Their Rights To Be Preserved RFE/RL Gandhara 02 Sep 2021 -- About three dozen women in the western Afghan city of Herat have protested to demand the new Taliban leadership preserves the rights and advances women have made in the country since the militants were ousted two decades ago.
• Former NATO Envoy Says Islamic State Is Afghanistan's Biggest Threat RFE/RL Gandhara 02 Sep 2021 -- Former British diplomat Sir Nicholas Kay served as his country's envoy and NATO's senior civilian representative in Afghanistan between 2017 and 2020. In a wide-ranging interview with Radio Azadi, he says the Taliban will need to demonstrate its counterterrorism commitments as Western nations will continue to see the Islamic State militants as a threat.
• International mining cooperation can boost Afghanistan's post-war reconstruction Global Times 02 Sep 2021 -- With the withdrawal of US troops, Afghanistan, which has long been dependent on international aid, is now in an urgent need of post-war economic reconstruction and self-renewal, which to some extent rests on greater international economic cooperation. Infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) meet Afghanistan's current development needs, with industry insiders forecasting that cooperation in the mining sector will be conducive to Afghanistan's post-war reconstruction.
• Lavrov: Russia has no plans to be mediator between Taliban, other Afghan forces Press TV 02 Sep 2021 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow has no intention to mediate negotiations between the Taliban and other political forces in Afghanistan.
• Taliban spox says new government to be launched 'in a matter of a few days' Press TV 02 Sep 2021 -- The Taliban say they will form their government in Afghanistan "in a matter of a few days," more than two weeks after the militant group took over almost all the war-ravaged country.
• UN says Afghanistan may face food crisis within month Press TV 02 Sep 2021 -- The United Nations (UN) has warned that Afghanistan could be gripped by food crisis within a month, as a government is yet to be established since Taliban militants took over the country.
• Interior Minister Says Tajikistan Unable To Host Many Afghan Refugees RFE/RL 02 Sep 2021 -- Tajik Interior Minister Ramazon Rahimzoda says his country is unable to host many refugees from neighboring Afghanistan, as thousands look to flee after Taliban insurgents took control of the country.
• Unconfirmed Report Claims 'Al Qaeda Militants Joined Taliban' in Panjshir Offensive Sputnik 02 Sep 2021 -- As part of the 2020 peace deal with the US, the Taliban* previously vowed not to allow al-Qaeda* and other terrorist organisations to take hold in Afghanistan. That did not stop al-Qaeda from praising the "historic victory" of the insurgent group over NATO forces though.
• Taliban Reportedly Launches Offensive in Panjshir Province After Negotiations With Resistance Failed Sputnik 02 Sep 2021 -- The developments come as the Taliban* is expected to announce a new Afghan government on 2 September. It was also earlier reported that resistance forces in Panjshir had pledged to continue fighting the movement.
• Foreign Secretary travels to Qatar for talks on security and safe passage for Afghans UK FCDO 02 Sep 2021 -- UK Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, meets with the Amir of Qatar and the Qatari Foreign Minister in Doha today to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.
• Britain's Raab To Discuss Kabul Airport In Qatar As Taliban Poised To Announce Government RFE/RL Gandhara 02 Sep 2021 -- British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will meet with the emir of Qatar and his foreign minister in Doha on September 2 to discuss the situation in Afghanistan amid international efforts to resume operations at the Kabul airport, which would facilitate humanitarian assistance and further evacuations of foreigners and others seeking to flee Taliban rule.
• Pentagon Accuses Beijing of Endangering Freedom of Navigation Amid South China Sea Spat Sputnik 02 Sep 2021 -- Beijing has for decades been in a dispute with a number of other Asia-Pacific countries on the territorial status of islands in the South China Sea, where the US often stages "freedom of navigation" missions.
• ISIS Militant Pleads Guilty to Role in Deaths of Four Americans in Syria US Dept. of Justice 02 Sep 2021 -- 'Beatles' Member Admits to Participating in Hostage-Taking Scheme that Resulted in the Deaths of American, British and Japanese Citizens
• Saudi-led coalition launches 39 airstrikes on Ma'rib amid advances by Yemeni forces Press TV 02 Sep 2021 -- The Saudi-led war coalition has launched dozens of air raids on separate areas of Yemen's Ma'rib Province as the Yemeni armed forces continue to advance against Saudi Arabia's mercenaries in the embattled area.
• Syria's breach of international obligations by using chemical weapons UK FCDO 02 Sep 2021 -- Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the Security Council briefing on Syria Chemical Weapons
• Kremlin Refuses To Extend OSCE Mission On Ukraine-Russia Border Crossing, U.S. Says RFE/RL 02 Sep 2021 -- Russia has refused to extend the mandate of international observers to monitor two border crossing points with Ukraine, a U.S. official said.
• India Prepares For Unrest After Death Of Kashmiri Separatist Leader Syed Ali Geelani RFE/RL Gandhara 02 Sep 2021 -- Kashmiri separatist icon Syed Ali Geelani, a veteran leader of resistance against Indian rule, has died at the age of 92.
• India deploys troops to Srinagar after Kashmir independence leader's passing Press TV 02 Sep 2021 -- India has deployed troops to Kashmir and imposed a security lockdown in the disputed Himalayan region to prevent potential rallies following the death of top local leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
• Tigray aid situation worsening by the day, warn UN humanitarians UN News 02 Sep 2021 -- The aid crisis in Ethiopia's Tigray region is worsening, the UN said on Thursday, with stocks of relief aid, cash and fuel "running very low or depleted".
• Cameroon, Nigeria Negotiate Ex-Boko Haram Militants' Return VOA 02 Sep 2021 -- During a visit to Cameroon, Nigerian officials Thursday asked for the return of more than 1,000 former Boko Haram militants to Nigeria. Hundreds of the Islamist group's former fighters have surrendered in Cameroon since May, when the terrorist group's leader was killed.

News Reports

• Remarks by President Biden on Hurricane Ida Response Efforts The White House 02 Sep 2021
• President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves New Jersey Emergency Declaration The White House 02 Sep 2021
• Statement by Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Strategic Petroleum Reserve Exchange to Address Impact of Hurricane Ida The White House 02 Sep 2021
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki and Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technologies Anne Neuberger, September 2, 2021 The White House 02 Sep 2021
• Firefly's First Test Flight Lasts More Than Two Minutes, With Successful Liftoff and Progression to Supersonic Speed Firefly Aerospace 02 Sep 2021 -- Today we conducted the first-ever test flight of our Alpha rocket. Prior to the anomaly, we had a nominal countdown and lift off at 6:59 PM local time. While we did not meet all of our mission objectives, we did achieve a number of them: successful first stage ignition, liftoff of the pad, progression to supersonic speed, and we obtained a substantial amount of flight data.
• Intensifying repression in Russia ahead of elections: UK statement UK FCDO 02 Sep 2021 -- Ambassador Bush voices UK concern over the intensifying repression in Russia ahead of the September Duma elections.
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's statement and answers to questions at a meeting with heads of large industrial enterprises of the Sverdlovsk Region, Yekaterinburg, September 2, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 02 Sep 2021
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's answers to media questions following a visit to the Sverdlovsk Region, Yekaterinburg, September 2, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 02 Sep 2021
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's answers to media questions following a visit to the Sverdlovsk Region, Yekaterinburg, September 2, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 02 Sep 2021
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks during a meeting with Sima Land employees, Yekaterinburg, September 2, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 02 Sep 2021
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks and answers to questions at a meeting with representatives of the Sverdlovsk Region sports community, Yekaterinburg, September 2, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 02 Sep 2021
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on September 2, 2021 PRC MofA 02 Sep 2021
• China Orders Chengdu American Chamber of Commerce to Close Ahead of Kerry Visit Radio Free Asia 02 Sep 2021 -- Authorities in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan have ordered the American Chamber of Commerce in Chengdu to cease operations.
• Political Essay Says Revolution in China to End 'Sissy' Celebrity Billionaire Culture Radio Free Asia 02 Sep 2021 -- A political essay by a little-known commentator has been given pride of place by China's state-run media in recent days, suggesting a profound shift in political direction under ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping away from the pro-market policies of the past four decades, political analysts told RFA.
• Government to ask allies to voice support for Taiwan's U.N. inclusion CNA 02 Sep 2021 -- Taiwan's government will again ask its diplomatic allies to voice support for the inclusion of Taiwan in the United Nations, either by speaking up during the upcoming General Assembly or by sending letters to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Thursday.
• European Parliament passes report on enhancing Taiwan-EU relations CNA 02 Sep 2021 -- The European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday passed a report and related amendments to enhance European Union-Taiwan relations, including a call on the EU to begin preparing for the possible signing of a Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA) with Taiwan and to change the name of EU representative office in Taipei.
• Chinese mission strongly opposes EU report on elevating 'political relations' with island of Taiwan Global Times 02 Sep 2021 -- Chinese Mission to the EU on Thursday expressed strong opposition to the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs' (AFET) adoption of the EU-Taiwan Political Relations and Cooperation report, which called for elevating "political relations" with the island of Taiwan.
• China opposes EU lawmakers' push for 'closer' Taiwan ties Global Times 02 Sep 2021 -- Some members of the European Parliament are poisoning and abducting ties between China and the European Union, pushing for so-called closer ties between the bloc and the island of Taiwan, which the Chinese Foreign Ministry and Chinese Mission to the EU firmly opposed, and urged them to correct the wrong deeds.
• North Korea Investigates Youth Who Avoid Hard Labor Mobilization Drives Radio Free Asia 02 Sep 2021 -- North Korea has launched an investigation into youths from privileged families who avoid mass mobilization campaigns that send thousands of young people to "volunteer" for hard labor in coal mines and rural farms, sources in the country told RFA.
• FM: Iran welcomes negotiations, but will not engage in talks for sake of talks Press TV 02 Sep 2021 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says the Islamic Republic welcomes negotiations on the revival of the nuclear deal it snatched with world powers in 2015, but will not engage in talks just for the sake of talks.
• Minister: Sanctions deprived Iran of $100 billion in oil revenues Press TV 02 Sep 2021 -- New Minister of Petroleum Javad Owji says the "tyrannical" US sanctions have deprived Iran of 1.8 billion barrels of oil exports and more than $100 billion of revenues.
• Hard-Liner Zakani Approved As New Tehran Mayor RFE/RL 02 Sep 2021 -- The head of Tehran's city council says Iran's Interior Ministry has approved hard-liner Alireza Zakani as the capital city's new mayor.
• U.S. Senators Warn Lebanon To Avoid Iranian Fuel, Despite Crisis RFE/RL 02 Sep 2021 -- Four visiting U.S. senators told Lebanese officials on September 1 that the United States was eager to help that country tackle its fuel shortages but warned against Beirut seeking to import Iranian oil to alleviate the problem.
• Thousands of Myanmar Soldiers and Police Have Joined Anti-Junta Forces Since Coup Radio Free Asia 02 Sep 2021 -- Nearly 2,500 soldiers and police in Myanmar have broken with the military junta to join the resistance movement since the Feb. 1 coup that ousted the country's democratically elected government, defector groups said on Thursday.
• Rohingya Refugees in Rakhine Ask to Return Home in the Face of COVID Hardships Radio Free Asia 02 Sep 2021 -- More than 100,000 Rohingya refugees who've been confined to camps in western Myanmar's Rakhine state for nearly a decade are asking to be allowed to return home so they can find work and food amid the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the Muslim minority group say.
• Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announces new Myanmar sanctions UK FCDO 02 Sep 2021 -- Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announces new sanctions against U Tay Za and Htoo Group of Companies.
• Polish President Declares State Of Emergency Over Belarus Migrant Influx RFE/RL 02 Sep 2021 -- Polish President Andrzej Duda has imposed a state of emergency in parts of two regions bordering Belarus amid an influx of migrants from the former Soviet state.
• Kremlin: US-Ukrainian 'friendship' motivated by opposition to Russia Press TV 02 Sep 2021 -- Russia has denounced the US military assistance to Ukraine, saying such American actions could make Kyiv behave unpredictably and dangerously and "can only be a cause for regret."
• Ukraine's Zelenskiy Gets His White House Meeting. Was It Enough? RFE/RL 02 Sep 2021 -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made it abundantly clear what he hoped to get out of his first official visit to the White House: more guns, missiles, armor, and other U.S. equipment to aid in his country's fight against Kremlin-backed separatists.
• Blinken: US to Provide Over $45Mln in Additional Humanitarian Assistance for Ukraine Sputnik 02 Sep 2021 -- The United States is providing Ukraine with more than $45 million in additional humanitarian assistance for about 3.4 million people in need, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday.
• United States Announces Humanitarian Assistance for Ukraine US Dept. of State 02 Sep 2021 -- The United States is providing more than $45 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the people of Ukraine, bringing our total humanitarian assistance since FY 2014 to more than $351 million.
• US pledges $60mn in new military aid to Ukraine, citing 'the Russia threat' Press TV 02 Sep 2021 -- US President Joe Biden has pledged $60 million in new military and security aid to Ukraine, saying Washington is "firmly committed" to the European country's territorial integrity against what he called "Russian aggression."
• Ukraine Extends House Arrest Of Kremlin-Friendly Tycoon And Lawmaker Medvedchuk RFE/RL 02 Sep 2021 -- A Ukrainian court has extended by two months the house arrest of Viktor Medvedchuk, a Kremlin-leaning lawmaker and tycoon who is accused of supporting fighters in two eastern provinces.
• Not To Be Left Out, Uzbek Lawmakers Pitch 'Head Of Nation' Title For Mirziyoev RFE/RL 02 Sep 2021 -- Two senior lawmakers have suggested that President Shavkat Mirziyoev, who enjoys virtually unrestrained political power in Uzbekistan, should be given the honorary title of "head of the nation."
• Politically Fractured Bulgaria Sets Date For Presidential Vote RFE/RL 02 Sep 2021 -- Bulgaria's parliament has set November 14 as the date for a presidential election as the country also gears up for its third parliamentary vote this year, after political parties gave up efforts to form a governing coalition following inconclusive polls.
• Romanian PM Sacks Justice Minister, Endangering Coalition Government RFE/RL 02 Sep 2021 -- Romanian Prime Minister Florin Citu sacked his justice minister late on September 1, plunging the EU member's governing coalition into crisis.