Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• U.S. Vice President Thanks Kosovo For Hosting Afghans RFE/RL Gandhara 04 Sep 2021 -- U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris spoke by phone with Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani on September 3 to convey U.S. gratitude for the country's assistance in efforts to evacuate people from Afghanistan, a statement from Harris's office said.
• Blinken To Visit Qatar, Germany To Coordinate With Allies On Resettlement Of Afghans RFE/RL Gandhara 04 Sep 2021 -- WASHINGTON -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on September 3 that he will travel to Qatar and Germany next week to coordinate with allies on how to resettle more than 100,000 Afghans who have fled their war-torn nation.
• U.S. Expects To Admit At Least 50,000 Afghans Evacuated In Kabul Airlift RFE/RL Gandhara 04 Sep 2021 -- At least 50,000 Afghans are expected to be admitted into the United States as part of the country's commitment to help people who worked for the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan, the head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Pentagon plans to require US Navy to provide launching ground for airstrikes in Afghanistan Press TV 04 Sep 2021 -- The Pentagon is reportedly drawing up plans to shift the military involvement in Afghanistan onto the US Navy, which will likely be called on to deploy more aircraft carriers to the Middle East to provide launching ground for "over the horizon" airstrikes.
• U.S. forces participate in Exercise Bright Star in Egypt CENTCOM 04 Sep 2021 -- The U.S., along with forces from partner nations, have joined the Arab Republic of Egypt for Exercise Bright Star 2021 at Mohamed Naguib Military Base, Egypt on Sept. 2 - 16.
• USS Arleigh Burke Arrives in Tallin, Estonia US Navy 04 Sep 2021 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) arrived in Tallinn, Estonia for a scheduled port visit to enhance U.S.-Estonia relations as the two nations work together for a stable, secure, and prosperous Europe, Sept. 4, 2021.
• Navy Shifts to Recovery of 5 Sailors in Helicopter Crash US Navy Press Release 04 Sep 2021 -- The U.S. Navy has declared the five missing crewmembers of an MH-60S helicopter crash, deceased. U.S. 3rd Fleet has shifted from search and rescue efforts to recovery operations, Sept. 4.
• Navy awards 2nd dry dock project for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard modernization US Navy Press Release 04 Sep 2021 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) awarded a $63-million construction project Aug. 30 for improvements to the Dry Dock 2 complex at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine.
• With China More Assertive, Taiwan Mulls Bigger Defense Budget VOA 04 Sep 2021 -- Taiwan's Cabinet is proposing to increase the military budget next year to develop and buy modern hardware as Chinese ships and aircraft continue to encroach on the island's waters and airspace, keeping alive fears of a strike.
• IRGC to work with Defense Ministry to enhance missile power, says top commander Press TV 04 Sep 2021 -- Head of the Aerospace Division of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says the force plans to boost cooperation with the Defense Ministry to enhance Iran's missile power.
• 28th EDITION OF SINGAPORE-INDIA MARITIME BILATERAL EXERCISE 'SIMBEX' India PIB 04 Sep 2021 -- The 28th edition of Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) was conducted from 02 to 04 Sep 21.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• Chinese FM Wang Yi hopes new Afghan government will disassociate itself from terrorist organizations Global Times 04 Sep 2021 -- Noting the Taliban might announce the formation of a new government in the coming days, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said he hopes that the new government will be open and inclusive, and establish and develop good relations with other countries, especially neighboring countries.
• Taliban promise inclusive government in Afghanistan Press TV 04 Sep 2021 -- The Taliban's deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar says the group is in the process of forming an inclusive government.
• Panjshir resistance can spread to rest of Afghanistan: Afghan officials warn Taliban Press TV 04 Sep 2021 -- The Taliban have been warned that clashes between the group and resistance militia fighters in Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley, north of the capital Kabul, might spread across other parts of the country.
• Taliban Militants Use Tear Gas, Fire Warning Shots As Women In Kabul Demand Equal Rights RFE/RL Gandhara 04 Sep 2021 -- Taliban militants used tear gas and fired warning gunshots into the air as dozens of women held a protest in central Kabul on September 4 to demand equal rights.
• Fighting Reported In Opposition Holdout As Taliban Moves Closer To Forming Afghan Government RFE/RL Gandhara 04 Sep 2021 -- Fresh fighting was reported on September 4 in the last holdout against Taliban control in Afghanistan as the hard-line Islamist group finalized plans to form a government and Pakistan's powerful intelligence chief arrived in Kabul.
• Taliban Claim Fresh Advances Against Afghan Opposition VOA 04 Sep 2021 -- The Taliban claimed Saturday that their forces had seized several districts in the northern Panjshir Valley, the last remaining province in Afghanistan holding out against the Islamist group.
• Syrian air defenses shot down 21 of 24 Israeli missiles fired in latest raid on Damascus, Russian military says Press TV 04 Sep 2021 -- The Russian military says Syrian air defense units intercepted most of the missiles fired during a recent Israeli raid on the capital Damascus, shooting down 21 projectiles during the attack launched from the Lebanese airspace.
• Syria: Prevent 'entire generation from being lost', urges UN humanitarian chief UN News 04 Sep 2021 -- Some 13.4 million Syrians throughout the beleaguered country are in need of assistance, the UN humanitarian office said on Saturday, calling for "greater access and expanded funding", to better help them.

News Reports

• Russia's Gazprom Neft abandons dollar in favor of yuan in fueling planes in China Press TV 04 Sep 2021 -- The oil arm of Russia's major gas corporation Gazprom – Gazprom Neft – has begun to abandon the US dollar in favor of the Chinese yuan in settling payments for fueling planes throughout China, the company's CEO says.
• Four More Media Organizations Added To Russia's 'Foreign Agent' List RFE/RL 04 Sep 2021 -- Russia has branded four more media outlets as "foreign agents," adding to the growing list of news organizations and individual journalists caught up in what critics say is an accelerated Kremlin campaign against independent media ahead of nationwide legislative elections later this month.
• US Climate Envoy Kerry Gets Cold Shoulder in China VOA 04 Sep 2021 -- Analysts are portraying this week's visit to China by U.S. presidential envoy John Kerry as a diplomatic embarrassment, with Chinese leaders giving no ground on Kerry's appeal for cooperation on climate change and offering him only video meetings with senior officials.
• China's High Court Warns Employers' '996' Schedule Illegal VOA 04 Sep 2021 -- China's labor laws have long stated that a workday is eight hours long and overtime must be paid to any worker putting in more than 44 hours a week.
• Highly Indebted Chinese Companies Pose Challenge for Beijing VOA 04 Sep 2021 -- In the latest sign that corporate debt levels in China pose a threat to the broader economy, Chinese regulators on Friday were forced to halt trading in bonds issued by Evergrande, the country's second-largest property developer. Concerns that the company will be unable to continue making payments on its obligations prompted a huge sell-off by investors, overwhelming exchanges.
• DPP authority slammed for seeking "Taiwan independence" People's Daily 04 Sep 2021 -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Friday condemned Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority for its continuous provocations in seeking "Taiwan independence."
• Raeisi: Negotiations, 'pressure' don't go hand in hand Press TV 04 Sep 2021 -- President Ebrahim Raeisi dismisses the idea of holding negotiations over the revival of the country's nuclear agreement under pressure, saying such tactics has never yielded the US and Europe any result.
• Iran Ready To Resume Talks On Nuclear Deal, But Not Under Western 'Pressure,' Raisi Says RFE/RL 04 Sep 2021 -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi says talks to revive the Iran nuclear deal are on his government's agenda, but that they should not be held under "pressure" from Western countries.
• Protests Erupt in Bangkok After PM Survives Confidence Vote VOA 04 Sep 2021 -- Pro-democracy demonstrations erupted in Bangkok after Premier Prayuth Chan-ocha's parliamentary allies helped him survive a no-confidence vote called after rising public anger at his government and its handling of the latest coronavirus outbreak.
• Damascus agrees to Beirut's request to help transport Egypt's gas, Jordan's electricity to Lebanon via Syria Press TV 04 Sep 2021 -- Damascus has agreed to the Lebanese government's request to help transport gas from Egypt and electricity from Jordan via Syrian territory to Lebanon, which is struggling with an energy crisis.
• Lebanese, Syrian Officials Agree on Energy Import Plan VOA 04 Sep 2021 -- Top Lebanese interim government officials met Saturday with their Syrian counterparts in Damascus for the first time in nearly 10 years to discuss importing Egyptian gas and Jordanian electricity through Syrian territory, and Syria said it was ready to cooperate.
• Syrians will achieve final victory in face of aggression forces' economic war: President Assad Press TV 04 Sep 2021 -- President Bashar al-Assad says the aggression forces have imposed an economic blockade on Syria after their failure in the militarily and security arenas, emphasizing that the country's people will be able to overcome this stage and achieve the final victory.