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Defense Policy / Programs

• Task Force Phoenix passes halfway point on 9-month Middle East mission CENTCOM 07 Oct 2021 -- The Soldiers of Task Force Phoenix have endured intense heat with highs reaching above 120-degrees for nearly four months straight while conducting operations in five Middle Eastern nations.
• DOD Finds Top-Notch, Reliable Defense Partner, Supplier in Italy DoD News 07 Oct 2021 -- Developing and strengthening the relationships between U.S. partners and allies is a top priority for Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III. For a long time, Italy has been one of the nations the U.S. military depends on for both defense relations and military supplies and equipment, the DOD's deputy director of international and strategic engagement for foreign investment review said.
• Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on the Department of Defense Climate Adaptation Plan DoD 07 Oct 2021 -- Climate change is an existential threat to our nation's security, and the Department of Defense must act swiftly and boldly to take on this challenge and prepare for damage that cannot be avoided.
• DOD Announces Strategy to Tackle Climate Crisis DoD News 07 Oct 2021 -- On Oct. 7, 2021, the White House released Climate Adaptation Plans from each agency, as required by Executive Order 14008, "Tackling the Climate Crisis At Home and Abroad." The Department of Defense Climate Adaptation Plan, released with these plans, articulates a bold vision for climate adaptation and aligns adaptation and resilience efforts with the department's warfighting mission. The DOD CAP is the culmination of more than 10 years of effort within the department to ensure that the military forces of the United States retain operational advantage under all conditions.
• Eleven Sailors Injured After US Nuclear-Powered Submarine Hits Unknown Object in Indo-Pacific Sputnik 07 Oct 2021 -- Eleven sailors were injured after a US submarine struck an object in international waters in the Indo-Pacific region on Saturday, USNI News outlet reported on Thursday citing a Navy official.
• Statement regarding USS Connecticut (SSN 22) US Navy Press Release 07 Oct 2021 -- Pearl Harbor, Hawaii -- USS Connecticut (SSN 22) struck an object while submerged on the afternoon of Oct. 2, while operating in international waters in the Indo-Pacific region. There are no life threatening injuries.
• Pentagon Says NSA Working With Big Companies on Cyber Information Sharing Sputnik 07 Oct 2021 -- The National Security Agency (NSA) is working with big defense industrial base companies on information sharing on cyber issues, Defense Department Acting Chief Information Officer Kelly Fletcher said during an interview at the Billington CyberSecurity Summit on Thursday.
• Pentagon Says No Recent Unsafe Interactions Between US, Iranian Vessels in Persian Gulf Sputnik 07 Oct 2021 -- There have been no unsafe interactions recently between US and Iranian vessels in the Persian Gulf, US Navy Central Command Public Affairs Officer Tim Hawkins said on Thursday.
• Speech by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Arthur F. Burns Fellowship Alumni Dinner in Berlin, Germany NATO 07 Oct 2021
• NATO Secretary General: Europe and North America must stand strong together NATO 07 Oct 2021 -- National Security Advisers from across the Alliance met in Brussels on Thursday (07 October 2021) to review progress in key areas, including enhancing deterrence and defence, technological innovation and responding to climate change.
• Allies continue their joint efforts to resettle Afghans who worked with NATO NATO 07 Oct 2021 -- 80 former NATO Afghan employees and their family members are now being resettled in Norway. They departed temporary facilities in Kosovo on a charted civilian airline flight from Pristina to Norway on Tuesday (05 October 2021).
• Stoltenberg Says No Agreement Reached With Lavrov to Convene NATO-Russia Council Sputnik 07 Oct 2021 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that he discussed the possibility to convene the NATO-Russia Council with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov but no agreement was reached.
• NATO Chief Says Expulsions of Russian Diplomats Not Linked to Particular Event VOA 07 Oct 2021 -- NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday the expulsion of eight members of the Russian Mission to the alliance was not the result of any one particular event, but due to an "increase in malign activity for some time."
• NATO Expulsions of Russian Diplomats Will Likely Trigger Moscow Response VOA 07 Oct 2021 -- NATO is expelling eight Russian diplomats and plans to halve the size of Russia's observer mission to the Western alliance in response to alleged malign Russian espionage activities in Europe, which have included killings, attempted assassinations and explosions, say European officials.
• NATO Chief Says Russian Expulsions Prompted By Moscow's 'Malign Activity' RFE/RL 07 Oct 2021 -- Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on October 7 that NATO decided to expel eight Russians accredited to the alliance in response to a surge in Moscow's "malign activities," as the Kremlin warned the decision undermined "almost completely" any hope for improving relations.
• NATO expels 8 Russian diplomats over 'spying'; Moscow slams decision Press TV 07 Oct 2021 -- NATO has expelled eight Russian diplomats over espionage allegations, with Moscow lambasting the extraordinary decision for undermining efforts to normalize ties between the US-led military alliance and the Kremlin.
• CURTAIN RAISER: 6TH EDITION OF INDIA - UK JOINT COMPANY LEVEL MILITARY TRAINING: EXERCISE AJEYA WARRIOR COMMENCES AT CHAUBATIA (UTTARAKHAND) India PIB 07 Oct 2021 -- The 6th Edition of India - UK Joint Company Level Military Training EXERCISE AJEYA WARRIOR has commenced at Chaubatia, Uttarakhand and will culminate on 20 Oct 2021.
• Biden to Decide on Sanctions Against India for Purchasing 'Dangerous' S-400, Says US Top Diplomat Sputnik 07 Oct 2021 -- Indian Air Force (IAF) chief V. R. Chaudhari said on Tuesday that the Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile defence system would be inducted "within this year". Prioritising 'national interest', New Delhi categorically conveyed to Washington that it would not be cowed under pressure over Russia's $5.43 billion deal.
• Japan's de facto aircraft carrier since WWII raises security concern in region Global Times 07 Oct 2021 -- By having F-35B stealth fighter jets successfully flying from a modified helicopter destroyer in a recent test, Japan now in de facto has an aircraft carrier in its arsenal, the first since the country brought disaster to the world in World War II, was defeated and vowed not to have aggressive weapons.
• Pentagon Won't Confirm Reports of US Special Forces in Taiwan VOA 07 Oct 2021 -- U.S. Defense Department officials are refusing to confirm reports that American forces are in Taiwan, secretly training Taiwanese troops to prepare them in case of an attack from China.
• US Soldiers Secretly Stationed in Taiwan Trained Troops to Defend Against China, Reports Say Sputnik 07 Oct 2021 -- US Marines and special operations forces have been secretly training Taiwanese soldiers on the island to defend against possible Chinese aggression, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
• Building relationships at sea and virtually Australia DOD 07 Oct 2021 -- Australia and Brunei have continued to develop their defence and whole-of-government relationship with a number of activities held at sea and virtually as part of Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2021 (IPE21).
• New refuelling system fuels efficiencies Australia DOD 07 Oct 2021 -- An Air Force P-8A Poseidon aircraft from No. 92 Wing at RAAF Base Edinburgh in August marked a significant capability milestone, with the first refuelling using the base's in-ground system.
• Senior Administration Officials On the Upcoming U.S.-Mexico High-Level Security Dialogue US Dept. of State 07 Oct 2021
• Top US Officials Set for Security Talks with Mexico VOA 07 Oct 2021 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is shifting his focus to security talks with Mexico after working to soothe relations with ally France.
• Senior US Diplomat in Pakistan for Official Talks VOA 07 Oct 2021 -- Developments in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan are likely to dominate the discussions between U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and senior Pakistani officials during the American's high-profile visit to Islamabad this week.
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi US Dept. of State 07 Oct 2021
• Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre En Route Chicago, Illinois The White House 07 Oct 2021
• Department Press Briefing – October 7, 2021 US Dept. of State 07 Oct 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Oct. 7, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 7 October 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 07 Oct 2021
• Former Taliban Commander Charged with Killing American Troops in 2008 US Dept. of Justice 07 Oct 2021 -- Haji Najibullah, Previously Charged in the 2008 Kidnapping of an American Journalist, Was Also Indicted Today for 2008 Attacks on U.S. Servicemembers in Afghanistan, Including Attacks Resulting in the Deaths of Three American Soldiers and Their Afghan Int
• UN Rights Body To Appoint Afghanistan Rapporteur RFE/RL Gandhara 07 Oct 2021 -- The UN Human Rights Council has voted to appoint a special rapporteur on Afghanistan to probe allegations of violations perpetrated by the Taliban and other actors involved in the war-wracked country.
• Reports: Russia Invites Taliban To Moscow For Afghanistan Talks RFE/RL Gandhara 07 Oct 2021 -- Russia's special envoy to Afghanistan said that Taliban representatives have been invited to Moscow for talks later this month on the country's future.
• US, UK Aircraft Carriers Lead Show of Naval Might Around South China Sea Radio Free Asia 07 Oct 2021 -- Three aircraft carriers and a dozen other warships from U.S.-allied nations sailed on the fringes of the South China Sea this week in one of the biggest shows of Western maritime might in the region for years.
• Yemeni forces shoot down US RQ-20 Puma drone over Saudi city Press TV 07 Oct 2021 -- Yemeni army forces have shot down an American AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma drone flying in the skies over Saudi Arabia's southern Jizan region close to the border with Yemen.
• Syrian army forces comb southern city in Dara'a for hidden bombs, unexploded ordnance Press TV 07 Oct 2021 -- Syrian army troops have been deployed across the rubble-strewn streets of another town in the country's southwestern province of Dara'a to look for unexploded ordnance and booby traps left by Takfiri terrorists.
• Letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Situation in and in Relation to Syria The White House 07 Oct 2021
• Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Situation in and in Relation to Syria The White House 07 Oct 2021
• Colombia deploys 14,000 troops to restive region bordering Venezuela Press TV 07 Oct 2021 -- Colombia has deployed thousands of troops to a restive region in the country's north near the border with Venezuela in a declared attempt to bolster government control of the area, which is a hotspot of activity by criminal groups and drug traffickers.
• 16 soldiers killed in Mali terrorist attack Press TV 07 Oct 2021 -- Sixteen soldiers have been killed and 10 injured in a militant attack in central Mali, officials have announced.
• Two Kosovo War Veterans Plead Innocent To Witness Intimidation In The Hague RFE/RL 07 Oct 2021 -- Leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK) War Veterans Association have pleaded innocent to charges of obstructing justice and intimidating witnesses at a war crimes tribunal in the Netherlands.
• Despite Terrorist Leader's Death, South Africa Extends Deployment to Northern Mozambique Sputnik 07 Oct 2021 -- The Southern African Development Community (SADC) decided at a Tuesday summit in Pretoria that its standby force would remain deployed in Mozambique beyond the initial 90-day period of its authorization. The news comes despite the recent killing of a major rebel leader.
• Tibet's Exile Parliament Ends Oath-Taking Impasse Following Dalai Lama's Advice Radio Free Asia 07 Oct 2021 -- After four months of controversy over the seating of Tibet's exile parliament, all members of the parliament's 17th session will now take their oaths of office under the terms of Tibet's exile charter, following the intervention of exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.

News Reports

• Following 8 Month Investigation, Senate Judiciary Committee Releases Report on Donald Trump's Scheme to Pressure DOJ & Overturn the 2020 Election Senate Judiciary Committee 07 Oct 2021 -- Following an eight-month investigation, the Senate Judiciary Committee today released new testimony and a staff report, "Subverting Justice: How the Former President and his Allies Pressured DOJ to Overturn the 2020 Election." The report and testimony reveal that we were only a half-step away from a full blown constitutional crisis as President Donald Trump and his loyalists threatened a wholesale takeover of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
• Hackers Behind SolarWinds Tried to Breach US, European Government Networks - Reports Sputnik 07 Oct 2021 -- The hackers behind the SolarWinds infiltration attempted to again breach US government networks including European government networks this year, CNN reported citing cybersecurity analysts monitoring the group.
• Microsoft: Russia Cyberattacks Targeting More Governments, Agencies VOA 07 Oct 2021 -- Russia appears to be getting more aggressive and more successful as the nation's hackers launch a growing number of cyberattacks against the United States and other nations, according to a new report by Microsoft.
• Two Decades After Start Of U.S. War On Terror, Al-Qaeda Is Down But Not Out RFE/RL Gandhara 07 Oct 2021 -- On October 7, 2001, the United States began bombing Taliban-ruled Afghanistan in a retaliatory military campaign against Al-Qaeda for orchestrating the 9/11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, October 7, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 07 Oct 2021
• U.S., EU Call For Justice 15 Years After Russian Journalist Politkovskaya's Murder RFE/RL 07 Oct 2021 -- The United States and the European Union have marked the 15th anniversary of the murder of prominent investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya in central Moscow by renewing their calls for all those responsible to be brought to justice, amid an intensifying crackdown on independent media and the opposition.
• 15-Year Anniversary of the Murder of Anna Politkovskaya US Dept. of State 07 Oct 2021 -- Today marks 15 years since journalist and human rights defender Anna Politkovskaya was killed in Moscow for her brave work bringing to light human rights abuses in the conflict in Chechnya and giving voice to its victims.
• Statement by Vladimir Ermakov, Head of the Delegation of the Russian Federation and Director of the Department for Nonproliferation and Arms Control of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, at the General Debate in the First Committee of the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly, New York, 6 October 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 07 Oct 2021
• Joint Statement by the Foreign Ministers of the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China on Strengthening the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 07 Oct 2021
• Bulgaria Detains One Russian, Two Lithuanians Over Alleged Espionage At Arms Maker RFE/RL 07 Oct 2021 -- Three foreign employees of Bulgaria's biggest weapons maker, Arsenal, have been detained on suspicion of exporting "sensitive information" about the company's manufacturing plant.
• US Spy Agency Pivots to Better Confront Beijing VOA 07 Oct 2021 -- The United States top spy agency is making changes in response to what it describes as an "an increasingly adversarial" government in Beijing.
• CIA launches group on China, scraps Trump-era Iran center Press TV 07 Oct 2021 -- The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) says it has created a top-level working group on China as part of a broad US campaign focused on countering Beijing's growing influence across the Pacific and elsewhere in the world.
• CIA Launches China Mission Centre to Confront Beijing Sputnik 07 Oct 2021 -- The media first reported on the US foreign intelligence agency's aspirations to launch a separate China-focused department back in August. Up to now, the People's Republic of China was a part of the agency's "Mission Centre for East Asia and Pacific."
• Chinese University Blocks Off 'Democracy Wall' as Student Union Disbands Radio Free Asia 07 Oct 2021 -- Student union leaders at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) said they are disbanding the union, the latest in a line of civil society organizations to disappear amid a citywide crackdown on dissent under the national security law.
• Hong Kong Civil Society Keeps Shrinking VOA 07 Oct 2021 -- After a sweeping crackdown on pro-democracy opposition in Hong Kong that has seen dozens of activists arrested and jailed, authorities have firmly turned their attention to the city's civil society groups.
• U.S. Secretary of State urges China to stop coercion aimed at Taiwan CNA 07 Oct 2021 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Beijing to cease pressure and coercion toward Taiwan, following record numbers of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) military sorties near the island.
• PLA presence around Taiwan 'targets secessionism, foreign forces' Global Times 07 Oct 2021 -- While the people of the Chinese mainland have been celebrating the October 1 National Day and enjoying the weeklong national holidays, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has conducted massive military actions in the airspace near the island of Taiwan to deter secessionism and foreign forces, especially the US, who support the secessionist authorities in the island, and the latest remarks made by US senior officials and the secessionist Taiwan authorities showed that the tensions are unlikely to ease.
• French delegation travels to Chinese Taipei, meets with island's president Press TV 07 Oct 2021 -- A delegation from the French senate, led by former Minister of Defense Alain Richard, has traveled to Chinese Taipei and met with president Tsai Ing-wen, days after a dramatic spike in tensions between Beijing and Taipei.
• Efforts for Fresh Leaps Forward in Sci-tech Development Brisk in DPRK KCNA 07 Oct 2021 -- Scientists and technicians of the State Academy of Sciences strive to make fresh leaps forward in the development of science and technology.
• Strengthening of Technical Forces Brisk in DPRK KCNA 07 Oct 2021 -- Industrial establishments across the country wage a brisk campaign for building up their own technical forces.
• North Korea to face starvation if Security Council sanctions not eased, UN expert warns Press TV 07 Oct 2021 -- A UN expert has warned that North Korea's most vulnerable people will face starvation if crushing sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council are not eased and the peninsular country slips deeper into isolation.
• Iran FM: Tehran disregards oral messages, empty promises over JCPOA revival Press TV 07 Oct 2021 -- Iran's foreign minister says neither the United States' oral messages nor the European powers' empty promises are taken seriously in Tehran when it comes to their calls for a mutual return to the 2015 historic nuclear agreement.
• Ukrainian Lawmakers Vote To Remove Parliament Speaker Razumkov RFE/RL 07 Oct 2021 -- Ukrainian lawmakers have voted to remove parliament speaker Dmytro Razumkov, amid differences between him and the ruling Servant of the People party.
• In Beirut, Iran FM assures Lebanon of full support, offers help in development projects Press TV 07 Oct 2021 -- Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has reaffirmed Iran's strong support for Lebanon, a sanctions-hit nation battered by an economic crisis, saying the Islamic Republic is ready to play an active role in promoting the Arab country's development projects.
• UN Report Cites No Accountability for Philippines Extra-Judicial Killings VOA 07 Oct 2021 -- The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michele Bachelet, reports widespread human rights violations and abuses in the Philippines continue to be committed with impunity across the country. Her report has been submitted to the U.N. Human Rights Council.