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• Guam National Guard, Navy conduct joint training at sea Army News 08 Oct 2021 -- An unusual meeting took place a few miles off the coast of Guam Sept. 28, as a U.S. Army UH-72 Lakota Helicopter approached a U.S. Navy Mark VI Patrol Boat. It was the first such meeting between the Guam Army National Guard's Detachment 2, Delta Company, 1-224th Aviation Regiment and the Navy's Bravo Company, Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadron 4.
• Pacific Amphibious Leaders Collaborate on Force Modernization USMC News 08 Oct 2021 -- Lt. Gen. Steven R. Rudder, commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, hosted a virtual Pacific Amphibious Leaders Symposium with representatives of 20 allies and partners from North America, Asia, Australia, Europe, and South America, October 6.
• Summit Highlights DOD's Cybersecurity Initiatives, Challenges DoD News 08 Oct 2021 -- Some of the cybersecurity challenges the Defense Department faces and some of its key initiatives include the highlight of a fireside chat at the Billington CyberSecurity Summit.
• General Says Artificial Intelligence Will Play Important Role in Network Defense DoD News 08 Oct 2021 -- Attacks by hostile governments and criminal networks on civilian and Defense Department cyberspace assets are constant threats. As artificial intelligence grows in cyberspace and as it matures to enterprise scale, it, too, will become a target, said the director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center.
• DOD Must Pivot to Counter Climate Change, Official Says DoD News 08 Oct 2021 -- Climate change is happening. The DOD has to understand what's happening and how to mitigate or adapt to the effects — and then be part of the solution, Richard Kidd, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for environment and energy resilience, told the Defense Writers' Group today.
• USS Miguel Keith Hosts Sailors and Marines to Increase Naval Integration Opportunities US Navy 08 Oct 2021 -- The crew of Lewis B. Puller class expeditionary staging base, USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5), hosted Navy staff from Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 7, and Marines from III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) and subordinate commands while anchored at Naval Base White Beach, Okinawa.
• Multiple Allied Carrier Strike Groups Operate Together in 7th Fleet US Navy 08 Oct 2021 -- U.S. Navy carrier strike groups led by flagships USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) and USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) joined with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's (JMSDF) Hyuga-class helicopter destroyer JS Ise (DDH 182) and the United Kingdom's carrier strike group (CSG 21) led by HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) to conduct multiple carrier strike group operations in the Philippine Sea, Oct. 3.
• US nuclear sub hits object in South China Sea, multiple injured Press TV 08 Oct 2021 -- Multiple sailors were injured after a US nuclear attack submarine hit an unknown underwater object in the South China Sea, a report says.
• US Nuke Sub in South China Sea Collision; 11 Sailors Reportedly Injured Radio Free Asia 08 Oct 2021 -- A U.S. nuclear submarine "struck an object while submerged" in the South China Sea last weekend, the U.S. Navy said, at a time when rival nations are stepping up military activities in the busy and disputed waterway. Eleven sailors were reportedly injured.
• Chinese FM urges US to provide truth about nuke submarine accident in S. China Sea, including intentions and if leak happens Global Times 08 Oct 2021 -- China expresses grave concern about the accident involving US submarine USS Connecticut hitting an unknown object in the South China Sea, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Friday, urging the US to clarify more details about the accident, its purpose of cruising in the area, and whether it has caused a nuclear leak that has damaged the local marine environment.
• China urges US to reveal details of submarine incident in South China Sea Press TV 08 Oct 2021 -- China has voiced concern about a recent incident involving a US nuclear submarine in the South China Sea, urging Washington to explain the accident and its purpose of cruising in the international waters in detail.
• NATO Secretary General visits Spain to prepare Madrid Summit NATO 08 Oct 2021 -- NATO's next Summit will take place in Madrid on 29-30 June 2022, the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced during a visit by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg today (08 October 2021). The Secretary General also met with the King of Spain, His Majesty Felipe VI at the Zarzuela palace.
• Kashi Military Sub-command opens up air patrol routes in plateau border areas PLA Daily 08 Oct 2021 -- In late September, service members assigned to a border defense regiment of the Kashi Military Sub-command under the PLA Xinjiang Military Command flew to a plateau border defense area at an elevation of more than 5,600 meters to perform patrol missions on the helicopter.
• Readout of 16th U.S. – India Defense Policy Group DoD 08 Oct 2021
• FIFTH EDITION OF JAPAN-INDIA BILATERAL MARITIME EXERCISE 'JIMEX' India PIB 08 Oct 2021 -- The 5th edition ofthe bilateral maritime exercise JIMEX, between Japan and India, was conducted in the Arabian Sea from06 – 08 October2021.
• Australia - MH-60R Multi-Mission Helicopters and Related Defense Services DSCA 08 Oct 2021 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Australia of MH-60R Multi-Mission Helicopters, Related Defense Services, and related equipment for an estimated cost of $985 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• U.S. defense link with Taiwan aligned against China threat: Pentagon CNA 08 Oct 2021 -- The Pentagon said Thursday that the United States' defense relationship with Taiwan is guided by the island's defense needs and the threat posed by China.
• US special operations forces secretly training Taiwanese troops since 2020: Report Press TV 08 Oct 2021 -- In a stunning disclosure, which risks further escalation of tensions with China, US special operations forces and marines have been secretly training Taiwanese troops since 2020, according to reports.
• Blinken Says Updated Security Framework with Mexico Marks 'New Chapter' VOA 08 Oct 2021 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said an updated security framework being developed between the United States and Mexico "marks the beginning of a new chapter" in security cooperation between the two nations.
• Joint Statement: U.S.-Mexico High-Level Security Dialogue The White House 08 Oct 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Mexican President López Obrador US Dept. of State 08 Oct 2021
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken Remarks at Top of Working Breakfast With Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador And Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard US Dept. of State 08 Oct 2021
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi US Dept. of State 08 Oct 2021
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Meeting with Pakistani National Security Advisor Yusuf US Dept. of State 08 Oct 2021
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard At a Joint Press Availability US Dept. of State 08 Oct 2021
• Remarks Before the U.S.-Mexico High-Level Security Dialogue US Dept. of State 08 Oct 2021
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, October 8, 2021 The White House 08 Oct 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Oct. 8, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 8 October 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 Oct 2021
• Crises in Afghanistan, Ethiopia Dominate Refugee Conference VOA 08 Oct 2021 -- Refugee and humanitarian crises in Afghanistan and Ethiopia were the focus of intense debate during this week's annual U.N. refugee conference.
• Memorandum for the Secretary of State on Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2022 The White House 08 Oct 2021
• Memorandum for the Secretary of State on Presidential Determination and Certification with Respect to the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008 The White House 08 Oct 2021
• Attack on Mosque in Kunduz, Afghanistan US Dept. of State 08 Oct 2021
• Afghanistan: UN chief condemns 'horrific' attack at Kunduz mosque UN News 08 Oct 2021 -- At least 100 worshippers have been killed or injured after a suicide bomber targeted a Shia mosque, in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz, according to news reports, during Friday prayers.
• Scores Killed, Wounded In IS-K Suicide Blast Inside Afghan Shi'ite Mosque RFE/RL Gandhara 08 Oct 2021 -- A suicide blast inside a Shi'ite mosque in the northern Afghan province of Kunduz has reportedly killed and wounded at least 100 people in the bloodiest attack since the Taliban took control of most of the country in August.
• Over 50 killed in massive bomb blast claimed by Daesh at Shia mosque in Afghanistan's Kunduz Press TV 08 Oct 2021 -- A bomb attack claimed by the Daesh terrorist group on a Shia mosque in Afghanistan's northeastern city of Kunduz has killed more than 50 people and left score of others injured.
• Taliban call Daesh in Afghanistan a 'headache' not 'threat' Press TV 08 Oct 2021 -- The Taliban have played down the threat of the Daesh terrorist group in Afghanistan, saying the Takfiri outfit is much of a "headache" than a menace and would soon be destroyed.
• Visiting Uzbek Foreign Minister Discusses Cooperation With Taliban Leaders RFE/RL Gandhara 08 Oct 2021 -- During a visit to Kabul, Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov discussed economic cooperation with the Taliban leadership and said he received "clear assurances" that the militant group will never pose any security threat to Uzbekistan.
• UN refugee chief warns of catastrophe if Afghanistan aid delayed Press TV 08 Oct 2021 -- The UN refugee chief has warned of a potential humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan if much-needed aid to the country is delayed, urging international donors to honor their financial pledges immediately.
• Revised Indictment Adds New Charges Against Afghan Man Held In U.S. RFE/RL Gandhara 08 Oct 2021 -- The U.S. Justice Department says an Afghan man already facing charges in the United States in a 2008 kidnapping case has now been charged with additional crimes, including an attack that killed three U.S. soldiers later that same year.
• Former Taliban commander charged with killing US troops in 2008 Press TV 08 Oct 2021 -- The prosecutors in the US have charged an Afghan national, an alleged former Taliban commander, in terrorism-related offenses related to the killing of US troops in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2009.
• US to Hold First In-Person Talks with Taliban Since Withdrawal From Afghanistan VOA 08 Oct 2021 -- Senior U.S. officials will hold in-person talks beginning Saturday with representatives of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban for the first time since the U.S. withdrawal from the country.
• US Official Slams Taliban for Falling Short on Public Pledges VOA 08 Oct 2021 -- A senior American diplomat said Friday that the United States was working with global partners to help prevent a looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan but criticized the country's new Taliban rulers for failing to deliver on their public commitments, including protecting human rights.
• Syrian air defenses thwart Israeli missile attack on Homs province: SANA Press TV 08 Oct 2021 -- Syria's air defenses have thwarted an Israeli missile attack on a military airbase in the country's central province of Homs, shooting down most of the missiles, Syrian state media say.
• Ukrainian State Bank Loaned $60 Million To Businessman With Assets In Donbas Conflict Zone RFE/RL 08 Oct 2021 -- Ukraine's state-owned export-import bank lent $60 million to companies owned by a businessman with interests in parts of eastern Ukraine controlled by Moscow-backed separatists, a new investigation has found.
• Mali accuses France of training 'terrorists' in country Press TV 08 Oct 2021 -- Mali says it has evidence that France has been training "terrorist" groups operating in the West African country.
• Rwandan Genocide Suspect Faces 30 Years in Prison VOA 08 Oct 2021 -- An alleged participant in the 1994 Rwandan genocide faces a possible 30 years in prison after U.S. officials deported him to Kigali, where he was taken into custody after his arrival Thursday.
• Nigerian Security Forces Rescue Nearly 200 Kidnap Victims in Zamfara State VOA 08 Oct 2021 -- Police in Nigeria's Zamfara state say security forces have rescued 187 people who were abducted by criminal gangs over the last two months.
• Cameroon Prime Minister Visits English-Speaking Western Regions to Ask for Peace VOA 08 Oct 2021 -- Cameroon's Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute visited the troubled western regions this week, calling for armed separatists to lay down their weapons or be killed. Civilians and rights groups say peace will only return if the government declares a cease-fire.
• Troika Statement on the Situation in Eastern Sudan US Dept. of State 08 Oct 2021 -- The Troika (Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States) strongly supports the efforts of Sudan's government to resolve protests in eastern Sudan which, as the government's October 3 statement highlighted, risk having a serious impact on the country's economy and the well-being of its citizens.

News Reports

• DHS to Terminate Border Barrier Contracts in Laredo and Rio Grande Valley DHS 08 Oct 2021 -- Consistent with the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) border barrier plan, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), intends to cancel the remaining border barrier contracts located within U.S. Border Patrol's (USBP) Laredo Sector and all border barrier contracts located in the Rio Grande Valley Sector.
• Statement of President Joe Biden on Signing the K-12 Cybersecurity Act Into Law The White House 08 Oct 2021
• Microsoft: Russia Responsible For Majority Of State-Backed Cyberattacks Last Year RFE/RL 08 Oct 2021 -- Microsoft said Russia accounted for most state-sponsored hacking that the software giant has detected over the past year, with hackers mostly targeting U.S. government agencies and think tanks.
• Chinese Cyber Operations Scoop Up Data for Political, Economic Aims VOA 08 Oct 2021 -- Mustang Panda is a Chinese hacking group that is suspected of attempting to infiltrate the Indonesian government last month.
• Biden Signs Law Helping 'Havana Syndrome' Victims VOA 08 Oct 2021 -- President Joe Biden on Friday signed legislation that will provide financial support to U.S. government employees believed to be suffering from the so-called Havana syndrome, mysterious health incidents that have affected American intelligence officers, diplomats and other personnel around the world.
• The Week In Russia: COVID, A Killing, And A Crisis Of Confidence RFE/RL 08 Oct 2021 -- The coronavirus toll rose fast, trust in the president fell, the prospect of justice in pathbreaking journalist Anna Politkovskaya's killing receded further still after 15 years, and harrowing footage emerged with a claim of widespread prison torture.
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's opening remarks at a meeting with the university graduates just employed with the diplomatic service, Moscow, October 8, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 08 Oct 2021
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on October 8, 2021 PRC MofA 08 Oct 2021
• CIA says China poses 'the most important geopolitical threat' to US Press TV 08 Oct 2021 -- The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has launched a new mission center to address what it calls "the most important geopolitical threat" posed by China, amid renewed tensions between Washington and Beijing.
• Social Unrest is Beijing's Chief Concern in Dealing With Evergrande's Debt Debacle Radio Free Asia 08 Oct 2021 -- China Evergrande's debt crisis has sparked panic-selling on stock markets in Hong Kong and mainland China, with a domino effect on global financial markets.
• Why China Sends Warplanes Into Taiwan's Airspace But Doesn't Attack VOA 08 Oct 2021 -- University student Feng Hao of Taiwan and his parents worry increasingly of an attack from mainland China, just 60 kilometers from their island. The number of Chinese military planes flown through a corner of Taiwan's air defense identification zone surged to 125 in the first days of October.
• Australia, U.S. should not allow China to engulf Taiwan: Tony Abbott CNA 08 Oct 2021 -- Australia and the United States should not stand by and watch Taiwan being "swallowed up" by China, visiting former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Friday in Taipei.
• U.S. State Department reiterates basis of 'One China' policy CNA 08 Oct 2021 -- The United States reiterated Thursday that its "One China" policy is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three joint communiques and the six assurances.
• US troops' secret presence in Taiwan island 'no real threat,' but could 'bring China's reunification closer' Global Times 08 Oct 2021 -- Chinese Foreign Ministry vowed to take all necessary measures to safeguard the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and urged the US to fully recognize the high sensitivity of the Taiwan question, following US media reports that there were two dozen US troops deployed on the island of Taiwan, helping train local troops in secret.
• US' revelation of troops in Taiwan will only hasten cross-Straits war: Global Times editorial Global Times 08 Oct 2021 -- The Wall Street Journal's Thursday report that about two dozen members of US special operations and support troops "secretly operating in Taiwan to train military forces there" for at least a year has attracted extensive attention. Both the Pentagon and Taipei declined to comment on the report, but since the US has exposed the news through anonymous officials, it has taken a step forward to undermine, from covertly to semi-overtly, the key conditions for the establishment of diplomatic relations between Chinese mainland and the US.
• US lifts sanctions on two Iranian industrial entities, says 'no change in sanctions policy toward Iran' Press TV 08 Oct 2021 -- The administration of US President Joe Biden has lifted sanctions on two Iranian industrial entities but said there is "no change in US sanctions policy toward Iran," and described the move as irrelevant to talks on the possible revival of a multilateral nuclear agreement with Tehran.
• Iran will never abandon 'definite policy' to use peaceful nuclear energy: President Raeisi Press TV 08 Oct 2021 -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi says the Islamic Republic will never abandon its "main and categorical policy" of using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
• Iran categorically rejects 'baseless' nuclear allegations by Saudi Arabia, certain European states Press TV 08 Oct 2021 -- Iran has categorically rejected "baseless allegations" against its nuclear and missile programs by certain European countries and Saudi Arabia, saying its peaceful programs are being pursued in line with the country's inherent rights and international commitments.
• Myanmar Resistance Claims Rising Junta Casualties, Destruction of Telecom Towers Radio Free Asia 08 Oct 2021 -- The armed opposition to Myanmar's military junta has inflicted an increasing number of casualties on regime troops and knocked out more than 120 army-owned telecom towers in the past month, sources in the opposition told RFA.
• UN Fears Imminent Attacks by Myanmar Military in Volatile Areas VOA 08 Oct 2021 -- The U.N. human rights office warns the deployment of troops and heavy weapons by the Myanmar military into Chin state, Central Sagaing and Magway regions over the past few weeks may portend an imminent attack in these areas.
• Warsaw Says Shots, Likely Blanks, Fired From Belarus At Polish Troops RFE/RL 08 Oct 2021 -- Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has voiced support for the troops guarding the Belarusian frontier from illegal migration after reports that Belarusian forces allegedly fired shots - possibly blank ammunition - at Polish servicemen.
• Baltic States Accuse Belarus of Facilitating Migration Across Their Borders VOA 08 Oct 2021 -- European ministers expressed concern Friday over the growing number of migrants illegally crossing from Belarus into several Baltic states, saying Minsk is intentionally facilitating their crossing to politically destabilize those countries and distract from human rights abuses at home by the Lukashenko regime.
• Stefanchuk Of Ukraine's Ruling Party Becomes New Parliament Speaker RFE/RL 08 Oct 2021 -- Ukraine's parliament has voted to appoint Ruslan Stefanchuk, a lawmaker from the ruling Servant of the People party, as the new speaker.
• Ukrainian Lawmaker, 33, Found Dead In Back Seat Of Taxi In Kyiv RFE/RL 08 Oct 2021 -- A Ukrainian lawmaker who was previously involved in a push to oust the country's prosecutor-general died while riding in a taxi in the capital, Kyiv.
• Holdout Hungary Signs Up To Minimum-Corporate-Tax Deal RFE/RL 08 Oct 2021 -- Hungary says it is signing up to a 15 percent global minimum tax rate on multinational corporations, becoming the last member of the European Union to do so after Ireland and Estonia joined on October 7, bringing the international reform a step closer.