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Defense Policy / Programs

• Navy to Christen Littoral Combat Ship Santa Barbara DoD 15 Oct 2021 -- The Navy will christen its newest Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32), during a 10 a.m. CDT ceremony Saturday, Oct. 16 in Mobile, Alabama.
• Readout of Defense Talks With Kosovo DoD 15 Oct 2021
• Austin, Milley Welcome New Transcom Commander DoD News 15 Oct 2021 -- Aside from the competence of its troops, America's greatest military advantage is the ability to deploy and sustain service members anywhere in the world: And U.S. Transportation Command is at the heart of that capability, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said today at the Transcom change of command ceremony at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
• Press Conference with Adm. Mike Gilday and Indian Media Aboard USS Carl Vinson US Navy 15 Oct 2021
• US Defense Secretary Heads to Europe to Focus on Black Sea Stability, NATO VOA 15 Oct 2021 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is heading to Europe this weekend to meet with leaders in Georgia, Ukraine and Romania and to participate in a NATO defense ministers meeting in Belgium.
• USS Germantown completes forward-deployment to Japan, arrives in San Diego US Navy 15 Oct 2021 -- Amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42) arrived in San Diego Oct. 15, after a decade of forward-deployed service in the Indo-Pacific region operating out of Japan. As part of the U.S. 7th Fleet's Forward-Deployed Naval Forces in Japan, Germantown worked alongside allied and partner nations to provide security and stability in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
• Uzbekistan rules out prospect of hosting US forces Press TV 15 Oct 2021 -- Uzbekistan has strongly rejected any possible stationing of US troops in the Central Asian country to purportedly combat terrorism in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover of the war-ravaged country.
• Statement Regarding USS Chafee (DDG 90) with Russian Navy Destoryer US Navy Press Release 15 Oct 2021 -- PEARL HARBOR -- The statement from the Russian Defense Ministry about the interaction between our two Navy ships is false.
• US Military: Claim That American Destroyer Threatened to Violate Russia's Maritime Border 'False Sputnik 15 Oct 2021 -- The Pentagon has rejected claims by the Russian Defense Ministry that a US warship was approaching Russian territorial waters on Friday when a Russian warship intercepted it
• US military accuses Russia of lying on naval interaction Press TV 15 Oct 2021 -- The US military has accused Moscow of lying about a recent naval interaction, saying the claim that one of Russia's military vessels chased away an American naval destroyer that violated Russian territorial waters in the Sea of Japan is "false."
• Russia chases away US warship during joint drills with China Press TV 15 Oct 2021 -- Russia says its naval forces have chased away a US Navy destroyer that attempted to cross the Russian sea border in the Sea of Japan.
• Deputy Secretary General: Close cooperation will keep us safe NATO 15 Oct 2021 -- On Friday (15 October 2021), at the virtual To Be Safe (2BS) Forum organized by the Atlantic Council of Montenegro, NATO's Deputy Secretary General Mirca Geoană praised the valuable contributions that Montenegro is making to the Alliance as well as to greater security and stability in the Western Balkans region.
• China-Russia joint naval exercise kicks off PLA Daily 15 Oct 2021 -- The China-Russia joint naval exercise, Joint Sea-2021, kicked off with a ceremony on the afternoon of October 14 in waters near Russia's Peter the Great Bay.
• China Engaging in Major Construction at Airbases Near Taiwan, Satellite Snaps Appear to Show Sputnik 15 Oct 2021 -- The People's Republic considers Taiwan an integral part of China, and has set a course for the island's eventual peaceful reunification with Beijing. Recent efforts by the Biden administration to forge closer ties with Taipei have sparked outrage in China, and warnings from Chinese media of storm 'clouds gathering' over the Taiwan Strait.
• Satellite Images Reportedly Show Chinese Construction at Naval Base in Cambodia Amid US Anger Sputnik 15 Oct 2021 -- Cambodia and China began enhancing security cooperation in 2019, with the US State Department expressing "serious concerns" about the People's Republic's alleged military presence in the Southeast Asian nation, particularly amid the construction of new facilities at the Ream Naval Base.
• Exercise enables stronger connections Australia DOD 15 Oct 2021 -- Indonesian Armed Forces personnel have been welcomed to the Top End for the eighth iteration of Exercise Wirra Jaya.
• Nuclear-powered submarines welcomed Australia DOD 15 Oct 2021 -- Former Royal Navy (RN) nuclear submarine executive officer, Captain Henry Finnis (retd), sees the benefits of Australia acquiring the vessels as he reflects on his career as a submariner.
• Exercise Malabar wraps up Australia DOD 15 Oct 2021 -- Australia and key partners India, Japan and the United States have completed the second phase of Exercise Malabar 2021, held in the Indian Ocean.
• Canberra May Reportedly Use Ageing Fleet Until 2050 as New Submarines Delivery Date Not Fixed Sputnik 15 Oct 2021 -- Australia does not exclude keeping some of the ageing homegrown Collins-class submarines in service until 2050, as the exact schedule for obtaining new nuclear-propelled submarines is yet to be fixed, The Guardian reported on Friday.
• Commander says IRGC Navy has full control of Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz IRNA 15 Oct 2021 -- Iran's IRGC Commander Major General Hossein Salami said that IRGC's Navy has full control over the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz through its modern electronic warfare.
• Gen. Salami hails IRGC Navy's 'quick reaction' capability in face of enemy Press TV 15 Oct 2021 -- The commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says the Guards' naval forces have reached the "quick reaction" capability in the face of any threat, stressing that the enemies have to come to terms with the reality of Iran's offensive and defensive power.
• US Top Diplomat Blinken Heading to Ecuador, Colombia VOA 15 Oct 2021 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Ecuador and Colombia next week to meet with leaders there.
• Biden Hosts Kenyan President at White House VOA 15 Oct 2021 -- Kenya is a major African player on the world geopolitical stage — as evidenced by U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to meet with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday, Biden's first in-person talks with an African leader since becoming president.
• Briefing With Senior Administration Officials on Counselor Derek Chollet and an Interagency Delegation's Upcoming Travel to Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia US Dept. of State 15 Oct 2021
• Remarks by President Biden After Marine One Arrival The White House 15 Oct 2021
• Remarks by President Biden Before Air Force One Departure The White House 15 Oct 2021
• Statement by NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Meeting with UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan The White House 15 Oct 2021
• Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre En Route Hartford, CT The White House 15 Oct 2021
• Department Press Briefing – October 15, 2021 US Dept. of State 15 Oct 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Oct. 15, 2021
• Seven new defence companies, carved out of OFB, dedicated to the Nation on the occasion of Vijayadashami India PIB 15 Oct 2021 -- Seven new defence companies, carved out of Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), were dedicated to the Nation at a function organised by Ministry of Defence on the occasion of 'Vijayadashami' in New Delhi on October 15, 2021. Prime

Other Conflicts

• 15 October 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 15 Oct 2021
• Taliban Confirms Participation in Moscow-Format Meeting on Afghanistan Sputnik 15 Oct 2021 -- A delegation of the Taliban movement (banned as a terrorist organisation in Russia) will take part in the Moscow-format meeting on Afghanistan, which the Russian capital hosts on 20 October, the Afghan Foreign Ministry's spokesman, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, said on Friday.
• Dozens Killed By Attack On Shi'ite Mosque In Southern Afghanistan RFE/RL Gandhara 15 Oct 2021 -- At least 35 people were killed and 68 injured by a series of explosions at a crowded Shi'ite mosque in Afghanistan's southern city of Kandahar during Friday Prayers, Afghan hospital officials say.
• Shiite Mosque Blast Kills Dozens in Afghanistan's Kandahar VOA 15 Oct 2021 -- An explosion ripped through a Shiite mosque Friday in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, killing at least 47 people and wounding more than 70, according to a Taliban official.
• UN condemns deadly suicide attack at mosque in southern Afghanistan UN News 15 Oct 2021 -- The United Nations has condemned the deadly suicide bombing during Friday prayers at the largest Shia mosque in Kandahar, Afghanistan, which killed at least 30 people and wounded dozens more.
• Afghanistan: Reuniting families on the run should be priority, urges UNHCR UN News 15 Oct 2021 -- The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, on Friday urged countries to step up reunification for Afghans whose families remain in the country or who are displaced across the region, as the humanitarian crisis in their homeland worsens.
• Ahead Of Talks, Putin Claims IS Has 2,000 Fighters In Afghanistan RFE/RL Gandhara 15 Oct 2021 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 15 said the Islamic State (IS) militant group has thousands of fighters in northern Afghanistan, as Moscow prepares to host international talks next week on the situation in the country.
• Kremlin Says Taliban Confirmed Attendance At Moscow Talks Next Week RFE/RL Gandhara 15 Oct 2021 -- Taliban representatives have confirmed they will attend next week's talks on Afghanistan due to be held in Moscow next week, a senior Russian official said October 15.
• Putin says Daesh terrorists amassing in Afghanistan Press TV 15 Oct 2021 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says hundreds of Daesh terrorists are amassing in northern Afghanistan and plan to infiltrate into ex-Soviet Central Asian countries.
• Explosion at Shia mosque in Afghanistan's Kandahar causes 'heavy casualties' Press TV 15 Oct 2021 -- A large explosion has hit a Shia mosque in Afghanistan's southern city of Kandahar, killing at least 33 people and wounding scores of others.
• At Least 32 Killed, About 53 Injured in Shia Mosque Blast in Afghanistan's Kandahar, Source Says Sputnik 15 Oct 2021 -- Earlier, at least 46 people were killed and 143 others injured as a result of an explosion in a Shia mosque in Afghanistan's northern province of Kunduz.
• China welcomes 'positive' remarks as Putin speaks on South China Sea Radio Free Asia 15 Oct 2021 -- China has welcomed what it called Russia's "deep friendship" after President Vladimir Putin called for disputes in the South China Sea to be resolved by countries in the region without interference from "non-regional powers."
• Russia: Syria held back fire as Israel used civilian aircraft as cover in Homs raid Press TV 15 Oct 2021 -- Israel has one again used civilian aircraft as a shield against Syrian air defense systems during its attacks on the Arab country, says a Russian general.
• Turkish Military Convoy Targeted in IED Attack Outside Idlib, Injuries Reported Sputnik 15 Oct 2021 -- According to local reports, a Turkish military convoy in the occupied Idlib governorate was struck by an improvised explosive device (IED) on Friday, with reports suggesting that two Turkish soldiers were killed and another five wounded in the attack.
• Rights group urges revision of UN-Bangladesh deal on Rohingya refugees Press TV 15 Oct 2021 -- A human rights group has urged the United Nations (UN) and Bangladesh to revise a recent deal over the relocation of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees to a remote, inhospitable island.
• Azerbaijani Soldier Killed In Skirmish Amid Ongoing Diplomacy On Nagorno-Karabakh RFE/RL 15 Oct 2021 -- One Azerbaijani soldier has been killed and six Armenian servicemen wounded in Nagorno-Karabakh in skirmishes reported late on October 14.
• Karabakh Authorities Say Azerbaijani Forces Opened Fire at Its Army Ambulance Sputnik 15 Oct 2021 -- The Defense Ministry of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic said on Friday that Azerbaijani soldiers opened fire at an ambulance vehicle belonging to the Karabakh defence army.
• China, Bhutan sign MoU on a Three-Step Roadmap for expediting boundary talks Global Times 15 Oct 2021 -- During a meeting held via video on Thursday, China and Bhutan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a Three-Step Roadmap to help speed up boundary talks that have been delayed. The MoU is of historic significance and is the result of years of joint efforts and sincere cooperation between the two sides.
• US Cautious Over Claims Key IS African Leader Is Dead VOA 15 Oct 2021 -- Claims from Nigeria that the leader of one of the fastest-growing Islamic State terror group affiliates is dead are being met with extreme caution in the United States.
• In NE Nigeria, Cuts to Food Rations Loom as UN Agency Runs Out of Cash VOA 15 Oct 2021 -- The World Food Program warns it will be forced to cut food rations for half-a-million people suffering from acute hunger in northeast Nigeria unless it receives urgently needed funding.
• Displaced in northeast Nigeria 'knocking on door of starvation': WFP UN News 15 Oct 2021 -- Displaced families in Nigeria's northeast are "knocking on the door of starvation", the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday.

News Reports

• Treasury Continues Campaign to Combat Ransomware As Part of Whole-of-Government Effort US Treasury 15 Oct 2021 -- Building on the first-ever designation of a virtual currency exchange for facilitating transactions for ransomware actors, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced additional steps today to help the virtual currency industry prevent exploitation by sanctioned persons and other illicit actors.
• Lebanon Interior Ministry confirms Geagea militia behind sniper killings in Beirut Press TV 15 Oct 2021 -- A top-level meeting at Lebanon's Interior Ministry has concluded that the far-right Lebanese Forces (LF) political party, led by Samir Geagea, had started the Thursday shooting in Beirut that killed six people on Thursday.
• Lebanon's Hezbollah says will not be dragged into civil war Press TV 15 Oct 2021 -- Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement says it will not be dragged into a civil war, despite the killing of seven Shia Muslims during recent violence, which is blamed on the Christian Lebanese Forces (LF) Party.
• Press release on the armed confrontation in central Beirut Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 15 Oct 2021 -- "On October 14, a major armed confrontation erupted in central Beirut. According to reports, at about 11 am, participants in an authorised protest rally organised by the Shia movements Amal and Hezbollah near the Justice Palace came under fire from the nearby high-rise building."
• Funerals Held After Deadly Gunfire Shatters Beirut Protest VOA 15 Oct 2021 -- Lebanon militant group Hezbollah reportedly said on Friday it would not let an outbreak of violence lure it into civil war.
• Neither Russia Nor US Satisfied With Current State of Relations - Russian Ministry Sputnik 15 Oct 2021 -- Russia and the United States are not satisfied with the current state of relations between the two countries, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk told reporters on Friday after meetings with US officials.
• Russia Tries to Boost Asia Ties to Counter Indo-Pacific Alliances VOA 15 Oct 2021 -- Russia is attempting to expand its influence in Southeast Asia through meetings and plans with Association of Southeast Asian Nations members, say analysts, but appears not to have the military or financial power to become a larger player in the region.
• Highlights of Xi Jinping's latest remarks on democracy People's Daily 15 Oct 2021 -- A central conference on work related to people's congresses was held from Wednesday to Thursday in Beijing.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on October 15, 2021 PRC MofA 15 Oct 2021
• Xi, EU's Michel stress strategic independence in phone talk; EU 'never changed its policy on Taiwan island' Global Times 15 Oct 2021 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and European Council President Charles Michel spoke on the phone on Friday, and they stressed the significance of increasing the strategic independence. Michel noted that the EU's stance on the one-China policy has not changed and is willing to manage disputes with China.
• Interview: 'Existing legislation on intimidation often doesn't work,' says Dutch lawmaker Radio Free Asia 15 Oct 2021 -- Ruben Brekelmans, a Dutch politician and member of the Netherlands House of Representatives since March, introduced a motion for diaspora groups — including Uyghurs from northwestern China's Xinjiang region — who live in the European country and are subject to diplomatic pressure, to be included in the Dutch government's human rights policy and annual human rights report. Lawmakers unanimously passed the motion on Wednesday.
• China Launches Manned Spacecraft Shenzhou 13 to National Orbital Station Sputnik 15 Oct 2021 -- Chinese launch vehicle Changzheng-2F with manned spacecraft Shenzhou-13" was launched to the Tiangong orbital station, which is currently under construction, there are three taikonauts on board, the launch is broadcast by the Central Television of China.
• FM: Saudi Arabia 'serious about' detente with Iran, talks 'cordial' Press TV 15 Oct 2021 -- Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud has signaled his country's desire to repair relations with Iran, saying the kingdom is "serious" about talks with the Islamic Republic.
• EU Awaiting Response From U.S., Tehran Before Calling Meeting Of Nuclear Deal Negotiators RFE/RL 15 Oct 2021 -- EU foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell is waiting on responses from Washington and Tehran before calling a meeting of negotiators on the Iranian nuclear deal, his spokesman said.
• Joint Statement of Support for the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar US Dept. of State 15 Oct 2021 -- The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Timor-Leste, the United Kingdom, and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on behalf of the European Union, in support of the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar.
• Myanmar's junta bars NLD defense lawyer from speaking with media Radio Free Asia 15 Oct 2021 -- Myanmar's junta has barred a lawyer representing deposed State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint from speaking to the media, the lawyer said Friday, days after he revealed that authorities attempted to force Win Myint to resign as the military seized power in a February coup.
• Indonesian envoy: ASEAN bars Myanmar junta chief from upcoming summit Radio Free Asia 15 Oct 2021 -- Southeast Asian foreign ministers decided on Friday not to allow the Burmese junta chief to attend an upcoming ASEAN summit, an Indonesian diplomat said about a rare move by the regional bloc, which has been criticized for its collective dithering in response to post-coup Myanmar.
• Pakistan's Imran Khan Under Fire For Claiming Pashtuns Are Taliban Sympathizers RFE/RL Gandhara 15 Oct 2021 -- After captaining Pakistan to its first-ever Cricket World Cup in 1992, Imran Khan embarked on a victory tour of the South Asian nation.
• British MP David Amess Killed in Stabbing VOA 15 Oct 2021 -- A British member of parliament died Friday after being stabbed several times at a church, while he was visiting constituents in his home district in southeastern Britain, officials said.
• Stalled EU Membership for Western Balkans Prompts Fears of Democratic Backsliding VOA 15 Oct 2021 -- It wasn't the deal they were hoping to be offered. Instead of agreeing on a timetable for aspiring Balkan countries to join the European Union, the bloc's 27 member states offered warm words at a summit in Slovenia last week, some pandemic recovery cash and a commitment to cut mobile-phone roaming charges for Balkan nationals when traveling in any part of the EU bloc.