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News Reports

Current Operations

• National Guardsmen Deploying to Aid Tornado-Hit Kentucky DoD News 14 Dec 2021 -- Nearly 500 personnel from the Kentucky National Guard have been called to duty to aid their fellow citizens affected by the tornadoes that hammered the state Dec. 10-11.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US Air Force fires 27 people for refusing COVID-19 vaccine Press TV 14 Dec 2021 -- The US Air Force has said that it has discharged 27 personnel for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, making them the first active-duty troops to be fired for disobeying the vaccine mandate.
• DAF COVID-19 Statistics - Dec. 14, 2021 US Air Force 14 Dec 2021
• Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby Holds an Off-Camera Press Briefing DoD 14 Dec 2021
• Harry S. Truman Strike Group Transits the Strait of Gibraltar US Navy 14 Dec 2021 -- The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG) partnered with the Royal Moroccan Navy's Sigma-class frigate Allal Ben Abdallah (F 615) to transit the Strait of Gibraltar and enter the Mediterranean Sea during a regularly scheduled deployment in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations, Dec. 14, 2021.
• President of Azerbaijan visits NATO HQ NATO 14 Dec 2021 -- The NATO Secretary General welcomed President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan to NATO Headquarters on Tuesday 14 December for talks on the Alliance's partnership with Azerbaijan, and on the security situation in the South Caucasus region. President Aliyev also met with the 30 Allied ambassadors in the North Atlantic Council.
• Russia says monitoring French warship in Black Sea Press TV 14 Dec 2021 -- Russian naval forces are monitoring a French warship near Russia's borders in the Black Sea, amid growing concerns over the risk of a major military confrontation.
• NATO military expansion to Ukraine 'direct threat' to Russia's security: Putin Press TV 14 Dec 2021 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that expansion of NATO military activity to Ukraine constitutes a "direct threat" to the security of his country.
• Putin Reiterates Need For 'Immediate' Talks With NATO On Security Guarantees RFE/RL 14 Dec 2021 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has again called for "immediate" talks with the United States and NATO over security guarantees as tensions mount over Ukraine.
• Russia denounces EU sanctions on private security firm Wagner Press TV 14 Dec 2021 -- Russia has denounced European Union (EU) sanctions against private Russian security company Wagner, saying the bloc ignores the sovereignty of the nations where contractors from the group are present.
• China submits position paper on regulating military applications of AI PLA Daily 14 Dec 2021 -- China submitted its position paper on regulating the military applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the sixth review conference of the United Nations (UN) Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons opened here on Monday.
• Signs that China stealth jet is assigned to skies over South China Sea Radio Free Asia 14 Dec 2021 -- Chinese manufacturers may have started mass production of its most advanced stealth fighter jet, the J-20, and assigned a number of them to the air force unit responsible for the South China Sea.
• Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh hands over DRDO developed products to Armed Forces India PIB 14 Dec 2021 -- Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh handedover five Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) developed products to the Armed forces and other security agencies at an event held at DRDO Bhawan, New Delhi on December 14, 2021, as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations and iconic week of Ministry of Defence.
• Ukraine planning 10 war games with participation of foreign troops next year Press TV 14 Dec 2021 -- Ukraine says it is planning ten military exercises for next year with the participation of thousands or foreign troops, in yet another move that raises the risk of a military confrontation with Russia.
• US Lawmakers Call on White House to Expedite Weapon Deliveries to Ukraine VOA 14 Dec 2021 -- U.S. lawmakers just back from a visit to Ukraine warn that Washington's threats of sanctions and diplomatic maneuvering are not doing enough to dissuade Russian President Vladimir Putin from potentially launching an invasion.
• UAE threatens to pull out of massive military deal with US Press TV 14 Dec 2021 -- The United Arab Emirates has reportedly threatened to quit a $23-billion military deal with the US over Washington's tough requirements meant to shield the weapons against what the Americans call "Chinese espionage."
• Commending the European Union's Sanctions Actions Against Wagner Group and Affiliates US Dept. of State 14 Dec 2021
• A Free and Open Indo-Pacific US Dept. of State 14 Dec 2021 -- Speech by Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
• United States pledges to help Indo-Pacific countries build better infrastructure Radio Free Asia 14 Dec 2021 -- The United States pledged Tuesday to help Indo-Pacific countries build better infrastructure to counter China's ambitious connectivity scheme to construct railways, dams and power plants across the region.
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken at a Press Availability US Dept. of State 14 Dec 2021
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi at Memorandum of Understanding Signing Ceremony US Dept. of State 14 Dec 2021
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi Before Their Meeting US Dept. of State 14 Dec 2021
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, December 14, 2021 The White House 14 Dec 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Dec. 14, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 14 December 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 14 Dec 2021
• Afghanistan's Central Bank Moves To Halt Slide In Afghan Currency RFE/RL Gandhara 14 Dec 2021 -- Afghanistan's central bank on December 14 took steps to stop a steep drop in the country's currency after it lost almost 12 percent of its value against the dollar in a matter of hours the day before.
• UN Warns Of Killings, 'Total Reversal' On Rights In Afghanistan Under Taliban Rule RFE/RL Gandhara 14 Dec 2021 -- The United Nations says the first four months of Taliban rule in Afghanistan have been marked by "credible allegations" of more than 100 extrajudicial killings, the denial of women's rights, and the recruitment of boys to be soldiers.
• Central Asia And The Taliban: The Difference Between A Restive Border And A Quiet One RFE/RL Gandhara 14 Dec 2021 -- The Taliban is back in power in Afghanistan, and one of the biggest differences this time compared to 1996 -- when the Taliban first seized Kabul -- is the attitude toward it from its northerly neighbors.
• Afghanistan: Humanitarian crisis threatens basic human rights UN News 14 Dec 2021 -- Respect for fundamental rights and freedoms by the de facto authorities in Afghanistan is critical to ensuring stability in the country, the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Tuesday in Geneva.
• UN Says Afghanistan Facing Profound Human Rights Crisiss VOA 14 Dec 2021 -- The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warns Afghanistan is facing a profound human right crisis and failure by the Taliban rulers to uphold the rights of their people will lead to further turmoil and hinder the country's development. The High Commissioner's report has been presented at a special session of the U.N. Human Rights Council.
• As the military picture worsens, the humanitarian imperatives in Yemen increase UK FCDO 14 Dec 2021 -- Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the Security Council briefing on Yemen
• 'Restraint, de-escalation and dialogue' needed to stem war in Yemen UN News 14 Dec 2021 -- Yemen is teetering on a new "fragmented and bloody" chapter of war as military escalation and conflict escalates, Special Envoy Hans Grundberg told the Security Council on Tuesday, calling for "restraint, de-escalation and dialogue".
• Armenia, Turkey To Appoint Special Envoys In Bid To Normalize Ties RFE/RL 14 Dec 2021 -- Neighbors Turkey and Armenia have announced that they will appoint special envoys on mending relations that have been strained for decades.
• Joint Statement on United States and Palestinian Authority Renewal of the U.S.-Palestinian Economic Dialogue US Dept. of State 14 Dec 2021 -- The following is the Joint Statement on the U.S.-Palestinian Economic Dialogue.

News Reports

• Counter ISIS Finance Group Leaders Issue Joint Statement US Treasury 14 Dec 2021 -- On December 6-7, 2021, the Counter ISIS Finance Group (CIFG) of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS held its fifteenth meeting to discuss global efforts to combat ISIS financing.
• Russian Duma OKs Bill That Would Abolish The Title Of 'President' In Tatarstan RFE/RL 14 Dec 2021 -- A bill that would allow Russia's regional leaders to serve more than two consecutive terms in office and abolish the title of president in the autonomous Russian republic of Tatarstan has been approved after two final readings by the lower chamber of the Russian parliament.
• Russia Vetoes UN Resolution Linking Climate Change To Global Security RFE/RL 14 Dec 2021 -- Russia has vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution that sought to formally link climate change and global security.
• Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's telephone conversation with German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 14 Dec 2021
• Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's comments in response to the EU imposing another round of unilateral restrictive measures on Russian citizens and organisations Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 14 Dec 2021
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on December 14, 2021 PRC MofA 14 Dec 2021
• US accuses China of 'aggressive actions' in Indo-Pacific region amid tensions Press TV 14 Dec 2021 -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has accused China of "aggressive actions" as Washington moves swiftly to strengthen its military partnerships in new frontiers against Beijing.
• Hong Kong's Jimmy Lai, Seven Others Given Jail Terms VOA 14 Dec 2021 -- Billionaire media mogul and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai was given another jail term on Monday after a Hong Kong judge found him guilty of taking part in an unauthorized assembly 18 months ago.
• Rights groups to file case on crimes against Uyghurs in Argentine court Radio Free Asia 14 Dec 2021 -- Two Uyghur advocacy groups are preparing to submit a criminal complaint to an Argentine court with international jurisdiction, laying out alleged crimes committed against Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities in China's far-western Xinjiang region.
• Interview: Uyghur Tribunal verdict 'rested on a lot of evidence' Radio Free Asia 14 Dec 2021 -- German researcher Adrian Zenz provided crucial evidence to the Uyghur Tribunal about the Chinese government's atrocities against the Uyghurs and efforts to decrease the mostly Muslim population in its western Xinjiang. The independent tribunal, which has no state backing, delivered a judgment in London on Dec. 9 that China committed genocide against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang region and that President Xi Jinping shared primary responsibility for the atrocities. China has vilified Zenz, an independent researcher with the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, with state media earlier this year reporting that companies in Xinjiang were suing him.
• Statement by Press Secretary Jen Psaki on the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act The White House 14 Dec 2021
• China launches new Tianlian relay satellite PLA Daily 14 Dec 2021 -- China sent a new data relay satellite into orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province early Tuesday morning.
• Nicaragua made switch due to geopolitics: Taiwan foreign minister CNA 14 Dec 2021 -- Nicaragua's decision to switch diplomatic recognition to China last week was "heartbreaking" for Taiwan and was likely made by President Daniel Ortega as part of a geopolitical rivalry between democratic and authoritarian regimes, Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said Tuesday.
• Psychological warfare won't disrupt Iran's peaceful nuclear activity: AEOI chief IRNA 14 Dec 2021 -- Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami said on Tuesday that Iran would continue its nuclear activities to leverage the technology in all aspects of people's lives, including in medicine, agriculture, environment, and industry, adding that psychological warfare will not disrupt Iran's peaceful nuclear activities.
• Gov't Spox: Iran has correct narration of Vienna Talks IRNA 14 Dec 2021 -- Iranian Government Spokesman Ali Bahadori Jahromi said Iran has a correct narration of the Vienna Talks, adding that all suggestions have been made in the framework of previous negotiations.
• E3 playing blame game against Iran in Vienna talks IRNA 14 Dec 2021 -- Three European powers (Britain, France, and Germany) have neglected the United States' destructive role in the current situation of the 2015 nuclear deal, trying to portray Iran as an obstacle in the way of reviving the accord.
• Iran's nuclear program to be pursued in line with JCPOA in exchange for sanctions removal ISNA 14 Dec 2021 -- In a telephone conversation with Oman's Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al-Busaidi, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian referred to good ties between the two countries and their determination to maintain, expand and strengthen relations as well as regional and international cooperation.
• Gaps over several issues between Iran, IAEA narrowed: Foreign Ministry to Press TV Press TV 14 Dec 2021 -- The Iranian Foreign Ministry's spokesman tells Press TV that ongoing discussions between Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), and Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi have led to progress and that gaps over several issues of mutual interest have narrowed.
• Some actors insist on blaming Iran, brush aside diplomacy in Vienna talks: Iran negotiator Press TV 14 Dec 2021 -- Iran's chief negotiator to the Vienna talks on the removal of anti-Iran sanctions has lambasted Western parties over their insistence on playing a blame game against Iran, advising them to pursue real diplomacy.
• Iran says ready for 'good deal' to reap JCPOA benefits, ease other side's concerns Press TV 14 Dec 2021 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has expressed Tehran's readiness to reach a "good agreement" in order to take full advantage of the economic benefits of the 2015 nuclear agreement and address the potential concerns of the other parties.
• Iran, West Trade Blame For Lack Of Progress In Nuclear Talks RFE/RL 14 Dec 2021 -- Iran has accused Western parties to its 2015 nuclear deal of "persisting in their blame game," after European diplomats involved in ongoing negotiations aimed at reviving the agreement said Tehran was putting forward new proposals that are "inconsistent" with the accord.
• Iran's current path of nuclear escalation risks provoking a serious crisis UK FCDO 14 Dec 2021 -- Statement of Ambassador Barbara Woodward Security Council meeting on the implementation of resolution 2231
• The diplomatic door is firmly open for Iran to do a deal now UK FCDO 14 Dec 2021 -- Joint statement by United Kingdom, Germany and France ahead of Security Council meeting on the implementation of resolution 2231
• 'Additional effort and patience' needed to revive Iran nuclear deal UN News 14 Dec 2021 -- Ongoing talks to get the Iran nuclear deal back on track indicate "additional effort and patience" are required for its full restoration, the UN political affairs chief told the UN Security Council in New York on Tuesday.
• US Official: Iran 'Slow-Walking' Nuclear Talks VOA 14 Dec 2021 -- A senior U.S. official said Tuesday that Iran cannot be allowed to "slow-walk" nuclear diplomacy at talks in Vienna to revive the 2015 deal to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb.
• Belarusian Court Hands Down Harsh Sentences To Tsikhanouski, Losik, Other Activists RFE/RL 14 Dec 2021 -- A court in Belarus has delivered verdicts and harsh sentences to a group of bloggers, opposition activists, and the husband of exiled opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, all of whom were rounded up by security officials before a controversial presidential election that saw authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka claim a sixth term in power despite widespread belief that the vote was rigged.
• The Politically Motivated Convictions of Belarusian Opposition Figures US Dept. of State 14 Dec 2021 -- The United States condemns today's politically motivated convictions of Belarusian opposition figures Syarhey Tsikhanouski, Mikalai Statkevich, Radio Liberty journalist Ihar Losik, and others in judicial proceedings that do not conform to the rule of law.
• Trial date set for Cambodia's Kem Sokha Radio Free Asia 14 Dec 2021 -- A Cambodian court has set a date for the long-delayed trial on treason charges of opposition leader Kem Sokha, ordering him to appear at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Jan. 19. Three judges will preside over the case, the Dec. 13 summons issued by Deputy Prosecutor Plang Sophal says.
• Former Kyrgyz President In Bishkek Again For Questioning Over Kumtor Mine RFE/RL 14 Dec 2021 -- The ousted first president of independent Kyrgyzstan, Askar Akaev, has arrived in Bishkek for the second time since August for questioning in connection with an investigation into possible corruption around one of the world's biggest gold mines.
• Serbia Takes 'Very Important' Step Forward In EU Accession Process RFE/RL 14 Dec 2021 -- Serbia has taken a step toward its goal of joining the EU by opening talks on four policy areas, but European officials warn Belgrade that progress in the process still depends on continued reforms and normalizing relations with Kosovo.
• A War Veteran Goes On Hunger Strike And Invigorates Azerbaijan's Opposition RFE/RL 14 Dec 2021 -- For 38 days Saleh Rustamli had been refusing food in prison. On December 13, he said he was going to stop drinking water, too.
• President Saied's Announcement of Reforms in Tunisia US Dept. of State 14 Dec 2021