Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Drones target Victory military base housing occupying US forces at Baghdad airport Press TV 03 Jan 2022 -- Two unmanned aerial vehicles have reportedly struck a major base at Baghdad International Airport, where occupying American forces and trainers are stationed, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
• Air Defenses at Military Base Hosting US Forces in Iraq Reportedly Repel Drone Attack Sputnik 03 Jan 2022 -- In mid-December, two rockets were fired towards the Green Zone in Iraq's capital, Baghdad. The US-installed C-RAM defence system was activated to intercept the rockets.

Defense Policy / Programs

• USS Milwaukee Returns to Sea US Navy 03 Jan 2022 -- USS Milwaukee (LCS 5) a Freedom variant littoral combat ship, returned to sea Jan 3., after being in port as a result of a portion of the crew testing positive for COVID-19.
• Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group Departs on Deployment US Navy 03 Jan 2022 -- The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group departed on a regularly scheduled deployment Monday in support of global maritime security operations.
• FRCE Completes Verification of Laser Peening Process US Navy 03 Jan 2022 -- Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) marked a milestone in its support of the F-35B Lightning II aircraft when it successfully completed verification of the laser shock peening process and returned the first aircraft to undergo the procedure to the fleet.
• Five Global Powers Pledge to Avoid Nuclear Conflict VOA 03 Jan 2022 -- Five world powers have agreed to work together to stop the further spread of nuclear arms and to avoid nuclear conflict, according to a joint statement.
• World Powers Pledge To Stop Spread Of Nuclear Weapons On Eve Of Non-Proliferation Meeting RFE/RL 03 Jan 2022 -- The world's five leading nuclear powers -- all permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- have issued a pledge to stop the spread of atomic weapons and to do all they can to ensure a nuclear war never occurs.
• Nuclear-power states reach agreement to prevent spread of nuclear weapons Press TV 03 Jan 2022 -- The world's five nuclear states have agreed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and to avoid a nuclear conflict, in a rare joint statement aimed at alleviating global concern and highlighting the push for a nuke-free world.
• Big Five Nuclear Powers Release Joint Statement Saying Their Nukes Aren't Aimed at One Another Sputnik 03 Jan 2022 -- The statement comes in an atmosphere of heightened global tensions - including fears of a conflict between Russia and NATO over Ukraine, and the US and China in the Indo-Pacific.
• China leads in five-state joint statement on preventing nuclear war, arms race Global Times 03 Jan 2022 -- For the first time, the leaders of China, France, Russia, the UK and the US on Monday issued a joint statement on preventing nuclear war and avoiding arms races, in which China played a powerful leading role, and pushed for the reaffirmation of not aiming nuclear devices at each other or at any other state.
• Too early for chopper drills on new landing platform dock: MND CNA 03 Jan 2022 -- Taiwan's military is holding back on using choppers to test its new landing platform dock (LPD) despite a request by lawmakers, saying Monday such tests will not happen until the necessary evaluations and preparations are completed.
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu US Dept. of State 03 Jan 2022 -- The following is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Jan. 3, 2022

Other Conflicts

• Pakistan Vows to Continue Fencing Afghan Border, Downplays Taliban Disruptive Acts VOA 03 Jan 2022 -- Pakistan said Monday it was engaging with Afghanistan's Taliban rulers through diplomatic channels to resolve "some confusions" stemming from the installation of a security fence on the porous border separating the two countries.
• Report: Turkmen Border Guards Skirmish With Taliban RFE/RL Gandhara 03 Jan 2022 -- Turkmen border guards have skirmished with Taliban fighters along the Afghan border, according to local media reports.
• Armed Forces spox: Seized UAE ship contained large amount of arms used against Yemenis Press TV 03 Jan 2022 -- The spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces says a United Arab Emirates-flagged cargo vessel which was seized by the country's naval troops has been carrying military equipment, including armored vehicles and weapons, which were used against the Yemeni people.
• Naval forces seize intruding Emirati military cargo ship in Yemen's territorial waters Press TV 03 Jan 2022 -- The spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces says the country's naval troops, backed by allied fighters from Popular Committees, have managed to seize a United Arab Emirates-flagged cargo vessel as it was engaged in "hostile acts".
• Saudi Coalition Intercepts Five Drones Launched by Yemen's Houthis From Sana'a Sputnik 03 Jan 2022 -- Saudi air defenses intercepted several explosives-laden drones launched by Yemen's Houthi movement and targeting the country's border region with Yemen, Saudi state television reported late on Monday.
• Houthis Say Seized UAE Vessel Had Military Equipment on Board Sputnik 03 Jan 2022 -- The Houthi movement of northern Yemen claimed on Monday that the captured UAE-flagged vessel was transporting military equipment.
• 5 Syrian army personnel killed, 20 injured in Daesh attack in eastern Syria Press TV 03 Jan 2022 -- At least five Syrian army personnel have been killed and 20 others injured after a military bus they were travelling in came under a missile attack of the Daesh terrorists, according to Syrian media.
• At Least Five Syrian Soldiers Killed, 20 Injured After Daesh Attack on Military Vehicle - SANA Sputnik 03 Jan 2022 -- On 1 January, Syrian state television reported that a US military base in the northeastern Syrian province of Al-Hasakah had come under mortar fire.
• Secretary Blinken's Call with the Bucharest Nine US Dept. of State 03 Jan 2022 -- "Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with the Bucharest Nine (B9) group of eastern flank NATO Allies."
• Blinken Calls for 'United' NATO Stance on Russian Troop Buildup Near Ukraine VOA 03 Jan 2022 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with eastern NATO allies Monday about Russia's military buildup along Ukraine's border, calling for a "united" NATO stance.
• EU Foreign Policy Chief To Visit Ukraine Amid Tensions With Russia RFE/RL 03 Jan 2022 -- The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, will visit Ukraine this week in a sign of the bloc's support for Kyiv as it faces a Russian military buildup near its border.
• US will 'respond decisively' if Russia invades Ukraine, Biden tells Zelensky Press TV 03 Jan 2022 -- The US and its allies will "respond decisively" in the event of Russia's military action against Ukraine, President Joe Biden told his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, on Sunday.
• In Call With Zelenskiy, Biden Vows To Act Decisively With Allies If Russia Invades Ukraine RFE/RL 03 Jan 2022 -- President Joe Biden has reassured Ukraine of U.S. support in the face of a Russian military buildup on Ukraine's borders, telling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during a phone call on January 2 that the U.S. and its allies will "respond decisively" if Russia invades the former Soviet republic.
• China Builds Bridge Across Pangong Lake to Speed Up Troop Movements Near India's Military Posts Sputnik 03 Jan 2022 -- Pangong Tso [Lake] was one of several friction points along the loosely demarcated Line of Actual Control (LAC) where India's Army and China's People's Liberation Army clashed with stones and iron rods in 2020. In February 2021, the two countries reached an agreement to withdraw troops from the lake and halt patrolling.

News Reports

• Jan. 6 committee looking at issuing subpoenas to Republican lawmakers: Chairman Press TV 03 Jan 2022 -- The congressional committee investigating the Capitol attack is studying whether it can issue subpoenas to Republican members of Congress to force their cooperation, according to the panel's chairman.
• Smaller European Nations Uneasy as Germany's Scholz Plans to Meet Putin VOA 03 Jan 2022 -- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wants to reset relations with Moscow and is planning a face-to-face meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin later this month.
• HK security chief vows to strengthen regulation on fake news amid closure of Stand News, Citizen News Global Times 03 Jan 2022 -- Hong Kong security chief Chris Tang Ping-keung vowed to fully support further regulations on fake news, as some media outlets had played the inflammatory role in the past few years in instigating social conflicts.
• First oath-taking for LegCo members of HKSAR in front of national symbols, enhancing awareness of national identity Global Times 03 Jan 2022 -- Ninety newly elected lawmakers were sworn into office in Hong Kong on Monday, which was also the first time they took the oath solemnly in front of the Chinese national flag, the country's national emblem, and the flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) at the same time, in accordance with the amended bill related to the display of those national symbols, fully underscoring the constitutional status of the HKSAR and ending the chaotic scenes that occurred in the last oath-taking ceremony at LegCo in 2016 for good.
• Third Hong Kong news organization closes amid crackdown on dissent Radio Free Asia 03 Jan 2022 -- Popular Hong Kong media organization Citizen News has announced it will cease operations in the wake of a national security police raid on pro-democracy news site Stand News, which folded after two of its senior journalists were arrested for "sedition" last week.
• Hong Kong Legislature Welcomes New Pro-China Members VOA 03 Jan 2022 -- Ninety new members of Hong Kong's legislature were sworn in Monday just weeks after elections that effectively barred pro-democracy candidates.
• China's Evergrande Halts Trading as Buildings Reported to Be Under Demolition Order Sputnik 03 Jan 2022 -- The heavily-indebted Chinese developer Evergrande said on Monday it has halted trading in its shares amid media reports about the government's order to the company to tear down several luxury apartment buildings under construction.
• Hong Kong Citizen News to cease operations from Tuesday on heels of Stand News closure, as observers see no room for anti-govt media serving as political tool Global Times 03 Jan 2022 -- Hong Kong's online news site Citizen News announced on Sunday night that the online site will stop operating from January 4, a decision which came three days after the shutdown of the Stand News as experts and policy advisors urged that media groups in Hong Kong should be further regulated instead of becoming anti-China political tools in name of a free press.
• North Koreans, already hungry, now short of cooking oil Radio Free Asia 03 Jan 2022 -- North Koreans hit by food shortages and soaring prices caused by the closing of cross-border trade with China are now finding it hard to buy cooking oil, an essential commodity, sources say.
• S.Korean president says not to stop efforts for peace on Korean Peninsula People's Daily 03 Jan 2022 -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Monday that his administration will not stop efforts to institutionalize sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula until his single five-year term ends in May.
• Iran Nuclear Negotiations to Continue in Vienna VOA 03 Jan 2022 -- Negotiations resume Monday in Vienna about restoring the 2015 international agreement that limited Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, after the parties took a break for the new year.
• Iran's top nuclear negotiator meets with E3 reps. IRNA 03 Jan 2022 -- Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani met with the heads of delegations of three European countries, namely UK, France and Germany, on Monday within the framework of the eighth round of JCPOA talks in Vienna.
• Vienna talks resumes after 3-day break IRNA 03 Jan 2022 -- The eighth round of talks in the Austrian capital is resuming on Monday with the teams focusing on the verification of sanctions removal and how to evaluate US remedial measures.
• Iran, P4+1 group of countries resume Vienna talks after short pause Press TV 03 Jan 2022 -- Iran and the five remaining signatories to the 2015 Iran deal have resumed the eighth round of talks in the Austrian capital city of Vienna after the parties took a three-day break for the New Year.
• Iran says Western parties to 2015 deal became realistic, backed down from 'maximalist demands' Press TV 03 Jan 2022 -- The spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry says the western parties to the 2015 deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), have realized that they have to back down from their "maximalist demands" during the ongoing negotiations in the Austrian capital of Vienna.
• Iran Vows 'Revenge' On Anniversary Of General's Killing In U.S. Air Strike RFE/RL 03 Jan 2022 -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has vowed revenge for the killing of a top Iranian general in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad two years ago unless then-President Donald Trump and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are put on trial.
• Three-fourths of NLD members arrested since Myanmar coup still detained, says party Radio Free Asia 03 Jan 2022 -- More than three-quarters of the members of Myanmar's deposed National League for Democracy (NLD) arrested by the junta remain in detention more than 11 months after the military seized power, according to the party.
• Cambodia's Hun Sen to visit Myanmar, despite explosions near embassy Radio Free Asia 03 Jan 2022 -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen will visit violence-ridden Myanmar on Friday despite the explosion of two bombs near the Cambodian Embassy on Dec. 31, a Foreign Ministry official said Monday.
• Burma Independence Day US Dept. of State 03 Jan 2022 -- "On behalf of the United States of America, I extend my support for the people of Burma as they celebrate their Independence Day on January 4.""
• Sharp Energy Price Hike Triggers Protests In Kazakhstan RFE/RL 03 Jan 2022 -- Hundreds of people in the western Kazakh region of Mangystau have protested for a second straight day against a sudden, dramatic hike in prices for liquefied natural gas (LNG) used in vehicles.
• Sudan in Difficult Position After PM Resignation, Analysts Say VOA 03 Jan 2022 -- Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok resigned Sunday after mass protests against a deal he made with the military following the October coup. Political analysts say Hamdok's resignation is a blow to the country's political stability and hopes for a return to a civilian-led government.
• Following resignation of Sudan's Prime Minister, Guterres condemns violence targeting protestors UN News 03 Jan 2022 -- The United Nations' Secretary-General condemned on Monday the continued violence targeting protestors in Sudan, following the 25 October military takeover.
• Sudan's PM Hamdok resigns, warns the country is 'sliding towards disaster' Press TV 03 Jan 2022 -- Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has announced his resignation amid political impasse and large-scale protests, just two months after being restored in the post as part of a political deal with military rulers of the restive African country.
• US State Department Calls On Sudanese Military Authorities to Ensure Civilian Rule Sputnik 03 Jan 2022 -- The United States is calling on the Sudanese military authorities to ensure civilian rule and reach a consensus following the resignation of Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, the US Bureau of African Affairs said on Monday.
• Trump Endorses Viktor Orban, Hungary's Right-Wing Prime Minister, Ahead Of Election RFE/RL 03 Jan 2022 -- Former U.S. President Donald Trump has endorsed Viktor Orban in Hungary's upcoming parliamentary elections, describing the nationalist prime minister as a "strong leader."
• Trump Endorses Hungary's Orban for Reelection VOA 03 Jan 2022 -- Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday endorsed Hungary's Viktor Orban, who is seeking reelection. The right-wing prime minister is often at odds with other Western leaders.