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Defense Policy / Programs

• Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby holds a Press Briefing DoD 14 Jan 2022
• DOD Technology Chief Emphasizes People, Teamwork DoD News 14 Jan 2022 -- The Defense Department's chief technology officer is emphasizing people and teamwork as the avenue to keep America's technological edge.
• USNS Hunter Completes Availability On-Time US Navy 14 Jan 2022 -- Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC) completed USNS Hunter's (TSV 3) Chief of Naval Operations Availability, returning the training vessel to the fleet rotation on schedule Jan. 10.
• Secretary Blinken's Call with NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg US Dept. of State 14 Jan 2022
• Sweden Bolsters Gotland Patrols Amid NATO-Russia Tensions Sputnik 14 Jan 2022 -- The Baltic island of Gotland, Sweden's largest, is considered strategically important and was previously identified by Swedish analysts as a possible "entry point" for alleged Russian aggression, which even the country's military considers unlikely.
• As Moscow Menaces And Washington Warns, Glimpses Of A Way Forward. Perhaps. RFE/RL 14 Jan 2022 -- About three hours after the conclusion of the most important European security talks in years, Russia's deputy foreign minister sat before a thicket of news microphones and offered up a combative postmortem:
• Lavrov: Russia's patience with West 'running out', to 'make a decision' Press TV 14 Jan 2022 -- Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Russia's patience with the West has come to an end, warning that Moscow will not wait forever for the US and NATO to respond to its security demands.
• 'We Have Run Out Of Patience': Lavrov Calls For West To Respond Quickly To Kremlin Demands RFE/RL 14 Jan 2022 -- Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow has "run out of patience" with the West and expects a written response to its demands for security guarantees within a week after diplomatic talks with NATO and the United States failed to make headway on the issue amid a buildup of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine.
• North Korea Fires Missiles From Train in Third Launch of 2022 VOA 14 Jan 2022 -- North Korea's latest launch involved a pair of missiles fired from a train, North Korean state media reported, offering details about what was already its third launch this year.
• Blinken calls North Korea's missile tests 'profoundly destabilizing' Press TV 14 Jan 2022 -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called North Korea's latest missile tests "profoundly destabilizing" and stated that Washington is working with South Korea, Japan and the United Nations to respond to the move.
• Bolstering Defence Capability Is Legitimate Right of Sovereign State: Spokesperson for DPRK Foreign Ministry KCNA 14 Jan 2022 -- A spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK issued the following press statement on Friday:
• North Korea missile tests, January 2022: FCDO statement UK FCDO 14 Jan 2022 -- FCDO spokesperson statement on the DPRK missile tests that took place on 14 January 2022.
• North Korea Fires Unidentified Projectile, Report Suggests Sputnik 14 Jan 2022 -- Earlier this week, the DPRK raised concerns in the region, conducting a missile test of a Hwasong-8 hypersonic rocket. According to KCNA, the missile actually flew 1,000 kilometres, including a 600-kilometre "glide jump flight", and hit its target.
• North Korea fires two more missiles after warning US over sanctions Press TV 14 Jan 2022 -- North Korea is reported to have fired at least two ballistic missiles just hours after hitting out a US "provocation" for new sanctions and warning of a strong reaction.
• France - MQ-9 Communications Intelligence Sensor Pod Suites DSCA 14 Jan 2022 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of France of MQ-9 Communications Intelligence Sensor Pod Suites and related equipment for an estimated cost of $88 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• Taiwan Navy establishes first minelaying squadrons CNA 14 Jan 2022 -- Taiwan's Navy on Friday established its first two minelaying squadrons consisting of one minelayer each at Kaohsiung's Zuoying naval base.
• Philippines to buy India's BrahMos supersonic missile Radio Free Asia 14 Jan 2022 -- The Philippines has agreed to buy a U.S. $375-million package of BrahMos supersonic anti-ship missiles from India, tapping China's main strategic rival in Asia to shore up its defenses in the disputed South China Sea.
• Philippines Becomes First Foreign Buyer of Indo-Russian BrahMos Anti-Ship Missile Sputnik 14 Jan 2022 -- The Philippines has long expressed an interest in acquiring BrahMos, one of the world's fastest anti-ship missiles, to augment naval capacity in order to thwart any threat to the nation's maritime domain from outside incursions.
• GCC Security Forces Arrive in Dammam to Participate in Arabian Gulf Security 3 Exercise in the Eastern Region SPA 14 Jan 2022 -- Security forces of the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) arrived on Thursday in Dammam to participate in the joint Arabian Gulf Security 3 tactical exercise scheduled to be held in the Eastern Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, it was reported today.
• Secretary Blinken's Virtual Meeting with UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Griffiths And President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Maurer US Dept. of State 14 Jan 2022
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Chung US Dept. of State 14 Jan 2022

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Jan. 14, 2022

Other Conflicts

• 14 January 2022 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 14 Jan 2022
• Taliban Threats To Uzbekistan, Tajikistan Underline Tension Between Militant Group And Central Asian Neighbors RFE/RL Gandhara 14 Jan 2022 -- The first two weeks of this year have brought a reminder that Central Asia's relationship with the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan are far from smooth and could potentially turn bad very quickly.
• US must 'respond positively' to UN call to release Afghan funds: Taliban Press TV 14 Jan 2022 -- The Taliban government has called on the United States to release billions of dollars of Afghanistan's frozen assets to avoid a worsening humanitarian crisis after the 20-year invasion of the war-ravaged country by US-led forces.
• Russia Trying to Develop Pretext for Ukraine Invasion, DOD Official Says DoD News 14 Jan 2022 -- Russia has deployed "a group of operatives" into Ukraine to foment a pretext for another invasion of that country, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said during a news conference today.
• U.S. Accuses Russia Of Preparing 'False-Flag' Operation In Ukraine RFE/RL 14 Jan 2022 -- The White House has accused Russia of sending saboteurs into eastern Ukraine in order to stage an incident that could provide a pretext for an invasion if Moscow's security demands are not met.
• White House Claims Russia Preparing False Flag Operation as Pretext for Ukraine Invasion Sputnik 14 Jan 2022 -- The US has information that Russia is planning to fabricate a pretext for an invasion of Ukraine by using operatives to carry out a false flag event, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Friday.
• Kremlin dismisses 'unfounded' US reports accusing Russia of invading Ukraine Press TV 14 Jan 2022 -- The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has dismissed as "unfounded" Western media reports accusing Russia of preparing a provocation to invade Ukraine amid escalating tensions between Moscow and Washington.
• US intelligence accuses Russia of preparing a false-flag operation to invade Ukraine Press TV 14 Jan 2022 -- US intelligence agencies have reportedly accused Russia of preparing a false-flag operation to invade Ukraine.
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Call with OSCE Secretary General Schmid US Dept. of State 14 Jan 2022
• Statement by the NATO Secretary General on cyber attacks against Ukraine NATO 14 Jan 2022
• White House Offers Support to Ukraine Following Cyberattack VOA 14 Jan 2022 -- The White House reached out to Ukraine on Friday to offer its support after several of Kyiv's government agencies suffered a cyberattack, as tensions simmered between Russia and Ukraine.
• U.S. Offers Support After Ukraine Hit By Massive Cyberattack RFE/RL 14 Jan 2022 -- The United States has offered to provide Ukraine "whatever help it needs to recover" from a massive cyberattack that Kyiv has said appears to have links to hacker groups associated with Russian intelligence services.
• NATO Chief Slams Cyberattacks on Ukrainian Gov't, Pledges 'Strong Support' to Kiev Sputnik 14 Jan 2022 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg condemned on Friday cyberattacks on the Ukrainian government websites and announced the upcoming signing of an advanced NATO-Ukraine cybersecurity cooperation agreement.
• Western Countries Urge Kosovo To Allow The OSCE To Collect Serb Referendum Votes RFE/RL 14 Jan 2022 -- Five Western nations, including the United States, have welcomed Serbia's upcoming referendum on judicial reforms but expressed regret that Kosovo will no longer allow the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to collect the ballots of eligible Serb voters living there.
• Joint Statement on Serbia's National Referendum US Dept. of State 14 Jan 2022 -- The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the European Union on the occasion of Serbia's January 16 National Referendum.
• UN rights office warns against rising hate speech in Western Balkans UN News 14 Jan 2022 -- Authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in neighbouring Serbia, must condemn and refrain from any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday.
• Western Countries Urge Kosovo To Allow The OSCE To Collect Serb Referendum Votes RFE/RL 14 Jan 2022 -- Five Western nations, including the United States, have welcomed Serbia's upcoming referendum on judicial reforms but expressed regret that Kosovo will no longer allow the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to collect the ballots of eligible Serb voters living there.
• Joint Statement on Serbia's National Referendum US Dept. of State 14 Jan 2022 -- The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the European Union on the occasion of Serbia's January 16 National Referendum.
• UN rights office warns against rising hate speech in Western Balkans UN News 14 Jan 2022 -- Authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in neighbouring Serbia, must condemn and refrain from any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday.
• Al-Shabab Fears Somalia's Military Court, Judge Says VOA 14 Jan 2022 -- Al-Shabab militants relentlessly carry out attacks in Somalia, such as Wednesday's suicide car bombing in Mogadishu that killed at least 10 people. The group claimed responsibility for the assault on a security caravan.
• Decade of Sahel conflict leaves 2.5 million people displaced UN News 14 Jan 2022 -- The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) called on Friday for concerted international action to end armed conflict in Africa's central Sahel region, which has forced more than 2.5 million people to flee their homes in the last decade.
• Cameroon Says Separatists Frustrated by Inability to Disrupt African Football Attack Schools, Civilians VOA 14 Jan 2022 -- Cameroonian authorities say Anglophone separatists have been trying to disrupt the continent's top soccer tournament, the Africa Football Cup of Nations, which Cameroon is hosting. The military says rebels have launched small-scale attacks in the towns of Buea and Limbe, which are holding matches. Authorities have also blamed the separatists for the killing of a Cameroonian lawmaker this week.

News Reports

• U.S. Deports Second Russian Hacker After Long Prison Term Ends RFE/RL 14 Jan 2022 -- The United States has sent another Russian hacker back home after serving years in U.S. prison.
• Russia Says It Has Detained, Arrested Alleged REvil Ransomware Group Members RFE/RL 14 Jan 2022 -- A Moscow court has ruled to arrest two men alleged to belong to the Sodinokibi/REvil ransomware group suspected of being behind last year's ransomware attack on the Florida-based software firm Kaseya that affected businesses around the world.
• Fourth U.S.-France Cyber Dialogue US Dept. of State 14 Jan 2022 -- The United States and France held the fourth U.S.-France Cyber Dialogue virtually on January 13-14, 2022. Representatives of the two countries emphasized the importance of transatlantic cooperation to promote security and stability in cyberspace and discussed France's plans to elevate cyber issues during its presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first half of 2022.
• Background Press Call by a Senior Administration Official on Cybersecurity The White House 14 Jan 2022
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks and answers to media questions at a news conference on Russia's foreign policy performance in 2021, Moscow, January 14, 2022 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 14 Jan 2022
• Navalny Associates Volkov, Zhdanov Placed On Russia's 'Terrorist' List RFE/RL 14 Jan 2022 -- Ivan Zhdanov and Leonid Volkov, two of jailed Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's closest associates, have been placed on the country's list of "extremists and terrorists."
• Republican Bill To Impose Sanctions On Nord Stream 2 Businesses Fails In U.S. Senate RFE/RL 14 Jan 2022 -- Democrats in the U.S. Senate have defeated a bill that would have slapped sanctions on businesses involved in the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline.
• Blinken Says U.S. Has Raised Mysterious Illness With Russia That Is Afflicting Diplomats RFE/RL 14 Jan 2022 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States has raised an illness with Russia that has afflicted American diplomats as it works to find out what the ailment is and what causes it.
• British Intelligence Shines Light on Chinese Spy 'Hiding in Plain Sight' VOA 14 Jan 2022 -- Britain's domestic intelligence agency, MI5, is coming under political pressure to explain why it did not alert lawmakers sooner about the activities of a suspected Chinese spy, who the security service now say was "knowingly engaged in political interference in the U.K."
• Some people have seen too many James Bond films, Chinese FM responds to UK allegation of 'political interference' Global Times 14 Jan 2022 -- Chinese Foreign Ministry stressed that China has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs, after UK Military Intelligence, Section 5 (MI5) is reported to have alleged that a British lawyer of Chinese descent is "involved in political interference activities" in the UK Parliament on behalf of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
• China Seen Backing 'Digital Authoritarianism' in Latin America VOA 14 Jan 2022 -- Chinese technology and expertise is making it possible for Venezuela and Cuba to exercise suffocating control over digital communications in the two countries, according to insider accounts and several international investigations.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on January 14, 2022 PRC MofA 14 Jan 2022
• Analysts: Even EU Members Taking 'Wait and See' Approach on China-Lithuania Standoff VOA 14 Jan 2022 -- Taiwan has pledged $1 billion to Lithuania in its latest move to counter China's pressure on the small Baltic nation — the first European Union member to allow Taipei to use its name on a de facto embassy.
• China Claims Support from Arab States on Muslim Treatment VOA 14 Jan 2022 -- Beijing says an organization of several oil-rich Arab monarchies has dismissed the Chinese government's controversial treatment of Uyghur Muslims as "an internal matter."
• FM uses slideshow to expose anti-China forces' lies on Xinjiang Global Times 14 Jan 2022 -- Fabricating reports with numerous loopholes, hiring "actresses" to play as "victims," covering malicious purposes of disturbing China's Xinjiang region with excuses on human rights... Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Friday used more than 20 slides to refute disinformation and rumors made by anti-China "scholars," the US and Western media, and the terrorist organization "World Uyghur Congress."
• Rights groups urge countries to pressure China on human rights before Olympics Radio Free Asia 14 Jan 2022 -- Rights groups and a former United Nations official issued a final plea for the international community to use the approaching Winter Olympics in Beijing to pressure China to improve its human rights record, amid widespread persecution of Muslim Uyghurs, Tibetans, Hongkongers and other groups.
• CPC sends clear signal for seeing Party conduct-improving campaign through People's Daily 14 Jan 2022 -- The top disciplinary watchdog of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China's governing party, has recently published 10 cases of violations of the eight-point decision on improving Party conduct.
• North Korea registers 8 trademarks, 3 patents in 2021 Radio Free Asia 14 Jan 2022 -- Though largely shut off from the global economy, North Korea last year issued eight international trademarks and three international patents, recently released data show.
• North Koreans in China struggle as work disappears Radio Free Asia 14 Jan 2022 -- North Korean workers dispatched to China to earn cash for Pyongyang are struggling to make ends meet, with coronavirus lockdowns crimping the job market, sources in China told RFA.
• 1st phase of Qeshm ultra-heavy crude oil refinery becomes operational IRNA 14 Jan 2022 -- First phase of the Pasargad Energy Development Company's Qeshm ultra-heavy crude oil refinery project has officially become operative in the presence of Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi.
• Myanmar's junta levels 5 new corruption charges against Aung San Suu Kyi Radio Free Asia 14 Jan 2022 -- Myanmar's junta on Friday leveled five new corruption charges against deposed National League for Democracy (NLD) party chief Aung San Suu Kyi, according to a source close to the secret court where she is being tried, bringing the total number of crimes she stands accused of to 16.
• As Kazakhstan's President Targets Nazarbaev's Wealth, The Biden Administration Faces A Dilemma RFE/RL 14 Jan 2022 -- U.S. President Joe Biden struck a tough note against transnational corruption during a highly promoted virtual conference he organized in December for representatives of about 100 nations.
• Armenia, Turkey Hold First Round Of Talks On Normalizing Ties, Agree To Hold More RFE/RL 14 Jan 2022 -- Representatives of Armenia and Turkey have agreed to continue negotiations after a first round of talks in Moscow on January 14 aimed at normalizing relations after years of animosity.
• Observers Welcome Dialogue Between Turkey, Armenia VOA 14 Jan 2022 -- Special envoys from Turkey and Armenia met in Moscow on Friday for the first round of talks to normalize the decades-long strained relations between the two countries.
• Former President Poroshenko Not Worried He'll Be Arrested Upon Return To Ukraine RFE/RL 14 Jan 2022 -- Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who has been out of the country since December, says he will return to Ukraine despite rumors he will be immediately arrested on charges of suspected treason.
• Tunisians stage protest against president on 2011 uprising anniversary Press TV 14 Jan 2022 -- Hundreds of Tunisians have taken to the streets to protest against President Kais Saied's July seizure of power on the 11th anniversary of the departure of the late dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
• Cambodia says trial of opposition leader Kem Sokha will go ahead Radio Free Asia 14 Jan 2022 -- The trial on treason charges of Cambodian opposition leader Kem Sokha will go ahead as scheduled on Jan. 19, with the government refusing to interfere, a government spokesman said on Friday.
• Europe Sees Hope for Eventual Deal in Mali VOA 14 Jan 2022 -- A key European diplomat believes there is still a chance to defuse the growing political crisis in Mali that has seen the country's interim military government clash repeatedly in recent days with both its neighbors and members of the international community.
• Malians Protest ECOWAS Sanctions VOA 14 Jan 2022 -- Supporters of Mali's military government demonstrated Friday against West African sanctions that have cut off the country from regional trade and finance.
• World's Largest Trade Deal: Mix of Business and Diplomacy VOA 14 Jan 2022 -- The world's largest free trade pact, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), could help export-reliant Asian companies and may be good diplomacy, experts say.