Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• McKenzie Says ISIS Leader Who Died During U.S. Raid Was 'Evil' DoD News 04 Feb 2022 -- The ISIS leader who died during a U.S. Special Operations long-range helicopter raid on a mission to capture him in northwest Syria was "every bit as evil and committed to attacks on the United States and its partners as was his predecessor [Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi]," said Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., commander of U.S. Central Command.
• General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., Commander, U.S. Central Command, Holds a Press Briefing DoD 04 Feb 2022 -- General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., commander, U.S. Central Command; Brigadier General Lance Curtis, Commanding General, 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, Lead Investigator; Lieutenant General Ron Clark, Commanding General, U.S. Army Central and 3rd Army; Lieutenant Colonel John Naughton, MARCENT G5; Colonel C.J. Douglas, MARCENT G5
• US Probe Says 2021 Kabul Airport Bombing Was Single Blast, No Gun Shots Fired Sputnik 04 Feb 2022 -- The Pentagon investigation into the Islamic State-Khorasan's (terrorist group, banned in Russia) suicide bombing at the Kabul airport last August found that the attack was a single blast and no one was killed by gunfire from US or Afghan troops, Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Gen. Kenneth McKenzie said on Friday.
• Pentagon: Lone Bomber Behind August 2021 Attack on Kabul Airport VOA 04 Feb 2022 -- It was an attack that left a lasting mark on the U.S. in the waning days of its withdrawal from Afghanistan — a bombing and apparent follow-on attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul that left 13 American troops and more than 170 Afghans dead.
• U.S. Central Command Releases Report on August Abbey Gate Attack DoD News 04 Feb 2022 -- The attack on Abbey Gate that killed American service members and around 170 Afghan civilians during the non-combatant evacuation of Kabul on Aug. 26, was not a complex attack, Marine Corps Gen. Frank McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, said.

Defense Policy / Programs

• LOGCAP Support Brigade unit deploying soon to support Central Command Army News 04 Feb 2022 -- A LOGCAP Support Brigade unit will soon be heading off to support contract operations in an overseas theater.
• Military Officials brief Media on investigation results of ISIS-K bombing at Abbey Gate CENTCOM 04 Feb 2022 -- A Military investigative team briefed news media today at the Pentagon on results of the Army Regulation 15-6 investigation into the ISIS-K bombing at Abbey Gate, Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan that caused the deaths of 13 Servicemembers, August 26, 2021.
• DoD Software Modernization Strategy Approved DoD 04 Feb 2022 -- The Department of Defense (DoD) Software Modernization Strategy was approved Feb. 1.
• Navy to Commission Future Littoral Combat Ship Savannah DoD 04 Feb 2022 -- The Navy will commission the future USS Savannah (LCS 28) as the newest Independence variant littoral combat ship (LCS) during a 10:00 a.m. EST ceremony Saturday, Feb. 5, in Brunswick, Georgia.
• Readout of Japan, Republic of Korea and U.S. Defense Trilateral Call DoD 04 Feb 2022
• New DOD Chief Digital Artificial Intelligence Office Launches DoD News 04 Feb 2022 -- The Defense Department must become a digital and artificial intelligence-enabled enterprise capable of operating at the speed and scale necessary to preserve its military advantage, according to a memorandum issued by Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H. Hicks.
• Exercise Noble Fusion kicks off with joint combined expeditionary training in Philippine Sea USMC News 04 Feb 2022 -- Noble Fusion, a joint and combined naval expeditionary exercise combining multiple elements of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force alongside the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, kicked off in the Philippine Sea in vicinity of the Luzon Strait and the Miyako Strait Feb. 3.
• Exercise Noble Fusion Kicks Off with Joint Combined Expeditionary Training in Philippine Sea US Navy 04 Feb 2022 -- Noble Fusion, a joint and combined naval expeditionary exercise combining multiple elements of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force alongside the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), kicked off in the Philippine Sea in vicinity of Luzon Strait, and the Miyako Strait Feb. 3, 2022.
• Putin Helping to Revive NATO, Say Western Officials VOA 04 Feb 2022 -- Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, NATO, the post-World War II alliance forged between a victorious America and the conflict-battered countries of Western Europe, has often been dubbed a Cold War relic.
• NATO Fighters intercept Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea and in the High North NATO 04 Feb 2022 -- U.S. F-15Es scrambled and intercepted Russian fighters operating near Allied air space over the Baltic Sea while Norwegian and British aircraft intercepted Russian aircraft in flying from the Barents into the North Sea on Thursday February 3, 2022.
• PROJECT X empowers young innovators to build technologies for the future NATO 04 Feb 2022 -- On 31 January 2022, NATO launched "PROJECT X" - a rapid design challenge seeking faster and more innovative routes to delivering technologies for the Alliance. For the next three months, students from the Technical University of Delft and other Dutch universities will engage in this intense, rapid-prototyping initiative.
• Future-proofing the NATO Alliance NATO 04 Feb 2022 -- Today (4 February 2022), NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoană spoke about the threats facing NATO and what we can do to future-proof our Alliance.
• Russia, China Claim United Front Against NATO Expansion RFE/RL 04 Feb 2022 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have called on the West to "abandon the ideologized approaches of the Cold War" as the two leaders showed their deepening "no limits" relationship amid a standoff between Moscow and the West over Ukraine.
• US Weapons Already on Ukrainian Shooting Range - Defense Minister Sputnik 04 Feb 2022 -- The Ukrainian military has already received weapons provided by the United States as part of the newest military aid package, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Friday.
• Hungary Reportedly Blocks Ukraine's Accession to NATO Cyber Centre Sputnik 04 Feb 2022 -- Hungary blocked Ukraine's accession to the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE), Ukrainian news website European Pravda reported on Friday, citing a source.
• Russian ships arrive at Syria's port of Tartus amid tensions with West Press TV 04 Feb 2022 -- Russia's Defense Ministry says a group of amphibious assault ships of its Northern and Baltic Fleets have arrived at the Syrian port of Tartus, as the Russian navy has been staging large-scale naval drills aimed to counter military threats to Russia amid heightened tensions with the West.
• Moscow Not Surprised US Shifting Responsibility to Russia for Leaked Response to Security Proposals Sputnik 04 Feb 2022 -- On Wednesday, Spain's El Pais newspaper published the text of the alleged US response to the Russian security guarantees proposals, with both Moscow and Washington confirming the authenticity of the leaked documents. US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland claimed that Moscow was behind the incident.
• WESTERN AIR COMMAND CONDUCTS ANNUAL AEROSPACE SAFETY COUNCIL MEET India PIB 04 Feb 2022 -- Western Air Command Annual Aerospace Safety Council Meet (AASCM) 2022 was held at its headquarters in Delhi on 04 February 22
• SOLDIERS DEPLOYED IN UN PEACEKEEPING MISSION India PIB 04 Feb 2022 -- Indian Army (IA) has been contributing personnel to other countries to help in peacekeeping under the UN peacekeeping missions since 1950
• SAINIK SCHOOLS India PIB 04 Feb 2022
• DEFENCE INDUSTRIAL CORRIDORS India PIB 04 Feb 2022 -- The Government has established two Defence Industrial Corridors (DICs) in the country, one in Uttar Pradesh namely Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC) and other in Tamil Nadu namely Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor (TNDIC) with an aim to attract investment of about Rs 10,000 crore in each corridor
• SELF-RELIANCE IN DEFENCE MANUFACTURING India PIB 04 Feb 2022 -- The Government has taken several policy initiatives and brought reforms to promote self-reliance in defence manufacturing. These policy initiatives are aimed at encouraging indigenous design & development, innovation and manufacture of defence equipment in the country, thereby reducing dependency on imports in long run.
• MANUFACTURING IN DEFENCE SECTOR India PIB 04 Feb 2022 -- Two Positive Indigenisation Lists comprising 101 and 108 items were promulgated on 21st August 2020 and 31st May 2021 respectively
• ENHANCEMENT OF CAPACITY OF DEFENCE FORCES India PIB 04 Feb 2022
• RECRUITMENT IN DEFENCE FORCES India PIB 04 Feb 2022 -- Four Army recruitment rallies have been carried out in Recruiting Year 2021-22
• MANUFACTURING OF DEFENCE EQUIPMENT India PIB 04 Feb 2022 -- In continuous pursuit of self reliance in defence manufacturing and to minimise import by DPSUs, the Government has notified a Positive Indigenisation list of sub-systems/assemblies/sub-assemblies/ components on 27th December 2021
• DORNIER AIRCRAFT India PIB 04 Feb 2022 -- Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), a Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) under the Ministry of Defence, has been manufacturing 19 Seater Dornier Do-228 aircraft since 1983 under Transfer of Technology from Germany
• Turkey Strengthens Defense Industry With Its Ukraine Partnership VOA 04 Feb 2022 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Ukraine Thursday saw the countries deepen their defense industry cooperation. The growing ties come in the face of Moscow's criticism as Russian forces continue to mass on the Ukrainian border.
• US approves arms sale to Mideast allies, including F-16 warplanes for Jordan Press TV 04 Feb 2022 -- The US State Department has approved sales of weapons, F-16 fighter jets and related equipment to Middle East allies, namely the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
• EU Demands Central African Republic Boot Wagner Group Contractors Before Resuming Training Mission Sputnik 04 Feb 2022 -- After canceling its military cooperation with the Central African Republic's military in December, the European Union laid out the requirements for its return, including that Bangui cease cooperating with Wagner Group security contractors. However, the EU's training mission has long been criticized as ineffective.
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Djiboutian Foreign Minister Youssouf US Dept. of State 04 Feb 2022
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau Before Their Meeting US Dept. of State 04 Feb 2022
• Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Polish Foreign Minister Rau US Dept. of State 04 Feb 2022
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki The White House 04 Feb 2022
• Briefing on the Secretary's Upcoming Travel to Australia, Fiji, and Hawaii US Dept. of State 04 Feb 2022
• Department Press Briefing – 4 February 2022 US Dept. of State 04 Feb 2022

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Feb. 4, 2022

Other Conflicts

• 4 February 2022 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 04 Feb 2022
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba US Dept. of State 04 Feb 2022
• Russia to UK: Stop spreading 'fake news' about 'imminent Russian aggression' against Ukraine Press TV 04 Feb 2022 -- Moscow calls on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to stop parroting and spreading fabricated news about 'imminent Russian aggression' against Ukraine, two days after the United States announced it would be deploying several thousand troops to Eastern Europe.
• US and UK accuse Russia of planning to create a pretext for Ukraine invasion Press TV 04 Feb 2022 -- The United States and the United Kingdom have accused Russia of planning to create a pretext to invade Ukraine, despite the fact that, according to an independent analyst, it is Washington that has a long record of carrying out so-called "false flag" operations to launch wars.
• UK Foreign Secretary Truss Says US Has 'Shocking Evidence' That Russia Has Plans to Provoke Ukraine Sputnik 04 Feb 2022 -- On Thursday, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby claimed the US has information that Moscow "likely to want to fabricate a pretext for an invasion", and was staging "a fake attack by Ukrainian military or intelligence forces against Russian sovereign territory or against Russian-speaking people to therefore justify their action".
• Erdogan: West worsening Ukraine crisis Press TV 04 Feb 2022 -- Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has slammed the West for worsening the crisis over Ukraine, also hitting out at the international media for exacerbating the conflict.
• Erdogan Offers Peace Mediation to Russia, Ukraine During Kiev Visit to Finalize Drone Deal Sputnik 04 Feb 2022 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has offered to mediate between Kiev and Moscow, who have been at odds since a US-backed coup in Kiev brought a right-wing Ukrainian nationalist government to power in 2014. The offer came while he was in Kiev to finalize a trade deal that includes sales of Turkish combat drones.
• Johnson, Scholz Agree Dialogue With Russia Necessary Amid Ukraine Crisis Sputnik 04 Feb 2022 -- UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz discussed the situation in Ukraine during a phone conversation on Friday and agreed that dialogue with Russia is necessary, Downing Street said.
• Luhansk Says Preparation of Kiev's Forces for Offensive in Donbass Enters Final Stage Sputnik 04 Feb 2022 -- Ivan Filiponenko, a military spokesman for the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic in easter Ukraine, said that the preparation of Kiev's security forces for an offensive in Donbass has entered its final stage.
• Pakistan's Baluch Separatists Losing Their Afghan Sanctuary RFE/RL Gandhara 04 Feb 2022 -- For years Afghanistan was seen as place of refuge for Baluch separatists seeking to evade Islamabad's crackdown on their homeland in Pakistan. But following the return of the Islamist Taliban to power in Kabul, members of the secular groups fear they have lost their sanctuary.
• Joint anti-junta forces attack six security posts in Kachin state in three days Radio Free Asia 04 Feb 2022 -- Fighters with the ethnic Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and a branch of the anti-junta People's Defense Force (PDF) militia have targeted six security posts in Myanmar's Kachin state in half as many days, a KIA official said Thursday, marking a sharp increase in clashes in the region.
• Tibetan monks sent to labor camps for spreading news of Buddhist statue's destruction Radio Free Asia 04 Feb 2022 -- Eleven Tibetans beaten and arrested by Chinese authorities in January for spreading news of the destruction of a 99-foot-tall Buddha statue and dozens of prayer wheels in southwestern China's Sichuan province have been sent to labor camps in the region, Tibetans with knowledge of the situation said Friday.
• Tajikistan's Pressure On 'Informal Leaders' Of Gorno-Badakhshan Angers Locals In Restive Region RFE/RL 04 Feb 2022 -- Tajikistan has increased its pressure on so-called informal leaders and other influential figures in Gorno-Badakhshan, a remote, restive region that the central government in Dushanbe has trouble exerting full control over.
• Violence Displaces Sudanese, South Sudanese Refugees in Ethiopia VOA 04 Feb 2022 -- More than 20,000 Sudanese and South Sudanese forced by violence to flee their refugee camps in northwestern Ethiopia are in desperate need of lifesaving aid.
• Ethiopia: UNHCR rushing aid to 20,000 refugees fleeing clashes UN News 04 Feb 2022 -- UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, and partners are rushing life-saving aid to more than 20,000 refugees after they fled clashes in Ethiopia's Benishangul Gumuz region, bordering Sudan and South Sudan.
• Burkina Faso: Rising displacement adds to Sahel crises UN News 04 Feb 2022 -- Insecurity in Burkina Faso, particularly in the region bordering Côte d'Ivoire, is pushing more people to seek safety both within and outside the country, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, reported on Friday.
• Sudan Leader Orders Armed Groups to Leave Major Darfur Towns VOA 04 Feb 2022 -- The head of Sudan's Sovereign Council has ordered various armed groups to leave major towns in the nation's troubled Darfur region, to be replaced by a new hybrid defense force made up of government troops and those of armed groups that signed a landmark 2020 peace accord.

News Reports

• Danish Court Finds Three Iranians Guilty Of Spying For Saudi Arabia RFE/RL 04 Feb 2022 -- A Danish court has found three members of an Iranian separatist group guilty of promoting terrorism in Iran and gathering information for an unnamed Saudi intelligence agency.
• Botswana Government Waters Down Phone Tapping Bill After Public Outcry VOA 04 Feb 2022 -- Following public outrage, Botswana's government has revised a controversial spy bill which would have allowed investigators to intercept private communications without a court order. Under the revised bill, tapping private conversations now becomes an offense.
• U.S. Tech Companies Say Hackers Behind 'Persistent Threats' To Ukrainian Organizations RFE/RL 04 Feb 2022 -- A hacking team that Ukraine says is controlled by Russian intelligence has targeted a wide range of organizations in the country, according to cybersecurity research by two U.S. technology companies.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, February 4, 2022 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04 Feb 2022
• What Sanctions Against Russia Could Look Like VOA 04 Feb 2022 -- Western nations have threatened sanctions against Russia if it invades Ukraine. While leaders have given few details about exactly what measures they plan to take or precisely what Russian actions would trigger sanctions, they have promised to make any new sanctions more punishing than previous efforts. Here is a look at what the United States and European countries might be considering.
• The Week In Russia: The Chechnya Connection RFE/RL 04 Feb 2022 -- In 1997, NATO and Russia pledged to cooperate on European security, basing their ties on a "shared commitment" to principles such as respect for human rights and the rule of law. Twenty-five years later, the words and actions of Chechnya's Kremlin-backed leader highlight one of the reasons that didn't work out.
• The Chechen Telegram Channel That Has Gotten Under Kadyrov's Skin RFE/RL 04 Feb 2022 -- On January 20, security forces loyal to Kremlin-backed Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov abducted the mother of lawyer and anti-torture activist Abubakar Yangulbayev in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod and took her by force to Chechnya. She has been held since in isolation without contact with her lawyer or her family.
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's replies to questions from Russian media, Beijing, February 4, 2020 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04 Feb 2022
• EU Actively Looking for Alternatives to Russian Gas, May Block Nord Stream 2, EC Prez Says Sputnik 04 Feb 2022 -- European officials have threatened to include restrictions against the brand new pipeline among other sanctions to be levied against Moscow in the event of a Russian "invasion" of Ukraine. Russian officials have dismissed the "invasion" claims and accused the West of stoking tensions to justify beefing up NATO's footprint in Eastern Europe.
• German Broadcaster Deutsche Welle Closes Moscow Bureau After Russian Ban RFE/RL 04 Feb 2022 -- Deutsche Welle's (DW) operations in Russia have been closed a day after Moscow told the German broadcaster it was revoking accreditations following a move by Berlin that banned broadcasts by Russia's RT DE channel because it did not have a proper license.
• White House Dismissive of Putin - Xi Meeting VOA 04 Feb 2022 -- The White House dismissed a Friday meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in which the leaders unveiled a strategic alliance geared against the U.S.
• At Beijing Olympics, Xi and Putin Announce Plan to Counter US VOA 04 Feb 2022 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping pledged closer cooperation to counter the influence of the United States during a meeting Friday ahead of the opening ceremony for the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
• Xi meets Putin, stressing strategic coordination to better tackle external interference Global Times 04 Feb 2022 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday afternoon, stressing the further deepening of "back-to-back" strategic coordination in upholding international fairness and justice and adhering to the four consensuses in supporting each other's sovereignty, security and development interests to better tackle external interference and regional threats, as they exchanged views on a series of major issues regarding global strategic security and stability.
• Closer energy partnership gets spotlight in Xi-Putin summit in Beijing Global Times 04 Feb 2022 -- Closer energy cooperation between China and Russia was a major focus for the top leaders of the two countries who met Friday in Beijing, just ahead of the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
• Xi stresses China-Russia back-to-back strategic coordination PLA Daily 04 Feb 2022 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday stressed commitment between China and Russia to deepening back-to-back strategic coordination and upholding international equity and justice side by side in the face of profound and complex changes in the international situation.
• Russia, China discuss ditching dollar, ink 30-year-old gas deal; warn West Press TV 04 Feb 2022 -- Russian and Chinese presidents have discussed shifting trade away from the dollar as they unveil a new gas deal, stressing that their strategic cooperation is "unshakeable" and warning the West to stop eastward expansion.
• New World Order Or Hidden Power Struggle? Experts Assess The Future Of Chinese-Russian Relations RFE/RL 04 Feb 2022 -- Amid the spectacle of the start of the Winter Olympics, Chinese President Xi Jinping offered solidarity to his counterpart, President Vladimir Putin, at a meeting in Beijing amid high tensions with the West.
• U.S. Slaps Belarusian Officials With Additional Sanctions For 'Repression' Of Athletes Abroad RFE/RL 04 Feb 2022 -- The United States has introduced sanctions against Belarusian citizens who, according to the State Department, were involved in the "transnational repression" of Belarusian athletes abroad.
• Upcoming Xi-Putin meeting to lay out structure for post-pandemic China-Russia ties, Wang Yi says in meeting with Lavrov Global Times 04 Feb 2022 -- The meeting in the new year between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin is to lay out the structure of post-pandemic relations between China and Russia, which embodies the high-level strategic cooperation of the two countries, as well as the deep mutual trust and friendship between the two state leaders, said Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi when meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday.
• Winter Olympics open in Beijing as China points torch at rights critics Radio Free Asia 04 Feb 2022 -- With a thunderous fireworks display and light show, Chinese President Xi Jinping declared the 2022 Winter Olympics open on Friday, with Beijing pushing back at human rights critics by having a Uyghur cross-country skier help light the Olympic cauldron to kick off the games.
• Veteran Hong Kong activist arrested after planning protest during Olympics opening Radio Free Asia 04 Feb 2022 -- Authorities in Hong Kong arrested a veteran rights activist known for carrying coffins at protests for "subversion," after he announced he would protest outside the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s Central Liaison Office in the city on the first day of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics on Friday.
• Hong Kong Authorities Have 'No Mercy' as Cancer-Stricken Activist Arrested VOA 04 Feb 2022 -- Hours before the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics began Friday, Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Koo Sze-yiu was arrested by national security law police on charges of "inciting subversion of state power."
• Taiwan thanks U.S. lawmakers for initiative to rename de facto embassy CNA 04 Feb 2022 -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Friday expressed gratitude after four United States lawmakers introduced bills to rename Taiwan's de-facto embassy in Washington the "Taiwan Representative Office."
• Honduras says it will keep 'fluid' ties with Taiwan CNA 04 Feb 2022 -- Honduras' Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina has said the Central American nation will maintain its diplomatic ties with Taiwan while describing the relationship as "fluid".
• US Counters China's 'Economic Coercion' Against Lithuania in Taiwan Dispute VOA 04 Feb 2022 -- A senior U.S. delegation visited Lithuania this week in a show of support for the Baltic state in its growing dispute with China involving Taiwan.
• UN Security Council Discusses Latest North Korea Missile Launch VOA 04 Feb 2022 -- Nine U.N. Security Council members condemned North Korea's January 30 launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile Friday, saying it was "a significant escalation" in Pyongyang's recent violations of council resolutions and was intended to further destabilize the region.
• US restores sanctions waiver to countries cooperating with Iran under JCPOA Press TV 04 Feb 2022 -- The administration of US President Joe Biden has provided some sanctions relief to the countries that had nuclear cooperation with Iran under the terms of the 2015 multilateral agreement.
• Iran Wants Money, Not Exchange of Prisoners With US, Sources Say VOA 04 Feb 2022 -- Iran is not serious about wanting a prisoner exchange with the United States and instead appears to be seeking money as part of any deal to release four Americans labeled by the U.S. as hostages of Tehran, according to informed sources.
• Political inmates stage hunger strike against junta rule in Myanmar's Insein Prison Radio Free Asia 04 Feb 2022 -- Dozens of political detainees in Myanmar's notorious Insein Prison have staged a hunger strike over the past four days to peacefully object to junta rule, sources said Friday, marking the third such protest since the military seized power just over a year ago.
• U.S. Slaps Belarusian Officials With Additional Sanctions For 'Repression' Of Athletes Abroad RFE/RL 04 Feb 2022 -- The United States has introduced sanctions against Belarusian citizens who, according to the State Department, were involved in the "transnational repression" of Belarusian athletes abroad.
• Ex-German Chancellor Schroeder To Replace Nazarbaev Son-In-Law On Gazprom Board RFE/RL 04 Feb 2022 -- Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who is considered a friend of President Vladimir Putin, is expected to replace former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev's son-in-law Timur Kulibaev on the board of directors of Russian energy giant Gazprom.
• Montenegro's Pro-Serbian Government Collapses In No-Confidence Vote RFE/RL 04 Feb 2022 -- Montenegro's parliament has approved a motion of no confidence in the government of Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic amid internal disputes within the coalition and between the government and parliament.
• EU Looks To Azerbaijan For Increase In Supply Of Natural Gas RFE/RL 04 Feb 2022 -- The European Union's energy commissioner has visited Azerbaijan as part of an effort to diversify the continent's energy sources and reduce dependency on Russian gas.