CIA’s Former Counterterrorism Chief for the Region: Afghanistan, Not An Intelligence Failure — Something Much Worse

https://www.justsecurity.org/77801/cias-former-counterterrorism-chief-for-the-region-afghanistan-not-an-intelligence-failure-something-much-worse/

Here's All The Intel You Need On The Ongoing Evacuation Operation In Kabul

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/42099/heres-all-the-intel-you-need-on-the-ongoing-evacuation-operation-in-kabul

Clip shows brother of fleeing Afghan president pledge allegiance to Taliban

https://www.timesofisrael.com/clip-shows-brother-of-fleeing-afghan-president-pledge-allegiance-to-taliban/

U.S. Changes Evacuation Plans as Islamic State Threatens Americans Still in Afghanistan

https://www.newsweek.com/us-changes-evacuation-plans-islamic-state-threatens-americans-still-afghanistan-1621775

No, Mr President. Al-Qaeda Is Not ‘Gone’ From Afghanistan.

https://vitalinterests.thedispatch.com/p/no-mr-president-al-qaeda-is-not-gone

Defense secretary contradicts Biden, says fleeing Americans have been beaten by the Taliban

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/aug/20/lloyd-austin-contradicts-joe-biden-says-fleeing-am/

Limited Coordination Between U.S., NATO Allies in Getting Afghanistan Evacuees to Airport

https://news.usni.org/2021/08/20/limited-coordination-between-u-s-nato-allies-in-getting-afghanistan-evacuees-to-airport

IAF aircraft evacuates over 85 Indians from Kabul: Top devel ..

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/iaf-aircraft-evacuates-over-85-indians-from-kabul-top-developments/articleshow/85508244.cms

Germany Sending Special Ops Helicopters To Kabul To Rescue Evacuees Outside The Airport

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/42083/germany-sending-special-ops-helicopters-to-kabul-to-rescue-evacuees-outside-the-airport

As Germany Offers Air Base for Afghan Refugees, U.S. Agrees to Evacuate German Citizens

https://www.newsweek.com/germany-offers-air-base-afghan-refugees-us-agrees-evacuate-german-citizens-1621560

France Deploys Special Forces To Rescue Citizens Stranded in Afghanistan

https://freebeacon.com/national-security/france-deploys-special-forces-to-rescue-citizens-stranded-in-afghanistan/

Everything You Need To Know About ‘Aquila Omnia’, Italy’s Air Bridge To Evacuate Civilians From Afghanistan

https://theaviationist.com/2021/08/21/aquila-omnia/

Czech pilot describes 'demanding' flight from Kabul

https://www.spacewar.com/reports/Czech_pilot_describes_demanding_flight_from_Kabul_999.html

British and US military are odds in Afghanistan as UK engages rescue missions

https://warisboring.com/british-and-us-military-are-odds-in-afghanistan-as-uk-engages-rescue-missions/

US general tells British special forces: Stop rescuing people in Kabul, you're making us look bad

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/us-general-tells-british-special-forces-stop-rescuing-people-in-kabul-youre-making-us-look-bad

US military finds 'alternative routes' to Kabul airport amid ISIS-K threats: reports

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/568872-isis-k-poses-threats-on-roads-to-kabul-airport-forcing-us-military-to-find

U.S. military helicopters rescue 169 Americans from hotel near Kabul airport

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2021/08/21/Afghanistan-rescue-Americans-hotel-near-Kabul-airport/4251629546794/

A ‘Digital Dunkirk’ to Evacuate Afghan Allies

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/08/20/afghanistan-taliban-takeover-digital-dunkirk-evacuate-afghan-allies/

This Is How the U.S.'s Afghanistan Exit Plan Unraveled

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/21/us/politics/biden-taliban-afghanistan-kabul.html

American Trapped in Kabul Explains 'Bogus' Visa Email Sent to Thousands: 'Brain Worms'

https://www.newsweek.com/american-trapped-kabul-explains-bogus-visa-email-sent-thousands-brain-worms-1621668

Former CIA officer discusses Afghanistan evacuation

https://www.bhpioneer.com/local_news/former-cia-officer-discusses-afghanistan-evacuation/article_7d7d75e4-0201-11ec-97bc-ff83dcb555e7.html

As Kabul turmoil mounts, Taliban's PR offensive falters

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/kabul-turmoil-mounts-talibans-pr-offensive-falters-2021-08-21/

Taliban fighters hunting blacklist of Afghan officials, US-trained forces: Private intel report

https://abcnews.go.com/International/taliban-fighters-hunting-blacklist-afghan-officials-us-trained/story?id=79569951

Afghan influencers go dark on social media as Taliban return

https://www.spacewar.com/reports/Afghan_influencers_go_dark_on_social_media_as_Taliban_return_999.html

U.S. weighs ordering commercial airlines to help in Afghanistan evacuation efforts

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/21/us-weighs-ordering-commercial-airlines-to-help-in-afghanistan-evacuation-efforts.html

Former Afghan President Karzai Meets With Taliban to Discuss Country's Situation, Future

https://www.newsweek.com/former-afghan-president-karzai-meets-taliban-discuss-countrys-situation-future-1621786

U.S. pauses evacuation flights in Kabul; Bahrain to start taking Afghans

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2021/08/20/afghanistan-taliban-kabul-americans-evacuate/4191629457636/

An Anti-Taliban Front Is Already Forming. Can It Last?

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/08/20/anti-taliban-front-northern-alliance/

Anti-Taliban resistance makes modest gains outside Panjshir

https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2021/08/anti-taliban-resistance-makes-modest-gains-outside-panjshir.php

Resistance fighters drive Taliban from 3 districts in the mountains north of Kabul.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/21/world/asia/resistance-fighters-taliban-afghanistan.html

Russian envoy to Kabul: Taliban offering a deal

https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-bahrain-evacuations-persian-gulf-tensions-a098cdb5b347f24f35a3c3a26ac44860

Afghan fighters recapture territory from Taliban as pockets of armed resistance emerge across country

https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-taliban-resistance-fighters-emerge-across-afghanistan-2021-8

With Its Captured American Weaponry, The Taliban Is Better Armed Than Ever

https://www.forbes.com/sites/pauliddon/2021/08/21/taliban-now-stronger-than-ever-thanks-to-captured-us-armaments/

How Valuable Are The U.S. Weapons The Taliban Just Captured?

https://www.npr.org/2021/08/21/1029449432/taliban-afghanistan-us-weapons-captured

The Taliban Air Force - An Inventory Assessment

https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2021/08/the-taliban-air-force-inventory.html

Who Really Are the Taliban? Is There a Taliban 2.0™?

https://sofrep.com/news/who-really-are-the-taliban-is-there-a-taliban-2-0/

What I Learned While Eavesdropping on the Taliban

https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/08/what-i-learned-while-eavesdropping-taliban/184676/

Afghan crisis: Russia plans for new era with Taliban rule

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58265934

Liberal Lawyer Freed Taliban Commando on Frontlines of Kabul Surge

https://freebeacon.com/national-security/liberal-lawyer-freed-taliban-commando-on-frontlines-of-kabul-surge/

Afghanistan shows ‘limitations’ of US military, experts say

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/21/forever-war-afghanistan-shows-limitations-of-us-military

Afghanistan War 'Largely a Wealth Transfer' to Military Contractors, Says 'Black Swan' Author

https://www.newsweek.com/afghanistan-war-largely-wealth-transfer-military-contractors-says-black-swan-author-1621772

Could Afghanistan Become the Base for Another 9/11?

https://nationalinterest.org/feature/could-afghanistan-become-base-another-911-192042

Is Afghanistan the Capital of a New Terrorist Empire?

https://nationalinterest.org/feature/afghanistan-capital-new-terrorist-empire-192151

In Afghanistan’s Shadow, US Vice President to Embark for Southeast Asia

https://thediplomat.com/2021/08/in-afghanistans-shadow-us-vice-president-to-embark-for-southeast-asia/

Uzbekistan Sends Afghan Refugees Back Home, States Taliban Won't Persecute for Fleeing

https://www.newsweek.com/uzbekistan-sends-afghan-refugees-back-home-states-taliban-wont-persecute-fleeing-1621651

Explainer: What Does China Want From Afghanistan After The Taliban Takeover?

https://gandhara.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-taliban-china-goals/31420549.html

Afghan Taliban Commission Looking Into Pakistan’s Terror-Related Concerns

https://www.voanews.com/south-central-asia/afghan-taliban-commission-looking-pakistans-terror-related-concerns

Pakistan ISI-Taliban Nexus Confirmed, Chief Met Insurgents in Kandahar

https://www.news18.com/news/india/exclusive-pakistan-isi-taliban-nexus-confirmed-chief-met-insurgents-in-kandahar-4112549.html

Protests in Pakistan erupt against China’s belt and road plan

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/aug/20/water-protests-in-pakistan-erupt-against-chinas-belt-and-road-plan

This Is Why Pakistan’s Build Up of Tactical Nuclear Weapons Should Worry You

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/why-pakistan%E2%80%99s-build-tactical-nuclear-weapons-should-worry-you-192285

“You’re all going to die”: Persuading Pakistan’s generals to see the light

https://www.mei.edu/publications/youre-all-going-die-persuading-pakistans-generals-see-light

Russia to benefit from India's Project-75I AIP Transfer Exercise

http://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2021/08/russia-to-benefit-from-indias-project.html

Iran says it is expanding defense beyond borders, will continue missile program

https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-says-it-is-expanding-defense-beyond-borders-will-continue-missile-program/

Two Saudi firms to co-produce Sky Guard drone for operational use

https://www.c4isrnet.com/unmanned/2021/08/20/two-saudi-firms-to-co-produce-sky-guard-drone-for-operational-use/

Arab Coalition airstrike kills Iranian expert: Yemen’s Information Minister

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2021/08/21/Arabic-Coalition-airstrike-kills-Iranian-expert-Yemen-s-Information-Minister

Israeli aircraft strike Hamas sites in Gaza after border clashes

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/two-palestinians-israeli-soldier-seriously-injured-gaza-crossfire-2021-08-21/

Libya calls activation of “quartet agreement” to protect its borders

https://www.libyaobserver.ly/inbrief/%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8Blibya-calls-activation-%E2%80%9Cquartet-agreement%E2%80%9D-protect-its-borders

Is Ethiopia Flying Iranian-Made Armed Drones?

https://www.bellingcat.com/news/rest-of-world/2021/08/17/is-ethiopia-flying-iranian-made-armed-drones/

Missed Opportunities: Ethiopia’s MALE UAV Programme

https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2021/08/missed-opportunities-ethiopias-male-uav.html

Gunmen kidnap more than 75 people in northwest Nigeria

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/gunmen-kidnap-more-than-75-people-northwest-nigeria-2021-08-21/

Cash strapped South African Navy can’t maintain major warships

https://www.africanmilitaryblog.com/2021/08/cash-strapped-south-african-navy-cant-maintain-major-warships

Russian Helicopters to present a wide range of military rotorcraft at Army-2021 forum

https://www.blogbeforeflight.net/2021/08/russian-helicopters-army-2021.html

Russia: First, Last, Persistent

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htsf/articles/20210821.aspx

Russian Space Junk Slammed Into A Chinese Satellite, Says U.S. Space Force

https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelpeck/2021/08/20/russian-space-junk-slammed-into-a-chinese-satellite-says-us-space-force/

What’s Going on With Russia’s Space Program?

https://www.airspacemag.com/daily-planet/whats-going-russian-space-program-180978436/

This is the Russian spy unit that keeps getting caught in the act

https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-trending/russian-spy-unit/

Russia Hit With New U.S. Sanctions Over Nord Stream 2 Pipeline, Germany Unscathed

https://www.newsweek.com/russia-hit-new-us-sanctions-over-nord-stream-2-pipeline-germany-unscathed-1621638

F-35Bs from HMS Queen Elizabeth cross-deck with USS America

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/f-35bs-from-hms-queen-elizabeth-cross-deck-with-uss-america/

China says it successfully tested two new missiles that can take out military command and communications systems

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3145896/china-says-it-successfully-tested-two-new-missiles-can-take-out

China Aims Its Propaganda Firehose at the BBC

https://www.wired.com/story/china-aims-its-propaganda-firehose-at-the-bbc/

Taiwan Escalates Afghanistan Tiff With Beijing: 'China Dreams of Emulating the Taliban'

https://www.newsweek.com/taiwan-escalates-afghanistan-tiff-beijing-china-dreams-emulating-taliban-1621762

Indonesia launches futuristic trimaran warship Golok-688

https://defbrief.com/2021/08/21/indonesia-launches-futuristic-trimaran-warship-golok-688/

Canada: Police drone hits plane approaching runway; ‘major damage’ reported

https://dronedj.com/2021/08/20/police-drone-hits-plane-canada/

Phasing in UFO Disclosure

https://medium.com/on-the-trail-of-the-saucers/phasing-in-ufo-disclosure-e1758380c67b

The intelligence community's silence is deafening

https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/568686-the-intelligence-communitys-silence-is-deafening

US omits Macron’s plea for ‘moral responsibility’ from record of Afghanistan call

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/20/afghanistan-macron-biden-moral-responsibility-evacuate-allies

With Chinese and Russian knives at the throat of GPS, Senate calls for a study, waits for administration to follow law

https://www.c4isrnet.com/opinion/2021/08/20/with-chinese-and-russian-knives-at-the-throat-of-gps-senate-calls-for-a-study-waits-for-administration-to-follow-law/

The FBI's Bin Laden Unit Had an 'Oh, S--t' Moment, 3 Weeks Before 9/11

https://www.newsweek.com/fbis-bin-laden-unit-had-oh-s-t-moment-3-weeks-before-9-11-1618971

Space Force standing up STARCOM to train guardians

https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/space/2021/08/20/space-force-standing-up-starcom-to-train-guardians/

Pentagon Poised To Unveil, Demonstrate Classified Space Weapon

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/08/pentagon-posed-to-unveil-classified-space-weapon/

U.S. Army Orders Passive Night Vision Goggles from Elbit Systems

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/30276/U_S__Army_Orders_Passive_Night_Vision_Goggles_from_Elbit_Systems#.YSGBr99lBPY

General Dynamics building lightweight vehicle electronic warfare system for US Army

https://www.c4isrnet.com/smr/technet-augusta/2021/08/20/general-dynamics-building-lightweight-vehicle-electronic-warfare-system-for-us-army/

C-17 to serve as magnetic navigation research testbed

https://defbrief.com/2021/08/20/c-17-to-serve-as-magnetic-navigation-research-testbed/

Trump’s F-15EX Legacy Lives On in Biden Administration

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2021/8/20/trumps-f-15ex-legacy-lives-on-in-biden-administration

Kratos, General Atomics get more money for Skyborg development

https://www.defensenews.com/air/2021/08/20/kratos-general-atomics-get-more-money-for-skyborg-development/

What the ‘Blue Arctic’ Means for the US Pacific Military Presence

https://thediplomat.com/2021/08/what-the-blue-arctic-means-for-the-us-pacific-military-presence/

U.S. Navy Advises On The Fate Of The Mark VI Patrol Boats

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/08/u-s-navy-advises-on-the-fate-of-the-mark-vi-patrol-boats/

U.S. Navy awards contract to Austal to modernize east coast-based Littoral Combat Ships

https://defence-blog.com/u-s-navy-awards-contract-to-austal-to-modernize-east-coast-based-littoral-combat-ships/

Sea Machines Signs Contract To Create Autonomous VTOL Replenishment Vessels

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/08/sea-machines-signs-contract-to-create-autonomous-vtol-replenishment-vessels/

Af/Pak & Other News (8/21/2021)

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