Af/Pak & Other News (12/10/2021)

[dump...@hotmail.com]

UN: Afghanistan’s economy is collapsing `before our eyes’

https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-business-united-nations-economy-9cbaf19f8b4e79311305b35295a9ad6d



US Central Command head says number of al-Qaeda members in Afghanistan 'probably slightly increased'

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/585241-us-central-command-head-says-number-of-al-qaeda-members-in-afghanistan



Afghan Farmers Continue Growing Opium Poppy as Taliban Sends Mixed Signals on Poppy Eradication

https://www.voanews.com/a/afghan-farmers-continue-growing-opium-poppy-as-taliban-sends-mixed-signals-on-poppy-eradication/6349149.html



Repo Man Comes After The Taliban

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htatrit/articles/20211210.aspx



What SOCOM Learned in Afghanistan Means for Future Fights

https://www.businessinsider.com/what-socom-learned-in-afghanistan-means-for-future-fights-2021-12



Guantanamo Bay prison has outlasted the War in Afghanistan and it’s not going anywhere

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/guantanamo-bay-prison-biden-administration-not-closing/



Pakistani Taliban ends ceasefire, future of peace talks uncertain

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/10/pakistan-taliban-ceasefire-peace-talks-ttp



Pakistan Cuts Steel for 5th Hangor-class submarine “PNS TASNIM”

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/12/pakistan-cuts-steel-for-5th-hangor-class-submarine-pns-tasnim/









India's top general laid to rest with full military honours

https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias-top-general-laid-rest-with-full-military-honours-2021-12-10/









Iran nuclear talks pulled back from brink as Tehran shifts stance

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/09/iran-nuclear-deal-pulled-back-from-brink-of-collapse-as-talks-resume-in-vienna



Is third sabotage the charm at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility? - analysis

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/sabotage-at-irans-natanz-nuclear-facility-30-analysis-687849



Gantz: Iran building up forces in its western areas to attack Israel, other states

https://www.timesofisrael.com/gantz-iran-building-power-in-countrys-west-to-attack-countries-forces-in-mideast/









Iraqi wars’ deadly legacy: unexploded ordnance

https://www.defencetalk.com/iraqi-wars-deadly-legacy-unexploded-ordnance-77564/



Iraq Allots $100M to Buy Turkish Combat Drones: Report

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/30979/Iraq_Allots__100M_to_Buy_Turkish_Combat_Drones__Report#.YbN7q7qIZPY



The AP Interview: General says US troops to remain in Iraq

https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-iraq-national-security-islamic-state-group-f2dd669cc9b587ea166d942a39796758



Turkey hits PKK targets in Iraq after three of its troops killed

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/9/turkey-hits-pkk-targets-in-iraq-after-three-turkish-troops-killed









Yemen army kills Hezbollah military expert in Marib

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1984261/middle-east




Turkish intelligence-gathering ship enters service

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/weapons-headlines/latest/turkish-intelligence-gathering-ship-enters-service









In war plan prep against Iran, Israel seeking US air refueling assistance

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/12/in-war-plan-prep-against-iran-israel-seeking-us-air-refueling-assistance/









Niger and Burkina Faso kill scores of 'terrorists' in joint operation, armies say

https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20211210-niger-and-burkina-faso-kill-scores-of-terrorists-in-a-joint-operation-armies-say




Russian Mercenaries Threaten CAR Stability Over Alleged Civilian Abuses

https://www.voanews.com/a/russian-mercenaries-threaten-car-stability-over-alleged-civilian-abuses-/6349193.html




Mali: Waiting For It To Never Get Better

https://www.strategypage.com/qnd/mali/articles/20211210.aspx









‘Nobody wants to be Putin’s slave’: on the Ukraine frontline as tensions rise

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/10/nobody-wants-to-be-putins-slave-on-the-ukraine-frontline-as-tensions-rise



Ukrainian military long on morale but short on weaponry

https://apnews.com/article/europe-russia-ukraine-moscow-crimea-3bd1a7cc472dd9d576c7642ffea0f87f



Russia and Ukraine trade blame as ceasefire push breaks down

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-ukraine-trade-blame-ceasefire-push-breaks-down-2021-12-09/



Ukraine's Zelensky asks for preemptive Russia sanctions, military equipment in call with Biden

https://news.yahoo.com/ukraines-zelensky-asks-preemptive-russia-004140053.html



Ukraine ambassador to the UK says Russian invasion could spark nuclear disasters like Chernobyl

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ukraine-ambassador-to-the-uk-says-russian-invasion-could-spark-nuclear-disasters-like-chernobyl/ar-AARGybl



Why is Russia So Adamant About Annexing an Independent Ukraine?

https://www.newsweek.com/why-russia-so-adamant-about-annexing-independent-ukraine-1657951



Pro-Russian separatists lose hope of conflict end

https://www.reuters.com/video/watch/pro-russian-separatists-lose-hope-of-con-id739775664?chan=8gwsyvzx



How a Russian invasion of Ukraine could spill over into Europe

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59582146



Russia scrambles fighter jet to escort U.S. spy plane over Black Sea - TASS

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-scrambles-fighter-jet-escort-us-spy-plane-over-black-sea-tass-2021-12-10/



Russia introduce smart top-attack anti-tank mine

https://www.africanmilitaryblog.com/2021/12/edex-2021-russia-introduce-smart-top-attack-anti-tank-mine



A Look At Russia’s Vladimir Putin’s Secret Past and What’s Next?

https://sofrep.com/news/a-look-russias-vladimir-putins-secret-past-and-whats-next/



The Kremlin’s Strange Victory

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2021-09-27/kremlins-strange-victory





NATO Surveillance Planes Crowd The Black Sea As Russian Troops Surround Ukraine

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2021/12/10/nato-surveillance-planes-crowd-the-black-sea-to-track-russian-troops-around-ukraine/




Here’s How Finland Justified Its Decision To Buy 64 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/43458/heres-how-finland-justified-its-decision-to-buy-64-f-35-stealth-fighters



Finnish Defence Forces to Upgrade Leopard 2 Main Battle Tank Fleet

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/12/10/finland-leopard-2-upgrade/




German weapons maker Rheinmetall unveils new robo-tank

https://defence-blog.com/german-weapons-maker-rheinmetall-unveils-new-robo-tank/




France to open classified Algerian War archives 15 years ahead of schedule

https://www.france24.com/en/france/20211210-france-to-open-classified-algerian-war-archives-15-years-ahead-of-schedule



Macron lays out agenda for ‘powerful, sovereign’ EU

https://www.defencetalk.com/macron-lays-out-agenda-for-powerful-sovereign-eu-77576/




UK court allows Assange’s extradition to US for spying case

https://apnews.com/article/julian-assange-espionage-extradition-87c7f8f5acf747bbddb7cb87005fded6



UK launches Project Aether for stratospheric global comms, ISR

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/air-platforms/latest/uk-launches-project-aether-for-stratospheric-global-comms-isr




Future of Life Institute continues call to ban AI-powered drone swarms

https://dronedj.com/2021/12/09/future-of-life-institute-continues-call-to-ban-ai-powered-drone-swarms/









Honduras Likely to Follow Nicaragua in Cutting Taiwan Ties As China Courts Latin America

https://www.newsweek.com/honduras-taiwan-ties-china-nicaragua-xiomara-castro-1658153




Nicaragua embracing China to insulate against international sanctions - U.S. official

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/honduras-next-government-maintain-taiwan-ties-now-transition-team-says-2021-12-10/




Brazilian start-up Desaer unveils ATL-300 civilian-military transport aircraft

https://www.blogbeforeflight.net/2021/12/desaer-unveils-turboprop-transport-aircraft.html




Colombia: Narco Submarine Discovered On Beach

http://www.hisutton.com/Narco-Submarine-Found-On-Beach.html









Xi Jinping’s New World Order

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/china/2021-12-09/xi-jinpings-new-world-order



Why Is China Insisting It Is a Democracy?

https://thediplomat.com/2021/12/why-is-china-insisting-it-is-a-democracy/



The China Threat and Lessons From the Collapse of the Soviet Union

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2021/12/10/the_china_threat_and_lessons_from_the_collapse_of_the_soviet_union_807266.html



EXPLAINER: Why did China woo away Nicaragua from Taiwan?

https://apnews.com/article/business-china-united-states-beijing-taiwan-f1b217a826a8ecd8ba7689d31b043148





Taiwan reports 13 Chinese aircraft in defence zone

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taiwan-reports-13-chinese-aircraft-defence-zone-2021-12-10/





US tightens curbs as Cambodia moves closer into China’s embrace

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/10/as-cambodia-moves-closer-into-chinas-orbit-us-tightens-curbs



Put US weapons in warehouses or destroy them, Cambodia tells military after arms embargo

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3159279/put-us-weapons-warehouses-or-destroy-them-cambodia-tells





'Silent strike' to oppose military coup empties streets across Myanmar

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2021/12/10/myanmar-military-coup-silent-strike/8131639146804/



'I couldn’t kill innocent people': Myanmar soldiers defect to join resistance

https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20211210-i-couldn-t-kill-innocent-people-myanmar-soldiers-defect-to-join-resistance





Australian Defence Force ditches European helicopters

https://www.defensenews.com/global/2021/12/10/australian-defence-force-ditches-european-helicopters/










Defense Spending Bill Contains ‘Most Significant’ UFO Legislation Since 1960s

https://www.nextgov.com/emerging-tech/2021/12/defense-spending-bill-contains-most-significant-ufo-legislation-1960s/187440/



Stanford Professor Garry Nolan Is Analyzing Anomalous Materials From UFO Crashes

https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7nzkq/stanford-professor-garry-nolan-analyzing-anomalous-materials-from-ufo-crashes



DOD officials defend military's handling of toxic chemicals at tense hearing

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/585147-dod-officials-defend-militarys-handling-of-toxic-chemicals-at-tense



Is The Singularity the End of Humanity? Welcome to Posthumankind

https://sofrep.com/news/is-the-singularity-the-end-of-humanity-welcome-to-posthumankind/



Congress wants Hawaiian missile defense radar up and running by end of 2028

https://www.defensenews.com/land/2021/12/09/congress-wants-hawaiian-missile-defense-radar-up-and-running-by-end-of-2028/



After 20 years of anti-terror work, CIA gets back to spycraft basics in shift to China

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/10/politics/cia-shift-china-train-manage-spies/index.html



Mark Lenzi, diplomat with Havana Syndrome, sues State Department, Blinken

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/12/10/havana-syndrome-lawsuit-mark-lenzi/



Attack Drones: Rise of the Interceptor

https://sofrep.com/news/attack-drones-rise-of-the-interceptor/



New DARPA project explores microbes for bio-manufacturing in space

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/12/new-darpa-project-explores-microbes-for-bio-manufacturing-in-space/



How the Commanding Officer of US Navy SEAL Team 8 Was Lost

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/12/how-the-commanding-officer-of-us-navy-seal-team-8-was-lost/



This Air Force Targeting AI Thought It Had a 90% Success Rate. It Was More Like 25%

https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2021/12/air-force-targeting-ai-thought-it-had-90-success-rate-it-was-more-25/187437/



Electric Sky developing beam to remotely power drone flights

https://dronedj.com/2021/12/08/electric-sky-developing-beam-to-remotely-power-drone-flights/



Congress drops Army mandate to buy more ‘Iron Dome’ defenses against cruise missiles

https://www.defensenews.com/land/2021/12/09/congress-drops-army-mandate-to-buy-more-iron-dome-defenses-against-cruise-missiles/



S-92A unaffected by tail cracks found in RCAF’s CH-148 Cyclone fleet: Sikorsky

https://www.flightglobal.com/helicopters/s-92a-unaffected-by-tail-cracks-found-in-rcafs-ch-148-cyclone-fleet-sikorsky/146793.article



The Air Force’s top civilian wants a drone wingman for the B-21 bomber

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/12/the-air-forces-top-civilian-wants-a-drone-wingman-for-the-b-21-bomber/



Carrier Bush prepares for additional Stingray testing

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/air-platforms/latest/carrier-bush-prepares-for-additional-stingray-testing



Report to Congress on Navy SSN(X) Next-Generation Attack Submarine

https://news.usni.org/2021/12/10/report-to-congress-on-navy-ssnx-next-generation-attack-submarine-4