Af/Pak & Other News (3/13/2021)

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AP Interview: Afghan minister warns US against hasty retreat

https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-counterterrorism-kabul-taliban-united-nations-dae17b3d0fdebc4ac5016a796670ec3d



Afghanistan: Kabul government to attend US, Russia peace summits

https://www.dw.com/en/afghanistan-kabul-government-to-attend-us-russia-peace-summits/a-56863432



Outfighting The Loop

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htlead/articles/20210313.aspx



Biden Team Engaged in ‘Rigorous’ Debate Over Ending Forever War

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/03/12/biden-forever-war-drones-al-qaeda-september-11/



Biden’s new plan for peace in Afghanistan garners mixed reactions

https://www.pri.org/stories/2021-03-12/biden-s-new-plan-peace-afghanistan-garners-mixed-reactions



U.S. push for peace in Afghanistan has new ‘urgency.’ Some Afghans fear it could backfire.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/03/13/afghanistan-us-plan-risks/



Latest U.S. proposal for ending Afghan conflict runs counter to Taliban beliefs

https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2021/03/latest-u-s-proposal-for-ending-afghan-conflict-runs-counter-to-taliban-beliefs.php



Behind the Reporting of the Taliban’s Secret Prisons

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/13/insider/taliban-prisons.html









Iranian investigator says Israel likely behind container ship attack

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-ship-israel/iranian-investigator-says-israel-likely-behind-container-ship-attack-idUSKBN2B50GK



Crowd attacks Iran coast guard station after patrol shoots dead fuel smuggler

https://www.timesofisrael.com/crowd-attacks-iran-coast-guard-station-after-patrol-shoots-dead-fuel-smuggler/









ISIS behind brutal attack in Salah al-Din province, Iraq military says

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/13/middleeast/isis-iraq-salah-al-din-province-attack-intl/index.html



Fujairah Claims U.S. Seized Iraqi Oil Headed to China

https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/fujairah-owned-company-claims-stake-in-oil-cargo-seized-by-u-s



Are Iran and Turkey on a Collision Course in Iraq?

https://nationalinterest.org/feature/are-iran-and-turkey-collision-course-iraq-179902









Iran-backed Houthis use Biden peace initiatives to boost war efforts

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/iran-backed-houthis-use-biden-peace-initiatives-to-boost-war-efforts/ar-BB1ex15U



Houthi Rebels Unveil Host of Weaponry, Compounding Drone and Missile Threat

https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2021/03/houthi-rebels-unveil-host-of-weaponry.html




Turkey Willing to Discuss Su-35, Su-57 Buy with Russia if Necessary

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29138/Turkey_Willing_to_Discuss_Su_35__Su_57_Buy_with_Russia_if_Necessary



Russia offers modern fighter jets to complement Turkey’s S-400 air defense systems

https://defence-blog.com/news/russia-offers-modern-fighter-jets-to-complement-turkeys-s-400-air-defense-systems.html









Inside US Troops' Stronghold in Syria, a Question of How Long Biden Will Keep Them There

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/03/13/inside-us-troops-stronghold-syria-question-of-how-long-biden-will-keep-them-there.html



Foreign Enablers Continue to Fuel Syria's Conflict, UN Says

https://www.voanews.com/middle-east/foreign-enablers-continue-fuel-syrias-conflict-un-says



Syrians tried to use Israeli woman who crossed border to capture IDF troops

https://www.timesofisrael.com/syrians-tried-to-use-israeli-woman-who-crossed-border-to-capture-idf-troops/









Israel's Puzzling Lack Of Advanced F-15 Eagle Orders May Be Because Of This

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39756/israels-puzzling-lack-of-new-advanced-f-15-eagle-orders-may-be-because-of-this









UN Security Council calls for withdrawal of foreign troops, mercenaries from Libya

https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20210313-un-security-council-calls-for-withdrawal-of-foreign-troops-mercenaries-from-libya




Nigeria: Leonardo M-346 jets set to replace longstanding Alpha jets

https://www.africanmilitaryblog.com/2021/03/nigeria-leonardo-m-346-jets-set-to-replace-longstanding-alpha-jets




UN mandates South Sudan force to prevent return to civil war

https://apnews.com/article/south-sudan-humanitarian-crises-sudan-coronavirus-pandemic-famine-aaa46096c81c794f57eb68c55fdfc22d




Russia Refuses To Give Up On Senegal’s Oil Boom

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/russia-refuses-senegal-oil-boom-180000303.html









Russian radars detected in eastern Ukraine

https://medium.com/dfrlab/russian-radars-detected-in-eastern-ukraine-fb625ec4de16



Russian latest fighters to get ice sensors with artificial intelligence

https://tass.com/defense/1264789



Russia presents its new Antey-4000 mobile air defense missile system

https://www.armyrecognition.com/idex_2021_news_official_online_show_daily_media_partner/idex_2021_russia_presents_its_new_antey-4000_mobile_air_defense_missile_system.html



Russia's Bungling, Late-Game Effort To Control The Web

https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-free-web-internet-control/31147980.html




Kazakhstan Border Guards Antonov An-26 Crashed At Almaty Airport, Killing Four

https://fighterjetsworld.com/latest-news/aircraft-crash/kazakhstan-border-guards-antonov-an-26-crashed-at-almaty-airport-killing-four/24684/




Georgia's first restored Su-25 takes flight

https://www.blogbeforeflight.net/2021/03/georgia-first-restored-su-25-takes-flight.html




How Norway Is Folding Civilians into National Defense

https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/03/how-norway-folding-civilians-national-defense/172630/




U.S. B-1B Lancer Bomber Lands in Poland for the First Time

https://theaviationist.com/2021/03/12/u-s-b-1b-lancer-bomber-lands-in-poland-for-the-first-time/




Hellenic Navy to Acquire Lockheed Martin Surface Combatant Warships

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29141/Hellenic_Navy_to_Acquire_Lockheed_Martin_Surface_Combatant_Warships




NATO F-35 Milestone: Denmark’s first F-35A Lightning II performs maiden flight

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/nato-f-35-milestone-denmarks-first-f-35a-lightning-ii-performs-maiden-flight/




Possible FMS of P-8A MPA to Germany: P-3C stop-gap solution or MAWS alternative ?

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/03/possible-fms-of-p-8a-mpa-to-germany-p-3c-stop-gap-solution-or-maws-alternative/




British, Baltic navies conduct Baltic Sea exercises

https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2021/03/12/britain-exercises-naval-britain-estonia-latvia-lithuania-baltic/5361615579848/



Britain must boost cyber-attack capacity, PM Johnson says

https://www.reuters.com/article/britain-defence/britain-must-boost-cyber-attack-capacity-pm-johnson-says-idUSL1N2LB09Q



HMS Queen Elizabeth shoots down aerial target

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/hms-queen-elizabeth-shoots-down-aerial-target/



Defense panel rips into British Army over ‘deplorable’ state of armored vehicles

https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2021/03/14/defense-panel-rips-into-british-army-over-deplorable-state-of-armored-vehicles/



Uighurs harassed and abused by Beijing in UK, minister admits

https://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-uighurs-harassed-abused-beijing-173338724.html









Flying High: The US Connection to Venezuela’s ‘Narco-Planes’

https://www.bellingcat.com/uncategorized/2021/03/11/flying-high-the-us-connection-to-venezuelas-narco-planes/









Chinese military: fourth aircraft carrier likely to be nuclear powered, sources say

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3125224/chinese-military-fourth-aircraft-carrier-likely-be-nuclear



China's Submarine Modernization Continues: 2 Submarines Seen Outside New Shipyard

http://www.hisutton.com/Chinese-Submarines-Seen-At-Wuchang.html



Satellite maps show China building helicopter base facing Taiwan Strait

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4149243





North Korea unresponsive to behind-the-scenes Biden administration outreach - U.S. official

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-northkorea/exclusive-north-korea-unresponsive-to-behind-the-scenes-biden-administration-outreach-u-s-official-idUSKBN2B50P1



North Korea sanctions slow, but don't stop nuclear development, analyst says

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2021/03/12/NKorea-sanctions-impact-nuclear-weapons-NKorea/8221615575389/





Philippine Mayor Among 6 Killed in Police Shootout

https://thediplomat.com/2021/03/philippine-mayor-among-6-killed-in-police-shootout/










Pentagon, Rivals to Play ‘Cat-and-Mouse Game’ with AI

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2021/3/12/pentagon-rivals-to-play-cat-and-mouse-game-with-ai



Pentagon processes ‘antithetical’ to AI developement, former Google CEO warns

https://www.c4isrnet.com/congress/2021/03/12/pentagon-processes-antithetical-to-ai-developement-former-google-ceo-warns/



Panel: Pentagon Needs High-Level Attention on AI, Digital Workforce to Keep Up With China

https://news.usni.org/2021/03/12/panel-pentagon-needs-high-level-attention-on-ai-digital-workforce-to-keep-up-with-china



The Accellion Breach Keeps Getting Worse—and More Expensive

https://www.wired.com/story/accellion-breach-victims-extortion/



Death from the skies? The threat of drug smuggling by drone

https://dronedj.com/2021/03/12/death-from-the-skies-the-threat-of-drug-smuggling-by-drone/



A Small Agility Prime Contract Is Another Side Door For EVTOL Startup Jump Aero

https://www.forbes.com/sites/erictegler/2021/03/12/a-small-agility-prime-contract-is-another-side-door-for-evtol-startup-jump-aero/



This Shot Of A Pair Of Specially Painted A-10 Warthogs Is Mind-Boggling

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39760/this-shot-of-a-pair-of-specially-painted-a-10-warthogs-is-mind-boggling



NASA’s HyTEC Program Is A Great Way To Help Aerospace Manufacturers In The U.S.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/willyshih/2021/03/12/nasas-hytec-program-is-a-great-way-to-help-aerospace-manufacturers-in-the-us/



Elon Musk’s SpaceX wins 2 Pentagon contracts for nearly $160 million to launch missions with its Falcon 9 rockets

https://www.wearethemighty.com/intel/new-spacex-contracts/



Why the Army Is Saying Goodbye Mossberg 500, Hello M26 Shotgun

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/why-army-saying-goodbye-mossberg-500-hello-m26-shotgun-180150



As USS Gerald R. Ford Nears Shock Trials, Carrier Remains Busy With Testing, Fleet Support

https://news.usni.org/2021/03/12/as-uss-gerald-ford-nears-shock-trials-carrier-remains-busy-with-testing-fleet-support