Af/Pak & Other News (6/19/2021)

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Afghanistan’s air force is a rare U.S.-backed success story. It may soon fail.

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-06-18/afghan-air-force-story



Departure of U.S. Contractors Poses Myriad Problems for Afghan Military

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/19/world/asia/Afghanistan-withdrawal-contractors.html



Confusion in Afghanistan as U.S. withdrawal gathers speed

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/confusion-in-afghanistan-as-u-s-withdrawal-gathers-speed/ar-AALcjE6



Risk Of 'Taliban Momentum' As Dozens Of Afghan Districts Fall Since Foreign Withdrawal Began

https://gandhara.rferl.org/a/taliban-momentum-as-afghan-districts-fall/31315094.html



Death of famed Afghan commander in Taliban massacre highlights the country’s struggles and fears

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/afghanistan-taliban-commando-killed/2021/06/19/ebd748fc-d03e-11eb-a224-bd59bd22197c_story.html



NATO Asks Qatar to Host Training for Afghan Commandos

https://sofrep.com/news/nato-asks-qatar-to-host-training-for-afghan-commandos/



Why Turkey Wants to Protect Kabul’s Airport

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/why-turkey-wants-protect-kabul%E2%80%99s-airport-187945



‘Ignorant or accomplice’: Afghan NSA hits out at Pak FM over ties with Taliban; Islamabad replies

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/afghan-nsa-hits-out-at-pak-fm-over-ties-with-taliban-islamabad-replies-101624096922164.html



Taliban Donations Soar in Pakistan Ahead of US Pullout From Afghanistan

https://www.voanews.com/extremism-watch/taliban-donations-soar-pakistan-ahead-us-pullout-afghanistan



Pakistan plans to set up international media channel funded by China to build narrative: Report

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/pakistan-china-international-media-channel-1816998-2021-06-19



'War on Terror': Are big military deployments over?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-57489095









As Iran veers right, ties with Gulf Arabs may hinge on nuclear pact

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-veers-right-ties-with-gulf-arabs-may-hinge-nuclear-pact-2021-06-19/



'A soldier': New Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi comes to power with clear hard-line agenda

https://abcnews.go.com/International/soldier-iranian-president-ebrahim-raisi-power-clear-hard/story?id=78374091



Amnesty: Iran's Raisi should be investigated for alleged crimes against humanity

https://www.axios.com/amnesty-international-raisi-investigation-crimes-56f04f9f-f9a5-4bc7-a38d-30978000e1a4.html



Revealed: Iran's 'ghost armada' of 123 sanction-busting tankers is selling black market oil to China to bankroll its secret nuclear programme

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9704151/Irans-ghost-armada-tankers-selling-black-market-oil-China-bankroll-nuclear-programme.html













Iraq frees Saddam Hussein’s son-in-law after 18 years in prison

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/iraq-frees-saddam-hussein-s-son-in-law-after-18-years-in-prison/2279214



Iraq nabs 10 Daesh/ISIS militants in Kirkuk

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/iraq-nabs-10-daesh-isis-militants-in-kirkuk/2279198









Saudi air defences intercept 17 Houthi armed drones - state TV

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/saudi-air-defences-intercept-houthi-armed-drone-says-state-tv-2021-06-19/



Pentagon pulls missile defense, other systems from Saudi Arabia and other Middle East countries

https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/18/politics/pentagon-remove-missile-defense-saudi-arabia-middle-east/index.html



Dozens killed in northern Yemen as battle for strategic city of Marib flares

https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20210619-dozens-killed-in-northern-yemen-as-battle-for-strategic-city-of-marib-flares




Turkey's First Anti-ship 'Atmaca' Missile Passes Final Test

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29848/Turkey_s_First_Anti_ship__Atmaca__Missile_Passes_Final_Test









Syria Adapts To Reality

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htatrit/articles/20210619.aspx



‘Responsibility to Protect’ Is One More Casualty of the Syrian War

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/06/14/syria-war-un-security-council-responsibility-to-protect-r2p-humanitarian-intervention-assad-russia-human-rights-civilians/



British carrier to strike targets in Syria and Iraq

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/british-carrier-to-strike-targets-in-syria-and-iraq/









Israel Aerospace to Manufacture 69 'WatchGuard' Mobile Radars for German Army

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29850/Israel_Aerospace_to_Manufacture_69__WatchGuard__Mobile_Radars_for_German_Army









U.S. general: ‘wildfire of terrorism’ on march in Africa

https://apnews.com/article/africa-europe-health-coronavirus-pandemic-43d6fb685e51b2ee66403ad535d49073




Welcome To The Jungle: Ukrainian T-64B1M Tanks In DR Congo

https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2021/06/welcome-to-jungle-ukrainian-t-64b1m.html









U.S. Says 'Contingency' Aid Ready If Russia Attacks Ukraine

https://www.rferl.org/a/us-ukraine-military-aid-russia/31315708.html



US Guardsmen Train Ukrainian Troops for War Against Russia

https://coffeeordie.com/ukrainian-troops-train/



Russian Making Progress on Improved Ivan Gren-class Landing Ships

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/06/russian-making-progress-on-improved-ivan-gren-class-landing-ships/



Four Killed as L-410 Airplane Carrying Parachutists Crashes in Russia’s Kemerovo Region

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29846/Four_Killed_as_L_410_Airplane_Carrying_Parachutists_Crashes_in_Russia___s_Kemerovo_Region



Russia’s Black Sea navy grows as allies worry Biden will pull back

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/russias-black-sea-navy-grows-allies-worry-biden-pull-back



The Russian Navy Is Going All In On a New Generation of Killer Torpedoes

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/06/the-russian-navy-is-going-all-in-on-a-new-generation-of-killer-torpedoes/





Business In The Baltics: Latvia Expresses Interest In The Bayraktar TB2

https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2021/06/business-in-baltics-latvia-expresses.html




Infamous ‘Tic Tac’ UFO seen by Navy pilot now spotted over England

https://nypost.com/2021/06/19/tic-tac-ufo-seen-by-navy-pilot-now-spotted-over-england/









China’s J-20 Jet Powered by Domestic Engine in Service with 2nd Ace Force Unit

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29847/China___s_J_20_Jet_Powered_by_Domestic_Engine_in_Service_with_2nd_Ace_Force_Unit





Japan could drop integration of LRASM on F-15JSI

http://alert5.com/2021/06/20/japan-could-drop-integration-of-lrasm-on-f-15jsi/





US quashed undersea communications cables for Pacific Island nations: Report

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/us-quashed-plans-for-communications-cables-to-pacific-islands










America’s First UFO Sighting Was Way Earlier Than You Think

https://www.cracked.com/article_30527_americas-first-ufo-sighting-was-way-earlier-than-you-think.html



How Admiral McRaven got fired from SEAL Team 6 (and what we can learn from it)

https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/how-admiral-mcraven-got-fired-from-seal-team-6-and-what-we-can-learn-from-it/



Missile-armed F-22 fighters launched again today as distant Russian bombers vectored toward Hawaii

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2021/06/18/breaking-news/missile-armed-f-22-fighters-launched-again-today-as-distant-russian-bombers-vectored-toward-hawaii/



French Warplanes To Train With US Military In Hawaii As Allies Solidify Ties

https://www.civilbeat.org/2021/06/french-warplanes-to-train-with-us-military-in-hawaii-as-allies-solidify-ties/



Missile Defense Agency Lays Out How It Plans To Defend Against Hypersonic Threats

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/41164/missile-defense-agency-lays-out-how-it-plans-to-defend-against-hypersonic-threats



Boeing T-7 suffers delays due to parts shortages, defect

https://www.blogbeforeflight.net/2021/06/boeing-t-7-suffers-delays-due-to-parts.html



An In-Depth Analysis of why USAF wants to retire the F-22 Raptor

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/an-in-depth-analysis-of-why-usaf-wants-to-retire-the-f-22-raptor/



U.S. Navy’s Adversary F/A-18E Super Hornet Has Been Given A Su-57 Felon Color Scheme

https://theaviationist.com/2021/06/18/super-hornet-su-57-color-scheme/



In Forbes and In Press: Talking To POGO About Shipyards

http://nextnavy.com/in-forbes-and-in-press-talking-to-pogo-about-shipyards/



Shocking Images: America's Newest Aircraft Carrier Endures Explosive Tests Off Florida

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/41181/shocking-images-americas-newest-aircraft-carrier-endured-explosive-tests-off-florida