Af/Pak & Other News (5/23/2021)

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DOD Official Discusses 'Moral Obligation' to Help Those in Afghanistan Who Helped U.S.

https://www.defense.gov/Explore/News/Article/Article/2626344/dod-official-discusses-moral-obligation-to-help-those-in-afghanistan-who-helped/



Danish Documentary ‘Armadillo’ Shows Unvarnished Reality of Afghan Combat

https://coffeeordie.com/armadillo-documentary/









Blast at Iranian complex housing drone factory injures nine

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/23/blast-at-iran-factory-as-israel-accuses-state-of-providing-drones-to-hamas



Crisis Brewing? Following Protests, Iranians Threaten to Boycott Presidential Election

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/middle-east-watch/crisis-brewing-following-protests-iranians-threaten-boycott-presidential



Iran top lawmaker says nuclear monitoring deal with IAEA has expired

https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20210523-iran-top-lawmaker-says-nuclear-monitoring-deal-with-iaea-has-expired









Iraq estimates that $150 billion of its oil money has been stolen from the country since the US-led invasion of 2003

https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/23/middleeast/iraq-oil-money-us-invastion-intl/index.html



US military commander warns over Iraq militias’ drones

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1863091/middle-east









US general: As US scales back in Mideast, China may step in

https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-china-europe-middle-east-government-and-politics-21995550f2a657e70768645425f21d78




Yemen's Houthi rebels say shoot down Saudi-led coalition drone

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-05/23/c_139965051.htm









Civil war, ruin, raging poverty... but Assad is guaranteed to win Syria’s fake election

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/23/civil-war-ruin-raging-poverty-but-assad-is-guaranteed-to-win-syrias-fake-election



'Assad takes from Syrians, gives resources to Iran, Russia'

https://www.dailysabah.com/politics/assad-takes-from-syrians-gives-resources-to-iran-russia/news









Israel’s Gaza challenge: stopping metal tubes turning into rockets

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-gaza-challenge-stopping-metal-tubes-turning-into-rockets-2021-05-23/



IDF spokesperson on rocket attacks: Iran had 'hands on involvement on the ground'

https://www.foxnews.com/world/idf-spokesperson-on-rocket-attacks-iran-had-hands-on-involvement-on-the-ground



Hamas digs up bodies of terrorists killed in Israeli strike on tunnel network

https://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-digs-up-bodies-of-terrorists-killed-in-israeli-strike-on-tunnel-network/









Ever Given owner says Suez canal authority at fault for grounding

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/22/ever-given-owner-says-suez-canal-authority-at-fault-for-grounding









After Seven Years Of Conflict, Ukraine's Frontline City Of Mariupol Is 'Just Tired' Of The Fighting

https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-mariupol-russia-war/31269094.html



Chernobyl's nuclear fuel is smoldering. To prevent another accident, researchers are studying the site's radioactive lava.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/chernobyls-nuclear-fuel-smoldering-prevent-115400891.html



Russia Has a Serious Plan to Militarily Dominate the Arctic For Good

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/05/russia-has-a-serious-plan-to-militarily-dominate-the-arctic-for-good/



MAKS: the space plane An-225 Mriya was supposed to launch

https://www.aerotime.aero/27983-MAKS-the-space-plane-An-225-Mriya-was-supposed-to-launch



Russian Naval Aviators eject from Sukhoi fighter jet

https://www.scramble.nl/military-news/russian-naval-aviators-eject-from-sukhoi-fighter-jet





Belarus Forces Down Plane to Seize Dissident; Europe Sees ‘State Hijacking’

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/23/world/europe/ryanair-belarus.html



Belsat Satellite Network Reports Raid By Belarusian Security Forces

https://www.rferl.org/a/belsat-poland-belarus-raid-lukashenka-journalists/31267935.html




Poland Procures Turkish Bayraktar TB2 Drones Almost Out of the Blue

https://theaviationist.com/2021/05/23/poland-tb2-drones/




Romania to field newest version of US Patriot air defense missile system

https://www.armyrecognition.com/defense_news_may_2021_global_security_army_industry/romania_to_field_newest_version_of_us_patriot_air_defense_missile_system.html




First Greek Rafale B

https://www.scramble.nl/military-news/first-greek-rafale-b




Kongsberg orders more Australian RF sensors for Joint Strike Missile

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/kongsberg-orders-more-australian-rf-sensors-for-joint-strike-missile




France begins Rafale F4-1 flight trials

https://www.blogbeforeflight.net/2021/05/france-begins-rafale-f4-1-flight-trials.html




Russia's submarines are circling Britain's entire coastline as Putin's forces remain 'our number one threat', says Defence Secretary Ben Wallace

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9609343/Russias-submarines-circling-Britains-entire-coastline-says-Defence-Secretary-Ben-Wallace.html









China slowly invading Himalayan neighbour Bhutan, says ..

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/china-slowly-invading-himalayan-neighbour-bhutan-says-new-study/articleshow/82878150.cms



China’s New ‘Mini Aircraft Carriers’: A Threat to the U.S. Military?

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/05/chinas-new-mini-aircraft-carriers-a-threat-to-the-u-s-military/










Pentagon's UFO footage — and Obama's curiosity — ratchet up expectations for a big reveal

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/pentagon-s-ufo-footage-obama-s-curiosity-ratchet-expectations-big-ncna1268222



Racing the Sun to Protect America

https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2021/05/racing-sun-protect-america/174162/



USSOCOM Comments on Potential Amphibious MC-130J Plane

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/05/ussocom-comments-on-potential-amphibious-mc-130j-plane/



Perfecting Loitering Munitions

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htsf/articles/20210523.aspx



Soft Recoil Technology Could Let The Army Put Heavy Guns On Light, Maneuverable Ground Vehicles

https://www.forbes.com/sites/erictegler/2021/05/23/soft-recoil-technology-could-let-the-army-put-heavy-guns-on-light-maneuverable-ground-vehicles/



The Navy has a new ocean to worry about, it's not clear how it's going to deal with it, top lawmaker says

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/the-navy-has-a-new-ocean-to-worry-about-it-s-not-clear-how-it-s-going-to-deal-with-it-top-lawmaker-says/ar-AAKiT40