Friday, March 13, 2020

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- March 13, 2020



RUDAW: US 'will not tolerate' direct attacks on US or coalition forces: CENTCOM Commander

ERBIL,Kurdistan Region – US officials have said they will “not tolerate” direct attacks on US or coalition forces following Friday morning airstrikes against weapon storage facilities across Iraq, prompting Iraq's Foreign Ministry to summon the UK and US ambassadors to Baghdad.

US warplanes launched retaliatory strikes against the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia in the early hours of Friday in response to Wednesday’s rocket attack on Iraq’s Taji military base which killed two Americans and one Briton.

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) released a statement on Friday calling for “immediate deescalation” from all sides.

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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- March 13, 2020

Top general: Iran threat 'remains very high' after US strikes on proxy militia in Iraq -- The Hill

General Takes Blame for ‘No Injuries’ Declaration After Jan. 8 Iran Strike -- Defense One

CENTCOM adding travel restrictions amid COVID-19 outbreak in Iran -- Military Times

DoD restricts travel for military personnel, families over COVID-19 -- UPI

Chinese spokesman accuses the US military of bringing coronavirus to Wuhan as war of words escalates after Trump's national security adviser accused Beijing of cover up -- Daily Mail

Troops in Europe Face Limbo Following Canceled Exercise, Travel Ban -- Military.com

Some Military Travel Restrictions Now Global with New CDC Guidance -- Military.com

How is Coronavirus Outbreak Affecting US Naval Base in Spain? -- Sputnik

American commandos to hold down the fort in Afghanistan as US troops withdraw -- Defense News

Fluor nabs $1.8B for nuclear propulsion work -- UPI

The Coast Guard Has Billions in Overdue Maintenance, and Lawmakers Are Concerned -- Military.com

SOUTHCOM commander: DoD to 'right-size' staffing at Guantanamo Bay -- UPI

Navy may cancel plans to extend lives of Burke-class destroyers -- UPI

Government lawyers ask DoD to reconsider decision to give Microsoft $10 billion contract over Amazon -- CNBC

Pentagon 'wishes to reconsider' $10 billion contract given to Microsoft over Amazon -- CNN

America’s bomber force is too small and getting smaller -- Gen. John Michael Loh (ret.), Defense News

Against Russia and China? US Mulls Producing Decoy Missiles to Confuse Enemy Air Defences – Report -- Sputnik

Could a commercial drone replace the MQ-9 Reaper? The Air Force is considering it. -- Defense News

Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell initiates hiring freeze -- CNN

Judge orders Chelsea Manning's release from jail -- The Hill

Germany plans to send a warship to the Indian Ocean -- Defense News

UK Military is on stand-by to help fight coronavirus as MoD officials are deployed to draw up emergency contingency plans -- Daily Mail

Canadian military bans international travel in response to COVID-19 -- CBC

Canadian military says its intelligence operations aren't bound by privacy law -- CBC

Watch Russian Tu-160s Strategic Bombers Flying Over Atlantic - Video -- Sputnik

How a Lack of Resources Has Made Russia's Military Even More Cunning -- Sebastien Roblin, National Interest

Photos: China’s Next Amphibious Assault Ship Nearing Completion -- Sputnik

Cambodia to host war games with China amid coronavirus outbreak -- Al Jazeera

North Korea had military forces on lockdown for 30 days over coronavirus - U.S. general -- Reuters

Pentagon 'fairly certain' North Korea has coronavirus cases -- The Hill

Kim Jong Un oversees artillery drills, state media says -- UPI

Japan unveils its hypersonic weapons plans -- Defense News

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

A newly discovered Russian-led network of professional trolls was being outsourced to Ghanaian and Nigerian operatives, according to Facebook and Twitter, who removed the network’s accounts on Thursday.

The network was small: just 49 Facebook accounts, 85 Instagram accounts and 71 Twitter accounts in question. But it marks the first time that a Russian information operation targeting the US has been found to be run from Africa.

Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook’s head of security policy, said the company believes it was such a small network because it was disrupted in the early stages of building its audience. It was, Gleicher said, “operated by local nationals – some wittingly and some unwittingly – in Ghana and Nigeria on behalf of individuals in Russia.