Putin has ‘well over 200,000 troops’ in Ukraine, top US general says
The Independent
23-09-19 08:45
Ukraine may take a considerable amount of time to remove over 200,000 Russian troops from its soil, even if its military counteroffensive is successful, according to General Mark A Milley, who is due to retire as chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff. He said the offensive had "tactical objectives that are limited" and would not achieve the strategic goal of removing all Russian soldiers. The counteroffensive has been boosted by the retaking of two key villages near Bakhmut and joint intelligence operations in Crimea, which Russia annexed illegally in 2014.
ASEAN kicks off its first-ever joint military drills in Indonesia
Reuters
23-09-19 08:25
Units from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have started their first-ever joint military drills in Indonesia's South Natuna Sea. The five-day operation aims to develop military skills, including maritime security and patrols, and the distribution of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. All 10 members of ASEAN will participate in the exercise, including prospective member East Timor. The drills are taking place amid rising tensions in the region and protests against China's activities in the South China Sea. The exercises were originally set to take place in the southernmost waters of the South China Sea, which are also claimed by Beijing. However, the location was changed due to sensitivities.
Taiwan Arms Supply Is Hobbled by Slow Contractors, US Official Says
Bloomberg
23-09-19 08:00
The main cause of delays in the delivery of promised weapons to Taiwan is the defense industry's shortcomings rather than government inefficiency, according to a State Department official. Deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Political Military Affairs, Mira Resnick, said that "the root cause of delays is insufficient industrial capacity and long production timelines," and called on the defense industry to "step up and play a key role in these efforts." The US has been criticized for a potential backlog of $19bn in military contract deliveries for Taiwan.
Fears of war as Azerbaijan launches attack on Armenian positions
The Independent
23-09-19 14:28
Azerbaijan has launched an "anti-terrorist operation" against Armenian military positions in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh. This comes after four soldiers and two civilians died in landmine explosions in the region. Concerns are rising that a full-scale war could resume between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which fought heavily for six weeks in 2020. Ethnic Armenian officials in Nagorno-Karabakh have reported intense shelling in the region. Azerbaijan alleges that Armenia has smuggled weapons into the area since the 2020 war ended. The hostilities also come amid high tensions between Armenia and Russia.
Azerbaijan Launches Assaults in Disputed Region on Russia’s Doorstep
WSJ
23-09-19 13:33
Azerbaijan launched a military offensive against Armenian targets in Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday, amid escalating tensions over the disputed region. The Armenian Defence Ministry denied the allegations and said it had no troops in the area, while ethnic-Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh said the attack had been long-planned by Azerbaijan. Russia has called on both sides to respect the terms of the previous ceasefire. The US has been increasing its influence in the region, including by conducting joint military exercises with Armenia, as it seeks to counterbalance Russia’s growing presence.
Azerbaijan Says Military Operation Underway in Nagorno-Karabakh
NY Times
23-09-19 12:52
Azerbaijan has launched a military operation against an Armenian enclave within its territory, raising concerns about an expanding armed conflict in the region. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said its forces were conducting "local anti-terrorist" operations in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The move comes after Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a 44-day war over Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020. Russia stationed peacekeepers in the region last year, but has been unable to control the situation as Azerbaijan has increased its presence in the area.
Iraq's president will summon the Turkish ambassador over airstrikes in Iraq's Kurdish region
The Toronto Star
23-09-19 12:43
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid has announced that he will summon Turkey's ambassador and hand him a formal letter of protest over recent Turkish airstrikes on Iraqi territory. The official protest comes after an airstrike on a military airport in Arbat, southeast of Sulaymaniyah in northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region. Three members of the region's counterterrorism force died and three Kurdish Peshmerga forces were wounded in the attack. Turkey often launches strikes against targets in Syria and Iraq that it believes to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a Kurdish separatist group.
Iraq’s president will summon the Turkish ambassador over airstrikes in Iraq’s Kurdish region
Associated Press
23-09-19 12:42
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid has announced that he will summon Turkey's ambassador and hand him a formal letter of protest over recent Turkish airstrikes on Iraqi territory. The protest comes after an airstrike on a military airport in Arbat, southeast of the city of Sulaymaniyah in northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region. Three members of the region's counterterrorism force died and three Kurdish Peshmerga forces were wounded in the attack. Turkey often launches strikes against targets in Syria and Iraq that it believes to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a Kurdish separatist group.
Journalist detained, home searched over reporting on French state defense secrets, news outlet says
Associated Press
23-09-19 17:31
French journalist Ariane Lavrilleux was arrested and her residence searched by the country's domestic intelligence agency on Tuesday. The arrest is believed to be linked to Lavrilleux's reporting on leaked documents that implicate French intelligence in the Egyptian government's alleged targeting of civilians. Lavrilleux works for investigative news outlet Disclose, which has called the detention an "unacceptable" assault on press freedoms. Disclose has been under investigation by the General Directorate of Internal Security since July 2022 for allegedly compromising national defense secrets and revealing information that could identify a protected agent. The investigation stems from Disclose's exposés on the alleged misuse of French military intelligence by the Egyptian military. The operation, known as Operation Sirli, allegedly involved targeted strikes against individuals returning to Egypt from Libya between 2016 and 2018. Many of those targeted were not militants, raising concerns about human rights violations. Disclose claims that the campaign of arbitrary executions was orchestrated by Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah el-Sissi with the complicity of the French state. The arrest is likely to raise further questions about France's alleged role in and record on human rights in Egypt.
Argentina’s former detention and torture site added to UNESCO World Heritage list
Associated Press
23-09-19 17:22
Argentina has welcomed the decision by a UNESCO conference to include the ESMA Museum and Site of Memory in the list of World Heritage sites. The former Navy School of Mechanics, known as ESMA, was the most infamous illegal detention center during Argentina's military dictatorship from 1976 to 1983. The site now operates as a museum and a larger site of memory, including offices for government agencies and human rights organizations. The inclusion of a former detention and torture center as a World Heritage site is a rare instance in which a museum of memory related to recent history is designated to the list.
US anti-affirmative action group challenges West Point admissions policy
Reuters
23-09-19 17:18
Anti-affirmative action group Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Military Academy, also known as West Point, for its use of race as a factor in student admissions. SFFA, which successfully pursued litigation that resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court rejecting collegiate student admissions policies that take race into consideration, is seeking to erase an exemption for U.S. military academies in June's ruling. The suit claims that two SFFA members would be prevented from competing for admission on an equal footing due to their race. The suit seeks to prevent West Point from considering race in admissions decisions.
Chinese blockade of Taiwan would likely fail, Pentagon official says
Reuters
23-09-19 16:50
Senior Pentagon officials have said that a Chinese blockade of Taiwan would likely fail and a direct military invasion would be extremely difficult for Beijing to carry out successfully. China's military has increased activity around Taiwan in recent years, leading to concerns that an invasion of the self-ruled island is imminent. However, the Pentagon officials stated that a blockade would give Taiwan's allies time to mobilize resources and that the economic impact of a blockade would harden international resolve against Beijing. They also noted that a military invasion would face significant challenges, such as massing tens or hundreds of thousands of troops on the eastern coast and encountering a population that would be willing to fight.
Fighting flares again in a breakaway region in the Caucasus Mountains
The Toronto Star
23-09-19 16:31
Azerbaijan has begun military action against Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway region of Armenia. Armenian officials have urged Azerbaijan to negotiate, but Azerbaijan has said it will continue until the Armenian military surrenders and the government of Nagorno-Karabakh dissolves itself. Ethnic Armenian officials in Nagorno-Karabakh said that the region's capital, Stepanakert, and other towns were under heavy shelling. The Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's Office has said that Armenian forces fired on the city of Shusha, killing one civilian. The operation could be an attempt by President Ilham Aliyev to force ethnic Armenians to leave the area, according to Thomas de Waal, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Europe think tank.
One killed at Gaza border by Israeli fire, three in West Bank, Palestinian officials say
ABC
23-09-19 22:11
Israeli forces have killed four Palestinians in separate incidents in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. The death in Gaza is the first fatality in weeks of confrontations along the border. In the West Bank, three Palestinians were shot and killed in clashes in Jenin. The Israeli military stated that hundreds of rioters had gathered in a violent demonstration near the security fence in Gaza and that a number of explosive devices were activated. However, the military did not confirm any deaths. The clashes come amid protests against Jewish visits to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and in support of Palestinian prisoners and the Israeli blockade of Gaza.
Top US general offers ‘rational’ take on China’s military progress, analyst says
South China Morning Post
23-09-19 22:00
The US Pentagon is looking to repair ties with the Chinese military and stabilize relations between the two countries, according to a Chinese analyst. The comments come in response to remarks made by General Mark Milley, the retiring head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, regarding the recent spy balloon incident, Taiwan, and China's military modernization. Milley stated that experts had determined that the balloon "wasn't spying" and that China may not have the capability to attack Taiwan "right this second." The Chinese military and the US Pentagon are expected to continue their relationship as a stabilizer of US-China relations.
A Chinese military blockade of Taiwan would likely fail: Pentagon
South China Morning Post
23-09-19 21:45
China's military would likely fail if it sought to blockade Taiwan and there was nothing easy about invading the self-ruled island, according to senior Pentagon officials who testified at a Congressional hearing. The comment represented the Pentagon’s latest public assessment of Beijing’s capabilities in imposing a blockade and of how the international reaction might play out. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has said it will eventually unite it with the mainland, by force if necessary.
UN General Assembly: Ukraine urgently needs air defenses -NATO head
Reuters
23-09-19 21:45
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has urged the urgent provision of air defences to Ukraine. Speaking in New York, Stoltenberg argued that the war in Ukraine was not a stalemate, but rather a "war of attrition". He emphasised the need for air defence systems, including ammunition, maintenance and spare parts. He also stressed the importance of reinforcing Ukraine's air defences to protect critical infrastructure as winter approaches. Stoltenberg did not reveal how many rounds of munitions NATO allies can deliver to Ukraine each year, or when F-16s would be delivered to Kyiv. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
US officials warn government shutdown could slow weapons to Ukraine, Taiwan
Reuters
23-09-19 21:40
Officials from the U.S. State and Defense Departments have warned that a potential government shutdown could disrupt international weapons shipments by the United States, including to Ukraine and Taiwan. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Regional Security, Mira Resnick, stated that in the past, the State Department has been unable to process new licenses or military sales for any partner during a shutdown, except in emergencies. Pentagon spokesperson Chris Sherwood also noted that a shutdown could impact shipments to Ukraine. The House of Representatives’ failure to move forward on a defense appropriations bill has raised concerns about a potential shutdown. President Joe Biden has been actively seeking support from allies for countries like Ukraine and Taiwan.
Nigeria's Tinubu tells UN he seeks to restore democratic order in Niger
Reuters
23-09-20 00:02
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who is also the chairman of the West African bloc ECOWAS, has stated that he is seeking to re-establish constitutional order in Niger following a July coup. ECOWAS has been in negotiations with the military junta, and has stated that it is ready to deploy troops if diplomatic efforts fail. Tinubu criticised military coups in West Africa, stating that they do not solve the problems faced by the region. He also highlighted the need to address the political and economic challenges, as well as the threat of violent extremists, in Niger. The activation of a standby force by ECOWAS has raised concerns about further destabilisation in the Sahel region.
How to Make Russia Really Pay for Invading Ukraine
NY Times Opinion
23-09-19 23:00
Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Washington this week to give thanks to the United States for its generosity — while asking for $24 billion more, which is what the Biden administration is seeking from Congress in additional military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. That will bring the total amount of American aid to $135 billion, which so far has been $223 million a day since the war began, according to one calculation.
