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The Pentagon intends to challenge a recent ruling by a military court that deemed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s decision to invalidate plea deals for several accused 9/11 co-conspirators improper, a defense official tells NBC News. “We intend to seek postponement of any hearing on the pleas or pretrial agreements during that time,” the official said. In July, prosecutors announced they had entered into pretrial plea agreements with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin ‘Attash and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi. But in a shocking move days later, Austin withdrew the controversial plea deals and removed Susan Escallier, the convening authority for military commissions, from the case. A judge in the case agreed, ruling last week that Austin operated outside his authority to invalidate the plea deals and declared the plea deals valid and enforceable.

Persons: Lloyd Austin’s, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin ‘ Attash, Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, Austin, Susan Escallier, Mohammed Organizations: Pentagon, NBC

☆ Two US service members injured in raid that killed ISIS operatives In Iraq, Pentagon says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-22 | by ( Michael Conte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Two US service members were injured in Iraq in a joint US-Iraqi raid overnight that killed “multiple ISIS operatives,” according to a Defense Department spokesperson. A defense official said Wednesday that both service members had been transferred to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany and were still in stable condition. “Overnight, CENTCOM [US Central Command] and Iraqi security forces conducted a partner raid in Iraq targeting several senior ISIS leaders,” said Ryder. Iraq’s Higher Military Commission had aimed to propose an end date for Operation Inherent Resolve, the US military operation combatting ISIS. “We continue to focus our efforts on specifically targeting those members of ISIS who are seeking to conduct external operations outside of Iraq and Syria and those ISIS members attempting to break out ISIS members in detention in an attempt to reconstitute their forces.”Earlier this month, the head of the United Kingdom’s domestic security service MI5 said that ISIS, along with al Qaeda, are presenting a “resurgent” threat.

Persons: Patrick Ryder, Ryder, ”, “, Wali, Mazrouei Abu Abdul Qader, CENTCOM, Erik Kurilla, they’ve, ’, Ken McCallum, CNN’s Mohammed Tawfeeq Organizations: CNN, ISIS, Defense Department, Pentagon, Regional Medical Center, Command, Iraqi Joint Operations Command, Iraq, Iraq’s, Commission, Hezbollah, Israel, United Locations: Iraq, Germany, Iraqi, CENTCOM, Wali Iraq, “, Syria, Israel, Lebanon, Gaza, Iran, East, Africa, al Qaeda, London

☆ US imposes first sanctions on Chinese firms for making weapons for Russia’s war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-18 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But in an announcement Thursday, the US Treasury Department accused the Chinese firms of direct involvement in arms supplies to Moscow. The Chinese companies had collaborated with Russian defense firms in the production of Moscow’s “Garpiya series” long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, the department said in a statement. “The Garpiya has been deployed by Russia in its brutal war against Ukraine, destroying critical infrastructure and causing mass casualties,” it said. “We have seen for some time Chinese companies providing components to Russian companies that Russian companies then use to turn into machinery, weapons, other components that Russia could use in its war,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters Thursday. In the latest sign of their deepening alignment, Chinese and Russian defense officials vowed to strengthen their cooperation during meetings in Beijing last week.

Persons: “, Redlepus, TSK, Matthew Miller, ’, Liu Pengyu, Andrey Belousov, Zhang Youxia Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, US Treasury Department, CNN, Xiamen Limbach Aircraft, Redlepus Vector Industry Shenzhen Co, Treasury Department, US, TSK Vektor, ”, Reuters, China’s, Military Commission Locations: Hong Kong, United States, China, Russia, Ukraine, Washington, Beijing, Moscow, Xiamen, Russian, ’ Beijing, U.S, ”

☆ Russia defense chief touts ‘common understanding’ with China in Beijing talks
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-16 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Their task is to “strengthen and develop” their strategic partnership, the Russian defense chief added. Russia and China have been bolstering their security coordination in the face of shared frictions with the West. Belousov also held talks a day earlier with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun, who ranks below Zhang in China’s military hierarchy. Belousov’s arrival in Beijing Monday coincided with China’s military flying a record number of fighter jets and other warplanes around Taiwan during large-scale military drills. China said the drills were intended as a “stern warning” to what it described as pro-independence forces in Taiwan.

Persons: that’s, Andrey Belousov, Zhang Youxia, Xi Jinping, That’s, Zhang, Xi, Vladimir Putin, Belousov, Dong Jun, Andrei Belousov, Wang Yi, Putin, Lai Ching Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, US, China’s, Military Commission, Tass, China’s Defense Ministry, Chinese Defense, Russia's Defense, China's, Russian Defence Ministry, Reuters China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Canadian Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Russia, Washington, Russian, Kazan, BRICS, Moscow, Ukraine, Ocean, Alaska –, South China, Taiwan

☆ China’s Coast Guard claims to have entered the Arctic Ocean for the first time as it ramps up security ties with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-03 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The statement came a day after the US Coast Guard said it spotted four vessels from the Russian Border Guard and Chinese Coast Guard in the Bering Sea – the “northernmost” location it said it had ever observed the Chinese ships. A banner visible on one of the vessels in accompanying photos read “China Coast Guard devoting its heart to the Party; demonstrating loyalty in the Arctic Ocean,” referring to China’s ruling Communist Party. The US Coast Guard (USCG) on Monday said it spotted the four vessels from the Russian Border Guard and Chinese Coast Guard “transiting in formation in a northeast direction” in the Bering Sea, some five miles inside Russia’s Exclusive Economic Zone on Saturday. A China Coast Guard member pictured during recent joint drills with Russia. The coast guard collaboration “relates to Chinese interests in maritime transportation along at least parts of the Northern Sea Route,” according to Østhagen.

Persons: Russia –, China’s, ”, Megan Dean, irked, Carl Schuster, it’s, –, Sophie Arts, ” Andreas Østhagen Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China’s Coast Guard, US Coast Guard, Russian Border Guard, Chinese Coast Guard, China Coast Guard, Communist Party, CCTV, TASS, 17th Coast Guard District, USCG, Canadian, Russia’s Federal Security Service, East China, Coast Guard, Guard, US Navy, Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, China, US Department of Defense, German Marshall Fund, Fridtjof Nansen Institute, CNN, Armed Police, Central Military Commission, Centre for High North Logistics, Norway’s Nord University Locations: Hong Kong, Russia, Beijing, ”, Bering, Alaska, Asia, North America, China, Washington, South, East, irked Beijing, Ukraine, Russian, Norway, South China, Philippines, Europe

☆ Attorneys say Austin violated military rules in halting deal for alleged 9/11 conspirators
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-07 | by ( Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Wednesday’s pretrial hearing, which has been scheduled for months, followed a whiplash decision by Austin to revoke a plea deal that had been announced just two days prior last week. “What he did was illegal,” Eugene Fidell, who teaches military justice at Yale University and co-founded the National Institute of Military Justice, told CNN. But Sowards argued Wednesday that by revoking the deal, Austin was actually doing more harm to the families. While the terms of the pretrial agreement had not been released publicly, among them was the assurance that the detainees would answer questions by 9/11 victim family members. Sowards said family members had already “been submitting questions in good faith,” and expecting answers in return as part of the deal.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, ”, ” Walter Ruiz, Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, Austin, Susan Escallier, Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin ‘ Attash, Ruiz, “, ” Austin, ” Eugene Fidell, Gary Sowards, Mohammad, ” Sowards, Clayton Trivett, ’ ”, Austin “, Antony Blinken, “ I’m, Sowards, Wells Dixon, Majid Khan, Khan, Dixon, ” Dixon, Eugene Fidell’s Organizations: CNN —, Defense, Guantanamo, Pentagon, White, White House, Yale University, National Institute of Military, CNN, Military Commissions, Austin, Military, Australian, American, ”, Center for Constitutional Rights Locations: Guantanamo, Austin, Belize

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday withdrew the plea deal for the three men accused of planning the 9/11 attacks. Austin announced the move in a letter addressed to Susan Escallier, the convening authority for military commissions, who had worked to negotiate the deal. "Effective immediately, I hereby withdraw your authority in the above-referenced case to enter into a pre-trial agreement and reserve such authority to myself," Austin said in the letter. Officials said on Wednesday that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin ‘Attash and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi had reached plea agreements. The three men were expected to plead guilty to lesser charges that would prevent them from receiving the death penalty.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Austin, Susan Escallier, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin ‘ Attash, Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi Organizations: WASHINGTON —, Friday

☆ Defense secretary abruptly revokes plea deal with alleged 9/11 mastermind KSM, co-conspirators
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Oren Liebermann | Evan Perez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin abruptly revoked a plea deal for the alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks and his co-conspirators, and he relieved the overseer in charge after years of effort to reach an agreement to bring the cases to a close. Prosecutors in the case had been discussing the possibility of a plea deal for more than two years, which would have avoided a lengthy trial complicated by questions over the admissibility of evidence obtained during torture. The US had said it would seek the death penalty for Mohammed. US criminal courts for decades have dealt with high profile terror trials, including with death sentences, which Holder had authorized. “They were dealt a bad hand by political hacks and ideologues who lost faith in our justice system.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Austin, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Bin ‘ Attash, Hawsawi –, Susan Escallier, ” Austin, Mohammed, ”, Brett Eagleson, Democratic Sen, Richard Blumenthal, ” Sen, Lindsey Graham, “, George W, Bush, Eric Holder, Barack Obama’s, Holder, ” Holder, Daniel Pearl, ideologues, CNN’s Manu Raju, Morgan Rimmer Organizations: CNN —, Pentagon, Prosecutors, Democratic, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, CNN, South Carolina Republican, Wall Street Journal Locations: Guantanamo, Pearl, Richard Blumenthal of, Manhattan, Pakistan

☆ Defense Secretary Revokes Plea Deal for Accused Sept. 11 Plotters
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Carol Rosenberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III on Friday overruled the overseer of the war court at Guantánamo Bay and revoked a plea agreement reached earlier this week with the accused mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and two alleged accomplices. Gen. Susan K. Escallier, signed a pretrial agreement on Wednesday with Mr. Mohammed, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi that exchanged guilty pleas for sentences of at most life in prison. In taking away the authority, Mr. Austin assumed direct oversight of the case and canceled the agreement, effectively reinstating it as a death-penalty case. He left Ms. Escallier in the role of oversight of Guantánamo’s other cases. Because of the stakes involved, the “responsibility for such a decision should rest with me,” Mr. Austin said in an order released Friday night by the Pentagon.

Persons: Lloyd J, Austin III, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Susan K, Escallier, Mohammed, Walid bin Attash, Mustafa al, Austin, ” Mr Organizations: Pentagon, Defense Department Locations: Guantánamo, New York City, Pennsylvania, Brig

Eleven years ago, in 2013, Holder said that Mohammed and his associates would have been “on death row as we speak” had the case gone to federal court as he proposed. But he blamed Congress for blocking a federal trial that would have resulted in swifter justice. They were dealt a bad hand by the political hacks and those who lost faith in our justice system,” Holder said in a statement to NBC News on Thursday. “If my decision to try KSM and his confederates in the tested and effective federal court system had been followed they would be nothing more than a memory today,” Holder said. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said he’s “long advocated that our federal court system is perfectly capable of conducting this kind of trial” and was well-suited to handling serious crimes.

Persons: Eric Holder, ”, Holder, ” Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin ‘ Attash, Mustafa Ahmed Adam al, General Holder, Mohammed, ” Holder, KSM, “, ” Eric Holder, Chip Somodevilla, Rudy Giuliani —, Donald Trump’s, —, Giuliani, Tsarnaev, William Barr, Trump, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, hadn’t, ” Barr, he’d, he’s, Barr, Alexanda Amon Kotey, Joe Biden’s, Mitch McConnell, McConnell, Sen, Chris Coons, doesn’t, ” Coons, Richard Blumenthal, Conn, “ I’ve, ” Sen, Chris Van Hollen, Biden, Thom Tillis, I’m, ” Tillis, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton Organizations: WASHINGTON, Guantanamo, Pentagon, CIA, NBC, New York City, Prisons, Boston Marathon, Rockies, Republican, Trump, Justice Department, Islamic State, White, NBC News, House Locations: United States, Guantanamo, Manhattan, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, America, Pakistan, Caribbean, ADMAX Florence, Colorado, ”, George H.W ., ADMAX, Florence, Ky

☆ Accused Sept. 11 Plotters Agree to Plead Guilty at Guantánamo Bay
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Carol Rosenberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The man accused of plotting the attacks of Sept. 11 and two of his accomplices have agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy charges in exchange for a life sentence rather than a death-penalty trial at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, prosecutors said Wednesday. A senior Pentagon official approved the deal for Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, according to Defense Department officials with knowledge of the agreement. The men have been in U.S. custody since 2003. But the case had become mired in more than a decade of pretrial proceedings that focused on the question of whether their torture in secret C.I.A. Word of the deal emerged in a letter from war court prosecutors to family members of victims of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Persons: Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Walid bin Attash, Mustafa al, ”, Aaron C Organizations: Pentagon, Defense, “ Locations: Guantánamo Bay, Cuba

☆ 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, 2 others charged in terror plot reach plea deals
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In a file photo Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged Sept. 11 mastermind, is seen shortly after his capture during a raid in Pakistan Saturday March 1, 2003, in this photo obtained by the Associated Press. Accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammad and two other men charged with plotting the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks by al-Qaeda have agreed to plead guilty in the military commissions process, the Pentagon said Wednesday. The terms of the plea deals for the three men, who have been in custody since 2003, were not released, but they are expected to plead guilty to some charges, and potentially avoid death sentences as a result. The Office of Military Commission said that the defendants will enter their pleas as early as next week at the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In addition to Mohammed, the other men expected to plead guilty are Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin 'Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi.

Persons: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin, Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, Aaron Rugh Organizations: Associated Press, Pentagon, Military Commission, New York Times Locations: Pakistan, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

☆ Xi wants the world to know China's military is totally loyal despite the purges
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-27 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

China's military is loyal and will faithfully execute the policies set down by the Communist Party. In June, Chinese Leader Xi Jinping reminded the Central Military Commission — the country's top political-military body — that the military reports to the Communist Party. "Xi stressed that political work is always the lifeline of the country's military. "Xi stresses PLA's political loyalty at crucial meeting held in old revolutionary base," read the Global Times headline. Beyond military corruption, Xi also is concerned about what he sees as decadence in Chinese society — especially among young people — which is undermining Chinese military power.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Xi, Mei, he'd, he's, Stalin, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Communist Party, Central Military Commission, Global Times, Business, Party, Times, People's Liberation Army, PLA, RAND Corp, Taiwan, PLA Rocket Force, CMC, Soviet Union, Political, Red Army, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: China, US, China —, Germany, Soviet Union, Forbes

☆ What is China’s ‘monster’ coast guard ship and why is the Philippines spooked by it?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“It’s an intimidation on the part of the China Coast Guard,” Tarriela said during a forum on Saturday, according to a Reuters report. Powell and other analysts say intimidation is one of the main jobs of the CCG-5901, which is larger than any regular coast guard ship in the world (a specialty US Coast Guard icebreaker is bigger) and even outsizes US Navy destroyers. The US Coast Guard, for instance, is part of the US Department of Homeland Security, not the Defense Department, although US Coast Guard vessels can come under US Navy control in certain scenarios. The China Coast Guard is part of the country’s People’s Armed Police, which is under the command of the Central Military Commission. The China Coast Guard “doesn’t want to be outdone thus this monster came along to show who’s got a bigger set of muscles,” Koh said.

Persons: ”, Jay Tarriela, Sabina Shoal, Tarriela, BRP Teresa Magbanua, “, ” Tarriela, “ We’re, we’re, Shoal, wasn’t, Ray Powell, SeaLight, ” Powell, Powell, Arleigh Burke, ‘, ” Carl Schuster, Collin Koh, Teresa Magbanua, who’s, ” Koh Organizations: CNN, Philippine, Philippine Coast Guard, China Coast Guard, United, Coast, National Security, BRP, Stanford University, Coast Guard, US, Guard’s National Security Cutters, Chinese Coast Guard, CNN Coast, US Coast Guard, US Department of Homeland Security, Defense Department, Armed Police, Central Military Commission, Analysts, Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, Guard, Rajaratnam, of International Studies Locations: China, Philippines, Beijing, Manila, South China, Sabina, Spratly, Philippine, Palawan, The Hague, Singapore

☆ North Korean troops could be sent to Ukraine due to their sheer numbers, not their effectiveness, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-07 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewSpeculation has been growing that North Korea could send troops to Ukraine. As of now, the prospect of North Korean soldiers being deployed to Ukraine is speculative and unlikely, experts told Business Insider. "Given what we know about nutrition in North Korea, even in the army, they might have issues," he told BI. But if it does, he added that North Korean soldiers may "simply" be helping rebuild a destroyed city like Mariupol. Bennett, from RAND, said he thinks it is "fairly likely" that North Korea will send troops to Ukraine, without elaborating further.

Persons: —, Pat Ryder, Edward Howell, John Hardie, Evans Revere, Albright, Revere, George W, Bush, Bruce Bennett, Kim Jong Un, Bennett, Kim, Wallace Gregson, Benjamin Young, Young, Guns, Hardie, Howell Organizations: Service, South Korea's, Chosun, Korean, Business, Pentagon, Military Commission, Institute, North, Korea, Chatham, Programme, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Korean People's Army, Group, East, RAND, US Marine Corps, Pacific Security Affairs, Chatham House, Virginia Commonwealth University, Great Locations: Korea, Ukraine, Russia, North Korea, South, Chatham House's Asia, Korean, East Asia, Pacific, South Korea, Koreans, Howell, Chatham, Europe, Mariupol

☆ China’s ‘military readiness’ questioned with dramatic downfall of two defense ministers
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-01 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

At the height of their careers, former defense ministers Li and Wei often struck a tough tone before the world’s top military officials. Former Defense Ministers Li Shangfu and his predecessor Wei Fenghe have both been expelled from the Communist Party over corruption allegations. Most of the generals dismissed or disappeared without explanation last year were linked to the Rocket Force or military equipment, including Li and Wei. An engineer by training, the 66-year-old spent decades launching rockets and satellites in southwest China before being promoted to the PLA headquarters to deal with military equipment procurement. “The gun barrel must always be held in the hands of those who are loyal and reliable to the party,” Xi told the PLA elites.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Xi, Li Shangfu, Wei Fenghe, Xi Jinping, Li, Wei, “, James Char, ”, Former Defense Ministers Li Shangfu, Wei’s, Joel Wuthnow, ” Wuthnow, ” Char, Weidong, Char, Jason Lee, Xu Caihou, Guo Boxiong, Xu, Guo, Wuthnow, Jiang Zemin, haven’t, ” Wei, Li “, Bill Bishop, ” Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Communist Party, People’s Liberation Army, PLA, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Former Defense Ministers, AP, Reuters, Rocket Force, Development Department, Second Artillery Corps, Pentagon, National Defense University, CCP, China’s Naval University of Engineering, Central Military Commission, Military, People's, CMC, Communist Locations: China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, United States, Singapore, People's Republic of China, Beijing, Yan’an

☆ China expels two former defense ministers from Communist Party as corruption purge deepens
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

CNN —China on Thursday expelled its former Defense Minister Li Shangfu from the ruling Communist Party over corruption allegations, state broadcaster CCTV reported, eight months after he was dramatically removed from the post. Li, who was also a former member of the powerful Central Military Commission, was removed in October last year without explanation after he disappeared from public view for two months, amid a series of high-level purges that have roiled the world’s largest military. Li’s predecessor as defense minister, Wei Fenghe, was also expelled from the Communist Party, also over alleged corruption, according to CCTV. This is a developing story and will be updated.

Persons: Li Shangfu, Li, Wei Fenghe Organizations: CNN, Defense, Communist Party, CCTV, Central Military Commission Locations: China

☆ Qaeda Commander at Guantánamo Bay Is Sentenced for War Crimes
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Carol Rosenberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A U.S. military jury on Thursday ordered a former Qaeda commander to a serve a 30-year prison sentence for war crimes carried out by his insurgent forces in wartime Afghanistan in the early 2000s. The military judge excused the panel from the chamber and then announced that, under a plea agreement, the prisoner’s sentence would end in eight years. The outcome was part of the arcane system called military commissions, which allows prisoners to reach plea deals with a senior official at the Pentagon who oversees the war court but requires the formality of a jury sentencing hearing anyway. Mr. Hadi, 63, was aware of the deal that reduced his sentence to 10 years, starting with his guilty plea in June 2022. It was unclear whether victims of attacks by Mr. Hadi’s forces and their family members had been told.

Persons: Abd al, Hadi al, Hadi Organizations: U.S, Pentagon Locations: Afghanistan, C.I.A

☆ Chinese military harassed Dutch warship enforcing UN sanctions on North Korea, Netherlands says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —A Dutch warship was harassed by Chinese military aircraft in the East China Sea on Friday, the Netherlands said, becoming the latest country to accuse Beijing’s forces of initiating potentially unsafe encounters in international waters. PSMX partner nations include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States, according to the US State Department. This handout picture shows the Dutch frigate Tromp approached in the East China Sea by a Chinese fighter jet. “As a warning, the Chinese military took necessary measures at the scene. Hours later, a Chinese military spokesman accused the United States of “creating division and provoking confrontation” in the region.

Persons: South Korea CNN —, Beijing’s, HNLMS Tromp, “, ”, Tromp, China’s People’s, Richard Marles, Lin Jian, Maj, Rob Millen, Lloyd Austin, Washington, Austin, Jing Jianfeng Organizations: South Korea CNN, Dutch Defense Ministry, CNN, United Nations, Pacific Security Maritime Exchange, European Union, UN Security Council, US State Department, Netherlands Ministry of Defence, South Korean Navy, China’s People’s Liberation Army, South China, Australian Defense, Foreign, Canadian, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force, US, NATO, Joint Staff Department, Military Commission Locations: Seoul, South Korea, East, Netherlands, North Korea, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States, Chinese, East China, Busan, South, Hobart, China, South China, Ottawa, Pacific, Singapore, Asia, Ukraine

The meeting, between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and China’s Minister of National Defense Adm. Dong Jun, is the first face-to-face talks between the two defense chiefs and Austin’s first such discussions with a Chinese counterpart since late 2022. The meeting, on the sidelines of an annual defense conference in Singapore, takes place against a fraught regional backdrop. Austin is expected to raise concerns with Dong about China’s support for Russia, US officials said ahead of the meeting. Talks between Austin and Dong are not expected to see substantive progress towards resolving many entrenched issues between them. Several weeks later, US and Chinese top generals spoke in a video call, paving the way for this week’s in-person meeting between the defense chiefs.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Dong Jun, Austin’s, China’s, Austin, Dong, Nancy Pelosi, Li Shangfu, Li, won’t, Xi Jinping’s, Xi, Joe Biden Organizations: Singapore CNN, US, National Defense, South China Seas, Communist Party, Coast Guard, Defense, Washington, Russia, America, East, Communist, Central Military Commission Locations: Singapore, Asia, Pacific, Taiwan, Beijing, East, South, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, China, South China, American, Russia, Ukraine, Austin, Asia –, San Francisco

☆ China will restrict exports of some aviation, aerospace equipment to 'safeguard national security'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Sheila Chiang | In Sheilachiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, CHINA - DECEMBER 09: Captain Zhao Hongbing waves a Chinese national flag after the first C919 large passenger aircraft of China Eastern Airlines landed at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport on December 9, 2022 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Yin Liqin/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)China on Thursday said it will restrict the exports of certain aviation and aerospace components and technologies starting July 1, citing the need to "safeguard national security." The new regulations seek to better protect national security and fulfill international obligations such as non-proliferation, a spokesperson from the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement. The notice was jointly announced with the General Administration of Customs as well as the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission. Exports of items including equipment, software and technologies related to aerospace structural components, engine manufacturing and manufacturing of gas turbines will require export licenses.

Persons: Zhao Hongbing, Yin Liqin Organizations: China Eastern Airlines, Shanghai Hongqiao, China News Service, Getty Images, Ministry of Commerce, Administration of Customs, Equipment Development Department of, Central Military Commission Locations: SHANGHAI, CHINA, Shanghai, China

☆ China to restrict exports of some aviation and space components
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Beijing (Reuters) — China will control exports of some aviation and space components from July 1, its Commerce Ministry announced on Thursday, citing a need to protect the country’s national security and interests. Beijing brought in its Export Control Law in late 2020, amid an escalating trade war kicked off by Trump-era tariffs on $300 billion of Chinese goods in 2018. The United States and European Union, for example, also control the export of various aerospace components over concerns such parts might find “dual-use” application by hostile states. “China has learned from international practices and implemented export controls on relevant items according to its own needs,” an explanatory note from the Commerce Ministry said. Exports will be licensed if they comply with the relevant regulations,” it added.

Persons: “ Organizations: Reuters, Commerce Ministry, China’s Customs Administration, Central Military Commission, State Council, Ministry of Commerce, Export Control Law, Trump, European Union Locations: Beijing, China, United States

☆ Civilian Prosecutors Rejected Evidence in 9/11 Case That Military Calls Crucial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Carol Rosenberg | Charlie Savage | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For years, a thorny question has dominated pretrial hearings in the military commissions case over the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks: Did the men accused of plotting them voluntarily confess in 2007 after the C.I.A. had stopped torturing them, and could those statements be used as evidence at their eventual death-penalty trial? analyst revealed that in 2009, when the Obama administration was planning to instead try the men in civilian court, federal prosecutors had decided against trying to offer the statements as evidence. The revelation sets in stark relief the contrary decision by military prosecutors to build their case around summoning the F.B.I. It also underlines how that decision has opened the door to years of litigation and contributed to a lengthy delay in getting the case to trial.

Persons: Obama, Mark S, Martins Organizations: Brig Locations: Guantánamo

☆ Xi shakes up China’s military in rethink of how to ‘fight and win’ future wars
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Chinese leader Xi Jinping oversees the inauguration of the Information Support Force of the People's Liberation Army at a ceremony in Beijing on April 19, 2024. The Information Support Force will be led by top generals from the now-defunct SSF. These functions will now be supervised at his level and not through the Strategic Support Force, which served as a middleman,” Wuthnow said. Though US intelligence officials said the balloon was part of an extensive surveillance program run by the Chinese military, Xi may not have been aware of the mission. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has scrapped the People's Liberation Army's Strategic Support Force, a branch he founded in 2015.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Xi, ”, Wu Qian, SSF, Bi Yi, Li Wei, Ju Qiansheng, Joel Wuthnow, ” Wuthnow, Joe Biden, didn’t, Xinhua News Agency James Char, Char Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Strategic Support Force, Support Force, PLA, China’s Defense, Aerospace Force, Cyberspace Force, Central Military Commission, Logistic Support Force, Information, Force, People's Liberation Army, Xinhua News, Information Support Force, Xinhua, Pentagon, National Defense University, Aerospace Systems Department, Network System Department, Xinhua News Agency, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, SSF’s Aerospace Systems Department, “, Communist Party, Taiwan Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Washington, United States, Singapore, Ukraine, Taiwan Strait, Taiwan

☆ Family of Palestinian-American detained by Israeli forces alleges mistreatment in custody
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The family also said that US officials have not been granted consular access to her more than a week after her detention. “Despite having had her prescription medication from the moment they arrested her, the IDF has declined to administer it,” the family statement said. According to the statement, Esmail was presented to a military commission on Monday and was granted bail, but the IDF appealed the ruling. They called on the US to do more to obtain consular access to Esmail. “The United States is not without tools to obtain consular access to Ms. Esmail and to end her ordeal.

Persons: Esmail, ”, “, Netanyahu, Matt Miller, don’t, ” Miller, Jonathan Franks, Ms, Franks, “ Ms, Esmail’s, ’, Hashem Alagha, Borak Alagha, Miller, Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour, Abdel, WAFA, CNN’s Lauren Izso, Gabe Cohen Organizations: CNN, West Bank, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, U.S, Embassy, . State, Israel Prison Service, ”, Esmail’s Facebook, U.S . Embassy, “ Defense, Children – Palestine Locations: Palestinian, Israel, United States, Silwad, Louisiana, U.S, Gaza, Biddu

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