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The exact number of US troops in the country is not clear but one US official said there are fewer than 100 troops there. But the official said Chad’s threat to terminate the SOFA agreement blindsided US officials. The move comes at a critical time for US interests in Africa, as American officials have warned that Russian influence is expanding across the continent. While in the country, Langley met with Chadian military leaders including Gen. Abakar Abdelkerim Daoud, Chad’s Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, according to an AFRICOM press release at the time. Langley said in the release that AFRICOM “remains dedicated to building enduring partnerships with Chad and other African nations.”

Persons: Chad’s, Michael Langley, ” “, ” Langley, Langley, ”, AFRICOM’s, Michael Woods, Abakar Abdelkerim Daoud Organizations: CNN, Forces Agreement, Operations Task Force, US Special Operations Forces, Marine Corps, US Africa Command, Senate Armed Services Committee, Russian Federation, House Armed, Committee, Central, Chadian, Staff, Armed Forces Locations: Chad, Russia, N’Djamena, Niger, Africa, Russian, Libya, Maghreb, Morocco, ”, China, Chad’s

☆ How Israel and allied defenses intercepted more than 300 Iranian missiles and drones
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Israel’s military said Sunday that “99%” of projectiles fired by Iran were intercepted by Israel and its partners, with only “a small number” of ballistic missiles reaching Israel. In total, around 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles were launched at Israel by Iran overnight Saturday, the military said. US officials said more than 70 drones and three ballistic missiles were intercepted by US Navy ships and military aircraft, without giving details of exactly what defenses were used to bring down the projectiles. The Iron Dome is the bottom layer of Israel’s missile defense, according to the country’s Missile Defense Organization (IMDO). The ballistic missiles that did reach Israel fell on the Netavim Air Base in southern Israel, Israel’s military spokesman said, adding that they caused only light structural damage.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, John Bolton, CNN’s Oren Liebermann, Biden, ” Biden, Menahem Kahana, Israel’s Rafael, CNN’s Irene Nasser, Eugenia Yosef, Benjamin Brown Organizations: CNN, Saturday, Israeli, Israel, US Navy, Aegis, Pentagon, Royal Air Force, Defense, US, country’s Missile Defense Organization, Getty, Defense System, Raytheon, Missile, Center for International, Strategic Studies, CSIS, Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, Netavim, Base, Israeli Air Force Locations: Iran, Israel, Britain, Israeli, France, Gaza, Sderot, AFP, United States, Iraq, Yemen

☆ As Iran attacks Israel, Biden confronts an escalating Middle East crisis he had hoped to avoid
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Kevin Liptak | Mj Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —For President Joe Biden, an attack on Israel launched from Iranian soil amounts to a scenario he’d greatly sought to avoid since the start of the current Middle East conflict. In the immediate aftermath of Iran’s attacks, American officials acknowledged they were entering uncharted territory, with the extent of Iran’s attacks initially unclear. One significant question mark is how proxies might potentially join Iranian efforts to target Israel and add a new layer of unpredictability. Administration officials saw Iran’s attacks on Israel Saturday as disproportionate to Israel’s strikes in Damascus that prompted the retaliation, a US official told CNN. As Iran’s plans to attack Israel grew clearer, American officials increasingly assessed that Tehran was not seeking direct conflict with the United States.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden —, Biden, areexpected, Benjamin Netanyahu, Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, Netanyahu, Erik Kurilla, Israel, CNN’s Oren Liebermann Organizations: CNN, Israel, United, White, Israeli, Iran, US Central Command, US Locations: Israel, United States, Gaza, Delaware, Damascus, Syria, Iran, Tehran, Jordan

A view across the demarcation into Metula, Israel as seen from the Lebanese side of the demarcation line. But a Lebanese source familiar with the matter ruled this out. Hezbollah may only be compelled to join an Iranian war effort if the strike leads to further escalation, the same Lebanese source said. It provided a glimpse of how Hezbollah might attempt to overwhelm Israel’s defensive systems as Iran conducts its expected attack. From one of Spain’s bases near the demarcation line, there is a clear view of a microcosm of Lebanon’s long-standing border issues with Israel.

Persons: Kafr, Lebanon CNN —, ”, Juan Garcia Martinez, Charbel Mallo, —, Mohammad Reza Zahidi, “, Ali Khamenei, Sina Toosi, Yemen’s Houthis, ” Nasrallah, Israel –, Mallo, CNN Hezbollah’s, Hector Alonso, CNN’s MJ Lee, Natasha Bertrand, Zeena Saifi, Oren Liebermann Organizations: Lebanon CNN, CNN, UN, United Nations, Iran’s, Center for International, Hezbollah, Spanish UNIFIL, Israel Locations: Kafr Kila, Lebanon, Galilee, Spanish, Israel, Metula, Lebanese, Iran, Damascus, UNIFIL, Iranian, Gaza, Ghajar, Syrian, al

☆ Exclusive: On board a B-52 bomber mission to China’s doorstep
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Sitting on the massive bomber’s sole bunk, the third pilot on the flight crew, Capt. This year, the Air Force began low-rate production of the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider, the next generation of stealth bomber. In October, Chinese fighter jets intercepted a B-52 bomber at night over the South China Sea, south of our position. Everyone is tired, especially as we approach the 24-hour mark of the flight, but the mission is not yet complete. On final approach, with Barksdale Air Force Base looming off our nose, the right main gear does not extend.

Persons: Jinan Andrews, Omaha ” Barnett, Sabin “ Jett ”, Michael Maginness, CNN's Oren Liebermann, ”, Jason Armagost, Bo “, Bo “ NATO ” Cain, Oren Liebermann, MYLAR11, Leo “ Swabbie ” Weber, “, Rebecca “ Vulcan ” Moore, Moore, you’ve, Jared Patterson, Avery Bulsterbaum, Andrew Rodriguez, Justin Joyner, Dakeeja Nelson, Veruca Plott, it’s, . Sabin “ Jett ”, Jeremy Harlan Organizations: CNN, US, Barksdale Air Force Base, Boeing, 2nd Bomb, China, Eighth Air Force, “, Air Force, Bo “ NATO, 20th Bomb Squadron, Northrop Grumman, Raider, CNN Staff, US Department of Defense, South Korean Locations: East China, –, Alaska, Louisiana –, Louisiana, Japan, Capt, Jinan, Tramaine, Omaha, Vietnam, Russia, Russia’s, China, North Korea, South Korea, MYLAR11, Beijing, South China, Jinan Andrews

☆ Biden administration officials believe Netanyahu’s claim a Rafah invasion date has been set is bluster
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Mj Lee | Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The Biden administration is dismissing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pronouncement that a date has been set for a ground offensive into Rafah as bluster that is in no small part fueled by the Israeli prime minister’s tenuous political standing at home, senior administration officials told CNN. Privately, multiple senior administration officials chalked up Netanyahu’s pronouncement – which was followed Tuesday by a declaration that that“no force in the world” will stop Israeli troops from entering Rafah – to bravado. Israeli officials argue that four Hamas battalions remain in Rafah that must be taken out. Israeli officials did not provide comprehensive answers to the questions in the meeting, the sources said. Hamas would rebuild from the remaining battalions there, the officials told their US counterparts.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Netanyahu’s, Israel, chalked, Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, ”, Joe Biden’s, Jake Sullivan, Defense Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, Austin, –, ” Biden, Ron Dermer, Tzachi Hanegbi, Blinken, CNN’s Natasha Bertrand, Oren Liebermann Organizations: CNN, Israeli, Biden, Defense, “, Israel Defense Forces, US Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel, Washington

☆ Israel defense minister’s meeting with Lloyd Austin comes at a delicate moment in push for US weaponry
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Gallant will be told that the various cases of weapons sales are being worked on, a senior administration official told CNN. “There is scrutiny, but no policy decision to deny” the provision of additional weapons to Israel, the official told CNN. But the defense secretary’s position on providing weapons to Israel has not shifted much since the war began, officials said. “If there is one, that would be something we would want to hear,” said the senior administration official who added that consequences for ignoring US urgings are increasingly being considered. Austin also told Gallant last week that Israel needs “to consider alternatives to a major ground operation in Rafah,” according to a Pentagon readout of their call.

Persons: Yoav Gallant, Lloyd Austin, Gallant, —, Joe Biden’s, Austin, Jake Sullivan, Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, We’re, John Kirby, Israel, “, Patrick Ryder, ”, ” Gallant, Biden, Netanyahu, ” Kirby, Matthew Miller, ” Miller, ” CNN’s Oren Liebermann Organizations: US, Israel, Pentagon, UN, ” National Security, CNN, Austin, Israel Defense Forces, Foreign, State Department, Congress, Democratic Locations: Gaza, Israeli, Washington, Rafah, Israel, Lebanon, ”

☆ Balloon recovered off coast of Alaska had been in the ocean for ‘well over a year,’ Pentagon says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-22 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A balloon recovered off the coast of Alaska had been in the ocean for “well over a year,” the Pentagon said Friday. The balloon was discovered floating in the ocean by commercial fisherman in late-February. Some of the balloon debris, which had been held at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, has been transferred to other facilities for further evaluation and analysis, Pentagon spokeswoman Sue Gough said in a statement. “Some material has been transferred to U.S. government facilities for further examination and analysis,” Gough said. The US assessed that the spy balloon shot down last year was part of an extensive surveillance program run by the Chinese military, as CNN reported at the time.

Persons: Richardson, Sue Gough, ” Gough, Gough Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, Joint Base Elmendorf Locations: Alaska, United States, U.S, China, Taiwan, Beijing

The intensifying military cooperation between Russia and Niger is central to the dispute between the US and the Nigerien junta, officials said. Russia and Niger agreed to strengthen their military ties in January, Russia’s Defense Ministry said at the time. If the US were forced to withdraw, counterterrorism efforts across the region could take a hit, officials said. In return, Russia is profiting off the region’s natural resources, another official said, including the gold mines in Niger. Several European countries shared this goal, offering a measure of support to the junta, the official noted.

Persons: Michael Langley, Celeste Wallander, Col, Maj, Amadou Abdramane, Langley, Matthew Miller, ” Miller, what’s, Nusrat al, “ Organizations: CNN, US Africa Command, Air Base, American, Nigerien, Russia’s Defense, EU, Pentagon, Kremlin, West, Russian Federation, National Council, Wagner, US Locations: Africa, Russia, Africa . Niger, Niger, United States, America, Nigerien, Sahel, stoking, China, Russian, Central Africa, ”, Niamey, US, Agadez, Mali, Burkina Faso, Abdramane, Western Africa, Northwest Africa

But the Pentagon was reluctant to use that funding, because there was no replenishment money left to refill the US inventories. The second official gave one example of being able to buy 25mm ammunition at a cheaper cost than originally expected after contract negotiations with the vendor. And we certainly can’t count on this as a way of doing business.”“We weren’t broke at the time, but now we are.”The last Ukraine aid package from the US was announced in late December. Last year, the Defense Department announced that it had discovered an accounting error that led to DoD overvaluing the amount of aid it was providing to Ukraine by $6.2 billion. “We believe that the support is still there if the House is allowed to vote,” said the second defense official.

Persons: CNN —, “, ”, Defense Department “, Biden, “ You’ve Organizations: CNN, Biden, Defense Department, Pentagon, Ukraine, DoD, Republican Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, Avdiivka

“What we are in now is a production war,” a senior NATO official told CNN. “The number one issue that we’re watching right now is the munitions,” the NATO official said. There is also a limit to Russian production capacity, officials say: Russian factories will likely hit a peak sometime in the next year. “If we were talking about this last fall, we would have talked about how they were targeting critical infrastructure,” the NATO official said. “In the short term — say, the next 18 months or so — it may be unsophisticated, but it’s a durable economy,” the NATO official said.

Persons: ”, Abrams, “, — “, Joe Biden, Inna Varenytsia, it’s, Putin’s, Steven Basham, “ It’s, Maxym, Russia’s ‘, Basham Organizations: CNN, Army, NATO, ”, Reuters, Ukraine, European Command, US Army, ” Intelligence, US European Command, Pentagon Locations: Russia, Europe, Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Avdiivka, that’s, Iran, North Korea, Kreminna, Germany, Pennsylvania , Iowa, Texas, Moscow, Tehran, Bohorodychne, Donetsk, Russian

☆ US military developing portable UFO detection kits as Pentagon says no evidence of alien tech found
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The US military is developing portable UFO detection kits to collect better data on reports of sightings as the Pentagon says there is no evidence of alien technology found in any government investigation. The AARO office looked at US government investigations and efforts related to UFOs dating back to 1945. Some of the reported sightings of UFOs were people who unknowingly witnessed the testing or use of classified US technology. The AARO office is also collecting and investigating new reports and sightings of unidentified objects. In February, the office closed 122 cases, Phillips said, most of which was debris in the atmosphere.

Persons: Timothy Phillips, AARO, ” Phillips, Phillips, there’s, Sean Kirkpatrick, “, ” Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, United, United States Government Locations: Texas, Roswell , New Mexico, United States, China

CNN —The Defense Department is analyzing a balloon discovered by fishermen off the coast of Alaska last week to determine whether it was a spy balloon, a spokesperson told CNN. Upon reviewing photographs taken by the fishermen, officials became concerned it could be another spy balloon, and FBI agents went to meet the boat when it returned to port. But the FBI determined that it was similar enough in appearance to a foreign government-owned surveillance balloon that it warranted further investigation. The existence of high-altitude surveillance balloons burst into US consciousness last year, when a Chinese spy balloon appeared to blow off course and transited across the continental US. The US assessed that the spy balloon was part of an extensive surveillance program run by the Chinese military, as CNN reported at the time.

Persons: Sue Gough, “, ” Gough, Biden Organizations: CNN, The Defense Department, Joint Base Elmendorf, Defense Department, FBI Locations: Alaska, Richardson, China, Taiwan, Beijing

☆ Air Force employee accused of sharing classified information on foreign dating website
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —An Air Force employee has been charged with sharing classified information on a foreign dating website after prosecutors say he sent sensitive information about Russia’s war in Ukraine to a person who claimed to be a woman living in Ukraine. Slater then sent this classified information to someone who claimed to be a woman living in Ukraine, according to an indictment. Successfully?”The co-conspirator sent messages for nearly two months, according to the indictment, repeatedly probing Slater for more classified information. Slater faces one count of conspiracy to disclose national defense information and two counts of unauthorized disclosure of national defense information. Before working as a civilian in the Air Force, prosecutors say Slater rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Army, retiring at the end of 2020.

Persons: David Franklin Slater, Slater, ”, Dave ”, Slater’s, “, Slater “, Matthew G, Olsen, Eugene Kowel Organizations: CNN, An Air Force, Prosecutors, Strategic Command, Justice Department, Operations Center, Air Force, Army, Justice Department’s National Security Division, Offutt Air Force Base, Omaha Field Office Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Nebraska, Omaha

CNN —The Israelis have “basically accepted” a six-week ceasefire proposal in Gaza, a senior Biden administration official told reporters Saturday. On Thursday, a Hamas official warned, however, that the negotiations could be affected. Negotiators from the US, Israel, Egypt and Hamas are expected to attend, a diplomatic source familiar with the discussions said. Discussions between Israel and Hamas would be indirect, in separate rooms. Israel has asked Hamas for a list of the hostages, including who is living and who is dead.

Persons: “, Ramadan –, –, Joe Biden, ” Biden, Giorgia Meloni, It’s, Kamala Harris, Benny Gantz, Harris, Gantz, Jake Sullivan, Biden, there’d, it’s, CNN’s MJ Lee, Oren Liebermann Organizations: CNN, Biden, Hamas, White, Italian, Gaza, Command Locations: Gaza, Israel, Gaza City, Paris, Doha, Qatar, Egypt, Cairo, Qatari

☆ US and Jordanian forces airdrop aid into Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Oren Liebermann | Samantha Waldenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“These airdrops are part of a sustained effort to get more aid into Gaza, including by expanding the flow of aid through land corridors and routes,” CENTCOM said. People watch as the US military carries out its first aid drop over Gaza on March 2, 2024. Biden said Friday he would “insist” that Israel allow more trucks and routes for aid into Gaza. “Innocent lives are on the line, and children’s lives are on the line.”Other countries, including the United Arab Emirates and France, have air-dropped aid into Gaza. But Saturday’s operation was a first for the US.

Persons: Joe Biden, CENTCOM, ” CENTCOM, ”, Kosay Al Nemer, Saturday’s airdrops, Biden, Giorgia Meloni, “ We’re, “, Richard Gowan, CNN’s Camila DeChalus, Sophie Tanno Organizations: CNN, Command, US Air Force, Royal Jordanian Air Force, White, Saturday, Defense Department, Italian, Office, United Arab, United Nations, Crisis, UN, “ Locations: United States, Gaza, Israel, United Arab Emirates, France

☆ Biden announces US airdrops of humanitarian assistance into Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Kevin Liptak | Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The United States will begin air dropping food aid to the people of Gaza, President Joe Biden announced Friday, as the humanitarian crisis deepens and Israel continues to resist opening additional land crossings to allow more assistance into the war-torn strip. Speaking in the Oval Office, Biden said the US would be “pulling out every stop” to get additional aid into Gaza, which has been under heavy bombardment by Israel since the October 7 Hamas terror attacks. Biden said aid was not flowing into Gaza quickly enough, and said he was working to broker an immediate ceasefire deal that would allow additional aid in. Palestinians run along a street as humanitarian aid from Jordan is airdropped in Gaza City on March 1, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas militant group. AFP/Getty ImagesSenior US officials have repeatedly pressed Israeli officials in face-to-face meetings on the urgent need to open additional crossings.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Netanyahu, Matt Miller, ” Miller, ”, Samantha Power, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, CNN’s Oren Liebermann Organizations: CNN, Office, AFP, Getty, Israeli Locations: United States, Gaza, Israel, ”, Jordan, Egypt, UAE, Qatar, France, airdropped, Gaza City

☆ Pentagon considering tapping last source of Ukraine military funding as Congress stalls on additional aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Defense Department still has around $4 billion in presidential drawdown authority funds available for Ukraine, which allows the Pentagon to draw from its own stockpiles to send military equipment to Kyiv. But it would not be unprecedented for the Pentagon to find additional, unexpected sources of funding. Last year, the Defense Department announced that it had discovered an accounting error that led to DoD overvaluing the amount of aid it was providing to Ukraine by $6.2 billion. Asked on Tuesday whether the department was considering spending some of the remaining money, Pentagon press secretary Gen. Patrick Ryder said he had nothing to announce but that the Pentagon was continuing to explore ways to keep supporting Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN this week that Ukraine will not win the war without continued US support.

Persons: Garron Garn, Patrick Ryder, “ We’re, ” Ryder, Ryder, ”, “, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: CNN, The Defense Department, Pentagon, Defense, ”, Defense Department, DoD, Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, “ Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Avdiivka

☆ US expected to reduce forces near to Middle East by removing Marine rapid response force from Mediterranean Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A Marine rapid response force is expected to leave the eastern Mediterranean Sea in the coming weeks and return to the United States, according to two defense officials, in a significant reduction of US forces in the region. The Marine rapid response force first deployed in July and was sent to the region in October. It had previously been extended to remain in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, as CNN reported. The US has maintained an aircraft carrier or amphibious assault ship in the eastern Mediterranean Sea since shortly after the October 7 attacks in Israel. The Ford carrier strike group, which had been extended several times, left the eastern Mediterranean Sea in early-January, replaced by the Bataan amphibious ready group and the Marine rapid response force.

Persons: “, hasn’t, ”, Sabrina Singh, Dwight D, Lloyd Austin, Gerald R Organizations: CNN, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Pentagon, Marines, MEU, Eisenhower, Red Sea, Navy, Ford, US, Bataan Locations: United States, Bataan, Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Red, Yemen, Gulf, Oman, Lebanese

☆ US and UK carry out fourth round of coalition strikes against at least a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Oren Liebermann | Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The strikes include at least dozens of targets across multiple locations in Yemen, according to one of the officials, including targets in the capital Sanaa and elsewhere. The targets included Houthi weapons, radar sites, command and control center, as well as underground weapons storage facilities. Earlier this month, the Pentagon said that the continued strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, which began in January, have destroyed more than 100 missiles and launches, including anti-ship missiles, drones, radars and more. It is also extremely expensive and impractical, some officials note, to keep firing multimillion-dollar missiles at cheap Houthi drones and missiles. CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct the number of strikes carried out against Houthi targets in Yemen.

Persons: Aden –, Sabrina Singh, ” Singh, “, ” Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, United Nations, Command, US Locations: United States, United Kingdom, Yemen, Iran, Aden, Gaza, Suez, Africa, Gulf, Belize

CNN —A cargo ship that was struck by a Houthi ballistic missile on Monday has created an 18-mile long oil slick in the Red Sea as it continues to take on water, two US officials said Friday. It appeared to be the first time a crew has been forced to evacuate a ship after it was hit by the Houthis. The Houthis’ attacks have been ongoing for months, and despite several rounds of strikes by the US and UK on their capabilities, US officials told CNN it’s unclear how much weaponry the militia group still has. The Houthis’ attacks have increased in recent days; Singh said Thursday there has “certainly” been “an increase in attacks from the Houthis” over the last 72 hours. One other ship hit by the Houthis on Monday — the M/V Sea Champion, a US-owned, Greek-flagged bulk carrier — was carrying grain to Yemen.

Persons: Sabrina Singh, ” Singh, “, ”, Biden, Singh Organizations: CNN, Central Command, Command, US Central Command, Houthi, Pentagon, ” CNN, US Locations: Belize, Lebanese, Yemen, Red, Gulf, Aden, Israel, US

☆ More than 400 personnel take part in Ukraine aid oversight, US watchdog says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —More than 400 personnel take part in the oversight of Ukraine aid, according to a new report from a US government watchdog, underscoring the massive effort to manage billions of dollars in US assistance. In total, the report said there are more than 400 personnel working across the US, Germany, Ukraine and Europe to audit and evaluate US assistance to Ukraine. The report comes as some Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have demanded more oversight over Ukraine aid before they agree to any additional funding. The State Department watchdog has more than 100 staff members working on Ukraine oversight, three of whom are in Kyiv. The USAID watchdog has another 80 personnel working on Ukraine.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, Volodymyr Zelensky, Biden, – Organizations: CNN, Defense Department, State Department, United States Agency for International, Representatives, Ukrainian, Operation Atlantic, NATO, The Defense Department Office, The State Department, USAID, Ukraine – Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Ukrainian, Germany, Russia, Crimea, Kyiv, Romania, North Korea, Iran

☆ White House confirms US has intelligence on Russian anti-satellite capability
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Michael Williams | Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —The White House on Thursday confirmed that the national security threat flagged by the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee the previous day is related to “an anti-satellite capability that Russia is developing,” but sought to soothe concerns about the danger it presents to the United States. “This is not an active capability that’s been deployed,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Thursday. “There was notifications from the intelligence community that made it just clearer now than before,” Crenshaw said. “This was just the time.”The post from Turner called on President Joe Biden to declassify “all information” related to the threat. Kirby said the US intelligence community had “serious concerns” about a broad declassification of intelligence related to the threat.

Persons: that’s, John Kirby, ” Kirby, Mike Turner of, Turner, Matt Gaetz, “, Andy Ogles, Ogles, Kirby, Donald Trump, Dan Crenshaw, Crenshaw, ” Crenshaw, Joe Biden, declassify, Biden, Hans Kristensen, CNN’s Morgan Rimmer, Oren Liebermann, Katie Bo Lillis Organizations: Washington CNN, House Intelligence, ” National Security, House Intelligence Committee, Republican, Turner, Ukraine, Russia, Reuters, GOP, Intelligence, Texas Rep, Federation of American, CNN, 2022 Defense Intelligence Agency Locations: Russia, United States, Mike Turner of Ohio, Florida, ”, Tennessee, Ukraine, Russian

☆ Chairman of the Joint Chiefs says ‘US credibility is at stake’ when asked about Trump’s NATO comments
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Haley Britzky | Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“I think we have a responsibility to uphold those alliances,” Brown told NBC’s Lester Holt in an interview airing Monday evening. “US credibility is at stake with each of our alliances, and US leadership is still needed, wanted, and watched.”“The US is committed,” Brown added. “We don’t take an oath to a king, or a queen, or a tyrant or a dictator. And we don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator,” Milley said at the time, in a veiled reference to Trump. The Pentagon said Monday that those attacks have resulted in 186 wounded or killed in action — including 130 traumatic brain injuries.

Persons: CQ Brown, Donald Trump, ”, Brown, “, ” Brown, NBC’s Lester Holt, that’s, ” Brown’s, Trump, Mark Milley, ” Milley, Joe Biden, Milley, Robert Hur’s, Biden, “ He’s, — Brown Organizations: CNN, Joint Chiefs, Staff, NATO, “ NBC, Trump, Republican, South Carolina, NBC, White, America, Pentagon Locations: Russia, “, South, Milley, ” Iran, —, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Gaza, United States, Jordan

☆ Defense secretary taken to hospital for symptoms of ‘emergent bladder issue,’ admin officials notified, Pentagon says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for symptoms “suggesting an emergent bladder issue,” and administration officials have been notified, the Pentagon said Sunday. Austin was taken by his security detail to the hospital at approximately 2:20 p.m., Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement. The White House and Congress have been notified of the hospital visit, as have the deputy defense secretary and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. As of now, Austin retains the duties of his office, Ryder said, though Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks is ready to assume the duties if required. Austin traveled to the hospital with unclassified and classified communications systems that are required for his duties.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Walter, Austin, Pat Ryder, “, ” Ryder, Ryder, Kathleen Hicks Organizations: CNN —, Walter Reed National Military Medical, Pentagon, House Locations: Austin

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