COVID and South Carolina primary are driving US cable news, so here's a brief updates on national security issues:
1) On the eve of planned signing of Afghan Peace Plan and extension of Reduction in Violence (RIV), mixed expectations on what will occur in Doha tomorrow.
1) On the eve of planned signing of Afghan Peace Plan and extension of Reduction in Violence (RIV), mixed expectations on what will occur in Doha tomorrow.
2) Turkey requested & NATO granted Art 4 session - called when a member "request consultations when...territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened." After being condemned for buying RU Air Defense systems by NATO & US, Turkey asks for more US systems...
....as 33 Turk soldiers were killed when Syria/Russia bombed positions in Idlib Thursday. Turkey retaliated by launching attacks on "200 Syrian positions," claiming extensive damage. Russia denies any participation (of course).
3) Amid ongoing tensions between US and Chinese militaries in the South China Seas, a Chinese ship fired military grade laser (a "dazzler") at US Navy P-8 surveillance aircraft. US issued yet another demarche to the Chinese government. Increasing frequency of these events.
4) As DoD plans to reduce size of US forces in Africa, Commander of Special Ops, Africa claims fighters linked to al-Qaida & ISIS are increasing their cooperating in the Sahel region. The border between Mali, Niger & Burkina Faso have always been dangerous, but more so today.
5) SACEUR/EUCOM CG told congress this week there is increase chance of U.S. forces in Europe lockdown as coronavirus hits Italy & other EU countries. This as 37,000+ US troops flow to Europe from US for Exercise DEFENDER-EUROPE 2020, the biggest coalition event in 30 years
6) US Forces Korea (USFK) also announced scaling back their US-ROK coalition exercise, just a year after being ordered to cancel EXERCISE FOAL EAGLE. Both these events contribute to USFK & ROKA ability to rapidly react to north Korean aggression.
7) Thursday, on the 6th anniversary of RU invading Crimea, SecState Pompeo said "Crimea is Ukraine." In Kyiv, Pres Zelensky said he won’t "strike a grand bargain that concedes Crimea to Russia in exchange for peace in eastern Ukraine," despite continued attks by RU in Donbas.
8) That's enuf for today, even though there are more. But it's interesting to watch the events predicted on 1 January by @CFR_org as "things that could happen this year." All those in red have already occurred to some degree 
