Happening now: @SecDef Lloyd Austin, @thejointstaff Chairman, Gen Mark Milley address reporters at the Pentagon
#Afghanistan: "We're still on track to finish up by the end of August" per @SecDef on US withdrawal

"The president has made a decision-we're going to get it done & we're going to get it done right"
US #Afghanistan interpreters/Operation Allies Refuge:

"We take our obligations to them and to their families very seriously" per @SecDef, saying the 1st will arrive at Fort Lee "soon"

He says US bases overseas, foreign facilities also under consideration
US has moved 9,000 people, civilian & military, out of #Afghanistan as part of the ongoing withdrawal, per @thejointstaff's Gen Milley
#Afghan security forces "have the capacity to sufficiently fight and defend their country" per @thejointstaff's Gen Milley

"The future of #Afghanistan is squarely in the hands of the Afghan ppl" he says, adding a #Taliban takeover "is not a foregone conclusion"
"We are doing a lot to support the Afghan military & the Afghan leadership" per @SecDef

Says support node in #Qatar "is operational now"

#Afghanistan
.@SecDef says node to facilitate over-the-horizon strikes is also in place
"I'm not going to comment what's in any of those ebooks" per @thejointstaff's Gen Milley, asked about portrayals of him in books about the Trump administration
"We always adhered to providing best, professional military advice" per @thejointstaff's Gen Milley re his actions & those of the other joint staff members during the Trump administration

"Every one of us maintained our allegiance" to the Constitution, he adds
#alQaida comeback in #Afghanistan: "That's something that we are watching very closely" per @SecDef

Austin says the #Taliban early on committed to make sure terrorists can't plot from the country - "We expect for them to meet that commitment"
"It's really important to me that this department remain apolitical" per @SecDef in response to q's about Gen. Milley during the Trump administration

Minutes earlier, Austin said of Milley, "He doesn't have a political bone in his body"
#Afghanistan - "Warfare is not just about numbers" per @thejointstaff's Gen Milley, asked about appearances of a #Taliban victory

Admits about half of the districts are in Taliban hands

"This is going to be a test of will and leadership" he says of #Afghan's gvt
#Afghanistan security forces "well equipped, they've been well trained" per @thejointstaff's Gen Milley

"They are right now adjusting forces" he adds of Afghan forces, saying the outcome has not yet been written
Briefing ends after just over 30 minutes... no questions taken from reporters who called in
"There clearly is a narrative out there the #Taliban are winning" per @thejointstaff's Gen Milley

"212, 213, it's in that range, the 200s of the district centers are in Taliban control - that's about half" Milley says
"Part of this is that they're giving up district centers in order to consolidate their forces bcs they're taking the approach to protect the population," per @thejointstaff's Gen Milley

re #Afghanistan security force strategy

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More from @jseldin

23 Jul
NEW: Just released @UN report warns of "heightened threats emerging" from #ISIS #alQaida affiliated groups worldwide

"This is especially true in parts of West and East #Africa" per the report, based on member state intelligence
In West/East #Africa, affiliates of #ISIS #alQaida "can boast gains in supporters and territory under threat, as well as growing capabilities in fundraising & weapons, for example, in the use of drones" per the @UN report
#ISIS in #Syria "has evolved into an entrenched insurgency, exploiting weaknesses in local security to find safe havens & targeting forces engaged in counter-ISIL operations" per the @UN report
Read 12 tweets
22 Jul
NEW details on training US gave 7 of 25 the #Colombia|n nationals arrested in the assassination of #Haiti's president, per @DeptofDefense

Some took place at #FortBenning, #Georgia at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC)

Some in Washington...
Training at #WHINSEC included:
- Cadet Leadership Development
- Counter Drug Operations
- NCO Professional Development
- Small Unit Leader Training

Per Pentagon, "All WHINISEC Courses include human rights and ethics training"
Some of the 7 #Colombia|ns also attended training seminars in Washington on things like medical care, engineering, logistics, operations, maintenance, etc

All training took place while the 7 were members of Colombia's military, between 2001-2015
Read 8 tweets
22 Jul
NEW: @DeptofDefense hosting #Iraq|i delegation today at the Pentagon as part of ongoing strategic dialogue / technical talks - "one of those issues is the American military footprint in Iraq" per @PentagonPresSec
"This mission that was focused on #ISIS was never intended to be permanent" per @PentagonPresSec, adding US in "close consultation" w/#Iraq officials
"The hope is that we can rid ourselves & rid the region of the threat that #ISIS poses...there's been a lot of good work done" per @PentagonPresSec

US footprint in #Iraq going forward "something we're going to decide w/our Iraqi partners"
Read 10 tweets
22 Jul
#terrorists - #cryptocurrency

@DHSgov Office of Intelligence & Analysis has observing " growing & concerning trend" per Deputy Undersecretary Stephanie Dobitsch

"Most of this activity has occurred by terrorist groups and associates overseas spanning the ideological spectrum"
"For example, supporters of #ISIS & #alQaida have solicited cryptocurrency donations" per Dobitsch "Earlier this year a pro al-Qaida media group offered a reward of one bitcoin worth about $60,000 at the time to the first person to kill a police officer in a Western country"
"We've also seen foreign racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists claim that their activities were supported by the use of crypto currencies" @DHSgov's Dobitsch tells lawmakers
Read 11 tweets
19 Jul
Happening now: @PentagonPresSec confirms @DeptofDefense has suggested using Ft. Lee to house about 2,500 #Afghan #SIV applicants in response to a formal request from @StateDept

"Ft. Lee is just an initial location" he says, adding other US locations could be considered
#Afghan #SIV applicants expected to be at Fort Lee for just "several days or so" per @PentagonPresSec, noting they are in the very final stages of the process & will quickly head to resettlement
"They will not be there for very long - just several days" per @PentagonPresSec

includes 700 applicants & their families

re #Afghanistan #SIV applicants headed to the US, Fort Lee
Read 9 tweets
19 Jul
Happening now: White House - #China - #hackers

"We are actually elevating & taking steps to not only speak out publicly but top certainly take action...as we have from #Russia as well" per @PressSec
"We are not holding back. We are not allowing any economic circumstance or consideration to prevent us from taking actions where warranted" per @PressSec

"We reserve the options to take additional actions....this is not the conclusion" w/response to #China #Russia hackers
Earlier, from my colleague @W7VOA ...

voanews.com/usa/china-spy-…
Read 7 tweets

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