US pledges an additional $100M for a multinational force awaiting deployment to violence-hit Haiti
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced an additional $100 million to finance the deployment of a multinational force mission to Haiti following a meeting with Caribbean leaders in Jamaica to halt the countryโs violent crisis.
Chinese technology company lashes back at US claims it has ties to military
A Nasdaq-listed Chinese technology company that makes parts for self-driving vehicles has threatened to sue the U.S. government after it was included in a list of companies the Pentagon says have links to the Chinese military.
Pentagon plan on cyber split draws strong Hill criticism
A U.S. official confirmed Saturday that the Pentagon has a plan for separating the National Security Agency and Cyber Command. In his letter to Miller, Smith said the Pentagon has not met conditions set by the 2017 defense bill for severing the NSA from Cyber Command. The notion of splitting NSA from Cyber Command goes back to the Obama administration, which proposed to elevate the status of Cyber Command by making it a unified military command, taking it from under the purview of U.S. Strategic Command. That move was approved by President Donald Trump in 2017, and it was foreseen that at some point Cyber Command would split away from the NSA, although such a move had strong opponents in Congress. It's not clear who the Trump administration might install as head of the NSA if it were split from Cyber Command before President-elect Joe Biden takes office Jan. 20.
Strike targeting Taliban kills 40 civilians at wedding next door
U.S. Department of Defense(CNN) - At least 40 civilians attending a wedding were killed Sunday night when Afghan military forces struck against a Taliban hideout in the building adjacent to the ceremony. Local residents said all civilians killed and injured during the operation were from the wedding party, according to the Ministry of Defense statement. According to the ministry, 22 foreign members of the Taliban were killed and 14 arrested in the operation. In Parwan province, north of Kabul, a Taliban suicide bomber targeted an election campaign rally Tuesday where Ghani was set to speak, killing 26 people and wounding 42. A suicide attack in Jalalabad city in eastern Afghanistan killed four people Wednesday.
Afghanistan official says US drone strike killed 16 civilians
U.S. Department of Defense(CNN) - A drone strike carried out by US forces in eastern Afghanistan killed 16 civilians, a spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province said Thursday. The strike Wednesday evening was targeting ISIS militants, the spokesman, Attaullah Khogyani, told CNN. A spokesman for US Forces Afghanistan, Col. Sonny Leggett, had said earlier Thursday that indications were "members of Daesh were among those targeted in the strike" and that the United States was working with local officials to determine whether there was collateral damage. Workers who had come from various districts to collect dry fruits at a pine nut farm were hit, Khogyani said. Eight people were injured in the drone strike, Khogyani said.
Citizenship no longer automatic for some military children overseas
Children born abroad can acquire citizenship through their US citizen parents either at birth or before the age of 18. While the latest policy guidance doesn't make anyone ineligible for citizenship, it appears to narrow how children abroad can gain citizenship. The updated policy directly impacts US government employees and service members, many of whom are temporarily assigned to posts overseas for extended periods. The policy guidance sparked confusion Wednesday among military and diplomatic communities. The policy change will take effect on October 29.