US News

• The Pentagon has ordered a sweeping review of how it conducts clandestine information warfare after social media sites removed fake accounts that were suspected of being linked to the US military, The Washington Post reported on Monday. AWC
• According to the head of the Air Force, US troops report their top concern is inflation, not Russia or China. The concern from the troops led the Pentagon to reverse a decision to cut special pay incentives for more complex jobs. The Institute
• The State Department announced in August that it will no longer publish World Military Expenditures and Arms Transfers (WMEAT) reports, which have been released by the US government since the 1960s. AWC
• President Joe Biden pushed behind the scenes throughout the first year of his administration to close the Guantanamo Bay torture prison, the Wall Street Journal reports. Established in US-occupied Cuba under the George W. Bush presidency, Gitmo has a cruel legacy of America carrying out barbaric interrogation methods on mostly innocent people. The Institute 
• According to the head of the Air Force, US troops report their top concern is inflation, not Russia or China. The concern from the troops led the Pentagon to reverse a decision to cut special pay incentives for more complex jobs. The Institute 

Russia

• The Biden administration is hesitant to give Ukraine the longer-range missiles it is asking for as Russia has warned providing such arms would make the US a party to the conflict. AWC
• Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday warned that Russia could escalate its war in Ukraine in response to “terrorist” attacks against civilian infrastructure inside Russian territory. AWC
• US troops stationed at an airbase in Poland are helping Ukrainians maintain their US-provided weapons remotely via encrypted digital chats, Defense One reported on Sunday. AWC

Kosovo

• NATO is prepared to send more troops into Kosovo in case of unrest amount the country’s Serbian minority. Reuters 

China

• In an interview with 60 Minutes that aired Sunday, President Biden said the US would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack, marking the fourth time of his presidency that he’s made the pledge despite the long-standing US policy of strategic ambiguity. AWC
• China said Monday that it lodged “stern representations” to the US in response to President Biden saying that the US would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. AWC
• The Treasury plans to criticize China for not offering enough debt relief to low and middle-income countries fast enough. Reuters 

Korea

• The US will deploy an aircraft carrier to South Korea for the first time since 2018. AJ

Armenia

• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) led a congressional delegation to Armenia, from where she slammed on Sunday Azerbaijan’s “illegal” attacks on the country. AWC

Tajikistan

• Tajikistan reports fighting with Kyrgyzstan has killed 81, including 35 civilians. AJ

Middle East

• Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday that it is ready to implement a prisoner exchange deal with the US and that it’s up to Washington to make the swap happen. AWC
• Iran’s Foreign Ministry said that it doesn’t rule out the possibility of holding nuclear deal talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York as Tehran’s top nuclear negotiator will be in attendance. AWC
• Turkey killed five Kurdish militants in northern Iraq. AWC
• Fresh off reports of Israeli attacks cutting off humanitarian aid in Damascus, Israel attacked the airport once again. There is no word if the airport is operational. AWC
• Russia claimed a series of airstrikes in Syria’s Idlib killed at least 45 Islamists from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an al-Qaeda affiliate. AWC