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Dave Majumdar, Business Insider: U.S. Military Battle with Possible Russian Mercenaries: 'Our Strikes Were Done out of Self-Defense'
The Pentagon is reiterating that a battle in Syria that allegedly left some number of Russian mercenaries dead was purely an act of self-defense on the part of U.S. forces. Indeed, the Pentagon still does not know exactly who it is that American forces targeted during their retaliatory strike on Feb. 7.
“Our strikes were done out of self-defense,” Pentagon chief spokesperson Dana W. White told reporters on Feb. 22. “We were very clear about that. We saw that group moving towards us. We still don't know, and I won't speculate, about the intentions or the composition of that group.”
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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- February 26, 2018
USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier sails through South China Sea in defiance of China -- ABC News Online
First US Navy carrier to visit Vietnam since war in wake of humanitarian mission -- Defense News
US and French Fighters Contend for a Place Aboard India's New Aircraft Carrier -- The Diplomat
MSDF helicopter flattop Izumo designed as aircraft carrier -- Asahi Shimbun
US intelligence agencies step up warnings on Beijing influence -- The Australian
China plans sea-based anti-missile shields 'for Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean' -- CNBC
Major Expansion Of Chinese Marines -- Strategy Page
Xi Looks to China’s Private Sector as He Pursues a Slimmer, Smarter PLA -- Meia Nouwens and Lucie Béraud-Sudreau, War On The Rocks
China's terrifying and deadly arsenal of weapons -- NEWS.com.au
Chinese military drone sales hover over Middle East -- South China Morning Post
Putin Signs New State Arms Program Focused on Cutting-Edge Weaponry -- Sputnik
Russian Military Spies Reportedly Hacked the Olympics and Tried to Blame It on North Korea -- Complex
Armor: Ukraine Revives Armor Industry -- Strategy Page
Rare video appears to show destruction of Russian-backed separatists infantry fighting vehicle on Ukraine frontline -- Business Insider
Norway Shelves Decision to Join NATO's Missile Shield -- Sputnik
Want to be a female soldier in Saudi Arabia's military? Here are the rules --Al-Arabiya
Iran looking to build nuclear submarines, watchdog says -- Times of Israel/AFP
Will the US Help the Saudis Get a Nuclear Weapon? -- New York Times
How Many Nuclear Weapons Do the US and Russia Have? Here's What You Need to Know -- Newsweek
UN report: Afghan JTACs needed to curb civilian deaths -- Defense News
Special Forces troops train Nigerian infantry for fight against Boko Haram, ISIS -- Military Times
We tested out an F-35 simulator -- CNBC
Air Force’s grounded T-6 trainers could fly again next week -- Air Force Times
Navy Budget Adds 14 F/A-18 Super Hornets -- Fly to 2040s -- Warrior Maven
Huntington Ingalls Shipbuilder Nears Completion of Future JFK Aircraft Carrier -- Executive Biz
Trump administration: Troops can stay in Iraq, Syria indefinitely -- Defense News
Special Operations Command asks for more troops, biggest budget yet -- Military Times
The Pentagon shifted $20 billion from OCO to base budget. Here's what it included. -- Defense News
U.S. Cyber Command: 'When Faced With a Bully…hit Him Harder.'-- Jason Healey, The Cipher Brief
We’ve Lost the Opening Info Battle against Russia; Let’s Not Lose the War -- Dan Mahaffee, Defense One
These are the 25 most powerful militaries in the world -- Christopher Woody, Business Insider
