Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Dec. 11 airpower summary AFNS 12 Dec 2009 -- Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations Dec. 11 according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.
• Former UK PM: Saddam's Removal Correct Regardless of Lack of WMDs VOA 12 Dec 2009 -- The actions of Tony Blair have again come under scrutiny in Britain as he admits in a BBC interview that he was behind regime change in Iraq.
• Blair defends Iraq war ahead of giving evidence IRNA 12 Dec 2009 -- Former British prime minister Tony Blair has pre-empted giving evidence to the Iraq war inquiry by insisting he would have found a way to remove Saddam Hussein without weapons of mass destruction that were never found.
• Iraqis Say Many Reasons For Uptick In Deadly Bombings RFE/RL 12 Dec 2009 -- Iraqi politicians and other officials say that interdepartmental rivalries, infiltration by Ba'athists, incompetence, political score-settling, and overworked security personnel are some of the reasons for the recent spike in deadly bombing attacks in the country, RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq (RFI) reports.
• Training Afghan Forces Poses Challenges for US Military VOA 12 Dec 2009 -- At a NATO airbase in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan, U.S. and Afghan aviators prepare for a training mission.
• Merkel under pressure over alleged role in target killing of Taliban IRNA 12 Dec 2009 -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel is facing pressure after news reports revealed that the chancellery and defense ministry had allegedly authorized the target killing of Taliban leaders during the deadly air strike on two fuel tankers in Kunduz.
• Pakistani forces unearth bombers’ training center IRNA 12 Dec 2009 -- Pakistani security forces have unearthed a training center of suicide bombers in the country’s South Waziristan tribal region, IRNA reported on Saturday.
• U.S. Pledges Support Pakistan In Fighting Insurgency, Poverty RFE/RL 12 Dec 2009 -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States strongly backs Pakistan as Islamabad faces a "critical juncture" in the struggle to strengthen democracy and battle extremists.
• Pakistani PM: Anti-Taliban Offensive in South Waziristan is Over VOA 12 Dec 2009 -- Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani says the military operation targeting Taliban militants based in the South Waziristan tribal region is now over.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Analyst: Russian Missile Failure Reveals Bigger Problems RFE/RL 12 Dec 2009 -- A U.S. defense expert says the failure of Russia's Bulava ballistic missile test this week indicates big problems in the country's strategic nuclear infrastructure, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports.
• Medvedev, Obama note progress in drafting new arms cuts treaty RIA Novosti 12 Dec 2009 -- The Russian and U.S. presidents have discussed in a telephone conversation the drafting of a new treaty on strategic arms reductions, noting considerable progress, the Kremlin said Saturday.
• Moscow is Russia's most protected city - top air defense official RIA Novosti 12 Dec 2009 -- Moscow is the best protected Russian city, with the sky above the Russian capital guarded by state of the art radars and air defense systems, a top air defense official said Saturday.
• Russian shipyard says recent radioactive leak poses no threat RIA Novosti 12 Dec 2009 -- The Zvezdochka shipyard in northern Russia said on Friday that a recent minor radioactive leak at its storage facility posed no threat to people or environment.
• Defense Min’s 3-day visit of Syria ends IRNA 12 Dec 2009 -- 3-day official visit of IRI Minister of Defense and Logistical Support of Armed Forces Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi of Syria ended Friday night, when he left for Tehran.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• Russian patrol boats arrive in Abkhazia to guard border RIA Novosti 12 Dec 2009 -- Two Russian patrol boats have arrived in Abkhazia to help the former Georgian republic guard its maritime border in the Black Sea, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said.
• Rebel Abkhazia Holds Disputed Presidential Vote RFE/RL 12 Dec 2009 -- Residents of Abkhazia, Georgia's separatist region, go to the polls today to elect a new leader.
• Polling stations open for Abkhazia's presidential election RIA Novosti 12 Dec 2009 -- Polling stations have opened in Abkhazia for the first presidential election since the republic formally broke away from Georgia last year.
• War likely if Azerbaijani territorial integrity violated - minister RIA Novosti 12 Dec 2009 -- A war between Azerbaijan and Armenia is inevitable should the two sides fail to settle the Nagorny Karabakh conflict in favor of Azerbaijan, the defense minister said Saturday.
• Liberia: UN Envoy hails contributions of peacekeeping mission personnel UN News Centre 12 Dec 2009 -- The top United Nations envoy to Liberia today praised the tireless efforts by uniformed and civilian personnel serving the world body's peacekeeping operation in the West African country at an award ceremony in the capital Monrovia.

News Reports

• Mottaki: Iran ready for uranium fuel swap IRNA 12 Dec 2009 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Saturday that Iran is ready to swap 400 kilograms of enriched uranium with fuel for Tehran medical research reactor in Kish island.
• North Korea Ready To Resolve Differences Over Six-Party Talks RFE/RL 12 Dec 2009 -- North Korea has said it wants to work with the United States to iron out differences between the two countries over resuming the six-party talks.
• US Envoy: No Date Set to Resume Six-Party Talks on N. Korea's Nuclear Program VOA 12 Dec 2009 -- After three days in Pyongyang, U.S. special envoy Stephen Bosworth says his high-level talks were positive, but yielded no new developments on the resumption of six-party nuclear negotiations.
• Iraq: Kurdish lawmakers confirm support for new electoral laws with UN envoy UN News Centre 12 Dec 2009 -- The top United Nations envoy to Iraq met today with parliamentarians from the Kurdish Alliance Bloc to discuss the recently brokered electoral laws that allow for national elections expected to take place early next year.
• Contracts Awarded to Russian, Norwegian Firms on Last Day of Iraq Oil Auction VOA 12 Dec 2009 -- The Iraqi government expressed satisfaction with the outcome of major two-day oil auction, Saturday after awarding the prized West Qurna Phase Two oil field to both Russia's Lukoil and Norway's Statoil.
• Russia's LUKoil wins auction to develop Iraqi oil field RIA Novosti 12 Dec 2009 -- Russia's largest independent oil producer LUKoil won an auction on Saturday for a contract to develop one of Iraq's largest oil fields.
• China's Hu Kicks Off Central Asian Energy Tour RFE/RL 12 Dec 2009 -- Energy will dominate Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to Central Asia.
• Turkmenistan To Mark Holiday Without Turkmenbashi Images RFE/RL 12 Dec 2009 -- Turkmenistan is celebrating a major national holiday without its traditional images of late President Saparmurat "Turkmenbashi" Niyazov, RFE/RL's Turkmen Service reports.
• Ousted Honduran leader 'to meet with successor' RIA Novosti 12 Dec 2009 -- Manuel Zelaya, the ousted president of Honduras, is set to meet with his elected successor next week, the leader of the nearby Dominican Republic announced.
• Turkey bans pro-Kurdish party over terrorism links RIA Novosti 12 Dec 2009 -- Turkey's Constitutional Court has closed down the Democratic Society Party (DTP) for having links with the outlawed Kurdish militants, the Turkish daily Hurriyet said.
• Clashes Erupt in Turkey Over Banning of Kurdish Party VOA 12 Dec 2009 -- Clashes have erupted between Kurds and security forces in Turkey to protest a decision by the country's top court to shut down a pro-Kurdish political party on charges of ties to militants.
• Guinea Mediation Resumes Sunday VOA 12 Dec 2009 -- International mediation efforts resume in the Burkinabe capital Ouagadougou to discuss a power sharing agreement presented by regional mediator Blaise Compaore.