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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 26 Jan 2011 [PDF]
• 198th Infantry Brigade welcomes new battalion Army News 26 Jan 2011 -- Maj. David Schultz, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 330th Infantry Regiment, assumed the duties and responsibilities of the 3rd Battalion, 330th Infantry Regiment, from Lt. Col. Mark Price during a 198th Infantry Brigade transition of authority ceremony Jan. 18 at the Sand Hill Recreation Center.
• Top UN officials welcome inauguration of new Afghan parliament UN News Centre 26 Jan 2011 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his top envoy for Afghanistan have welcomed the inauguration earlier today of the country’s new Parliament, which comes four months after the 18 September elections for the Wolesi Jirga, or lower house.
• First U.S.-trained Afghan helicopter pilots begin Mi-17 qualification course AFNS 26 Jan 2011 -- The first two Afghan air force helicopter pilots to complete basic pilot training in the U.S. recently began the initial Mi-17 qualification course meant to convert them into Mi-17 helicopter pilots at the Afghan air force base in Kabul.
• Troops Kill Enemy Fighters, Find Weapons AFPS 26 Jan 2011 -- International Security Assistance Force troops in southern Afghanistan killed or wounded several insurgents over the past 24 hours, military officials reported.
• Marines: Afghan elders determined to rid country of insurgents USMC News 26 Jan 2011 -- Coalition forces in Helmand province have made tentative progress in winning over a small but significant itinerant population that insurgents have exploited in recent years, say Regimental Combat Team 1 officials.
• Karzai Inaugurates New Afghan Parliament As Political Crisis Lingers RFE/RL 26 Jan 2011 -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai has inaugurated the country's new parliament, ending a standoff with its newly elected members.
• Afghan Parliament Opens VOA 26 Jan 2011 -- Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has inaugurated the country's parliament, ending a week-long political standoff with newly elected candidates who had threatened to begin the proceedings with or without him. The opening ceremony in Kabul came four months after the country held its second post-Taliban parliamentary elections.
• AFGHANISTAN: Government stockpiling wheat ahead of expected drought IRIN 26 Jan 2011 -- Up to 500,000 tons of wheat will be stockpiled in different parts of Afghanistan in anticipation of a mid-level drought later this year, with the aim of assisting vulnerable communities, stabilizing food prices and preventing shortages, officials told IRIN.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Transcript: DOD News Briefing with Geoff Morrell from the Pentagon DoD 26 Jan 2011 -- Presenter: Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell
• Media Availability with Secretary Gates en route to Ottawa, Canada DoD 26 Jan 2011 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates
• 'Heavy Haulers' and HST flex their muscle USMC News 26 Jan 2011 -- Marines from Helicopter Support Team, Combat Logistics Regiment 17, partnered with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462, the “Heavy Haulers,” to practice external cargo lifts - the art of attaching large, heavy objects by hand to a hovering helicopter.
• 'Ospreys' team up for training'Ospreys' team up for training USMC News 26 Jan 2011 -- The war in the arid region of Afghanistan presents a difficult problem: dirt blown up by the rotor wash of a helicopter or tilt-rotor aircraft can create dust storms that temporarily blind pilots and crew chiefs.
• USS Essex Departs for Western Pacific Patrol NNS 26 Jan 2011 -- The forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) departed Sasebo, Japan Jan. 25 to begin a series of partnership-building exercises throughout the Western Pacific.
• MSC Ships, Personnel Provide Support for Freedom Banner, Cobra Gold Exercises NNS 26 Jan 2011 -- Three Military Sealift Command ships are offloading hundreds of pieces of U.S. Marine Corps equipment, containerized supplies and personnel in support of exercises Freedom Banner and Cobra Gold at Chuk Samet, Thailand, through Jan. 28.
• Green Locomotive Saves Fuel, Moves Army Ammo at Indiana Navy Base NNS 26 Jan 2011 -- A new environmentally-friendly locomotive entered service at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Crane, Ind., Jan. 20, helping ship ordnance to U.S. forces around the world while also helping reduce the Department of Defense's consumption of fossil fuels.
• USS Enterprise Arrives in Lisbon NNS 26 Jan 2011 -- USS Enterprise (CVN 65) arrived in Lisbon, Portugal, Jan. 26, to conduct its first port-of-call in Europe.
• New Navy Supply Corps School Opens NNS 26 Jan 2011 -- A dedication ceremony marking the grand opening of the Vice Admiral Kenneth R. Wheeler Center, Navy Supply Corps School (NSCS) was held aboard Naval Station Newport, R.I., Jan. 24.
• Navy Secretary Pushes for Alternative Energy Use NNS 26 Jan 2011 -- The secretary of the navy reached out to prominent industry leaders during a Washington, D.C., summit Jan. 25, in an effort to have them incorporate the use of alternative fuels in their push for a clean economy.
• All Female Catapult Team on Lincoln Launches Success in Support of OEF NNS 26 Jan 2011 -- Fourteen female Sailors assigned to USS Abraham Lincoln's (CVN 72) Air department formed an all-female catapult crew to launch aircraft in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Jan. 23.
• Southern Partnership Station Delivers Wheelchairs, Water Filters to Guatemala NNS 26 Jan 2011 -- The Southern Partnership Station (SPS) 2011 team aboard High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2) delivered more than 28,000 pounds of Project Handclasp donations to Guatemalan non-government organizations in Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala, Jan. 26.
• Red Flag 11-2 provides combat experience AFNS 26 Jan 2011 -- The first pilots flew into a simulated combat environment designed to give them the skills needed to survive in war during Red Flag 11-2 here Jan. 24.
• Gabon commanders visit German bases in security familiarization AFNS 26 Jan 2011 -- Two Gabonese air base commanders visited Ramstein, Sembach and Spangdahlem air bases in Germany Jan. 17 through 20.
• Program helps service retain RPA, rated pilots AFNS 26 Jan 2011 -- Air Force officials announced their plans Jan. 26 for the fiscal 2011 Aviator Continuation Pay program to help retain active-duty pilots and combat-systems officers who are trained as remotely piloted aircraft pilots.
• Lynn: Defense Budget Plans Strike 'Right Balance' AFPS 26 Jan 2011 -- The Defense Department’s plans to cut $78 billion from its budget over five years and find more than $100 billion in savings for reinvestment was a collaborative effort and a reasonable balance between military needs and budget constraints, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said today.
• Piracy Challenges Maritime Security Off Somalia AFPS 26 Jan 2011 -- Pirates off the coast of Somalia are using bigger vessels to extend their criminal reach in a move that could prompt U.S. Navy forces in the region to intensify techniques for pursuing the lawbreakers, the top naval officer in the region said today.
• Gates to Meet with Canadian Defense Minister AFPS 26 Jan 2011 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates travels to Ottawa, Canada, today to meet with Defense Minister Peter MacKay, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said.
• Pentagon Officials Monitor Protests Overseas AFPS 26 Jan 2011 -- Defense Department officials are closely watching protests that have flared over recent days in Egypt and Lebanon, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today.
• Officials Plan First ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Repeal Briefing AFPS 26 Jan 2011 -- The first in a series of briefings to describe the Defense Department’s progress in implementing repeal of the so-called “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law is coming soon, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today.
• Pentagon Spokesman Discusses China, North Korea AFPS 26 Jan 2011 -- The jury is still out on China’s apparent fifth-generation J-20 stealth aircraft, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said today.
• Collaboration is Key to Family Support Effort, Official Says AFPS 26 Jan 2011 -- Collaboration is at the heart of the government’s new military family support directive and is the key to supporting service members and their families in the months and years ahead, a Defense Department official said today.
• Military calculation experts move base, mission forward Army News 26 Jan 2011 -- At a remote site in the Mesopotamian shrub desert an unassuming group of specially trained personnel plans, and moves, military forces and equipment in support of both Operation New Dawn and Operation Enduring Freedom.
• 1st Air Cav set to reach new heights Army News 26 Jan 2011 -- Flying at high altitudes and dealing with rugged terrain conditions can be a challenging endeavor for any pilot or crew chief, especially in a combat theatre like Afghanistan.
• Finding source of IED materials is key, RDECOM commander says Army News 26 Jan 2011 -- Locating and disabling the sources of components in improvised explosive devices is vital to defeating the insurgents who use them.
• CAAA Engineers Innovate for Burster Tube Production Army News 26 Jan 2011 -- Crane Army Ammunition Activity employees recently rose to the task of improving a process to produce burster tubes ensuring the products would be made in the U.S. and to a high quality standard.
• SCTF Marines, sailors conduct MCMAP training for A-SPS 11 USMC News 26 Jan 2011 -- Marines and Sailors attached to Amphibious Southern Partnership Station 2011 (A-SPS 11) Security Cooperation Task Force (SCTF) began Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) training on board the Whidbey Island-class amphibious dock-landing ship USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) Jan. 17 in preparation for numerous subject matter expert exchanges that will be conducted during A-SPS 11.
• U.S. urged to pay more attention to cross-strait military imbalance CNA 26 Jan 2011 -- A high-level visiting Taiwanese official called on the United States Wednesday to pay closer attention to the military imbalance across the Taiwan Strait, a result of China's aggressive military development.
• Russian parliament's upper house ratifies U.S.-Russia arms cuts deal RIA Novosti 26 Jan 2011 -- The upper house of the Russian parliament, the Federation Council, ratified on Wednesday a new strategic arms reduction treaty between Russia and the United States.
• Russia to continue developing missile defense system RIA Novosti 26 Jan 2011 -- Russia will go forward with plans to develop its own missile defense system after the ratification of a strategic arms reduction treaty with the United States, Russia's Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Wednesday.
• Iraqi Air Force College trains pilots and ground support officers AFNS 26 Jan 2011 -- For future pilots and ground support officers, the gateway to Iraqi air power opened Sept. 1, 2010, at the Iraqi Air Force College here.
• Iraqi Army Chemical Defense Regiment proves capable Army News 26 Jan 2011 -- The Iraqi Army's Chemical Defense Regiment conducted capability exercises at Camp Taji late November through early December 2010.
• Iraqi Army Signal School provides tactical capability Army News 26 Jan 2011 -- As the Iraqi Army works to lessen its reliance on commercial radios and increase usage of tactical systems, the Iraqi Army Signal School at Camp Taji trains Soldiers to man those tactical radios in its 90-day Basic Communications Course.
• School enhances Iraqi Armor officers communications capabilities Army News 26 Jan 2011 -- A wing within the Iraqi Armor School at Camp Taji is not training its officers how to shoot or move. Its focus instead is on teaching them how to communicate.
• Cadre prepare to assume M1A1 program instruction Army News 26 Jan 2011 -- Iraqi Army M1A1 Tank Familiarization Course cadre are preparing to instruct and operate their own M1A1 program at the Besmaya Combat Training Center with assistance from United States Forces-Iraq.
• Iraq Infantry School conducts mortar live-fire at BCTC Army News 26 Jan 2011 -- Iraq Infantry School instructors led a two-day Basic 81mm Mortar Course live-fire exercise at the Besmaya Combat Training Center as part of the culminating exercise to a 21-day course in late November 2010.
• Iraqi IED technicians expand knowledge in EOD procedures Army News 26 Jan 2011 -- In mid 2010, the Baghdad Hawk Counter Explosive Team, or CET, uncovered an indirect fire launch site in Karada, a city neighborhood known for its ethnic diversity and consumerism, and where extremists had already launched two rockets targeting the International Zone.
• Iraqi Army Commandos hone skills Army News 26 Jan 2011 -- As the Iraqi Army continues to train while fighting an insurgency, battle tested Soldiers are relocated away from the fight in order to perfect their skills and ensure success in battle.
• Iraqi Army officers build digital exercises, operations Army News 26 Jan 2011 -- Iraqi Army officers are studying how to create interactive, digital worlds within software that United States Forces-Iraq instructors and advisors refer to as "the game."
• Sri Lanka denies its Navy personnel attacked on Indian fishermen IRNA 26 Jan 2011 -- Sri Lanka Tuesday, denying that its Navy personnel attacked the Indian fisherman at sea, raised the suspicion that an unknown 'third party' may have been involved in the attacks to hurt the existing friendly ties between the two countries.
• January 26, 2011 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 26 Jan 2011
• Press Gaggle by Robert Gibbs en route Green Bay, Wisconsin The White House 26 Jan 2011

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 26, 2011
• Boeing, Netherlands MOD Mark 1st Flight of Royal Netherlands Air Force CH-47F (NL) Chinook Boeing 26 Jan 2011 -- Representatives of Boeing [NYSE: BA], its suppliers and the Netherlands Ministry of Defence marked the first flight of the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) CH-47F (NL) Chinook heavy-lift helicopter in a ceremony Jan. 25 at Summit Aviation in Middletown, Del.
• Airbus Military demonstrates final A330 MRTT refuelling system EADS 26 Jan 2011 -- The Airbus Military A330 MRTT has successfully passed fuel to receiver aircraft using the Fuselage Refuelling Unit (FRU) for the first time – meaning that all of the aircraft´s refuelling systems have now been demonstrated.
• EADS North America KC-45 tanker program tallies another milestone with refuelings from fuselage hose unit EADS 26 Jan 2011 -- The fuselage-mounted hose-and-drogue aerial refueling system to be deployed on the EADS North America KC-45 tanker has successfully transferred fuel to two F/A-18 fighter aircraft – meaning all of the KC-45’s aerial refueling systems have now been proven in flight.
• U.S. Army Awards Raytheon $51.5 Million Contract for Improvised Explosive Device Defeat System Raytheon 26 Jan 2011 -- The U.S. Army has awarded Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) a $51.5 million firm-fixed-price contract to produce a system to defeat improvised explosive devices. Work will be performed at the Raytheon Technical Services Company LLC site in Indianapolis. Further details will not be made public.
• SAIC Awarded $40 Million Task Order by the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division SAIC 26 Jan 2011 -- Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) (NYSE: SAI) announced today it was awarded a task order by the U. S. Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane Division to provide systems engineering and lifecycle integration support. The follow-on task order has a one year base period of performance, four one-year options and a total value of $40 million if all options are exercised. The task order was awarded for NSWC's Small Arms Platform Integration Branch under the Navy SeaPort-e contract.
• Thales awarded Tactical Control Radar Contract Thales 26 Jan 2011 -- Thales Canada announced that it has been awarded the Tactical Control Radar contract by the Department of National Defence. Thales will supply and integrate two Ground Master 400 (GM 400) radars deployable with a suite of communications and operator control systems.
• Raytheon Awarded $20 Million for Patriot Technical Assistance for State of Kuwait Raytheon 26 Jan 2011 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has received a $20 million Foreign Military Sales technical assistance contract to support operational capability of Kuwait's Patriot Air and Missile Defense System.

Other Conflicts

• 26 January 2011 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 26 Jan 2011
• Press Conference by Outgoing Chair of Peacebuilding Commission United Nations 26 Jan 2011
• Countries emerging from conflict need help of entire UN family, says outgoing official UN News Centre 26 Jan 2011 -- The task of consolidating peace in a country emerging from conflict belongs to the entire United Nations family and not just to its peacebuilding architecture, the outgoing chair of the Peacebuilding Commission said today.
• ECOWAS Seeks International Support on Ivorian Crisis VOA 26 Jan 2011 -- A top official of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) told VOA the regional bloc is seeking international support from President Barack Obama’s administration, as well as the U.N. Security Council, to help resolve the ongoing crisis in Ivory Coast.
• Opposing PM Calls for Forceful Removal of Ivory Coast President VOA 26 Jan 2011 -- The prime minister of Allassane Ouattara, the internationally recognized winner of Ivory Coast's November presidential election, says a targeted military strike is the best way to remove incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo from office.
• COTE D'IVOIRE: Voices of reason sidelined in the crisis IRIN 26 Jan 2011 -- An increasingly belligerent and deeply partisan political rhetoric has come to dominate Côte d’Ivoire since the country’s post-electoral crisis, leaving little room for voices of moderation.
• UN and African Union to convene high-level meeting on Somali peace process UN News Centre 26 Jan 2011 -- The United Nations and the African Union will hold a high-level meeting in a few days to review efforts to achieve peace, security and reconciliation in strife-torn Somalia, which has been suffering through two decades of conflict and numerous humanitarian challenges.
• Anniversary of Somalia Coup Marks 20 Years of War VOA 26 Jan 2011 -- Wednesday marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of Somali dictator Mohammed Siad Barre.
• Cyprus: leaders agree to intensify reunification talks after meeting with Ban UN News Centre 26 Jan 2011 -- Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders agreed to intensify talks to reunify their island today after meeting in Geneva with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has warned that substantive agreement in the next few months is crucial to avoid potential failure.
• Press Conference by Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Catherine Bragg, on Recent Mission to Sri Lanka United Nations 26 Jan 2011
• Sri Lanka: despite progress more must be done for those displaced by war – UN UN News Centre 26 Jan 2011 -- The Sri Lankan Government has made significant progress in resettling the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the decades-long war with Tamil separatists but a lot more work still needs to be done, a top United Nations humanitarian official said today.
• Government-rebel clashes in Darfur subside but tensions persist – UN UN News Centre 26 Jan 2011 -- Intense fighting in Sudan’s Darfur region between Government forces and rebels has subsided but tensions persist and a resumption of violence is possible, a senior United Nations official said today.
• Abkhazia worried by Georgia's 'preparations for war' RIA Novosti 26 Jan 2011 -- Abkhazia is concerned over the Georgian president's declaration that his country is at war, the republic's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

News Reports

• US May Seek UN Debate on North Korean Uranium Program VOA 26 Jan 2011 -- A senior U.S. diplomat says the United States will seek an opportunity to challenge North Korea's right to a uranium enrichment program at the United Nations.
• Republican Members Of Congress Want UN Funding Slashed RFE/RL 26 Jan 2011 -- Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives have criticized the United Nations as "bloated" and "ineffective" and vowed to press for reforms and a reduction in U.S. funding.
• Putin vows not to hold talks with terrorists RIA Novosti 26 Jan 2011 -- Russia will not hold any talks with terrorists, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday in the wake of a deadly terrorist attack in Moscow's Domodedovo International Airport.
• Russia should adopt Israeli counter-terrorism methods - senators RIA Novosti 26 Jan 2011 -- The Russian security services should adopt the Israeli experience in the fight against terrorism and preventing terrorist attacks, the head of the Federation Council's foreign relations committee said on Wednesday.
• Medvedev sacks transport security chief over Moscow blast RIA Novosti 26 Jan 2011 -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday sacked a federal transportation security chief in the wake of a terrorist attack on Moscow's Domodedovo airport.
• Moscow police deputy head fired after terror attack RIA Novosti 26 Jan 2011 -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has dismissed the deputy head of Moscow's police after a deadly terrorist attack at Russia's biggest airport was blamed on poor security, the Kremlin said on its website on Wednesday.
• Iraq Drafts Plan To Help IDPs, Refugees RFE/RL 26 Jan 2011 -- A senior Iraqi official for migration issues says the government plans to resolve the problem of internally displaced persons (IDPs) within a year and create conditions to encourage the return of refugees from neighboring countries, RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq (RFI) reports.
• Iraqi Prison Official Denies Abuse At Baghdad Detention Center RFE/RL 26 Jan 2011 -- A senior official in charge of Iraqi prisons has denied a report that special forces linked to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki run a detention center where detainees are subject to abuse, RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq reports.
• UN refugee chief appeals for $280 million to assist vulnerable Iraqis UN News Centre 26 Jan 2011 -- The United Nations refugee chief today announced an inter-agency appeal for $280 million to support over 190,000 Iraqi refugees living in the region, the majority in Syria and Jordan.
• Police, Protesters Clash In Egypt For A Second Day As Hundreds Arrested RFE/RL 26 Jan 2011 -- Thousands of Egyptians defied a government warning and took to the streets again today, clashing with security forces for a second day in a row.
• Egyptian Protesters Defy Ban as Government Cracks Down VOA 26 Jan 2011 -- Thousands of Egyptians took to the streets as police stopped efforts by protesters to regroup Wednesday in Cairo, a day after waves of stone-throwing demonstrators occupied parts of the city for hours.
• Tunisia Wants to Arrest Deposed President VOA 26 Jan 2011 -- Officials in Tunisia say they have issued an international arrest warrant for deposed President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and members of his family.
• Remarks With Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh After Their Meeting US Dept. of State 26 Jan 2011
• Nasrollah says Hezbollah is not after power in Lebanon IRNA 26 Jan 2011 -- Hezbollah Secretary General Seyed Hassan Nasrollah said resistance movement is not trying to gain power in Lebanon and warned rivals not to engage in intrigues against the movement.
• Hezbollah-Backed PM Starts Forming New Lebanon Government VOA 26 Jan 2011 -- Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati met Wednesday with former prime ministers, including outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Mr. Hariri headed a Western-backed Cabinet and said earlier this week he would not participate in any new government led by a Hezbollah-backed candidate.
• Russian astronomers predict Apophis-Earth collision in 2036 RIA Novosti 26 Jan 2011 -- Russian astronomers have predicted that asteroid Apophis may strike Earth on April 13, 2036.