Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• NATO and Libya - Operational Media Update: 06 Oct 2011
• Some Guidelines Met for Ending Libya Mission, Official Says AFPS 07 Oct 2011 -- Three of the four guidelines laid out this week by Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta for ending Operation Unified Protector in Libya have been met, a senior defense official said today.
• RAF Tornados clock up 7,000 flying hours over Libya UK MOD 07 Oct 2011 -- RAF Tornados operating in support of NATO's Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR to protect the civilian population of Libya from attack have now clocked up over 7,000 flying hours.
• Statement by the President on Ten Years of American Service in Afghanistan The White House 07 Oct 2011
• Obama: US Safer Decade After Start of Afghan War VOA 07 Oct 2011 -- U.S. President Barack Obama says Americans are safer a decade after the start of the war in Afghanistan.
• Obama Marks 10 Years of U.S. Service in Afghanistan AFPS 07 Oct 2011 -- President Barack Obama marked the 10th anniversary of the war in Afghanistan today by honoring those who have served there and noting their efforts toward bringing the war to a responsible end from a position of strength.
• Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta Statement on Operation Enduring Freedom DoD 07 Oct 2011
• Afghan, Coalition Force Kills Taliban Leader AFPS 07 Oct 2011 -- A combined Afghan and coalition patrol killed a Taliban leader who opened fire on them in the Tagab district of Afghanistan's Kapisa province yesterday, military officials reported.
• Afghanistan: 10 years on UK MOD 07 Oct 2011 -- A decade after UK Forces began operations in Afghanistan, Tristan Kelly reports from Helmand as all eyes look forward to the planned end of UK combat operations there in 2015.
• Afghanistan 10 Years On: Women See Progress, But Look For Brighter Future RFE/RL 07 Oct 2011
• Obama Honors War Afghan War Dead; Karzai Admits Security Failures RFE/RL 07 Oct 2011 -- U.S. President Barack Obama has saluted more than 1,700 U.S. troops who have died in the Afghan war, along with the coalition and Afghan forces killed.
• Pakistan army chief rules out another anti-Taliban offensive IRNA 07 Oct 2011 -- Pakistan's army chief has ruled out any another military operation against the militants and insisted that civilian administration now takes security responsibility in areas cleared of Taliban militants.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Obama Announces New Classified Information Safeguards AFPS 07 Oct 2011 -- President Barack Obama issued an executive order today that strengthens the government's information and computer security policies and practices to prevent breaches such as the 2010 WikiLeaks episode.
• Statement by Secretary Panetta in Sigonella, Sicily DoD 07 Oct 2011
• Panetta Visits Military Bases in Italy AFPS 07 Oct 2011 -- On his way home from a week-long trip to countries in the Middle East and NATO headquarters in Belgium, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta made stops today at two military bases in Italy to thank U.S. and NATO troops for their service.
• XM25 feedback demonstrates lethality Army News 07 Oct 2011 -- Feedback from warfighters in Afghanistan testing the XM25 highlights the lethal effects of the counter-defilade weapon.
• Army unveils new science, technology approach Army News 07 Oct 2011 -- The Army science and technology community has unveiled a new engagement strategy which seeks to further collaboration and dialogue with its laboratory, academic and industry partners by articulating a host of relevant S&T challenges in need of specific solutions.
• Ammunition plant testing use of sound waves to mix explosives Army News 07 Oct 2011 -- Using sound waves to mix plastic bonded explosives is in a laboratory testing phase at McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, according to Treaver Price, chemist at the plant.e
• Riverine Squadron Deploys with Amphibious Southern Partnership NNS 07 Oct 2011 -- Twenty-eight Riverine Sailors deployed aboard USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) Oct. 3 to participate in Amphibious-Southern Partnership Station.
• Secretary of Defense Visits NAS Sigonella NNS 07 Oct 2011 -- Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta visited U.S. and Coalition service members on board Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella Oct. 7 during a overseas tour that consisted of stops in Israel, Egypt, Belgium and Italy.
• SPAWAR Systems Center Atlantic Unveils Data Center NNS 07 Oct 2011 -- SPAWAR Systems Center Atlantic unveiled a new data center that will play a key role in consolidating more than 100 Navy data centers to increase effectiveness and efficiency and to reduce costs while still meeting the Navy's security and operational requirements, Oct. 7.
• Press Conference with Secretary Panetta at NATO Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium DoD 07 Oct 2011 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta
• Romney Vows to Strengthen US Military if Elected VOA 07 Oct 2011 -- In U.S. politics, Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney pledged Friday to strengthen the U.S. military to deal with threats from abroad if he is elected president next year. The former Massachusetts governor and current Republican front-runner gave a sweeping foreign policy address at the Citadel, a military college in South Carolina.
• Russian army to form sniper units RIA Novosti 07 Oct 2011 -- Special sharpshooter units are being formed in Russia's ground forces brigades, Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Col. Sergey Vlasov said on Friday.
• Russia to lend Venezuela $4 bln to pay for arms deals RIA Novosti 07 Oct 2011 -- Russia and Venezuela have signed an agreement on a $4 billion loan for the oil-rich Latin American partner to buy Russian weaponry, Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez said on Thursday.
• October 7, 2011 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 07 Oct 2011
• October 07, 2011 Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney The White House 07 Oct 2011

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 07, 2011
• Boeing Awarded Contract for PBL Sustainment of C-17 Globemaster III Boeing 07 Oct 2011 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] has received a performance based logistics (PBL) contract from the U.S. Department of Defense for the C-17 Globemaster III Integrated Sustainment Program (GISP).
• General Dynamics to Leverage Proven Technologies for USMC Precision Extended Range Mortar (PERM) Competition General Dynamics 07 Oct 2011 -- General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), announced today that it will bid on the U.S. Marine Corps’ Precision Extended Range Mortar (PERM) program as a prime contractor.
• The Norwegian MoD chooses Thales for realisation of NORMANS digitised soldier system Thales 07 Oct 2011 -- The Norwegian Defence has decided to purchase NORMANS digitised soldier system based on the concept that has been designed and tested at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI).

Other Conflicts

• 7 October 2011 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 07 Oct 2011
• In Libya, UN calls on all sides to respect human rights as battle for Sirte nears end UN News Centre 07 Oct 2011 -- With the battle in Sirte between Libya's new rulers and loyalists of the ousted government of Colonel Muammar al-Qadhafi approaching its end, the United Nations today called on all parties to respect human rights and look ahead to the task of national reconciliation.
• Rwanda and UN refugee agency agree to step up repatriation efforts UN News Centre 07 Oct 2011 -- The United Nations refugee agency and Rwanda today announced steps to speed up a solution for tens of thousands of Rwandan refugees, one of the lasting legacies of the genocide in which extremist Hutus killed some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in the African country in 1994.
• NIGERIA: Timeline of Boko Haram activity IRIN 07 Oct 2011 -- Following a spate of increasingly violent attacks by the Boko Haram 'terrorist'; group in August, the Nigerian government set up a committee to outline the best way to tackle it. Released on 26 September, the committee's report strongly urged dialogue and negotiation, though this has previously been rejected by Boko Haram sect members.
• Sarkozy Urges Turkey To Recognize Armenia 'Genocide' RFE/RL 07 Oct 2011 -- In a move that has irked Ankara, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has urged Turkey to recognize the World War I-era massacres of Armenians within the Ottoman Empire as genocide.
• UN opens refugee camp in Ethiopia as violence continues in troubled Sudanese state UN News Centre 07 Oct 2011 -- The United Nations refugee agency has opened a new camp in western Ethiopia as hostilities in Sudan's Blue Nile state continue to drive thousands to flee the country.

News Reports

• Nobel Peace Prize Goes to Trio of Liberian, Yemeni Women VOA 07 Oct 2011 -- For the first time in Nobel Peace Prize history, the prestigious honor has gone to a group of women, in honor of women.
• Turkey Moves to Directly Support Syrian Opposition VOA 07 Oct 2011 -- The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is increasingly taking the lead in supporting the Syrian opposition. Erdoğan condemned the vetoing of a United Nations resolution against Damascus and has announced it will impose its own sanctions. This week saw the start of military exercises on the Syrian border.
• Syrian opposition council to form administrative body on Saturday RIA Novosti 07 Oct 2011 -- The administrative body of Syria's opposition Transitional National Council will be formed during a meeting of opposition leaders in Cairo on Saturday, regional media reported on Friday, quoting the council's interim head, Burhan Ghalyoun.
• More Deaths in Continuing Syrian Protests VOA 07 Oct 2011 -- Protests took place in several dozen Syrian towns and cities Friday, despite government attempts to prevent demonstrators from congregating after prayers. At least eight people died and dozens were wounded after security forces opened fire on demonstrators.
• US Mulls Additional Pyongyang Nuclear Talks VOA 07 Oct 2011 -- The United States says it has not decided whether to hold a second bilateral meeting with North Korea to restart long-stalled talks on Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program.
• Russia puts new Rus-M carrier rocket project on hold RIA Novosti 07 Oct 2011 -- The Russian space agency has dropped plans to construct a new Rus-M carrier rocket by 2015, Roscosmos head Vladimir Popovkin said on Friday.
• Taiwan's talks with China to get more difficult: official CNA 07 Oct 2011 -- Due to internal differences in Taiwan, the winner of next year's presidential election will face more hurdles in talks with mainland China due to a diminished political mandate, a senior adviser to President Ma Ying-jeou said Thursday in the United States.