Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• NATO and Libya - Operational Media Update: 15 Oct 2011
• U.S.: No Decision Yet On Future Troop Presence In Iraq RFE/RL 16 Oct 2011 -- The Obama administration has denied a news report that it had made a final decision to pull almost all U.S. troops out of Iraq by a year-end withdrawal deadline.
• Team of Marines integrates ground, air forces in Afghanistan USMC News 16 Oct 2011 -- As the Marines and coalition and Afghan forces in the southwestern regional command of NATO's International Security Assistance Force patrol the Helmand River valley, they do so knowing an overwhelming advantage is behind them.

Defense Policy / Programs

• George Washington Carrier Strike Group Gets Underway NNS 16 Oct 2011 -- The George Washington Carrier Strike Group departed early from a port visit in Singapore Oct. 15 to be better postured to provide humanitarian aid if needed in the wake of the worst flooding in many years in Thailand.
• USS Mitscher Departs Bahrain NNS 16 Oct 2011 -- USS Mitscher departed Manama, Bahrain after a five-day port visit, Oct. 4.
• Arleigh Burke Wraps Up Joint Warrior NNS 16 Oct 2011 -- USS Arleigh Burke pulled into HMNB Clyde Oct. 14, officially ending two weeks of multination, multi-warfare training exercises known as Joint Warrior 11-2.
• 31st MEU successfully completes certification exercise USMC News 16 Oct 2011 -- The 31st MEU successfully completed its certification exercise Oct. 16, which certifies that the unit is mission capable for a wide variety of operations.
• Under cover of darkness, Marines conduct mock amphibious raid USMC News 16 Oct 2011 -- Illuminated only by the few rays of moonlight that broke through the thick cloud cover, and with the sounds of their engines muffled by the distant thunder, the Marines pushed towards the beach in their amphibious assault vehicles.
• CLB-31 trains for disaster relief USMC News 16 Oct 2011 -- Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit participated in a disaster relief training exercise here Oct. 10.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• Israeli-Palestinian prisoner swap deal may be delayed RIA Novosti 16 Oct 2011 -- Israel and Palestine have failed so far to agree on the date of swapping Palestinian prisoners for captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, Ghazi Hamad, a Hamas official in the Gaza Strip, told the Voice of Palestine on Sunday.
• Israel Names 477 Palestinians to Be Freed in Prisoner Swap VOA 16 Oct 2011 -- Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas are making final preparations for a prisoner swap this week.

News Reports

• US Senator Hints 'Strong Evidence' in Alleged Iran Assassination Plot VOA 16 Oct 2011 -- America's highest-ranking senator on intelligence matters says she is convinced of Iran's involvement in a plot to kill the Saudi ambassador in the United States.
• Supreme Leader: Iranian nation thwarts any destructive plot IRNA 16 Oct 2011 -- Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on Sunday warned enemies of the Iranian nation that any destructive movement or plot will face a crushing response from the Islamic Republic of Iran.
• Boroujerdi says Foreign Ministry must take legal action against US IRNA 16 Oct 2011 -- Foreign Ministry should take legal against the United States for raising propaganda campaign against the Islamic Republic of Iran, Chairman of Parliamentary Commission on National Security and Foreign Policy Alaeddin Boroujerdi said on Sunday.
• President to US officials: Iranians have no need to assassination IRNA 16 Oct 2011 -- The cultured nation of Iran had no need to embark on assassination, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday criticizing the US latest anti-Iran scenario.
• Presidential advisor criticizes US over accusations against Iran IRNA 16 Oct 2011 -- Senior advisor to President Ahmadinejad said Iran would have a 'firm stance' vis-a-vis US accusations against Tehran adding that American officials are angry over questions raised by Ahmadinejad at the UN General assembly session.
• Spokesman: US officials' claims an anti-Iran scenario IRNA 16 Oct 2011 -- Foreign Ministry spokesman said that claims and accusations of the US officials indicate an anti-Iran scenario with the aim of overshadowing Islamic Republic of Iran.
• Ahmadinejad rejects U.S. accusations of plot to assassinate Saudi envoy RIA Novosti 16 Oct 2011 -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad rejected the U.S. accusations of a plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, Iranian state news agency IRNA reported on Sunday.
• U.S. presses UN nuclear watchdog inspectors on Iran nuclear data - paper RIA Novosti 16 Oct 2011 -- U.S. President Barack Obama is pressing United Nations nuclear inspectors to disclose classified intelligence information on Iran's nuclear weapons technology, The New York Times reported on Sunday.
• Arab League Keeps Syria as Member VOA 16 Oct 2011 -- Arab diplomats asked the Syrian government on Sunday to open a dialogue with anti-government protesters. A Syrian "national dialogue" is set to be held at Arab League headquarters in two weeks, but commitment from Damascus for the planned talks is unclear.
• Arab League Calls for Dialogue in Syria VOA 16 Oct 2011 -- The Arab League says it will bring together Syria's government and opposition groups in an attempt to end the country's ongoing violence.
• Yemeni defected army calls for UN interference RIA Novosti 16 Oct 2011 -- The Yemeni servicemen who joined the opposition called on the UN Security Council to interfere to save the pro-democracy movement in the country as the government continued to use force to crack down on protesters, local media reported on Sunday.
• Thousands of elite Yemeni servicemen join rebels RIA Novosti 16 Oct 2011 -- About 7,000 servicemen from Yemen's Republican Guard and elite security forces joined the opposition, Al Arabiya said on Sunday citing a rebel general.
• Yemeni Forces Kill 5 in Sana'a, Taiz VOA 16 Oct 2011 -- Forces loyal to Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh have opened fire on anti-government protesters in the capital, Sana'a, and the southern city of Taiz, killing at least five people.
• Russian scientists want to join Europe's ExoMars mission RIA Novosti 16 Oct 2011 -- Russian scientists want to join European Space Agency's ExoMars (Exobiology on Mars) mission to study the Red Planet, a leading Russian space researcher said.