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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 12 Dec 2011 [PDF]
• Remarks by President Obama and Prime Minister al-Maliki of Iraq in a Joint Press Conference The White House 12 Dec 2011
• Secretary Clinton Remarks at the Launch of the Joint Coordination Committee US Dept. of State 12 Dec 2011
• Iraq: Cost of Embassy and Consulate Operations US Dept. of State 12 Dec 2011 -- The Department requested $3.8 billion for operations in Iraq during FY 2012. This figure includes mission operations, such as security, logistics, and life support, as well as construction, educational and cultural exchanges, contributions to international organizations, and other general management expenses.
• Obama: U.S., Iraq Forge New Relationship AFPS 12 Dec 2011 -- With the last U.S. troops leaving Iraq, a new relationship between Iraq and the United States will stand front and center, President Barack Obama said.
• Obama, Maliki Hail 'New Chapter' for Iraq Without US Troops VOA 12 Dec 2011 -- U.S. President Barack Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki have outlined a broad agenda for post-war cooperation without American troops in Iraq.
• NATO Secretary General announces completion of NTM-I NATO 12 Dec 2011 -- The North Atlantic Council has decided to undertake the permanent withdrawal of the NATO Training Mission-Iraq personnel from Iraq by 31 December 2011.
• NATO: Iraq Training Mission To End on December 31 RFE/RL 12 Dec 2011 -- NATO says it will end a police and army training mission in Iraq by the end of the year.
• Panetta: Stable Pakistan Relationship Critical to Afghanistan Success AFPS 12 Dec 2011 -- Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta expressed confidence that the United States and Pakistan can patch up their differences.
• Islamabad Says Blockade On NATO Will Last Until 'Rules Of Engagement' Changed RFE/RL 12 Dec 2011 -- Pakistani PM Gilani says his country's blockade of NATO supply lines into Afghanistan is likely to stay in place for weeks.
• Pakistani PM: Blockade Likely to Last Weeks VOA 12 Dec 2011 -- Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has told the BBC his country will likely continue to block NATO convoys into Afghanistan for several more weeks.
• Combined Force Captures Haqqani Leader AFPS 12 Dec 2011 -- A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a Haqqani terrorist network leader, detained several other suspected insurgents, and seized multiple firearms in Ghazni province.
• UK and Afghan troops conduct dawn raid in Helmand UK MOD 12 Dec 2011 -- British troops and Afghan commandos have conducted a daring dawn raid under fire to target a suspected improvised explosive device factory in Helmand province.
• Marine air interdiction force supports Afghan Border Patrol from above USMC News 12 Dec 2011 -- Marines and sailors of 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment and 2nd Bn., 11th Marines, conducted an AIF mission in support of an Afghan Border Police led clearing operation here, Dec. 7-8.
• Germany to keep combat troops in Afghanistan after 2014: minister IRNA 12 Dec 2011 -- Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere said German combat soldiers would remain in Afghanistan even beyond 2014.
• Kandahar's Female Police Squad Faces Plethora of Challenges VOA 12 Dec 2011 -- The all-female police squad in Kandahar has one of the most dangerous jobs in Afghanistan.
• Mine rollers designed to blow up, save lives Army News 12 Dec 2011 -- Product Manager IED Defeat/Protect Force is one of the more than 200 separate programs managed by Program Manager Close Combat Systems.
• LOGCAP on the job in Afghanistan Army News 12 Dec 2011 -- As the U.S. Army evolved during the 1990s into a smaller force with a focus on combat arms, the need to find ways to provide combat support and combat service support became apparent.
• "Uniform 4" redeploys in time for the holidays Army News 12 Dec 2011 -- Twenty Soldiers assigned to the 4th Platoon, 22nd Human Resources Company welcomed home following a yearlong deployment full of accomplishments.
• Osama panel summons Pakistani envoy in UK IRNA 12 Dec 2011 -- A Pakistani panel, investigating the U.S. raid to kill Osama bin Laden summoned Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK Wajid Shamsul Hasan.
• Pakistan Denies Holding Talks with Taliban VOA 12 Dec 2011 -- Top officials in Pakistan have denied the government is engaged in a peace dialogue with homegrown Taliban.
• Pakistan begins U.S. relations review in Envoys’ Conference IRNA 12 Dec 2011 -- Pakistan started a formal review of future relationship with the United States and its NATO allies in a two-day Envoys’ Conference.
• Pakistani Gunmen Torch NATO Cargo Again RFE/RL 12 Dec 2011 -- Local police said gunmen in southwestern Pakistan attacked a NATO supply convoy, killing one truck driver.
• Pakistan's President Recovering In Dubai RFE/RL 12 Dec 2011 -- Pakistan's prime minister says that President Asif Ali Zardari may need two weeks to rest in Dubai following medical treatment there before he returns home.
• Obama Says U.S. Has Demanded Iran Return Drone RFE/RL 12 Dec 2011 -- President Barack Obama says the United States has asked Iran to return a drone that Tehran said it brought down while overflying its territory.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Secretary Clinton Remarks With U.K. Foreign Secretary William Hague After Their Meeting US Dept. of State 12 Dec 2011
• SECDEF Statement on Under Secretary Flournoy DoD 12 Dec 2011
• Pentagon’s Top Policy Chief to Step Down AFPS 12 Dec 2011 -- The Defense Department’s third most senior official and top female leader has resigned, but will remain in position until February to ensure a smooth transition.
• National Guard Marks its 375th Birthday AFPS 12 Dec 2011 -- The origin of the nation’s state National Guard organizations sprang from the forming of militia in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the early 17th century.
• HSC-12 Deploys with CSG-9, will Fly Back from Norfolk NNS 12 Dec 2011 -- Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 12 departed Naval Air Station North Island Dec. 12, to meet Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and the rest of Carrier Strike Group 9.
• NECC Units Complete Integrated Exercise NNS 12 Dec 2011 -- Units from Navy Expeditionary Combat Command completed training toward certification for deployment after a week-long exercise centered in Yorktown, Va. that wrapped up Dec. 9.
• Eurasia Partnership Capstone 2011 Concludes NNS 12 Dec 2011 -- More than 100 multinational naval and coast guard representatives attended the final days of Eurasia Partnership Capstone (EPC) 2011 after kicking off the weeklong collaboration Dec. 4, in Valletta, Malta.
• Singapore Armed Forces Host U.S. Expeditionary Unit USMC News 12 Dec 2011 -- Marines and sailors with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit began a cooperative exercise with elements of the Singapore Armed Forces.
• Battaglia Calls Reducing Suicides a Top Priority AFPS 12 Dec 2011 -- Military leaders are committed to reducing suicides in the ranks, Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan B. Battaglia, the Defense Department’s top enlisted leader, said here Dec. 9.
• New Armed Forces Reserve Center opens in Wilmington, N.C. Army News 12 Dec 2011 -- Approximately 300 Army Reserve Soldiers and 190 Navy Sailors will be assigned to the Armed Forces Reserve Center - Wilmington.
• Fleet Survey Team Completes JPAC Survey in Korea NNS 12 Dec 2011 -- A five-person crew from Fleet Survey Team returned to Stennis Space Center, Miss., from South Korea Nov. 20, after a 33-day survey of the Han River, looking for unaccounted-for U.S. servicemen from the Korean War.
• HMS Ocean returns home UK MOD 12 Dec 2011 -- Around 1,000 friends and family members welcomed home the crew of HMS Ocean on Friday when she returned to Devonport after completing a seven-and-a-half-month deployment.
• Rodong Sinmun on S. Korean Moves KCNA 12 Dec 2011 -- The south Koreans have massively concentrated armed forces in five islands in the West Sea of Korea.
• S. Korean Marine Corps Stages Shelling Exercises in West Sea KCNA 12 Dec 2011 -- The marine corps of south Korea staged shelling exercises on Paekryong Island and Yonphyong Island in the West Sea of Korea.
• No injuries reported in helicopter crash CNA 12 Dec 2011 -- An army attack helicopter plunged to the ground during a regular training flight in central Taiwan, causing no casualties to its crew of two.
• Ex-soldier gets 18-year sentence for 1996 rape-murder CNA 12 Dec 2011 -- Former air force serviceman Hsu Jung-chou was sentenced for a rape and murder that another conscript was wrongfully executed for in 1997.
• Belarusian Air Force General Sentenced In Bribery Case RFE/RL 12 Dec 2011 -- The Belarusian Supreme Court's Military Collegium has sentenced the former commander of the country's air force to nine years in jail for bribery and "illegal operations with ammunition".
• Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 12/12/2011 The White House 12 Dec 2011
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing, December 12, 2011 US Dept. of State 12 Dec 2011

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for December 12, 2011
• £59 MILLION INDIAN HAWK SPARES CONTRACT FOR BAE SYSTEMS BAE Systems 12 Dec 2011 -- Reinforcing BAE Systems' strong relationship with the Indian Air Force (IAF) and aircraft manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the company has recently secured a £59 million contract for the provision of spares and ground support equipment to aid the Hawk training aircraft operations. This brings the total value of Hawk related contracts won in India to more than £600 million in the last 18 months. Hawk is manufactured in India under license by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited with materials, parts and support services provided by BAE Systems.
• Boeing B-52 CONECT System Completes Flight Test Milestone Boeing 12 Dec 2011 -- Today Boeing announced completion of all flight testing needed for the B-52 Combat Network Communications Technology (CONECT) program to receive low rate initial production (LRIP) authorization from the U.S. Air Force. The flight test program was conducted at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., by Boeing and the Air Force.
• Serial high-tech: Premium AEROTEC delivers 400th fuselage centre section for Eurofighter EADS 12 Dec 2011 -- The delivery of the 400th fuselage centre section for a Eurofighter further confirms Premium AEROTEC’s strong position in military aircraft construction.
• MBDA Incorporated Purchases Northrop Grumman’s Viper Strike Munitions Business In Huntsville, Alabama EADS 12 Dec 2011 -- MBDA Inc., the wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of missile manufacturer MBDA, has purchased Northrop Grumman Corporation’s (NYSE: NOC) Viper Strike munitions business, located in Huntsville, AL. Terms of the agreement are not being disclosed.
• Mexican Air Force takes delivery of Airbus Military C295 EADS 12 Dec 2011 -- The Mexican Air Force has taken delivery of a new C295 aircraft that it ordered from Airbus Military. This order is in addition to the five C295s delivered last year and that the Mexican Secretary of Defence already operates.
• Raytheon Awarded Contract for NASAMS High-Mobility Launchers for Norway Raytheon 12 Dec 2011 -- Raytheon Company has received a multimillion-dollar contract to provide International High-Mobility Launchers (HMLs) to the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) for its National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS).
• Green light for Hawkei Thales 12 Dec 2011 -- Thales Australia’s innovative Hawkei light protected vehicle has won Australian Government funding for further development.
• Raytheon Awarded $241 Million Contract for SM-3 Block IIA Raytheon 12 Dec 2011 -- The Missile Defense Agency awarded Raytheon Company a $241 million contract modification for continued engineering design and development work on the Standard Missile-3 Block IIA.

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, 12 December 2011 United Nations 12 Dec 2011
• Support for ending impunity for international crimes must grow – ICC UN News Centre 12 Dec 2011 -- Luis Moreno-Ocampo spotlighted tthe transformative changes taking place in international law, with countries increasing their support for ending impunity of international crimes.
• Syria's Opposition Split Over Civil, Armed Unrest VOA 12 Dec 2011 -- Syria's opposition has launched a new form of civil disobedience with a general strike, even as armed resistance escalates.
• Voter Turnout Low in Syria Municipal Elections Amid Protests VOA 12 Dec 2011 -- Syria's government is holding local council elections as it downplays anti-government unrest.
• Syrians Vote as Fighting Spreads, Strikes Continue VOA 12 Dec 2011 -- Fierce clashes between Syrian security forces and army defectors continued in several parts of the country.
• Soldiers Battle Defectors In Syria RFE/RL 12 Dec 2011 -- Soldiers are reported to have fought defectors in one of the biggest battles yet of Syria's nine-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.
• Al-Qaeda Members Flee In South Yemen Jailbreak RFE/RL 12 Dec 2011 -- Yemeni officials say that at least 16 prisoners, including suspected members of Al-Qaeda, have escaped from a prison in the Yemeni city of Aden.
• Ban voices deep concern over settlement expansion in the West Bank UN News Centre 12 Dec 2011 -- Secretary-General Ban expressed deep concern after reports emerged that the Israeli Government has approved the construction of another 40 houses and a farm in the occupied Palestinian territories.
• Lebanon: Assembly chief condemns attack against UN peacekeepers UN News Centre 12 Dec 2011 -- General Assembly President Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser has added his voice to the chorus of United Nations officials condemning attack against a group of blue helmets in southern Lebanon.
• ICC informs Security Council about Malawian failure to arrest Sudanese leader UN News Centre 12 Dec 2011 -- The International Criminal Court decided that Malawi failed to cooperate with the court when it did not arrest and surrender Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.
• Transdniester Leader Calls For Poll To Be Scrapped RFE/RL 12 Dec 2011 -- The president of the breakaway region of Transdniester has called for a weekend election to be scrapped because of what he said were "numerous violations" in voting.
• Transdnestr ex-speaker’s HQ says he wins first round of election with over 39 percent RIA Novosti 12 Dec 2011 -- With 95 percent of the ballots counted, ex-parliament speaker Yevgeny Shevchuk is leading in the first round of presidential elections in Transdnestr.

News Reports

• Iran condemns Washington state court verdict ISNA 12 Dec 2011 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mehmanparast strongly denied the allegation recently raised by a U.S. state court on Iran's link with al-Qaeda.
• U.S. virtual embassy seeks espionage: Iran minister ISNA 12 Dec 2011 -- Iran's Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi said launching of the U.S. virtual embassy seeks espionage purposes.
• Iran Judiciary takes legal action against two American officials IRNA 12 Dec 2011 -- Judiciary spokesman Ghlamhossein Mohseni Ejei: Judiciary has filed a lawsuit against two American officials through interpol.
• DPRK Opposes All Forms of Sanctions and Pressure KCNA 12 Dec 2011 -- The US and West are toughening their moves to check Iran's nuclear program for peaceful purposes.
• Japan Should Not Interrupt DPRK's Peaceful Nuclear Activities KCNA 12 Dec 2011 -- The Japanese lobbied for the adoption of a resolution voicing "concerns" over the DPRK's enrichment and light water reactor.
• DR Congo: UN mission urges review of issues raised by election observers UN News Centre 12 Dec 2011 -- The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo called on the country’s electoral authorities to review the issues raised by independent observers about recent DRC polls.
• UN Mission Wants Congo Electoral Body To Address Poll Dispute VOA 12 Dec 2011 -- The United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo is calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission to address concerns over the outcome of the disputed presidential and legislative elections.
• Congo President Says Re-Election Credible, Opposition Must Obey Laws VOA 12 Dec 2011 -- President Joseph Kabila is rejecting suggestions that irregularities in last month's vote cast doubt on the legitimacy of his re-election.
• East Congo Opposition to Protest Kabila Election VOA 12 Dec 2011 -- Opposition leaders in eastern Congo are planning to protest the disputed re-election of President Joseph Kabila beginning Tuesday morning.
• Amid counting in Côte d’Ivoire, Ban calls on political parties to remain calm UN News Centre 12 Dec 2011 -- Secretary-General Ban called on Ivorian political parties and candidates to continue to act peacefully as counting gets under way in polls to elect the 225 members of their country’s National Assembly.
• Opposition Leader Labels Ethiopian Government 'Dictatorship' VOA 12 Dec 2011 -- The newly elected leader of Ethiopia's largest opposition group says his party faces a monumental task in trying to unseat what he calls "dictators" bent on silencing dissent.
• Uganda, Rwanda Move to Mend Troubled Relations VOA 12 Dec 2011 -- Rwandan President Paul Kagame has wrapped up a two-day trip to Uganda - where he was given an award by the Ugandan president for inspiring Africa’s younger generation.
• Kyrgyz Speaker Quits Over Alleged Criminal Ties RFE/RL 12 Dec 2011 -- The speaker of Kyrgyzstan's parliament has resigned over alleged criminal links.
• Supporters Protest As Kyrgyz Parliament Speaker Accused Of Criminal Ties RFE/RL 12 Dec 2011 -- Some 1,000 protesters have picketed the Osh mayor's office in southern Kyrgyzstan to demand that it stop "blackmailing" parliament speaker Akmatbek Keldibekov.
• Peru's President Overhauls Cabinet VOA 12 Dec 2011 -- Peru's president has sworn-in a new team of Cabinet members.
• Russians Look Ahead to Mass Protest, Presidential Election VOA 12 Dec 2011 -- Is Russia’s middle class on the march? People are angry, and are speaking out for clean elections and democracy.
• Top U.S. Lawmaker Sees Influence Of Arab Spring In Russian Protests RFE/RL 12 Dec 2011 -- Top Republican on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee: Protests in Russia influenced by Arab Spring.
• U.S. hails Russia poll protests RIA Novosti 12 Dec 2011 -- Anti-government protests staged in Russia over the weekend are a “positive sign” for democracy in the former Soviet republic.
• EU Plans To Raise Election Issue At Upcoming Russia Summit RFE/RL 12 Dec 2011 -- EU officials plan to raise the issue of Russia's recent parliamentary elections in talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
• Russia's Medvedev Rejects Demand For New Vote, Orders Inquiry RFE/RL 12 Dec 2011 -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says he disagrees with demands made at nationwide protests.
• Ukrainian Hunger Strikers End Protest After Pledge Of Payments RFE/RL 12 Dec 2011 -- About 20 veterans of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster cleanup effort have ended their hunger strike in the city of Donetsk.
• Six Astrium satellites ready for takeoff EADS 12 Dec 2011 -- Astrium, the European space industry leader, is prime contractor for all six satellites scheduled for launch on 16 December on the second Soyuz flight to be operated out of French Guyana.
• Lockheed Martin Awarded Contract to Deliver Jabiru-1 for NewSat Limited of Australia Lockheed Martin 12 Dec 2011 -- Lockheed Martin announced today the award of a contract from NewSat Limited (NewSat) of Australia to build the Jabiru-1 satellite. The construction of the satellite will commence immediately and it will be ready for launch in the second half of 2014. Financial terms were not disclosed.
• Northrop Grumman Completes Fabrication of Key Sunshield Deployment Flight Structure for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Northrop Grumman 12 Dec 2011 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation has completed the space-qualified, graphite composite tubes that will enable the giant sunshield of the James Webb Space Telescope to deploy in space. The company is leading the telescope's design and development under contract to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
• Orbital Selects "Antares" as Permanent Name for New Rocket Created by the Taurus II R&D Program Orbital Sciences Corp. 12 Dec 2011 -- Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB), one of the world’s leading space technology companies, today announced that Antares™ will be the permanent operational name for the medium-class launch vehicle created by its research and development program formerly known as Taurus II.
• Amos 5 and Loutch 5A communications satellites in orbit Thales 12 Dec 2011 -- The Amos 5 and Loutch 5A communications satellites were successfully launched yesterday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on a Proton rocket with Briz-M booster. Amos 5 was launched for the Israeli operator Spacecom, and Louch-5A for Roscosmos, the Russian space agency.