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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Force Captures Taliban Leader in Helmand Province AFPS 28 Dec 2011 -- An Afghan-led and coalition-supported security force captured a Taliban leader during an operation in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province today, military officials reported.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Makin Island ARG Underway Following Singapore Port Visit NNS 28 Dec 2011 -- The three ships that make up the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) got underway once again Dec. 27, following a Christmas holiday port visit to Singapore.
• Northern Region Treatment System Begins Construction at Camp Pendleton NNS 28 Dec 2011 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest and members of the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton community held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Northern Region Tertiary Treatment Plant Dec. 15 at Camp Pendleton.
• Atterbury opens new IED simulator Army News 28 Dec 2011 -- Provincial Reconstruction Team Kapisa, who is currently training at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center for an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan, was the first PRT to train on a new virtual reality combat simulator Dec. 16.
• Larijani: IRGC plays key role in maintaining country's security IRNA 28 Dec 2011 -- Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani said on Wednesday that the Islamic Revolution's Guard Corps (IRGC) has played a key role in maintaining the security of the country's air space.
• Official: Iranian drones operate successfully in 'Velayat-90' drills IRNA 28 Dec 2011 -- Spokesman for the grand 'Velayat-90' war games said the Iranian Navy drones conducted successful patrolling and surveillance operations.
• Navy will react to any threat strongly: commander IRNA 28 Dec 2011 -- Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said Wednesday that Iran's naval forces will strongly react to any threat against the country.
• Ahmadinejad warns regional countries on serving U.S. interests ISNA 28 Dec 2011 -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned certain regional countries on buying weapons from the U.S. and using them to serve interests of Washington.
• Iran warns of tough response to threats ISNA 28 Dec 2011 -- Iranian Navy Commander Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said the country would give tough response to threats, as highlighting the Navy's capabilities in defending the nation.
• Iran conducts mining operation in naval exercise ISNA 28 Dec 2011 -- Iranian Navy carried out defense mining operation in the fifth day of naval drill codenamed 'Velayat-e 90' on Wednesday.
• France Urges Iran To Respect Hormuz Shipping Rights RFE/RL 28 Dec 2011 -- France has called on Iran to respect international law allowing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz after Tehran threatened to stop oil moving through the strategic shipping lane.
• Paris calls on Iran not to block Hormuz strait RIA Novosti 28 Dec 2011 -- The French foreign ministry called on Iran to observe international laws and refrain from blocking the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important oil routes.
• US Will Not 'Tolerate' Disruption of Vital Oil Strait Traffic VOA 28 Dec 2011 -- The U.S. military says it will not tolerate disruptions in Strait of Hormuz traffic as Iran has threatened to block oil shipments coming through the waterway.
• U.S. has not raised price of arms package: MND CNA 28 Dec 2011 -- The Ministry of National Defense (MND) denied Wednesday that the United States government has asked Taiwan to pay US$2 billion more for a recently approved military aircraft retrofit package.
• Naval ships built with Taiwan-U.S. collaboration decommissioned CNA 28 Dec 2011 -- A decommission ceremony for two naval vessels built with collaboration with the United States took place Wednesday in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, witnessed by the ships' crew and their families.
• Taiwan reportedly to complete air defense upgrade by 2012 CNA 28 Dec 2011 -- An ongoing military project to strengthen Taiwan's air defense at airports will be completed by the end of next year, sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday.
• Russian nuclear sub 'ready' for India transfer RIA Novosti 28 Dec 2011 -- Russia's Nerpa nuclear submarine has finished sea trials and is now ready to be leased to the Indian navy in the next few days, an engineer said on Wednesday.
• India, Oman extends MOU on Military Cooperation to 2015 IRNA 28 Dec 2011 -- India and Oman have extended the validity of the existing bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Military Cooperation, signed in December 2005, for a further period of five years.
• Pakistan, India term nuclear CBMs talks cordial IRNA 28 Dec 2011 -- Senior Pakistani and Indian officials have concluded two-day talks on conventional and nuclear Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs) in Islamabad on positive note, a joint statement said.
• December 28, 2011 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 28 Dec 2011

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for December 28, 2011

Other Conflicts

• Syria frees over 750 anti-government protesters RIA Novosti 28 Dec 2011 -- Syrian authorities on Wednesday freed 755 people arrested during anti-government protests, the national TV channel Syria reported.
• Monitoring mission in Syria may remove need for UN measures - Lavrov RIA Novosti 28 Dec 2011 -- If the League of Arab Nations monitoring mission relaxes tensions in Syria and gives an impetus to a multi-party dialogue there will be no need for UN Security Council measures, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.
• Activists: Syrian Forces Fire at Protesters While Monitors Tour Country VOA 28 Dec 2011 -- Activists say Syrian security forces fired shots at protesters in Hama on Wednesday as Arab League monitors toured other regions to track the extent of the government's crackdown on dissent.
• Ban voices deep concern at ethnic tensions in South Sudan UN News Centre 28 Dec 2011 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed deep concern today about continuing ethnic tensions in South Sudan's Jonglei state, where there are reports of fresh rounds of deadly clashes and claims that thousands of armed youth are preparing to attack members of a rival community.
• In Libya, UN calls for greater role of civil society in political transition UN News Centre 28 Dec 2011 -- Civil society must play an important role in Libya’s political transition in the wake of its civil war, the United Nations top envoy to the country said as he visited two towns in Libya's Nafousa Mountains region.
• KENYA: Deaths, displacement in Isiolo fighting IRIN 28 Dec 2011 -- Fighting between communities over grazing land in northern Kenya's Isiolo region has led to at least 10 deaths and the displacement of some 2,000 people in the past three days, according to local leaders and residents.
• Somalis Fear End of US Remittances Will Empower Militants VOA 28 Dec 2011 -- At the end of this week, citizens of Somalia will lose one of their biggest sources of money. That is when a U.S. bank cuts off cash transfers to the war-torn and famine-stricken country. Somalis in Nairobi say the move - intended to stop funding for Somali militants - will hurt ordinary people instead.

News Reports

• Ceremony of Bidding Last Farewell to Kim Jong Il Held KCNA 28 Dec 2011 -- A solemn ceremony of bidding last farewell to Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, took place in Pyongyang on Wednesday.
• North Korea Holds Funeral For 'Dear Leader' RFE/RL 28 Dec 2011 -- Thousands of weeping North Koreans have lined the snowy streets of Pyongyang to pay their last respects to their "Dear Leader," Kim Jong Il, during his state funeral procession.
• North Korea holds huge funeral for Kim Jong-il RIA Novosti 28 Dec 2011 -- Hundreds of thousands are expected to pay their last respects to former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il as the reclusive country begins a two-day funeral service for its deceased 'dear leader.'
• North Korea Bids A Snowy, Dramatic Farewell to Kim Jong Il VOA 28 Dec 2011 -- Snowy streets and wails of grief dominated the live broadcast from North Korea state television Wednesday, as the reclusive state bid farewell to its absolute leader, Kim Jong Il. International media were barred from the event.
• Putin calls for dialogue with opposition RIA Novosti 28 Dec 2011 -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said he was ready for dialogue with the opposition, including his rivals at the presidential polls.
• Japan keen on having civil nuclear deal with India IRNA 28 Dec 2011 -- Notwithstanding the Fukushima incident, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda today made it clear that his country was keen on having a civil nuclear deal with India, hoping that it will be finalised soon.
• Pakistani intelligence official shot dead IRNA 28 Dec 2011 -- Unidentified gunmen shot dead an intelligence official in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday night, officials said.
• Soyuz 2.1a with six Globalstar satellites launched from Baikonur RIA Novosti 28 Dec 2011 -- The rocket carrier Soyuz 2.1a with Fregat booster and six American Globalstar-2 satellites has been launched from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan, Federal Space Agency of the Russian Federation (Roscosmos) said.
• Calm returns to Guinea-Bissau after disturbances - UN UN News Centre 28 Dec 2011 -- Calm has returned to Guinea-Bissau and the Government is functioning normally two days after a group of military officers attacked the army headquarters in an attempt to seize weapons, a spokesperson for the United Nations peacebuilding mission in the country said today.