Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 05 Jan 2012 [PDF]
• Combined Force Kills Taliban Leader AFPS 05 Jan 2012 -- An Afghan and coalition security force killed a Taliban leader in the Mazar-e Sharif district of Afghanistan’s Balkh province.
• Apache strikes senior Taliban commander UK MOD 05 Jan 2012 -- A senior Taliban commander has been killed by an Apache helicopter strike during an operation conducted by British and Afghan soldiers.
• Marines control air in southwestern Afghanistan USMC News 05 Jan 2012 -- Fewer than 100 Marines control nearly 100,000 square miles of airspace in southwestern Afghanistan.
• AWACS crew coordinates rescue in Afghanistan AFNS 05 Jan 2012 -- Helping rescue downed pilots isn't something Airmen aboard an E-3 Sentry do regularly, but that's exactly what happened to one crew from the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Dec. 30.
• Afghan president welcomes Taliban move to negotiate peace with U.S. RIA Novosti 05 Jan 2012 -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai welcomed the Taliban’s intention to negotiate a peace deal with the United States.
• Bagram Prison To Be Transferred To Afghan Control RFE/RL 05 Jan 2012 -- A statement from Afghan President Hamid Karzai's office said that Bagram prison, currently run by the United States-led international coalition, is to be handed over to Afghan control within a month.
• Reserve MPs mentor, prepare Afghan soldiers for vital operations Army News 05 Jan 2012 -- Since April, members of the 785th Military Police Battalion have mentored Afghan National Army soldiers here in order to prepare them to assume operations as coalition forces drawn down in the coming months.
• Corps of Engineers builds future of Afghan army, police force Army News 05 Jan 2012 -- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials toured several projects that represent the breadth of the agency's efforts to develop facilities for the Afghanistan National Army and Afghanistan National Police.
• Pakistani Taliban Kills 15 Abducted Security Officers VOA 05 Jan 2012 -- The Pakistani Taliban says it killed 15 paramilitary soldiers after abducting them late last month along the country's restive border with Afghanistan.
• Pakistani Taliban kill 15 abducted security men IRNA 05 Jan 2012 -- Pakistani Taliban said they have killed 15 security personnel who had been kidnapped last month.
• ICRC Employee Kidnapped In Pakistan RFE/RL 05 Jan 2012 -- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says one of its workers has been kidnapped in the city of Quetta in southwestern Pakistan.
• British national kidnapped in Pakistan IRNA 05 Jan 2012 -- A British national working for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), was kidnapped by unidentified armed men in southwestern Pakistan.
• U.S. Senators Protest Treatment Of Former Pakistani Ambassador RFE/RL 05 Jan 2012 -- The statement says senators are "increasingly troubled by Ambassador Haqqani's treatment since he returned home to Pakistan, including the travel ban imposed on him."
• Former Pakistani US envoy fears life threat IRNA 05 Jan 2012 -- Former Pakistani ambassador to Washington, Husain Haqqani, has said he would be murdered if he leaves official residence of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
• Last US Marine Stands Trial for Iraq Killings VOA 05 Jan 2012 -- The last U.S. Marine charged in the killings of 24 Iraqi civilians will stand trial this week in one of the most controversial criminal cases of the Iraq War.
• U.S. Marine Faces Trial In Iraq War's Biggest Criminal Case RFE/RL 05 Jan 2012 -- A U.S. Marine accused of leading a squad that killed 24 Iraqis in 2005 will stand trial in San Diego on January 6.
• Sectarian Violence Worsens In Iraq Amid Political Crisis RFE/RL 05 Jan 2012 -- More than 70 people have been killed in a wave of bombings targeting Shi'a in Iraq.
• Iraq: UN deplores deadly wave of bomb attacks UN News Centre 05 Jan 2012 -- The top United Nations official in Iraq strongly condemned the series of bombings across the country.
• Scores Dead as Bombings Shake Iraq During Political Crisis VOA 05 Jan 2012 -- Another wave of bombings against mostly Shi'ite targets in Iraq Thursday has left dozens dead and hundreds injured.
• At least 68 killed in Iraqi deadliest blasts RIA Novosti 05 Jan 2012 -- At least 68 people are reported to have been killed in Thursday’s suicide attacks targeting several Iraqi cities.
• Multiple Bombings Strike Baghdad VOA 05 Jan 2012 -- Iraqi officials say multiple bombs have exploded in Shi'ite areas of the capital, Baghdad, killing at least 27 people and wounding more than 60 others.
• U.S. Slaps Terrorist Designation On Al-Qaeda-Linked Kurdish Group RFE/RL 05 Jan 2012 -- The U.S. State Department has officially designated an Al-Qaeda-linked Kurdish group as a terrorist organization.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Remarks by the President on the Defense Strategic Review The White House 05 Jan 2012
• Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta Statement on Defense Strategic Guidance DoD 05 Jan 2012
• Statement as Prepared by Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta on the Defense Strategic Guidance DOD 05 Jan 2012
• Statement as Prepared by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey on the Defense Strategic Guidance DOD 05 Jan 2012
• Defense Strategic Guidance Media Roundtable at the Pentagon DoD 05 Jan 2012
• Defense Strategic Guidance Briefing from the Pentagon DoD 05 Jan 2012
• Secretary Clinton Statement on 21st Century Defense Priorities US Dept. of State 05 Jan 2012
• Statement by the NATO Secretary General on US Defence Review NATO 05 Jan 2012
• New Pentagon Strategy Sees Shift To Asia RFE/RL 05 Jan 2012 -- U.S. President Barack Obama has unveiled a new strategy for the U.S. military.
• Specifics Still to Come as DOD Unveils New Strategy AFPS 05 Jan 2012 -- Specifics on how the new defense strategic guidance will affect the Pentagon’s budget will take shape in the weeks to come.
• Guidance Guards Against All Threats, Officials Say AFPS 05 Jan 2012 -- New military strategy guidance unveiled at the Pentagon today does not change the Defense Department’s longstanding commitment to prevail against any adversary anywhere.
• Strategy Calls for Military to Handle Full Range of Contingencies AFPS 05 Jan 2012 -- The American military will be leaner in the years ahead, but it will remain lethal and without a match in the world, President Barack Obama said.
• Obama: Future Force Will be Smaller, Agile, Ready AFPS 05 Jan 2012 -- At a moment of national transition, the United States is reshaping defense priorities and its military force to sustain U.S. global leadership and respond to changing security and fiscal needs, President Barack Obama said.
• Obama: Defense Strategy Will Maintain U.S. Military Pre-eminence AFPS 05 Jan 2012 -- President Barack Obama announced a defense strategy he said will allow the military to defend the United States and its national interests.
• Obama Unveils Strategy for Smaller, Agile Future US Military VOA 05 Jan 2012 -- President Barack Obama and U.S. defense officials have unveiled the results of a new strategy review to maintain U.S. military superiority.
• Obama to Unveil New Military Shaped by Budget Cuts VOA 05 Jan 2012 -- U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to unveil a new defense plan reflecting billions of dollars in budget cuts and ending a decades-old strategy of being prepared to fight two wars at once.
• U.S. to cut armed forces - Obama RIA Novosti 05 Jan 2012 -- The U.S. President Barack Obama unveiled on Thursday a new defense strategy that seeks to cut the country’s armed forces as a part of major cuts to the U.S. defense budget by almost $500 billion.
• Presidential Memorandum -- Delegation of a Certain Function and Authority Conferred upon the President by Section 1235(c) of the Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 The White House 05 Jan 2012
• Army organization supports DOD flight tests, modifications Army News 05 Jan 2012 -- It is no secret that military technology is put through extensive experimentation and testing before it is added to the Warfighter's toolbox.
• Army network integration facilities simulate battlefield environment Army News 05 Jan 2012 -- Armed with the ability to recreate a battlefield network environment in its multiple integrated testing facilities here, the Army is providing advanced technologies to the field faster and with greater efficiency.
• Natick plays major role in face transplants Army News 05 Jan 2012 -- Biomedical Translational Initiative funded through a contract issued by the Army Contracting Command-Aberdeen Proving Ground, Natick Contracting Division, in September of 2009.
• Carson breaks ground for shared shooting complex Army News 05 Jan 2012 -- El Paso County, 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson leadership broke ground Dec. 15 to begin building a massive outdoor shooting complex.
• Rules Restrict Political Activity by DOD Personnel AFPS 05 Jan 2012 -- With election activity steadily picking up, defense officials are in the process of issuing regular election-year guidance to remind military and Defense Department civilians that they're subject to rules regulating their involvement in political activities.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 1/5/2012 The White House 05 Jan 2012
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing, January 5, 2012 US Dept. of State 05 Jan 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 05, 2012
• Eurocopter’s Helibras subsidiary to provide spare parts and services for the entire Brazilian Armed Forces’ EC725 helicopter fleet EADS 05 Jan 2012 -- The Helibras subsidiary of Eurocopter will supply and manage all spare parts, stocks and related technical support for the Brazilian armed forces’ fleet of 50 EC725 helicopters, offering significant savings and operational synergies for the country’s three military services operating the twin-engine rotary-wing aircraft.
• Rafael Completed Acquisition of 50% of Controp Rafael 05 Jan 2012 -- Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. completed this week the acquisition of 50% of Controp shares, pursuant to receiving the approval of the Ministers' Committee on Economic and Social Affairs and of the Restraint on Trade Controller.
• Raytheon and Thales Australia Deliver Next Generation Desktop to Australia's Department of Defence Raytheon 05 Jan 2012 -- Raytheon Trusted Computer Solutions (RTCS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Raytheon Company, has announced a partnership with Thales Australia to deliver an innovative next generation desktop (NGD) environment to Australia's Department of Defence.
• General Dynamics Awarded $96 Million to Support Trident II Submarine Strategic Weapons Systems General Dynamics 05 Jan 2012 -- The U.S. Navy recently awarded General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems a $95.9 million contract for production and deployed-systems support of U.S. and U.K. Trident II submarine strategic weapons systems, including the SSBN fire-control system, the SSGN attack weapon-control system, the U.S. SSBN-replacement and the U.K. SSBN-successor common missile compartment.

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, 5 January 2012 United Nations 05 Jan 2012
• Qatari Prime Minister Says 'Mistakes' Made During Arab League Syria Mission VOA 05 Jan 2012 -- Qatar's prime minister says there have been "some mistakes" in the Arab League's observer mission in Syria.
• Syria Releases Prisoners VOA 05 Jan 2012 -- Syria has released more than 500 prisoners detained in anti-government protests.
• Syria frees over 550 anti-government protesters RIA Novosti 05 Jan 2012 -- Syrian authorities freed 552 people arrested during anti-government protests.
• US Calls for North Korean Restraint VOA 05 Jan 2012 -- Just weeks after North Korea announced the death of its leader, Kim Jong Il, diplomatic activity has resumed on how to engage Pyongyang.
• South Korea Proposes High-Level Talks With North VOA 05 Jan 2012 -- South Korea says it wants to resume face-to-face talks with North Korea, despite Pyongyang's hard-line stance.
• KCNA on S. Korean Military KCNA 05 Jan 2012 -- Defense Minister of south Korea Kim Kwan Jin, in a recent address on the New Year, cried out for meting out a "stern punishment."
• CPRK Blasts Lee Myung Bak's New Year Address KCNA 05 Jan 2012 -- Lee Myung Bak of south Korea, in a "special new year address on state policy": If the north takes "a sincere attitude," the south can carve out a new "era of the Korean Peninsula" together with it.
• DPRK Consistent in Its Foreign Policy KCNA 05 Jan 2012 -- The DPRK remains unshakable in its stand on foreign policy.
• AU: Somalia's al-Shabab Being 'Systematically Destroyed' VOA 05 Jan 2012 -- Africa's top security official says the allied military offensive currently underway in Somalia is systematically destroying the al-Qaida linked militant group al-Shabab.
• UN boosts security and aid in wake of ethnic violence in South Sudan UN News Centre 05 Jan 2012 -- The United Nations is stepping up its peacekeeping presence in the troubled South Sudanese state of Jonglei.
• South Sudan Declares Humanitarian Disaster in Tribal Clash Area VOA 05 Jan 2012 -- South Sudan has declared a humanitarian disaster in the state of Jonglei, the site of deadly tribal clashes last week.
• South Sudanese Continue to Flee Violence along the Border VOA 05 Jan 2012 -- The number of civilians fleeing violence along a remote border area of South Sudan has increased over the past few days.
• Bomb Blasts Target Northern Nigeria VOA 05 Jan 2012 -- Bombs have exploded in two northern Nigerian cities, less than a week after the country's president declared a state of emergency in the region.
• India would deal with any gov't in Pakistan: Foreign secretary IRNA 05 Jan 2012 -- India Thursday said it would prefer democracy in Pakistan but was willing to work with any dispensation to normalise ties.
• Is Libya Sliding Toward Civil War? RFE/RL 05 Jan 2012 -- It's been more than two months since antiregime fighters captured and killed former Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi.
• Libya: UN official impressed by cities emerging from conflict UN News Centre 05 Jan 2012 -- A senior United Nations official has visited the Libyan cities of Bani Walid, Sirte and Misrata.
• The UK's contribution to freeing Libya UK MOD 05 Jan 2012 -- At its peak the UK had around 4,000 personnel, 37 aircraft and four ships committed to the operation to support Libyan civilians under threat from Colonel Gaddafi's regime.
• Armenian President Meets Army Chiefs In Karabakh RFE/RL 05 Jan 2012 -- Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian inspected military facilities in the breakaway Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh and met with Karabakh Armenian army commanders.
• UN voices concern over inter-communal violence in northern Kenya UN News Centre 05 Jan 2012 -- The United Nations humanitarian arm voiced concern over inter-communal clashes in northern Kenya.

News Reports

• DPRK Papers Call for All-out Advance toward Victory in 2012 KCNA 05 Jan 2012 -- Newspapers of the DPRK editorially call upon all the servicepersons and people to make a general advance for the proud victory in 2012 under the leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea.
• Kim Jong Il Praised for Leading Socialist Cause to Victory KCNA 05 Jan 2012 -- Rodong Sinmun dedicates a bylined article to the 20th anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il's work "The Historical Lesson in Building Socialism and the General Line of Our Party".
• Analysts Warn of Downside to Sanctions on Iran Oil Exports VOA 05 Jan 2012 -- Analysts say a possible European Union embargo on Iranian oil may do little to get Tehran to cooperate on its nuclear program.
• EU Moves Closer To Iran Oil Embargo RFE/RL 05 Jan 2012 -- European Union diplomats say they have reached a preliminary agreement to ban imports of Iranian oil.
• Tehran hails Moscow's diplomatic efforts over Iranian nuclear program RIA Novosti 05 Jan 2012 -- Iranian President Ahmadinejad:Tehran backed Moscow's diplomatic efforts to settle dispute over nuclear program.
• Prosecution Demands Death Penalty for Egypt's Mubarak VOA 05 Jan 2012 -- The top prosecutor in the trial of Hosni Mubarak has demanded the death penalty for the former Egyptian president and his two sons.
• Egypt Prosecutor Demands Death Sentence For Mubarak RFE/RL 05 Jan 2012 -- The prosecution in the case against Hosni Mubarak has demanded the death sentence for the former Egyptian president and other defendants.
• Egyptian prosecutors demand death sentence for Mubarak RIA Novosti 05 Jan 2012 -- Egypt’s Prosecutors General’s Office demanded a death sentence for the Egyptian ex-president, Hosni Mubarak, the country’s former interior minister and six other defendants.
• Analysis: Egypt's Brotherhood Needs Allies VOA 05 Jan 2012 -- A leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood says the group's Freedom and Justice Party is committed to working with others across the political spectrum.
• EGYPT: Calls for minors to be kept out of political clashes IRIN 05 Jan 2012 -- The involvement of children in violence during ongoing clashes between protesters and police in Egypt should be addressed because it is against international norms, say child rights activists.
• Electoral Experts to Study Disputed Congo Poll VOA 05 Jan 2012 -- Foreign election experts have arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo to discuss a possible review of disputed November polls.
• Burma Approves Suu Kyi's Opposition Party for Elections VOA 05 Jan 2012 -- Burmese opposition leaders say the government has approved Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party to run in by-elections due in April.
• Jailed Activists Mostly Left Out of Burma's Latest Prisoner Amnesty VOA 05 Jan 2012 -- Burma's President Thein Sein has won international praise for recent political reforms and engagement with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
• EU to Open Representative Office in Burma VOA 05 Jan 2012 -- The European Union says it will open a representative office in Burma in the near future.
• UK's Hague In Country's First Visit To Myanmar In Five Decades RFE/RL 05 Jan 2012 -- British Foreign Secretary William Hague has begun a landmark visit to Myanmar, the first British foreign secretary to visit the country since 1955.
• OSCE Will Not Monitor Turkmen Presidential Election RFE/RL 05 Jan 2012 -- The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights says it will not send observers to Turkmenistan's presidential election.
• Turkish Prosecutor Calls for Arrest of Retired Armed Forces Chief VOA 05 Jan 2012 -- A Turkish prosecutor has called for a former chief of the armed forces to be taken into custody over alleged involvement in a scheme to discredit the government.
• Experts find layouts on video clips exposing frauds at Russian parliamentary polls RIA Novosti 05 Jan 2012 -- Russian Interior Ministry’s experts found layouts what could mean the clips had been edited.
• South Africa Ruling ANC Celebrates 100 Year Anniversary VOA 05 Jan 2012 -- An official of South Africa's ruling African National Congress says over 40 African heads of state and government are scheduled to participate in the party's centennial celebrations.
• Former Israeli Leader Indicted On Corruption Charges RFE/RL 05 Jan 2012 -- Reports in Israel say former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has been indicted on new corruption charges for allegedly seeking bribes in a series of real estate projects.