Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 24 Jan 2012 [PDF]
• Statement by Ben Emmerson, UN Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights concerning the launch of an inquiry into the civilian impact, and human rights implications of the use drones and other forms of targeted killing for the purpose of counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency United Nations Human Rights 24 Jan 2012
• France Rules Out Hasty Afghan Withdrawal VOA 24 Jan 2012 -- France has ruled out a hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan after an Afghan soldier shot and killed four French troops last week.
• Combined Forces Kill 5 Insurgents, Detain 8 Suspects AFPS 24 Jan 2012 -- Afghan and coalition forces killed five insurgents and detained eight suspects during operations in eastern Afghanistan yesterday, military officials reported.
• 'Carl Gustaf' weapon extends Soldiers' lethal reach Army News 24 Jan 2012 -- With the need for Soldiers in Afghanistan to engage the enemy at longer distances, Picatinny Arsenal has completed an initial training and fielding of a weapon for traditional Army units previously used only by special operations commands.
• NMCB 7 Assumes Authority in Central Command NNS 24 Jan 2012 -- U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 7 assumed command of construction operations in Afghanistan from NMCB 1 during a transfer of authority (TOA) ceremony at the Battalion Headquarters aboard Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Jan. 18.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Remarks by the President in State of the Union Address The White House 24 Jan 2012
• President Announces Picks for Top DOD Posts AFPS 24 Jan 2012 -- President Barack Obama yesterday announced he will nominate four people to fill key Defense Department posts.
• Air Force Leaders Say Strategy Calls for F-22, F-35 Capabilities AFPS 24 Jan 2012 -- Fifth-generation fighter aircraft are key to America maintaining domain dominance in the years ahead, Air Force officials said here today.
• Panetta, Czech Republic Counterpart Discuss Key Issues AFPS 24 Jan 2012 -- Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta hosted the Czech Republic's top defense official here today to discuss several key issues, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. John Kirby said.
• U.S.-Japan Exercises Underscore New Strategy Guidance Focus AFPS 24 Jan 2012 -- Two bilateral command post exercises with Japan kicked off yesterday and today, reflecting the growing strategic importance of the Asia-Pacific region as outlined in the new defense strategy guidance President Barack Obama announced earlier this month.
• USS Frank Cable Arrives in Hawaii NNS 24 Jan 2012 -- Submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40) arrived in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, for a port visit, Jan. 23.
• Combat Rations Change to Reflect Troops' Palates AFPS 24 Jan 2012 -- For a sense of what's ahead for combat rations, check out offerings at one of the many sit-down chain restaurants that have sprung up like mushrooms around the country and outside many military bases.
• Mesa Verde Provides Assistance to Moroccan Mariners NNS 24 Jan 2012 -- Sailors and Marines aboard USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19) provided assistance to ten Morrocan mariners whose vessel had capsized three days earlier in the Mediterranean Sea, Jan. 24.
• EOD Diffuses World War II Era Projectile on Guam NNS 24 Jan 2012 -- Sailors from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 5 Det. Marianas disposed of an unexploded ordnance (UXO) found in the front yard of a civilian home in Dededo, Jan. 20.
• U.S. to Ask Russia about Combat Trainer Jet Sales to Syria RIA Novosti 24 Jan 2012 -- U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Jeff Feltman will request Russia to comment on the recently signed contract to sell combat trainer jets to Syria during his visit to Moscow, the U.S. Department of State Said.
• Russian Military to Buy 60 Italian Tactical Vehicles RIA Novosti 24 Jan 2012 -- Russia signed a deal with Italy in December on the semi-knocked down assembly of 60 Lynx light multirole armored vehicles (LMV) from Iveco, Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Sukhorukov said on Tuesday.
• France to Lay Down First Mistral for Russia in February RIA Novosti 24 Jan 2012 -- The first Mistral class amphibious assault ship for Russia will be laid down at the start of February in a French shipyard, a military industry official told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.
• Kalashnikov to Advise Russian Deputy PM RIA Novosti 24 Jan 2012 -- Legendary Russian gun designer Mikhail Kalashnikov agreed on Tuesday to become an aide to Dmitry Rogozin, the newly appointed deputy prime minister in charge of the country's defense industry, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported.
• Defense Ministry Signs Bulava Missile Contract RIA Novosti 24 Jan 2012 -- Russia's Defense Ministry has signed a contract for the manufacture of Bulava submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missiles through 2020, First Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Sukhorukov said on Tuesday.
• Russia Spared Militant Leader’s Promised Year of Sorrow RIA Novosti 24 Jan 2012
• Russian Air Force Tests New Air-to-Air Missile RIA Novosti 24 Jan 2012 -- The Russian Air Force is testing and will soon deploy an advanced tactical air-to-air missile that will greatly enhance its operational effectiveness, the service's commander Col Gen Alexander Zelin said on Tuesday.
• Ban urges UN forum to 'seize the moment' to advance disarmament UN News Centre 24 Jan 2012 -- Lamenting the lack of progress in recent years within the world's sole multilateral disarmament negotiating forum, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged its members to break the existing impasse and move the agenda forward.
• January 24, 2012 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 24 Jan 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 24, 2012
• US Navy Completes Raytheon Laser-guided Maverick Testing Raytheon 24 Jan 2012 -- The U.S. Navy completed developmental and operational testing (DT/OT) of the newest variant of the Raytheon Company laser-guided Maverick missile. This brings U.S. Sailors and Marines one step closer to conducting airborne precision engagements of rapidly moving targets in urban environments.
• Lockheed Martin-Built GPS Satellites Reach 150 Years of Combined On Orbit Service Lockheed Martin 24 Jan 2012 -- The U.S. Air Force’s fleet of Global Positioning System (GPS) Block IIR and IIR-M satellites has accumulated 150 collective years of successful on-orbit operations.

Other Conflicts

• 24 January 2012 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 24 Jan 2012
• Gulf States To Withdraw Observers From Syria Mission RFE/RL 24 Jan 2012 -- Gulf Arab states have announced that they plan to withdraw from the Arab League observer mission in Syria.
• Gulf Arab States Pull Observers from Syria RIA Novosti 24 Jan 2012 -- Gulf Arab States began on Tuesday to withdraw their 55 observers, who were part of the Arab League's observer mission in Syria, the head of the Arab League's Cairo operations room, Adnan al-Khudeir, said.
• Arab League: Syria Observers Need More Time VOA 24 Jan 2012 -- The Arab League says its observer mission to Syria will continue as long as Damascus agrees to it. But Gulf Arab states say they were pulling their observers out of the country.
• Russian Peacekeepers to Pull Out of South Sudan RIA Novosti 24 Jan 2012 -- Russia is to withdraw its peacekeeping troops from South Sudan, the Kremlin website reported on Tuesday.
• UN agency condemns air raids on refugee site in South Sudan UN News Centre 24 Jan 2012 -- The United Nations refugee agency today condemned two air raids near a refugee transit centre in South Sudan, saying that 14 people went missing during the attacks and that a teenage boy was injured.
• UN Condemns Refugee Camp Air Raids in South Sudan VOA 24 Jan 2012 -- The United Nations says it is 'alarmed' by air attacks on a South Sudan refugee camp holding about 5,000 people who had fled violence in neighboring Sudan.
• US Urging Sudan to Open Humanitarian Access to Conflict Areas VOA 24 Jan 2012 -- The United States is urging the government of Sudan to open humanitarian access to an area of conflict where aid officials say people are running out of food. The Obama administration is also pushing for an end to the conflict over oil revenues between Sudan and South Sudan.
• Nigeria Police Investigating Kano Attacks VOA 24 Jan 2012 -- Police in Nigeria's second largest city, Kano, are keeping a low profile after Islamic militants struck their offices and killed many of their colleagues in a series of daring bomb attacks.
• DRC-CONGO: Refugee returns to start in April IRIN 24 Jan 2012 -- Up to 120,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will be helped to return home from the north of neighbouring Republic of Congo after more than two years.
• UN official urges Israelis and Palestinians to intensify efforts to resolve conflict UN News Centre 24 Jan 2012 -- A senior United Nations political official today urged Israel and the Palestinians to redouble efforts to resolve all their permanent status issues, end the conflict and establish an independent and democratic Palestinian state that will exist peacefully alongside Israel.
• Somalia: UN envoy re-establishes office in Mogadishu after 17-year hiatus UN News Centre 24 Jan 2012 -- The United Nations envoy for Somalia, Augustine P. Mahiga, today formally moved his office back to the country's capital, Mogadishu, from neighbouring Kenya, where it has been based for 17 years.
• Ban spends second day at UN-backed Cyprus reunification talks UN News Centre 24 Jan 2012 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is meeting again today in New York with the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities in their latest round of talks aimed at reunifying the divided Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus.
• ICC prosecutor hails ruling on Kenya as crucial step for country's future UN News Centre 24 Jan 2012 -- The recent ruling by the International Criminal Court (ICC) requiring four prominent Kenyans to stand trial for crimes against humanity allegedly committed in late 2007 represents a significant step towards a peaceful future in the country, the Court's prosecutor said today.
• Côte d'Ivoire: Relief support key to reconstruction and development – UN official UN News Centre 24 Jan 2012 -- A senior United Nations relief official stressed today that assisting the people of Côte d'Ivoire in overcoming their current humanitarian difficulties will lay the foundation for the country's transition to reconstruction and development after last year's bloody post-election violence.

News Reports

• Moscow criticizes US, EU unilateral sanctions against Iran IRNA 24 Jan 2012 -- Deputy chairman of Russia Duma's foreign affaires committee Andrei Klimov, in a TV program, criticized unilateral sanctions of the USA and the European Union against Iran.
• China considers new EU act against Iran 'harmful' IRNA 24 Jan 2012 -- A Chinese newspaper wrote on Tuesday that Chinese government believes European Union new sanctions against Iran are 'harmful'.
• More U.S. Sanctions Against Iran to Follow - Obama RIA Novosti 24 Jan 2012 -- The United States will continue to impose sanctions against Iran over its controversial nuclear program, U.S. President Barack Obama said.
• Iran Summons Danish Envoy to Protest EU Ban VOA 24 Jan 2012 -- Iran has summoned the Danish ambassador in Tehran to protest what it calls the European Union's 'illogical' decision to ban Iranian oil imports.
• Statement by the Press Secretary on Egypt’s Transition to Democracy The White House 24 Jan 2012
• Egypt Lifts Decades-Old State of Emergency RIA Novosti 24 Jan 2012 -- The 30-year-long state of emergency in Egypt will be lifted from Wednesday, the head of the country's ruling military council, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, said on Tuesday.
• Egypt’s SCAF Vests Parliament with Legislative Power RIA Novosti 24 Jan 2012 -- The Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF), which ruled Egypt since the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak, delegated legislative and monitoring powers to parliament, the MENA news agency said on Tuesday.
• Egypt's Tantawi to Partially Lift State of Emergency Wednesday VOA 24 Jan 2012 -- Egyptian military ruler Mohamed Hussein Tantawi says he will partially lift the country's 30-year-long state of emergency, beginning on Wednesday. Egypt has been under pressure to lift the measure from human rights groups as well as many countries, including the United States.
• French Upper House Sends Genocide Bill To President RFE/RL 24 Jan 2012 -- The French Senate has approved a bill that would make it a criminal offense to deny Armenians suffered genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turks during World War I.
• Turkey Condemns French Senate's Genocide Vote RFE/RL 24 Jan 2012 -- Turkey has condemned the French Senate's adoption of a bill making it a criminal offense to deny genocide, including the mass killings of Armenians in eastern Turkey nearly a century ago.
• Turkey Calls French Armenia Genocide Bill 'Racist' RFE/RL 24 Jan 2012 -- Turkey has denounced as “racist" and "discriminatory” a new French measure making it a criminal offense to deny that a genocide of Armenians by Ottoman Turks occurred.
• French Senate Outlaws Genocide Denial RIA Novosti 24 Jan 2012 -- France's upper house of parliament, the Senate, passed a bill late on Monday making the denial of genocide a crime punishable by a 45,000-euro fine and a year in jail.
• Progress Space Freighter Undocks from ISS RIA Novosti 24 Jan 2012 -- The Progress M-13M space freighter with the Chibis-M micro-satellite undocked early on Tuesday from the International Space Station (ISS), a mission control spokesman said.
• Tymoshenko to Face Further Criminal Charges RIA Novosti 24 Jan 2012 -- Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko could face an even lengthier jail sentence after the Ukrainian Security Service completed a pretrial probe into her case Friday, Ukrainian Deputy Prosecutor General Evgeny Blajivsky said.
• EU Prepares Fresh Sanctions for Belarus RIA Novosti 24 Jan 2012 -- The European Union is preparing to impose new sanctions against Belarusian companies and individuals that are deemed responsible for human rights violations, a European Council spokesperson told RIA Novosti.
• Life Terms Sought in Russia Train Bombing RIA Novosti 24 Jan 2012 -- Life sentences are being sought for four men accused in the 2009 bombing of a Russian train that killed 27 people and injured more than 100, the Prosecutor General's Office said on Tuesday.
• Uzbekistan Suspects Russian of Terrorism RIA Novosti 24 Jan 2012 -- An Uzbek-born Russian citizen, Sanjarbek Satvaldiev, is on trial in the Uzbek city of Andijan, accused of links to the international terrorist organizations, including Al Qaeda, the Uzbek Uznews.net news website reported Tuesday.
• ATK Completes Third Space Act Agreement Milestone for Liberty under NASA's Commercial Crew Program ATK 24 Jan 2012 -- ATK's Liberty program successfully held its Launch System Initial Systems Design (ISD) Review, which completes the third of five milestones in the company's unfunded Space Act Agreement (SAA) with NASA for the Commercial Crew Development Program.
• Thales Alenia Space España participated in 29 of the Satellites placed into Orbit in 2011 Thales 24 Jan 2012 -- It has participated to 22 out of 37 commercial telecommunications satellites launched in the world