Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 31 Jan 2012 [PDF]
• Combined Force Captures Taliban Leader AFPS 31 Jan 2012 -- An Afghan-led and coalition-supported security force captured a Taliban leader during an operation in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province.
• Afghan police and British soldiers take on insurgents UK MOD 31 Jan 2012 -- Soldiers from 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (1 YORKS) and their Afghan police partners have taken on insurgents during high-tempo operations deep in Taliban territory.
• Afghans Say Police Not Ready for Security Control VOA 31 Jan 2012 -- A public-opinion survey by the United Nations indicates that roughly 80 percent of Afghans believe the country's police force is not ready to take over security control from international forces.
• Eight In 10 Afghans Think Police Not Ready For Job RFE/RL 31 Jan 2012 -- The United Nations has released an opinion survey showing that eight in 10 Afghans do not think the Afghan National Police are ready to take charge of law and order.
• Former US Officials See War 'Fatigue' From Afghan Conflict VOA 31 Jan 2012 -- The U.S. and NATO goal is to hand over combat operations to the Afghan security and armed forces by the end of 2014.
• Obama Confirms Drone Strikes in Pakistan VOA 31 Jan 2012 -- U.S. President Barack Obama has publicly acknowledged for the first time that the United States uses drone strikes against militants in Pakistan.
• Obama Confirms Drone Strikes In Pakistan RFE/RL 31 Jan 2012 -- U.S. President Barack Obama has made a rare admission about U.S. unmanned "drone" aircraft attacks in Pakistani territory.
• Pakistan Repeats Condemnation of Drone Strikes VOA 31 Jan 2012 -- Pakistan has repeated its condemnation of U.S. drone strikes a day after President Barack Obama for the first time publicly acknowledged the use of such attacks against militants in Pakistan.
• Pakistan terms US drone strikes counterproductive IRNA 31 Jan 2012 -- Pakistan said that the US unmanned drone strikes inside its territory are illegal and counterproductive.
• Clashes in Northwest Pakistan Kill 50 VOA 31 Jan 2012 -- Pakistani officials say at least 50 people have been killed in fighting between the military and Taliban in the country's northwest.
• Dozens Reported Killed As Pakistan Army, Taliban Fight For Mountaintop RFE/RL 31 Jan 2012 -- Pakistani military officials say more than 300 Taliban fighters attacked a military post in the Kurram tribal region shortly after midnight on January 31.
• Human Rights Watch Blasts Impunity Of Pakistan Security Agency RFE/RL 31 Jan 2012 -- Human Rights Watch is criticizing what it calls "impunity" for Pakistan's powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency.
• Lincoln Strike Group Assists Distressed Iranian Mariners NNS 31 Jan 2012 -- Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group assets responded to a distressed Iranian fishing dhow in the Arabian Gulf, Jan. 31.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Intelligence Chief Describes Complex Challenges AFPS 31 Jan 2012 -- America and the world are facing the most complex set of challenges in at least 50 years.
• Department of Defense Announces Winners of $18.0 Million Fund to Improve Battlefield Energy Security DoD 31 Jan 2012
• Drones – Who Makes Them And Who Has Them? RFE/RL 31 Jan 2012 -- A drone, or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), is a pilotless plane which can be guided by remote control, or can navigate automatically based on pre-programmed software.
• USASAC FMS Program Helps Iraq Transition to Security Self Reliance Army News 31 Jan 2012 -- The US lowered its flag in Baghdad December 15, 2011 officially ending the American military mission in Iraq.
• Tobyhanna begins new Marine Corps radar mission Army News 31 Jan 2012 -- Even the toughest Marine needs top-notch equipment and support to bring the fight to the enemy.
• ‘Bold Alligator’ Helps to Sustain Amphibious Operations AFPS 31 Jan 2012 -- As the Navy and Marine Corps continue “Bold Alligator,” their largest joint, multinational amphibious assault exercise in 10 years, it is important that both services sustain amphibious operations.
• Wasp Sets Stage For Bold Alligator 2012 NNS 31 Jan 2012 -- Sailors and Marines aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp set sail Jan. 30 to initiate the live phase of exercise Bold Alligator 2012.
• Kearsarge Departs for Bold Alligator 2012 NNS 31 Jan 2012 -- The amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge departed Naval Station Norfolk Jan. 30 to participate in Exercise Bold Alligator 2012.
• 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit conducts final at-sea training exercise USMC News 31 Jan 2012 -- The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and their Navy counterparts of Amphibious Squadron 8 kicked off their final training evolution today to prepare their Marines and Sailors for an upcoming deployment this spring.
• 1-228th Aviation Reg. provides real-world mission support to Army South, SOUTHCOM theater security Army News 31 Jan 2012 -- The unit is responsible for promoting and executing aviation operations to facilitate U.S. Southern Command's strategy of engagement and security in theater.
• New Mexico Tests Its Capabilities During Fellowship 2012 NNS 31 Jan 2012 -- The crew of the USS New Mexico joined the Royal Navy's newest Astute-class, fast-attack submarine HMS Astute for the Fellowship 2012 exercise.
• The Joint Multinational Readiness Center Opens 2012 With OMLT Training Army News 31 Jan 2012 -- The Joint Multinational Readiness Center began its 2012 training schedule this month with the completion of a seventeen day Operational Mentor and Liaison Team exercise.
• 21st TSC-Italy units sustain a variety of services Army News 31 Jan 2012 -- Those of the belief that 'life moves a little slower south of the Alps' might change their minds if they spent a few minutes with the Soldiers and civilians of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command based in Italy.
• USS Vella Gulf Concludes Port Visit to Sevastopol, Ukraine NNS 31 Jan 2012 -- The guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) concluded its port visit to Sevastopol, Ukraine, Jan. 30.
• SecAF releases statement on OSC report AFNS 31 Jan 2012 -- Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley released a statement Jan. 31 regarding the Office of Special Counsel's report concerning the investigation into reprisals against the whistleblowers at the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations.
• Probe Finds Dover Supervisors Targeted Whistleblowers AFPS 31 Jan 2012 -- The Office of Special Counsel has determined that supervisors at the U.S. Port Mortuary at Dover Air Force Base, Del., retaliated against four employees who tried to expose wrongdoing at the facility.
• AF concludes military transfer case photo investigation AFNS 31 Jan 2012 -- The investigation of the 345th Training Squadron's Air Transportation Course class graduation photograph concluded recently.
• Reducing Energy Demand Increases Effectiveness, Official Says AFPS 31 Jan 2012 -- The Defense Department’s announcement of $18 million to fund six military programs designed to reduce energy demand is primarily about increasing military effectiveness, a senior Pentagon official said.
• Military Health System Works to Slow Cost Growth AFPS 31 Jan 2012 -- The $50 billion military health system will plan for its future by slowing the growth rate of health care costs, strengthening partnerships and focusing on prevention, primary care and chronic disease management.
• Russia to Modernize 30 Tu-22M3 Bombers by 2020 RIA Novosti 31 Jan 2012 -- About 30 Tu-22M3 strategic bombers from Russia's Long Range Aviation fleet will be modernized by 2020.
• Russia to Field Air-Launched Missiles for T-50 by 2014 RIA Novosti 31 Jan 2012 -- Russia will complete development of advanced tactical air-launched missile systems for the Sukhoi T-50 fifth-generation fighter within the next two years.
• Armored Vehicles to Blend with Traffic RIA Novosti 31 Jan 2012 -- Russia's Interior Troops, whose duties include dispersing mass protests, will switch to a new type of armored vehicle that allows for swift deployment.
• Russia to Sell 60 Armored Vehicles to Indonesia RIA Novosti 31 Jan 2012 -- Russia is set to sell up to 60 infantry fighting vehicles to Indonesia in a deal worth more than $100 million.
• Russian Missile Maker Lost $790 mln over Libya War RIA Novosti 31 Jan 2012 -- Russian air-launched missile maker Russian Tactical Missiles suffered a loss of $791.22 million worth of contracts with Libya in 2011 due to the civil war there.
• Russian Naval Task Force Visits Philippines RIA Novosti 31 Jan 2012 -- A Pacific Fleet task force led by the Admiral Panteleyev destroyer arrived on Tuesday in the capital of Philippines, Manila, on a friendly visit.
• U.S. Police to Buy Izhmash Shotguns RIA Novosti 31 Jan 2012 -- Izhmash will supply Saiga-12 semi-automatic smoothbore shotguns to a number of police forces in the U.S.
• RFA Fort Victoria disembarks pirates for prosecution in the Seychelles UK MOD 31 Jan 2012 -- A group of suspected pirates caught by a Royal Navy operation in the Indian Ocean will face justice in the Seychelles.
• NATO-sponsored project to help secure dangerous munitions in Tajikistan NATO 31 Jan 2012 -- Fifteen years after the end of a civil war, Tajikistan is left with thousands of tonnes of munitions insecurely stored in makeshift storage sites across the country.
• France Lands Indian Fighter Jet Deal VOA 31 Jan 2012 -- India has decided to buy 126 fighter jets from French firm Dassault in a $11 billion deal that is one of the world's largest arms contracts.
• French Rafale Wins Indian Fighter Tender RIA Novosti 31 Jan 2012 -- France’s Dassault Rafale has won a $10 billion tender for 126 fighter aircraft from the Indian Air Force.
• 14 countries to join India in naval exercise IRNA 31 Jan 2012 -- Aiming to strengthen cooperation among navies in region, Indian Navy will host 14 of its counterparts from South East Asia, Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region for eighth edition of Milan exercise in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• India, Japan Coast Guards conclude exercise IRNA 31 Jan 2012 -- Coast Guards of India and Japan concluded an exercise near Chennai simulating to counter maritime threats in Asia-Pacific region and to formulate a cooperative approach to address these concerns.
• India successfully test flies 'Lakshya-I' IRNA 31 Jan 2012 -- Indigenously developed micro-light and pilotless target aircraft ?Lakshya-1’ was successfully test flown from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur.
• Minehunters to be delivered to Taiwan this year: Defense Ministry CNA 31 Jan 2012 -- Two overhauled Osprey-class coastal minehuntersare scheduled to be delivered in the middle of this year.
• Minister unveils two defense projects IRNA 31 Jan 2012 -- Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi unveiled two important defense projects on the threshold of the 33th victory anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 1/31/12 The White House 31 Jan 2012
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing, January 31, 2012 US Dept. of State 31 Jan 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 31, 2012
• General Dynamics Awarded $24 Million F-35 Lightning II Gun System Contract General Dynamics 31 Jan 2012 -- General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, a business unit of General Dynamics, was awarded a $23.6 million contract by Lockheed Martin Corp. for production of more than two dozen GAU-22/A gun systems for the F-35 Lightning II.
• Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Team to Provide SEWIP Electronic Attack Capability for U.S. Navy Anti-Ship Missile Defense Lockheed Martin 31 Jan 2012 -- Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Company are teaming to compete for a U.S. Navy contract that will upgrade the fleet’s capability to electronically attack anti-ship missiles.
• Lockheed Martin Awarded $66 Million Contract to Support U.S. Army Research Lab Lockheed Martin 31 Jan 2012 -- The U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, awarded Lockheed Martin a $66 million contract to stand up the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases Replacement Laboratory at Fort Detrick, Md.
• Thales and A&P Group cooperate on HMAS CHOULES Thales 31 Jan 2012 -- UK-based A&P Group and Thales Australia have signed an agreement to provide through life support services to HMAS CHOULES – the Royal Australian Navy’s new Bay Class Landing Ship Dock.

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, 31 January 2012 United Nations 31 Jan 2012
• Press Conference by Security Council President for January, 31 January 2012 United Nations 31 Jan 2012
• Analysis: The Middle East's "invisible refugees" IRIN 31 Jan 2012 -- Among the migrants who found themselves caught up in Libya during last year's war was a group of people whom one University of Oxford researcher calls "invisible": refugees who travel to third countries for work or better education.
• Secretary Clinton Remarks Following UNSC Meeting on Syria US Dept. of State 31 Jan 2012
• Secretary Clinton Remarks at a United Nations Security Council Session on the Situation in Syria US Dept. of State 31 Jan 2012
• Arab League to UN: End Syrian ‘Killing Machine’ Now VOA 31 Jan 2012 -- The Arab League is urging the U.N. Security Council to support its political plan to end the crisis in Syria, where more than 5,400 people have died during the past 10 months.
• Security Council debates situation in Syria UN News Centre 31 Jan 2012 -- The Security Council this afternoon began debate on the situation in Syria, where thousands of people have been killed over the past 10 months.
• Russia Says UN Resolution on Syria Risks Civil War VOA 31 Jan 2012 -- Russia is warning that effort to push the U.N. Security Council into adopting a resolution on Syria will put that nation on a path to civil war.
• Clinton to Urge Security Council Action on Syria VOA 31 Jan 2012 -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is set to urge the U.N. Security Council to support an Arab League peace plan for Syria.
• UN Chief Says Security Council Must Overcome Differences On Syria RFE/RL 31 Jan 2012 -- UN Secretary-General Ban said ahead of an eagerly awaited Security Council meeting on Syria that the council needs to overcome differences over an Arab League plan to bring an end to violence there.
• EU Calls on UN to Stop Syria Violence RIA Novosti 31 Jan 2012 -- The European Union has urged the UN Security Council to take immediate steps to end the violence in Syria despite Russia’s opposition to an Arab League-supported UN draft resolution.
• Syrian Troops Crush Damascus Resistance Ahead Of UN Debate RFE/RL 31 Jan 2012 -- Syrian rights activists say Syrian troops have been crushing pockets of resistance on the outskirts of Damascus.
• Moscow Looks Set to Veto UN Syria Resolution RIA Novosti 31 Jan 2012 -- Russia indicated on Tuesday it will veto a draft resolution on Syria that calls on President Bashar Assad to step down and provides for “further measures” if he refuses.
• Lavrov Avoids Clinton's Calls on Syria RIA Novosti 31 Jan 2012 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he was amazed by the hullabaloo over his failure to discuss a UN Syria resolution with US State Secretary Hillary Clinton.
• I had no Knowledge of Russian Weapons Ship - Syrian Ambassador RIA Novosti 31 Jan 2012 -- The Syrian Ambassador to Russia denied reports that a Russian ship reportedly carrying weapons had docked in a Syrian port.
• Lebanese Border Town Harbors Syrian Refugees VOA 31 Jan 2012 -- Thousands of Syrian refugees have fled into northern Lebanon to escape the violence. Syrians live in fear despite finding a temporary safe haven as local Lebanese have lost a key point of commerce.
• YEMEN: Fighting in north leads to fresh displacements IRIN 31 Jan 2012 -- Ahmad Hussein Naji, 75, and his wife Taqwa, spent three days in the open after fleeing clashes in Kisher District in Yemen’s northern governorate of Hajjah before eventually finding shelter.
• Yemen Air Strikes Kill 15 Suspected Militants RFE/RL 31 Jan 2012 -- In Yemen, at least 15 people have been reported killed in air strikes targeting suspected Al-Qaeda militants in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula country.
• Ethiopian, Somali Forces Set to Advance on Al-Shabab Stronghold VOA 31 Jan 2012 -- In Somalia, government forces backed by Ethiopian troops are set to advance on the Bay and Bakool regions, key strongholds of the militant group al-Shabab.
• UN scales up food assistance for more than 80,000 people in South Sudan UN News Centre 31 Jan 2012 -- The UN World Food Programme announced that it will scale up its assistance to reach 80,000 people affected by the recent escalation of ethnic violence in South Sudan’s Jonglei state.
• Security Council calls for multilateral action to address challenges in the Sahel UN News Centre 31 Jan 2012 -- The Security Council called for a coordinated and inclusive approach to ensure a solution to the problems facing the Sahel region.
• UN Mission Hails New Strategy to Defeat Congo Militia Groups VOA 31 Jan 2012 -- The United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo is welcoming as a positive step a U.S. military strategy to defeat armed insurgents in the Great Lakes region.
• S.Ossetia warns Tbilisi against interfering in domestic affairs RIA Novosti 31 Jan 2012 -- South Ossetia warned Georgia against using international mechanisms to influence the political landscape of the former Georgian republic.
• Taiwan lodges third protest against Japan's naming of islands CNA 31 Jan 2012 -- Taiwan has lodged its third protest with Japan in three months over Tokyo's move to name some uninhabited islands claimed by Taiwan.
• Japanese Media Distort Lavrov Statement on Kurils - Source RIA Novosti 31 Jan 2012 -- Japanese media have largely misinterpreted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s statement on the referendum over the disputed Kuril Islands.
• UN Yugoslav tribunal accepts plea agreement in contempt trial UN News Centre 31 Jan 2012 -- The United Nations war crimes tribunal for the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s accepted the plea agreement filed in the contempt of court trial of Jelena Rašic.

News Reports

• Heightened US-Egypt Tensions Raise Concern VOA 31 Jan 2012 -- Egypt's refusal to allow several American citizens to leave the country has heightened tensions between the traditional allies and has some people wondering if it heralds a more fraught, post-revolution relationship.
• U.S. Embassy In Cairo Provides Refuge To Activists RFE/RL 31 Jan 2012 -- The U.S. State Department has confirmed that American democracy advocates, barred from leaving Egypt, have been allowed to stay as "guests" at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo.
• Dozens Injured In Clashes Outside Egypt's Parliament RFE/RL 31 Jan 2012 -- Protesters demanding an end to military rule and Islamist supporters have clashed outside Egypt's parliament in Cairo.
• Islamists Claim Majority in Egypt Elections RIA Novosti 31 Jan 2012 -- The Islamist Freedom and Justice Party stands to win up to 60 percent of the seats in the Egyptian parliament’s upper house.
• US Intel Chiefs Assess Iranian Threat VOA 31 Jan 2012 -- America’s top intelligence official says Iran is increasingly willing to conduct attacks in the United States or against U.S. interests overseas.
• IAEA Wraps Up Talks In Iran, No Sign Of Breakthrough RFE/RL 31 Jan 2012 -- A visiting delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency has wrapped up several days of talks with Iranian officials.
• IAEA Visit To Iran Due To End Today RFE/RL 31 Jan 2012 -- A team of UN nuclear experts is due to end a three-day fact-finding mission to Iran today, despite Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi's offer to extend it.
• UN certifies new camp for Iranian exiles meets standards UN News Centre 31 Jan 2012 -- UN refugee and human rights officials confirmed facilities at new camp in Iraq meet international standards.
• Iranian Opposition Group Calls For Silent Rallies RFE/RL 31 Jan 2012 -- An Iranian opposition group has called for silent rallies to be held in Tehran and other Iranian cities on February 14.
• Ban encourages Jordan and Arab neighbours to continue with reforms UN News Centre 31 Jan 2012 -- The Arab world has a “generational opportunity” to create a future it deserves, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.
• US Envoy Urges North Korea to Improve Relations With South VOA 31 Jan 2012 -- The top U.S. diplomat for Asian and Pacific affairs says North Korea's new leadership must improve ties with South Korea.
• Rights Group Details Evidence of Chinese Aid Shipment to North Korea VOA 31 Jan 2012 -- China appears to have delivered a large amount of rice and possibly other aid to impoverished North Korea.
• Beijing Beefs Up Security in Tibetan Monasteries VOA 31 Jan 2012 -- A top official in Chinese-ruled Tibet has ordered police to step up surveillance in Buddhist monasteries.
• China Raising Security Over Tibet Protests RFE/RL 31 Jan 2012 -- A top official in Chinese-ruled Tibet has ordered tightened security in Buddhist monasteries and along key roads in a bid to prevent further protests.
• Sunni-Backed Bloc Ends Iraqi Parliament Boycott RFE/RL 31 Jan 2012 -- Lawmakers from the Sunni-backed Al-Iraqiyah bloc have ended their boycott of the Iraqi parliament.
• U.S. Official Says Kazakh Pledge To Liberalize 'Largely Unmet' RFE/RL 31 Jan 2012 -- U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake says Kazakhstan's promises to reform its political system and uphold human rights remain "largely unmet."
• State Of Emergency Lifted In Kazakh Oil Town RFE/RL 31 Jan 2012 -- The state of emergency that was imposed in mid-December in the western Kazakh town of Zhanaozen has been lifted.
• Kyrgyz Religious Hatred Trial Throws Spotlight On Ancient Creed RFE/RL 31 Jan 2012 -- A prominent activist in a spiritual movement that predates Islam has gone on trial in Kyrgyzstan charged with inciting religious and ethnic hatred.
• As political tensions rise in Senegal, Ban urges all sides to refrain from violence UN News Centre 31 Jan 2012 -- Secretary-General Ban expressed concern about mounting political tensions in Senegal, where voters go to the polls in less than a month to elect a president.
• More Election Protests Expected in Senegal VOA 31 Jan 2012 -- Senegal is tense Tuesday with more election-related protests as the opposition continues pressing for President Abdoulaye Wade, 85, to abandon his plans to run for a third term on February 26.
• AU Leadership Race Inconclusive VOA 31 Jan 2012 -- A high profile African Union leadership race ended early Tuesday inconclusively, with neither of two candidates able to command the two-thirds majority needed to win.
• Former Haitian leader must face charges for human rights abuses, says UN UN News Centre 31 Jan 2012 -- The UN voiced its concern at reports that former Haitian President Jean-Claude Duvalier may not face charges relating to the serious human rights violations.
• French Constitutional Council Asked To Examine Armenia Genocide Bill RFE/RL 31 Jan 2012 -- More than 140 French deputies and senators have asked the Constitutional Council to examine the legality of the new bill that makes it a criminal offense in France to deny that a genocide of Armenians by Ottoman Turks occurred a century ago.
• Ukraine Prepares Medical Commission For Tymoshenko RFE/RL 31 Jan 2012 -- Ukraine's FM has prepared a list of international doctors who will be invited to conduct an independent examination of jailed former PM Tymoshenko.
• Spanish Judge Defends Investigation Into Civil War-Era Crimes VOA 31 Jan 2012 -- A high-profile Spanish judge known for trying to bring foreign dictators and terrorists to justice has defended his decision to open an investigation into crimes committed during the 1936-39 Spanish civil war.
• Northrop Grumman Tapped by NASA to Develop Solar Electric Propulsion Flight Concepts for Future Space Missions Northrop Grumman 31 Jan 2012 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation was recently awarded a contract to study high-power solar electric propulsion flight system technology for NASA deep space and human exploration missions.