Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Karzai Condemns Deadly Car Bombing in Southern Afghanistan VOA 05 Feb 2012 -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai has strongly condemned a deadly car bombing that happened Sunday outside a police headquarters in southern Afghanistan.
• All-AF critical care, air evac team makes historic first flight AFNS 05 Feb 2012 -- The first all-Air Force Critical Care Air Transport and Aero-medical Evacuation Team to fly with the only fixed wing aircraft dedicated to the medical evacuation mission in Afghanistan completed its first successful mission Jan. 13 and continues saving lives.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Blue Ridge Looks Ahead; The Next 30 Years NNS 05 Feb 2012 -- USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), U.S. 7th Fleet command ship, conducted an incline survey with personnel from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility Planning Yard (PSNS & IMF) Jan. 18.
• Whidbey Island, 22nd MEU Returns From Record-Breaking Deployment NNS 05 Feb 2012 -- Sailors and Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) aboard amphibious dock landing ship USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41) returned to the United States following a 10 1/2-month deployment when the ship pulled into Morehead City, N.C., Feb. 4.
• AAVs Join WASP For Bold Alligator NNS 05 Feb 2012 -- Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAVs) assigned to the 2nd Amphibious Assault Battalion, Delta Company, 1st and 2nd platoons, embarked the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) Feb. 2.
• Fleet Surgical Team 6 Joins Wasp For Bold Alligator 2012 NNS 05 Feb 2012 -- Fleet Surgical Team (FST) 6 is currently underway with the medical team aboard USS Wasp (LHD 1) in support of Exercise Bold Alligator 2012.
• Night Furies Integrate as Multi-Purpose Air Wing Aboard James E. Williams NNS 05 Feb 2012 -- The Night Furies of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 42, Det. 10 assisted the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group throughout a composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX) by participating in numerous exercises Feb. 2.
• USS Porter Refuels at Sea NNS 05 Feb 2012 -- Sailors assigned to the Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile Destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) completed a replenishment at sea (RAS) with the Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS John Lenthall (T-AO 189) Feb. 1.
• Russia to Build Effective Shield against NATO Missile Threat – Rogozin RIA Novosti 05 Feb 2012 -- Russia will build a reliable aerospace defense system to effectively counter NATO missile threats, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Sunday.
• Navy Cmdr says forces ready to carry out missions in int'l waters ISNA 05 Feb 2012 -- Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari expressed the Navy's readiness to carry out missions in international waters.
• Iran uses new weapons, equipment in ground drill ISNA 05 Feb 2012 -- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Ground Forces will employ new weapons and pieces of equipment in the ground military practice underway in southern part of the country.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• Outrage Builds Against Russia, China For UN Veto Of Syria Resolution RFE/RL 05 Feb 2012 -- Arab countries and Muslim organizations are reacting angrily to a veto by Russia and China of a UN Security Council draft resolution based on an Arab League plan to end the violence in Syria.
• FM Lavrov Explains Russia's Veto on Syria Resolution in UN RIA Novosti 05 Feb 2012 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday explained why Russia had vetoed a resolution on Syria in the UN Security Council, saying that without Russia's latest amendments, the draft would be unilateral and would harm Syria if adopted.
• Russia Wants to Push Syria for Democratic Reform RIA Novosti 05 Feb 2012 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Foreign Intelligence Service Chief Mikhail Fradkov intend to persuade Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to launch democratic reforms to stabilize the situation in the riot-hit Middle East country, Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
• Protesters Storm Russian Embassy in Libya over Russia's Veto on Syria RIA Novosti 05 Feb 2012 -- Several dozens of Syrian protesters stormed the Russian embassy in Libyan capital of Tripoli on Sunday, a day after Russia and China had blocked the UN resolution on Syrian crisis, RIA Novosti reported.
• Clinton Seeks Anti-Assad Coalition VOA 05 Feb 2012 -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called for 'friends of a democratic Syria' to push to end President Bashar al-Assad's bloody crackdown on anti-government protesters and promote a political transition that would see him step down.
• UN Chief Condemns Syria Resolution Veto VOA 05 Feb 2012 -- Vetoes by Russia and China of a U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria condemning President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown on his people and calling for him to step down have drawn outrage from around the world.

News Reports

• G5+1 in no position to judge Iran's nuclear activities: Salehi IRNA 05 Feb 2012 -- Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said here on Sunday that the 5+1 Group (five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) is not authority to make judgments about Islamic Republic of Iran's nuclear activities.
• Iran will not initiate any war: commander IRNA 05 Feb 2012 -- Commander of the IRGC Ground Forces Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour said on Sunday Iran will not be the initiator of any war, but it will have harsh reaction to any threat.
• Israeli Cabinet Mulls Response to Iran Threat VOA 05 Feb 2012 -- Growing tensions between Israel and Iran topped the agenda at the weekly Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem.