Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 24 Feb 2012 [PDF]
• Afghanistan operational air update 18 February 2012 UK MOD 24 Feb 2012 -- RAF personnel conducted numerous missions across southern Afghanistan from 12 to 18 February 2012.
• Imam: Afghans Should Protest in Peaceful, Nonviolent Way AFPS 24 Feb 2012 -- “Don’t respond to a wrong with a wrong,” was the message from Imam Mohamed Magid, executive director of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society during prayers.
• Deadliest Day In Week Of Afghan Protests RFE/RL 24 Feb 2012 -- Reports from Afghanistan say at least 12 people have been killed after Friday Prayers during the deadliest day yet in protests over the burning of Korans at a NATO military base.
• Fresh Anti-US Protests Erupt in Afghanistan VOA 24 Feb 2012 -- American apologies are falling on deaf ears in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan, where anger over the burning of Qurans is boiling over.
• Pakistan PM appeals Afghan groups to end fighting IRNA 24 Feb 2012 -- Pakistan PM Gilani appealed to the Afghan Taliban, Hizb-e-Islami (Hekmatyar) and other Afghan resistance groups to participate in an intra-Afghan process for national reconciliation and peace.
• Pakistan Urges Taliban To Join Peace Talks RFE/RL 24 Feb 2012 -- Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has publicly called on the Taliban and other militant groups in Afghanistan to join peace talks with the Afghan government.
• Training mission for Fort Polk's 162nd Inf Bde Army News 24 Feb 2012 -- The mission of American forces in Afghanistan is changing as troop drawdown efforts continue.
• Carter Concludes Afghan Trip With Visit to Kajaki Dam AFPS 24 Feb 2012 -- Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter visited a key site that provides irrigation and hydroelectric power to residents.
• AFGHANISTAN: IDPs at a crossroads IRIN 24 Feb 2012 -- Thousands of internally displaced persons in Afghanistan, mainly from the strife-torn southern provinces, have been heading for Kabul in the hope of finding work and a better life.
• Suicide Bombers Storm Pakistan Police Station VOA 24 Feb 2012 -- Officials in northwest Pakistan say suicide bombers have attacked a police station, killing at least four police officers.
• Militants Attack Pakistani Police Station, Kill Four RFE/RL 24 Feb 2012 -- Police in Pakistan say four officers have been killed in an assault by suicide attackers on a police station in the northwest city of Peshawar.
• Pak militants attack police station, kill 2 policemen IRNA 24 Feb 2012 -- Taliban militants launched a deadly attack on a police station in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar early Friday and killed two policemen and injured six others.
• SECURITY: Questions over progress against the LRA IRIN 24 Feb 2012 -- The US believes its military intervention in central Africa in pursuit of Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army is having the desired effect.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Remarks by President Obama and Prime Minister Thorning-Schmidt of Denmark after a Bilateral Meeting The White House 24 Feb 2012
• Fact Sheet: The United States and Denmark – NATO Allies and Global Partners The White House 24 Feb 2012
• SecAF: Air Force must continue to modernize AFNS 24 Feb 2012 -- Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley highlighted the service's need to continue future modernization plans.
• CSAF stresses importance of ready future force AFNS 24 Feb 2012 -- Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz emphasized the service's need for a strong total force ready for the future during remarks to Airmen and defense industry officials.
• Collaborative effort in making force structure changes AFNS 24 Feb 2012 -- Air Force total force officials discussed the strategic planning efforts that resulted in making the 'hard choices' affecting future Air Force viability and force structure.
• Airborne Laser Test Bed bids adieu to Edwards AFB AFNS 24 Feb 2012 -- YAL-1A Airborne Laser Test Bed took to the skies here for the last time during its final ferry flight to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.
• Rodong Sinmun on S. Korea Hosting "Nuclear Security Summit" KCNA 24 Feb 2012 -- The south Korean authorities are hosting the "nuclear security summit" to be held in Seoul in late March.
• KCNA Commentary Derides "Nuclear Security Summit" as Product of U.S.-S. Korea Conspiracy KCNA 24 Feb 2012 -- "Nuclear security summit" to be co-sponsored by the U.S and south Korea in Seoul.
• Prowlers celebrate 35 years of service USMC News 24 Feb 2012 -- The EA-6B Prowler has long been a staple in the skies above Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.
• Coast Guard Commandant Details Arctic Security Issues AFPS 24 Feb 2012 -- At a recent conference, a Defense Department participant said the Arctic doesn’t represent a security threat for at least the next decade.
• Commandant: Coast Guard’s Wide-ranging Mission Set Increasing AFPS 24 Feb 2012 -- If something touches the nation’s waters, the “multi-mission” Coast Guard probably has some responsibility for it, according to that service’s only four-star officer.
• USS Sampson Departs for Deployment NNS 24 Feb 2012 -- The USS Sampson departed for a scheduled six-month, independent deployment to the Western Pacific and U.S. Central Command areas of responsibility, Feb. 24.
• Cobra Gold 2012 concludes USMC News 24 Feb 2012 -- The U.S. ambassador to Thailand and the Royal Thai Air Force’s Deputy Chief of the Defense Forces praised the efforts of those who took part in Exercise Cobra Gold 2012.
• Casualty evacuation order for Okinawa updated USMC News 24 Feb 2012 -- III Marine Expeditionary Force’s and Marine Corps Base Camp Butler’s commanding generals prepared for worst-case scenarios by signing III MEF/MCB Camp Butler Order 3700.1C Jan. 18.
• Fleet Survey Team Completes Mission in Colombia NNS 24 Feb 2012 -- The Naval Oceanographic Office Fleet Survey Team completed survey operations in the coastal waters of Cartagena, Colombia Feb. 23.
• Russia's Prime Minister Vows Military Spending Hike VOA 24 Feb 2012 -- After weeks of verbal attacks on the United States, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has unveiled a massive new military spending plan.
• No Unilateral Disarmament for Russia - Putin RIA Novosti 24 Feb 2012 -- Russia will not take any unilateral steps on nuclear disarmament, because any moves toward disarmament need to be general and comprehensive.
• Sukhoi to Remain Top Combat Aircraft Seller Until 2015 RIA Novosti 24 Feb 2012 -- Russia’s Sukhoi aircraft maker will remain among the top three exporters of fighter jets until at least 2015.
• Poland Scraps ‘Wasteful’ Warship Project RIA Novosti 24 Feb 2012 -- The Polish government has terminated a warship building project seen as a drain on the nation’s resources, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.
• IAF Mirage 2000 fighter plane crashes in Madhya Pradesh IRNA 24 Feb 2012 -- A Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed near Bhind in Madhya Pradesh soon after taking off from an air base in Gwalior.
• Indonesia Tests Own Bombs for Sukhoi Fighter RIA Novosti 24 Feb 2012 -- Sukhoi fighter jets from the Indonesian Air Force have successfully tested two types of bombs developed and built by domestic manufacturers.
• Press Briefing by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 2/24/12 The White House 24 Feb 2012
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing, February 24, 2012 US Dept. of State 24 Feb 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for February 24, 2012
• Boeing Marks 1st Anniversary of KC-46A Tanker Contract Award Boeing 24 Feb 2012 -- The Boeing KC-46 Tanker program today marked the first anniversary of receiving a U.S. Air Force contract to build the next-generation aerial refueling tanker, the KC-46A.
• General Dynamics Awarded $8 Million by U.S. Navy for Virginia-class Submarine Work General Dynamics 24 Feb 2012 -- General Dynamics Electric Boat has been awarded an $8.3 million contract modification by the U.S. Navy to procure components for Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines. Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics.
• Lockheed Martin’s SpectIR™ IRST System Demonstrates Capability During Air National Guard Live Fire Test Lockheed Martin 24 Feb 2012 -- Lockheed Martin’s SpectIR transportable infrared search and track (IRST) pod successfully acquired, tracked and provided a weapons cue during a recent live fire flight test conducted by the Air National Guard (ANG).
• New Military Communications Satellite Built By Lockheed Martin Launched Successfully Lockheed Martin 24 Feb 2012 -- The first Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite, built by Lockheed Martin for the U.S. Navy, was successfully launched today from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, 24 February 2012 United Nations 24 Feb 2012
• Secretary Clinton Press Availability on the Meeting of the Friends othe Syrian People US Dept. of State 24 Feb 2012
• Secretary Clinton Intervention at the Friends of Syrian People Meeting US Dept. of State 24 Feb 2012
• Clinton Lashes Out at Syria, Russia, China VOA 24 Feb 2012 -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lashed out at Russia and China over their Syria policy.
• In Tunis, Calls for Syrian Aid Corridor VOA 24 Feb 2012 -- Representatives are meeting in Tunis to coordinate efforts to deliver humanitarian relief and political change to Syria.
• Pressure Grows On Damascus As Tunis Gathering Seeks Cease-Fire RFE/RL 24 Feb 2012 -- Western leaders have been leading calls on Syrian government to declare an immediate cease-fire.
• Political solution only way to end Syria crisis, UN chief stresses UN News Centre 24 Feb 2012 -- Secretary-General Ban stressed that only a political solution will end the crisis in Syria.
• Clinton: Assad Will Pay Heavy Cost for Human Rights Violations VOA 24 Feb 2012 -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will pay a "heavy cost" for his crackdown on opposition.
• Clinton Calls On Syria To Agree To Cease-Fire RFE/RL 24 Feb 2012 -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the Syrian regime will have "more blood on its hands" if it doesn't immediately comply with cease-fire demands.
• 'Friends of Syria' Begin Talks in Tunisia VOA 24 Feb 2012 -- A group of Western and Arab-led nations began a meeting in Tunisia in a renewed effort to curb the violence in Syria that has left thousands dead in the last year.
• EU Plans Sanctions As 'Friends Of Syria' Gather In Tunis RFE/RL 24 Feb 2012 -- European Union diplomats have named seven Syrian ministers to be targeted with new EU sanctions over the Syrian government's deadly crackdown on dissent.
• Russia Pledges Syria Cooperation RIA Novosti 24 Feb 2012 -- Moscow is ready to cooperate on Syria with its partners from the UN, the EU, the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
• Russia Supports Annan’s Appointment as Syria Envoy RIA Novosti 24 Feb 2012 -- Moscow supports the appointment of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan as the UN and Arab League envoy for the crisis in Syria.
• 7 al-Shabab Militants Killed in Somalia Airstrike VOA 24 Feb 2012 -- Witnesses say an airstrike has killed seven members of the al-Qaida-linked rebel group al-Shabab in southern Somalia.
• Victory in al-Shabab Somalia Stronghold Creates New Problems VOA 24 Feb 2012 -- Ethiopian and Somali soldiers seized control of the town of Baidoa in central Somalia this week, driving al-Shabab militants from one of their major strongholds.
• SOMALIA: Military emphasis at conference “puts more civilians at risk” IRIN 24 Feb 2012 -- The London Conference on Somalia ended with a seven-point plan aimed at boosting humanitarian aid and support for African Union troops, and tougher action on piracy.
• KCNA Commentary on S. Korea's "Working Contact for Separated Families" KCNA 24 Feb 2012 -- Lee Myung Bak is calling for "technical contacts for the reunion of separated families".
• Pakistan announces amnesty for Baloch insurgents IRNA 24 Feb 2012 -- Pakistan has announced amnesty for Baloch nationalist insurgents to bring them to the mainstream political system.
• UN Palestinian rights committee speaks out against Israeli settlement construction UN News Centre 24 Feb 2012 -- A UN committee on Palestinian rights voiced alarm at the recent decision of Israeli authorities to build more than 500 new homes in a settlement inside the occupied Palestinian territory.
• First Palestinian Leader and Hamas PM Meeting Since 2007 RIA Novosti 24 Feb 2012 -- Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has met Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Hamiyeh in Cairo for the first time in more than four years.
• Medical Group Reports Civilian Casualties in Northern Mali Fighting VOA 24 Feb 2012 -- The medical aid group Doctors Without Borders says a second civilian has been killed in an apparent army air strike in northern Mali.
• UN refugee agency seeks $35 million to assist thousands uprooted by Mali conflict UN News Centre 24 Feb 2012 -- The UN refugee agency is appealing for $35.6 million to respond to the growing humanitarian crisis resulting from the renewed fighting in northern Mali between government forces and Tuareg rebels.
• Sudan: UN staff returns to Southern Kordofan state UN News Centre 24 Feb 2012 -- The United Nations welcomed the return of its personnel to Sudan’s Southern Kordofan state, where thousands of people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
• Libya: UN distributes relief supplies to victims of deadly ethnic clashes UN News Centre 24 Feb 2012 -- The United Nations is providing relief supplies to residents of the desert town of Kufra in south-eastern Libya.
• Secretary Clinton Interview With Ilir Ikonomi of Voice of America Albania US Dept. of State 24 Feb 2012
• Secretary Clinton Statement on Agreements Reached Between Kosovo and Serbia US Dept. of State 24 Feb 2012
• Serbia And Kosovo Agree On Closer Cooperation RFE/RL 24 Feb 2012 -- European Union Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele says Serbia and Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leadership have reached a deal on border issues and Kosovo's participation in Balkan regional meetings.
• UN tribunal sentences former Serb official to prison term for refusal to testify UN News Centre 24 Feb 2012 -- The United Nations war crimes tribunal set up in the wake of the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s sentenced a former municipal officer to two months in prison for refusing to testify.
• Moscow Dismisses Tbilisi Claim on Russian Atrocities RIA Novosti 24 Feb 2012 -- The Russian Investigative Committee dismissed as “ungrounded” Georgian claims about Russian troop atrocities during the brief 2008 Russian-Georgian war.
• UN announces next round of talks to try to resolve Western Sahara dispute UN News Centre 24 Feb 2012 -- The next round of UN-backed informal talks aimed at reaching a settlement in the Western Sahara dispute will take place next month.

News Reports

• Iran Officials Deny Involvement in Bangkok Bombings RIA Novosti 24 Feb 2012 -- Iranian officials at UN headquarters in Bangkok denied any involvement in the February 14 bombings in Bangkok.
• Italian PM: Sanctions against Iran create a lot of problems for Italy IRNA 24 Feb 2012 -- Italian PM said that sanctions against Iran oil will increase problems for Italy.
• IAEA Says Iran 'Sharply Increases' Uranium Enrichment RFE/RL 24 Feb 2012 -- The United Nations nuclear watchdog says Iran has sharply stepped up its uranium-enrichment drive, tripling its capacity.
• Iran's nuclear activities are under IAEA control: Envoy IRNA 24 Feb 2012 -- Islamic Republic of Iran's Ambassador to Austria Ebrahim Sheibani said that Iran's nuclear activities are under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
• Briton Extradited to US Over Alleged Iran Missile Parts VOA 24 Feb 2012 -- A retired British businessman accused of plotting to ship missile parts to Iran says his extradition to the United States is "a disgrace."
• US, North Korea Hold ‘Substantive’ Talks in Beijing VOA 24 Feb 2012 -- The United States and North Korea ended two days of talks in Beijing with no breakthrough on Pyongyang's controversial nuclear program.
• U.S. Envoy Holds 'Productive' Talks With North Korean Officials RFE/RL 24 Feb 2012 -- The U.S. envoy for the North Korean nuclear dispute has given an upbeat assessment of his talks so far in Beijing with a North Korean negotiator.
• UN urges humanitarian solution for DPR Korea nationals detained in China UN News Centre 24 Feb 2012 -- The United Nations refugee agency called on China not to send back to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea a group of some 25 people it arrested this month.
• Press Conference by Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Myanmar, 24 February 2012 United Nations 24 Feb 2012
• UN Envoy Urges Lifting of Burma Sanctions VOA 24 Feb 2012 -- The U.N.’s top envoy for Burma is urging the international community to lift sanctions imposed on that country’s previous military government.
• Myanmar must focus on long-standing challenges to gain stability – UN UN News Centre 24 Feb 2012 -- Myanmar is only at the early stages of its transition and must continue to tackle long-standing challenges so that the Asian country can achieve lasting peace and stability.
• ASEAN Secretary-General Assesses Burma’s Reforms VOA 24 Feb 2012 -- The secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian nations, Surin Pitsuwan, says Burma appears committed to reforms but needs to prove it to meet international expectations.
• Senegal Votes Amid Turmoil Over Presidential Controversy VOA 24 Feb 2012 -- Voters in Senegal go to the polls on Sunday, despite ongoing opposition protests against the candidacy of President Abdoulaye Wade.
• Senegal: UN human rights experts stress freedoms in lead-up to presidential poll UN News Centre 24 Feb 2012 -- Two independent UN human rights experts added their voices to UN calls for this Sunday’s first round of presidential elections in Senegal to be as free, fair and transparent as possible.
• Analysis: Senegal under President Wade IRIN 24 Feb 2012 -- As Senegalese presidential elections approach on 26 February, the grassroots M23 and “Y’en ai marre” (“Enough is enough”) opposition movements continue to hold daily protests across the country.
• Guinea Opposition Says Its Demands Ignored on Upcoming Election VOA 24 Feb 2012 -- Guinea’s interior minister said the country will hold parliamentary elections in May, with or without the consent of the opposition.
• UN office welcomes Togolese report UN News Centre 24 Feb 2012 -- The United Nations human rights office welcomed independent report in Togo that examines allegations that members of the West African country’s intelligence agency tortured individuals accused of taking part in an attempted coup d’état in 2009.
• Post-Fukushima Japan Nears Energy Crossroads VOA 24 Feb 2012 -- In January, inspectors from the IAEA trudged through the Japanese winter to visit the snow-bound Ohi nuclear power plant.
• Haitian premier's resignation sparks concern at UN UN News Centre 24 Feb 2012 -- The head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti expressed his deep concern following the resignation of Prime Minister Garry Conille, just four months after his appointment.
• Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille Resigns VOA 24 Feb 2012 -- BA Haitian government official says Prime Minister Garry Conille has resigned, just months after taking office.
• EU Diplomats Say Slovenia Blocking Belarus Sanctions RFE/RL 24 Feb 2012 -- European Union diplomats have accused Slovenia of blocking further EU sanctions on Belarus.
• Thales Alenia Space signs ESA contract for third-generation Meteosat weather satellites Thales 24 Feb 2012 -- Thales Alenia Space today signed a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to supply Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) satellites for Eumetsat, the European meteorological satellite organization.