Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 02 Mar 2012 [PDF]
• Task Force MED-A transfer of authority ceremony in Afghansitan Army News 02 Mar 2012
• CLB-4 conducts convoy USMC News 02 Mar 2012 -- A Marine convoy delivered supplies to Forward Operating Bases Nolay and Whitehouse here during an operation Feb. 14-16.
• Panetta: Taliban's Murder Tactics Show Their Weakness AFPS 02 Mar 2012 -- The Taliban's adoption of murder tactics is a sign of their weakness, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said here today.
• U.S. Puts Sanctions On Afghan Who Makes IEDs For Taliban RFE/RL 02 Mar 2012 -- The U.S. government has slapped sanctions on an Afghan national it says has helped manufacture improvised explosive devices for the Taliban.
• Afghan Clerics Deem US Quran Burning Unforgivable VOA 02 Mar 2012 -- Senior Afghan clerics have condemned the United States for the burning of Qurans at a NATO base last month.
• Afghan Clerics Demand Public Trial For Koran Burners RFE/RL 02 Mar 2012 -- Afghanistan's top religious council has demanded that those responsible for the burning of Korans at a NATO airbase last week be put on public trial.
• British Official Discusses Afghan Troop Withdrawal In Tajikistan RFE/RL 02 Mar 2012 -- Britain’s Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Nick Harvey, has discussed with Tajik leaders possible transit routes for the withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan in 2014.
• Britain May Withdraw Troops from Afghanistan via Tajikistan RIA Novosti 02 Mar 2012 -- Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon and UK Armed Forces Minister Nick Harvey discussed the impending withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan, planned for completion by 2014.
• Afghan base security upgraded via sling load AFNS 02 Mar 2012 -- A multinational joint team of U.S. and Italian airmen and soldiers partnered to execute a special equipment transfer from Shindand Air Base to the small forward operating base of Buji, Afghanistan.
• Afghan Border Police have a new facility at Chah Sangar Army News 02 Mar 2012 -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineer District-South oversaw the construction of and turned over a new Afghan Border Police Headquarters compound in Farah province Feb. 16.
• Pakistan’s violence claims 71 in single day IRNA 02 Mar 2012 -- A suicide bomber targeted members of a rival faction and killed at least 23 people in Pakistan’s Khyber tribal area.
• Bomb Blast Kills At Least 23 In Pakistani Tribal Area RFE/RL 02 Mar 2012 -- Reports from Pakistan say at least 23 suspected militants have been killed and more than 20 people injured in a suicide bombing.
• Suicide Bomber Targets Rival Militants in Pakistan VOA 02 Mar 2012 -- At least 22 people are dead in a suicide bombing in northwestern Pakistan that apparently targeted rival militants.
• Ten Troops, 23 Militants Reported Killed In Pakistan Clash RFE/RL 02 Mar 2012 -- Officials in Pakistan are quoted as saying at least 10 Pakistani soldiers and 23 suspected militants have been killed in a clash in the northwestern Khyber tribal region, near the Afghanistan border.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DOD Submits Plan to Further Integrate Military Health System DoD 02 Mar 2012 -- Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter today submitted a report to Congress describing the department’s plan to further integrate health operations. This report was required by Section 716 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2012.
• Town Hall Meeting with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta DoD 02 Mar 2012
• Global Strike commander: Nuclear deterrence fundamental to national security AFNS 02 Mar 2012 -- The commander of Air Force Global Strike Command discussed the command's mission and its significance.
• Putin Blames U.S. for Failed Missile Defense Talks RIA Novosti 02 Mar 2012 -- Washington’s talks with Moscow on European missile defense failed because of U.S. negotiators.
• Service Science Chiefs Discuss Technology, Budget Gaps AFPS 02 Mar 2012 -- Science chiefs from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force and House Armed Services Committee members targeted technology advances, cyber security and gaps left by mandated cuts in the 2013 defense budget.
• Adaptive Logistics Network guides USARAF operations Army News 02 Mar 2012 -- U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) hosted a conference for logisticians and logistics partners in Entebbe, Uganda, February 2012 to collaborate on ways to improve efficiencies in mission support.
• Shrinking construction budget supports key projects Army News 02 Mar 2012 -- The Army's $3.6 billion request for construction, family housing and base realignment in fiscal year 2013 is about a third less than what it received for fiscal year 2012, but the Army's top officer told lawmakers it supports the service's 'most critical needs.'
• New York Army National Guard Troops Train for Stabilization Mission and Then Deploy Army News 02 Mar 2012 -- Thousands of miles from home, the mission of some New York Army National Guard troops in Afghanistan will be distinctly local.
• Marines master craft, fuel attack squadron USMC News 02 Mar 2012 -- As the AV-8B Harrier jets hovered over the airfield, Marines prepared to quickly and efficiently carry out the task in front of them. Pumping more than 130 gallons per minute, the Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 172 filled the Harrier jets with the fuel needed to complete the mission.
• Newest MH-60R Squadron Established Aboard NASNI NNS 02 Mar 2012 -- The 'Blue Hawks' of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 78, the fourth of six HSM squadrons established, held its commissioning ceremony aboard Naval Air Station North Island, March 1.
• HSV-SPS 12 Marines Conduct SMEEs with Haitian National Police NNS 02 Mar 2012 -- U.S. Marines from High Speed Vessel (HSV) 2 Swift partnered with United Nations Police (UNPOL) to train the Haitian National Police (HNP) in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, March 1.
• Blue Ridge and US 7th Fleet Staff Arrive in Donghae NNS 02 Mar 2012 -- U.S. Seventh Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) and embarked 7th Fleet staff arrived in Donghae, Republic of Korea (ROK) for a port visit March 2
• EOD Training Unit Earns Sloan Award for Two Consecutive Years NNS 02 Mar 2012 -- Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Training and Evaluation Unit (EODTEU) 2 earned their second consecutive Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility Feb. 7.
• Fifth generation fighters crucial to air superiority AFNS 02 Mar 2012 -- The Air Force is the world's most advanced air and space force and, with the integration of fifth generation aircraft, is gaining new tactical advantages that transcend beyond just stealth.
• Talks Reaffirm Growing U.S.-India Partnership AFPS 02 Mar 2012 -- Recent bilateral security talks between the United States and India reaffirmed the importance of the partnership between the two nations.
• Risk of Major Cyberattack Worries Secretary AFPS 01 Mar 2012 -- Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta was asked following a speech here tonight what keeps him awake at night: a major cyberattack.
• Guard's role in disaster response defined more clearly Army News 02 Mar 2012 -- Greater steps have been taken to further define the National Guard's role as the first military force to respond to emergencies and disaster situations.
• Changes Aim to Strengthen Military Health System AFPS 02 Mar 2012 -- A proposed new governance structure will make the military health system more effective and produce savings, and the system’s 9.8 million beneficiaries worldwide will never miss an appointment, the Pentagon’s top health affairs official said.
• Russia to Bargain for Gabala Radar With Scan on Alternatives RIA Novosti 02 Mar 2012 -- Russia has been bargaining with Azerbaijan about a key station in its ballistic missile early warning system
• Russian Warship Visits Seychelles RIA Novosti 02 Mar 2012 -- An Udaloy class destroyer from the Russian Pacific Fleet has arrived at the port of Victoria in Seychelles on a goodwill visit.
• Upgraded Il-76 Plane to Make Maiden Flight in Summer RIA Novosti 02 Mar 2012 -- Russia’s modernized Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A aircraft, also known as the Il-476, will conduct its maiden flight by the end of June.
• HMS Astute arrives home from US sea trials UK MOD 02 Mar 2012 -- Royal Navy submarine HMS Astute returned home to Scotland yesterday after deploying to America for her most important series of sea trials yet.
• IAF and Army engaged in war drill in northeast IRNA 02 Mar 2012 -- Indian Air Force and Indian Army are engaged in an exercise to test their combat potentials.
• Ukraine Spring Military Draft Will Not Affect 2012 Graduates RIA Novosti 02 Mar 2012 -- The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has reassured worried parents that high-school students graduating a month earlier this year will not be drafted straight into the military.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 02, 2012

Other Conflicts

• Press Conference by Security Council President on Work Programme for March United Nations 02 Mar 2012
• US Unconvinced That Arming Syrian Uprising Would Topple Assad VOA 02 Mar 2012 -- Opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are asking international supporters to arm their uprising against Damascus.
• Syria's Opposition Wants More Arms VOA 02 Mar 2012 -- The Syrian National Council says its decision to form a military council and unify the opposition will help get weapons from outside sources.
• Humanitarian Aid Stopped From Reaching Syrian Flashpoint Area VOA 02 Mar 2012 -- The International Committee of the Red Cross says it has been stopped from bringing medical supplies and humanitarian aid to Homs.
• Aid Reaches Embattled Syrian City VOA 02 Mar 2012 -- The International Committee of the Red Cross says medical supplies and humanitarian aid have reached the battered city of Homs.
• Red Cross Convoy Reaches Syria's Besieged Homs RFE/RL 02 Mar 2012 -- An International Committee of the Red Cross convoy of food and other aid has reached the besieged Syrian city of Homs.
• EU Recognizes Syrian National Council RIA Novosti 02 Mar 2012 -- The European Union on Friday declared the Syrian National Council as a “legitimate representative of Syrians.”
• France Calls for Humanitarian Zone on Syrian Border RIA Novosti 02 Mar 2012 -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy called for a humanitarian zone to be built near the Syrian border to hold civilians fleeing the country’s ongoing violence.
• Russia Not Obliged to Fight on Side of Syria - FM Spokesman RIA Novosti 02 Mar 2012 -- Current treaties do not oblige Russia to offer military assistance to Syria in case of intervention, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said.
• Somalia, AU Troops Capture al-Shabab Stronghold VOA 02 Mar 2012 -- Somali government and African Union forces have seized an area on the outskirts of Mogadishu from al-Qaida-linked rebels.
• Renewed International Effort Underway to Rid Africa of LRA VOA 02 Mar 2012 -- The head of the UNOCA and Special Representative of the Secretary-General said there is a renewed commitment on the part of the international community to eliminate the Lord’s Resistance Army.
• Nigerian Militants Say They Attacked Marine Police VOA 02 Mar 2012 -- A militant group in Nigeria's Niger Delta region has claimed responsibility for killing four police officers in an attack on a checkpoint.
• Both pro- and anti-Qadhafi forces committed war crimes in Libya UN News Centre 02 Mar 2012 -- The United Nations-mandated commission of inquiry that probed human rights abuses in Libya reported that crimes against humanity and war crimes were committed by both sides.
• Georgia Reluctant to Restore Diplomatic Ties with Russia RIA Novosti 02 Mar 2012 -- Georgia will not restore diplomatic relations with Russia as long as Moscow recognizes the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Deputy Georgian Foreign Minister Sergei Kapanadze said on Ekho Moskvy radio on Friday.
• Moscow Offers To Reestablish Relations With Georgia RFE/RL 02 Mar 2012 -- Russia has expressed a willingness to restore diplomatic relations with neighboring Georgia.
• Secretary Clinton Statement on Serbia Granted European Union Candidate Status US Dept. of State 02 Mar 2012
• EU Offers Serbia Candidacy For Membership RFE/RL 02 Mar 2012 -- The European Union has formally offered Serbia the chance to join the 27-member bloc.
• EU Set to Grant Serbia Candidate Status RIA Novosti 02 Mar 2012 -- European Union leaders have agreed to formally make Serbia a candidate for EU accession during a Thursday summit in Brussels.
• NEPAL: Insecurity fears mount IRIN 02 Mar 2012 -- Political infighting, a stalled drafting of the country's constitution and armed violence nationwide have increased insecurity in Nepal, culminating this past week in a bombing in Kathmandu which killed three and injured about 10.
• UN reports continued inflow of Malian refugees into Mauritania and Burkina Faso UN News Centre 02 Mar 2012 -- Mauritania and Burkina Faso continue to receive large numbers of Malian refugees fleeing conflict between the army and ethnic Tuareg rebels in the northern region of their country, the United Nations refugee agency said today.
• UN mission will stay in Liberia, albeit in different form, says peacekeeping official UN News Centre 02 Mar 2012 -- A top United Nations official today assured the Liberian people that the world body is not preparing to leave the country but seeking to reconfigure its presence after assessing the ability of national institutions to maintain peace and security.
• Japan Softens Language over Russian-Held Islands RIA Novosti 02 Mar 2012 -- The Japanese government dropped the somewhat provocative wording, "illegal occupation," for its territorial dispute with Russia over the Kuril islands.

News Reports

• Obama, Netanyahu to Hold Critical Talks on Iran Options VOA 02 Mar 2012 -- President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet at the White House on Monday to discuss Iran.
• Israeli PM Refuses To Draw 'Red Lines' On Iran Nuclear Program RFE/RL 02 Mar 2012 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country will not draw any "red lines" for action regarding Iran's disputed nuclear program.
• Russian Bank Blocks Iranian Accounts RFE/RL 02 Mar 2012 -- Iran’s ambassador to Moscow has complained that a Russian state-controlled bank has shut down the accounts of Iranian Embassy personnel.
• Russia to Try its Best to Ward Off War in Iran – Putin RIA Novosti 02 Mar 2012 -- Russia will do its best to prevent a war in Iran, prime minister and presidential candidate Vladimir Putin has said.
• Due to 'Massive Turnout', Iran Voting Extended VOA 02 Mar 2012 -- Iranian state media claim a "massive turnout" for the country's parliamentary elections, which are likely to solidify Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's control over conservative rivals tied to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
• Iranians Go To Polls In National Elections RFE/RL 02 Mar 2012 -- State media have reported that voting in Iran's parliamentary election has been extended by one more hour because of high turnout.
• Iranians Vote in Parliamentary Elections VOA 02 Mar 2012 -- Iranians across the country are choosing a new parliament, in a vote seen as a test between conservatives who support and others who oppose President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
• Iranians Vote in General Elections RIA Novosti 02 Mar 2012 -- Iranians are going to the polls on Friday to elect 290 members of the country's parliament, the Majlis.
• UN rights experts urge Pakistan to end sectarian violence, protect minorities UN News Centre 02 Mar 2012 -- A group of independent UN human rights experts urged the Government of Pakistan to take decisive measures to end sectarian violence and protect religious minorities.
• Pakistan ruling party secures majority Senate seats IRNA 02 Mar 2012 -- Pakistan ruling party on Friday secured majority seats in the Senate and has emerged as the single largest group in the Upper House of the parliament in nearly 15 years.
• Azerbaijani Governor Fired After Rioting RFE/RL 02 Mar 2012 -- The governor of Azerbaijan's northeastern district of Quba has been removed from his post, one day after rioting in the city of Quba left buildings damaged and led authorities to call in security reinforcements.
• UN chief calls on Senegalese to ensure peaceful presidential run-off UN News Centre 02 Mar 2012 -- Secretary-General Ban has commended the people of Senegal for a peaceful and orderly first round of presidential balloting.
• Nigeria Remembers Late Rebel Leader VOA 02 Mar 2012 -- Nigerians buried former rebel fighter Odumegwu Ojukwu Friday with high praise and military honors.
• Message - Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Situation in Zimbabwe The White House 02 Mar 2012
• Putin Says Protests Made Him Stronger Candidate RFE/RL 02 Mar 2012 -- Russia's presidential election campaign has drawn to a close, with the five candidates making a final plea for votes before the election on March 4.
• Russia’s Presidential Hopefuls – A Guide RIA Novosti 02 Mar 2012
• EU Concerned About 'Deteriorating' Situation In Belarus RFE/RL 02 Mar 2012 -- European Union officials have expressed their "serious" concern over "the further deterioration of the situation" in Belarus.
• EU To Discuss Further Belarus Sanctions RFE/RL 02 Mar 2012 -- European Union leaders were expected to discuss possible sanctions against Belarus as they convened on the second day of a summit in Brussels.
• OSCE Unlikely to Suspend Belarus Membership - U.S. Diplomat RIA Novosti 02 Mar 2012 -- The issue of suspending Belarus membership from the OSCE has not been raised, U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE Ian Kelly said.
• Lockheed Martin Selects Alaska’s Kodiak Launch Complex To Support Future Athena Launches Lockheed Martin 02 Mar 2012 -- Lockheed Martin Corporation announced today that it has chosen Alaska’s Kodiak Launch Complex (KLC) as its dedicated West Coast launch facility for Athena rocket launches.