Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 07 Mar 2012 [PDF]
• Joint airdrop resupplies Afghanistan outpost Army News 07 Mar 2012 -- A joint airdrop operation between Task Force Spartan, the U.S. Air Force, the Afghan Border Patrol and local militia Arbici was conducted to resupply paratroopers of Task Force Blue Geronimo at Combat Outpost Chergotah, a first for the area, Feb. 28.
• 18 militants killed in mortar shelling in Pakistani tribal region IRNA 07 Mar 2012 -- At least 18 militants including a commander were killed on Wednesday in mortar shelling by Pakistani security forces in north western tribal region, official sources said.

Defense Policy / Programs

• 'Fighting 40' Leaves a Legacy in Paradise NNS 07 Mar 2012 -- Naval Mobile Constructoin Battalion (NMCB) 40 leaves behind a legacy in Diego Garcia after completing its last deployment to the region Feb. 28, before decommissoining later this year.
• Sterett Awarded Second Consecutive Battle 'E' NNS 07 Mar 2012 -- Commander, Naval Surface Forces announced guided-missile destroyer USS Sterett (DDG 104) is the winner of the 2011 Battle Effectiveness (Battle ';E';) Award for Commander, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 9, Feb. 27.
• NAVFAC Southwest Awards $75 Million Contract for Fire Protection Systems NNS 07 Mar 2012 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest awarded a $75 million contract Feb. 28 to four contractors for new construction, repair, renovation, and alteration of fire protection systems at various locations within NAVFAC Southwest area of responsibility (AOR).
• Golden Anchor for USS Rentz NNS 07 Mar 2012 -- Guided-missile frigate USS Rentz (FFG 46) was awarded its first Retention Excellence Award since 2007 by Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Feb. 21.
• USS Halsey Sailors Enjoy Port Visit in Victoria, Seychelles NNS 07 Mar 2012 -- Sailors aboard guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97) enjoyed a port visit in Seychelles, March 2-6.
• NMCB 7 Completes Mescall Water Well NNS 07 Mar 2012 -- After five weeks of around-the-clock operations, Seabees assigned to U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 7 Water Well Detachment successfully completed the drilling of their first fresh water well at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Mescall.
• HSV 2 Departs Haiti NNS 07 Mar 2012 -- High Speed Vessel (HSV) 2 Swift departed Cap-Haitien, Haiti, March 6, the final stop of its four-month mission during HSV-Southern Partnership Station 2012 (HSV-SPS 12).
• Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team Pacific Participates in Army Mass Casualty Exercise NNS 07 Mar 2012 -- Marines assigned to Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team Pacific (FASTPAC), 2nd Company, 2nd Platoon, participated in a joint medical mass casualty exercise with Army personnel of 121st Combat Support Hospital March 5.
• 94TH AAMDC PARTICIPATES IN KEEN EDGE 2012 Army News 07 Mar 2012 -- The 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command participated in Keen Edge 2012 that convened from 22-27 Jan. 2012 from the Air and Space Operations Center on Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.
• Program to Expedite Security for Troops at Reagan Airport AFPS 07 Mar 2012 -- Some service members traveling out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport soon will be able to speed through security as part of a joint Defense Department and Transportation Security Administration program.
• Southcom 'Part of Solution' to Drug Crime, Commander Says AFPS 07 Mar 2012 -- U.S. Southern Command's central mission -- disrupting transnational trafficking in drugs, weapons, cash and people in Central and South America –- is too large and complex for even a U.S. combatant command to tackle alone, Southcom's commander said today.
• Air Force leaders discuss modernization in budget hearing AFNS 07 Mar 2012 -- Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz outlined the service's modernization efforts during testimony to the House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Defense here March 6.
• Anatolian Falcon 2012 builds strength, sharpens skills AFNS 07 Mar 2012 -- The Turkish and U.S. air forces continue to successfully integrate their capabilities during Anatolian Falcon 2012 here March 6.
• Russia to Join Slavic Commonwealth Military Drills RIA Novosti 07 Mar 2012 -- A unit of the Russian Armed Forces will take part in joint military drills with Ukraine and Belarus in September 2012, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Wednesday.
• India Blacklists Russian Defense Company RIA Novosti 07 Mar 2012 -- The Indian Defense Ministry has barred six companies, including a small Russian defense firm, from bidding for defense contracts for the next 10 years, Russia's Vedomosti newspaper reported citing Indian media.
• UN deploys team to assist Republic of Congo authorities after arms depot blasts UN News Centre 07 Mar 2012 -- The United Nations humanitarian office said today it has deployed a team to the Republic of Congo to support authorities after the explosions earlier this week at an ammunition depot that killed at least 200 people and injured some 1,500 others.
• March 7, 2012 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 07 Mar 2012
• Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jay Carney en route Charlotte, North Carolina, 3/7/2012 The White House 07 Mar 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 07, 2012
• Lockheed Martin Completes Delivery of All Components of 1st THAAD Battery to U.S. Army Lockheed Martin 07 Mar 2012 -- Lockheed Martin has completed delivery of all hardware and components associated with the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) weapon system’s first U.S. Army Battery.
• Raytheon Awarded $138.7 Million Contract for Patriot Engineering Services Raytheon 07 Mar 2012 -- Raytheon Company received a $138.7 million contract to provide engineering services for the Patriot Air and Missile Defense System.

Other Conflicts

• 7 March 2012 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 07 Mar 2012
• Iran Will Be Biggest Loser When Assad Falls, Panetta Says AFPS 07 Mar 2012 -- Iran will be the biggest loser when Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime falls, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told the Senate Armed Services Committee today.
• US Military Intervention in Syria Debated on Capitol Hill VOA 07 Mar 2012 -- U.S. defense officials are resisting calls from some lawmakers for American military intervention in Syria to end bloodletting and hasten the departure of President Bashar al-Assad.
• Clinton: Blocking Humanitarian Aid 'New Low' for Syria's Assad VOA 07 Mar 2012 -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's efforts to block humanitarian relief supplies for civilians represents a 'new low' in campaign of violence against his political opponents.
• Russia Not Considering Sheltering Assad – Putin RIA Novosti 07 Mar 2012 -- Russia is not considering providing political asylum to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Prime Minister and president-elect Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.
• U.S. Seeks to Provide Direct Aid to Syrian Opposition RIA Novosti 07 Mar 2012 -- The United States is preparing to provide direct humanitarian and communications assistance to the Syrian opposition in a move that would be a serious step towards the U.S. plan to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Asad, the Foreign Policy journal reported on Wednesday.
• Obama Rules Out Airstrike on Syria RIA Novosti 07 Mar 2012 -- A unilateral U.S. military action against the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria would be a 'mistake,' U.S. President Barack Obama said.
• Syria Opposition Struggles to Overcome Rifts VOA 07 Mar 2012 -- Members of Syria's opposition are downplaying a rift in their ranks, but acknowledge problems within the Syrian National Council. Some of the main opposition group's more outspoken members have been talking about the ways they think are best to proceed.
• Chinese Envoy Pushes Peace Plan in Damascus VOA 07 Mar 2012 -- A Chinese envoy has arrived in Syria to press for an unconditional halt to violence in the country and the beginning of political dialogue.
• UN Humanitarian Chief Travels to Homs, Syria VOA 07 Mar 2012 -- The U.N. humanitarian chief is traveling to the battered Syrian city of Homs on the first day of her mission to push for relief workers to be given unhindered access to those in need of aid.
• UN Demands Sudan, South Sudan End Violence RIA Novosti 07 Mar 2012 -- The UN Security Council has demanded that Sudan and South Sudan end border hostilities, calling them 'a serious threat to international peace and security.'
• Tense Sudan, South Sudan Talks Enter 2nd Day VOA 07 Mar 2012 -- Talks to resolve tension between Sudan and South Sudan have entered a second day, after negotiations Tuesday ended in shouting.
• DR Congo: UN peacekeeping mission receives tactical helicopters from Ukraine UN News Centre 07 Mar 2012 -- The United Nations peacekeeping chief today expressed his gratitude to Ukraine for providing tactical helicopters for the mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), saying the contribution will enhance the force's capacity to protect civilians.
• Libya: UN envoy envisages flexible, integrated mission to support transition UN News Centre 07 Mar 2012 -- The top United Nations envoy for Libya told the Security Council today that the Organization's mission in the North African country plans to maintain a 'light footprint' there while striving to provide flexible, responsive and high quality expertise to support the democratic transition.
• UGANDA: Land row delays resettlement of Congolese refugees IRIN 07 Mar 2012 -- The continued arrival of refugees fleeing post-election violence and militia activities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in western Uganda, and the government's efforts to resettle them, have created a land row that has already cost the life of a government official.
• LEBANON: Boost for relatives of civil war missing IRIN 07 Mar 2012 -- A new legal mechanism has been proposed to deal with the issue of thousands of people who went missing during Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, including locating mass graves, and identifying and returning remains to families, according to local activists.
• Taiwan not aligned with China over Tiaoyutai islands: MOFA CNA 07 Mar 2012 -- Taiwan will not align itself with China over the Tiaoyutai Islands and will handle the matter based on national interests, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Wednesday.

News Reports

• West to gain nothing if continues previous approach, Larijani IRNA 07 Mar 2012 -- Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani said Wednesday the fresh talks between Iran and 5+1 will not be fruitful if they try to get concessions by exerting pressures on Tehran.
• Jalili: US has many weak points depite its power show-off IRNA 07 Mar 2012 -- Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili on Wednesday said he US has many weak points despite its power show-off.
• Obama Slams Iran War Rhetoric RIA Novosti 07 Mar 2012 -- U.S. President Barack Obama has called on his Republican rivals to end 'casual' talk on the possible war with Iran, the U.S. media said on Wednesday.
• Georgia Denies Uranium Enrichment Rumors RIA Novosti 07 Mar 2012 -- The government of Georgia 'categorically denies' rumors that it was preparing to enrich uranium and considered building a nuclear power plant.
• Interpol is likely to issue Musharraf's arrest warrant IRNA 07 Mar 2012 -- The Interpol is likely to issue Red Warrant against Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in a couple of days in connection with the 2007 murder of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, a media report has said.
• Moscow Allows 50,000 To Rally Against Putin RFE/RL 07 Mar 2012 -- Authorities in the Russian capital, Moscow, have granted permission to opposition activists to gather this weekend to protest Vladimir Putin's election to a third presidential term.
• Vote Fraud Too Small to Make Difference - Putin RIA Novosti 07 Mar 2012 -- Russian Prime Minister and president-elect Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday there might have been violations in Sunday's vote but they did not go beyond hundredths of a percentage point.
• After successful polls, Yemen must address security and humanitarian concerns – UN UN News Centre 07 Mar 2012 -- Following a successful presidential election last month, Yemen must continue making progress in its transition process to address a growing humanitarian crisis as well as a precarious security situation, the United Nations envoy to the country said today.