Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 21 Mar 2012 [PDF]
• Coalition Airstrike Destroys Bomb-making Facility AFPS 21 Mar 2012 -- A coalition airstrike destroyed an improvised explosive device-making facility in the Sangin district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province March 19, officials reported today.
• Afghanistan Expects 'Swift, Transparent' Probe into Kandahar Killings VOA 21 Mar 2012 -- Afghan officials said the United States needs a swift, transparent investigation into the burning of Korans and the killing of civilians.
• Secretary Clinton Remarks With Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Zalmai Rassoul After Their Meeting US Dept. of State 21 Mar 2012
• Clinton: U.S., Afghanistan 'On Track' To Sign Partnership Deal RFE/RL 21 Mar 2012 -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the United States and Afghanistan are "on track" to sign a strategic partnership agreement charting their future relations.
• Neighboring Countries Scramble To Be NATO's Exit Route From Afghanistan RFE/RL 21 Mar 2012 -- As international forces leave Afghanistan, neighboring countries stand to gain enormous sums of money.
• Explainer: The Afghan Public Protection Force RFE/RL 21 Mar 2012 -- What is the Afghan Public Protection Force, what are its advantages and disadvantages, and is it up to the task of protecting aid agencies and supply convoys?
• NATO Base in Russia 'Pragmatic Decision' RIA Novosti 21 Mar 2012 -- The Kremlin's intention to allow NATO to set up a hub for Afghan transit operations in the Volga region city of Ulyanovsk has triggered protests.
• 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) deactivates after year in Afghanistan USMC News 21 Mar 2012 -- 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) officially deactivated during a ceremony aboard Cherry Point, March 16.
• U.S. Envoy: Washington Wants Reset In Relations With Pakistan RFE/RL 21 Mar 2012 -- Cameron Munter, the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, says Washington agrees that it's time for a reset in relations between Washington and Islamabad.
• U.S. Suspends MIA Search in North Korea AFPS 21 Mar 2012 -- The US has suspended efforts to find remains of U.S. service members lost during the Korean War due to North Korean threats to launch a ballistic missile.
• US Suspending Military Recovery Efforts in North Korea VOA 21 Mar 2012 -- The United States has suspended efforts to recover the remains of service members missing in North Korea.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DOD News Briefing with George Little and Capt. Kirby from the Pentagon DoD 21 Mar 2012
• U.S. Never Disclosed Missile Defense Data to Russia RIA Novosti 21 Mar 2012 -- The United States has never provided Russia with a secret information concerning the deployment of its missile shield elements in Europe.
• Budget constraints to delay aircraft modernization Army News 21 Mar 2012 -- Some modernization programs may be delayed, but not reduced or cancelled due to a tightening of the budget, senior Army leaders told senators.
• Technical, Legal Experts Discuss Role of Unmanned Maritime Vessels NNS 21 Mar 2012 -- More than two dozen technical and legal experts met March 20 and 21 to examine and discuss legal issues regarding the use of unmanned systems in a maritime environment.
• NWC Report Details Navy's Challenges for Sustained Operations in Changing Arctic Region NNS 21 Mar 2012 -- Stronger relationships with international partners and specialized capabilities are needed to conduct sustained operations in the changing Arctic region.
• Army labs prepare systems for Network Integration Evaluation Army News 21 Mar 2012 -- In advance of this spring's major field exercise for the Army's new tactical communications network, engineers are putting systems through their paces to ensure a smooth handoff to the troops conducting the evalutions.
• USS San Diego Completes First Port Visit in Cuba NNS 21 Mar 2012 -- USS San Diego (LPD 22) departed Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba following her first port visit March 21.
• HMS Daring joins up with US carrier groups UK MOD 21 Mar 2012 -- On her maiden deployment, HMS Daring has worked with not one but two US Carrier Strike Groups - USS Carl Vinson and USS Abraham Lincoln.
• Pilot safe in Kunsan AB F-16 crash AFNS 21 Mar 2012 -- An Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed near Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, during a routine training mission at approximately March 21.
• Participants from 17 nations finalize plans for Peacekeeping Operations-Americas 2012 exercise Army News 21 Mar 2012 -- U.S. Army South joined its Chilean army partners here March 6 to finalize plans for the upcoming annual Peacekeeping Operations -- Americas 2012 exercise.
• Navy Dive-Southern Partnership Station 2012 Continues in Trinidad and Tobago NNS 21 Mar 2012 -- Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 2 continued Navy Dive-Southern Partnership Station 2012 with a stop in Trinidad and Tobago, March 19.
• BRAC Offers Unmatched Cost Savings, Pentagon Official Says AFPS 21 Mar 2012 -- The Defense Department’s request for two new rounds of base realignments and closures should be compared to the cost effectiveness of the first four BRAC rounds.
• Officials: Cyber Research Needs Innovation, Talent AFPS 21 Mar 2012 -- Cyber is the focus of intense research and development in an environment where success means getting out ahead of an evolving threat.
• Navy Medicine, Private Industry Partnership Seeks Malaria, Mosquito Control In Africa NNS 21 Mar 2012 -- The Navy Entomology Center of Excellence announced a key collaboration with an international company as part of a program to discover new public health pesticides for controlling mosquitoes.
• Official Details Pentagon Health Care Proposals AFPS 21 Mar 2012 -- The Defense Department’s top medical official today detailed in a Capitol Hill hearing the Pentagon’s strategy to corral health care costs while continuing to provide a high level of care.
• Harvard formally recognizes Army ROTC Army News 21 Mar 2012 -- The United States Army announced today that it has signed an agreement with Harvard University to re-establish a formal on-campus relationship with the Army Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps, or ROTC.
• Russia Considering Cyber-Security Command RIA Novosti 21 Mar 2012 -- The Russian government is considering setting up a dedicated cyber-security command, responsible for protecting the armed forces' information systems.
• Putin-Atambaev Meeting Lasts Just 10 Minutes RFE/RL 21 Mar 2012 -- A Moscow meeting between Russian President-elect Vladimir Putin and Kyrgyzstan's President Almazbek Atambaev lasted just 10 minutes.
• Joint press point by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Igor Lukšić NATO 21 Mar 2012
• Rasmussen Says NATO-Russia Summit in Chicago Unlikely RIA Novosti 21 Mar 2012 -- NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Wednesday that a NATO-Russia meeting during the NATO summit in Chicago was unlikely due to the busy political schedule in Russia.
• S. Korea Imports Huge Arms KCNA 21 Mar 2012 -- South Korea imported lots of weapons from arms markets overseas in the period from 2007 to 2011.
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing, March 21, 2012 US Dept. of State 21 Mar 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 21, 2012

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, 21 March 2012 United Nations 21 Mar 2012
• Press Conference by United Nations Police Adviser, 21 March 2012 United Nations 21 Mar 2012
• UN police chief urges ‘zero impunity’ for peacekeepers guilty of sexual abuse UN News Centre 21 Mar 2012 -- The United Nations police chief today called on Member States to ensure that peacekeeping personnel found guilty of sexual exploitation and abuse are punished.
• Security Council calls on Syrian authorities to carry out plan UN News Centre 21 Mar 2012 -- The Security Council voiced grave concern at the deteriorating situation in Syria.
• U.S. Urges Syria To Work With Annan Peace Plan RFE/RL 21 Mar 2012 -- The United States has warned the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to cooperate with a UN-backed plan or face increasing isolation.
• UN Security Council Endorses Syria Peace Plan VOA 21 Mar 2012 -- The United Nations Security Council has adopted a statement supporting U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan's plan.
• UN Security Council Weighs Syria Statement VOA 21 Mar 2012 -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has reiterated calls for an end to the violence in Syria.
• JORDAN-SYRIA: Refugees say it is becoming harder to leave IRIN 21 Mar 2012 -- Syrians do not require a visa to enter Jordan, and before a popular uprising began in Syria last March, thousands of people crossed the border in both directions daily.
• UN Chief Warns Syrian Crisis 'Extremely Dangerous' RFE/RL 21 Mar 2012 -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the Syrian crisis is "extremely dangerous" and could have massive repercussions globally.
• In Syria, Russia Seeks To Preserve Middle East Foothold RFE/RL 21 Mar 2012 -- In an effort to win Russian backing, Western powers this week circulated a significantly watered-down draft UN Security Council statement on the unrest in Syria.
• UN Syria Envoy to Visit Moscow RIA Novosti 21 Mar 2012 -- UN and Arab League envoy to Syria Kofi Annan will visit Moscow in the very near future, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.
• Lavrov Urges Approval of UN Syria Statement RIA Novosti 21 Mar 2012 -- Russia's foreign minister is hopeful a UN statement backing its envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan for Syria will be approved.
• Al-Qaeda Claims Responsibility For Deadly Iraq Attacks RFE/RL 21 Mar 2012 -- The Iraqi wing of Al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for a wave of explosions that killed some 50 people across Iraq.
• Philippines, China Vow Friendly Relations Despite Territorial Dispute VOA 21 Mar 2012 -- The Philippines and China are trying to repair tensions over territorial disputes with a series of cultural events during the next two years.
• Somali Pirates Free British Hostage Held Since September VOA 21 Mar 2012 -- A British woman held hostage for six months inside Somalia has been freed after a ransom was paid to her captors.
• SECURITY: Cracking open the LRA to better eliminate it IRIN 21 Mar 2012 -- Why has Joseph Kony’s LRA, which has raped, abducted and pillaged for the past 25 years survived so long?
• Unrest in Mali Capital; Radio, TV Off Air VOA 21 Mar 2012 -- State radio and television have gone off the air in Mali's capital, where soldiers launched a protest against the government's handling of a rebellion.
• Soldiers Reportedly Storm Mali's State Broadcaster RFE/RL 21 Mar 2012 -- Heavy gunfire has been heard in Mali's capital, Bamako, as troops reportedly stormed the headquarters of the state broadcasting company.
• Transdnestr FM Welcomes Rogozin’s Appointment RIA Novosti 21 Mar 2012 -- The foreign minister of Moldova’s breakaway republic of Transdnestr, Nina Shtanski, welcomed Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin’s appointment as presidential envoy to Transdnestr.
• Russia Names Rogozin As Envoy For Transdniester Conflict RFE/RL 21 Mar 2012 -- Outgoing Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has named Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin as his envoy to the breakaway Moldovan region of Transdniester.
• Rogozin Appointed Special Envoy for Transdnestr RIA Novosti 21 Mar 2012 -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday appointed Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin his special representative on Moldova’s breakaway republic of Transdnestr.
• Khmer Rouge Judge Spells Out Grievances VOA 21 Mar 2012 -- The Khmer Rouge tribunal judge who quit his post in protest earlier this week has released a statement spelling out what he describes as improper interference in his work.

News Reports

• US Lawmaker: Iran May Have Hezbollah Operatives in US VOA 21 Mar 2012 -- The Republican chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Peter King, said the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah may have hundreds of operatives based in the United States.
• Iran: UN sanctions committee presents reported ‘violations’ UN News Centre 21 Mar 2012 -- The head of the Security Council committee monitoring the arms embargo imposed on Iran over its nuclear programme said new cases of sanctions violation have been brought to its attention.
• Japan Promises Cuts In Iranian Oil Imports RFE/RL 21 Mar 2012 -- Japan promised it would "substantially" cut oil imports from Iran, a day after the United States announced a decision to exempt Japan from new sanctions.
• U.S. Deports Iranian Convicted Of Arms Smuggling RFE/RL 21 Mar 2012 -- An Iranian national who pleaded guilty in 2009 to plotting to ship sensitive U.S. military technology to Iran has been deported back to his home country.
• North Korea Issues Warning About South's Nuclear Summit VOA 21 Mar 2012 -- North Korea is warning world leaders not to raise the issue of its nuclear weapons during a summit next week in South Korea.
• DPRK Will Regard Any Provocation as Declaration of War KCNA 21 Mar 2012 -- The Korean nation has ardently wished to see the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula at an early date.
• Obama to Visit DMZ During South Korean Trip AFPS 21 Mar 2012 -- President Barack Obama will visit the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea.
• Obama to Visit Korean DMZ During Nuclear Security Summit VOA 21 Mar 2012 -- U.S. officials have confirmed that President Barack Obama will visit the tense demilitarized zone between North and South Korea.
• U.S. Obama to Visit North Korean Demilitarized Zone RIA Novosti 21 Mar 2012 -- U.S. President Barack Obama will visit the DMZ, the demilitarized zone separating North and South Koreas, ahead of a nuclear security summit in Seoul.
• US Accepts Burma's Invitation to Observe April 1 Vote VOA 21 Mar 2012 -- The United States said it has accepted Burma's invitation to send two election observers and three journalists to monitor and report on upcoming by-elections in the Southeast Asian nation.
• Congolese Opposition Spokesman: UN Report Confirms Intimidation through Murder VOA 21 Mar 2012 -- A spokesman for Congolese opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi says the Democratic Republic of Congo faces an institutional legitimacy crisis following the country’s November 28 election.
• Opposition Blames Authorities for Death of Policeman in Scuffle VOA 21 Mar 2012 -- A leading member of Uganda’s Forum for Democratic Change says the police are to blame for the death of a policeman following a scuffle with opposition supporters.
• Guinea-Bissau Moves Toward Presidential Run-Off VOA 21 Mar 2012 -- Guinea-Bissau is headed toward a presidential run-off election after no candidate won a majority in Sunday's first-round voting.
• Spiritual Leaders Play Important Role in Senegal Election VOA 21 Mar 2012 -- Senegal's marabouts guide the country's Sufi Muslim majority in virtually all sectors of life, yet their influence in politics is not what it once was.
• Turkey, Azerbaijan Increase Cooperation VOA 21 Mar 2012 -- Turkey and its neighbor, Azerbaijan, are increasing diplomatic and economic cooperation following the collapse of rapprochement efforts between Turkey and Azerbaijan's rival, Armenia.
• U.S. Senate to Debate Armenian Genocide Resolution RIA Novosti 21 Mar 2012 -- Two U.S. Senators have introduced a bill calling on the US government to recognize the Armenian genocide by the Ottoman Empire in 1915-23.
• EU Ministers To Expand Belarus Sanctions RFE/RL 21 Mar 2012 -- The European Union is expected to blacklist another 12 Belarusian individuals close to the regime of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
• Lukashenka Calls Trial Of Subway Bombers 'Transparent, Fair' RFE/RL 21 Mar 2012 -- Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka believes the trial and execution of Minsk subway bombers was "transparent and fair."
• Lukashenko: EU 'Never Asked Me' to Delay Execution RIA Novosti 21 Mar 2012 -- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said the European Union had not asked him to postpone the execution of two men charged with terrorist attack.
• Would-be Putin Assassins Charged RIA Novosti 21 Mar 2012 -- Two men with Chechen links have been formally charged with attempting to kill Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.