Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 26 Mar 2012 [PDF]
• DOD News Briefing with Gen. Allen from the Pentagon DoD 26 Mar 2012-- Presenter: General John Allen, Commander, International Security Assistance Force
• Top US Commander Examines Leadership Issues in Afghan Killings VOA 26 Mar 2012 -- The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Marine Corps General John Allen, said Monday he is looking into possible leadership failures that might have led to the killing of 17 Afghan villagers, allegedly by a U.S. soldier this month.
• Afghans, Coalition Work to Avert 'Insider' Attacks AFPS 26 Mar 2012 -- Afghan and coalition leaders are working to limit 'insider threat' killings in Afghanistan, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces there told reporters here today.
• Allen: Speculation About Bales Case 'Serves No Purpose' AFPS 26 Mar 2012 -- Criminal and administrative investigations continue following charges announced March 23 against Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, the NATO International Security Assistance Force commander said here today.
• Regional engagement crucial as Afghan transition gathers pace – Ban UN News Centre 26 Mar 2012 -- As Afghanistan's transition picks up pace, regional engagement becomes even more important, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today as the country's partners met in neighbouring Tajikistan.
• Afghan Air Force, Army CAB brush up on sheet metal repair Army News 26 Mar 2012 -- At the Afghan maintenance hangar, airmen with the Afghan Air Force received some critical training in aircraft structural repair maintenance from their counterparts in the U.S. Army.
• USACE supports O&M at Joint Regional Afghan National Police Center Army News 26 Mar 2012 -- If you were looking to illustrate 'challenge,' operating and maintaining a large installation in Afghanistan could serve as a prime example. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineer District-South meets that challenge every day, as they oversee the national O&M contract for the Joint Regional Afghan National Police Center, near Kandahar Airfield.
• Afghan Security Forces Improving Quickly, Allen Says AFPS 26 Mar 2012 -- Afghan forces are improving faster than coalition leaders or they themselves anticipated, the commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said here today.
• UN lacks clear strategy on Afghanistan: Ahmadinejad IRNA 26 Mar 2012 -- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday regretted that the United Nations lacks specific and transparent strategy on Afghanistan's affairs.
• Iran deplores NATO intervention in Afghanistan creating crisis IRNA 26 Mar 2012 -- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday deplored NATO intervention in Afghanistan as the root-cause of the current humanitarian crisis in the country.
• Two British Soldiers Killed By Afghan In Uniform RFE/RL 26 Mar 2012 -- NATO-led forces in Afghanistan say a man wearing an Afghan Army uniform has shot and killed two British soldiers inside a NATO base in southern Afghanistan.
• AAF achieves first fixed-wing UPT flights in 30 years AFNS 26 Mar 2012 -- Afghan maintenance crews marshaled a team of three U.S. instructors paired with three Afghan students as they took to the morning skies in three separate Cessna 183 aircraft, marking the first undergraduate pilot training sorties in over 30 years in Afghanistan, March 24, 2012
• Conn. ANG engineer BEEFs up projects in Afghanistan AFNS 26 Mar 2012 -- Building a bunker wall at an Afghan base in northern Afghanistan may seem like a typical engineering task, but this was no ordinary project for Staff Sgt. Arthur Mitchell, a civil engineer with the 577th Expeditionary Prime BEEF (Base Emergency Engineer Force) Squadron. This project was an opportunity to partner with Afghan Soldiers, a highlight of his recent deployment to northern Afghanistan.
• Architects of the AOR's air picture AFNS 26 Mar 2012 -- The massive golf-ball looking object perched on the tee-like tower at Kandahar Airfield isn't just a useless landmark; instead the information obtained from it helps provide higher headquarters and tactical commanders pertinent information about Afghanistan's air space.
• Combined Force Detains 2 Insurgents AFPS 26 Mar 2012 -- An Afghan-coalition security force detained two insurgents during an operation to capture an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader in the Shirin Tagab district of Afghanistan's Faryab province today, military officials reported.
• Analysis: Why the aid drawdown in Afghanistan could be a good thing IRIN 26 Mar 2012 -- One hillside in Pashtun Kot District in the northern Afghan province of Faryab stands out. Dotted with graves, it is the final resting place for the victims of underdevelopment: Villagers travel from far-off mountains by donkey to bury their dead here - people whose demise was hastened by chronic hunger, undernutrition and lack of access to health care.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Media Availability with Secretary Panetta en route to Ottawa, Canada DoD 26 Mar 2012 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta
• Dempsey Discusses Combatting Transnational Organized Crime AFPS 26 Mar 2012 -- Transnational organized crime is not specifically mentioned in the new defense strategy, but leaders understand the threat, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said at U.S. Southern Command today.
• G-8 debunks Army myths, lists top modernization priorities Army News 26 Mar 2012 -- The Army G-8 addressed the status of the service's top modernization portfolios -- ground combat vehicle, aviation and the network and reiterated the number-one priority would remain Soldier protection.
• Enterprise CSG Completes Passing Exercise NNS 26 Mar 2012 -- Enterprise Carrier Strike Group (CSG) completed a series of training evolutions with Standing NATO Maritime Group (SNMG) 1 during a passing exercise (PASSEX) in the Mediterranean Sea March 24-25.
• Enterprise Transits Strait of Gibraltar NNS 26 Mar 2012 -- The aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) traversed rough seas and high winds while transiting through the Strait of Gibraltar March 23.
• Enterprise Hosts Commander, Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 NNS 26 Mar 2012 -- The commander of Standing NATO Maritime Group 1, of the Royal Netherlands navy, visited the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) March 24 as the ship began its participation in a passing exercise (PASSEX) conducted March 24-25.
• HSM-77 Saberhawk Technicians Keep Helicopters Mission Ready NNS 26 Mar 2012 -- The aviation electronics technicians (ATs) of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 77 have maintained the squadron's helicopters at 100 percent mission capable status on their deployment aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) for the past four months.
• JEBLCFS Successfully Completes Numerous Training Evolutions in Support of SC-CS 2012 NNS 26 Mar 2012 -- Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek- Fort Story (JEBLCFS) successfully completed numerous training evolutions as part of Solid Curtain-Citadel Shield 2012, March 19-24.
• ONR and Nation's Engineers Tackle Noise at Hydroelectric Plants NNS 26 Mar 2012 -- Using research designed to protect warfighters from noise-induced hearing loss in the naval environment, the Office of Naval Research has joined the Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to turn down the volume at the nation's power plants, officials announced March 26.
• Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach Completes Exercise Solid Curtain-Citadel Shield 2012 NNS 26 Mar 2012 -- Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach personnel completed their role in Exercise Solid Curtain-Citadel Shield (SC-CS) March 24, and will implement lessons learned to improve the base's ability to counter future terrorist threats.
• USS Nitze Arrives in France NNS 26 Mar 2012 -- The Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 94) arrived in Villefranche, France March 26 for a regularly-scheduled port visit.
• USS Porter Arrives in Spain NNS 26 Mar 2012 -- The Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) arrived in Palma, Spain March 26 for a regularly scheduled port visit.
• USS Makin Island Certified as First West Coast 'Large Deck' to Award EIDWS Pins NNS 26 Mar 2012 -- USS Makin Island (LHD 8) became the first West Coast 'Large Deck' authorized to operate an afloat Enlisted Information Dominance Warfare Specialist (EIDWS) program and award the EIDWS pin to personnel following final certification by Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. 10th Fleet, March 21.
• Seabees Pair Up With Korean Counterparts NNS 26 Mar 2012 -- Seabees from U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 40, Detail Chinhae participated in Exercise Foal Eagle with the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy Engineers from March 5-9, 2012 at ROK 2nd Fleet Naval Base in Pyeongtaek, Korea.
• Army planning drawdown in Europe Army News 26 Mar 2012 -- As part of the Army's restructuring in Europe, V Corps Soldiers will not return to Germany when their deployment to Afghanistan ends next year, senior Army leaders said Wednesday.
• U.S. to Expand Security Role in Pacific Region AFPS 26 Mar 2012 -- President Barack Obama today reaffirmed the U.S. intention to take a larger role in the future of security in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Unprecedented capabilities, high-tech resources to debut at Army's new lab complex Army News 26 Mar 2012 -- When the U.S. Army opens the new Ground Systems Power and Energy Laboratory April 11, officials will unveil 30,000 square feet of research space, eight distinct state-of-the-art labs and one of the world's largest environmental testing chambers capable of testing equipment in temperatures ranging from a frosty minus 60°F to a blistering 160°F.
• Obama Seeks Another Arms Deal with Russia VOA 26 Mar 2012 -- U.S. President Barack Obama says there is room for another arms control deal with Russia.
• Remarks by President Obama and President Medvedev of Russia After Bilateral Meeting The White House 26 Mar 2012
• Remarks by President Obama and President Nursultan Nazarbayev of the Republic of Kazakhstan Before Bilateral Meeting The White House 26 Mar 2012
• Remarks by President Obama and President Hu Jintao of the People's Republic of China Before Bilateral Meeting The White House 26 Mar 2012
• Russia and U.S. Maintain Stance on Missile Defense – Medvedev RIA Novosti 26 Mar 2012 -- Russian-US relations are at an all-time high, President Medvedev told President Obama at a nuclear security summit in Seoul on Monday - but not high enough, it seems, to find a common stance on deployment of missile defense in Europe.
• NATO Tells Russia Not to 'Waste Money' on Anti-Shield Deployment RIA Novosti 26 Mar 2012 -- The deployment by the Kremlin of tactical weapons to protect against a planned U.S.-led missile shield in Europe would be to squander funds that could be used to improve living standards in Russia, NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Monday.
• Russia to Show New Tank in India RIA Novosti 26 Mar 2012 -- Russia will display a prototype model of its new T-90S tank at the Defexpo 2012 arms exhibition in India later this week, arms firm Rosoboronexport delegation head Viktor Komardin said on Monday.
• New Russian Tank to Have Remotely Controlled Gun RIA Novosti 26 Mar 2012 -- Russia's future main battle tank (MBT) will be equipped with a remotely controlled gun, the Izvestia newspaper said on Monday citing a defense industry source.
• £350m upgrade for HMS Vengeance UK MOD 26 Mar 2012 -- The future of 2,000 British jobs will be secured by the signing of a multi-million pound deal to upgrade one of the Royal Navy's nuclear deterrent submarines.
• March 26, 2012 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 26 Mar 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 26, 2012

Other Conflicts

• 26 March 2012 - DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 26 Mar 2012
• UN officials stress national ownership and partnerships for successful peacebuilding UN News Centre 26 Mar 2012 -- United Nations peacebuilding efforts are more effective when post-conflict countries set their own priorities and take ownership of the national institution-building process, senior UN officials told the Security Council today.
• UN-Arab League envoy receives response from Syria on his six-point plan to end crisis UN News Centre 26 Mar 2012 -- The Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States for Syria, Kofi Annan, today received a formal response from the Syrian Government on his six-point proposal to end the ongoing violence in the Middle Eastern country, according to a statement issued by his spokesperson.
• Syria Cannot Resist Transformation - Annan RIA Novosti 26 Mar 2012 -- UN special envoy Kofi Annan said on Monday that Syrian cannot resist transformation and that the ongoing crisis cannot drag on forever.
• At Least 5 Killed After Syrian Security Forces Shell Homs VOA 26 Mar 2012 -- Syrian activists say security forces have bombarded the flashpoint central city of Homs, setting fire to houses and killing at least five people in a key hub of a year-long uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.
• Obama Calls for North Korea to Have Courage to Pursue Peace VOA 26 Mar 2012 -- U.S. President Barack Obama's discussions Monday with the leaders of Russia and China appear to have yielded no breakthroughs regarding concerns about North Korea and Iran. The meetings came hours after the president delivered a speech in the South Korean capital calling on the North Koreans to 'have the courage to pursue peace' and 'take irreversible steps' to meet their international obligations.
• US Suspends Non-Humanitarian Assistance to Mali Following Coup VOA 26 Mar 2012 -- The United States is suspending all non-humanitarian assistance to Mali, following last week's coup d'état. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke Monday with Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara about regional efforts to restore Mali's democratically-elected leaders.
• Security Council voices concern over situation in Sahel region, condemns Mali rebellion UN News Centre 26 Mar 2012 -- The Security Council today voiced serious concern over the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Africa's Sahel region, saying that the presence of armed and terrorist groups, as well as proliferation of weapons in the area, have exacerbated the problem.
• DRC: Landmines hurting farmers' livelihoods IRIN 26 Mar 2012 -- Landmines planted about a decade ago in parts of Kabalo territory in the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) southeastern Katanga Province are adversely affecting farming livelihoods, and an important World Food Programme (WFP) project.
• Press Conference by Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict on Child Soldier Agreement in South Sudan United Nations 26 Mar 2012
• SECURITY: LRA nurtures the next generation of child soldiers IRIN 26 Mar 2012 -- The dilemma for Atati Faustin, 13, from Faradje in Haut-Uélé District, northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is that although he misses his younger brother – abducted into the ranks of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) two years ago - he is also afraid of being reunited with him.
• Analysis: Has the Refugee Convention outlived its usefulness? IRIN 26 Mar 2012 -- Can an international convention drafted 60 years ago to protect a limited number of Europeans uprooted by World War II continue to provide protection to the millions of people around the world today forced to flee their countries for a variety of reasons?
• Burma Allows Second UN Aid Shipment to Kachin Rebel Areas VOA 26 Mar 2012 -- Burma's government has allowed the United Nations to ship a second round of humanitarian aid to rebel-controlled areas in northern Kachin state. But, the U.N. says the aid is far from adequate for the tens of thousands displaced by fighting between Burma's army and ethnic Kachin rebels.
• 'One country, two areas' concept unlikely to become policy: NSB CNA 26 Mar 2012 -- The concept of 'one country, two areas' as a basis for cross-Taiwan Strait relations is unlikely to be formulated into a national policy, the head of the National Security Bureau (NSB) said Monday.
• PAKISTAN: Women-led households hit by war, floods in Swat IRIN 26 Mar 2012 -- Nissa Bibi, 40, carries a mobile phone on an orange ribbon round her neck in the hope that her sister - Shahina Bibi who recently returned to their home village in the Kabal area of Swat valley in northern Pakistan - will call.
• UN chief 'deeply concerned' over military clashes on Sudan-South Sudan border UN News Centre 26 Mar 2012 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is deeply concerned about the military clashes in the border region of Sudan and South Sudan, and calls on their Governments to fully respect and implement the agreements they have already reached on security, border monitoring and the disputed area of Abyei, Mr. Ban's spokesperson said today.
• UN tribunal refers case of fugitive genocide suspect to Rwanda court UN News Centre 26 Mar 2012 -- The United Nations tribunal trying key suspects implicated in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda today ordered the case of an indicted suspect who remains at large be referred to the Rwandan High Court for trial.
• UN agency welcomes US contribution of $10 million to help Palestinian refugees UN News Centre 26 Mar 2012 -- The head of the United Nations agency assisting Palestinian refugees today welcomed a $10 million contribution from the United States to its funding.

News Reports

• Remarks by President Obama at Opening Plenary Session of the Nuclear Security Summit The White House 26 Mar 2012
• Remarks by President Obama at Hankuk University The White House 26 Mar 2012
• Obama Cites Global Efforts to Stop Nuclear Terror AFPS 26 Mar 2012 -- The world is safer because the international community has made it harder than ever for terrorists to acquire nuclear weapons, President Barack Obama told students at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, South Korea, today.
• Trilateral Agreement Highlights Nuclear Security Summit AFPS 26 Mar 2012 -- The United States, Canada and Mexico have completed a joint nuclear security project to convert the fuel in Mexico’s research reactor from highly enriched uranium to low-enriched uranium.
• Obama Calls For 'World Without Nuclear Weapons' RIA Novosti 26 Mar 2012 -- U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday he is pushing for 'a world without nuclear weapons' and directly appealed to North Korea and Iran, the BBC reported.
• Anti-Nuclear Activists Say Summit Ignores True Nuclear Security VOA 26 Mar 2012 -- President Barrack Obama says the United States is committed to developing new technologies to produce peaceful nuclear energy. He made these remarks on Monday at the start of a nuclear security summit in Seoul, South Korea. But one year after the disaster at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi reactor complex, concerns about the safety of nuclear power linger on. Some activists, though, say there is no form of safe nuclear power.
• Obama: Time Running Out On Iranian Nuclear Crisis RFE/RL 26 Mar 2012 -- U.S. President Barack Obama has urged Iran to act with "urgency" to resolve the dispute over Tehran's controversial nuclear program with the U.S. leader warning time is running out.
• With presidential poll now over, Ban urges Senegalese leaders to work together UN News Centre 26 Mar 2012 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on the outgoing President of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, and Macky Sall, the reported winner of the presidential run-off poll, to work together in the coming days in the interest of the country.
• Senegal's Wade Concedes Electoral Defeat, Draws Praise VOA 26 Mar 2012 -- Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade has conceded defeat in Sunday's presidential runoff election, winning praise from the international community, and his own people.
• Russia Puts U.S. Satellite In Orbit RIA Novosti 26 Mar 2012 -- Russia's Proton-M carrier rocket successfully put a U.S. telecoms satellite into orbit on Monday, space officials said.
• Soviet Weather Satellite to Fall to Earth RIA Novosti 26 Mar 2012 -- Meteor-1, the Soviet Union's first fully operational weather satellite, will on Monday night re-enter the Earth's atmosphere after more than four decades in orbit, the web site of the U.S. Strategic Command said.