Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 28 Mar 2012 [PDF]
• Troops Kill Terror Group's Senior Leader in Afghanistan AFPS 28 Mar 2012 -- An Afghan special unit and coalition troops killed the senior Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader in Afghanistan during a March 26 operation in the Shirin Tagab district of Faryab province, military officials reported.
• New mandate will strengthen engagement in Afghanistan – UN envoy UN News Centre 28 Mar 2012 -- The top United Nations envoy in Afghanistan said today that the recently renewed mandate of the world body's mission in the country lends itself to stronger engagement with the Government and society at large to advance peace, development and a host of other goals.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Dempsey Pleased About U.S.-Pakistani Leaders Meeting AFPS 28 Mar 2012 -- Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said today he is pleased that U.S. and Pakistani military leaders have met to discuss mutual concerns.
• Chairman Visits Amazon Military Command in Brazil AFPS 28 Mar 2012 -- When arriving here, jets fly for three hours over the Amazon rain forest. This city is smack in the center of Amazonia, and it is a different world.
• Budget Proposal Slows Cost Growth, Pentagon Leaders Say AFPS 28 Mar 2012 -- The Defense Department's proposed budget would slow the growth in pay and benefits without negatively affecting today's service members, senior defense leaders told senators here today.
• Enterprise Visits Greece NNS 28 Mar 2012 -- Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) are scheduled to visit Piraeus, Greece, March 28 on their first port visit of the ship's 22nd and final deployment.
• Vicksburg Arrives in Greece NNS 28 Mar 2012 -- Guided-missile cruiser USS Vicksburg (CG 69) arrived in Piraeus, Greece for a regularly scheduled port visit March 28.
• USS James E. Williams Visits Port of Rome NNS 28 Mar 2012 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams (DDG 95) arrived in Civitavecchia, Italy March 26 for a regularly scheduled port visit.
• USS San Diego Makes First Panama Canal Transit NNS 28 Mar 2012 -- USS San Diego (LPD 22) made its way through the Panama Canal for the first time in her history March 25.
• USS Elrod Visits Naval Station Guantanamo Bay NNS 28 Mar 2012 -- USS Elrod (FFG 55), currently supporting Joint Interagency Task Force South (JITF) counter-narcotics operations in the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility, visited Naval Station (NS) Guantanamo Bay, March 27-30.
• Senior leaders discuss future of Air Force Reserve AFNS 28 Mar 2012 -- Senior leaders from Air Force Reserve Command assembled here March 26-27 during the 2012 Senior Leader Conference to discuss the future of the command.
• U.S. Remains Committed to F-35 Program, Panetta Says AFPS 28 Mar 2012 -- Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta yesterday reaffirmed the Defense Department's commitment to the F-35 joint strike fighter program and to ensuring it remains within the defense strategy's budget.
• Panetta Plans Visit to Amphibious Assault Ship AFPS 28 Mar 2012 -- Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta will travel to Camp Pendleton, Calif., March 30, where he will visit the USS Peleliu, which represents a naval priority for the department, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little announced today.
• Panetta, Peru's Defense Minister Discuss Defense Cooperation AFPS 28 Mar 2012 -- Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta welcomed Peruvian Defense Minister Luis Alberto Otárola Penaranda to the Pentagon today to discuss transnational organized crime, terrorism and a defense cooperation agreement.
• South Korea Mission Strategically Important, Officials Say AFPS 28 Mar 2012 -- U.S. forces in South Korea help to sustain an important alliance, deter an unpredictable threat and support the national defense strategy's shift toward the Asia-Pacific region, senior defense officials told Congress today.
• ASG-K holds MASCAL exercise Army News 28 Mar 2012 -- Area Support Group-Kuwait sponsored a force protection mass casualty exercise here March 26.
• 21st TSC Soldiers enable communications at Unified Endeavor Army News 28 Mar 2012 -- Soldiers of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command's information, signal and communications staff section apply their technical and tactical knowledge and skill in support of exercise Unified Endeavor in Grafenwoehr, Germany March 18 through April 6.
• Army Reserve units participate in Unified Endeavor Army News 28 Mar 2012 -- Army Reserve Soldiers with the 406th Human Resources Company, 7th Civil Support Command, along with members of the 1172nd Movement Control Team, participate in Unified Endeavour Mar. 16 here.
• Strategic decisions sway Army to defer construction Army News 28 Mar 2012 -- The Army's military construction budget request for next year is 32-percent less than this year, Katherine Hammack, assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, told senators.
• Vertical-lift aircraft design expected soon Army News 28 Mar 2012 -- The military services expect to unveil performance specifications this summer for a new joint vertical-lift aircraft, Maj. Gen. William T. Crosby told congressmen.
• U.S., Pakistani Officials Discuss Military Relationship AFPS 28 Mar 2012 -- Senior U.S. officers met today with their Pakistani counterparts in Islamabad, Pakistan, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.
• Conference to Focus on Building Troops' Resilience AFPS 28 Mar 2012 -- Nearly 750 military leaders and psychological health care experts will gather here tomorrow for the Defense Department's fourth annual Warrior Resilience Conference.
• Thurman: Keep Accompanied Korea Tours at Current Level AFPS 28 Mar 2012 -- Family-member-accompanied tours for U.S. service members in South Korea should not expand beyond the roughly 4,600 family members now authorized, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea told Congress today.
• Pentagon to Seek More Funds for Israel's Anti-Missile System RIA Novosti 28 Mar 2012 -- The U.S. Department of Defense will ask Congress to provide additional funding for Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system, the Pentagon said in a statement.
• Link Grows Between Terrorism, Organized Crime, Officials Say AFPS 28 Mar 2012 -- The two missions of fighting terrorism and combating global organized crime are increasingly linked, senior Defense Department officials told Congress yesterday.
• Russia Invites NATO Chief to Missile Defense Conference RIA Novosti 28 Mar 2012 -- The Russian Defense Ministry will invite NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Wednesday to attend an international conference on missile defense in Moscow on May 3-4, a senior defense official said.
• Russia to Tighten Draft Dodging Rules RIA Novosti 28 Mar 2012 -- A loophole that allowed up to 200,000 Russian youth to evade conscription may be closed if the parliament approves a bill obliging recruits to report for the draft in person, legislators said.
• India's Brahmos supersonic cruise missile test fired successfully IRNA 28 Mar 2012 -- India on Wednesday successfully test fired Brahmos supersonic cruise missile as part of a user trial by the Army from the test range at Chandipur off Odisha coast.
• Leaked Letter Reveals Indian Army Weaknesses VOA 28 Mar 2012 -- The head of India's army says obsolete defense equipment and a shortage of weapons have weakened the country's defense capabilities.
• UK 'driving efforts' on global nuclear security UK MOD 28 Mar 2012 -- As the Deputy Prime Minister attends a summit on nuclear security in Seoul, Minister of State for the Armed Forces Nick Harvey has released a statement on the issue.
• Defense ministry stands firm on Lin Yifu issue CNA 28 Mar 2012 -- The defense ministry remains firm on the decision that Lin Yifu, a former Taiwanese army officer who fled to China years ago and is now a vice president of the World Bank, will be arrested and dealt with according to law if he returns to Taiwan, a ministry official said Wednesday.
• Taiwan needs U.S. assistance to build submarines: military report CNA 28 Mar 2012 -- If Taiwan decides to start building its own military submarines, it will require technological assistance from the United States, according to a Ministry of National Defense (MND) report released Wednesday.
• March 28, 2012 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 28 Mar 2012
• Press Briefing by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 3/28/2012 The White House 28 Mar 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 28, 2012

Other Conflicts

• 28 March 2012 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 28 Mar 2012
• Ban calls on Syria to implement UN-Arab League envoy's plan to end crisis UN News Centre 28 Mar 2012 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to implement a six-point plan put forward recently to find a peaceful solution to the crisis in the country.
• US Lawmakers Urge Arming Syrian Government Opposition VOA 28 Mar 2012 -- U.S. lawmakers are urging a more active U.S. role to topple Syria's dictatorship, including arming opponents of President Bashar al-Assad.
• Clinton: U.S. To Judge Assad's Actions, Not Words RFE/RL 28 Mar 2012 -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has cautiously welcomed the news that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is accepting a deal brokered by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan to bring peace to the restive country.
• Syria 'Will Reject' Any Initiative From Arab League Summit RFE/RL 28 Mar 2012 -- Syrian officials say the regime of President Bashar al-Assad will reject any initiative that comes out of this week's Arab League summit in the Iraqi capital aimed at ending the yearlong conflict in Syria.
• Syrian Opposition Needs to Back Annan – Moscow RIA Novosti 28 Mar 2012 -- The Syrian opposition needs to follow official Damascus in supporting UN envoy Kofi Annan's plan for negotiating an end to a bloody standoff in the country, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
• Arab Ministers to Discuss Syria Resolution at League Summit RIA Novosti 28 Mar 2012 -- Arab foreign ministers have been arriving in Iraq ahead of a landmark summit to discuss the crisis in Syria as the country's disparate opposition groups agree to join forces.
• Brigadier General Killed in Syria RIA Novosti 28 Mar 2012 -- Militants killed a Syrian brigadier general on his way to work on Wednesday near the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.
• Syrian Troops Assault Rebel Strongholds, New Diplomatic Push Starts VOA 28 Mar 2012 -- Syrian rights activists say government forces have assaulted several rebel strongholds, triggering battles that killed 13 people as Arab nations began a new diplomatic effort to end Syria's year-long conflict.
• Arab League Discusses Syria Peace Plan VOA 28 Mar 2012 -- Arab League foreign ministers are expected to back special envoy Kofi Annan's plan to end the crisis in Syria, a day after President Bashar al-Assad's government accepted the proposal.
• Situation on South Sudan-Sudan border cools as parties say they want to meet – UN UN News Centre 28 Mar 2012 -- Tensions stemming from military clashes in the border area between Sudan and South Sudan appear to be de-escalating as both parties have stated their willingness to meet in the coming days in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to prevent a new eruption of violence, a United Nations spokesperson said today.
• South Sudan Pulls Back From Disputed Northern Town VOA 28 Mar 2012 -- South Sudan has withdrawn its troops from a contested area north of the border in Sudan following clashes this week with Sudanese armed forces. The renewed fighting has set back efforts to resolve multiple disputes between the two sides.
• UN mission head, Lebanese and Israeli officials hold 'constructive' meeting UN News Centre 28 Mar 2012 -- The head of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon and senior military officials from that country and Israel today discussed issues relevant to the implementation of the Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 war between Israel and the Lebanese group known as Hizbollah.
• New radar helps Airmen defend Arabian Gulf AFNS 28 Mar 2012 -- Airmen defending the Arabian Gulf have another arrow in their quiver thanks to a new radar system installed at the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing here March 18.
• UN official: 'race against time' to avert disaster in Africa's drought-stricken Sahel UN News Centre 28 Mar 2012 -- The food and nutrition crisis facing countries in West Africa's drought-prone Sahel region has continued to deteriorate at an alarming rate despite commendable early response efforts by governments and international aid agencies, a senior United Nations official said today.
• SAHEL: Malian refugees risk being 'forgotten' IRIN 28 Mar 2012 -- Mali is facing its 'worst humanitarian crisis for 20 years' due to a combination of food insecurity affecting around three million people, and conflict-induced displacement in the north.
• UN rights chief praises Senegal election, urges Mali and Guinea-Bissau to follow suit UN News Centre 28 Mar 2012 -- The United Nations human rights chief today congratulated Senegal for conducting peaceful, free, fair and transparent elections, and called on other West African countries, where there has been increasing political tension and violence, to do the same.

News Reports

• Officials Suspend North Korea Nutrition Aid Over Planned Launch AFPS 28 Mar 2012 -- Concerns that North Korea would resume provocative behavior on the international stage in 2012 have proven true, so the United States has suspended plans to provide nutrition aid to the impoverished nation, senior defense officials told Congress today.
• US Suspends Food Assistance to North Korea VOA 28 Mar 2012 -- The United States says it has suspended a food aid package to North Korea in response to Pyongyang's plans to carry out a missile launch next month. While the North says its plan to hurl the satellite into space is peaceful, the U.S. and other countries say the launch could help it further its ballistic missile technology.
• 1st VP: Iran welcomes Turkey hosting nuclear talks with G5+1 IRNA 28 Mar 2012 -- First Vice-President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi said on Wednesday that Iran welcomes Turkey hosting the upcoming nuclear talks with the G5+1.
• Erdogan: No force should be used against any country pursuing peaceful nuclear program IRNA 28 Mar 2012 -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Teyyip Erdogan says no one has the right to use force against a country whose nuclear activities are peaceful.
• Turkish Prime Minister In Tehran For Talks On Nuclear Dispute, Syria RFE/RL 28 Mar 2012 -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has arrived in Tehran for talks on the international deadlock over Iran's nuclear program and the Syrian conflict.
• US Lawmakers Call for 'Hard-Nosed' Approach With Iran VOA 28 Mar 2012 -- Leading U.S. lawmakers are urging the Obama administration to take an even tougher stance with Iran over its nuclear program, questioning whether expanding economic sanctions are making a difference.
• India's N-plants produce 32,000 million units of power IRNA 28 Mar 2012 -- India on Tuesday achieved a milestone in nuclear power generation, touching 32,000 million units, a target that nuclear operator Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) had set for this fiscal.
• India offers help in search of orphan radioactive sources IRNA 28 Mar 2012 -- Offering assistance through the global nuclear watchdog IAEA, India on Tuesday said that it can help in search and recovery of orphan radioactive sources in countries that were unable to effectively deal with them.
• Russia to Build Nuclear Space Engine by 2017 RIA Novosti 28 Mar 2012 -- A Russian Megawatt-class nuclear propulsion system for long-range manned spacecraft must be ready by 2017, Skolkovo Foundation's Nuclear Cluster head Denis Kovalevich said on Wednesday.
• Space Station Crew Set to Land April 27 – Roscosmos RIA Novosti 28 Mar 2012 -- Russia's space agency Roscosmos has set the date for the return of the Soyuz TMA-22 manned spacecraft from the International Space Station (ISS) to Earth for April 27, head of manned flight programs at Roscosmos Alexei Krasnov said on Wednesday.
• EU Proposes Center to Combat Cybercrimes RIA Novosti 28 Mar 2012 -- The European Commission on Wednesday proposed establishing a European Cybercrime Centre to help protect European citizens and businesses from cyber threats.
• Ethiopian Terrorism Trial Hears Journalist Defendant VOA 28 Mar 2012 -- A dissident Ethiopian journalist on trial for terrorism has categorically denied the charges and warned the court that history would judge its verdict.
• 'One country, two areas' is based on ROC Constitution: Ma CNA 28 Mar 2012 -- President Ma Ying-jeou said Wednesday that since 20 years ago, the concept of 'one country, two areas' has been clearly stated in the Republic of China's Constitution.
• Guinea-Bissau's priority now is completing political transition, says UN envoy UN News Centre 28 Mar 2012 -- The United Nations envoy for Guinea-Bissau today stressed the need for strong international engagement to help the country complete the current political transition and move ahead on priorities such as reforming the security sector and tackling drug trafficking and organized crime.