Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 29 Mar 2012 [PDF]
• British and Afghan forces bring security to Nahr-e Saraj UK MOD 29 Mar 2012 -- Progress towards greater security has moved apace in the Nahr-e Saraj area of Helmand province thanks to the combined efforts of British and Afghan forces.

Defense Policy / Programs

• High-Level Talks Help Ease US-Pakistan Tensions VOA 29 Mar 2012 -- Wednesday's meeting between U.S. and Pakistani military commanders, and discussions between President Barack Obama and Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani earlier this week are being described as productive first steps in re-establishing relations ruptured in November after a NATO airstrike killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. But Pakistan's parliament must make its final recommendations before formal negotiations between the two countries can begin.
• U.S.-Pakistani Military Relations Improving, Dempsey Says AFPS 29 Mar 2012 -- There may be more bumps in the road, but the military-to-military relationship between the United States and Pakistan is on the road to recovery, said Army Gen. Martin Dempsey today.
• DoD News Briefing on F-22 Scientific Advisory Board Findings DoD 29 Mar 2012 -- Presenter: General Gregory Martin (Retired), Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board Study on the F-22; Major General Noel T. Jones, Director, Operational Capability Requirements, and Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Requirements; and Major General Charlie Lyon, Air Combat Command’s director of operations
• Dempsey Looks to Expand Military Ties With Brazil AFPS 29 Mar 2012 -- Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, on his way back from Brazil today, said he hopes to expand military-to-military relations with the country he said is 'clearly, an economic engine globally.'
• Officials: Energy Programs Vital to Defense Budget AFPS 29 Mar 2012 -- The Defense Department is striving to improve energy security for the warfighter and it needs funding to achieve that goal, officials told Congress during budget hearings here today.
• Submarines Program Manager Addresses Mississippi Senate NNS 29 Mar 2012 -- The Virginia-class submarine program manager kicked off the Navy's 50-50 executive outreach visit to Jackson, Miss., March 29.
• USS Emory S. Land Completes Live-Fire Exercise Underway NNS 29 Mar 2012 -- Sailors assigned to submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) successfully completed a live-fire .50-caliber machine gun exercise while underway, March 27.
• Seabees Participate in a Field Training Exercise While Deployed NNS 29 Mar 2012 -- Seabees from U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 40 participated in a one-week field training exercise (FTX) March 2, while forward deployed to Okinawa, Japan.
• Strike Fighter Squadron 131 CMC Relieved of Duty NNS 29 Mar 2012 -- The command master chief of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 131 was relieved of his duties March 27, due to misconduct committed while assigned as the squadron's CMC.
• Royal Thai Navy Assumes Command of Combined Task Force 151 NNS 29 Mar 2012 -- The royal Thai navy assumed command from the royal Danish navy as Commander Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, during a change of command ceremony onboard USS Halsey (DDG 97), Muscat, Oman, March 29.
• USS Nimitz Holds Change of Command NNS 29 Mar 2012 -- USS Nimitz (CVN 68) held a change of command ceremony aboard the aircraft carrier March 29.
• DASN Energy Give Remarks During Energy Efficiency Forum NNS 29 Mar 2012 -- The Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy Tom Hicks gave remarks at the 2012 Energy Efficiency Forum in Orlando, Fla., March 28.
• Historic HS-4 Transitions to HSC-4 NNS 29 Mar 2012 -- The 'Black Knights' of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 4 became Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 4, during a transition ceremony at Naval Base Coronado, March 29.
• Leadership, Teamwork Highlighted at NMCB 133 Khaki Field Exercise NNS 29 Mar 2012 -- Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133 made great strides in team development during its Khaki Field Training Exercise (FTX) that ended March 16.
• U.S., Thai service members conclude Cope Tiger AFNS 29 Mar 2012 -- More than 240 Thai and U.S. airmen and soldiers took part in a personnel drop over Lop Buri, Thailand, to close out this year's Cope Tiger 2012 multilateral air exercise, which was held here March 12-23.
• Air Defense Command commences operations at Yokota AB AFNS 29 Mar 2012 -- A crowd of senior-ranking U.S. and Japanese military leaders gathered here March 26 to celebrate the beginning of Air Defense Command operations at Yokota Air Base.
• Strategy Drove Budget Decisions, Dempsey Says AFPS 29 Mar 2012 -- Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said today he stands by his testimony that the fiscal 2013 defense budget request grew from the new strategy and was not simply a target number that planners had to hit.
• Officials Reaffirm Pentagon's Commitment to F-35 AFPS 29 Mar 2012 -- Estimated costs for the F-35 joint strike fighter have increased over the life of the program, but the Defense Department is working to contain cost growth and remains committed to the fifth-generation fighter, defense officials said today.
• Policy Chief Nominee Discusses Job's Challenges AFPS 29 Mar 2012 -- The strategy in Afghanistan is working, the Pentagon policy chief nominee told Congress today, warning that recent difficulties can't cause the United States to abandon it in favor of a 'Plan B.'
• Stryker NBCRV's to make Raider Brigade safer, independent Army News 29 Mar 2012 -- In 2007, the Army authorized the purchase of an additional 94 Stryker Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicles to add to their current fleet of less than a dozen, with most operating in Iraq. In the last three months, two teams from 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion are training to be the first in 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team's history to become fully licensed.
• Dempsey: Colombia Has Strategy to Take Down Terror Group AFPS 29 Mar 2012 -- The Colombians have a good strategy to counter the main terrorist group in the country, and they will stick with it, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday.
• U.S., Russia may Compromise on Missile Shield in 2 Years RIA Novosti 29 Mar 2012 -- U.S. President Barack Obama hopes to reach a compromised agreement with Russia on the American missile defense system in Europe next year or in 2014, Josh Earnest, White House's deputy press secretary, said.
• Bulava Missile in for Two More Test Launches RIA Novosti 29 Mar 2012 -- At least two test launches for the Bulava intercontinental missile are planned for the fall, a source at Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation said on Thursday.
• China Warns Against Joint Exercises in South China Seas VOA 29 Mar 2012 -- Chinese officials in Beijing are warning against any joint military patrols or exercises between Vietnam and the Philippines in the disputed South China Sea.
• HMS Vigilant sets sail after refuel and upgrade UK MOD 29 Mar 2012 -- Royal Navy submarine HMS Vigilant sailed from Plymouth on Tuesday, 27 March, after nearly three-and-a-half years undergoing work to replace her nuclear fuel and to upgrade key areas.
• Taiwan strategically important to U.S. defense: experts CNA 29 Mar 2012 -- Taiwan is strategically important to the United States' defense and should not be ignored by the U.S. government, experts at a hearing at the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs said Wednesday.
• Ukraine Army Gets New Automatic 30 mm Cannon RIA Novosti 29 Mar 2012 -- The Ukrainian army is taking delivery of a new automatic 30-mm cannon developed by Ukrainian experts, the Defense Ministry said quoting a minister's order on Thursday.
• Giving Up Nukes - Is The Post-Soviet Experience A Model For Others? RFE/RL 28 Mar 2012 -- As world leaders gathered for the two-day nuclear-security summit in Seoul this week, a lot of the attention was on countries that were not present - North Korea, Pakistan, India, and Iran.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 3/29/2012 The White House 29 Mar 2012
• March 29, 2012 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 29 Mar 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 29, 2012
• Russia Touts Yak-130 Combat Trainer in S.America RIA Novosti 29 Mar 2012 -- South American air force chiefs have shown interest in Russia's Yakovlev Yak-130 Mitten trainer/light attack aircraft, the plane's maker said on Thursday.

Other Conflicts

• 29 March 2012 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 29 Mar 2012
• One million Syrians in need of humanitarian assistance – UN-backed survey UN News Centre 29 Mar 2012 -- At least one million Syrians are in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the findings of a government-led assessment mission jointly carried out with the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and released today.
• Syrian Violence Kills 22 as Arab Leaders Back Peace Plan VOA 29 Mar 2012 -- Violence across Syria killed at least 22 people - most of them civilians - as Arab leaders in Baghdad backed a peace plan during a summit focused on resolving the year-long Syrian crisis.
• Analysis: Syrian Red Crescent fighting perceptions of partiality IRIN 29 Mar 2012 -- As it tries to improve its image and convince donors of its impartiality, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) is calling for more support in order to respond to growing humanitarian needs in Syria.
• Syria Dominates Arab League Summit In Baghdad RFE/RL 29 Mar 2012 -- Baghdad is hosting its first Arab League summit in two decades, with the focus on the Syrian crisis.
• Medvedev Urges 'Collective Approach' to Syria Solution RIA Novosti 29 Mar 2012 -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called on Arab League member states to join forces in order to find a solution to the crisis in Syria as soon as possible, the Kremlin website said on Thursday.
• UN Chief: 'No Time to Waste' For Syria RIA Novosti 29 Mar 2012 -- UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said on Thursday time was running out for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to act on a UN-backed peace plan for the country, where government forces continued a crackdown on rebels.
• Baghdad Summit Weighs Syria as Violence Continues VOA 29 Mar 2012 -- The leaders of fewer than half the Arab League's member states turned out for a summit in Baghdad Thursday amid tight security and a government-imposed curfew. Iraqi security officials say a rocket exploded in central Baghdad but caused little damage.
• 'Friends of Syria' to Meet for Opposition Support VOA 29 Mar 2012 -- High-level envoys from dozens of nations supporting Syria's opposition meet in Turkey Sunday for the second session of the so-called 'Friends of Syria' to plan for political change in the strife-torn country. Opposition leaders are under pressure to outline their vision for Syria if President Bashar al-Assad leaves power.
• Syrian Kurds Could Tip Scales of Syrian Conflict VOA 29 Mar 2012 -- A tent city among the ruins of a former tobacco factory along the Turkish-Syrian border is home to Syrian refugee Ciwan and his four-year-old son. The Yayladagi camp is swarming with Syrians fleeing the bloodshed of their homeland. But for Ciwan, a Syrian Kurd, it's unfamiliar living among the it's unfamiliar living among the predominantly Arab population.
• MYANMAR: Timeline post-independence IRIN 29 Mar 2012 -- As millions go to the polls across Myanmar, IRIN took a brief look at a chronology of key events that have impacted this nation of around 50 million since the country gained its independence from Britain in 1948.
• Briefing: Myanmar's ethnic problems IRIN 29 Mar 2012 -- Mutual distrust, power struggles and tension over the hoarding of resources, including gold, gems and timber, have characterized the long history between the rulers of Myanmar - primarily of Burman background - and the many other smaller ethnic groups that comprise this Southeast Asian nation of more than 50 million.
• In Depth: What next for Myanmar? IRIN 29 Mar 2012 -- As millions of Burmese go to the polls on 1 April, expectations are high for real change.
• MYANMAR: Hundreds of political prisoners still behind bars IRIN 29 Mar 2012 -- Human rights groups say hundreds of Burmese political prisoners remain incarcerated, despite an amnesty in January, when about 600 of the most prominent activists were released.
• MYANMAR: What next for the Rohingyas? IRIN 29 Mar 2012 -- As Myanmar gears up for a by-election on 1 April, experts and community leaders are divided over what the ongoing reforms may hold for the Rohingya people, a stateless Muslim ethnic group living in the country's Northern Rakhine State.
• Analysis: Reassessing international access in Myanmar IRIN 29 Mar 2012 -- Access for international aid workers in Myanmar shows signs of improving, but aid workers say huge challenges remain.
• Joint UN-AU mission dispatches assessment team to site of Darfur market clashes UN News Centre 29 Mar 2012 -- A United Nations-African Union assessment team will be sent shortly to a North Darfur community that was the scene of clashes this week between Sudanese national security forces and civilians that resulted in the deaths of three people, it was announced today.
• Welcoming ceasefire, UN calls for tackling causes of Libyan clashes UN News Centre 29 Mar 2012 -- The United Nations mission in Libya has welcomed the ceasefire brokered in the south-western city of Sabha, where fighting in recent days has resulted in some 50 deaths, and called on all sides to address the underlying causes of the violence.
• Briefing: War and peace – repeating the cycle IRIN 29 Mar 2012 -- During a visit to Bamako, capital of Mali, on 26 February, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé observed that the Malian government would be best advised to sit down and negotiate with the MNLA (Mouvement National pour la liberation de l'Azawad), which is fighting to carve out an independent state in the north.
• Briefing: Sudans' border clashes IRIN 29 Mar 2012 -- Borderland fighting between Sudan and South Sudan broke out on 25 March, raising fears that the fragile peace that has more or less held since a 2005 accord (CPA) ended decades of civil war, could break down entirely.
• ISRAEL: Water being used to coerce Bedouin villagers, says NGO IRIN 29 Mar 2012 -- Salim Abu al-Qi'an's family live in Israel's Negev desert in the 'unrecognized' Bedouin village of Umm al-Hieran, 9km from the nearest source of clean water.
• African Leaders Scrap Mali Visit VOA 29 Mar 2012 -- West African heads of state aborted a mission to meet with coup leaders in the Malian capital, Bamako, on Thursday, after crowds supporting the military government demonstrated at the airport.

News Reports

• Ban urges Arab League to listen to people's voices and support democratic reforms UN News Centre 29 Mar 2012 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged members of the League of Arab States to listen to their people and embrace democratic transitions in the region which, since last year, has witnessed a wave of popular uprisings calling for greater freedoms.
• Security Council calls on all Yemenis to remain committed to political transition UN News Centre 29 Mar 2012 -- The Security Council today voiced concern at the recent deterioration in cooperation among political actors in Yemen and called on them to remain committed to the country's transition.
• North Korea to Allow World to Monitor Launch RIA Novosti 29 Mar 2012 -- North Korea will allow foreign experts and journalists to observe the planned launch of a long-range rocket next month, Yonhap news agency reported on Thursday.
• MALI: Holy wars and hostages – AQIM in the Maghreb IRIN 29 Mar 2012 -- Mopti in central Mali had a thriving tourism industry a few years ago, but Issa Ballo, a private tour operator, says the city built at the confluence of two rivers and often described as the 'Gateway to the North' still has everything in terms of 'adventure, discovery and culture'.
• Press Conference by Human Rights Committee Experts United Nations 29 Mar 2012