Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 26 Apr 2012 [PDF]
• Combined Force Captures Insurgent Facilitator AFPS 26 Apr 2012 -- An Afghan and coalition security force captured an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan facilitator, killed one insurgent and detained two other insurgents during an operation in the Sayyidabad district of Afghanistan's Wardak province today, military officials reported.
• Logistics squadron preps for US downsizing in Afghanistan USMC News 26 Apr 2012 -- Marines and Sailors with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 16 began a retrograde of their gear and equipment aboard Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, April 19, 2012.
• Post-2014 U.S. Military Presence in Afghanistan 'Needs Clarification' RIA Novosti 26 Apr 2012 -- The terms and goals of the projected U.S. presence in Afghanistan beyond 2014 need to be clarified, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Thursday.
• Reduction of 500 Service personnel from Afghanistan explained UK MOD 26 Apr 2012 -- The way in which UK forces will achieve a reduction of 500 Service personnel in Afghanistan by the end of this year has been announced today by Defence Secretary Philip Hammond.
• Foreign Secretary - we're on track to complete transition UK MOD 26 Apr 2012 -- We remain on track to complete the transition process by the end of 2014, Foreign Secretary William Hague told Parliament today.
• Pakistan forces NATO military aircraft to land IRNA 26 Apr 2012 -- A foreign military cargo aircraft was forced to land at the Karachi airport after information was received that it is carrying military equipment and to fly without permission over the country, local media reported.
• US Envoy: Pakistan 'Communication Lines' Should Be Reopened VOA 26 Apr 2012 -- A senior U.S. envoy says communication lines with Pakistan should be reopened, after relations between the two countries reached a new low late last year.
• USS Elrod Recovers 4,840 Pounds of Drugs in Caribbean NNS 26 Apr 2012 -- Guided missile frigate USS Elrod (FFG 55) with an embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) recovered 89 bales of cocaine in support of Operation Martillo on April 20 in the Western Caribbean Sea.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Alleged Document Leaker's Trial Set for September AFPS 26 Apr 2012 -- Army Pfc. Bradley Manning will go to trial this fall to face charges that he leaked hundreds of thousands of classified documents in what's believed to be the largest intelligence leak in U.S. history.
• Joint Statement of the Security Consultative Committee DoD 26 Apr 2012 -- The U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee (SCC) reconfirmed that the U.S.-Japan Alliance, supported by a robust U.S. military presence in Japan, including U.S. Marine Corps forces in Okinawa, continues to provide the deterrence and capabilities necessary for the defense of Japan and for the maintenance of peace, security, and economic prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Statement by Secretary Panetta on the Joint Statement of the U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee DoD 26 Apr 2012
• Transcript: Background Briefing on the U.S. Military Realignment in Japan, The Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia DoD 26 Apr 2012 -- Presenter: Senior Department of Defense Official and a Senior Department of State Official
• Army Announces Plans to Reactivate 7th Infantry Division AFPS 26 Apr 2012 -- The secretary of the Army announced plans today to reactivate the 7th Infantry Division and stand up its headquarters here.
• Army Announces New Two-Star HQ at Joint Base Lewis-McChord DoD 26 Apr 2012 -- Secretary of the Army John McHugh today announced that the Army will establish a new two-star headquarters at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), reflecting the installation’s growth over the past nine years, as well as its strategic importance in the new Defense Strategic Guidance.
• Dempsey: Overseas Stops Had New Strategy as Common Element AFPS 26 Apr 2012 -- The new U.S. strategy was a common element in all three stops of a six-day overseas trip he concluded today, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
• Panetta Reaffirms Partnership, Friendship With Chile AFPS 26 Apr 2012 -- In talks here today with his Chilean counterpart and the nation's head of government, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta discussed ongoing and emerging issues, from drug trafficking to cyber security, that the countries plan to address as partners.
• Defense Strategy Pertains Directly to Horn of Africa, Senior Official Says AFPS 26 Apr 2012 -- Many of the focus areas outlined in the nation's defensive strategic guidance, released in January, go beyond Asia-Pacific and pertain to the Horn of Africa, a senior defense official said today.
• Media Availability with Secretary Panetta and Defense Minister Zavala, Santiago, Chile DoD 26 Apr 2012 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta and Chilean Minister of Defense Andrews Allamand Zavala
• AF network techs support missions throughout East Africa AFNS 26 Apr 2012 -- Far from camp here, U.S. service members stationed in austere conditions in forward operating areas around Africa have regular access to communications, thanks to the Tactical Networking team of the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa's communications directorate.
• Navy Helicopter Makes Precautionary Landing in Virginia Beach NNS 26 Apr 2012 -- A U.S. Navy MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter from Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron (HM) 14 made a precautionary landing today in an open field off Harper's Road near Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Va. There were no injuries among the crewmen aboard and the helicopter suffered no damage as a result of the precautionary landing.
• Guam Welcomes USS Chicago NNS 26 Apr 2012 -- USS Chicago (SSN 721) arrived in Guam April 19 where it is assigned to Commander, Submarine Squadron 15 as one of three forward-deployed submarines.
• Seabees Receive Training while Improving Fire Station NNS 26 Apr 2012 -- Sailors attached to various Reserve Naval Mobile Construction Battalions (NMCB) in the Hampton Roads area are nearing completion of a project at Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads, Northwest Annex that began May 23, 2011.
• USNS Mercy Deploying for Pacific Partnership 2012 'Preparing in Calm to Respond in Crisis' NNS 26 Apr 2012 -- U.S. Pacific Fleet's humanitarian and civic assistance (HCA) mission, known as Pacific Partnership, will deploy aboard U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) May 1, for a four-month deployment Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia.
• SECNAV Visits NSA Bahrain Sailors, Marines NNS 26 Apr 2012 -- Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Ray Mabus visited Sailors, Marines and family members at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain, April 25-26.
• Cash-Strapped Pentagon to Boost Latin American Partnerships VOA 26 Apr 2012 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta spent this week in South America working to build relations with Colombia, Brazil and Chile. At a time when the U.S. military faces hundreds of billions of dollars in budget cuts, the Pentagon hopes to rely more on its Latin American partners to deal with growing drug trafficking and terrorist threats in the region.
• U.S. Assessing Military Assistance to Yemen, Spokesman Says AFPS 26 Apr 2012 -- Defense officials are assessing what U.S. national security role they are called upon to perform in Yemen, a department spokesman said today.
• Panetta: U.S., Brazil Partnership 'Is the Future' AFPS 26 Apr 2012 -- On the second day of his first official visit to Brazil, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta yesterday addressed a war college audience, watched an amphibious assault demonstration by Brazilian Marines, and paid tribute to Brazil's fallen heroes of World War II.
• Navy Dengue Vaccine Enters First Clinical Trial AFPS 26 Apr 2012 -- Navy medical researchers are conducting their first human clinical trial for a vaccine to protect U.S. troops from dengue, a potentially deadly mosquito-transmitted virus found in the tropical and subtropical areas of the world.
• DOD to Open New Assignments for Women in May AFPS 26 Apr 2012 -- Policy changes announced in February opening more than 14,000 new assignments to women in uniform will take effect May 14, Defense Department officials said today.
• Senate asks hard questions on future of Army personnel Army News 26 Apr 2012 -- With the downsizing of the active force over the next few years, reliance will need to be placed on the reserve components to wage another long-term conflict, Army personnel leaders told lawmakers April 25.
• Maryland Army Guard unveils newest helicopter in its arsenal Army News 26 Apr 2012 -- The Maryland Army National Guard unveiled, April 18, its first of four UH-72A Lakota helicopters. The aircraft will replace the older OH-58A Kiowa as their premier aircraft for civil support, search and rescue and homeland security missions.
• New 902nd MI complex dedicated at ribbon cutting Army News 26 Apr 2012 -- The 902nd Military Intelligence Group conducted a ribbon cutting ceremony and building dedication for its new headquarters and Army Counterintelligence Center complex on April 19.
• Side-by-side with Soldiers: Michigan Guardsmen train at ANAD Army News 26 Apr 2012 -- If you traveled 900 miles north on I-75 from Atlanta, you would arrive at the town of Grayling, Mich. Nearby is Camp Grayling, the largest National Guard training site in the U.S. and home of the 1071st Maintenance Company, which visited Anniston Army Depot this month.
• Making SPARKs: Anniston fabricates mine rollers Army News 26 Apr 2012 -- Anniston Army Depot has long been known for its work on heavy tracked vehicles, but one of the installation's latest programs involves some heavy wheels.
• F-16s, MiGs engage over Bulgarian skies AFNS 26 Apr 2012 -- U.S. pilots from the 555th and 510th Fighter Squadrons based out of Aviano Air Base, Italy, have been given a rare opportunity to train and share experiences with Bulgarian air force MiG-21 and MiG-29 pilots during their deployment here in support of Thracian Star 2012.
• SecAF discusses force structure, 35 FW contributions during Misawa visit AFNS 26 Apr 2012 -- Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley met with Airmen and toured several 35th Fighter Wing units April 23 during a trip to Misawa Air Base.
• SecAF addresses Airmen at Yokota, discusses future challenges AFNS 26 Apr 2012 -- Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley addressed more than 300 Airmen April 24 during an all call at the Taiyo Community Center here.
• CSAF emphasizes readiness, teamwork at Kandahar AFNS 26 Apr 2012 -- The men and women of the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing and Kandahar Airfield welcomed Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz to Southern Afghanistan April 24.
• Russia, China Complete Naval Drills RIA Novosti 26 Apr 2012 -- Russia and China have completed a naval exercise in the Yellow Sea, off the coast of Qingdao in eastern China, a Russian Navy commander said on Thursday.
• RAF Reserves combine for major UK exercise UK MOD 26 Apr 2012 -- RAF reservists from squadrons across the country have taken part in a major exercise on Salisbury Plain.
• N. Korea's Neighbors Oppose New Nuclear Test VOA 26 Apr 2012 -- South Korea and China are warning North Korea of consequences if it goes ahead with a third nuclear test.
• North Korea may launch nuclear test: military observer CNA 26 Apr 2012 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will very likely launch a nuclear test in order to cement his power, a military observer said Thursday.
• April 26, 2012 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 26 Apr 2012
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 4/26/12 The White House 26 Apr 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for April 26, 2012

Other Conflicts

• 26 April 2012 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 26 Apr 2012
• Charles Taylor Convicted on all 11 Counts; Sentencing Scheduled for 30 May Special Court for Sierra Leone 26 Apr 2012 -- Charles Ghankay Taylor, the former President of Liberia, was convicted today on all counts of an 11-count indictment which alleged that he was responsible for crimes committed by rebel forces during Sierra Leone’s decade-long civil war. The Special Court’s Trial Chamber II found unanimously that Mr. Taylor aided and abetted RUF and AFRC rebels in the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sierra Leone.
• Liberia Reacts to Taylor Conviction With Mixed Emotions VOA 26 Apr 2012 -- Former Liberian President Charles Taylor was found guilty Thursday of aiding and abetting grave human rights abuses and war crimes in a historic verdict by the Special Court for Sierra Leone. While Taylor was not found guilty of masterminding the atrocities, he became the first former African head of state to be convicted in an international court. In Taylor's native Liberia and in Sierra Leone, where the crimes were committed, interest in the verdict was very high.
• Liberian Ex-ruler Found Guilty of War Crimes RIA Novosti 26 Apr 2012 -- The Special Court for Sierra Leone found former Liberian President Charles Taylor guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the 1991-2002 military conflict in the region, BBC reported on Thursday.
• UN human rights chief welcomes court's guilty verdict in Charles Taylor trial UN News Centre 26 Apr 2012 -- The United Nations human rights chief today welcomed the guilty verdict handed down against former Liberian President Charles Taylor as a 'major milestone in' the development of international justice.
• Former Liberian Leader Convicted of War Crimes VOA 26 Apr 2012 -- An international court in the Hague has convicted former warlord and Liberian president Charles Taylor of aiding and abetting horrific war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Sierra Leone's civil war. Taylor had pleaded not guilty to the charges and has the right to appeal.
• Ongoing violence and killing in Syria 'unacceptable,' says Ban UN News Centre 26 Apr 2012 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is gravely alarmed by reports of continued violence and killing in Syria, including shelling and explosions in various residential areas as well as armed clashes, and called the situation 'unacceptable.'
• UN's Ban: Syria Violating Pledge to Pull Weapons From Civilian Areas VOA 26 Apr 2012 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has accused Syria of violating a pledge to withdraw heavy weapons from population centers and demanded that the government comply with that commitment 'without delay.'
• PACE Calls for Security Council Arms Embargo on Syria RIA Novosti 26 Apr 2012 -- The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) called on the UN Security Council on Thursday to impose an arms embargo on Syria.
• Syria Blast 'Kills 69' RIA Novosti 26 Apr 2012 -- At least 69 people were killed in an explosion in Syria's central city of Hama on Thursday, al Jazeera television reported, citing activists.
• Syria Government, Opponents Trade Blame Over Massive Blast VOA 26 Apr 2012 -- The Syrian government blamed 'terrorists' Thursday for a massive explosion in the central city of Hama that killed at least 16 people as the tenuous cease-fire continues to unravel amid more violence and a rising death toll.
• Former Libyan Rebel Sues Britain Over Torture Claim VOA 26 Apr 2012 -- A commander of the Libyan rebel forces that helped to oust Moammar Gadhafi last year claims British intelligence services played a key role in his capture and alleged CIA rendition back to Libya in 2004, where he says he was tortured. His lawyers say the case reveals the murky links between Western governments and Gadhafi before the 2011 uprising.
• UN reparations panel pays out over $1 billion for Iraq's invasion of Kuwait UN News Centre 26 Apr 2012 -- The United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC), which settles the damage claims of those who suffered losses due to Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, today made a total of $1.02 billion available to six successful claimants.
• Security Council extends sanctions on Côte d'Ivoire for another year UN News Centre 26 Apr 2012 -- The Security Council today renewed for another year the set of sanctions imposed on Côte d'Ivoire, while adjusting the arms embargo in light of the need for weapons and ammunition to train and equip the country's security forces.
• COTE D'IVOIRE: Displaced in west feel 'forgotten' IRIN 26 Apr 2012 -- President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d'Ivoire promised paved roads, an end to power cuts and water shortages, better mobile phone coverage, and a new university in the country's west as part of an 'emergency plan' to develop a region that has been steeped in violence and insecurity for a decade. But for some displaced Ivoirians still unable to return to their homes, the promises ring hollow.
• UN Recommends Reducing Darfur Force VOA 26 Apr 2012 -- U.N. Peacekeeping Chief Hervé Ladsous is recommending that the organization drawdown its U.N.-African Union peacekeeping force in the Darfur region of Sudan by more than 4,000 troops and police in the coming months. Ladsous said Thursday that improvements on the ground justify the move.

News Reports

• Bin Laden Worried About Arab Spring, Says US Intelligence Chief VOA 26 Apr 2012 -- It was nearly one year ago - May 2, 2011 - that U.S. commandos killed the world's most wanted terrorist. After a decade of false leads and dead ends, Osama bin Laden was cornered in a walled compound in the city of Abbottabad, Pakistan, not far from that country's elite military academy, and shot dead. His body was buried at sea.
• YEMEN: Timeline of key events under new president IRIN 26 Apr 2012 -- Two months after Yemen's new government was sworn in, violence in the south appears to be increasing with attacks and kidnappings blamed on militants, while more than 10 million people are food insecure and almost half a million internally displaced. The UN says at least 800,000 children are acutely malnourished.
• One Man Rule Bad for Russia – Medvedev (Wrap) RIA Novosti 26 Apr 2012 -- Political power in Russia should not lie in the hands of one man alone, outgoing President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday during a televised interview in which he hailed his four-year-long ruling “tandem” with his powerful mentor, Vladimir Putin.
• Pakistan Supreme Court found PM guilty of contempt of court IRNA 26 Apr 2012 -- Pakistan's Supreme Court on Thursday found Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani guilty of contempt of court for failing to act on its directives to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.
• Pakistan PM summons cabinet after court found him guilty of contempt IRNA 26 Apr 2012 -- Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, who was found guilty in a contempt of court case on Thursday, summoned an emergency meeting of the federal cabinet to review implications of the court's verdict, a cabinet minister said.
• Conviction Heaps Pressure On Gilani To Exit PM's Post RFE/RL 26 Apr 2012 -- Pakistan's Supreme Court has found Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani guilty of contempt but did not order him to serve time in jail.
• Pakistan's Supreme Court Convicts Prime Minister of Contempt VOA 26 Apr 2012 -- Pakistan's Supreme Court on Thursday found Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani guilty of contempt for not obeying an order to reopen a corruption case against the President Asif Ali Zardari, but the justices spared Gilani any prison time.
• Newspaper Office Bombings Kill 7 in Nigeria VOA 26 Apr 2012 -- Bomb attacks targeted the Abuja and Kaduna offices of one of Nigeria's most prominent newspapers Thursday, killing seven people and injuring many others. Another bombing late Thursday in Kaduna hit a residential neighborhood, injuring several people and damaging houses.
• On Chernobyl anniversary, Ban urges support for affected communities UN News Centre 26 Apr 2012 -- Marking the 26th anniversary of the worst nuclear power plant accident in history, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on the international community to generously support Chernobyl-affected regions as they continue their efforts towards recovery and normalcy.
• Work Begins On New Chornobyl Protective Shell RFE/RL 26 Apr 2012 -- Ukraine has begun construction of a new protection shell over the damaged reactor at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant.
• Council of Europe Requests Access to Tymoshenko RIA Novosti 26 Apr 2012 -- The Council of Europe's secretary general, Thorbjorn Jagland, has asked the Ukrainian authorities to allow European diplomats to visit former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko and expressed concerns over reports that prison staff had beaten her up.
• Libya: UN mission welcomes start date for registration of voters, candidates UN News Centre 26 Apr 2012 -- The United Nations mission in Libya today welcomed the announcement by the country's electoral authorities of the start date for the registration of voters and candidates for the upcoming polls to choose members of the National Congress.
• Elections in Timor-Leste a milestone for peace consolidation, says Security Council UN News Centre 26 Apr 2012 -- The Security Council has welcomed the second round of presidential elections in Timor-Leste calling it 'an important milestone for the consolidation of peace and stability' in the country, as well as a reflection of the commitment of its people to democracy and the rule of law.
• India Successfully Launches 'All-Weather' Surveillance Satellite VOA 26 Apr 2012 -- India has successfully launched a satellite that experts say will dramatically boost the country's ability to view detailed images of the earth.