Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 15 May 2012 [PDF]
• U.S. Hopes Pakistan Will Open Supply Lines in ‘Very Near Future’ AFPS 15 May 2012 -- Pentagon officials hope the Pakistani government will reopen the ground supply lines into Afghanistan “in the very near future,” George Little said.
• Pakistan To Discuss Reopening NATO Supply Route RFE/RL 15 May 2012 -- Pakistani leaders are meeting to discuss whether to reopen Pakistan's border to convoys carrying supplies to NATO troops in neighboring Afghanistan.
• Pakistan seeks U.S. apology over NATO strike: FM IRNA 15 May 2012 -- Pakistan has sought a formal apology from the US over a NATO airstrike on its border posts and killing of 24 soldiers in November last year.
• Deputy Ambassador: Meetings to Build on Progress in Afghanistan AFPS 15 May 2012 -- NATO commitments to Afghanistan expected at the alliance’s summit in Chicago next week will build on progress and will demonstrate long-term international support for Afghanistan.
• Afghan Peace Negotiator Blames Assassination On Foreigners RFE/RL 15 May 2012 -- The head of the Afghan High Peace Council has said the assassination plot that killed an influential peace negotiator was planned outside Afghanistan.
• Tensions Simmer Between Tehran, Kabul RFE/RL 15 May 2012 -- Iran's influence in Afghanistan is set in concrete: new roads crisscross the country, power grids supply remote cities with electricity, and planned railways form ties that bind.
• First Army's Task Force Grizzly establishes fire department Army News 15 May 2012 -- It has been over a month since a First Army Division West task force arrived in the mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan.
• Press Conference by United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator on Situation in Afghanistan, 15 May 2012 United Nations 15 May 2012
• Reports: US Aids Yemen al-Qaida Strikes VOA 15 May 2012 -- With U.S. troops reportedly guiding air raids from a nearby base for the first time, Yemeni jets attacked positions of al-Qaida insurgents in southern Yemen's Abyan province.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Progress Continues Toward NATO Missile Defense System AFPS 15 May 2012 -- The US will announce at next week’s NATO summit in Chicago that the new missile defense system in Europe has reached interim operational capability.
• Obama Hosts NATO, Focus on Afghanistan and Alliance Future Global Role VOA 15 May 2012 -- President Barack Obama welcomes NATO leaders to his home town of Chicago this coming weekend for a summit.
• Pakistan President Accepts NATO Summit Invite RFE/RL 15 May 2012 -- Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari will attend a summit of NATO leaders in Chicago this weekend, according to a spokesman.
• NATO Invites Pakistan to Upcoming Afghan Summit VOA 15 May 2012 -- NATO has invited Pakistani President Zardari to the alliance's summit in Chicago, a day after the country's prime minister proposed reopening ground supply routes to international troops in Afghanistan.
• NATO Invites Pakistani President To Summit RFE/RL 15 May 2012 -- NATO has invited Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to the alliance's summit in Chicago this weekend.
• DOD News Briefing with George Little and Capt. Kirby from the Pentagon DOD 15 May 2012
• China Voices Concern Over Australian-US Military Ties VOA 15 May 2012 -- China has criticized Australia’s plans to increase the number of U.S. military personnel stationed in the Northern Territory.
• Panetta Orders Air Force to Take Further Steps on F-22 AFPS 15 May 2012 -- With safety remaining his top concern, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has ordered the Air Force to take additional steps to mitigate risks to F-22 pilots, George Little said.
• Joint Chiefs to Link New Strategy, Operational Capabilities AFPS 15 May 2012 -- The Joint Chiefs of Staff is developing the framework to tie operational capabilities to the military strategy guidance the Defense Department released in January, a senior Pentagon official said.
• Future Holds Danger, Uncertainty in Complex World, General Says AFPS 15 May 2012 -- The U.S. military is operating in an increasingly dangerous world in which it is going to have to do more with less, given an increasingly tight budgets.
• Division West trains aviators to conquer central Asia's mountainscape Army News 15 May 2012 -- Navigating safely over the rugged terrain of central Asia demands the best of man and machine.
• U.S. Says No Plans To End Police-Training Program In Iraq RFE/RL 15 May 2012 -- The US has denied reports that it may shut down a multibillion-dollar police-training program in Iraq, saying instead that it will be downsized at Baghdad's request.
• AF Space Command realigns cyberspace capabilities AFNS 15 May 2012 -- The Air Force Network Integration Center will go through a restructure as it divests cyberspace lead command functions to Air Force Space Command.
• Essex Returns to San Diego after 12 Years NNS 15 May 2012 -- USS Essex is returning to San Diego May 17, after completing 12 years as the Navy's only permanently forward-deployed amphibious assault ship in Sasebo, Japan.
• Truman Conducts Second Phase of Crew Certification NNS 15 May 2012 -- The crew of the USS Harry S. Truman conducted phase two of the Crew Certification Process (Crew Cert), May 10.
• U.S. and S. Korean Air Forces Stage Joint Air Search Drill KCNA 15 May 2012 -- Air forces of the U.S. imperialist aggression forces and the south Korean puppet army Tuesday staged a joint combat search drill for a preemptive attack on the DPRK, according to south Korean MBC.
• RAF Mildenhall hosts European Tanker Symposium AFNS 15 May 2012 -- The 100th Air Refueling Wing hosted the European Tanker Symposium here May 9-11.
• UNITAS Pacific Begins in Peru NNS 15 May 2012 -- Naval representatives from Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and the United States gathered in the Ricardo Palma auditorium at the Peruvian naval base to officially recognize the beginning of UNITAS Pacific.
• Blue Ridge Builds Friendship with Indonesia NNS 15 May 2012 -- Sailors aboard USS Blue Ridge, embarked 7th Fleet staff and Marines assigned to Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team Pacific departed Jakarta, Indonesia May 15.
• Phoenix Express 2012 Continues Multinational Training NNS 15 May 2012 -- Sailors assigned to USS Simpson participated in a multinational training exercise aboard the Hellenic navy training ship Aris at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operations Training Center in support of exercise Phoenix Express 2012.
• AF officials announce candidate bases for TACP/ALO training AFNS 15 May 2012 -- Air Force officials announced Joint Base San Antonio - Lackland, Texas, and Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., as candidate bases for the Tactical Air Control Party and Air Liaison Officer School.
• New Law Authorizes Reservists to Respond to Homeland Disasters AFPS 15 May 2012 -- New authority in this year’s Defense Department authorization act allows the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps reserves to be called to duty in response to natural disasters or emergencies in the homeland, and also to be mobilized for extended periods to support theater security missions around the world.
• Mexican, American militaries cooperate for hurricane response exercise Army News 15 May 2012 -- For the first time, American and Mexican militaries simultaneously conducted a coordinated disaster response exercise.
• Navy Industrial Hygiene and Bio-detection Laboratories Recognized for Top Quality Performance NNS 15 May 2012 -- The Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center announced May 15 the re-certification of its east coast industrial hygiene and biological detection laboratories, both located on Naval Station Norfolk.
• NSA Panama City: Home of Military Diving NNS 15 May 2012 -- Nestled within the Naval Support Activity-Panama City fence line lies the home of U.S. military diving where the research, development, testing, evaluation, certification and training is conducted to support the nation's military diving requirements.
• Undersea Warriors, Undersea Medicine: The Future Force NNS 15 May 2012 -- U.S. Navy divers take on dangerous tasks every day-and starting this week, they will be part of a multinational effort near Estonia to help clear the Baltic Sea of underwater mines left over from as long ago as the First and Second World Wars.
• Informal CIS Summit Opens in Kremlin RIA Novosti 15 May 2012 -- The leaders of 11 former Soviet republics have begun their informal summit in the Kremlin.
• MOD announces investment in nuclear facilities UK MOD 15 May 2012 -- The MOD is to sustain its commitment to the nuclear deterrent by continuing to invest £1bn a year in facilities at the Atomic Weapons Establishment.
• HMS Montrose welcomed home from South Atlantic UK MOD 15 May 2012 -- A rapturous welcome greeted the ship's company of Royal Navy frigate HMS Montrose on Friday, 11 May, on their return to Plymouth from a six-and-a-half-month deployment to the South Atlantic.
• Minju Joson: Japan Stepping up Offensive Military Muscle KCNA 15 May 2012 -- Japan keeps in place escort warships "Hyuga" and "Ise" capable of carrying helicopters, each with its total length of 200 meters.
• Taiwan to build prototype missile frigate CNA 15 May 2012 -- A local shipbuilding company has been commissioned to build a prototype missile frigate for Taiwan.
• Omani official: Joint military meetings benefit both Iran, Oman IRNA 15 May 2012 -- Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations and Planning of Oman Army Brigadier Rashid bin Saif al Sheidi said holding Iran-Oman joint military meetings will benefit both nations.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 5/15/12 The White House 15 May 2012
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing, May 15, 2012 US Dept. of State 15 May 2012
• Excerpts From Secretary Clinton Interview With Richard Wolf of USA TODAY US Dept. of State 15 May 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for May 15, 2012
• Indonesia Takes Charge of Russian Jet Crash Probe RIA Novosti 15 May 2012 -- The Indonesian government will take control of the investigation into a Sukhoi Superjet 100 crash, with Russian teams to have their movements limited.
• Russian Jet Replaced Before Doomed Indonesia Flight RIA Novosti 15 May 2012 -- The Sukhoi Superjet 100 that crashed in Indonesia was a replacement aircraft for one which had been withdrawn due to engine problems shortly before the flight.
• U.S. Soldiers’ Ingenuity Turns Simple Cabling Tool into Mission-Critical, Life-Saving Solution to Safely Find, Access and Disarm Deadly Afghan IEDs CableOrganizer.com 15 May 2012

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, 15 May 2012 United Nations 15 May 2012
• Assembly head urges countries to overcome deadlock in UN disarmament body UN News Centre 15 May 2012 -- The President of the General Assembly called on Member States to advance the work of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament.
• Roadside Blast Hits UN Convoy; 20 Killed at Syrian Funeral VOA 15 May 2012 -- The United Nations says a roadside blast hit a convoy carrying a group of its unarmed observers near the Syrian city of Hama.
• Three vehicles carrying UN observers damaged in bomb blast in Syria UN News Centre 15 May 2012 -- Three vehicles belonging to a convoy of UN observers in Syria were damaged in a bomb blast near the city of Hama.
• Syria Says Voter Turnout 51 percent in Boycotted Election VOA 15 May 2012 -- Syria says more than half of eligible voters turned out for a May 7 parliamentary election boycotted by opposition groups.
• Russia Concerned About Reports Syrian Opposition Training In Kosovo RFE/RL 15 May 2012 -- Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, has told the UN Security Council that his country is concerned about reports that Syrian rebels are receiving training in Kosovo.
• Two kidnapped Iranian pilgrims in Syria freed IRNA 15 May 2012 -- Two Iranian pilgrims kidnapped in Syria by rebel forces there were freed Monday night and delivered to Turkish border police.
• China, Philippines Fishing Ban Defuses Tensions VOA 15 May 2012 -- A territorial squabble between China and the Philippines over a small group of islands in the South China Sea has not evolved into a going green agreement.
• EU Naval Force Strikes Somali Pirate Base VOA 15 May 2012 -- European Union naval forces say they have destroyed pirate skiffs on Somalia's coast, in their first-ever on-shore operation.
• Somalia entering ‘critical stage’ as end of transition period nears, says UN envoy UN News Centre 15 May 2012 -- Somalia is entering its “most critical stage” as the end of its transitional governing period approaches in August, a United Nations envoy said.
• Operation to airlift South Sudanese citizens stranded in Sudan begins – UN official UN News Centre 15 May 2012 -- An operation to fly back to their country an estimated 12,000 citizens of South Sudan stranded at a riverside town in neighbouring Sudan has begun.
• Urgent UN Appeal For South Sudan Food Aid VOA 15 May 2012 -- The United Nations is calling for more than $500 million in emergency aid for the people of South Sudan.
• UN Fears for South Sudanese as Austerity Bites VOA 15 May 2012 -- The United Nations has voiced concern about South Sudan’s ailing economy and says its people could suffer from spiraling inflation in the coming months, while around half the population already faces food shortages.
• UN Urges Uganda to Prosecute Captured LRA Commander VOA 15 May 2012 -- The United Nations is urging Uganda to prosecute a captured field commander of the rebel Lord's Resistance Army.
• WFP: Sahel in Urgent Need of Aid VOA 15 May 2012 -- The U.N. World Food Program said time is running out to prevent the full impact of the food crisis in Africa’s Sahel region.
• Trial Of Fugitive Iraqi VP Starts In Baghdad RFE/RL 15 May 2012 -- The trial in absentia of Iraq's fugitive Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, who is accused of running death squads, has opened in Baghdad.
• HRW Says Secret Prison Still Operating In Baghdad RFE/RL 15 May 2012 -- Human Rights Watch is reporting that Iraqis are still being illegally detained at a Baghdad prison that the Iraq government claimed was shut down last year.
• Israeli Court Orders Three West Bank Settlements Demolished VOA 15 May 2012 -- The European Union this week continued the international condemnation of Israel's policy of building settlements in largely Palestinian areas.
• Palestinians Mark Nakba Day VOA 15 May 2012 -- Palestinians and Arab Israelis are commemorating "Nakba" day to mark the exodus of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians after the state of Israel was established in 1948.
• UN envoy welcomes deal to end hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners in Israel UN News Centre 15 May 2012 -- The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry, has welcomed the agreement reached to end the hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody.
• Report on China says Beijing's Taiwan policy still focused on trade CNA 15 May 2012 -- China's policy on Taiwan will continue to focus mainly on trade and economic exchanges this year while stressing stability at home and energy partnerships with other countries abroad.
• Police Search City District for Bomb Plotter RIA Novosti 15 May 2012 -- Police in Makhachkala, Dagestan, placed a district of the city under a special counter-terrorist regime during a search for the mastermind of a twin bomb attack on May 3.
• United Arab Front Against Iran Less Likely VOA 15 May 2012 -- Analysts say a united Arab front against Iran looks less likely after the Gulf Cooperation Council this week delayed deciding on forming a stronger political union.
• FM spokesman rejects claims on 3 Iranian islands IRNA 15 May 2012 -- FM spokesman Mehmanprast dismissed claims on 3 Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf as 'unfounded' and without any political and judicial justification.
• Mladic's Trial Opens Wednesday in Netherlands VOA 15 May 2012 -- Former Bosnian-Serb Army Commander, General Ratko Mladic, is facing 11 charges, including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
• Russia Seeks Return of Nationals Held in Libya RIA Novosti 15 May 2012 -- Russia will continue to insist that the rights of its citizens held in Libya are observed and will continue to try to secure their return home.

News Reports

• Iran Hangs Nuclear Scientist Murderer RIA Novosti 15 May 2012 -- Iranian authorities executed a young man convicted of killing an Iranian nuclear scientist in 2010.
• Iran’s Activity ‘Inconsistent with Peaceful Program’ RIA Novosti 15 May 2012 -- Some of Iran’s activities are not consistent with peaceful research, the U.S. State Department said.
• Iran, IAEA Talks Described as 'Very Constructive' VOA 15 May 2012 -- Iran and the U.N. nuclear agency have begun their second day of talks in Vienna, with Iran's envoy saying the discussions so far have been "good."
• Iran Says Talks With IAEA On Positive Track RFE/RL 15 May 2012 -- A senior Iranian diplomat says talks with international atomic inspectors on Tehran’s nuclear program have been "good" and are taking place in a "constructive" atmosphere.
• India to Cut Iranian Oil Imports by 11 Percent VOA 15 May 2012 -- India says it has decided to cut imports of Iranian crude oil by 11 percent, following pressure from the United States to isolate the Islamic Republic over its nuclear program.
• India To Cut Iranian Oil By 11 Percent RFE/RL 15 May 2012 -- India, facing U.S. pressure, says it will cut purchases of Iranian oil by 11 percent.
• Seoul: Burma to Comply with UN Resolutions on Pyongyang VOA 15 May 2012 -- Burma has promised visiting South Korean President Lee Myung-bak it will no longer buy weapons from North Korea.
• North Korea Tries to Drum Up Investment in Southeast Asia VOA 15 May 2012 -- Kim Yong-nam, North Korea’s second-highest ranking official, is on a three-day trip to Jakarta, Indonesia.
• Talks Held between Kim Yong Nam and Indonesian President KCNA 15 May 2012 -- Talks between Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, president of the Republic of Indonesia, were held at the Presidential Palace in Djakarta.
• Kim Yong Nam Meets Senior Officials of Indonesia KCNA 15 May 2012 -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, who is paying an official goodwill visit to Indonesia, met and had a friendly talk with Vice-President of Indonesia Boediono.
• Four South Koreans Being Held in China VOA 15 May 2012 -- South Korea's foreign ministry says China has been holding four of its citizens in Dandong, activists linked to North Korean refugees, since their arrest March 29 in Dalian.
• Chinese Dissident Chen: Discussions on US Visa Under Way VOA 15 May 2012 -- Blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng says U.S. diplomats are holding discussions with their Chinese counterparts on plans for him to travel to New York for a teaching fellowships.
• Mali Separatists Send Group to Talk to Protestors VOA 15 May 2012 -- Forces from the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad have sent local leaders to reach out to protestors in Gao.
• EU Takes Stock Of Its Near Neighbors RFE/RL 15 May 2012 -- The European Commission has issued a progress report on the European Neighborhood Policy and its implementation, noting particular challenges and concerns among the bloc's most immediate neighbors.
• New Elections for Greece as Talks Fail VOA 15 May 2012 -- A statement from the office of Greek President Karolos Papoulias have declared talks aimed at resolving the political crisis hanging over the debt-plagued country a failure.
• Greece To Hold New Elections As Coalition Talks Fail RFE/RL 15 May 2012 -- Greek socialist leader Evangelos Venizelos says the country will hold fresh elections after several attempts to form a coalition government failed.
• EU Finance Officials Urge Greece To Stay In Eurozone RFE/RL 15 May 2012 -- Top finance officials from the European Union have urged Greece to maintain its course of austerity reforms aimed at bringing the country out of economic crisis.
• France's Hollande Meets Merkel in Germany VOA 15 May 2012 -- New French President Francois Hollande has met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, shortly after his inauguration as France's first Socialist leader in 17 years.
• Hollande, Merkel Hold Talks In Berlin RFE/RL 15 May 2012 -- France’s new president, Francois Hollande, has met in Berlin with German Chancellor Angela Merkel hours after his inauguration and a harrowing trip that featured a direct lightning strike on his airplane.
• France's New President Faces First Challenge in Germany VOA 15 May 2012 -- Francois Hollande became France's first Socialist president in nearly two decades Tuesday, just over a week after he beat conservative incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy.
• Hollande Sworn In As French President RFE/RL 15 May 2012 -- Francois Hollande has been sworn in as France's new president.
• Ukraine's Prime Minister Fends Off EU Criticism Over Judiciary RFE/RL 15 May 2012 -- Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has rejected EU criticism of Ukraine's judiciary and the prosecution of its opposition figures.
• Ukraine’s Top Court Shelves Tymoshenko Appeal RIA Novosti 15 May 2012 -- Ukraine’s civil and criminal high court delayed consideration of an appeal on former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s “gas case” until June 26.
• Tymoshenko Refuses Medical Treatment over 'Media Leaks’ RIA Novosti 15 May 2012 -- Ukrainian ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who is serving a seven-year jail term over her role in the signing of a 2009 gas deal with Russia, has refused to continue medial treatment for spinal disk herniation.