Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Combined Force Kills Several Insurgents AFPS 30 May 2012 -- A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed several insurgents during an operation to detain a Taliban facilitator in the Sayyidabad district of Afghanistan's Wardak province today, military officials reported.
• UN: Civilian Casualties Drop in Afghanistan VOA 30 May 2012 -- The United Nations says civilian casualties in Afghanistan have dropped by more than 20 percent in the first four months of this year as compared to the same period in 2011.
• Interagency Task Force Mounts Aggressive Counter-drug Effort AFPS 30 May 2012 -- The interdiction of a drug-trafficking speedboat carrying almost 5,000 pounds of cocaine with a street value of more than $363 million played out like a motion-picture thriller.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Carter: DOD Puts Strategy Before Budget for Future Force AFPS 30 May 2012 -- The Defense Department has placed strategy before budget in facing present and anticipated threats while building its joint force for the future, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said here today.
• US, NATO camp design concepts Army News 30 May 2012 -- More than 50 students from six NATO countries attended a four-day engineering course, the week of May 15 at the Wiesbaden Entertainment Center, designed to teach the basic development, planning, execution, and closure processes of a base camp downrange.
• 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team gears up the NIE 12.2 Army News 30 May 2012 -- Operational Test Command testers asses the suitability, survivability and effectiveness of the equipment under test.
• Secretary of the Navy Names Joint High Speed Vessel USNS Millinocket DoD 30 May 2012 -- Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced today the next joint high speed vessel (JHSV) will be named the USNS Millinocket.
• Deputy Secretary of Defense Carter Speech to the American Enterprise Institute Washington, DC DoD 30 May 2012 -- Presenter: Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter
• Stratcom Chief Discusses U.S. Nuclear Deterrent Force AFPS 30 May 2012 -- Air Force Gen. Robert Kehler, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, described the shaping of the nation's nuclear strategic force in the current global environment during remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations here today.
• Dempsey in Hawaii for First Leg of Asia-focused Trip AFPS 30 May 2012 -- The nation's highest-ranking officer landed here yesterday to begin a week focused on Asia-Pacific military-to-military engagement centered on the annual Asian security summit known as the 'Shangri-La Dialogue' in Singapore.
• Panetta Travels to Asia to Discuss Refocus on Region AFPS 30 May 2012 -- Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta will put meat on the bones of what the refocus on the Asia-Pacific region means to the U.S. military during a week-long trip to Asia that begins today.
• Marines get 'hot hook-up,' pioneer new technique USMC News 30 May 2012 -- Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 2, the 'Night Owls,' made history earlier this week when they completed the first 'hot hook-ups' between landing support Marines on the ground and a hovering Kaman K1200 'K-MAX' unmanned helicopter in Helmand province, Afghanistan, May 22.
• Blue Ridge Departs Pattaya, Thailand NNS 30 May 2012 -- Sailors from U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), embarked 7th Fleet staff, and Marines from the Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team Pacific departed from Laem Chaebang, Thailand after a five-day port visit.
• NAVFAC Northwest Awards Multiple Award Construction Contract NNS 30 May 2012 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command Northwest awarded an Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity multiple award construction contract May 24, to six contractors for construction projects located within the six state area of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming.
• ND-SPS12 Concludes Stop in Guatemala NNS 30 May 2012 -- Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 2, Company 2-1, deployed aboard the Military Sealift Command rescue and salvage ship USNS Grapple (T-ARS 53), concluded a three-week subject matter expert exchange (SMEE) with Guatemalan divers, May 24.
• Russia, India Sign Multi-Role Transport Plane Deal RIA Novosti 30 May 2012 -- India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) Transport Aircraft division have signed a contract to produce 205 multi-role transport aircraft (MTA), the Indo-Asian News Agency (IANS) has reported.
• Russia Floats Out New Corvette RIA Novosti 30 May 2012 -- St. Petersburg's Severnaya Verf shipyard floated out a new stealth corvette for the Russian Navy at an official ceremony on Wednesday.
• Rogozin Seeks Streamlined Arms Purchases RIA Novosti 30 May 2012 -- Russia must make defense spending more efficient by streamlining its arms purchases process rather than by cuts in defense orders, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Wednesday.
• Russia to Reopen Arctic Airbases RIA Novosti 30 May 2012 -- Selected air units of Russia's Western military district will start this year preparations to return to abandoned Arctic airfields, the commander of the district's aviation Maj. Gen. Igor Makushev said on Wednesday.
• Irish Guards prepare for contingency role UK MOD 30 May 2012 -- Troops from No 1 Company of the Irish Guards have been conducting public order training to prepare them for their upcoming role as part of the UK's contingency operations battalion.
• May 30, 2012 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 30 May 2012
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 5/30/12 The White House 30 May 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for May 30, 2012

Other Conflicts

• 30 May 2012 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 30 May 2012
• Charles Taylor Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison Special Court for Sierra Leone - Outreach and Public Affairs Office 30 May 2012 -- The Judges of Trial Chamber II today sentenced convicted former Liberian President Charles Ghankay Taylor to a term of 50 years in prison for planning and for aiding and abetting crimes committed by rebel forces in Sierra Leone during the country's decade-long civil war.
• Liberia's Taylor Sentenced to 50 Years for War Crimes VOA 30 May 2012 -- Former Liberian president Charles Taylor has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for aiding and abetting horrific war crimes committed during Sierra Leone's civil war. Both defense and prosecution are expected to appeal the sentence by an international court in The Hague. Taylor is expected to serve any jail term in a British prison.
• Mixed Reaction to Sentencing of Liberia's Charles Taylor VOA 30 May 2012 -- Former Liberian leader Charles Taylor was sentenced Wednesday to 50 years in prison for aiding and abetting war crimes in Sierra Leone. Hundreds of people turned out at a courthouse in Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, to watch as Taylor received his sentencing, broadcast live from The Hague.
• Special Court sentences former Liberian leader Charles Taylor to 50 years in prison UN News Centre 30 May 2012 -- The United Nations-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) today sentenced convicted former Liberian President Charles Taylor to 50 years in prison for planning and for aiding and abetting crimes committed by Sierra Leonean rebel forces during the country's decade-long civil war.
• Charles Taylor's legacy in Sierra Leone and Liberia IRIN 30 May 2012 -- The recent conviction of Charles Taylor in The Hague for aiding and abetting war crimes in Sierra Leone has been a potent reminder of the role of natural resources in fuelling conflict in West Africa.
• Chief UN observer 'deeply disturbed' after more bodies found in Syria UN News Centre 30 May 2012 -- The head of the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) said today he was 'deeply disturbed' after the discovery of 13 more bodies last night, just days after UN observers confirmed the killing of over 100 men, women and children in the village of Houla.
• Security Council Briefed on Syrian 'Low Point' VOA 30 May 2012 -- The deputy to international envoy Kofi Annan, Jean-Marie Guéhenno, has briefed the U.N.'s 15-nation Security Council on the envoy's visit to Syria, prompting one diplomat to call the current situation a 'low point in the conflict.'
• Iran official briefs challenges Annan's plan is facing IRNA 30 May 2012 -- Iran's ambassador to Syria here on Wednesday outlined several challenges the plan proposed by the UN special envoy to Syria Kofi Annan is facing.
• Syrian Diplomat Expulsions Counterproductive - Moscow RIA Novosti 30 May 2012 -- Russia believes the expulsion of Syrian ambassadors from a number of Western countries is counterproductive, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.
• Joint UN-Arab League envoy thanks Jordan for providing support to Syrian refugees UN News Centre 30 May 2012 -- The Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States on the Syrian crisis, Kofi Annan, today expressed his gratitude to Jordan for its support in receiving Syrian refugees who have fled the fighting in their country.
• Annan Leaves Syria Without Breakthrough VOA 30 May 2012 -- A U.N. official says international envoy Kofi Annan left Syria without securing any major steps from the Syrian government to implement his faltering peace plan for the country.
• UN Condemns Upsurge in 'Blind Violence' in Eastern Congo VOA 30 May 2012 -- The United Nations has condemned an upsurge of what it calls 'blind violence' in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. U.N. military officials say some of the most brutal massacres in recent memory have been committed by Congolese ethnic militias and Rwandan rebels.
• Nigeria Gets Foreign Aid to Fight Boko Haram VOA 30 May 2012 -- While some Nigerian politicians are talking about negotiating with Boko Haram, the military is preparing for battle with the militant group. Seventeen countries have signed on to help Nigeria increase security.
• KENYA: Thousands displaced by clashes in west IRIN 30 May 2012 -- Clashes between two communities in western Kenya's Rift Valley Province have led to the displacement of thousands of people, the closure of several schools and calls for the government to beef up security.
• Briefing: Mali's Tuareg separatists, Salafists forge alliance IRIN 30 May 2012 -- Two months after taking the northern strongholds of Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal, Mali's rival rebel movements have supposedly put aside ideological, religious and cultural differences to agree on the creation of a joint Council of the Islamic State of Azawad, independent of the rest of Mali.
• NEPAL: Political impasse deepens economic uncertainty IRIN 30 May 2012 -- Most Nepalese face an uncertain economic future and the possibility of political unrest after Nepal's Constituent Assembly (CA) failed to agree on a new constitution on 27 May.
• ICC upholds decision to drop war crimes charges against Rwandan rebel leader UN News Centre 30 May 2012 -- Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) today dismissed the Prosecution's appeal against the decision to drop war crimes charges against a Rwandan rebel leader for his alleged role in deadly fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 2009.
• UN chief welcomes withdrawal of Sudanese troops from border flashpoint area UN News Centre 30 May 2012 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomes the full withdrawal of Sudan's military from the disputed Abyei area yesterday and calls on its Government to withdraw all remaining armed police forces, his spokesperson said today.

News Reports

• Top U.K. Court Backs Assange Extradition To Sweden RFE/RL 30 May 2012 -- Britain's Supreme Court has ruled that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can be extradited to Sweden to face sexual assault charges.
• WikiLeaks's Assange Loses Extradition Appeal VOA 30 May 2012 -- Britain's Supreme Court has ruled that Australian-born WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can be extradited to Sweden where he is wanted for questioning in connection with sex-crime allegations.
• U.S. Ambassador 'Puzzled' by Russia Comment Reaction RIA Novosti 30 May 2012 -- U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul said on Wednesday he was surprised with Russia's official reaction to his statements at a meeting with Russian students last week.
• Moscow Refuses to Get Used to U.S. Envoy's 'Gaffes' RIA Novosti 30 May 2012 -- Moscow considers the 'blunt' statements by U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul to be totally unacceptable while his lack of professionalism could be detrimental to the reset of Russian-U.S. relations, a senior Russian diplomatic source said on Wednesday.
• Pakistani Doctor Jailed for Militant Ties, Not Helping CIA VOA 30 May 2012 -- The Pakistani doctor who helped the United States track down Osama bin Laden was jailed last week not for working with the CIA, but for ties to militants.
• Analysis: Battle for 'hearts and minds' as Yemen crisis deepens IRIN 30 May 2012 -- The conflict between Yemeni government forces and the militant Ansar Al Shariah group in southern Yemen has worsened the humanitarian crisis in a country where nearly half of the population is facing food insecurity and almost one million children are acutely malnourished.
• Sinai: A Pressing Issue for Egypt's Next President VOA 30 May 2012 -- As Egypt holds its first free presidential election, the future of its already fragile 33-year peace treaty with Israel again emerges as a hot topic of international foreign policy concerns. Among the issues central to the treaty is the future of the poverty-stricken and politically unstable Sinai Peninsula - a swath of land that has figured prominently in the two countries' often-bumpy relations.
• UN report: human rights situation in Iraq remains fragile UN News Centre 30 May 2012 -- The human rights situation in Iraq remains fragile as the country continues its transition to peace and democracy after years of violence, according to a United Nations report released today, noting that Government efforts to protect and promote the rights of its citizens need to be increased.