Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• ISAF Special Forces Free Aid Workers In Afghanistan RFE/RL 02 Jun 2012 -- International coalition officials say NATO special forces have freed four female aid workers held by militants in a cave in northern Afghanistan.
• I Corps begins redeployment Army News 02 Jun 2012 -- 131 Soldiers of the I Corps Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion became the first of that unit to return to Joint Base Lewis-McChord from Afghanistan.
• Fighter jets strike kills 5 militants in NW Pakistan IRNA 02 Jun 2012 -- Five militants were killed on Saturday when fighter jets pounded militant hideouts in Pakistan's north western tribal region, media reports said.
• US spy aircraft kills 4 more in NW Pakistan IRNA 02 Jun 2012 -- A US spy aircraft fired missiles into Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal area Saturday, killing at least four people, residents said.

Defense Policy / Programs

• New upgrades revitalize B-1B Lancers AFNS 02 Jun 2012 -- B-1B Lancers are currently undergoing the most advanced hardware and software upgrades to date as part of the Sustainment-Block 16 program.
• U.S. to Rebalance Navy Fleet towards Asia-Pacific RIA Novosti 02 Jun 2012 -- The United States will redeploy bulk of its naval fleet to the Pacific Ocean by 2020, U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said on Saturday.
• US Shifting Bulk of Warships to Asia-Pacific VOA 02 Jun 2012 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says the United States will shift the bulk of its warships to the Asia-Pacific region in the coming years as part of a new military rebalancing to guarantee a strong and continued U.S. presence in the region.
• Panetta Confident Congress Will Act to End Sequestration Threat AFPS 02 Jun 2012 -- The U.S. Congress created a self-imposed crisis in the national budget that they must now resolve, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said today.
• Secretary Responds to China Concerns During Dialogue AFPS 02 Jun 2012 -- There is no choice but to pursue a mature relationship between the United States and China, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told attendees of the 11th annual Asia security conference, known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, here today.
• Panetta Discusses Defense Cooperation With Philippine Minister AFPS 02 Jun 2012 -- Building on momentum from the U.S.-Philippine 'Two-Plus-Two' talks held in Washington in April, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Philippine National Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin held talks here today.
• Panetta Discusses New U.S. Asian Strategy With Allies AFPS 02 Jun 2012 -- Defense Secretary Leon Panetta held a series of bilateral and trilateral meetings with Asian allies during the Shangri-La Dialogue here today.
• Remarks by Secretary Panetta at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore DoD 02 Jun 2012
• Readout of Secretary Panetta's Meeting with Republic of the Philippines Minister of Defense at Shangri-La DoD 02 Jun 2012
• Joint Statement of the U.S.-Republic of Korea-and Japan Meeting at Shangri-La DoD 02 Jun 2012
• Joint Statement of the U.S.-Republic of Singapore Meeting at Shangri-La DoD 02 Jun 2012
• Joint Statement of the U.S.-Australia-and Japan Meeting at Shangri-La DoD 02 Jun 2012
• Readout of Secretary Panetta's Meeting with Malaysia's Minister of Defence at Shangri-La DoD 02 Jun 2012
• Russia Wants Missile Defense Guarantees - Putin RIA Novosti 02 Jun 2012 -- Russia will hold partner-like dialogue on missile defense with Western countries if it has guarantees that the missile shield is not directed against it, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• Annan Says Danger Of All-Out War In Syria Increasing RFE/RL 02 Jun 2012 -- International peace envoy Kofi Annan has warned that the "specter of all-out war" is increasing in Syria and that President Bashar al-Assad has the first responsibility to end the conflict peacefully.
• Syria Casts Shadow Over Putin's Trip To Germany, France RFE/RL 02 Jun 2012 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Paris with his French counterpart Francois Hollande on June 1 and at a press conference the two leaders showed that, although they agree on the need for an end to hostilities in Syria, they disagree over the way to achieve it.
• Russia Has No Special Interests in Syria - Putin RIA Novosti 02 Jun 2012 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied that Russia has any special interests in Syria.
• UN-Arab League envoy warns of growing sectarian warfare in Syria UN News Centre 02 Jun 2012 -- The Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States, Kofi Annan, today warned of the growing sectarian aspect of the crisis in Syria, adding that the conflict is already having serious consequences in the region and calling on the international community to work together to push for the implementation of the six-point peace plan.
• Annan Warns of Looming War in Syria VOA 02 Jun 2012 -- Arab League leaders are trying to increase the pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while their envoy to Syria warned 'the specter of all-out war' in Syria grows by the day.

News Reports

• Mubarak Sentenced To Life Imprisonment RFE/RL 02 Jun 2012 -- Ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has been sentenced to life in prison after a court found him guilty of complicity in the killing of peaceful protesters.
• Egypt's Mubarak Gets Life Imprisonment in Historic Trial VOA 02 Jun 2012 -- Ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak has received a sentence of life in prison for complicity in the killing of hundreds of anti-government protesters during last year's 18-day uprising that forced him to resign on February 11. He was acquitted of corruption charges.
• Egyptians Protest After Mubarak Sentencing VOA 02 Jun 2012 -- Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's life prison sentence for complicity in the killings of anti-government protesters has failed to appease some Egyptians who have taken to the streets in protest.
• Egyptians Dissatisfied with Mubarak Sentence VOA 02 Jun 2012 -- Thousands of Egyptians have taken to the streets to protest the verdicts in the trial of former President Hosni Mubarak. The ousted leader was given a life sentence for his role in the killing of protesters during last year's uprising, but others in the case were acquitted.
• Mubarak Verdict Resounds Through Divided Egypt VOA 02 Jun 2012 -- Egypt's former president, Hosni Mubarak, has been found guilty for his role in the killings of protesters during the uprising that forced his downfall. Mubarak's much-hated interior minister was also found guilty, but other top security officials were acquitted.
• U.S. defense secretary praises improvement of cross-strait ties CNA 02 Jun 2012 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta praised warming relations between Taiwan and China Saturday in a speech explaining the United States' new defense strategy and its shift in emphasis to the Asia-Pacific region.