Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Combined Force Detains Multiple Suspects, Seizes Explosives AFPS 25 Jul 2012 -- An Afghan and coalition security force detained multiple suspected insurgents during an operation to arrest a Taliban leader in Helmand province.
• Pentagon Rule Change 'Makes Afghan Forces Look Better' RFE/RL 25 Jul 2012 -- The U.S. Government Accountability Office says a Pentagon decision to change how it grades Afghan police and soldiers has helped it present a more positive report on the abilities of Afghan security forces.
• Former Afghan Warlords Dispute Leaked Report Linking Them To Atrocities RFE/RL 25 Jul 2012 -- Afghanistan’s former warlords and militia leaders have slammed the leaked findings of an unpublished report that implicates hundreds of them in atrocities committed during the country’s devastating civil war in the 1990s.
• Lashkar Gah transition one year on UK MOD 25 Jul 2012 -- In the year since British troops formally handed responsibility for security in Lashkar Gah to Afghan forces, the positive changes in the district are obvious, according to a former Stabilisation Advisor for the area.
• Thousands of NATO containers stranded at Karachi IRNA 25 Jul 2012 -- Pakistan had lifted ban on NATO supply lines last month but the containers carrying goods for the forces stationing in Afghanistan remain stranded at the port city of Karachi.
• 'An amazing homecoming' - medical unit redeploys Army News 25 Jul 2012 -- More than 50 Soldiers who deployed last July with the 463rd Medical Detachment (Veterinary Services) returned safely Saturday to Fort Benning to the applause of waiting friends and Family.
• Gunmen Reportedly Kill Taliban Commander Linked To Deadly Attack RFE/RL 25 Jul 2012 -- Reports from Pakistan say gunmen have shot dead a Pakistani Taliban commander who was linked to a 2010 attack that killed almost 100 people.
• Security forces kill 7 militants in NW Pakistan IRNA 25 Jul 2012 -- Pakistani security forces killed at least seven militants in country’s north western tribal region.
• 349th Combat Support Hospital Hosts Farewell Ceremony Army News 25 Jul 2012 -- Approximately 200 Soldiers of the 349th CSH will deploy to Kuwait to support current operations.
• Colorado Reserve C-130s, crews continue aerial fire fighting AFNS 25 Jul 2012 -- Two MAFFS-equipped C-130 Hercules from the Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd Airlift Wing moved operations to Boise, Idaho, to continue to provide aerial fire fighting support.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Readout of Secretary Panetta’s Meeting with Polish Minister of Defense Tomasz Siemoniak DoD 25 Jul 2012
• Carter Visits South Korea, Last Stop on Asia-Pacific Tour AFPS 25 Jul 2012 -- Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter arrived here today for the last leg of his 10-day Asia-Pacific tour.
• U.S. Commander in Japan: Alliance Strong, With Room to Grow AFPS 25 Jul 2012 -- Air Force Lt. Gen. Sam Angelella spent much of his second day as commander of U.S. Forces Japan with one of his bosses: the Pentagon’s second-highest official, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter.
• Carter Takes Part in India Defense Industry Talks AFPS 25 Jul 2012 -- A visit here yesterday for talks and tours proved “very instructive,” Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter told Indian defense industry leaders.
• Romney Blasts Obama over Russian ‘Reset’ RIA Novosti 25 Jul 2012 -- U.S. President Barack Obama’s “reset” policy toward Russia has hurt America’s position in the world, his Republican rival in the presidential race, Mitt Romney, said in a speech.
• Schwartz: Air Force Will Thrive Despite Fiscal Challenges AFPS 25 Jul 2012 -- The Air Force has reinvigorated the service’s nuclear mission, incorporated unmanned aerial capabilities and made progress in acquisition.
• DoD approves plan to lift F-22 restrictions AFNS 25 Jul 2012 -- Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said the Air Force has data indicating the cause of the F-22 Raptor's hypoxia-related incidents stem from the quantity, not the quality, of oxygen available in the cockpit.
• Navy to Christen Amphibious Transport Dock Ship Somerset DoD 25 Jul 2012
• MV-22 Osprey arrives in Iwakuni USMC News 25 Jul 2012 -- Twelve MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft were off-loaded from a civilian cargo ship at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, July 23. This marks the first deployment of the MV-22 to Japan.
• Integrated Intelligence Framework Takes Shape AFPS 25 Jul 2012 -- An intelligence effort being advanced by each of the military services is promoting more complete intelligence analysis, better collaboration across the services and faster delivery of actionable intelligence to support combat operations.
• ONR-Funded Research Takes Flight in Popular Science Article NNS 25 Jul 2012 -- The Office of Naval Research is looking at birds' perceptual and maneuvering abilities as inspiration for small unmanned aerial vehicle autonomy.
• Rock Island Arsenal named Center of Excellence for Add-On-Armor Army News 25 Jul 2012 -- Secretary of the Army John McHugh designated Rock Island Arsenal Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center as a Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence for Add-on-Armor design, development and prototype fabrication.
• Cape St. George Transits Suez Canal, Enters 6th Fleet NNS 25 Jul 2012 -- The USS Cape St. George transited the Suez Canal on its way to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility, July 16.
• USS Carr Conducts Brief Stop for Fuel in Cartagena, Colombia NNS 25 Jul 2012 -- USS Carr anchored in Cartagena, Colombia for a brief stop for fuel July 21.
• HSM-74 'Swamp Foxes' Complete Squadron's First MH-60R Deployed Detachment NNS 25 Jul 2012 -- The "Swamp Foxes" of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 74 Detachment 3 successfully completed the squadron's first MH-60R deployed detachment aboard USS Normandy.
• NMCB 40, Australian Defense Force Combine Forces During Pacific Partnership NNS 25 Jul 2012 -- Seabees from U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 40 completed a 45-day construction mission, July 3, in Talaud, Indonesia, as part of Pacific Partnership 2012.
• Botswana Defence Force, U.S. to Conduct Joint Military Exercise AFRICOM 25 Jul 2012 -- The Botswana Defence Force and the U.S. Embassy announced that Botswana will host a joint military exercise known as Southern Accord 12, August 1-17, 2012.
• Pacific Partnership 2012 Concludes Visit to Vietnam NNS 25 Jul 2012 -- Pacific Partnership 2012 concluded its visit to Vinh, Vietnam July 24.
• NAVFAC Far East, CFAY Complete Navy's Largest Thin-Film Solar System NNS 25 Jul 2012 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command Far East and Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka have installed the largest building-integrated photovoltaic system in the U.S. Navy, which became operational, July 19.
• Panetta, Shinseki Warn of Stress on VA From Wars, Budget AFPS 25 Jul 2012 -- Defense Secretary Panetta and Veterans Affairs Secretary Shinseki warned budget cuts as well as the surge of troops returning from a decade of wars will further challenge the government’s ability to provide for veterans.
• Panetta: DOD, VA Crafting Integrated Support System AFPS 25 Jul 2012 -- The Defense and Veterans Affairs departments are building an integrated military and veteran support system that is fundamentally different and far more robust than in the past.
• Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta Speech at 2012 Pentagon Iftar DoD 25 Jul 2012
• Ammo Train Explodes, Sets Off Siberia Wildfire RIA Novosti 25 Jul 2012 -- A series of explosions on a military train carrying ammunition triggered a wildfire in central Siberia.
• Residents Evacuated As Ammunition Train Explodes In Siberia RFE/RL 25 Jul 2012 -- Some residents of Russia's West Siberian region have been evacuated after a Russian military train carrying ammunition caught fire.
• HMS Defender moves in to her new home UK MOD 25 Jul 2012 -- The Royal Navy's newest Type 45 destroyer, HMS Defender, sailed in to her new home at Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth today.
• ‘India currently has 80 to 100 nuke warheads’: Report IRNA 25 Jul 2012 -- India is not converting all its weapons-grade plutonium into war heads but it currently has 80 to 100 nuclear warheads.
• Iran to Build New Missile, Seaplane RIA Novosti 25 Jul 2012 -- Iran will soon start manufacturing a new missile and an indigenous seaplane, Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said.
• Pakistan Defense Minister calls for further cooperation with Iran IRNA 25 Jul 2012 -- Pakistan Defense Minister, in a meeting with Iran Ambassador to Islamabad Ali Reza Haqiqian, described mutual cooperation in the field of military and security as 'good' and called for further cooperation between Tehran and Islamabad.
• U.S. Funded Bulgaria Ammo Clean-up Complete RIA Novosti 25 Jul 2012 -- The U.S.-funded clean-up of a Bulgarian munitions depot that was wracked by explosions in July 2008 has been successfully completed, U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria James Warlick said.
• MYANMAR: No more child soldiers? IRIN 25 Jul 2012 -- A captured government soldier in a military compound in Kachin, Myanmar’s most northerly state, recalls the night his “tuk-tuk” three-wheeler taxi ran out of fuel, but rather than being given the assistance he expected, he was forced to join the army.
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing, July 25, 2012 US Dept. of State 25 Jul 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for July 25, 2012

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, 25 July 2012 United Nations 25 Jul 2012
• Experts: Syria Not Likely to Use Chemical Weapons VOA 25 Jul 2012 -- Syria appears to be backtracking on hints it may have biological and chemical weapons capability.
• Moves by Syrian Kurds Worry Turkey VOA 25 Jul 2012 -- In Syria, the seizing of control by Syrian Kurds of towns close to the Turkish border has raised concerns in the Turkish capital, Ankara.
• UN sends half of observer force home UN News Centre 25 Jul 2012 -- The United Nations peacekeeping chief announced that half of the 300 UN observers in Syria have left the country.
• Half Of Syria Peacekeeping Troops Sent Home RFE/RL 25 Jul 2012 -- Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous has announced that the monitoring mission in Syria is sending half of its unarmed observers back to their home countries.
• Fighting Rages in Syria, Turkey Closes Key Crossings VOA 25 Jul 2012 -- Rebels sent reinforcements to the battered historic city of Aleppo as government forces stepped up attacks with helicopters and machine guns.
• Syrian Troops Move On Aleppo, As Turkey Closes Border Gates RFE/RL 25 Jul 2012 -- Thousands of Syrian government forces, backed by helicopters, are reported to be advancing on rebel forces in the second city of Aleppo.
• Regime Bombards Rebel-Held Districts of Damascus, Aleppo RFE/RL 25 Jul 2012 -- Syrian government forces early on July 25 fired artillery and rocket barrages into the northern Damascus suburb of al-Tel in an effort to seize the town back from opposition fighters.
• Turkey Closes All Borders with Syria RIA Novosti 25 Jul 2012 -- The Turkish government is closing all its checkpoints on the Syrian border, Hayati Yazici, Minister of Customs and Trade of the country, said.
• Syrian General Confirms He Has Defected RFE/RL 25 Jul 2012 -- A top military commander from the Syrian Republican Guard and close friend of President Bashar al-Assad has confirmed that he has defected from the regime.
• Syria’s Use of Chemical Weapons ‘Unacceptable’ – Pentagon RIA Novosti 25 Jul 2012 -- A possible use of chemical weapons by the Syrian authorities either against the opposition or someone else is ?intolerable’ and ?unacceptable.’
• Russia Hits Out at West’s ‘Chilling’ Syria Stance RIA Novosti 25 Jul 2012 -- Russia accused Western powers of encouraging terrorism over their refusal to condemn the suicide bombing that killed Syria’s defense minister last week.
• Russia Says U.S. Tries To Justify Terrorism RFE/RL 25 Jul 2012 -- Russia says the United States' failure to condemn the July 18 bomb attack, which killed Syria's top security officials, meant Washington was justifying terror.
• Salehi: Meddling of aliens disrupts political reforms in Syria IRNA 25 Jul 2012 -- Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said that continued meddling of aliens hinders political reforms in Syria.
• Vahidi rejects presence of Iranian forces in Syria IRNA 25 Jul 2012 -- Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi rejected the presence of Iranian military forces in Syria, describing it as foreign media propaganda to cover up the presence of foreign terrorists in that country.
• US Concerned about Chinese Troops Plans on Disputed Island VOA 25 Jul 2012 -- China's decision to establish a military base on a contested island in the South China Sea is prompting fears of an escalation in one of the world's most disputed bodies of water.
• Taiwan urges Japan to restrain over Tiaoyutai dispute CNA 25 Jul 2012 -- Taiwan's government urged Japan to restrain itself on issues related to the disputed Tiaoyutai Islands.
• ASEAN Struggles with S. China Sea Dispute VOA 25 Jul 2012 -- The secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations says the group needs more cohesion, but will not be held hostage to outside pressure or internal disagreements over the disputed South China Sea.
• Spokesman for DPRK FM Calls for Peace on Korean Peninsula KCNA 25 Jul 2012 -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry issued the following statement.
• Al-Qaida Affiliate Claims Iraq Attacks VOA 25 Jul 2012 -- Al-Qaida's affiliate in Iraq has claimed responsibility for the deadliest day of violence to hit the country in more than two years.
• Al-Qaeda Claims Responsibility For Bloody Day Of Iraq Violence RFE/RL 25 Jul 2012 -- Al-Qaeda militants have claimed responsibility for a series of attacks that killed and wounded hundreds of people in Iraq.
• U.S. Support for UN Roadmap on Camp Ashraf US Dept. of State 25 Jul 2012
• Security Council extends mandate of UN Assistance Mission for Iraq by 12 months UN News Centre 25 Jul 2012 -- The Security Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq for another year.
• UN Extends Iraq Mission Mandate RIA Novosti 25 Jul 2012 -- The UN Security Council on Wednesday extended the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq by one year.
• HRW: Mali Ex-junta Abducted, Tortured Dozens VOA 25 Jul 2012 -- Human Rights Watch says soldiers loyal to the leader of a March 22 coup in Mali abducted and tortured dozens of security personnel thought to be linked to an April 30 counter-coup attempt.
• Thousands of Congolese Civilians Flee from Renewed Fighting VOA 25 Jul 2012 -- Rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have launched attacks on positions held by government forces north of Goma.
• Mandate of UN monitoring group on Somalia and Eritrea extended for another year UN News Centre 25 Jul 2012 -- The Security Council extended for another year the mandate of the United Nations panel of experts monitoring compliance with the embargoes on the delivery of weapons and military equipment to Somalia and Eritrea.
• Government Ends Operations In Eastern Tajikistan RFE/RL 25 Jul 2012 -- Tajikistan's military has ended operations in the eastern province of Badakhshan.
• Tajik Government Declares Unilateral Truce In Eastern Tajikistan RFE/RL 25 Jul 2012 -- President Emomali Rahmon has reportedly declared a one-day, unilateral truce in a bid to end fighting between government forces and militants in eastern Tajikistan.
• Tajik Leader Orders Ceasefire in Militant Clash RIA Novosti 25 Jul 2012 -- Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has ordered troops and police to cease fire in the town of Khorog in Tajikstan’s restive Badakhshan region, with authorities starting talks with militants.
• No breakthrough in efforts to restart Israeli-Palestinian talks, UN envoy reports UN News Centre 25 Jul 2012 -- The past month has been characterized by a continuation of the effort to restart direct talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
• UN Envoy Warns Time for Mideast Peace Waning VOA 25 Jul 2012 -- The United Nations’ chief envoy for the Middle East peace process, Robert Serry, says he is afraid time is running out for a negotiated two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.
• Japan Ponders Joint Use of Disputed Kuril Islands RIA Novosti 25 Jul 2012 -- Japan is studying possible variants for jointly using the disputed Kuril Islands with Russia, Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba said.
• Indonesia Faces Its Murky Past VOA 25 Jul 2012 -- In a landmark move, Indonesia’s National Human Rights Commission said this week gross human rights violations were committed in mysterious summary executions in the 1980s and the communist purge in 1965.
• In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ban notes country’s progress and affirms UN support UN News Centre 25 Jul 2012 -- Secretary-General Ban affirmed the support of the United Nations in the country’s path to stability and prosperity.
• Ban urges Greece and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to resolve name issue UN News Centre 25 Jul 2012 -- Secretary-General Ban said that it is “imperative” that Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia resolve the dispute over the official name of the latter country.
• UN Chief Pledges Action On Name Dispute RFE/RL 25 Jul 2012 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has pledged to Macedonia's parliament that he will try to speed up the process of resolving Macedonia's long-running name dispute with Greece.

News Reports

• Briefing on the 17th U.S.-China Human Rights Dialogue US Dept. of State 25 Jul 2012
• Statement by NSC Spokesman Tommy Vietor on the National Security Advisor Thomas E. Donilon’s Trip to China The White House 25 Jul 2012
• Report: North Korea Power Transition Finalized VOA 25 Jul 2012 -- A just-released independent, non-government report on North Korea concludes the transfer of power to Kim Jong Un is already complete.
• Kim Jong-un Gets Married - North Korean TV RIA Novosti 25 Jul 2012 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has got married.
• North Korea: Kim Jong Un's Mystery Companion Is Wife VOA 25 Jul 2012 -- North Korean state television says a mystery woman who has accompanied new leader Kim Jong Un in recent public events is his wife.
• North Korean State TV Confirms Kim Jong Un Is Married RFE/RL 25 Jul 2012 -- North Korean state television has confirmed that leader Kim Jong Un is married and named his wife as Ri Sol Ju.
• US Senators Examine Iranian Involvement with Terrorism VOA 25 Jul 2012 -- Iran’s support for terrorists around the world will grow further if it acquires nuclear weapons.
• Iran to give crushing response to US cyber attacks IRNA 25 Jul 2012 -- An official with the Cyber Department of the Iranian Armed Forces said on Wednesday that Iran will give a crushing response to US cyber attacks.
• Travelers will no longer get foreign currency at official rate IRNA 25 Jul 2012 -- Governor of Central Bank of Iran Mahmoud Bahmani said on Wednesday travelers will no longer get foreign currency at official rate except for those going to pilgrimage.
• Expert: Aung San Suu Kyi Breaks Norm on Ethnic Minorities in Parliamentary Plea VOA 25 Jul 2012 -- Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s appeal to parliament to address the poverty in ethnic minority communities is a “significant departure” from traditional calls for reform.
• Burma's Suu Kyi Gives First Parliament Speech VOA 25 Jul 2012 -- Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has used her first speech in parliament to call for laws protecting the rights of the nation's ethnic minorities.
• Somali Assembly Convenes to Form Government VOA 25 Jul 2012 -- A nine-day conference is under way in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, where an 825-member assembly is expected to ratify a new constitution.
• Pakistani Prime Minister Gets Two More Weeks In Graft Cases RFE/RL 25 Jul 2012 -- Pakistan's Supreme Court has given new Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf another two weeks to ask authorities in Switzerland to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.
• Pakistani Gov’t in no mood to open graft cases against President IRNA 25 Jul 2012 -- Pakistani government told the Supreme Court that Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf cannot write a letter to Swiss authorities for reopening of graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.
• Statement by the Press Secretary on the Arrest of Activists in Cuba The White House 25 Jul 2012
• Ghanians Question How President's Death Will Impact Elections VOA 25 Jul 2012 -- Ghanaian President John Atta Mills died Tuesday at a military hospital in Accra shortly after taking ill.
• Ghana Mourns Death of President After Peaceful Transfer of Power VOA 25 Jul 2012 -- People across Ghana are mourning the sudden death of president John Atta Mills, as the country's vice president was sworn-in to serve out the remainder of his term.
• Moscow Dismisses Lithuania ‘Occupation’ Claims RIA Novosti 25 Jul 2012 -- Moscow is sure that Lithuania’s EU partners will not agree to include the issue of compensation “for damage from Soviet occupation” in the Russia-EU agenda.
• U.S. Says Russia’s Law on NGOs Intimidates Rights Activists RIA Novosti 25 Jul 2012 -- The United States believes that Russia’s new law on NGOs intimidates human and civil rights activists and undermines democratic developments in the country.