Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Noting terrorist group threats, Security Council condemns deadly attacks in Afghanistan UN News Centre 17 Aug 2012 -- Reaffirming that terrorists and armed groups still pose a threat to Afghanistan, the Security Council today condemned, in the strongest terms, coordinated terrorist attacks across the Central Asian country on 14 and 15 August, which caused numerous deaths and injuries, mostly to civilians.
• Combined Force Arrests Taliban Leader, Seizes Weapons, Drugs AFPS 17 Aug 2012 -- An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in the Alisheng district of Laghman province today, military officials reported.
• British Army Reserves advise Afghan Police UK MOD 17 Aug 2012 -- Two British Army reservists, both UK law enforcement officers in civilian life, have been helping to improve policing standards in southern Afghanistan.
• Afghan Policeman Kills 2 US Troops VOA 17 Aug 2012 -- NATO says an Afghan policeman has killed two U.S. service members, in the latest so-called 'green on blue' attack.
• Taliban Leader Issues 'Unmistakable Message of Death' VOA 17 Aug 2012 -- The commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan has accused the Taliban's reclusive leader of issuing a 'message of hate and hopelessness' to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.
• Pakistan, US military chiefs discuss cross-border cooperation IRNA 17 Aug 2012 -- Pakistani and American military leaders have concluded talks on 'a wide range of common security issues, to include militant network activities and measures to improve cross-border cooperation,' the US Embassy said Friday.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Cornyn Demands Answers on Russian Attack Sub in Gulf of Mexico Office of John Cornyn, US Senator for Texas 17 Aug 2012 -- US Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) wrote Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert after Russian sub reportedly went undetected.
• DOD News Briefing with Lt. Gen. Schmidle Jr. on the Results of an Investigation into the April 11 Mishap of an MV-22B in Morocco DoD 17 Aug 2012 -- Presenter: Deputy Commandant for Marine Corps Aviation Lt. Gen. Robert E. Schmidle Jr.
• Marines Applying Lessons from MV-22 Crash Throughout Force AFPS 17 Aug 2012 -- Pilots from throughout the Marine Corps are already applying lessons learned from the investigation of an MV-22 Osprey crash in Morocco in April, the chief of Marine aviation said here today.
• CMC: Asia-Pacific region critical USMC News 17 Aug 2012 -- General James F. Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps, and Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Micheal P. Barrett visited Okinawa and addressed Marines on current issues and the importance of their mission in the Asia-Pacific region Aug. 12.
• Marines install tsunami warning system USMC News 17 Aug 2012 -- Marine Corps Installations Pacific recently installed and will soon test an installationwide mass notification tsunami warning system designed to alert personnel on all camps and stations to the threat of an imminent destructive wave.
• Dempsey: Transition in Military Uncomfortable but Necessary AFPS 17 Aug 2012 -- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says the military must undergo three transitions in the coming years, with each dependent on finding the best way forward in lean economic times.
• Expeditionary Strike Group 2 Participates in PANAMAX 2012 NNS 17 Aug 2012 -- Sailors and Marines from Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 2 participated in the annual, multi-national training exercise, PANAMAX 2012 which concluded this week.
• Churchill Holds Change of Command Ceremony at Sea NNS 17 Aug 2012 -- Guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) held a change of command ceremony at sea in the Gulf of Aden, Aug. 16.
• Ham Looks Toward More Multilateral Exercises in Africa AFPS 17 Aug 2012 -- Wrapping up one of the largest bilateral exercises ever on the African continent, the commander of U.S Africa Command said he looks forward to expanding future engagements to make them multilateral.
• TRADOC commanding general leads delegation to Israel for Future Battlefield Conference XXI Army News 17 Aug 2012 -- Gen. Robert W. Cone, commanding general of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, led a delegation to Israel to participate in the 21st Future Battlefield Conference, July 15-19, 2012.
• Reliant Mermaid 2012 Draws to a Close NNS 17 Aug 2012 -- Exercise Reliant Mermaid 2012, between the U.S. Navy and Israeli Naval Force, concluded in Haifa, Israel, Aug. 16.
• USS Harry S. Truman Change of Command NNS 17 Aug 2012 -- The crew of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) conducted the ship's 8th change of command ceremony Aug. 16.
• VFA-11 Conducts Aerial Change of Command NNS 17 Aug 2012 -- Cmdr. Marcus Lopez relieved Cmdr. Daniel Sullivan as commanding officer of the Red Rippers of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11 in an aerial change-of-command ceremony held in the skies above aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) Aug. 16.
• India gets first Embraer jet with Indian airborne radar tech IRNA 17 Aug 2012 -- India Friday made a major breakthrough in mounting an electronic eye in the sky, taking delivery of the first Embraer 145 Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft (AEW &C), built with Indian technology.
• Russia to Lay Down New Diesel Sub for Black Sea Fleet RIA Novosti 17 Aug 2012 -- The Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg will lay down on Friday a new Varshavyanka class diesel-electric submarine for Russia's Black Sea Fleet, the company said.
• New Ballistic Missile Sub to Join Fleet in September RIA Novosti 17 Aug 2012 -- Russia's newest ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), the Project 955 Borey class boat Yury Dolgoruky, will be handed over to the fleet in September, a source in United Shipbuilding Corporation said on Friday.
• Russian Navy Med Sea Group to Split After Drills RIA Novosti 17 Aug 2012 -- A combined-fleet group of Russian Navy ships in the Mediterranean Seawill split into two groups following completion of its duties, Russia's Defense Ministry said on Friday.
• Indian defence bases well protected: Army Chief IRNA 17 Aug 2012 -- Against the backdrop of attack by militants on a Pakistani air force base, Army Chief General Bikram Singh said on Thursday Indian military installations are 'well protected and defended.'

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 17, 2012

Other Conflicts

• 17 August 2012 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 17 Aug 2012
• UN, Arab League appoint veteran diplomat to take over Annan's role on Syrian crisis UN News Centre 17 Aug 2012 -- Veteran diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi will be the new Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and League of Arab States for the crisis in Syria, taking over the peace-facilitation role played over the past several months by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, a spokesperson for the world organization said today.
• Algerian Diplomat To Replace Annan As New UN Syria Envoy RFE/RL 17 Aug 2012 -- The United Nations says that Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi will take over from Kofi Annan as joint UN-Arab League envoy to Syria.
• UN Appoints New Syria Envoy RIA Novosti 17 Aug 2012 -- Algeria's former foreign minister Lakhdar Brahimi has replaced Kofi Annan as peace envoy to Syria, the United Nations said on Friday.
• Number of displaced people grows as Syria violence continues, says UN agency UN News Centre 17 Aug 2012 -- The humanitarian crisis generated by the ongoing Syrian conflict is rapidly growing as refugees from the Middle Eastern country continue to flee the ongoing violence and spill over into neighbouring areas, the United Nations refugee agency said today.
• Clashes, Demonstrations Continue Throughout Syria VOA 17 Aug 2012 -- VOA's Scott Bobb reports from the northern Syrian town of Marea that a demonstration after Friday prayers was held in sympathy for the dozens of people killed or wounded this week when a Syrian fighter jet bombed nearby Azaz.
• Syrian Refugee Exodus Escalates VOA 17 Aug 2012 -- The United Nations Refugee Agency says that the Syrian refugee exodus continues to escalate. It says the exodus is particularly significant from Syria's most populous city of Aleppo where fighting continues between government and opposition forces.
• Taiwan makes clear stance on Tiaoyutais CNA 17 Aug 2012 -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has made it clear to Japan that Taiwan holds sovereignty over the Tiaoyutai Islands, Deputy Foreign Minister Tung Kuoyu said Friday, amid efforts by Japan to reinforce its claim to the island chain in the resource-rich East China Sea.
• Japan deports Hong Kong activists in Tiaoyutai row CNA 17 Aug 2012 -- Seven of the 14 activists from Hong Kong who allegedly violated Japan's immigration law by landing on the disputed Tiaoyutai Islands in the East China Sea earlier this week were deported by air Friday, according to a Japanese TV report.
• Japan 'furtively occupying' Tiaoyutais: MOFA CNA 17 Aug 2012 -- Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) described the disputed Tiaoyutai Islands Friday as being 'furtively occupied' by Japan, the first time it has used such a critical phrase in the territorial row.
• Somalia May Miss Key Political Benchmarks VOA 17 Aug 2012 -- Observers of Somalia's political transition process say the final political benchmarks to end the transition, including the election of a new president, will not be met by the August 20 deadline. An arbitration committee working to solve clan disputes on how to share parliamentary seats is yet to reach agreement. Some reports also say the technical selection committee working to screen and approve members of the next parliament objects to some of the candidates put forward.
• UN war crimes tribunal transfers Serb official to Portugal to serve 20-year sentence UN News Centre 17 Aug 2012 -- A former Serb military official was transferred to Portugal to serve a 20-year sentence for crimes committed against non-Serb prisoners of war, the United Nations war crimes tribunal set up in the wake of the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s announced today.
• Northern Mali Militants Recruiting Children VOA 17 Aug 2012 -- A recent investigation by the Malian Coalition for Rights of the Child found that militant groups in control of northern Mali are using hundreds of children, aged 9 to 17, not just as combatants but also as scouts, couriers, minesweepers, cooks and servants.

News Reports

• Assange Granted Asylum for Fear of U.S. - Ecuador Envoy RIA Novosti 17 Aug 2012 -- Ecuador has granted political asylum to WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange out of concern that after his extradition to Sweden Assange could be transferred to the United States where he might face the death penalty, the Ecuadorian ambassador to Russia said on Friday.
• Pussy Riot Members Found Guilty, Jailed For Two Years RFE/RL 17 Aug 2012 -- A court in Moscow has found the three members of the punk feminist performance-art group Pussy Riot guilty of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" after performing what they called a "punk prayer" at a landmark Moscow church in February and sentenced them to two years in prison.
• Ukraine's Jailed Former Interior Minister Sentenced In Second Case RFE/RL 17 Aug 2012 -- A Kyiv court has sentenced Ukraine's former Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko to two years in prison in a second case against him.
• Russian Mars Water Sniffer Goes Online RIA Novosti 17 Aug 2012 -- A Russian neutron detector on board NASA's Mars rover Curiosity, designed to search for any water that might be bound into shallow underground minerals along the rover's path, was activated on Friday, the manufacturer said.