Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Combined Force Arrests Taliban Leader in Helmand Province AFPS 20 Aug 2012 -- A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province.
• Taliban Suffer Reversals, NATO Official Says AFPS 20 Aug 2012 -- The Taliban have suffered a series of reversals during the current fighting season in Afghanistan, a senior NATO intelligence official said.
• Joint Task Force Aims to Keep Drug Money From Taliban AFPS 20 Aug 2012 -- Corruption is not inevitable in Afghanistan, but is a more recent phenomenon caused by 30 years of war, a coalition officer said.
• Three Relatives Of Influential Afghan Politician Killed RFE/RL 20 Aug 2012 -- Officials said three Afghans from a politically connected family were killed on August 20 when their car struck a roadside bomb in the eastern Paktia Province.
• Family Members of Karzai’s Advisor Killed in Afghanistan RIA Novosti 20 Aug 2012 -- A roadside bomb blast in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Paktia killed three members of the family of an advisor to Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
• Obama ‘Deeply Concerned’ About Afghanistan Insider Attacks AFPS 20 Aug 2012 -- President Barack Obama said that he, senior coalition military leaders and their Afghan counterparts will continue intensifying measures to thwart the spate of insider attacks by people wearing Afghan military and police uniforms.
• Obama 'Deeply Concerned' About Insider Attacks In Afghanistan RFE/RL 20 Aug 2012 -- U.S. President Barack Obama has expressed "deep concern" about the recent killings of NATO troops in Afghanistan by their allies among the Afghan security forces.
• Obama Concerned About Afghan Insider Attacks VOA 20 Aug 2012 -- U.S. President Barack Obama said he is concerned about the "green on blue" attacks, the recent killings of NATO troops by Afghan security forces.
• Insider Attacks Mask Full Afghan Story, Little Says AFPS 20 Aug 2012 -- Pentagon Press Secretary George Little: The focus on insider attacks belies the fact that the Taliban are under severe pressure and have been forced to shift tactics.
• Dempsey: Afghans Share Concern Over Insider Attacks AFPS 20 Aug 2012 -- Afghan leaders are just as concerned as coalition authorities are about insider attacks, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said.
• Policeman Kills NATO Soldier in Afghanistan RIA Novosti 20 Aug 2012 -- A man in Afghan police uniform killed a NATO soldier in the the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan.
• In Afghanistan, ‘big brother’ is watching USMC News 20 Aug 2012 -- In Helmand province, Afghanistan, Marines with Bravo Company, 2nd Tank Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 6, are using the M1A1 Abrams tank to help make the battlefield safer for infantry Marines fighting the enemy.
• New Zealand Signals Early Afghan Exit RFE/RL 20 Aug 2012 -- New Zealand has pledged to withdraw from Afghanistan as quickly as possible.
• DOD Identifies Army and Navy Casualties DoD 20 Aug 2012
• DOD Identifies Marine and Navy Casualties DoD 20 Aug 2012
• Pakistani Mobile Networks Suspended Due To Security Fears RFE/RL 20 Aug 2012 -- Pakistani authorities temporarily shut down mobile phone networks in major cities in what officials describe as a move aimed at preventing Taliban attacks.
• Pentagon Aids Search for Missing Philippine Official AFPS 20 Aug 2012 -- The Defense Department is helping the Philippine government search for the nation’s interior secretary, who has been missing since his plane crashed two days ago.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Moscow Recaps Its Missile Defense Posture RIA Novosti 20 Aug 2012 -- Moscow warned that the implementation of the European missile defense project could become a throwback to the Cold War era.
• Nuclear enterprise experts train and attend symposium AFNS 20 Aug 2012 -- Approximately 16 general and flag officers, led by the commander of U.S. Strategic Command, took part in an airborne emergency action officers exercise and Strategic Deterrence Conference.
• Eighth Army trains for new mission in South Korea during UFG Army News 20 Aug 2012 -- Eighth Army will train for its new mission as an operational Field Army headquarters during Exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian, Aug. 20 - 31.
• KCNA Commentary on US-S. Korea Joint Drills KCNA 20 Aug 2012 -- The US and the south Koreans finally kicked off Ulji Freedom Guardian joint military drills despite the DPRK's repeated warnings.
• Blue Ridge Departs Busan, South Korea NNS 20 Aug 2012 -- Sailors assigned to U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge, embarked 7th Fleet staff personnel, and Marines assigned to Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team Pacific departed Busan, Republic of Korea.
• George Washington Continues its 2012 Patrol in 7th Fleet Area of Operations NNS 20 Aug 2012 -- The U.S. Navy's forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS George Washington departed its forward operating location of Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, Aug. 20 to continue its 2012 patrol.
• Olympia Visits Yokosuka During Western Pacific Deployment NNS 20 Aug 2012 -- USS Olympia arrived at Fleet Activities Yokosuka Aug. 20 for a visit as part of its deployment to the Western Pacific.
• Pacific Partnership 2012 Arrives in Guam NNS 20 Aug 2012 -- Pacific Partnership 2012, embarked aboard USNS Mercy, arrived in Apra Harbor on Aug. 20, as it nears the completion of its nearly five-month deployment on the largest annual humanitarian civic assistance HCA mission in the Asia Pacific.
• AFRICOM Refutes Claims of Meddling in Ethiopian Politics AFRICOM 20 Aug 2012
• Ham to Seek More National Guard Partnerships in Africa AFPS 20 Aug 2012 -- The commander of US Africa Command said he’ll press to expand the State Partnership Program on the continent.
• Two High-Tech Navy Research Vessels Enter Construction Phase NNS 20 Aug 2012 -- Construction for two new research ships funded by the Office of Naval Research officially got underway with a keel-laying and dedication ceremony.
• 6th Fleet Flagship Departs France NNS 20 Aug 2012 -- U.S. 6th Fleet flagship, USS Mount Whitney, concluded a port visit to Theoule-sur-Mer, France, after taking part in several events honoring the 68th anniversary of the liberation of Provence, Aug. 19.
• USS Fort McHenry Departs Constanta, Romania NNS 20 Aug 2012 -- USS Fort McHenry departed Constanta, Romania following the completion of Exercise Summer Storm 2012, Aug. 19.
• 'Vanguard' Soldiers field precision-guided mortar munitions Army News 20 Aug 2012 -- The Accelerated Precision Mortar Initiative, or APMI, is a GPS-guided round fired from the M120 mortar system, which is part of the M326 Mortar Stowage Kit.
• Field Artillery unit welcomes first female battery commander Army News 20 Aug 2012 -- Payne is the first female commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 377th Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires Brigade.
• Multinational partners train in 'Khaan Quest' Army News 20 Aug 2012 -- A conglomeration of U.S., Mongolian, and various international forces took part in a staff exercise during Khaan Quest 12 to enhance their ability to operate in a multinational environment.
• NORAD Exercise Planned for the National Capital Region DoD 20 Aug 2012
• Exercise confirms U.S. homeland defense capability Army News 20 Aug 2012 -- Army leaders say the performance of participants in the recently concluded Vibrant Response 13 exercise has demonstrated that the U.S. military is ready to handle a major catastrophe.
• 8th TSC EOD team diffuses Maui bomb hoax Army News 20 Aug 2012 -- Soldiers from 74th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company overcame time and distance to allow residents in a Maui neighborhood to return safely to their homes following a bomb scare.
• Airman nets $10,000 through IDEA program AFNS 20 Aug 2012 -- The Air Force presented a check for $10,000 to a 31st Maintenance Squadron Airman recently for creating a new process that used less manpower and resources without sacrificing quality.
• NAVFAC Southeast Awards $6.6 Million Contract to Small Business, Work at NS Mayport NNS 20 Aug 2012 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast awarded a $6.6 million contract Aug. 15 to TMG Services, Inc. for the Massey Avenue Corridor Improvements at Naval Station Mayport, Mayport, Fla.
• Russia, Ukraine Revise Nitka Facility Lease RIA Novosti 20 Aug 2012 -- Russia and Ukraine signed a protocol on amendments to an agreement on the rent of facilities on Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula for training of Russian carrier pilots.
• Design unveiled of Royal Navy's future warships UK MOD 20 Aug 2012 -- The latest design of the Royal Navy's Type 26 Global Combat Ship (T26 GCS), the next generation of warships, has been unveiled.
• Senior staff cuts to make MOD less top-heavy UK MOD 20 Aug 2012 -- 25 per cent of civilian and military senior personnel based at the Ministry of Defence's Head Office will be cut over the next two years to form a new senior staff structure.
• Taiwan to conduct live-fire drill on Taiping Island CNA 20 Aug 2012 -- Taiwan has informed its neighboring countries that it plans to conduct a live-fire training exercise on Taiping Island in the South China Sea.
• Taiwan prosecutors decide not to indict Navy officer for drill blunder CNA 20 Aug 2012 -- Military prosecutors have decided not to charge Rear Admiral Chang Feng-chiang for sailing his fleet out of a designated area during a military exercise in late July or for disobeying orders.
• IRI Army: Advanced missiles sites took aback world military analysts IRNA 20 Aug 2012 -- IRI Army: Today devoted Iranian youth have challenged modern military technologies by making ultra-advanced missile sites.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 8/20/12 The White House 20 Aug 2012
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 20 Aug 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 20, 2012

Other Conflicts

• Assessing the al-Qaida Presence in Syria VOA 20 Aug 2012 -- Recent newspaper headlines say that al-Qaida or related jihadist groups are flocking into Syria to help the opposition.
• Obama Warns Syria on Chemical Weapons VOA 20 Aug 2012 -- President Barack Obama: Movement or use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government would change America's stance toward Syria.
• Obama Warns Assad Not To Use or Move Chemical Weapons RFE/RL 20 Aug 2012 -- President Barack Obama says the use or movement of chemical weapons by Syrian President Basher al-Assad’s regime would change the U.S. perspective on how to respond to the crisis.
• UN Observers Pull Out of Syria VOA 20 Aug 2012 -- Members of the United Nations observer mission wound down their operation in Damascus Monday, packing their bags and leaving Syria for Lebanon.
• UN Observer Mission In Syria Ends RFE/RL 20 Aug 2012 -- The United Nations' observer mission in Syria has officially ended without any sign of a breakthrough on bringing an end to the country's conflict.
• Turkey Calls for Syria Buffer Zone RIA Novosti 20 Aug 2012 -- Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu urged the UN on Monday to create a buffer zone for refugees in northern Syria.
• Syrian Conflict Gives Kurds New Freedom VOA 20 Aug 2012 -- As fighting intensifies in the Syrian cities of Aleppo and Damascus, the Syrian government has withdrawn its troops from several Kurdish areas in northern Syria.
• Briefing: The mounting Syrian refugee crisis IRIN 20 Aug 2012 -- Nearly a year and a half after the start of the Syrian uprising, tens of thousands of people have fled the country.
• Syrians Work to Restore Services Amid War VOA 20 Aug 2012 -- Residents in northern Syria are trying to carry on with their lives despite a conflict that has killed thousands of people nationwide since March, 2011.
• Israel Deploys Rocket Shield to Eilat RIA Novosti 20 Aug 2012 -- The Israel Defense Force has deployed its Iron Dome anti-rocket defense system to the area of the port city of Eilat, which has come under rocket fire in recent days from inside Egypt.
• Bomb Blast Kills 7 in Southeastern Turkey VOA 20 Aug 2012 -- At least seven people have been killed in a car bomb explosion in southeastern Turkey.
• MYANMAR: Rebels pledge no more child soldiers IRIN 20 Aug 2012 -- Two ethnic groups in Myanmar recently became the first rebel fighters to sign a “deed commitment” with Swiss-based rights group Geneva Call, pledging to eliminate underage soldiers and protect children in armed conflict.
• Males In Troubled Gorno-Badakhshan Ordered To Report To Military RFE/RL 20 Aug 2012 -- Tajikistan's Defense Ministry has denied that recent deadly clashes are behind an order calling on all males aged between 18 and 45 years of age to report to military offices in the Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous region.
• Daghestan Casualties As Military Convoy Ambushed RFE/RL 20 Aug 2012 -- Reports from the restive Russian North Caucasus republic of Daghestan say at least two police officers were injured when a military convoy accompanied by police came under fire as it passed through the town of Khasavyurt.

News Reports

• Spokesman for DPRK Foreign Ministry on Ulji Freedom Guardian KCNA 20 Aug 2012 -- A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK issued the following statement.
• DPRK Army and People Ready for Decisive Battle KCNA 20 Aug 2012 -- Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong Un, during his recent inspection tour of island defence detachments stationed in the biggest hotspot in the southernmost part of the southwest front, ordered the servicepersons to deal at once deadly counter-blows at the enemy if even a single shell is dropped on the waters or in the area of the DPRK.
• Rodong Sinmun Calls for All-people Resistance KCNA 20 Aug 2012 -- Rodong Sinmun editorially calls on all service personnel and people of the DPRK to fully display the heroic spirit of Songun Korea in devotedly defending the country and building a thriving nation, firmly rallied around the dear respected Marshal Kim Jong Un.
• Rodong Sinmun Lauds Kim Jong Il's Activities for Friendship with Russia KCNA 20 Aug 2012 -- Rodong Sinmun on Monday calls for consolidating and shining leader Kim Jong Il's immortal feats for the DPRK-Russia friendship.
• Burma Eases Censorship Rules VOA 20 Aug 2012 -- Burma has announced an end to official censorship of the press after decades of tight government controls.
• Myanmar Ends Political, Religious Media Censorship RIA Novosti 20 Aug 2012 -- The Information Ministry of Myanmar cancelled censorship for media publishing political and religious information.
• Pakistani President Seeks Report On Girl's Blasphemy Case RFE/RL 20 Aug 2012 -- Pakistan's president has called on officials to explain the arrest on blasphemy charges of a Christian girl with Down syndrome.
• China's Gu Given Suspended Death Sentence for Murder VOA 20 Aug 2012 -- A court in China has sentenced the wife of disgraced politician Bo Xilai to death for the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood.
• Court In China Hands Suspended Death Sentence To Gu Kailai RFE/RL 20 Aug 2012 -- A court in China has convicted Gu Kailai of intentional homicide and handed her a suspended death sentence for murdering a British businessman.
• Wife of Chinese Politician Gets Suspended Death Sentence RIA Novosti 20 Aug 2012 -- A Chinese court handed down a death sentence to Gu Kailai, the wife of disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai, for the premeditated murder of British businessman Neil Heywood.
• Statement by the Press Secretary on Somalia’s New Federal Parliament The White House 20 Aug 2012
• UN chief welcomes inauguration of new Somali Federal Parliament as 'watershed moment' UN News Centre 20 Aug 2012 -- UN Secretary-General Ban welcomes the inauguration of the New Federal Parliament of Somalia as a major milestone in the nation's peace and reconciliation process, according to his spokesperson.
• Somalia Swears in New Parliament VOA 20 Aug 2012 -- Members of Somalia's new parliament have been sworn in, bringing the country a step closer to completing an eight-year political transition.
• Somalis Optimistic About New Parliament VOA 20 Aug 2012 -- Somalia's new parliament is being sworn in, bringing the country a step closer to installing a permanent government.
• Mali Announces New Government VOA 20 Aug 2012 -- Mali has announced a new government of national unity, five months after a military coup ousted the country's elected government.
• In Yemen, Women Take One Step Forward, Two Back VOA 20 Aug 2012 -- A halting and sometimes violent transfer of governing power is under way in Yemen and if the transition goes smoothly, one of the biggest beneficiaries could be the nation’s women.
• Female Korean Political Heir Tapped As Presidential Candidate VOA 20 Aug 2012 -- South Korea's governing New Frontier (Saenuri) Party has selected Park Gyeun-hye, the daughter of a former dictator, as its candidate for president.
• South American Nations Condemn British 'Threat' To Ecuador RFE/RL 19 Aug 2012 -- South American nations have expressed "solidarity" with Ecuador "in the face of the threat" to its London embassy.
• Malawi and Tanzania Border Experts Discuss Lake Dispute VOA 20 Aug 2012 -- Border experts from Malawi and Tanzania are meeting to try to resolve a decades-long dispute over ownership of Lake Malawi.
• EU Says Ready to Work With New Belarus FM RIA Novosti 20 Aug 2012 -- The EU said in a statement that it will work with the new Belarusian foreign minister despite the fact that he is subject to EU sanctions.
• Lukashenka Replaces Belarusian Foreign Minister RFE/RL 20 Aug 2012 -- Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has dismissed Foreign Minister Syarhey Martynau and replaced him with Uladzimer Makei, the head of the presidential administration.
• Punk Rock Band Jail Sentences Highlight Russian Split VOA 20 Aug 2012 -- The bright balaclavas of the Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot have circled the globe.
• Pussy Riot Won't Ask Putin For Pardon RFE/RL 20 Aug 2012 -- Maria Alyokhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, and Yekaterina Samutsevich -- guilty of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" for their anti-Putin performance in Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral.
• Moscow Criticizes ‘Interference’ in Pussy Riot Case RIA Novosti 20 Aug 2012 -- Moscow issued a stern warning against any interference in its judicial affairs, especially in the case of the anti-Putin punk group Pussy Riot.