Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 23 Aug 2012 [PDF]
• Combined Forces Arrest Taliban Weapons Supplier AFPS 23 Aug 2012 -- An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban weapons supplier today in the Chaparhar district of Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province.
• DOD News Briefing with Gen. Allen from the Pentagon DoD 23 Aug 2012
• Allen: Closer Ties With Partners May Reduce Insider Attack Threat AFPS 23 Aug 2012 -- The closer their relationship is with their Afghan security force partners, the safer coalition forces are from “insider attacks,” the commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said.
• NATO Cites Reasons Behind Rise in Afghan Insider Attacks VOA 23 Aug 2012 -- The commander of U.S. and NATO forces says the recent increase on so-called "green on blue attacks" in Afghanistan is not a result of an increase in Taliban infiltrators in the ranks of Afghan security forces.
• U.S. General Asks Kabul To Share Information On Spy Claim RFE/RL 23 Aug 2012 -- The top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan wants to see intelligence from Kabul to support its claim that spies from neighboring countries encourage Afghan troops to turn on NATO forces.
• Allen Predicts Period of Hope, Challenge in Afghanistan’s Future AFPS 23 Aug 2012 -- After the International Security Assistance Force mission ends in December 2014, Afghanistan will experience a period of hope combined with lots of challenges, the ISAF commander said today.
• Summer ‘Highly Successful’ for ISAF and Afghan Forces, Allen Says AFPS 23 Aug 2012 -- The International Security Assistance Force has kept tireless pressure on the enemy in Afghanistan, Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, ISAF commander, said.
• Afghan National Army improves front-line defences NATO 23 Aug 2012 -- Soldiers with the Afghan National Army hit a milestone toward their independence from NATO support by improving an outpost that had been the target of insurgent attacks.
• Afghan Villagers Hit Back Against Taliban RFE/RL 23 Aug 2012 -- A group of angry Afghan villagers have got the Taliban scrambling after they mounted an unlikely rebellion against the insurgents in eastern Afghanistan - and won.
• 1st Marine Division (Forward) returns home from Afghanistan USMC News 23 Aug 2012 -- The Division was originally scheduled to stay in Afghanistan until 2013, but because of significant progress being made, the leadership decided to decrease troop levels.
• Counter-IED software developed at West Point to support warfighters in Afghanistan Army News 23 Aug 2012 -- The project involved a new piece of software which can identify the location of weapons caches in theater using a mathematical model, based on the research theory of geospatial abduction.
• Explosive Ordnance Disposal Sailor Killed in Afghanistan NNS 23 Aug 2012 -- A Sailor assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 3, San Diego, Calif. died in a helicopter crash northeast of Kandahar, Afghanistan, Aug. 16.
• Pakistan Summons US Diplomat Over Drone Strikes VOA 23 Aug 2012 -- Pakistan has summoned a senior U.S. diplomat to protest against drone strikes on Pakistani soil.
• Militants Kill Three Pakistani Policemen In Northwest RFE/RL 23 Aug 2012 -- Officials in Pakistan say militants have shot dead three police officers in Pakistan's troubled northwest.
• John C. Stennis to Depart for 8-month Deployment NNS 23 Aug 2012 -- The flagship of the John C. Stennis Strike Group, USS John C. Stennis, will depart to begin an eight-month deployment to the western Pacific Ocean and the Persian Gulf.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Dempsey, Japanese Counterpart Bolster Partnership Across Domains AFPS 23 Aug 2012 -- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff welcomed his Japanese counterpart to the Pentagon today as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen military ties between both countries.
• Commandant: Shift Toward Asia Pacific Won’t Overlook Other Regions AFPS 23 Aug 2012 -- Enemies of the United States would be making a mistake if they conclude the U.S. shift in defense strategy toward the Asia Pacific means less focus on other important regions.
• Marines Remain America’s Crisis Response Force, Amos Says AFPS 23 Aug 2012 -- The Marine Corps will remain America’s crisis response force for the foreseeable future, the service’s top officer said.
• Chandler: With force reductions, Army is looking at more professional Soldiers Army News 23 Aug 2012 -- During an Aug. 20 town hall forum with Soldiers, Chandler addressed budget cut concerns and the reality of an upcoming drawdown.
• DOD Announces Recruiting and Retention Numbers for Fiscal 2012, Through July DoD 23 Aug 2012
• 101st Airborne Division female Soldiers first to test prototype body armor Army News 23 Aug 2012 -- While advances in female Army Combat Uniforms are already available, the 101st Airborne Division first suggested changes be made to Improved Outer Tactical Vests for women in 2009.
• Moored Training Ship Daniel Webster Towed to Charleston More Than Three Weeks Early NNS 23 Aug 2012 -- The Moored Training Ship Daniel Webster began its tow from Norfolk Naval Shipyard down to Charleston, S.C., for the final quarter of its 16-month drydocking engineered maintenance availability.
• Is This Real or Just Fantasy? ONR Augmented-Reality Initiative Progresses NNS 23 Aug 2012 -- The Office of Naval Research is demonstrating the next phase of an augmented-reality project Aug. 23 in Princeton, N.J., that will change the way warfighters view operational environments-literally.
• B-52 takes part in joint training 'down under' AFNS 23 Aug 2012 -- The Air Force will send a B-52 and KC-135, operating from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, to Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin later this week to take part in short term joint training with the RAAF.
• Ravens fly over Schofield Army News 23 Aug 2012 -- Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division participated in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle training, Aug. 21.
• 15W UAS operators learn ground, flight skills on FH Army News 23 Aug 2012 -- Typically, Fort Huachuca enjoys more than 300 days a year of favorable unmanned aircraft systems flying weather due to the sunshine in its arid desert location.
• Judge Postpones 9/11 Hearings as Guantanamo Prepares for Storm AFPS 23 Aug 2012 -- Lawyers, observers and media are leaving the island today after the base commanding officer recommended their evacuation ahead of tropical storm Isaac’s projected path to Cuba.
• ‘Hurricane Hunters’ Track Isaac as Southcom, Northcom Prepare AFPS 23 Aug 2012 -- The “Hurricane Hunters” from the Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron are in the air, relaying critical data to National Weather Service forecasters in Miami.
• Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Prepares for Tropical Storm Isaac NNS 23 Aug 2012 -- Base officials at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba set Condition of Readiness level 3 in preparation for tropical storm Isaac, Aug. 23.
• Pentagon Concerned About New Bin Laden Raid Book VOA 23 Aug 2012 -- The U.S. Department of Defense said if a member of the special U.S. military team who killed terrorist leader Osama bin Ladin has disclosed classified information in a new book, the matter could be referred to the U.S. Department of Justice.
• AF trauma chief cites sweeping changes in critical care AFNS 23 Aug 2012 -- From battlefield innovations to revamped health care systems, the military has radically transformed its trauma care over the past decade, a trauma expert said.
• USACE celebrates Prompton Dam project Army News 23 Aug 2012 -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Philadelphia District celebrated improvements at Prompton Dam with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour of a recently completed project.
• Lower Mississippi River would be four feet less mighty without Twin Rivers Army News 23 Aug 2012 -- The lower Mississippi River would be four feet less mighty if not for the water storage reservoirs along the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers and their tributaries that provide a stream of water management benefits.
• Ukraine to Scrap Ordnance for Russian Fleet RIA Novosti 23 Aug 2012 -- Ukraine will scrap 3,500 tons of ordnance from Russia’s Black Sea fleet under a 2012 contract worth 235 million rubles ($7.3 million).
• British Army's Foxhound fleet to grow UK MOD 23 Aug 2012 -- The Ministry of Defence has announced plans to procure 25 extra Foxhound vehicles to add to the Army's existing fleet.
• Turkmenistan, Tajikistan Team Up to Boost Regional Security RIA Novosti 23 Aug 2012 -- Dushanbe and Ashgabat committed themselves to closer cooperation in combating international terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crime and other security challenges.
• Kim Jong Un Inspects Company of KPA Unit KCNA 23 Aug 2012 -- Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong Un inspected the Thrice Three-Revolution Red Flag Kamnamu Company under KPA Unit 4302.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 8/23/2012 The White House 23 Aug 2012
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing, August 23, 2012 US Dept. of State 23 Aug 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 23, 2012
• United Aircraft Seeks Global Aerospace Alliance RIA Novosti 23 Aug 2012 -- Russia's United Aircraft Corporation is interested in the creation of a major international alliance of aircraft-makers including companies from a range of countries.
• UAC to Build New 140-Seat Airliner RIA Novosti 23 Aug 2012 -- Russia's United Aircraft Holding intends to build a new 130-140 seat airliner which should appear on the market by 2016-2020.

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, 23 August 2012 United Nations 23 Aug 2012
• Syrian Capital Under Siege VOA 23 Aug 2012 -- Parts of Syria's capital under siege with Syrian government forces battling rebels in and around Damascus in pitched fighting.
• Lebanon Kidnappings Raise Threat of Syria Conflict Spillover VOA 23 Aug 2012 -- Lebanese clan kidnapped dozens of Syrians and a Turkish businessman last week in a bid to get a captured relative freed in Syria.
• Britain Warns On Syrian Chemical Weapons RFE/RL 23 Aug 2012 -- British Prime Minister David Cameron has said the use or threat of chemical weapons by the Syrian government "was completely unacceptable," echoing warnings from U.S. President Barack Obama.
• U.S. Fears for Safety of Syrian Chemical Weapons Stockpiles RIA Novosti 23 Aug 2012 -- The United States is concerned with the issue of safety of chemical weapons stockpiles in Syria and views it as one of the areas of importance in dealing with the conflict-hit country.
• Syrian Rebels Share Common Goal VOA 23 Aug 2012 -- Rebels fighting the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are a diverse group, ranging from young civilians with no military experience to seasoned soldiers who defected from the army.
• Recent violence undermines Lebanese efforts to promote peace and stability – UN envoy UN News Centre 23 Aug 2012 -- A senior United Nations envoy warned that the recent security incidents in Lebanon threaten the Government’s efforts to promote peace and development in the country.
• 16 Kurdish Rebels Killed in Clash with Turkish Forces VOA 23 Aug 2012 -- Turkish troops have killed 16 Kurdish rebels in southeastern Turkey in clashes that followed an attack on a military convoy.
• Mali's Ansar Dine Defends Punishments, Strict Sharia VOA 23 Aug 2012 -- A spokesman for an al-Qaida-linked militant group in northern Mali says its members are "ready to die" in order to enforce what the group considers Islamic law.
• S. Korea to Return Japan's Protest Letter Amid Island Dispute VOA 23 Aug 2012 -- A simmering territorial dispute between South Korea and Japan continued, with Seoul saying it would return a protest letter sent by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda.
• Taiwan: Nationalism unwelcome over Tiaoyutais dispute CNA 23 Aug 2012 -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it hopes the tension in the East China Sea will not continue to grow as a result of nationalism amid the dispute over the Tiaoyutai Islands.
• Israeli Top Diplomat Blasts Egypt’s Sinai Military Buildup RIA Novosti 23 Aug 2012 -- Egypt’s recent military buildup on the Sinai Peninsula was not agreed upon with Israel and violates a peace treaty between the two countries.
• Analysis: A tunnel-free future for Gaza? IRIN 23 Aug 2012 -- This month’s border attack in the Sinai Peninsula, which killed 16 Egyptian soldiers, has bolstered calls to shut down a network of underground tunnels between Egypt and the isolated Gaza Strip.
• Israel Slams S.Africa's ‘Made in Palestinian Territory’ Rule RIA Novosti 23 Aug 2012 -- Israel's Foreign Ministry condemned a decision by South Africa to label goods produced in the occupied Palestinian territories and summoned the South African ambassador for clarification.
• China Navigates Delicate Balance Between Two Sudans VOA 23 Aug 2012 -- China has been playing a delicate game of balancing alliances between Khartoum and Juba, especially now as the two countries try to settle their differences over oil fees once and for all.
• UN-African Union mission seeks to mitigate friction between tribes in North Darfur UN News Centre 23 Aug 2012 -- Members of the United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur met with community leaders to help put an end to friction which has led to deadly clashes between two main tribes in the area.
• Rights Group Urges Bangladesh to Protect Rohingya Refugees VOA 23 Aug 2012 -- Human Rights Watch says Bangladesh's restriction on international aid groups is contributing to a worsening humanitarian emergency for ethnic Rohingya Muslims fleeing sectarian violence in Burma.
• Thousands Occupy Tajik Square Over Violated Truce RFE/RL 23 Aug 2012 -- Several thousand people continued to occupy a central square in Tajikistan's eastern city of Khorug early on August 23, demanding that the government withdraw forces from the area and dismiss the region's top official.
• Rebel Leader Death Protests Continue in Tajikistan RIA Novosti 23 Aug 2012 -- Crowds of demonstrators continued to occupy the central square of the eastern Tajikistan town of Khorog, on the second day of protests sparked by the killing of an influential local leader.

News Reports

• Iran Aligns Itself For An Image Makeover RFE/RL 23 Aug 2012 -- North Korea said it will send its ceremonial head of state, Kim Yong Nam, and not leader Kim Jong Un.
• Iran Hosts Non-Aligned Summit Despite Sanctions VOA 23 Aug 2012 -- Representatives of nearly 120 nations, including dozens of heads-of-state, are to convene in Tehran next week for the summit of the Non-Aligned Movement.
• Supreme Leader: Resistance economy is only way for country’s progress IRNA 23 Aug 2012 -- Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, said that “resistance economy” is the sole way left to proceed in the path to progress.
• Iran’s Opposition Leader Musavi Transferred to Hospital RFE/RL 23 Aug 2012 -- Iranian opposition websites are reporting that leading Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Musavi, who has been under house arrest since February 2011, has been taken to hospital.
• What Is The Nonaligned Movement? RFE/RL 23 Aug 2012 -- The Nonaligned Movement, founded at the height of the Cold War, is a grouping of developing countries that do not want to align themselves with any major superpower.
• Free Press Eludes Burma Despite End of Censorship VOA 23 Aug 2012 -- After months of delays, Burma's information ministry this week kept its pledge to lift part of its decades-old censorship policy.
• Gu Kailai Ruling Leaves Unanswered Questions VOA 23 Aug 2012 -- One of China's most closely watched criminal trials swung quickly to a close this week in what has been portrayed as a straightforward case.
• Former Chadian Leader to Face Trial in Senegal VOA 23 Aug 2012 -- A lawyer for the U.S.-based Human Rights Watch says he has confidence in the commitment of Senegal’s new president, Macky Sall, to put former Chadian President Hissène Habré on trial in Senegal.
• Ethiopian Exiles Seek Talks with Government VOA 23 Aug 2012 -- Two high-level Ethiopian exiles branded traitors and terrorists for opposing Prime Minister Meles Zenawi are calling for renewed talks with government now that the long-time leader in Addis Ababa is dead.
• Independent UN experts call for end to persecution of rights defenders in Bahrain UN News Centre 23 Aug 2012 -- A group of independent United Nations experts voiced serious concerns about the “campaign of persecution” by the Bahraini authorities against those working to promote human rights in the country.
• Zambia Denies Agreement with Sudan to Train Militia VOA 23 Aug 2012 -- Zambia’s information minister has denied his government signed an agreement with Sudan to train a youth militia group with an objective to terrorize oppon
• LIBERIA: Out-of-court justice IRIN 23 Aug 2012 -- The Justice and Peace Commission includes a network of Community Legal Advisers who provide alternative dispute resolution.
• Ukraine to Extradite Second Suspect in Putin Death Plot RIA Novosti 23 Aug 2012 -- Ukraine's Odessa Court of Appeal made a final decision to extradite to Russia Kazakhstani citizen Ilya Pyanzin, the second suspect in an attempt to kill President Vladimir Putin.
• Ukraine Upholds Extradition Of Second Alleged Putin Death Plotter RFE/RL 23 Aug 2012 -- An appellate court in Ukraine's Black Sea port city of Odesa has upheld prosecutors' demands to extradite Kazakh citizen Ilya Pyanzin to Russia.
• Ombudsman May Appeal Pussy Riot Verdict RIA Novosti 23 Aug 2012 -- Russian human rights ombudsman Vladimir Lukin said he is ready to challenge the two-year sentence for three members of punk group Pussy Riot unless it is commuted.
• Russia's Ombudsman Calls Pussy Riot Prison Sentences 'Excessive' RFE/RL 23 Aug 2012 -- Russia's human rights ombudsman has called the prison sentences against three women from the punk group Pussy Riot "excessive."
• Russia Submits Bout Extradition Documents to U.S. RIA Novosti 23 Aug 2012 -- Russia has handed to the United States documents required by the country to consider the extradition of convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.