Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 28 Aug 2012 [PDF]
• Helicopter Makes Forced Landing in Eastern Afghanistan AFPS 28 Aug 2012 -- An International Security Assistance Force helicopter made a forced landing in eastern Afghanistan.
• Truck Bomb Targeting Afghan Police Chief Kills Four RFE/RL 28 Aug 2012 -- Reports from southern Afghan city of Kandahar say a “massive” truck bomb has killed four civilians and slightly wounded the provincial police chief.
• RAF surveillance aircraft clock up 20,000 flying hours UK MOD 28 Aug 2012 -- Surveillance aircraft based at RAF Waddington have notched up a collective total of 20,000 flying hours protecting British and other ISAF forces in Afghanistan.
• U.S. Troops Punished For Koran Burning, Urination Video RFE/RL 28 Aug 2012 -- American military authorities have disciplined nine service members over two separate incidents that provoked outrage in Afghanistan earlier this year.
• Karzai, U.S. Condemn Mass Beheadings RFE/RL 28 Aug 2012 -- Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has condemned the mass beheadings of 17 Afghan civilians in southern Helmand Province.
• 31 militants, 3 Pakistani soldiers die in clashes IRNA 28 Aug 2012 -- Clashes in Pakistan’s Bajaur tribal region have left 31 militants and three soldiers dead over the past three days.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Marines Consider Increased Role for Women in Corps AFPS 28 Aug 2012 -- The Marine Corps has opened a number of fields to women, the service’s commandant said.
• Army's newest general purpose round shows accuracy in rifle competition Army News 28 Aug 2012 -- The Army's new M855A1 Enhanced Performance Round is performing well under combat conditions in Afghanistan, but how does it stack up during a rifle competition?
• Coalition network moves to Korea Army News 28 Aug 2012 -- Since it was stood up two years ago, the coalition network has become the standard enclave in which to share data and situational awareness between U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan.
• SWRMC Overhauls Diesel Cylinder Heads for USS Whidbey Island NNS 28 Aug 2012 -- Southwest Regional Maintenance Center's Engine Shop completed its overhaul of 48 main propulsion diesel engine cylinder heads for USS Whidbey Island in Norfolk, Va., Aug. 14.
• Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training Exercise Begins NNS 28 Aug 2012 -- The 10th annual Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training exercise commenced Aug. 27.
• HSC-25 Rescue Swimmers; Practice Makes Perfect NNS 28 Aug 2012 -- Navy search-and-rescue swimmers from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25 on Andersen Air Force Base are a critical resource in Guam.
• Millington Hosts Naval Aircraft Evacuated by Isaac NNS 28 Aug 2012 -- Seventeen pilots from Training Squadron Six (VT-6) and 14 pilots from Training Squadron Two (VT-2) evacuated Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) at Pensacola Naval Air Station, Fla., and flew to Millington Regional Jetport, Tenn., on Aug. 27 in preparation for Hurricane Isaac.
• Mississippi National Guard responds to Hurricane Isaac Army News 28 Aug 2012 -- Approximately 1,500 members of the Mississippi Army National Guard have responded to worsening weather conditions along the state's coast as Hurricane Isaac slowly crawls northward.
• Maxwell, FEMA prepare relief supplies for Tropical Storm Isaac AFNS 28 Aug 2012 -- As residents along the Gulf Coast of the United States prepare for Tropical Storm Isaac, Airmen and representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are busy setting up an emergency staging site on Maxwell Air Force Base.
• AF C-130 firefighting efforts reach milestone AFNS 28 Aug 2012 -- Air Force Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System-equipped C-130s reached a major mission milestone Aug. 24 by dropping the 2 millionth gallon of retardant for the season.
• NAVFAC Southwest Completes Camp Pendleton Counter Battery Radar Facility NNS 28 Aug 2012 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest personnel, members of the Camp Pendleton community, and contractors from RQ Construction celebrated the completion of a counter battery radar facility.
• Shinseki Notes Strides in Serving Nation’s Veterans AFPS 28 Aug 2012 -- The Department of Veterans Affairs has made great strides in meeting the challenges posed by a decade of war, and cooperation with the Defense Department is crucial to continued progress, VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said.
• DLA Orders Six-month Meat Supply to Aid Industry AFPS 28 Aug 2012 -- At the direction of the president, the Defense Logistics Agency is procuring a six-month meat supply for its Defense Department customers to provide relief to the drought-stricken agriculture industry.
• Russia Launches Submarine for Vietnam RIA Novosti 28 Aug 2012 -- Russia's Admiralteiskie Verfi shipyard has launched a new Kilo-class Project 636 diesel-electric submarine for Vietnam.
• India, Russia sign agreement for producing Smerch rockets IRNA 28 Aug 2012 -- India and Russia have signed an agreement for producing the 80 km-range Smerch rockets at ordnance factories.
• Russia and India Sign Munitions Deal RIA Novosti 28 Aug 2012 -- Russia and India signed a framework document for establishment of a joint production facility for modern munitions for the Indian Army.
• Russian Pacific Fleet Warships to Visit Japan’s Maizuru Port RIA Novosti 28 Aug 2012 -- A Russian Pacific Fleet task unit will pay a short official visit to Japan’s naval base Maizuru.
• Aerobatics Ace Suspected of Badge Sales RIA Novosti 28 Aug 2012 -- The commander of Russia’s famed Strizhi aerobatics team is suspected of illegally selling team emblems.
• Kim Jong Un Inspects KPA Unit 318 KCNA 28 Aug 2012 -- Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and first chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission, inspected KPA Unit 318 stationed in the eastern sector of the front.
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing, August 28, 2012 US Dept. of State 28 Aug 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 28, 2012

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, 28 August 2012 United Nations 28 Aug 2012
• Syrians Plan Next Government without Assads VOA 28 Aug 2012 -- A few dozen Syrians have been meeting privately for six months trying to figure out what comes next.
• Twin Blasts Kill 12 at Funeral in Syria RIA Novosti 28 Aug 2012 -- Twin blasts during a funeral killed 12 people and injured 48 in a predominantly Christian suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus.
• Syrian Opposition Asks U.S. to Introduce No-Fly Zone RIA Novosti 28 Aug 2012 -- The Syrian Support Group called on the United States for the first time since the 18-month-old uprising to immediately establish a no-fly zone over Syria.
• Syrian dy FM: Separation of north Syria by Kurds a mere rumor IRNA 28 Aug 2012 -- Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Miqdad strongly denied rumors spread by certain media on separation of north Syria by Kurds.
• Numbers of Syrian Refugees Strain Neighboring Countries VOA 28 Aug 2012 -- The United Nations refugee agency says the number of Syrians fleeing to neighboring countries is swelling.
• Number of Syrian refugees seeking safety in Jordan doubles and expected to grow – UN UN News Centre 28 Aug 2012 -- The number of refugees fleeing the violence in Syria and seeking humanitarian aid in northern Jordan has more than doubled in the past week alone, the United Nations refugee agency said.
• Syrians Fleeing to Jordan Could Signal Larger Influx VOA 28 Aug 2012 -- The United Nations refugee agency says the number of Syrians fleeing to Jordan has doubled in recent days, with 10,200 arriving in the past week, signaling what could be an impending mass movement.
• Christian Archbishop In Syria Flees To Lebanon RFE/RL 28 Aug 2012 -- A Christian archbishop has fled Syria after his offices were looted last week amid fighting between rebels and government forces in the country's biggest city.
• Syrian Crisis Will Not Plunge Lebanon into Chaos, Analysts Say VOA 28 Aug 2012 -- Fears continue to grow that Syria's conflict will spill into neighboring Lebanon, where the government has long been divided into pro- and anti-Assad camps.
• KCNA Commentary on Japan and Tok Islets KCNA 28 Aug 2012 -- Japanese Foreign Minister Kenba: "Tok Islets are part of the territory of Japan in the light of history and international law."
• Taiwan dismisses Tokyo governor's 'unilateral' claim to Tiaoyutais CNA 28 Aug 2012 -- Taiwan does not recognize any unilateral move or argument by Japanese officials on the disputed Tiaoyutai Islands.
• Former Diplomat Predicts More Provocations by N. Korea VOA 28 Aug 2012 -- North Korea is likely again to attack the South by shelling another submarine or landing on a South Korean-held frontier island, a former North Korean diplomat predicted.
• Mali's Muslim Leaders Negotiate with Northern Islamists VOA 28 Aug 2012 -- Mali's High Islamic Council has opened talks with the al-Qaida-linked Islamist militants who control the northern half of the country and are trying to impose a harsh interpretation of Sharia law.
• One Killed As Kenyan Police Clash With Mombasa Rioters VOA 28 Aug 2012 -- Kenyan police have clashed with Muslim youths in the port city of Mombasa, in a second day of riots sparked by the killing of a radical Muslim cleric.
• Kenyans Protest Killing of Radical Muslim Cleric VOA 28 Aug 2012 -- Aboud Rogo Mohammed, a Kenyan radical Islamic cleric, was killed Monday morning in a drive-by shooting in Mombasa.
• South Sudan: Rebels Recruiting Youth in Jonglei VOA 28 Aug 2012 -- South Sudan's military says rebel leader and former army general David Yau Yau, whose forces killed 24 soldiers last week, is recruiting disgruntled ethnic Murle youth who are resisting army-led disarmament.
• NATO sponsors project to helps reduce terrorism risk in Mauritania NATO 28 Aug 2012 -- Mauritania has seen its share of conflict over the years.
• Chechen Border Revision May Spark Conflict - Ingush Head RIA Novosti 28 Aug 2012 -- The head of Russia's troubled southern republic of Ingushetia has said plans by neighboring Chechnya to revise their mutual border could ignite conflict.
• Violence Rocks Restive Russian Republic RFE/RL 28 Aug 2012 -- Two violent incidents have shaken the Russian Caucasus republic of Daghestan.
• Dagestan Sheikh Killed in Terror Attack RIA Novosti 28 Aug 2012 -- A spiritual leader of Dagestan Muslims, Sheikh Said Afandi, and five other people were killed in a blast carried out by a female suicide bomber in the Dagestan settlement of Chirkey.
• Palestinian FM: Palestinians’ expectations of Iran several-fold increased IRNA 28 Aug 2012 -- Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said keeping in mind Iran’s important regional role Palestinian nation’s expectations of IR of Iran’s continued support during its NAM presidency have several-fold increased.
• Israeli Court Rejects Suit Over US Activist's Death VOA 28 Aug 2012 -- A long court case pitting the American family against the state of Israel over the death of a pro-Palestinian activist ended Tuesday when an Israeli court dismissed the lawsuit.
• Israeli Court Says Military Not At Fault Over U.S. Activist's Death RFE/RL 28 Aug 2012 -- An Israeli court has ruled that the Israeli military was not at fault in the death of a U.S. activist who was crushed to death by an army bulldozer during a 2003 pro-Palestinian demonstration.
• UN peacekeeper presence increased following attack on Côte d’Ivoire military checkpoint UN News Centre 28 Aug 2012 -- An attack by unidentified gunmen in Côte d’Ivoire has left four people dead and the presence of United Nations peacekeepers in the area of the attack has been increased.
• Iraq Executes 21 People For Terrorism Offenses RFE/RL 28 Aug 2012 -- It has been reported that Iraqi authorities have executed 21 people found guilty of terrorism-related offences.
• Report: Burmese Army Continues Rights Violations in Karen State VOA 28 Aug 2012 -- Burma's government and ethnic Karen rebel groups continue peace talks to end one of the world's longest running conflicts.
• In Brief: New report highlights abuses in eastern Myanmar IRIN 28 Aug 2012 -- Human rights violations by the Burmese army in Myanmar’s eastern Karen State are continuing.

News Reports

• Secretary-General Ban departs for Iran to attend Non-Aligned Movement Summit UN News Centre 28 Aug 2012 -- Secretary-General Ban is on his way to Iran to attend the 16th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement.
• No plan for delegates to visit Iran nuclear sites, spokesman IRNA 28 Aug 2012 -- Foreign Ministry spokesman said Iran has no plan for the delegates taking part in the NAM meeting to visit nuclear sites.
• Soltanieh: Iran committed to all its international commitments IRNA 28 Aug 2012 -- Iran’s Permanent Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency Ali-Asghar Soltanieh said Iran is committed to all its international commitments including the Non-Proliferation Treaty and will continue to do so.
• UN Envoy Says Iran 'Will Never Stop' Enrichment RFE/RL 28 Aug 2012 -- Iran's envoy to the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency has vowed that the Islamic republic "will never stop" its controversial uranium enrichment program.
• 22 Azerbaijanis On Trial For Alleged Spying For Iran RFE/RL 28 Aug 2012 -- Twenty-two Azerbaijani citizens have gone on trial for allegedly planning terrorist attacks targeting the U.S. and Israeli embassies in Baku.
• Egypt hands over presidency of NAM foreign ministerial meeting to Iran IRNA 28 Aug 2012 -- Egypt handed over the presidency of the 16th Non-Aligned Movement Ministerial meeting to Iran.
• China Pledges Credit, Police Cars to Egypt VOA 28 Aug 2012 -- China has made several gestures to Egypt's visiting president to help him boost the ailing Egyptian economy, offering credit to a major Egyptian bank and providing police cars for the country's security forces.
• Egypt's President Visits China, Seeks Stronger Economic Ties VOA 28 Aug 2012 -- Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi is in Beijing this week for a two-day state visit that analysts say will focus largely on investment and ways China can help Egypt revitalize its economy.
• Thousands Removed from Burmese Government Blacklist VOA 28 Aug 2012 -- Burma has removed over 2,000 citizens from a government blacklist long used to keep exiled critics of the country's former military rulers from returning to their homeland.
• Blind Chinese civil rights activist to visit Taiwan CNA 28 Aug 2012 -- Chinese civil rights activist Chen Guangcheng has agreed to visit Taiwan, and the Mainland Affairs Council has responded positively to the idea.
• Tibetan Teens Die After Self-Immolation RFE/RL 28 Aug 2012 -- A rights group says two Tibetan teenagers have died after setting themselves on fire outside a monastery in southwestern China.
• UN envoy welcomes election of Speaker of Parliament in Somalia UN News Centre 28 Aug 2012 -- The United Nations envoy to Somalia applauded the election of the country’s new Speaker of Parliament.
• Somali Parliament Elects New Speaker VOA 28 Aug 2012 -- Somalia's parliament has elected a new speaker, taking a major step in a U.N.-backed plan to create a stronger and more permanent government.
• UN condemns killing of staff member in Somalia, urges more protection for humanitarians UN News Centre 28 Aug 2012 -- The United Nations in Somalia today condemned the killing of a humanitarian worker serving with the UN food relief agency in the country’s south.
• Saudi Arabia Straddling the Line on Women’s Rights VOA 28 Aug 2012 -- Recent reports that Saudi Arabia is building “women-only” industrial zones have raised eyebrows.
• Refugee, migrant flows to Yemen continue to exceed previous records – UN UN News Centre 28 Aug 2012 -- The flow of refugees and migrants from the Horn of Africa across the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea towards Yemen continues to exceed previous records.
• Christians Flee Their Homes in Pakistani Capital VOA 28 Aug 2012 -- Afraid for their lives, Christians have fled their homes in the Islamabad neighborhood where a young girl has been accused by Muslim neighbors of blasphemy.
• Pakistan Clerics Want Impartial Blasphemy Probe for Minor VOA 28 Aug 2012 -- The lawyer for a Pakistani Christian girl accused of blasphemy says she is a minor and that her case will likely be heard in a juvenile court.
• Pakistani Christian Girl In Blasphemy Case Deemed A Minor RFE/RL 28 Aug 2012 -- An official medical review of a Pakistani Christian girl accused of desecrating the Koran has determined that the girl is a minor.
• Kim Jong Un Sends Congratulatory Message to Youth KCNA 28 Aug 2012 -- The dear respected Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, sent a congratulatory message to the participants in the meeting for celebrating Youth Day and other youth across the country.
• UNESCO calls for immediate stop to destruction of Sufi religious sites in Libya UN News Centre 28 Aug 2012 -- The head of the United Nations agency tasked with safeguarding the world’s cultural heritage spoke out against the destruction of various Sufi religious sites in Libya.
• Kyrgyzstan Asks CIS to Help in Bakiyev’s Extradition RIA Novosti 28 Aug 2012 -- Kyrgyzstan requested the Commonwealth of Independent States to assist in the extradition of former Kyrgyz president’s brother wanted on murder charges.
• Kyrgyz Protesters Storm Belarusian Embassy, Demand Bakievs' Extradition RFE/RL 28 Aug 2012 -- Scores of people stormed the Belarusian Embassy in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek.
• Belarusian Embassy in Kyrgyzstan Attacked RIA Novosti 28 Aug 2012 -- Relatives of Kyrgyz coup victims threw stones at the embassy of Belarus in Bishkek during a rally to demand extradition of the ex-president and his brother, accused of mass murders in absentia.
• Execution of Nine Death Row Inmates in The Gambia US Dept. of State 28 Aug 2012
• Independent UN human rights expert urges Gambia to halt stream of executions UN News Centre 28 Aug 2012 -- An independent United Nations human rights expert strongly condemned the recent execution of nine people in the Gambia.
• UN Urges No More Executions in Gambia VOA 28 Aug 2012 -- The United Nations is calling on Gambia to spare all additional prisoners on death row, after authorities there executed nine people.
• Sierra Leone Government Promises End to Death Penalty VOA 28 Aug 2012 -- Solomon Sogbandi, the acting director for Amnesty International in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone says the group is working to make sure the government abolishes the death penalty in the country.
• European Court to Hear Tymoshenko Case VOA 28 Aug 2012 -- Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko is appealing to the European Court of Human Rights against her imprisonment by Ukraine on charges of abuse of office.
• European Court Of Human Rights Hears Tymoshenko Case RFE/RL 28 Aug 2012 -- Lawyers for jailed former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko have presented their client's case to the European Court of Human Rights.
• Pussy Riot: 'We're Stronger Than the State' RFE/RL 28 Aug 2012 -- It's not always easy to meet with members of Pussy Riot, whether they're in jail or not.
• Russia to Release Japanese POW Records RIA Novosti 28 Aug 2012 -- Japanese officials announced that Russia will release its records of Japanese prisoner movements in Siberian and Mongolian labor camps after World War II.
• French Prosecutors Open Probe Into Arafat's Death VOA 28 Aug 2012 -- French prosecutors have opened a probe into the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat eight years ago.
• France Reportedly Opens Murder Inquiry Into Arafat Death RFE/RL 28 Aug 2012 -- Reports quoting legal sources say a French court has opened a murder inquiry into the 2004 death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, following claims by his wife that he may have been poisoned.