Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 02 Oct 2012 [PDF]
• DOD Identifies Units for Upcoming Afghanistan Rotation DoD 02 Oct 2012
• Combined Force Arrests Taliban Leader AFPS 02 Oct 2012 -- An Afghan-led, coalition-supported force arrested a Taliban leader in the Maiwand district of Kandahar province.
• Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Tensions Flare Amid Bombardment Claims VOA 02 Oct 2012 -- Afghan forces say they are ready to retaliate against Pakistan for cross-border shelling along the country's northeastern border.
• Panetta Confers With New Afghan Defense, Interior Ministers RFE/RL 02 Oct 2012 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has spoken by telephone with Afghanistan's defense and interior ministers about preventing insider attacks on NATO and Afghan forces.
• ISAF Denies Taliban Claim on NATO Chopper Shoot-down RIA Novosti 02 Oct 2012 -- The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operating in Afghanistan denied on Tuesday the loss of a NATO helicopter allegedly shot down by Taliban insurgents in the south of the country.
• Taliban Claims Shooting Down NATO Chopper RIA Novosti 02 Oct 2012 -- The Taliban claimed in a statement on Tuesday that its fighters have shot down a NATO CH-47 Chinook military transport helicopter in southern Afghanistan.
• Training the trainer, Afghan-style Army News 02 Oct 2012 -- A skill set not often considered, but important to the Afghan National Army mission, is the proper operation and maintenance of a crane.
• Female engagement teams: who they are and why they do it Army News 02 Oct 2012 -- Throughout Afghanistan, platoons of male soldiers from the Afghan and American forces conduct daily patrols.
• Female Engagement Teams make a difference Army News 02 Oct 2012 -- FET is a program that's been around for nearly a decade and is comprised of female members of appropriate rank, experience and maturity who strive to develop trust-based and enduring relationships with the Afghan women they encounter on patrols.
• STT-SFAT mentor ANA to employ an Afghan solution to an Afghan problem (Part 1 of 2) Army News 02 Oct 2012 -- In effect, the emphasis both in the field and on the forward operating bases here has shifted to the security force assistance teams.
• STT-SFAT mentor ANA to employ an Afghan solution to an Afghan problem (Part 2 of 2) Army News 02 Oct 2012 -- Working together with the security force assistance teams, of which there are many, is something called an STT - Stabilization and Transition Team.
• Crazy Horse Troop, 1-14 Cavalry-ANA partnership 'going very well' (1 of 2) Army News 02 Oct 2012 -- Eleven years ago when the United States entered Afghanistan, it was a very different place.
• Walking the 'lonely walk.' Who is EOD? (Part 1 of 3) Army News 02 Oct 2012 -- So what is the job of an explosive ordnance technician anyway?
• Walking the 'lonely walk.' Who is EOD? (Part 2 of 3) Army News 02 Oct 2012 -- Becoming an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician is no easy matter.
• Walking the 'lonely walk.' Who is EOD? (Part 3 of 3) Army News 02 Oct 2012 -- The Hollywood movie the "Hurt Locker" glamorized the walk, but I wanted to know, what is it really like?
• Red Lions prepared to train ANA partners on D30 howitzers Army News 02 Oct 2012 -- The 'Red Lions' of 1-37 FA deployed to Afghanistan last month after their brigade headquarters needed their skills as expert artillerymen to train the Afghan National Army in southern Afghanistan.
• 'Rakkasans' deploy to assist Afghan forces Army News 02 Oct 2012 -- The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) is preparing to assume responsibility from 4th Brigade, 25th Infantry Division this weekend following their deployment to Eastern Afghanistan.
• Tankies home from Helmand UK MOD 02 Oct 2012 -- Thirty-nine soldiers from G Squadron of the 1st Royal Tank Regiment were welcomed home by loved ones when they returned to their base at RAF Honington in Suffolk last week following their deployment in southern Afghanistan.
• US drone kills 3 in NW Pakistan IRNA 02 Oct 2012 -- An American spy aircraft on Monday killed three people in Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal region.
• Security forces kill 7 militants in NW Pakistan IRNA 02 Oct 2012 -- Pakistani security forces killed seven militants in the recent clashes in north western tribal region.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DOD News Briefing with George Little from the Pentagon DoD 02 Oct 2012
• Iraqi Training to Continue Uninterrupted, Press Secretary Says AFPS 02 Oct 2012 -- U.S. military training for Iraq’s security forces will continue uninterrupted despite Congress’s failure to approve money for it in a temporary spending bill now funding government operations.
• Military Stands Ready to Help African Partners, Little Says AFPS 02 Oct 2012 -- The Defense Department continues to assess the security needs of its African partners, some of which face a growing terrorist presence, but is not planning for unilateral military intervention.
• Navy's Second Joint High Speed Vessel Launched NNS 02 Oct 2012 -- The future USNS Choctaw County (JHSV 2) launched Oct. 1, in Mobile, Ala., marking a key milestone in the ship's construction process.
• Air Force stands up single unit to execute global CE operations AFNS 02 Oct 2012 -- Air Force leaders activated a single unit that will execute the civil engineering mission worldwide during a ceremony here Oct. 1.
• Underwood Resumes Operation Martillo in Caribbean NNS 02 Oct 2012 -- The USS Underwood resumes patrols to support Operation Martillo in the Caribbean Oct. 1 after participating in the annual multinational exercise UNITAS 2012.
• Operation Deep Freeze main season begins AFNS 02 Oct 2012 -- The U.S. military recently kicked off the 2012-2013 season of Operation Deep Freeze, the Department of Defense's support of the U.S. Antarctic Program and the National Science Foundation.
• U.S. Leaders Cite Partnership as Key to Cybersecurity AFPS 02 Oct 2012 -- As the cyber threat intensifies over time from exploitation to disruption to destruction, responsible U.S. agencies and industries can fight back using cooperation and transparency.
• Obama Evicts Chinese in Wind Farm Dispute RIA Novosti 02 Oct 2012 -- US President Barack Obama banned project’s Chinese backers from developing the sites near sensitive military facilities, citing risks to national security.
• Mobile Devices Offer Fast Decisions, Productivity, Official Says AFPS 02 Oct 2012 -- Mobile devices are becoming the way we communicate, and the Defense Department views that change as an opportunity.
• Indian Carrier Handover Delayed - Builders RIA Novosti 02 Oct 2012 -- The refurbishment of an Indian Navy aircraft carrier has hit further snags, with handover delayed to fall 2013, Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation said.
• Taiwan DefMin: Diaoyutai row not behind small U.S. presence at forum CNA 02 Oct 2012 -- Deputy Defense Minister Andrew Yang said that the absence of high-ranking American officials at the Taiwan-U.S. Defense Industry Conference has nothing to do with territorial dispute.
• Taiwan Defense Ministry promises to investigate contractors CNA 02 Oct 2012 -- The Ministry of National Defense promised to terminate a contract with a company contracted to maintain its helicopter fleet if the company is found to be financed with funds from China's People's Liberation Army.
• 1st domestic airborne mine detecting robot invented IRNA 02 Oct 2012 -- An Iranian inventor successfully manufactured the country's first airborne mine detecting robot which is capable of discovering and defusing mines one-meter deep in the ground.
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing, October 2, 2012 US Dept. of State 02 Oct 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 02, 2012

Other Conflicts

• Press Conference by Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson at United Nations Headquarters, 2 October 2012 United Nations 02 Oct 2012
• Syrian Conflict Draws in Assad Ally Hezbollah, Widens His Rift with Hamas VOA 02 Oct 2012 -- Syria's civil war appears to be drawing in Lebanese Hezbollah militants allied to President Bashar al-Assad.
• Activists Say 20 Killed in Syria Explosions VOA 02 Oct 2012 -- A Syrian opposition group says explosions in the province of Daraa killed 20 people, as shelling and heavy fighting was reported throughout the country.
• Number of Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries has tripled in three months – UN UN News Centre 02 Oct 2012 -- More than 300,000 Syrians have fled to neighbouring countries, the United Nations refugee agency said.
• Mursi’s Spokesman Denies Talks on Syria Military Intervention RIA Novosti 02 Oct 2012 -- Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi did not discuss possible military intervention in Syria with Turkey's leadership.
• U.S. Thinks Missing Journalist Being Held By Syrian Government RFE/RL 02 Oct 2012 -- The U.S. State Department says it thinks an American journalist who went missing in Syria is in the custody of the Syrian government.
• Chinese Ships Re-Enter Disputed Waters VOA 02 Oct 2012 -- Four Chinese surveillance ships have entered waters near disputed Japanese-controlled islands in the East China Sea, further intensifying a bitter territorial dispute.
• Crisis Watch report includes Taiwanese boats' Diaoyutais protest CNA 02 Oct 2012 -- The Belgium-based International Crisis Group mentioned Taiwanese fishing boats' recent protest near the disputed Diaoyutai Islands and the subsequent standoff between Taiwanese and Japanese coast guard vessels.
• U.S. responds positively to Taiwan's Diaoyutai initiative CNA 02 Oct 2012 -- Washington completely understands Taiwan's stance on the Diaoyutai Islands, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
• No date set for Taiwan-Japan fishery talks: officials CNA 02 Oct 2012 -- Taiwan and Japan are still discussing the issues that should be covered in the next round of bilateral talks on fishing rights and when they should be held, despite escalating tensions between the two sides over the Diaoyutai Islands.
• Kismayo on Edge as AU Forces Patrol City Streets VOA 02 Oct 2012 -- Kenyan forces say they have extended their control over the Somali city of Kismayo, days after al-Shabab militants retreated from the town.
• Analysis: Towards intervention in Mali IRIN 02 Oct 2012 -- After weeks of shuttle diplomacy, speculation and contradictory signals, the Economic Community of West African States now looks to have the backing of the Malian government for a major troop deployment in northern Mali.
• Iraq Seeks End To Turkish Presence In North RFE/RL 02 Oct 2012 -- Iraq's government says it rejects the presence of foreign bases on Iraqi soil and will oppose any foreign military forces that enter Iraq to chase rebels.
• UN envoy voices concern over rise in Iraqi violence UN News Centre 02 Oct 2012 -- Top United Nations envoy in Iraq voiced deep concern over the recent uptick in violence across the country.
• Islamic Sect Says No Peace Talks With Nigerian Government VOA 02 Oct 2012 -- The suspected leader of the Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram is denying government claims that the group is involved in peace talks.
• Students Among the Dead in Attack on Nigerian School VOA 02 Oct 2012 -- Gunmen killed at least 25 people at a student housing area in northeastern Nigeria.
• DRC Rebels Threaten March on Goma ‘to Save Population’ VOA 02 Oct 2012 -- Rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo say they’re ready to seize Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, in order to "save the population" from an upsurge of violence.
• UN agency helps more than 25,000 refugees return to their homes in DR Congo UN News Centre 02 Oct 2012 -- More than 25,000 Congolese refugees have returned to their homes in the northern Democratic Republic of the Congo under a voluntary repatriation programme.
• Lake boundaries, tensions in eastern DR Congo, among topics discussed in Ban’s meeting with Tanzania President UN News Centre 02 Oct 2012 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met today with the President of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete, for a wide-ranging discussion on issues of regional importance.
• Minju Joson on ROK Claim of NNL Violation KCNA 02 Oct 2012 -- The south Korean military said in public on Sept. 26 that a fishing boat of the DPRK crossed the "northern limit line" at about 9:30 p.m. the previous day.

News Reports

• Baku Rejects Notion Of Aiding Attacks On Neighbors RFE/RL 02 Oct 2012 -- The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry says no country will ever be permitted to use that country's soil for strikes against its neighbors.
• Ahmadinejad Deflects Criticism as Rial Spirals VOA 02 Oct 2012 -- As the Iranian rial continued to tumble to new lows, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attempted to deflect internal criticism that his policies are contributing to the decline.
• Ahmadinejad Blames West, Opposition For Currency Plunge RFE/RL 02 Oct 2012 -- Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has blamed the West and the opposition for the steep plunge in the value of the country's currency.
• Mehmanparast urges punishment for western firms having helped Saddam chemical weapons program IRNA 02 Oct 2012 -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast called for punishment of western firms which helped chemical weapons program of the toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
• UN human rights office speaks out against increasing clamp down on critical voices in Iran UN News Centre 02 Oct 2012 -- The United Nations human rights office voiced serious concern at the arrest and imprisonment of several prominent human rights defenders, journalists and political activists in Iran.
• Rights Group Urges Burma to Drop Charges Against Peace Activists VOA 02 Oct 2012 -- Human Rights Watch is urging Burma to drop charges against activists who led protests to mark the United Nations' International Peace Day without government permission.
• Burma Working to Change Image VOA 02 Oct 2012 -- Burmese President Thein Sein's visits this past week to the United States and the United Nations appear to be moving the country's image in the right direction.
• Amnesty International Urges Egyptian Police, Military Accountability VOA 02 Oct 2012 -- Rights group Amnesty International is urging Egypt to hold police and military members responsible for abuses against protesters and to reform those institutions to prevent future violations.
• Bahrain Court Decision on Medics Sparks Outcry VOA 02 Oct 2012 -- Bahrain's highest court this week upheld the sentences against nine medics accused of aiding opposition protesters during demonstrations last year in the capital, Manama.
• Statement by the Press Secretary on the Georgian Elections The White House 02 Oct 2012
• Secretary Clinton Statement on Georgian Elections US Dept. of State 02 Oct 2012
• 'Winning' Rival Ivanishvili Calls For Georgian President's Resignation RFE/RL 02 Oct 2012 -- The leader of the coalition that won Georgia’s parliamentary elections has called on Mikheil Saakashvili to resign ahead of schedule.
• Billionaire Philanthropist Poised to Become Georgia's PM VOA 02 Oct 2012 -- Georgian opposition leader Bidzina Ivanishvili is known in the former Soviet republic as a once-poor, now-billionaire philanthropist who backed President Mikheil Saakashvili before.
• Georgia's Leader-in-Waiting Pledges to Work with Russia, NATO RIA Novosti 02 Oct 2012 -- Georgia will seek close cooperation with both Russia and Western powers, billionaire tycoon Bidzina Ivanishvili said on Tuesday, as his opposition coalition headed for election victory.
• Bidzina Ivanishvili: Georgian Dream Come True (FACTBOX) RIA Novosti 02 Oct 2012 -- Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili’s party, Georgian Dream, is leading the Georgian parliamentary elections and has a good chance of securing a parliamentary majority.
• Georgia's Peaceful Transition Election A Victory For Saakashvili's Legacy RFE/RL 02 Oct 2012 -- Georgia braced for chaos. What it may have gotten instead was closure.
• Georgian Dream Set to Win Majority - Election Commission RIA Novosti 02 Oct 2012 -- The opposition Georgian Dream coalition was on track to win a solid majority in Georgia's 150-seat parliament as the count of the October 1 voting neared completion.
• Georgian President Concedes, Says His Party Will Become Opposition RFE/RL 02 Oct 2012 -- In a televised address, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has conceded that his ruling United National Movement party has lost the October 1 parliamentary elections and is going into opposition.
• Georgia’s President Saakashvili Concedes Defeat VOA 02 Oct 2012 -- Georgia is heading into a political transition after voters used parliamentary elections to knock the ruling party of President Mikheil Saakashvili from power.
• Georgians Snub Saakashvili in Historic Polls RIA Novosti 02 Oct 2012 -- Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on Tuesday admitted his ruling coalition had suffered an unexpected defeat in parliamentary elections.
• Georgia Opposition TV Alleges Police Raids On Polling Stations RIA Novosti 02 Oct 2012 -- Georgian opposition media alleged early that police officers had fired rubber bullets as they removed ballot boxes from polling stations after hotly-contested parliamentary polls.
• Turkey Exhumes Former President's Body VOA 02 Oct 2012 -- Turkey is exhuming the body of former president Turgut Ozal for a probe into his April 1993 death.
• Erdogan Sets Stage for Turkey's Future VOA 02 Oct 2012 -- Turkey's ruling party recently held key meetings to lay out policies for the country's next decade.
• Taiwan to step up anti-terrorism measures after visa waiver inclusion CNA 02 Oct 2012 -- The National Immigration Agency said it will step up its border security measures and anti-terrorism cooperation with other countries after Taiwan's inclusion in the U.S. visa waiver program.
• U.S. announces Taiwan's inclusion in visa waiver program CNA 02 Oct 2012 -- The United States announced Taiwan's membership in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program.
• China to Shut Down Ai Weiwei's Art Firm VOA 02 Oct 2012 -- Chinese authorities plan to shut down the company founded by prominent artist and dissident Ai Weiwei.
• Court Rules Zimbabwe Too Broke to Hold By-Elections VOA 02 Oct 2012 -- Zimbabwe's High Court ruled that President Robert Mugabe does not have to immediately call by-elections, which a superior court had ordered the goverment to do.
• PACE Report Strongly Criticizes Russia RFE/RL 02 Oct 2012 -- A report debated on October 2 by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe strongly criticized Russia.
• Council of Europe Chides Russia in New Report RIA Novosti 02 Oct 2012 -- Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe accused Russia of arbitrary intervention in its neighbors’ affairs and eroding democracy at home.
• Ex Prison Official on Trial over Magnitsky Death RIA Novosti 02 Oct 2012 -- A former prison official at the pretrial detention center where Sergei Magnitsky was held created intolerable conditions verging on torture, the mother of the Russian lawyer who died in custody in 2009 while investigating alleged official corruption, said.