Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Coalition Expresses Regret for Possible Civilian Casualties AFPS 16 Oct 2012 -- International Security Assistance Force officials expressed regret that an Oct. 14 coalition operation against suspected insurgents planting roadside bombs in Helmand province may have killed three Afghan civilians.
• UN envoy voices concern at possible child deaths in Afghan airstrike UN News Centre 16 Oct 2012 -- A senior United Nations official today voiced grave concern regarding reports that three children may have been among those killed during an airstrike by international military forces in southern Afghanistan.
• Afghans Deny Intel Agent Killed 2 Americans VOA 16 Oct 2012 -- Afghan officials are rejecting that one of their country's intelligence agents carried out a suicide attack late last week, killing two American troops and four Afghans.
• Pakistani minister confirms Taliban attacks plan on media outlets IRNA 16 Oct 2012 -- Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik confirmed reports that Taliban have chalked out a plan to target Pakistan's media outlets following militants’ attack on a 14-year old school girl.
• Clinton Takes Responsibility for Diplomatic Security VOA 16 Oct 2012 -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is taking responsibility for a deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya last month.
• Clinton Says Benghazi Security Her Responsibility RFE/RL 16 Oct 2012 -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has taken responsibility for security at the U.S. Consulate in Libya on September 11.
• Hillary Clinton Takes Blame for Benghazi Attacks RIA Novosti 16 Oct 2012 -- US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is making it clear that she thinks she – and not the White House – is responsible for the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
• US to Help Create Libyan Commando Force to Fight Militants RIA Novosti 16 Oct 2012 -- Pentagon and State Department are speeding up efforts to help the Libyan government create an elite commando force, the New York Times reported.
• Detachment Martillo departs Guatemala USMC News 16 Oct 2012 -- A Marine Corps detachment that partnered with Guatemala authorities to disrupt illicit trafficking left here Oct. 14 to return to the United States.

Defense Policy / Programs

• 3 Detainees Skip Court as 9/11 Hearing Continues AFPS 16 Oct 2012 -- Three of the five defendants charged with planning and conducting the 9/11 terrorist attacks took advantage of yesterday’s military court ruling and sat out of their pre-trial hearing.
• Gates: Military cuts will threaten national security Army News 16 Oct 2012 -- The threat of deep cuts to the nation's defense budget in early 2013 will cause a world situation that will have a negative impact on the American way of life, according to one of the nation's leading defense experts.
• F-35: Newest fighter much more than just 'stealthy plane' AFNS 16 Oct 2012 -- A basic maneuver for the test pilots, the possibilities for combat environments created by these elite aircraft working together are anything but mundane.
• Red River Army Depot exceeds previous Humvee production efforts Army News 16 Oct 2012 -- The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, or Humvee, recapitalization production facility is able to produce over 40 vehicles per day.
• SkySat balloon and payload launch impress Army officials Army News 16 Oct 2012 -- The launch was part of a demonstration of the Combat SkySat military retransmission platform for members of the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command.
• Iron Brigade prepares for NIE 13.1 Army News 16 Oct 2012 -- Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division are gearing up for the Army's upcoming Network Integration Evaluation 13.1.
• USS Michael Murphy Makes First Port Call During Maiden Voyage NNS 16 Oct 2012 -- USS Michael Murphy made its very first port of call Oct. 16, in Barbados while operating in U.S. 4th fleet area of operations.
• New Graduate Program Helps Intel Officers Study Emerging Threats AFPS 16 Oct 2012 -- A new graduate program approved by Education Secretary Arne Duncan will help intelligence officers to study and research a growing range of emerging threats.
• Scottsdale, Ariz., is home to new military police battalion Army News 16 Oct 2012 -- The 200th Military Police Command wrote a new page in the history books during an activation ceremony of the 387th Military Police Battalion on Sept. 29.
• Unique headquarters company inactivates after decade of service Army News 16 Oct 2012 -- Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Army Support Activity, inactivated Oct. 2 after 10 years of service following a quiet ceremony.
• Just your everyday explosives Army News 16 Oct 2012 -- Soldiers from the 217th Explosives Ordnance Disposal Company, California Army National Guard respond to, evaluate, and dispose of explosives here in Kosovo, one of the most heavily mined regions in the world.
• 501st SBDE Operations Center prepares for Warpath III Army News 16 Oct 2012 -- The 501st Sustainment Brigade Operations Cell uses Field and Simulated Training exercises to improve operating procedures in preparation wargaming exercise, Warpath III.
• Little Rock squadron plays crucial role in one of Mobility Air Force's largest exercises AFNS 16 Oct 2012 -- Somewhere amidst the 600,000 acres of the Kisatchie National Forest Airmen and Soldiers are working around the clock, conducting contingency response training.
• U. S Marines increase partnership relations with Panamanian counterparts USMC News 16 Oct 2012 -- A group of Marines from Marine Corps Security Cooperation Group and U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South , merged their leadership knowledge and expertise to provide a Mobile Training Team to the Panamanian Marine Corps.
• New York Air National Guard supports Antarctic research AFNS 16 Oct 2012 -- The New York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing kicks off its annual support for the National Science Foundation in Antarctica as ski-equipped LC-130 Hercules aircraft head for Antarctica on Oct. 16 and 17.
• Fort Jackson training new Soldiers with Virtual Battlespace 2 simulator Army News 16 Oct 2012 -- A Fort Jackson battalion is piloting a new training tool that will look familiar to many new Soldiers.
• Four Sailors Injured During Replenishment at Sea NNS 16 Oct 2012 -- Four Sailors were injured Oct. 16 aboard the USS Harry S. Truman when a line parted during a refueling at sea between Truman and the USNS Patuxent off the coast of Florida.
• LSSS centralized Corpswide USMC News 16 Oct 2012 -- Legal Service Support Sections centralized to improve the legal system within the Marine Corps and standardize both the legal process and the reporting process here Oct. 1.
• Russia Tests Short-Range Interceptor Missile RIA Novosti 16 Oct 2012 -- Russia's Aerospace Defense Force successfully tested a short-range anti-missile defense system.
• India to Cut Stealth Fighter Order by Third RIA Novosti 16 Oct 2012 -- India is cutting its order for a fifth-generation stealth fighter being developed jointly with Russia by a third, India's Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne told India Strategic.
• Belarus Hopes for Russian Financing for Army RIA Novosti 16 Oct 2012 -- Belarus hopes that Russia will help it modernize its military in order to protect Russia’s own Western borders, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said.
• Russian Sailors Leave Avrora RIA Novosti 16 Oct 2012 -- Russian Navy sailors on the cruiser Avrora - a symbol of the October 1917 Bolshevik Revolution - left the ship for the last time as it was handed over to a civilian crew.
• Prime Minister inspects new carrier construction UK MOD 16 Oct 2012 -- The Prime Minister, David Cameron, visited Rosyth dockyard yesterday to see the work taking place to build the first of the two new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers.
• New Armed Forces pension agreed UK MOD 16 Oct 2012 -- Armed Forces personnel will continue to receive one of the best and most valuable public service pensions under a new scheme announced today.
• Last Jutland warship to be preserved for the nation UK MOD 16 Oct 2012 -- HMS Caroline, the last surviving warship of the Battle of Jutland, will be preserved for the nation as a result of an agreement to gift the ship to the National Museum of the Royal Navy.
• Report: Asian Powers Beef up Military Spending VOA 16 Oct 2012 -- Security analysts say a new study on regional military spending indicates Asia's major powers, led by China, are getting serious about defense matters.
• S. Korean Authorities' Introduction of AWACS KCNA 16 Oct 2012 -- Shortly ago, the south Korean authorities introduced one more AWACS, bringing to four the number of the plane deployed in the air force since September last year.
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing, October 16, 2012 US Dept. of State 16 Oct 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 16, 2012

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, 16 October 2012 United Nations 16 Oct 2012
• Press Conference on Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, 16 October 2012 United Nations 16 Oct 2012
• Head of UN independent panel urges diplomatic solution to worsening Syria conflict UN News Centre 16 Oct 2012 -- The Syrian crisis can only be resolved through diplomatic means, the head of a United Nations-backed inquiry urged.
• Syrian Warplanes Shell Town Seized by Rebels VOA 16 Oct 2012 -- Syrian activists say government warplanes have shelled a strategic town seized by rebels last week, while the Syrian army clashed with opposition fighters outside the capital.
• US Urges Russia to Take More Action on Syria RIA Novosti 16 Oct 2012 -- The United States wants Russia to get more involved in the settlement of the Syrian conflict, US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.
• Jordan Bears Burden of Syria Refugees VOA 16 Oct 2012 -- As Syrians flee from a deadly civil war between rebel forces and President Bashar al-Assad’s military, neighboring countries are struggling to take care of more than 450,000 refugees.
• As Syrians continue to flee, UN urges European Union to uphold asylum principles UN News Centre 16 Oct 2012 -- The United Nations urged European Union member States to adhere to their asylum principles as the number of Syrians seeking refuge in these countries has started to grow.
• Armenian Humanitarian Aircraft Lands in Aleppo RIA Novosti 16 Oct 2012 -- An Armenian aircraft carrying humanitarian aid for Syria has landed in the northwestern Syrian city of Aleppo, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said.
• China Undertakes Massive Island Naming Campaign VOA 16 Oct 2012 -- The Chinese government, in an attempt to press claims of sovereignty over thousands of small islands and islets, is giving them official names.
• Japan Reports Chinese Ships Near Disputed Islands VOA 16 Oct 2012 -- Japan says it has spotted seven Chinese naval ships near one of its islands, as tensions between the two Asian powers remain high over a territorial dispute in the East China Sea.
• Chinese military vessels spotted moving toward Diaoyutai Islands CNA 16 Oct 2012 -- Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force spotted seven Chinese military vessels moving toward the disputed Diaoyutai Islands in the East China Sea.
• France Says International Intervention in Mali Weeks Away VOA 16 Oct 2012 -- France's defense minister says an international military operation to help oust Islamic militants from northern Mali will get under way in a matter of weeks.
• Monitoring Group: Sudan Forces Burn, Loot Village VOA 16 Oct 2012 -- A group that tracks atrocities in Sudan says it has evidence Sudanese security forces burned and looted a village in the war-torn state of Southern Kordofan.
• Ivory Coast Tightens Security After Overnight Attacks VOA 16 Oct 2012 -- Ivory Coast's government said it is reinforcing security after thwarting what authorities said appeared to have been coordinated attacks, Sunday night and early Monday, on military and police installations and a power plant in and around Abidjan.
• Rodong Sinmun on Remarks of Chairman of S. Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff KCNA 16 Oct 2012 -- Jong Sung Jo, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of south Korea said south Korea may mount a swift preemptive attack on the north when a sign of its nuclear use is captured.
• Putin Says 313 Terrorists 'Eliminated' In Recent Months RFE/RL 16 Oct 2012 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has said security operations "in recent months" have killed 313 "terrorists" who refused to surrender, including 43 leaders of terrorist groups.
• Hundreds of Terrorists Killed in Recent Months - Putin RIA Novosti 16 Oct 2012 -- Russian police and interior troops have killed more than 300 militants, including 43 warlords, in North Caucasus in the past few months, President Vladimir Putin said.
• At Trial, Karadzic Claims He Tried to Prevent War VOA 16 Oct 2012 -- Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has told the United Nations war crimes tribunal that he should be rewarded for promoting peace rather than charged with genocide for his role in the Bosnian civil war of the 1990s.
• Karadzic Denies War Crimes Charges RFE/RL 16 Oct 2012 -- Bosnian Serb wartime political leader Radovan Karadzic has begun his defense at the UN war crimes tribunal by denying all allegations against him.
• Karadzic Begins Defense in War Crimes Trial RIA Novosti 16 Oct 2012 -- Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has begun his defense against allegations of war crimes at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the Hague.

News Reports

• China Becomes Featured Topic at Presidential Debate VOA 16 Oct 2012 -- U.S. President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney competed over who would be tougher on China during Tuesday's presidential debate in New York.
• Tehran Says New Sanctions Won't Force It Into Nuclear Talks RFE/RL 16 Oct 2012 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry has said that new European Union sanctions on Iran won't force Tehran back into negotiations with world powers over its nuclear program.
• EU Imposes Toughest Sanctions Against Iran VOA 16 Oct 2012 -- European Union governments imposed their toughest sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program. EU and U.S. officials say sanctions are vital to curbing Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions.
• S. Leader: Some people consider their election competitors as Great Satan IRNA 16 Oct 2012 -- Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamene’ie said: “Some people consider their election competitors as Great Stan, while the Great Satan is US and Zionism, not a factional or an election competitor."
• British Police Question 2 'Well-Wishers' at Pakistani Girl's Hospital VOA 16 Oct 2012 -- Two people wanting to visit a Pakistani girl shot by the Taliban were detained and questioned after stopping by the British hospital where she is recovering.
• U.K. Doctors Say Malala Has Chance For 'Good Recovery' RFE/RL 16 Oct 2012 -- Medical specialists in Britain say Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot in the head and neck by Taliban militants in a targeted assassination attempt, "has a chance of making a good recovery."
• Pakistani girl injured in Taliban attack sent UK for treatment IRNA 16 Oct 2012 -- The 14-year old Pakistani girl, who was injured in a Taliban attack last week, was flown out to Britain on Monday for further treatment, the army said.
• US Court Overturns Conviction for Bin Laden's Driver VOA 16 Oct 2012 -- A U.S. federal appeals court has overturned the terrorism conviction of Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a former driver for Osama Bin Laden.
• U.S. Court Overturns Conviction Of Bin Laden's Afghan Driver RFE/RL 16 Oct 2012 -- A U.S. appeals court has overturned the conviction of Osama bin Laden's former driver on charges of providing material support for terrorism.
• Cuba Eases Restrictions on Foreign Travel VOA 16 Oct 2012 -- The Cuban government says it no longer will require its citizens to apply for an exit visa if they wish to travel overseas.
• After Elections, Many Georgian Officials Go Missing, Leave Town RFE/RL 16 Oct 2012 -- As the historic peaceful transfer of political power unfolds in Georgia, some outgoing officials with the former government apparently are not waiting around to find out how the story ends.
• Saakashvili Restores Georgian Citizenship For Rival Ivanishvili RFE/RL 16 Oct 2012 -- Georgia's presidential press office says Mikheil Saakashvili has restored Georgian citizenship to prime ministerial nominee Bidzina Ivanishvili.
• Georgia’s Ivanishvili Names New Cabinet RIA Novosti 16 Oct 2012 -- Billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, leader of the Georgian Dream coalition that won in the country's October 1 parliamentary elections, presented the final list of candidates to the key posts in the new government.
• Burmese President Retains Party Leadership VOA 16 Oct 2012 -- Burma's president will hold onto his role as leader of the ruling party, despite concerns heading into the 2015 general election.
• OIC Considers Burma's Office Denial a Setback VOA 16 Oct 2012 -- The Organization of Islamic Cooperation says Burma’s decision to deny it an office in the country is a setback that appears to contradict an earlier agreement the group struck with Burmese officials.
• MYANMAR: Government rejects OIC office request for troubled Rakhine IRIN 16 Oct 2012 -- The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has expressed “regret” over a Burmese government decision not to allow the opening of an OIC liaison office in Myanmar’s western Rakhine State.
• Somalia needs urgent assistance to tackle post-transition challenges, UN envoy tells Security Council UN News Centre 16 Oct 2012 -- With the nine-year-old transitional period in Somalia having ended peacefully, the authorities need urgent assistance to meet the challenges associated with peacebuilding.
• Kyrgyz President Said Open To Clemency For Detained Opposition Trio RFE/RL 16 Oct 2012 -- Kyrgyzstan's government ombudsman says President Amazbek Atambaev has expressed a willingness to consider clemency for three opposition lawmakers at the center of continuing protests.
• Kyrgyz Seek Extradition Deals With U.S., U.K. RFE/RL 16 Oct 2012 -- A Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry spokesman says Bishkek has started procedures to sign agreements with the United States and Britain on the extradition of convicted criminals and suspects.
• Tajik Islamic Party Claims Growing Support After Badakhshan Operations RFE/RL 16 Oct 2012 -- The chairman of Tajikistan's opposition Islamic Renaissance Party says that public support has increased in the wake of this summer's military operations in Gorno-Badakhshan province.
• Ban calls for speedy political solution to factors behind Sri Lanka’s civil war UN News Centre 16 Oct 2012 -- In a meeting with a senior Sri Lanka Government official, United Nations Secretary-General Ban emphasized the need for to find a speedy political solution to the underlying factors behind the country’s civil war.
• Israeli Parliament Sets Election Date RIA Novosti 16 Oct 2012 -- Israel's parliament has voted to dissolve, setting the date for early elections as January 22, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said.
• Uganda Government Rejects Criticisms of Dissent Intolerance VOA 16 Oct 2012 -- Uganda’s deputy justice and constitutional minister has sharply rejected opposition criticisms that the government is intolerant of dissenting views.
• ECO Leaders Gather For Summit In Azerbaijan RFE/RL 16 Oct 2012 -- Members of the Economic Cooperation Organization have met in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, to discuss a wide range of regional issues.
• African Governance Index Shows Decline VOA 16 Oct 2012 -- The Mo Ibrahim Foundation has released its 2012 African Governance index, an annual study that this year showed worrying slides among Africa’s economic powerhouses and in Zimbabwe.
• Cambodians Mourn Revered ex-King Sihanouk VOA 16 Oct 2012 -- Cambodians entered a second day of mourning for their revered former king Norodom Sihanouk, as preparations were made to return his body from China.
• Five Suspects Charged Over Politkovskaya Murder RFE/RL 16 Oct 2012 -- Russian investigators have charged five suspects in connection with the 2006 killing of investigative journalist and Kremlin critic Anna Politkovskaya.
• Probe Into Politkovskaya Murder ‘Completed’ RIA Novosti 16 Oct 2012 -- A preliminary investigation into the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya has been completed, Russia’s Investigative Committee said.
• Pussy Riot Members Lose Appeal To Remain In Moscow Prison RFE/RL 16 Oct 2012 -- Two members of the Russian punk performance-art group Pussy Riot have lost their appeal to stay in a Moscow pretrial detention center.