Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 26 Oct 2012 [PDF]
• ISAF Condemns Faryab Mosque Bombing AFPS 26 Oct 2012 -- The International Security Assistance Force condemns with grave conviction the suicide attack carried out today at the Eid Gah Mosque in Maimana, Faryab province, in Afghanistan.
• UN envoy condemns deadly suicide bomb attack during Eid prayers in northern Afghanistan UN News Centre 26 Oct 2012 -- The United Nations top political envoy for Afghanistan condemned a suicide bomb attack which killed at least 40 people in the country's north.
• Suicide Bomber Attacks Afghan Mosque, 40 Dead VOA 26 Oct 2012 -- A suicide bomber killed at least 40 people and wounded dozens of others as they gathered for morning prayers in northern Afghanistan.
• Blast Kills At Least 40 In Afghan Mosque RFE/RL 26 Oct 2012 -- A suicide bomber has detonated his explosives inside a mosque in northwestern Afghanistan, killing at least 40 people and wounding more than 70 others.
• Over 40 Killed in Afghan Suicide Attack RIA Novosti 26 Oct 2012 -- Forty-one people were killed and about 70 injured after a suicide bomber attacked a mosque in Maimana, the capital of Afghanistan's northern Faryab Province.
• 173rd, ANSF enable security, demonstrate capability throughout Logar, Wardak Provinces Army News 26 Oct 2012 -- As American and coalition forces begin their drawdown in Afghanistan, they continue to support their Afghan partners.
• Commentary: A Ray of Hope - Afghan SOF RFE/RL 26 Oct 2012 -- Eleven years after U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force troops first drove the Taliban out of Afghanistan, more questions than answers litter the landscape of a country that has been reeling under the burden of war for over 30 years.
• Experiential learning program prepares Afghans for facilities operations, maintenance Army News 26 Oct 2012 -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has designed and constructed high-quality military and police facilities to support the transfer of security operations to the Afghans.
• Russian Lawmakers to Review Military Transit Deal with Sweden RIA Novosti 26 Oct 2012 -- The lower house of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, will review an intergovernmental agreement with Sweden on military transit to Afghanistan via the Russian airspace.
• National Guard SFA AT tests responsiveness, flexibility, and agility Army News 26 Oct 2012 -- More than 500 National Guard Soldiers recently completed the last step of their mobilization training in preparation for their upcoming Security Forces Assistance Advisor Team deployment to Afghanistan.
• Pakistani Defense Min issues conflicting statements on drone hits IRNA 26 Oct 2012 -- Defense Ministry issued 2 conflicting statements on drone attacks.
• Report: US Expanding Anti-Terror Operations in Djibouti VOA 26 Oct 2012 -- A Washington newspaper reports the United States has sharply escalated its counter-terrorism operations at a military base in the East African nation of Djibouti.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US, Israel Hold Joint Military Exercises VOA 26 Oct 2012 -- Israel and the United States are holding a major joint military exercise amid growing tensions with Iran over its nuclear program.
• US Military Tests Missile Defense Capability RIA Novosti 26 Oct 2012 -- The US Missile Defense Agency has successfully conducted its largest and most complex missile defense flight test ever.
• Budget cuts will reshape military of future Army News 26 Oct 2012 -- An expected last ditch effort to prevent sequestration in early 2013 will likely mean that cuts to the defense budget will be more manageable, said a top Pentagon official.
• Stavridis: Arctic Presents Opportunities, Risks, Challenges AFPS 26 Oct 2012 -- The melting of the arctic ice cap opens new opportunities, as well as risks and challenges, that will require increasing cooperation among regional nations.
• Army's Premier Helicopter MRO Facility Takes on Unmanned Aircraft Work Army News 26 Oct 2012 -- Corpus Christi Army Depot has officially opened its doors to military unmanned aircraft with its first Unmanned Aircraft System modification program.
• Along came a spider Army News 26 Oct 2012 -- The Spider XM7 Network Command Munition is a hand-emplaced, remotely controlled, man-in-the-loop, anti-personnel munitions system.
• Nett warrior speeds command & control into the future Army News 26 Oct 2012 -- The Nett Warrior system, part of the emerging Capability Set 13, is aimed at providing the individual ground soldier with as much information as possible about the battlefield.
• Executive Order - Establishing the White House Homeland Security Partnership Council The White House 26 Oct 2012
• Readout of the President’s Briefing on Hurricane Sandy, 26 October 2012 The White House 26 Oct 2012
• National Guard Troops Prepare for Hurricane Sandy AFPS 26 Oct 2012 -- The National Guard Bureau has yet to receive requests for assistance, but is prepared to respond if needed to the expected arrival of Hurricane Sandy, the chief of the National Guard Bureau said.
• DOD, Other Agencies Monitor Hurricane Sandy AFPS 26 Oct 2012 -- The Department of Defense and other federal agencies are keeping a close eye on the progress of Hurricane Sandy, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.
• Federal Agencies Prepare for Hurricane Sandy AFPS 26 Oct 2012 -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency has initiated widespread preparations, including joining forces with the Defense Department and other federal agencies, to brace for Hurricane Sandy.
• US Fleet Forces Sets Sortie Condition Alpha, Ships Getting Underway NNS 26 Oct 2012 -- Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces ordered all U.S. Navy ships in the Hampton Roads, Va., area to set Sortie Condition Alpha Oct. 26 in preparation for an upcoming sortie as Hurricane Sandy travels up the East Coast.
• National Guard prepares for 'perfect storm' Army News 26 Oct 2012 -- More than 61,000 National Guard personnel along the eastern seaboard are available for duty if and when Hurricane Sandy makes landfall sometime next week.
• Virginia Guard personnel preparing for possible Hurricane Sandy damage Army News 26 Oct 2012 -- The Virginia National Guard has been authorized to bring up to 300 personnel on state active duty for possible severe-weather recovery operations from Hurricane Sandy.
• Florida Airmen Brace for Hurricane Sandy AFPS 26 Oct 2012 -- As Hurricane Sandy crept up the Atlantic coastline today blowing a mix of sand, rain and salt mist, 920th Rescue Wing airmen here moved the wing's six HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters inside an aircraft hangar to protect them from the storm.
• Military Intelligence - this week in history. 1 Nov 1941 Army News 26 Oct 2012 -- On 1 November 1941, just weeks prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, 60 Japanese-American students began a six-month course in the Japanese language at the Fourth Army Intelligence School, Presidio of San Francisco.
• U.K. F-35 fleet increases capability at Eglin AFB AFNS 26 Oct 2012 -- A second British F-35B Lightning II arrived here Oct. 19, joining the nine A variants of the joint strike fighter flown by the Air Force and the 13 B variants flown by the Marine Corps to become the largest fleet of F-35s in the world.
• Major Anglo-French Exercise Gets Underway in the Mediterranean UK MOD 26 Oct 2012 -- The Defence Secretary and his French counterpart today witnessed first hand a major naval exercise in the Mediterranean aimed at further developing the joint capability of the UK and French forces.
• Indian cabinet clears 10,000 Russian anti-tank missiles for Army IRNA 26 Oct 2012 -- A Rs 1,200 crore proposal for procuring 10,000 anti-tank guided missiles for the Army from Russia was cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security.
• S. Korean AWACS KCNA 26 Oct 2012 -- Another U.S. made-airborne early warning and commanding plane was inducted into the south Korean air force on Oct. 24.
• Two minehunters from U.S. commissioned into Taiwan's Navy CNA 26 Oct 2012 -- Two refitted coastal minehunters purchased from the United States were commissioned Friday into the Navy at the Tsoying naval base in Kaohsiung, Taiwan's largest naval base.
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing, October 26, 2012 US Dept. of State 26 Oct 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 26, 2012

Other Conflicts

• Syria Truce Marred By Clashes RFE/RL 26 Oct 2012 -- A series of clashes are being reported in Syria in violation of a cease-fire to mark the Islamic Eid al-Adha holiday.
• At Least 5 Killed, Over 30 Injured in Damascus Bomb Blast VOA 26 Oct 2012 -- A car bomb exploded near a mosque and a children's playground in Damascus, killing at least five people and wounding more than 30 others.
• Iranian Foreign Ministry issues statement on truce in Syria IRNA 26 Oct 2012 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the agreement of the Syrian army with temporary ceasefire in Syrian, expressing hope that the truce will be prelude to beginning of a political process in Syria.
• Somalia's Al-Shabab Weakened VOA 26 Oct 2012 -- The militant group al-Shabab is losing ground rapidly to Somali government troops and allied Kenyan and African Union soldiers.
• U.S. Welcomes AU Peace and Security Council Communique on Sudan and South Sudan US Dept. of State 26 Oct 2012
• 8 Killed in Clash at DRC's Virunga National Park VOA 26 Oct 2012 -- Officials in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo say eight people were killed when militiamen attacked rangers in the famed Virunga National Park.
• Dozens Killed In Sectarian Burma Violence RFE/RL 26 Oct 2012 -- More than 100 people have been killed in ethnic and religion-related violence in Burma during several days of violence.
• Death Toll in Burma Clashes Doubles VOA 26 Oct 2012 -- The death toll from sectarian clashes in Burma's coastal Rakhine state has doubled to 112 with over 70 reported injured, including children.
• Myanmar: UN expert calls for underlying causes of tensions in Rakhine state to be addressed UN News Centre 26 Oct 2012 -- A United Nations independent expert has called for the underlying causes of the tension and conflict between the Buddhist and Muslim communities in Myanmar's Rakhine state to be addressed.
• Tbilisi Says No Diplomatic Ties With Russia While It Occupies Georgian Territory RFE/RL 26 Oct 2012 -- Government will continue a policy of refraining from formal diplomatic relations with Moscow until Russia ends its "occupation" of two breakaway Georgian regions.
• Georgia Not Yet Ready to Restore Russia Ties - Minister RIA Novosti 26 Oct 2012 -- Georgia is not ready to restore diplomatic relations with Russia while it continues to "occupy" Georgian territory, Georgian Foreign Minister Maya Pandzhikidze said.
• Background Briefing on Travel to the Balkans US Dept. of State 26 Oct 2012

News Reports

• New Wave of Tibetan Self-Immolations Hits China VOA 26 Oct 2012 -- Anger and despair appear to be consuming Tibetan areas of China, where at least four more Tibetans have set themselves on fire to protest Chinese rule.
• China Strips Bo Xilai's Parliament Seat, Immunity VOA 26 Oct 2012 -- Disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai was formally expelled from China’s legislature, clearing the way for possible criminal and corruption charges to be brought against the former rising political star.
• China Blocks NY Times Website Over Story on Wen Jiabao VOA 26 Oct 2012 -- Chinese government censors moved quickly to block the New York Times website after it published a blockbuster story detailing the massive wealth accumulated by the family of Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.
• China Blocks Access to NY Times RIA Novosti 26 Oct 2012 -- The New York Times reports that China blocked access to its Chinese-language website morning following the publication of an article claiming that members of Prime Minister Wen Jiabao’s family hold more than $2.7 billion in assets.
• Sakharov Prize Winners US Dept. of State 26 Oct 2012
• Legal Issues Cast Doubt on Return of Christians to Turkey's Southeast VOA 26 Oct 2012 -- Turkey is home to Syriac Christians, whose followers extend across the Middle East.
• Ivory Coast's Gbagbo to Remain in Pre-Trial Detention VOA 26 Oct 2012 -- The International Criminal Court has rejected an appeal from former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo to be set free while he awaits trial.
• ICC Official Meets Victims of '08 Kenya Violence VOA 26 Oct 2012 -- International Criminal Court Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda wrapped up her five-day trip to Kenya Friday after visiting with victims of Kenya’s 2008 post-election violence.
• Father of Wounded Pakistani Girl Says She Will `Rise Again' VOA 26 Oct 2012 -- The father of the 15-year-old Pakistani girl shot by the Taliban says her setback was temporary, and that she will "rise again."
• Radiation Levels in Fukushima Fish Not Dropping VOA 26 Oct 2012 -- New research indicates that radioactive cesium levels in many kinds of fish caught off the coast of Fukushima have not declined in the year following Japan's nuclear disaster.
• India’s new Nuclear plants may be located in heart of city IRNA 26 Oct 2012 -- Scientists are busy designing nuclear reactors that can be located in the heart of the city and construction on which may begin within the next five years.
• Laos Offered WTO Membership VOA 26 Oct 2012 -- The World Trade Organization has offered membership to Laos, an impoverished, one-party communist state.
• Russian Authorities Charge Opposition Leader Udaltsov VOA 26 Oct 2012 -- Russia's top investigative committee has charged opposition leader Sergei Udaltsov, 35, with plotting mass riots against the government.
• Udaltsov Charged With Plotting Unrest RFE/RL 26 Oct 2012 -- Russia's opposition Left Front leader Sergei Udaltsov has been charged with preparing to organize mass riots against President Vladimir Putin's rule.
• Russian Protest Leader Udaltsov Charged RIA Novosti 26 Oct 2012 -- Russian protest leader Sergei Udaltsov was charged with plotting mass disorder on Friday and could face up to 10 years behind bars if found guilty.
• Parties Make Final Push On Last Day Of Ukraine Campaigning RFE/RL 26 Oct 2012 -- Ukraine's opposition and the party of President Viktor Yanukovych have made a final push for votes on the last day of campaigning before the country's parliamentary polls on October 28.
• New Player Shakes Up Ukraine Before Sunday Vote VOA 26 Oct 2012 -- The World Boxing Council's reigning heavyweight champion is fighting a new battle, Ukraine's parliamentary elections.
• Ukraine's Former Presidential Bodyguard Released On Bail RFE/RL 26 Oct 2012 -- A Ukrainian court has released the former chief of the presidential bodyguard service, Mykola Melnychenko, on $10,000 bail.
• European Parliament Criticizes Minsk Over Elections RFE/RL 26 Oct 2012 -- The European Parliament has strongly criticized the recent parliamentary elections in Belarus, noting they failed to meet many basic democratic standards.
• Former Belarusian Presidential Candidate Gets Political Asylum In Britain RFE/RL 26 Oct 2012 -- Former Belarusian presidential candidate Andrey Sannikau reportedly has received political asylum in Britain.
• Italy's Berlusconi Guilty of Tax Fraud VOA 26 Oct 2012 -- Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, 76, has been convicted of tax fraud and sentenced to a year in prison.
• Italy’s Berlusconi Sentenced to 4 Years for Tax Fraud RIA Novosti 26 Oct 2012 -- A Milan court on Friday convicted former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of tax fraud and sentenced him to four years in prison in connection with the media magnate's Mediaset television company.