Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Combined Force Arrests Taliban Leader AFPS 30 Oct 2012 -- An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.
• 2 NATO Troops Killed in Apparent Afghan Insider Attack VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- A man wearing an Afghan police uniform has shot and killed two British soldiers in southern Afghanistan, in the latest apparent "insider" attack.
• Man in Afghan Police Uniform Kills Two Foreign Soldiers RFE/RL 30 Oct 2012 -- The NATO-led force in Afghanistan says a man wearing an Afghan police uniform shot dead two of its soldiers in the country's south.
• Next Afghan Presidential Elections 'To Be Held In April 2014' RFE/RL 30 Oct 2012 -- An Afghan official has told RFE/RL on condition of anonymity that Afghanistan's next presidential election will be held on April 5, 2014.
• Families from 3/2 SBCT welcome home their loved ones Army News 30 Oct 2012 -- More than 100 Arrowhead soldiers assigned to 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, returned from a deployment to Afghanistan.
• Edinburgh-based soldiers return from Afghanistan UK MOD 30 Oct 2012 -- Soldiers from 3rd Battalion The Rifles returned to their base in Edinburgh over the weekend following a demanding six-month operational tour in Afghanistan.
• Pakistani FM says U.S. drones cause civilian casualties IRNA 30 Oct 2012 -- Pakistani Hina Rabbani Khar said that U.S. drone strikes and resulting civilian casualties on Pakistan's territory undermine the country’s battle for hearts and minds.
• UN: Pakistani Schools Need Protection From Terrorism, Disasters VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- United Nations officials say they are devising an "action plan" to help protect schools in Pakistan's northwest from militant attacks and natural disasters.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Remarks by the President at the American Red Cross The White House 30 Oct 2012
• Readout of the President’s Briefing on Hurricane Sandy The White House 30 Oct 2012
• Update on the DoD and National Guard Response to Hurricane Sandy DoD 30 Oct 2012
• DOD, FEMA, Other Agencies Aid Storm-affected Areas AFPS 30 Oct 2012 -- At the direction of President Barack Obama, the Federal Emergency Management Agency continues to coordinate federal government assistance to support states in response and recovery of Hurricane Sandy.
• More than 7,400 National Guard members responding to Hurricane Sandy AFNS 30 Oct 2012 -- More than 7,400 Citizen-Soldiers and -Airmen had been mobilized in 11 states to respond to Hurricane Sandy by 4:30 a.m., Oct. 30, and more were on the way.
• Virginia, D.C. Guard Members Provide Post-storm Aid AFPS 30 Oct 2012 -- Virginia National Guard members assisted Virginia State Police, emergency response organizations and citizens across the commonwealth today as part of Hurricane Sandy response and recovery operations.
• Guard Provides Hurricane Response in Nation’s Capital AFPS 30 Oct 2012 -- About 150 members of the District of Columbia National Guard are providing hurricane response aid in the nation’s capital.
• Coast Guard Rescues 14 ‘Bounty’ Sinking Victims AFPS 30 Oct 2012 -- 14 people who'd abandoned the sinking HMS Bounty tall ship were rescued from life rafts in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 90 miles southeast of Hatteras, N.C.
• Obama to Storm Victims: 'America is With You' VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- U.S. President Barack Obama has told Americans affected by the superstorm that ravaged parts of the East Coast of the United States that “America is with you.”
• US Assesses Damage from Massive Storm, 28 Dead VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- Emergency officials along the U.S. east coast are assessing damage from the massive storm named Sandy, which is now blamed for at least 28 U.S. deaths.
• Estimated Cost of Sandy's Destruction in the Billions VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- The economic toll from the vast storm Sandy on the U.S. East Coast is expected to be massive, with billions of dollars in damages.
• Several Dead As Sandy Hits Northeast U.S. Coast RFE/RL 30 Oct 2012 -- President Barack Obama has declared "a major disaster" in New Jersey and New York State after a massive storm smashed into the east coast of the United States.
• UN Headquarters Hit by Storm, 'Work Continues' VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- The iconic U.N. headquarters on New York's East River sustained flooding during Hurricane Sandy and remains closed for a second day.
• DOD Releases Military Intelligence Program Appropriated Top Line Budget for Fiscal 2012 DoD 30 Oct 2012
• Upgraded Apache helicopter OK'd for production Army News 30 Oct 2012 -- The Defense Acquisition Board decision regarding full-rate production for the Apache Block III helicopter program was announced Oct. 24 by Army officials at a briefing in Washington, D.C.
• George Washington Returns to Sea after Philippines Visit NNS 30 Oct 2012 -- The U.S. Navy's forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS George Washington departed Manila Bay, Republic of the Philippines after a five-day, goodwill port visit Oct. 29.
• Enterprise Carrier Strike Group to Return to Norfolk NNS 30 Oct 2012 -- More than 5,500 Sailors and Marines assigned to the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group are scheduled to arrive in Norfolk, Va., Nov. 4, following a seven-and-a-half-month deployment supporting operations in the Mediterranean and the Arabian Seas.
• USS Bremerton Departs for Western Pacific Deployment NNS 30 Oct 2012 -- USS Bremerton departed Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Oct. 29, for a scheduled six-month deployment in the Western Pacific region.
• USS Underwood Returns Home from Final Deployment NNS 30 Oct 2012 -- The USS Underwood returned to Naval Station Mayport from its final deployment, Southern Seas 2012 to Central and South America and the Caribbean, Oct. 30.
• 3rd CAB unit selected to field new mobile tower Army News 30 Oct 2012 -- A ribbon cutting ceremony showcasing the new AN/MSQ-135 Mobile Tower System was held on Hunter Army Airfield, Oct. 25, for Company F, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade.
• British forces hone close-air support capabilities with Harvest HAWK Marines at Cherry Point USMC News 30 Oct 2012 -- A team of British forces came to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, to train to effectively coordinate air strikes with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252’s Harvest HAWK team.
• Phrog crew spends some time behind the trigger USMC News 30 Oct 2012 -- Crewmembers in two CH-46E Sea Knights traded their tools for an afternoon in the sky behind the triggers of some heavy machine guns, Oct. 25.
• AF officials eliminate civilian skill code requirements AFNS 30 Oct 2012 -- Air Force officials have rescinded the manual used to define civilian position skill codes in one of several ongoing administrative actions geared toward transforming civilian hiring and selecting.
• Upgraded Indian Submarine Starts Seas Trials in Russia RIA Novosti 30 Oct 2012 -- An Indian Kilo class diesel-electric submarine that has been overhauled at the Zvezdochka shipyard in northern Russia has sailed for two-week sea trials.
• First Ka-52K Choppers for Mistral Ships to be Built in 2013 RIA Novosti 30 Oct 2012 -- The Russian Navy will receive the first batch of Kamov Ka-52K attack helicopters for Mistral class amphibious assault ships in 2013.
• Su-24 Crashes, Pilots Survive RIA Novosti 30 Oct 2012 -- A Russian Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer fighter-bomber crashed on Tuesday during a training flight in the Chelyabinsk region when its nose cone came off.
• Kalashnikov Hits Kremlin With Wage Complaints RIA Novosti 30 Oct 2012 -- Long-serving employees at Russian small arms and light weapons manufacturer Izhmash, including the legendary Mikhail Kalashnikov, have sent a letter to the Kremlin complaining about falling production volumes and low wages.
• Army's war games in western Iran aimed at promoting forces capabilities: commander IRNA 30 Oct 2012 -- Commander of Ground Forces Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan said that upgrading the forces' capabilities and boosting their spirit are among the objectives of the war games being held in western Iran.
• 2nd day of air mobility operation drill kicks off in western Iran IRNA 30 Oct 2012 -- The Iranian Army began the second day of an air mobility operation drill codenamed ?Kheibar’ in Emamieh region west of the country, said Deputy Commander of Operations of the Army's Ground Forces Brigadier Ali Mehrabi.
• Iranian Army Starts War Games Near Iraqi Border RFE/RL 30 Oct 2012 -- The Iranian Army has started ground and air military exercises near Iran's western border with Iraq.
• Iranian Warships Visit Sudan RFE/RL 30 Oct 2012 -- Iranian news agencies report that two Iranian warships have docked at a port on Sudan’s Red Sea coast.
• Effective resistance, intelligent encountering threats, strength points of civilian defense IRNA 30 Oct 2012 -- Deputy Head of Iran’s Armed Forces Chiefs of Staff said monitoring threats against national security infrastructures and intelligent encountering them and effective resistance are points of strength of IRI civilian defense.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• Syrian Air Force Attacks Northern Town After Failed Truce VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- Opposition activists say Syrian warplanes struck a strategic, rebel-held town on the Damascus-Aleppo highway.
• Observers: More Than 120 Die in Fighting in Syria Tuesday VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- Syrian opposition backers say fighting and airstrikes across the country killed more than 120 people Tuesday, including a government air force general.
• Air Force General Reportedly Killed In Damascus Suburb RFE/RL 30 Oct 2012 -- Syria’s state television says an air force general has been killed in a Damascus suburb.
• Top Syrian Air Force General Assassinated in Damascus RIA Novosti 30 Oct 2012 -- A top Syrian Air Force general, Abdullah Mahmud al-Khalidi, was shot dead in northern Damascus.
• Six Chinese ships enter waters off Diaoyutais CNA 30 Oct 2012 -- Six Chinese ships entered waters off the Diaoyutai Islands in the East China Sea, marking the fifth time this month that Chinese vessels have sailed into the disputed area.
• Taiwan hoping for talks with ASEAN states on territorial dispute CNA 30 Oct 2012 -- Taiwan is hoping to hold discussions with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on a code of conduct for the disputed South China Sea, the foreign ministry said.
• Taiwan, Japan discussing meetings on fishery talks: ministry CNA 30 Oct 2012 -- Taiwan and Japan are still discussing holding preparatory meetings before a 17th round of bilateral fishery talks can take place, a Taiwanese foreign affairs official said.
• Armed Intervention for Mali Being Finalized VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- International officials are finalizing plans for deploying troops and sending military support to Mali to help it retake the north of the country from al-Qaida-linked militants who seized control in April.
• Monitoring Group: Sudanese Factory Hit by Airstrike VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- A U.S.-based monitoring group says satellite images suggest an airstrike caused an explosion at a Sudanese arms factory last week.
• Sudan Vows Support of Palestinians Despite Israeli Attack RIA Novosti 30 Oct 2012 -- Sudan will continue supporting “brothers in Palestine” despite an attack of Israeli warplanes on an arms factory in Khartoum last week.
• Khartoum refuses Zionist regime claims over Sudan ties with Iran IRNA 30 Oct 2012 -- Sudan’s foreign ministry said in a statement released that there has been no relation between attacked factory by Zionist regime aircrafts last week and any third country, including Iran.
• Iranian State Media Reports Its Navy Ships Docked in Sudan VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- Iran’s state media reports two Iranian warships have docked at a Sudanese port to convey a “message of peace,” a week after Khartoum accused Israel of attacking a Sudanese weapons factory.
• CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Victims cry foul over Uganda’s LRA strategy IRIN 30 Oct 2012 -- Uganda’s practice of pardoning and then integrating into its military captured or surrendered members of the Lord's Resistance Army, getting them to hunt down their former comrades-in-arms, has come in for criticism.
• ASEAN Chief Fears Radicalization of Burma's Rohingya VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- The head of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is warning that ongoing sectarian violence in western Burma could radicalize minority Rohingya Muslims and threaten the stability of the region.
• MYANMAR: Call for international monitors in Rakhine IRIN 30 Oct 2012 -- Rights activists have called for international monitors to safeguard the lives of thousands of Muslim Rohingya in Myanmar’s western Rakhine State following last week’s deadly sectarian violence.
• As Burma Violence Continues, Warnings of Broader Instability VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- Authorities in Burma say they are working to restore calm to western Rakhine state after a week of sectarian violence left nearly 100 people dead, destroyed thousands of homes and displaced 30,000 people, the vast majority of them Muslim.
• BURKINA FASO: Preventing conflict between farmers and herders IRIN 30 Oct 2012 -- As violent incidents between animal breeders and sedentary farmers soar across northern and eastern Burkina Faso, the Ministry of Animal Resources has been holding a series of workshops for the two groups.
• Joint Press Statements by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Serbian Prime Minister Ivaca Dacic, and EU High Representative Cathy Ashton US Dept. of State 30 Oct 2012
• Secretary Clinton Remarks With Bosnian Presidency Chairman Bakir Izetbegovic and EU High Representative Lady Catherine Ashton US Dept. of State 30 Oct 2012
• U.S. Conventional Weapons Destruction Programs Promote Security in the Balkans US Dept. of State 30 Oct 2012
• US, EU Push for Better Relations Between Serbia and Kosovo VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- The United States and European Union are promoting closer cooperation between Serbia and Kosovo as an opportunity for both countries to advance their economic standing and European integration.
• Clinton says EU, NATO Membership Way To Bosnian Stability RFE/RL 30 Oct 2012 -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said Bosnia "belongs in Europe" and its access to the European Union and NATO would be the best way to ensure lasting stability in the country.
• Clinton, Ashton: Bosnia Must Make Reforms to Join NATO, EU VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and European Union Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton have told Bosnian leaders they must put aside divisions and make substantive reforms.
• European Auditors Slam EULEX Kosovo Mission RFE/RL 30 Oct 2012 -- The European Court of Auditors is questioning the efficiency of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, known as EULEX.
• ‘Extremist Crimes’ Rise in Volga Area RIA Novosti 30 Oct 2012 -- There has been an increase in the number of extremism-related crimes in Russia’s Volga Federal District.

News Reports

• Clinton Renews Call For 'Serious' Nuclear Talks RFE/RL 30 Oct 2012 -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has renewed her call for Iran to start serious talks on its nuclear program, adding that a window for negotiations will not be open indefinitely.
• Iran bans export of 50 items IRNA 30 Oct 2012 -- The Consumers and Producers Protecting Organization has lately announced that exports of 50 various industrial and petrochemical goods as well as foodstuff has been forbidden to support national production.
• Bahrain Government Bans Protests Amid Violence RFE/RL 30 Oct 2012 -- Bahrain has banned all protests after clashes between police and antigovernment demonstrators.
• US Ambassador Comments on China’s Tibetan Policies VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- Following a series of self-immolation protests, the U.S. Ambassador to China is speaking out on Beijing's policies toward Tibetans.
• Chinese State Newspaper Blasts NY Times Over Wen Story VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- A state-controlled Chinese newspaper is lashing out at the New York Times, after the U.S. paper published a story reportedly exposing the hidden wealth of Prime Minister Wen Jiabao's family.
• Taiwan: Data leaked in China spy case not highly classified CNA 30 Oct 2012 -- The military information allegedly sold by a retired naval officer to China was not highly classified information and was related to the Navy's missions to escort fishing boats,.
• UN Chief Considering North Korea Visit VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he would consider a trip to North Korea as part of his efforts toward peace on the Korean peninsula.
• Speculation Abounds As Kim Jong Un's Wife Reappears VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- The public is getting another glimpse of the wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, after speculation about why she had not been seen for some time.
• KCNA Commentary Slams Japanese Visits to Yasukuni Shrine KCNA 30 Oct 2012 -- The Japanese have frequently paid visits to the Yasukuni Shrine amid the mounting atmosphere of turning Japan to the right.
• Turkish Government Allows Kurdish Language Classes VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- Years of Turkish state policies of assimilation have put the Kurdish language under threat.
• India's New FM to Focus on Pakistan, China Relations VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- India’s new foreign minister says he will strengthen relations with Pakistan and China. Salman Khurshid is expected to bring new energy to the government's efforts to improve ties with regional neighbors.
• IAEA team begins safety review at India’s nuclear plants IRNA 30 Oct 2012 -- A 12-member Operational Safety Review Team from International Atomic Energy Agency began the operational safety review at Rajasthan Atomic Power Station.
• Emergency equipment at nuclear power plant reinforced CNA 30 Oct 2012 -- Taiwan's Second Nuclear Power Plant has had its emergency measures reinforced with the addition of an emergency water supply system and separate power generators in the wake of the nuclear crisis in Japan last year.
• South African Police Use Force to Disperse Striking Miners VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- South African police have used force to disperse striking miners who are refusing to return to work until their pay demands are met.
• South Africa’s Census Reflects Progress VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- South Africa’s census shows the nation is fifth in African population, with 51.7 million people.
• Vote Energizes Ukraine's Opposition VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- With almost all votes counted, Ukraine’s three opposition parties drew slightly more votes than President Yanukovych’s two-party governing alliance.
• Clinton Calls Ukraine Election 'A Step Backward' RFE/RL 30 Oct 2012 -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called Ukraine's weekend parliamentary elections "a step backward" and urged the country's leadership to curb what she called "the backward slide."
• Ukraine Vote a Step Backward for Democracy, Says Clinton VOA 30 Oct 2012 -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is questioning the credibility of Sunday's parliamentary elections in Ukraine, where initial results show the ruling party maintaining its legislative majority.
• New Ukrainian Parliament Keeps Politics A Family Affair RFE/RL 30 Oct 2012 -- When Ukrainian lawmakers gather for the first session of the newly elected Verkhovna Rada, they may feel like they never left home.
• Seat By Seat, Ukraine's Yanukovych Seeks His Parliamentary Majority RFE/RL 30 Oct 2012 -- With just over nine-tenths of the vote counted, the Party of Regions is officially controlling 192 seats.
• Ukraine Ruling Party Poised For Majority RFE/RL 30 Oct 2012 -- Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s party and its allies appear poised to secure a parliamentary majority in elections that have been condemned as flawed by outside observers.
• Is Russia’s New Nationality Policy Tailored For Ramzan Kadyrov? RFE/RL 30 Oct 2012 -- The draft Strategy of a State Nationalities Policy currently in the final stage of discussion contains a provision that could allow for the consolidation of the North Caucasus republics into a single territorial-administrative entity.
• Putin Sacks Five Police Generals RFE/RL 30 Oct 2012 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed five police generals. Four of the fired generals were top officers at Russia's Interior Ministry and led the ministry's major departments.
• Russian Deputy PM Blasts Construction of Border Facilities RIA Novosti 30 Oct 2012 -- Russian Deputy Premier Dmitry Rogozin blasted the work of the state agency that constructs border facilities saying it was using non-transparent financing schemes.
• Russia Faces ‘Long, Political Winter,’ Warns Opposition Leader RIA Novosti 30 Oct 2012 -- Protesters in Moscow braved a heavy ice-storm that paralyzed parts of the city to gather in a downtown square in protest against what opposition leaders say is a concerted crackdown on dissent by security forces.
• Massive Far-Right Rally Sanctioned in Moscow RIA Novosti 30 Oct 2012 -- Moscow City Hall has permitted 20,000 nationalists to stage an annual Russian March rally in a city suburb, despite earlier objections.
• Belarusian Political Prisoner Dashkevich Sent To Maximum-Security Jail RFE/RL 30 Oct 2012 -- A court in Belarus has ordered that jailed opposition activist Dzmitry Dashkevich be sent to a maximum-security prison to serve the remainder of his sentence.
• New Prosecutor-General To Investigate Ex-Prime Minister's Death RFE/RL 30 Oct 2012 -- Georgia's new prosecutor-general is vowing to start investigating high-profile cases, including the death of Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania in February 2005.