Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 02 Nov 2012 [PDF]
• Combined Force Arrests Taliban Leader AFPS 02 Nov 2012 -- An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province.
• Afghan Defense Ministry Rejects U.S. Audit Results On Bases RFE/RL 02 Nov 2012 -- Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry has rejected a U.S. government audit warning that Afghan security forces are ill-prepared to maintain NATO-built bases on their own beyond 2014.
• Apparent Insider Attack Kills 4 Afghan Police VOA 02 Nov 2012 -- Authorities in southern Afghanistan say four Afghan police officers have been killed by their colleagues.
• AETC sees first pilot production from new Afghanistan schoolhouse AFNS 02 Nov 2012 -- The new fixed-wing pilot schoolhouse in Afghanistan at Shindand Air Base, Herat Province, graduated its first three fixed-wing pilots this month.
• 7th CSC Soldiers train for deployment Army News 02 Nov 2012 -- The first Army Reserve civil affairs unit to deploy to Afghanistan from a location outside the United States completed their mobilization readiness exercise culminating training event here Oct. 27-30.
• RAF Force Protection Wing returns home from Afghanistan UK MOD 02 Nov 2012 -- In the early hours of this morning 146 personnel from No 5 RAF Force Protection Wing returned home following a six-month tour of duty protecting Camp Bastion in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
• CIA, Pentagon Defend Handling of Benghazi Attack VOA 02 Nov 2012 -- The Central Intelligence Agency and the Pentagon are defending their handling of the September 11 attack on American facilities in Benghazi.
• Timeline Released on US Consulate Attack in Libya VOA 02 Nov 2012 -- US intelligence officials have released a detailed CIA timeline of the deadly September 11 assault on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
• Little Describes Pentagon’s Benghazi Decision Process AFPS 02 Nov 2012 -- Two U.S. service members did participate with a CIA team in the mission to rescue Americans in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11, 2012, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters.
• Update on the DoD and National Guard Response to Hurricane Sandy DoD 02 Nov 2012
• Military Airlifts, Aid Flow to New York, New Jersey AFPS 02 Nov 2012 -- Another airlift, this time from Phoenix, will bring more power restoration trucks and equipment to New York and New Jersey, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told Pentagon reporters.
• Air Force conduct round the clock ops to deliver hurricane relief AFNS 02 Nov 2012 -- Airmen and transport aircraft from across the nation converged here Nov. 1 to begin part of the Air Force's movement of relief supplies and equipment to the beleaguered areas of New York and New Jersey in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
• FEMA employs Air Guard base for storm relief AFNS 02 Nov 2012 -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency is using the West Virginia Air National Guard's 167th Airlift Wing base here as a staging area to push out much-needed storm relief supplies to Mountain State residents hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy.
• 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit travels north to assist disaster relief operations USMC News 02 Nov 2012 -- Marines and sailors of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit flew aboard USS Wasp, Nov. 1, 2012, to prepare to provide assistance to New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
• Fort Lee unit NYC-bound for Hurricane Sandy recovery Army News 02 Nov 2012 -- Soldiers from a local Army unit are on the way to New York City today to help pump water from flooded areas in support of recovery operations in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
• DOD Gets Energy Department Fuel to Aid Superstorm Relief AFPS 02 Nov 2012 -- President Barack Obama declared that the superstorm has created a severe energy supply interruption and directed the U.S. Department of Energy to loan the Department of Defense ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve.
• DLA to Purchase Gasoline, Diesel Fuel for Superstorm Relief AFPS 02 Nov 2012 -- President Barack Obama has directed the Defense Logistics Agency to purchase up to 12 million gallons of unleaded fuel and up to 10 million gallons of diesel fuel for distribution in areas impacted by Hurricane Sandy to supplement ongoing private-sector efforts.
• Corps of Engineers helping pump NYC flood waters Army News 02 Nov 2012 -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is helping pump water out of flooded New York City and providing generators to temporarily restore electricity to areas hard hit by Hurricane Sandy in both New York and New Jersey.
• JBM-HH weathers Hurrican Sandy Army News 02 Nov 2012 -- In the end, despite the build-up, Hurricane Sandy had only minimal impact on Joint Base Myer-Henderson.
• US Authorizes $3.4 mln. Aid to Hurricane Survivors RIA Novosti 02 Nov 2012 -- More than 36,000 people affected by Hurricane Sandy will receive over $3.4 million in immediate assistance.

Defense Policy / Programs

• U.S. Army adapting to face 'deep future' threats Army News 02 Nov 2012 -- During the recent 2012 Association of the United States Army's Annual Meeting and Exposition, members of the Institute of Land Warfare's "Thinking Past Tomorrow - Where is the Army Going?" panel described the Army of the future.
• Joint air defense test integrates Army and Navy systems Army News 02 Nov 2012 -- A test of a joint integrated air defense system conducted Sept. 21 ended in success with a Navy Missile intercepting a target with the help of an advanced Army radar system.
• Joint Predator training takes to sky Army News 02 Nov 2012 -- The Army and Air Force linked training by flying the Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle from Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.
• Autonomous Aerial Robot Maneuvers Like a Bird VOA 02 Nov 2012 -- Researchers at Cornell University have developed a flying robot they say is “as smart as a bird” because it can maneuver to avoid obstacles.
• USS San Jacinto Enters Dry Dock NNS 02 Nov 2012 -- USS San Jacinto (CG 56) entered dry dock at the BAE Systems Ship Repair facility in Mayport, Fla., Nov. 1, to begin repairs following the ship's collision with USS Montpelier (SSN 765) in mid-October.
• Cutlass Express 2012 Kicks-Off Throughout East Africa AFRICOM 02 Nov 2012 -- Sailors and civilian maritime professionals from eight nations officially kicked-off exercise Cutlass Express 2012-2 (CE12-2) during pre-sail conferences in Djibouti, Djibouti; Port Louis, Mauritius; and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania Nov. 1.
• 50th MPs: New Fort Polk unit goes to dogs Army News 02 Nov 2012 -- There is a new unit on post and they have already gone to the dogs - the 50th Military Police Detachment, 519th Military Police Battalion, 1st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, is a canine unit that was activated Oct. 16 at 1st MEB Field.
• USS Fort McHenry Departs Albania NNS 02 Nov 2012 -- The amphibious dock-landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) departed Durres, Albania, following a five-day port visit, Nov. 1.
• Reserve Squadron supports special operations training USMC News 02 Nov 2012 -- Marine special operations forces cleared buildings on the edge of a simulated town in the Mojave Desert, populated with role-playing insurgents Oct. 9.
• Navy Gets New Nuclear Propulsion Boss NNS 02 Nov 2012 -- The Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program held a change-of-command ceremony at the Washington Navy Yard.
• US Serviceman Suspected of Assaulting Japanese Boy VOA 02 Nov 2012 -- Japanese police are investigating claims a U.S. serviceman assaulted a boy on the island of Okinawa, where opposition to the U.S. military presence runs high.
• NAVFAC Washington Awards Contract for New Medical Facilities at Joint Base Andrews NNS 02 Nov 2012 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Washington awarded a $214 million contract to build an ambulatory care center and dental clinic at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility Washington, Oct. 29.
• AFRL played major role in historic near-space jump AFNS 02 Nov 2012 -- For more than nine minutes Oct. 14, an international audience watched as Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner egressed from a capsule 128,000 feet above the earth and fell toward the planet reaching speeds of 834 miles per hour.
• Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta Speech at Acquisition Awards Ceremony DoD 02 Nov 2012
• Packard Award Winners Announced DoD 02 Nov 2012
• Panetta Announces Packard, Efficiency Award Recipients AFPS 02 Nov 2012 -- Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta today announced the two recipients of the David Packard award and the recipient of the Better Buying Power Efficiency award.
• Vandegrift Commanding Officer Relieved NNS 02 Nov 2012 -- Commander, Destroyer Squadron 15 relieved the commanding officer of the San Diego-based frigate USS Vandegrift (FFG 48) Nov. 2.
• Russia Starts New Kalashnikov Trials RIA Novosti 02 Nov 2012 -- Russia’s central arms testing body started trials on Friday of the AK-12, the latest incarnation of the 65-year-old Kalashnikov assault rifle.
• Personnel visit Singapore for international tri-Service exercise UK MOD 02 Nov 2012 -- A group of Service personnel has taken part in a major exercise in the Asia-Pacific run in support of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA).
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing, November 2, 2012 US Dept. of State 02 Nov 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for November 02, 2012

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, 2 November 2012 United Nations 02 Nov 2012
• UN Says Syrian Killings On Video Appear To Be War Crime RFE/RL 02 Nov 2012 -- A spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights says a video showing what appears to be Syrian rebels executing government soldiers could be evidence of war crimes.
• Activists: Syrian Rebels Control Strategic Northern Town VOA 02 Nov 2012 -- Syrian activists said rebel forces have taken control of a strategic northern town that is crucial link for the government's military campaign inside Syria's largest city, Aleppo.
• Syrian Opposition Received $40 Million Aid RIA Novosti 02 Nov 2012 -- The opposition Syrian National Council has received more than $40 million in financial assistance since its inception in October 2011.
• US Stance on Syria Undermines Geneva Agreements – Russia RIA Novosti 02 Nov 2012 -- Moscow believes the US position regarding settlement of the Syrian conflict runs counter to the agreements reached in Geneva, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
• Mothers, children widely affected by continuing Syrian violence, UNICEF warns UN News Centre 02 Nov 2012 -- The United Nations children’s agency drew attention to the impact that the conflict in Syria is taking on mothers and children, especially on newborn babies.
• Taiwan reiterates sovereignty over Diaoyutais CNA 02 Nov 2012 -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated Taiwan's sovereignty over the Diaoyutai Islands.
• Abbas: No Right Of Hometown Return RFE/RL 02 Nov 2012 -- Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas says he has no right to return to live in his boyhood hometown, which is now in Israel.
• Abbas Vows to Avoid Uprising against Israel RIA Novosti 02 Nov 2012 -- PNA leader Mahmoud Abbad reiterated his commitment to peaceful means and vowed that he will not allow another armed uprising against Israel while he is in office.
• OPT: Israeli promises of family reunification fall short IRIN 02 Nov 2012 -- In February 2011, Israel agreed to allow 5,000 Palestinians to change their address from Gaza to the West Bank.
• Yemen's President Embraces US Drones VOA 02 Nov 2012 -- Following the protests of Yemen’s Arab Spring, its Gulf neighbors brokered a deal to oust President Ali Abdullah Saleh after 33 years in the presidential palace.
• Higher Number of Internally Displaced Malians Revealed VOA 02 Nov 2012 -- There are more displaced people in northern Mali than previously believed.
• Mali IDP Crisis Underestimated VOA 02 Nov 2012 -- The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR)says there are almost twice as many people displaced inside Mali than previously thought.
• More people displaced by turmoil in Mali than previously estimated - UN refugee agency UN News Centre 02 Nov 2012 -- New data on the number of Malians who have left or been driven from their homes amid conflict and other threats show the total is almost 60 per cent higher than previously thought.
• Witnesses: Soldiers Kill Over 30 In Northern Nigeria VOA 02 Nov 2012 -- Witnesses say Nigerian soldiers have shot dead more than 30 people in the city of Maiduguri, the home base of the militant group known as Boko Haram.
• Somalia: Security Council agrees on short extension for mandate of African Union peacekeepers UN News Centre 02 Nov 2012 -- The United Nations Security Council has extended the mandate of the international peacekeeping force providing support to the Government of Somalia.
• Uganda Threatens to Pull Troops From Somalia VOA 02 Nov 2012 -- Uganda is threatening to pull its troops from African peacekeeping missions, including the one in Somalia, because of a U.N. report that accuses Kampala of supporting Congolese rebels.
• Renewal of Sudan National Emergency US Dept. of State 02 Nov 2012
• South Sudan: UN prepares to relocate nearly 63,000 refugees from Yida camp UN News Centre 02 Nov 2012 -- The United Nations refugee agency said it is preparing to relocate almost 63,000 people living in the Yida camp in South Sudan.
• UN refugee agency urges calm amid latest violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state UN News Centre 02 Nov 2012 -- The United Nations refugee agency has called for an immediate return to calm in western Myanmar’s Rakhine state, where ongoing inter-communal violence has uprooted more than 35,000 people.
• Many Killed In South Pakistan Attack RFE/RL 02 Nov 2012 -- At least 18 people were killed in a blast caused by a drive-by shooting in southern Pakistan's Baluchistan Province on November 2.
• Georgian Envoy Wants New Format For Russia Talks RFE/RL 02 Nov 2012 -- The new Georgian prime minister's envoy to Russia says talks with Moscow should be held in a new format.
• Georgia Minister Suggests Recognition Of ID Documents Issued By Two Breakaway Regions RFE/RL 02 Nov 2012 -- Georgia's reintegration minister says Tbilisi should recognize identification documents issued by the authorities of the country's two breakaway regions.
• No Charges Over Russian Ship Arrested in Nigeria RIA Novosti 02 Nov 2012 -- The Nigerian authorities have yet to bring charges against the 15 Russian crew members on a ship detained over alleged arms smuggling in the southwestern port of Lagos two weeks ago.

News Reports

• Who Will Iranian-Americans Vote For? RFE/RL 02 Nov 2012 -- They are among the estimated 1.5 million Iranians who live in the United States, and their votes tell a lot.
• Press Conference by Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, 2 November 2012 United Nations 02 Nov 2012
• UN rights expert urges DPR Korea authorities to spend less on military, more on people UN News Centre 02 Nov 2012 -- An independent United Nations expert voiced continued concern about the situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
• China must urgently address rights violations in Tibet UN News Centre 02 Nov 2012 -- The United Nations human rights chief urged China to address the allegations of rights violations in Tibet.
• UN Rights Chief Urges China to Address Tibetans' Grievances VOA 02 Nov 2012 -- United Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay is urging China to address the long-standing grievances that are prompting an alarming escalation of self-immolations by Tibetans.
• World Bank Approves First Burma Aid in 25 Years VOA 02 Nov 2012 -- For the first time in 25 years the World Bank has approved a grant for Burma and developed a strategy for helping the government improve its economic management.
• World Bank Approves First Burma Aid In Two Decades RFE/RL 02 Nov 2012 -- The World Bank has approved an $80 million grant for community development in Burma.
• Libya: Formation of the Government US Dept. of State 02 Nov 2012
• Impeachment Proceedings Brought Against Sri Lankan Chief Justice US Dept. of State 02 Nov 2012
• Sri Lanka's Rights Record Questioned VOA 02 Nov 2012 -- A human rights watchdog says Sri Lanka's promises on human rights should no longer be accepted by the international community.
• Guinea's Electoral Commission Faces Challenges VOA 02 Nov 2012 -- Guinea's electoral commission is sworn in and ready to begin moving the country to long-delayed legislative elections.
• Medvedev Says Pussy Riot Should be Freed VOA 02 Nov 2012 -- Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev says he believes the two members of the punk band Pussy Riot should be released from prison.
• Russian PM: Pussy Riot Members Should Be Released RFE/RL 02 Nov 2012 -- Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev says the two jailed members of the feminist punk performance collective Pussy Riot should be released.
• Medvedev: Pussy Riot Has Served Enough Jail Time RIA Novosti 02 Nov 2012 -- Further imprisonment for two members of the punk band Pussy Riot is excessive, but it is up to the court to decide on the issue, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said.
• Migrants to Ask Mayor to Cancel Nationalist Rally RIA Novosti 02 Nov 2012 -- Migrants in Russia will ask Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin to cancel Sunday’s planned “Russian March."
• Two Ukrainian Elections Officials Hint at Partial Re-Vote VOA 02 Nov 2012 -- Two key members of Ukraine's Central Elections Commission say a partial re-vote may be needed in key districts to determine who won parliamentary seats in Sunday's controversial elections.
• Battle for Fair Vote in Ukraine Drags On RIA Novosti 02 Nov 2012 -- World famous boxer Vitaly Klitschko threatened not to recognize the results of the election.