Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 05 Dec 2012 [PDF]
• Iran Urges US to Confirm Drone Capture RIA Novosti 05 Dec 2012 -- Iran said the United States should carefully review its drone records, following Washington's denial of Tehran's claims that it had captured one of them.
• US Denies Tehran Claims of Drone Capture RIA Novosti 05 Dec 2012 -- The US has “no evidence” to support Iran’s reports that it had captured a US drone in the Persian Gulf, White House spokesman Jay Carney said.
• USACE's military construction program in southern Afghanistan winds down Army News 05 Dec 2012 -- The United States and its coalition partners sent military forces to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in October 2001. A six-person U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Forward Engineer Support Team deployed with the U.S. Army's XVIII Airborne Corps to provide engineering, construction, planning, contracting and real estate services.
• Combined Force Kills Insurgent Leader AFPS 05 Dec 2012 -- An Afghan and coalition security force killed insurgent leader Mohammed Yar Gul and two other insurgents during an operation in the Watahpur district of Afghanistan’s Kunar province.
• NATO Claims Progress in Afghanistan VOA 05 Dec 2012 -- NATO is claiming significant progress on security in Afghanistan, based on a report its commanding general there.
• Beating Sparks Outcry Against Militia Commanders In Afghan Government RFE/RL 05 Dec 2012 -- When news broke of a suicide bombing at an international military complex in Kabul last month, local police officer Mohammad Ismail was promptly dispatched to the scene.
• KC-135 crew on point in Afghan skies AFNS 05 Dec 2012 -- The 22 EARS is the second largest refueling squadron in the U.S. Air Force and provides one-third of the air refueling for coalition aircraft supporting international efforts in Afghanistan.
• Welsh regiments welcomed home to London and Swansea UK MOD 05 Dec 2012 -- A fantastic 'welcome home' from Afghanistan was given to members of two Welsh regiments as they paraded through Swansea and the London Borough of Hounslow.
• Three Soldiers Killed In Pakistan Suicide Bombing RFE/RL 05 Dec 2012 -- Officials in Pakistan say at least three soldiers have been killed and nine more wounded in a suicide bombing.

Defense Policy / Programs

• F-35B completes second airborne weapons separation USMC News 05 Dec 2012 -- The F-35 Integrated Test Force accomplished another significant test milestone Dec. 3 when an F-35B successfully released another weapon in flight.
• F-35B Completes Second Airborne Weapons Separation: Lightning II Executes First Drop of a 500-Pound GBU-12 NNS 05 Dec 2012 -- The F-35 Integrated Test Force accomplished another significant test milestone Dec. 3 when an F-35B successfully released another weapon in flight.
• Keel Laid for future USNS John Glenn NNS 05 Dec 2012 -- General Dynamics NASSCO held a keel laying ceremony for the future USNS John Glenn (MLP 2), Dec. 4, in San Diego, Calif.
• Restricted Water Transit Concept of Operations Released by Navy Warfare Development Command NNS 05 Dec 2012 -- A Restricted Water Transit (RWT) Concept of Operations (CONOPS) developed by Navy Warfare Development Command (NWDC) at the direction of Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces, is now available through the Navy Doctrine Library System (NDLS).
• Camp Pendleton Breaks Ground for Tactical Vehicles Complex NNS 05 Dec 2012 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest and Camp Pendleton hosted a ground breaking ceremony Nov. 20 for the Truck Company Operations Complex at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.
• Defense Department Prepares Plans for Sequestration AFPS 05 Dec 2012 -- The Defense Department has received guidance from the Office of Management and Budget and is now planning for sequestration.
• U.S., South Korea Participate in Nuke Deterrence Exercise AFPS 05 Dec 2012 -- U.S. and South Korean defense and diplomatic experts will conduct a tabletop exercise examining nuclear deterrence on the Korean Peninsula beginning tomorrow.
• Guardsmen Continue U.S.-Mexico Border Security Duties AFPS 05 Dec 2012 -- As many as 300 National Guardsmen will remain deployed along the U.S.-Mexico border for another year as part of a border security partnership between the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security.
• U.S. Army's common operating picture tool continues to evolve Army News 05 Dec 2012 -- A map has been the commander's steadfast strategic planning tool on just about any battlefield throughout history.
• New York Army National Guard Troops Help Kuwait Missions Move Forward Army News 05 Dec 2012 -- New York Army National Guard Soldiers put their range of skills and experience to work in Kuwait, yielding lasting results for ongoing Army missions in the area.
• Some of “The Old Breed” join the 31st MEU USMC News 05 Dec 2012 -- More than 300 Marines and Sailors of 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, crossed the flight line here, Dec. 2 and Dec. 4, signaling the arrival of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit's new battalion landing team.
• Joint Statement on the Third Annual U.S.-AU High Level Meeting US Dept. of State 05 Dec 2012
• Cyber Pro Discusses Mobile Network Security Challenges AFPS 05 Dec 2012 -- With more than 680,000 mobile devices in use across the Defense Department, they are quickly emerging as a critical component of military communications.
• CSAF directs Air Force-wide inspection AFNS 05 Dec 2012 -- Commanders across the Air Force will conduct health and welfare inspections starting Dec. 5 to emphasize an environment of respect, trust and professionalism in the workplace.
• Through Airmen's Eyes: Airman creates important database program AFNS 05 Dec 2012 -- When an expensive contract on an Air Force aircrew flight equipment database program was not renewed, bases across the world had to find local solutions to fill the void.
• Gas guzzlers disappearing from Army's shrinking fleet Army News 05 Dec 2012 -- In the past few years, the number of Army non-tactical vehicles has been declining and the number of fuel-hungry vehicles has been declining as well.
• Army scientists improve garbage-to-energy prototype device Army News 05 Dec 2012 -- The year was 2008 and the on-going war in Iraq was a dangerous landscape for Soldiers on the ground, especially convoys traveling to and from base camps.
• Military History Professor Provides Korean War Perspectives AFPS 05 Dec 2012 -- A Korean War expert provided a Pentagon audience with some Chinese, Russian and North Korean perspectives on that conflict.
• Ministry Dismisses Bulava Test Reports RIA Novosti 05 Dec 2012 -- The Russian Defense Ministry on dismissed media reports saying the Bulava sea-based ballistic missile will be test launched from the Alexander Nevsky nuclear submarine next July.
• Russian Anti-Tank Missile Passes State Tests RIA Novosti 05 Dec 2012 -- The Russian military has completed state acceptance trials of the modernized Shturm-SM man-portable anti-tank missile system, its chief designer said.
• Russian Paras Test Lightweight UAV RIA Novosti 05 Dec 2012 -- Russia's airborne forces have started state acceptance trials of the new Iskatel (Searcher) lightweight unmanned aerial vehicle system.
• Congo Police to Buy Russian Armored Cars RIA Novosti 05 Dec 2012 -- The Republic of Congo will buy several consignments of Russian-made Tigr (Tiger) armored vehicles for its police force.
• Secretary Clinton Press Availability Following Ministeral Meetings at NATO Headquarters US Dept. of State 05 Dec 2012
• Press conference by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen following the meetings of the NATO-Georgia Commission in Foreign Ministers session and of NATO Foreign Ministers with non-NATO ISAF Contributing Nations NATO 05 Dec 2012
• Opening remarks by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen at the meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers with non-NATO ISAF Contributing Nations NATO 05 Dec 2012
• NATO Ministers agree to boost cooperation with Russia, Georgia, back Turkish request for air defence NATO 05 Dec 2012 -- NATO Foreign Ministers wrapped-up two days of meetings with agreements to augment Turkey’s air defence, boost cooperation with Russia and develop a funding mechanism for Afghan Security Forces.
• NATO Foreign Ministers Discuss Afghanistan, Georgia RFE/RL 05 Dec 2012 -- NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says the alliance's foreign ministers have had a "productive" session with Afghanistan's foreign minister in Brussels.
• US Secretary Clinton Praises NATO, Bids Farewell VOA 05 Dec 2012 -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has praised the "great strides" made by the NATO security alliance as she made what she called her final attendance at a NATO foreign ministerial meeting.
• Japan Deploys Patriot Missiles Ahead of N.Korea Launch RIA Novosti 05 Dec 2012 -- A Japanese naval transport ship has delivered Patriot missile interceptor systems to the southern island of Ishigaki to counter any threat posed by North Korea’s planned space launch.
• India Confirms Chinook as Helicopter Tender Winner RIA Novosti 05 Dec 2012 -- India has preferred Boeing Chinook over Russian Mi-26 helicopters in a tender on the delivery of 15 heavy-lift helicopters to the Indian Air Force.
• Military research unit showcases weapons to be commissioned CNA 05 Dec 2012 -- The military's main research and development unit showcased a variety of its inventions.
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing, December 5, 2012 US Dept. of State 05 Dec 2012
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney and NEC Prinicipal Deputy Director Jason Furman, 12/5/2012 The White House 05 Dec 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for December 05, 2012

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary General, 05 December 2012 United Nations 05 Dec 2012
• UN war tribunals making progress but still face challenges, officials tell Security Council UN News Centre 05 Dec 2012 -- The United Nations war crimes tribunals set up in the wake of the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s and the 1994 genocide in Rwanda are making progress in completing their work, but still face a myriad of challenges that will require support from the international community, their officials told the Security Council today.
• International Concern Mounts Over Syria's Chemical Weapons VOA 05 Dec 2012 -- As U.S. officials raise the alarm about perceived Syrian government preparations to use chemical weapons in the country’s civil war, some analysts see those weapons playing other roles in the conflict.
• Clinton Warns Syria on Chemical Weapons VOA 05 Dec 2012 -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is warning Syrian leaders they will be held accountable if they resort to the use of chemical weapons in their increasingly difficult fight against insurgents.
• US Senate Recommends Studying Syria No-Fly Zone RIA Novosti 05 Dec 2012 -- The US Senate recommended that US President Barack Obama study the possibility of imposing the no-fly zone over Syria.
• UNICEF condemns mortar attack on Syrian school UN News Centre 05 Dec 2012 -- United Nations Children’s Fund declared that strikes on schools during the Syrian conflict are “unacceptable.”
• U.S. states stance on territorial disputes in Asia-Pacific region CNA 05 Dec 2012 -- The United States has clearly stated its position on territorial matters to all parties embroiled in such disputes and expects Taiwan and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region to take steps to avoid provoking misunderstanding and tension.
• Vietnam Protests List of Chinese 'Sovereignty Violations' VOA 05 Dec 2012 -- Border demarcation contention continues to plague the South China Sea. China's claim for the entire sea is denied by its regional neighbors.
• Political dialogue, not military force, priority in tackling Mali crisis, Security Council told UN News Centre 05 Dec 2012 -- A military operation may be required as a last resort in northern Mali, but the priority must be on supporting the national authorities to restore constitutional order and reach a political settlement to the ongoing crisis.
• Mali, ECOWAS, AU Urge UN to Send Force to Mali VOA 05 Dec 2012 -- Malian authorities and African regional organizations are urging the U.N. Security Council to approve the deployment of a 3,300-member African-led force to help recapture northern Mali, which is ruled by Islamist militants.
• Dory: Northern Mali a Terrorist Safe Haven AFPS 05 Dec 2012 -- Northern Mali has become a terrorist haven, and DOD will continue to work with local African nations and regional organizations to isolate and degrade the threat emanating from the area.
• Ivorian President Urges Swift Military Action in Mali VOA 05 Dec 2012 -- Ivory Coast's president has called for swift military intervention in northern Mali, as part of efforts to oust Islamist militants from the region.
• Israel must abide by Gaza ceasefire agreement, says UN rights expert UN News Centre 05 Dec 2012 -- Israel must abide by and fully implement the ceasefire agreement that ended the recent crisis in Gaza.
• At Least 10 Somali Troops Killed in Puntland VOA 05 Dec 2012 -- At least 10 soldiers in Somalia's Puntland region have been killed during an attack by militant group al-Shabab.
• Anti-LRA Campaign Lacks Resources VOA 05 Dec 2012 -- A six-month effort to eliminate LRA rebels in Central Africa is being criticized for failing to make meaningful progress.
• Situation in DR Congo’s Kivu provinces remains fragile, UN reports UN News Centre 05 Dec 2012 -- The security and humanitarian situation in the Kivu provinces in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo remains fragile.
• Congo Army Arrests Several for Alleged Rapes VOA 05 Dec 2012 -- In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), at least 70 rape victims have been receiving treatment in the small town of Minova.
• Top UN relief official calls on Myanmar’s leaders to support humanitarian efforts UN News Centre 05 Dec 2012 -- On a visit to a Myanmar state wracked by inter-communal violence, the top United Nations relief official today called on the country’s leaders to support UN and other humanitarian efforts in the region.
• SOUTH SUDAN: Women and children bear brunt of Jonglei violence IRIN 05 Dec 2012 -- Women and children are increasingly being caught up in violent attacks related to cattle rustling and inter-communal rivalries in South Sudan’s Jonglei State.
• Judge Warns Pakistan's Government Over Killings In Southwest RFE/RL 05 Dec 2012 -- Pakistan's most senior judge says he is determined to push the government over killings and disappearances in southwestern Balochistan Province.
• UN chief ‘encouraged’ by progress in relations between Kuwait and Iraq UN News Centre 05 Dec 2012 -- During a visit to Kuwait, Secretary-General Ban said he was encouraged by the country’s recent progress in relations with Iraq.

News Reports

• NATO Calls On Pyongyang To Cancel Rocket Launch RFE/RL 05 Dec 2012 -- NATO has called on North Korea to cancel plans for its second rocket launch of 2012, saying it would violate UN resolutions.
• N.Korean Rocket Set Up on Launch Pad RIA Novosti 05 Dec 2012 -- North Korea has completed pre-launch assembly of all three stages of a long-range rocket for a flight later this month, media reports said, in defiance of international calls to call off the operation.
• Iranian Election Reform Could Favor Establishment Candidates RFE/RL 05 Dec 2012 -- There are months to go before Iranians choose a new president, but the Islamic regime already appears to be preparing the ground for a preferred candidate.
• The Rare 'Feeling Of Getting Your Rights From The Islamic Republic' RFE/RL 05 Dec 2012 -- Prominent Iranian lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh ended her hunger strike earlier this week after the authorities reportedly removed a travel ban they had imposed on her young daughter.
• Arab Spring Not Enough to Blunt Corruption VOA 05 Dec 2012 -- For many Egyptians, Hussien Salem is a symbol of everything wrong with their old regime.
• Protesters Clash in Cairo, More Presidential Advisers Quit VOA 05 Dec 2012 -- Supporters and opponents of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi battled in Cairo with rocks and firebombs, as three key presidential advisors quit to protest the president's handling of the country's constitutional crisis.
• Egyptian Protesters Clash Outside Presidential Palace VOA 05 Dec 2012 -- Opponents and supporters of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi clashed near the presidential palace.
• Morsi Supporters Attack Opposition Protesters RFE/RL 05 Dec 2012 -- Several thousand supporters of Egyptian President Muhammad Morsi have chased protesters from a camp that they set up on a square near the presidential palace.
• Morsi Supporters, Protesters Clash in Cairo RIA Novosti 05 Dec 2012 -- Supporters of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and opposition protesters clashed on Wednesday for the second consecutive day outside the presidential palace in Cairo.
• Egyptian President Leaves Palace Surrounded by Protestors RIA Novosti 05 Dec 2012 -- Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi left the presidential palace in Cairo late on Tuesday after it was surrounded by thousands of protestors.
• China Targets Top Sichuan Official in Anti-graft Drive VOA 05 Dec 2012 -- China’s anti-corruption commission has begun an inquiry into a top official in the southwestern province of Sichuan.
• China Defends Imprisonment of Nobel Winner VOA 05 Dec 2012 -- China has dismissed an appeal by a group of prominent Nobel laureates who want Beijing to free imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize Winner Liu Xiaobo.
• China Slams Exiled Activist's Calls for Reform VOA 05 Dec 2012 -- China's state-controlled press is responding angrily to activist Chen Guangcheng, who this week urged China's new leaders to protect human rights and follow Burma's path to political reform.
• China Earns Poor Score on Corruption Index VOA 05 Dec 2012 -- China has received poor marks in an annual corruption index, underscoring a worsening problem that Communist Party leaders have acknowledged could threaten their grip on power.
• Senior UN official wraps up Maldives visit with call for dialogue and credible elections UN News Centre 05 Dec 2012 -- A senior United Nations official stressed the need to promote dialogue and ensure free and fair elections in the Maldives.
• George Weah to Lead Liberia’s National Reconciliation Effort VOA 05 Dec 2012 -- Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s office has announced that George Weah, a former opposition presidential and vice presidential candidate, has consented to work with the government as its peace ambassador.
• Uzbek Senate Approves Amnesty Proposed By President RFE/RL 05 Dec 2012 -- The Uzbek Senate has adopted a resolution on amnesty that is expected to go into effect on December 6.
• Djukanovic Gets Seventh Term As Montenegrin Prime Minister RFE/RL 05 Dec 2012 -- Montenegro's parliament has voted to give Milo Djukanovic a seventh term as prime minister of the former Yugoslav republic.
• Magnitsky Bill in US Senate Targets Only Russia RIA Novosti 05 Dec 2012 -- The US Senate is set to consider a version of the “Magnitsky Act” that targets only Russian officials deemed by Washington to be complicit in human rights abuses.
• US Senate Puts Magnitsky Act on Wednesday Agenda RIA Novosti 05 Dec 2012 -- The US Senate will consider a bill which links normalized trade relations with Russia to the so-called “Magnitsky Act,” introducing sanctions for Russian officials deemed to have violated human rights, according to the Senate’s official schedule.
• Anti-Putin Activists Mark Anniversary of Landmark Protest RIA Novosti 05 Dec 2012 -- Around a hundred opposition activists gathered in Moscow evening to mark the first anniversary of the rally that kick-started unprecedented mass protests against the rule of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
• Russia’s Anti-Putin Opposition: One Year On RIA Novosti 05 Dec 2012 -- Thousands of Muscovites swept into the streets to protest alleged vote-rigging in favor of Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party at the December 4, 2011, parliamentary polls.
• Russia Gets Low Marks in Corruption Index VOA 05 Dec 2012 -- Transparency International has published its annual corruption perception index and Russia ranked near the bottom in the global index.
• Investigations Underway into Corruption and Embezzlement in West Africa VOA 05 Dec 2012 -- So-called "ill-gotten gains" investigations are underway into several current and former ruling families from West and Central Africa.
• Corruption Report on Latin America: Mixed Progress VOA 05 Dec 2012 -- A global anti-corruption watchdog group has ranked Venezuela near the bottom of its list of 176 countries, in its annual report on perceived corruption.
• Transparency: Two-Thirds Of Countries Perceived To Be 'Highly Corrupt' RFE/RL 05 Dec 2012 -- The anticorruption group Transparency International (TI) says high levels of bribery, abuse of power, and secret dealings continue to “ravage” societies around the world, despite a growing public outcry over corrupt governments.