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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 08 Jan 2013 [PDF]
• Obama, Karzai Plan Afghanistan Talks at White House AFPS 08 Jan 2013 -- The centerpiece of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's visit here this week will be meetings Jan. 11 at the White House, where he and President Barack Obama can discuss the changes in Afghanistan and how the United States can work with the country in the future.
• Combined Team Ready First uncases colors in Afghanistan Army News 08 Jan 2013 -- The Combined Team Ready First assumed battle space responsibility from 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, 'Lancers,' from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, Jan. 7. The ceremony was held at Camp Nathan Smith, Afghanistan, and hosted multiple Afghan dignitaries, as well as Maj. Gen. Robert 'Abe' Abrams, RC-South commander.
• White House: No US Troops an Option For Afghanistan VOA 08 Jan 2013 -- Three days before Afghanistan's president, Hamid Karzai, meets with President Barack Obama in Washington, White House officials said Tuesday that the United States is considering all options, including potentially leaving no troops in Afghanistan beyond 2014 when foreign combat forces are to leave.
• Deployed Airmen help Afghan police with security checkpoint AFNS 08 Jan 2013 -- At a busy intersection in Parwan Province near Bagram Airfield, adults and children alike stopped to watch as a crane lofted what looked like a shipping container above the heads of Afghan and American servicemembers Jan. 7.
• U.S., Afghan Forces Arrest Taliban Facilitator AFPS 08 Jan 2013 -- A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban facilitator today in the Pul-e Khumri district of Afghanistan's Baghlan province, military officials reported.
• Afghan 'Insider Attack' Kills ISAF Soldier RFE/RL 08 Jan 2013 -- The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) says a British soldier serving with the NATO-led force in Afghanistan has been killed in the latest of several 'insider attacks.'
• ISAF: Security Transfer to Afghan Forces on Track VOA 08 Jan 2013 -- ​NATO civilian and military officials said that by the middle of 2013, Afghanistan's national security forces will be leading security operations throughout the country. They also have dismissed suggestions that so-called "green-on-blue" attacks could undermine the 2014 drawdown plan.
• U.S. spy aircraft kills 8 in NW Pakistan IRNA 08 Jan 2013 -- American spy aircraft rained down missiles into Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal early Tuesday and killed at least eight people, residents said.
• U.S., NATO Patriots Deploy to Augment Turkish Air Defenses AFPS 08 Jan 2013 -- With advance elements of two U.S. Patriot missile batteries already on the ground in Turkey, additional defenders are prepared to deploy tomorrow in support of NATO's missile defense mission there.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Military Judge Reduces Possible Sentence in WikiLeaks Case VOA 08 Jan 2013 -- A military judge has reduced the possible sentence for a U.S. Army analyst accused of leaking classified documents to the WikiLeaks website.
• Hagel Nomination Signals Change at Pentagon VOA 08 Jan 2013 -- If he's confirmed, Chuck Hagel - President Barack Obama's pick to be the new defense secretary - will immediately have to deal with cutting the U.S. defense budget by $487 billion or more and the drawdown of troops from Afghanistan.
• DOD News Briefing with George Little from the Pentagon DoD 08 Jan 2013 -- Presenter: Pentagon Press Secretary George Little
• NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support Awards $89 Million Performance Based Logistics Contract NNS 08 Jan 2013 -- NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support recently awarded a Performance Based Logistics (PBL) contract to Raytheon Company based out of Goleta, Calif., for AN/ALR-67(V)3 Radar Warning Receiver supply support.
• Panetta to Host Karzai, Barak at Pentagon AFPS 08 Jan 2013 -- Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta will meet separately this week with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Pentagon Press Secretary George E. Little told reporters today, adding that the war in Afghanistan and the conflict in Syria remain key issues on Panetta's agenda as he enters what are expected to be his final weeks in office.
• Panetta to Visit European Allies AFPS 08 Jan 2013 -- Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta will depart Jan. 14 on a weeklong trip to Europe, visiting Portugal, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters here today.
• Budget Process 'A Mess,' Pentagon Spokesman Says AFPS 08 Jan 2013 -- When reporters asked him about the budget process during a news conference here today, Pentagon Press Secretary George E. Little had a plain-spoken answer.
• New range system passes test Army News 08 Jan 2013 -- Training, Fort Leavenworth. CAC-T manages Army training support and training development, and provides training and leader development programs and products to support Army readiness.
• Army investigates 'smell-seeing' technology for military application Army News 08 Jan 2013 -- At the U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, scientists are fine-tuning odor-sensing technology that could be used to protect food supplies, identify biological agents and equip the warfighter with newfound capabilities.
• New range system passes government test Army News 08 Jan 2013 -- A new 'location of miss and hit' electronic shot detection and location system recently passed its government acceptance test.
• Cyber Officials Weigh Opportunities, Challenges AFPS 08 Jan 2013 -- The joint information environment will define the future as the services move closer to a common foundation, Defense Information Systems Agency officials said during a panel discussion here yesterday.
• Not Everyone Likes Obama's New National Security Nominees RFE/RL 08 Jan 2013 -- U.S. President Barack Obama's decision to nominate former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel for defense secretary and counterterrorism adviser John Brennan to lead the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has set the stage for potentially rancorous confirmation battles in the U.S. Senate.
• DOD Comptroller: Budget Stability Key to National Security AFPS 08 Jan 2013 -- Stability in the size of the Defense Department's budget -- and especially in the process of funding it -- is critical to maintaining national security, DOD Comptroller Robert F. Hale said here yesterday.
• NORAD Exercise Planned for National Capital Region DoD 08 Jan 2013 -- North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and its geographical component, the Continental United States NORAD Region (CONR), will conduct exercise Falcon Virgo 13-04 beginning Wednesday morning between midnight and 2 a.m. EST in the National Capital Region (NCR), Washington D.C.
• Missile Forces To Double Number of Contract Soldiers RIA Novosti 08 Jan 2013 -- The share of contract soldiers in Russia's Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) will be more than doubled by 2017, an SMF spokesman said on Tuesday.
• Russia to Get 20 New Aerospace Defense Radars RIA Novosti 08 Jan 2013 -- Russia's Aerospace Defense Forces will received about 20 new radar stations this year, a Defense Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.
• U.S. will sell advanced Patriot missiles to Taiwan in 2015: Senator CNA 08 Jan 2013 -- The United States will sell Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles to Taiwan in 2015 and this is Washington's firm promise, visiting U.S. Senator James Inhofe said Tuesday.
• Georgian Army Will Become Fully Professional In Four Years RFE/RL 08 Jan 2013 -- Georgia's Defense Minister Irakly Alasania says his country's army will become a fully professional force without the need for conscription in four years.
• Iran is the leading missile power in the region, says Deputy Defense Minister IRNA 08 Jan 2013 -- Iran is the leading missile power in the region, senior defense official said on Tuesday.
• January 8, 2013 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 08 Jan 2013
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 1/8/2013 The White House 08 Jan 2013

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 08, 2013

Other Conflicts

• 8 January 2013 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 Jan 2013
• JORDAN: Tempers flare as heavy rain pounds camp IRIN 08 Jan 2013 -- Two days of unusually heavy rainfall in Jordan's northern desert have increased tensions in its largest camp for Syrian refugees and forced 300 of them to leave their tents for safer ground, say aid workers, a government official and camp residents.
• UN: 1 Million Syrians Need Emergency Food Aid VOA 08 Jan 2013 -- The United Nations said Tuesday that about one million Syrians are living without adequate food supplies and that serious fuel shortages and rising violence are disrupting aid distribution across the war-torn country.
• EU Says Syria's Assad Is Not Commited to Peace RIA Novosti 08 Jan 2013 -- EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton has expressed regret over President Bashar al-Assad's failure to undertake credible steps to find a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis.
• Amid ongoing violence, UN food relief agency warns of growing shortages in Syria UN News Centre 08 Jan 2013 -- The United Nations food relief agency today warned that humanitarian needs in Syria – especially for food – are growing, with serious bread and fuel shortages across the war-torn country.
• CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: South Africa bolsters its troops in Bangui IRIN 08 Jan 2013 -- South Africa has deployed 200 troops in the strife-torn Central African Republic (CAR), which some see not simply as an effort to assist CAR's army but also as a move to counter French military influence in the region.
• CAR President Says He Will Not Step Down VOA 08 Jan 2013 -- Central African Republic President Francois Bozize maintains that he will not be forced out of office by rebels who are threatening the capital and are demanding the president step down. He spoke to reporters in Bangui on the eve of peace talks with the rebels set to open in Gabon on Wednesday.
• India: Pakistani Troops Kill 2 Indian Soldiers in Kashmir VOA 08 Jan 2013 -- India said Pakistani troops have shot dead two Indian soldiers near the countries' disputed border in Kashmir, two days after Pakistan said one of its soldiers was killed in the area.
• International Force Could Deploy Soon in Eastern DRC VOA 08 Jan 2013 -- A neutral international force could be deployed within the coming weeks in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Discussions about the force developed after rebel group M23 declared a unilateral ceasefire.
• Former US Officials Assess Prospects for Mideast Peace VOA 08 Jan 2013 -- Negotiations for a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians have been stalled for more than two years.
• MAURITANIA: Ex-refugees want land, ID cards IRIN 08 Jan 2013 -- Nearly 25,000 Mauritanian refugees who had sheltered in Senegal for two decades after fleeing violence in 1989, have returned home since 2008, but despite extensive efforts to resettle them in their original villages many lack ID papers and/or access to their old farmland.
• SUDAN-SOUTH SUDAN: Fear keeps Abyei residents from returning home IRIN 08 Jan 2013 -- Only a fraction of the 120,000 people who fled the Abyei Area following an invasion by Sudanese troops in May 2011 have returned to their homes, amid fears of repeat military action and uncertainty over the area's political future.
• SRI LANKA: Thousands still waiting to return home IRIN 08 Jan 2013 -- Thousands of northern Sri Lankans are unable to return to their homes as the land they are on is still occupied by the army, say residents and activists, though military sources reject the allegations.
• Mali Soldiers Fire Warning Shots at Rebels VOA 08 Jan 2013 -- Malian soldiers have fired artillery at Islamist fighters who tried to push toward the government-controlled south of the country.

News Reports

• North Korea Gives US Delegation Rare Look at Internet Use VOA 08 Jan 2013 -- North Korea has provided a small group of Americans with a rare look at the few people who can access the Internet in the tightly-controlled and impoverished state.
• Supreme Leader warns against enemies plots on eve of 11th presidential election IRNA 08 Jan 2013 -- Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on Tuesday warned against enemies' plots on the eve of the 11th presidential elections, slated for June.
• Ahmadinejad: Iran relies on own capabilities in reconstructing country IRNA 08 Jan 2013 -- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday that domestic capabilities are the best means to reconstruct the country.
• US strategy in ME is to create religious discord, IRGC official IRNA 08 Jan 2013 -- Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) commander Mahmood Chaharbaghi said the latest US strategy in the Middle East is to sow religious discord among Muslims.
• FM spokesman: Iran ready to remove concerns if reaches agreement with IAEA IRNA 08 Jan 2013 -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Iran is ready to remove concerns of the International Atomic Energy Agency if it reaches agreement with the nuclear watchdog entailing Iran's full rights to peaceful nuclear activities.
• Supreme Leader warns against enemies plots on verge of elections IRNA 08 Jan 2013 -- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday warned against plots hatched by enemies of the Islamic Iran on the threshold of the country's next presidential elections, slated for June 14.
• Iraq: UN envoy calls for demonstrations to be carried out peacefully and with restraint UN News Centre 08 Jan 2013 -- Taking note of demonstrations currently taking place in several Iraqi governorates, the United Nations envoy in the country today called for those taking part and those providing security to ensure that the protests are carried out peacefully.
• Invigorated Customs Union Presents Russia's Neighbors With Stark Choice RFE/RL 08 Jan 2013 -- Moscow seems to be growing frustrated with Ukraine's efforts to pursue closer ties with the European Union while simultaneously seeking benefits reserved for members of the Russia-led Eurasian Customs Union (ECU).
• Zimbabwe Elections Unlikely by March VOA 08 Jan 2013 -- Bickering over Zimbabwe's proposed new constitution is reducing chances the government will comply with a court ruling to hold national elections by March 31.
• Venezuela's Chavez Said 'Stable,' Mass Rally Planned RFE/RL 08 Jan 2013 -- Venezuelan Information Minister Ernesto Villegas says President Hugo Chavez is in stable condition in a hospital in Cuba, two days before a planned inauguration ceremony to kick off the entrenched populist's new term.
• UN chief 'deeply regrets' Bahraini court's decision to uphold sentences against political activists UN News Centre 08 Jan 2013 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon "deeply regrets" the decision of a Bahraini appeals court to uphold the sentences, including life imprisonment, against 20 Bahraini political activists, according to his spokesperson.
• UN human rights office disappointed by Bahrain's decision to uphold conviction of 13 activists UN News Centre 08 Jan 2013 -- The United Nations today expressed disappointment over Bahrain's decision to uphold the convictions of 13 pro-democracy activists in spite of concerns raised by an independent human rights panel and appeals by the international community.
• Rights Groups Disturbed By Bahrain Court Decision on Activists' Sentences VOA 08 Jan 2013 -- Rights groups are expressing disappointment over the decision by Bahrain's highest court to reject the appeals of 13 activists jailed on charges of organizing pro-democracy protests in Bahrain nearly two years ago.
• Wife Of Former FBI Agent Missing In Iran Talks About 'New' Photos RFE/RL 08 Jan 2013 -- The family of former FBI agent Robert Levinson, who disappeared during a March 2007 visit to the Iranian island of Kish, has released new photographs of him in captivity.