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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 10 Jan 2013 [PDF]
• Combined Force Kills Enemy Facilitator AFPS 10 Jan 2013 -- A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan facilitator Mazlum Yar today in the Ishkamish district of Afghanistan's Takhar province, military officials reported.
• Remarks by Secretary Panetta and President Karzai at the Pentagon DoD 10 Jan 2013
• Afghan President Meets With U.S. Defense Leaders at Pentagon AFPS 10 Jan 2013 -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s meetings with top U.S. defense officials here today has helped lay the groundwork for his discussions with President Obama tomorrow, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said.
• Pentagon: US, Afghanistan Reach 'Last Chapter' in War VOA 10 Jan 2013 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has hailed what he calls "the last chapter" of a struggle to ensure that Afghanistan can govern itself and avoid reverting to a safe haven for terrorists.
• Pentagon Chief Says U.S.-Kabul On 'Last Chapter' Of War RFE/RL 10 Jan 2013 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says the United States and Afghanistan have reached the "last chapter" in their effort to establish a sovereign Afghanistan that can provide its own security.
• Pentagon Officials Welcome Afghan President for Talks AFPS 10 Jan 2013 -- The Pentagon pulled out all the stops in welcoming Afghan President Hamid Karzai to meetings with Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta here today.
• Afghans Warn United States Against Complete Pullout RFE/RL 10 Jan 2013 -- Afghan officials and lawmakers are warning Washington not to consider a "zero option" of withdrawing all U.S. troops from the country after 2014.
• Task Force Falcon assumes aviation command Army News 10 Jan 2013 -- The responsibility of aviation operations in Regional Commands South, Southwest, and West was officially passed to Task Force Falcon, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade Jan. 9.
• DOD Takes on 'No Breakfast' Internet Myth AFPS 10 Jan 2013 -- If it's on the Internet, it has to be true, right?
• US drone kills 4 in NW Pakistan IRNA 10 Jan 2013 -- An American spy aircraft Thursday attacked a house in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region and killed Four people, residents said.
• U.S. Army Europe forces deploy in support of NATO missile defense Army News 10 Jan 2013 -- Soldiers from U.S. Army Europe's 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command and 44th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, along with members of the 32nd AAMDC from Fort Bliss, Texas, are deploying to Turkey.
• U.S. Says Releasing Dead Bin Laden Photos Still Dangerous RFE/RL 10 Jan 2013 -- The U.S. government says it is still not ready to release photographs taken of slain Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's body because they still could lead to violence.
• US Appeals Court Considers Release of bin Laden Raid Photos VOA 10 Jan 2013 -- A U.S. Court of Appeals has heard arguments for a lawsuit requesting the release of images of terrorist Osama bin Laden's body after he was killed in a U.S. Special Forces raid in May 2011.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Press Briefing by Secretary Panetta and General Dempsey in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 10 Jan 2013 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin E. Dempsey
• General provides guidance for 2013 USMC News 10 Jan 2013 -- Lt. Gen. Kenneth J. Glueck Jr., the commanding general of III Marine Expeditionary Force, provided guidance to his command Jan. 4 that explained his intent and vision for III MEF during 2013.
• Infantry battalion shifts focus to jungle training USMC News 10 Jan 2013 -- Marines with 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, which is currently assigned to 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, under the unit deployment program, conducted hasty rappel training at JWTC on Camp Gonsalves Jan. 8 as part of a nine-day course Jan. 7-15.
• MEC conducts helpful experiment in Philippines USMC News 10 Jan 2013 -- Typhoon Bopha hit the Republic of the Philippines in early December, claiming the lives of more than 1,000 people. Weeks after the devastating event, those who survived the super typhoon are still suffering the effects Bopha left in its path.
• USS Jacksonville Strikes Vessel, No Injuries NNS 10 Jan 2013 -- No one was hurt when the periscope on USS Jacksonville (SSN 699), a Los Angeles-class submarine, struck a vessel while operating in the Arabian Gulf Jan. 10 at approximately 5 a.m. local time.
• Halyburton Holds Change of Command Ceremony NNS 10 Jan 2013 -- Guided-missile frigate USS Halyburton (FFG 40) held a change of command ceremony Jan. 3.
• AF officials reschedule MilPDS upgrade AFNS 10 Jan 2013 -- Originally slated for December of last year, Air Force officials will perform a major upgrade to the Military Personnel Data System, or MilPDS, in March.
• Panetta: Fiscal Crisis Poses Biggest Immediate Threat to DOD AFPS 10 Jan 2013 -- The “perfect storm of budget uncertainty” howling around his department is the biggest immediate threat facing the U.S. military, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told reporters here today.
• Memo Tells DOD Components to Plan for Budget Uncertainties AFPS 10 Jan 2013 -- Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter has released a memo directing the services and defense agencies to begin planning for possible upcoming budget challenges.
• Panetta Praises Hagel as ‘Right Person’ to Lead Department AFPS 10 Jan 2013 -- Panetta spoke today during a press briefing with Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
• DOD Announces Recruiting and Retention Numbers for Fiscal 2013, Through November 2012 DoD 10 Jan 2013 -- The Department of Defense announced today recruiting and retention statistics for the active and reserve components for fiscal 2013, through November.
• Taiwan hopes to strengthen ties with U.S. CNA 10 Jan 2013 -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday it hopes limitations in relations between Taiwan and the United States will be eliminated so that bilateral ties can be strengthened.
• Northcom Calls Partnerships Central to Mission Success AFPS 10 Jan 2013 -- In one of his first acts after taking command of U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command in August 2011, Army Gen. Charles H. Jacoby Jr. revised Northcom's mission statement to reflect the importance of partnerships to its success.
• Army researchers develop robot intelligence to support Soldiers Army News 10 Jan 2013 -- Unmanned systems have begun to have a significant impact on warfare.
• DOD Electric Vehicles Will Supply Power to Local Grids AFPS 10 Jan 2013 -- As the military continues to move away from dependence on fossil fuels, the Defense Department plans to spend $20 million on a fleet of electric vehicles unique in their ability to export their own power and offset their cost.
• Russia Commissions First Borey Class Nuclear Sub RIA Novosti 10 Jan 2013 -- Russia's first Borey class ballistic missile nuclear submarine, the Yury Dolgoruky, was officially commissioned into the Russian Navy on Thursday.
• India test-fires manoeuvrable version of BrahMos IRNA 10 Jan 2013 -- India ON Wednesday successfully test-fired a highly manoeuvrable version of the 290-km range supersonic cruise missile BrahMos from a naval warship off the coast of Vishakhapatnam in Bay of Bengal.
• UK Businessman Convicted for Attempted Arms-to-Iran Deal RIA Novosti 10 Jan 2013 -- A court in Texas sentenced to almost three years in prison a retired UK businessman who admitted trying to sell weapon parts to Iran, BBC said on Thursday.
• Army capable to handle spectrum of threats: Pakistan Army Chief IRNA 10 Jan 2013 -- Pakistan Army Chief Geneneral Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has said the military is fully prepared to respond to threats of any kind whatsoever, be they direct, indirect, overt or covert, a media report said on Wednesday.
• Royal Navy Lynx aids capture of suspected pirates UK MOD 10 Jan 2013 -- Flight 217 of 815 Naval Air Squadron is currently deployed on board the French frigate FLF Surcouf as part of Operation Atalanta, the EU's counter-piracy mission off the Horn of Africa.
• Azerbaijani Soldier's Suspicious Death Prompts Action By Activists RFE/RL 10 Jan 2013 -- Activists in Azerbaijan are calling for a mass gathering on Baku's Fountains Square on January 12 to raise awareness about the deaths of young conscripts in the Azerbaijani army.
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing, January 10, 2013 US Dept. of State 10 Jan 2013

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 10, 2013

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, 10 January 2013 United Nations 10 Jan 2013
• UN Envoy Doubts Assad Role In Syria Transition RFE/RL 10 Jan 2013 -- The international envoy on the Syrian crisis says he does not believe President Bashar al-Assad should have a role in a transitional government that could emerge as part of a resolution of the Syrian civil war.
• Syria: amid severe weather, UN agency flags worsening situation for children in Jordanian refugee camps UN News Centre 10 Jan 2013 -- Severe weather conditions across northern Jordan – including heavy rain, snow and sub-zero temperatures – have greatly worsened the situation of children among some 55,000 Syrian refugees living at a camp there, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
• Mideast Winter Storm Deepens Misery of Syrians VOA 10 Jan 2013 -- A winter storm in the Middle East has brought heavy snowfall and flooding and caused at least eight deaths. The storm, called the worst in more than 20 years, disrupted life across the region and deepened the misery of hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees.
• Iranians Freed in Syria Expected Home Thursday VOA 10 Jan 2013 -- A group of 48 Iranians held hostage by Syrian rebels are expected to fly back to Iran Thursday after being freed in a prisoner swap with President Bashar al-Assad's government.
• India summons Pak High Commissioner IRNA 10 Jan 2013 -- India on Wednesday summoned the Pakistan High Commissioner to convey a 'strong protest' over the Pakistani Army action in which two Indian soldiers were killed and their bodies subjected to 'barbaric and inhuman mutilation' in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Pakistani army denies Indian statement on border firing IRNA 10 Jan 2013 -- Pakistani military has denied Indian statement that Pakistani troops crossed into Indian part of Kashmir and ambushed an Army patrol party, killing its two soldiers.
• Pakistan willing to probe Indian claim on cross-border attack IRNA 10 Jan 2013 -- Pakistan said it is ready to investigate Indian claim that Pakistani troops have crossed into Indian-administered Kashmir and killed two Indian soldiers.
• Pakistan Says Indian Troops Kill Pakistani Soldier in Kashmir VOA 10 Jan 2013 -- Pakistan's army said Indian troops have shot and killed a Pakistani soldier, the third deadly cross-border incident in the disputed Kashmir region in recent days.
• Pakistani Military Says Indian Fire Kills Soldier RFE/RL 10 Jan 2013 -- The Pakistani military says Indian troops shot and killed a Pakistani soldier in the third deadly cross-border incident reported in five days in the disputed region of Kashmir.
• CAR Rebels Agree to Cease-fire VOA 10 Jan 2013 -- Rebels in the Central African Republic say they have agreed to a temporary cease-fire deal with the government.
• Russian Helicopter Shot Up Again in South Sudan RIA Novosti 10 Jan 2013 -- A Russian-owned Mil Mi-26 transport helicopter operating on contract to the UN in South Sudan was hit by gunfire recently but the crew was not hurt, the aircraft's operator UTair told RIA Novosti on Thursday.
• South Sudan Starts Troop Withdrawal from Border Area RIA Novosti 10 Jan 2013 -- South Sudan has started to withdraw its troops from the border with Sudan in accordance with agreements signed over the weekend, a high-ranking Sudanese military official said on Wednesday.
• United Nations concerned over reports of rebel military movements in northern Mali UN News Centre 10 Jan 2013 -- The United Nations is concerned about the reported military movements of rebel groups along the frontline in northern Mali, as well as related tensions, a spokesperson for the world body said today.
• UN Security Council Calls Emergency Session on Mali VOA 10 Jan 2013 -- The 15-member United Nations Security Council has scheduled an emergency session Thursday evening for talks on the crisis in Mali.
• Islamists Seize Town in Central Mali VOA 10 Jan 2013 -- Witnesses say Islamist militants have seized a town from government troops in central Mali.
• MAURITANIA: Refugees face 'alarming' malnutrition, mortality rates IRIN 10 Jan 2013 -- In Mbéra refugee camp in eastern Mauritania, home to 55,000 Malians, just under one child in five is malnourished, and 4.6 percent are severely malnourished - two to three times the national average, according to a just-released November survey by NGO Médecins sans Frontières (MSF).
• Refugees Fear Insecurity in Kenya, Return to Somalia VOA 10 Jan 2013 -- Rising insecurity in Kenya's Dadaab refugee camps is prompting hundreds of refugees to return home to Somalia. Residents of the camps say gangs of bandits have made life too difficult for many of those who came to escape war and famine.
• Philippines, Japan Pledge Tighter Cooperation VOA 10 Jan 2013 -- The Philippines' top diplomat has pledged cooperation with Japan on tighter security, warning that China's efforts to defend its maritime claims are threatening stability in Asia.
• Vietnam not opposed to joint resource development in disputed waters CNA 10 Jan 2013 -- Vietnam is not against the idea of cooperating on exploring and developing resources in disputed waters, a spokesman for Vietnam's foreign ministry said Thursday.
• Use of UAVs by DR Congo Peacekeepers Possible - UN RIA Novosti 10 Jan 2013 -- The UN considers the use of surveillance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by its peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the office of the UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said late on Wednesday.
• Kurds, Turks Vow to Continue Talks Despite Killings VOA 10 Jan 2013 -- In Turkey, Kurdish and Turkish politicians alike say the killing in Paris of three Kurdish rebel activists should not derail efforts to end the decades-long conflict between the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebel group and the Turkish state.
• 3 Kurdish Activists Shot Dead in Paris VOA 10 Jan 2013 -- French police say three Kurdish activists, including a founding member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party militant group, have been shot to death in Paris in what the French interior minister has termed an "assassination."
• Car Bombs Rip Through Iraqi Capital VOA 10 Jan 2013 -- Bombings in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, and north of the city have killed at least six people and wounded 14 others.
• 11 Killed in Kenyan Attack VOA 10 Jan 2013 -- At least 11 people have been killed in a fresh attack in Kenya's Tana River region, where months of tribal unrest has resulted in intermittent fighting.

News Reports

• New Talks Loom Over Iran's Controversial Nuclear Program VOA 10 Jan 2013 -- With a looming threat from Israel of military action against Iran, Iranian and international diplomats are expected to try again in coming weeks after a seven-month hiatus to open negotiations over Iran's controversial nuclear program.
• U.S. Says Banks Must Guard Against Tehran Sanctions Evasion RFE/RL 10 Jan 2013 -- The U.S. Treasury Department is calling on U.S. banks to more closely monitor financial exchange houses and trading companies in the Middle East and elsewhere for Iranian attempts to circumvent economic sanctions.
• Australia Imposes New Iran Sanctions Over Nuclear Issue RFE/RL 10 Jan 2013 -- Australia has announced an expansion of sanctions against Iran over the Islamic republic's nuclear program.
• Iranian, Egyptian Foreign Ministers Meet in Cairo VOA 10 Jan 2013 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi held meetings in Cairo Thursday with Egypt's president and foreign minister. Salehi was in the Egyptian capital to discuss the conflict in Syria and improving relations between Egypt and Iran.
• Google Earth Helps Put N. Korea Gulag System on Map VOA 10 Jan 2013 -- Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt's visit to North Korea this week has been met with sharp criticism and low expectations.
• Google Urges North Korea to Open Internet Access VOA 10 Jan 2013 -- This week's visit to North Korea by Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt has drawn attention to Pyongyang's policy of severely limiting Internet access to the nation's ruling elite and their families.
• U.S. Delegation Ends Trip To North Korea RFE/RL 10 Jan 2013 -- Bill Richardson, a former governor of New Mexico, and Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt have ended a private visit to North Korea.
• Despite Absence, Venezuelans Celebrate Chavez's New Term VOA 10 Jan 2013 -- Supporters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez are celebrating outside the presidential palace in Caracas, in a show of solidarity for the leader who remains too ill to attend his swearing-in.
• Dozens of Witnesses Planned for Kenya Violence Trials at ICC VOA 10 Jan 2013 -- International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutors are planning to call dozens of witnesses in their cases against four well-known Kenyans accused of organizing deadly post-election violence in 2008.
• In Election-Year Azerbaijan, Video Scandal Threatens To Rattle Regime RFE/RL 10 Jan 2013 -- Azerbaijan's latest political scandal is equal parts Shakespeare and soap opera - a tale of revenge, money, and possible murder that threatens to unsettle the ruling regime ahead of the presidential election this fall.
• Over 1 Mln. Georgians Sign Petition for President's Resignation RIA Novosti 10 Jan 2013 -- More than one million of Georgians, or about one quarter of the country's population, have signed a demand for the country's president Mikheil Saakashvili to resign, the document's authors said on Wednesday.
• US Experiences Worst Flu Season in 10 Years VOA 10 Jan 2013 -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says this is the worst flu season in the United States in 10 years, and the epidemic has not yet hit its peak.
• UN reports drop in food prices for third consecutive month UN News Centre 10 Jan 2013 -- The United Nations today reported that food prices fell for the third month in a row in December last year, balancing out sharp increases registered earlier in 2012, which had previously sparked fears of a food crisis.
• 10-Billion-Year-Old Supernova Oldest Ever Identified VOA 10 Jan 2013 -- Scientists have confirmed the discovery of the oldest and most distant supernova ever photographed. The faint remnants of the exploded star, more than 10 billion light years distant, offer new clues to the formation of the early universe.