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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 07 Feb 2013 [PDF]
• Officials Report No Fatalities in ISAF Helicopter Crash AFPS 07 Feb 2013 -- All crew members have been recovered with no reported fatalities following the crash of an International Security Assistance Force helicopter in eastern Afghanistan today, military officials reported.
• Analysis: Afghan government promises rethink on IDPs IRIN 07 Feb 2013 -- A key challenge for the Afghan government and aid agencies is how to help the country's huge population of internally displaced persons (IDPs) reintegrate in their home communities, or - if that is not possible - settle where they are.
• US Ambassador Completes Visit to Farah Province NNS 07 Feb 2013 -- U.S. Ambassador Hugo Llorens, assistant chief of mission in Kabul, Afghanistan, completed a visit to Farah province and met with local leaders and coalition forces here, Feb. 6.
• Panetta Defends Pentagon Response to Benghazi Attack VOA 07 Feb 2013 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has strongly defended the Pentagon's response to last September's attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that resulted in the deaths of four Americans. In what is likely his last appearance before a Senate committee, the outgoing Pentagon chief appealed to Congress to take action to prevent automatic spending cuts to military spending, set to happen March 1.
• Panetta: Distance, Time Affected Benghazi Response AFPS 07 Feb 2013 -- Better intelligence and closer interagency cooperation can help to prevent future crises like the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said here today.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Mental Health Test Delays Cole Bombing Suspect Hearings AFPS 07 Feb 2013 -- Pretrial hearings for the suspected USS Cole bomber are on hold until mid-April as doctors assess his mental competency and the military commission determines how that will affect future proceedings.
• Clean Energy Tied to National Security, Official Says AFPS 07 Feb 2013 -- The changing U.S. and international energy pictures have a profound effect on security, a senior Pentagon official said here yesterday.
• Nepal, US initiate relief exercise USMC News 07 Feb 2013 -- The government of Nepal, U.S. Departments of Defense and State, international and national agencies, and approximately 40 Marines and sailors with III Marine Expeditionary Force began a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief table-top exercise Feb. 2 in Katmandu, Nepal.
• Exercise Fire Dragon 13-2 commences at Camp Fuji USMC News 07 Feb 2013 -- Marines began regimental-level artillery Exercise Fire Dragon 13-2 Jan. 28 at the North and East Fuji Maneuver Areas.
• Cambodia MEDEX 13-1 concludes USMC News 07 Feb 2013 -- Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and U.S. Marine Corps medical personnel concluded Cambodia Medical Exercise 13-1 Jan. 31 with a ceremony at Preah Ket Melea Hospital in Phnom Penh highlighting the lessons learned and mutual benefits for both militaries during the exercise.
• Marines complete field supply exercise USMC News 07 Feb 2013 -- As an MV-22B Osprey hovers overhead, Marines ready themselves while their team leader glances over the perimeter one last time. As the Osprey gently touches down, the Marines snap into action, shouting commands and sprinting around the perimeter of the landing zone for quick extraction.
• Chilean Submarine Departs Mayport After Completing Exercise with US Navy NNS 07 Feb 2013 -- Chilean submarine (CS) Simpson (SS-21) departed Naval Station Mayport to return to homeport in Talcahuano, Chile, Feb. 7, after taking part in the Diesel Electric Submarine Initiative (DESI), and CHILEMAR IV with the U.S. Navy.
• SECNAV Attends USS Washington Ship Naming Ceremony NNS 07 Feb 2013 -- Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) the Honorable Ray Mabus, attended a ship naming ceremony in Seattle at the Port of Seattle in front of guests who included the Governor of the State of Washington, Jay Inslee, Feb. 7.
• Fueling the high flyers - U2 tube food calms cravings in the cockpit AFNS 07 Feb 2013 -- Pureed peach cobbler, chicken-a-la-king, key lime pie, or even the classic sloppy joe in a metallic tube don't compare to a home cooked meal, but U-2 pilots say the food they eat while flying long missions is delicious.
• Carter Sees DOD Strategy at Work on Europe, Middle East Trip AFPS 07 Feb 2013 -- Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter saw critical elements of the new defense strategy at work in European and Middle East nations and in a bilateral meeting with Indian defense officials during a six-day international trip that ended last night.
• Clean Energy Tied to National Security, Official Says AFPS 07 Feb 2013 -- The changing U.S. and international energy pictures have a profound effect on security, a senior Pentagon official said here yesterday.
• USS George H.W. Bush Conducts Ammo Onload NNS 07 Feb 2013 -- USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) conducted an ammunition onload with USNS William McLean (T-AKE-12), Jan. 15-16.
• USS Barry Deploys NNS 07 Feb 2013 -- Guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52) will depart Naval Station Norfolk Feb. 7 for a Ballistic Missile Defense deployment in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility.
• Eurasia Partnership Capstone Completes Training NNS 07 Feb 2013 -- The multinational training exercise Eurasia Partnership Capstone (EPC) 2012 concluded during a ceremony held at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Center, Dec. 14.
• Reserve RED HORSE Squadron to be activated at Beale AFNS 07 Feb 2013 -- The Air Force has formally announced the activation of the 583rd RED HORSE Squadron here.
• Panetta, Dempsey List Consequences of Sequestration AFPS 07 Feb 2013 -- Deep, across-the-board spending cuts scheduled to take effect March 1 will have real national security consequences, the Defense Department's top civilian and its senior military official said yesterday.
• Allen, Dunford Visit Pakistani Military Chief AFPS 07 Feb 2013 -- The current and next commanders of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan visited Pakistan today in the latest in a regular series of engagements aimed at bolstering the ISAF-Pakistan military relationship and improving regional security, ISAF officials reported.
• Locklear Lauds Brunei for Promoting Regional Cooperation AFPS 07 Feb 2013 -- The top U.S. commander in the Asia-Pacific visited Brunei to extend U.S. support to government and military leaders working to build closer multilateral cooperation across the region.
• Cameroon Hosts International Navies to Plan Exercise Obangame Express 2013 NNS 07 Feb 2013 -- Partner navies joined together in Cameroon to finalize plans for Exercise Obangame Express 2013 (OE13), Jan. 15-17.
• Outfitting Underway at New USNH Okinawa NNS 07 Feb 2013 -- Outfitting and inspections are currently in progress at the new U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa (USNHO) facility on Camp Foster, and planning is underway to transfer hospital operations to the new facility in March of 2013.
• HSV Swift Completes Deployment in the Europe and Africa Areas of Responsibility NNS 07 Feb 2013 -- Military Sealift Command-chartered HSV Swift (HSV 2) completed a nearly 10-month deployment to the Europe and Africa areas of responsibility Jan. 31.
• Angolan Army, AFRICOM Staff Tour Naval Construction Training Center NNS 07 Feb 2013 -- A delegation from the Angolan army and their escort from the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) toured the Naval Construction Training Center (NCTC) Feb. 1.
• International defence engagement strategy published UK MOD 07 Feb 2013 -- A new strategy has been published outlining how international defence engagement will be better focused towards contributing to wider government objectives.
• Investigators Probe New South Russia Defense Property Sale RIA Novosti 07 Feb 2013 -- Investigators will question Defense Ministry officials over the alleged sale of real estate at artificially low prices at a Russian Black Sea coastal resort, Russian Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said on Thursday.
• February 7, 2013 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 07 Feb 2013
• Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 2/7/2013 The White House 07 Feb 2013

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for February 07, 2013
• Upgraded Ruslan Heavy Lifter to Start Testing 'Soon' RIA Novosti 07 Feb 2013 -- Modernization of the Antonov An-124-100 strategic heavylift aircraft Ruslan is nearing completion and the plane will soon undergo a series of standard trials, Russia's Aviastar aircraft plant said on Thursday.

Other Conflicts

• 7 February 2013 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 07 Feb 2013
• Ban spotlights UN partnership with Islamic bloc to prevent and resolve conflicts UN News Centre 07 Feb 2013 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today highlighted the importance of continuous collaboration between the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), stressing that the two bodies have a responsibility to address people's aspirations in the Arab region, which has recently undergone significant transitions.
• Islamic Summit Ends With Call for Dialogue in Syria VOA 07 Feb 2013 -- Leaders of Muslim nations meeting in Cairo called Thursday for greater effort to bring the war in Syria to a negotiated end.
• China touts beefed up fishery patrols in South China Sea CNA 07 Feb 2013 -- No Chinese fishing boats operating legally in the South China Sea were detained by foreign powers in 2012, thanks to the increasing presence of China's fishery patrol boats there, the China News Service reported Thursday, citing a fishery official in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.
• Sporadic Fighting in Mali as UN Weighs Peacekeeping Force VOA 07 Feb 2013 -- French-backed Malian forces are facing pockets of resistance in northern Mali, after retaking control of the region last month.
• Aid workers cautious on Kachin peace talks IRIN 07 Feb 2013 -- Aid workers in Myanmar's northern Kachin State are cautious following the latest round of peace talks between the Burmese government and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO).
• Myanmar: UN chief welcomes agreement to de-escalate conflict in Kachin UN News Centre 07 Feb 2013 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the agreement by peace negotiators of the Myanmar Government and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) to work on a framework to de-escalate the violent conflict in the northern state of Kachin.
• NATO Secretary General urges political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina to implement necessary reforms NATO 07 Feb 2013 -- NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen visited Sarajevo on 7 February in order to discuss with political leaders how to take forward Bosnia and Herzegovina's aspiration to move toward membership of the Alliance.
• Japan Says Russia Violates Its Airspace, Moscow Denies It RFE/RL 07 Feb 2013 -- Japan says two Russian fighter jets have violated its airspace, just hours after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he favored a 'mutually acceptable solution' to a territorial dispute with Russia.
• China Accuses Japan of Smear Campaign VOA 07 Feb 2013 -- China has accused Japan of trying to 'smear' Beijing's image, after Tokyo alleged a Chinese warship locked its weapons-targeting radar on a Japanese vessel near disputed islands.
• Suspected Congolese Rebels Charged With Plotting Coup VOA 07 Feb 2013 -- A South African prosecutor says 19 Congolese rebels, including a U.S. citizen, plotted to overthrow their government in a scheme that included trading mining rights for sophisticated weapons.

News Reports

• US Official Defends Drone Strikes After Leaked Memo VOA 07 Feb 2013 -- President Barack Obama’s pick for CIA director says U.S. drone strikes are carried out judiciously and in compliance with federal law. The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence questioned counter-terrorism adviser John Brennan days after an administration memo surfaced that provided a legal justification for drone strikes targeting U.S. terror suspects abroad.
• CIA Nominee Defends US Drone Policy VOA 07 Feb 2013 -- President Barack Obama's choice to head the CIA, John Brennan, says the United States has a 'rigorous' process when deciding to use lethal force against terrorists.
• Legality of Drone Strikes, Assassinations Under Fire in US RIA Novosti 07 Feb 2013 -- US President Barack Obama and his administration may consider themselves capable of correctly determining whether a US citizen can be assassinated for their ties to al-Qaida.
• CIA Nominee Expected To Face Tough Questioning RFE/RL 07 Feb 2013 -- U.S. President Barack Obama's nominee to lead the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) faces tough questioning on February 7 in a Senate confirmation hearing expected to focus on a secret White House targeted-killing program whose existence was leaked earlier this week.
• Reason for Mortazavi's arrest announced IRNA 07 Feb 2013 -- An informed source here Wednesday evening announced reason for Monday night arrest of Caretaker of Social Security Organization Sa'eid Mortazavi who was released on Tuesday and got back to office on Wednesday.
• Supreme Leader rules out US offer for direct talks, citing contradiction in word, action IRNA 07 Feb 2013 -- Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Thursday ruled out US offer for direct talks, citing contradiction in word and action.
• Cost of corruption in Afghanistan nearly $4 billion – UN survey UN News Centre 07 Feb 2013 -- The total cost of corruption in Afghanistan has significantly increased over the past three years to $3.9 billion, according to a United Nations survey released today, which says that in spite of fewer people paying bribes, the practice is still having detrimental effects due to its frequency.
• UN: Afghanistan Bribes Totaled Nearly $4 Billion VOA 07 Feb 2013 -- According to the United Nations, bribes paid in Afghanistan in 2012 totaled almost a quarter of the entire amount of aid the international community has pledged to the war-ravaged country. Although Kabul appears to have made some progress towards reducing graft - a key condition for receiving international aid - the total cost of corruption has increased to almost $4 billion.
• Assassination Roils Tunisia VOA 07 Feb 2013 -- Tunisia's political crisis deepened on Thursday as police clashed with protesters and lobbed tear gas after the ruling Islamist Ennahdha party rejected a plan to form a new government.
• Tunisia's Ruling Islamist Party Rejects Government Dissolution VOA 07 Feb 2013 -- The Islamist party that dominates Tunisia's governing coalition has rejected the plan of its own prime minister to form a new government of technocrats without political affiliations as a response to public outrage over the assassination of a prominent opposition leader.
• Libya And International Court At Odds Over Trials VOA 07 Feb 2013 -- The International Criminal Court has toughened its stance toward Libya, ordering the country's new rulers on Thursday to halt a pending trial in Tripoli of Muammar Gadhafi's former spy chief, Abdullah al-Senussi.
• UN human rights experts urge Bangladesh to ensure fair trials for past crimes UN News Centre 07 Feb 2013 -- Two independent United Nations human rights experts today stressed that justice for past crimes in Bangladesh requires fair trials, after voicing concern at recent sentences, including the death penalty, handed down in cases that did not ensure due process.
• Cabinet resigns en masse CNA 07 Feb 2013 -- Premier Sean Chen led his ministers in an en masse resignation Thursday as part of a Cabinet reshuffle.