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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 13 Feb 2013 [PDF]
• Panetta Offers Campaign Context for Troop Drawdown AFPS 13 Feb 2013 -- The president’s announcement yesterday that 34,000 U.S. troops will come out of Afghanistan in the next 12 months makes sense in the context of the broader campaign, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said.
• Obama: Afghan War 'Over' In 2014 For U.S. RFE/RL 13 Feb 2013 -- President Barack Obama has declared the U.S. war in Afghanistan "will be over" by late 2014.
• Obama Says War in Afghanistan to Be Over by End of 2014 RIA Novosti 13 Feb 2013 -- US President Barack Obama said on Tuesday 34,000 American troops will return from Afghanistan over the next year.
• Defence Secretary welcomes US troop reduction in Afghanistan UK MOD 13 Feb 2013 -- Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has welcomed President Obama's announcement that US troop numbers will be reduced by 34,000 by this time next year.
• US Troop Drawdown Announcement Elicits Mixed Reactions Among Afghans VOA 13 Feb 2013 -- Afghanistan's government has welcomed President Barack Obama's announcement that the United States will withdraw about half of the 66,000 American troops now in the country over the next year.
• Eucom Official Calls Partnerships Vital to ‘Exit Strategy’ Goals AFPS 13 Feb 2013 -- Senior U.S. European Command official underscored the importance of established partnerships that smooth the way for the U.S. military to accomplish its missions and to then pass responsibility to partners.
• Combined Force Kills Taliban Leader in Nangarhar Province AFPS 13 Feb 2013 -- A combined Afghan and coalition force killed a Taliban leader in the Khugyani district of Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province.
• Afghan Government 'Ready' To Take Over Security Responsibilities RFE/RL 13 Feb 2013 -- The Afghan government has welcomed U.S. President Barack Obama's announcement that the United States will withdraw more than half of its troops from Afghanistan over the next year.
• Ten Afghan 'Civilians' Killed in NATO Airstrike VOA 13 Feb 2013 -- A NATO airstrike killed 10 Afghan civilians, including five children, in eastern Afghanistan, a toll that if confirmed is likely to raise tension between President Hamid Karzai's government and U.S.-led NATO forces.
• Afghans Accuse NATO Of Killing Children In Air Strike RFE/RL 13 Feb 2013 -- Local Afghan officials say a NATO air strike has killed 10 civilians, including five children, in eastern Afghanistan.
• Army upgrades blue force tracking in Afghanistan to prepare for new network Army News 13 Feb 2013 -- Project Manager Joint Battle Command-Platform is equipping Soldiers with the next-generation situational awareness tool.
• U.S. and Afghanistan Announce $18.2 Million in Good Performers Initiative Awards for Provincial Counternarcotics Achievements US Dept. of State 13 Feb 2013

Defense Policy / Programs

• Press Briefing by Secretary Panetta from the Pentagon DoD 13 Feb 2013
• Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Intercepts Target Using Space Tracking and Surveillance System-Demonstrators Data DoD 13 Feb 2013
• Space-Based Sensors Star in "Stellar Eyes" Missile Defense Test NNS 13 Feb 2013 -- The Navy's Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System scored another hit for the Missile Defense Agency on the Pacific Missile Range.
• Panel Backs Hagel For U.S. Defense Chief RFE/RL 13 Feb 2013 -- A sharply divided Senate panel has approved President Barack Obama’s nomination of Chuck Hagel to be the new U.S. defense secretary.
• Strong Defense Rests on Strong Congress, Panetta Says AFPS 13 Feb 2013 -- The current lack of effective partnership in government is his biggest disappointment as he leaves Washington after 50 years of public service, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said.
• Chairman Outlines Sequestration’s Dangers AFPS 13 Feb 2013 -- Sequestration will force a drawdown “more difficult and decidedly different” than any other in the nation’s history, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the House Armed Services Committee.
• Sequestration ‘Wolf’ Eats at Nation’s Readiness, Carter Says AFPS 13 Feb 2013 -- “The wolf is at the door,” Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter told members of the House Armed Services committee during testimony on the effects of sequestration.
• Guard Chief: Sequestration Would Have ‘Devastating’ Effects AFPS 13 Feb 2013 -- Sequestration and a yearlong continuing resolution would significantly hinder the National Guard’s ability to protect and defend the homeland.
• Service Chiefs Describe Sequestration Worries AFPS 13 Feb 2013 -- The Joint Chiefs of Staff joined Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter and Joint Chiefs Chairman Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey in describing to the House Armed Services Committee the effects sequestration will have on the services.
• Sequestration could mean training reduction for 80 percent of ground forces Army News 13 Feb 2013 -- On Capitol Hill Feb. 13, the Army's chief of staff told lawmakers in very clear terms what budget reductions under sequestration would do to Soldiers and Army readiness.
• CNO Testifies About Post-Sequestered Navy before HASC NNS 13 Feb 2013 -- Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert joined the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to testify before the House Armed Services Committee.
• USS Abraham Lincoln Wins Battle "E" NNS 13 Feb 2013 -- USS Abraham Lincoln was named the Naval Air Force Pacific Battle Efficiency (Battle "E") award winner Feb. 11, in a close competition among the aircraft carriers in the Pacific Fleet.
• CLR-3 stands up operation center for Cobra Gold USMC News 13 Feb 2013 -- U.S. Marines from Combat Logistics Regiment 3 began setting up their combat operations center Feb. 9 at Camp Samaesan in Sattahip, Kingdom of Thailand.
• National Guard's State Partnership Program helps build relationships with African nations AFRICOM 13 Feb 2013 -- A novel and flexible program managed by the National Guard is assisting U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Africa to create and maintain relationships with African partner nations.
• Nine Countries Meet to Plan Exercise Phoenix Express 2013 NNS 13 Feb 2013 -- Military representatives from eight Mediterranean countries from Africa and Europe came together with the U.S. Navy for the main planning conference in support of Exercise Phoenix Express 2013 in Garmisch, Germany, Feb. 5-8.
• Planning Underway for Africa Partnership Station 2014 NNS 13 Feb 2013 -- The three-day initial planning conference for Africa Partnership Station took place in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, Feb. 11-13.
• East Coast joint training goes international AFNS 13 Feb 2013 -- "Under Air-Sea Battle, we will take 'jointness' to a new level, working together to establish more integrated exercises against more realistic threats."
• Light Strike Vehicles expand Helo Company’s capabilities, range USMC News 13 Feb 2013 -- ARTA BEACH, Djibouti – When the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s helo-borne assault force receives the call, a specialized vehicle could help them complete the task at hand.
• Eyes above keep those below in the know: VMU-2 UAVs give speedy battlefield intel USMC News 13 Feb 2013 -- Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron Two provided 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, and 2nd Bn., 8th Marines, with timely intelligence during training exercises.
• Albuquerque Visits Yokosuka during Western Pacific Deployment NNS 13 Feb 2013 -- The USS Albuquerque arrived at Yokosuka, Japan, Feb. 13 for a visit as part of its deployment to the Western Pacific.
• First Army assists in training active duty unit for KFOR mission Army News 13 Feb 2013 -- First Army took the fight to Fort Bragg, N.C. in February to help prepare the 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade to assume the Kosovo Forces mission.
• DOD Announces the Distinguished Warfare Medal DoD 13 Feb 2013
• Panetta Announces Distinguished Warfare Medal AFPS 13 Feb 2013 -- Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has approved a new medal designed to recognize service members directly affecting combat operations who may not even be on the same continent as the action.
• Chartering Ceremony of Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla NNS 13 Feb 2013 -- Navy Operational Support Center Billings hosted a chartering ceremony for the newest and second oldest Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla, Feb. 3.
• Cybercom Commander Calls Cybersecurity Order First Step AFPS 13 Feb 2013 -- The cybersecurity policy President Barack Obama announced during his annual State of the Union address is a step toward protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure.
• Secure Network Access Vital to Northcom’s Mission AFPS 13 Feb 2013 -- Who doesn’t hate when their computer crashes, gets infected with a virus or, worst of all, flashes them the dreaded “blue screen of death”?
• NAVFAC Southwest Awards $8.1 Million for Special Operations Forces Project NNS 13 Feb 2013 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest awarded an $8.1 million contract Feb. 6 for design and construction of a support project at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.
• Navigating new waters: Army samples ocean floor for underwater munitions project Army News 13 Feb 2013 -- A CBARR team supported a multi-phase research effort called the Hawaii Undersea Military Munitions Assessment, known as HUMMA, to investigate sea-disposed military munitions along the Hawaiian coast.
• Dragons earn new streamer Army News 13 Feb 2013 -- Maj. Gen. Edward Cardon, the division commander, presented and attached to the unit guidon a Zero Alcohol Incident Streamer during a ceremony at Rodriquez Firing Range.
• Russia Signs Record $17.6 Bln in Arms Contracts in 2012 RIA Novosti 13 Feb 2013 -- Russia signed a total of 1,309 arms contracts with 65 countries worth $17.6 billion in 2012.
• Readout of the President's Call with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe The White House 13 Feb 2013
• Readout of Secretary Panetta’s Call with Korea’s Minister of National Defense Kim DoD 13 Feb 2013
• Japan, S. Korea Agree to Push for Tougher Sanctions on N. Korea VOA 13 Feb 2013 -- North Korea's latest nuclear test appears to have thawed, at least temporarily, the chilly relationship between South Korea and Japan.
• N. Korean Nuclear Test Reveals Progress in Weapons Program VOA 13 Feb 2013 -- Analysts say North Korea's test of what it says is a miniaturized nuclear device is a step forward in its goal of developing a weapon capable of striking the United States.
• Panetta Condemns North Korean Test, Calls Regime Danger to U.S. AFPS 13 Feb 2013 -- North Korea is a threat to U.S. interests in Northeast Asia, U.S. allies in the region and to the American homeland, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said.
• N. Korea Informed US of Nuclear Test Plans: State Dept. RIA Novosti 13 Feb 2013 -- North Korea had informed the United States that it planned to conduct a nuclear test prior to its underground detonation of an atomic device.
• DPRK Will Defend Security and Sovereignty of Nation to Last KCNA 13 Feb 2013 -- The DPRK's scientists in the field of national defence successfully conducted the third underground nuclear test.
• Joint press point by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Alan Shatter, Minister for Justice and Equality, and Minister of Defence of Ireland prior to the meeting of European Union Defence Ministers Dublin, Ireland NATO 13 Feb 2013
• MOD awards £800 million submarine propulsion contract UK MOD 13 Feb 2013 -- The MOD has awarded an £800 million contract to Rolls-Royce to deliver and maintain the UK's nuclear propulsion capability for submarines.
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing, February 13, 2013 US Dept. of State 13 Feb 2013
• Secretary Kerry Remarks With Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh After Their Meeting US Dept. of State 13 Feb 2013

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for February 13, 2013

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 13 Feb 2013
• Kerry: Syria's Assad Still Doesn't Realize He Has to Go VOA 13 Feb 2013 -- Secretary of State John Kerry says the United States has to change what he calls Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's "calculation" about his situation.
• Lebanese Fear Syria Civil War Spreading VOA 13 Feb 2013 -- The Lebanese have been bitterly divided over the civil war in Syria since it started two years ago, but now they worry that the fighting next door will spread into their own country, upsetting its fragile ethnic and religious balance.
• Russia Continuing Arms Sales to Syria VOA 13 Feb 2013 -- The head of Russia's state arms export agency says it is continuing to send weapons to the Syrian government, but that none of the equipment can be used offensively.
• Russia Vows To Continue Syria Arms Supply RFE/RL 13 Feb 2013 -- Russia’s state arms exporter says Moscow is still delivering weapons to Syria and has no intention to stop, despite the country's civil war.
• ‘No Warplanes’ for Syria Says Russian Arms Sales Boss RIA Novosti 13 Feb 2013 -- Russia’s state-run arms dealer Rosoboronexport is supplying air-defense missile systems and maintenance and servicing equipment to Syria but not combat aircraft.
• Ban condemns attack on Turkish-Syrian border UN News Centre 13 Feb 2013 -- Secretary-General Ban has condemned a deadly attack on the border between Syria and Turkey.
• US Shifts Syria Stance as Afghan Scenario Unfolds - Deputy RIA Novosti 13 Feb 2013 -- The United States is shifting toward Russia's position on Syria, in fear of a repeat of the "Afghan scenario" with an Islamist regime coming to power there.
• Displaced Syrians Struggle in Internal Camps VOA 13 Feb 2013 -- On a winter day in the Bab al-Salama camp in northern Syria, more than 10,000 Syrians are struggling to survive.
• Notice - Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Libya The White House 13 Feb 2013
• Message - Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Libya The White House 13 Feb 2013
• Nigerian Lawyers Call for Charge or Release of Detainees VOA 13 Feb 2013 -- Nigerian lawyers say thousands of people have been held without charges for up to two years as security forces fight insurgents known as Boko Haram in Nigeria’s northern Borno State.
• Briefing: A guide to defusing sectarian tensions in Iraq IRIN 13 Feb 2013 -- Protests have rocked Sunni-dominated provinces of Iraq for almost two months, raising sectarian tensions in the country’s fragile post-war environment.
• Thai Army Urges Curfew after Insurgents Attack Base VOA 13 Feb 2013 -- The Thai military is urging people in its troubled south to stay indoors after soldiers repelled a large-scale attack on a base by scores of armed militants.
• UN officials voice concern over health of Palestinian detainees on hunger strike UN News Centre 13 Feb 2013 -- Two senior United Nations officials voiced their concern about Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody.
• Security Council extends for another year mandate of UN office in Burundi UN News Centre 13 Feb 2013 -- The Security Council extended the mandate of the United Nations political mission in Burundi for another year to support peace and long-term development in the country.
• Kosovo PM Hopeful About Upcoming Meeting With Serbian Counterpart RFE/RL 13 Feb 2013 -- Kosovo's Prime Minister Hashim Thaci says his meeting with Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic later this month could be "a new chapter" in the process of normalizing Kosovar-Serbian relations.

News Reports

• Iran Announces Upgrade of Nuclear Enrichment Facility VOA 13 Feb 2013 -- Iran says it is upgrading some key equipment at its main uranium enrichment facility.
• Iran Installs New Enrichment Centrifuges RFE/RL 13 Feb 2013 -- Iran has announced it has started installing a new generation of machines for enriching uranium at its main facility making nuclear fuel.
• Has Israel Assassinated An Iranian IRGC Official? RFE/RL 13 Feb 2013 -- At least two Iranian news agencies and several websites are reporting that an Iranian official in charge of reconstruction efforts in Lebanon has been assassinated by "Zionists."
• Iran: Agreement Reached with Atomic Inspectors on 'Some Points' VOA 13 Feb 2013 -- Iran says it has agreed with United Nations inspectors on "some points" on its nuclear program.
• Soltaniyeh: Some Iran-IAEA differences solved, some modality articles approved IRNA 13 Feb 2013 -- Iran's permanent envoy at IAEA said at 1st session of Iran-agency's talks some differences of opinion were solved, some modality articles were approved, and it was decided that new proposals made would be surveyed and results would be reported at next session.
• UN Investigators Back in Iran for Nuclear Talks VOA 13 Feb 2013 -- United Nations investigators are in Iran for a new round of talks aimed at reaching an agreement to probe the country's nuclear program.
• UN Nuclear Watchdog In Tehran For Talks RFE/RL 13 Feb 2013 -- Officials of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency, are holding talks with Iranian officials in Tehran.
• Iran, IAEA to hold 8th round of talks in Tehran IRNA 13 Feb 2013 -- Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency will hold the 8th round of their talks.
• Medicine at Center of Debate as Iran Sanctions Tighten VOA 13 Feb 2013 -- Earlier this month, the U.S. government announced tighter sanctions on Iran.
• Iran, Russia to strengthen cooperation on space science IRNA 13 Feb 2013 -- In the 10th meeting of Iranian and Russian officials, the two sides agreed on strengthening mutual cooperation on space science.
• Egyptian Court Orders Release of Top Mubarak Aide VOA 13 Feb 2013 -- A Cairo court ordered the release from prison of one of deposed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's closest aides after he was granted a retrial in a corruption case.
• Egypt’s New Revolutionaries Rally for Justice and Jobs RIA Novosti 13 Feb 2013 -- On Monday, two years after former President Hosni Mubarak was ousted, thousands of people in Cairo and across Egypt went out onto the street in protest, calling for an end to Islamist President Morsi’s rule.
• Assassination Prompts Tunisian Opposition to Unite, Demand Elections VOA 13 Feb 2013 -- A week after the assassination of Chokri Belaid, Tunisian opposition parties are uniting to demand that the government be dissolved and fresh elections held.
• Tibetan Monk Self-Immolates in Nepal VOA 13 Feb 2013 -- A Tibetan monk set himself on fire in Nepal's capital, as separate reports emerged confirming the 100th self-immolation in Tibetan areas of China took place earlier this month.
• Kenyan Election Chief Confident About March Polls VOA 13 Feb 2013 -- Kenya's elections CEO says his commission is ready to conduct credible elections next month, in the country's first polls since deadly violence that followed the 2007 vote.
• Zimbabwe Sets Date for Constitutional Referendum VOA 13 Feb 2013 -- Zimbabwe has set Saturday, March 16, as the date for a referendum on the country's proposed new constitution.
• Former Maldivian Prez seeks refuge in Indian High Commission after arrest warrant IRNA 13 Feb 2013 -- Former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed sought refuge in the Indian High Commission in Male, after issuance of an arrest warrant against him by a Maldivian court.
• Cambodia's $11 Billion Mystery VOA 13 Feb 2013 -- The remote district of Rovieng was once a battleground between Cambodian government troops and Pol Pot's genocidal Khmer Rouge.