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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 15 Feb 2013 [PDF]
• Royal Marines return early from Afghanistan UK MOD 15 Feb 2013 -- More than 100 Royal Marines from 40 Commando are returning home early from Afghanistan after handing over to Afghan forces.
• AF airlift support to Mali hits 2 million-pound mark AFNS 15 Feb 2013 -- The Air Force reached a major milestone Feb. 12 when the service hit the 2 million pounds of cargo transported mark during airlift operations from Istres, France to Bamako, Mali and other partner nations.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Justice Rolls Slowly in Alleged 9/11 Suspects’ Case AFPS 15 Feb 2013 -- The latest round of pre-trial hearings for the alleged 9/11 mastermind and four accomplices wrapped up yesterday.
• Critics Continue to Press Obama on Targeted Killing Policy VOA 15 Feb 2013 -- President Barack Obama this week pledged to develop a clear policy framework to guide U.S. counterterrorism operations, including targeted killings of terrorist suspects.
• Hagel Confirmation Temporarily Blocked RFE/RL 15 Feb 2013 -- Republicans in the U.S. Senate have temporarily blocked a vote on whether to confirm Chuck Hagel as the next defense secretary.
• Nellis prepares for F-35 arrival AFNS 15 Feb 2013 -- The 57th Wing is preparing for the arrival of four F-35 Lighting IIs Feb. 28.
• AF splits space, missile career field for officers AFNS 15 Feb 2013 -- The Air Force has split the space and missile career field in an effort to ensure more focused development for officers performing these critical missions in increasingly complex operational environments.
• U.S. Army Africa sponsors deployment training for Malawi Defence Force Army News 15 Feb 2013 -- ADAPT-Ground Phase II is a train-the-trainer program that has recently undergone curriculum and presentation modifications.
• New Medal Recognizes Changing Face of Conflict, Official Says AFPS 15 Feb 2013 -- The new Distinguished Warfare Medal recognizes the changing face of conflict in the 21st century, said Juliet Beyler, the acting director of officer and enlisted personnel management in the Pentagon.
• DOD Announces Recruiting and Retention Numbers for Fiscal 2013, Through December 2012 DoD 15 Feb 2013
• Navy Installations to Conduct CITADEL SHIELD 2013 in Continental U.S. NNS 15 Feb 2013 -- Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces and Commander, Navy Installations Command will conduct an annual Force Protection and Anti-Terrorism exercise Citadel Shield 2013 Feb. 19 - March 1.
• Sequestration could mean delayed redeployment for Soldiers in Afghanistan Army News 15 Feb 2013 -- The lack of an appropriations bill coupled with sequestration could eventually translate to Soldiers being delayed in their redeployment home from Afghanistan, the Army's chief of staff said.
• Common Operating Environment assists Army modernization Army News 15 Feb 2013 -- As the Army matures its Agile Process, steps are being taken to align systems engineering and integration in an effort to project and synchronize trends in technology and standards across Army programs.
• 'Unity of effort' critical to Army's future effectiveness Army News 15 Feb 2013 -- If one overarching theme came out of the Winter Wargame Unified Quest 2013, it was the need for greater "unity of effort" between the Army and its joint and coalition partners, according to one of the service's top planners.
• 13th MEU, JGSDF Complete Final Event of Exercise Iron Fist 2013 USMC News 15 Feb 2013 -- In the final week of Exercise Iron Fist 2013, Marines and Sailors with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Japan Ground Self Defense Force left Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton on Feb. 7, on two ships, the USS Boxer (LHD-4) and the USS Pearl Harbor (LSD-52).
• Iron Fist 2013: US – Japan partnership 'stronger than ever' USMC News 15 Feb 2013 -- Marines with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, alongside members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, conducted a closing ceremony for Exercise Iron Fist 2013, at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Feb. 15.
• JIEDDO conducts explosives training USMC News 15 Feb 2013 -- Improvised explosive devices are a persistent threat on the modern day battlefield. Every year, the Marine Detachment, Joint Center of Excellence, Joint IED Defeat Organization, guides a countless number of Marines and sailors, from the individual level to the regimental level, through Counter IED operations aboard the Combat Center.
• Opening ceremony marks start of Cobra Gold FTX USMC News 15 Feb 2013 -- Thai and U.S. forces held an opening ceremony Feb. 11 in Ban Chan Krem, Kingdom of Thailand, to mark the start of exercise Cobra Gold 2013 field training exercises.
• USS Virginia Changes Commanders NNS 15 Feb 2013 -- Sailors, friends and family members attended the Virginia-class attack submarine USS Virginia (SSN 774) change of command ceremony at the Submarine Force Library and Museum in Groton, Feb. 15 to bid farewell and welcome the submarine's newest commanding officer.
• Army Post Sets Example in Curbing Suicides, Preventable Deaths AFPS 15 Feb 2013 -- As military leaders struggle to reverse rising suicide rates within the force, Fort Bliss, Texas, is bucking the national trend, reporting a 30-percent drop last year.
• NATO-Russia military-to-military direct line NATO 15 Feb 2013 -- On 14 February 2013, General Knud Bartels, Chairman of NATO’s Military Committee and Chairman of the NRC Military Representatives, initiated an historical phone call with Colonel-General Valeriy Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
• Russian Draftees not to Take Part in Warfare – General Staff RIA Novosti 15 Feb 2013 -- Russian draftees will not take part in combat operations, a top Russian defense official said.
• Almaz-Antei to Showcase New Battlefield Radars RIA Novosti 15 Feb 2013 -- Russia’s air-defense systems manufacturer Almaz-Antei will for the first time show mockup models of advanced battlefield surveillance radar systems.
• UK Admiral takes over NATO's new Maritime Command UK MOD 15 Feb 2013 -- Vice Admiral Peter Hudson has taken over command of the NATO Maritime Headquarters during a ceremony in Northwood, London.
• Rising Voices in S. Korea, Japan Advocate Nuclear Weapons VOA 15 Feb 2013 -- North Korea's nuclear test is prompting some in South Korea and Japan to advocate possessing their own such weapons.
• S. Korea Asks UN for Right to Inspect N. Korean Ships VOA 15 Feb 2013 -- A top South Korean diplomat said Seoul is seeking a United Nations resolution that would permit military action against North Korea, following Pyongyang's latest nuclear test.
• N. Korea Preps for More Nuclear Tests VOA 15 Feb 2013 -- North Korea has told its key ally, China, that it is prepared to stage one or even two more nuclear tests this year.
• S. Korea Says North Won't Abandon Nukes VOA 15 Feb 2013 -- Outgoing South Korean President Lee Myung-bak is warning that dialogue and sanctions will not be enough to convince North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program.
• Pakistan tests another nuclear-capable missile in a week IRNA 15 Feb 2013 -- Pakistan tested a missile that can carry nuclear warheads, the second missile test in a week.
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing, February 15, 2013 US Dept. of State 15 Feb 2013
• Remarks by President Obama and President Napolitano Before Bilateral Meeting The White House 15 Feb 2013

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for February 15, 2013
• Aviation Watchdog Restarts Aeroflot’s Superjet-100 Flight Certificates RIA Novosti 15 Feb 2013 -- Russian aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia has restored airworthiness certificates to three of four Sukhoi SSJ-100 airliners operated by Russia's largest airline Aeroflot.

Other Conflicts

• 15 February 2013 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 15 Feb 2013
• NATO Reassures Russia Over Turkey Patriot Deployment RIA Novosti 15 Feb 2013 -- NATO representatives have assured Russia the deployment of Patriot missile systems in Turkey is not preparation for an offensive operation against Syria.
• Syrian Rebel Town Empties After Government Bombing VOA 15 Feb 2013 -- The Syrian government's bombing and shelling campaign in rebel-held areas and elsewhere in the country has caused tens of thousands to flee their homes.
• No Russian Troops in Syria Says Foreign Minister RIA Novosti 15 Feb 2013 -- There are no Russian troops in Syria apart from several dozen technical staff at the Tartus naval support facility, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
• John Kerry Has No Plans to Visit Syria – US State Dept. RIA Novosti 15 Feb 2013 -- The United States does not plan to hold talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad on the regional settlement, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.
• Health Crisis Threatens Displaced Syrians VOA 15 Feb 2013 -- The estimated two million people displaced by Syria's civil war are fighting health issues in the heart of winter.
• US Wary of Africa 'Terrorist' Threat, Senegal Detains Suspects VOA 15 Feb 2013 -- Senegal has detained a Mauritanian and a Malian for suspected terrorist links.
• Mali: UN stresses need to assist displaced farmers before start of planting season UN News Centre 15 Feb 2013 -- There is an urgent need to help displaced Malian farmers return to their lands before the start of the planting season in May.
• Conflict Threatens Mali Farming VOA 15 Feb 2013 -- The conflict in northern Mali is threatening the country’s food security.
• Somali Insurgents Say They Executed Kenyan Soldier VOA 15 Feb 2013 -- The Somali insurgent group al-Shabab says it has executed a captured Kenyan soldier and has threatened to kill five other hostages if Kenya does not meet its demands.
• Iran rejects West's accusations as baseless IRNA 15 Feb 2013 -- Iranian Ambassador to the UN Mohammad Khazaei dismissed West's accusations about Tehran’s dispatching of weapons to Yemen and Somalia as baseless and politically motivated propaganda.
• Insecurity and human rights issues among challenges for South Sudan – UN envoy UN News Centre 15 Feb 2013 -- The head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan raised concerns about security challenges, human rights issues and the national reconciliation process.
• Vaccinator killings set back Nigerian polio eradication drive IRIN 15 Feb 2013 -- Unknown gunmen on mopeds shot dead 10 polio vaccinators last week in separate attacks on two polio clinics in the northern Nigerian city of Kano.
• UN assessment warns of potential food crisis in Central African Republic UN News Centre 15 Feb 2013 -- An assessment conducted by the United Nations and its partners has found that the recent conflict in the Central African Republic could trigger a food crisis in the country.
• Pakistan urges India to return soldier IRNA 15 Feb 2013 -- Pakistan military Friday asked the Indian authorities to return the soldier, who mistakenly crossed into Indian part of Kashmir late last night, or his body if he is killed.
• Indian Troops Kill Pakistani Soldier in Kashmir VOA 15 Feb 2013 -- India says its troops have shot dead a Pakistani soldier along the de facto border in the disputed Kashmir region.
• Pakistan Provincial Official Escapes Suicide Attack RFE/RL 15 Feb 2013 -- The chief minister of northwestern Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province has escaped unhurt after reportedly being targeted by a suicide bomber.
• Suicide blast targets Pakistani chief minister’s convoy IRNA 15 Feb 2013 -- A suicide bomber attacked a convoy of chief minister of north western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local media reported.
• Pakistani Man Killed In Car Crash With U.S. Diplomat RFE/RL 15 Feb 2013 -- The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad says one of its diplomats was involved in a traffic accident that resulted in the death of a Pakistani man.
• Thousands flee army harassment in eastern DRC IRIN 15 Feb 2013 -- Thousands of people have fled the town of Punia in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo following threats to their ethnic community, according to UN sources.
• Thousands of displaced Congolese to benefit from latest UN food distribution UN News Centre 15 Feb 2013 -- The United Nations food relief agency said it will fly in 20 metric tons of emergency food supplies to recently displaced persons in the town of Punia in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• Why southern Lebanon still matters IRIN 15 Feb 2013 -- Time has forgotten parts of southern Lebanon, even if war and occupation have not.
• Ten ways to develop southern Lebanon IRIN 15 Feb 2013 -- For many residents of southern Lebanon, economic development in their region is a fool’s dream.
• Russia Resolved to Repatriate Nationals Held in Libya RIA Novosti 15 Feb 2013 -- Russia’s Foreign Ministry is doing all it can to ensure the release and repatriation of two nationals serving long prison terms in Libya.
• Six Suspected Militants Killed in Dagestan Operation RIA Novosti 15 Feb 2013 -- Six suspected militants possibly involved in a suicide car bombing at a police checkpoint in the Russian North Caucasus republic of Dagestan have been killed in a police operation.
• 115 Law Enforcement Reps Killed in Dagestan in 2012 RIA Novosti 15 Feb 2013 -- Russian law enforcement agencies lost 115 officers to Islamic insurgency in the North Caucasus republic of Dagestan in 2012.
• Tales From Mitrovica: Life In A Divided Kosovo Town RFE/RL 15 Feb 2013 -- On a winter night in Kosovo, when most people in northern Mitrovica are sleeping, warning sirens installed by Serbian municipal officials suddenly begin to blare.

News Reports

• U.S. Calls For Release Of Iranian Opposition Leaders RFE/RL 15 Feb 2013 -- The United States is joining calls for the release of two Iranian opposition leaders who were put under house arrest two years ago.
• Support Mounts for UN Probe on N. Korean Rights Abuses VOA 15 Feb 2013 -- International support is mounting for the United Nations to conduct a formal investigation into the human rights situation in North Korea.
• Thousands of Opposition Protesters Rally in Bahrain VOA 15 Feb 2013 -- Thousands of opposition supporters have jammed a major highway leading to Bahrain's capital.
• Yemen: Security Council threatens sanctions if political process is blocked UN News Centre 15 Feb 2013 -- The United Nations Security Council welcomed Yemen’s decision to launch the National Dialogue Conference on 18 March.
• Thousands Rally Against Iraqi Prime Minister RFE/RL 15 Feb 2013 -- Thousands of people have rallied in Sunni-majority areas of Iraq to protest against the country’s Shi'ite-led government.
• Russian Meteor Fall Injures Hundreds RFE/RL 15 Feb 2013 -- Officials says hundreds of people have sought medical assistance in central Russia's Ural Mountains after a meteor burned up in the lower atmosphere.
• Meteorite Hits Central Russia, Hurting Hundreds RIA Novosti 15 Feb 2013 -- A hail of meteorite fragments fell in central Russia on Friday morning, hurting hundreds of people and damaging thousands of buildings.
• Meteor Causes Panic in Russia VOA 15 Feb 2013 -- Russian officials say a meteor hit in the Chelyabinsk region, near the country’s Ural Mountains, setting off blasts that injured more than 750 people, mainly by broken glass.
• Russian Nuclear Sites Unharmed by Meteors – Atomic Agency RIA Novosti 15 Feb 2013 -- The hail of meteor pieces that hit Russia fell in a region with a cluster of major nuclear facilities, including the country’s largest nuclear fuel-processing plant.
• Russian Meteorite Not Asteroid Debris – Space Agency RIA Novosti 15 Feb 2013 -- The meteorite that hit Russia’s Urals morning was not debris from the 2012 DA14 asteroid which is due to pass close by the Earth later the same day.
• Kenyan Court Clears Way for Kenyatta to Run in Election VOA 15 Feb 2013 -- Kenya’s High Court has cleared the way for presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta and his running mate, William Ruto, to run in the country's presidential election on March 4.
• UN chief concerned about political developments in the Maldives UN News Centre 15 Feb 2013 -- Secretary-General Ban has voiced his concern about the political situation in the Maldives, where former President Mohamed Nasheed has sought refuge in the Indian High Commission.
• Indian Foreign Minister speaks to Maldivian counterpart over Nasheed IRNA 15 Feb 2013 -- External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid spoke to his Maldivian counterpart to resolve the "unusual situation" arising out of Maldives' former President Mohamed Nasheed seeking refuge in Indian Mission in Male.
• Armenia's Strange Presidential Campaign Rolls To A Close RFE/RL 15 Feb 2013 -- What the campaign has lacked in suspense it has more than made up for in strangeness.
• Moldova Parliament Starts Session Amid Political Crisis RFE/RL 15 Feb 2013 -- Moldova's parliament begins its spring session amid a political crisis.
• Venezuela Shows First Chavez Photos in 2 Months VOA 15 Feb 2013 -- Venezuela's government showed new photos of President Hugo Chavez Friday - the first public images of him since his fourth cancer surgery more than two months ago.
• Haiti: UN envoy suggests steps to end political impasse UN News Centre 15 Feb 2013 -- The United Nations envoy in Haiti today voiced concern at the ongoing impasse in Haiti over the long-delayed elections and outlined several priorities to move the process forward.
• Ukraine's Environment Minister Visits Chernobyl Nuclear Plant RIA Novosti 15 Feb 2013 -- Ukraine’s Environment and Natural Resources Minister Oleh Proskuryakov visited the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.