• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 11 Mar 2013 [PDF]
• Dunford: Uncertainty Poses Greatest Risk to Transition AFPS 11 Mar 2013 -- Change causes stress, and the transition in Afghanistan that’s gradually moving Afghan forces into the lead for security brings significant tensions for that nation’s people along with it.
• ISAF chief rejects Afghan president remarks on US, Taliban collusion PressTV 11 Mar 2013 -- The commander of the US-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan Joseph Dunford has rejected the recent remarks by Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
• U.S. General Rejects Karzai Remarks RFE/RL 11 Mar 2013 -- The top U.S. general in Afghanistan has rejected remarks by Afghan President Hamid Karzai suggesting U.S.-led international forces are benefiting from Taliban attacks.
• Combined Force Arrests Taliban Leader in Helmand Province AFPS 11 Mar 2013 -- A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader and detained another insurgent in the Nawah-ye Barakzai district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province.
• Apparent Insider Attack Kills 2 Americans, 2 Afghans AFPS 11 Mar 2013 -- Two American service members were killed and 10 were wounded in an apparent “green-on-blue” incident in Afghanistan’s Wardak province.
• Afghan, NATO Troops Killed in Insider Attack VOA 11 Mar 2013 -- NATO officials in Afghanistan say an apparent insider attack in eastern Afghanistan has killed several Afghan and U.S.-led coalition service members.
• U.S., Afghan Troops Killed In Insider Attack RFE/RL 11 Mar 2013 -- The U.S. military says two of its soldiers in Afghanistan have been killed along with several local troops in the latest suspected insider attack on the international force.
• 2 US soldiers, 7 Afghans killed in insider attack PressTV 11 Mar 2013 -- At least two US soldiers and 7 Afghan troops have been killed in a green-on-blue attack in Afghanistan’s Maidan Wardak province.
• US-led forces wound two Afghan women, one child in Wardak PressTV 11 Mar 2013 -- US-led forces have shot and injured two local women and a kid in Afghanistan’s central eastern province of Wardak.
• US troops kill two Afghan civilians: Interior ministry PressTV 11 Mar 2013 -- US troops have shot and killed at least two Afghan civilians outside the capital of Kabul, Afghanistan Interior Ministry says.
• US drone kills three in Afghanistan PressTV 11 Mar 2013 -- Three people have died in a US drone airstrike carried out in Afghanistan’s western province of Farah.
• Senior Official: Hagel Found Afghanistan Visit ‘Extremely Informative’ AFPS 11 Mar 2013 -- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel found his first trip to Afghanistan as Pentagon chief to be extremely informative.
• 25th CAB redeploys from OEF Army News 11 Mar 2013 -- This week, the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade "Wings of Lightning," 25th Infantry Division, returned from a yearlong deployment from Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
• Humvee training sets support Army network fielding Army News 11 Mar 2013 -- The Army is preparing to deploy the first Security Forces Advise and Assist Team to Afghanistan equipped with the latest suite of integrated network communications gear.
• Russia's Top Drug Cop Warns On Afghan Opiates RFE/RL 11 Mar 2013 -- The head of Russia's Federal Service for Narcotics Control has told a UN commission that poppy cultivation in Afghanistan has grown by 18 percent.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Remarks By Tom Donilon, National Security Advisory to the President: "The United States and the Asia-Pacific in 2013" The White House 11 Mar 2013
• North Korea Nullifies Armistice, Key Resolve Kicks Off AFPS 11 Mar 2013 -- U.S. and South Korean forces kicked off the annual Key Resolve exercise.
• South Korea, US Start Huge Military Exercises RIA Novosti 11 Mar 2013 -- South Korea and the United States began annual large-scale military exercises on Monday, shortly after a fresh round of UN sanctions was imposed on North Korea last week.
• South Korea, US begin joint military drills amid warnings from North PressTV 11 Mar 2013 -- The United States and South Korea have launched their annual joint military exercises near the Korean Peninsula despite warnings from North Korea.
• Cope Tiger 13 commences in Thailand AFNS 11 Mar 2013 -- Combined forces from the U.S. Air Force, Royal Thai air force and Republic of Singapore air force joined forces today to execute Cope Tiger 13 here March 10.
• Furloughs Can Begin April 26, DOD Comptroller Says AFPS 11 Mar 2013 -- Unless Congress acts to end sequestration, furloughs for Defense Department civilian employees can begin April 26, the department’s comptroller said.
• Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group Deploys NNS 11 Mar 2013 -- More than 4,000 Sailors and Marines from the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit departed from Norfolk and Little Creek, Va., and Camp Lejeune, N.C., March 11.
• USS Hue City, FGS Hamburg Depart Alicante NNS 11 Mar 2013 -- Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Hue City and German frigate FGS Hamburg departed Alicante, Spain, March 10.
• 1st MSOB changes command USMC News 11 Mar 2013 -- The 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command bid farewell to its commander as it welcomed another at a change of command ceremony.
• Central Accord 13 Concludes with Final Exercise AFRICOM 11 Mar 2013 -- Central Accord 13 was sponsored by U.S. Army Africa and hosted by the Cameroonian Defense Force.
• Saharan Express 2013 Kicks Off in Senegal AFRICOM 11 Mar 2013 -- Participants from 14 nations attended a pre-sail conference Mar. 7, to kick off Exercise Saharan Express 2013.
• Pacom Promotes Regional Cyber Capabilities, Defenses AFPS 11 Mar 2013 -- Two years ago, U.S. Pacific Command set out on a big experiment during its Terminal Fury exercise, subjecting participants for the first time to simulated cyber intrusions and network access denials.
• Navy EA-6B Crash Kills Three in Washington State NNS 11 Mar 2013 -- All three crew members aboard a Navy EA-6B Prowler jet assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 129 (VAQ-129) at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash., were killed when the aircraft crashed.
• President Obama to Award Medal of Honor The White House 11 Mar 2013
• Obama to Award Posthumous Medal of Honor to Korean War Chaplain AFPS 11 Mar 2013 -- President Barack Obama will award the Medal of Honor posthumously to an Army chaplain for conspicuous gallantry during the Korean War, White House officials announced today.
• Army chaplain to be awarded Medal of Honor Army News 11 Mar 2013 -- President Barack Obama announced today that an Army chaplain, Capt. Emil J. Kapaun, will be awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously, April 11, for his actions leading up to his capture as a prisoner of war in North Korea.
• Russian Navy to Receive 24 Subs, 54 Warships by 2020 RIA Novosti 11 Mar 2013 -- The Russian Navy will receive 24 submarines and 54 warships of various classes by 2020.
• Russia Starts Preparing for Zapad-2013 War Games RIA Novosti 11 Mar 2013 -- This week the Russian Defense Ministry will start preparing for large-scale joint strategic military exercises with Belarus, scheduled for fall of 2013.
• Airborne Forces to Hold Air Defense Drills RIA Novosti 11 Mar 2013 -- Air-defense units of Russia’s Airborne Forces will conduct about 30 battery-level tactical exercises between March 11 and 28.
• Russian Warship Escorts Second Convoy Off Somali Coast RIA Novosti 11 Mar 2013 -- A Russian Udaloy class destroyer is escorting a second convoy of commercial ships since its arrival on an anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden.
• Russia Starts Forming Mediterranean Task Force RIA Novosti 11 Mar 2013 -- The Russian Navy has begun setting up a permanent task force to defend Russia’s interests in the Mediterranean.
• Russia capable of guaranteeing permanent presence of its warships in Mediterranean Voice of Russia 11 Mar 2013 -- The Russian Navy has every opportunity for the establishment and permanent operation of a naval task force in the Mediterranean.
• Han Kuang live-fire drills to include Hsiung Feng III missiles CNA 11 Mar 2013 -- This year's Han Kuang military exercises will include the live firing of the surface-to-air Standard Missile II and the locally developed anti-ship Hsiung Feng III missile.
• Taiwan strengthening patrols over territorial waters CNA 11 Mar 2013 -- The head of Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration said that his agency will improve communications with China in handling cross-Taiwan Strait crimes and will also increase its patrols of the country's territorial waters.
• Iran's Army to test-fire new indigenous missile systems PressTV 11 Mar 2013 -- A senior Iranian commander says the Army Ground Forces plan to test-fire new indigenously-manufactured missile systems in an upcoming military exercise.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 3/11/2013 The White House 11 Mar 2013
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing, March 11, 2013 US Dept. of State 11 Mar 2013

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 11, 2013
• Administration Officials Detail Export Control Reform Progress AFPS 11 Mar 2013 -- Two key steps are complete that will further the goals of President Barack Obama’s 2009 Export Control Reform Initiative, an approach to overhauling the nation’s export control system.

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, 11 March 2013 United Nations 11 Mar 2013
• US, China Facing Increasingly Belligerent North Korea VOA 11 Mar 2013 -- The Obama administration is looking to China to help resolve the standoff over North Korea's nuclear program.
• UN chief calls on DPR Korea to continue to abide by Korean War truce UN News Centre 11 Mar 2013 -- Secretary-General Bancalled on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to continue to respect the terms of the 1953 Armistice Agreement that ended the Korean War.
• US Imposes Sanctions on North Korea’s Trade Bank VOA 11 Mar 2013 -- President Obama’s National Security Advisor Tom Donilon said the United States refuses to reward what he called “bad behavior by North Korea.”
• Kim Jong Un Inspects Islet Defence Detachment KCNA 11 Mar 2013 -- Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Marshal Kim Jong Un inspected the Wolnae Islet Defence Detachment.
• Kim Jong Un Inspects Long-range Artillery Sub-unit of KPA Unit KCNA 11 Mar 2013 -- Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong Un inspected a long-range artillery sub-unit of KPA Unit 641 whose mission is to strike and wipe out the enemies on Paekryong Island.
• U.S., S. Korean Puppet Forces to Be Held Accountable for All Ensuing Catastrophic Consequences: CPRK Spokesman KCNA 11 Mar 2013 -- A spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea issued the following statement.
• Rodong Sinmun Holds U.S. Responsible for Reducing AA to Dead Paper KCNA 11 Mar 2013 -- The truce mechanism on the Korean Peninsula has been destroyed.
• Second Korean War Is Unavoidable KCNA 11 Mar 2013 -- The Korean Peninsula is now on the brink of war due to the tightened political, economic and military pressure of the U.S. and its allied forces on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
• Designation of DPRK Entities Pursuant to Executive Order 13382 US Dept. of State 11 Mar 2013
• Rights abuses in DPR Korea may amount to crimes against humanity – UN expert UN News Centre 11 Mar 2013 -- Many of the systematic patterns of human rights violations documented in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea may constitute crimes against humanity.
• UN accuses North Korea of rights violations PressTV 11 Mar 2013 -- A UN human rights monitor has accused North Korea of engaging in crimes against humanity, calling for an international commission of inquiry into the country’s human rights record.
• Syrians Postpone Selection of Opposition Prime Minister VOA 11 Mar 2013 -- Syria opposition still not settled on when and how to establish a transitional government to replace Assad regime.
• Ukrainian Journalist Escapes Syrian Kidnappers RFE/RL 11 Mar 2013 -- Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has confirmed media reports that a Ukrainian journalist abducted in Syria has managed to escape her captors.
• Both sides in Syria ‘increasingly reckless’ with civilian lives UN News Centre 11 Mar 2013 -- The violence in Syria has reached “new heights of destruction,” independent United Nations human rights investigators said.
• US troops training Syria militants in Jordan: Report PressTV 11 Mar 2013 -- US troops deployed to the Jordanian border are training the Free Syrian Army (FSA) militants, who are fighting against the President Bashar al-Assad government in Syria.
• EU Foreign Ministers Split on Arms to Syria VOA 11 Mar 2013 -- The European Union has split over whether to arm Syrian rebels, with international special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi calling again for a political solution to end two years of bloodshed that has killed an estimated 70,000 people.
• EU Foreign Ministers Discuss Syria VOA 11 Mar 2013 -- European Union foreign ministers are in Brussels for talks aimed at finding ways to end two-years of bloodshed in Syria that has killed an estimated 70,000 people.
• Syrian Opposition: Russia Should Cut Arms Supplies to Assad RIA Novosti 11 Mar 2013 -- Russia should cut arms supplies to Damascus in order to pressure Syrian President Bashar al-Assad into negotiations with the opposition.
• Syria opposition meets Lavrov to sway Russia on Assad PressTV 11 Mar 2013 -- A Syrian opposition official is holding talks with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in a bid to persuade Moscow to back calls for President Bashar al-Assad resignation.
• UN official welcomes Turkish programme to register Syrian refugees in cities UN News Centre 11 Mar 2013 -- The head of the United Nations refugee agency welcomed the launch of a programme to register thousands of displaced Syrians in urban areas of Turkey.
• Press Conference by UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Commissioner-General, 11 March 2013 United Nations 11 Mar 2013
• Palestinian refugees in greater need of relief as Syrian crisis escalates, warns UN official UN News Centre 11 Mar 2013 -- Rising deaths among the Palestinian refugee population in Syria and funding shortfalls for humanitarian assistance in the war-torn country.
• South Sudan, Sudan to Pull Back from Border VOA 11 Mar 2013 -- South Sudan and Sudan will begin this week pulling back troops from their disputed border to create a demilitarized zone as called for in a months-old agreement aimed at bringing lasting peace to the Sudans.
• South Sudan Orders Troop Pullback from Sudan Border VOA 11 Mar 2013 -- South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has ordered troops to pull back from the border with Sudan, as part of efforts to create a demilitarized zone between the countries.
• DR Congo: efforts still under way to reach UN helicopter crash site UN News Centre 11 Mar 2013 -- The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo reported that a rescue team has arrived several kilometres from the area where one of its helicopters went missing.
• Israel can't rely on ‘friends' help: Ehud Barak PressTV 11 Mar 2013 -- Outgoing Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak says Tel Aviv could not rely even on its close allies for its security, regardless of pledges made to defend Israel.
• Israeli aircraft violate Lebanon airspace PressTV 11 Mar 2013 -- Four Israeli aircraft have penetrated Lebanese airspace and flown over several areas of the country.
• Amnesty Details Rights Abuses in Iraq 10 Years After Saddam Toppled VOA 11 Mar 2013 -- Human rights abuses are rife in Iraq ten years after the U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein.
• Senior militant leader arrested in Iraq’s al-Anbar PressTV 11 Mar 2013 -- Iraqi security forces have arrested a senior militant leader with links to the al-Qaeda-inspired network of Islamic State of Iraq in the western province of al-Anbar.
• Nine killed, 165 injured in Iraq attacks: Officials PressTV 11 Mar 2013 -- Iraqi security officials say at least nine people have been killed and over 160 others injured in bomb and shooting attacks carried out across the country.
• PKK poised to release Turkish abductees: Interior minister PressTV 11 Mar 2013 -- The outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party has informed the Turkish government of its decision to release kidnapped Turkish officials as part of renewed peace talks aimed at ending three decades of hostility.
• Azerbaijan Says Soldier Near Nagorno-Karabakh Killed By Sniper RFE/RL 11 Mar 2013 -- Azerbaijan says one of its soldiers has been shot dead near the border of its breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region.

News Reports

• Supreme Leader decides future of Iran-US relations: Rezaie IRNA 11 Mar 2013 -- Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei is the only person who is authorized to decide about Tehran-Washington relations, the secretary of the Expediency Council, Mohsen Rezaei, said.
• EU Expands List Of Targets For Iran Rights Sanctions RFE/RL 11 Mar 2013 -- The European Union has imposed further sanctions against Iran for alleged human rights violations.
• EU bolsters sanctions on Iran over alleged human rights abuse PressTV 11 Mar 2013 -- Foreign ministers of the European Union have imposed sanctions against nine Iranian individuals over allegations of "serious human rights violations."
• Human rights situation in Iran warrants serious concern, UN expert reports UN News Centre 11 Mar 2013 -- An independent United Nations expert voiced serious concern about the general situation of human rights in Iran.
• Pakistan, Iran to Inaugurate Controversial Gas Pipeline VOA 11 Mar 2013 -- Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is in Iran to inaugurate the construction of a new pipeline that could supply energy-starved Pakistan with natural gas.
• Iranian, Pakistani Presidents Inaugurate Gas Pipeline RFE/RL 11 Mar 2013 -- Iran and Pakistan have inaugurated the building of a natural-gas pipeline linking the two countries that has been firmly opposed by the United States.
• Pakistani Christians Close Schools To Protest Muslim Mob Attack RFE/RL 11 Mar 2013 -- Dozens of Christian schools in Pakistan have been closed to protest an attack by a Muslim mob last week.
• Tension persists in Egypt PressTV 11 Mar 2013 -- Situation in Egypt remains tense after violent clashes between police and protesters over a controversial court ruling on 2012 soccer riot in the North African country.
• Bahrainis stage new anti-regime demonstrations PressTV 11 Mar 2013 -- Bahrainis have staged fresh anti-regime demonstrations despite the ongoing heavy-handed crackdown on peaceful pro-democracy protesters in the Persian Gulf country.
• Attorney Hopeful ICC Will Drop charges Against Kenya Leader VOA 11 Mar 2013 -- The lead attorney for Kenya’s deputy president-elect, William Ruto, says he is confident the charges against his client at the International Criminal Court will be dismissed.
• ICC Prosecutor withdraws charges related to 2007 election against senior Kenyan official UN News Centre 11 Mar 2013 -- The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court filed to drop charges against Francis Muthaura, who was accused of crimes against humanity and other offences.
• ICC Drops Case Against Kenyan Violence Suspect VOA 11 Mar 2013 -- Charges against the former head of Kenya’s civil service have been dropped by the International Criminal Court, after a key witness admitted to being bribed.
• US Expels Two Venezuelan Diplomats VOA 11 Mar 2013 -- The United States has expelled two Venezuelan diplomats in retaliation for Venezuela's expulsion of two American military attaches last week.
• US expels 2 Venezuelan diplomats in tit-for-tat action PressTV 11 Mar 2013 -- The United States has expelled two Venezuelan diplomats in retaliation for Caracas’ removal of two US military attaches last week.
• Capriles, Maduro at Each Other’s Throats in Venezuela Election VOA 11 Mar 2013 -- Presidential candidates Nicolas Maduro and Henrique Capriles have begun Venezuela’s election race with scathing personal attacks even as mourners still file past the late Hugo Chavez’s corpse.
• Venezuela’s Maduro raps opposition leader PressTV 11 Mar 2013 -- Venezuela’s acting President Nicolas Maduro has slammed the country’s opposition for trying to generate violence with ‘disgusting accusations.’
• New Cabinet Vote Set Amid Tunisia Unrest VOA 11 Mar 2013 -- Tunisia continues to grapple with political uncertainty since last month's assassination of leftist leader Chokri Belaid, which brought down the government of Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali.
• Independent UN expert warns of significant human rights shortcomings in Myanmar UN News Centre 11 Mar 2013 -- Ongoing reforms in Myanmar are improving the human rights situation in the country.
• Bangladesh police clash with protesters in Dhaka PressTV 11 Mar 2013 -- Clashes have erupted between Bangladeshi police and protesters over controversial trials of opposition politicians including leaders of the country’s Jamaat-e-Islami party.
• Malawi Police Arrest Alleged Coup Plotters VOA 11 Mar 2013 -- Police in Malawi have arrested top politicians in the former ruling Democratic Progressive Party in connection with the delayed transfer of power after the death of former president Bingu wa Mutharika in April.
• Secretary-General hails commitment of Burundian political actors to dialogue UN News Centre 11 Mar 2013 -- Secretary-General Ban commended Burundian political actors’ commitment to dialogue as all political parties met in the country’s capital, Bujumbura, for the first time since 2010.
• UN projects aim to help Liberian refugees reintegrate into their homeland UN News Centre 11 Mar 2013 -- The United Nations Industrial Development Organization will assist in the reintegration of Liberian returnees.
• Push For Magnitsky Sanctions Intensifies In Europe RFE/RL 11 Mar 2013 -- The battle over the Sergei Magnitsky case is moving to Europe.
• The Magnitsky Money: From Russia…And Then What? RFE/RL 11 Mar 2013 -- At least half a dozen European Union countries, plus Switzerland, have been looking into where the so-called Magnitsky money might have gone.
• Magnitsky Trial Quickly Adjourned RFE/RL 11 Mar 2013 -- A Moscow court has opened then immediately adjourned proceedings in an unprecedented, posthumous trial of a whistle-blowing lawyer who died in custody more than three years ago.
• Mystery, Secrecy Surround Vatican Conclave VOA 11 Mar 2013 -- When the Roman Catholic Church elects a new pope, it follows a practice that has remained virtually unchanged for centuries.
• Cardinals Arrive at Vatican Before Papal Conclave VOA 11 Mar 2013 -- Catholic cardinals at the Vatican gathered for their last pre-conclave talks Monday morning before shutting themselves into the Sistine Chapel to elect a successor to Pope Benedict.