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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 20 Mar 2013 [PDF]
• Department of Defense News Briefing with Lt. Gen. Nick Carter from the Pentagon DoD 20 Mar 2013 -- Presenter: Deputy Commander, International Security Assistance Force Lieutenant General Nick Carter
• Wardak Could Be Early Test of Transition Success, Official Says AFPS 20 Mar 2013 -- Afghanistan's political situation and its people's confidence will be essential to a successful shift to Afghan-led security, a top commander of NATO troops in Afghanistan said today.
• US-led forces agree to withdraw from Afghanistan's Wardak Iran Press TV 20 Mar 2013 -- US-led forces have agreed to gradually pull out foreign troops, including US Special Forces, from Afghanistan's strategically important central-eastern province of Maidan Wardak.
• Combined Force Arrests Taliban Facilitator in Kandahar AFPS 20 Mar 2013 -- A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban facilitator in the city of Kandahar in Afghanistan's Kandahar province today, military officials reported.
• Karzai Flexes Muscle In War of Words With US VOA 20 Mar 2013 -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai has had a rocky relationship with foreign forces in Afghanistan. But his strident criticism this month of American troops, as well as his allegations that NATO and the Taliban are working together to destabilize the country, are surprisingly hostile, say political analysts.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Department of Defense News Briefing with Gen. John F. Kelly from the Pentagon DoD 20 Mar 2013 -- Presenter: General John F. Kelly, Commander, U.S. Southern Command
• Kelly Warns of Potential Crime-Terrorism Nexus in Latin America AFPS 20 Mar 2013 -- A potential connection between crime syndicates and terrorists in Latin America would constitute a clear danger to the region, U.S. Southern Command's senior leader told reporters at the Pentagon.
• Remarks by Deputy Secretary Carter at the Jakarta International Defense Dialogue Panel Discussion, Jakarta, Indonesia DoD 20 Mar 2013-- Presenter: Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter
• Top Enlisted Leaders Express Concerns on Budget Issues AFPS 20 Mar 2013 -- The top enlisted members of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps underscored to lawmakers yesterday the quality-of-life challenges the services face in tough fiscal times.
• Obama Calls U.S. Commitment to Israel 'Solemn Obligation' AFPS 20 Mar 2013 -- President Barack Obama today pledged in Jerusalem that the United States stands by its commitment to Israel's security, noting the alliance between the two countries "has never been stronger."
• Commander: Northcom Increases Crisis Response Capabilities AFPS 20 Mar 2013 -- U.S. Northern Command is working with its partners to improve its ability to support civil authorities during disaster responses, and is now better postured to do so through a new construct that improves coordination among the forces involved, the Northcom commander told Congress.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Hagel's Call with French Minister of Defense Jean-Yves Le Drian DoD 20 Mar 2013
• General Officer Announcements DoD 20 Mar 2013
• General Officer Announcements DoD 20 Mar 2013
• Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction: 'Making the world safer' Army News 20 Mar 2013 -- Under Secretary of the Army Joseph W. Westphal met with leaders from the U.S. Army Nuclear and Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction Field Operating Agency and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency to discuss their mission, current priorities, and capabilities.
• Army announces the off-ramp of reserve component units for fiscal year 2013 Army News 20 Mar 2013 -- The Army will deploy active component units in lieu of four Army National Guard, or ARNG, units in Operation Enduring Freedom-Trans Sahara and the Multinational Force Observer Task Force Sinai as a result of an immediate fiscal year 2013 budget shortfall of $18 billion.
• 51st Signal provides robust communications to NTC Army News 20 Mar 2013 -- The Cobras of Charlie Company, 51st Signal Battalion (Expeditionary), 35th Signal Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, participated in the National Training Center Rotation 13-03 at Fort Irwin, Calif., from Jan. 7 to Feb. 8 to improve their skill set and provide tactical and upper tier communications in a combat environment.
• 402nd FA trains Texas Reserve unit for Afghan route clearance mission Army News 20 Mar 2013 -- Making sure major routes in Afghanistan are clear of roadside bombs is crucial to keeping International Security Assistance Force and coalition forces safe and fully mission-capable.
• 10th CAB validates aviation operations ahead of deployment to Afghanistan Army News 20 Mar 2013 -- When the commanding general at Fort Rucker, Ala., saw Soldiers conducting physical training in shorts last month, he knew the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade had arrived. With temperatures in the 40s, the cool Alabama mornings were a respite for the Soldiers from the North Country. Although the unit enjoyed being able to conduct PT without having to worry about frigid temperatures, wind chill and ice, it was an important weeklong aviation tactical operations exercise that brought the 10th CAB to the southern post.
• Army electronic warfare evolutionary path presented at EW Summit Army News 20 Mar 2013 -- Army electronic warfare is an evolving capability for the Army. Col. Jim Ekvall, the Headquarters, Department of the Army G-39 Electronic Warfare Division chief, had the opportunity to speak at the Institute for Defense and Government Advancement Electronic Warfare Summit, March 19, which just so happened to be the tenth anniversary of the beginning of the War in Iraq.
• Eighth Army commander visits Republic of Korea's 17th ID Army News 20 Mar 2013 -- Lt. Gen. John D. Johnson, commander of Eighth Army, met with the commanding general of the Republic of Korea's 17th Infantry Division, Maj. Gen. Song Yoo-jin, March 19, to discuss the division's participation in Exercise Key Resolve.
• Bonhomme Richard, 31st MEU Complete CERTEX NNS 20 Mar 2013 -- Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) arrived in White Beach, Okinawa, after completing a 10-day certification exercise (CERTEX) with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) in the East China Sea March 21.
• 'Sea Knights' Depart Bonhomme Richard One Last Time NNS 20 Mar 2013 -- Ten CH-46E Sea Knight medium-lift tandem rotor transport helicopters, assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 262, departed the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) for the final time March 20.
• Joint Service Transcript Replaces SMART NNS 20 Mar 2013 -- The Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) announced March 20 that the Navy, Marine Corps, Army and Coast Guard are moving to one standard academic transcript to reflect military academic credit recommendations.
• Italian Sailors Make History on Kearsarge NNS 20 Mar 2013 -- USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) had eight sailors from the Italian Marina Militare set sail with the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group (KSGARG) March 11.
• Cheyenne Visits Korea Following Combined Exercise NNS 20 Mar 2013 -- The last of the improved Los Angeles-class submarines, USS Cheyenne (SSN 773), arrived in Busan, Republic of Korea, March 20, as part of its Western Pacific deployment.
• Guam Seabees Celebrate 71st Birthday NNS 20 Mar 2013 -- Service members from the Navy, Air Force, Army and Marines gathered in an explosion of enthusiasm and pride to celebrate the Seabee's 71st birthday during this year's Seabee Ball at the Hotel Nikko Guam in Tumon March 16.
• NMCB-11 Seabee Receives Navy's Annual Stethem Award NNS 20 Mar 2013 -- A Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 11 Seabee was awarded the Steelworker 2nd Class Robert D. Stethem Award during a ceremony in Crystal City, Va., March 9.
• Pentagon Official Provides Budget Update AFPS 20 Mar 2013 -- Expressing the hope that a bill will pass through Congress this week to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year, a senior Pentagon official today told an audience at the Precision Strike conference here that while the bill would fix some problems, other fiscal challenges will remain.
• Carter Engages With Indonesian, Regional Leaders AFPS 20 Mar 2013 -- On the last leg of his weeklong trip to Asia, Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter spent two days here visiting defense and government officials, delivering remarks at an international conference, and holding bilateral talks with leaders from nations in the region.
• Official Recommends Resources for Duty Station Moves AFPS 20 Mar 2013 -- As thousands of service members receive orders this month to move to new duty stations, the Defense Department has a variety of resources in place to make their summer moves as smooth as possible, the director of the Pentagon's office of family policy and children and youth told American Forces Press Service and the Pentagon Channel.
• DISA's Enterprise Email Reaches 1 Million Users AFPS 20 Mar 2013 -- The Defense Information System Agency's Enterprise Email System passed a milestone recently when it reached 1 million users, said John Hale, DISA's chief of enterprise applications.
• Readout of Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter's Visit to Jakarta DoD 20 Mar 2013
• Freedom Arrives in U.S. 7th Fleet NNS 20 Mar 2013 -- The Navy's first littoral combat ship, USS Freedom (LCS 1), arrived in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR) March 20, marking a key milestone in Freedom's eight-month deployment to Southeast Asia.
• USS Jason Dunham Departs 5th Fleet NNS 20 Mar 2013 -- Guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) transited the Suez Canal, March 16 completing her first deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR).
• US sends military satellite into space Iran Press TV 20 Mar 2013 -- The United States has sent a new military satellite into orbit in a bid to detect missile launches and provide early warnings for the US Army and Washington's allies.
• US Military Launches New Missile Defense Satellite RIA Novosti 20 Mar 2013 -- The United States launched on Tuesday a military satellite designed for infrared detection of ballistic missile launches, the US media reported.
• Moscow to Discuss Changes in US Missile Defense Plans RIA Novosti 20 Mar 2013 -- Security officials from Russia and the United States will meet in May to discuss a recent US decision to curtail its planned European missile defense system, a senior Russian defense official said on Wednesday.
• Russia Asks Hollywood's Seagal for Help With Rifle Exports RIA Novosti 20 Mar 2013 -- Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin has asked US action movie star and martial artist Steven Seagal to lobby for abolishing restrictions on the sale of modern Russian rifles inside the United States.
• Russia to Modernize Akula Class Attack Submarines RIA Novosti 20 Mar 2013 -- Russia will modernize its fleet of the third-generation Project 971 (Akula class) nuclear-powered attack submarines, Vladimir Dorofeyev, head of the Malakhit Design Bureau, said.
• Russian Air Defense Force Starts Massive Drills RIA Novosti 20 Mar 2013 -- More than 500 weapon systems, 50 aircraft and some 2,000 troops have been deployed in a large-scale air-defense exercise in eastern Russia, military officials said on Wednesday.
• Taiwan concerned about China's DF-16 missile deployment CNA 20 Mar 2013 -- The National Security Bureau (NSB) has been keeping close tabs on China's Dongfeng (DF)-16 missile deployment, particularly as the weapon is known for its pinpoint accuracy, the bureau's chief said Wednesday.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 20, 2013

Other Conflicts

• 20 March 2013 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 20 Mar 2013
• In Show of Force, US Bomber Trains Over S. Korea VOA 20 Mar 2013 -- The United States has run its second training mission this month of the nuclear-capable B-52 bomber over the Korean peninsula in a show of military force following North Korea's threats of a nuclear war.
• North Korea threatens US over nuclear-capable bombers Iran Press TV 20 Mar 2013 -- North Korea has threatened to take military action against the United States and its allies if Washington continues to fly nuclear-capable bombers over the Korean Peninsula.
• Remarks by President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel in Joint Press Conference The White House 20 Mar 2013
• Obama Reaffirms U.S. Commitment To Israel's Security RFE/RL 20 Mar 2013 -- U.S. President Barack Obama has said at the start of his first official visit to Israel that U.S. commitment to the security of the Jewish state was ironclad.
• Obama, Israeli Leaders Hail Alliance VOA 20 Mar 2013 -- U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli leaders have reaffirmed the strength of the U.S. - Israel security relationship. Obama arrived in Israel Wednesday afternoon, beginning a four-day Middle East trip and discussions about Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, the civil war in Syria, and Iran's controversial nuclear program.
• US Investigating Chemical Weapons Reported in Syria VOA 20 Mar 2013 -- U.S. President Barack Obama says the United States will thoroughly investigate reports of chemical weapons use in Syria.
• NATO Commander Says Syrian Plans Under Way RFE/RL 20 Mar 2013 -- The top U.S. military commander in Europe says several NATO countries are discussing plans for possible military action in Syria.
• Funding shortfall for Syria could lead to humanitarian disaster, warns UN refugee chief UN News Centre 20 Mar 2013 -- The top United Nations refugee official has warned that Syria's worsening humanitarian crisis risks overwhelming the international community's capacity to respond, and that some aid agencies could run out of money for relief activities as early as the end of this month.
• US Ambassador says No Evidence Chemical Weapons Used in Syria VOA 20 Mar 2013 -- The U.S. ambassador to Syria says the United States has no evidence to support charges chemical weapons were used this week in northern Syria.
• Japan, US Drafting Plan to Defend Disputed Islands VOA 20 Mar 2013 -- Japan and the United States will draft a plan to counter any Chinese military action to seize disputed islands in the East China Sea.
• Security Council voices concern over deteriorating security in Central African Republic UN News Centre 20 Mar 2013 -- The Security Council today voiced strong concern over the deterioration of the security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR), where renewed fighting is threatening civilians and the fragile peace reached earlier this year.
• UN chief meets with Rwanda's President Kagame to discuss security in the Great Lakes region UN News Centre 20 Mar 2013 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Rwandan President Paul Kagame met today to discuss the newly signed United Nations-backed accord aimed at stabilizing the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the context of bringing peace to the Great Lakes region.

News Reports

• Obama: Not Much Difference with Israel on Iran Nuclear Assessment VOA 20 Mar 2013 -- U.S. President Barack Obama says there is not much difference between U.S. and Israeli assessments of how close Iran is to potentially developing a nuclear weapon.
• Southcom Chief: Iran Working to Expand Influence in Latin America AFPS 20 Mar 2013 -- U.S. Southern Command's top officer told Congress today that Iran is actively working to expand its presence in Latin America to cultivate allies at a time when Tehran is facing tough U.S and international sanctions for its alleged nuclear weapons program.
• Iran envoy hopeful of "breakthrough" in nuclear talks Iran Press TV 20 Mar 2013 -- Iran Ambassador to the UN Mohammad Khazaei has expressed hope for a "breakthrough" in the upcoming nuclear talks between Tehran and the world powers of the P5+1 group.
• DPRK FM Spokesman Accuses U.S. of Letting Strategic Bomber Make Sortie to Korean Peninsula KCNA 20 Mar 2013 -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry gave the following answer to the question put by KCNA Wednesday as regards the action taken by the U.S. aggressor forces to let B-52 make sortie to the Korean Peninsula:
• Cancel of Korean Armistice Agreement Is Natural KCNA 20 Mar 2013 -- Over the recent statement of a spokesman of the Supreme Command of the Korean People's Army, which declared invalid the Korean Armistice Agreement (AA), the United States and its allies have asserted that AA was adopted by mutual agreement and it can not be made void one-sidedly.
• 'Leader, Just Give Us Your Order', Song Vibrant with Fighting Spirit KCNA 20 Mar 2013 -- Song 'Leader, Just Give Us Your Order' is now heard everywhere in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
• DPRK Army and People Ready for All-out Action KCNA 20 Mar 2013 -- Servicepersons of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea have been put on a high alert for all-out action, only awaiting an order from Supreme Commander Marshal Kim Jong Un.
• U.S. Forces Busy with Drills for Preemptive Nuclear Strike at DPRK KCNA 20 Mar 2013 -- The U.S. imperialists and south Korean warmongers are busy with drills for a preemptive nuclear strike at the DPRK as part of the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle joint military exercises.
• China hack attacks pose serious threat to Taiwan: security chief CNA 20 Mar 2013 -- China has been widening the scope of its cyber-attacks on Taiwan, which poses a serious threat to the country's security, National Security Bureau (NSB) Director Tsai Der-sheng warned Wednesday.
• South Korea: No Evidence North Behind Cyberattack VOA 20 Mar 2013 -- South Korean officials say no evidence has been found to blame North Korea for Wednesday's computer network failure in the country.
• South Korean broadcasters, banks come under cyber attack Iran Press TV 20 Mar 2013 -- Three South Korean broadcasters and two banks have come under a cyber attack that paralyzed computer networks and ATMs across the country.
• UN envoy voices deep concern at postponement of elections in two Iraqi provinces UN News Centre 20 Mar 2013 -- The top United Nations official in Iraq today said he was deeply concerned about the postponement of governorate council elections in the western province of Anbar and the northern province of Ninewa.
• Al-Qaida in Iraq Claims Deadly Bombing Wave VOA 20 Mar 2013 -- Al-Qaida's Iraqi affiliate says it carried out the wave of attacks Tuesday that killed around 60 people, mainly in Shi'ite areas in and around the capital, Baghdad.
• At UN-backed meeting, African States seek to combat piracy in Gulf of Guinea UN News Centre 20 Mar 2013 -- Representatives from three African sub-regional organizations focused on ways to cooperate to eliminate piracy in the Gulf of Guinea during a United Nations-backed meeting held this week in Cotonou, Benin.
• Haiti must break political impasse to achieve progress, UN envoy tells Security Council UN News Centre 20 Mar 2013 -- Breaking the political impasse that has plagued Haiti for some 16 months is crucial to achieve progress and consolidate democracy in the country, the head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country told the Security Council today.
• EU Praises Georgia, Moldova, Armenia In Neighborhood Report RFE/RL 20 Mar 2013 -- The European Commission has presented its annual European Neighborhood Package, detailing political and economic development in its six eastern neighbors, as well as countries in the southern Mediterranean.