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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 15 Apr 2013 [PDF]
• Combined Force Arrests Insurgent Leader in Ghazni Province AFPS 15 Apr 2013 -- An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a senior Lashkar-e Tayyiba leader and detained a number of other insurgents in Ghazni province.
• Afghanistan demands halt to NATO airstrikes in residential areas PressTV 15 Apr 2013 -- Afghanistan has called on the US-led NATO forces in the country to halt airstrikes carried out in residential areas.
• Pakistan: Afghan Border Dispute 'Amicably' Resolved VOA 15 Apr 2013 -- Pakistan says it has “amicably resolved” a dispute with Afghanistan over the construction of a controversial border gate.
• Karzai Orders Removal Of Pakistani Border Gate RFE/RL 15 Apr 2013 -- Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Zahir Azimi has accused Pakistan of violating “international norms” by installing a border gate and checkpoint along a disputed border line between the two countries.
• Sweden withdraws 200 soldiers from Afghanistan’s Jowzjan Province PressTV 15 Apr 2013 -- Sweden has withdrawn all its 200 soldiers from Afghanistan’s northern province of Jowzjan.
• Afghan Opium Crop Headed for Record High VOA 15 Apr 2013 -- Officials at the United Nations and around the world are increasingly worried about Afghanistan's opium trade.
• UN: Afghan Opium Production Rises for Third Year VOA 15 Apr 2013 -- The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says opium cultivation has increased in Afghanistan for the third year in a row.
• Pakistan strongly condemns US drone attack in North Waziristan IRNA 15 Apr 2013 -- Pakistan strongly condemned U.S. drone attack in North Waziristan tribal region.
• Bomb blast kills local political leader in Pakistan IRNA 15 Apr 2013 -- A bomb attack has killed an anti-Taliban political leader in northwest Pakistan.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Asia-Pacific Countries Conduct Maritime Disaster Response Exercise VOA 15 Apr 2013 -- Military officials from 11 countries in the Asia Pacific region met in Manila to try to improve cooperation when maritime disasters strike in international waters.
• Stratcom Shares Space Data to Promote Safety, Transparency AFPS 15 Apr 2013 -- U.S. Strategic Command maintains a registry of tens of thousands of man-made objects in space.
• In the African Desert, an Oasis of Cooperation and Partnership AFRICOM 15 Apr 2013 -- As reports of conflict in Africa gain notoriety, the value of exercises like Flintlock that improve the interoperability between Western and African nations becomes evident.
• ARSOUTH CG travels to Guatemala, tours facilities to train new border security personnel Army News 15 Apr 2013 -- Maj. Gen. Frederick S. Rudesheim, U.S. Army South commanding general, visited Guatemala Apr. 8-11.
• Air Superiority: Advantage over enemy skies for 60 years AFNS 15 Apr 2013 -- No American service members on the ground have died from enemy air attacks since three were killed during the Korean War more than 60 years ago.
• Statement by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on the Distinguished Warfare Medal DoD 15 Apr 2013
• Hagel Eliminates Distinguished Warfare Medal AFPS 15 Apr 2013 -- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has eliminated the Distinguished Warfare Medal, DOD officials announced.
• Blue Force Tracking system adds logistics capability to increase situational awareness picture Army News 15 Apr 2013 -- For the first time on the battlefield, maneuver and logistics forces will share situational awareness and messaging.
• 12th PAD redeploys, with Kuwait mission complete Army News 15 Apr 2013 -- For the last nine months, the 12th Public Affairs Detachment was deployed to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, in support of Third Army/Army Central Command to fulfill communication objectives.
• Enter the Dragon: Eighth Army unveils new emblem Army News 15 Apr 2013 -- Eighth Army recently unveiled a combined joint task force emblem in support of its transformation to a Field Army headquarters.
• Medvedev Slams Defense Contract Placement Delays RIA Novosti 15 Apr 2013 -- Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev criticized the government’s failure to meet the deadline today for placing contracts for the State Defense Order this year.
• Russia to Lay Keel for 4th Project 11356 Frigate RIA Novosti 15 Apr 2013 -- The Russian Navy’s fourth Project 11356 frigate will have its keel laid.
• Russian Military Inspectors to Fly Over Poland RIA Novosti 15 Apr 2013 -- Russian military inspectors will make surveillance flights over the territory of Poland under the international Open Skies Treaty.
• China yet to deploy 094 sub, JL-2 & DF-41 missiles CNA 15 Apr 2013 -- China's Type 094 Jin-Class submarine and the JL-2 ballistic missile to be installed on the nuclear-powered warship are still in development or undergoing tests, Taiwan's security and intelligence chief said.
• NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen: "NATO and Japan – natural partners" NATO 15 Apr 2013
• Joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe - Opening remarks by the Secretary General NATO 15 Apr 2013
• Dragon readies for counter-piracy mission in Crete UK MOD 15 Apr 2013 -- The ship's company of HMS Dragon have used a scheduled stop in Crete to further prepare for tackling pirates and terrorists east of Suez.
• Germany mulls purchasing Israeli attack drones: Report PressTV 15 Apr 2013 -- A recent report says Germany is engaged in talks with the Israeli regime to buy drones.
• Iran Army to unveil three achievements: Cmdr. PressTV 15 Apr 2013 -- Senior Iranian commander Brigadier General Ahmad-Reza Pourdastan says the Iranian Army is set to unveil three major achievements in a few days' time.
• Global Arms Spending Drops RFE/RL 15 Apr 2013 -- Global arms spending dropped last year for the first time in a decade.
• Global Military Spending Falls Amid Economic Crisis – Report RIA Novosti 15 Apr 2013 -- World military expenditures totaled $1.75 trillion in 2012, registering a decline of 0.5 percent in real terms year-on-year for the first time since 1998.
• Piracy Drops Worldwide, Especially in Somalia VOA 15 Apr 2013 -- The number of pirate attacks is down worldwide, especially off Somalia, where pirates once hijacked dozens of ships each year, according to a new report.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 4/15/2013 The White House 15 Apr 2013
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing, April 15, 2013 US Dept. of State 15 Apr 2013

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for April 15, 2013
• Safety Checks Ordered on World's Most Popular Passenger Jet VOA 15 Apr 2013 -- U.S. air safety officials have ordered the inspection of more than 1,000 Boeing 737 jets to make sure the aircraft is safe to fly.

Other Conflicts

• Conflict prevention in Africa must address poverty, marginalization, UN warns UN News Centre 15 Apr 2013 -- The United Nations Security Council held a debate on preventing conflict in Africa.
• North Korea Marks Anniversary Without Missile Test VOA 15 Apr 2013 -- North Korea has marked the 101st anniversary of the birthday of its late founder, Kim Il Sung, but did not carry out a missile test that many expected.
• US Targeting Secret Funds of North Korea's Kim VOA 15 Apr 2013 -- A senior U.S. official says Washington is trying to block North Korean leader Kim Jong Un from accessing secret funds deposited in overseas bank accounts.
• North Korea vows attack on South over anti-North activities PressTV 15 Apr 2013 -- North Korea has vowed to launch a military attack on South Korea without any warning if the South continues its anti-North activities.
• US Urges North Korea to End Regional Threats VOA 15 Apr 2013 -- United States Secretary of State John Kerry has urged North Korea to stop threatening the region's peace and prosperity and end its nuclear missile program.
• Kerry Says Allies 'United' Against North Korea's Threats RFE/RL 15 Apr 2013 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says the United States and its allies in east Asia are "united" against threats from North Korea.
• US open to negotiations with North Korea, says Secretary of State Kerry PressTV 15 Apr 2013 -- US Secretary of State John Kerry says Washington is open to talks if Pyongyang takes ‘meaningful steps’ to honor its international commitments.
• North Korea Marks Birth of Founder Amid Tensions VOA 15 Apr 2013 -- North Korea marked the birth of its founder amid regional worries it would use the occasion to provocatively test fire one or more medium-range missiles.
• N.Korean Leader Shows Up for First Time in Two Weeks RIA Novosti 15 Apr 2013 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appeared in public for the first time in the past two weeks as he laid a wreath at his grandfather’s tomb in Pyongyang.
• Kim Jong Un Visits Kumsusan Palace of Sun KCNA 15 Apr 2013 -- Marshal Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, first chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun.
• UN senior officials issue urgent call to end bloodshed in Syria UN News Centre 15 Apr 2013 -- The heads of five United Nations agencies called on political leaders to meet their responsibility to the people of Syria and to the future of the region.
• Syria: UK chem. traces claim unfounded PressTV 15 Apr 2013 -- Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi has dismissed as unfounded London’s claim that a soil sample smuggled out of the country proves the use of chemical weapons.
• Iraq searches Syrian passenger plane PressTV 15 Apr 2013 -- Iraqi authorities have ordered a Damascus-bound passenger plane operated by Syria’s national flag carrier, Syrian Air, to land for inspection.
• Is Turkey's approach to Syrian refugees sustainable? IRIN 15 Apr 2013 -- Turkey says it currently accepts between 500 and 1,500 refugees per day, but struggles to find room for them.
• Multiple car bombings kill 55 in Iraq PressTV 15 Apr 2013 -- The death toll from a spate of bomb attacks across Iraq has exceeded 55 with almost 200 injures, security and medical sources say.
• Car Bombs Kill 20 Across Iraq VOA 15 Apr 2013 -- Bombings and other attacks across Iraq have killed at least 20 people and wounded nearly 200 others.
• Second Day Of Deadly Violence Across Iraq RFE/RL 15 Apr 2013 -- Iraqi officials say at least 23 people have been killed and dozens more wounded in a second day of increased violence across the country.
• Torture, beatings and death for detained Malians IRIN 15 Apr 2013 -- Hundreds of northern Malians - many of them ethnic Tuaregs - have been detained by the Malian army since January 2013.
• Chad Withdrawing Soldiers from Mali VOA 15 Apr 2013 -- Chad has begun withdrawing its troops from Mali, where for months they have helped battle Islamist militants in the country's north.
• More than a dozen killed in CAR clashes: sources PressTV 15 Apr 2013 -- More than a dozen people have been killed in the Central African Republic in clashes with the fighters of the Seleka coalition, sources say.
• Somalia: militants’ attacks in capital will not derail determination to achieve peace says UN UN News Centre 15 Apr 2013 -- The United Nations Security Council today reaffirmed its determination to combat all forms of terrorism.
• Militants Hunted After Mogadishu Attack Kills 29 VOA 15 Apr 2013 -- Somali authorities have launched a major security operation in Mogadishu, a day after al-Shabab militants stormed the city's main court complex and killed at least 29 people.
• Nineteen Dead in Somali Courthouse Attack - Media RIA Novosti 15 Apr 2013 -- Bomb and gun attacks have left at least 19 people dead in Somali capital Mogadishu.
• A who’s who of fighters in Gaza IRIN 15 Apr 2013 -- This month, tensions have escalated in Gaza following the first Israeli air strikes since a ceasefire was signed in November 2012.
• Following Palestinian Prime Minister’s resignation, UN reiterates commitment to peace process UN News Centre 15 Apr 2013 -- The United Nationsreiterated its commitment to working with Palestinian partners and President Mahmoud Abbas.
• Two Israeli spy drones violate Lebanon’s airspace PressTV 15 Apr 2013 -- Two Israeli reconnaissance planes have penetrated Lebanon’s airspace.
• UN court reopens case on ancient temple at core of Thai-Cambodian border dispute UN News Centre 15 Apr 2013 -- The United Nations highest court began new hearings on a Hindu temple that has long been a bone of contention between Cambodia and Thailand.

News Reports

• Secretary Kerry Remarks on a 21st Century Pacific Partnership US Dept. of State 15 Apr 2013
• White House Calls for Venezuelan Vote Recount VOA 15 Apr 2013 -- The White House says a recount in Venezuela's close election is necessary and prudent to ensure Venezuelans have confidence in the results.
• Venezuelan Opposition Candidate Rejects Maduro Victory VOA 15 Apr 2013 -- Venezuela's Electoral Council has declared Nicolas Maduro the winner of the nation's presidential election by a slim margin.
• Maduro Declared Winner In Venezuela RFE/RL 15 Apr 2013 -- Electoral officials in Venezuela have announced that Hugo Chavez's chosen successor has won the country's presidential election in a close vote.
• Maduro Narrowly Wins Venezuela Election RIA Novosti 15 Apr 2013 -- The late Hugo Chavez’s protégé, socialist candidate Nicolas Maduro, has narrowly won Sunday’s presidential election in Venezuela.
• Ahmadinejad to Visit Uranium Producer Niger VOA 15 Apr 2013 -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is due to arrive in Niger, the world's number 4 uranium producer.
• Ahmadinejad Visits Uranium-Producing Niger RFE/RL 15 Apr 2013 -- Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad is due to arrive in Niger, the world's fourth-largest uranium producer.
• Russia: Bushehr N. pant operating normally IRNA 15 Apr 2013 -- Head of Russia's atomic agency, Sergei Kreinko, said that Bushehr nuclear power plant operates normally and recent quake has had no impact on its operation.
• Iran rejects rumors about possible radiation leak at Bushehr plant PressTV 15 Apr 2013 -- The deputy of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iranhas dismissed as baseless the rumors about possible radiation leaks at Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant.
• Mubarak to Remain in Jail Despite Winning Appeal VOA 15 Apr 2013 -- An Egyptian appeals court ordered the release of former president Hosni Mubarak in a case involving charges of orchestrating the deaths of protesters, but he will remained jailed on corruption allegations.
• Court Orders Mubarak Released Over Killings, Held On Other Charges RFE/RL 15 Apr 2013 -- An Egyptian appeals court has ordered the release of deposed president Hosni Mubarak pending his retrial for the deaths of protesters in 2011.
• Egypt court examines request to grant Mubarak parole PressTV 15 Apr 2013 -- A Cairo court is examining a request to grant parole to Egypt's former dictator Hosni Mubarak, amid ongoing controversies over the trial of the former North African despot.
• Kenya Supreme Court to Explain Election Ruling VOA 15 Apr 2013 -- Kenya’s Supreme Court judges plan to give details on Tuesday of their ruling that confirmed the victory of Uhuru Kenyatta in last month’s presidential election.
• South Africa to Fund Zimbabwe Elections VOA 15 Apr 2013 -- Zimbabwe's government has failed to raise money for elections, but South Africa has approved $100 million in funding which will be used to pay for the polls, Finance Minister Tendai Biti told journalists.
• Guinea to Hold Long-Delayed Parliamentary Vote June 30 VOA 15 Apr 2013 -- Guinea’s opposition parties have called for a mass peaceful protest on Thursday against what they call the government’s denial of democracy in the country.
• Turkey Floats Gas Pipeline Plan With Israel VOA 15 Apr 2013 -- As diplomatic relations between Israel and Turkey thaw, Turkey's energy minister says that a pipeline project between the two countries could become possible.
• IAEA to begin new probe into Fukushima PressTV 15 Apr 2013 -- The International Atomic Energy Agency has sent a team of nuclear experts to Japan to inspect the country’s troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant for the third time since 2011.