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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 14 May 2013 [PDF]
• Combined Force Kills Taliban Leader in Kunduz Province AFPS 14 May 2013 -- A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed a mid-level Taliban leader in the Khanabad district of Afghanistan’s Kunduz province.
• Afghanistan tour lengths for deployed UK personnel UK MOD 14 May 2013 -- The troop rotation arrangements outlining the tour lengths for deployed UK personnel in Afghanistan between now and the end of UK combat operations in 2014 have been announced.
• Taliban Releases Four Remaining Turkish Engineers RFE/RL 14 May 2013 -- The Taliban says it has released the four remaining Turks held hostage since their helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan last month.
• Taliban threats close 40 schools in south Afghanistan: Officials PressTV 14 May 2013 -- Nearly 40 schools have been closed in Afghanistan’s southern province of Zabul due to threats posed by the Taliban militant group, local officials say.
• Nearly $1 Billion In Taxes Levied On Contractors In Afghanistan RFE/RL 14 May 2013 -- The U.S. government's leading oversight authority on Afghanistan's reconstruction says the Afghan government has levied nearly $1 billion in taxes on contractors.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Turkish PM Heads to US to Discuss Syria, Other Regional Issues VOA 14 May 2013 -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet with U.S. President Barak Obama in Washington.
• Remarks With Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt US Dept. of State 14 May 2013
• Army operations on Korean Peninsula protected from sequestration Army News 14 May 2013 -- Army operations on the Korean Peninsula remain a top priority and are being protected from the impacts of sequestration, said the Army Pacific Commander.
• Message to All Department of Defense Personnel from Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on Civilian Furloughs DoD 14 May 2013
• Hagel Announces Fewer Furlough Days for DOD Employees AFPS 14 May 2013 -- After weeks of review, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has concluded budget cuts will require most of the department’s civilian employees to be furloughed beginning in July.
• Hagel, Announcing Furlough, Thanks Civilian Employees AFPS 14 May 2013 -- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel thanked civilian employees and their families for their service, sacrifices, and the “purposeful lives” they lead supporting the nation’s defense.
• Army supports president's request for 2015 BRAC round Army News 14 May 2013 -- As the Army cuts the number of Soldiers in its ranks, there will be an excess of infrastructure in place that used to support those Soldiers.
• Stratcom Strives to Build Coalitions for Space Operations AFPS 14 May 2013 -- Officials at U.S. Strategic Command hope to forge a coalition that shares assets and capabilities in space.
• Carter Wraps Up Weeklong Overseas Trip AFPS 14 May 2013 -- Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter met with U.S. military officials in Afghanistan today and took an in-person look at the progress of the retrograde as he concluded his weeklong overseas trip.
• X-47B Catapult Launch a Pivotal Moment in Naval Aviation NNS 14 May 2013 -- The X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System demonstrator completed its first ever carrier-based catapult launch from USS George H.W. Bush off the coast of Virginia.
• Spangdahlem AB Airmen launch final A-10 sortie in Europe AFNS 14 May 2013 -- Airmen here launched the final A-10 Thunderbolt II tactical sortie in Europe here May 14.
• Peleliu ARG Completes WESTPAC Deployment NNS 14 May 2013 -- The Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group returned, May 14, to Naval Base San Diego following an eight-month western Pacific deployment to the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet Areas of Responsibility.
• USS Kearsarge Visits Israel NNS 14 May 2013 -- The USS Kearsarge, along with embarked Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived in Eilat, Israel for a regularly scheduled port visit, May 14.
• Number of force-fed Gitmo hunger strikers rises to 29 PressTV 14 May 2013 -- Number of hunger strikers being force-fed at Guantanamo has climbed to 29.
• US Navy unveils long-endurance drone PressTV 14 May 2013 -- The US Navy has unveiled a new fuel cell-powered unmanned aerial vehicle that has improved its own endurance record by flying in the air for just over 48 hours.
• USASAC conducts Georgia, Morocco engagements Army News 14 May 2013 -- Maj. Gen. Del Turner, commander of the U.S. Army Security Assistance Command, visited Georgia and Morocco as part of the command's strategic engagements.
• Corps Finishes Largest Humanitarian Assistance Project Ever Built in Cambodia Army News 14 May 2013 -- A ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the completion of Preah Ang Duong High School on April 23 in Prey Veng City, Cambodia.
• Statement by Press Secretary George Little on Allegations of Misconduct DoD 14 May 2013
• Army Announces Investigation at Fort Hood, Texas DoD 14 May 2013
• Russian Defense Firm Fires Chief After Fraud Scandal RIA Novosti 14 May 2013 -- The board of directors of Russia's Oboronservis defense property services company decided to fire its general director Sergei Khursevich.
• Opening remarks by the Chairman of the Military Committee, General Knud Bartels, at 169th meeting of the Military Committee in Chiefs of Staff session NATO 14 May 2013
• NATO Defense Chiefs Meet to Discuss Afghanistan, More AFPS 14 May 2013 -- The transition in Afghanistan, the post-2014 NATO mission in the country and the alliance’s transformation in the face of economic hardships were on the docket.
• Falklands official statistics released UK MOD 14 May 2013 -- A comprehensive statistical study of the deaths of personnel deployed to the Falklands since the end of the conflict has been published.
• Taiwan's holding of exercise hinges on Philippine response CNA 14 May 2013 -- Taiwan's Navy is ready for a military exercise, but will see how the Philippines responds to Taiwan's demands in a diplomatic row before acting on the plan.
• BAE Systems grasps £2.5b deal with Oman PressTV 14 May 2013 -- British arms producer BAE Systems has announced a £2.5 billion contract with Oman to sell 12 Typhoon fighter aircraft and eight Hawk trainer jets to the Persian Gulf country.
• Maduro says is planning to dispatch 1000s of troops across Venezuela PressTV 14 May 2013 -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says he is planning to dispatch thousands of troops across the country in a move aimed at countering a rise in the country’s crime rate.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 05/14/2013 The White House 14 May 2013
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing, May 14, 2013 US Dept. of State 14 May 2013

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for May 14, 2013

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, 14 May 2013 United Nations 14 May 2013
• Kerry Says Syria Peace Talks Expected in June VOA 14 May 2013 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says he expects Syria's government and the main opposition coalition to attend a peace conference in early June.
• Syria Undecided on International Peace Conference RIA Novosti 14 May 2013 -- Damascus’ participation in an international conference between representatives of both sides in the Syrian conflict depends on “details and developments.”
• Russia says Iran must attend international Geneva confab on Syria PressTV 14 May 2013 -- Russia says Iran plays a key role in resolving the crisis in Syria.
• Beside Netanyahu, Putin Warns Against Aggravating Syria Crisis RFE/RL 14 May 2013 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned after a meeting with Israel's prime minister against any move that would "aggravate" the situation in Syria.
• Putin, Netanyahu Agree to Continue Syria Contacts RIA Novosti 14 May 2013 -- Russia and Israel will continue cooperation in an effort to resolve the situation in Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
• Salehi warns against 'illusion' of imminent collapse of Assad gov't IRNA 14 May 2013 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi stressed anyone thinking that the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad was on the verge of a collapse was 'suffering from an illusion.'
• 5 Questions on Russian S-300 Missile System Sales to Syria RIA Novosti 14 May 2013 -- If fresh media reports are true, Russia, Syria’s longtime supplier of military equipment, may soon provide Damascus – or already has – with advanced S-300 air defense systems.
• Syria spurns efforts harming sovereignty PressTV 14 May 2013 -- Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoabi says his country will not be part of any effort that harms its sovereignty, in an apparent reference to an upcoming international conference on Syria due in Geneva.
• UN human rights chief urges Syrian rebels to end abuses after gruesome video hits Internet UN News Centre 14 May 2013 -- The mutilation of a Syrian soldier purportedly shown in an internet video is a “truly atrocious act”.
• Britain Announces $61 Mln Aid to Syrian Insurgents RIA Novosti 14 May 2013 -- Britain will allocate a total of 40 million British pounds ($61.2 million) in humanitarian and non-lethal aid to Syrian rebels battling the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
• UN finds critical shortages of food, other supplies on visit to Syrian village of Houla UN News Centre 14 May 2013 -- A United Nations inter-agency mission that recently visited the Syrian village of Houla found a critical shortage of food, water, medical supplies and fuel.
• Turkish Fighter Jet Crash Site Found Near Syrian Border RFE/RL 14 May 2013 -- Turkish officials say that a fighter jet that went missing near the border with Syria has crashed.
• UN chief discusses new UN mission in Mali with Togolese President Gnassingbé UN News Centre 14 May 2013 -- Secretary-General Ban has met with Togo President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé to discuss recent developments in Africa.
• Europe to Pledge $650 Million to Help Mali Rebuild VOA 14 May 2013 -- The European Union will pledge more than $650 million to help Mali rebuild after its conflict, ahead of a major international donors' conference in Brussels.
• South Sudan: UN voices deep concern at deteriorating situation in Pibor town UN News Centre 14 May 2013 -- The United Nations voiced deep concern about the deteriorating situation in and around Pibor town in South Sudan’s Jonglei state.
• CAR Instability Helps Lord's Resistance Army Regroup VOA 14 May 2013 -- The rebel takeover in the Central African Republic has stalled international efforts to track down the outlaw Lord's Resistance Army and its leader Joseph Kony.
• Nigerian President Declares Emergency in 3 States VOA 14 May 2013 -- After an upsurge of violence in Nigeria’s north, President Goodluck Jonathan has declared a state of emergency in three states and ordered the immediate deployment of more troops to the region.
• Boko Haram attacks hit school attendance in Borno State IRIN 14 May 2013 -- Around 15,000 children in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria, have stopped attending classes since February 2013.
• Briefing: Towards internal solutions to the DRC crisis IRIN 14 May 2013 -- A UN intervention brigade will soon be deployed to the troubled eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in a bid to neutralize militia groups operating there.
• Manila says Taiwan can take part in 'thorough' probe into shooting CNA 14 May 2013 -- The Philippines will allow Taiwan to take part in an investigation into a fatal shooting which has threatened the ties between the two neighboring countries.
• Manila gives 'some response' to Taiwan's demands CNA 14 May 2013 -- The Philippines has given "some positive response" to Taiwan's demands over the shooting of a Taiwanese fishing boat and the killing of a crewman on board by a Philippine official vessel May 9.
• Manila investigating shooting incident: official CNA 14 May 2013 -- Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III has ordered an investigation into a May 9 shooting incident in which a Taiwanese fisherman was killed.
• Navy will support Coast Guard in protection of fishermen CNA 14 May 2013 -- Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said the Navy has several ships that can be used to safeguarding Taiwan's fishermen.
• Japan releases Taiwanese fishing boat held for trespassing CNA 14 May 2013 -- A Taiwanese fishing boat detained and its captain arrested by the Japanese authorities in waters near Japan's Ishigaki Island for trespass have been released.
• Taiwanese fishing boat returning after being intercepted CNA 14 May 2013 -- A fishing boat from southern Taiwan's Pingtung County that was intercepted by Vietnamese government vessels was reported to be returning to Taiwan.
• Japan premier warns of military response to foreign submarines PressTV 14 May 2013 -- Japanese prime minister says foreign submarines could face a military response if they enter his county’s territorial waters while underwater.
• Iraq says entry of PKK militants violates its sovereignty PressTV 14 May 2013 -- The Iraqi government has condemned the entry of militants from Turkey’s Kurdistan Workers Party into its territory as a "flagrant violation" of its sovereignty.
• First PKK militants arrive in N Iraq PressTV 14 May 2013 -- The first group of Kurdistan Workers’ Party militants have arrived in northern Iraq as part of a peace initiative with Ankara.
• First PKK Fighters From Turkey Arrive In Iraq RFE/RL 14 May 2013 -- The first contingent of Kurdish rebels leaving Turkey as part of a peace deal with Ankara has arrived in the Harur area of Iraqi Kurdistan.
• First Withdrawing Kurdish Rebels Reach Iraq VOA 14 May 2013 -- The first of an estimated 2,000 Kurdish militants withdrawing from Turkey have arrived in Iraq as part of a peace process aimed at ending one of the world's bloodiest insurgencies.
• Deadly Benghazi Blast Caused by Fisherman's Explosives VOA 14 May 2013 -- A blast that killed three people in Libya's second city Benghazi was caused by fishing explosives that detonated accidentally, not a car bomb as originally thought.
• International Court Examines Israeli Raid on Gaza Flotilla VOA 14 May 2013 -- The International Criminal Court's prosecutor said she would open a preliminary examination into events surrounding the 2010 Israeli raid on a humanitarian aid flotilla bound for the Gaza strip.
• During visit, UN peacekeeping chief reaffirms commitment to support Lebanon UN News Centre 14 May 2013 -- Head UN peacekeeping operations reaffirmed the Organization’s commitment to work with the authorities to safeguard the country.
• Azerbaijan Starts Military Exercises Near Nagorno-Karabakh RFE/RL 14 May 2013 -- Azerbaijan has started military exercises near its mainly Armenian-populated breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
• Bosnia and Herzegovina lags in progress to regional integration, Security Council told UN News Centre 14 May 2013 -- Political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina are still falling short of the expectations.

News Reports

• Japanese Envoy Makes Unannounced Visit to N. Korea VOA 14 May 2013 -- The reason is not immediately clear, but Tokyo has, for years, been trying to resolve cases of Japanese abducted over past decades by North Korean agents.
• S Korea asks for talks with North PressTV 14 May 2013 -- South Korea asks for talks with North Korea over removing raw materials and finished products from the joint industrial zone closed following months of tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
• Iran, IAEA to hold talks on May 15 PressTV 14 May 2013 -- The next round of the talks between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency will be held in Vienna on May 15.
• Iran Defends Post as Chair of UN Disarmament Conference VOA 14 May 2013 -- Iran defended its election as the rotating chair of the world's sole multilateral disarmament forum.
• U.S. To Boycott UN Conference Led By Iran RFE/RL 14 May 2013 -- Washington says its ambassador will boycott meetings of the UN Conference on Disarmament when Iran takes over the rotating chairmanship of the body this month.
• Surprise Candidacy Challenges Plans Of Iranian Establishment RFE/RL 14 May 2013 -- The surprise decision by former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani to enter Iran’s presidential race poses a challenge to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s plans.
• Sharif Seen As Trying To Reorient Pakistan's Foreign Policy RFE/RL 14 May 2013 -- Pakistan's Prime Minister-designate Nawaz Sharif has signaled his desire to take back control of Pakistan’s foreign policy from the powerful security services.
• Sharif Named Big Winner in Pakistan Poll VOA 14 May 2013 -- The party of a former Pakistani prime minister is the apparent winner in Saturday's election with nearly all the votes counted.
• Pakistani Court Extends Musharraf House Arrest In Bhutto Murder Case RFE/RL 14 May 2013 -- A Pakistani court has extended former President Pervez Musharraf's house arrest in a case related to the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
• Russia Orders Expulsion of Alleged US Spy VOA 14 May 2013 -- Russia is ordering the immediate departure of a U.S. embassy employee it accuses of trying to recruit a Russian intelligence officer to work for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.
• Russia Detains US Diplomat Accused of Spying VOA 14 May 2013 -- Russia has declared a U.S. embassy employee it accused of trying to recruit for the CIA as "persona non grata" and ordered his immediate departure.
• Russia Expels U.S. Embassy Worker For Spy Recruitment RFE/RL 14 May 2013 -- Russia has ordered an alleged agent of the United States' Central Intelligence Agency to leave the country.
• Coincidence? Russian Spy Case Derails McFaul’s Twitter Outreach RFE/RL 14 May 2013 -- Twitter feed quickly became inundated with questions about a breaking announcement that Russian authorities had detained a U.S. Embassy employee.
• Russia summons US ambassador after 'CIA agent' detention PressTV 14 May 2013 -- Moscow says it will summon the US ambassador after a US Embassy staffer was detained by Russian security services for allegedly trying to recruit spies for CIA.
• Russia Detains US Diplomat Accused of Undercover CIA Work RIA Novosti 14 May 2013 -- Russian counterintelligence officials briefly detained a US diplomat suspected of being an undercover CIA officer and trying to recruit a Russian agent.
• China Denounces Japanese Mayor's Sex Slave Comment VOA 14 May 2013 -- China has expressed outrage over remarks by an outspoken Japanese mayor who said his country's forced prostitution of Asian women during World War II was "necessary."
• WWII use of forced prostitution necessary: Osaka mayor PressTV 14 May 2013 -- Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto has said the use of Asian women as sex slaves during the World War II was necessary for the Japanese military.
• Kenyan Deputy President Promises to Cooperate with Hague VOA 14 May 2013 -- Kenya's deputy president, William Ruto, promised the International Criminal Court he and the president would cooperate.
• Rohingya evacuation under way in Myanmar IRIN 14 May 2013 -- The government of Myanmar has launched a large-scale effort to relocate to higher ground tens of thousands of Rohingya internally displaced persons ahead of Cyclone Mahasen, says the UN.
• Independent UN expert stresses need to improve human rights situation in Eritrea UN News Centre 14 May 2013 -- The international community must keep Eritrea under “close scrutiny”, an independent United Nations expert said.
• Priest in Politician’s Clothing Eyes Top Seat in Zambia VOA 14 May 2013 -- Zambia’s government is not delivering on its promises, says a prominent critic who used to support President Michael Sata.
• Tymoshenko Seeks Murder Probe Attendance RIA Novosti 14 May 2013 -- Jailed former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has demanded she be allowed to attend a Kiev court where a witness in a murder investigation against her is to be questioned.
• Cuba Readies Corruption Trials of Western Businessmen VOA 14 May 2013 -- Canadian and British executives of three foreign businesses shut in 2011 by Cuban authorities, ostensibly for corrupt practices, have been charged after more than a year in custody.
• Venezuela Becomes Net Gasoline Importer in 2012 VOA 14 May 2013 -- Venezuela in 2012 became a net importer of gasoline as a result of escalating problems at its refineries and increasing demand for fuel in its internal market.