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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 05 Jun 2013 [PDF]
• Hagel Describes Post-ISAF Afghanistan Mission AFPS 05 Jun 2013 -- The United States will be the largest single contributor to the follow-on NATO operation that will replace the International Security Assistance Force mission in Afghanistan in 2015 and beyond, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said at NATO headquarters here today.
• NATO Defense Ministers Set Post-2014 Afghanistan Mission AFPS 05 Jun 2013 -- NATO defense ministerial meetings yesterday and today helped to cement the alliance's commitment to a "train, advise and assist" mission that will begin after the International Security Assistance Force disbands at the end of 2014, NATO's senior civilian leader said today.
• Afghan, Coalition Forces Kill Enemy Fighters in Helmand Province AFPS 05 Jun 2013 -- A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed three extremists and arrested a Taliban facilitator and another extremist in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Afghanistan's Helmand province today, military officials reported.
• NATO Defence Ministers endorse concept for new post-2014 mission in Afghanistan NATO 05 Jun 2013 -- NATO Defence Ministers on Wednesday (5 June 2013) endorsed the detailed concept for the new NATO-led mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan security forces after 2014. "That concept will guide our military experts as they finalise the plan in the course of the coming months," said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Remarks by the President in Personnel Announcement The White House 05 Jun 2013
• Obama Names UN Ambassador Rice as National Security Adviser VOA 05 Jun 2013 -- President Barack Obama has picked U.N. ambassador Susan Rice to be his next national security adviser.
• Hagel Welcomes Rice's Selection as National Security Advisor AFPS 05 Jun 2013 -- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today said he looks forward to working with Susan Rice in her new role as national security advisor.
• Army Seeks Industry Input on the Future of Small Arms Fire Control Army News 05 Jun 2013 -- Closing the gap between the mechanical capability of a weapon system and combat stress shooting is a goal that lies at the heart of the Army's pursuit of fire control technology that will make Soldiers even more effective in combat.
• Guard, Reserve Soldiers can opt for reduced-age retirement Army News 05 Jun 2013 -- More reserve-component Soldiers may now be eligible to receive retirement pay before 60, if they meet certain criteria.
• Watervliet receives multimillion dollar mortar contract, its second in 30 days Army News 05 Jun 2013 -- The arsenal announced today that it received a $6.9 million contract to provide 600 60mm mortar barrels for the U.S. Army's TACOM Life Cycle Management Command.
• Combat communications group and wing inactivate AFNS 05 Jun 2013 -- Air Force Space Command and 24th Air Force officials announced inactivation of the 689th Combat Communications Wing at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., and the 3rd Combat Communications Group at Tinker AFB, Okla. Inactivation of both units is scheduled for September.
• Special Operations Forces Outperform Investment, Carter Says AFPS 05 Jun 2013 -- Special operations forces cost less than 2 percent of the Defense Department's budget, but the service they provide far outperforms that investment, Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter said here today.
• MASS-1, MACG-28 train with CAC2-S in simulated assault environment USMC News 05 Jun 2013 -- Marines with Marine Air Support Squadron 1 watched as AV-8B Harriers passed directly overhead Wednesday, as they built a simulated Direct Air Support Center not far from the end of one of Cherry Point's runways.
• Obama, Xi to Discuss Cybersecurity During Informal Talks AFPS 05 Jun 2013 -- President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping will discuss cybersecurity and other topics when they meet this week for informal talks at the Sunnylands estate in California, senior administration officials said yesterday.
• McRaven: Success in Human Domain Fundamental to Special Ops AFPS 05 Jun 2013 -- While there's no shortage of doctrine on how the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps provide value to the nation, special operations forces aren't restricted to any of the traditional doctrines, the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command said here today.
• Patriots, F-16s May Remain in Jordan After Eager Lion Exercise AFPS 05 Jun 2013 -- The United States could leave Patriot anti-missile batteries and F-16 fighter jets in Jordan following the end of Exercise Eager Lion, a Pentagon spokesman said here today.
• Hagel Praises Spain in Meeting With Defense Minister AFPS 05 Jun 2013 -- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel met with Spanish Defense Minister Pedro Morenes in Brussels today during a conference of NATO defense ministers, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.
• Readout of Secretary Hagel's Meeting with Afghanistan's Minister of Defense Bismillah Khan Mohammadi DoD 05 Jun 2013
• Readout of Secretary Hagel's Meeting with Spain's Minister of Defense Pedro Morenès DoD 05 Jun 2013
• Global Force's Needs Shape DOD Biosurveillance AFPS 05 Jun 2013 -- A new biosurveillance division at the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center here -- home to a unique serum repository and database for service members and a global network of military laboratories -- is working to fill gaps at the convergence of battlefield biodefense and health surveillance.
• Airmen Must Understand Business of Cyber, General Says AFPS 05 Jun 2013 -- As U.S. Cyber Command gains strength and steadily extends its range across the newest warfare domain, it has called on all the services over the next five years to contribute trained-up teams of cyber operators to ensure U.S. military freedom of action, defensively and offensively, in cyberspace.
• Department of Defense News Briefing with Secretary Hagel at NATO Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium DoD 05 Jun 2013 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel
• NATO Defense Chiefs Discuss Post-2014 Afghan Mission, Georgia RFE/RL 05 Jun 2013 -- NATO defense ministers have finished the second of two days of meetings in Brussels to discuss the alliance's operations in Afghanistan after its combat mission ends there in 2014.
• Germany will stick to NATO drone plan: Minister Iran Press TV 05 Jun 2013 -- German Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere says his country will respect its commitment to assisting in funding NATO drones, despite the country's abandonment of a plan to buy its own unmanned reconnaissance planes.
• Russia to react as NATO nears its borders: Russian PM Iran Press TV 05 Jun 2013 -- Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev says Moscow does not regard NATO's expansion towards its borders as positive as Sweden and Finland are likely to join the western military coalition.
• Army receives new Terrier vehicle UK MOD 05 Jun 2013 -- The British Army has taken delivery of Terrier, its newest and most advanced engineering vehicle.
• June 5, 2013 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 05 Jun 2013
• Daily Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 6/5/2013 The White House 05 Jun 2013

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for June 05, 2013

Other Conflicts

• 5 June 2013 - DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 05 Jun 2013
• Syria rights report biased, mum on militants terrorist acts: Russia Iran Press TV 05 Jun 2013 -- Russia says certain states have used a 'biased' United Nations human rights report on Syria to censure the Damascus government while ignoring abuses committed by foreign-backed militants in the Arab country.
• Iran lauds Syria army for Qusayr victory Iran Press TV 05 Jun 2013 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has congratulated the Syrian nation and government on the victory of their army in regaining control of the strategic town of Qusayr in Western Syria.
• Syria army to 'continue battle' until all militants are defeated Iran Press TV 05 Jun 2013 -- Syrian army has urged citizens in the newly-recaptured city of al-Qusayr to return to their home, saying the battle will continue to crush all foreign-backed militants across the country.
• France not to take unilateral decision on Syria intervention: Official Iran Press TV 05 Jun 2013 -- French government spokeswoman says her country will not take a unilateral decision with regard to military intervention in Syria.
• Syrian Regime Claims Control Of Qusair RFE/RL 05 Jun 2013 -- Syrian rebels have confirmed reports that government troops have regained control of the strategic town of Qusair, near the Lebanese border. This follows a government offensive against rebel fighters that lasted nearly three weeks.
• Syria Opposition Undecided on Peace Conference - Moscow RIA Novosti 05 Jun 2013 -- The main obstacle in talks between Russia, the United States and the United Nations regarding the conflict in Syria is that the Syrian opposition has not decided whether it would attend an international peace conference, a Russian deputy foreign minister said Wednesday.
• France Certain Chemical Weapons Used in Syria - FM RIA Novosti 05 Jun 2013 -- French authorities are certain that chemical weapons were used in Syria on several occasions, CNN quoted French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius as saying on Tuesday.
• Syria peace conference may now take place in July - joint UN-Arab League envoy UN News Centre 05 Jun 2013 -- Further steps have been taken towards the convening of an international conference on Syria but it will not be possible to hold it this month as planned, the Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the Arab League for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, said today.
• Press Conference by OCHA Director of Coordination and Response Division On Recent Visit to Afghanistan, Pakistan United Nations 05 Jun 2013
• Back from Afghanistan, Pakistan, senior UN official urges additional humanitarian funds UN News Centre 05 Jun 2013 -- Additional funding is needed for Afghanistan and Pakistan if the United Nations humanitarian community and its partners are to deliver lifesaving services and assist the South Asian countries in developing their potentials, a senior United Nations relief official said following a visit to the region.
• NATO Watching Georgia Border Situation 'With Interest' RIA Novosti 05 Jun 2013 -- NATO is closely watching events in Georgia, the alliance's Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Wednesday, after Tbilisi accused Russia last week of setting up wire fences along the South Ossetia-Georgia border.
• Defence Ministers reaffirm NATO support for Georgia's reform efforts NATO 05 Jun 2013 -- NATO Defence Ministers met with their Georgian counterpart Irakli Alasania in the NATO-Georgia Commission on Wednesday (5 June) and discussed Georgia's reform plans and further opportunities for cooperation. Ministers also thanked Georgia, the biggest non-NATO contributor to ISAF, for the significant contribution to NATO-led operations.
• S.Ossetia Border Fences 'Unacceptable' - NATO RIA Novosti 05 Jun 2013 -- Setting up wire fences along the South Ossetian-Georgia border is a totally unacceptable violation of international rights, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Wednesday.
• Window Closes For Pakistani Peace Talks With Taliban RFE/RL 05 Jun 2013 -- Pakistani politicians vying for a seat in parliament lured war-weary voters with promises of peace negotiations with one of the country's most-violent militant groups. But now that the elections are over, it appears the window of opportunity for talks has already closed.
• Security Council must urgently take action to end impunity in Darfur – ICC prosecutor UN News Centre 05 Jun 2013 -- Deeply frustrated and disappointed by the Security Council's failure to take any action against those responsible for war crimes in Darfur, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) stressed that the plight of the victims has meanwhile "gone from bad to worse."
• Nigeria Makes More Boko Haram Arrests VOA 05 Jun 2013 -- Nigeria's military says it has arrested another 49 members of the Islamist militant group known as Boko Haram.
• Kachin conflict boosts trafficking, report says IRIN 05 Jun 2013 -- Women in Myanmar's northern Kachin State are increasingly susceptible to human trafficking, said a new report released on 5 June by the Kachin Women's Association Thailand (KWAT). "Thousands of young women are at risk," KWAT spokesperson Julia Marip told IRIN.
• Pakistan spy agency fomenting militancy in India: official Iran Press TV 05 Jun 2013 -- Indian Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has accused Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of trying to recruit militants across the border in the Indian state of Punjab.=

News Reports

• Protesters Give Turkish Government List of Demands VOA 05 Jun 2013 -- Anti-government protesters in Turkey have given the deputy prime minister a list of demands, including firing officials responsible for using force against the marchers.
• Turkish police fire tear gas at anti-government protesters in Ankara Iran Press TV 05 Jun 2013 -- Turkish police have fired tear gas to disperse protesters demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the capital Ankara.
• Turkish Protesters Celebrate Small Victory, But Remain Resolute RFE/RL 05 Jun 2013 -- Demonstrators in Istanbul show no sign of backing down, despite Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc's apology on June 4 for the use of excessive force by police.
• Turkish Deputy Leader Meets Some Protest Organizers RFE/RL 05 Jun 2013 -- A Turkish protest group has urged the government to dismiss the governors and police chiefs of Istanbul, Ankara, and other cities where police have been violently cracking down on antigovernment demonstrations.
• Rusatom: Bushehr Nuclear plant not affected at all in quakes IRNA 05 Jun 2013 -- An official in Russian state Rusatom Company announced here Wednesday that Tuesday earthquake has not affected Iranˈs Bushehr Nuclear Plant event the lightest bit, adding that the BNP normal activities continue.
• US, Russia Urge Iran to Cooperate With IAEA RIA Novosti 05 Jun 2013 -- A group of international mediators on Iran's controversial nuclear program urged Tehran on Wednesday to collaborate with the UN nuclear agency and provide complete information on its nuclear activities.
• Security Council extends mandate of panel monitoring Iran sanctions UN News Centre 05 Jun 2013 -- The Security Council today extended the mandate of the expert panel established to monitor and enforce sanctions against Iran over its failure to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding its nuclear programme.
• Nawaz Sharif elected Pakistan's Prime Minister for third time IRNA 05 Jun 2013 -- Pakistan's National Assembly on Wednesday elected Mohammad Nawaz Sharif as the country's Prime Minister for third time.
• Nawaz Sharif elected Pakistan's prime minister Iran Press TV 05 Jun 2013 -- Pakistani lawmakers have endorsed Nawaz Sharif as the country's new prime minister, electing him to an unprecedented third term.
• Sharif Starts Unprecedented Third Term As Pakistani PM RFE/RL 05 Jun 2013 -- Nawaz Sharif is beginning an unprecedented third term as prime minister of Pakistan.
• US Lawmakers Split on Russia's Boston Bomber Claims RIA Novosti 05 Jun 2013 -- US lawmakers who traveled to Russia last week in connection with the deadly Boston Marathon bombing investigation gave mixed opinions on the sincerity of Russian security officials who provided information about suspected bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev in 2011, The Hill reported Wednesday.
• Space Storm Could Black Out US East Coast for Two Years - Expert RIA Novosti 05 Jun 2013 -- Severe space "weather" can knock out satellite communications and GPS systems, expose space tourists and astronauts to dangerous levels of radiation, and even cause massive blackouts on Earth that could last up to two years, scientists and NASA officials warned at a conference here on Tuesday.
• Egypt's draft laws must conform to human rights standards – Ban UN News Centre 05 Jun 2013 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today cited the need for Egypt to ensure that its draft laws conform to international human rights standards and respond to the aspirations of its people, as the country proceeds with its democratic transition.
• NGOs under pressure in Egypt IRIN 05 Jun 2013 -- The conviction in Egypt of 43 NGO workers this week for working illegally has turned the spotlight on an increasingly restrictive environment for NGOs, including those in the humanitarian sector.
• Analysis: Politicians, military undermine Guinea-Bissau's stability IRIN 05 Jun 2013 -- The small West African country of Guinea-Bissau is slated to hold fresh polls later this year after yet another coup, but opposition to security sector reform (SSR) by some in the army, the manipulation of the armed forces by politicians, as well as the military's interference in politics could jeopardize a return to stability, analysts say.