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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Afghan president urges Taliban to lay down arms Iran Press TV 08 Aug 2013 -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai has repeated his call for Taliban to give up militant activities and join the Kabul government-led peace process in Afghanistan.
• ISAF Chief Briefs Reservists on Afghan Progress, Future AFPS 08 Aug 2013 -- The NATO-led effort in Afghanistan is "in the red zone," and now is the time to carry the ball over the goal line, the commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said today.
• US killer drone strikes Yemen's Marib Province Iran Press TV 08 Aug 2013 -- Six people have been killed in a US assassination drone strike in Yemen's western province of Marib.
• Suspected Drone Strike Kills Eight in Yemen VOA 08 Aug 2013 -- U.S. drone strikes killed at least eight suspected al Qaida militants in Yemen on Thursday, bringing the number of people killed by drones in less than two weeks to at least 25.

Defense Policy / Programs

• 45th Space Wing launches satellite AFNS 08 Aug 2013 -- The 45th Space Wing successfully launched a United Launch Alliance-built Delta IV rocket carrying the sixth Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) satellite at 8:29 p.m., Aug. 7 from Space Launch Complex 37B here.
• Ospreys make longest Pacific flight to date USMC News 08 Aug 2013 -- Two MV-22B Ospreys completed the longest distance Osprey tanking mission to date in the Pacific region Aug. 2-5, beginning from Marine Corps Air Station Futenma and ending in Townsville, Australia.
• Khaan Quest 2013 begins USMC News 08 Aug 2013 -- The 11th iteration of Exercise Khaan Quest officially started Aug. 3 as military leaders and senior government officials from Mongolia, the U.S., and other regional partners gathered for an opening ceremony.
• Communication Marines hone craft during exercise USMC News 08 Aug 2013 -- Communications have always played a vital role on the battlefield and in noncombatant military missions. Marines with 3rd Marine Logistics Group overcame communication struggles to prepare for future mission success and keep the lines of communication open.
• X-47B Returns to Pax River Concluding Historic Carrier Demonstration Phase NNS 08 Aug 2013 -- The Navy's X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator safely returned to Naval Air Station Patuxent River Aug. 8 from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia aftercompleting a number of historic firsts for carrier-based unmanned aviation.
• USS Philippine Sea Completes SNOOPIE, STEAM and FAC/FIAC Exercise NNS 08 Aug 2013 -- Guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) completed its second steam formation training exercise (STEAMX), during the George H.W. Bush Group Sail (GHWB GRUSL), Aug. 6.
• U.S., New Zealand Navies Trade Sailors for Pacific Partnership 2013 NNS 08 Aug 2013 -- Members of Pacific Partnership 2013 (PP13) from the U.S. and Royal New Zealand Navy traded places for seven days, switching ships and returning to their respective vessels prior to the end of the PP13 mission's completion, Aug 5.
• Santa Fe Visits Yokosuka during Western Pacific Deployment NNS 08 Aug 2013 -- The Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Santa Fe (SSN 763) arrived at Fleet Activities Yokosuka Aug. 8 for a visit as part of its deployment to the Western Pacific.
• VMU-2 puts Shadows in the sky USMC News 08 Aug 2013 -- August 2 was a typical day for the Marines of Marine Unmanned Aerial Squadron 2 – operating a very small aircraft that has a very large mission.
• Russia Destroys Over 75% of Its Chemical Weapons Stockpile RIA Novosti 08 Aug 2013 -- Russia has destroyed more than 30,000 metric tons of chemical warfare agents, or about 76 percent of its chemical weapons stockpile, Russia's industry and trade minister said Thursday.
• Female Officers Assigned to Russian Air Defense Units in Abkhazia RIA Novosti 08 Aug 2013 -- Female officers will serve for the first time in air defense units stationed at a Russian military base in Abkhazia, the Southern Military District's press service said Thursday.
• Busy autumn ahead for NATO Response Force training NATO 08 Aug 2013 -- NATO will conduct a series of dynamic and demanding exercises this autumn that will put both troops and commanders from the NATO Response Force (NRF) to the test.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 8/8/2013 The White House 08 Aug 2013
• August 8, 2013 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 08 Aug 2013

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 08, 2013

Other Conflicts

• US, Turkey claim concerns over radical Syria militants, but back opposition Iran Press TV 08 Aug 2013 -- US president and Turkish prime minister have reportedly voiced concern over foreign mercenaries engaged in foreign-backed armed efforts to topple the Syrian government.
• Militants attack Sayyidah Zaynab shrine near Syrian capital Iran Press TV 08 Aug 2013 -- Foreign-backed Takfiri militants have attacked the holy shrine of Sayyidah Zaynab near the Syrian capital, Damascus, reportedly killing at least five people.
• Russia rebuffs Saudi offer to drop Syria support for arms deal: Report Iran Press TV 08 Aug 2013 -- Russia has reportedly rebuffed an offer by Saudi Arabia to abandon its support for the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad in exchange for financial pledges.
• US, Turkey Voice Concern Over Foreign Fighters in Syria RIA Novosti 08 Aug 2013 -- The US and Turkish leaders voiced concern over foreign mercenaries involved in the ongoing armed conflict in Syria and expressed their support for Syrian opposition, the White House said in a statement.
• Syria Denies Attack on Assad Motorcade VOA 08 Aug 2013 -- Syrian officials have denied reports that President Bashar al-Assad's motorcade came under attack Thursday as he traveled to a mosque in Damascus.
• Georgia-Russia War Commemorated RFE/RL 08 Aug 2013 -- Georgia has been marking the anniversary of the 2008 war with Russia over its separatist South Ossetia region.
• From Euphoria To Wary Optimism In Georgia's Breakaway Regions RFE/RL 08 Aug 2013 -- Amid widespread poverty and massive unemployment, even a rumor that somebody is hiring in Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia can make waves.
• Saakashvili: Georgia Was Ready To Trade NATO For Breakaway Regions RFE/RL 08 Aug 2013 -- Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has said on the eve of the fifth anniversary of war between Georgia and Russia that he tried to avert the conflict by proposing that Georgia would abandon ambitions to join NATO in return for Moscow's help with South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
• Taiwan lifts sanctions, says ties with Manila 'normal' again CNA 08 Aug 2013 -- Taiwan lifted sanctions on the Philippines Thursday and the bilateral relationship strained by the row over a fatal shooting in May is 'back to normal,' Taiwan's foreign ministry said Thursday.
• Philippines Apologizes to Taiwan for Fisherman Death VOA 08 Aug 2013 -- A Philippine envoy has offered an official apology to the family of a Taiwanese fisherman who was shot to death by Manila's coast guard in disputed waters three months ago.
• China confirms Diaoyu Islands coast guard patrol People's Daily 08 Aug 2013 -- The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed on Thursday that a fleet of ships from the China Coast Guard (CCG) recently patrolled the country's territorial waters surrounding the Diaoyu Islands.
• 1000s in Congo's eastern town need urgent aid: UN Iran Press TV 08 Aug 2013 -- The United Nations has expressed concern over the humanitarian situation in the town of Kamango in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after recent fighting sent thousands of people fleeing for safety.
• Philippines Peace Negotiators Say Talks Unaffected by Bombings VOA 08 Aug 2013 -- The Philippine military said clashes with some 70 fighters of the Abu Sayyaf group in Basilan island province Thursday killed one soldier and seven militants. The operation targeting an alleged bomb-making network follows a string of deadly blasts in the south. The attacks have affected negotiations for a permanent peace deal with the largest Muslim rebel group.
• Royal Navy set for Cougar 13 UK MOD 08 Aug 2013 -- A potent maritime force is ready to sail from the UK on Monday 12 August for an annual deployment to the Mediterranean and Gulf region.

News Reports

• Defying Egyptian Leaders, Morsi Backers Continue Protests VOA 08 Aug 2013 -- Thousands of Egyptians supporting ousted President Mohamed Morsi have gathered in Cairo, praying and celebrating Eid al-Fitr at protest camps despite government warnings to vacate the sites.
• Kerry, Hagel to Meet with Russian Counterparts VOA 08 Aug 2013 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel are meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in a two-plus-two meeting Friday at the State Department. The meeting will come just two days after President Barack Obama canceled a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin that was scheduled to take place next month ahead of the G20 summit in St. Petersburg.
• Germany sent metadata to US spy agency: Report Iran Press TV 08 Aug 2013 -- Germany's foreign intelligence agency BND has sent massive amounts of intercepted communications data to the United States National Security Agency (NSA), a report says.
• Snowden's Father Says Putin Won't 'Cave' To U.S. Pressure RFE/RL 08 Aug 2013 -- The father of former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden has said in an interview he does not believe Russian President Vladimir Putin will 'cave' in to U.S. pressure and extradite Snowden.
• Powerful bomb explosion claims 40 lives in southwestern Pakistan Iran Press TV 08 Aug 2013 -- A powerful explosion near a police station in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta has claimed at least 40 lives and injured several others, security sources say.
• Pakistani Police Officers Killed In Suicide Attack At Funeral RFE/RL 08 Aug 2013 -- At least 30 people have been killed after a suicide bomber blew himself up at a funeral procession in the country's volatile southwest.
• Rights Group: Wave of Political Assassinations Paralyzes Libya VOA 08 Aug 2013 -- Human Rights Watch [HRW] says more than 50 people have died in a broadening wave of apparent political assassinations in the cities of Benghazi and Derna in volatile eastern Libya. Analysts say the state has been unable to reign in the violence that has taken place during the two years since Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was ousted in 2011.
• NASA Maps Possible Europa Landing VOA 08 Aug 2013 -- The U.S. space agency, NASA, is looking at the idea of sending a robot lander to Jupiter's ice-covered moon, Europa, figuring it's the most likely place in the solar system to harbor extraterrestrial life.
• US Orders Diplomats Out of Lahore VOA 08 Aug 2013 -- The United States has ordered the evacuation of its consulate in the eastern Pakistani city Lahore because of what it calls "specific threats." The State Department also issued a new travel warning urging all U.S. citizens to defer non-essential travel to Pakistan.
• Ban welcomes $100 million Saudi contribution for UN counter-terrorism efforts UN News Centre 08 Aug 2013 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed his sincere gratitude to King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia for his announcement of a $100 million contribution for United Nations counter-terrorism efforts.
• Colombia grew less coca in 2012, UN survey reports UN News Centre 08 Aug 2013 -- Coca cultivation in Colombia, one of the world's largest producers along with Bolivia and Peru, fell by a quarter in 2012, according to a new survey presented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Government.