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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 20 Aug 2013 [PDF]
• CLR-2 Marines complete first logistics operation USMC News 20 Aug 2013 -- Long months of meticulous training and preparation finally solidified into action for the Marines of Transportation Support Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, Regional Command (Southwest).
• New biometrics device helps Marines determine friend or foe USMC News 20 Aug 2013 -- The BESD system is an ultra lightweight, ruggedized, handheld portable device that collects and stores biometrics information.
• Afghan Bravery Medal Army News 20 Aug 2013 -- For the first time in more than 30 years, members of the Zabul Police Headquarters were awarded the Afghanistan Bravery Medal at their headquarters building Aug. 18, 2013.
• State Department Won't Fire Officials Over Benghazi Attack VOA 20 Aug 2013 -- U.S. authorities say four State Department officials placed on administrative leave after last year's deadly attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, will be allowed to return to work.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Obama Holds Cabinet-Level Meeting on Egypt Aid VOA 20 Aug 2013 -- President Barack Obama held a Cabinet-level meeting as part of an ongoing review of U.S. aid to Egypt.
• White House Denies Holding Back Egypt Aid VOA 20 Aug 2013 -- The Obama administration is denying reports that it is withholding some military aid to Egypt as it considers a response to escalating violence following the military's ouster of president Mohamed Morsi.
• Obama secretly suspends aid to Egypt PressTV 20 Aug 2013 -- The Obama administration has secretly suspended military aid to Egypt, The Daily Beast reported.
• Top 10 US companies profiting from military aid to Egypt PressTV 20 Aug 2013 -- US officials deny reports that Washington has suspended its military aid to Egypt or is deciding to do so despite a deadly crackdown in the Arab country.
• U.S. Support for Yemen US Dept. of State 20 Aug 2013
• Statement by NSC Spokesperson Caitlin Hayden on National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice’s Meeting with Indian NSA Shivshankar Menon The White House 20 Aug 2013
• Readout of Secretary Hagel's Meeting with Indian National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon DoD 20 Aug 2013
• Centcom Helps Regional Militaries Build Communication Skills AFPS 20 Aug 2013 -- A little-known effort underway at the U.S. Central Command headquarters is providing communication and public affairs training to the militaries of partner nations.
• Navy Announces Plan to Reduce Flag Officer Structure NNS 20 Aug 2013 -- The Secretary of the Navy has approved the initial step to reduce, eliminate or consolidate a net of 35 Navy flag officer positions.
• DC-3 Survey Plane Makes a Stop at 4th Fleet Headquarters NNS 20 Aug 2013 -- A DC-3 coastal survey airplane from Naval Oceanographic Office visited 4th Fleet headquarters Aug. 20 for a capabilities demonstration.
• Navy Sailors, Divers Find and Salvage Downed F-16C Aircraft NNS 20 Aug 2013 -- Navy Sailors and Divers from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 2 found and salvaged a downed F-16 aircraft off the coast of Virginia, Aug. 6-20.
• Navy Personnel Injured in Boat House Mishap - Updated at 5:40 p.m. EDT NNS 20 Aug 2013 -- One person remains hospitalized and seven others have been treated and released from area hospitals following this morning's explosion in a boat house at Naval Weapons Station Earle.
• California National Guard battles wildfires AFNS 20 Aug 2013 -- Nearly a dozen aircraft and crews from the California Air and Army National Guard are battling wildfires across Northern California.
• New maintenance facility being built at Fort McCoy Army News 20 Aug 2013 -- A $19 million tactical equipment maintenance facility, warehouse and organizational parking area for Equipment Concentration Site No. 67 is underway.
• Russian Military to Buy 16 MiG-29SMT Fighter Jets RIA Novosti 20 Aug 2013 -- The Russian Defense Ministry and the MiG aircraft corporation have agreed the purchase of 16 MiG-29SMT fighter jets until 2016.
• MiG-35 Deal Delayed Amid Defense Industry Problems RIA Novosti 20 Aug 2013 -- Russia’s Defense Ministry postponed the purchase of 37 MiG-35 fighter jets until 2016 because the defense industry cannot fulfill the contract.
• Russian Military Creating Cyber Warfare Branch RIA Novosti 20 Aug 2013 -- A separate branch dedicated to cyber warfare is being created in the Russian Armed Forces as the Internet could become a new “theater of war” in the near future.
• Commando Helicopter Force on exercise in Jordan UK MOD 20 Aug 2013 -- Personnel from 845 Naval Air Squadron have decamped from their UK base to the Jordanian desert to take part in Exercise Pashtun Commando.
• IAF lands C-130J Super Hercules plane at world’s highest airstrip IRNA 20 Aug 2013 -- Indian Air Force landed its C-130J Super Hercules transport plane at the world's highest and recently-activated Daulat Beg Oldie airstrip.
• India Defense Ministry Signs Contract for T-90 Missiles RIA Novosti 20 Aug 2013 -- India’s Defense Ministry has signed a contract with Bharat Dynamics Limited for delivery of T-90 tank missiles manufactured under Russian license to the Indian army.
• Taiwan working to recruit more soldiers CNA 20 Aug 2013 -- Taiwan's military is working on measures to help it achieve its goal of recruiting enough soldiers for this year ahead of the government's plan to turn the military into an all-volunteer force by 2016.
• Taiwan to donate three patrol boats to The Gambia CNA 20 Aug 2013 -- Taiwan will donate three more patrol boats to diplomatic ally The Gambia to help strengthen its ability to patrol its coast.
• Iran naval fleet to secure oil tankers in international waters PressTV 20 Aug 2013 -- Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari says the Islamic Republic’s 27th naval fleet has been dispatched to international waters.
• Kim Jong Un Visits Scientific and Technological Exhibition Hall of KPA KCNA 20 Aug 2013 -- Marshal Kim Jong Un visited the Scientific and Technological Exhibition Hall of the KPA.
• Press Briefing by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 8/20/2013 The White House 20 Aug 2013
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing, August 20, 2013 US Dept. of State 20 Aug 2013

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 20, 2013
• Russia and China to Develop New Airliner RIA Novosti 20 Aug 2013 -- Russia and China plan to collaborate on developing a wide-body long-haul passenger airliner.

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, 20 August 2013 United Nations 20 Aug 2013
• UN Wants 'Full Access' For Syrian Chemical Weapons Probe RFE/RL 20 Aug 2013 -- UN Secretary-General Ban has called for UN experts inside Syria to probe whether chemical weapons were used to be given "full access".
• Brahimi urges Iran to attend Geneva talks on Syria PressTV 20 Aug 2013 -- UN-Arab League Special Representative on Syria Lakhdar Brahimi has reiterated his call on Iran to participate in the Geneva 2 conference which is expected to be held on the ongoing Syria crisis.
• UN agencies mount swift response as Syrian refugees pour into Iraq’s Kurdistan region UN News Centre 20 Aug 2013 -- About 30,000 Syrians have streamed into Iraq’s Kurdistan region since last week.
• Relief Operations Under Way for Syrians Fleeing to Iraq VOA 20 Aug 2013 -- Aid agencies are trying to speed up relief for a sudden surge of Syrian refugees into Iraq’s Kurdistan region as fighting rages inside Syria between Kurdish and Islamist forces.
• Iraqi Kurdistan Sets Quota As Refugees Flee Syria Clashes RFE/RL 20 Aug 2013 -- Aid agencies say Iraq's Kurdish regional government has set an entry quota of 3,000 refugees a day to cope with a growing number of Kurds fleeing the civil war in Syria.
• Kurds, Al-Qaida-Linked Rebels Clash in Northern Syria VOA 20 Aug 2013 -- Fresh fighting has broken out between Kurdish fighters and al-Qaida-linked rebels in northern Syria.
• Drought Called a Factor in Syria’s Uprising VOA 20 Aug 2013 -- Dara’a is a mostly agricultural community in a region that has suffered an unrelenting drought since 2001.
• Middle East: senior UN official briefs Security Council on Israeli-Palestinian talks, other developments UN News Centre 20 Aug 2013 -- Israeli and Palestinian negotiators met for a second round of direct talks in the Middle East.
• Israeli Peace Envoy: Government Prepared to Make 'Dramatic Decisions' VOA 20 Aug 2013 -- Israeli negotiator Tzipi Livni says her government is prepared to make "dramatic decisions" to reach a final peace accord with the Palestinians.
• Statement by the President on the Presidential Elections in Mali The White House 20 Aug 2013
• Mali: UN mission welcomes confirmation of presidential election results UN News Centre 20 Aug 2013 -- The United Nations Mission in Mali confirmed the country’s election results by the Constitutional Court, which declared Ibrahim Boubacar Keita the nation’s new President.
• Constitutional Court Upholds Mali's Election Results VOA 20 Aug 2013 -- Mali's constitutional court has confirmed the results of the August 11 presidential run-off, clearing the way for Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to become the country's next president.
• Boko Haram chief may be dead: Nigeria military PressTV 20 Aug 2013 -- Nigeria’s military has announced that Abubakar Shekau, the leader of the militant group Boko Haram, might have died of gunshot wounds during a clash with Nigerian troops.
• South Sudan: UN peacekeepers boost security and aid access around Pibor, Gumuruk UN News Centre 20 Aug 2013 -- The United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan is stepping up its military patrolling in parts of Jonglei State.
• DR Congo: In North Kivu visit, envoy reaffirms UN commitment to resolve conflict UN News Centre 20 Aug 2013 -- A United Nations envoy reiterated the world body’s determination to help restore State authority in the eastern region of the vast country.
• N. Korea Offers Muted Criticism to US-S. Korean Military Drill VOA 20 Aug 2013 -- North Korea has responded with softer than usual language to an annual U.S.-South Korea war exercise that began this week.
• CPRK Denounces S. Korean Chief Executive's Agitation for War against DPRK KCNA 20 Aug 2013 -- The Ulji Freedom Guardian war exercise, big DPRK-targeted war drill that was kicked off in south Korea under the pretext of "annual exercise".
• Pakistan violates ceasefire twice Monday IRNA 20 Aug 2013 -- Pakistani troops violated ceasefire twice on Monday opening fire by automatic weapons and mortars on Hamirpur battalion and Mendhar along the LoC in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Lebanon arrests three over bombing plan PressTV 20 Aug 2013 -- Security forces in Lebanon have arrested three men suspected of planning a massive car bomb in southern Beirut, following the recent deadly bombing that left 27 people dead.
• No Ransom, No Release For Hostages of Somali Pirates VOA 20 Aug 2013 -- In recent months the number of pirate attacks along Somalia’s coast has dropped, but an estimated 97 seafarers remain in the hands of pirates.
• Britain rejects Spanish offer for talks to resolve Gibraltar dispute PressTV 20 Aug 2013 -- The UK government has dismissed an offer put forward by Spain for the two European countries to hold one-on-one talks over the disputed territory of Gibraltar’s sovereignty.
• ‘Remarkable Milestone’: UN mission hails 10-year anniversary of Liberia’s peace accord UN News Centre 20 Aug 2013 -- The top United Nations peacekeeping official in Liberia has congratulated the people and Government of the country on more than a decade of peace.

News Reports

• UN Official in Cairo to Push Political Reconciliation VOA 20 Aug 2013 -- The political affairs chief of the United Nations is in Cairo for talks aimed at ending the deadly political crisis that has polarized the country and left more than 1,000 people dead.
• Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood at the Crossroads VOA 20 Aug 2013 -- Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood is facing is facing a stark choice following the military’s violent crackdown on the group and the arrest of its leaders.
• Egypt: fresh violence prompts appeal from UN rights office to assess situation UN News Centre 20 Aug 2013 -- The United Nations called on Egyptian authorities to allow access to human rights officers to assess the situation on the ground.
• Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood Refuses to Back Down VOA 20 Aug 2013 -- Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood is promising to press on with its massive protests despite the arrest of its spiritual leader, saying its struggle will remain nonviolent.
• Egypt's Top Brotherhood Leader Arrested VOA 20 Aug 2013 -- Egyptian authorities are continuing their crackdown on members of the Muslim Brotherhood, the powerful Islamist group behind ousted President Mohamed Morsi.
• Egypt Detains Muslim Brotherhood Leader For 'Inciting Murder' RFE/RL 20 Aug 2013 -- Egyptian state television says Muhammad Badie, the top leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, is to be held for 15 days on allegations of having incited the murder of demonstrators.
• Mahmoud Ezzat named as Muslim Brotherhood interim chief PressTV 20 Aug 2013 -- Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood has designated Mahmoud Ezzat as its interim chief, following the arrest of the party’s leader, Mohamed Badie, by security forces.
• HRW urges Egypt Army to stop using live ammunition on protesters PressTV 20 Aug 2013 -- Human Rights Watch (HRW) is calling on Egyptian security forces to stop using live ammunition against demonstrators.
• Pakistan’s Musharraf Indicted For Bhutto Killing VOA 20 Aug 2013 -- An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan indicted former military leader Pervez Musharraf on charges of conspiring to murder Benazir Bhutto.
• Musharraf Indicted For Bhutto Murder RFE/RL 20 Aug 2013 -- A court in Pakistan has indicted former military ruler Pervez Musharraf for the 2007 murder of ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
• Pakistan Musharraf fomally indicted in Benazir's murder case IRNA 20 Aug 2013 -- An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan formally charge-sheeted former military president Pervez Musharraf in the 2007 assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
• US files on 1953 coup in Iran nothing new: Iran PressTV 20 Aug 2013 -- Iran’s Foreign Ministry says the newly-released documents on US involvement in a 1953 coup against a popular Iranian government reveal no previously-unknown information.
• Spokesman says unaware of decision to hand over nuclear case to FM IRNA 20 Aug 2013 -- Foreign Ministry spokesman, Abbass Araqchi, said on Tuesday that he was unaware of the decision to hand over nuclear case to Foreign Ministry.
• Rouhani will swiftly revive Iran’s key planning body PressTV 20 Aug 2013 -- Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani plans to reestablish the Management and Planning Organization.
• Putting Rivalries Aside, All Main Kurdish Parties To Meet For First Time RFE/RL 20 Aug 2013 -- Across the four countries where most of the world's Kurds live, competing ideologies and rivalries have prevented the emergence of a single unified Kurdish movement.
• Bo Xilai's Son Doubts Father Will Get Fair Trial VOA 20 Aug 2013 -- Disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai’s son has made an open appeal for his father just two days before he is set to face trial in a court in China.
• New Leak Renews Concerns at Japan's Fukushima Nuclear Plant VOA 20 Aug 2013 -- An ongoing leak at Japan's troubled Fukushima nuclear power plant is allowing dangerously radioactive water to escape.
• 300 Tons Of Radioactive Water Leak From Fukushima RFE/RL 20 Aug 2013 -- The operator of Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant is reporting that some 300 tons of radioactive water has leaked from one of its storage tanks.
• New leak found at crippled Fukushima nuclear plant PressTV 20 Aug 2013 -- The operator of Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant confirms the leak of at least 300 tons of radioactive water from a storage tank into the ground at the coastal facility.
• Zimbabwe Court Upholds Mugabe's Election Victory VOA 20 Aug 2013 -- Zimbabwe’s highest court has dismissed a case challenging President Robert Mugabe’s re-election last month and upheld the re-election of longtime leader.
• Zimbabwe constitutional court says July 31 polls 'fair' PressTV 20 Aug 2013 -- Zimbabwe's constitutional court has dismissed allegations of vote-rigging in the country’s last month presidential election, ruling that the polls were “free and fair.”
• Ghana Assures US, International Community, of Peace VOA 20 Aug 2013 -- Ghana’s government has assured the United States as well as foreign nationals living in the country of improved security ahead of the Supreme Court ruling over the electoral challenge.
• Russia's Plan For Ukraine: Purported Leaked Strategy Document Raises Alarm RFE/RL 20 Aug 2013 -- It has long been known that Moscow is determined to prevent Ukraine from entering into an Association Agreement with the European Union.
• Azerbaijani Aliyev's Signature Lists Presented For Presidential Candidacy RFE/RL 20 Aug 2013 -- President Ilham Aliyev's list of signatures has been presented to Azerbaijan's Central Election Commission for his registration for October's presidential election.
• Czech Parliament Votes To Dissolve, Paving Way For Snap Election RFE/RL 20 Aug 2013 -- Czech lawmakers have voted to dissolve parliament, paving the way for an early election.