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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 24 Sep 2013 [PDF]
• DOD Identifies Units for Upcoming Afghanistan Rotation DoD 24 Sep 2013 -- The Department of Defense today identified six units to deploy as part of the upcoming rotation of forces operating in Afghanistan.
• Afghans pass milestone for police training UK MOD 24 Sep 2013 -- Police training in central Helmand has passed a significant milestone with the opening of a new complex at the Lashkar Gah Training Centre.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Remarks by President Obama in Address to the United Nations General Assembly The White House 24 Sep 2013
• Obama Describes Core US Interests in the Middle East AFPS 24 Sep 2013 -- In a speech at the United Nations today, President Barack Obama described key United States' interests in North Africa and the Middle East and made clear America is prepared to use force to back them up.
• US President urges UN Member States to confront 'profound new challenges' UN News Centre 24 Sep 2013 -- With the world facing a raft of "profound new challenges," United States President Barack Obama challenged United Nations Member States today to evince the courage and determination to act decisively "when the breakdown of societies is so great [and] the violence against civilians so substantial."
• Obama Demands Syria Action, Diplomacy With Iran VOA 24 Sep 2013 -- U.S. President Barack Obama has urged world leaders to enforce strong consequences for Syria if it fails to follow through with commitments to turn all chemical weapons over to international control. Addressing the U.N. General Assembly, he also held out a hand to Iran.
• Obama says US ready to use military force in Middle East Iran Press TV 24 Sep 2013 -- US President Barack Obama has repeated his call for military action against Syria, once again accusing the Syrian government of using chemical weapons in an attack last month.
• Obama: Diplomatic Path With Iran Should Be Tested RFE/RL 24 Sep 2013 -- U.S. President Barack Obama says the new Iranian government's pursuit of a 'more moderate course' should offer a basis for an agreement on Iran's nuclear program.
• Obama Implores UN for 'Consequence' in Syrian Chemical Pact RIA Novosti 24 Sep 2013 -- US President Barack Obama on Tuesday told the United Nations General Assembly that the Syrian government must face "consequences" if it fails to adhere to a US-Russian plan to turn over its chemical weapons as Washington and Moscow remain deadlocked over whether the threat of military force should be used to enforce the deal.
• Obama Demands Syria Action, Diplomacy With Iran VOA 24 Sep 2013 -- U.S. President Barack Obama is calling for internationally agreed-upon consequences if the Syrian government fails to follow through with giving up its chemical weapons.
• Commander discusses future of Air Force Reserve AFNS 24 Sep 2013 -- Discussing the future of the Air Force, senior military and industry leaders gathered at the Air Force Association's 2013 Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center at National Harbor, Md., Sept. 16-18.
• F-35: New fighter creates new culture for 21st Century and beyond AFNS 24 Sep 2013 -- She didn't have a smudge on her. Not a leak found anywhere. She even had that "new jet smell." Skies were blue, everything was perfect. Those were the conditions on that July day in 2011 when Lt. Col. Eric Smith took off from the Lockheed facilities at Fort Worth, Texas, in the first operational F-35 to fly to its permanent home at Eglin Air Force Base, in the Florida panhandle. And the rest, according to Smith, who would go on to pick up three of the first six F-35s from the factory, is history.
• First unmanned QF-16 flight takes place AFNS 24 Sep 2013 -- The QF-16 full scale aerial target's inaugural unmanned flight occurred Sept. 19.
• Austin: Understanding Region Vital to Addressing Centcom Challenges AFPS 24 Sep 2013 -- Take a look at the globe, and one would be hard pressed to come up with a region as dynamic and unpredictable as the U.S. Central Command area of operations - but also as vital to U.S. national security interests.
• Gettysburg Provides Humanitarian Assistance NNS 24 Sep 2013 -- Guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64) provided humanitarian assistance to an adrift fishing dhow while operating in the Arabian Gulf, Sept. 24.
• Rotational Force in Australia Paves Way for Big Growth in 2014 AFPS 24 Sep 2013 -- With the second rotation of U.S. Marines wrapping up its six-month deployment to Darwin, Australia, later this month, the senior Marine commander on the ground said all systems are go for the next rotation to increase five-fold when it arrives next spring.
• New, improved system to replace MOL USMC News 24 Sep 2013 -- The Marine Corps is transitioning from Marine Online's Training Management System, or MOL, to the Marine Corps Training Information Management System, or MCTIMS, beginning Sept. 1, 2014.
• Marines conduct expeditionary aerial delivery during PHIBLEX 14 USMC News 24 Sep 2013 -- Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 166, part of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit's aviation combat element, conducted an expeditionary aerial delivery mission Sept. 19 utilizing an MV-22B Osprey above Crow Valley, Pampanga, Republic of the Philippines, during Amphibious Landing Exercise 2014.
• Marines, Airmen take off in training during BSRF-14 USMC News 24 Sep 2013 -- Marines assigned to Black Sea Rotational Force 13, from the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, command element and Airmen with the 352nd Special Operations Group, joined forces for C-130 training at the airfield in Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania, Sept. 12th.
• USS Hampton Visits Yokosuka during Western Pacific Deployment NNS 24 Sep 2013 -- The San Diego-based Los Angeles-class, fast attack submarine USS Hampton (SSN 767) arrived in Yokosuka, Japan Sept. 24 for a visit as part of its deployment to the Western Pacific.
• NATO Secretary General takes part in United Nations General Assembly, discusses partnerships NATO 24 Sep 2013 -- The NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen attended the start of the 68th ministerial session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York on Tuesday (24 September 2013). He also joined other world leaders in a lunch hosted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
• S. Korea rejects Boeing's F-15 SE as next-generation fighter jet People's Daily 24 Sep 2013 -- South Korea decided on Tuesday to reject Boeing's F-15 Silent Eagle as the country's next-generation fighter jet because the candidate was assessed not to have enough combat capabilities against possible provocations from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
• Iran ready to strengthen Iraq Army: Iran defense minister Iran Press TV 24 Sep 2013 -- Iran Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan has expressed the Islamic Republic's readiness to equip and strengthen the Iraqi army, saying countries in the Middle East are capable of restoring regional security.
• Russian Army to Accept Armored Vehicles Rejected in 2010 RIA Novosti 24 Sep 2013 -- An order for the delivery of BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles that the Russian Defense Ministry suspended three years ago over inferior quality will be completed, a defense industry official said Tuesday.
• Commander: New weapons to be tested in upcoming maneuver IRNA 24 Sep 2013 -- New weapons which have been designed and produced in the Army Self-Sufficiency Jihad will be tested in an upcoming maneuver, said Commander of Army Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pour-dastan said on Monday.
• Press Briefing by Senior Administration Officials The White House 24 Sep 2013
• Remarks by President Obama and President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority Before Bilateral Meeting The White House 24 Sep 2013

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for September 24, 2013
• Russia Starts Building 2 Frigates for Vietnamese Navy RIA Novosti 24 Sep 2013 -- A Russian shipyard on Tuesday started work on a second pair of frigates for the Vietnamese navy, the shipbuilding company said.

Other Conflicts

• Obama Urges UN to Confront Syrian Violence, Chemical Weapons AFPS 24 Sep 2013 -- While the world has made strides toward stability, the situation in Syria illustrates the dangers of current trends to the Middle East and the rest of the globe, President Barack Obama told world leaders at the United Nations today.
• Security Council inaction on Syria a 'disgrace,' Turkish President tells Assembly UN News Centre 24 Sep 2013 -- Stressing the centrality of a "strong, efficient, and credible" United Nations for ensuring world peace and stability, Turkish President Abdullah Gül today called it a "disgrace" that the Security Council has not ended the civil war in Syria and ensured a stable transition from the current regime.
• Syria's Chemical Weapons Stockpile Vast, Complicated VOA 24 Sep 2013 -- Under pressure from the United States and Russia, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has provided details of his chemical weapons arsenals to the international organization charged with monitoring them. A spokesman for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons says it received "everything that we have been expecting." But he did not disclose any figures.
• Russia: UN Investigators Heading Back to Syria VOA 24 Sep 2013 -- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov says United Nations chemical weapons investigators are expected to return to Syria on Wednesday.
• Syrian army pressing ahead with mop-up operations Iran Press TV 24 Sep 2013 -- Syrian military forces continue to tighten the noose around foreign-backed militants as fierce clashes continue across the crisis-hit country.
• Could Assad Regime Emerge Stronger From Chemical Weapons Deal? RFE/RL 24 Sep 2013 -- Western powers and Moscow have agreed the best way to prevent chemical weapons from being used again in Syria is to destroy Damascus's stockpiles of nerve and blister agents.
• Russia Says UN Syria Resolution Could Allow For Force, Sanctions RFE/RL 24 Sep 2013 -- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov says a UN Security Council resolution on Syria could 'mention' Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which allows for the use of force or the imposition of tough sanctions.
• Russia Says UN Syria Sanctions Possible Only in Event of Noncompliance RIA Novosti 24 Sep 2013 -- A senior Russian diplomat suggested Tuesday that sanctions against Syria could be included in a contentious UN resolution only as a possible response to noncompliance with international demands regarding Damascus' chemical weapons, not as an "automatic" consequence.
• Chemical weapons investigators to return to Syria on Wednesday - UN spokesperson UN News Centre 24 Sep 2013 -- The United Nations team probing the possible use of chemical weapons in Syria will return to the country on Wednesday to complete its investigation of pending credible allegations, including the 19 March incident at Khan al-Asal, a spokesperson for the world body said today.
• Obama Pledges $340 Million in Syrian Humanitarian Aid VOA 24 Sep 2013 -- U.S. President Barack Obama says the United States will provide an additional $340 million in humanitarian aid to support those affected by the ongoing crisis in Syria.
• UN envoy urges increased efforts to defeat militant groups in Somalia UN News Centre 24 Sep 2013 -- The top United Nations official in Somalia today urged the international community to redouble its efforts to help defeat militant groups in the country, including Al-Shabaab, which reportedly claimed responsibility for last weekend's terrorist attack in neighbouring Kenya.
• UN Envoy Urges More Security Support for Somali Government VOA 24 Sep 2013 -- A senior United Nations official says Somalia has the best chance in a generation to achieve peace and eventual prosperity, despite continued activity by al-Shabab, which claimed responsibility for the deadly attack at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya. The official warns failure to support Somalia's government would have serious regional and international consequences.
• Urgent protection needed for displaced persons in Central African Republic – UN expert UN News Centre 24 Sep 2013 -- An independent United Nations human rights expert today called for the urgent protection of civilians uprooted by the current crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR) which is marked by a virtual lack of security, massive displacement and a dire humanitarian situation.

News Reports

• Opening forum, General Assembly President calls for renewed commitment to multilateralism UN News Centre 24 Sep 2013 -- As he opened the annual United Nations forum for world leaders today, the President of the General Assembly appealed to them to renew their commitment to work together to eradicate poverty and foster economic and social prosperity for people across the world through a new development agenda.
• At UN debate, Brazilian President urges protection of Internet users UN News Centre 24 Sep 2013 -- In her speech to the General Assembly's high-level debate today, the President of Brazil, Dilma Roussef, urged the United Nations to play a leading role in protecting Internet users from illegal interception of communications and data, and decried recent allegations of electronic information spying as "serious violations of human rights".
• Brazil slams US spying on other nations Iran Press TV 24 Sep 2013 -- Brazil's President Dilma Vana Rousseff has criticized the US for its extensive spying programs on other nations calling it an "affront".
• Iran ready for nuclear talks with transparency: Rouhani Iran Press TV 25 Sep 2013 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the Islamic Republic of Iran poses no threat to the world and Tehran is ready for talks on its nuclear energy program with complete transparency.
• Iranians decline Obama-Rouhani encounter Iran Press TV 24 Sep 2013 -- US officials offered to hold informal talks between President Barack Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, but the Iranian delegation declined, DPA has reported.
• Rouhani: Iran Desires Peaceful Nuclear Program VOA 24 Sep 2013 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has reiterated his country's long-held position that Iran has a right to pursue a nuclear program for peaceful purposes.
• Gaggle by Senior Administration Officials on Iran The White House 24 Sep 2013
• President carrying Iranians message of peace IRNA 24 Sep 2013 -- President Hassan Rohani, currently in New York, is carrying peace message of the Iranian nation to the world, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham said Tuesday.
• FM spokeswoman: Any meetings between Iran, US only within talks with 5+1 IRNA 24 Sep 2013 -- Foreign Ministry spokesperson Marziyeh Afkham said any meetings between foreign ministers of Iran and the US will only take place within the framework of talks with the 5+1.
• Syrian situation changing positively: Larijani IRNA 24 Sep 2013 -- Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani said Monday evening that situation in Syria is "changing in a positive way" due to the constant resistance of the Syrian people and government against enemies and their terrorist agents.
• Iran ready for purposeful nuclear talks: Foreign Minister Zarif Iran Press TV 24 Sep 2013 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Tehran is ready to conduct purposeful negotiations within a specific timeframe to resolve the impasse over the Iranian nuclear energy program.
• President Rouhani to convey Iran's message of peace: Foreign Ministry Iran Press TV 24 Sep 2013 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will convey the Iranian nation's message of peace during his visit to New York to attend the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly, says Iran's Foreign Ministry.
• Iran, U.S. Preparing For Highest-Level Contact In Years RFE/RL 24 Sep 2013 -- The United States and Iran are preparing for what could be their highest-level contact in six years.
• China bans dual-use exports to N Korea, says Ministry of Commerce Iran Press TV 24 Sep 2013 -- The European Union is "not satisfied" with Washington's answers on revelations that the US spied on international bank transfers, a top official says.
• China Tightens Nuclear Sanctions Against North Korea VOA 24 Sep 2013 -- China has tightened its restrictions on goods banned for export to North Korea as part of international sanctions against Pyongyang's nuclear program.
• N. Korea Appears Capable of Making Nuclear Weapon VOA 24 Sep 2013 -- A new assessment of North Korea's nuclear program says Pyongyang appears capable of building sensitive nuclear equipment that could allow it to evade international trade sanctions and easily hide a nuclear weapons program. South Korea's Defense Ministry has said it will never accept North Korea as a nuclear state.
• EU 'not satisfied' with US spying answers, says top official Iran Press TV 24 Sep 2013 -- The European Union is "not satisfied" with Washington's answers on revelations that the US spied on international bank transfers, a top official says.
• Former FBI Agent to Plead Guilty to Leaking Secret Information to Journalists VOA 24 Sep 2013 -- A former FBI explosives expert will plead guilty to revealing classified information to journalists about a disrupted terrorist plot to blow up a U.S.-bound jetliner in 2012.
• Kenyan President Says Siege At Shopping Center Over RFE/RL 24 Sep 2013 -- Kenya's president says security forces have defeated attackers who seized dozens of civilians hostage at a shopping mall in the capital, Nairobi.
• Kenyan Forces 'In Control' Of Besieged Mall RFE/RL 24 Sep 2013 -- Kenya's Interior Ministry says security forces are now 'in control' of the Nairobi shopping mall that was seized by armed Islamists who have killed more than 60 people.
• Al-Shabab Militants Claim They Still Hold Hostages at Kenya Mall VOA 24 Sep 2013 -- The Somali militant group al-Shabab says its fighters are still holding hostages inside the Kenyan mall where gunmen began a deadly siege on Saturday.
• Nigerian President urges continued international support to fight terrorism UN News Centre 24 Sep 2013 -- Addressing today's General Debate of the 68th United Nations General Assembly, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan called for continued international efforts to overcome transborder crimes, such as terrorism and piracy, and promoted the fundamentals of democracy as requisite for sustainable development in Africa.
• Concerned at delay, Ban says Maldives run-off vote should be held as soon as possible UN News Centre 24 Sep 2013 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today voiced his concern at the decision by the Supreme Court in the Maldives to postpone the second round of the presidential election and said the run-off should be held as soon as possible.
• Thousands detained in Libya outside state control IRIN 24 Sep 2013 -- Thousands of people in Libya remain locked up in militia prisons, outside of state control, more than two years after the revolution, according to a new UN report presented to the Security Council. The report says many are suffering torture and mistreatment and calls the situation "unacceptable".