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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 26 Sep 2013 [PDF]
• Vanguard UAS platoon flies more hours than predecessors Army News 26 Sep 2013 -- The platoon has flown more than 3,800 hours across 600 plus flights.
• Spartan Brigade cases colors for deployment to Afghanistan Army News 26 Sep 2013 -- Hundreds of Family Members and community leaders gathered to honor the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI) "Spartans," during a deployment ceremony.
• 164th TAOG cases colors, deploys Army News 26 Sep 2013 -- Soldiers, Family members and friends came together at the Spiritual Life Center Sept. 21 to say farewell to more than 35 Soldiers from the 164th TAOG as they deployed to Afghanistan and Kuwait.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DOD Taking Prudent Steps in Face of Government Shutdown AFPS 26 Sep 2013 -- The Defense Department is taking prudent steps to plan for a possible government shutdown Oct. 1, Deputy Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said in a memo signed today.
• PHIBLEX 14 begins with ceremony USMC News 26 Sep 2013 -- The Philippine and U.S. Marine Corps began bilateral Amphibious Landing Exercise 2014 with an opening ceremony Sept. 18 here.
• Marines focus on amphibious roots, Asia-Pacific region USMC News 26 Sep 2013 -- The Battle of Inchon, during the Korean War, silenced critics of amphibious assault as the grueling combat which followed the landing resulted in a crucial victory and turned the tide of the war in favor of the U.S. The amphibious capabilities the Marines employed led to the recapture of the Republic of Korea's capitol, Seoul, and severed crucial supply lines reinforcing most enemy forces south of the 38th parallel latitudinal line.
• Ammunition technicians stand FASP USMC News 26 Sep 2013 -- Marines remove tarps protecting caches of ammunition, uncovering them, so they can start counting every single round. From 5.56 mm ball rounds to M67 fragmentation grenades and 12-gauge shotgun shells, no piece of ammunition goes uncounted before it is distributed to the units requiring it for training.
• Wave of the Future: New Technology Could Impact Ships at Sea NNS 26 Sep 2013 -- Following sea-tests that concluded Sept. 18 off the California coast, the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division (NSWCCD) and other partners see a future of predicting the strength and size of the next wave.
• Strike Fighter Squadron 101 to Host F-35C Rollout Ceremony NNS 26 Sep 2013 -- The Navy's first F-35C Lightning II carrier variant aircraft squadron, the 'Grim Reapers' of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101, will host a rollout ceremony for their new aircraft at the squadron's home at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Oct. 1.
• Navy Successfully Tests Long Range Land Attack Projectile NNS 26 Sep 2013 -- Program Executive Office, Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS) successfully completed nine guided flight tests for the Long Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLAP), NAVSEA announced Sept. 26.
• Hagel Meets with Lebanese President, Gulf Leaders in New York AFPS 26 Sep 2013 -- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel met in New York today with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly and took part in a meeting of the U.S.-Gulf Cooperation Council Strategic Cooperation Forum, Pentagon Spokesman George Little said.
• Readout of Secretary Hagel's Meeting with the Gulf Cooperation Council and the President of Lebanon in New York, N.Y. DoD 26 Sep 2013
• Air Force Chief of Staff Begins Visit to China AFPS 26 Sep 2013 -- Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III and other Air Force leaders arrived here Sept. 24 as part of a weeklong visit to China.
• Mission complete: MDMC adds to its history of supporting warfighters USMC News 26 Sep 2013 -- The final two Marine Depot Maintenance Command civilian-Marines supporting Overseas Contingency Operations arrived at the Southwest Georgia Regional Airport Friday, marking an end to more than five years of logistics support.
• US Fighter Jets Retrofitted into Unmanned Drones RIA Novosti 26 Sep 2013 -- Where do old fighter jets go to die? Turns out, some of them don't. They just drone on.
• SECNAV Announces WNY Investigation NNS 26 Sep 2013 -- Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced Sept. 26 that the Navy will conduct an official investigation into the fatal shooting incident at the Washington Navy Yard Sept. 16.
• NATO Secretary General holds high-level talks with Serbia, Afghanistan, Pakistan NATO 26 Sep 2013 -- NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has concluded a busy week at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday (26 September 2013) with meetings with the Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic, the Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul, and the Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif.
• NATO, Russia Complete 'Vigilant Skies' Anti-Terror Drills RIA Novosti 26 Sep 2013 -- NATO and Russia have successfully completed a live three-day joint exercise to test their capacity to counter terrorist threats in the skies over NATO and Russian territory.
• China defends military training in W. Pacific People's Daily 26 Sep 2013 -- China on Thursday said the training by its military vessels and jets in the west Pacific is routine.
• Russian Landing Ship Nikolai Filchenkov in Syria – Ministry RIA Novosti 26 Sep 2013 -- Russia's assault landing ship Nikolai Filchenkov, scheduled to visit the Syrian port of Latakia, has been met by two Syrian missile boats on the border of Syria's territorial waters, a Syrian Defense Ministry spokesman told RIA Novosti.
• Russian Admiral Faces Trial for $840,000 Scam RIA Novosti 26 Sep 2013 -- Investigators have compiled and sent to court a 27 million ruble ($840,000) fraud and abuse of office case against a senior military official, a spokesman for Russia's Investigative Committee said Thursday.
• Russia's Prime Minister Gets Sneak Preview of Top Secret Tank RIA Novosti 26 Sep 2013 -- Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and a select group of senior officials got a sneak peek at a secret prototype of the country's new-generation battle tank in a closed viewing at an arms show in the Urals region on Thursday.
• Vietnam Sets 2015 Deadline for Soviet, Russian Ship Repair Facility RIA Novosti 26 Sep 2013 -- Vietnam has set a deadline of 2015 for the construction of a repair facility for Russian and Soviet ships at Cam Ranh Bay, a Russian defense industry executive said Thursday.
• Iran, Iraq sign MoU to enhance defense cooperation Iran Press TV 26 Sep 2013 -- Iran and Iraq have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to boost defense cooperation between the two neighboring countries.
• Iran's IRGC, Iraq army stress need for cooperation Iran Press TV 26 Sep 2013 -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iraqi army have stressed the need for military and security cooperation between the two neighbors.
• Navy conducts missile drill in waters off east coast CNA 26 Sep 2013 -- The Navy held a live-fire drill Thursday that included the firing of the surface-to-air Standard Missile-2 from a Kidd-class destroyer in waters off eastern Taiwan, six years after its previous firing of the weapon.
• At historic meeting, UN officials urge renewed efforts to rid world of nuclear threat UN News Centre 26 Sep 2013 -- Senior United Nations officials today called on Member States to take renewed steps to rid the world of nuclear weapons, during what was the first high-level meeting ever held by the General Assembly devoted to this issue.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for September 26, 2013

Other Conflicts

• 26 September 2013 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 26 Sep 2013
• Security Council urges strengthened efforts to tackle small arms scourge UN News Centre 26 Sep 2013 -- The Security Council today, meeting at the ministerial level, voiced its grave concern at the illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons, which perpetuate conflict and instability worldwide and cause significant loss of life.
• Women's empowerment crucial for post-conflict recovery, peacebuilding – UN officials UN News Centre 26 Sep 2013 -- Women play a vital role as countries recover from conflict and seek to build lasting peace, top United Nations official said today, stressing the need to ensure their full participation in the economic and political lives of their nations.
• US, Russia Finalize Syria Resolution – Lavrov RIA Novosti 26 Sep 2013 -- Russia and the United States have agreed on a UN Security Council resolution that will not allow military action to enforce Syria's compliance with a US-Russian plan to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.
• President Assad talks on chemical attacks in Syria Iran Press TV 26 Sep 2013 -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says confessions from foreign-backed militants in Syria suggest that they used chemical weapons in recent fatal attacks.
• Iran's Majlis speaker rejects foreign military intervention in Syria Iran Press TV 26 Sep 2013 -- Iran's Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani has reaffirmed Tehran's backing for a political solution to the crisis in Syria, rejecting a military approach against the Arab country.
• Lavrov Says Sarin Gas Used In Damascus Was Homemade RFE/RL 26 Sep 2013 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow has 'very good' evidence that the type of sarin gas used in a deadly chemical attack in the Damascus suburbs on August 21 was homemade, lending credence to assertions that Syrian rebels were responsible.
• Islamist Syrian Rebels Reject Opposition Backed by West RIA Novosti 26 Sep 2013 -- Thousands of armed Syrian rebels have split from the main Western-backed opposition group to create a new coalition guided by Islamic sharia law, a move analysts say could undercut a US drive to empower moderates in the war-torn country.
• Russia Says Sarin Gas in Aug. 21 Syria Attack Was 'Homemade' RIA Novosti 26 Sep 2013 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with a US newspaper published Thursday that homemade sarin nerve agent was used in a chemical weapons attack in Damascus on August 21, an attack that the United States maintains was carried out by the Syrian regime.
• Chemical Weapons Inspectors Face Difficult Task in Syria VOA 26 Sep 2013 -- Syria has agreed to destroy its chemical weapons arsenal under international supervision.
• Assad Thinks US Strikes Still Possible VOA 26 Sep 2013 -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is not ruling out the possibility of a United States military strike on his country despite agreeing to a deal requiring him to give up his chemical weapons.
• Prosecutor welcomes UN-backed court's decision to uphold Charles Taylor conviction UN News Centre 26 Sep 2013 -- The Prosecutor of the United Nations-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) today welcomed the court's decision to uphold the conviction of former Liberian President Charles Taylor for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
• Court Upholds Taylor Conviction, 50-Year Sentence VOA 26 Sep 2013 -- A U.N.-backed special court in The Hague has upheld the conviction and sentencing of former Liberian president Charles Taylor. Taylor had appealed the court's ruling that he is guilty of arming and aiding rebels in Sierra Leone during that country's civil war, which killed 50,000 people. The ruling means his 50-year prison sentence will stand.
• Karen Refugees in Thailand Wary of Return to Burma VOA 26 Sep 2013 -- Despite Burma's political opening in recent years, most of the roughly 130,000 Burmese refugees in Thailand are not expecting to return any time soon. A first-of-its kind U.N. survey of refugees indicates that many remain wary of heading back across the border.
• More WASH interventions in Rakhine needed IRIN 26 Sep 2013 -- Aid workers are calling for stronger interventions to expand access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in western Rakhine State, where sectarian violence more than a year ago has left close to 200,000 people in need.
• Ban urges support as UN agency aiding Palestinians faces 'unprecedented' demands UN News Centre 26 Sep 2013 -- The United Nations agency tasked with assisting Palestinian refugees is facing extraordinary demands under very challenging circumstances, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, urging the international community to step up so that five million people can receive the help they need.
• Efforts in Africa's Sahel must tackle humanitarian, security needs to ensure peace – Ban UN News Centre 26 Sep 2013 -- Collective efforts in the Sahel region of Africa must address urgent humanitarian needs as well as long-term development and security threats, United Nations officials stressed today in a meeting at the 68th session of the General Assembly in New York.

News Reports

• President Rohani's speech at UN General Assembly IRNA 26 Sep 2013 -- Iranian President Hassan Rohani addressed the United Nations General Assembly on nuclear disarmament.
• Rohani gives proposal to UN to annually monitor annihilation of nuclear weapons and end Disarmament in five years IRNA 26 Sep 2013 -- President Hassan Rohani on Thursday gave a proposal to NAM Conference on Disarmament to monitor annihilation of nuclear weapons every year and accomplish Disarmament in the next five years.
• Rohani: Nuclear issue resolve to pave way for other understandings with US IRNA 26 Sep 2013 -- President Hassan Rohani said settlement of Iranian nuclear issue could pave the way for more understandings with the US on other topics.
• Iran favors short timeline for resolution of nuclear issue: Rouhani Iran Press TV 26 Sep 2013 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says Tehran is willing to reach a deal with the West over its nuclear energy program within a time frame of three to six months.
• Rouhani warns of Syria crisis spillover to other regional countries Iran Press TV 26 Sep 2013 -- Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has warned against the spillover of the crisis in Syria to other regional countries, stressing the need for a political and non-military solution to the turmoil in the Arab country.
• Ministerial nuclear talks show new will: Iran deputy FM Iran Press TV 26 Sep 2013 -- Iran deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs says the unprecedented ministerial talks between Tehran and the six world powers show a "new will" is emerging on both sides to resolve the nuclear dispute.
• No nation should possess nuclear weapons: Rouhani Iran Press TV 26 Sep 2013 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has called for the "total elimination" of nuclear weapons and global nuclear disarmament, saying there are no right hands for such wrong weapons.
• Rohani Seeks Nuclear Deal In Three To Six Months RFE/RL 26 Sep 2013 -- President Hassan Rohani has said in a new U.S. interview that he hopes to reach a deal with world powers on Iran's nuclear program in as little as three to six months.
• Rohani Tells UN No Nation Should Have Nuclear Weapons, Challenges Israel On NPT RFE/RL 26 Sep 2013 -- Iranian President Hassan Rohani has told a UN meeting on nuclear disarmament that no country should have nuclear weapons and called on Israel to join the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
• US, China Say Iran Must Respond to Nuclear Offer VOA 26 Sep 2013 -- The United States and China have agreed on the need for Tehran to respond positively to existing nuclear proposals by the major powers ahead of a meeting Thursday between Iran and the five permanent U.N. Security Council members and Germany.
• U.S. Congressman: Washington 'Should Not Countenance' Russian Pressure On Neighbors RFE/RL 26 Sep 2013 -- A senior U.S. lawmaker says Washington 'should not countenance' an apparent increase in Russian pressure on its neighbors as they seek closer ties with the European Union.
• 61 Still Missing from Kenya Mall Attack VOA 26 Sep 2013 -- Forensic teams in Kenya are digging through the rubble of a partially collapsed shopping mall in Nairobi, searching for more victims of the attack by Somali militant group al-Shabab.
• Russia's Soyuz TMA-10M Spacecraft Docks with Space Station RIA Novosti 26 Sep 2013 -- Russia's Soyuz TMA-10M spacecraft with a Russian-US crew has successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS), Federal Space Agency Roscosmos reported Thursday.