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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Karzai may not sign pact with US Iran Press TV 08 Oct 2013 -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai says he may not sign a bilateral agreement with the United States that would allow US forces to stay in Afghanistan beyond 2014.
• Karzai to call assembly of elders over security deal with US Iran Press TV 08 Oct 2013 -- President Hamid Karzai says he will convene a Loya Jirga, the grand assembly of elders to discuss a security deal that allows the US to set up permanent military bases in Afghanistan beyond the 2014 deadline for withdrawal of foreign troops.
• Joint Afghan-NATO raids kill 21 Taliban across Afghanistan: Interior Ministry Iran Press TV 08 Oct 2013 -- Afghan security forces backed by US-led foreign troops have killed at least 21 Taliban militants and detained 10 others during cleanup operations across the war-ravaged country, Interior Ministry says.
• Washington Hopeful Of Deal With Kabul RFE/RL 08 Oct 2013 -- Washington says it is hopeful an agreement can be concluded soon with Kabul on the future role of U.S. troops in Afghanistan after the departure of nearly all foreign forces, scheduled for the end of 2014.
• Afghan-US Security Agreement Still Not Clear VOA 08 Oct 2013 -- Afghanistan's president has called for an assembly of elders to discuss a draft bilateral security agreement with the United States. President Hamid Karzai says there is no rush in signing the pact, casting more doubt on the future of U.S. forces in the country after the planned NATO withdrawal in 2014.
• Libya calls in US envoy over abduction of al-Libi Iran Press TV 08 Oct 2013 -- Libya has summoned the United States' envoy over the abduction of a Libyan citizen by American military forces in Tripoli.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Obama: U.S. Will Continue to Pursue Terrorists Overseas AFPS 08 Oct 2013 -- Just days after U.S. forces carried out raids in Libya and Somalia to bring wanted terrorists to justice, President Barack Obama made clear today the United States will continue to carry out similar strikes overseas as long as threats to the nation exist.
• Readout of Secretary Hagel's Meeting with Minister of Defense Moshe Ya'alon DoD 08 Oct 2013
• Hagel Appoints Special Envoy for Guantanamo Closure AFPS 08 Oct 2013 -- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today announced the appointment of Paul M. Lewis as special envoy for the closure of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
• Secretary Hagel Announces Appointment to Key Defense Post DoD 08 Oct 2013-- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today announced the appointment of Paul M. Lewis to the position of Special Envoy for Guantanamo closure.
• Hagel Receives Update on Shutdown From Service Leaders AFPS 08 Oct 2013 -- The Defense Department's top leadership, including the service secretaries and service chiefs, updated Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel yesterday on the impact of the ongoing government shutdown, Pentagon officials reported.
• First Army and Guard add UAS capability to pre-deployment training Army News 08 Oct 2013 -- Getting a clearer picture of the enemy helps Soldiers more effectively accomplish their mission, and Army National Guard Soldiers deploying through the Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center have a new intelligence tool to help get that picture. Dubbed the Company Intelligence Support Team, or COIST, workstation, Soldiers have access to a One Station Remote Viewing Terminal (OSRVT), a Tactical Ground Reporting (TiGR) system and other tools to better assess their environment and keep Soldiers safer.
• Furlough Raises Questions on Civilian Leave, Pay AFPS 08 Oct 2013 -- Only those Defense Department civilians recalled from furlough under the Pay Our Military Act may take annual and sick leave, a Pentagon spokesman said here today.
• Shutdown Hurts Morale, Top Cyber Commander Says AFPS 08 Oct 2013 -- The morale of the cybersecurity workforce is being damaged by the government shutdown, the nation's top cyber commander said here today.
• Pentagon Official: U.S. Must Continue to Work with Somalia AFPS 08 Oct 2013 -- Progress in Somalia has been "significant," a senior Defense Department official told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today, and the United States will continue to work with the Somali government to defeat terrorism there.
• Centcom Advisor Promotes Interagency Synergy in Middle East AFPS 08 Oct 2013 -- When Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III travels anywhere within the U.S. Central Command region or meets with his staff to discuss activities and operations, Ambassador Michael E. Ranneberger is never far from his side.
• Top Navy Officer Talks Shutdown, Heritage at All Hands Call AFPS 08 Oct 2013 -- With the Navy's Oct. 13 birthday on the near horizon, Chief of Naval Operations Navy Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert today discussed the government shutdown and the service's heritage before answering questions by phone and social media during a worldwide All Hands call here.
• From natural disasters to Afghanistan, 5th AR BDE trains Guardsmen on C-IED Army News 08 Oct 2013 -- The 1st Battalion, 361st Engineer Regiment, Task Force Redhawk, 5th Armored Brigade recently conducted two days of counter-improvised explosive device training with the Louisiana National Guard's 1021st Vertical Engineer Company, based out of Covington, La.
• Army approved to continue fielding WIN-T Increment 2 Army News 08 Oct 2013 -- The Army has received approval to continue with further limited additional production and fielding of its mobile tactical communications network backbone, Warfighter Information Network-Tactical, or WIN-T Increment 2.
• Russia's New Nuclear Submarine Completes White Sea Trials RIA Novosti 08 Oct 2013 -- Russia's new-generation nuclear-powered submarine has successfully completed the first round of sea trials in the White Sea, the manufacturer said Tuesday.
• Russia to Up Nuclear Weapons Spending 50% by 2016 RIA Novosti 08 Oct 2013 -- Russia is to increase annual spending on nuclear weapons by more than 50 percent in the next three years, a parliamentary defense committee said Tuesday.
• China an increasing military threat to Taiwan: defense report CNA 08 Oct 2013 -- Taiwan's latest national defense report highlighted an increasing military threat from China, saying that China plans to boost its combat capabilities to a point where it can mount a full attack on Taiwan.
• Defense report includes effort to improve human rights protection CNA 08 Oct 2013 -- The military's effort to improve human rights protection was highlighted in the 2013 National Defense Report released on Tuesday, a concession to the hot-button issue it became after an Army corporal died in July under questionable circumstances.
• Army pushes creature comforts to broaden appeal CNA 08 Oct 2013 -- In a bid to boost lower-than-expected enlistment figures, the Army said Tuesday it has implemented initiatives at around three dozen military units that allow soldiers to use smartphones and live off-base.
• U.S. Warned of Disastrous Consequences to Be Entailed by Nuclear Strike Means of Its Forces KCNA 08 Oct 2013 -- A spokesman for the General Staff of the Korean People's Army released the following statement on Monday:
• Iran ready to organize, equip Namibian Navy: Commander IRNA 08 Oct 2013 -- Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari voiced Iran's readiness to train, organize and equip the Namibian naval force.
• Iran prepared to equip Namibia's navy: Comdr. Iran Press TV 08 Oct 2013 -- Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari has expressed the Islamic Republic's readiness to help Namibia equip its naval fleet.
• October 8, 2013 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 08 Oct 2013

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• 8 October 2013 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 Oct 2013
• Ban seeks 100-member joint mission to oversee destruction of Syrian chemical weapons UN News Centre 08 Oct 2013 -- Nearly 100 United Nations and chemical weapons experts will be deployed over the coming months in a joint mission overseeing the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons stockpiles, with many members of the team to be based in Cyprus due to the dangers on the ground in the war-torn country, under a proposal submitted by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
• Growing Unease Over Turkish Jihadists in Syria VOA 08 Oct 2013 -- Growing numbers of young Turks are crossing into Syria to join jihadist groups fighting the Assad regime raising fears in Turkey of a future national security risk for Ankara.
• Haves and have-nots in Jordan's Za'atari camp IRIN 08 Oct 2013 -- Just over one year ago, thousands of white tents were erected near the Jordanian-Syrian border to "temporarily" host Syrian refugees who had fled violence in their country. Waves of refugees have since flooded the desert camp; Za'atari is now Jordan's fourth largest city and the world's fourth largest camp, home to 120,000 Syrian refugees.
• Chemical weapons team continues mission in Syria Iran Press TV 08 Oct 2013 -- The team of experts from the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), who are currently in Syria, are continuing their mission to eliminate Syrian chemical weapons.
• Paris, Riyadh to up aid to Syria rebels Iran Press TV 08 Oct 2013 -- France and Saudi Arabia have agreed to give more weapons to the foreign-backed Takfiri militants operating in Syria.
• Syrian warplanes pound militant positions in Idlib Iran Press TV 08 Oct 2013 -- Syrian warplanes have reportedly launched airstrikes against foreign-backed insurgents attacking military bases in the northwestern province of Idlib.
• US Downplays 'Praise' for Assad Over Weapons Removal RIA Novosti 08 Oct 2013 -- The United States on Monday moved to clarify unusually positive remarks made by US Secretary of State John Kerry about Syrian President Bashar Assad as work begins to destroy Syria's chemical weapons stockpile.
• UN Chief Proposes Establishing Joint Mission with OPCW in Syria RIA Novosti 08 Oct 2013 -- The UN chief has suggested that a joint mission of the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), tasked with eliminating chemical weapons, be established in Syria.
• UN Chief Calls Syria Weapons Mission 'Dangerous' VOA 08 Oct 2013 -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling for a 100-person joint mission to oversee the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons program, an extremely hazardous task he said would be made even more dangerous by continued fighting in an active war zone.
• N. Korea Puts Troops on Alert Over US-Led Military Drill VOA 08 Oct 2013 -- North Korea has placed its military on alert and warned of 'disastrous consequences' in response to a planned U.S.-led military drill near the Korean peninsula.
• UN chief urges journalists to increase dialogue in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts UN News Centre 08 Oct 2013 -- Hailing a time of renewed hope for the Middle East peace efforts, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged participants in a United Nations-backed seminar to keep up their efforts to increase dialogue and understanding in the region.
• DR Congo: UN agency in need of funding to assist growing number of displaced persons UN News Centre 08 Oct 2013 -- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today warned that it does not have the resources to provide assistance to a growing number of people displaced by fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
• AU Security Experts Meet Over Standby Force Readiness VOA 08 Oct 2013 -- A summit to determine the combat readiness of the African Union's (AU) standby force will begin in Botswana's capital, Gaborone Wednesday, says Major-General Samaila Iliya, the director of the AMANI Africa II exercise.
• Raising red flags over human rights in the Gambia IRIN 08 Oct 2013 -- Human rights organizations have repeatedly denounced the Gambian regime for forced disappearances, illegal detention, denial of due process, and the abuse and harassment of critics. Yet little progress has been achieved, and local activists are seeing their ability to act recede.
• UN emergency funding approves $3 million for crisis in southern Philippines UN News Centre 08 Oct 2013 -- The United Nations emergency relief fund will allocate $3 million to assist people in southern Philippines where recent armed conflict has displaced communities, a situation worsened by torrential rains over the past few days.
• In UN report, ICC urges Security Council support to enforce decisions UN News Centre 08 Oct 2013 -- The International Criminal Court (ICC) has had the busiest year on record, the body said in a report to the United Nations General Assembly, in which it also called for greater support from the UN Security Council.
• Somali Defense Minister: We Will Liberate Barawe from Al-Shabab VOA 08 Oct 2013 -- Somalia's defense minister says operations will begin soon to liberate the town of Barawe, which is under the control of Islamist militant group al-Shabab. The town was the site of a U.S. Special Forces raid on Saturday targeting a militant commander.

News Reports

• Iran's Rohani Orders Opinion Poll In Bid To Outflank Hard-Liners RFE/RL 08 Oct 2013 -- As debate simmers in Iran over the spirit of openness being displayed on the world stage by the country's president, his administration is turning to the Iranian people to hear what they think about his new approach.e
• 'Canada spying agency needs oversight' Iran Press TV 08 Oct 2013 -- The former head of Canada's secretive electronic intelligence agency has called for greater scrutiny of the country's spying programs by the government.
• Litvinenko Widow Continues Legal Push for UK Public Inquiry RIA Novosti 08 Oct 2013 -- The widow of former Russian security service agent Alexander Litvinenko says she has decided to continue with her bid to persuade UK courts to hold a public inquiry into her husband's unsolved death.
• AU May Seek Deferral of Kenyatta ICC Case VOA 08 Oct 2013 -- The chair of the African Union (AU) Commission signaled Tuesday she could ask the United Nations Security Council for a deferral of the International Criminal Court case against Kenya's leaders.
• Nigeria Court Acquits 7 Russian Sailors on Arms-Smuggling Charges RIA Novosti 08 Oct 2013 -- A court in Nigeria has acquitted seven Russian sailors on arms-smuggling charges, according to the Russian consulate in the west African nation.