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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 17 Oct 2013 [PDF]
• Task Force Dragon passes torch to Task Force Tigershark Army News 17 Oct 2013 -- The 1st Battalion, 501st Aviation Regiment, Task Force Dragon, attached to 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, marked the end of their nine-month deployment Oct. 11 with a transfer of authority ceremony at Forward Operating Base Fenty, Afghanistan.
• 31st ADA Brigade assumes deployed duties Army News 17 Oct 2013 -- A transfer of authority ceremony took place in early October within the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility in Southwest Asia.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Congress Passes Bill Reopening Federal Government AFPS 17 Oct 2013 -- President Barack Obama signed legislation late yesterday night bringing federal employees back to work after Congress finally resolved the budget logjam that led to a 16-day shutdown.
• Message to Department of Defense Personnel from Secretary Hagel on Reopening the Government DoD 17 Oct 2013
• Shutdown Over, But Effects on DOD Continue, Hagel Says AFPS 17 Oct 2013 -- The government shutdown is over, but it will take a while for the effects to fade, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said here today.
• Comptroller: Shutdown Cost DOD $600 Million in Productivity AFPS 17 Oct 2013 -- Furloughs of civilian employees as a result of the government shutdown cost the Defense Department at least $600 million in productivity, the Pentagon's top financial officer said today.
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Secretary Hagel and Under Secretary Hale in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 17 Oct 2013 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel
• Communications training, radio upgrades enhance AFL's operational capability USMC News 17 Oct 2013 -- With a "Lima Charlie" response followed by an operational update from Armed Forces of Liberia soldiers deployed to Mali, the Headquarters AFL staff successfully employed a new radio communications system Sept 15, 2013.
• Military Ocean Terminals play strategic role in defense Army News 17 Oct 2013 -- On opposite sides of the continent sit two Military Ocean Terminals unassumingly shipping munitions across the globe. With an air of efficiency only achieved after decades of operations, the ports neither hide nor broadcast their operations; they simply accomplish their mission: to safely provide ammunition terminal services to meet the nation's objectives.
• 1-14th Field Artillery completes joint exercise in United Arab Emirates Army News 17 Oct 2013 -- Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery, held a 10-day exercise, Sept. 22 through Oct. 1, with the host nation's 97th Heavy Artillery Regiment, in the United Arab Emirates.
• Many US Senators Oppose Ratifying UN Arms Trade Treaty VOA 17 Oct 2013 -- Fifty U.S. Senators, half of the Senate's membership, say they will not ratify a U.N. Arms Trade Treaty signed by the United States. Their opposition to the treaty was expressed in a letter to President Barack Obama.
• PACAF Airmen wrap up busy year AFNS 17 Oct 2013 -- Throughout fiscal 2013, the key aspect of Pacific Air Forces was engagement as more than 45,000 Pacific Air Forces Airmen conducted a broad spectrum of operations, from humanitarian relief to decisive combat employment, in an area covering 13 time zones and 100 million square miles.
• Marines, sailors with BSRF-14 execute drill to sustain medical capabilities USMC News 17 Oct 2013 -- Marines and sailors with Black Sea Rotational Force 14 participated in a mass-casualty drill to further educate and prepare junior sailors, combat-lifesaver certified Marines, and Marines in the Quick Reaction Force at Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania, Oct. 14, 2013.
• MARFORRES energy program ventures into the future USMC News 17 Oct 2013 -- The Marine Corps not only defends the United States, but also a bigger entity — the planet. Sweeping initiatives throughout the service have been doing just that and also saving a couple of bucks in Uncle Sam's wallet.
• Chinese naval ships sail through Strait of Magellan for first time People's Daily 17 Oct 2013 -- A taskforce of the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLAN) which is composed of the guided missile destroyer 'Lanzhou', the guided missile frigate 'Liuzhou' and comprehensive supply ship 'Poyang Lake' successfully sailed through the Strait of Magellan at 15:00 on October 14, 2013, local time. This is the first time for the PLAN to pass through this important international waterway.
• Chang Wanquan investigates in Xinjiang People's Daily 17 Oct 2013 -- Chang Wanquan, member of the Central Military Commission (CMC), state councilor and minister of national defense of the People's Republic of China (PRC), carried out investigation and study into frontier defense and national defense mobilization work in west China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region from October 9 to 15, 2013.
• PLA naval taskforce leaves New Zealand for China People's Daily 17 Oct 2013 -- The taskforce of the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLAN) composed of the guided missile destroyer 'Qingdao', the guided missile frigate 'Linyi' and the comprehensive supply ship 'Hongze Lake' started to sail back to China from Auckland, New Zealand, at 09:00, local time, on October 15 after concluding the 4-day goodwill visit to New Zealand.
• Russian Special Forces to Test New Thermal Scopes RIA Novosti 17 Oct 2013 -- The Defense Ministry will start official tests of a new thermal vision scope as part of Russia's futuristic combat kit later this month, the system's developer said Thursday.
• Russia's Newest Diesel Sub to Continue Barents Sea Trials RIA Novosti 17 Oct 2013 -- A Russian fourth-generation diesel-electric Sankt Peterburg submarine arrived Thursday at a Northern Fleet base to continue sea trials, a spokesman for the Western Military District said.
• Taiwan to get first batch of new Apache helicopters in November CNA 17 Oct 2013 -- Taiwan is expected to get six Apache attack helicopters from the United States in early November, a military source said Thursday.
• Iraq Taking Delivery of Russian Arms under 2012 Contract RIA Novosti 17 Oct 2013 -- Russia has started implementation of a multibillion dollar arms deal with Iraq, an official with the Middle Eastern nation's government said Thursday.
• Two retired officers indicted for espionage CNA 17 Oct 2013 -- Two retired military officers were indicted Thursday for allegedly helping China develop an espionage network in Taiwan.
• October 17, 2013 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 17 Oct 2013
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 10/17/13 The White House 17 Oct 2013

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 17, 2013
• Russia Close to Complete Attack Helicopter Deliveries to Brazil RIA Novosti 17 Oct 2013 -- Russia is planning to deliver the remaining Mi-35M Hind-E attack helicopters to Brazil under the 2008 contract in the next few months, a senior government official said Thursday.

Other Conflicts

• 17 October 2013 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 17 Oct 2013
• Despite recent successes, much work remains to advance disarmament – UN Assembly President UN News Centre 17 Oct 2013 -- While there have been several noteworthy successes in the field of disarmament, there are still important areas where greater progress is needed, the President of the General Assembly told the United Nations committee tackling disarmament and international security issues today.
• UN Members Elect 5 Countries to Security Council VOA 17 Oct 2013 -- Five countries have won two-year terms on the U.N. Security Council, including two potentially controversial countries.
• Half Syria chemical inspections completed: OPCW Iran Press TV 17 Oct 2013 -- The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) says that it has completed about half of its inspections of Syria's chemical arsenal.
• Chemical Weapons Experts in Syria Have Security Fears VOA 17 Oct 2013 -- The chemical weapons experts tasked with ridding Syria of its arsenal say security is a concern after car bombs and mortar attacks hit near the team's Damascus hotel.
• At Least 61 Dead in Car Bombings, Suicide Blasts in Iraq VOA 17 Oct 2013 -- A wave of car bombings and suicide bomb blasts ripped through the Iraqi capital and two northern communities Thursday, killing at least 61 people and wounding about 200 others.
• President reiterates Taiwan-China 'special' ties CNA 17 Oct 2013 -- President Ma Ying-jeou said Thursday that the relationship between Taiwan and China is not an international one but a 'special' one, citing the Republic of China Constitution, which defines the ROC as one sovereign country of which mainland China is a part.
• Backlash fears after 'Islamist' attacks in eastern DRC IRIN 17 Oct 2013 -- 'Eight months ago no one had heard of Al-Shabab,' said Henri Ladyi, a Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) expert and director of the Conflict Resolution Centre (CRC) in Beni, a town and territory in North Kivu Province in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
• Briefing: Terror grips Central African Republic IRIN 17 Oct 2013 -- The crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR) is deepening more than six months after a coup by the Séléka rebel coalition.

News Reports

• Israelis Wary of Iran Nuclear Talks VOA 17 Oct 2013 -- Israel remains skeptical about Iran's nuclear ambitions despite some progress reported in talks this week between world powers and Iranian envoys. Israel views an Iranian nuclear bomb as a threat to its existence and doubts Iran's claims that its nuclear aims are peaceful.
• Russia urges removal of sanctions against Iran Iran Press TV 17 Oct 2013 -- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has called for the removal of international and unilateral sanctions against Iran in case the West's dispute over the Iranian nuclear energy program is resolved.
• Interview: Former U.S. Negotiator Says 'We're In A Better Position' With Iran RFE/RL 17 Oct 2013 -- This week's nuclear negotiations between the P5+1 and Iran have been described by the EU's top foreign policy official, Catherine Ashton, as 'their most detailed talk ever.'
• Iran, World Powers Moving Forward with 'Substantive' Nuclear Talks VOA 17 Oct 2013 -- Iran and world powers will meet again in three weeks' time to continue what both sides are calling 'substantive' negotiations to address international concerns about the country's nuclear program.
• N. Korea Unveils New Economic Zones VOA 17 Oct 2013 -- North Korea has announced plans to open new special economic zones in a bid to bolster its struggling economy.
• NSA Involved in US Drone Strikes, Snowden Leaks Show – Report RIA Novosti 17 Oct 2013 -- Emails and other communications secretly monitored by the US National Security Agency (NSA) play a crucial role in American overseas drone strikes against accused terrorists, The Washington Post has reported, citing documents disclosed by fugitive intelligence leaker Edward Snowden.
• Snowden: 'Zero Chance' China, Russia Got Classified NSA Documents VOA 17 Oct 2013 -- The former U.S. intelligence contractor who disclosed that the National Security Agency spied on citizens says there is a 'zero percent chance' Russia or China has classified NSA documents.
• UK PM: Snowden leaks damaged national security Iran Press TV 17 Oct 2013 -- The US National Security Agency (NSA) files, leaked by American whistleblower Edward Snowden to the daily Guardian, have damaged the UK's national security, British Prime Minister says.
• UK parliament to expand snooping probe Iran Press TV 17 Oct 2013 -- The British parliament is to expand its probe into online spying in the country, taking evidence from members of the public, media reports say.
• 'Turkey exposed 10 Mossad spies to Iran in 2012' Iran Press TV 17 Oct 2013 -- A US daily says the Turkish government in 2012 disclosed to Iranian intelligence authorities the identities of "up to 10 Iranians" working for Israeli spy agency Mossad.
• Kenya Court to Rule on ICC Extradition Request VOA 17 Oct 2013 -- A Kenyan court plans to rule Friday on the International Criminal Court's (ICC) extradition request for activist Walter Barasa. The Hague-based court accuses him of interfering with witnesses. Barasa denies the accusation as without merit.
• Largest Known Star in Universe Tearing Itself Apart VOA 17 Oct 2013 -- The largest star in the known Universe is dying and will soon explode, astronomers said.
• Minorities under pressure in Pakistan IRIN 17 Oct 2013 -- Being a member of an ethnic or religious minority in Pakistan brings with it inherent risks - something dramatically illustrated in Peshawar last month when a bomb attack on a church killed at least 85 people.