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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Australia to Pull Troops Out of Afghanistan VOA 29 Oct 2013 -- Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott made a surprise visit to Afghanistan to declare an end to his country's longest war. Abbott said the return to Australia of more than 1,000 troops before Christmas would be "bittersweet" because Afghanistan remained a dangerous place where many foreign soldiers had died.
• Australia formally declares end to combat mission in Afghanistan Iran Press TV 29 Oct 2013 -- Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has used a surprise visit to Afghanistan to declare the end of his country's involvement in the Afghan war.
• Lifeline of the Kabul Base Cluster Army News 29 Oct 2013 -- Soldiers with Task Force Rottweiler are considered the lifeline of the Kabul Base Cluster because of a rather special operation they manage called a forward logistics element.
• Sentinel Battalion completes mission in Afghanistan Army News 29 Oct 2013 -- The 4-3 Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, served as the garrison command on Forward Operating Base Shank, the second largest FOB in the International Security Assistance Force's Regional Command-East, from March to November 2013, and are preparing to return home after a nine-month deployment.
• Taliban attacks killed 3,000 Afghans in seven months: Interior Ministry Iran Press TV 29 Oct 2013 -- Militant attacks have claimed lives of nearly 3,000 people across war-ravaged Afghanistan over the past seven months, Interior Ministry says.

Defense Policy / Programs

• First Zumwalt Class Destroyer Launched NNS 29 Oct 2013 -- General Dynamics Bath Iron Works successfully launched the Navy's first Zumwalt-class destroyer Oct. 28 at their Bath, Maine shipyard.
• USS Princeton Returns to San Diego NNS 29 Oct 2013 -- Guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59) returned to San Diego Oct. 29 following the completion of an extended deployment to the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet areas of responsibility (AOR).
• Lucky Mariner 14-1 Begins NNS 29 Oct 2013 -- Members from Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS) and U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) as well as commercial shipping industry representatives came together for exercise Lucky Mariner 14-1, Oct. 27.
• Cody testifies to commission on total force AFNS 29 Oct 2013 -- The Air Force's senior enlisted Airman testified in front of the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force Oct. 25 in Arlington, Va., giving his perspective of the total force and the challenges to building the best balance for the future.
• Statement by Secretary Hagel on former Rep. Ike Skelton DoD 29 Oct 2013
• Marines fly first F-35 STOVL mission at Eglin USMC News 29 Oct 2013 -- The 33rd Fighter Wing and the F-35 Lightning II program reached a new milestone when Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron-501 completed its first short take-off and vertical landing mission here Oct. 24.
• Army wants more public-private partnerships Army News 29 Oct 2013 -- Now is the time for the Army to increase partnerships with the private sector in areas such as renewable energy products, family services to housing, and other installation infrastructure elements, Army leaders say.
• Nigeria; perfect setting for unique multinational Marine exercise USMC News 29 Oct 2013 -- Southern Nigeria is known for its riverines, dense foliage and abundance of wildlife. The sandy shores and lush green trails run for miles. The atmosphere, complete with humidity and an ever shining sun, staged an environment for the international forces of Africa Partnership Station 13 to conduct their training in some challenging tropical conditions.
• Princeton Concludes Theater Security Cooperation and Maritime Presence Deployment NNS 29 Oct 2013 -- Hundreds of friends and family members gathered at Naval Base San Diego Oct. 29 to welcome home the crew of guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59) following a seven-month deployment that included regional security, theater security cooperation and maritime presence operations.
• Army looks to blend cyber, electronic warfare capabilities on battlefield Army News 29 Oct 2013 -- As new technologies emerge and new cyber and electronic warfare threats plague Soldiers in the field, U.S. Army scientists and engineers continue to define next-generation protocols and system architectures to help develop technology capabilities to combat these threats in an integrated and expedited fashion.
• Romania starts work on US missile defense base Iran Press TV 29 Oct 2013 -- Romania has begun building a military base that will become part of a controversial US-led NATO missile defense system stationed in Europe.
• 'Maneuver 5' exercise enters stage of actual-troop confrontation People's Daily 29 Oct 2013 -- The exercise codenamed 'Maneuver 5' of the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLAN) entered the stage of actual-troop confrontation according to an order from the Directing Department of the exercise at 08:00 on October 25, 2013.
• China strengthens military inspections targeting corruption People's Daily 29 Oct 2013 -- China's Central Military Commission (CMC) on Tuesday issued documents ordering strengthened military inspections in order to unearth corruption and irregularities.
• Russian Tu-160 Strategic Bombers Land in Venezuela RIA Novosti 29 Oct 2013 -- Two Russian Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers on Monday flew from an airbase in southwestern Russia and landed in Venezuela, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
• Russian Conscripts to Study Military History RIA Novosti 29 Oct 2013 -- Russia's Defense Ministry is planning to develop a course on the history of the Russian army as part of mandatory training for conscripted soldiers in an effort to reinvigorate patriotic and cultural climate within the military.
• Russian Defense Researchers Arrested for $15.7M Embezzlement RIA Novosti 29 Oct 2013 -- A former Russian Defense Ministry research institute director and his deputy have been arrested on suspicion of embezzling 500 million rubles ($15.7 million) in state funds, the Investigative Committee said Tuesday.
• Russia Holds Military Drills in Arctic RIA Novosti 29 Oct 2013 -- Russian airborne assault forces and military transport aviation units have conducted an exercise in the Arctic, a senior defense official said Tuesday.
• Iran new satellite ready for lift-off into space: Minister Iran Press TV 29 Oct 2013 -- Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan says the country's new domestically designed and manufactured satellite is ready to be launched into orbit, and it will be lifted into space in due time.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 10/29/13 The White House 29 Oct 2013
• October 29, 2013 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 29 Oct 2013

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 29, 2013
• New Sukhoi T-50 Fighter Jet Prototype Joins Testing Program RIA Novosti 29 Oct 2013 -- A fifth flying prototype of Russia's future T-50 fighter jet has flown for the first time at a manufacturing plant in Russia's Far East, the Sukhoi aircraft maker said.

Other Conflicts

• 29 October 2013 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 29 Oct 2013
• Syria Spillover Violence in Lebanon Raises Alarms VOA 29 Oct 2013 -- Lebanon's army is trying to quell deadly clashes between Lebanese supporters and opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. One soldier died yesterday (Oct 28) and several were wounded in the northern city of Tripoli as army units deployed in a bid to curb a week of fighting between warring sectarian neighborhoods.
• UN health agency confirms polio outbreak in Syria UN News Centre 29 Oct 2013 -- The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) today confirmed 10 cases of polio in conflict-stricken Syria, adding that health authorities in the country and neighbouring nations have already begun a comprehensive response to the outbreak.
• Serving up five-star service for refugees the UAE way IRIN 29 Oct 2013 -- Under the glare of the midday sun, the neatly-arranged caravans gleam a bright white against the dusty desert terrain, their short symmetrical shadows disturbed only by an occasional piece of laundry hanging from a barred window.
• WHO confirms Syria polio outbreak Iran Press TV 29 Oct 2013 -- For the first time in fourteen years, the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed cases of polio in Syria.
• Polio Confirmed in Syria VOA 29 Oct 2013 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) says it has confirmed 10 cases of polio detected in northeast Syria in mid-October. The WHO warns protective measures must be taken to prevent the crippling disease from spreading in the region.
• China threatens peace in islands dispute: Japan Defense Min. Iran Press TV 29 Oct 2013 -- Japan Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera says China is jeopardizing peace by sending its forces to the disputed islands in the East China Sea, amid the heightened tensions between Beijing and Tokyo over the islands.
• Central African Republic: as needs rise, UNICEF running low on life-saving supplies UN News Centre 29 Oct 2013 -- With increasing displacement in the Central African Republic (CAR) and waning funding, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) today warned that the growing needs will exceed emergency supplies in the coming weeks.
• Amnesty Says CAR 'Out of Control' VOA 29 Oct 2013 -- Rights group Amnesty International says the human rights crisis in the Central African Republic is spiraling out of control, with what it calls 'unprecedented' levels of gang rapes, torture, executions and the recruitment of thousands of child soldiers.
• Press Conference on Humanitarian Situation in Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo United Nations 29 Oct 2013
• Amid rising violence, UN agency advises against forced returns to north-east Nigeria UN News Centre 29 Oct 2013 -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is calling on States to keep their borders open for Nigerians fleeing the escalating violence in their country and who may be in need of international protection.
• Iran borderguards have carried 107 operations on southeastern borders in past seven months IRNA 29 Oct 2013 -- Iranian borderguards have carried some 107 operations, on southeastern borders -- 67 of which armed clashes with terrorist groups and drug traffickers in the past seven months, Iran's borderguards chief said on Tuesday.

News Reports

• Amid Outrage in Europe, NSA Chief Defends US Surveillance Programs VOA 29 Oct 2013 -- The head of the National Security Agency, Army General Keith Alexander, is defending U.S. surveillance programs amid a wave of outrage across Europe. Alexander faced a mixed reaction from lawmakers on Capitol Hill at a House hearing Tuesday.
• President's phone probably not tapped: NSB chief CNA 28 Oct 2013 -- President Ma Ying-jeou should not fall victim to electronic eavesdropping as long as he uses communication tools provided by the National Security Bureau (NSB), Taiwan's intelligence chief said Monday.
• Obama Considers End to Reported Spying on Allied Leaders VOA 29 Oct 2013 -- The U.S. says it is considering whether it should be spying on leaders of American allies after reports of surveillance that government officials say President Barack Obama was not aware of until a few months ago, even though it dates to 2002.
• Spain opens inquiry into NSA spying operations Iran Press TV 29 Oct 2013 -- Spain's public prosecutor has opened a preliminary inquiry into allegations that the US spy agency has conducted illegal surveillance operations on millions of Spanish citizens.
• European Officials Slam US Spying, Say Trust 'Vanished' RIA Novosti 29 Oct 2013 -- European lawmakers in Washington on Monday blasted the United States in the wake of reports of massive US surveillance activities against its allies, including alleged eavesdropping by US intelligence on German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
• Details of Iran's proposal to IAEA IRNA 29 Oct 2013 -- Deputy Foreign Minister and Member of Iran's nuclear negotiating team Abbas Araqchi announced Iran's new proposals to International Atomic Energy agency ( IAEA).
• Iran, IAEA issue joint statement on new action plan to resolve outstanding issues soon IRNA 29 Oct 2013 -- Iran and the IAEA on Tuesday issued a joint statement on adopting a new action plan to resolve the outstanding issues.
• Iran-IAEA talks serious, progressive: Iran official Iran Press TV 29 Oct 2013 -- Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says the talks between Tehran and the UN nuclear agency on Monday were "serious and progressive."
• Iran, IAEA describe negotiations 'very productive' Iran Press TV 29 Oct 2013 -- Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have described their two-day negotiations in Austrian capital, Vienna, as "very productive," saying they will meet again on November 11.
• Iran says Seeks 'Practical Solution' to Rift with UN Inspectors VOA 29 Oct 2013 -- Iran's new proposal to U.N. inspectors is practical and meant to "solve the issue", an Iranian envoy said before a second day of talks on Tuesday, a hint Tehran may cooperate more with an inquiry into suspected nuclear arms research in the country.
• Press Conference by Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea United Nations 29 Oct 2013
• UN Commission: 'Gross Human Rights Violations' Taking Place in N. Korea VOA 29 Oct 2013 -- The head of the Commission of Inquiry on human rights in North Korea says evidence collected so far points to apparently "large-scale patterns of systematic and gross human rights violations" in that country. Commission Chairman Michael Kirby said testimony from witnesses and survivors was so shocking that it moved commission members to tears.
• Putin's Spokesman Denies Media Reports of Spying on G20 Powers RIA Novosti 29 Oct 2013 -- President Vladimir Putin's spokesman said Tuesday that media reports claiming that Russian special services tried to spy on foreign delegates during a recent G20 summit were an unsubstantiated attempt to divert attention away from more pressing espionage allegations against Washington.
• Opposition Leader Navalny Faces New Embezzlement Charge RIA Novosti 29 Oct 2013 -- Opposition leader Alexei Navalny is facing fresh charges of embezzlement over an alleged scheme to defraud a local branch of cosmetics manufacturer Yves Rocher, investigators said Tuesday.
• Egyptian Authorities Arrest Muslim Brotherhood Leader VOA 29 Oct 2013 -- Egyptian authorities have arrested another senior member of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, continuing a crackdown against the group following the military ouster of president Mohamed Morsi.
• Egypt judges quit trial of Brotherhood leaders Iran Press TV 29 Oct 2013 -- The three Egyptian judges presiding over the trial of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) supreme leader, Mohamed Badie, and his aides have withdrawn from the proceedings.