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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 31 Oct 2013 [PDF]
• 3rd ID 'Cottonbalers' complete mission in eastern Afghanistan Army News 31 Oct 2013 -- U.S. Army soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, prepare to return to their home station in Fort Stewart, Ga., after a successful mission in eastern Afghanistan.
• 'Lifeliners' prep Soldiers, vehicles for Afghanistan winter hazards Army News 31 Oct 2013 -- As winter sets in throughout eastern Afghanistan, the cold weather will bring slippery ice covered roads that can put Soldier's driving skills to the test if they are not prepared for these types of conditions.
• Sharif: Talks With Pakistani Taliban Are Underway VOA 31 Oct 2013 -- Pakistan has started talks with the Pakistani Taliban in an effort to end the years of violence that have plagued the country. The announcement has brought mixed reactions from lawmakers and former political leaders.
• US drone attack kills three people in Pakistan IRNA 31 Oct 2013 -- A US spy aircraft early Thursday fired missiles on a house in Pakistan's North Waziristan and killed at least three people, security officials said.
• Pakistan condemns US drone strike that killed 3 people IRNA 31 Oct 2013 -- Pakistan on Thursday strongly condemned a latest US drone strike in the country's North Waziristan tribal region which killed at least three people.
• Pakistan Criticized Over Civilian Drone Casualty Figures VOA 31 Oct 2013 -- Pakistan's government has come under severe criticism within and outside the country for providing conflicting estimates of the number of civilians killed in American drone strikes.
• NY Guard aviators deploying to Horn of Africa Army News 31 Oct 2013 -- A small unit of New York Army National Guard aviators who fly the military's C-12 transport plane are heading for Fort Hood, Texas, before deploying to the Horn of Africa in November.

Defense Policy / Programs

• New Leaks Highlight Internet Security Weakness VOA 31 Oct 2013 -- The latest revelations from exiled former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden highlight security weaknesses in some of the world's most popular Internet networks.
• DOD Releases Military Intelligence Program Appropriated Top Line Budget for Fiscal 2013 DoD 31 Oct 2013 -- The Department of Defense released today the Military Intelligence Program (MIP) appropriated top line budget for fiscal 2013.
• F-35A conducts first live fire with AMRAAM AFNS 31 Oct 2013 -- The F-35 Lightning II executed its first live-fire launch of a guided air-to-air missile over a military test range off the California coast on Oct. 30.
• F-16 accident investigation complete AFNS 31 Oct 2013 -- Air Force officials announced the results of an F-16D Fighting Falcon accident investigation today.
• Polish help USAFE Airmen with important JPADS drop AFNS 31 Oct 2013 -- Airmen successfully completed the first Joint Precision Air Drop System, or JPADS, delivery in the U.S. European Command region during the bilateral theater security cooperation event, Aviation Detachment Rotation 14-1, Oct. 14-25.
• DISA Consolidates Dayton, Chambersburg Data Center Operations AFPS 31 Oct 2013 -- The Defense Information Systems Agency recently closed data center operations in Dayton, Ohio, and Chambersburg, Pa., and transferred the functions of these centers to other Defense Enterprise Computing Centers.
• Army Releases September 2013 Suicide Information DoD 31 Oct 2013 -- The Army released suicide data today for the month of September 2013. During September, among active-duty soldiers, there were nine potential suicides
• Pacific Fleet Commander Reaffirms Rebalance Commitment NNS 31 Oct 2013 -- The commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet reaffirmed America's commitment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific rebalance during a keynote speech here, Oct. 31.
• USS Ford Decommissioned After 28 Years of Service NNS 31 Oct 2013 -- The Navy bade farewell to the Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate USS Ford (FFG 54) after more than 28 years of service during a decommissioning ceremony at Naval Station Everett, Oct. 31.
• NAVSUP FLC Bahrain Established at NSA Bahrain NNS 31 Oct 2013 -- The Navy established NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) Bahrain during a ceremony held aboard Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain Oct. 23.
• Capturing History: When Navy Ships Decommission NNS 31 Oct 2013 -- Each year, U.S. Navy vessels are decommissioned from active service. Though decommissioning of naval ships is a common occurrence for the Navy, it leaves a lingering question for many former crewmembers, naval history buffs and people who are interested in the ships, 'What happens now?'
• C-17 Airmen load, move Strykers during first ever exercise AFNS 31 Oct 2013 -- Airmen from the 15th Wing and Soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division loaded Stryker combat vehicles onto C-17s for the first time during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise in Hawaii Oct. 17.
• Navy to Christen Submarine North Dakota DoD 31 Oct 2013-- The Navy will christen its newest attack submarine North Dakota, Saturday, Nov. 2, during an 11 a.m. EDT ceremony at a General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard in Groton, Conn.
• Readout of Secretary Hagel's Meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki DoD 31 Oct 2013
• VMA-223 departs for USS Bataan, prepares for MEU USMC News 31 Oct 2013 -- Marines with Marine Attack Squadron 223 departed from Cherry Point for the USS Bataan Oct. 24 and Oct. 26 in preparation for an upcoming deployment with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit.
• George Washington Returns to Sea After Singapore Visit NNS 31 Oct 2013 -- The U.S. Navy's forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) departed Republic of Singapore after a five-day scheduled port visit, Oct. 31.
• EOD Mobile Unit 11 Deploys to 5th Fleet NNS 31 Oct 2013 -- Sailors from Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Mobile Unit 11 departed San Diego October 26 to begin their deployment to Bahrain to assume command of Commander, Task Force (CTF) 56.1.
• Navy Yard Shootings Prompt Security Clearance Process Review AFPS 31 Oct 2013 -- The Navy Yard shootings in September and unauthorized disclosures by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have highlighted the need for changes to the current security clearance process, Stephen Lewis, deputy director for personnel, industrial and physical security policy in the office of undersecretary of defense for intelligence, told a Senate committee today.
• Asia-Pacific allies share munitions' ideas, challenges Army News 31 Oct 2013 -- With the U.S. pivot policy putting a greater emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region, several of those allies paid visits to the Army ammunition plant here to share ideas and learn best munitions business practices.
• Simulator firing range provides marksmanship training at lower cost Army News 31 Oct 2013 -- such as the M9 pistols, M16 rifles and M60 machine guns that are identical to actual weapons, down the weight of the cartridges -- except for the fact that they don't require bullets.
• Quick response keeps Black Hawk fleet airborne Army News 31 Oct 2013 -- The Army turned to Tobyhanna Army Depot for help when a piece of faulty equipment grounded a number of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.
• 10th Sustainment Soldiers embrace capabilities of new chemical-detection vehicle Army News 31 Oct 2013 -- Four M1135 Strykers are now in the hands of a Fort Drum unit that specializes in unconventional warfare mission.
• US, Romania begin work on Aegis Ashore missile defense complex Army News 31 Oct 2013 -- Top U.S., Romanian and NATO officials broke ground Monday on a new ballistic missile defense facility being built to boost regional stability and strengthen the alliance's collective security stance.
• Russian Tu-160 Strategic Bombers Land in Nicaragua RIA Novosti 31 Oct 2013 -- Two Russian Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers arrived in Nicaragua on Thursday after taking off from an airbase in Venezuela, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
• Russia's Defense Ministry Plans Drug Use Crackdown in Army − Report RIA Novosti 31 Oct 2013 -- Russia's Defense Ministry plans to launch a campaign to root out drug abuse in the army and military schools, local media reported Thursday.
• Hou Shusen holds talks with commander-in-chief of Chilean Army People's Daily 31 Oct 2013 -- Gen. Hou Shusen, deputy chief of general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), held talks with Gen. Juan Miguel Fuente Alba, the visiting commander-in-chief of the Chilean Army, on the morning of October 29, 2013 at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing.
• Chinese, Russian officials pledge to lift bilateral military cooperation People's Daily 31 Oct 2013 -- Senior Chinese and Russian officials pledged here Wednesday to lift the level of bilateral military cooperation.
• Chinese DM: Stop seeing China's arms sales through 'colored glasses' People's Daily 31 Oct 2013 -- The Chinese Defense Ministry on Thursday urges 'some people' to stop looking at China's arms sales through 'colored glasses.'
• Expert: Chinese offensive nuclear submarines can globally track and attack aircraft-carrier formations People's Daily 31 Oct 2013 -- There have been several recent media reports on China's first nuclear submarine detachment.
• Expert: China's nuclear submarine deployment has nothing to do with Japanese military exercise People's Daily 31 Oct 2013
• Chinese aircraft carrier may conduct open sea exercises People's Daily 31 Oct 2013 -- On 23rd October, the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning set sail on a voyage to conduct further scientific research, experiments, and drills.
• Two Chinese taskforces conduct drill in West Pacific People's Daily 31 Oct 2013 -- The naval taskforce of the North China Sea Fleet under the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLAN), which has concluded its visits to three countries of the U.S., Australia and New Zealand, held a nighttime actual-troop confrontation drill in the waters of the West Pacific Ocean on the night of October 28, 2013 with the other naval taskforce of the North China Sea Fleet, which had participated in the 'Maneuver - 5' exercise of the PLAN.
• HMS Westminster trains with Indian navy UK MOD 31 Oct 2013 -- HMS Westminster recently visited Goa where the ship's company trained alongside the Indian navy for Exercise Konkan.
• Iran Navy expands presence in southeastern coast Iran Press TV 31 Oct 2013 -- Iran Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari says the Iranian naval forces have comprehensive plans to expand their presence along the country's southeastern coastal regions.
• President touts Taiwan's first sub-hunter aircraft CNA 31 Oct 2013 -- President Ma Ying-jeou touted Thursday the functions and capabilities of Taiwan's first P-3C submarine-hunter aircraft, saying that it will bolster the military's anti-submarine capabilities.
• Iraqi PM Presses for US Military Aid VOA 31 Oct 2013 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is appealing to the United States for more help to fight a surge of violence in his country.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 10/31/2013 The White House 31 Oct 2013
• October 31, 2013 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 31 Oct 2013

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 31, 2013

Other Conflicts

• 31 October 2013 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 31 Oct 2013
• Syria meets deadline, renders chemical weapons facilities 'inoperable' – OPCW-UN mission UN News Centre 31 Oct 2013 -- Syria's chemical weapons facilities are "inoperable," the Joint Mission of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the United Nations overseeing the destruction of the country's weapons programme confirmed today.
• Polio Outbreak in Syria Prompts Fears of Regional Spread VOA 31 Oct 2013 -- An outbreak of polio among children in Syria has the potential to spread rapidly, doctors are warning. It is Syria's first polio outbreak in 14 years - and aid agencies have begun emergency vaccination programs.
• US Officials: Israel Strikes Syrian Military Base VOA 31 Oct 2013 -- U.S. officials say Israeli warplanes have attacked a Syrian military base near the port city of Latakia.
• Syrian crisis pushing Lebanese into poverty IRIN 31 Oct 2013 -- The impact of the Syrian crisis is dragging tens of thousands of Lebanese into poverty, a new report has shown.
• Syria destroys all CW installations: OPCW Iran Press TV 31 Oct 2013 -- The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) says Syria has destroyed all its declared chemical weapons installations.
• Syrian Chemical Weapons Plants Are Inoperable – Arms Watchdog RIA Novosti 31 Oct 2013 -- Syria has destroyed equipment at all its declared chemical weapons production sites, the global chemical weapons watchdog said Thursday.
• Syria Meets Weapons Deadline, Inspectors Say VOA 31 Oct 2013 -- The international watchdog overseeing Syria's destruction of its chemical weapons program says the country has met a deadline to destroy equipment used to make the arms.
• Briefing: Armed groups in eastern DRC IRIN 31 Oct 2013 -- The apparent imminent demise of the 18-month-old M23 rebellion is unlikely, on its own, to deliver peace to the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where, in the absence of a significant presence of the state, at least 40 armed groups operate, and a chronic humanitarian crisis persists.
• International court chiefs brief UN Assembly on progress, challenges UN News Centre 31 Oct 2013 -- Senior officials from the top United Nations judicial body – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – and from the International Criminal Court, briefed the UN General Assembly today, highlighting the work of the courts over the past year tackling their respective cases.
• UN envoy expresses concern over renewed clashes in northern Lebanese city UN News Centre 31 Oct 2013 -- The top United Nations envoy in Lebanon today expressed serious concern over the recurrence of armed clashes in the city of Tripoli, and stressed the need for a long-term solution to stop the violence.
• Funding shortage forces UN to reduce food rations for refugees in northern Kenya UN News Centre 31 Oct 2013 -- Two United Nations humanitarian agencies announced today that they will be forced to reduce food rations for more than half a million refugees in the Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps in northern Kenya beginning tomorrow due to lack of resources.
• AU Presses Kenyatta ICC Deferral Request VOA 31 Oct 2013 -- The African Union is pushing ahead with its bid for a one-year deferral of International Criminal Court charges against Kenya's president and deputy president, saying it will move for a resolution in the U.N. Security Council.
• Analysis: Tensions mount as Nepal contentious election nears IRIN 31 Oct 2013 -- Protests and logistical challenges are heightening tensions before a scheduled 19 November national poll in Nepal that is seen as critical to the country's stability and development, say analysts.
• Cambodia: On final day of UN-backed trial, former leaders deny war crimes charges UN News Centre 31 Oct 2013 -- Two of the surviving former leaders of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge regime charged with mass killings during the 1970's requested to be acquitted today, as closing arguments began at the United Nations-backed war crimes tribunal in the south-east Asian country.
• Japan, China Territorial Tensions Rising Over Unmanned Drones VOA 31 Oct 2013 -- The long-running territorial dispute between China and Japan over a remote group of islands is in the spotlight this week as the two countries conduct massive military exercises. Analysts warn the drills and China's increased use of drone aircraft in the region raise the risk of an unintended confrontation.
• Cambodian Tribunal Ends First Trial in Key Khmer Rouge Case VOA 31 Oct 2013 -- Thursday marked the conclusion of the first portion of the trial involving two surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge movement. While prosecutors have asked the judges to hand down a life sentence for both men, the two defense teams say their clients should be acquitted and released. An estimated two million Cambodians died from harsh conditions imposed by the Khmer Rouge government in the 1970's.
• Abyei's Ngok Dinka Tribe Votes to Join South Sudan VOA 31 Oct 2013 -- Residents in the Abyei region claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan have voted to be part of the south, although neither country's government is recognizing the poll.

News Reports

• AIT declines comment on 'surveillance facility' report CNA 31 Oct 2013 -- The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the de facto U.S. embassy to Taiwan in the absence of formal ties, said Thursday it would not comment on any reports or speculation about U.S. surveillance and intelligence operations.
• South American leaders condemn US global spying Iran Press TV 31 Oct 2013 -- The South American trade bloc Mercosur has harshly criticized the United States' global surveillance programs.
• EU lawmakers condemn US spying on citizens, leaders Iran Press TV 31 Oct 2013 -- Members of the European Parliament have condemned the United States for widespread spying on European citizens and leaders.
• Vatican also targeted by NSA spying Iran Press TV 31 Oct 2013 -- The US National Security Agency (NSA) spied on cardinals ahead of a Vatican conclave in March to elect a new pope, a report says.
• Spain secret services worked with NSA? Iran Press TV 31 Oct 2013 -- A Spanish newspaper says Spain's intelligence services have collaborated with the US National Security Agency (NSA) in monitoring telephone and computer communications in Spain.
• US using Australian embassies for spying Iran Press TV 31 Oct 2013 -- The US is secretly using Australian embassies throughout Asia to intercept phone calls and collect data across the continent.
• China demands US explanation on spying charges Iran Press TV 31 Oct 2013 -- China has demanded explanation from the US after a report revealed that Australian embassies, including the one in Beijing, have been used in Washington's spying operations.
• Indonesia, China Press US on Spying Allegations VOA 31 Oct 2013 -- As the U.S. government faces continued pressure to explain its international spying operations, new allegations have emerged about the extent of U.S. surveillance in Asia.
• Google 'Outraged' by NSA Spying Reports VOA 31 Oct 2013 -- Internet search engines Google and Yahoo have expressed dismay over reports the U.S. National Security Agency secretly broke into their communication networks.
• Ex-NSA Contractor Snowden Finds Computer Job in Russia RIA Novosti 31 Oct 2013 -- Fugitive former US security contractor Edward Snowden has found a website maintenance job in Russia, his lawyer said Thursday.
• Sanctions Relief Key to Iran Nuclear Talks VOA 31 Oct 2013 -- As the most substantive dialogue in years unfolds between Tehran and world powers over its controversial nuclear program, Iran is pushing to have crippling international economic sanctions eased.
• Iran continues 20% uranium enrichment: Zarif Iran Press TV 31 Oct 2013 -- Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the Islamic Republic will continue to enrich uranium to 20 percent purity in order to power its nuclear research reactor.
• Tehran Softens Image Abroad But Remains Hard-Line At Home RFE/RL 31 Oct 2013 -- Soft on the outside, hard on the inside. That may be the best way to describe the often startling contrast between Iran's current foreign and domestic policies.
• Iran FM Presses Nuclear Case in South Africa VOA 31 Oct 2013 -- Iran's new foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is visiting the only country in the world to have voluntarily surrendered its nuclear weapons: South Africa.
• China Defends Position on Tiananmen Attack VOA 31 Oct 2013 -- China is calling for a unified front against what it says is the country's fight against terrorism, following Monday's incident in Tiananmen Square that killed five people. After rounding up five suspects linked to the alleged attack, China says it was a pre-mediated and carefully organized act of terrorism.
• Former al-Shabab Member to Testify Against Alleged Recruiter VOA 31 Oct 2013 -- Kenya's anti-terror police have carried out dozens of arrests in the last few weeks, targeting suspects in the coastal city of Mombasa. One man allegedly trained by the Somali militant group al-Shabab is ready to testify in court against an accused recruiter.
• Al-Shabab Camp 'Destroyed' After Airstrike VOA 31 Oct 2013 -- The African Union force in Somalia has attacked an al-Shabab training camp as part of ongoing efforts to weaken the militant group.
• Astronomers Discover Earth-sized 'Lava Planet' VOA 31 Oct 2013 -- Two teams of astronomers have, for the first time, measured an Earth-sized exoplanet, a planet they say should not exist.
• India Prepares for Mars Mission VOA 31 Oct 2013 -- India will launch a spacecraft to Mars on November 5 - an ambitious feat attempted only by a handful of countries. The Red Planet mission marks a major expansion of India's space program as it tries to emerge on the frontlines of space exploration.