07 December 2013 Military News

Hagel Says He'll Focus on Troops in Afghanistan Visit AFPS 07 Dec 2013 -- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel met shortly after his arrival here today with senior Afghan leaders, but said his visit is aimed mostly at encouraging and thanking U.S. troops deployed for the holidays.
Media Availability with Secretary Hagel in Kabul, Afghanistan DoD 07 Dec 2013 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel
Hagel Gets Assurances on Afghan Deal VOA 07 Dec 2013 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says Afghanistan's defense minister has assured him a security pact with the United States will be signed in a 'timely manner.'
US defense secretary visits Afghanistan amid deal row Iran Press TV 07 Dec 2013 -- US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is on a surprise visit to Afghanistan as Washington is frustrated over Afghan president's refusal to sign a bilateral security deal.

Hagel Outlines U.S. Posture, Way Ahead in Middle East AFPS 07 Dec 2013 -- In a speech before the Manama Dialogue security conference here today, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel emphasized the strength of America's presence in the Middle East and called for closer cooperation with the Gulf states.
U.S. To Keep 35,000 Troops In Gulf RFE/RL 07 Dec 2013 -- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has offered assurances to America's Persian Gulf allies that diplomacy over Iran's nuclear program is backed by U.S. military power.
Remarks by Secretary Hagel at the Manama Dialogue from Manama, Bahrain DoD 07 Dec 2013-- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel; Dr. John Chipman, Director-General and Chief Executive of the International Institute for Strategic Studies

USS Theodore Roosevelt Launches New Aircraft NNS 07 Dec 2013 -- The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) launched and recovered E-2D Hawkeyes, from the Tiger Tails of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 125, for the first time, Dec. 3.
USS Mahan Honors DD-364 NNS 07 Dec 2013 -- The crew of USS Mahan (DDG 72) held a memorial ceremony December 6th in honor of the 69th anniversary of the Battle of Ormoc Bay in which USS Mahan (DD-364) lost 6 crewmembers.
US Air Force tests secret spy drone Iran Press TV 07 Dec 2013 -- The US Air Force has tested a top secret spy drone which can be used in spying and electronic attack operations in "denied" airspace.

Lawmakers question merits of US-Russia helicopter deal Iran Press TV 07 Dec 2013 -- A new report Saturday suggests Pentagon officials may have misled lawmakers on the 2011 purchase of helicopters to provide to Afghan security forces.

Iran Navy cmdr. to attend naval confab in Jakarta Iran Press TV 07 Dec 2013 -- Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari has left Tehran for Jakarta to participate in the International Maritime Security Symposium in Indonesia.

Syria army retakes al-Nabk town near Damascus Iran Press TV 07 Dec 2013 -- Syria army has continued its operations against foreign-backed militants in the country, regaining the control of an area near al-Nabk town, north of the capital Damascus.
Al-Qaeda-linked militants seize FSA base in Syria Iran Press TV 07 Dec 2013 -- Al-Qaeda-linked militants in Syria have seized a base belonging to the so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA), as infighting grows among foreign-backed militants in the Arab country.
Syria: Senior UN officials strongly condemn attacks on health personnel, facilities UN News Centre 07 Dec 2013 -- Healthcare workers in Syria must be protected, senior United Nations humanitarian officials have said issuing a fresh call for the protection of medical facilities and for safe access to medicines, vaccines and other vital humanitarian aid in the country.

Ban, African leaders meet in Paris to address violence in Central African Republic UN News Centre 07 Dec 2013 -- The top United Nations official is today meeting with African leaders in Paris, France, to discuss the escalating inter-communal violence and worsening humanitarian situation in the Central African Republic (CAR).
French Troops Cheered on Arrival in CAR Capital VOA 07 Dec 2013 -- French troops received a triumphant welcome Saturday on the streets of Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, as warplanes and helicopters swooped low over the embattled city and residents cheered.
French forces in CAR to rise to 1,600: Hollande Iran Press TV 07 Dec 2013 -- French President Francois Hollande says the number of French troops operating in the violence-stricken Central African Republic (CAR) will rise to 1,600 by Saturday evening.

U.S. Citizen Deported from DPRK KCNA 07 Dec 2013 -- As already reported, a relevant institution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) detained and investigated U.S. citizen Merrill Edward Newman who entered the DPRK under the guise of a tourist to confirm the whereabouts of the spies and terrorists who had been trained and dispatched by him, an intelligence officer, during the last Korean War.

Remarks by the President in a Conversation with the Saban Forum The White House 07 Dec 2013
Obama: '50/50' Chance of Final Iran Deal, Defends Interim Plan VOA 07 Dec 2013 -- U.S. President Barack Obama and his top diplomat are seeking support for a recent temporary agreement to halt Iran's nuclear programs and U.S. efforts to bring peace to the Middle East.
Iran provides IAEA with info on new centrifuges Iran Press TV 07 Dec 2013 -- A senior Iranian official says the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has provided the UN nuclear agency with information about the country's new generation of centrifuges.

Saakashvili, Filat Offer Support To Pro-EU Protesters RFE/RL 07 Dec 2013 -- Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and ex-Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat have spoken in Kyiv in support of the tens of thousands of demonstrators demanding closer ties to the European Union.
Ukraine Gov't Pursues Russia Ties RFE/RL 07 Dec 2013 -- Ukraine's government has pushed forward with closer ties to Russia, while protesters remain massed in central Kyiv, demanding closer ties to the European Union.
In Ukraine's Industrial East, The Silence Is Deafening RFE/RL 07 Dec 2013
Protests Reach Crunch Stage in Ukraine As Russia Deal Looms RIA Novosti 07 Dec 2013 -- Protests entering their third week in the Ukrainian capital looked set to gain new momentum Saturday as President Viktor Yanukovych committed his former Soviet nation to greater economic ties with Russia.
Ukrainian Premier Hails Imminent Russian Deal as Protests Continue RIA Novosti 07 Dec 2013 -- Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said late Friday that a major economic deal with Russia was imminent as protesters in Kiev geared up for another weekend of protests amid the ongoing political stand-off in the former Soviet nation.

Sudanese Vice President Ali Taha steps down Iran Press TV 07 Dec 2013 -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has announced the resignation of his First Vice President Ali Taha, the North African country's media have reported.

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