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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 12 Dec 2013 [PDF]
• US backs off Dec. deadline for Afghan pact Iran Press TV 12 Dec 2013 -- The administration of US President Barack Obama has said the deadline for signing a security agreement with the government of Afghanistan could be extended to January despite an earlier ultimatum that the agreement must be signed by the end of December.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Budget Agreement Aids DOD in Addressing Cuts AFPS 12 Dec 2013 -- Tonight, the U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on a bipartisan budget agreement that would ease some of the sequester-caused fiscal pressure on the Department of Defense.
• Hagel: U.S. Committed to Singapore Relationship AFPS 12 Dec 2013 -- The United States-Singapore relationship takes on particular importance in light of the Defense Department's strategic rebalance to the Asia-Pacific, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said today during a joint press conference with Singapore Defense Minister Dr. Ng Eng Hen.
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Secretary Hagel and Minister Ng in the Pentagon Press Briefing Room DoD 12 Dec 2013 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel
• Air Combat Element detachment rotates after successful tour USMC News 12 Dec 2013 -- Over the past five months, Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Africa 13 has participated in more than ten engagements, successfully shifting dozens of personnel and many tons of equipment between more than a dozen countries. That success is due in large part to the Marines of Marine Aerial Refueling Transport Squadron 234 (VMGR-234).
• VMGR-252 Marines return home USMC News 12 Dec 2013 -- A portion of Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252 Detachment B returned to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point Dec. 5 after a nine-month deployment.
• Ribbon Cutting Marks Opening of RMC Detachment in Rota NNS 12 Dec 2013 -- Naval Station Rota marked the opening of a regional maintenance center (RMC) detachment with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Dec. 10.
• Carrier Air Wing 11, DESRON 23 Return from Nimitz Deployment NNS 12 Dec 2013 -- The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and embarked Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 11, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11, and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 23 arrived at Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, Dec. 12, following an eight-and-a-half-month deployment to the U.S. 5th, 6th and 7th Fleet areas of responsibility (AOR).
• NSWC Panama City Provides Emergency Lighting to Marine Corps Assault Amphibious Vehicles NNS 12 Dec 2013 -- Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Panama City scientists and engineers recently delivered an emergency egress lighting system to the U.S. Marine Corps' assault amphibious vehicles (AAV), the Navy announced Dec. 12.
• U.S., Georgian Defense Officials Meet at Pentagon AFPS 12 Dec 2013 -- Senior defense officials from the United States and Georgia met at the Pentagon yesterday for the U.S.-Georgia Bilateral Defense Consultations.
• Statement by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on Budget Agreement DoD 12 Dec 2013
• Joint Statement by US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Singapore Minister for Defense Dr Ng Eng Hen DoD 12 Dec 2013
• Tsunami Exercise Strengthens Navy's Readiness on Guam NNS 12 Dec 2013 -- U.S. Naval Base Guam (NBG) and its tenant commands conducted the annual tsunami exercise at NBG Dec. 12.
• USS Gettysburg Commemorates 2,000 Safe Helicopter Landings in 2013 NNS 12 Dec 2013 -- Guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG-64) successfully performed its 2,000th helicopter landing of the year, Dec. 4, while operating in the Gulf of Oman in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
• Air Force's secret space drone still in orbit a year later Iran Press TV 12 Dec 2013 -- One year after its launch into orbit, the US Air Force's secret space drone continues to circle the Earth as the goal of its mission and its payload remain a mystery.
• Putin Says Missile Defense Systems Threathen Strategic Balance RIA Novosti 12 Dec 2013 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that plans by foreign powers to develop high-precision weapons for use with missile defense systems will threaten agreements that have ensured the global strategic balance.
• Japan, S Korea hold joint drill in East China Sea Iran Press TV 12 Dec 2013 -- Japan and South Korea have carried out a joint naval exercise in the East China Sea, located in an area within China's new Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
• Russian Defense Firms Risk Becoming 'Oversized, Unneeded' – Putin RIA Novosti 12 Dec 2013 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that although the country's defense sector was undergoing "unprecedented" expansion, such manufacturers risk becoming "oversized and unneeded" if state funding dries up.
• Putin Says Bids to Gain Military Dominance Over Russia Futile RIA Novosti 12 Dec 2013 -- President Vladimir Putin warned Thursday against foreign powers seeking to secure a military advantage over Russia and said any attempts to destroy the existing global strategic balance would be futile.
• China's main battle military aircraft can intercept multiple targets in the air defense identification zone People's Daily 12 Dec 2013 -- Colonel Shen Jinke, news spokesperson of the Chinese air force, said on the 28th November that the Chinese air force had dispatched S-30 and J-11 and other main battle aircraft for a standard air patrol in China's East China Air Defense Identification Zone, so as to reinforce the monitoring of aerial targets and carry out a range of missions and tasks.
• 'Containing China' a Japanese strategy People's Daily 12 Dec 2013 -- Japan is trying to justify attempts to break away from its pacifist Constitution and build up its military by fanning the so-called China threat, experts said after Japan released the final draft of its national security strategy on Wednesday.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 12/12/13 The White House 12 Dec 2013
• December 12, 2013 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 12 Dec 2013

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for December 12, 2013
• Russia Plans to Increase Arms Exports to $50Bln by 2020 RIA Novosti 12 Dec 2013 -- Russia could quadruple its annual arms sales to $50 billion by 2020 in a race for the top spot on the global arms exporters list, a senior government official said Thursday.

Other Conflicts

• 12 December 2013 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 12 Dec 2013
• UN team finds 'credible information' on more cases of chemical weapons use in Syria UN News Centre 12 Dec 2013 -- The United Nations team probing the use of chemical weapons in Syria, which in September found "clear and convincing evidence" of Sarin gas attacks against civilians, including children, in the Damascus area, today reported "credible information" that such weapons were used against soldiers and civilians in other parts of the country.
• UN Report Confirms Chemical Weapon Use in Syria VOA 12 Dec 2013 -- The U.N. mission tasked with assessing whether chemical weapons have been used in the Syrian conflict has concluded in its final report that they were used.
• Western-backed FSA commander flees Syria Iran Press TV 12 Dec 2013 -- A top Western-backed commander of the opposition forces in Syria has been driven out of the country by Takfiri militants, report said.
• Lebanon: as winter storm bears down, UN and partners ramp up aid for Syrian refugees UN News Centre 12 Dec 2013 -- The United Nations and its humanitarian partners are ramping up efforts to assist more than 800,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon who are facing the onslaught of cold weather, rains and snowfall as a massive winter storm named "Alexa" moves across the region.
• RAF flies second wave of vehicles to French peacekeepers UK MOD 12 Dec 2013 -- The RAF has delivered more French armoured vehicles to the Central African Republic in support of France's peacekeeping operation.
• Updated timeline of Boko Haram attacks and related violence IRIN 12 Dec 2013 -- Despite a fierce crackdown on insurgent group Boko Haram by Nigerian security forces, violence in northeastern Nigeria has not abated. Over 100 people have been killed in attacks in recent weeks, and some fear the violence will only worsen as the 2015 elections approach. Thousands of troops have been fighting Boko Haram in the north since President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in May 2013. Rights groups have accused all involved - Boko Haram, the government's Joint Task Force and civilian vigilante groups - of carrying out human rights abuses, putting civilians at risk of violence from all sides.
• Civilian vigilante groups increase dangers in northeastern Nigeria IRIN 12 Dec 2013 -- Members of civilian vigilante groups known as the "civilian joint task force" (CJTF) are taking an increasingly active role in the government's fight against Boko Haram (BH). But while some residents call them heroes, others fear they are inciting BH to more directly target civilians, that they are committing abuses themselves and that they are eroding the already strained rule of law in Nigeria's northeast.
• LRA Rebels Surrender to Ugandan Army VOA 12 Dec 2013 -- The spokesman for Uganda's People's Defense Force (UPDF), says 19 fighters from the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) have surrendered following intense international pressure on the rebel group.
• Economic life slows to a crawl amid crackdown in North Sinai IRIN 12 Dec 2013 -- This is the third installment of a four-part series on the impact of militancy and counter-terrorism in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
• Congo and M23 Rebels Sign Peace Deal VOA 12 Dec 2013 -- A Kenyan presidential spokesman says the Democratic Republic of Congo and M23 rebels have signed a peace agreement in Nairobi. Spokesman Manoah Esipisu announced the agreement on his Twitter account on Thursday.

News Reports

• North Korea Announces Execution of Leader's Uncle VOA 12 Dec 2013 -- North Korea's state media have announced the execution of leader Kim Jong Un's uncle, Jang Song Thaek, for attempting to overthrow the state. The declaration comes just days after Jang was publicly ousted from power for alleged disloyalty and corruption.
• Ashton: Yanukovych Wants To Sign EU Deal RFE/RL 12 Dec 2013 -- European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has said Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych told her he still 'intends to sign' a key trade and cooperation agreement with the EU.
• News Analysis: Flip-Flops Point To Splits In Yanukovych's Circle RFE/RL 12 Dec 2013 -- Just hours after Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych called for roundtable talks with the opposition, police forcefully moved against demonstrators in Kyiv under the cover of darkness - and hopes of a negotiated settlement to the standoff were dashed.
• Putin Invites Kiev to Work With Customs Union at Expert Level RIA Novosti 12 Dec 2013 -- If Ukraine wants to take part in projects that Russia is carrying out with Belarus and Kazakhstan as part of the Customs Union, it is welcome to send expert-level delegations, the Russian president said Thursday.
• Ashton: Ukraine 'Intends to Sign' Agreement with EU VOA 12 Dec 2013 -- European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton says Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych 'intends to sign' a trade and cooperation agreement with the EU that he rejected last month, setting off massive anti-government protests.
• Window Closing for New US Sanctions on Iran VOA 12 Dec 2013 -- The chairman of the U.S. Senate committee that has crafted existing sanctions against Iran is speaking out against new penalties while international negotiations continue to limit Tehran's nuclear program.
• Iran's nuclear activities not slowed down: Salehi IRNA 12 Dec 2013 -- Vice-President and the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali-Akbar Salehi on Thursday dismissed certain remarks claiming that parts of Iran's nuclear activities have slowed down describing them as "baseless and wrong".
• IRGC Commander: Supreme Leader's Words, Nation's Guidelines IRNA 12 Dec 2013 -- Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander Brigadier General Aziz Ja'fari referring to Iran's Geneva deal with Sextet said here Thursday Supreme Leader's comments in that and in every field are Iranian nation's guidelines.
• US sanctions groups supporting Iran's nuclear energy program Iran Press TV 12 Dec 2013 -- The United States has issued new sanctions against a number of companies and individuals for "providing support for" Iran's nuclear energy program.
• No slowdown in peaceful nuclear activities: Iran Iran Press TV 12 Dec 2013 -- The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has dismissed claims that the country's nuclear activities have slowed down, saying the Islamic Republic's peaceful nuclear work is well underway on all fronts.
• US Targets More Companies Evading Iran Sanctions VOA 12 Dec 2013 -- The United States has targeted more than a dozen companies and individuals for evading international sanctions against Iran and for providing support for Tehran's nuclear program.
• Putin Gives Annual Address RFE/RL 12 Dec 2013 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has used his annual state-of-the-nation speech to address topics ranging from domestic issues such as interethnic relations and immigration to international concerns such as Iran and Ukraine.
• Development of Far East, Siberia 'National Priority' – Putin RIA Novosti 12 Dec 2013 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin called for tax breaks and improved investment conditions in Siberia and Russia's Far East on Thursday, naming the nation's business development toward the Pacific Ocean a national priority of the century.
• Africa's vast Sahel region threatened by terrorism, organized crime, Ban warns UN News Centre 12 Dec 2013 -- Terrorism, trafficking in arms, drugs and people, and other transnational forms of organized crime are threatening security in Africa's vast sub-Saharan Sahel region, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned today.
• Bangladesh court upholds death penalty Iran Press TV 12 Dec 2013 -- The Supreme Court of Bangladesh has upheld the death penalty for high-profile member of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, Abdul Quader Molla, dismissing his appeal for a final review.
• Bangladesh executes opposition leader Iran Press TV 12 Dec 2013 -- Bangladesh has executed a high-profile member of Jamaat-e-Islami party, Abdul Quader Molla, over crimes he allegedly committed during the independence war from Pakistan in 1971.
• Thai PM Calls for Talks as Protesters Keep Up Pressure VOA 12 Dec 2013 -- The political drama in Thailand continues Thursday as protesters intent on ousting the prime minister cut off electricity to her office in the capital. Meanwhile, Yingluck Shinawatra was in Chiang Mai, a city in her party's political stronghold, where she repeated calls for dialogue to resolve the weeks-old crisis.