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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 08 Jan 2014 [PDF]
• US Steps Up Pressure on Karzai to Sign Security Agreement VOA 08 Jan 2014 -- The United States is raising the pressure on Afghanistan's leader Hamid Karzai to sign a bilateral security agreement that would allow more than 8,000 U.S. troops to stay beyond the end of the year. The U.S. is again threatening a full withdrawal if Karzai does not sign the deal.
• Pakistani Adviser Faults US Afghan Policy VOA 08 Jan 2014 -- Pakistan's national security and foreign policy adviser, Sartaj Aziz, has criticized the United States' Afghan strategy, saying it has failed to defeat terrorism, promote economic development or create political stability in neighboring Afghanistan. He reiterated Islamabad's demand for an end to end U.S. drone strikes against suspected militants on the Pakistani side of the border.
• Ex-Pentagon Chief: Obama Lacked Faith In Afghan Strategy RFE/RL 08 Jan 2014 -- In a new book, former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says U.S. President Barack Obama lacked faith in his own war strategy in Afghanistan.
• Afghan security forces discuss new checkpoint after clearing operation in Paktika Army News 08 Jan 2014 -- Afghan National Security Forces detained a suspected insurgent during a clearing operation Sunday and then held a security shura with village elders in Sar Houzah district's Oazai village.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Media Availability with Secretary Hagel at the Defense Nuclear Weapons School on Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico DoD 08 Jan 2014 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel
• Remarks by Secretary Hagel at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas DoD 08 Jan 2014 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel
• Update: Two Crew Members Confirmed Dead in MH-53E Crash NNS 08 Jan 2014 -- A second crewman has died following the crash this morning of a U.S. Navy MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter in the Virginia Capes.
• Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Announces 2013 Battle Efficiency Award Winners NNS 08 Jan 2014 -- Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMSUBPAC) announced the recipients of the 2013 Battle Efficiency (Battle 'E') award in an official message to the submarine force Jan. 1.
• Navy's Next-Generation Test Equipment Achieves Milestone C Acquisition Approval NNS 08 Jan 2014 -- The Navy's Electronic Consolidated Automated Support System (eCASS) recently received Milestone C acquisition approval, paving the way for limited production and installation of the next-generation device used to test aircraft avionics, the service announced Jan. 8.
• B-52 upgrade to increase smart-weapons capacity AFNS 08 Jan 2014 -- Tinker AFB Airmen will update ground maintenance and mission planning software in support of a new Air Force contract that will increase the B-52 Stratofortress's 'smart-weapons' capacity by 50 percent.
• USS Taylor Deploys NNS 08 Jan 2014 -- Guided-missile frigate USS Taylor (FFG 50), departed Naval Station Mayport Jan. 8 on a seven-month deployment to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet Areas of Responsibility (AOR).
• Four Airmen killed in helicopter crash AFNS 08 Jan 2014 -- Four Airmen were killed in an Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter crash at about 6 p.m. Jan. 7 near Salthouse on the Norfolk coast in England.
• New Law Brings Changes to Uniform Code of Military Justice AFPS 08 Jan 2014 -- The National Defense Authorization Act passed last month requires sweeping changes to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, particularly in cases of rape and sexual assault.
• 25th Inf. Div. Strykers look to future during exercise in Korea Army News 08 Jan 2014 -- More than 80 staff members of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, recently participated in the Warpath exercise in the Republic of Korea, as a subordinate brigade to the 2nd Infantry Division.
• FORSCOM convenes Senior Leadership Forum on the Total Army Force Army News 08 Jan 2014 -- Senior commanders and command sergeants major representing the active, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve met at the U.S. Army Forces Command Marshall Hall headquarters for the FORSCOM Commander's Forum, Jan. 5 - 7, focusing on combatant commanders' needs and the future of the U.S. Army.
• The 'Clausewitz' of logistics: Henry E. Eccles Army News 08 Jan 2014 -- BThe influence of strategists and military theorists ebbs and flows over time based on an array of factors.
• Exercise Combined Resolve- Overview and Key Lessons Identified Army News 08 Jan 2014 -- Exercise Combined Resolve was designed as a proof of principle for the European Rotation Force (ERF) focused on improving NATO interoperability (nine different Nations) by integrating Warfighting Functions, personnel (~2500 personnel), and doctrine; while integrating the EUCOM Army Contingency Response Force (ACRF) company to demonstrate our ability to rapidly mobilize our forces across a theater of operations to support our allies with a responsive combat force.
• 4th Inf. Div. continues partnership in Kuwait Army News 08 Jan 2014 -- Senior leaders from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, met with their Kuwaiti counterparts for a partnership meeting at Kuwait Land Forces Base, Kuwait, Dec. 23.
• Tenth anniversary of NATO's Air Policing mission in the Baltic States NATO 08 Jan 2014 -- NATO's Commander of Allied Air Command (AIRCOM), together with the Lithuanian Minister of National Defence and the commanders of Belgian and United States air components, marked the 10th anniversary of NATO's Air Policing mission in the Baltic States during a handover ceremony at the Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania on 3 January (2014).
• Russian Military to Strengthen Radar Defenses in 2014 RIA Novosti 08 Jan 2014 -- The Russian Aerospace Defense Force will add dozens of radars this year, a force spokesman said Wednesday.
• Frigate commissioned for E China Sea fleet People's Daily 08 Jan 2014 -- A frigate was commissioned for the East China Sea fleet of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy on Wednesday.
• Refitted Former Russian Aircraft Carrier Arrives in India RIA Novosti 08 Jan 2014 -- A refitted former Soviet aircraft carrier has reached the Indian coast after leaving Russia's northern shipyard in mid-November, media report said on Wednesday.
• Harpoon missiles beef up Taiwan's undersea strike ability: report CNA 08 Jan 2014 -- The U.S.' delivery of submarine-launched Harpoon missiles will help enhance Taiwan's asymmetric counterforce capability and could pose a new challenge to China's invasion plans, according to the U.S.-based Defense News weekly.
• Obama praises Taiwan's record on nonproliferation CNA 08 Jan 2014 -- U.S. President Barack Obama praised Taiwan as having a reliable record on nuclear nonproliferation as he urged Congress to approve a bilateral accord on cooperation on peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
• 3 more Apache helicopters arrive at Tainan base CNA 08 Jan 2014 -- Three more of the six AH-64E Apache attack helicopters that arrived in Kaohsiung on Jan. 2 were trucked from the port to an air base in neighboring Tainan early Wednesday for assembly.
• Indonesia Considers Purchasing Russian Su-35 Jets RIA Novosti 08 Jan 2014 -- Indonesia is considering Russia's Sukhoi Su-35 fighter as a replacement for its Air Force's aging F-5 Tiger jet, the country's defense minister said.
• January 8, 2014 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 08 Jan 2014
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 1/8/2014 The White House 08 Jan 2014

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 08, 2014

Other Conflicts

• 8 January 2014 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 Jan 2014
• Press Conference by Bolivian President Evo Morales as New Chair of Group of 77 Developing Countries and China United Nations 08 Jan 2014
• Security Council expects Syria to meet June deadline for chemical weapons removal, official says UN News Centre 08 Jan 2014 -- Despite a delay in eliminating Syria's chemical weapons material, the United Nations Security Council expects that there will be no delay beyond the end-of-June deadline for the total removal of all such materials, the head of the group charged with the effort said after briefing the 15-member body.
• UN: Destruction of Syria's Chemical Weapons Moving Ahead VOA 08 Jan 2014 -- The international special coordinator overseeing the removal and destruction of Syria's chemical weapons said Wednesday that despite insecurity, she hopes to meet the mission's deadline of the end of June.
• Militants in Syria seize ISIL's Aleppo headquarters Iran Press TV 08 Jan 2014 -- Foreign-backed militants have seized the headquarters of al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo as infighting intensifies among the militants in the Arab country.
• Syria Rebels Seize al-Qaida Base in Aleppo VOA 08 Jan 2014 -- Syrian activists say rebels in the northern city of Aleppo have seized control of a hospital that had been used as a base by their al-Qaida-linked rivals, as infighting among groups opposed to President Bashar al-Assad raged into a sixth day.
• Iraq fighting slows aid to the displaced IRIN 08 Jan 2014 -- The UN is warning of a "critical humanitarian situation" that is only "likely to worsen" following sustained fighting among Islamic insurgents, tribal groups and government forces in the Iraqi province of Anbar that has displaced at least 5,000 families.
• Iraq: UN seeks urgent safe passage for emergency aid to war-convulsed Anbar province UN News Centre 08 Jan 2014 -- Warning that the critical humanitarian situation in Iraq's Anbar province is likely to worsen as fighting rages between Government forces and militias, the United Nations is working with national and regional authorities and its humanitarian partners to ensure safe passage for emergency aid to stranded and displaced families.
• Iraq PM promises to uproot al-Qaeda-linked militants Iran Press TV 08 Jan 2014 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has promised to uproot al-Qaeda-linked militants operating in Fallujah as Iraqi forces gear up for a major operation in the western city.
• Iraqi PM Urges Militants To Surrender, Avert Fallujah Assault RFE/RL 08 Jan 2014 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has again urged Al-Qaeda-linked militants in the western province of Anbar to surrender.
• Maliki Calls on Local Tribes to Fight Iraq Militants VOA 08 Jan 2014 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Wednesday that his forces are willing to refrain from attacking the Anbar Province strongholds of Fallujah and Ramadi, now in the hands of Islamic militants, so long as the local tribes fight them. He is urging the Islamist fighters to surrender. Iraqi media predicted Tuesday that the army was preparing to invade Fallujah.
• Taiwan does not recognize Beijing's South China Sea rules: MAC CNA 08 Jan 2014 -- Taiwan does not recognize regulations unilaterally announced by China over territories it claims in the South China Sea, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Wednesday.
• Central African Republic: amid ongoing violence, UN rights expert calls for more aid UN News Centre 08 Jan 2014 -- A United Nations human rights expert today called for urgent protection and increased assistance to the growing number of persons displaced by violence in the Central African Republic.
• Regional Bloc to Discuss CAR Crisis VOA 08 Jan 2014 -- African leaders will hold a summit Thursday to discuss the Central African Republic, where fighting since December has left more than 1,000 people dead.
• Top UN officials in South Sudan travel to strife-ridden north to meet displaced civilians UN News Centre 08 Jan 2014 -- The top two United Nations officials in South Sudan are meeting with families displaced by the ongoing violence between pro- and anti-Government forces, as aid agencies aim to reach civilians with urgently needed supplies.
• Talks in Ethiopia fail to end violence in South Sudan Iran Press TV 08 Jan 2014 -- South Sudanese warring factions have failed in their peace talks in Ethiopia following the government's rejection of rebels' calls to free political prisoners.
• South Sudan Cease-Fire May Hinge on Release of Detainees VOA 08 Jan 2014 -- Talks to end fighting between South Sudan's government and rebels have made only minor progress. The rebels have signaled they are unlikely to sign a proposed cease-fire agreement unless the government frees 11 pro-rebel officials detained soon after the fighting began last month.
• Puntland's presidential poll heralds way to federal future for war-torn Somalia - UN official UN News Centre 08 Jan 2014 -- The top United Nations official in Somalia today hailed the election of a new president of the semi-autonomous region of Puntland as the harbinger of a peaceful, federal solution for the entire Horn of Africa country, which has been wracked by civil war, factional fighting and Islamist extremism for over two decades.
• Libya separatists to export oil in defiance of govt. Iran Press TV 08 Jan 2014 -- Eastern Libya separatists have announced plans to resume oil exports from key terminals they have blockaded for months in defiance of the central government in Tripoli.

News Reports

• Erdogan Purges Police At Risk Of Dismantling Turkish Democracy RFE/RL 08 Jan 2014 -- Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan seems to have declared war on his police force.
• U.S., South Korea vow to face DPRK threat People's Daily 08 Jan 2014 -- Top diplomats from the United States and South Korea vowed Tuesday to face any threat or provocation by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), as the Pentagon sent more troops to South Korea.
• Geneva deal changes Wests approach towards Iran IRNA 08 Jan 2014 -- Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-e Ravanchi said Wednesday that the Geneva deal reached between Iran and the Group 5+1 has turned West's policy of confronting with Iran into interaction with the country.
• UK seeking quick ease of sanctions on Iran, says Straw ISNA 08 Jan 2014 -- Former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw reiterated that sanctions imposed against Iran over its nuclear program should be lifted soon.
• Iran will never buckle under pressure: Zarif Iran Press TV 08 Jan 2014 -- Iran's foreign minister says Tehran will never capitulate to the pressure exerted through imposing sanctions against the country.
• US unable to destroy Iran military power: Defense min. Iran Press TV 08 Jan 2014 -- Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan rejected remarks about US military might, saying Washington cannot destroy Iran's defensive power.
• US bug detected in UAE's France-built spy satellite Iran Press TV 08 Jan 2014 -- French experts have announced that the US may be behind the recent discovery of "security compromising components" in two spy satellites sold by France to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), threatening the deal's cancellation.
• Sweden fell victim of foreign hackers - intelligence Voice of Russia 08 Jan 2014 -- Hacking attacks last yer targeting a number of Swedish state institutions, companies and colleges were masterminded by foreign intelligence services, the country's Local news agency has cited a source in Swedish intelligence.
• Manned lunar landing under research People's Daily 08 Jan 2014 -- According to Zhang Yuhua, deputy general director and deputy general designer of the Chang'e-3 probe system, Chinese aerospace researchers are working on setting up a lunar base.