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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 05 Feb 2014 [PDF]
• Afghan Presidential Candidates Debate RFE/RL 05 Feb 2014 -- Candidates in Afghanistan's upcoming presidential election have taken part in the first debate of the campaign.
• Last Marine aviation transfer of authority in Afghanistan USMC News 05 Feb 2014 -- Marines and sailors with 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) handed over the responsibilities as the aviation combat element for Regional Command (Southwest) to 3rd MAW (Fwd) during a transfer of authority ceremony aboard Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan Feb. 4.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Press Secretary: Ethical Lapses Have Hagel's Full Attention AFPS 05 Feb 2014 -- Cheating on proficiency tests at an Air Force missile base and at the Navy's nuclear propulsion school have Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel concerned that systemic issues may be threatening the health of the force and they have his full attention, Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said today.
• Department of Defense Press Briefing With Rear Admiral Kirby in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 05 Feb 2014 -- Presenter: Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby
• DOD Announces Charges Referred Against Detainee Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed Haza Al Darbi DoD 05 Feb 2014 -- The Defense Department announced today that the Convening Authority, Office of Military Commissions, referred charges to a military commission in the case of 'United States v. Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed Haza Al Darbi.'
• AF Space Command adds new antennas AFNS 05 Feb 2014 -- The 50th Space Wing here earned operational acceptance for four of its remote tracking station antennas from Air Force Space Command Jan. 29, signaling the start of full operations for the Air Force's newest satellite communication assets.
• Remotely piloted aircraft flies first long-duration test using repurposed satellite AFNS 05 Feb 2014 -- Using a repurposed commercial satellite, Air Force crews flew MQ-1 Predators and MQ-9 Reapers from Creech Air Force Base, Nev., during multiple missions in November and December.
• Maintainers ready gunships for retirement AFNS 05 Feb 2014 -- After more than four decades with the reputation by many as the Air Force's "deadliest conventional weapon," maintainers at the 27th Special Operations Wing are preparing the AC-130H Spectre for retirement.
• Real Thaw 14 kicks off in Portugal AFNS 05 Feb 2014 -- Approximately 260 Airmen from the 31st Fighter Wing arrived in Monte Real Air Base, Portugal, in support of Real Thaw 14 -- a two-week close air support exercise hosted by the Portuguese air force.
• Readout of Secretary Hagel's Phone Call with Republic of Korea Minister of National Defense Kim DoD 05 Feb 2014
• Marines, JGSDF train in amphibious raids USMC News 05 Feb 2014 -- U.S. Marines with the Expeditionary Warfare Training Group Pacific and soldiers from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ended a weeklong training on amphibious raids in support of Exercise Iron Fist 2014 aboard Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, Calif., Feb. 3, 2014.
• Navy to Replace Forward Deployed Mine Countermeasures Ships in Japan NNS 05 Feb 2014 -- The U.S. Navy announced Feb. 5 that newer, more capable mine countermeasure ships will forward deploy to Commander, Fleet Activities Sasebo, Japan, to become part of the U.S. Navy's Forward Deployed Naval Forces (FDNF).
• USS Green Bay to Replace USS Denver in Japan NNS 05 Feb 2014 -- The U.S. Navy announced Feb. 5 plans to send one of its newest amphibious transport dock ships to Sasebo, Japan, demonstrating the United States' commitment to the defense of Japan and the security and stability of the vital Asia-Pacific.
• AF radar controllers unplug from Kyrgyzstan AFNS 05 Feb 2014 -- The 376th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron radar air traffic control liaison positions deactivated here Jan. 31, after 10 years of safely sequencing and separating aircraft.
• Curtis Wilbur, John S. McCain Arrive in Tomakomai for Sapporo Ice NNS 05 Feb 2014 -- Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyers USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) and USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) arrived in Tomakomai, Japan, to participate in the annual Sapporo Ice Festival, Feb. 4.
• USS Denver Loads up for Cobra Gold 2014 NNS 05 Feb 2014 -- Amphibious transport dock ship USS Denver (LPD 9) completed an onload, of Marines and equipment at White Beach Naval Facility Feb. 5.
• Mount Whitney and Taylor Enter Black Sea NNS 05 Feb 2014 -- The U.S. 6th Fleet flag ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), with 300 Sailors and Military Sealift Command civil service mariners onboard, arrived in the Black Sea Feb. 4 to conduct scheduled maritime security operations. USS Taylor (FFG 50) will arrive in the Black Sea Feb. 5.
• NATO Secretary General praises Georgia's reform efforts NATO 05 Feb 2014 -- Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili visited NATO Headquarters on Wednesday (5. February) for the first meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission this year. The NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, thanked Georgia for the outstanding role in NATO operations and praised Georgia's efforts in implementing important reforms. "Georgia is a strong and committed NATO partner. You play an outstanding role in our operations. You are implementing important reforms. And today we see a more mature democracy in your country, after free and fair presidential elections last year", the Secretary General said.
• Ukraine Delivers Main Battle Tanks to Thailand RIA Novosti 05 Feb 2014 -- Ukraine has delivered the first five main battle tanks to Thailand of a 2011 order worth over $200 million, a state-run arms exporter said Wednesday.
• Russian General Staff's Deputy Chief Resigns – Report RIA Novosti 05 Feb 2014 -- A senior Russian military official who oversaw international cooperation resigned because of a conflict with the new chief of the General Staff, the Kommersant newspaper said Wednesday.
• U.S. delivery of P-3C aircraft to Taiwan on schedule: military CNA 05 Feb 2014 -- The delivery of 12 P-3C submarine-hunting aircraft on order from the United States is still on schedule, despite a malfunction discovered in late 2013, Taiwan's Air Force said Wednesday.
• Grounding order for Apache helicopters to be lifted next week CNA 05 Feb 2014 -- Taiwan will begin putting its 12 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters back into service next week, nearly two months after it grounded the aircraft when notified by the United States of a failure in the same model.
• First flight trials of Taranis aircraft UK MOD 05 Feb 2014 -- MOD and BAE Systems have revealed that the Taranis unmanned combat air vehicle surpassed all expectations during its first flight trials.
• New advanced Chinese warships challenging US Navy edge Iran Press TV 05 Feb 2014 -- The United States Navy is concerned about China's military plans as Beijing is accelerating the construction of a second aircraft carrier, military experts say.
• Saudi Arabia spends for military more than UK, France Iran Press TV 05 Feb 2014 -- London's International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) reports that Saudi Arabia's expenditure on defense has surpassed that of the United Kingdom and France.
• February 5, 2014 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 05 Feb 2014

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for February 05, 2014

Other Conflicts

• 5 February 2014 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 05 Feb 2014
• 5 February 2014 - Press Conference by Security Council President on Work Programme for February United Nations 05 Feb 2014
• UN begins polio vaccination campaign at besieged Palestinian refugee camp in Syria UN News Centre 05 Feb 2014 -- The United Nations agency assisting Palestinian refugees said today it has begun a large-scale polio vaccination campaign targeting thousands of children in the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus.
• Syrians internally displaced by war expected to nearly double to 6.5 million by year's end - UN UN News Centre 05 Feb 2014 -- The number of people displaced by the civil war inside Syria is expected to nearly double from some 3.5 million today to 6.5 million by the end of the year, a senior United Nations official said today.
• Syria Misses Another Chemical Weapon Deadline VOA 05 Feb 2014 -- Syria has failed to meet another key deadline for turning over its chemical weapons stockpile as part of an internationally brokered agreement.
• As fighting continues in Anbar, displaced numbers soar IRIN 05 Feb 2014 -- Tens of thousands of people continue to flee fierce fighting between government security forces, Islamic militants and tribal groups in western Iraq, while many are believed to be trapped in what are being described as siege-like conditions, sealed off from aid.
• U.S. calls for peaceful solutions to regional maritime tensions CNA 05 Feb 2014 -- The United States called for peaceful ways for countries in the East China Sea and South China Sea regions to address tensions there, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Command said Wednesday.
• Commentary: Philippine leader's senseless attack against China smells of amateurish politician Xinhua 05 Feb 2014 -- Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III, who has taken an inflammatory approach while dealing with maritime disputes with China, has never been a great candidate for a wise statesman in the region.
• Strife-torn South Sudan faces major food and nutrition crisis, UN warns UN News Centre 05 Feb 2014 -- Up to 7 million people in strife-torn South Sudan, nearly two thirds of the total population, are at risk of some level of food insecurity, with 3.7 million already facing acute or emergency levels, the United Nations warned today, painting a much grimmer picture of a major nutrition crisis than just three weeks ago.
• South Sudan Opposition Accuses Army of New Ceasefire Violation VOA 05 Feb 2014 -- Opposition forces in South Sudan accused the government of violating the cessation of hostilities agreement signed less than two weeks ago with an attack Wednesday on a rebel-held position near Malakal.
• Aid and evacuations under threat in CAR IRIN 05 Feb 2014 -- Dewa Iliassa, a young Muslim, lives on a street in Bozoum, a town in northwestern Central African Republic (CAR), with only a small pile of his belongings. He says he is too scared to move more than about 200m in any direction.
• New CAR Atrocities Highlight Muslim-Christian Tensions VOA 05 Feb 2014 -- Soldiers in the Central African Republic have been accused of taking part in the street killing of a suspected Muslim rebel group member, shortly after the interim president spoke at a ceremony highlighting the country's military.
• Wave of Violence Sweeps Central Nigeria VOA 05 Feb 2014 -- A wave of religious and ethnic violence has devastated many communities in Nigeria's central region over the past few days. Local leaders say the government needs to arrest and prosecute attackers or the violence will escalate.
• Violence grinds healthcare to a halt in Nigeria's Borno State IRIN 05 Feb 2014 -- Persistent attacks by Boko Haram (BH) militants in Nigeria's Borno State have forced dozens of clinics to shut down and hundreds of doctors to flee, leaving many residents to seek medical attention across the border in Cameroon, health professionals and residents told IRIN.
• New DR Congo amnesty law welcomed by UN envoys UN News Centre 05 Feb 2014 -- Senior United Nations officials today welcomed parliamentary approval of an amnesty law covering acts of war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) dating back to mid-2000 as "the next step in bringing sustainable peace."
• Final phase of Sri Lankan demining will take longer IRIN 05 Feb 2014 -- Sri Lankan military officials have confirmed that the "final phase" of landmine clearance in the conflict-affected parts of northern Sri Lanka will take another two or three years.
• Jordan's other refugees feel forgotten IRIN 05 Feb 2014 -- Just like thousands of refugees arriving in Jordan, Jacob Khamees experienced violence, hunger and fear in his home country. "I still remember when they attacked us, killed the animals and burned the fields," he told IRIN.
• Briefing: Can federalism work in Somalia? IRIN 05 Feb 2014 -- On paper, federalism appears to be central to today's Somalia. "Federal Republic" is part of its official name. It is run by a "federal national government". "Federal, sovereign and democratic" are the country's defining characteristics, according to Article 1 of the 2012 provisional constitution, a document in which the word "federal" appears 710 times.

News Reports

• Iran's Zarif: Sherman's remarks hinder agreement ISNA 05 Feb 2014 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reiterated that the recent remarks made by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman hinder obtaining a solution on the country's nuclear program.
• Arak reactor used for research purposes: AEOI chief Iran Press TV 05 Feb 2014 -- Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi says Arak heavy water research reactor has not been designed to produce "weapons-grade plutonium," Press TV reports.
• No constraints on Iran nuclear research: Salehi Iran Press TV 05 Feb 2014 -- Iran's nuclear head Ali Akbar Salehi says the country's nuclear deal with world powers does not impose any restrictions on nuclear research.
• Iran proceeding with 5 percent enrichment activities: Salehi Iran Press TV 05 Feb 2014 -- A senior Iranian nuclear official confirms Iran's suspension of 20 percent uranium enrichment, stressing that the country is currently enriching uranium to five-percent purity level, Press TV reports.
• Iran always ready for IAEA nuclear inspections: Velayati Iran Press TV 05 Feb 2014 -- A top advisor to Leader of Iran's Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the Islamic Republic has always been prepared for the UN nuclear agency's inspection of the country's nuclear sites.
• Iran rejects US remarks on its nuclear facilities Voice of Russia 05 Feb 2014 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Wednesday rejected as 'worthless' a US claim that Tehran has no need for some of its nuclear facilities, media reported.
• Retired Armenian Police Officer Arrested For Spying For Azerbaijan RFE/RL 05 Feb 2014 -- Armenian security officers have arrested a former police officer on allegations of spying for Azerbaijan.
• Two Georgians Sentenced For Espionage Released RFE/RL 05 Feb 2014 -- Two Georgian citizens serving terms in Russia for espionage have been granted early release.
• Snowden leaks lead Pentagon to costly changes - US official Voice of Russia 05 Feb 2014 -- A top US military intelligence official said Tuesday that the Pentagon will have to make costly changes to programs and personnel because of leaks by former National Security Agency analyst Edward Snowden.
• British spy unit launches DOS cyber-attack on Anonymous - Snowden leak Voice of Russia 05 Feb 2014 -- Edward Snowden's latest leak reveals that a division of Britain's Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) launched a denial-of-service (DOS) attack against chat servers used by hacktivists, particularly Anonymous and LulzSec.
• EU's Ashton Meets Yanukovych As Parliament Debates RFE/RL 05 Feb 2014 -- European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton says 'a lot more work' needs to be done to resolve the confrontation in Ukraine between authorities and antigovernment protesters.
• Ukraine: Yanukovych signs decree granting Arbuzov powers of prime minister Voice of Russia 05 Feb 2014 -- Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych has signed a decree granting First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Arbuzov the powers of the prime minister of Ukraine.
• EU ready to investigate violence in Ukraine clashes - Ashton Voice of Russia 05 Feb 2014 -- The European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Wednesday that Brussels was ready to provide support for Ukraine's constitutional reform plans and help investigate alleged abuses committed during two months of protests.
• North-South Red Cross Working Contact Made KCNA 05 Feb 2014 -- North-south Red Cross working contact was made at the Thongil House in the north's portion of Panmunjom Wednesday for the reunion of separated families and their relatives.
• Russian Soyuz Launches Progress Craft Carrying ISS Supplies RIA Novosti 05 Feb 2014 -- A Russian Soyuz-U rocket blasted off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan on Wednesday evening carrying a Progress-M resupply vehicle loaded with cargo for the International Space Station.
• Russian Soyuz launches space ship with goldfish on board to ISS Voice of Russia 05 Feb 2014 -- A Russian Soyuz-U rocket blasted off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan on Wednesday evening carrying a Progress-M resupply vehicle loaded with cargo for the International Space Station, including a container with goldfish.