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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• DoD Statement on Boarding of Commercial Tanker Morning Glory DoD 17 Mar 2014
• US Navy Seals seize North Korean oil tanker VoR 17 Mar 2014 -- US Navy Seals boarded and took control of a North Korea-flagged tanker that had loaded crude oil at a port held by rebels in eastern Libya, the Pentagon said on Monday. No one was hurt 'when US forces, at the request of both the Libyan and Cypriot governments, boarded and took control of the commercial tanker Morning Glory, a stateless vessel seized earlier this month by three armed Libyans,' Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby said in a statement.
• Afghanistan experience UK MOD 17 Mar 2014 -- Operational lessons learnt in Afghanistan have made the British Army a more effective fighting force.
• British forces achieve base closure milestone in Afghanistan UK MOD 17 Mar 2014 -- UK forces have now closed or handed over to Afghan forces all but 2 of their bases in Helmand province.
• 'Do not let spoilers deprive you of your future', UN envoy tells Afghans ahead of polls UN News Centre 17 Mar 2014 -- In a personal appeal to the Afghan people less than three weeks before national elections, a senior United Nations envoy today urged all citizens of the nascent democracy to exercise their right to vote and not allow spoilers to deter the holding of peaceful and credible polls.
• CLB-7 Marines help Afghans prepare vehicles for upcoming Afghan elections USMC News 17 Mar 2014 -- Marines with Combat Logistics Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 7, recently conducted training with Afghan mechanics with the Regional Logistics Support Company, 215th Corps, Afghan National Army, aboard Camp Shorabak, Helmand province, Afghanistan.
• Afghans prove proficiency in artillery training USMC News 17 Mar 2014 -- Soldiers with the 215th Corps, Afghan National Army, completed a six-week D-30 122 mm howitzer instructor course aboard Camp Shorabak, March 12.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's Call with Malaysian Minister of Defense Hishammuddin Tun Hussein DoD 17 Mar 2014
• USS Kidd Sailors Expand Roles for Around-the-Clock MH370 Search NNS 17 Mar 2014 -- The crew of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Kidd (DDG 100) is stepping up their search efforts for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 in the Indian Ocean with around-the-clock coverage.

Defense Policy / Programs

• 12 Aviano F16s, support personnel arrive in Poland AFNS 17 Mar 2014 -- At the invitation of the government of Poland, twelve 555th Fighter Squadron F-16 Fighting Falcons and approximately 200 personnel assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy, arrived at the U.S. Air Force Aviation Detachment here, March 14 through 15.
• USNS Spearhead Participates in Exercise Saharan Express NNS 17 Mar 2014 -- The U.S. Navy's first joint, high-speed vessel, USNS Spearhead (JHSV 1), participated with 12 West African and European partner nations in the fourth year of Exercise Saharan Express in the waters off West Africa, March 10-14.
• NATO and Moldova discuss strengthening cooperation and dialogue NATO 17 Mar 2014 -- NATO Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Alexander Vershbow discussed efforts to strengthen cooperation between NATO and Moldova as well as regional issues related to the situation in Ukraine with Moldovan Deputy Foreign Minister Valeriu Chiveri on Monday (17 March).
• New Wildcat aircraft drops in on HMS Dragon UK MOD 17 Mar 2014 -- A Wildcat, the navy's next-generation helicopter, has landed for the first time on the flight deck of a Type 45 destroyer at sea.
• Cambodian, Chinese senior military officials pledge to advance ties People's Daily 17 Mar 2014 -- Cambodian and Chinese senior military officials on Monday vowed to deepen bilateral ties and cooperation for mutual benefits.
• US urges N Korea to refrain from provocative actions VoR 17 Mar 2014 -- The US State Department on Sunday called on North Korea to refrain from provocative actions following reports Pyongyang had fired 10 short-range missiles into the sea off the east of the Korean peninsula. 'We are closely monitoring the situation on the Korean Peninsula,' State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a brief statement.
• US, German Military Inspectors to Fly Over Russia, Belarus RIA Novosti 17 Mar 2014 -- A group of military inspectors from the United States and Germany will fly above Russia and Belarus starting from Monday under the international Open Skies Treaty, a Russian Defense Ministry official said.
• US and German inspectors to carry out survey flight over Russia and Belarus within Treaty on Open Skies VoR 17 Mar 2014 -- A joint German and US mission is to carry out a survey flight over the territory of Russia and Belarus between 17 and 21 March within the Treaty on Open Skies, head of the Russian National Centre for Reducing Nuclear Threat Sergey Ryzhkov said. He specified that the flight will be carried out by a Swedish SAAB-340 survey aircraft.
• March 17, 2014 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 17 Mar 2014

Defense Industry

• US and Russia Top World Arms Exporters List RIA Novosti 17 Mar 2014 -- The United States and Russia combined supplied over half of all arms exports worldwide in the past five years, according to new data on the industry compiled by a European think tank.
• Exports of Y-12, Z-9 booming, contracts for 8 Y-12 aircraft signed People's Daily 17 Mar 2014 -- By the end of 2013, Harbin Aviation had made a historical breakthrough by delivering 13 Y-12 series aircraft to domestic and overseas customers, a new high in the volume delivered; a total of 25 Z-9 helicopters were delivered over the whole year.

Other Conflicts

• 17 March 2014 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 17 Mar 2014
• Syria forces raise national flag in Yabroud Iran Press TV 17 Mar 2014 -- Syrian forces have raised the national flag of Syria in the strategic town of Yabroud after retaking full control of the town from foreign-backed militants.
• Mental health response gaps in South Sudan IRIN 17 Mar 2014 -- Aid workers warn that while psychosocial support needs will mount for the tens of thousands of displaced people in South Sudan, the resources and skills needed to treat them are in short supply, and there is particular concern for men, who feel targeted in the ongoing fighting.
• Ahead of rainy season, UN mission relocates displaced civilians in South Sudan capital UN News Centre 17 Mar 2014 -- The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) says it is in the process of relocating civilians displaced amid the recent conflict to better shelter ahead of coming rains.
• China cannot tolerate Philippines' occupation of reef: spokesman People's Daily 17 Mar 2014 -- China will not tolerate the Philippines' occupation of the Ren'ai Reef in the South China Sea and will closely watch the next move in the area, a spokesman said on Monday.

News Reports

• Roundup: Opinions on Ukraine from American and Foreign Media, March 18 VOA 17 Mar 2014 -- The crisis in Ukraine has captured global attention and is generating a wide spectrum of opinion on its causes and solutions. Newspapers, blogs and other media are publishing a variety of commentaries and editorials on what's to be done and who's to blame.
• Background Briefing by Senior Administration Officials on Ukraine The White House 17 Mar 2014
• McCain says 'Russia is a gas station masquerading as a country' Iran Press TV 17 Mar 2014 -- US Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) has called for tough economic sanctions against Moscow, saying the Russian economy is only dependent upon oil and gas.
• Statement by the President on Ukraine The White House 17 Mar 2014
• Letter -- Blocking Property of Additional Persons Contributing to the Situation in Ukraine The White House 17 Mar 2014
• FACT SHEET: Ukraine-Related Sanctions The White House 17 Mar 2014
• EU, U.S. Agree Sanctions Against Russians, Ukrainians RFE/RL 17 Mar 2014 -- The United States and European Union have announced sanctions aimed at punishing a handful of Russians and Ukrainians for their roles in destabilizing Ukraine, where a weekend referendum in Crimea endorsed a plan by breakaway officials there to join the Russian Federation.
• Obama Announces Sanctions Over Crimea Vote VOA 17 Mar 2014 -- Announcing that the U.S. and its allies have mobilized to isolate Russia, President Barack Obama has imposed sanctions on key individuals Washington deems responsible for a Moscow-backed referendum in Ukraine's Crimea aimed at putting the region under Russia's control.
• Putin Recognizes Crimea as Sovereign State VOA 17 Mar 2014 -- President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday recognizing Crimea as a sovereign state after the Ukrainian region's pro-Russian leaders declared it independent and applied to join Russia following a controversial referendum on Sunday.
• Ukraine's Defense Minister Says 'Detente' with Russia Holding VOA 17 Mar 2014 -- Ukraine's defense ministry says an agreement with Russia's military in Crimea to cease provocations appears to be holding. But the ministry says Russia has built up 60,000 troops in the separatist southern territory and along Ukraine's borders, which it vowed to defend.
• Canada slaps sanctions on Crimean - Russian officials VoR 17 Mar 2014 -- Canada slapped sanctions Monday on seven Russian and three Crimean senior officials it said 'bear political responsibility for the crisis' in the former Soviet satellite. Those targeted by sanctions announced by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper include an advisor and an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.
• Putin signs decree on 'Recognition of Crimea' VoR 17 Mar 2014 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to recognize Ukraine's breakaway region of Crimea as an independent state, the Kremlin press service said on Monday. Russia also said that it recognizes Sevastopol, a Crimean port that houses the Russian Black Sea fleet base, a city with a 'special autonomous status' within the Republic of Crimea.
• Russia ready to cooperate with partners in resolving crisis in Ukraine – Russian Foreign Ministry VoR 17 Mar 2014 -- Moscow urges contact group to ensure Ukraine's non-bloc status fixed in UN Security Council resolution – Russian Foreign Ministry. 'As has been repeatedly explained by the Russian side, the current situation in Ukraine was not created by us but resulted from a deep crisis that gripped the Ukrainian state, polarized the Ukrainian society and aggravated the antagonistic differences between various parts of the country. Efforts by the international community should aim precisely at helping to overcome those differences,' the statement says.
• Remarks by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton following the Foreign Affairs Council EU External Action Service 17 Mar 2014
• EU adopts restrictive measures against actions threatening Ukraine's territorial integrity Council of the European Union 17 Mar 2014
• Council conclusions on Ukraine Council of the European Union 17 Mar 2014
• NATO Secretary General discusses Crimea referendum, future cooperation with Ukraine's Acting Foreign Minister NATO 17 Mar 2014 -- NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen discussed the latest developments in Ukraine, including the so-called referendum in Ukraine's Autonomous Republic of Crimea, as well as the Alliance's plan to intensify the NATO-Ukraine partnership with Andriy Deshchytsya, Ukraine's Acting Foreign Minister on Monday (17 March 2014).
• Statement by the North Atlantic Council on the so-called referendum in Crimea NATO 17 Mar 2014 -- We consider the so-called referendum held on 16 March in Ukraine's Autonomous Republic of Crimea to be both illegal and illegitimate. The referendum violated the Ukrainian Constitution and international law, and Allies do not recognise its results.
• West denies Crimea referendum, China calls for de-escalation of Crimea crisis People's Daily 17 Mar 2014 -- Official results showed on Monday that 96.6 percent of Crimeans voted to join Russia at Sunday's referendum.
• Crimea declares independence from Ukraine Iran Press TV 17 Mar 2014 -- Crimea has declared independence from Ukraine and formally applied to join Russia, following a referendum in which Crimeans overwhelmingly voted in favor of joining the Russian Federation.
• Crimea referendum, great farce: Ukraine President Iran Press TV 17 Mar 2014 -- Ukraine's interim President Oleksandr Turchynov has described Crimea's referendum as a "great farce" after results showed that an overwhelming majority voted in favor of separation from the country.
• Crimea nationalizes Ukrainian state property Iran Press TV 17 Mar 2014 -- Ukraine's autonomous region of Crimea has nationalized all Ukrainian state property after declaring independence from the Eastern European country.
• Russia Recognizes Crimean Sovereignty; EU, U.S. Announce Sanctions RFE/RL 17 Mar 2014 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed an order recognizing Ukraine's Crimea region as a sovereign and independent country.
• Russia Recognizes Crimea's Independence RIA Novosti 17 Mar 2014 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to recognize Ukraine's breakaway region of Crimea as an independent state, paving the way for its reunification with Russia, the Kremlin press service said on Monday.
• Western Countries Sanction Russian Officials Over Crimea Vote RIA Novosti 17 Mar 2014 -- The US and EU imposed sanctions Monday on senior Russian officials following a referendum in Ukraine's autonomous republic of Crimea on Sunday in which voters overwhelmingly supported secession and reunification with Russia.
• Draft Resolution on Crimea Submitted to Russian Parliament RIA Novosti 17 Mar 2014 -- Leaders of all four factions in the State Duma, the lower chamber of the Russian parliament, jointly submitted a draft statement on Ukraine's breakaway region of Crimea on Monday evening.
• Moscow Agrees to Ukrainian Aerial Inspection of Russia RIA Novosti 17 Mar 2014 -- Russia will allow Ukrainian military inspectors to carry out an emergency monitoring flight over Russian territory in line with the 2011 Vienna Document on confidence and security-building measures, the Defense Ministry said Monday.
• Ukraine to Mobilize Reservists Following Crimea Referendum RIA Novosti 17 Mar 2014 -- Ukraine's Parliament voted Monday to partially mobilize the country's military reserves amid a tense standoff with Russia following a popular vote in Crimea to secede and join Russia on Sunday, the Ukrainian UNIAN news agency reported.
• Russia Urges Ukraine to Adopt Federal Constitution RIA Novosti 17 Mar 2014 -- Moscow on Monday called on Ukraine to draft a new federal constitution granting broadened powers to the country's disparate regions in order to protect minority populations.
• Crimea Requests to Join Russia Following Referendum RIA Novosti 17 Mar 2014 -- The Crimean parliament declared the region's independence from Ukraine Monday and formally applied to become part of Russia after a referendum Sunday showed overwhelming support for Moscow.
• Ukraine Boosts Security of Natural Gas Pipelines RIA Novosti 17 Mar 2014 -- Ukraine's National Guard and Security Service have stepped up measures to protect natural gas pipelines across the country, the country's Interior Ministry said Monday.
• Ukraine: Ban 'deeply concerned' Crimea vote will worsen complex, tense situation UN News Centre 17 Mar 2014 -- Leading the United Nations push for parties in Ukraine to resolve the country's ongoing political crisis through peaceful dialogue, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said he is "deeply concerned and disappointed" that this weekend's Crimea secession referendum will only exacerbate an "already complex and tense situation."
• EU, U.S. Fire Opening Salvo In Sanctions Conflict With Russia RFE/RL 17 Mar 2014 -- One day after Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula held a disputed referendum on joining the Russian Federation, both the European Union and the United States have moved to apply targeted sanctions against Russian and Crimean officials.
• Crimea Applies To Join Russia; EU, U.S. Announce Sanctions RFE/RL 17 Mar 2014 -- Authorities in Crimea have declared the republic's independence from Ukraine and formally applied to join the Russian Federation, as Western states have announced sanctions against Russians and others for their roles in destabilizing Ukraine.
• Kyiv Somber, Angry Over Crimea Result VOA 17 Mar 2014 -- With local officials in Crimea saying that 97 percent of voters in the Black Sea Peninsula backed breaking with Ukraine in Sunday's referendum, the reaction in Kyiv is a mixture of anger and resignation.
• China Cautiously Supports Crimea's Secession VOA 17 Mar 2014 -- China repeated calls for restraint in Ukraine on Monday, a day after a controversial referendum in Crimea overwhelmingly supported seceding from Ukraine and joining Russia. Issues of separatism and self-determination remain sensitive topics in Beijing, and observers have been closely watching China's response to the situation.
• Putin Tells Obama Crimean Vote Complies with International Law RIA Novosti 17 Mar 2014 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin told his US counterpart Barack Obama that the referendum in Crimea complied with the international law and the UN Charter, the Kremlin press service said Monday.
• Over 95 Percent of Crimean Voters Back Joining Russia - First Referendum Results RIA Novosti 17 Mar 2014 -- More than 95 percent of Crimean voters backed joining Russia and seceding from Ukraine during Sunday's referendum, the head of the Crimean commission for holding the referendum said after more than a half ballots were counted.
• CIA suspends chief of Iran operations: Report Iran Press TV 17 Mar 2014 -- The US spy agency CIA has suspended the chief of its Iran operations because his 'mismanagement' had put the division "in disarray," a report says.
• CIA suspends US chief of Iran operations over 'workplace issues' VoR 17 Mar 2014 -- Veteran CIA officer Jonathan Bank, former chief of Iran operations, is placed on paid administrative leave amid a rebellion against his management style, current and former colleagues say. The former CIA agent was sent home from agency headquarters after an internal investigation found he had created an abusive and hostile work environment that made it impossible for the branch to function properly.
• Global Effects of CIA-Senate Dispute Uncertain VOA 17 Mar 2014 -- The recently-exposed dispute between the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee and the CIA is causing a stir in Washington. Some analysts say, though, it may not have much impact on U.S. intelligence operations overseas.
• China denounces UN criticism of N Korea in rights report Iran Press TV 17 Mar 2014 -- A senior Chinese official has strongly rejected a recent United Nations report on human rights violations in North Korea.
• South Korea slams North's missile launches Iran Press TV 17 Mar 2014 -- South Korean defense authorities have strongly condemned North Korea's latest short-range missile launches into the Sea of Japan as provocative.
• Head of UN rights probe on DPR Korea urges accountability for 'unspeakable atrocities' UN News Centre 17 Mar 2014 -- Detailing a raft of "unspeakable atrocities" committed in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) "without parallel in the modern world," the head of a United Nations-mandated probe into the human rights situation there called today on the international community to hold the country to account, including through referral to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
• UN Investigators Call for Action Against N. Korea Abuses VOA 17 Mar 2014 -- United Nations investigators are challenging the international community to take immediate and urgent action to stop, what they call, North Korea's unspeakable atrocities against its population.
• Enrichment, reactor top agenda of nuclear talks: Iran FM Iran Press TV 17 Mar 2014 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the new round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and six major world powers will focus on uranium enrichment and Arak heavy water reactor.
• Gulen attempting to incite chaos in Turkey: Erdogan Iran Press TV 17 Mar 2014 -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has once again accused US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen of attempting to incite chaos in Turkey ahead of key local elections.
• UN expert urges long-term, rights-based approach water crisis in Jordan UN News Centre 17 Mar 2014 -- As Jordan struggles with a severe water shortage issues – ongoing drought, population growth and now waves of refugees fleeing the Syrian conflict – the country is at a critical moment, said a United Nations independent expert today, emphasizing its need to take a holistic, long-term approach to its water and sanitation strategies.