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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 19 Mar 2014 [PDF]
• U.S. Personnel Remain Aboard as Seized Tanker Returns to Libya AFPS 19 Mar 2014 -- Twenty-five Navy personnel remain aboard the oil tanker Morning Glory after a team of Navy SEALs boarded and took control of the ship March 17, Army Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said today.
• Navy Continues Search for Missing Malaysian Airliner AFPS 19 Mar 2014 -- U.S. Navy aircraft and personnel remain engaged in the search effort for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared March 8 after taking off from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, en route to Beijing, a Defense Department spokesman said today.
• US Navy's P-8A Poseidon Arrives in Australia, Continues MH370 Search NNS 19 Mar 2014 -- A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft completed its transition from Kuala Lumpur to Perth March 18 to continue the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US begins training sorties in Poland AFNS 19 Mar 2014 -- U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcons assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy, began off-site aerial training for the first time since their arrival at Detachment 1, 52nd Operations Group here, March 18.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's Meeting with Ukrainian Minister of Defense Ihor Tenyukh DoD 19 Mar 2014
• Navy Commences Participation in ICEX 2014 NNS 19 Mar 2014 -- Commander, Submarine Forces (COMSUBFOR) announced Virginia-class attack submarine USS New Mexico (SSN 779) and Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Hampton (SSN 767) commenced Ice Exercise 2014 (ICEX 2014) in the Arctic Ocean March 19.
• USS Lassen Concludes Foal Eagle 2014 NNS 19 Mar 2014 -- The Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen (DDG 82) concluded its participation in the bilateral exercise Foal Eagle 2014 (FE 14), March 15.
• USS Curtis Wilbur Participates in Foal Eagle 2014 NNS 19 Mar 2014 -- The Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) along with other U.S. and Republic of Korea (ROK) navy ships concluded their participation in Exercise Foal Eagle 2014 (FE 14), March 15.
• USS Truxtun, Romanian and Bulgarian Navies Increase Interoperability with PASSEX NNS 19 Mar 2014 -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG 103) partnered with regional NATO allies Romania and Bulgaria for a passing exercise (PASSEX) in the Black Sea, March 19, to enhance maritime capabilities between these countries.
• Investigator Discusses Navy Yard Findings, Insider Threat AFPS 19 Mar 2014 -- The most significant findings of the Navy's own investigation into security, personnel and contracting factors related to the last year's Navy Yard killings involved the insider threat posed by the shooter, contractor Aaron Alexis, the Navy's lead investigator said.
• 31st MEU utilizes Osprey's capabilities during NEO exercise aboard MCAS Iwakuni USMC News 19 Mar 2014 -- With propellers still spinning, Marines and sailors with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit storm out of MV-22 Ospreys, entering a catastrophic situation; citizens are in desperate need of evacuation and are nearly 500 nautical miles away from a safe haven.
• US 7th Fleet and Philippine Navy Leaders Share Ideas during 'Staff Talks' NNS 19 Mar 2014 -- Senior leaders from the U.S. 7th Fleet and Philippines Navy met for a professional exchange of ideas in a variety of technical and tactical topics on board the 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) March 19.
• Russian Navy to Deploy Conventional Deterrence Force RIA Novosti 19 Mar 2014 -- The naval component of Russia's future strategic non-nuclear deterrence force will consist of warships and submarines armed with high-precision weapons, navy commander Adm. Viktor Chirkov said Wednesday.
• Russian Navy Unveils New Class of Submarines RIA Novosti 19 Mar 2014 -- A prospective series of Russia's new fifth-generation conventional submarine equipped with an advanced air-independent propulsion system will be designated the Kalina-class, the commander of the country's navy said Wednesday.
• 'Ratnik' gear will make Russian troops fully-fledged soldiers of the future VoR 19 Mar 2014 -- The Russian Army will soon start the mass purchases of the next generation soldier gear 'Ratnik'. The gear comprises more than 40 components, including firearms, body armour, and optical, communication and navigation devices, as well as life support and power supply systems, and even knee and elbow pads. The gear will make Russian troops the fully-fledged soldiers of the future, capable of carrying out the personally given orders. It also boosts the effectiveness of the units operating in local conflict areas, for example, against terrorists.
• Six more Apache helicopters received, set to be moved CNA 19 Mar 2014 -- Six more AH-64E Apache attack helicopters purchased from the United States were being prepped Wednesday to fly to a base in Tainan after arriving in neighboring Kaohsiung the previous evening, a military source said.
• UK Suspends Military Cooperation With Russia RIA Novosti 19 Mar 2014 -- The United Kingdom has put on hold its military cooperation with Russia, Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Tuesday, calling the reunification of Crimea "a land grab."
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 3/19/2014 The White House 19 Mar 2014
• March 19, 2014 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 19 Mar 2014
• Remarks to the Press by Vice President Joe Biden, President Dalia Grybauskaite of Lithuania, and President Andris Berzins of Latvia The White House 19 Mar 2014

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 19, 2014

Other Conflicts

• 19 March 2014 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 19 Mar 2014
• UN officials urge Security Council to allow for effective post-2015 peacebuilding tools UN News Centre 19 Mar 2014 -- Inclusivity, institution-building and international/regional support are the three key ingredients to long-lasting post-conflict peace, United Nations officials said this morning as they called on the Security Council to help shape a more effective UN peacebuilding architecture.
• Syrian army retakes town of Ras al-Ayn near Yabroud Iran Press TV 19 Mar 2014 -- The Syrian army has gained further victories against foreign-backed militants, recapturing the town of Ras al-Ayn, near the strategic town of Yabrud, Press TV reports.
• Lebanese army deployed in border town of Arsal Iran Press TV 19 Mar 2014 -- The Lebanese army has been deployed in the town of Arsal, along the border with Syria, as part of efforts to calm down tensions from the spillover of Syria's conflict there.
• Takfiris carry out mass murders in Syria: UN Iran Press TV 19 Mar 2014 -- Al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) carried out 'mass executions' in Syria in January, the United Nations says.
• Israeli Planes Bomb Syrian Military Sites VOA 19 Mar 2014 -- Israeli airstrikes against Syrian military positions in the Golan Heights killed one soldier and wounded seven in the most serious escalation between the two neighbors since Syria's civil war broke out three years ago.
• More than 45 percent of chemical weapons taken out of Syria - OPCW VoR 19 Mar 2014 -- More than 45 per cent of toxic chemicals, including the most dangerous chemicals, have already been taken out of Syria, the OPCW ( Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) press release, issued on Wednesday, says.
• UN approves sanctions against Libyan oil smuggling Iran Press TV 19 Mar 2014 -- The United Nations Security Council has adopted a resolution authorizing sanctions against illegal crude exports from Libya's militant-controlled oil facilities.
• Security Council imposes sanctions on illicit crude oil exports from Libya UN News Centre 19 Mar 2014 -- The Security Council today unanimously adopted a resolution condemning attempts to illicitly export crude oil from Libya and imposing sanctions on vessels involved in such efforts.
• Russian, US Officials Silent on Chechen Warlord's Death RIA Novosti 19 Mar 2014 -- Russian and US officials on Wednesday declined to confirm the death of a prominent Chechen warlord who had threatened to attack last month's Sochi Olympics.
• Urgent action needed to tackle food crisis in strife-torn Central African Republic - UN UN News Centre 19 Mar 2014 -- A senior United Nations relief official today stressed the need to act quickly to assist people suffering from food insecurity and malnutrition in the Central African Republic (CAR), after witnessing the alarming situation first-hand during a visit to the strife-torn nation.
• EU aims to deploy troops to CAR by end-April: EU general Iran Press TV 19 Mar 2014 -- The European Union (EU) says it seeks to dispatch its forces to the Central African Republic (CAR) by the end of next month, adding that the political turmoil in Ukraine has put off the deployment.
• Sending the CAR militias home IRIN 19 Mar 2014 -- The government of the Central African Republic (CAR) has said it wants to identify, disarm and demobilize the anti-balaka militias, many of whom are members of the army. A proposal to place some of them in camps before sending them home has met with scepticism from African Union and French military leaders.
• Regional interests at stake in the South Sudan crisis IRIN 19 Mar 2014 -- Uganda's military intervention in South Sudan has prompted warnings that the crisis in the world's youngest state could escalate into a regional conflict. But what are the interests of South Sudan's neighbours? What are they doing to further them? And how will their actions affect efforts to end the fighting?
• International Community Running out of Patience with South Sudan VOA 19 Mar 2014 -- The international community says it is running out of patience with the progress of the South Sudan peace negotiations. The talks between South Sudan's government and rebel forces have dragged on for nearly three months, with little progress except for an often-violated cease-fire agreement. A new round of talks are scheduled to start Thursday.
• Prospects for peace in Mindanao IRIN 19 Mar 2014 -- Analysts warn that a peace accord due to be signed on 27 March between the Philippine government and the country's largest Muslim rebel force, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), is unlikely to bring an immediate end to violence and displacement on the southern island of Mindanao.
• Somalia: UN envoy welcomes progress in regaining key towns from insurgents UN News Centre 19 Mar 2014 -- The United Nations envoy for Somalia, Nicholas Kay, has welcomed progress made by the national army and the African Union peacekeeping mission in regaining control of key towns from Al Shabaab insurgents.
• Israel expands settlement construction, approves 184 new homes VoR 19 Mar 2014 -- Israel's Jerusalem municipality approved building plans on Wednesday for 184 new homes in two Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, drawing anger from Palestinians engaged in faltering statehood talks.

News Reports

• NATO Secretary General: Russia Must Suffer Consequences AFPS 19 Mar 2014 -- There must be consequences for Russia's actions against Ukraine, the NATO secretary general said at the Brookings Institute here today.
• Russia Issuing Passports In Crimea; Ukraine Introducing Visas For Russians RFE/RL 19 Mar 2014 -- Russia has begun issuing Russian passports to residents of Crimea, saying they are now Russian citizens.
• Ban heads to Russia and Ukraine amid rising tensions; Security Council briefed on latest events UN News Centre 19 Mar 2014 -- With Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon headed to Russia and Ukraine as part of his diplomatic efforts to de-escalate current tensions, the Security Council heard senior United Nations officials in New York urge adherence to fundamental principles of the UN Charter, including respect for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and ensuring respect for the human rights of all.
• Remarks by Ambassador Samantha Power, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, at a Security Council Meeting on Ukraine, March 19, 2014 U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations 19 Mar 2014
• US, NATO Warn Russia Faces 'High Costs' Over Crimea VOA 19 Mar 2014 -- Russia is refusing to back down in the face of U.S. and European sanctions imposed over Moscow's annexation of Crimea. Russia's latest actions have touched off a new round of worry for Russia's Western-leaning neighbors and more warnings from Washington.
• Roundup: Opinions on Ukraine from American and Foreign Media VOA 19 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.
• Cyber Peace Reigns Despite Russia, Ukraine Tensions VOA 19 Mar 2014 -- While tensions on the ground in Ukraine are rising almost daily, one area of potential conflict is eerily quiet.
• Pro-Russian Forces Seize Ukraine Navy HQ VOA 19 Mar 2014 -- Pro-Russian forces have taken control of Ukraine's navy headquarters in the Crimean port of Sevastopol, a day after Russia signed a treaty with local authorities to make Crimea part of Russia.
• Tensions Rise In Crimea After Russian Annexation RFE/RL 19 Mar 2014 -- Tensions are escalating in Crimea, one day after Russia annexed the Ukrainian region.
• UN Chief Heads To Moscow, Kyiv Amid Western Warnings RFE/RL 19 Mar 2014 -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is heading to Russia and Ukraine amid the escalating crisis over Crimea.
• Four lessons to be learned from the Ukraine crisis People's Daily 19 Mar 2014 -- Ukraine has become the final battlefield in the 'cold war', and it is becoming a possibility that the crisis will trigger a second 'cold war'. The Crimean parliament's declaration of independence from Ukraine ahead of the March 16 referendum indicates that Crimea may go ahead and join Russia. The tug of war between Russia and western countries teaches us four things.
• Ukrainian navy base captured in Crimea: Reports Iran Press TV 19 Mar 2014 -- Crimea's pro-Russian self-defense forces have taken control of a second Ukrainian navy base in western Crimea, reports say.
• UN Chief Heads to Moscow, Kyiv VOA 19 Mar 2014 -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will leave for Moscow and Kyiv Wednesday, in a bid to help diplomatically resolve the crisis over the Crimean peninsula. The Security Council will meet Wednesday afternoon to discuss latest developments.
• Donetsk Russians Say Only Putin Can Save Them VOA 19 Mar 2014 -- It is a frigid evening in Donetsk's Lenin Square, but the cold has not deterred a small crowd from maintaining a weeks-long protest against the new Ukraine government in Kyiv. They say they want to follow Crimea and break with Ukraine and join the Russian Federation.
• Ukraine introduces visa regime with Russia, puts army on full combat alert VoR 19 Mar 2014 -- The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has been ordered to introduce visa regulations with Russia, Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Andriy Parubiy said following a council meeting. He also said that instructions had been given to Ukraine's Security Service, Interior Ministry and Armed Forces to carry out the order to put the Armed Forces of Ukraine to full combat readiness.
• Australia imposes sanctions against 12 Russians and Ukrainians, Russia to ban beef imports VoR 19 Mar 2014 -- Australia on Wednesday joined the United States and the EU in imposing financial sanctions and travel bans against 12 unnamed Russian and Ukrainian individuals. According to the Rosselkhoznadzor (Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance) head, Sergey Dankvert, Moscow can ban import of Australian beef to Russia.
• Commander of Ukrainian Naval Forces Gaiduk detained VoR 19 Mar 2014 -- Ukrainian Naval Forces Commander Sergey Gaiduk has been temporarily detained.
• Fatal incident in Simferopol 'provocation' - Russia's ambassador to NATO VoR 19 Mar 2014 -- Russia has discussed with senior NATO military officials the tragic incident which killed a Ukrainian soldier in Simferopol and a Crimean self-defense fighter, Russian Ambassador to NATO Alexander Grushko told Interfax in Brussels. 'We have informed them that we see this incident as a provocation. The Russian troops were not involved in it, there was no storming of the Ukrainian military base as claimed by the authorities in Kiev. The incident is now being investigated, those guilty will not walk away from the responsibility,' the official said on Wednesday.
• Radical Ukrainian group announces recruitment of guerilla units VoR 19 Mar 2014 -- The radical Ukrainian movement Spilna Sprava (Common Cause) has announced the dismantlement of its tent city on Independence Square in Kiev and a start for training guerilla units to fight Russian forces.
• NATO Secretary General condemns moves to incorporate Crimea into Russian Federation NATO 18 Mar 2014
• Readout of the President's Call with Chancellor Merkel of Germany The White House 18 Mar 2014
• Ukrainian Forces Leave Navy Headquarters in Orderly Droves RIA Novosti 19 Mar 2014 -- Representatives of the self-defense forces of Crimea have occupied Ukraine's navy headquarters in the Crimean city Sevastopol, organizing the orderly departure of the Ukrainian military forces inside.
• Putin Submits Crimea Reunification Treaty to Parliament RIA Novosti 19 Mar 2014 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday submitted the Crimea reunification treaty to the parliament for ratification, the legislature's press service said.
• Russian Constitutional Court Backs Crimea Reunification RIA Novosti 19 Mar 2014 -- Russia's Constitutional Court unanimously ruled Wednesday that a treaty reunifying the Ukrainian breakaway region of Crimea with Russia is lawful.
• Ukraine Sends Protest Note to Russia Over Crimea Crisis RIA Novosti 19 Mar 2014 -- Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has summoned Russian envoy Andrei Vorobyov to hand him a letter of protest against Crimea's reunification treaty with Moscow.
• Crimean Tatars Will Have to Vacate Land – Official RIA Novosti 19 Mar 2014 -- Ukraine's breakaway region of Crimea will ask Tatars to vacate part of the land where they now live in exchange for new territory elsewhere in the region, a top Crimean government official said Tuesday.
• In Crimea, Baku's Moment Of Truth RFE/RL 19 Mar 2014 -- 'Let's speak about it after the referendum. Azerbaijan has always honored and will honor the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and inviolability of borders that are regulating relations among states,' said Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov, when asked about Baku's position on the Crimean referendum to join Russia.
• Pak spy agency harbored former al-Qaeda chief: Report Iran Press TV 19 Mar 2014 -- A media report says former Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lieutenant Genera Ahmed Shuja Pasha knew of former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's hideout in Pakistan.
• Report: DOD watchdog unaware of NSA spying Iran Press TV 19 Mar 2014 -- The surveillance watchdog within the Department of Defense did not know about the sweeping National Security Agency (NSA) program that collected information about American phone calls, according to a Tuesday report from The Guardian.
• Pentagon watchdog admits he had no clue about massive NSA phone data collection VoR 19 Mar 2014 -- The Pentagon's surveillance watchdog in charge of overseeing the National Security Agency's efforts and making sure that they're within the law said he had no idea about massive phone data collection until it hit the headlines. Furthermore, he said his office isn't currently, nor does it have any plans to investigate the agency's surveillance policies.
• Snowden might reveal US war plans to China, Russia: Intelligence experts Iran Press TV 19 Mar 2014 -- Former US intelligence officials have warned that American whistleblower Edward Snowden might disclose US war plans to China and Russia, according to a report.
• Iran's uranium enrichment will go on: Rouhani Iran Press TV 19 Mar 2014 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says Tehran will move ahead with its uranium enrichment for its nuclear energy program whose peaceful nature has been proven to the world.
• Iran's right to enrichment unassailable: Zarif Iran Press TV 19 Mar 2014 -- Iran's Foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Tehran's right to enrichment should not be obstructed as it's the inalienable right of the country, Press TV reports.
• Ashton: Iran Nuclear Talks to Resume April 7 VOA 19 Mar 2014 -- Negotiators for Iran and six world powers have adjourned what they called 'substantive and useful' talks on Tehran's nuclear program and said they will resume April 7 in Vienna.
• Sahel Terrorism Draws International Attention VOA 19 Mar 2014 -- Over the past few years there has been a dramatic upsurge in criminal violence, terrorism and extremism in the countries that make up Africa's Sahel region which spans more than five-thousand kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea.
• Turkey Fears 'Deep State' Return VOA 19 Mar 2014 -- The release of retired senior military figures and crime bosses in Turkey is prompting concern that the country's so-called 'deep state' could return.