Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 11 Jun 2014 [PDF]
• Taliban Threatens Violence as Afghans Prepare to Vote VOA 11 Jun 2014 -- Voters in Afghanistan go to the polls Saturday, June 14 for the presidential runoff election that is expected to pave the way for the nation's first peaceful, democratic transfer of power. But the election comes during a violent insurgency, and Taliban militants are threatening to disrupt the polls.
• Hagel Defends Bergdahl Swap RFE/RL 11 Jun 2014 -- Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has told a Congressional committee that the United States needed to act quickly to secure the release of Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl from five years of captivity by the Taliban.
• Prisoner Swap Part of Long Tradition, DOD Counsel Says AFPS 11 Jun 2014 -- The exchange that led to the return of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is part of a tradition of prisoner exchanges between opposing forces during wartime, Defense Department General Counsel Stephen W. Preston told members of Congress today.
• Hagel: Bergdahl Recovery Consistent With U.S. Laws, Values AFPS 11 Jun 2014 -- The recovery of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl from the Taliban was fully consistent with U.S. law, U.S. interests and the U.S. military's core values, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told the House Armed Services Committee today.
• Hagel Defends Taliban Prisoner Swap VOA 11 Jun 2014 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said exceptional circumstances did not allow time to provide advance notice to Congress about the release of captured Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl.
• US Navy, Coast Guard capture semi-submersible drug vessel in Eastern Pacific; seize $107 million of cocaine NNS 11 Jun 2014 -- Working with the Colombian Navy and Air Force, U.S. Navy and Coast Guard forces aboard USS Ingraham (FFG 61) captured a semi-submersible vessel packed with $107 million worth of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific in May.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Airmen, Sailors build Navy mines for B-1 deployment AFNS 11 Jun 2014 -- Ellsworth Airmen partnered with several U.S. Navy minesmen June 2 through 7 during a joint training mission to exercise the B-1B Lancer's capabilities in deploying Navy mines.
• Laser Weapon Being Readied for Marine Vehicles NNS 11 Jun 2014 -- As the Navy prepares to deploy its first laser weapon on a ship later this summer, Office of Naval Research (ONR) officials announced June 11 that they have finished awarding contracts to develop a similar weapon to be used on ground vehicles.
• DOD to Include Red Cross Emblem on Some Common Access Cards AFPS 11 Jun 2014 -- By late July, the Defense Department will issue the Geneva Conventions Common Access Card with a red cross emblem to military personnel and DOD civilian employees in certain medical, medical auxiliary or religious occupational specialties, a Pentagon official said today.
• Military officials from 7 countries partner during Eager Lion 2014 to hone problem solving skills USMC News 11 Jun 2014 -- In a recent speech at the Chicago Council of Foreign Affairs, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel talked about his vision for developing strong partnerships, he said, "We want our Soldiers, our Sailors, our Airmen and Marines active around the world, deploying with greater frequency and agility, with the skills and expertise needed to build security capacity in each region."
• Japanese Leaders Witness USS George Washington Operations At Sea NNS 11 Jun 2014 -- Rear Adm. Isao Ooseto, commander, Fleet Air Wing 5, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), and other Okinawa-area guests came aboard the U.S. Navy's forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) for a distinguished visitor (DV) embark, June 9.
• 1st Space Ops assumes space surveillance mission AFNS 10 Jun 2014 -- The 1st Space Operations Squadron at Schriever AFB, Colorado, will assume command and control of the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) this summer. The satellites are a space-based capability that will operate in the near-geosynchronous orbit regime supporting U.S. Strategic Command space surveillance operations as a dedicated Space Surveillance Network sensor.
• Equal Troops Deployed in Russian, NATO Military Exercises RIA Novosti 11 Jun 2014 -- Russia deployed a number of troops in the military exercise in Kaliningrad Region comparable to the number of NATO drill participants in the Baltic region, Russia's Ministry of Defense reported Wednesday.
• Russian Corvette Successfully Tests Missile in Baltic Sea RIA Novosti 11 Jun 2014 -- A Russian anti-aircraft missile corvette has engaged and successfully destroyed a sea target imitating an enemy warship in the Baltic Sea, Captain Vladimir Matveyev of the Russian Baltic Fleet said Wednesday.
• National Audit Office report on Army 2020 UK MOD 11 Jun 2014 -- The National Audit Office has published a report into the progress of Army 2020, the transformation programme for the British Army.
• £111 million of work buoys UK's boat support industry UK MOD 11 Jun 2014 -- The Ministry of Defence has awarded millions of pounds worth of new contracts to maintain its fleet of small boats.
• China calls for treaty on space weapons People's Daily 11 Jun 2014 -- Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying on Wednesday called on the international community to start negotiation on a legally binding treaty that would prevent an arms race in outer space.
• June 11, 2014 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 11 Jun 2014
• Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest en route Worcester, MA The White House 11 Jun 2014
• Readout to the Press by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest -- Weston, MA The White House 11 Jun 2014

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for June 11, 2014

Other Conflicts

• 11 June 2014 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 11 Jun 2014
• We must be prepared to invest more in peacekeeping, Ban tells Security Council debate UN News Centre 11 Jun 2014 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today told the United Nations Security Council that the international community must be prepared to invest in peacekeeping and peacebuilding at a "key moment for this flagship UN activity" as he highlighted new trends and approaches affecting operations, whose budget is approaching $8 billion.
• Iraqi Security Officials: Militants Seize Tikrit VOA 11 Jun 2014 -- Islamist militants, advancing across parts of northern Iraqi, have seized the city of Tikrit and forced as many as 500,000 people to flee.
• Iraq's second city seized by jihadists VoR 11 Jun 2014 -- Jihadists overrun Iraq's second city of Mosul and string of Sunni Arab northern towns on Tuesday. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki asks parliament to declare state of emergency and announces government to arm citizens to fight jihadists and their allies. 'All of Nineveh province fell into hands of militants,' parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi says to journalists in Baghdad. Gunmen are heading south towards neighboring Salaheddin province, he added.
• ISIL militants capture city of Tikrit in Iraq Iran Press TV 11 Jun 2014 -- Iraqi security officials say militants from the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have seized control of the central Iraqi city of Tikrit.
• Falling Fast: Iraqi Army Flees Militant Assault In North RFE/RL 11 Jun 2014 -- Iraqi militants have seized two provincial capitals in two days as they continue a lightning offensive that is almost effortlessly removing a wide swath of northern Iraq from government control.
• Tikrit Overrun; Turkish Diplomatic Staff Said Kidnapped In Mosul RFE/RL 11 Jun 2014 -- Reports say Al-Qaeda-linked militants have seized the Turkish Consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul and kidnapped members of the diplomatic mission.
• U.S. Worried About Security Situation In Iraq, Offers Help RFE/RL 11 Jun 2014 -- The United States has expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation in Iraq and pledged 'any appropriate assistance' to the Iraqi government.
• Iraq: UN chief, Security Council deplore kidnapping of Turkish diplomats in Mosul UN News Centre 11 Jun 2014 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council today deplored the kidnapping of Turkish diplomats in the Iraqi city of Mosul, while the United Nations humanitarian arm reported that hundreds of thousands of people have fled the area amid rising violence.
• US Pledges to Help Iraq Repel Militants VOA 11 Jun 2014 -- With security in Iraq quickly deteriorating, the United States on Wednesday pledged 'any appropriate assistance' to help the Iraqi government fend off a rapid military advance by Islamist militants.
• ISIS Takeover in Mosul Displaces Thousands VOA 11 Jun 2014 -- The extremist group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) seized control of the western half of Mosul, Iraq's second largest city on June 6. Three days later, Iraqi security forces retreated, leaving the entire city in the hands of the jihadis. According to the U.N., up to half a million people have fled the city, raising concerns over a new humanitarian crisis.
• ISIL storms Turkey's Mosul consulate, kidnaps staff Iran Press TV 11 Jun 2014 -- Militants from the al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have seized the Turkish consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.
• Iraq to take tough action against militants: Maliki Iran Press TV 11 Jun 2014 -- Iraq's premier promises his country will take tough action against the al-Qaeda-linked militants who have taken control of the northern province of Nineveh.
• Syria ready to help Iraq fight terrorism: Ministry Iran Press TV 11 Jun 2014 -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government says it is prepared to help Baghdad in its fight against terrorism, a day after the takeover of Iraq's Mosul by al-Qaeda-linked militants.
• Iran steps up security along borders: Official Iran Press TV 11 Jun 2014 -- Iran has intensified security measures along its borders amid escalating terrorist attacks in neighboring countries, says a top Iranian official.
• Iraq Government Loss of Mosul Poses Wider Implications VOA 11 Jun 2014 -- Analysts warn the Iraqi government's loss of the country's second-largest city, Mosul, to an al-Qaida splinter group poses a threat not just to Iraq, but the wider Middle East region. U.S. officials acknowledge a serious deterioration of the security situation and urge the Shi'ite-dominated Baghdad government to reach out to the country's disgruntled minority populations.
• Militants seize 48, including Turkish consul, children in Iraq's Mosul VoR 11 Jun 2014 -- Militants stormed the Turkish consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Wednesday and kidnapped 48 people including the head of the diplomatic mission, a Turkish government official said. '48 Turks including the consul, staff members, guards and three children were abducted,' the official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. 'All are doing well,' the official said. The kidnappings came a day after the Mosul consulate said fighters from the powerful jihadist group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) seized 28 Turkish truck drivers.
• Syrian gov't ready to help Iraq fight jihadist terror VoR 11 Jun 2014 -- The regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Wednesday it is willing to help Baghdad in the fight against 'terrorism,' a day after jihadists overran Iraq's second city Mosul. 'The foreign-backed terrorism that our brothers in Iraq are facing is the same that is targeting Syria,' said the foreign ministry.
• 'Dialogue' to define Assad's new term in office: paper People's Daily 11 Jun 2014 -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says national dialogue will characterize his new term in office, according to his recent interview with the Lebanese al-Akhbar newspaper published Wednesday.
• Syria army tightens noose around militants Iran Press TV 11 Jun 2014 -- The Syrian army has stepped up its operations against the foreign-backed Takfiri militants operating inside Syria, inflicting heavy losses on them.
• Territorial dispute not totality of China-Philippines relations: Philippine president People's Daily 11 Jun 2014 -- Philippine President Benigno Aquino III reiterated on Tuesday that the territorial dispute between the Philippines and China is not the totality of the relationship between the two countries.
• Sea Dispute Spotlights Plight of Vietnamese Fishermen VOA 11 Jun 2014 -- Vietnamese captain Dang Van Nhan has been left idle in his hometown of Da Nang following the sinking of his ship in the South China Sea last month.
• South Sudan Rivals Given 60 Days to Set Up Transition Government VOA 11 Jun 2014 -- South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and his rival in the country's six-month-old conflict, Riek Machar, have pledged at a summit of East African leaders in Addis Ababa to set up a transitional government within 60 days and to allow immediate, unhindered access to people in need.
• South Sudan's president, rebel leader agree on gov't talks Iran Press TV 11 Jun 2014 -- South Sudan's President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar have agreed to hold talks on forming a transitional government in a bid to end the civil war in the world's youngest country, Press TV reports.
• Ban strongly condemns car bombing resulting in death of UN peacekeepers in Mali UN News Centre 11 Jun 2014 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned today's car bomb attack on a United Nations camp in Mali that resulted in the death of four peacekeepers from Chad.
• Japan accuses China of conducting dangerous flights Iran Press TV 11 Jun 2014 -- Tokyo has lodged a diplomatic complaint with China, accusing Beijing of flying its fighter jets "dangerously" close to Japanese military planes.
• Clans clash in Somalia's Lower Shabelle IRIN 11 Jun 2014 -- Inter-clan clashes over the last week in Somalia's southern Lower Shabelle region have killed approximately 30 and have forced over 250 to take refuge in African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) bases, according to the organization.
• CAR requests ICC probe into violence Iran Press TV 11 Jun 2014 -- The Central African Republic (CAR) has requested the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate crimes which have committed in the country over the past two years.

News Reports

• Russia Ready to Review Ukraine's Gas Debt, Scrap Prepayment Scheme – Energy Minister RIA Novosti 11 Jun 2014 -- Russia will not introduce advance gas payments for Ukraine and review its gas debt downwards if Kiev pays off $2 billion of its gas debt by June 16 and clears arrears in full by June 26, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Wednesday.
• Some 250 Killed, 1,300 Wounded In Course of Punitive Operations In East Ukraine – Ministry RIA Novosti 11 Jun 2014 -- At least 257 people were killed and over 1,300 injured during the punitive operations in Eastern Ukraine, the country's Health Ministry reported Wednesday in a report based on data from urgent medical aid in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
• Gazprom Offers Ukraine Same Gas Deal Under Yanukovych – Putin RIA Novosti 11 Jun 2014 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday Gazprom proposed Ukraine to return to the same gas payment scheme that was used during the rule of ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
• Donetsk Mayor Calls on Kiev to Start Peace Talks Involving Russia, Int'l Organizations RIA Novosti 11 Jun 2014 -- The mayor of Donetsk, Oleksandr Lukyanchenko, called on Ukrainian authorities to urgently start negotiations in the country's east over a peaceful solution to the crisis in the Donbas region, involving Russia and international organizations, the mayor's press office said Wednesday.
• Putin: Ukraine Gas Price Demands a 'Dead End' VOA 11 Jun 2014 -- President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine Wednesday of pushing gas talks toward a "dead-end" by asking for additional discounts.
• Donetsk People's Republic ready for talks with Ukraine with Russia's mediation VoR 11 Jun 2014 -- Donetsk People's Republic is ready to have negotiations with Ukraine, but only with Russia's mediation, Denis Pushilin, chairman of the Supreme Council of the Donetsk People's Republic, said.
• Ukraine to shut down border with Russia, considers using land mines VoR 11 Jun 2014 -- Ukraine intents to close off its border with Russia in the east, advisor to Ukraine's minister of the interior Anton Gerashenko said. Earlier the Ukrainian government decided to partially close off the border in the eastern part of the country where the fighting between Ukrainian military and local militia continues unabated. At the moment a total of eight border entry points were shut down.
• NSA can't stop deleting evidence because its system 'too complex' VoR 11 Jun 2014 -- The National Security Agency recently used a novel argument for not holding onto information it collects about users online activity: it's too complex. In a court filing on Friday, the NSA said that it was unable to ensure that it was not destroying evidence in a case over the legality of its surveillance operations, as a judge demanded.
• Iran's Hard-line Media Told To Back Off On Rohani Criticism RFE/RL 11 Jun 2014 -- Iranian authorities are taking steps to rein in hard-line media that have attacked efforts by Iranian President Hassan Rohani to work with the West and resolve the crisis over his country's nuclear activities.
• Nuclear talks fully concentrates on N-issues: Afkham IRNA 11 Jun 2014 -- Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said on Wednesday that separate talks between Iran and members of the P5+1 have been held in a very transparent and serious atmosphere and completely focused on nuclear issues.
• Iran starts separate nuclear talks with powers: spokeswoman People's Daily 11 Jun 2014 -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany - - which will begin in Vienna next week, the spokeswoman said at her weekly press briefing.
• Iran seeks to assert nuclear rights during talks: Official Iran Press TV 11 Jun 2014 -- A high-ranking Iranian official says the Islamic Republic seeks to assert its nuclear rights in the course of negotiations with six world powers.
• China, ROK meet on resuming nuclear talks People's Daily 11 Jun 2014 -- A nuclear envoy of the Republic of Korea (ROK) has met with senior Chinese officials in Beijing to discuss resuming six-party talks aimed at denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman confirmed on Wednesday.
• Algeria reports first MERS fatality Iran Press TV 11 Jun 2014 -- A 66-year-old Algerian man has died from a Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus infection, the first such fatality in the North African country, according to Algeria's Health Ministry.
• Thai Junta Asks Diplomats to Soften Coup's Image Abroad VOA 11 Jun 2014 -- The leader of Thailand's junta gave instructions Wednesday to some of the country's top diplomats to seek international understanding for the coup he carried out last month. Meanwhile, a delegation of military commanders has been dispatched to Beijing for a conference with high-level Chinese army officials.
• UN officials underscore need to counter appeal of terrorism, better support victims UN News Centre 11 Jun 2014 -- Critical to defeating terrorism and making the world a safer place is addressing conditions that give rise to this scourge, senior United Nations officials stated today, as they also underscored the need to better support the victims of such heinous acts.
• Russia Playing 'Pivotal Role' In Democracy Decline, Says New Report RFE/RL 11 Jun 2014 -- In a new report, Freedom House says Russia is playing a 'pivotal role' in a continuing decline in democracy among the countries of the post-Soviet sphere.
• Fear and ignorance aid spread of Ebola IRIN 11 Jun 2014 -- An Ebola outbreak in West Africa that appeared to be winding down has flared up again, with officials blaming the resurgence on ignorance and a lack of experience in handling the virus.
• Explainer: Is South Stream The Latest Victim Of the Ukraine Crisis? RFE/RL 11 Jun 2014 -- The Ukraine crisis keeps having unintended consequences. The latest is a setback for South Stream, Russia's planned pipeline to bypass Ukraine when exporting gas to Europe. Here are five things to know about the story.
• Use of 'space tools' for sustainable development stressed by UN celestial committee UN News Centre 11 Jun 2014 -- Space-based information technologies must be fully integrated into the international efforts to overcome such challenges to sustainable development as climate change and food insecurity, the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space was told as it opened its annual session today in Vienna.