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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 17 Jun 2014 [PDF]
• Statement from Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby DoD 17 Jun 2014 -- "I can confirm that on Sunday, June 15 the U.S. Military - in cooperation with law enforcement personnel - captured Ahmed Abu Khatallah, a key figure in the attacks on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, in September 2012."
• Statement by the President on the Apprehension of Ahmed Abu Khatallah The White House 17 Jun 2014
• US Captures Benghazi Attack Suspect VOA 17 Jun 2014 -- The United States says it has captured a key suspect in the 2012 assault on its consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed Ambassador Christopher Stephens and three other Americans.
• Statement by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on the Capture of Ahmed Abu Khatallah DoD 17 Jun 2014
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Rear Adm. Kirby in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 17 Jun 2014 -- Presenter: Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby
• Libya: Ahmed Abu Khatallah US Dept. of State 17 Jun 2014
• Key Figure in Benghazi Attacks to Face U.S. Charges AFPS 17 Jun 2014 -- Following today's announcement of Ahmed Abu Khatallah's capture for his role in September 2012 attacks on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, the Defense Department announced he will be tried in a U.S. court.
• Afghan security forces kill 55 Taliban militants Iran Press TV 17 Jun 2014 -- Afghan national security forces have killed fifty-five Taliban militants and injured 36 others during cleanup operations across the country over the past 24 hours.
• UN strongly condemns targeted attacks against Afghan election workers UN News Centre 17 Jun 2014 -- The United Nations today strongly condemned the continued, targeted killing of Afghan election workers in the wake of last Saturday's presidential run-off poll, and stressed that they must be able to carry out their important work without the threat of violence.
• Obama Sending 275 Troops To Protect U.S. Embassy In Iraq RFE/RL 17 Jun 2014 -- U.S. President Barack Obama has informed Congress that he is deploying up to 275 troops to provide security at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Chief Prosecutor: Commissions Incapacitate, Punish Terrorists AFPS 17 Jun 2014 -- Military commission proceedings for five suspects charged with the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States are progressing despite what the chief prosecutor called a "shortened week of pretrial sessions."
• Westover airlifts 26 tons of aid to Nicaragua AFNS 17 Jun 2014 -- A training mission doubled as a humanitarian relief effort for Reserve Airmen from the 439th Airlift Wing, Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts, as 13 Airmen delivered 26 tons of cargo to Augusto Cesar Sandino International Airport, Nicaragua, June 10.
• Air Force C-130s land at Lielvarde AB for the first time AFNS 17 Jun 2014 -- Three U.S. Air Force C-130J Hercules from the 37th Airlift Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, landed on Lielvarde Air Base, Latvia, June 17, making them the first U.S. Air Force aircraft to land at the newly-renovated installation.
• USS Peleliu Departs San Diego for Western Pacific Deployment NNS 17 Jun 2014 -- The amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu (LHA 5) departed Naval Base San Diego June 17 for a deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility.
• USS James E. Williams (DDG 95) Conducts Underway Engagement with Tunisian Navy NNS 17 Jun 2014 -- The guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams (DDG 95) participated in a bilateral underway engagement with the Tunisian Navy's Patrol Ship 501 La Galite and an Archangel-class patrol boat, June 14.
• USS Nimitz Visits Victoria, British Columbia NNS 17 Jun 2014 -- The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) visited Victoria, British Columbia, June 13 to June 16 to support community relations in the area.
• USS Lake Erie Returns from Final Hawaii-to-Western Pacific Deployment NNS 17 Jun 2014 -- The Hawaii-based Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70) returned June 16 from a four-month deployment to the Western Pacific.
• NATO Allies and Partners mark the 20th anniversary of the Partnership for Peace amid Russia-Ukraine crisis NATO 17 Jun 2014 -- The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) met today to mark the 20th anniversary of the Partnership for Peace (PfP) which has transformed Euro-Atlantic security and NATO itself by erasing dividing lines, inspiring reforms and building peace and security through consultation and cooperation based on common democratic values.
• Russian Navy to Equip Fifth-Generation Submarines With Military Robots RIA Novosti 17 Jun 2014 -- Russian fifth-generation submarines will be armed with military robots, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy said.
• June 17, 2014 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 17 Jun 2014
• Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jay Carney en route Pittsburgh, PA, 6/17/2014 The White House 17 Jun 2014

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for June 17, 2014
• Japan Exhibits Weapons for First Time since Lifting of Ban RIA Novosti 17 Jun 2014 -- For the first time since Tokyo has been permitted to export arms, Japanese military technology is being presented at the Eurosatory 2014 international exhibition, NHK, Japan Broadcasting Corporation, reported.

Other Conflicts

• 17 June 2014 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 17 Jun 2014
• At DC think tank, top UN official lays out challenges, priorities for future of peacekeeping UN News Centre 17 Jun 2014 -- A top official of the United Nations presented to a Washington, DC-based think tank today a broad survey of new challenges, priorities and strategies for UN peacekeeping as the world Organization embarks on a major review of its operations, requested by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
• Iraq Turmoil Sparks Blame Game In Washington RFE/RL 17 Jun 2014 -- A surge by Islamic militants in Iraq has spawned partisan rancor in Washington, with current and former officials arguing over who is to blame for the turmoil.
• UN officials urge Iraqi leaders to come together to quickly address security crisis UN News Centre 17 Jun 2014 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the top United Nations envoy in Iraq are urging the country's leaders to come together to address the rapidly deteriorating security situation and prevent sectarian reprisals amid the ongoing violence.
• U.S. Congress Divided Over Working With Iran RFE/RL 17 Jun 2014 -- U.S. President Barack Obama will meet with congressional leaders on June 18 at the White House to discuss the situation in Iraq, with senators divided on whether to work with Iran to resolve the crisis.
• WHO responds to worsened humanitarian situation in Iraq People's Daily 17 Jun 2014 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday said it is working with local and international partners in Iraq to meet the urgent health needs of population affected by the ongoing crisis.
• Iraqi forces repel attacks by ISIL terrorists Iran Press TV 17 Jun 2014 -- Iraqi armed forces have repelled an attack by Takfiri terrorists on the central city of Baquba while the militants seize parts of Kirkuk.
• Iran to help Iraq fight terror if requested: Official Iran Press TV 17 Jun 2014 -- A senior Iranian official says the Islamic Republic, if requested, will spare no effort to lend support to Iraq in the fight against Takfiri militants.
• Iraq's al-Maliki Defies Call to Reach Out to Sunnis VOA 17 Jun 2014 -- Iraq's Shi'ite rulers defied Western calls on Tuesday to reach out to Sunnis to defuse the uprising in the north of the country, declaring a boycott of Iraq's main Sunni political bloc and accusing Sunni power Saudi Arabia of promoting "genocide."
• Iraq blames Saudi Arabia for 'promoting genocide' by backing Sunni militants VoR 17 Jun 2014 -- Iraq's Shi'ite-led cabinet blamed Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for promoting 'genocide' in Iraq by backing Sunni militants, in a statement which could exacerbate the sectarian polarization in the Middle East.
• Several killed as fresh Takfiri infighting erupts in Syria Iran Press TV 17 Jun 2014 -- Militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group have engaged in fierce fighting with other militant groups in various parts of Syria.
• Syrian army continues clean-up operations in Kassab Iran Press TV 17 Jun 2014 -- Syrian soldiers continue their clean-up operations in Kassab near the border with Turkey after recapturing the strategic town from foreign-backed militants, Press TV reports.
• Impunity, unprecedented violence, denial of aid hallmarks of Syria conflict – UN rights panel UN News Centre 17 Jun 2014 -- The majority of civilians in Syria continue to bear the brunt of the ongoing conflict, the head of a United Nations-appointed human rights panel said today, noting that violence has escalated to an unprecedented level, humanitarian aid is arbitrarily denied and perpetrators of crimes have no fear of consequence.
• Syrian Conflict Carries Threat of Regional War VOA 17 Jun 2014 -- U.N. investigators are warning the Syrian conflict is threatening the entire region. The four-member Commission of Inquiry on Syria says a regional war in the Middle East draws ever closer.
• Mass Arrest in Nigeria Amid Fears of Growing Insurgency VOA 17 Jun 2014 -- The Nigerian military has arrested more than 400 people traveling in southern Nigeria on suspicion they are members of the radical group Boko Haram.
• Nigeria's military detains 460 Boko Haram suspects VoR 17 Jun 2014 -- Nigeria's military said on Tuesday that they had detained more than 460 people travelling from the country's north to the south, reportedly on suspicion of being Boko Haram members.
• Justice for Darfur's victims mired in political expediency - ICC prosecutor UN News Centre 17 Jun 2014 -- Challenging the Security Council to take immediate action to protect victims in the ongoing Darfur crisis, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) underscored today that without concrete steps to apprehend those accused of crimes against humanity, the world's efforts to ensure justice in Darfur could "go down in history as an indefensible failure."
• Philippines Plays Catch-up in Developing Disputed Isle VOA 17 Jun 2014 -- The Philippines' top diplomat this week called for a moratorium on building activities by China that he says "escalate tension" on hotly-contested features in the South China Sea. At the same time, Philippine officials and concerned citizens are trying to keep the country's only civilian-inhabited island in the disputed Spratly Islands habitable for its tiny population.
• Kenya President Blames Latest Attacks on Ethnic Divisions VOA 17 Jun 2014 -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta says deadly violence in two small towns in the coast region was ethnically motivated, despite a claim by the Somali militant group al-Shabab that it carried out the assaults. More than 60 people were killed in the attacks Sunday and Monday.

News Reports

• 10 killed, 10 wounded in Ukraine Kramatorsk shelling Iran Press TV 17 Jun 2014 -- At least 10 people have been killed and 10 more wounded after government forces shelled a residential area in Ukraine's troubled eastern region.
• Russia's Nationalist Fringe Takes Center Stage In Eastern Ukraine RFE/RL 17 Jun 2014
• Reverse Gas Delivery from Europe to Ukraine Could Reach 15Bln Cubic Meters - Yatsenyuk RIA Novosti 17 Jun 2014 -- The overall volume of reverse gas deliveries from the EU to Ukraine could reach 15 billion cubic meters annually, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Tuesday.
• Ukraine Denies Using White Phosphorus in Slaviansk RIA Novosti 17 Jun 2014 -- The Ukrainian security forces have not used white phosphorous in bombing the civilians in the southeast of the country, Ukraine's Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said.
• Contacts with presidential settlement envoy impossible - Donetsk, Lugansk leaders VoR 17 Jun 2014 -- Leaders of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics are not ready in the current conditions to have any contacts with Irina Gerashchenko, who was appointed Ukrainian president's envoy for conflict settlement in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.
• Three civilians killed by Ukrainian security forces in shooting in Slavyansk VoR 17 Jun 2014 -- The Ukrainian army continues shelling of Slavyansk, Donetsk region, and its suburbs; there are victims among civilians, the municipal Executive Committee has informed RIA Novosti. 'The shelling took place at night, and continued during the day,' a representative of the city authorities said.
• US, Britain Move to Improve Relations with Iran VOA 17 Jun 2014 -- Britain announced Tuesday it will re-open its embassy in Iran, three years after it was closed following an attack on the building by Iranian protesters. The decision is the latest move by a Western nation to improve relations with Iran as the crisis in neighboring Iraq intensifies.
• Iran, Six Powers Seek to Salvage Momentum for Nuclear Deal VOA 17 Jun 2014 -- Iran and six world powers re-launched talks on Tuesday to rescue prospects for a deal on Tehran's nuclear activity by a July deadline, striving to prevent a long-time standoff from descending into a wider Middle East war.
• Five more Asian countries at risk of H7N9 bird flu virus epidemic – scientists VoR 17 Jun 2014 -- Five Asian countries could join China as targets for the H7N9 bird flu virus that has claimed about a hundred lives since it erupted in March 2013, AFP cites scientists saying Tuesday.
• Swaziland braces itself for AGOA exit IRIN 17 Jun 2014 -- The threat of Swaziland being suspended from a US preferential trade agreement for poor progress in meeting democratic norms is threatening the livelihoods of tens of thousands of worker in a country where unemployment is already above 40 percent.
• Terrorist Designation of Shawki Ali Ahmed al-Badani US Dept. of State 17 Jun 2014 -- The Department of State has designated Shawki Ali Ahmed al-Badani as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism.
• Serbia, Russia Confirm Commitments To South Stream Pipeline RFE/RL 17 Jun 2014 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Russia and Serbia have confirmed their commitment to the South Stream pipeline project.