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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 15 Jul 2014 [PDF]
• Karzai Accepts US-Mediated Election Deal as 'Bitter Pill' VOA 15 Jul 2014 -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai says he has reluctantly accepted a U.S.-mediated deal to audit all the votes from the country's presidential runoff election, following allegations of fraud during the voting process.
• Afghanistan: UN strongly condemns deadly attacks against civilians in Kabul, Paktika UN News Centre 15 Jul 2014 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the United Nations mission in Afghanistan strongly condemned two attacks that took place today, one in Kabul and the other in the eastern province of Paktika, which have killed and injured scores of civilians.
• Suicide Blast Kills 41 in Afghanistan VOA 15 Jul 2014 -- Afghan officials say a suicide car bomb has killed at least 41 people in eastern Afghanistan. Earlier reports said 89 were killed. Tuesday's attack took place in a region that borders Pakistan.
• Pentagon: No Rush to Boost Role in Iraq VOA 15 Jul 2014 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is taking a hard look at assessments by special forces teams in Iraq, focusing on the state of the Iraqi security forces and the threat posed by Sunni militants. Defense officials say despite a complex and fluid situation on the ground, there will be no rush to move forward with additional help.
• U.S. Defense Officials Study Iraq Assessments AFPS 15 Jul 2014 -- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, along with other top military officials understand the urgency of the situation in Iraq, but will act deliberately in forming recommendations based on the draft assessments that American teams have submitted, the Pentagon press secretary said today.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Navy, Air Force Approve Return to Flight for F-35 AFPS 15 Jul 2014 -- Airworthiness authorities for the Navy and the Air Force yesterday approved the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter fleet to resume limited flight, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said.
• F-35 Returns to Limited Flight, Officials Rule Out Farnborough AFPS 15 Jul 2014 -- While the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter has returned to limited flying, it will not be appearing at the Farnborough International Airshow in the United Kingdom, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said during a Pentagon news conference today.
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Admiral Kirby in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 15 Jul 2014 -- Presenter: Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby
• Pacific Partnership Completes Philippines Mission NNS 15 Jul 2014 -- With wind and rain from the outer bands of Typhoon Rammasun pelting the area, Pacific Partnership 2014 (PP14) held its closing ceremony July 15 in a local establishment that still bears the scars from Typhoon Haiyan.
• Nellis AFB to add second large solar plant AFNS 15 Jul 2014 -- The Air Force is set to outdo itself with another large solar project at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's Phone Call with French Minister of Defense Jean-Yves Le Drian DoD 15 Jul 2014
• USNS Mercy Holds RIMPAC Mass Casualty Drill NNS 15 Jul 2014 -- Medical and support staff aboard the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) took part in a four-day mass casualty drill July 9-12 as a part of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise 2014.
• USNS Mercy Demonstrates Patient Transfer Capability at RIMPAC NNS 15 Jul 2014 -- USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) personnel demonstrated their newest patient transfer capability at the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise July 10.
• LAAD Marines hone patrolling, weapons skills USMC News 15 Jul 2014 -- Alpha Battery, 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion conducted patrolling and military operations on urban terrain training at Marine Corps Outlying Field Atlantic July 7-11 in preparation for security and ground force missions.
• USS Nitze Returns to Homeport NNS 15 Jul 2014 -- Guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 94) returned to Naval Station Norfolk July 15 following a nearly eight-month deployment in the 6th Fleet Area of Operations.
• Miles of Pulled Cables Help Ike Prepare for Return to Sea NNS 15 Jul 2014 -- The anchors have been reinstalled, the '69' lights are up and running on the ship's superstructure, and various other teams remain busy with preservation, restoration and reinstallation of the systems that make the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike) run.
• Logistics Support Representatives Aid Forward Deployed Ships NNS 15 Jul 2014 -- NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) Yokosuka logistics support representatives (LSRs), conducted a pier sweep alongside USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) and USS Lassen (DDG 82) ensuring equipment and high priority parts were identified and verified ready for storage on board Yokosuka Naval Base July 8.
• Mount Whitney Returns to Gaeta, Italy after Completing BALTOPS NNS 15 Jul 2014 -- The U.S. 6th Fleet command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) arrived in Gaeta, Italy July 15, after completing Baltic Operations 2014 (BALTOPS) with its European counterparts.
• RIMPAC 2014 Participants Conduct Sinking Exercise NNS 15 Jul 2014 -- Live fire from ships, submarines and aircraft participating in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) 2014 sank the decommissioned USS Tuscaloosa (LST 1187) at about 12:15 p.m., July 14, in waters 15,000 feet deep, 57 nautical miles northwest of Kauai.
• Kearsarge Completes Sea Trials NNS 15 Jul 2014 -- Amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) returned to homeport Naval Station Norfolk, July 14, after completing sea trials.
• China urges countries to stay out of disputes People's Daily 15 Jul 2014 -- China on Tuesday urged 'countries outside the region' to stay out of disputes over the South China Sea after a U.S. official proposed that claimants freeze actions which could change the status-quo in the region.
• Senior official urges deeper military graft inspections People's Daily 15 Jul 2014 -- A senior military official has called for more anti-graft inspections in the army to focus on high-ranking officials.
• Russia Deliveres Last Batch of Mi-171E Helicopters to China RIA Novosti 15 Jul 2014 -- The Russian Helicopters holding delivered the last batch of Mi-171E transport helicopters built at the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant to Chinese company Poly Technologies, a company spokesperson stated Tuesday.
• India, Russia Start Naval Drills in Sea of Japan RIA Novosti 15 Jul 2014 -- A ceremony for the beginning of the Russian-Indian naval exercise Indra-2014 was held Tuesday in Vladivostok, a spokesman for Russia's Eastern Military District has said.
• UK and France strengthen defence co-operation UK MOD 15 Jul 2014 -- Defence co-operation between the UK and France has been strengthened following agreements signed at the Farnborough Air Show today, 15 July.
• Poroshenko, Polish Prime Ministers Discuss Creation of Joint Military Brigade RIA Novosti 15 Jul 2014 -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko held phone consultations with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk during which the two discussed the creation of a Polish-Lithuanian-Ukrainian military brigade, Poroshenko's press service announced Monday.
• Iranian Navy flotilla docks in Omani port ISNA 15 Jul 2014 -- The 30th Flotilla of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Navy docked in Omani Salalah Port.
• F-4 jet crash kills two Iran airmen Iran Press TV 15 Jul 2014 -- An F-4 Phantom fighter jet, operated by Iran's Air Force, has crashed in southern Iran, leaving both pilot and copilot dead.
• Kim Jong Un Inspects KPA Posts KCNA 15 Jul 2014 -- Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, inspected a civil police post under KPA Unit 171 and a post of the third company of the second battalion under the unit guarding the forefront.
• Kim Jong Un Guides Live-shell Firing Exercise of KPA Unit KCNA 15 Jul 2014 -- Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, guided the live-shell firing exercise of KPA Unit 171.
• July 15, 2014 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 15 Jul 2014
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 7/15/2014 The White House 15 Jul 2014

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for July 15, 2014

Other Conflicts

• 15 July 2014 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 15 Jul 2014
• Recent crises show efforts to prevent relapse into conflict insufficient, Security Council told UN News Centre 15 Jul 2014 -- The Chair of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) told the Security Council today that the recent crises in the Central African Republic (CAR) and South Sudan are painful reminders that efforts to prevent relapse into conflict remain insufficient and tools are not fully adequate.
• Level of human loss, destruction in Gaza 'immense,' says UN agency UN News Centre 15 Jul 2014 -- The level of human loss and destruction in Gaza as a result of the ongoing conflict with Israel has been "immense," the United Nations agency tasked with assisting Palestinian refugees said today, noting that eight days of hostilities has claimed 174 lives and injured well over 1,100 people.
• Israeli air raids kill 4 Syrians in Golan Heights Iran Press TV 15 Jul 2014 -- Israeli warplanes have targeted three administrative and military centers in the Syrian Golan Heights region, killings at least four people and injuring several others.
• Bibi orders more air assaults on Gaza Strip Iran Press TV 15 Jul 2014 -- More Palestinians have been killed across the besieged Gaza Strip as Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders more air attacks on the coastal enclave.
• Palestinians unleash fresh barrage of rockets Iran Press TV 15 Jul 2014 -- Palestinian resistance groups respond to a fresh series of Israeli air attacks by firing rockets into Israel as the Gaza death toll keeps rising.
• Israel to Intensify Gaza Offensive VOA 15 Jul 2014 -- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the military will intensify its offensive in Gaza after Hamas militants rejected a cease-fire proposal and continued firing rockets into Israel.
• Israel Relying on Iron Dome for Defense as it Presses Gaza Offensive VOA 15 Jul 2014 -- As its warplanes continue a campaign of airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, Israel is relying on its Iron Dome missile defense system to protect its people from rockets fired by Hamas militants.
• Israeli Protective Edge operation goes on: IDF hit 30 targets in Gaza VoR 15 Jul 2014 -- Over the three hours since Israel's Protective Edge operation against Palestinian militants resumed Tuesday, the Israeli Air Force and Navy delivered strikes on 30 targets in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian enclave, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported.
• Seizure of Oilfields Fuels Kurd Statehood Dream VOA 15 Jul 2014 -- Along the desert horizon around Kirkuk, the bright flares from oil wells puncture the summer haze.
• Iraqi armed forces recapture Tikrit: Report Iran Press TV 15 Jul 2014 -- Iraqi armed forces have regained full control of the northern city of Tikrit during a major offensive against Takfiri ISIL militants.
• Iraqi Parliament Breaks Deadlock, Elects Speaker RFE/RL 15 Jul 2014 -- Iraqi lawmakers have elected a new parliament speaker, the first step toward forming a new government.
• Iraq Parliament Breaks Impasse, Elects New Speaker VOA 15 Jul 2014 -- Despite attempts to prevent a vote, the Iraqi parliament elected Sunni politician Selim al-Jabouri as its new speaker on Tuesday. The conflict, however, over who will fill the more important positions of prime minister and president remains unresolved.
• Airstrike in Eastern Ukraine Hits Apartment Building; 11 Dead VOA 15 Jul 2014 -- An airstrike destroyed an apartment building in eastern Ukraine Tuesday, killing at least 11 people and triggering new accusations of direct Russian involvement in Ukraine's ongoing battle against pro-Russian rebels.
• U.S. Says Moscow Giving Ukraine Rebels Weapons RFE/RL 15 Jul 2014 -- The United States has accused Russia of supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine with military hardware, including tanks.
• Kiev Says Over 250 Servicemen Killed in Eastern Ukraine Standoff RIA Novosti 15 Jul 2014 -- The United States has accused Russia of supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine with military hardware, including tanks.
• Russia Invites Military Attaches from 18 Countries Over Ukraine Shelling RIA Novosti 15 Jul 2014 -- The Russian Defense Ministry on Tuesday invited military attaches from 18 countries, including from the US and Germany, to assess the situation on the Russian-Ukrainian border that has been hit multiple times by Ukrainian artillery.
• Ukrainian General Warns of 'Large-Scale Aggression' by Russia VOA 15 Jul 2014 -- Tensions between Kyiv and Moscow rose sharply Tuesday, with a Ukrainian general warning of an imminent Russian military attack and the country's security chief saying he had 'absolute proof' Russia was involved in the downing of a Ukrainian military transport plane.
• Ukrainian AF aircraft hits urban areas in Donetsk region with 11 dead, 8 injured VoR 15 Jul 2014 -- The Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) self-defense forces have reported that Ukrainian troops resumed airstrikes on the town of Snezhnoe, there are 11 dead and 8 injured, according to Interfax. 'New airstrikes are being delivered on Snezhnoe. Preliminary reports say two Su-25 attack aircraft are delivering pinpoint strikes against the town,' Konstantin Knyrik, head of the South-Eastern Front information center, told reporters.
• Lugansk militia detains Ukrainian pilot, contemplates prisoner exchange VoR 15 Jul 2014 -- Self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) militia claim they have detained the pilot of the Sukhoi Su-25 attack aircraft of the Ukrainian army, which was shot down near Krasnyi Liman yesterday, Interfax reports.
• Seven foreign attaches refuse trip to Russian-Ukrainian border to investigate Ukrainian artillery fire VoR 15 Jul 2014 -- Seven foreign, including the Ukrainian, military attaches accredited in Russia, have declined an invitation to travel to the Russia-Ukraine border that was hit by artillery rounds fired from Ukrainian territory on Sunday.
• Boko Haram Violence Intensifies Regional Divides in Nigeria VOA 15 Jul 2014 -- Some Nigerian leaders say increasing Boko Haram violence is deepening the division between the mostly Muslim north and the mostly Christian south. Northerners, who live in the south, say that as the violence spreads, southerners are becoming suspicious of northerners in their midst.
• HRW: Boko Haram Killed 2,000 Civilians in Six Months VOA 15 Jul 2014 -- A leading rights group says Boko Haram militants have killed more than 2,000 civilians in Nigeria this year, nearly three-fourths of them in the northern state of Borno.
• Suspected Boko Haram Militants Kidnap Cleric's Children VOA 15 Jul 2014 -- Suspected Boko Haram militants have kidnapped two teenaged children of one of Cameroon's most influential Muslim spiritual leaders.
• Security Council authorizes UN, partners to use most direct routes for Syria aid delivery UN News Centre 14 Jul 2014 -- In response to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria, the Security Council today adopted a resolution aimed at increasing access to civilians in difficult-to-reach areas by authorizing the delivery of assistance across borders and conflict lines.
• Xi says China, India partners not rivals People's Daily 15 Jul 2014 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said here on Monday that China and India are strategic partners rather than rivals.
• A deadly Ramadan in Somalia IRIN 15 Jul 2014 -- Militant group Al-Shabab has lived up to its promise to step up attacks in Somalia, mainly against government installations and personnel, during the holy month of Ramadan, which began on 29 June. Over 30 people have been killed in Mogadishu alone.
• Statelessness = invisibility in West Africa IRIN 15 Jul 2014 -- At least 750,000 people are stateless in West Africa, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), which is calling for governments to do more to give or restore the nationality of stateless individuals, and improve national laws to prevent statelessness.
• Little help for CAR rape survivors IRIN 15 Jul 2014 -- The presence of armed groups and continued fighting causing displacement across the Central African Republic (CAR) has led to an escalation of insecurity leaving women and girls vulnerable to forced marriage and extreme violence, including rape.
• Grassroots moves to quell Myanmar's communal violence IRIN 15 Jul 2014 -- In early July, a hundreds-strong mob of Buddhists converged on a shop in Mandalay, Myanmar's second largest city. According to rumours spread on social media, its Muslim owner had raped a Buddhist woman. The ensuing violence left two dead and a dozen injured.
• Mali, Armed Groups to Hold Peace Talks in Algeria Wednesday VOA 15 Jul 2014 -- The African Union (AU) Mission to Mali and the Sahel has called on Mali's government and representatives of armed groups to ensure transparency and good will as the parties begin peace negotiations in neighboring Algeria on Wednesday.

News Reports

• July 15, 2014 - Press Availability in Vienna, Austria by John Kerry, Secretary of State US Dept. of State 15 Jul 2014
• Progress Cited, but No Accord in Iran Nuclear Talks VOA 15 Jul 2014 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is heading back to Washington three days of talks with Iran in Vienna, as Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called for extended negotiations if a deal with world powers is not achieved by the July 20 deadline.
• No Quick End in Sight for Ebola Epidemic in West Africa VOA 15 Jul 2014 -- The World Health Organization says the Ebola epidemic circulating in three West African countries shows no signs of diminishing and fears it is likely to continue for many months. Latest WHO figures put the number of cases of this deadly disease at 964, including 603 deaths.
• Fighting Ebola "by the grace of God" IRIN 15 Jul 2014 -- Panicked and shocked Liberian health workers who have seen their colleagues die of Ebola, which has killed more than 500 people in West Africa since January, are abandoning their work stations, hoping to resume only when the disease subsides.
• Death toll from Ebola outbreak rises to 603: WHO Iran Press TV 15 Jul 2014 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) says the death toll from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa has risen to 603.
• Putin calls BRICS leaders to develop collective approaches to resolution of urgent problems - Lavrov VoR 15 Jul 2014 -- The leaders of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries should not seek confrontation with other members of the global community but develop collective approaches toward the resolution of urgent problems, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
• BRICS Summit Opens In Brazil RFE/RL 15 Jul 2014 -- The leaders of the so-called BRICS nations have met at the start of a three-day summit in Brazil.
• GCHQ manipulates online information: Report Iran Press TV 15 Jul 2014 -- Britain's spy agency the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) has developed a number of software programs aimed at manipulating online traffic and information, a report says.
• UK Intel Develops Programs to Manipulate Online Polls, Web Traffic, Media RIA Novosti 15 Jul 2014 -- Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), a British intelligence and security agency, has developed a number of tools to manipulate online polls, spam targets with text messages and track individuals on social networks, British newspaper The Guardian reported Tuesday, referring to information disclosed by former US National Security Agency employee and whistleblower Edward Snowden.
• Hong Kong Starts Controversial Election Reform Process VOA 15 Jul 2014 -- The Hong Kong government has issued a document formally asking Beijing to allow election reform. The paper, submitted on Tuesday to the Standing Committee of China's legislature, comes after months of intense debate over Beijing's role in the territory's future elections.
• Development and alternative crops provide hope in war on illicit drugs – UN UN News Centre 15 Jul 2014 -- Senior United Nations officials today called for a greater focus on development activities and alternative crops in countries where the tight grip of drug lords has disrupted peace, security and development, such as in Afghanistan and Myanmar.
• Italian, Bulgarian Top Contenders For EU's New Foreign-Policy Chief RFE/RL 15 Jul 2014 -- European Union heads of states will select a new EU foreign-policy chief on July 16, with Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini and the current Bulgarian commissioner, Kristalina Georgieva, vying for the post.