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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 28 Jul 2014 [PDF]
• Afghanistan needs new president: Karzai Iran Press TV 28 Jul 2014 -- Afghanistan's outgoing president Hamid Karzai says the country needs a new president and the conclusion to the vote audit process should be determined as soon as possible.
• Report: U.S.-Provided Weapons To Afghans Have Gone Missing, Sparking Insurgent Fears RFE/RL 28 Jul 2014 -- Weapons bought and paid for by the United States for Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) have gone missing, according to a report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction released on July 28.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Readout of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's Call with Ukraine's Minister of Defense Valeriy Heletey DoD 28 Jul 2014
• 4th Tanks practice live fire ranges and amphibious operations USMC News 28 Jul 2014 -- Digging into the dusty path, the enormous tank uses its tracked wheels to climb onto a range leading a convoy of assault vehicles. Locked, loaded and ready to fire, the 120 millimeter main gun rotates, aims and waits for the target to appear. Cradled deep in the belly of the M1 Abrams Tank, the gunner peeks through the sights focused on the tree line. As the gas powered turbine engine roars over the last hill, the target appears through the scope. The gunner pulls the trigger, sending 1,001 large pellets whistling through the air, tearing through everything in its path.
• DoD Official: Global, National Efforts Tackle WMD Threat AFPS 28 Jul 2014 -- A panel of experts discussed the specter of terrorists armed with nuclear, biological, chemical or other weapons of mass destruction, or WMD, during a July 25 panel discussion at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado, examining perhaps one of the world's most dreaded national-security threat scenarios.
• USNS Richard E. Byrd Rescues Nine Individuals in the Gulf of Oman NNS 28 Jul 2014 -- USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE 4), a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship, rescued nine crew members from a Yemeni-flagged cargo vessel that had lost power, was taking on water and was adrift in the Gulf of Oman, July 28, at approximately 9:00 a.m. local.
• Oscar Austin Returns from BALTOPS 2014 NNS 28 Jul 2014 -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79) returned to Naval Station Norfolk, July 26, marking the completion of a two-month underway period in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.
• U.S. Navy Ships Arrive at Changi Naval Base in Advance of CARAT Singapore 2014 NNS 28 Jul 2014 -- USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) and USS Halsey (DDG 97) are in port Singapore July 28 in advance of the 2014 Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT)exercise with the Republic of Singapore Navy.
• Northcom's Vibrant Response Exercise Reaches Midpoint AFPS 28 Jul 2014 -- Vibrant Response '14, a major field training exercise directed by U.S. Northern Command and executed by U.S. Army North, has reached its midpoint.
• Nato exercise to reassure allies UK MOD 28 Jul 2014 -- UK commits to major military exercise in Poland to support eastern European allies.
• US Recognizing Ukraine as Main Non-NATO Ally to Destabilize Situation - Moscow RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- The possibility of the United States granting Kiev a status of a main ally out of NATO may destabilize the situation in Ukraine, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Rossiya Segodnya International News Agency Monday.
• Deliveries of Lethal Arms to Kiev 'Would Urge On Kiev's Warring Instinct' – Lavrov RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- The delivery of lethal arms to Kiev "would directly pour oil on the fire and urge on Kiev's warring instinct," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.
• US Undecided on Lethal Weapons Supplies Requested by Kiev - Report RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- The United States have not made the final decision on whether to favor Ukraine's request for lethal weapons, Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes told CNN Sunday.
• China conducts mine-clearance drill in S China Sea People's Daily 28 Jul 2014 -- The Chinese navy has conducted a mine clearance drill in formation in the South China Sea for the first time, according to a navy's statement.
• China's new rules on military award, commendation to take effect People's Daily 28 Jul 2014 -- China's first regulations on military awards and commendations will be put into effect on Aug. 1.
• Report on army cheats sparks concern People's Daily 28 Jul 2014 -- A total of 319 people in a brigade of the 40th Army in Shenyang Military Area Command have been punished for misbehavior.
• Iran to unveil new radar, missile systems in September Iran Press TV 28 Jul 2014 -- The commander of Iran's Air Defense Force says the country plans to unveil new missile and radar systems in late September.
• July 28, 2014 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 28 Jul 2014
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest and Deputy National Security Advisor Tony Blinken, 7/28/2014 The White House 28 Jul 2014

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for July 28, 2014
• Putin Says Russia's Defense Industry Absolutely Self-Sufficient, Safe From Political Risk RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- Russia's defense industry is capable of producing all parts and military hardware on its own, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday.

Other Conflicts

• 28 July 2014 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 28 Jul 2014
• Security Council: Ban urged to streamline cooperation with African Union UN News Centre 28 Jul 2014 -- With preparations underway for the United Nations to take over from an African Union-led peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR), the Security Council today requested Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to review what was done and how it could be done better in future transitions.
• Netanyahu Warns of 'Prolonged Campaign' in Gaza VOA 28 Jul 2014 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quashed hopes Monday for an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, telling Israelis to prepare for a 'prolonged campaign' against Hamas.
• UN Chief: Gaza in 'Critical Condition' VOA 28 Jul 2014 -- Decrying the deaths and displacement of civilians, United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon called for an immediate break in the fighting in Gaza, a territory in 'critical condition.'
• Security Council, in emergency session, calls for humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza UN News Centre 28 Jul 2014 -- The United Nations Security Council today, meeting in an emergency session just after midnight, called for an "immediate and unconditional" ceasefire, allowing for the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip.
• Israeli strikes leave 10 more Palestinians dead in Gaza Iran Press TV 28 Jul 2014 -- At least 10 people, mostly children, have been killed and several others wounded after the Israeli military hit a medical complex and a playground in the blockaded Gaza Strip.
• 1050 Gazans killed in Israeli offensive: Medics Iran Press TV 28 Jul 2014 -- Around 1,050 Palestinians have so far been killed in Israel's 21-day military offensive against the besieged Gaza Strip, Press TV reports.
• UN Security Council Calls For Gaza Truce RFE/RL 28 Jul 2014 -- The UN Security Council has approved a declaration in an emergency session calling for an 'immediate and unconditional' cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.
• Ban Ki-moon Urges Cessation of Violence in Gaza in Call to Israel, Cites Hamas Rockets RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cease fire in Gaza during a phone conversation.
• Israel, Hamas Interested in Ceasefire But No Agreement Yet - Ban Ki-moon RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- Israel and Hamas have expressed an interest in UN call for a humanitarian truce but have not yet reached an agreement, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday.
• Israel's Operation in Gaza Kills Over 1,000 Palestinians, One-Quarter Children RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- At least 1,032 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's Operation Protective Edge and ground invasion into the Gaza Strip, including 219 children and 117 women, a nongovernmental organization based in the Gaza Strip, Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights, said in its most recent report.
• Russian Troops, Equipment Mass Along Ukraine Border AFPS 28 Jul 2014 -- Russian troops continue to mass along the border with Ukraine, and heavy and sophisticated Russian equipment continue to flow across the border to Russian-backed Ukrainian separatists, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren said today.
• White House: US, Europe Set to Impose New Sanctions on Russia VOA 28 Jul 2014 -- A senior White House official says the United States expects the European Union to impose new, tougher sanctions on Russia for its continued support of separatists in eastern Ukraine, and that the United States also will take additional measures against Moscow.
• U.S., Major EU Nations Agree To Further Measures Against Russia RFE/RL 28 Jul 2014 -- The leaders of the United States, Britain, France, Germany, and Italy agreed by telephone on July 28 that they would impose new sanctions on Russia for its role in the crisis in Ukraine.
• Eastern Ukraine: UN rights chief says downing of plane may be 'war crime,' urges probe UN News Centre 28 Jul 2014 -- The shooting down of a Malaysian Airlines plane over eastern Ukraine may amount to a war crime, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights today said today, releasing a new report that details a total breakdown of law and order and a reign of fear and terror inflicted by armed groups in the area.
• UN: Downing of MH17 May Be 'War Crime' VOA 28 Jul 2014 -- The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights says the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in rebel-held eastern Ukraine could be ruled a "war crime.'
• MH17 downing may constitute war crime: UN Iran Press TV 28 Jul 2014 -- The United Nations human rights chief says the alleged downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine may amount to a 'war crime.'
• Clashes erupt near MH17 crash site in Ukraine Iran Press TV 28 Jul 2014 -- Ukrainian troops have engaged in clashes with pro-Russia forces to gain control over several towns around the crash site of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine.
• Death toll from E Ukraine clashes reaches 1,129 Iran Press TV 28 Jul 2014 -- The United Nations says at least 1,129 people have been killed since Kiev launched its military operations three months ago against pro-Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.
• Fighting Intensifies Around MH17 Crash Site RFE/RL 28 Jul 2014 -- Fighting between Ukrainian military forces and separatist militants has intensified in the area where Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 went down on July 17.
• Russia Ready to Discuss Police Mission to MH17 Crash Site in Eastern Ukraine RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- Russia is ready to discuss issues of granting foreign police officers access to the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash site in eastern Ukraine, but Kiev authorities should primarily stop the military operation in the area, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told international news agency Rossiya Segodnya Monday.
• MH17 Downing in Eastern Ukraine May Amount to War Crime - UN RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- The downing of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine may constitute a 'war crime,' UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said Monday, presenting a report on situation in Ukraine.
• Donetsk Militia Hopes for Unbiased Boeing Crash Investigation RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- Militia in the Donetsk People's Republic hopes that probe into the Boeing crash in eastern Ukraine will be investigated by the international commission and involve Russian representatives, a militia commander said Monday.
• Moscow Challenges Authenticity of US 'Proof' of Alleged Russian Shelling of Ukraine RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- The authenticity of satellite imagery, which the United States claims is proof of alleged cross-border Russian shelling of Ukraine, cannot be established, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
• Many Civilian Casualties in East Ukraine Result of Intense Shelling – UN Report RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- Intense shelling of villages, towns and cities in eastern Ukraine has resulted in a large number of civilian casualties, according to the UN report on the human rights in Ukraine released Monday.
• West Ignores Kiev's Nonfulfillment of Agreements – Lavrov RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- The West is not trying to make Kiev fulfill its obligations, including the beginning of dialogue with the country's independence supporters, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.
• Lavrov Says MH17 Crash Investigation Raises Suspicion RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- The investigation into the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash in eastern Ukraine casts doubt upon US claims, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.
• Russia Says West Taking No Action to Settle Ukraine Conflict RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reproached western countries Monday for their lack of political proposals to resolve the crisis in Ukraine, saying they are merely making demands of Russia and threatening sanctions.
• Moscow Says Kiev Did Next to Nothing in February, April Agreements RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- Ukraine has not fulfilled its obligations from February 21 or April 17, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.
• Ukraine Fires Grad Rockets at Horlivka Hitting Residential Buildings – Militia RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- The Ukrainian Army fired Grad rockets on Sunday evening into the southeastern city of Horlivka, a local militia representative told RIA Novosti.
• Lavrov Says Crimea Russia's Territory, No Negotiations Possible RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday the Crimean peninsula is Russia's territory, rejecting any possibility for any talks on its status.
• Security Council concerned about illicit oil trade as revenue for terrorists in Iraq, Syria UN News Centre 28 Jul 2014 -- Voicing grave concern over the reported access to and seizure of oilfields and pipelines in Syria and Iraq by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Jabhat Al-Nusra, the Security Council today underscored that there should be no trade in oil with these terrorist groups.
• UN Security Council Warns Against Oil Sales by Terrorist Groups in Iraq, Syria RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- As the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and Jabhat Al-Nusra take over oil fields in Iraq and Syria and move to sell the oil, the UN Security Council on Monday unanimously adopted a Presidential Statement calling on member states not to trade in oil with these entities.
• Iraq army launches anti-militant raid, kills 17 Iran Press TV 28 Jul 2014 -- The Iraqi army has launched a fresh attack on Takfiri militants in a flashpoint town southwest of the capital, Baghdad, killing 17 militants.
• Islamic Militants In Iraq Destroy Another Historic Mosque RFE/RL 28 Jul 2014 -- Islamic State militants have destroyed a nearly 600-year-old mosque in the Iraqi city of Mosul, the latest of several religious sites demolished by the group recently.
• Fuel Tank Blaze Near Tripoli Airport 'Out of Control' VOA 28 Jul 2014 -- The huge fire from fuel tanks near Tripoli's international airport that has been ignited by rocket attacks is out of control as clashes between rival militias have resumed in the area, the National Oil Company (NOC) spokesman said on Monday.
• N. Korean Official Threatens White House Nuclear Strike VOA 28 Jul 2014 -- A high-ranking North Korean military official has threatened to launch a nuclear strike against the United States, accusing Washington of increasing tensions on the Korean peninsula.
• Military Offensives Free DRC Villages VOA 28 Jul 2014 -- The military spokesman for the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) says a joint military offensive with the national army in Walikale and Masisi territories has freed over 20 villages from rebels from the Mai Cheka and the Alliance for the Sovereign and Patriotic Congo (APCLH) groups.
• Hailing recent roadmap, Security Council calls on Malian parties to advance peace efforts UN News Centre 28 Jul 2014 -- The Security Council today commended the parties to the inter-Malian dialogue on the recent adoption of a roadmap and called on them to fully comply with their commitments, including by engaging in comprehensive peace talks.
• Cameroon Military on High Alert at End of Ramadan VOA 28 Jul 2014 -- Cameroon is observing the end of Ramadan with its military on high alert following a spate of violent attacks by the Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram. The violence has left at least 10 people dead and has included the kidnappings of an influential Muslim spiritual leader and the wife of Cameroon's vice prime minister.
• Abu Sayyaf Rebels Kill 16 Civilians in Philippines VOA 28 Jul 2014 -- Philippine military officials say at least 16 people were killed Monday in an insurgent attack on civilians in the country's southwest.
• UN Human Rights Envoy Concerned About 100,000 Muslims Displaced in Myanmar RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- New UN Human Rights Special Envoy to Myanmar Yanghee Lee expressed concern over the conditions in camps for more than 100,000 Muslims displaced by Buddhist extremists, and warned that the human rights situation in the country is deteriorating, Turkey's Hurriyet Daily News reported.

News Reports

• Hague court fines Russia over $50bn in Yukos case Iran Press TV 28 Jul 2014 -- An international arbitration panel in the Netherlands has ordered Russia to pay USD 51.6 billion (£30.38 billion) in damages to a group of shareholders of the defunct oil giant, Yukos, for expropriating its assets.
• Hague Court Rules Against Russia In Yukos Case RFE/RL 28 Jul 2014 -- A court based in The Hague has ordered Russia to pay about $50 billion to a group of former shareholders of the Yukos oil company.
• Yukos Payout Ruling 'Another Way of Sanctioning Russia' – Lawmaker RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- The Hague arbitration court's decision ordering Russia to pay $50 billion worth of damages to former shareholders of defunct oil producer Yukos is just another way of sanctioning Moscow over its handling of the Ukrainian crisis, a senior Russian lawmaker said Monday.
• Russia to Appeal Hague Arbitration Court Ruling on Yukos - Finance Ministry RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- Russia will appeal a recent ruling by an arbitration panel in the Netherlands over the payment of billions of dollars to shareholders of the former Russian oil giant Yukos, the Finance Ministry said Monday.
• Russia to Use All Legal Capabilities to Fight Ex-Yukos Shareholders in Hague Court RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- Moscow will use all of its legal capabilities to uphold its interests in a $50-billion court case by ex-Yukos shareholders in The Hague, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.
• Hague Court Requests Russia to Pay $50 Billion to Yukos Ex-Shareholders RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague has requested Russia to pay $50 billion to former Yukos oil company shareholders, partially satisfying their demand of $114 million, Kommersant business daily wrote Monday citing sources close to the case.
• Gunned down in Mombasa - the clerics that have died IRIN 28 Jul 2014 -- More than 21 Islamic clerics have been gunned down in Kenya's southeastern port city of Mombasa over the past two years, according to the human rights group Haki Africa. All but one of them was linked by the government to terrorism and support for the al-Shabab insurgency in neighboring Somalia.
• Georgia Launches Criminal Case Against Ex-President Saakashvili RIA Novosti 28 Jul 2014 -- The Georgian Prosecutor General's Office announced Monday it had launched a criminal case against the ex-Soviet republic's former President Mikheil Saakashvili and other top officials on power abuse charges.
• US Health Agency Expects More Cases Of Ebola Before Outbreak Ends VOA 28 Jul 2014 -- The Ebola outbreak in West Africa has so far claimed 670 lives and infected more than 1,200 people. An expert from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more cases can be expected in the coming weeks and months. Tealth agency is actively trying to stem the spread of the infection.
• West Africa Battles Worst Ever Ebola Outbreak VOA 28 Jul 2014 -- The rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak in West Africa is the deadliest ever, health officials say.
• Liberia Closes Borders to Curb Ebola Outbreak VOA 28 Jul 2014 -- Liberia is closing most of its borders in an attempt to contain an outbreak of the Ebola virus, which has killed nearly 700 people in West Africa.
• ESA Spacecraft to Land on a Comet VOA 28 Jul 2014 -- After a long flight through deep space, a European Space Agency probe is finally approaching its target - a comet millions of kilometers away from earth. Scientists say the mission may lead to some startling discoveries about the origins of the water on earth.