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Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 04 Aug 2014 [PDF]
• Campbell Stresses Relationships, Discusses Upcoming ISAF Tour AFPS 04 Aug 2014 -- Building personal relationships -- whether with lawmakers, with state governors or with political and military leaders of nations engaged in the war on terror -- is just as important, sometimes even more so, as the ability to project force, Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. John F. Campbell said Aug. 1.
• Afghans Feel Bite Of Military Pullout RFE/RL 04 Aug 2014 -- According to an unpublished United Nations report, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) estimates that 11.5 million Afghans - nearly 40 percent of the population - live within a five-kilometer radius of at least one military base or facility. They have been a source of employment for tens of thousands of Afghans over the past 13 years - attracting cooks, cleaners, manual laborers, mechanics, translators, and security guards - and altering the country's demographics.
• Afghanistan: UN urges respect for continuing audit as process resumes in Kabul UN News Centre 04 Aug 2014 -- The process to check thousands of ballot boxes in the Afghan presidential election run-off is now underway after several delays, the United Nations mission in the country confirmed, calling for local commitment to complete the audit without any more postponements.
• IDPs under pressure in Pakistan's Sindh Province IRIN 04 Aug 2014 -- People fleeing the war-torn North Waziristan area of Pakistan and arriving in Sindh Province in the south of the country are finding themselves increasingly unpopular. Last month, roads were closed off when angry residents demanded an end to such migration, while the provincial government has made moves to ban all internally displaced persons (IDPs) from entering Sindh.
• DOD Continues Support to Wildfire Battle AFPS 04 Aug 2014 -- Two Defense Department C-130 aircraft equipped with U.S. Forest Service's Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems and under the command and control of U.S. Northern Command are assisting with wildfire suppression efforts in the Northwest, the Great Basin, and elsewhere in the West at the request of the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.

Defense Policy / Programs

• GPS IIF-7 successfully launched from Cape Canaveral AFS AFPS 04 Aug 2014 -- The U.S. Air Force launched the seventh Global Positioning System (GPS) IIF satellite from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, at 11:23 p.m. EDT, Aug. 1.
• CLB-7 redeploys, CLB-1 is last Marine logistical combat unit to deploy in support of OEF USMC News 04 Aug 2014 -- Marines and sailors with Combat Logistics Battalion 7 handed over responsibilities as the logistics combat element for Regional Command (Southwest) to Combat Logistics Battalion 1 during a transfer of authority ceremony aboard Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Aug. 1.
• SECNAV Completes Partnership-Building Visit to Macedonia NNS 04 Aug 2014 -- Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Ray Mabus completed a partnership-building visit to Macedonia Aug. 4.
• USNS Mercy Concludes Participation in RIMPAC NNS 04 Aug 2014 -- The Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) successfully completed its inaugural participation in exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2014, Aug. 1.
• Hurricane Hunters fly into Tropical Storm Bertha AFNS 04 Aug 2014 -- Aircrew members from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Hurricane Hunters have been flying data-gathering missions into Tropical Storm Bertha out of the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix, part of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• Judge Steps Aside in Cole Case, Lawyers Question Appointee AFPS 04 Aug 2014 -- The judge in the military commission related to the USS Cole bombing has taken himself "off detail" in the case, and the newly assigned judge took on three hours of questioning from defense attorneys today.
• Officials Acknowledge, Work on Solving Vehicle Shipment Issues AFPS 04 Aug 2014 -- Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command and U.S. Transportation Command are standing up a team of transportation experts this week to quickly address the most significant challenges and concerns military customers are facing when shipping their privately owned vehicles.
• GW Departs Sasebo, Hosts Tiger Cruise NNS 04 Aug 2014 -- The U.S. Navy's forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) departed Fleet Activities Sasebo, Japan, with its crew, friends and family members for a scheduled four-day 'Tiger Cruise,' after a goodwill port visit, Aug. 4.
• US Confirmed Spy Jet Fleeing Russian Chase Invaded Swedish Airspace RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2014 -- US military officials have confirmed the US spy jet had, in fact, invaded Swedish airspace without permission while trying to flee from the chasing Russian fighter jet.
• US Spy Plane Enters Swedish Airspace to Avoid Russian Fighters VOA 04 Aug 2014 -- U.S. military officials say one of its spy planes veered into Swedish airspace without permission recently, to avoid Russian planes over the Baltic Sea.
• UK, US to Carry Out Observation Flight Over Russia RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2014 -- Joint mission from the United States and Britain will carry out an observation flight over Russian territory on a Swedish plane as part of the international Open Skies Treaty, Sergei Ryzhkov, the head of Russia's National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center, told journalists.
• NATO Secretary General, British Prime Minister, SACEUR discuss Ukraine crisis NATO 04 Aug 2014 -- NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen discussed the impact of the Ukraine crisis on the Alliance's collective security with British Prime Minister David Cameron and Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) Gen. Philip Breedlove at Allied Command Operations headquarters in Mons, Belgium on Monday (4 August 2014). The Secretary General said that NATO "stands determined" to defend all Allies against any threat. "We are at a crucial point in history: as we remember the devastation of World War One, our peace and security are once again being tested, now by Russia's aggression against Ukraine. And the criminal downing of Flight MH17 has made clear that a conflict in one part of Europe can have tragic consequences around the world," he said.
• Russia Says NATO Revives 'Cold War' Rhetoric to Justify Military Spending RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2014 -- The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday that NATO has revived its 'Cold War'-type propaganda against Moscow to justify the alliance's military buildup and defense spending.
• Russia Slams NATO Over 'Cold War' Cliches, Confrontational Claims RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2014 -- The Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday sharply criticized NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen for his ungrounded confrontational rhetoric against Russia that resembles 'Cold War' propaganda clichés.
• Over 100 Aircraft Involved in Russian Military Exercises - Defense Ministry RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2014 -- More than 100 Russian Air Force aircraft are to participate in military exercises in the Western and Central military districts, the Russian Defense Ministry's press service said Monday.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 8/4/2014 The White House 04 Aug 2014
• August 4, 2014 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 04 Aug 2014

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 04, 2014

Other Conflicts

• 4 August 2014 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 04 Aug 2014
• US Provides Israel With Weapons, Cash, Technology, Supports Attacks in Gaza RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2014 -- The US government plays crucial part in Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip, providing Tel-Aviv with cash, weapons and surveillance technology, according to documents revealed by NSA ex-contractor Edward Snowden and published by Intercept.
• Israel, Hamas Agree to 72-Hour Truce VOA 04 Aug 2014 -- Israel and Hamas have agreed to a 72-hour cease-fire in the Gaza Strip beginning early Tuesday. The announcement came late Monday in Cairo, where Egyptian mediators held talks with a Palestinian delegation on terms of a durable truce in war-torn Gaza.
• Israel, Palestinians Trade Blame in Breaking Truce VOA 04 Aug 2014 -- Israel and the Palestinians each accused the other of breaking the fragile seven-hour cease-fire early Monday that was intended to allow refugees a chance to go home or buy supplies.
• NATO Has No Evidence of Militia's Responsibility for MH17 Crash – Russian Official RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2014 -- Secretary General of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen would have submitted evidence of Ukrainian independence supporters' fault for the Malaysian plane crash if he had any, Alexei Pushkov, the head of the committee for international relations in the State Duma, Russia's lower house parliament, said Monday.
• Ukraine Forces Prepare to Retake Donetsk VOA 04 Aug 2014 -- Ukraine's Defense Council says preparations are under way to retake the rebel-controlled eastern city of Donetsk — the last stronghold of heavily armed pro-Russian separatists seeking autonomy from Kyiv.
• Russia Begins Military Drills Near Ukraine Border VOA 04 Aug 2014 -- Russian officials say the military is beginning exercises Monday in the central and western regions of the country, which would include the Ukraine border region.
• Ukrainian Soldiers Cross Into Russia RFE/RL 04 Aug 2014 -- Russian news agencies reported on August 4 that more than 400 Ukrainian soldiers crossed into Russia overnight, allegedly to avoid fighting with pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.e
• Interview with outgoing Africa Great Lakes Special Envoy Mary Robinson IRIN 04 Aug 2014 -- In March 2013 Mary Robinson, the former president of Ireland and UN high commissioner for human rights was appointed special envoy to Africa's Great Lakes region to bolster implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the region, an accord signed by 11 African countries in February that year.
• South Sudan: After killing of aid worker in Bunj, UN calls for militias to be reined in UN News Centre 04 Aug 2014 -- The United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan today strongly condemned the killing of a humanitarian worker, as peace talks to end fighting in the world's newest country resumed in Addis Ababa.
• S. Sudan Leaders Resume Talks to End Fighting as Famine Looms VOA 04 Aug 2014 -- Warring factions in South Sudan say they are committed to forging a peace deal to end more than seven months of fighting, as government and rebel delegates sit down for another round of talks in Addis Ababa. An early sign of tension emerged Monday, as the government criticized mediators for not enforcing past agreements.
• Lebanon: UN condemns fighting in northeastern border town with Syria UN News Centre 04 Aug 2014 -- The top United Nations relief official in Lebanon today strongly condemned attacks on the Lebanese Armed Forces and the ongoing fighting in and around the city of Arsal, in the northeastern part of the country near its border with Syria.
• Lebanon's Militant Sunni Sheiks Support Uprising VOA 04 Aug 2014 -- Clashes are becoming more frequent between the Lebanese army and Syrian insurgents - including jihadists - along the Lebanon-Syria border.
• European Leaders Mark Outbreak of World War I VOA 04 Aug 2014 -- Former foes have gathered in the Belgium city of Liege to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I, one of the grimmest episodes of Europe's history that laid the groundwork of World War I.
• Iraq PM Orders Air Force To Back Kurds Fighting Islamists RFE/RL 04 Aug 2014 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has ordered the air force to provide support to Kurdish Peshmerga forces battling Islamist militants in the north of the country.
• As new parliament opens in Libya, UN mission renews calls for ceasefire UN News Centre 04 Aug 2014 -- The Libyan parliament convened for the first time today, a move welcomed by the United Nations mission assisting the country which said it hopes that the politicians can lead the north African nation away from continuing bloody battles in Tripoli and Benghazi.
• Ban urges Armenia, Azerbaijan to observe ceasefire agreement UN News Centre 04 Aug 2014 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today voiced his opposition to the renewed fighting over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region in the South Caucasus, urging the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides to respect a ceasefire agreement.
• Donor support to Sahel 'anaemic' IRIN 04 Aug 2014 -- More donor support is needed to help close the US$1.5 billion funding gap in the Sahel this year and protect the livelihoods of the estimated 20.2 million people who are at risk of food insecurity. Only 30 percent of the $2.2 billion appeal to fight hunger and malnutrition, and build resilience in the region has been met by donors as of July, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
• Cambodia Urges China Visa Restrictions VOA 04 Aug 2014 -- Cambodia says it has asked China to restrict the number of visas it issues to single Cambodian women, to prevent the brokering of marriages to Chinese men.

News Reports

• Army Institute Responds to Growing Ebola Outbreak in West Africa AFPS 04 Aug 2014 -- A small group of military and civilian personnel assigned to the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, or USAMRIID, is in Liberia as part of a larger U.S. interagency response to the world's worst outbreak of the Ebola virus which continues to spread in West Africa, a Defense Department spokesman said today.
• Doctors, nurses and health staff urgently needed to combat ebola – UN health agency UN News Centre 04 Aug 2014 -- The United Nations health agency today appealed for urgently needed contributions to combat the deadly Ebola disease in West Africa, saying hundreds of doctors, nurses, health staff and materials are needed in the region "as fast as possible."
• Ebola Death Toll Almost 900 VOA 04 Aug 2014 -- The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa has jumped to nearly 900, with dozens of new fatalities reported in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
• Nigeria Confirms 2nd Ebola Case VOA 04 Aug 2014 -- A second person has been diagnosed with Ebola in Nigeria, officials say, after a Liberian-American man with the disease died in Nigeria less than two weeks ago. Eight other people are being quarantined and three are awaiting test results.
• Report: US Sent Young Latin Americans on Secret Cuba Missions VOA 04 Aug 2014 -- An Associated Press investigation has learned that the United States employed young Latin Americans on covert missions to Cuba to foster anti-government activism.
• US-Africa Summit Under Way in Washington VOA 04 Aug 2014 -- U.S. President Barack Obama this week hosts the largest-ever summit of African leaders in Washington to talk about boosting U.S. engagement with the continent.