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Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 11 Aug 2014 [PDF]
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Lt. Gen. Mayville in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 11 Aug 2014 -- Presenter: Lieutenant General William Mayville
• Humanitarian Assistance Continues in Iraq AFPS 11 Aug 2014 -- The United States and Britain have flown 14 humanitarian airdrops since Aug. 7 to Yezidi refugees in the Sinjar Mountains in Iraq, a Defense Department official said today.
• Hagel Calls ISIL Terrorists Threat to Civilized World AFPS 11 Aug 2014 -- The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant poses a threat to the civilized world, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in Sydney today.
• U.S. Aircraft Drop Food, Water to Iraqi Civilians AFPS 11 Aug 2014 -- The U.S. military conducted a fourth airdrop of food and water yesterday for thousands of Iraqi citizens threatened by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on Mount Sinjar in northern Iraq.
• Amnesty Says No Justice For Afghan Civilian Deaths In U.S.-NATO Attacks RFE/RL 11 Aug 2014 -- Amnesty International has released a report documenting the inability of the families of Afghan civilians killed in attacks by U.S. and other foreign forces to obtain justice.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Joint Press Conference by Secretary Hagel and Minister Johnston in Sydney, Australia DoD 11 Aug 2014-- Presenters: Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Australian Minister of Defense David Johnston
• Hagel Discusses U.S.-Australia Force Posture Pact AFPS 11 Aug 2014 -- Calling a new force posture agreement between the United States and Australia a "milestone" in the relationship between the two countries, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today said United States looks forward to signing the document.
• AF 'Hurricane Hunters' help with rescue efforts, data research during Hawaii deployment AFNS 11 Aug 2014 -- As Hawaii recovers from the one-two punch from Hurricanes Iselle and Julio, the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, better known as the Air Force Reserve's Hurricane Hunters, spent close to a week providing hurricane reconnaissance support, as well as helping with rescue efforts and data research.
• Multilateral Exercise SEACAT 2014 begins in Singapore, Continues throughout Southeast Asia NNS 11 Aug 2014 -- The 13th annual Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) exercise commenced at the Republic of Singapore Navy's Multinational Operations and Exercises Center (MOEC) Aug. 11.
• Air Force's new maritime radar becomes operational AFNS 11 Aug 2014 -- The Air Force Technical Applications Center has a welcome addition to its treaty monitoring capabilities - the Cobra King radar system aboard the USNS Howard O. Lorenzen.
• Makin Island ARG, 11th MEU Arrive in 7th Fleet Area of Operations NNS 11 Aug 2014 -- More than 4,500 Sailors and Marines with the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the embarked 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) arrived in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR), Aug. 11, after departing San Diego July, 25.
• USS Rodney M Davis Enters 7th Fleet Area of Responsibility NNS 11 Aug 2014 -- The Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Rodney M. Davis (FFG 60) entered the 7th Fleet area of operations (AOR) Aug. 9, after transiting from Pearl Harbor.
• Vella Gulf Arrives in Romania NNS 11 Aug 2014 -- The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) arrived in Constanta, Romania, for a scheduled port visit, Aug 11.
• USS Michigan Visits Singapore during Western Pacific Deployment NNS 11 Aug 2014 -- The Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Michigan (SSGN 727) arrived in Singapore, Aug. 10, for a visit as part of its deployment to the Western Pacific.
• USS America Departs Brazil, Continues On Maiden Transit NNS 11 Aug 2014 -- The future amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) departed Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Aug. 9 after a four-day port visit.
• USS Mahan Deploys to 5th Fleet NNS 11 Aug 2014 -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Mahan (DDG 72) departed Naval Station Norfolk today, on a deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.
• America Marines and Sailors Conduct Theater Security Cooperation in Brazil NNS 11 Aug 2014 -- The Logistics Combat Element of Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force (SPMAGTF) South departed the future amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), August 4, for a theater security cooperation event at Marambaia Island, Brazil.
• Japan's criticism of Chinese military 'ill-founded' People's Daily 11 Aug 2014 -- Japan's criticism of the Chinese military in a new defense white paper is ill-founded, China's Ministry of National Defense has said.
• Chinese army urged to support reforms People's Daily 11 Aug 2014 -- The People's Liberation Army (PLA) and armed police have been urged to support and implement major reforms to the defense system and the armed forces that are critical to improve the military's war capacity.
• Russia's Aerospace Defense Forces Deploy S-400 to Ashuluk Training Range RIA Novosti 11 Aug 2014 -- Russia's Aerospace Defense Forces have started to move the S-400 "Triumf" (SA-21 Growler) and S-300 "Favorit" (SA-10 Grumble) anti-aircraft weapon systems to the Ashuluk military range, for their use in live firing drills, Russian Defense Ministry representative for the Aerospace Defense Forces Col. Dmitry Zenin told the press Monday.
• Russia to Start Developing Replacement for MiG-31 in 2017 RIA Novosti 11 Aug 2014 -- Russia will start developing a replacement for its MiG-31 'Foxhound' interceptors in 2017, Col. Gen. Viktor Bondarev, commander of the Russian Air Force, said.
• Russia to Destroy S-300 Weapons Systems Meant for Export to Syria RIA Novosti 11 Aug 2014 -- Russia's anti-aircraft S-300 weapons systems, intended for export to Syria before sanctions were imposed, will be destroyed, the director for the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation said Monday.
• Nearly 900 Russian Servicemen to Participate in Military Drills in China RIA Novosti 11 Aug 2014 -- Nearly 900 Russian servicemen have left for China to participate in the international anti-terrorist exercise Peace Mission 2014 alongside member-states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Eastern Military District spokesman Alexander Gordeyev told journalists Monday.
• Finland, Norway to Conduct Observation Flights over Russia – Defense Ministry RIA Novosti 11 Aug 2014 -- Delegations from Finland and Norway will conduct an observation flight over Russia under the Treaty on Open Skies, Sergei Ryzhkov, the head of the Russian National Center for Reducing Nuclear Threat, said Monday.
• Russian Delegation to Fly Over UK under Treaty on Open Skies – Defense Ministry RIA Novosti 11 Aug 2014 -- A group of Russian aviation inspectors are to fly over the territory of the United Kingdom under the Treaty on Open Skies, Sergei Ryzhkov, the head of the Russian National Center for Reducing Nuclear Threat, said Monday.
• Background Briefing En Route to Sydney, Australia US Dept. of State 11 Aug 2014
• August 11, 2014 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 11 Aug 2014

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 11, 2014

Other Conflicts

• 11 August 2014 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 11 Aug 2014
• Obama Praises Selection of Iraqi PM-designate VOA 11 Aug 2014 -- U.S. President Barack Obama expressed support for the selection of a new candidate to replace Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki even as the longtime leader resisted efforts to unseat him, setting up a fierce power struggle as the government fights a rapidly advancing Sunni insurgency.
• UN Concerned for Displaced Iraqis VOA 11 Aug 2014 -- The United Nations said Monday the situation for thousands of Iraqis who have fled Islamic State terrorists in the north of the country is still dire, despite several thousand of them escaping their mountain refuge.
• Statement by the President on Iraq The White House 11 Aug 2014
• Maliki's Dawa Party rejects new Iraqi PM Iran Press TV 11 Aug 2014 -- The incumbent Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Dawa Party has dismissed the nomination of Haider al-Abadi as the country's new premier.
• US sending weapons to Iraqi Kurds fighting ISIL Iran Press TV 11 Aug 2014 -- The US government is supplying weapons to Kurdish forces in northern Iraq who are engaged in a fierce battle with ISIL Takfiri terrorists, according to senior US officials.
• Iraq president names deputy speaker new premier Iran Press TV 11 Aug 2014 -- Iraq's new President Fouad Massoum has nominated the deputy parliament speaker to form the new government.
• Iraqi top court declares Maliki's coalition as largest in parliament Iran Press TV 11 Aug 2014 -- Iraq's top court has declared Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's State of Law coalition as the largest in parliament.
• 1000s of Iraqi refugees cross into Syria to flee ISIL violence Iran Press TV 11 Aug 2014 -- Thousands of displaced Iraqis, mostly from the Yazidi Kurdish community, have crossed the border into Syria to escape the ISIL violence in Iraq.
• France Deliberates Plan Offering Weapons to Iraqi Kurds - Reports RIA Novosti 11 Aug 2014 -- French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius announced France's potential plans to supply arms to Iraq's Kurds to use against Islamic State (IS) jihadists currently terrorizing northern Iraq, channel France 2 reported.
• Iraq: UN officials urge respect for constitution as Prime Minister-designate named UN News Centre 11 Aug 2014 -- Amidst ongoing insecurity in northern Iraq, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his representative in the country expressed support today for President Fouad Masoum's office, as politicians are working towards creating a new Government, and warned that heightened political tensions could lead Iraq into even deeper crisis.
• Iraq's President Asks Haidar Al-Abadi To Form New Government RFE/RL 11 Aug 2014 -- Reports say Iraq's president has asked senior Shi'ite politician Haidar al-Abadi to form a new government.
• Iraq's Abadi Asked to Form Government VOA 11 Aug 2014 -- Haider al-Abadi, nominated Monday by Iraqi President Fouad Massoum to replace embattled Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and form a new government, has called upon other Iraqis to join forces against the 'barbaric' onslaught of Islamic State fighters roiling the country's north.
• Iraq: UN official urges respect for constitution, notes security should not interfere in politics UN News Centre 11 Aug 2014 -- Amidst ongoing insecurity in the northern part of the country, the top United Nations official in Iraq today expressed support for President Fouad Masoum's office and urged security forces to exercise restraint at this "dangerous time" as politicians are working towards creating a new Government.
• China lashes out at US over South China Sea Iran Press TV 11 Aug 2014 -- China has accused the United States of deliberately stoking tensions in the strategically significant South China Sea.
• US Urges Calm in Sea Disputes During SE Asia Summit VOA 11 Aug 2014 -- Senior diplomats from Southeast Asian nations, China and the United States wrapped up talks in Myanmar's capital Sunday with a statement urging all sides to avoid confrontations in the South China Sea.
• UN Rights Council appoints members of commission to investigate purported Gaza violations UN News Centre 11 Aug 2014 -- The United Nations Human Rights Council announced today the appointment of three members to its independent Commission of Inquiry to investigate purported violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and particularly in the Gaza Strip since the conflict began on 13 June.
• Israelis, Palestinians Begin New Truce VOA 11 Aug 2014 -- A new 72-hour truce between Israel and the ruling Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip is holding, clearing the way for negotiations aimed at ending a month of hostilities.
• Four-month fighting in eastern Ukraine kills 570 troops Iran Press TV 11 Aug 2014 -- Nearly 570 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed during four months of incessant fighting between government troops and pro-Russia forces in the volatile east regions of the country.
• EU Ready to Allocate $3.4Mln for Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine's East - European Commission RIA Novosti 11 Aug 2014 -- The European Union is ready to allocate 2.5 million euros (about $3.4 million) to arrange humanitarian assistance for citizens of the Ukrainian eastern regions targeted by the Kiev-initiated military operation, the European Commission president said in a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko Monday.
• Russia to Send Aid Convoy into Ukraine VOA 11 Aug 2014 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday told European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso that Russia was coordinating with the International Committee of the Red Cross to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
• Readout of the President's Call with President Poroshenko of Ukraine The White House 11 Aug 2014
• Putin Says Russia Sending 'Humanitarian' Convoy Into Ukraine RFE/RL 11 Aug 2014 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has told European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso that Russia is sending a 'humanitarian' convoy into Ukraine with supervision by the International Red Cross.
• Ukraine Warns Civilians as Troops Close in on Rebels in East VOA 11 Aug 2014 -- The Ukrainian military says troops are continuing to close in on remaining separatist regions in the east, and are warning civilians to evacuate the areas to avoid being caught in the crossfire. Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine continue to be at odds over a possible humanitarian mission to bring supplies to besieged residents.
• 75 Percent of Syria Chemical Materials Reported Destroyed AFPS 11 Aug 2014 -- Specialists on the U.S. container ship M/V Cape Ray continue their work in the Mediterranean Sea, neutralizing chemical materials from Syria and contributing to what the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, or OPCW, on August 7 confirmed as the destruction of 74.2 percent of Syria's chemical stockpile.
• Nigeria - the community turns against Boko Haram IRIN 11 Aug 2014 -- Young men with machetes manning road blocks is usually a bad sign. In Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri, for years tormented by the Boko Haram insurgency, it actually signifies progress.
• Inter-communal violence, banditry in Darfur threaten civilians - African Union-UN envoy UN News Centre 11 Aug 2014 -- While fighting between Government forces and armed movements ebbed considerably during the past months, inter-communal violence and acts of banditry continue to be a challenge for the people of Darfur, the African Union-United Nations envoy on the region said today.

News Reports

• EU urges Erdogan to be more tolerant of opponents Iran Press TV 11 Aug 2014 -- The European Union has called on Turkey's president-elect, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to show more tolerance towards his opponents.
• In Turkey, Erdogan's PM Choice Central to Ambitions VOA 11 Aug 2014 -- With Recep Tayyip Erdogan elected president, his first challenge is finding a successor for the office of prime minister and a leader for his political party, AKP. While he says he wants to maximize the power of the presidency, the real power still remains in parliament.
• Ebola: UN health agency convenes ethical review of experimental drugs UN News Centre 11 Aug 2014 -- The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) today convened a meeting of ethicists and scientists to discuss on the use of experimental medicines in treating Ebola, three days after the agency declared the current outbreak of the disease in West Africa an international public health emergency.
• Nurse is Nigeria's 10th Case of Ebola VOA 11 Aug 2014 -- Nigerian officials on Monday said one new Ebola case was diagnosed over the weekend, raising the country's total to 10 confirmed cases, while Ivory Coast banned air travel from West African nations heavily hit by the virus.
• No Place for Kim Il-sung on New North Korean Banknotes RIA Novosti 11 Aug 2014 -- North Korea's new highest value banknotes no longer picture portrait of the nation founder and "Eternal President of the country" Kim Il-sung, reports South Korean Daily The Chosun.
• Police focus on emigrants who still have their hukou People's Daily 11 Aug 2014 -- Those who have obtained residency permits or citizenship abroad but have not cancelled their Chinese household registrations - especially if they face allegations of corruption - will become an even greater focus of police investigations, in the latest measure in the fight against graft, the Ministry of Public Security said.
• Burkina Faso - heading for a showdown? IRIN 11 Aug 2014 -- Burkina Faso's next elections are not due until November 2015, but political tensions have risen in the past year owing to suspicions that President Blaise Compaoré is looking to prolong his 27-year rule by contesting the polls.
• Egypt's rural poor watching Sisi's policies IRIN 11 Aug 2014 -- It has been over two months since President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi formally took power in Egypt following an election in which he won a huge majority, albeit on a low turnout. During his inaugural speech, Sisi highlighted the plight of the country's farmers and rural poor, promising to develop the agricultural sector, provide more arable land and support those in desperate need.