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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Airstrikes Hit ISIL Near Irbil and Mosul Dam AFPS 27 Aug 2014 -- U.S. military forces today continued to attack ISIL terrorists in support of Iraqi security force operations, using fighter, attack, and remotely piloted aircraft to conduct three airstrikes in the vicinity of Irbil and the Mosul Dam.
• Military Conducts Airstrikes Against ISIL Near Irbil AFPS 27 Aug 2014 -- U.S. military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in support of Iraqi security force operations, using attack aircraft to conduct two airstrikes in the vicinity of Irbil yesterday.
• Afghanistan Looms Large on NATO Agenda VOA 27 Aug 2014 -- As the 28 members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are preparing for their summit meeting in Wales next week, its role in Afghanistan looms large on the agenda.
• Amid Election Uncertainty, Karzai Prepares For Inauguration Ceremony RFE/RL 27 Aug 2014 -- the mammoth task of auditing all eight million votes cast in the June 14 election has still not been completed and rival candidates Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani have still not hashed out the details of a crucial power-sharing agreement brokered earlier this month.
• UN pledges support to Afghan authorities to complete election audit UN News Centre 27 Aug 2014 -- The United Nations pledged to redouble its support to the Afghan electoral authorities to help expedite the completion of a thorough and credible audit of the presidential run-off.
• Afghan Election Audit Proceeds Without Candidates' Observers VOA 27 Aug 2014 -- A United Nations-supervised anti-fraud audit of all 8.1 million ballots from Afghanistan’s June 14 presidential runoff has resumed following a brief suspension Wednesday, when the rival candidates withdrew their observers from the process.
• Afghan Presidential Candidate Abdullah Pulls Out Of Election Audit RFE/RL 27 Aug 2014 -- Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah has pulled out of the UN-supervised audit of votes cast in the June 14 runoff, casting the disputed election deeper into disarray and clouding the chances for a swift resolution.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Nuclear deterrence: The silent sentinel AFNS 27 Aug 2014 -- Global conflict and instability have always been a part of human history, and America’s nuclear forces serve as the nation’s ultimate form of deterrence in a world where global engagements are becoming increasingly complex.
• Trading places: Minot chosen as test base for crew swaps AFNS 27 Aug 2014 -- In order to implement new initiatives stemming from the Force Improvement Program, Minot Air Force Base was chosen as the test bed for two modifications currently underway within the missile community.
• B-2 Spirits depart Andersen following routine deployment AFNS 27 Aug 2014 -- Three B-2 Spirits redeployed to the continental U.S. following a deployment here as part of U.S. Pacific Command's continuous bomber presence in the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region.
• DoD Announces Upcoming NATO, Maritime Exercises AFPS 27 Aug 2014 -- Pentagon officials announced the start of two training exercises this month.
• US Coast Guard Fires at Iranian Boat in Gulf VOA 27 Aug 2014 -- A U.S. Coast Guard vessel fired in self-defense on an Iranian boat in the Persian Gulf, the Navy said Wednesday.
• Five Things You Need to Know about Vella Gulf's Time in the Black Sea NNS 27 Aug 2014 -- The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) departed the Black Sea Aug. 26, after a series of engagements in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
• F-15C Eagle Jet Crashes in Virginia AFPS 27 Aug 2014 -- An F-15C Eagle aircraft crashed near Deerfield, Virginia, at approximately 9:05 a.m. today during a routine mission, a Pentagon spokesman told reporters.
• Ike Departs Dry Dock, Returning to the Fleet NNS 27 Aug 2014 -- The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike) moved from Dry Dock 8 to pier 42/43 at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) in Portsmouth, Virginia, Aug. 26.
• USS Norfolk Returns from Final Deployment NNS 27 Aug 2014 -- The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Norfolk (SSN 714) returned to Naval Station Norfolk from its final regularly scheduled deployment, Aug. 26.
• U.S. Can Never Evade Its Responsibility for Escalated Tension on Korean Peninsula: Rodong Sinmun KCNA 27 Aug 2014 -- U.S. State Secretary Kerry said at a recent international meeting that the nukes and missiles of north Korea pose a threat to the Asia-Pacific region, adding north Korea should keep its promise to make verifiable peaceful denuclearization.
• U.S., Latvian TACPs sharpen special ops skills AFNS 27 Aug 2014 -- Tactical air control party specialists with the 169th Air Support Operations Squadron and the Latvian military joined forces August 2014 to sharpen their special operations skills at the 3rd-annual Operation Northern Strike in Grayling, Michigan.
• Human Rights Experts Meet at U.S. Southern Command AFPS 27 Aug 2014 -- Military and civilian human rights experts from 15 Western Hemisphere nations are meeting here at U.S. Southern Command’s headquarters Aug. 26-28 to discuss the Southcom-sponsored Human Rights Initiative and the protection of human rights in the command’s area of responsibility.
• DoD Plays Key Role in Disaster Response, Official Says AFPS 27 Aug 2014 -- September is National Preparedness Month, a time when people across the country are encouraged to prepare for emergencies and disasters.
• Russia Says It Will Respond To NATO Troop Rotations In East RFE/RL 27 Aug 2014 -- Moscow says it will take steps to respond if NATO begins regular troop rotations in the easternmost NATO-member countries.
• China firm in its resolve to build sea power People's Daily 27 Aug 2014 -- It is reasonable that China should become a maritime power.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 8/27/2014 The White House 27 Aug 2014
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing, August 27, 2014 US Dept. of State 27 Aug 2014

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 27, 2014

Other Conflicts

• Pro-Russian Rebels Take Strategic Eastern Ukraine Town VOA 27 Aug 2014 -- The battle for Ukraine's strategic coastline intensified Wednesday as pro-Russian rebel forces entered a key town in southeast Ukraine after three days of heavy shelling.
• U.S.: Reports Indicate 'Russian-Directed' Battle In Ukraine RFE/RL 27 Aug 2014 -- U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki says reports from eastern and southeastern Ukraine "indicate that a Russian-directed counteroffensive is likely under way" against government forces in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• Ukraine Counting on Assistance From NATO – Prime Minister Yatsenyuk RIA Novosti 27 Aug 2014 -- Kiev is expecting that the West will make crucial decisions at a NATO summit in Wales, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Wednesday.
• Kiev Expects Consultations, Conditions for Second Russian Humanitarian Aid Convoy RIA Novosti 27 Aug 2014 -- Kiev is expecting to hold consultations on settling the crisis in eastern Ukraine and a second Russian aid convoy.
• Questions Left Unanswered at Putin-Poroshenko Minsk Talks RIA Novosti 27 Aug 2014 -- The talks on Ukraine in the Belarusian capital of Minsk that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said would decide “the fate of the world and Europe” did not yield any breakthrough solutions to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
• Russia Not Interested in Ukraine Falling Into Pieces - Lavrov RIA Novosti 27 Aug 2014 -- Russia is not interested in Ukrainian government falling into pieces, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
• Unlike NATO, Russia Accepts Different Opinions – Lavrov RIA Novosti 27 Aug 2014 -- Russia accepts the fact that its allies' opinions may differ from from Moscow ones, in contrast to NATO which obliges its members to stick to the rules.
• Russian Agriculture Minister Urges Better Effort Against Re-Export of Embargoed Goods RIA Novosti 27 Aug 2014 -- Russia’s agriculture watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor and the Russian Interior Ministry should intensify their efforts in order to prevent re-export of embargoed goods to Russia via Customs Union states.
• Islamic State Militants Take US Humanitarian Aid Worker Hostage RIA Novosti 27 Aug 2014 -- A female US humanitarian aid worker is being held captive by Islamic State (IS) militants who are demanding a $6.6 million ransom for her release, as well as the release of a Muslim woman, a neuroscientist, from a US prison.
• Details Emerging About Douglas McCain, an American Jihadist Killed in Syria VOA 27 Aug 2014 -- Douglas McAuthur McCain, the first known American to be killed while fighting alongside Islamic militants in Syria, was an undistinguished 33-year-old raised in Minnesota who most recently worked as a caregiver in California.
• US intelligence agencies believe 300 Americans fighting for ISIL Iran Press TV 27 Aug 2014 -- There are as many as 300 Americans fighting alongside the ISIL terrorist group in Iraq and Syria, prompting widespread concern in Washington that the militants could pose a direct threat to the homeland once they return.
• Senators urge US to cut off ISIL funding Iran Press TV 27 Aug 2014 -- Two US senators urge the Obama administration to try and cut off the ISIL terrorist group’s massive financing, according to a report.
• Turkey makes volte-face, moves to curb ISIL Iran Press TV 27 Aug 2014 -- Turkey is struggling hard to stem the flow of ISIL militants in a major policy shift by the Ankara government which previously allowed Takfiri militants free access to neighboring Syria.
• Islamic State Recruits Women to Support Its Fight VOA 27 Aug 2014 -- A few months after the militant group Islamic State, or IS, took over the Syrian city of Raqaa and set up checkpoints, it encountered a problem: the militants' enemies were escaping the city disguised as women.
• Syria’s brutal war threatens international peace and security UN News Centre 27 Aug 2014 -- Mass atrocities by Government forces and non-State armed groups continue to take place in Syria, causing immeasurable suffering to civilians and contributing to a spillover of violence affecting international peace and stability.
• UN: 'Mass Atrocities' Taking Place in Syria VOA 27 Aug 2014 -- The United Nations says "mass atrocities" continue to take place in Syria as Islamic extremists grow more powerful and foreign fighters enter the war.
• Jets bomb ISIL hideouts around Iraqi town of Amerli Iran Press TV 27 Aug 2014 -- Iraqi fighter jets have targeted several hideouts of ISIL terrorists besieging Shia Turkmen town of Amerli.
• UN operation to feed displaced Iraqis reaches over 700,000 people UN News Centre 27 Aug 2014 -- Food aid convoys from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have reached displaced Iraqis in Karbala.
• Recent Libya fighting ‘unprecedented in gravity,’ warns outgoing UN envoy UN News Centre 27 Aug 2014 -- In recent days, armed battles, inflamed by airstrikes and fuelled by deep divisions among Libyan political factions have been “unprecedented in their gravity and very alarming,” the outgoing United Nations envoy to that country told the Security Council today.
• Libya Warns UN It Risks Full-Scale Civil War VOA 27 Aug 2014 -- Libya’s U.N. ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi warned Wednesday that his country could collapse into a “full blown civil war,” and he urged armed groups to halt hostilities and disarm.
• Uneasy Calm Settles Over Israel, Gaza Strip VOA 27 Aug 2014 -- As an open-ended cease-fire took effect beginning Tuesday night, ending seven weeks of hostilities, Palestinians celebrated in the streets of Gaza while Israelis showed more reserve.
• Israel, Hamas Both Claim Victory in Gaza Cease-fire VOA 27 Aug 2014 -- Israel and Hamas are both claiming victory in the 50-day Gaza war as a new cease-fire took hold Wednesday.
• Using Egyptian crossing for first time in seven years, UN convoy brings food aid to Gaza UN News Centre 27 Aug 2014 -- For the first time in seven years, a humanitarian convoy of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) successfully crossed from Egypt into the Gaza Strip today, carrying enough food to feed around 150,000 people for five days.
• Islamic Jihad lauds Leader’s backing for resistance Iran Press TV 27 Aug 2014 -- The Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement has praised Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei’s support for the Palestinian resistance.
• Iran response to Israel drone incursion will come in occupied lands: Cmdr. Iran Press TV 27 Aug 2014 -- A senior Iranian commander says the Islamic Republic will respond in the occupied Palestinian territories to the recent intrusion of an Israeli spying drone into its airspace.
• Russia, Abkhazia to Sign Deal on Common Security by Year-End – Kremlin Spokesman RIA Novosti 27 Aug 2014 -- Russia and Abkhazia will sign a new treaty on common security space by the end of the year.

News Reports

• Iran develops new generation of centrifuges: AEOI chief Iran Press TV 27 Aug 2014 -- Iran’s nuclear chief says the Islamic Republic has tested a new generation of centrifuges under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
• Iran Says Modifying Arak Reactor To Ease Western Concerns RFE/RL 27 Aug 2014 -- Iranian media say Tehran has started to modify its Arak heavy water reactor and limit plutonium output to allay Western concerns that the Islamic republic could be seeking nuclear weapons capability.
• Pakistan: Army Not Backing Anti-Government Demos VOA 27 Aug 2014 -- Pakistan's Defense Minister says the country’s army is not supporting protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
• Pakistan premier refuses to resign amid mass protests Iran Press TV 27 Aug 2014 -- Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has refused to step down amid mass protests in front of parliament calling for the government’s resignation.
• Japan's Abe Sent Note to Ceremony Honoring War Criminals VOA 27 Aug 2014 -- Japan has confirmed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a personal message to a ceremony honoring hundreds of World War II-era Japanese war criminals.
• Turkey ruling party officially approves Davutoglu as new PM Iran Press TV 27 Aug 2014 -- Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has overwhelmingly confirmed Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu as its new chairman and the country’s prime minister-designate.