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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Fighter Jets Target ISIL Boat, Ground Unit AFPS 19 Sep 2014 -- U.S. fighter aircraft conducted more airstrikes against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant targets in Iraq yesterday and today, U.S. Central Command officials reported.
• Taking Down ISIL Requires Cooperative Effort, Army Chief Says AFPS 19 Sep 2014 -- Moderate fighters in Syria, Iraqi security forces, the Kurdish Peshmerga, and allies and partners of the United States all have a vested interest in defeating the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant, or ISIL, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno said here today.
• Obama Thanks Congress, France For Anti-IS Support, As Paris Begins Air Strikes RFE/RL 19 Sep 2014 -- U.S. President Barack Obama has thanked Congress for voting to help train and equip moderate Syrian rebels and expressed appreciation to France for offering to help in striking the Islamic State (IS) extremist group in Iraq..
• Kerry Says Iran Has Role to Play in Fight Against IS; French Jets Hit Targets in Iraq VOA 19 Sep 2014 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday that there was a role for Iran to play in the global effort to tackle hardline Islamic State militants, who have seized swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria.
• France Launches Airstrikes Against Islamic State in Iraq VOA 19 Sep 2014 -- France says its fighter jets have successfully carried out the country's first airstrikes against Islamic State insurgents inside Iraq.
• France claims airstrikes on ISIL militants in Iraq Iran Press TV 19 Sep 2014 -- France has announced that its warplanes have carried out air strikes on ISIL positions inside Iraq for the first time since it pledged to join military action against the Takfiri terror group.
• France Says Strikes IS Facilities in Iraq RIA Novosti 19 Sep 2014 -- France's Air Force has carried out its first attack against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, the office of the French President Francois Hollande said Friday in a press release.
• Bravo Company Marines, sailors, ANA deter insurgent operations in Helmand USMC News 19 Sep 2014 -- Marines and sailors with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, alongside Afghan National Army counterparts, disrupted insurgent activity during a security operation in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Sept. 9-11.
• Military Response Begins as Troops, Equipment Reach Liberia AFPS 19 Sep 2014 -- The increased U.S. assistance President Barack Obama announced this week has begun to arrive in Liberia, one of the West African countries hardest-hit by the deadly Ebola virus disease outbreak, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said here today.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Rear Adm. Kirby in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 19 Sep 2014 -- Presenter: Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby
• Acquisition strategy to improve stakeholder relationships, transparency AFNS 19 Sep 2014 -- The assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition outlined the Air Force procurement priorities at the 2014 Air Force Association's Air & Space Conference and Technology Exhibition here Sept. 16.
• Southcom Hosts Regional Security Dialogue in Miami AFPS 19 Sep 2014 -- U.S. Southern Command hosted defense and public security ministers from Colombia and Central America and defense leaders from Mexico at its headquarters yesterday for a discussion on regional security.
• Continuous Improvement Central to Better Buying Power 3.0 AFPS 19 Sep 2014 -- The undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics released a draft of the third iteration of the Pentagon's Better Buying Power initiative today, noting that it emphasizes innovation and technical excellence while remaining focused on continual improvement.
• Army Chief: Fiscal 2016 Sequestration Marks 'Breaking Point' AFPS 19 Sep 2014 -- Should sequestration resume in fiscal year 2016 as current law requires, 'it will be very difficult for us to lead around the world," Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno said here today.
• Dual Carrier Strike Groups, Air Force, Marines Conduct Simulated Strike During Valiant Shield War-at-Sea NNS 19 Sep 2014 -- The George Washington and Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Groups, as well as land-based aircraft from Marine Corps Air Group 12 and Air Force 36th Operations Group completed dynamic war-at-sea exercises (WASEX) as part of Valiant Shield Sept. 16 and 18.
• FAST Company and CTF 68 Conduct Contingency Response Training Exercise NNS 19 Sep 2014 -- Sailors from Commander, Naval Expeditionary Task Force Europe and Africa (CTF 68) joined with Marines from Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team (FAST) Company Europe and Africa at Naval Station Rota Sept. 18 for a contingency response training exercise.
• Departments of the Navy, Energy and Agriculture Invest in Construction of Three Biorefineries to Produce Drop-In Biofuel for Military NNS 19 Sep 2014 -- As part of a 2011 Presidential directive, the Departments of Navy, Energy, and Agriculture announced today that three companies have been awarded contracts to construct and commission biorefineries capable of producing 'drop-in' biofuels to meet the transportation needs of the military and private sector. Made through the Department of Defense's (DOD) Defense Protection Act (DPA) of 1950, the awards support the Administration's goals to boost and diversify the domestic fuel supply base, make American warfighters less beholden to volatile oil markets, and strengthen national security.
• Modernization of US nuclear forces not optional AFNS 19 Sep 2014 -- The need for modernization of the U.S. nuclear forces was made clear by speakers at a strategic nuclear enterprise symposium here, Sept. 18.
• Submarine Force Commemorates 4,000th Strategic Deterrent Patrol NNS 19 Sep 2014 -- Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic and Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, in conjunction with Commander, U.S. Strategic Command, commemorated the Submarine Force's 4,000th strategic deterrent patrol, Sept. 19, by conducting dual ceremonies in Bangor, Washington and Kings Bay, Georgia.
• Hagel Welcomes Congressional Action on Aid to Syrian Opposition AFPS 19 Sep 2014 -- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel expressed his gratitude to Congress last night for its "swift action" to give the Defense Department the authority to begin training and equipping the moderate Syrian opposition.
• Russia Creates Waterproof Communication System for Military and Rescue Operations RIA Novosti 19 Sep 2014 -- Part of Russia's Rostec state corporation ,Voronezh based Sozvezdie, which is included in the Western sanctions list, has developed a set of communication devices capable of withstanding immersion in water and providing high-quality data transmission even with strong interference, more than a million times greater than the desired signal power.
• Russia to Lay Down New Borey Class Nuclear Sub in December RIA Novosti 19 Sep 2014 -- The construction of a new Borey class nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarine is expected to begin in December, the Sevmash shipyard said Friday.
• Russian Baltic Fleet Conducts Large-Scale Coastal Troop Exercises RIA Novosti 19 Sep 2014 -- The Russian Baltic Fleet is conducting tactical exercises for its coastal forces on one of the ranges of the Kaliningrad Region, with more than 1,000 motorized infantry soldiers and marines from its fleet and more than 250 military and special equipment units participating, the Baltic Fleet's press service said Friday.
• Vostok-2014 Strategic Military Drill Begins in Eastern Russia RIA Novosti 19 Sep 2014 -- A large-scale Russian strategic military exercise, codenamed Vostok-2014 started in eastern Russia on Friday, according to the Defense Ministry.
• Russia Plans to Boost Space Monitoring Capability by 2018 RIA Novosti 19 Sep 2014 -- Russia will build a network of advanced laser-optical and radar stations in the next four years to boost its space object recognition capability, the Defense Ministry said Friday.
• September 19, 2014 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 19 Sep 2014

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for September 19, 2014
• Kalashnikov to Adjust Export Strategy Due to Western Sanctions RIA Novosti 19 Sep 2014 -- Part of Russia's Rostec state corporation, the Kalashnikov weapon maker, which has been targeted by Western sanctions will be forced to revise its export strategy following the measures, Rostec's press service said Friday.

Other Conflicts

• Kyiv, Rebels Hold Another Round of Talks VOA 19 Sep 2014 -- A third round of talks between representatives of Ukraine's government and pro-Russian separatists opened in Minsk Friday, amid reports that renewed shelling in eastern Ukraine had claimed several lives.
• Fresh clashes erupt in east Ukraine leaving 7 dead Iran Press TV 19 Sep 2014 -- Fresh deadly clashes have erupted in eastern Ukraine, killing seven and injuring eight as representatives from Kiev and pro-Russia forces prepare to discuss the ceasefire violations.
• Obama Meets With Poroshenko, Condemns Russian Aggression RFE/RL 19 Sep 2014 -- U.S. President Barack Obama met with visiting Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko at the White House, offering support and reportedly agreeing on $1 billion in financial guarantees but apparently stopping short of any pledge of weapons.
• Crimean Tatar Scholar Attacked, Library Shut As Pressure Mounts RFE/RL 19 Sep 2014 -- A Crimean Tatar scholar says masked assailants dragged him from his car and took his passport in an attack meant to prevent him from attending a UN conference in New York.
• UN Official: Full Access to Malaysia Airlines MH17 Crash Site Still Problematic RIA Novosti 19 Sep 2014 -- Two months and two days after the downing of the Malaysia Airlines MH17 aircraft over eastern Ukraine, UN official Jeffrey Feltman told the Security Council on Friday that the access to the crash site remains problematic.
• DPR Commanding Officer: Kirovohrad Special Forces Possibly Linked to Stenin's Death RIA Novosti 19 Sep 2014 -- The Kirovohrad special forces might have been involved in the death of International Information Agency Rossiya Segodnya photojournalist Andrei Stenin, a commanding officer of one of the Donetsk People's Republic's military units told RIA Novosti on Friday.
• Russia Denies Accusations of Discrediting MH17 Crash Probe RIA Novosti 19 Sep 2014 -- Russia is not trying to put in doubt the credibility of an international investigation of a Malaysia Airlines passenger plane in eastern Ukraine, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said Friday.
• Multiple bomb explosions claim 28 lives across Iraq Iran Press TV 19 Sep 2014 -- A series of bomb attacks have claimed lives of 28 people and injured dozens more across Iraq, security sources say.
• Statement as Chair of Ministerial Debate of the UN Security Council on Iraq US Dept. of State 19 Sep 2014 -- Remarks by John Kerry, US Secretary of State
• Iraq: Security Council urges international support for Government's combat against insurgents UN News Centre 19 Sep 2014 -- The Security Council today strongly condemned attacks by terrorist organizations including the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and urged Member States to assist the Iraqi Government's efforts to combat militants and implement its new political agenda, while the United Nations envoy to the country briefed on the latest developments.
• Press Secretary Gives Details of Syrian Training Effort AFPS 19 Sep 2014 -- The training effort for Syrian moderates will stress three things: defending their communities, going after the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists, and taking on the Assad regime, the Pentagon press secretary said today.
• UN Peacekeeping Forces to Return to Syrian Side of Golan Heights: Security Council RIA Novosti 19 Sep 2014 -- The United Nations' Security Council on Thursday unanimously agreed to a Presidential Statement, condemning the attacks on UN peacekeepers in the Golan Heights and reaffirming its support for the UN Disengagement Observer Force mission (UNDOF).
• In presidential statement, Security Council condemns attacks against UN Golan force UN News Centre 19 Sep 2014 -- Condemning recent hostile acts against United Nations peacekeepers in the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) area of operations, the Security Council today demanded that all groups other than UNDOF must abandon all Force positions and the Quneitra crossing point, and return the peacekeepers' vehicles, weapons and other equipment.
• Libya army chief declares state of emergency Iran Press TV 19 Sep 2014 -- Libyan army chief Abdul Razzaq Nazhuri has declared a state of emergency, calling on all members of the army to immediately join their units to fight militants in the country.
• Houthi protesters, Yemen police clash in Sana'a Iran Press TV 19 Sep 2014 -- Thousands of Houthi protesters and their supporters demanding the downfall of the Yemeni government have once again clashed with soldiers in the capital, Sana'a.
• Rebels, Yemeni Government Forces Fight Near Capital VOA 19 Sep 2014 -- Sporadic clashes between Yemeni government forces and the Zaidi Shi'ite Houthi rebels besieging the capital Sana'a have residents on edge. Rebel advances in several places prompted the closure of the capital's main airport, and most phone and Internet service has been cut.
• UN peacekeeping dilemmas in CAR IRIN 19 Sep 2014 -- The flags flew, the bands played, green African Union (AU) berets were swapped for blue UN ones, and MISCA officially became MINUSCA. As the handover was taking place MINUSCA tweeted: "The key priority of the UN in CAR is to support the political process & conclude the country's transition", setting off alarm bells among those who thought the new force's number one priority was supposed to be protecting civilians.
• Briefing: What's in the UN's new Gaza agreement? IRIN 19 Sep 2014 -- On 16 September the UN announced a new deal that is supposed to ease restrictions on the Gaza Strip. In his public statement on the day, Robert Serry, the UN envoy for the Middle East, gave few specific details about the deal but said it would 'enable work at the scale required in the Strip, involving the private sector in Gaza and giving a lead role to the Palestinian Authority in the reconstruction effort.'
• Intimidation, uncertainty mar aid work in Myanmar's Rakhine State IRIN 19 Sep 2014 -- Nearly six months after international aid workers fled Myanmar's Rakhine State when Buddhist mobs attacked their offices and accused them of aid bias, international humanitarian aid services remain restricted, despite the needs of hundreds of thousands of people.
• Boko Haram militants attack market in Borno, kill 21 Iran Press TV 19 Sep 2014 -- Over 20 people have been killed and scores of others injured in an attack by Boko Haram Takfiri militants on a local market in Nigeria's restive northeastern state of Borno.
• Mali: Security Council, Ban condemn attack that killed five UN peacekeepers UN News Centre 19 Sep 2014 -- The Security Council today condemned in the strongest terms yesterday's attack by an explosive device on a road in Mali, in which five Chadian peacekeepers were killed and three other peacekeepers were severely injured.

News Reports

• Scotland Votes 'No' To Independence From Britain RFE/RL 19 Sep 2014 -- Scotland has voted to stay in the United Kingdom, rejecting independence in a closely fought contest that divided the nation and drew attention worldwide.
• Scotland Rejects Independence VOA 19 Sep 2014 -- British Prime Minister David Cameron said he is "delighted" with the result of Scotland's referendum on independence as the majority of Scots voted to stay in the union.
• Sierra Leone orders three-day shutdown over Ebola Iran Press TV 19 Sep 2014 -- Sierra Leone has launched a three-day shutdown in order to prevent the further spread of the deadly Ebola virus in the country.
• Ebola: joint UN assessment response team heads to Liberia UN News Centre 19 Sep 2014 -- Hours after the United Nations decided to establish an emergency health mission to tackle the West African Ebola outbreak, a joint disaster team is heading to Liberia to assess the response to the virus, while a senior UN health official said that a vaccine could be ready by the end of this year.
• Liberia Ebola Fight Needs More Aid VOA 19 Sep 2014 -- An NGO on the frontlines of the West Africa Ebola outbreak says the scale-up of the international response comes none too soon. SIM USA says more beds, medical supplies and personnel are needed to stem the spread of the epidemic.
• WHO Vows to Continue Ebola Fight Despite Guinea Murders VOA 19 Sep 2014 -- The World Health Organization says it will not be deterred in efforts to combat Ebola in Guinea and other West African countries by the killing of a team of educators trying to raise awareness of the disease in a village in Guinea.
• Poroshenko: Ukraine to Get 'Financial Guarantees' Worth $1 Billion from US RIA Novosti 19 Sep 2014 -- Ukraine will get an additional $1 billion of financial guarantees from the United States and will be provided with assistance in the sphere of security, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko wrote on his Facebook page Friday, following a meeting with US President Barack Obama.
• IAEA says Iran complying with terms of nuclear deal with P5+1 Iran Press TV 19 Sep 2014 -- The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran is complying with the terms of an interim deal it reached with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany last year.
• Arak Reactor Remains Issue of Concern at Iran, P5+1 Nuclear Talks: Russia RIA Novosti 19 Sep 2014 -- The future of the Arak heavy water nuclear reactor remains one of the main obstacles at the nuclear talks between the P5+1 group of mediators and Tehran, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told RIA Novosti Thursday.
• Russian Government Feels Squeeze Of Tighter Sanctions RFE/RL 19 Sep 2014 -- Russia is putting on a brave face by saying Western sanctions have little impact but there are ever more signs the sanctions are causing serious problems for the state budget.
• Astronomers Find Smallest Galaxy Containing Supermassive Black Hole RIA Novosti 19 Sep 2014 -- An international team of scientists have discovered a supermassive black hole inside one of the tiniest galaxies known: M60-UCD1, NASA reports. The black hole - described by NASA as 'supermassive' or a 'monster' – has five times the mass of the black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy.