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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 22 Sep 2014 [PDF]
• US Launches Airstrikes in Syria VOA 22 Sep 2014 -- The United States and a group of Arab countries have carried out airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Syria.
• U.S. Begins Airstrikes Against ISIL in Syria AFPS 22 Sep 2014 -- U.S. and partner nation forces have begun airstrikes inside Syria against terrorists from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Adm. John Kirby said in a statement today.
• U.S. Military Conducts Airstrikes Against ISIL Near Kirkuk AFPS 22 Sep 2014 -- U.S. military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Iraq today, using a mix of attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft to conduct four airstrikes near the city of Kirkuk.
• Militants torch NATO tankers in east Afghanistan Iran Press TV 22 Sep 2014 -- Militants have attacked a number of NATO tankers carrying fuel for US-led forces in Afghanistan's central eastern province of Maidan Wardak.
• News Analysis: Afghan Deal Leaves Room For National Disunity RFE/RL 22 Sep 2014 -- After months of wrangling and high tension, Afghanistan has finally named a president-elect. Ashraf Ghani's name was officially entered into the books as the winner of the highly contentious, fraud-marred contest, shortly after he and his rival, Abdullah Abdullah, signed a power-sharing deal.
• Ghani Says Goal Of Afghan Unity Government Is 'Peace' RFE/RL 22 Sep 2014 -- Afghanistan's President-elect Ashraf Ghani says the goal of the country's new unity government is 'peace.'Speaking to supporters in Kabul on September 22, he called on the Afghan people to take an active part in bringing peace to Afghanistan, saying, 'Let's leave the past behind and look forward to the future.'
• DoD Supports Firefighting Efforts in California AFPS 22 Sep 2014 -- Two Department of Defense C-130 aircraft equipped with U.S. Forest Service Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems and under the command and control of U.S. Northern Command will be assisting with wildfire suppression efforts in California and the Northwest Geographic Area at the request of the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, Northcom officials said in a news release issued yesterday.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Valiant Shield Shows Positive Impact on Tinian USMC News 22 Sep 2014 -- Citizens of Tinian, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, say Exercise Valiant Shield 2014 is boosting their economy, creating part-time jobs and building lasting relationships.
• Recon Marines infiltrate beach, conduct raid USMC News 22 Sep 2014 -- Reconnaissance Marines conducted a simulated limited scale raid Sept. 20 at U.S. Naval Base Guam during Exercise Valiant Shield 2014.
• Infantry Marines play vital role in Valiant Shield 2014 USMC News 22 Sep 2014 -- U.S. infantry Marines conducted an island seizure exercise on Tinian Sept. 20 during Exercise Valiant Shield 2014.
• Strike Group Hones Anti-Submarine Warfare Skills During Valiant Shield Torpedo Exercise NNS 22 Sep 2014 -- Ships assigned to the George Washington Carrier Strike Group conducted a complex, live-fire anti-submarine torpedo training evolution as part of exercise Valiant Shield, Sept. 17-18.
• USS Mitscher Deploys to 5th Fleet NNS 22 Sep 2014 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mitscher (DDG 57) departed Naval Station Norfolk for deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR).
• ONR Features Technology for Marines of the Future NNS 22 Sep 2014 -- From virtual training to laser weapons, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) is showcasing a range of technologies at Modern Day Marine exposition Sept. 23-25 that will prepare Marines as they continue to face an increasingly complex security landscape.
• Mistral-Class Ship Built for Russia Concludes Sets Sail RIA Novosti 22 Sep 2014 -- The Mistral-class helicopter carrier Vladivostok, carrying the first crew of some 200 Russian sailors, has finished a series of tests early Monday morning.
• Deputy PM Rogozin: Russia to Fully Renew Strategic Nuclear Arsenal by 2020 RIA Novosti 22 Sep 2014 -- Russia will renew its strategic nuclear forces (SNF) not by 70 percent as expected now, but by 100 percent, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin told Rossiya-24 television.
• Russia, India to Conduct Joint Anti-Terrorism Exercises in Volgograd Region RIA Novosti 22 Sep 2014 -- Russia and India will conduct joint anti-terrorism exercises in Russia's southern Volgograd Region starting September 23, the Southern Military District's press service reported.
• Lebanese Interior Minister: Russia, Lebanon Negotiating Arms Supply Deal RIA Novosti 22 Sep 2014 -- Lebanon is engaged in talks with Russia to buy weaponry and special equipment for the country, Lebanese Interior and Municipalities Minister Nouhad Machnouk told International Information Agency Rossiya Segodnya.
• Xi stresses military headquarters' loyalty to Party People's Daily 22 Sep 2014 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, shakes hands with delegates attending a meeting of chiefs of staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 22, 2014. (Xinhua/Li Gang)
• Iran launches indigenous missile projects IRNA 22 Sep 2014 -- Iran unveiled two indigenous missile defense systems in a ceremony attended by President Hassan Rouhani and a number of high-ranking military officials.
• Iran to hold joint naval exercise with China ISNA 22 Sep 2014 -- Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said the country plans to hold a joint naval exercise with China when the visiting Chinese flotilla leaves Iranian ports, where it has berthed.
• Iranian Armed Forces stage parade, mark Sacred Defense Week ISNA 22 Sep 2014 -- Iranian Armed Forces staged a massive parade on Monday concurrent with the beginning of Sacred Defense Week, start of the 8-year imposed war against Iran by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
• President Zeman: Czech Military to Get Drones Amid Islamic State Threat RIA Novosti 22 Sep 2014 -- The Czech military will include drones in its new generation of weapons as unmanned aircraft are effective in fighting against Islamic State (IS) militants, according to the President of the Czech Republic, Milos Zeman.
• Half of German Navy Helicopters Not Cleared to Fly: Media RIA Novosti 22 Sep 2014 -- Half of the helicopters in the German Navy are not cleared to fly, Sueddeutsche Zeitung reports citing a document produced by Germany's Federal Ministry of Defense.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 9/22/2014 The White House 22 Sep 2014

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for September 22, 2014
• Arms Exporter: African Countries Interested in Buying Russian Jet Trainer RIA Novosti 22 Sep 2014 -- Several African countries are interested in the Russian combat training aircraft Yak-130, Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport's delegation head Yury Demchenko told journalists following the Africa Aerospace and Defense 2014 exhibition.

Other Conflicts

• 22 September 2014 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 22 Sep 2014
• Ukraine FM: Complete Russian Withdrawal Needed for Lasting Cease-fire VOA 22 Sep 2014 -- Ukraine's foreign minister said a full withdrawal of Russian forces and heavy weapons is a precondition for a sustainable cease-fire with separatists.
• Ukraine Pulling Back from Buffer Zone in Embattled East VOA 22 Sep 2014 -- Ukrainian officials say they have started to pull troops from a buffer zone in the east of the country where they have been fighting pro-Russian separatists.
• Ukraine defends its military policy in east Iran Press TV 22 Sep 2014 -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says that Kiev must be ready to protect the country should a peace deal with pro-Russian activists fail to end conflict in the country's east.
• Poroshenko Says No Military Solution To Conflict RFE/RL 22 Sep 2014 -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said Ukraine must be ready to defend itself if the peace process with the pro-Russian rebels fails but stressed that the conflict in eastern Ukraine cannot be solved militarily.
• Kyiv Says Preparing To Withdraw Heavy Weapons In East RFE/RL 22 Sep 2014 -- Kyiv says Ukrainian government forces are preparing to withdraw artillery and heavy armored vehicles within a proposed 30-kilometer buffer zone.
• Ukrainian Donbas Volunteer Battalion to Be Trained by US Instructors: Commander RIA Novosti 22 Sep 2014 -- Members of the Donbas volunteer battalion, created to take part in a special military operation in eastern Ukraine, will be trained by retired US instructors, the commander of the battalion, Semen Semenchenko, said Monday.
• Kiev to Create Defense Line, Border Control Around Areas With Special Status: Poroshenko RIA Novosti 22 Sep 2014 -- Ukrainian authorities will create a defense line and border control around the areas with a special status in the east of the country, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said.
• Displaced Iraqis plug response gaps IRIN 22 Sep 2014 -- As Iraq's 1.8 million internally-displaced persons (IDPs) realize they may not return home for many months, growing numbers are looking for voluntary or paid work to help their fellow homeless.
• No need for Iran's forces in Iraq's ISIL fight, says Cmdr ISNA 22 Sep 2014 -- A senior Iranian military commander said there is no need for the involvement of Iranian armed forces in Iraq's ongoing battle against ISIL terrorists operating in the Arab state.
• Iraqi army breaks siege on ISIL-besieged troopers Iran Press TV 22 Sep 2014 -- Iraqi army forces, backed by volunteer fighters, have managed to break a siege by ISIL Takfiri militants on hundreds of soldiers in an area of the western province of al-Anbar.
• Iraqi Army Uses Russian Anti-Tank Guided Missile Systems Against IS for First Time RIA Novosti 22 Sep 2014 -- The Iraqi army have used the Russian anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system Kornet for the first time, destroying five Islamic State (IS) armored vehicles in the central province of Diyala, Alsumaria TV channel reported on Monday.
• Ban welcomes release of Turkish hostages seized three months ago in Iraq UN News Centre 22 Sep 2014 -- The UN refugee agency today announced that it is boosting efforts to help the Turkish Government assist some 130,000 Syrians who have crossed into Turkey since Friday.
• 130,000 Syrian Kurds Flee to Turkey as IS Nears Border VOA 22 Sep 2014 -- More than 130,000 refugees have flooded into Turkey from Syria in the past few days, as the jihadist group Islamic State bears down on the Syrian border town of Kobane. Turkish authorities clashed with hundreds of Kurdish protesters, many of whom want to cross into Syria to defend fellow Kurds from the onslaught. The militant group, also known as ISIS, released a statement Monday urging Muslims to kill Westerners whose countries have joined the campaign against it.
• New clashes erupt at Syria-Turkey border Iran Press TV 22 Sep 2014 -- Clashes have once again erupted in Turkey's southern region of Morshid-pinar near Syria's border where a massive influx of Syrian Kurds has been fleeing the advancing Takfiri ISIL terrorists.
• Kurdish fighters halt ISIL advance in northern Syria Iran Press TV 22 Sep 2014 -- Syrian Kurdish fighters say they have stopped the ISIL Takfiri militants' advance to the east of the town of Ain al-Arab, known as Kobani to the Kurds, in northern Syria.
• Ankara Says More Than 130,000 Syrian Kurds Have Fled To Turkey RFE/RL 22 Sep 2014 -- Ankara says more than 130,000 Syrian Kurds have crossed into Turkey over the past two days as they flee an advance by Islamic State (IS) jihadists.
• Kurds Battle IS in Syria as Refugee Wave Tops 130,000 VOA 22 Sep 2014 -- Kurdish fighters in northern Syria continue to defend a border town from Islamic State militants as the number of area residents fleeing to neighboring Turkey tops 130,000.
• Libyan Displaced Receive Emergency Aid VOA 22 Sep 2014 -- A U.N. truck convoy carrying emergency supplies for nearly seven-thousand displaced people arrived Monday in western Libya. The number of displaced is growing as fighting between rival factions and militias continues.
• 'Half-Coup' in Yemen Muddles Security, Politics VOA 22 Sep 2014 -- Shi'ite rebels in Yemen celebrated with fireworks in the capital of Sana'a on Monday, 24 hours after signing a peace deal with the president to expand their political role.
• Yemen: Ban welcomes signing of UN-brokered agreement as step towards peace, stability UN News Centre 22 Sep 2014 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling for the implementation "in full, without delay" of a newly-agreed peace deal in Yemen which strives to end violence that has killed and displaced hundreds of people in recent weeks.
• Accountability for Israeli, Palestinian rights violations vital for peace - UN official UN News Centre 22 Sep 2014 -- A senior United Nations official today urged both the Israeli and Palestinian sides to carry out their own investigations into the recent conflict and take steps to ensure accountability for violations of international human rights and humanitarian law that were committed.
• Absence of 'credible political solution' causing severe consequences in Middle East: UN chief UN News Centre 22 Sep 2014 -- The absence of a credible political solution is having "severe consequences" on the Middle East, said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today as he urged all parties to reverse the negative trend toward hostilities and return to peace talks that tackle the root causes of the crisis.
• Scores Killed in South Sudan Fighting as Peace Talks Resume VOA 22 Sep 2014 -- Peace talks for South Sudan resumed Monday in Ethiopia, as a spokesman for the South Sudan army said nearly 180 troops from both sides in the nine-month conflict were killed in new clashes in Upper Nile state.
• DR Congo: Ban says recommitment to peace framework critical to addressing root cause of conflict UN News Centre 22 Sep 2014 -- United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon today said that addressing the root causes of the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the region requires a recommitment to all national and regional commitments under the agreed-to peace Framework.

News Reports

• ISIL releases new message, threatening US and its allies Iran Press TV 22 Sep 2014 -- The ISIL terrorist group has released a new, alarming audio message on the Internet, threatening to take violent action against the United States and its Western allies.
• IS Urges Followers to Attack Nations Forming Coalition Against Group: Reports RIA Novosti 22 Sep 2014 -- The Islamic State has released a message calling on its supporters to kill citizens of the countries involved in US operations against the jihadist group, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported Monday.
• IS Urges Attacks on Citizens of Coalition Members VOA 22 Sep 2014 -- The Islamic State group urged its followers on Monday to attack citizens of the United States, France and other countries that have joined a coalition to destroy the militant group.
• Australia May Introduce 'No-Go Zones' Amid Islamic State Threats: Review RIA Novosti 22 Sep 2014 -- A new anti-terrorism measure banning citizens from traveling to certain "no-go zones" will be introduced to the Australian parliament on Wednesday as a groundbreaking response to the rise of foreigners joining the Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq, the Guardian reported on Monday.
• Kerry: Islamic State Group Threatens Entire Middle East VOA 22 Sep 2014 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says Islamic State militants threaten the entire Middle East, and the international community can not allow that threat to go unchecked.
• President: Irans leadership, people share single view on nuclear issue IRNA 22 Sep 2014 -- Iranian leadership and its people share one single view on the countrys peaceful nuclear activities and are not to give up their legitimate nuclear rights, President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday.
• Iran, US FMs meet in New York ISNA 22 Sep 2014 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and US Secretary of State John Kerry discussed key issues related to Iranian nuclear program in New York.
• Iran will never give up peaceful nuclear rights: Rouhani Iran Press TV 22 Sep 2014 -- Iran's President Hassan Rouhani says the Islamic Republic will never give up its right to peaceful use of nuclear energy, vowing to continue the nuclear path for the country's development.
• Newly-detected bird flu in Southeast Asia poses threat to animal health, people's livelihoods UN News Centre 22 Sep 2014 -- The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today warned that a recently-emerged strain of avian influenza virus detected in poultry in Southeast Asia presents a new threat to animal health and livelihoods and must be closely monitored.
• Advance team of UN mission for Ebola response arrives in West Africa UN News Centre 22 Sep 2014 -- Laying the groundwork for the effective and coherent action necessary to stop the Ebola outbreak in West Africa that has sickened more than 5,800 people and killed some 2,800, an advance team of the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response arrived today in Accra, Ghana to set up the operation's headquarters.
• Ebola Death Toll Rises, But Virus 'Contained' in Nigeria, Senegal VOA 22 Sep 2014 -- The World Health Organization says Ebola outbreaks in Nigeria and Senegal appear to have been stopped, though the regional death toll from the disease has climbed past 2,800.
• West Africa gears up to contain Ebola spread IRIN 22 Sep 2014 -- As the Ebola caseload rises to over 5,350, aid agencies and governments in countries not yet affected by the deadly virus are gearing up for its potential spread across new borders by pre-positioning supplies, training health workers, identifying isolation centres, and disseminating prevention campaign messages, among other activities.
• Briefing: Ebola lessons from Uganda IRIN 22 Sep 2014 -- Uganda's first Ebola outbreak in the northern district of Gulu in 2000 infected 425 people and killed 224. The second outbreak in 2007 killed 37 people in the western district of Bundibugyo, and an outbreak in 2011 in central Luwero District killed one person. A July 2012 outbreak in the western district of Kibaale infected 24 and killed 17 people; and a December 2012 outbreak in Luwero killed four, according to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
• Russian Diplomat: Moscow Against Dividing Caspian Sea Into Sectors RIA Novosti 22 Sep 2014 -- Moscow opposes the division of the Caspian Sea into national sectors of the coastal states, the Russian president's envoy for border demarcation issues said Monday.
• Pakistan Appoints New ISI Chief RFE/RL 22 Sep 2014 -- Pakistan has appointed a new head for its most powerful intelligence agency.
• Mossad's Genius Mastermind Mike Harari Dies at 87 RIA Novosti 22 Sep 2014 -- Mike Harari, a legendary officer of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad and an innovative mastermind of clandestine operations has passed away at age of 87.
• Anti-terror guidelines issued People's Daily 22 Sep 2014 -- China will punish people who verbally abuse or assault others they consider 'heretics' or 'religious traitors,' say new national guidelines that provide the first clear legal definitions for crimes connected with terror activities.
• Ming Dynasty Admiral Key in China's Promotion of Sea Links VOA 22 Sep 2014 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's landmark visit to South Asia last week was an opportunity for China to try to ease tensions with its big neighbor India. It was also a chance to promote what Beijing calls the "Maritime Silk Road."
• MAVEN Spacecraft Enters Mars' Orbit: NASA RIA Novosti 22 Sep 2014 -- MAVEN spacecraft has entered Mars' upper atmosphere, the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) reported.
• NASA's MAVEN Spacecraft Arrives on Mars VOA 22 Sep 2014 -- A U.S. spacecraft has arrived at Mars to study the planet's upper atmosphere and help scientists answer questions about how its climate has changed over time.
• CEO: Rosatom to Eliminate Russia's Accumulated Radioactive Waste in 25 Years RIA Novosti 22 Sep 2014 -- Russian state-run nuclear corporation Rosatom plans to complete a major operation to eliminate accumulated radioactive waste in Russia in 20-25 years, General Director of Rosatom Sergei Kiriyenko said Monday.
• Russia, South Africa Sign Nuclear-Power Deal RFE/RL 22 Sep 2014 -- Russia and South Africa have signed a multibillion-dollar deal on nuclear-power cooperation that paves the way for the building of reactors based on Russian technology.
• Russia, South Africa Agree Cooperation in Nuclear Energy RIA Novosti 22 Sep 2014 -- Russia and South Africa have signed an intergovernmental agreement for a strategic partnership in the nuclear energy sector opening the possibility of the construction of nuclear reactors in South Africa with the use of Russian technologies, state nuclear corporation Rosatom said Monday.