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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 07 Oct 2014 [PDF]
• US Calls Kobani Airstrikes 'Useful' as Kurds Seek More Support VOA 07 Oct 2014 -- The United States is calling an air campaign near the embattled Syrian border city of Kobani 'useful' against the Islamic State onslaught, while pro-Kurdish protesters pleaded with governments from Ankara to Paris for greater support.
• Airstrikes Pound ISIL in Syria, Iraq AFPS 07 Oct 2014 -- U.S. and partner-nation military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria yesterday and today, using attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft to conduct nine airstrikes, U.S. Central Command officials reported.
• New US-led Airstrikes, but Kobani Expected to Fall to IS VOA 07 Oct 2014 -- The U.S.-led coalition has launched more airstrikes Tuesday, but the latest round in Syria has failed to stop the advance of Islamic State militants on the border town of Kobani.
• US-led airstrikes hit areas near Kobani Iran Press TV 07 Oct 2014 -- US-led coalition airstrikes on Tuesday hit ISIL positions near the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani as criticism is mounting against Washington for failing to loosen ISIL grip.
• Statement by the Press Secretary on the Canadian Decision to Authorize Military Force Against ISIL The White House 07 Oct 2014
• Netherlands Air Force Conducts First Airstrikes Against IS in Iraq: Defense Ministry RIA Novosti 07 Oct 2014 -- The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) carried out its first airstrikes against the positions of the Islamic State (IS) militant group, the Dutch Ministry of Defense said in a statement published on its official website Tuesday.
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by General Rodriguez in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 07 Oct 2014 -- Presenters: Commander, U.S. Africa Command General David M. Rodriguez
• Rodriguez Pledges Every Effort to Protect Military From Ebola AFPS 07 Oct 2014 -- Everything possible will be done to mitigate risks of exposure to Ebola by U.S. military personnel deployed to Liberia to contain the epidemic, the commander of U.S. Africa Command said today.

Defense Policy / Programs

• 3-D long-range radar contract awarded AFNS 07 Oct 2014 -- The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's (LCMC) Theater Battle Control Division awarded a contract to the Raytheon Company for the service's next generation of long-range radars Oct. 6.
• DoD Seeks Next-generation Technologies, Kendall Says AFPS 07 Oct 2014 -- The Defense Department is starting a long-range research and development initiative intended specifically to deliver technologies capable of providing the next generation of dominance on the battlefield, the undersecretary of defense for acquisitions, technology and logistics said today.
• Philippine and U.S. Marines complete a mechanized assault at PHIBLEX 15 USMC News 07 Oct 2014 -- Philippine and U.S. Marines conducted an amphibious mechanized assault as part of Amphibious Landing Exercise 15 on Oct. 5, 2014
• USS WASP Returns to Naval Station Norfolk NNS 07 Oct 2014 -- The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) departed BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair after a yearlong dry-dock phased maintenance availability (DPMA) to return to her homeport, Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, Sept. 30.
• USS Mesa Verde Visits Split, Croatia NNS 07 Oct 2014 -- The USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19), arrived in Split, Croatia, for a port visit, Oct. 6.
• Navy Study Confirms Vaccine Effectiveness in Recruits NNS 07 Oct 2014 -- A recent study led by the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) in San Diego confirmed the effectiveness of the adenovirus vaccine after observing a 100-fold decline in respiratory illnesses in U.S. military recruits.
• USS Mesa Verde Sailors Conduct VBSS Training with Croatian, Slovenian Navies NNS 07 Oct 2014 -- Sailors from the amphibious transport dock ship USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19) participated in joint training for visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) procedures with members of the Croatian and Slovenian navies during a scheduled port visit to Split, Croatia Oct. 7.
• Peru Hosts SIFOREX 2014 with Participation from Brazil, Colombia and the United States Navies NNS 07 Oct 2014 -- Naval forces from four partner nations concluded Silent Forces Exercise (SIFOREX) 2014 in Lima, Peru, Oct. 7.
• US conducting military drills with China, Australia Iran Press TV 07 Oct 2014 -- The United States, China, and Australia are conducting military exercises in the Asia-Pacific region amid escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing.
• Gitmo hunger striker appeals to court Iran Press TV 07 Oct 2014 -- A Syrian hunger striker at Guantanamo Bay prison has appealed to a US court in order to stop his force-feeding process.
• IS Attack on Turkey Would Challenge NATO VOA 07 Oct 2014 -- The advance of militant Islamic State fighters in Syria to within a few kilometers of the Turkish border is raising concerns the group might attack inside Turkey, a NATO member, possibly requiring a response by the alliance.
• Rights Activists Question US Arms Sales to Vietnam VOA 07 Oct 2014 -- The announcement last week that the United States is partially lifting an arms ban on Vietnam has been welcomed as an important step in warming ties between the two nations. However, human rights activists have criticized the move.
• Russian Finance Minister Says Country Can't Afford Current Military Spending RFE/RL 07 Oct 2014 -- Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said the country's military spending plans need to be 'more realistic' and take into consideration forecasts for economic growth and budget revenue.
• Russia's Third Borey-Class Nuclear Sub Completes State Trials: Shipyard RIA Novosti 07 Oct 2014 -- Russia's third Borey-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, the Vladimir Monomakh, has finished a comprehensive state trials program in preparation for commissioning with the Navy, the Sevmash shipyard said Tuesday.
• Entire Russian Air Force Participates in Civil Defense Drills: Emergencies Ministry RIA Novosti 07 Oct 2014 -- The entire Russian Air Force is taking part in the All-Russian Civil Defense Drill, Emergencies Ministry spokesman Alexander Drobyshevsky said Tuesday.
• Ukraine Targets Former Top Military Brass With Criminal Probe RIA Novosti 07 Oct 2014 -- Ukraine has launched a criminal probe against a number of former top military commanders over their failure to ensure combat readiness of the country's armed forces since 1996, Ukraine's chief military prosecutor said Tuesday.
• Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Josh Earnest en route New York, New York The White House 07 Oct 2014
• 07 October 2014 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 07 Oct 2014

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 07, 2014
• Russia's Defense Sector to be 'Pillar of Support' in Difficult Time: Official RIA Novosti 07 Oct 2014 -- In light of the current standoff with the West over Ukraine, Russia's defense industry and the armed forces must become a pillar of support to the president, along with diplomats and politicians, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Tuesday.

Other Conflicts

• 7 October 2014 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 07 Oct 2014
• Beyond worsening humanitarian situation, Iraq faces 'crisis of spirit' - UN relief official UN News Centre 07 Oct 2014 -- The deteriorating humanitarian situation in Iraq is more than a crisis of food and shelter, it is a "crisis of spirit" that requires urgent action from the international community, the Deputy United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq said today.
• Iraq army clears 5,000 square kilometers of ISIL: Prime minister Iran Press TV 07 Oct 2014 -- Iraq's prime minister says the country's armed forces have cleared about 5,000 square kilometers of the Iraqi territory of the ISIL Takfiri militants.
• Islamic State Aiming to Seize Iraq's Water Infrastructure: Reports RIA Novosti 07 Oct 2014 -- Islamic State (IS) militants are cutting off water supplies to villages in northern Iraq in an attempt to assume control of Iraq's water infrastructure, The Washington Post stated Tuesday.
• US: Syrian Government Forces Will Not Be Part of Islamic State Fight VOA 07 Oct 2014 -- Syria and Russia say the international coalition against the Islamic State would be more effective if it included Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. But, the Obama administration is determined to keep its fight against Damascus separate from the battle against the Islamic State.
• 200 Syrian Kurds killed while defending Kobani against ISIL Iran Press TV 07 Oct 2014 -- Nearly 200 Syrian Kurds have lost their lives while defending the town of Kobani against the ISIL militants' attempts to capture the city.
• Urban warfare in Kobani goes on between Kurds, ISIL Iran Press TV 07 Oct 2014 -- Urban warfare between the ISIL Takfiri terrorists and Kurdish forces in Syria's border town of Kobani has spread to new neighborhoods.
• Clashes Resume Between IS Fighters, Kurdish Defenders in Kobani: Reports RIA Novosti 07 Oct 2014 -- Street battles have resumed on Tuesday in the Syrian Kurds' border town of Kobani, which is overrun by Islamic State militants, Al-Mayadeen television channel said.
• Kobani Death Toll Exceeds 400: Syrian Observatory for Human Rights RIA Novosti 07 Oct 2014 -- More than 400 people have died during the 20 days of clashes between the Kurdish fighters and the Islamic State (IS) militants in the Syrian town of Kobani on the border with Turkey, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Tuesday.
• Turkey's President Says Ground Operation Necessary to Counter Islamic State RIA Novosti 07 Oct 2014 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticized Western countries on Tuesday for their policy of non-interference in Syria and Iraq, stressing that airstrikes without a ground operation will not stop the advance of the Islamic State (IS) militants.
• Turkish Police Dispersing Demonstrations in Support of Kurds Fighting IS in Syrian Kobani RIA Novosti 07 Oct 2014 -- Turkish police are dispersing demonstrations across the country in support of the Kurdish population of the besieged Syrian town of Kobani on the border with Turkey, currently facing the advance of the Islamic State (IS), Turkish newspaper Today's Zaman reported Tuesday.
• UN concerned over safety of civilians as ISIL intensifies offensive in Syrian border town UN News Centre 07 Oct 2014 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the United Nations human rights office today voiced their grave concern for the safety of civilians caught up in the ongoing offensive by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) on the northern Syrian town of Ayn al-Arab, also known as Kobane.
• Pro-Kurdish Protesters Clash with Turkish Police; 1 Dead VOA 07 Oct 2014 -- One person was killed in southeast Turkey on Tuesday as police clashed with hundreds of pro-Kurdish protesters demonstrating against the country's inaction toward Islamic State militants.
• North, South Korean Warships Exchange Warning Shots VOA 07 Oct 2014 -- North and South Korean warships exchanged warning shots near a disputed sea border Tuesday, days after the two sides agreed to high-level talks that many hope could improve inter-Korean relations.
• Two Koreas trade machine gun fires in western sea border: Yonhap People's Daily 07 Oct 2014 -- Naval ships of the two Koreas traded warning fires in the western sea boundary after a patrol ship of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) violated the disputed maritime border, Yonhap News Agency and YTN reported Tuesday.
• Warships of Koreas exchange fire near yellow sea Iran Press TV 07 Oct 2014 -- North and South Korean patrol boats have exchanged fire near the disputed Yellow Sea border, the South Korean Defense Ministry says.
• Nearly 1,000 Servicemen Killed in East Ukraine Hostilities: Military Prosecutor RIA Novosti 07 Oct 2014 -- A total of 953 Ukrainian servicemen have been killed and 3,627 injured since the Kiev government started a military operation to crack down on independence supporters in the east of the country, Ukraine's chief military prosecutor said Tuesday.
• UN envoy urges greater civilian protection as South Sudan faces daunting challenges UN News Centre 07 Oct 2014 -- Amid a vast population of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and ongoing ethnic tensions, the challenges in South Sudan continue to remain "enormous," the head of the United Nations mission in the African country acknowledged today.
• UN Official: Peacekeepers in S. Sudan to Extend Patrols Outside Camps VOA 07 Oct 2014 -- The top United Nations official in South Sudan says peacekeepers are set to increase patrols outside their bases, to protect civilians living in fighting zones. Reaching those displaced by violence remains a challenge for the U.N.
• Report: 11,000 Dead in Boko Haram Insurgency VOA 07 Oct 2014 -- A new report says at least 11,000 people have been killed as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency in northeastern Nigeria.
• Lebanon: UN mission calls for restraint following explosion, retaliatory fire UN News Centre 07 Oct 2014 -- The United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon today urged maximum restraint after two Israeli soldiers were wounded in the Shaba'a area as a result of an improvised explosive device, and Israel retaliated with artillery fire towards the area of Kfar Shouba hills.
• Analysis: Donors threaten to withhold Gaza aid IRIN 07 Oct 2014 -- Days ahead of a key meeting in Cairo on rebuilding Gaza in the wake of last summer's bombardment by Israel, the prospect of forking out more millions has left international donors with a frustrating sense of déjà vu: they were in the same position in 2009 and 2012. This time, there's a real risk their funding will be meager in the absence of real commitments from both Israel and the main Palestinian factions.
• Villagers leave their homes amid violent clashes in Kashmir Iran Press TV 07 Oct 2014 -- Thousands of people have abandoned their homes in the disputed Kashmir region, following deadly cross-border clashes between Pakistan and India.

News Reports

• HK's Occupy Central participants urged to reflect People's Daily 07 Oct 2014 -- Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying urged protesters and students camping out on the city's thoroughfares on Monday to reflect on the inconveniences they have imposed on the public.
• Hong Kong Talks Set for Friday VOA 07 Oct 2014 -- Hong Kong students and government officials said they have reached an agreement to begin formal talks on demands for political reforms later this week.
• Chinese Government Removes Phantom Staff Amid Anti-Corruption Campaign: Reports RIA Novosti 07 Oct 2014 -- The Chinese government has cleared 162,629 phantom workers from its payroll since a national anti-corruption campaign was launched by President Xi Jinping in 2012, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.
• Velayati: Iran never gives up its legitimate rights IRNA 07 Oct 2014 -- Head of Strategic Research Center of the Expediency Council Ali Akbar Velayati said on Tuesday that the Islamic Republic of Iran has not violated laws and it will under no circumstances give up its legitimate rights.
• Zarif: Wests excessive demands an obstacle to reach agreement IRNA 07 Oct 2014 -- French ex-Prime Minister and former Foreign Minister Dominique De Villepin, who is in Tehran, conferred with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday.
• Zarif: West's 'excessive demands' obstacle to agreeement ISNA 07 Oct 2014 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said 'excessive demands' of some G5+1 members have been the obstacle to reach an agreement.
• South Korean Prime Minister Claims North Korea's Nuclear Reactor Up and Running RIA Novosti 07 Oct 2014 -- North Korea's nuclear reactor is thought to likely to be up and running according to a South Korean Foreign Minister, who has dismissed a US think tank's report suggesting that the Yongbyon reactor was shut down by Pyongyang.
• UN budget committee approves funding for UN Ebola response mission UN News Centre 07 Oct 2014 -- The United Nations committee that deals with administrative and budgetary issues today adopted a resolution allocating funding for the newly established UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) and the Office of the Special Envoy on Ebola.
• Obama: Countries Must Step Up Aggressively to Ebola Fight AFPS 07 Oct 2014 -- The nation is profoundly grateful to U.S. medical, development and military personnel who are serving in the fight against Ebola in West Africa, and other nations must step up more aggressively to stop the deadly epidemic at its source, President Barack Obama said yesterday.
• Troops prepare for Sierra Leone Ebola duty UK MOD 07 Oct 2014 -- Armed Forces Minister Mark Francois has praised military personnel going through medical training to help tackle Ebola in west Africa.
• Officials Probe How Spanish Nurse Caught Ebola VOA 07 Oct 2014 -- Spanish officials are investigating how a nurse in Madrid contracted the Ebola virus, becoming the first person known to catch the virus outside West Africa, the flashpoint of the current outbreak.
• Islamic State Said to Issue Rules for Reporters VOA 07 Oct 2014 -- Islamic State militants are said to have issued a detailed list of requirements for journalists in Deir al-Zour, Syria. The media group Syria Deeply quotes a reporter identified as 'Amer' as having attended a meeting between Islamic State media staff and the few local journalists who stayed after the IS advance into Deir al-Zour. The list could not be independently confirmed.
• IS Poses Threat to Singapore: Deputy Prime Minister RIA Novosti 07 Oct 2014 -- Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is also the country's Interior Minister, said Tuesday that the Islamic State (IS) poses a threat to the country, Business Standard reported.
• Pakistan, Afghanistan Confront IS Threat VOA 07 Oct 2014 -- There are signs the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization is making inroads among militants operating in Pakistan.
• Myanmar Pardons 3,000 Prisoners VOA 07 Oct 2014 -- Myanmar's government announced it will free more than 3,000 prisoners before the country hosts a major regional political summit next month.
• Russia Testing New-Generation Nuclear Fuel: State Nuclear Research Institute RIA Novosti 07 Oct 2014 -- Russian nuclear experts are currently testing a new nuclear fuel, which could become a gateway to new-generation nuclear power technologies, Evgeny Adamov, scientific leader at the NIKIET government research institute said Tuesday.
• Russia to Launch Development of Small, Medium-Capacity Nuclear Power Units: Rosatom RIA Novosti 07 Oct 2014 -- Russia's state-run nuclear corporation Rosatom is launching a program on the development of nuclear power units of small and medium-level capacity, Rosatom's deputy director, Vyacheslav Pershukov, said Tuesday.
• Ukraine Wants New IMF Bailout as War Squeezes Economy VOA 07 Oct 2014 -- As the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank gets underway in Washington, Ukraine wants to adjust the terms of its $17 billion bailout. Kyiv says the country is now at war and needs to build new armed forces. But some analysts say the terms of the loans could backfire on Ukraine's economy.
• Haiti: despite death of former President, UN urges continued probes into alleged abuses UN News Centre 07 Oct 2014 -- It is "essential" that legal proceedings and investigations against individuals associated with former Haitian President Jean-Claude Duvalier continue despite the former leader's recent passing, the United Nations human rights office urged today.
• Hague Court Opens Kenyatta Status Hearing VOA 07 Oct 2014 -- The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) has begun a two-day status hearing on the case against Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. The Kenyan leader faces crimes against humanity charges related to his alleged role in post-election violence seven years ago in Kenya. Kenyatta is expected to attend Wednesday's wrap-up hearing.