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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 15 Oct 2014 [PDF]
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Rear Adm. Kirby in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 15 Oct 2014 -- Presenter: Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby
• ISIL Forces Concentrating Around Kobani, Official Says AFPS 15 Oct 2014 -- While the Syrian border town of Kobani is itself not a strategic location, the number of airstrikes in the area has increased due to the concentration of terrorists there from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the Pentagon press secretary said today.
• US Bombs Targets in Northern Syria, Warns of Ongoing IS Threat VOA 15 Oct 2014 -- The Pentagon says U.S. warplanes are bombing targets in the Syrian border town of Kobani in support of the town's Kurdish defenders, while warning that Islamic State extremists could seize the embattled enclave.
• Centcom Designates Ops Against ISIL as 'Inherent Resolve' AFPS 15 Oct 2014 -- U.S. military operations in Iraq and Syria against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists have been designated as Operation Inherent Resolve, U.S. Central Command officials announced today.
• Airstrikes Continue Against ISIL Targets in Iraq, Syria AFPS 15 Oct 2014 -- U.S. military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists yesterday and today, conducting five airstrikes in Iraq and 18 airstrikes in Syria, U.S. Central Command officials reported.
• Kirby: Hagel Concerned About Treatment of Personnel Exposed to Iraqi Chemical Weapons AFPS 15 Oct 2014 -- The responsibility for investigating a report that service members received inadequate treatment following exposure to chemical weapons in Iraq will lie with the military services, Pentagon spokesman Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said today.
• Australian Anti-IS Forces Await Legal Protection Before Entering Iraq: Prime Minister RIA Novosti 15 Oct 2014 -- Some 200 Australian special forces sent to fight Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq are stuck at the border due to Baghdad's failure to offer sufficient legal protections, Australia-based media reported Wednesday citing Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Global Strike workshop delivers key planning strategies AFNS 15 Oct 2014 -- Airmen from Air Force Global Strike Command, along with representatives from the Air Staff, Pacific Air Forces and the Navy, participated in the Global Strike Workshop Oct. 6-10, here, to develop plans via a joint planning group to deal with contingencies in the context of unified engagement.
• Hagel Praises Army's Strength, Resilience AFPS 15 Oct 2014 -- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel commended the Army today for its contributions to national defense over the last 13 years of conflict and noted that demand for the things the Army does for the nation will not diminish during the period of uncertainty and change that lies ahead.
• USS La Jolla Bids Farewell to Pearl Harbor NNS 15 Oct 2014 -- An audience of Sailors, submarine veterans, and friends and families of the crew of USS La Jolla (SSN 701) gathered at Lockwood Hall Lanai at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Oct. 14, to bid farewell to the Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine, celebrating an active career spanning more than three decades.
• USS Constitution to Get Underway for Final Time Until 2018 NNS 15 Oct 2014 -- USS Constitution will get underway in Boston Harbor on Friday, Oct. 17, in commemoration of the U.S. Navy's 239th birthday and the ship's upcoming 217th birthday.
• Airmen support remote arctic operations AFNS 15 Oct 2014 -- Located just 508 miles from the North Pole and 1,140 miles north of the Arctic Circle, Canadian Forces Station Alert and its small contingent of personnel provides signals intelligence there and for its detachment stations.
• Pacific Pathways Increases Readiness Through Partnership AFPS 15 Oct 2014 -- The "Pacific Pathways" concept is an innovative and experimental approach to increasing Army readiness through partnership, the commander of U.S. Army Pacific said here yesterday.
• Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group Checks in to US 5th Fleet NNS 15 Oct 2014 -- The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group wrapped up operations in the Western Pacific and reported for duty in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility Oct. 15.
• LCAC Launches Fleet Survey Team for the First Time NNS 15 Oct 2014 -- Expeditionary Survey Vessels (ESV), assigned to the Fleet Survey Team (FST), launched from a Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) for the first time Oct. 9 during Amphibious Landing Exercise (PHIBLEX 15).
• NATO Naval Drills Begin in Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean NATO 15 Oct 2014 -- A large fleet of naval vessels is taking part in the multinational "Noble Justification" military exercise which is underway in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.
• Iran, Russia to hold joint naval drill in Caspian Sea IRNA 15 Oct 2014 -- Commander of Irans Navy Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said Iran and Russia are to carry out a joint military exercise in the Caspian Sea waters Wednesday afternoon.
• Pentagon selling military trucks to UAE Iran Press TV 15 Oct 2014 -- A US government official says the United Arab Emirates is planning to buy over 4,500 roadside-bomb protected trucks from the United States.
• Ukrainian Ex-Defense Minister Appointed Head of State Protection Service RIA Novosti 15 Oct 2014 -- Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Valeriy Heletei has been appointed head of the State Security Administration, a law-enforcement body providing security to state institutions and officials.
• Press Briefing by the Press Secretary, 10/15/2014 The White House 15 Oct 2014
• October 15, 2014 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 15 Oct 2014

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 15, 2014

Other Conflicts

• 15 October 2014 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 15 Oct 2014
• Qatar Plays Delicate Role in Coalition Against IS Group VOA 15 Oct 2014 -- With American jets launching bombing raids on militant targets in Iraq and Syria from one of its bases, Qatar is playing a crucial role in the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group. Doha also provides logistical support for the effort and expresses a strong backing for Washington's efforts.
• Remarks to the Press on Countering ISIL - Special Briefing by John Allen, Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL US Dept. of State 15 Oct 2014
• US Envoy Discusses Strategy for Building Syrian Opposition VOA 15 Oct 2014 -- U.S. special envoy General John Allen says it will take time to train and equip Syria's moderate opposition to fight Islamic State (IS) militants because several factors have to be considered. He commented following a trip to the Middle East, where he held talks with U.S. allies on building the U.S.-led coalition that is fighting the militants.
• UK mulls training 'moderate' Syria militants Iran Press TV 15 Oct 2014 -- UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon says British ministers are considering plans to train "moderate" militants operating in Syria to fight the ISIL terrorist group.
• Syria rejects buffer zones, pledges to maintain sovereignty Iran Press TV 15 Oct 2014 -- Syria has categorically rejected calls for the creation of buffer zones on its territory, saying it would treat any such bid as an act of aggression.
• Syria army retakes village near Aleppo Iran Press TV 15 Oct 2014 -- The Syrian army has captured a village in the countryside of Aleppo, marking the latest gain in a push to control the key city.
• Kerry puzzled by Turkish stance on ISIL at Paris presser Iran Press TV 15 Oct 2014 -- US Secretary of State John Kerry says Turkey will take part in the US-led coalition against ISIL on its own timetable, befogging the two countries' stance on the fight against terrorists even further.
• In Kobani, Kurd Fighters Help Coordinate Airstrikes on IS Targets VOA 15 Oct 2014 -- U.S.-led airstrikes killed at least 32 Islamic State fighters in direct hits in Kobani this week because of closer coordination with Kurdish forces on the ground, a monitoring group said, after bombing of the Syrian town intensified.
• UN envoy condemns killing of Iraqi politician as violence in country spikes UN News Centre 15 Oct 2014 -- The United Nations envoy for Iraq, Nickolay Mladenov, today voiced condemnation for the killing of an Iraqi politician amid an increase of violence in the Middle Eastern country.
• Libya's Haftar says ready to liberate Benghazi Iran Press TV 15 Oct 2014 -- Libya's retired General Khalifa Haftar has announced that his forces are ready to liberate the northeastern city of Benghazi from other armed groups.
• S. Korea, DPRK hold general-level military talks People's Daily 15 Oct 2014 -- South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) held general-level military talks on Wednesday at the truce village of Panmunjom, local media reported.
• North, South Korea hold senior-level military talks Iran Press TV 15 Oct 2014 -- North Korea and its southern neighbor have held senior-level military talks for the first time in seven years following a series of recent incidents on their land and maritime borders.
• Putin: Standoff Over Ukraine Threatens 'Strategic Stability' VOA 15 Oct 2014 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says tensions between Moscow and Washington over the Ukraine crisis threaten 'strategic stability,' and that his country will not be 'blackmailed' by Western sanctions.
• Putin, Poroshenko Discuss Ukraine Peace Measures RFE/RL 15 Oct 2014 -- The Kremlin says that the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko, have discussed possible measures to restore peace to eastern Ukraine.
• Ukraine Seen As Focus Of Putin's Talks In Milan RFE/RL 15 Oct 2014 -- The Ukraine crisis is expected to be the focus of meetings between Russian President Vladimir Putin and European leaders this week.
• Poroshenko: Poltorak Prevented Kharkiv From Declaring Independence RIA Novosti 15 Oct 2014 -- The National Guard's operations in Kharkiv, which kept the region from turning into a self-proclaimed republic, was one of the reasons why its commander was appointed Ukraine's new defense minister, President Petro Poroshenko said Wednesday.
• Ukraine Unilaterally Determines Border With Russia: Ukrainian Prime Minister RIA Novosti 15 Oct 2014 -- Kiev is currently unilaterally determining the border with Russia in certain areas, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Wednesday.
• 300,000 Pakistanis fled Balochistan since 2004: Report Iran Press TV 15 Oct 2014 -- Over 300,000 Pakistani people have fled the unrest in the country's southwestern Balochistan Province over the past ten years, a report says.
• Houthi Militias Enter Major Yemeni City of Ibb RIA Novosti 15 Oct 2014 -- Several thousand Houthi rebels have entered the city of Ibb in southwestern Yemen without any resistance from its three-million population or local security forces, an eyewitnesses told RIA Novosti on Wednesday.
• Column: Support Building for a Palestinian State VOA 15 Oct 2014 -- It was the sort of vote that's still hard to imagine taking place in the U.S. Congress: an overwhelming if non-binding endorsement of an independent Palestinian state by the British House of Commons.
• DR Congo: UN report spotlights human rights violations amid wider calls for security reform UN News Centre 15 Oct 2014 -- The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) must accelerate security sector reform and punish those who violate human rights in the name of the law, top United Nations officials declared today, amid reports of serious human rights violations in the African country.

News Reports

• Experts Divided Over Whether Sanctions Against Russia Are Working VOA 15 Oct 2014 -- After several rounds of international sanctions against Russia for its annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in March and support of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, experts are divided over whether they are working.
• Hong Kong Outraged as Camera Captures Police Beating Protester VOA 15 Oct 2014 -- Human rights groups are expressing outrage after several Hong Kong police were caught on camera beating an unarmed and handcuffed protester.
• Chinese State Media Allege US Backing of Protests VOA 15 Oct 2014 -- Chinese state run news media say the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong are backed by the United States. Analysts say it is a charge the Chinese government has made before.
• HK police arrest 45 protesters People's Daily 15 Oct 2014 -- Hong Kong's police said they arrested 45 people on Wednesday morning as they cleared Lung Wo Road in Admiralty. Traffic has been resumed on the road as of press time.
• How long can HK keep on squandering? People's Daily 15 Oct 2014 -- After one unreasonable demand after another, after every new incident of tedious political wrangling provoked by pan-democratic camps like the Civil Party, Hong Kong - a district which once surpassed the mainland in efficiency and ranked among the strongest in the world - is losing ground. Now beginning to blatantly break the law and defy public order, the Occupy Central movement has tuned into an unprecedented defiance against both central government and the local Hong Kong government.
• Clashes erupt between Hong Kong police, protesters Iran Press TV 15 Oct 2014 -- Clashes have broken out in Hong Kong between anti-election law protesters and police clearing an underpass near the city's government headquarters.
• US: Nuclear Talks With Iranian FM Zarif 'Very Concrete' VOA 15 Oct 2014 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif met Wednesday in Vienna for talks on international efforts to limit Iran's nuclear program.
• Kerry, Iranian FM in Vienna for Nuclear Talks VOA 15 Oct 2014 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif are meeting in Vienna Wednesday to discuss international efforts to limit Iran's nuclear program.
• Ebola response in 'high-gear' as UN official warns 'things will get worse before they improve' UN News Centre 15 Oct 2014 -- The United Nations continues to ramp-up its Ebola response, reaching more than 530,000 people with food assistance in hard-hit Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, and, in the latter country, gathering survivors for a meeting to help deal with the psychological aftermath and stigma they face re-entering their communities.
• Obama: Risk of Widespread US Ebola Outbreak 'Very, Very Low' VOA 15 Oct 2014 -- President Barack Obama says the risk of a widespread Ebola outbreak in the United States is 'very, very low,' if all the proper protections are taken.
• Remarks by the President After Meeting on the Government's Response to Ebola The White House 15 Oct 2014
• On World Day, UN spotlights handwashing as vital tool in fight against Ebola UN News Centre 15 Oct 2014 -- As the world celebrates the seventh annual Global Handwashing Day, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is spotlighting how the simple practice not only saves lives, but is also instrumental in the fight against Ebola.
• Falling Oil Prices Spell Trouble For Some, But Could Also Boost Global Growth RFE/RL 15 Oct 2014 -- Suddenly, the world seems to be awash in oil, with benchmark Brent crude that sold for $110 a barrel in June dropping to under $88 a barrel on October 13.