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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 23 Oct 2014 [PDF]
• Analysis: Concerns Rise About US Intel Capabilities on IS VOA 23 Oct 2014 -- Concerns about the capabilities of U.S. intelligence agencies have been steadily rising, sparked in part by comments from President Barack Obama that they "underestimated" the rise of the group known as Islamic State.
• Hagel Says Strategy Against ISIL is Working AFPS 23 Oct 2014 -- The U.S.-led strategy to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is working, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said today, but emphasized that the fight against the terrorist group will be a "complicated, difficult contest."
• Airstrikes Against ISIL Continue in Iraq, Syria AFPS 23 Oct 2014 -- U.S. military forces continued to attack terrorists from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Syria yesterday and today, using fighter and bomber aircraft to conduct six airstrikes, U.S. Central Command officials reported.
• Four US-led airstrikes target oil field in east Syria Iran Press TV 23 Oct 2014 -- The US-led coalition has reportedly launched four airstrikes on an oil field in eastern Syria.
• Activists: US-led Airstrikes Killed 553 in Syria VOA 23 Oct 2014 -- Syrian activists said a month of U.S.-led airstrikes in Syria has killed 553 people, mostly militants from the Islamic State group and al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front.
• US to take airport in Iraq's Kurdistan as military airbase: Officials Iran Press TV 23 Oct 2014 -- The United States reportedly plans to take control of a strategic airport in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan and use the site as a military airbase in the region.
• Health Chief Outlines Precautions for Ebola Response Troops AFPS 23 Oct 2014 -- Fighting the West Africa Ebola epidemic is immediately and strategically important to the United States, and the Defense Department is taking every precaution to minimize risk to deployed troops, the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs said in a recent interview.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Joint Communiqué: The 46th ROK-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting 23 Oct 2014 -- The 46th United States-Republic of Korea (U.S.-ROK) Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) was held in Washington D.C. on October 23, 2014. U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and ROK Minster of National Defense Han Min-koo led their respective delegations, which included senior defense and foreign affairs officials. Before the SCM, the U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin E. Dempsey, and the ROK Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Choi Yoon-hee, presided over the 39th U.S.-ROK Military Committee Meeting (MCM) on October 22, 2014.
• U.S., South Korea reach agreement for wartime control of forces DoD 23 Oct 2014 -- Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and South Korean Minister of National Defense Han Min-koo met today here for the 46th Security Consultative Meeting.
• Press Briefing by Secretary Hagel and ROK Minister of National Defense Han Min Koo in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 23 Oct 2014 -- Presenters: Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel; Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Korea Han Min Koo; Rear Admiral John Kirby, Press Secretary; Colonel William Weber (Ret.), Korean War Veteran
• Hagel Details U.S., South Korean Wartime Control Agreement AFPS 23 Oct 2014 -- The United States and South Korea have agreed to delay the scheduled 2015 transfer of wartime operational control of allied forces on the peninsula to the government in Seoul because of an evolving security environment, including what both governments called the "intensifying" missile and nuclear threat posed by North Korea.
• US, S. Korea Delay Transfer of Wartime Forces Control VOA 23 Oct 2014 -- The United States has agreed to an indefinite delay in handing over wartime control of troops on the Korean peninsula to South Korea. The U.S. has held wartime authority over South Korean troops since the Korean War in the early 1950s. A transfer of authority had been scheduled for next year.
• Navy Harvests Decommissioned Frigates' Weapon Systems for Coast Guard Use NNS 23 Oct 2014 -- Engineers at Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station (NAVSSES), Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division are harvesting weapon system components from decommissioned U.S. Navy frigates (FFGs) for re-use on Coast Guard cutters.
• Department of Energy Awards NDW Energy Program NNS 23 Oct 2014 -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Federal Interagency Energy Policy Committee have selected the Naval District Washington (NDW) and Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Washington energy program for a 2014 Federal Energy and Water Management Award.
• Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's Phone Call with Iraqi Minister of Defense Khaled al Obeidi. DoD 23 Oct 2014
• Space surveillance satellite flies past 4th anniversary AFNS 23 Oct 2014 -- Members of the 1st Space Operations Squadron gathered to celebrate the Space-Based Space Surveillance Satellite's (SBSS) fourth anniversary on orbit recently.
• China criticizes U.S. for X-band radar deployment in Kyoto People's Daily 23 Oct 2014 -- China on Thursday criticized countries involved in anti-missile system deployment in the Asia-Pacific region, pointing specifically at a U.S. X-band radar deployment in Kyoto, Japan.
• Kerry: US May Reduce Military Presence in Asia if Pyongyang Resumes Nuclear Talks RIA Novosti 23 Oct 2014 -- The US is ready to decrease its military force in Asia in the event North Korea resumes negotiations on its nuclear program, reaffirms its commitment to non-proliferation and is ready to destroy all of its nuclear weapons, John Kerry, the US Secretary of State said Wednesday.
• MWSS-373 Marines build up for Pacific Horizon 2015 USMC News 23 Oct 2014 -- Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 373, Combat Engineers Platoon, erected a multipurpose building (SWA hut) during exercise Pacific Horizon 2015 aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Oct. 21-22.
• US and Philippine Seabees Further Cooperation NNS 23 Oct 2014 -- The 30th Naval Construction Regiment (30th NCR) hosted Navy Seabees from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) during a bilateral exchange between the two naval construction forces Oct. 13-22.
• Russia Denies Estonian Airspace Violation RFE/RL 23 Oct 2014 -- Moscow has denied claims of an incursion by a Russian military plane into Estonia's airspace.
• China, Iran Rapprochement Needs Closer Military Ties: Chinese Defense Minister RIA Novosti 23 Oct 2014 -- China wants to strengthen its military ties with Iran, the nation's Defense Minister said today, confirming Beijing's commitment to expand diplomatic and political connections with Tehran despite concerns over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.
• Iran waiting for Lebanons response to send military aid IRNA 23 Oct 2014 -- Iran is still waiting for response from Lebanon to dispatch military aid for the Lebanese army in its fight against Takfiri terrorists, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said on Thursday.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 10/23/2014 The White House 23 Oct 2014
• October 23, 2014 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 23 Oct 2014

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 23, 2014
• Lockheed Martin, Turkish Contractor to Build Missiles for F-35 RIA Novosti 23 Oct 2014 -- The US military contractor Lockheed Martin has signed off on a deal to produce cruise missiles for fifth generation fighter jets F-35 in partnership with the Turkish firm Roketsan, a statement published on Lockheed Martin's website said.
• US Suppliers' Fight Over Military Contract to Take Months to Resolve: General Counsel RIA Novosti 23 Oct 2014 -- US Military Supplier Northrop Grumman and its rival Raytheon will not get a resolution until next year, regarding their contract battle over the newest ground based radar system for the US Air Force, Government Accountability Office (GAO) Associate General Counsel Ralph White said Wednesday.

Other Conflicts

• 23 October 2014 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 23 Oct 2014
• Jordan's Battle With Islamic State Militants Carries Domestic Risks VOA 23 Oct 2014 -- Gains by Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria and Iraq are heightening concerns in neighboring Jordan, which is struggling to shelter 600,000 refugees from Syria's civil strife and dealing with a backlash from Islamist groups within its own borders.
• ISIL launches chemical attack in eastern Kobani: Kurds Iran Press TV 23 Oct 2014 -- Kurdish fighters defending the Syrian city of Kobani against the ISIL say the Takfiri militants have used chemical weapons.
• Turkey To Allow 200 Peshmerga Fighters Passage To Kobani RFE/RL 23 Oct 2014 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says some 200 Iraqi Kurd Peshmerga forces will be allowed to transit Turkey to help Syrian Kurds fight against Islamic State (IS) militants in the besieged town of Kobani.
• Islamic State Obtaining US Weapons Due to Lack of US-Syria Cooperation: Moscow RIA Novosti 23 Oct 2014 -- Islamic State (IS) fighters are seizing US-made weapons destined for the Kurdish forces because Washington is refusing to cooperate with Damascus in its anti-terror operation, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Alexander Lukashevich said Thursday.
• Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament Approves Sending Forces to Kobani: Kurdish Political Party RIA Novosti 23 Oct 2014 -- The Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament has approved sending Kurdish Peshmerga forces to the Syrian town of Kobani, besieged by Islamic State (IS) militants, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) said on its official website Thursday.
• As winter closes in, UN launches humanitarian appeal for Iraqis in need UN News Centre 23 Oct 2014 -- An estimated 2.8 million Iraqis lack food assistance while another 800,000 are in urgent need of emergency shelter, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned today as it launched an appeal for greater financial support to bolster its operations on the ground.
• Pyongyang Warns Seoul of Military Response to Propaganda RIA Novosti 23 Oct 2014 -- Pyongyang warned Seoul on Thursday that military action would be taken over the cross-border propaganda leaflets spread by South Korean activists, the Yonhap news agency reported.
• OSCE Completes First Flight of Drones Over Ukraine's Donetsk Region RIA Novosti 23 Oct 2014 -- The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on Thursday completed the first flight of its drones that will monitor the ceasefire regime in eastern Ukraine, the organization said Thursday.
• Yemeni Ansarullah forces flush out terrorists from Yarim Iran Press TV 23 Oct 2014 -- Yemen's Ansarullah fighters have flushed out al-Qaeda-linked Takfiri militants from the southern town of Yarim, where residents say calm has returned.
• Renewed Clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh Region Raises EU Countries' Concerns RIA Novosti 23 Oct 2014 -- Germany's foreign minister Walter Steinmeier has called on leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve the long-lasting conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh with peaceful means and put an end to controversies and deteriorating relations plaguing the two countries for more than 2 decades, EUbusiness reports.
• UN panel pays out over $1 billion in reparations for Iraq's invasion of Kuwait UN News Centre 23 Oct 2014 -- The United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC), which settles the damage claims of those who suffered losses in the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, today made $1.06 billion available to the Government of Kuwait.
• South Sudan Crisis Threatens Development VOA 23 Oct 2014 -- The 500-bed Juba Teaching Hospital is the biggest hospital in South Sudan, but it's struggling.

News Reports

• Highlights of communique of 4th plenary session of CPC Central Committee People's Daily 23 Oct 2014 -- The fourth plenary session of the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee announced a communique after its closing on Thursday.
• PLA ideology struggles 'acute' People's Daily 23 Oct 2014 -- The Central Military Commission (CMC) warned on Wednesday that ideological struggles within the People's Liberation Army (PLA) are 'acute and complicated,' and called for the military to remain loyal to the Party's leadership.
• China expels two officials over alleged corruption Iran Press TV 23 Oct 2014 -- The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has expelled six senior officials including those linked with the scandal-hit retired security czar, Zhou Yongkang, over graft charges.
• China Stresses Constitution's Role in Building Rule of Law VOA 23 Oct 2014 -- China's Communist Party leaders have approved a plan to boost rule of law in the world's second largest economy, which highlights the need to abide by the country's constitution, according to a communiqué released at the end of top-level meetings this week.
• Obama, Hagel Offer Canada Assistance after Attacks AFPS 23 Oct 2014 -- President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel have offered condolences, assistance and continuing close partnership to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the people of Canada and the family and friends of two soldiers killed in attacks there this week.
• Canadian Prime Minister Says Soldier's Killer Was Terrorist RIA Novosti 23 Oct 2014 -- Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has called the gunman who killed a soldier guarding the National War Memorial a terrorist, and linked his actions to the murder of Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent on Monday.
• Work to Prevent Ebola Virus Brisk in DPRK KCNA 23 Oct 2014 -- The DPRK has been making state efforts to prevent Ebola virus now on rapid spread around the world.
• North Korea bans foreign tourists over Ebola fears Iran Press TV 23 Oct 2014 -- North Korea has reportedly decided to close its borders to all foreign tourists in an attempt to prevent the spread of the deadly Ebola virus.
• North Korea Closes Border to Tourists Over Ebola Fears RIA Novosti 23 Oct 2014 -- North Korea is to close its borders to foreign tourists from Friday because of fears about the Ebola virus, say travel agencies with links to the country.
• Ebola: Is Bushmeat Behind the Outbreak? VOA 23 Oct 2014 -- Bushmeat is believed to be the origin of the current Ebola outbreak. The first victim's family hunted bats, which carry the virus. Could the practice of eating bushmeat, which is popular across Africa, be responsible for the current crisis?
• Primary focus must be to halt spread of Ebola virus in hard-hit West Africa - UN UN News Centre 23 Oct 2014 -- As the international community mobilizes on all fronts to combat the unfolding Ebola outbreak, the primary emphasis must continue to be on stopping the transmission of the virus within Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the three hardest-hit countries, United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) experts said today.
• Yale Researchers Project 90,000 Ebola Deaths In Monrovia Alone VOA 23 Oct 2014 -- The latest figures from the World Health Organization show that Ebola epidemic has claimed nearly 5,000 lives, mostly in West Africa. But as we hear, that number could be 18 times greater in just one county in Liberia within two months.
• Physicians Call on African Leaders to Step Up in Fight Against Ebola VOA 23 Oct 2014 -- While the Ebola outbreaks in Senegal and Nigeria were recently declared over, transmission of the disease remains persistent and widespread in the three most affected countries - Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Health experts from countries that have dealt successfully with past Ebola say that the leaders of those currently-affected nations must switch their focus in order to start seeing some positive changes.
• WHO: Anti-Ebola Efforts Should Focus on West Africa VOA 23 Oct 2014 -- The World Health Organization said the fight against Ebola should remain focused on the three West African countries where the outbreak has killed nearly 4,900 people.
• Ukrainian PM Warns Of Russian Destabilization In Elections RFE/RL 23 Oct 2014 -- Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk is warning that Russia could attempt to disrupt Ukraine's parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26.
• From The Streets To The Rada: Euromaidan Activists Enter Politics RFE/RL 23 Oct 2014
• Some Iraqis Disappointed at Blackwater Convictions VOA 23 Oct 2014 -- Reactions in Baghdad have been mixed to the convictions of four former Blackwater security guards found guilty in the 2007 shooting of more than 30 Iraqi civilians.
• Space launch to pave the way for lunar expedition People's Daily 23 Oct 2014 -- China will launch an experimental spacecraft between Friday and Sunday to test a key technology designed to help a future lunar probe return to Earth with soil samples.