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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 24 Nov 2014 [PDF]
• Inherent Resolve Airstrikes Continue in Syria, Iraq AFPS 24 Nov 2014 -- U.S. and partner-nation military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq over the last three days, U.S. Central Command officials reported today.
• British SAS secretly battling ISIL in Iraq: Report Iran Press TV 24 Nov 2014 -- British Special Air Service (SAS) troops have reportedly been conducting secret missions in Iraq against the ISIL Takfiri militants.
• British personnel leave southern Afghanistan UK MOD 24 Nov 2014 -- UK service personnel have left southern Afghanistan after completing the most challenging military redeployment operation for a generation.
• Last remaining British troops leave southern Afghanistan Iran Press TV 24 Nov 2014 -- The last of Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) personnel have left southern Afghanistan.
• Oxfam: Afghan Women 'Frozen Out of Peace Talks' VOA 24 Nov 2014 -- Afghan women are consistently excluded from Afghanistan's peace negotiations and formal talks about the country's future, international agency Oxfam said in a report published on Monday. Oxfam is campaigning to refocus attention on women ahead of an Afghanistan Conference in London early next month.

Defense Policy / Programs

• President Announces Hagel's Resignation as Defense Secretary AFPS 24 Nov 2014 -- Praising Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's "class and integrity," President Barack Obama announced today at the White House that Hagel will leave his post.
• Statement by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel DoD 24 Nov 2014 -- "I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know that this morning, President Obama accepted my letter of resignation. I have agreed to continue to serve as secretary of defense until my successor is confirmed by the United States Senate."
• Remarks by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel at the White House DoD 24 Nov 2014
• U.S. Defense Chief Hagel Resigning RFE/RL 24 Nov 2014 -- U.S. President Barack Obama has confirmed that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was stepping down after less than two years in office.
• Work Explains Strategy Behind Innovation Initiative AFPS 24 Nov 2014 -- The Defense Innovation Initiative will help to develop more innovative leaders and identify new operational concepts, but sequestration is still "a problem we need to address as a nation," Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work said yesterday.
• Eastern Europe Troop Rotations Could Continue, Commander Says AFPS 24 Nov 2014 -- Soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Division and later replacement units will rotate to locations in Eastern Europe through the end of next year as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, and those rotations could continue after next year and for the foreseeable future, the commander of U.S. Army Europe said today.
• Chief of Naval Personnel Visits USS Wayne E. Meyer NNS 24 Nov 2014 -- Vice Adm. William F. Moran, Chief of Naval Personnel and Fleet Master Chief (AW/SW) April Beldo, the Manpower, Personnel, Training, and Education (MPT&E) fleet master chief, visited the guided missile destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) while in port at Naval Base San Diego, Nov 20.
• NCHB 1 Completes Support of Pacific Horizon 2015 NNS 24 Nov 2014 -- Navy Cargo Handling Battalion ONE (NCHB 1) returned from Camp Pendleton, California, Nov 8th, supporting Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 3 and the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) during joint exercise Pacific Horizon 2015(PH15).
• Southcom Reaffirms Partnerships in Transnational Crime Fight AFPS 24 Nov 2014 -- The commander of U.S. Southern Command visited Belize, Guatemala and Honduras last week to reaffirm the U.S. military's commitment to helping Central American nations combat transnational criminal organizations.
• Stoltenberg: Door Still Open for Ukraine to Join NATO Sputnik 24 Nov 2014 -- NATO's door for Ukraine remains open, but Ukraine has not applied for membership, the bloc's Chief Jens Stoltenberg said Monday.
• NATO Secretary General commends the Netherlands for its active role in NATO NATO 24 Nov 2014 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg thanked the Dutch government for its continuing support to NATO operations in talks with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in The Hague on Monday (24 November). "The Netherlands has been for many years a valuable and reliable Ally", the Secretary General said. "You have shown your commitment by contributing troops to our mission in Afghanistan and Kosovo. Fighter jets over the Baltic States. Patriot batteries in Turkey. And offering troops to our 'Spearhead Force' next year."
• Keynote address by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the 60th Plenary Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in The Hague NATO 24 Nov 2014
• Ministry of Defence confirms future submarine basing plan UK MOD 24 Nov 2014 -- Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has confirmed that two Trafalgar Class submarines will move from Devonport to Clyde.
• Contract signed for first production batch of F-35B aircraft UK MOD 24 Nov 2014 -- The Ministry of Defence has signed the contract to order 4 Lightning II combat aircraft.
• Iran builds home-made torpedo with unique features ISNA 24 Nov 2014 -- Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said the country has designed and built a locally-made torpedo with unique characteristics.
• China, Canada pledge to boost military ties People's Daily 24 Nov 2014 -- Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan met with Yvan Blondin, the visiting commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, on Monday, with both vowing to enhance bilateral military relations.
• November 24, 2014 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 24 Nov 2014

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for November 24, 2014

Other Conflicts

• 24 November 2014 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 24 Nov 2014
• Aircraft deliver arms to ISIL in northern Iraq Iran Press TV 24 Nov 2014 -- A number of unidentified aircraft have been witnessed bringing weapons for the ISIL Takfiri terrorist group in northern Iraq.
• Dozens Killed, Wounded as Iraqi Forces Battle IS VOA 24 Nov 2014 -- Hospital officials in Iraqi Kurdistan said 20 fighters, including peshmerga and Shi'ite volunteers, were killed in a battle with Islamic State militants for control of two towns.
• Philippines Leery of Development on Reef Reclamation in S. China Sea VOA 24 Nov 2014 -- New satellite imagery of a Chinese land reclamation project in disputed waters of the South China Sea is drawing new concern from the United States and the Philippines.
• Beijing Defends Construction on Disputed Islands in South China Sea Sputnik 24 Nov 2014 -- China has come out and said that its land reclamation project on the reef off the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea is aimed at improving living conditions of Chinese nationals there, as well as to increase Beijing's capabilities to assist in international search and rescue efforts, Reuters reports, citing the country's official.
• US should stay out of S.China Sea land reclamation issue: PLA general People's Daily 24 Nov 2014 -- 'Stay out of it.' That appears to be the message of a general of China's People's Liberation Army, following reports the US urged China to halt land reclamation activities in the South China Sea.
• Statement by NATO Secretary General on the so-called treaty between the Abkhazia region of Georgia and Russia NATO 24 Nov 2014 -- NATO fully supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders. Therefore, we do not recognise the so-called treaty on alliance and strategic partnership signed between the Georgian region of Abkhazia and Russia on 24 November.
• On the Signing of a 'Treaty' between Georgia's Abkhazia Region and the Russian Federation US Dept. of State 24 Nov 2014
• Russia, breakaway Georgia region sign pact Iran Press TV 24 Nov 2014 -- Russia and Abkhazia have signed a partnership pact, which extends Moscow's clout in the breakaway Georgia region.
• Russia Strengthens Grip On Abkhazia With New Pact RFE/RL 24 Nov 2014 -- Russia and Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia region have signed a treaty that Tbilisi has condemned as a step toward Russian annexation of the Black Sea province.
• Over 100 people killed in DR Congo last week: Lawmakers Iran Press TV 24 Nov 2014 -- More than 100 people have been killed in an alleged attack by Ugandan rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, lawmakers say.
• 100 Civilians Massacred Near Congo-Uganda Border Sputnik 24 Nov 2014 -- Islamic militants of the Allied Democratic Forces, originating from Uganda and aligned with the Al-Shabaab terrorist organization, have allegedly massacred about 100 civilians in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo near the Ugandan border, a region where civilian killings and clashes with the Congolese army are common.
• DR Congo: UN special envoy condemns 'trend of massacres' in eastern province UN News Centre 24 Nov 2014 -- The security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is "worsening," a senior United Nations official has warned, citing an escalating trend of massacres in the town of Beni – the site of continuing flare-ups of deadly violence between armed groups, including Ugandan-based rebels operating in the area.
• 'Peace process hangs from a thread,' UN warns ahead of Day of Solidarity with Palestinians UN News Centre 24 Nov 2014 -- United Nations officials today voiced their solidarity with the people of Palestine, while calling on both sides involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to cease acts of violence, overcome their differences, and resume peace talks with a clear framework towards resolving the decades-long dispute.
• UN says Palestinian refugees from Syria face 'increasingly grave' situation region wide UN News Centre 24 Nov 2014 -- The plight of Palestine refugees from Syria in the Middle East is becoming increasingly grave caused by closed borders and a series of forced returns from neighbouring countries, Chris Gunness, spokesperson for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said today.
• In Central African Republic, UN team investigates outbreak of sectarian violence UN News Centre 24 Nov 2014 -- A United Nations humanitarian mission has visited a town in the Central African Republic (CAR) amid an outburst of violence that left at least 14 people injured and three killed, the Organization's humanitarian relief office announced today.
• Kenya Pressured to Prove Alleged Strike Against al-Shabab VOA 24 Nov 2014 -- Somali militant group al-Shabab is denying Kenya's claim that its forces have killed more than 100 al-Shabab fighters. Kenya says it launched raids along the Somali border after al-Shabab attacked a bus in northeastern Kenya, killing 28 people. There is anger toward the government for failing to protect Kenyans from the militants.
• The world's strangest land grab? IRIN 24 Nov 2014 -- Uzbekistan has a perhaps unusual ally in its territorial claims over neighbouring Afghanistan: the mighty and ever-wandering Amu Darya river. And no one knows it better than the children of Arigh Ayagh School, just inside Afghanistan.

News Reports

• Russia to lose $40bn due to Western sanctions: Minister Iran Press TV 24 Nov 2014 -- Russia's Finance Minister Anton Siluanov says Moscow will be losing around USD 40 billion (32 billion euros) per annum due to the Western sanctions over the crisis in Ukraine.
• Economic Development Minister Disagrees Russia Losing $40Bln Over Sanctions Sputnik 24 Nov 2014 -- The Russian Economic Development Ministry does not agree with the country's Finance Ministry's assessment that Russia is losing $40 billion annually because of sanctions imposed by the West, Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev said Monday.
• Sanctions, Falling Oil Prices Costing Russia Billions VOA 24 Nov 2014 -- Russia's finance minister says the country is on course to lose $130-140 billion annually due to Western sanctions and falling oil prices.
• North Korea Threatens Retaliation Over UN Rights Resolution VOA 24 Nov 2014 -- North Korea has issued a strongly worded statement warning of catastrophic consequences for the United States and other countries that supported the recent U.N. resolution condemning North Korea's human rights record. North Korea's threat to retaliate could signal that it intends to soon conduct a new nuclear test.
• November 24, 2014 Solo Press Availability in Vienna, Austria by John Kerry, Secretary of State US Dept. of State 24 Nov 2014
• Iran Nuclear Talks Extended Through June 30 VOA 24 Nov 2014 -- International powers and Iran extended talks on a comprehensive deal over Iran's nuclear program, with new deadlines reaching into next year.
• Iran regards peaceful nuclear program, national asset IRNA 24 Nov 2014 -- Chairman of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Borujerdi said on Monday that peaceful nuclear program is national asset and the Iranian people will never overlook the nuclear rights enshrined by Non-Proliferation Treaty.
• Iran, G5+1 extend talks ISNA 24 Nov 2014 -- A source close to Iranian nuclear negotiators said the country and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany have extended negotiations on Iranian nuclear program.
• Iran complies with interim nuclear agreement: IAEA Iran Press TV 24 Nov 2014 -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says Iran has complied with an interim agreement it reached with the P5+1 group of world powers on its nuclear program last November.
• Iran Nuclear Talks Extended Until July RFE/RL 24 Nov 2014 -- Iran and six world powers have agreed to extend talks on Tehran's nuclear program until July 1, 2015, after failing to seal a deal before a midnight deadline on November 24.
• Diplomatic Blitz: Iran Nuclear Talks Enter Most Decisive 24 Hours Sputnik 24 Nov 2014 -- 24 hours until the deadline, Iran nuclear talks have entered the most decisive phase, with the P5+1 group still discussing the agreement on Tehran's nuclear program in Vienna.
• Hong Kong Protest's Founders Plan to Surrender VOA 24 Nov 2014 -- The three co-founders of Hong Kong's Occupy movement say they will surrender to police next month, but student leaders say they will not follow their lead.
• Top UN health officials take joint mission to Mali in support of Ebola response UN News Centre 24 Nov 2014 -- The Executive Director of Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Michel Sidibé and the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Margaret Chan, have visited Mali in a joint mission to support the country in its efforts to curb the spread of Ebola, as authorities there announced one new case and that two more suspected patients were being tested.
• At UN meeting, prevention cited as key factor in fight against terrorism-related kidnapping UN News Centre 24 Nov 2014 -- The practice of kidnapping for ransom and hostage-taking continues to provide the world's terrorists with a reliable source of income to fund their operations, United Nations Member States were told today at a meeting jointly held by the UN's Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) and Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) in New York.
• New bird flu strain in Europe threatens poultry sector, UN agency warns UN News Centre 24 Nov 2014 -- The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today warned that a new bird flu strain detected in Europe poses a significant threat to the poultry sector, especially in low-resourced countries situated along the Black Sea and East Atlantic migratory routes of wild birds.
• Soyuz TMA-15M Spacecraft Docks Automatically With ISS: Roscosmos Sputnik 24 Nov 2014 -- A Soyuz TMA-15M spacecraft that was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome some six hours ago has docked automatically with the International Space Station (ISS), a Roscosmos representative told RIA Novosti.
• Ban urges dialogue as Burkina Faso interim Government holds first cabinet meeting UN News Centre 24 Nov 2014 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on all appointed transitional leaders in Burkina Faso to work in a "collaborative and harmonious manner," as the inaugural Cabinet meeting of the transitional Government was held today.
• Xi's Pacific trip demonstrates new diplomatic style, strategy People's Daily 24 Nov 2014 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Fiji, which concluded Sunday, demonstrated a new diplomatic style as China seeks to reshape its international image as a major world power by developing wide diplomatic ties that recognize the strategic significance of both smaller and major countries, said analysts.