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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 08 Dec 2014 [PDF]
• Military Airstrikes Continue Against ISIL in Syria, Iraq AFPS 08 Dec 2014 -- U.S. and partner-nation military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists over the last four days, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported.
• Coalition Against IS Pledges More Troops For Iraq RFE/RL 08 Dec 2014 -- A top American commander says the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State (IS) extremist group has pledged to send an additional 1,500 troops to Iraq.
• LATEST: air strikes in Iraq UK MOD 08 Dec 2014 -- British forces have continued to conduct air operations to assist the Iraqi government in its fight against ISIL.
• U.S., NATO Ceremonially End Afghan Combat Mission RFE/RL 08 Dec 2014 -- The United States and NATO have ceremonially ended their combat mission in Afghanistan more than 13 years after toppling the Taliban regime.
• 'Job's Not Over,' Hagel Tells Troops in Afghanistan AFPS 08 Dec 2014 -- Meeting with U.S. troops in eastern Afghanistan yesterday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel thanked them for their sacrifices and reminded them that work remains to be done.
• ISAF Joint Command in Afghanistan Formally Ceases Operations AFPS 08 Dec 2014 -- International Security Assistance Force Joint Command, which has handled day-to-day operations in Afghanistan for five years, formally cased its colors during a ceremony today at the command's headquarters at Kabul International Airport.
• Hagel Explains Differences Between Afghanistan, Iraq Drawdowns AFPS 08 Dec 2014 -- The Afghanistan drawdown and the situation in Iraq when U.S. troops left that country in 2011 are poles apart, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said yesterday.
• US Marines complete two months of support to Ebola Response in West Africa USMC News 08 Dec 2014 -- Since Oct. 8, 2014 a detachment of 100 U.S. Marines and sailors from Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa (SPMAGTF-CR-AF) provided support to Operation United Assistance (OUA), the U.S. response to the Ebola crisis in Liberia.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Military Takes Precautions as Senate Interrogation Report Nears AFPS 08 Dec 2014 -- U.S. military leaders are taking appropriate force-protection measures in case there is unrest caused by the release of a controversial Senate report on CIA interrogation techniques used in the days after the 9/11 attacks, a Pentagon spokesman said today.
• US Government Readies for CIA Torture Report Fallout VOA 08 Dec 2014 -- The U.S. Senate on Tuesday plans to release a long-awaited report detailing the CIA's interrogation methods since the September 11, 2001 attacks.
• House Intel Chairman Warns Senate CIA Torture Report May Cause Violence Sputnik 08 Dec 2014 -- Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Mike Rogers told CNN on Sunday that the release of a US Senate report on the use of enhanced interrogation techniques by the CIA may lead to increased anti-American violence abroad, the Associated Press reports.
• US Officials Warn of CIA Torture Reprisals VOA 08 Dec 2014 -- U.S. officials are warning that the planned release of a report on the CIA's interrogation methods in the war on terror could incite violence against U.S. interests around the world.
• DoD Threat Reduction Agency Builds Anti-Ebola Capacity AFPS 08 Dec 2014 -- The Defense Department agency whose mission is to reduce biological, chemical and other threats to troops worldwide began ramping up its response early in the Ebola outbreak and now, with many partners, is steadily building capabilities in Liberia as it extends capacity into Sierra Leone and Mali.
• Media Availability with Secretary Hagel in Kuwait DoD 08 Dec 2014 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel
• Louisville visits Singapore during Western Pacific deployment NNS 08 Dec 2014 -- Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Louisville (SSN 724) arrived at Changi Naval Base Dec. 5 for a port call as part of her deployment to the Western Pacific.
• US Naval Forces Southern Command Hosts Planners for Continuing Promise 2015 NNS 08 Dec 2014 -- Military, non-government agency planners and prospective participants in the upcoming Continuing Promise 2015 humanitarian assistance deployment worked on the details of the operation during a mission planning conference hosted Dec. 2-5 by U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/4th Fleet.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's meeting with Amir Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah and Minister of Defense Khalid al-Jarrah al-Sabah of Kuwait DoD 08 Dec 2014
• 15th MEU Marines begin RUT USMC News 08 Dec 2014 -- U.S. Marines and sailors from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit began realistic urban training here Dec. 5.
• USNS Choctaw County Starts Concept Trial at Naval Weapons Station Cheatham NNS 08 Dec 2014 -- The Military Sealift Command (MSC) joint high-speed vessel USNS Choctaw County (JHSV 2) moored for the first time at Naval Weapons Station Cheatham Annex Dec. 1 for a weeklong proof of concept trial.
• Anchorage Completes NASA Orion Mission NNS 08 Dec 2014 -- San Antonio class amphibious transport dock ship USS Anchorage (LPD 23) successfully completed recovery operations of the NASA Orion crew module, forward bay cover, and parachutes, Dec 5.
• US Expands Military Presence at Spanish Naval Base Sputnik 08 Dec 2014 -- the US is increasing military presence at its naval base in Rota, southern Spain, adding two more ships equipped with the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System to its fleet.
• UK and France support contract to maintain A400M fleet UK MOD 08 Dec 2014 -- The first contract has been awarded for the maintenance and support of the new A400M Atlas military aircraft.
• Russia to Conduct Seven Launches from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Three Months Sputnik 08 Dec 2014 -- Russia plans to conduct seven launches from the Baikonur space center during the period from December 2014 until February 2015, a source in the space industry told RIA Novosti on Monday.
• Russia Develops Own THAAD-like, GMD-like Missile Defense Systems Sputnik 08 Dec 2014 -- Russia has been developing its own missile defense systems similar to Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) of the United States, Pavel Sozinov, the chief engineer of the Almaz-Antey defense corporation, said Monday.
• New Russian Space Anti-Ballistic Missile System On-Track for 2020: Engineer Sputnik 08 Dec 2014 -- An improved early warning system in space for detecting ballistic missile launches will be in place by 2020, a chief engineer from the Russian defense corporation Almaz Antey said Monday.
• Russia Declares Delivery-Or-Refund Stance on Mistral Ships Deal Sputnik 08 Dec 2014 -- Moscow's position on the delivery of Mistral-class helicopter carriers from France boils down to two: either the ships or a refund, Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov said Monday.
• Russian Inspectors to Conduct Observation Flight Over US Sputnik 08 Dec 2014 -- Russian inspectors will conduct an observation flight over the United States under the Treaty on Open Skies, head of Russia's National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center has announced.
• Paris Confirms No Arms on Board Russian Plane Detained in Nigeria Sputnik 08 Dec 2014 -- A Russian plane detained in Nigeria on Saturday was not carrying any weapons or ammunition on board, French Foreign Ministry's spokesman Romain Nadal confirmed Monday.
• No Weapon on Board Russian Plane Detained in Nigeria: French Embassy Sputnik 08 Dec 2014 -- Russian commercial plane detained in Nigeria on Saturday, did not carry any weapon or ammunition, the French Embassy in Nigeria informed on its official website Sunday.
• Yemeni President Fires Armed Forces Chief of Staff Sputnik 08 Dec 2014 -- Ahmed Ali al-Ashouel, the Yemeni armed forces chief of staff, was relieved of duty today, AFP reports.
• Navy commander warns crushing response awaits Iran's enemies ISNA 08 Dec 2014 -- The commander of Iran's Navy said the Islamic Republic's naval forces are fully prepared to give a crushing response to all enemy threats against the Iranian soil.
• Press Briefing by the Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 12/8/14 The White House 08 Dec 2014
• December 8, 2014 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 08 Dec 2014

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for December 08, 2014

Other Conflicts

• 8 December 2014 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 Dec 2014
• As global humanitarian needs skyrocket, UN launches $16 billion appeal for aid funding UN News Centre 08 Dec 2014 -- The United Nations today launched a multi-billion dollar appeal for critical funding as its humanitarian arm and relief agencies prepare to tackle an unprecedented level of crisis around the world in 2015, the Organization announced today.
• EU Foreign Chief in Turkey, Seeks Support Against IS VOA 08 Dec 2014 -- The foreign affairs chief of the European Union is leading a high-level delegation to Turkey to discuss Ankara's role in battling the Islamic State group and to re-invigorate the country's accession bid. But the visit comes as relations are at a low point.
• Mogherini Says EU Must Work With Turkey, Others Against Foreign Fighters RFE/RL 08 Dec 2014 -- The European Union's foreign policy chief has used a visit to Ankara to call on EU states to work closely with international partners such as Turkey to stop foreign fighters from traveling to the Middle East to join radical Islamist militants.
• Syria: UN envoy travels to Turkey for talks on 'freeze' of conflict in Aleppo UN News Centre 08 Dec 2014 -- The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura has met officials in Turkey as part of regional consultations related to bringing an end to the nearly four-year Syria crisis.
• Israel's air strikes on Syria show support for ISIL, says Zarif ISNA 08 Dec 2014 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Zionist regime's recent attack on Syria shows that it is supporting the ISIL terrorist group.
• Syrian refugees struggle to survive harsh winter Iran Press TV 08 Dec 2014 -- Syrian refugees are struggling to survive as winter approaches, amid calls on rich countries to resettle them within their borders, Press TV reports.
• Syria, Iran Condemn Israeli Airstrikes, Call it Act of Extremism Sputnik 08 Dec 2014 -- Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif have condemned Israeli airstrikes on two areas near Damascus, AP reports reported on Monday.
• Damascus Arms Depot Attacked by Israel Does Not Belong to Hezbollah: Source Sputnik 08 Dec 2014 -- An arms depot, which allegedly was one of the targets of recent Israeli airstrikes on the Syrian capital Damascus, does not belong to Hezbollah, a source close to the group told Sputnik.
• Iran upbeat on stopping ISIL activities in Iraq, says Zarif ISNA 08 Dec 2014 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he is optimistic about stopping activities of the ISIL terrorist group and its frequent failures in Iraq.
• Anbar Sunni tribesmen seeking tribal army: Report Iran Press TV 08 Dec 2014 -- Members of Sunni tribes in Iraq's western Anbar Province say they want to form a tribal army to fight ISIL Takfiri militants, a report says.
• Jafari: Iraq expects more cooperation from Iran in fight against ISIS IRNA 08 Dec 2014 -- Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Jafari said Iran expects more help from Iran in its fighting against Daesh (ISIS).
• Lebanon army shells militant positions near Syria border Iran Press TV 08 Dec 2014 -- The Lebanese army has shelled militant positions on the outskirts of the northeastern town of Arsal near the Syrian border, Press TV reports.
• Lebanon asks for more global aid in anti-terrorism campaign Iran Press TV 08 Dec 2014 -- Lebanon's Prime Minister Tammam Salam has called for more international aid to help the country in its fight against Takfiri terrorist groups.
• Libya: UN envoy in "intense consultations" to end political crisis, manage transition UN News Centre 08 Dec 2014 -- Ahead of dialogue due to begin tomorrow that is aimed at peacefully resolving the current political crisis in Libya, the top United Nations official in the country, Bernardino Leon, met with Libyan parties.
• Ukraine Peace Talks May Take Place This Week VOA 08 Dec 2014 -- Russia says it is committed to holding talks this week on ending the violence in eastern Ukraine.
• Kerry: Israeli, Palestinian Status Quo Unsustainable VOA 08 Dec 2014 -- As Israeli politicians campaign to lead a new government, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says current hostilities between Israelis and Palestinians cannot hold.
• Bomb attacks in Yemeni capital wound 8 Houthis Iran Press TV 08 Dec 2014 -- Five roadside bombs have gone off in the Yemeni capital Sana'a, leaving eight members of the Houthi movement Ansarullah wounded.
• DR Congo: UN envoy condemns massacre, urges immediate action to 'eliminate terrorists' UN News Centre 08 Dec 2014 -- The top United Nations official in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today condemned last night's massacres committed in North-Kivu "aimed at fuelling terror in the region" and called for immediate actions to eliminate these terrorists.
• Arabs, Tuaregs Return to Timbuktu Under Cloud of Suspicion VOA 08 Dec 2014 -- When Timbuktu was liberated in 2013, many Arab and Tuareg residents fled out of fear of retribution after being accused of supporting the Islamist occupation. Now many are returning to find they are still under suspicion.

News Reports

• Israel Played Critical Role in Preventing 'Bad Deal' in Iran Six Talks: PM Sputnik 08 Dec 2014 -- Israel has played a key role in making sure that talks on Iranian nuclear program between Tehran and a group of international mediators in November would end without a 'bad deal', Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday.
• Saudi Arabia's king makes major cabinet reshuffle Iran Press TV 08 Dec 2014 -- Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has carried out an extensive cabinet reshuffle.
• Ukraine Says Russia Vows To Resume Gas Supplies This Week RFE/RL 08 Dec 2014 -- Ukraine's gas transport monopoly Ukrtransgaz says Russia has vowed to resume supplies of natural gas to Ukraine on December 11 after a six-month cut to deliveries due to a dispute over prices and unpaid debts.
• Health workers on Ebola response frontlines get boost with donation of protective gear - UN UN News Centre 08 Dec 2014 -- The first of 700,000 sets of protective gear intended for healthcare workers battling on the frontlines of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa arrived today from Japan and were handed over the United Nations, as the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said the crisis has left some 5 million children out of school.
• Opium poppy cultivation in 'Golden Triangle' hits new high in 2014 - UN report UN News Centre 08 Dec 2014 -- Cultivation of opium poppy crops in Myanmar and Laos rose again for the eighth consecutive year, nearly tripling the amount harvested in 2006, according to a new report released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) today.
• Security Expert Calls Kenya Reply to Al-Shabaab Attacks Incoherent VOA 08 Dec 2014 -- Kenya needs more that military options to deal with the terrorist threat of Al Shabaab, says a security specialist. He proposes that the government adopt a comprehensive response that includes non-military options rolled out in a way that is national in scope and commensurate to the domestic threats that Kenya faces.