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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Statement by the President on the End of the Combat Mission in Afghanistan The White House 28 Dec 2014
• Obama, Hagel Mark End of Operation Enduring Freedom AFPS 28 Dec 2014 -- President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel each issued statements today marking the end of the combat mission in Afghanistan.
• Statement by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Freedom's Sentinel DoD 28 Dec 2014 -- "At the end of this year, as our Afghan partners assume responsibility for the security of their country, the United States officially concludes Operation Enduring Freedom. Our combat mission in Afghanistan, which began in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, will come to an end. "
• Transition ceremony kicks off Resolute Support Mission ISAF 28 Dec 2014 -- Thirteen years after its creation through the signing of the Bonn Agreement in Germany, the International Security Assistance Force concluded operations in an event today transitioning to the new, NATO-led Resolute Support mission.
• NATO Secretary General's statement on a new chapter in Afghanistan NATO 28 Dec 2014 -- "At the end of this year, we complete our combat mission in Afghanistan and open a new chapter in our relationship with Afghanistan. The security of Afghanistan will be fully in the hands of the country's 350,000 Afghan soldiers and police. But NATO Allies, together with many partner nations, will remain to train, advise and assist them. This is what NATO and Afghan leaders agreed together."
• NATO-Led Force Formally Ends Mission in Afghanistan Amid Security Concerns Sputnik 28 Dec 2014 -- NATO-led forces in Afghanistan formally ended their military engagement on December 28 with a ceremony held at their military headquarters in Kabul, the Associated Press reports.
• US, NATO Mark End of Afghanistan Mission VOA 28 Dec 2014 -- The NATO-led military alliance in Afghanistan formally ended its 13-year-long combat mission, leaving a relatively under-trained Afghan national security force to fight the deadly Taliban insurgency largely on its own.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Signing of Trilateral Information Sharing Arrangement Concerning the Nuclear and Missile Threats Posed by North Korea DoD 28 Dec 2014 -- "Today, the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Korea, the Ministry of Defense of Japan, and the Department of Defense of the United States of America finalized a trilateral information sharing arrangement concerning the nuclear and missile threats posed by North Korea."
• Boeing completes successful first flight in KC-46 program AFNS 28 Dec 2014 -- The KC-46 Pegasus development program completed its first flight of Engineering, Manufacturing and Development (EMD) aircraft #1 Dec. 28.
• Japan Considers Easing Use of Troops Overseas Sputnik 28 Dec 2014 -- Japan is mulling over a bill making it easier to deploy troops overseas, AFP reports.
• Iran launches mine hunting system in drill ISNA 28 Dec 2014 -- The new integrated mine hunting system of the Iranian Navy was launched for the first time in Mohammad Rasoulollah (Mohammad, the Messenger of God) military exercise underway in southern Iran.
• US warship leaves drill area after Iran's warning ISNA 28 Dec 2014 -- A US warship left the area where Iran is performing major military exercises following a warning issued by an Iranian naval patrol aircraft.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• Islamic State Emergence Transformed Syria, Iraq in 2014 VOA 28 Dec 2014 -- The emergence of the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria as a potent force in early 2014 changed the dynamics of the region.
• Iraqi forces advance into Dhuluiyah, north of Baghdad, retake airport Iran Press TV 28 Dec 2014 -- Iraqi forces have launched a successful offensive into the city of Dhuluiyah, some 90 kilometers north of the capital Baghdad, retaking the city's airport from the ISIL terrorists.
• Sniper Kills Iranian Commander Training Anti-IS Troops in Iraq: Reports Sputnik 28 Dec 2014 -- An Iranian Revolutionary Guards General was killed by a sniper on Sunday, while training Iraqi troops and Shiite militia fighting against the Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq, according to an Iranian media source, Reuters reports.
• ISIL kills nearly 2,000 Syrians since June: Group Iran Press TV 28 Dec 2014 -- A UK-based Syrian opposition group says the ISIL Takfiri group has killed nearly 2,000 people in Syria, the majority of them civilians, over the past six months.
• Residents of Eastern Syria Create Popular Resistance Group to Battle IS Sputnik 28 Dec 2014 -- Residents in Syria's eastern regions have created a popular resistance group to battle Islamic State militants, the Lebanese-based Al Mayadeen TV channel reported Saturday.
• Turkey PM warns against more violence in southeast Iran Press TV 28 Dec 2014 -- Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has warned that the government will take action against any further violence in the southeast.
• Libya asks for international help to extinguish oil terminal fire Iran Press TV 28 Dec 2014 -- Libya's Interior Minister Omar al-Sinki has pleaded for international help to prevent a massive fire at the North African country's largest oil terminal from spreading.
• First air raids hit Libya's militant-held Misrata Iran Press TV 28 Dec 2014 -- Pro-government forces in Libya have conducted their first series of airstrikes on the militant-held city of Misrata, a spokesman for the country's armed forces general staff says.
• Oil region clashes seriously escalating: Libya FM Iran Press TV 28 Dec 2014 -- Libya's foreign minister says militant groups are increasing their attacks in the African country's oil regions in a bid to control the oil resources.
• UN Support Mission for Libya Warns of Full-Fledged War in Country Sputnik 28 Dec 2014 -- The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) condemned the airstrikes carried out by the country's government forces in the northwestern city of Misrata on Sunday, warning that an escalation in violence could lead to a full-fledged war.
• Flames Engulf Fifth Oil Tank at Libya's Largest Port After Rocket Attack Sputnik 28 Dec 2014 -- Fire reached the fifth oil tank on Saturday at one of Libya's main oil terminals after a rocket attack by Islamist militants on Thursday, reports Al-Arabiya.
• Libyan Civil War Escalates to Airstrikes as Government Forces Hit Misrata Sputnik 28 Dec 2014 -- Libya's official government conducted several tactical airstrikes in the vicinity of the town of Misrata Sunday, another episode in the ongoing war between the internationally recognized government of Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni and the coalition of his political opponents known as Libyan Dawn.
• As violence in Libya escalates, UN mission says country risks 'all-out war' UN News Centre 28 Dec 2014 -- The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has condemned a series of airstrikes on targets in the city of Misrata amid an upsurge in fighting across the war-torn North African country, adding that any further escalation in hostilities could plunge the nation back into "all-out war."
• Libya Strikes Militias After Oil Tank Attacks VOA 28 Dec 2014 -- Libya's foreign minister warned Sunday that a coalition of extremist groups is making a push to seize the troubled country's oil resources, after an assault on eastern terminals set storage tanks ablaze, destroying 800,000 barrels of crude.
• UN Support Mission in Libya Urges to Stop Attacks on Libya's Oil Depots Sputnik 28 Dec 2014 -- The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) condemned in a statement renewed attacks on Libya's oil installations by unidentified gunmen and urges the forces on the ground to cooperate in restoring order.
• India, Pakistan forces exchange fire in disputed Kashmir Iran Press TV 28 Dec 2014 -- Troops from India and Pakistan have exchanged fire along the de facto border in Kashmir during the latest flare-up of cross-border violence between the two countries.
• Yemeni commander escapes car bomb attack unhurt Iran Press TV 28 Dec 2014 -- An army commander in southern Yemen has managed to escape unhurt after a bomb attack targeted his car and killed his driver.
• After Year of Peacekeeping, CAR Remains Tense VOA 28 Dec 2014 -- Just over a year ago, the Central African Republic appeared to be on the verge of a genocide. A prompt intervention by French forces halted mass killings in the capital, and violence there between Muslims and Christians or animists largely subsided in 2014. But inter-communal violence continues elsewhere in the country, and peacekeepers cannot establish peace on their own.
• S. Sudan Rebels Riled by Ugandan Troop Presence VOA 28 Dec 2014 -- The continued presence of troops from the Uganda People's Defense Force in South Sudan complicates peace talks between the administration in Juba and rebels loyal to former vice president Riek Machar, according to Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, a leading member of the rebel movement.

News Reports

• NSA released spying data in holidays to minimize press coverage: ACLU Iran Press TV 28 Dec 2014 -- The National Security Agency has used the Christmas holiday to 'minimize the impact' of releasing a report on 12 years of privacy violations, the American Civil Liberties Union says.
• Mainland China's Trade Growth Falls Far Below Target Sputnik 28 Dec 2014 -- Mainland China's economy has presumably suffered another serious blow as its foreign trade growth has slowed dramatically in 2014 to an estimated 3.5%, far below the 7.5% target, according to a report by the nation's Ministry of Commerce.
• DPRK Internet, 3G mobile network suffer 2nd outage People's Daily 28 Dec 2014 -- Internet and 3G mobile network of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) were paralyzed again Saturday evening amid bickering between the United States and the Asian country over an earlier cyber attack on Sony Pictures.
• South Korea Proposes Talks with North VOA 28 Dec 2014 -- South Korea on Monday proposed restarting a dialogue with North Korea on issues of mutual concern, such as reuniting families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War. This outreach to the North comes at a time of growing antagonism between Pyongyang and the West over issues of cyberattacks and human rights abuses.
• Tough Iran Talks to Resume in 2015 VOA 28 Dec 2014 -- Talks aimed at ensuring that Iran cannot build a nuclear weapon, and ending international sanctions against it, missed a self-imposed deadline in 2014 and will resume next year. Experts say reaching an agreement is essential for both sides but will not be any easier in the new year.
• Russia Launches European Communications Satellite Atop Proton-M Rocket Sputnik 28 Dec 2014 -- A Russian Proton-M space rocket carrying a European Astra-2G communications satellite lifted off Sunday from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan, a spokesman for Russia's space agency Roscosmos said.