Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 23 Feb 2015 [PDF]
• Carter: ISIL Must be Dealt 'Lasting Defeat' AFPS 23 Feb 2015 -- There is no doubt the international coalition battling the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant "will deliver a lasting defeat," Defense Secretary Ash Carter told U.S. troops during his visit to Kuwait today.
• Defeating ISIL Takes Diplomatic, Military Effort, Carter Says AFPS 23 Feb 2015 -- Dealing a lasting defeat to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant will require "a combined diplomatic and military effort," Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters today at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, after he concluded a conference there with ambassadors and senior U.S. and regional military leaders.
• Remarks by Secretary Carter at a Troop Event at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait DoD 23 Feb 2015 -- Presenters: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter; Lieutenant General James L. Terry, commander, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve
• Media Availability with Secretary Carter at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait DoD 23 Feb 2015 -- Presenters: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter
• Airstrikes Continue Against ISIL in Syria, Iraq AFPS 23 Feb 2015 -- U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• US Defense Chief: 'Lasting Defeat' Needed Against Islamic State VOA 23 Feb 2015 -- New U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter is holding talks in Kuwait with top U.S. commanders and diplomats on U.S. efforts to fight the Islamic State group.
• Afghanistan's Abdullah: Taliban Talks to Start Soon VOA 23 Feb 2015 -- Afghanistan's Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah told a cabinet meeting that peace talks with the Taliban will start soon.
• Pakistan to send back millions of Afghan refugees Iran Press TV 23 Feb 2015 -- Pakistan is forcing more than 2.6 million Afghan refugees to return to their country, a move international rights groups call as "inhumane" and "unlawful."
• Virginia National Guard Responds to New Snowstorm AFPS 23 Feb 2015 -- The Virginia National Guard deployed nearly 20 soldiers for duty in Wise and Highland counties yesterday to assist local emergency response officials after another round of heavy snow and frigid cold hit the commonwealth, officials said.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Dempsey, Australian Defense Chief Discuss Security Issues AFPS 23 Feb 2015 -- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and his Australian counterpart met here today to examine security challenges and find ways to further strengthen ties as the U.S. military rebalances to the Pacific.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Ash Carter's meetings with Amir Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah and Minister of Defense Khalid al-Jarrah al-Sabah of Kuwait DoD 23 Feb 2015
• Natural disaster response improved at Cope North 15 AFNS 23 Feb 2015 -- More than 300 service members from six countries joined together to conduct the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) portion of exercise Cope North 15 from Feb. 15 to 18, at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and throughout the region of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
• Battalion Assault Course: Culminating Event for ITX 2-15 USMC News 23 Feb 2015 -- Marines from Japan, Hawaii and every corner of the United States have spent countless, draining hours in the extreme conditions of the Mojave Desert for the culminating event of Integrated Training Exercise 2-15, the Battalion Assault Course.
• Gulf Coast region plays host to MARSOC Realistic MIlitary Training USMC News 23 Feb 2015 -- Service members and staff with U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command conducted a realistic military training exercise in the Gulf Coast region Feb. 6-16, 2015 to prepare Marines with 3rd Marine Special Operations Battalion for future deployments.
• Bonhomme Richard Arrives in Malaysia NNS 23 Feb 2015 -- The forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) and the embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) arrived in Malaysia's sub-district of Sepanggar for a scheduled port visit in Kota Kinabalu, Feb 23.
• USS Kearsarge Conducts Force Protection Exercises NNS 23 Feb 2015 -- The amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) conducts its Force Protection Exercises (FPEX) at Naval Station Norfolk, Feb. 19, as part of the ship's certification process.
• Poland Pouring Billions Into Missile Systems to Challenge Balance of Power Sputnik 23 Feb 2015 -- Polish officials and experts have high hopes that a series of military programs aimed at beefing up Poland's missile-related capabilities will dramatically strengthen the country's projection power capability, even predicting that it will shift the balance of military power in Central Europe in Poland's favor.
• Russian Ambassador Quells British Media Panic About Russian Bombers Sputnik 23 Feb 2015 -- The Russian Ambassador to the United Kingdom sent a letter to the editor of the Daily Telegraph clarifying the situation with Russian strategic bomber flights to the country's mass media.
• Russia offers Iran latest anti-aircraft missile system Iran Press TV 23 Feb 2015 -- The head of Russian state defense conglomerate Rostec says Moscow has offered Iran its latest Antey-2500 missile defense systems after a deal to supply less powerful S-300 missiles was scrapped under Western pressure.
• Enlarged Meeting of WPK Central Military Commission Held under Guidance of Kim Jong Un KCNA 23 Feb 2015 -- An enlarged meeting of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) took place under the guidance of Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the WPK, chairman of the Central Military Commission of the WPK, first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army (KPA).
• Top DPRK leader stresses need for army to round off combat readiness People's Daily 23 Feb 2015 -- Top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un recently stressed the need for the army to focus on rounding off combat readiness this year, state media reported Monday.
• Seoul Reportedly Plans to Buy US' Osprey V-22 Aircraft Sputnik 23 Feb 2015 -- Seoul is mulling over the purchase of a batch of Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft that can fly like planes but take off and land like helicopters, the Korean Journal of Defense Analysis reports.
• Egypt Calls for Joint Arab Defense Force VOA 23 Feb 2015 -- Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi told his countrymen, in a televised national address late Sunday, that Egypt is hoping to be part of a new Arab joint defense force, which is now under consideration by the Arab League.
• February 23, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 23 Feb 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for February 23, 2015
• Sweden's SAAB Defies Australia's Snub Over Submarine-Making Capacity Sputnik 23 Feb 2015 -- The Swedish defense company Saab defended its submarine-building capacity after Australia's Prime Minister excluded Sweden from Australia's submarine-purchasing shortlist.
• Russia to Sign Naval Gun Mount Delivery Deal With UAE Soon - Trade Minister Sputnik 23 Feb 2015 -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) may soon sign a preliminary agreement to purchase a Russian-made 57 mm-caliber naval gun mount, Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov said Sunday.
• China's C919 plane to roll off assembly lines this year People's Daily 23 Feb 2015 -- China's C919 large passenger aircraft will roll off assembly lines this year, the manufacturer announced on Monday.

Other Conflicts

• 23 February 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 23 Feb 2015
• Ban stresses UN's impact in past 70 years, urges States to recommit to collective security, rights UN News Centre 23 Feb 2015 -- In a Security Council meeting today in which Member States reaffirmed their commitment to the United Nations Charter, the Secretary-General said the UN was an Organization with major achievements to its credit, multiple crises on its agenda, and tremendous opportunities ahead.
• UN chief discuses Ukraine, other key issues with senior regional officials UN News Centre 23 Feb 2015 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met today with the Foreign Minister of Russia to discuss among other issues, the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, expressing his expectation that all concerned parties would live up to their commitments to the truce agreed in Minsk on 12 February.
• Rebels Celebrate Victory Over Ukrainian Forces at Debaltseve VOA 23 Feb 2015 -- Pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine celebrated their victory over Ukrainian forces at Debaltseve Monday with parades and a huge rally in the nearby city of Donetsk. The festivities in the Russian-speaking city came as the Kyiv government asked the United Nations Security Council to deploy peacekeepers to the war-torn region.
• Britain: More Costs for Russia Possible Over Ukraine VOA 23 Feb 2015 -- Calling Russia's actions in Ukraine "illegal," British Prime Minister David Cameron said to lawmakers Monday that more sanctions should be imposed on Russia, if pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine attempt to expand their territorial control.
• Ukraine army puts off withdrawal of heavy weapons from frontline of conflict Iran Press TV 23 Feb 2015 -- The Ukrainian Defense Ministry says the army will not withdraw heavy weapons along the frontline in the conflict-stricken east as long as a full ceasefire with pro-Russia forces has not come into force.
• Removal of heavy arms begins in east Ukraine Iran Press TV 23 Feb 2015 -- Government troops and pro-Russia forces in eastern Ukraine have declared immediate efforts to withdraw heavy weaponry from the frontlines following a successful prisoner exchange bid.
• Another Death In Kharkiv Bombing; Weapons Withdrawal On Hold RFE/RL 23 Feb 2015 -- A third person has died as a result of a bombing in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. The Kharkiv city council's press service said on February 23 that a 15-year-old boy has also died from the injuries he received in the blast.
• Reports of Clashes Between Kiev and DPR Forces Close to Mariupol Sputnik 23 Feb 2015 -- Clashes between government forces and the militia of the Donetsk People's Republic [DPR] are continuing on Sunday in the village of Shyrokyno close to Mariupol, representatives of the DPR have told RIA Novosti. According to information from medics, two separatist fighters have been wounded in the fighting.
• Kiev to Withdraw Artillery Only When Ceasefire Holds Sputnik 23 Feb 2015 -- Earlier this month, the warring sides agreed on a ceasefire, which started on February 15. Under the deal, brokered by leaders of Russia, France and Germany, both parties must now pull out heavy artillery from the line of contact.
• France deploys aircraft carrier to join fight against ISIL in Iraq Iran Press TV 23 Feb 2015 -- France has deployed its Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf to join the so-called US-led military campaign against the ISIL terrorists in Iraq.
• Iraq: UN documents rights violations of increasingly sectarian nature UN News Centre 23 Feb 2015 -- A United Nations report released today details widespread human rights violations of an increasingly sectarian nature in Iraq, as well as a deterioration of the rule of law in large parts of the embattled country.
• Iran: Training, arming terrorists in Syria violate int'l rules ISNA 23 Feb 2015 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham said training armed groups known as the so-called moderate Syrian opposition is blatant violation of international rules.
• Iran supports efforts to end Syria conflict: Larijani ISNA 23 Feb 2015 -- Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani reaffirmed the Islamic Republic's support for every effort to help find a political solution to the prolonged conflict in Syria.
• Islamic State Having Significant but Limited Impact in Libya VOA 23 Feb 2015 -- Despite Islamic State grabbing headlines over the past week with executions, bombings and even an attack on the residence of the Iranian ambassador, U.S. officials caution the group's foothold in Libya remains tenuous.
• Tobruk parliament boycotts UN talks on Libya Iran Press TV 23 Feb 2015 -- Libya's internationally recognized parliament has decided to boycott a series of talks sponsored by the United Nations to find a solution for the ongoing conflict in the country.
• Libya's Government Pulls Out of National Dialogue Talks VOA 23 Feb 2015 -- Libya's internationally recognized parliament based in Tobruk voted Monday to pull out of U.N.-sponsored national dialogue talks with a rival government based in Tripoli.
• ISIL to Declare Emirate in Lebanon - Reports Sputnik 23 Feb 2015 -- The Islamic State (IS) militant group is ready to declare declare an Islamic emirate in Lebanon soon as part of its geographical extension. The group started preparations to establish a military organizational committee for Lebanese affairs.
• Major Powers 'Regret' Kiir No-Show at South Sudan Peace Talks VOA 23 Feb 2015 -- The United States, United Kingdom and Norway said Monday that South Sudanese President Salva Kiir reneged on a promise when he failed to show up for the latest round of peace talks for his country.
• UNICEF condemns abduction of children by armed group in South Sudan UN News Centre 23 Feb 2015 -- The United Nations children's fund has condemned in the strongest terms the abduction of scores of boys, some as young 13, by an armed group near Malakal in the north of South Sudan.
• South Sudan Factions Resume Peace Talks VOA 23 Feb 2015 -- South Sudan's warring parties are meeting once again in Ethiopia for peace talks, in what mediators have said will be the last round of negotiations.
• No longer at ease: Tackling the trauma of Boko Haram IRIN 23 Feb 2015 -- Nigerian society celebrates resilience – the ability to cope with adversity. But the growing number of people coming through the doors of the Crisis and Trauma Counselling Centre (CTCC) in the northern city of Kano suggests people sometimes need a little help to get by.
• Boko Haram Resorts to Guerilla Tactics as Pressure Mounts VOA 23 Feb 2015 -- As multinational forces and the Nigerian military make inroads against Boko Haram in Nigeria's northeast, the sect has been staging attacks outside its usual areas of strength. Experts say this may be a sign of a shift in the group's tactics.
• Myanmar, Rebels Exchange Fire, Accusations VOA 23 Feb 2015 -- Myanmar's government and Kokang rebels are again trading accusations of attacks on aid workers as the two sides continue fierce fighting near the border with China.
• China Challenged as Tens of Thousands Flee Myanmar Clashes Sputnik 23 Feb 2015 -- The flight of refugees from a conflict between Myanmar's government and rebels continues as China urges peace talks to resolve the conflict.
• Ousted Yemeni President Declares Rule from Aden Sputnik 23 Feb 2015 -- Yemen's supposedly deposed President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi has met with the country's governors and military chiefs after setting up residence in the city of Aden, after he was forced to flee the capital.

News Reports

• Israeli Ex-Official Urges Global Powers To Be 'More Determined' To Halt Iranian Nukes RFE/RL 23 Feb 2015 -- A former Israeli national security adviser says global powers negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran should be 'more determined' to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
• Background Briefing: Senior Administration Official in Geneva, Switzerland US Dept. of State 23 Feb 2015
• Zarif: Some progress made in parts of nuclear issues IRNA 23 Feb 2015 -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Monday that there is a long way to clinch the final deal but the two sides made progress in parts of the negotiations.
• President: Claims of Iran hiding enrichment evidence, sheer lies IRNA 23 Feb 2015 -- President Hassan Rouhani said that claims of Iran covering up facts about its nuclear enrichment activities are sheer lies.
• Iran to quit talks if its interests are not secured: Araqchi IRNA 23 Feb 2015 -- In a response to remarks by US officials, Deputy Foreign Minister and Iran's senior nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi said Tehran attaches no importance to media hype and continues talks as long as there is respect at the negotiating table.
• Rouhani: No one could claim Iran pursuing non-peaceful nuclear program IRNA 23 Feb 2015 -- President Hassan Rouhani said that no one now could claim that Iran is pursuing non-peaceful goals in its nuclear program.
• Zarif, Kerry, Salehi, Moniz end nuclear talks in Geneva ISNA 23 Feb 2015 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and US Secretary of State John Kerry ended a first leg of talks to resolve the remaining issues on Tehran's nuclear program as a deadline for reaching an inclusive agreement draws closer.
• Rouhani reaffirms peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program Iran Press TV 23 Feb 2015 -- Iran's President Hassan Rouhani says no one can claim Tehran's nuclear program has a non-peaceful nature.
• Iran to quit talks if others impose will: Araqchi Iran Press TV 23 Feb 2015 -- A senior Iranian nuclear negotiator says Iran will quit the nuclear talks with the P5+1 should the other parties try to impose their will on the Islamic Republic.
• High-Level U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks In Second Day RFE/RL 23 Feb 2015 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif held a second day of talks on Tehran's nuclear program, seeking to narrow gaps ahead of a deadline for a framework agreement between Iran and six global powers.
• Some Progress Reported As Iran Nuclear Talks End RFE/RL 23 Feb 2015 -- Iranian and U.S. officials involved in talks in Geneva over Tehran's controversial nuclear program reported some progress but said a lot of work remained to secure a deal before the March 31 deadline.
• After 'Constructive Discussion,' US & Iran May Be Closing on Nuclear Deal Sputnik 23 Feb 2015 -- the UK, China, France, Germany, and Russia. By his side was Ernest J. Moniz, US energy secretary, and both men hoped to come to some kind of an agreement through the talks.
• Iran Ready to Discuss US Proposal to Reduce Number of Centrifuges to 6,500 Sputnik 23 Feb 2015 -- Tehran is ready to consider and discuss a US proposal to reduce the number of its nuclear centrifuges amid the negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program in Geneva, a source in the Iranian delegation told RIA Novosti.
• US, Iran Enter 2nd Day of Nuclear Talks VOA 23 Feb 2015 -- Washington and Tehran's top diplomats met for a second day Monday for talks on Iran's nuclear program as the end-of-March deadline for reaching an interim agreement edges closer.
• Islamic State, Other Militant Threats Raise Costs for Aid Workers VOA 23 Feb 2015 -- In war zones around the world, aid workers trying to help local populations now face a relentless cycle of violence and personal risk.
• France Moves to Limit Jihadi Threat VOA 23 Feb 2015 -- French authorities moved at home and abroad Monday to counter the threat of Islamic terrorism, seizing the passports of six jihadi suspects in France and deploying an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf to bolster the fight against the Islamic State group.
• Malls in US, Canada on Alert After Terror Threat VOA 23 Feb 2015 -- Two shopping malls, one in the United States and the other in Canada, are operating with higher security measures following a terrorist threat made by Somali-based Islamist militants.
• US Homeland Security Chief Calls for Vigilance Following New Video VOA 23 Feb 2015 -- U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson is appealing for public vigilance following the release of a video purportedly by the Somali-based al-Shabab terrorist group calling for attacks on Western shopping malls. Johnson said the latest video underscores the fact that the global terrorist threat has entered a new phase.
• Liberia Lifts Ebola Curfew, Opens Borders VOA 23 Feb 2015 -- A Liberian health ministry official said the country will continue to observe all Ebola preventive protocols and regulations until it achieves "zero infections."
• WHO urges KSA to take needed steps against MERS resurge Iran Press TV 23 Feb 2015 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged Saudi Arabia to fight the spread of the deadly MERS virus.
• Li Family Could Face Scrutiny in China Anti-Corruption Drive VOA 23 Feb 2015 -- Former Chinese Premier Li Peng's family may come under more scrutiny this year when Beijing's anti-corruption commission turns its focus to state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
• Bulgaria Key Battleground in US-Russia Energy War VOA 23 Feb 2015 -- As the U.S. wages a high-profile campaign against Russia over Ukraine, it is also battling Kremlin-dominance on another front - energy in Eastern Europe.