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News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 21 Apr 2015 [PDF]
• Inside the Coalition to Defeat ISIL AFPS 21 Apr 2015 -- Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve is the U.S.-led coalition's response to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorist group, often referred to as Daesh.
• U.S. Warships Help Ensure Maritime Security in Arabian Sea AFPS 21 Apr 2015 -- The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy are now operating in the Arabian Sea in response to the deteriorating security situation in Yemen, a Defense Department spokesman said today.
• Pentagon: US Warships Preserving 'Options' in Yemen Crisis VOA 21 Apr 2015 -- U.S. military officials say the decision to strengthen their naval presence in the Gulf of Aden is designed to preserve options as Yemen's security situation continues to worsen. They add that the presence of an Iranian convoy in waters near Yemen was 'certainly one of the factors' that prompted the action.
• U.S. warships sent to near Yemen to monitor Iranian vessels People's Daily 21 Apr 2015 -- The U.S. Navy has sent an aircraft carrierand a guided-missile cruiser to the Arabian Sea near Yemenin a bid to step up U.S. naval presence amidst mounting concerns over Yemen's anarchic chaos, U.S. Navy said Monday.
• UN rights official cites Afghanistan's 'paradox' of new opportunities for peace amid growing violence UN News 21 Apr 2015 -- At the end of a seven-day mission to Afghanistan, a senior United Nations' human rights official today described the "paradoxical situation" in which the country finds itself.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Special Ops Forces Weakening Terrorist Groups, DoD Official Says AFPS 21 Apr 2015 -- U.S. special operations forces are successfully taking direct action against multiple global terrorist organizations while building U.S. partner capacity, a top Defense Department official told a Senate panel today.
• 'Wolfpack' conducts Desert Scimitar-15 USMC News 21 Apr 2015 -- The roar of engines and drumming of artillery echoed throughout the night as Marines with 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion conducted Exercise Desert Scimitar aboard the Combat Center, April 12-15, 2015.
• AF, Army, coalition partners showcase strategic airlift capabilities AFNS 21 Apr 2015 -- Members of the 317th Airlift Group from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, flew to Pope Army Airfield April 7, to participate in Combined Joint Operational Access Exercise 15-01.
• US 7th Fleet, Chinese South Sea Fleet Leaders Conduct 'Staff Talks' in Zhanjiang NNS 21 Apr 2015 -- Senior navy leaders from the U.S. 7th Fleet and People's Liberation Army Navy PLA(N) met for a professional exchange of ideas in a variety of technical and operational topics on board the Chinese ship Mount Jinggang at PLA(N) South Sea Fleet Headquarters April 21.
• Latvia Wants US Air Defense, Permanent NATO Presence in Baltics Sputnik 21 Apr 2015 -- Latvian military representatives will be requesting an air defense system and a permanent NATO troop presence in the Baltics during meetings with US officials this week, Latvian Defense Minister Raimonds Vejonis told Sputnik on Tuesday.
• North Atlantic Council visits Allied Land Command in Turkey to discuss NATO's continued adaptation NATO 21 Apr 2015 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the 28 Permanent Representatives to the North Atlantic Council discussed the Alliance's continuous adaptation in the face of new security challenges on Tuesday (21 April 2015) in Izmir, Turkey. Held at the Headquarters of Allied Land Command (LANDCOM), the talks were also attended by Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow and the Chairman of the Military Committee, General Knud Bartels.
• Russian North Fleet Aviation Holding Anti-Ship Drills in Barents Sea Sputnik 21 Apr 2015 -- Aviation from Russia's Northern Fleet has begun anti-ship military exercises in the Barents Sea beyond the Arctic Circle, the Northern Fleet's press service announced Tuesday.
• Financing of Russia's Defense Procurement totaled $35.34 bln in 2014 - PM TASS 21 Apr 2015 -- The financing of Russia's system of Defense Procurement and Acquisition totaled 1.9 trillion rubles ($35.34 bln) in 2014, up from 1, trillion rubles ($27.9 bln) in 2013, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday.
• Russian deputy PM praises Sevmash shipyard's submarine construction TASS 21 Apr 2015 -- The Sevmash shipbuilding company based in Severodvinsk, a port city on Russia's White Sea, has boosted manufacturing of submarines to the level of the best Soviet years, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Tuesday.
• Polish President Enhances His Campaign by Pledging to Buy US Missiles Sputnik 21 Apr 2015 -- Poland will negotiate with the United States an agreement to purchase a set of medium-range Patriot air defense systems, Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski said Tuesday.
• US Welcomes Poland's Decision to Purchase Patriot Missile System Sputnik 21 Apr 2015 -- The Embassy of the United States in Warsaw praised Poland's decision to purchase Patriot medium-range surface-to-air missile systems as part of a $10-billion integrated defense program.
• Poland will buy US Patriot air defense systems - Polish Defense Ministry TASS 21 Apr 2015 -- Poland has chosen the supplier for its national missile defense system. According to the country's Defense Ministry, it is the US company Raytheon, the manufacturer of Patriot air defense missile systems.
• China, Pakistan to deepen military cooperation People's Daily 21 Apr 2015 -- China and Pakistan should deepen and broaden military cooperation in such fields as joint exercise and training, so as to enrich the strategic cooperation between the two countries, Chinese President Xi Jinping said here on Monday.
• Iran rejects US call for 'anywhere, anytime access' to military sites Press TV 21 Apr 2015 -- Iran has rejected a call by US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz for unlimited access of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to the Islamic Republic's military sites.
• Iran: US Moniz's call for 'anywhere, anytime' access to military sites unacceptable ISNA 21 Apr 2015 -- Implementation of Additional Protocol as the US Energy Minister Ernest Moniz has said is unacceptable, said Spokesman of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi.
• Nuke Deal Fallout: Iran Becomes Major Battleground for Arms Deals Sputnik 21 Apr 2015 -- With the framework for an agreement to lift international sanctions against Iran finally in place, Tehran is poised to become a battleground for international arms sales, which has neighboring Arab countries watching closely.
• Iran's Army Of Deterrence RFE/RL 21 Apr 2015 -- Iran plans to take a defensive approach to stave off an enemy threat, deploying an army of combat robots, wheeled tanks, mother drones, and silent submarines.
• Ban urges ridding the world of chemical weapons 'once and for all' on 100th anniversary of their first use UN News 21 Apr 2015 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has reminded the international community on the anniversary of the first use of chemical weapons in a Belgian battlefield 100 years ago today and amid allegations of their continued use, the only fitting tribute is to rid the world of these indiscriminate arms "once and for all."
• April 21, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 21 Apr 2015
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 4/21/2015 The White House 21 Apr 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for April 21, 2015

Other Conflicts

• 21 April 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 21 Apr 2015
• Iranian FM rejects any link between religion, Yemen war ISNA 21 Apr 2015 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif expressed regret over some countries' attempts to depict the Yemeni crisis as a religious conflict, saying Saudi Arabia's war on Yemen has nothing to do with religion.
• U.S. Warns Iran About Shipping Weapons To Yemen RFE/RL 21 Apr 2015 -- President Barack Obama says the U.S. government has warned Iran against delivering weapons to Yemen that could be used to threaten shipping traffic in the region.
• Yemen: UN agency warns of deteriorating health situation amid ongoing fighting UN News 21 Apr 2015 -- The health situation in Yemen is steadily deteriorating as escalating hostilities impede civilian access to critical health services, according to a spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Saudi-led Coalition Declares End to Yemen Campaign Sputnik 21 Apr 2015 -- The Saudi-led coalition will now begin a new phase, titled 'Operation Restoring Hope', according to the statement of the Saudi defense ministry.
• Larijani: Yemen crisis should be resolved through national dialogue IRNA 21 Apr 2015 -- Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani said on Tuesday that current conflicts in Yemen has no military solution and the issue should be resolved only by national reconciliation and Yemeni-Yemeni talks.
• Ansarullah slams recent Saudi airstrike on weapon depot Press TV 21 Apr 2015 -- The Houthi Ansarullah movement has strongly denounced a recent Saudi airstrike on a weapons depot in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, which killed around 40 civilians.
• King Salman orders National Guard to join aggression against Yemen Press TV 21 Apr 2015 -- Saudi Arabia's King Salman has ordered the country's National Guard, ground forces that exist apart from the Army, to engage in the aggression against neighboring Yemen.
• At least 60 die in fresh airstrikes on Yemen's capital People's Daily 21 Apr 2015 -- At least 60 people were killed and 49 others wounded in Yemen's capital of Sanaa on Monday morning in one of the fiercest air raids by Saudi-led coalition forces that began more than three weeks ago.
• Ancient Treasures Help IS Finance Terrorism VOA 21 Apr 2015 -- Islamic State militants released two videos this past month, boasting about the bombing of priceless ancient artifacts in Iraq.
• Sudan Seeks Answers After Medical Students Join Islamic State VOA 21 Apr 2015 -- In March, a group of British-Sudanese medical students abandoned their studies in Khartoum and took off in secret to join the Islamic State militant group in Syria. The school is now re-examining what went wrong and what can be done to prevent radicalization on campus.
• Displaced Iraqis face mounting difficulties as fighting continues between Government forces and ISIL UN News 21 Apr 2015 -- The United Nations refugee agency today warned about the difficulties facing thousands of Iraqi civilians fleeing violence, including dwindling resources, checkpoints, entry restrictions and security procedures to navigate on their journeys to safety.
• Iraqi forces push ISIL out of key areas in, around Ramadi Press TV 21 Apr 2015 -- Iraqi forces have retaken key areas in and around the western city of Ramadi from ISIL Takfiri terrorists as Iraq's army and volunteer forces continue their advances on the Takfiri group.
• ISIL Leader Al-Baghdadi Injured in Airstrike in Iraq Sputnik 21 Apr 2015 -- The leader of the Islamic State (ISIL) terrorist group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was seriously wounded in an airstrike in western Iraq, the Guardian reported Tuesday, citing three sources.
• Iran calls for an end to shipment of arms and munitions to Syria IRNA 21 Apr 2015 -- Iran on Tuesday called for an end to shipment of arms and munitions to Syria.
• Syrian army makes major advances in Qalamoun region Press TV 21 Apr 2015 -- Syrian Army troops continue to gain ground in their fight against foreign-backed armed groups, and have managed to restore security to a number of areas along the border with Lebanon, Press TV reports.
• Syria's Assad denies alleged use of chlorine gas in Idlib Press TV 21 Apr 2015 -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has flatly denied reports that his government was behind an alleged chlorine gas attack in the northwestern Idlib province last month.
• Assad Denies Using Devastating Barrel Bombs by Gov't Forces in Syria Sputnik 21 Apr 2015 -- Earlier in April, human rights activists claimed that the Syrian regime conducted several barrel bomb attacks on Idlib governorate in March, affecting over 200 people. Human Rights Watch (HRW) cited photo and video evidence saying that up to six attacks involving use of toxic chemicals had been made.
• UN urges aid access to Syria's Yarmouk Press TV 20 Apr 2015 -- The UN Security Council (UNSC) has called for humanitarian access to Palestinian refugees trapped inside Syria's violence-hit camp of Yarmouk, which has come under severe attacks by Takfiri militants.
• At Security Council, UN chief urges return to two-State negotiations for Israel and Palestine UN News 21 Apr 2015 -- The prospects of a two-State solution in the Middle East are getting dimmer with potentially explosive consequences for the entire region, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned today as he urged the international community to boost efforts at bringing both Israeli and Palestinian delegations back to the negotiating table.
• In phone call, Ban and Ukraine President discuss peace efforts amid ongoing conflict UN News 21 Apr 2015 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has spoken with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko about the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine and continuing international efforts to mediate a peace in the war-torn region, a United Nations spokesperson has confirmed.
• At Least 7 Dead in Mogadishu Restaurant Bombing VOA 21 Apr 2015 -- At least seven people were killed Tuesday when a car bomb exploded outside a busy restaurant in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. Reuters news agency reports militant group al-Shabab has claimed responsibility.
• In Bogotá, UN deputy rights chief says 'peace is the only option' for Colombia UN News 21 Apr 2015 -- The road to peace is a complex and winding one, the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights said today during her visit to Colombia, a country with a "unique opportunity to evolve into a society" where everyone enjoys rights equally and without discrimination.
• Forest Stands Between Nigeria, Victory Over Boko Haram VOA 21 Apr 2015 -- Nigeria's military announced last week that it was raiding the Sambisa Forest, one of the last strongholds of Islamist extremist group Boko Haram. Liberating the forest might be the hardest part of the campaign against the group.

News Reports

• Chinese President Concludes Pakistan Visit, Praises Closer Ties RFE/RL 21 Apr 2015 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has concluded a two-day visit to Pakistan after signing accords worth some $46 billion to set up an economic corridor linking the two countries.
• Argentine Prosecutor Drops Cover-Up Case Against President Sputnik 21 Apr 2015 -- A prosecutor in Argentina dismissed charges against President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner Monday, ending any legal proceedings over allegations that she tried to cover up the involvement of Iranian officials in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center.
• EU Expected To Announce Antitrust Charges Against Gazprom RFE/RL 21 Apr 2015 -- The European Commission is expected to announce antitrust charges against Russia's state-owned energy giant Gazprom for noncompetitive practices in the EU, in a move that could stoke further tensions between Moscow and the West.
• Russia's Medvedev Says Economy Shrinking As Cost Of Sanctions Mounts RFE/RL 21 Apr 2015 -- Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on April 21 that the country's economy has lost an estimated 25 billion euros as a result of Western sanctions and that the losses could be 'several times' higher this year.
• It's Tax Time In Ukraine, And Financial Discrepancies Suggest Corruption Endures RFE/RL 21 Apr 2015 -- Yulia Tymoshenko didn't have much of an income in 2014. The former Ukrainian prime minister spent part of the year in prison, part of it rehabilitating in the hospital, and much of it in back-to-back campaigns for president and parliament.
• Is Kenya's security policy the real enemy within? IRIN 21 Apr 2015 -- Instead of threatening to eject 350,000 Somali refugees or building a wall along an entire border, experts and observers are urging Kenya to tackle the real enemies within: poor governance and stalled police reforms.
• S. Africa Deploys Army to Curb Xenophobic Attacks VOA 21 Apr 2015 -- South Africa's defense minister says the government will deploy military personnel to prevent further violence and criminality, after a wave of xenophobic attacks in two cities that have killed at least seven people.
• Morsi Sentence Raises Concerns About Egypt's Future VOA 21 Apr 2015 -- The sentencing Tuesday of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, the country's first democratically elected leader, has raised concerns about the stability of a nation beset by turmoil since a popular uprising nearly four years ago.
• Egypt's Morsi Sentenced to 20 Years VOA 21 Apr 2015 -- An Egyptian court sentenced former President Mohamed Morsi to 20 years in prison Tuesday in connection with the killing of protesters in 2012. The sentence is the first of several to be handed down in cases pending against Morsi.
• Turkey Lobbies Obama on Armenian 'Genocide' VOA 21 Apr 2015 -- Ankara is becoming increasingly concerned about whether U.S. President Barack Obama will follow Pope Francis and the EU parliament in using the word 'genocide' on the 100th anniversary (April 24) of the start of the mass killings of Armenians. A senior Turkish official warns that political and military steps will be taken if the word 'genocide' is used.
• White House Avoids Calling Massacre Of Armenians 'Genocide' RFE/RL 21 Apr 2015 -- The White House has stopped short of using the word "genocide" to describe the massacre of ethnic Armenians in the Ottoman Empire two days ahead of the 100th anniversary of the tragedy.