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News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 27 Apr 2015 [PDF]
• Airstrikes in Iraq, Syria Hit ISIL Tactical Positions, Equipment AFPS 27 Apr 2015 -- U.S. and coalition military forces 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 Air Force, Special Forces Teams Provide Nepal Aid Support VOA 27 Apr 2015 -- The Pentagon says it is responding to the call for aid to Nepal by sending about 130 people, including two urban rescue crews, to the region.
• Obama Exempted CIA From Drone Strikes Restrictions in Pakistan - Reports Sputnik 27 Apr 2015 -- According to the Wall Street Journal, Barack Obama obliged the CIA to confirm that militants targeted in Yemen and Somalia posed an "imminent threat" before carrying out drone strikes, but allowed the agency to waive the same requirement for strikes in Pakistan.
• Afghan President Consults NATO General on Taliban Attacks VOA 27 Apr 2015 -- Afghanistan's president was forced to briefly delay his trip to India after hundreds of Taliban attacked police and army check posts in the northern Kunduz province Monday.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Joint Press Conference with Secretary Carter, Secretary Kerry, Foreign Minister Kishada and Defense Minister Nakatani in New York, New York DoD 27 Apr 2015- - Presenters: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, Secretary of State John Kerry, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishada, and Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani
• Revised Strategic Guidelines Key to Stability, Japan's Defense Minister Says AFPS 27 Apr 2015 -- The Japanese welcome the American rebalance to the Pacific, and Japan Self-Defense Force personnel look forward to working even more closely with U.S. personnel as a result of changes to the U.S.-Japan strategic guidelines, Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said in an exclusive interview yesterday.
• U.S., Japanese Officials Announce New Defense Guidelines AFPS 27 Apr 2015 -- The new U.S.-Japan defense guidelines will fundamentally change the way Japan and the United States cooperate on defense matters, a senior defense official said recently.
• Carter: U.S, Japan Defense Guidelines 'Break New Ground' AFPS 27 Apr 2015 -- American and Japanese national security leaders unveiled the new guidelines for U.S.-Japan defense cooperation today, saying the new rules will promote peace and stability not only in the region, but worldwide.
• New US-Japan Military Guidelines 'Unrestricted by Geography' - Carter Sputnik 27 Apr 2015 -- The United States and Japan have transformed their military alliance to be globally focused by eliminating geographic restrictions that had been in place within the 1997 framework that had been limited to the areas surrounding Japan, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said at a US-Japan joint press conference on Monday.
• US, Japan Announce Historic Revision of Defense Cooperation Guidelines VOA 27 Apr 2015 -- The United States and Japan plan to expand their military cooperation under new guidelines that, for the first time in the history of the alliance, will allow Tokyo to project its power on a global scale.
• DoD Seeks Right Standards, Policies for Women in Combat Roles AFPS 27 Apr 2015 -- Following the 2013 reversal of a policy that prevented women from serving in direct ground combat roles, the Defense Department's unwavering position has been "the right standards and policies" must exist to support it, a senior Pentagon personnel official said here today.
• Official Provides Update on Combat Jobs for Women AFPS 27 Apr 2015 -- Since the Defense Department rescinded a 1994 policy that excluded women from serving in direct ground combat positions, the services have opened about 91,000 jobs to female service members, the Joint Staff's vice director said here today.
• LA Air Guard deploys to Bulgaria for NATO training exercise AFNS 27 Apr 2015 -- The Louisiana Air National Guard's 159th Fighter Wing from Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, is participating in a bilateral flying training deployment with the Bulgarian Air Force at Graf Ignatievo Air Base, Bulgaria, April 16-May 5.
• Readout of Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work's Meeting with Australian Assistant Minister for Defence Stuart Robert DoD 27 Apr 2015-
• 2nd Med BN trains health services augmented personnel in preparation for African, Eager Lion USMC News 27 Apr 2015 -- Navy Corpsmen with 2nd Medical Battalion and the supplemental health services augmented personnel that they were training waited eagerly for the CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter touch down on the field at Training Landing Zone Canary.
• U.S. and Allied Ships Arrive for Fleet Week New Orleans NNS 27 Apr 2015 -- The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) and several other U.S. and allied ships arrived in New Orleans April 23 to begin a Fleet Week which is scheduled to last through April 29.
• Remarks at the 2015 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference US Dept. of State 27 Apr 2015 -- Remarks by John Kerry, US Secretary of State
• Washington boosting military presence in South China Sea Press TV 27 Apr 2015 -- American forces will gain access to at least eight military bases in the Philippines following a new bilateral agreement, reports say.
• George H.W. Bush Conducts Ordnance Offload NNS 27 Apr 2015 -- USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) conducted an ordnance offload with the Military Sealift Command dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS William McLean (T-AKE 12) April 24-25 in preparation for a planned incremental availability (PIA).
• Kunsan takes flight at Max Thunder AFNS 27 Apr 2015 -- Kunsan Air Base Airmen joined other members of the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps and South Korean air force units at Gwangju Air Base for exercise Max Thunder 15-1, April 10-24.
• Joint Warrior: It's what we train for AFNS 27 Apr 2015 -- They train for air-to-air combat missions, are rapidly deployable, execute worldwide combat search and rescue (CSAR), and sustain operations around the world during both war and peace.
• NATO and Portugal discuss new security challenges to the south and east NATO 27 Apr 2015 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg commended Portugal for its contributions to Allied security during a visit to Lisbon on Monday (27 April 2015). He stressed that NATO is adapting to new security challenges in order to keep all Allies safe. In a joint press conference following a meeting with Foreign Minister Dr. Rui Machete, Mr. Stoltenberg called Portugal "a staunch Ally", which is contributing to keep NATO strong to deal with the the changed security environment.
• Caught in Limbo: French Navy Has No Use for Extra Mistrals, Looks to Moscow Sputnik 27 Apr 2015 -- The French Navy hopes the Mistral deal between Paris and Moscow works out and the Russians get to have their two helicopter carriers, as the French marines don't want two extra Mistrals at their disposal.
• Around 600 Marines Hold Exercises in Russia's Dagestan Sputnik 27 Apr 2015 -- Approximately 600 Russian marines from the Caspian Sea Fleet with 100 pieces of military hardware and equipment are holding tactical exercises in Dagestan's Adanak Range, the Russian Defense Ministry's Southern Military District's press center announced Monday.
• Guided Missile Cruiser Varyag Leaves Far East Navy Yard Sputnik 27 Apr 2015 -- A ship repair center in the Russian Far East completed on Monday the repairs of guided missile cruiser Varyag, the flagship of the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Navy. The work was performed by one of the Far Eastern Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Center's subsidiary, the Dalzavod Ship Repair Center.
• Russian Air Defense Units Successfully Fire S-300 Missiles Sputnik 27 Apr 2015 -- The launches were held last week and included control fire of the S-300 missile system as well as its modifications.
• Russia has no plans of launching Dnepr missiles from Yasny launch base in 2015 TASS 27 Apr 2015 -- Russia's Strategic Missile Force has no plans for launching the Russian-Ukrainian conversion missile Dnepr from the Yasny base in the Orenburg Region this year, a source at the Strategic Missile Force headquarters has told the media.
• Iran Navy launches floating dock in Persian Gulf ISNA 27 Apr 2015 -- Iran launched a 150-ton floating dock in Persian Gulf in a ceremony attended by some senior Iranian navy officials on Monday.
• Russia's S-300 delivery to Iran will not impact N-talks: EU Press TV 27 Apr 2015 -- Russia's decision to lift a ban on the delivery of S-300 missile defense system to Iran will not affect the nuclear negotiations between the Islamic Republic and the P5+1 countries, a European Union official says.
• Russian S-300 Deliveries to Iran Not Interfering in P5+1 Nuclear Talks - EU Sputnik 27 Apr 2015 -- Russia's decision to lift an embargo on S-300 missile defense system deliveries to Iran will not affect the international negotiations on Tehran's nuclear program, Catherine Ray, an official representative of EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, said Monday.
• Russia to Supply Bolivia With 20 New Jet Fighters Sputnik 27 Apr 2015 -- The Bolivian Defense Ministry has already received offers from Brazil, China, Russia and Argentina. The country plans to use jet fighters to intercept drug trafficking across its borders.
• Norway, US Inspectors to Fly Over Russia Sputnik 27 Apr 2015 -- Head of Russia's National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center Sergei Ryzhkov reported that American and Norwegian specialists will fly over the territory of Russia under the Treaty on Open Skies.
• At meeting on nuclear disarmament, UN chief warns of 'dangerous return' to Cold War mentalities UN News 27 Apr 2015 -- Progress in working towards global nuclear non-proliferation has stalled and the trend towards "nuclear zero" is reversing, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned today as he called on Member States to urgently ramp up efforts in tackling nuclear disarmament.
• April 27, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 27 Apr 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for April 27, 2015

Other Conflicts

• 27 April 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 27 Apr 2015
• Saudi warplanes attack residential complexes in Aden, Sana'a Press TV 27 Apr 2015 -- Saudi warplanes have carried out another round of heavy attacks on residential areas in the southern Yemeni city of Aden, killing scores of people there.
• In Latest Rumor, Iranian Newspaper Claims IS Leader 'Died In Israeli Hospital' RFE/RL 27 Apr 2015 -- After a week of frantic speculation about the health of Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, an Iranian hard-line news website has reported the most outlandish claim yet - that the Iraqi militant supremo died in an Israeli hospital.
• Syria's Assad Losing Ground; Political Solution Elusive VOA 27 Apr 2015 -- Syrian opposition and rebel leaders meeting in Istanbul ahead of U.N.-convened talks set to start in Geneva next week have reaffirmed their longstanding demand for the departure of President Bashar al-Assad and his ruling coterie, saying there could be no political solution to the civil war while he remains in power.
• Boko Haram reportedly kills 21 civilians in Nigeria's Yobe Press TV 27 Apr 2015 -- More than 20 people have been killed in an attack presumably by the Boko Haram Takfiri militants in Nigeria's troubled northeastern state of Yobe.
• Boko Haram reportedly massacred local residents on island in Lake Chad Press TV 27 Apr 2015 -- The Nigeria-based Boko Haram Takfiri militants have reportedly massacred civilians in a recent fatal attack they carried out in southeastern Niger.
• OSCE monitors report intense shelling in eastern Ukraine Press TV 27 Apr 2015 -- The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) says its observers have witnessed heavy shelling in the volatile eastern Ukrainian village of Shyrokyne despite a ceasefire.
• Ukraine Seeks EU Help As Shelling Continues In The East RFE/RL 27 Apr 2015 -- European Union leaders have resisted Ukraine's demands for peacekeepers, as monitors reported a surge in shelling near a strategic government-held city in the east.
• Armed Men from Uganda Reported in DRC VOA 27 Apr 2015 -- Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo say armed men have crossed into the country from Uganda and set up bases in Beni territory. A local community leader told VOA they may be Congolese rebels, part of the same movement reported to have crossed the Rwandan border into the DRC last week.
• UN: CAR Risks Becoming Largest Forgotten Humanitarian Crisis VOA 27 Apr 2015 -- U.N. aid agencies said they are starved for funding and barely able to continue life-saving assistance to millions of victims of war in the Central African Republic, both inside and outside the country. The agencies warned that C.A.R. is at risk of becoming the world's largest forgotten humanitarian crisis and urged donors to respond generously to their renewed appeals for humanitarian aid.
• Malaysia Urges Peaceful Solution to ASEAN Disputes with China VOA 27 Apr 2015 -- Southeast Asian leaders said China's island-building efforts in the South China Sea threaten to undermine the 'peace, security and stability' of the region.
• Gaza: Security Council receives report of inquiry into incidents during 2014 conflict UN News 27 Apr 2015 -- In a letter transmitting to the Security Council the public summary of a report of the Board of Inquiry regarding incidents in Gaza during the recent conflict, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today expressed his 'profound and continuing concern" for civilian populations of the Gaza Strip and Israel.

News Reports

• Why Nepal response will be so hard IRIN 27 Apr 2015 -- International aid is beginning to flow into earthquake-hit Nepal, but much more is needed as the scale of the disaster becomes clear and the list of challenges grows.
• Why wasn't quake-prone Nepal better prepared? IRIN 27 Apr 2015 -- Addressing a major international conference on disaster risk reduction in Japan last month, Nepalese Foreign Minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandly warned that a major earthquake in the Kathmandu valley could lead to human losses "similar to those in Haiti in 2010."
• Nepal: UN agencies rush supplies to earthquake survivors amid powerful aftershocks UN News 27 Apr 2015 -- The United Nations refugee agency announced today that it is rushing critical supplies to Nepal in the wake of the devastating earthquake that has reportedly killed more than 3,000 people and injured thousands more on Saturday, and pledged that it ready to provide any assistance needed to help survivors through these difficult times.
• Aid Begins to Arrive in Nepal After Deadly Quake VOA 27 Apr 2015 -- International rescue and relief teams are converging on Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, even as hopes fade that more survivors will be found in the aftermath of a massive quake Saturday that has claimed more than 4,000 lives.
• How to Make Sure Iran Is a Nuclear Non-Proliferator - Op-Ed by John Kerry, US Secretary of State US Dept. of State 27 Apr 2015
• Accepting Additional Protocol needs agreement on all issues, says Iran ISNA 27 Apr 2015 -- Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi reiterated that accepting the Additional Protocol needs agreement on all issues.
• Any use or threat of using nuclear weapons crime against humanity: Zarif Press TV 27 Apr 2015 -- Iran's foreign minister says the use of nuclear weapons or even the threat of use of such weapons is a crime against humanity.
• US Calls Iran Nuclear Deal Monitoring 'Most Extensive' Ever VOA 27 Apr 2015 -- The U.S. on Monday defended the terms of its tentative deal with Iran to restrain its nuclear program, saying it would include the 'most extensive monitoring' the United States has ever negotiated with any country.
• Expert Says China's Nuclear Warning Might Be Sign of Frustration With US VOA 27 Apr 2015 -- China's recent warning that North Korea might have expanded its nuclear weapons capability could be a sign of Beijing's growing frustration with Washington's refusal to have dialogue with Pyongyang, a former nuclear arms adviser to President Barak Obama said.
• S.Korea struggles to resolve wage issue with DPRK in economic zone People's Daily 27 Apr 2015 -- South Korea is struggling to resolve the wage hike issue with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea(DPRK) for workers employed by South Korean companies in the Kaesong industrial complex as the DPRK-proposed deadline went by last week.
• S.Korea approves fertilizer aid to DPRK first in 5 years People's Daily 27 Apr 2015 -- South Korea on Monday approved a fertilizer aid to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) for the first time in five years.
• Poroshenko: Ukraine Will Be Ready to Join EU Within 5 Years VOA 27 Apr 2015 -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Monday that his country will be able to meet the conditions to apply for European Union membership within five years, while European Union officials rejected his request call for an EU peace-keeping mission to eastern Ukraine, where a year of fighting between government and Russia-backed separatist forces has killed more than 6,100 people.
• Bild: Office of Germany's chancellor knew of NSA espionage Press TV 27 Apr 2015 -- A German newspaper reports that the office of Chancellor Angela Merkel has been aware of economic spying by the United States on European companies since 2008.
• German Opposition Accuses Merkel of Failing to Control Spy Agency Sputnik 27 Apr 2015 -- Chancellor Angela Merkel's office does not have enough control over the activities of Germany's BND foreign intelligence service that allegedly helped the US NSA to spy on European politicians and companies, a German Green Party member said Monday.
• Tough homecoming for Zimbabwean migrants fleeing xenophobia IRIN 27 Apr 2015 -- More than 2,000 Zimbabweans displaced by xenophobic attacks in South Africa have packed their bags for home. But Zimbabwe, a country teetering on the verge of economic collapse, is unlikely to offer them the means to restart their lives.
• OSCE Says Kazakh Voters Had Limited Choice In Election RFE/RL 27 Apr 2015 -- The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) says voters in a Kazakh election that prolonged President Nursultan Nazarbaev's rule had a limited choice due to restrictions on freedom of expression and a lack of real opposition.
• Burundi: UN working to help relocate civilians fleeing election-related violence UN News 27 Apr 2015 -- Civil unrest erupted in Burundi this weekend after the ruling party overwhelmingly elected President Pierre Nkurunziza on Saturday as its candidate for the 26 June presidential election, the humanitarian wing of the United Nations reported today, appealing for $11.6 million dollars to plan a response for the influx of people seeking refuge in neighbouring countries.
• Burundi Protesters Clash With Police; Army Deployed VOA 27 Apr 2015 -- Police in Burundi have clashed for a second day with protesters demonstrating against President Pierre Nkurunziza and his controversial decision to run for a third term.