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News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 14 May 2015 [PDF]
• Airstrikes Hit ISIL in Syria, Iraq AFPS 14 May 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.
• Taliban Attack on Kabul Hotel Kills 14 VOA 14 May 2015 -- Afghan and United Nations officials say the death toll in the overnight Taliban assault on a Kabul guesthouse has risen to at least 14, mostly foreigners. A spike in insurgent violence has increased insecurity in the capital and elsewhere in Afghanistan.
• Afghan Police Probe Deadly Taliban Attack On Upscale Kabul Guesthouse RFE/RL 14 May 2015 -- As investigators consider the possibility of an inside job, details surrounding a deadly Taliban attack that targeted foreign partygoers at a popular Kabul guesthouse remain sketchy.
• UN mission in Afghanistan condemns killing of 17 civilians by Taliban UN News 14 May 2015 -- The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has strongly condemned yesterday's killing of at least 17 civilians in two separate attacks for which the Taliban has claimed responsibility.
• JTF 505 continues search, humanitarian aid USMC News 14 May 2015 -- Joint Task Force 505 continues efforts both in support of the ongoing search and rescue mission for a missing UH-1Y Huey helicopter, as well as humanitarian aid and disaster relief for the country of Nepal.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DoD Outlines Strategies to Counter Chinese Aggression AFPS 14 May 2015 -- While China's land reclamation and maritime disputes in the South China Sea are troubling, they are nothing new, the assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific security affairs told a Senate panel yesterday.
• US S.China Sea plan of grave concern: FM People's Daily 14 May 2015 -- China's foreign ministry Wednesday voiced 'serious concerns' over a US official's remarks regarding an alleged Pentagon plan to send US military aircraft and vessels to the South China Sea.
• US warns China over building artificial islands in South China Sea Press TV 14 May 2015 -- The United States has warned China over its construction projects in the South China Sea area as tensions escalate between Washington and Beijing.
• US to Deploy Strategic Bombers in Australia as Chinese Concern Grows Sputnik 14 May 2015 -- The United States announced that it will deploy nuclear-capable strategic bombers in Australia as China becomes increasingly concerned about US interference at its borders.
• U.S. Marines train with Jordanian, British forces USMC News 14 May 2015 -- United States Marines with Company E, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, kicked off Exercise Eager Lion 15 with three days of training from May 5-7 at Al Quweyrah, Jordan.
• Winnefeld: DoD Must Strengthen Public, Private Ties AFPS 14 May 2015 -- The military has two jobs for America: to fight today's wars and to prepare to fight the wars of the future, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in West Point, New York, today.
• Senate Hearing Focuses on Benefits Legislation AFPS 14 May 2015 -- Legislation that could affect benefits for service members and veterans was the focus of a senior Defense Department official's testimony yesterday during a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing.
• Seabees Create a Buzz at Eager Lion 2015 NNS 14 May 2015 -- For the U.S. Navy Seabees of Commander, Task Force (CTF) 56, the construction project fulfilled a role in an ongoing multinational training exercise.
• NATO Focuses on Combatting Hybrid Warfare AFPS 14 May 2015 -- NATO foreign ministers have agreed on steps to combat hybrid warfare –- the type Russia has used against Ukraine -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters today in Antalya, Turkey.
• NATO Foreign Ministers discuss boosting cooperation with EU, other partners NATO 14 May 2015 -- Allies must build closer cooperation with partners and organisations like the European Union, to better address the security challenges to the east and south, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday (14 May 2015). "The challenges we all face demand a comprehensive response, so all of us need to work even closer together," he said at the end of a two-day meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in Antalya, Turkey.
• NATO, EU Work To Tighten Cooperation Against 'New Threats' RFE/RL 14 May 2015 -- NATO and the European Union say that they want to improve their cooperation in response to 'new threats' posed by Russia's assertive policies, by Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq, and by waves of illegal immigrants arriving on the EU's southern shores via Libya.
• Baltic Military Chiefs To Call For Permanent NATO Presence RFE/RL 14 May 2015 -- Lithuania's military says the Baltic states will seek a permanent presence of NATO troops on their territory to counter increased Russian air and naval activity.
• Baltic States Hope NATO Will Establish Permanent Troop Presence in Region Sputnik 14 May 2015 -- Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, will call for a permanent NATO presence in the Baltic region, said the Lithuanian army's spokesman, citing the security threat posed by Russia's 'omnipresent green little men.'
• NATO Not to Renew Interaction With Russia Regardless of ISIL Threat Sputnik 14 May 2015 -- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that the number of military exercises and patrols on NATO's eastern border will be increased.
• Russian Battle Robots Pass Military Trials Sputnik 14 May 2015 -- Battle robots capable of destroying both tanks and human soldiers have successfully passed military trials in southern Russia.
• Russian Next-Generation Armata Tank to Receive Bigger Gun Sputnik 14 May 2015 -- Russia's next-generation Armata tank, recently showcased at the Victory Day parade in Moscow, could be fitted with a bigger, 152mm cannon, the Izvestia daily reported Thursday citing Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.
• Russian Military Aircraft Deployed to Tajikistan for Joint Drills - Defense Sputnik 14 May 2015 -- Four Russian Air Force aircraft have been transferred from their base in Kyrgyzstan to an airfield in Dushanbe in the neighboring Central Asian republic of Tajikistan as part of a snap combat readiness check, the Russian Defense Ministry's press service said Thursday.
• Russia's sole aircraft carrier goes under repairs TASS 14 May 2015 -- Russia's sole aircraft carrier, The Admiral Kuznetsov, went into the dock of a shipyard in north Russia for repairs, the Northern Fleet's press office reported on Thursday, giving no timeframe for the repairs.
• New version of Sprut-SD self-propelled gun for Airborne Forces expected in 2015 TASS 14 May 2015 -- A modernised version of the Sprut-SD self-propelled gun for the Russian Airborne Forces will be released by the end of the current year, First Vice President and co-owner of Concern Tractor Plants (CTP) Albert Bakov told TASS on Thursday.
• Post-Soviet military bloc drill in Tajikistan to involve 2,500 troops, 20 combat aircraft TASS 14 May 2015 -- More than 2,500 troops of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) states will be involved in the military drills in Tajikistan, the CSTO press service told TASS on Thursday. The exercise will also engage some 200 weapons and military equipment units, some 20 combat aircraft. The personnel and military equipment are being moved to the exercise area by 30 military-transport aviation planes.
• Russian, Chinese combat ships pass through Black Sea straits for Mediterranean drills TASS 14 May 2015 -- A group of warships from the Russian and Chinese navies have started passing through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits for joint drills in the Mediterranean Sea, the press office of Russia's Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
• Abe's cabinet approves draft security bills for greater SDF role People's Daily 14 May 2015 -- The Cabinet of Japan on Thursday approved a legislative package on national security which will allow the Self-Defense Forces to fight abroad, marking a major change to Japan's post-war exclusively defense-oriented security policy.
• Japan's cabinet OKs military expansion bills amid protests Press TV 14 May 2015 -- Japan's cabinet has endorsed a set of controversial bills that expand the role and scope of its military forces and allow the country's army to fight abroad for the first time since the World War II.
• Japan Gives Green Light on Expanding Use of Military - Legislation Sputnik 14 May 2015 -- Japan confirmed a package of legislature that will allow the country to expand the use of its defense forces to a higher extreme.
• S.Korea says DPRK stages artillery-firing drill for two days near sea border People's Daily 14 May 2015 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) carried out artillery-firing exercises for two straight days Thursday near the disputed maritime border with South Korea.
• North Korea continues live-fire drill near South island Press TV 14 May 2015 -- North Korea continues to carry out a live-fire drill for a second consecutive day by firing dozens of artillery shells into the sea near the disputed maritime border with South Korea.
• New Delhi to Fit 6 Warships With Russia-India Made Missiles in $400Mln Deal Sputnik 14 May 2015 -- The Indian Defense Ministry decided to spend over $400 million on equipping six new warships with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.
• India Approves Purchase of Some 200 Russian Kamov Helicopters – Reports Sputnik 14 May 2015 -- The Indian Defense Ministry approved on Wednesday the purchase of around 200 Russian Kamov light utility helicopters, The Times of India reported.
• Bulgaria Sends Troops to Border With Macedonia Amid Deadly Clashes Sputnik 14 May 2015 -- The recent terrorist attack in the city of Kumanovo has prompted Bulgaria to send military troops to its border with Macedonia in order to assist the Border Police in stopping a possible influx of refugees into the country.
• More Finnish Reservists Choose 'Civilian' Work Over Military Service Sputnik 14 May 2015 -- The past four months have seen an ever-increasing number of Finnish reservists asking to be sent to the country's civilian service, a charity-like alternative to military duty usually reserved for conscientious objectors and the unfit.
• Obama: US Has 'Ironclad' Commitment to Gulf Security VOA 14 May 2015 -- President Barack Obama said Thursday that the United States had an 'ironclad' commitment to the security of its Gulf allies and would consider using military force if they were threatened.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest and Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes The White House 14 May 2015
• May 14, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 14 May 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for May 14, 2015

Other Conflicts

• 14 May 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 14 May 2015
• Yemen: UN official hails humanitarian ceasefire as critical aid reaches civilians UN News 14 May 2015 -- The Special Envoy on Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, has welcomed the humanitarian truce in the country as the United Nations and its partners ramp up critical relief efforts to civilian populations in need, according to a spokesperson for the Organization.
• Saudi-led Coalition Warns Houthis to Honor Cease-fire VOA 14 May 2015 -- Despite a cease-fire in Yemen, both sides report continued firing. Saudi military spokesman General Ahmed Asiri says that coalition forces have not responded to what he called numerous provocations by Yemen's Houthi rebels, including shelling Saudi territory in several places. However, Yemen news media report bombing raids by Saudi aircraft.
• At Security Council, UN officials warn against 'waning' global attention to plight of civilians in Iraq UN News 14 May 2015 -- The complexities and complications surrounding the plight of civilians in Iraq remain "enormous" amid slow political progress and ongoing violence throughout the country, a senior United Nations official warned today as he urged the international community to support the Gulf State's efforts towards stability and peace.
• Turkey Opposition Nervous About Ankara's Syria Policy VOA 14 May 2015 -- Recent victories by the Syrian opposition are being attributed to a newfound unity among Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar. Opposition parties in Turkey are not happy with the efforts between the countries, however, accusing the government of preparing to intervene militarily in Syria.
• In Geneva, UN envoy on Syria meets with officials from the Russian Federation and United Kingdom UN News 14 May 2015 -- The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, met today in Geneva with senior officials from the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom to discuss how to help Syrians move towards launching a political process, a spokesman for the UN has confirmed.
• BRIEFING: Third time lucky for Syria talks? IRIN 14 May 2015 -- Those involved describe them as "under the radar", and indeed, many people may not have even noticed that in Geneva this month, a third round of negotiations on the Syrian conflict is underway.
• Syria army fighting ISIL to protect ancient city: Report Press TV 14 May 2015 -- Syrian forces have reportedly been engaged in fierce clashes with the ISIL Takfiri terrorists in a bid to prevent them from destroying the historical city of Palmyra in the western Syrian province of Homs.
• Syrians steadfast in fighting terrorism: Assad Press TV 14 May 2015 -- Syria's President Bashar al-Assad says terrorists' fueling of violence will not undermine Syrians' determination to combat terrorism.
• Poroshenko Snubs Minsk Accords, Vows to Fight 'Till Last Drop of Blood' Sputnik 14 May 2015 -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has accused Russia of increasing its military presence in his country, something Moscow firmly denies, and said that Ukraine would fight "Russian aggression" "until the last drop of blood.'
• 'Untold suffering' of South Sudanese people must end, UN envoy tells Security Council UN News 14 May 2015 -- The security situation in South Sudan deteriorated further during late April and early May, the head of the United Nations mission in the country warned today as she briefed the Security Council on the "very worrying" developments that have had a devastating effect on civilians.
• UN refugee chief visits Kenya and Somalia to discuss future of Dadaab camp UN News 14 May 2015 -- The United Nations refugee chief has completed a visit to Kenya and Somalia where he held successful meetings with the Presidents of both countries and discussed issues related to refugees and returnees, particularly regarding the hundreds of thousands of people in Dadaab camp.

News Reports

• Burundi: UN chief urges restraint, condemns all attempts to oust elected governments by military force UN News 14 May 2015 -- Calling urgently for calm and restraint in Burundi, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today condemned all attempts to oust elected governments by military force and appealed to the country's political and security leaders to "clearly and openly reject the use of violence, refrain from acts of revenge, and rein in their militants."
• Burundi coup leaders claim to control capital Press TV 14 May 2015 -- The leaders of a coup against Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza claim to have gained control of the capital, Bujumbura.
• Fighting breaks out between rival Burundi army factions Press TV 14 May 2015 -- Heavy fighting has broken out between the rival factions of the armed forces in Burundi following an announcement by the country's army chief that an attempted coup against President Pierre Nkurunziza has failed.
• Rival Factions Battle for Control of Burundi Capital VOA 14 May 2015 -- Gunfire rang out across Burundi's capital Thursday, as rival army factions battled for control of the city a day after a top general launched a coup attempt while the president was out of the country.
• House Passes Bill To Let Congress Review Iran Nuclear Deal VOA 14 May 2015 -- In a rare show of bipartisanship, the U.S. House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed legislation that would let Congress review any potential deal to curb Iran's nuclear program before sanctions are lifted.
• No access beyond Additional Protocol: Senior nuclear negotiator IRNA 14 May 2015 -- Iran's senior nuclear negotiator said there is no discussion on providing acess to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) beyond the voluntary Additional Protocol to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) safeguards.
• Sanctions cannot stop Iran nuclear program, Najafi IRNA 14 May 2015 -- Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has stressed that sanctions cannot make a halt to the country's peaceful nuclear program.
• Obama Updates Gulf Leaders on Iran Nuclear Deal VOA 14 May 2015 -- President Barack Obama has updated the U.S. position on the Iran nuclear talks to Arab Gulf leaders taking part in a Camp David summit, in an effort to ease their concerns over the potential deal with Tehran.
• Iranian Boats Fire Shots at Singapore-Flagged Cargo Ship in Persian Gulf Sputnik 14 May 2015 -- Five small boats believed to be manned by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy fired warning shots across the bow of the Singapore-registered tanker the Alpine Eternity in the Persian Gulf on Thursday, CNN reported, citing an unnamed US official.
• Al-Mourabitoun Jihadists in Mali Pledge Allegiance to ISIL Sputnik 14 May 2015 -- Jihadist fighters from the Mali-based militant group al-Mourabitoun pledged loyalty to ISIL leader Abu Bakr Baghdadi.
• India's Modi Seeks Closer Ties During China Visit VOA 14 May 2015 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to his family's ancestral hometown for a visit expected to further boost diplomatic and economic ties.
• DPRK urges Seoul not to interfere in wage increase for Kaesong workers People's Daily 14 May 2015 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said Wednesday that it will invariably enforce the new wage standard for laborers at the Kaesong Industrial Complex and urged Seoul not to interfere, the official KCNA news agency reported Thursday.
• Sanctions Loosen As Assets Of Yanukovych Allies Elude Ukraine's Grasp RFE/RL 14 May 2015 -- For a year after the demise of his boss, former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych's deputy chief of staff was barred from the European Union, part of the punishment for the ousted leader and senior allies suspected of stealing public funds before he was brought down by street protests.