Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 04 Sep 2015 [PDF]
• Department of Defense Press Briefing with Brigadier General Kevin J. Killea, chief of staff, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve via DVIDS from Southwest Asia on Operation Inherent Resolve DoD 04 Sep 2015
• General: Turkey’s Help Extends Inherent Resolve’s Reach AFPS 04 Sep 2015 -- Turkey’s help in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has broadened the reach of the coalition.
• Airstrikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 04 Sep 2015 -- U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq.
• Danes Demolish ISIL Targets in Iraq, Civilian Casualties a Possibility Sputnik 04 Sep 2015 -- Danish F16s’ taking part in air strikes against ISIL in Iraq possibly caused civilian deaths.
• Pentagon: Canadian jets killed up to 27 civilians in Iraq Press TV 04 Sep 2015 -- The US Department of Defense says Canadian fighter jets killed dozens of Iraqi civilians in an airstrike against the Daesh (ISIL) terrorists in the country earlier this year.
• Turkey: Dependent departure authorized, accompanied PCS suspended AFNS 04 Sep 2015 -- Department of Defense-funded travel to Adana, Turkey (including Incirlik Air Base), for dependents has been suspended, and military and civilian dependents in the region are authorized to depart Turkey.
• 6 foreign forces wounded in Egypt bomb blasts Press TV 04 Sep 2015 -- Six foreign forces, including four Americans, have received injuries in two roadside bombings in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
• Afghan, Pakistani Officials Meet in Bid to Lower Tensions VOA 04 Sep 2015 -- Pakistan and Afghanistan held high-level talks Friday in Kabul in a bid to ease bilateral tensions over terrorism charges and explore ways to promote Afghan peace efforts.
• Tehran will help restore security to Afghanistan: Iranian interior minister Press TV 04 Sep 2015 -- Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli has emphasized the importance of improving security in Afghanistan, expressing the Islamic Republic’s readiness to help restore peace in the war-torn country.
• Soldier train Afghan Air Force pilots for combat Army News 04 Sep 2015 -- A team of nine Soldiers from the U.S. Army Security Assistance Training Management Organization has been on the ground in Afghanistan since January conducting combat mission training on the MD 530F helicopter.
• Empowering Afghan Citizens to Counter IED Threats AFPS 04 Sep 2015 -- In the first six months of 2015, 22 percent of Afghan civilian casualties were caused by improvised explosive devices, according to a report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.
• Economic Conference in Kabul Promotes Regional Cooperation VOA 04 Sep 2015 -- The crutches that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani are using these days as a result of foot surgery could very well symbolize his country’s dependence on others — a dependence he is trying to minimize.

Defense Policy / Programs

• China holds epic V-Day parade People's Daily 04 Sep 2015 -- Thousands of Chinese troops, along with their counterparts from 17 countries, marched past Tian'anmen Square.
• Analysts: Beijing Parade a 'Bazaar' of Stolen Technology VOA 04 Sep 2015 -- Weapons experts say the systems on display showed hallmarks of China’s reputation for stealing technology and adapting it to its requirements.
• New missiles meant for defensive purposes only People's Daily 04 Sep 2015 -- China unveiled at the parade the latest-developed weaponry, including missiles dubbed the "carrier killer" and "Guam killer" missiles.
• China says to finish military cuts by 2017 People's Daily 04 Sep 2015 -- China announced it will cut the number of its standing troops by 300,000 by the end of 2017.
• China Building Two Aircraft Carriers, According to Taiwanese Intelligence Sputnik 04 Sep 2015 -- China is building two aircraft carriers, according to a new report by the Taiwanese Defense Ministry.
• Pentagon Remains Suspicious as Chinese Ships Depart After Drills Off Alaska Sputnik 04 Sep 2015 -- After the US sounded the alarm over the presence of Chinese warships near the coast of Alaska, the terrifying "threat" appears to have passed.
• Philippines Still Leery of China Despite Peace Promises VOA 04 Sep 2015 -- This week China's President Xi Jinping pledged that the country will "never seek hegemony or expansion."
• Carter Reaffirms U.S.-Saudi Strategic Relationship’s Importance AFPS 04 Sep 2015 -- Defense Secretary Ash Carter today reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Saudi Arabia strategic relationship during a meeting here with Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s defense minister.
• F-35C Detachment Visits NAS Fallon For the First Time NNS 04 Sep 2015 -- F-35C Lightning II carrier variant aircraft assigned to the "Grim Reapers" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101, homeported at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, visited Naval Air Station (NAS) Fallon, Nevada, Sept. 3.
• Morocco to receive Abrams tanks Army News 04 Sep 2015 -- The Kingdom of Morocco will modernize its military fleet and receive M1A1 Abram tanks from the U.S. Army as part of a foreign military sales case coordinated by the Army Security Assistance Command.
• Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program Block 3 Completes Preliminary Design Review NNS 04 Sep 2015 -- The Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block 3 Program successfully completed the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for the next generation AN/SLQ-32 shipboard electronic warfare system, Aug. 25.
• USS New Mexico Returns From Six-Month Deployment NNS 04 Sep 2015 -- The Virginia-class attack submarine USS New Mexico (SSN 779) returned to its homeport at U.S. Naval Submarine Base, New London, from a regularly-scheduled deployment on Sept. 4.
• Marine killed in CH-53E mishap identified USMC News 04 Sep 2015 -- Staff Sgt. Jonathan E. Lewis, 31, of Fauquier, Va., died on the evening of Sept. 2, when a CH-53E Super Stallion Helicopter belonging to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464, Marine Aircraft Group 29, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing experienced a hard landing.
• Pentagon Told to Expand Ethics Programs Across US Armed Forces Sputnik 04 Sep 2015 -- A Government Accountability Office stated that Pentagon failed to put into life recommended programs to improve ethics within the US armed forces, which experience lack of professionalism and accountability.
• San Diego Team Feeds 'Three Presidents Crew' During Historic 3-Carrier Swap NNS 04 Sep 2015 -- NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) San Diego is hard at work providing nourishment for thousands of Sailors this September as it supports the ongoing "3-Carrier Swap" evolution from its headquarters in San Diego.
• Putin Talks Up Anti-Extremist Coalition, But Says Russia Not Ready To Fight IS RFE/RL 04 Sep 2015 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated his call for an international coalition to fight extremism and said he has discussed the idea with U.S. President Barack Obama.
• Putin: Russia Wants International Anti-Terror Coalition VOA 04 Sep 2015 -- President Vladimir Putin says Russia wants to form an international anti-terrorism coalition, and that Syria's president is ready to hold early parliamentary elections and even include members of the opposition in running Syria.
• Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Crimea Receives SU-30SM Fighters Sputnik 04 Sep 2015 -- According to spokesman for the Russian Black Sea Fleet, fleet has received several 4+ generation SU-30SM multirole fighters.
• New RAF intelligence aircraft arrives in UK seven months early UK MOD 04 Sep 2015 -- As part of its Airseeker Programme, the second signals intelligence aircraft has been delivered to the RAF, seven months early, the MOD has announced.
• Poland to Upgrade Navy by Investing $3.4Bln Over Next Decade - PM Sputnik 04 Sep 2015 -- According to Prime Minister, Poland plans to invest the equivalent of $3.4 billion over the next 10 years to modernize its naval forces.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for September 4, 2015

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, 4 September 2015 United Nations 04 Sep 2015
• White House 'Monitoring' Reports Of Russian Military In Syria RFE/RL 04 Sep 2015 -- The White House said it is closely monitoring reports that Russia is carrying out military operations in Syria and warned such operations could be "destabilizing and counter-productive."
• IS Militants Destroy 3 Ancient Tombs in Palmyra VOA 04 Sep 2015 -- Syria's antiquities chief says Islamic State militants have destroyed three ancient tower tombs in the central city of Palmyra, continuing efforts to demolish a World Heritage Site.
• Why Don't Rich Arab Gulf States Welcome Syrian Refugees? RFE/RL 04 Sep 2015 -- It's hard not to notice how almost all Syrian refugees flee westward rather than seek a safe haven in the rich Arab Persian Gulf states.
• On IS Frontline, Kurdish Fighters Ready for Offensive VOA 04 Sep 2015 -- Finger on the trigger, the Kurdish Peshmerga soldier stared across the dust at a village taken over by Islamic State extremists.
• Remarks by President Obama and His Majesty King Salman bin Abd alAziz of Saudi Arabia Before Bilateral Meeting The White House 04 Sep 2015
• Obama: US Shares Saudi Concerns About Yemen, Syria VOA 04 Sep 2015 -- President Barack Obama said Friday that the United States and Saudi Arabia continue to cooperate closely in countering terrorist activity in the Middle East and around the world, including the battle against Islamic State militants.
• Yemen Fighting Intensifies, Fear of Sectarian Conflict Grows VOA 04 Sep 2015 -- There is growing speculation in Yemen that the Saudi-led coalition battling Houthi rebels may be on the verge of a ground operation to retake the capital, Sana'a, from the northern militants who captured swaths of the country earlier this year forced the president into exile.
• Yemeni forces destroy Saudi Apache choppers: Report Press TV 04 Sep 2015 -- The Yemeni army and popular committees have reportedly destroyed two Saudi Arabian Apache helicopters in Yemen's east-central province of Ma’rib.
• Yemen: UN emergency fund releases $15 million for critical aid operations UN News 04 Sep 2015 -- The head of the United Nations humanitarian wing today released an emergency allocation of $15 million to help alleviate the “almost incomprehensible” scale of human suffering in Yemen.
• Egypt Brotherhood rejects 'links' to Sinai violence Press TV 04 Sep 2015 -- Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood (MB) movement says a recently posted video by Daesh-linked Takfiri militants proves its supporters have no connection with the ongoing violence across the country's troubled Sinai Peninsula.
• Boko Haram Still Lives — But Where? VOA 04 Sep 2015 -- The extremist group Boko Haram continues to kill hundreds of people each month with attacks across northeastern Nigeria.
• Citing marginal gains, UN human rights chief warns Central African Republic still ‘gripped by fear’ UN News 04 Sep 2015 -- The human rights situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) is far better than it was at the height of the conflict in late 2013 and early 2014.
• DR Congo humanitarian crisis must not ‘fall off’ world’s radar – UN deputy relief chief UN News 04 Sep 2015 -- The United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Kyung-wha Kang, called strongly tfor creative ways to reignite donor engagement and ensure that one of the world’s most protracted crises does not “fall off the humanitarian radar.”
• Thai Government, Southern Separatists Enter Negotiations VOA 04 Sep 2015 -- Thai government talks with separatist groups in Southern Thailand have been broadly welcomed in a bid to end a decade of violence that has claimed thousands of lives.

News Reports

• UN urges Europe to admit 200,000 refugees from Syria, Iraq and other war zones UN News 04 Sep 2015 -- The head of the United Nations refugee agency today urged the European Union (EU) to admit up to 200,000 asylum-seekers fleeing conflict zones like Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Ankara Angry Over Refugee Crisis VOA 04 Sep 2015 -- As the European Union struggles to deal with a flood of migrants, Turkey, home to more refugees than any other country in the world, is blaming EU leaders for the chaos.
• Iran will retaliate if P5+1 reneges on JCPOA promises: Larijani Press TV 04 Sep 2015 -- The speaker of Iran's parliament (Majlis) says Tehran will "retaliate" in case the world powers break their commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) over the Iranian nuclear program.
• Iranian Lawmakers Say Efforts Under Way To Free U.S. Reporter RFE/RL 04 Sep 2015 -- Iranian lawmakers attending a conference in New York have divulged that efforts are underway to free Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian, who was jailed over a year ago on espionage charges.
• ICC Ruling Divides Kenya's Ruling Coalition VOA 04 Sep 2015 -- Tension is brewing in Kenya's ruling coalition between allies of Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and backers of his deputy, William Ruto. Ruto's allies say the government is not supporting their man at the International Criminal Court.
• UN humanitarian air service in dire need of funds to continue life-saving work in Sudan – UN agency UN News 04 Sep 2015 -- A lack of funding in Sudan could have serious repercussions on the ground, the World Food Programme (WFP) said.
• Saakashvili, Yatsenyuk Spar Over Ukrainian Reforms RFE/RL 04 Sep 2015 -- A war of words has erupted between Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, now governor of Ukraine's Odesa region.