Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 28 Sep 2015 [PDF]
• Statement by the Members of the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL: The Coalition at One Year US Dept. of State 28 Sep 2015
• Airstrikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 28 Sep 2015 -- Yesterday, 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.
• Afghan Chief Executive calls for UN reforms to tackle unprecedented range of crises UN News 28 Sep 2015 -- Warning that the world faces a host of mainly human-made threats, Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah today called for United Nations reforms to deal speedily and effectively with the challenges ahead.
• Taliban Seize Part Of Afghanistan's Kunduz City RFE/RL 28 Sep 2015 -- Taliban fighters have seized most of Kunduz Province's capital in northern Afghanistan after hours of clashes with security forces.
• Taliban seize half of key Afghan city Press TV 28 Sep 2015 -- An Afghan official says Taliban militants have seized half of the northern city of Kunduz following fierce battles with security forces.
• Taliban Seizes Kunduz, Afghanistan VOA 28 Sep 2015 -- Insurgent officials and Afghan media confirmed Monday evening the Taliban has seized control of Kunduz after staging a well-coordinated pre-dawn offensive against the northern city.

Defense Policy / Programs

• U.S. to Provide More Support to U.N. Peacekeeping Forces AFPS 28 Sep 2015 -- The United States will provide much more support to U.N. peacekeeping efforts, President Barack Obama said today at the United Nations in New York.
• U.S., Japan Sign Environmental Clarification of Status of Forces Agreement AFPS 28 Sep 2015 -- Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida signed a clarification today on environmental stewardship related to U.S. forces in Japan.
• Remarks by Secretary Carter and Minister Kishida at a Signing Ceremony at the Pentagon DoD 28 Sep 2015 -- Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida
• DoD Releases Fiscal Year 2014 Defense Spending by State Report DoD 28 Sep 2015 -- The Defense Spending by State Fiscal Year 2014 report examines U.S. defense spending in FY 2014, at the state and local levels, for all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
• DOD Approves Community Adjustment Assistance Grant for the City of Long Beach DoD 28 Sep 2015 -- The Department of Defense (DOD) announced today a $3,995,609 grant from its Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) to the City of Long Beach to provide community adjustment assistance to plan for anticipated reductions in regional defense industry employment.
• U.S., Senegal conclude security cooperation training USMC News 28 Sep 2015 -- U.S. Marines, Coast Guardsmen and Senegalese Compagnie Fusilier de Marin Commando completed a month-long security cooperation exercise together in Dakar, Senegal, Sept. 17, 2015.
• NAVSUP FLC Bahrain Implements Off-Ship Bill Pay in NAVCENT AOR NNS 28 Sep 2015 -- Contracts have been set, tests completed and, as of Oct. 1, Off-Ship Bill Pay (OSBP) has commenced at Navy Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) Bahrain.
• Special tactics Airmen execute amphibious training AFNS 28 Sep 2015 -- Airmen from the 320th Special Tactics Squadron conducted an amphibious training operation along the west coast of Okinawa Sept. 22-24 to refresh qualifications and retain proficiency in various special tactics skill sets.
• Mechanized unit marks initiation in Eastern Europe USMC News 28 Sep 2015 -- The Combined Arms Company marked initiation with an opening ceremony in Eastern Europe, Sept. 23, 2015. The rotational force marks the first Marine mechanized unit in Eastern Europe.
• U.S., Benin partnership training ends with strengthened border police USMC News 28 Sep 2015 -- U.S. and Benin officials witnessed history in the making in the small West African country at Benin's National Police Academy Sept. 25, 2015.
• USS Cowpens Holds Cruiser Modernization Induction NNS 28 Sep 2015 -- The guided-missile cruiser USS Cowpens (CG 63) was inducted as the first ship to undergo a modernization effort that will significantly upgrade its capabilities in multiple mission areas, Sept. 25, at Naval Base San Diego.
• Ronald Reagan Strike Group Air Defense Exercise Improves Mission Readiness NNS 28 Sep 2015 -- Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group (CSG) conducted an air defense exercise (ADEX) Sept. 23 - 24, in the training ranges in the Guam operating area.
• Global Hawk maintainers deliver ISR capability to warfighters AFNS 28 Sep 2015 -- The hard work of crew chiefs, avionics and ground communication specialists, who quietly work on a modern-day weapon system, enables a capability important to every deployed service member, and the way they go about it is nothing short of special.
• Secretary General at UN Peacekeeping Summit: NATO ready to help make UN operations even more effective NATO 28 Sep 2015 -- NATO stands ready to support to United Nations to help make its peacekeeping operations safer and even more effective, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday (28 September 2015) at a special UN Peacekeeping Summit attended by world leaders in New York. "A more effective UN is in the interest of the entire international community," Mr. Stoltenberg said.
• Bulgaria May Lose Air Force Over Voided Factory Warranty Sputnik 28 Sep 2015 -- Bulgaria stands to lose the servicing agreement for all of its MiG-29 multirole fighter jets after making a servicing contract with Poland, which does not have a license to carry out the repairs.
• India to Launch BrahMos Cruise Missiles From Su-30MKI Fighter Jets Sputnik 28 Sep 2015 -- High-ranking Indian military officials said that the Indian Air Force would launch a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, jointly developed by India and Russia, from a Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter in early 2016.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for September 28, 2015

Other Conflicts

• World leaders recommit to modernize 120,000-strong UN peacekeeping force UN News 28 Sep 2015 -- Leaders of more than 50 countries gathered for a summit on United Nations peacekeeping operations today to pledge new commitments and strengthen existing capabilities, with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon saying "the demand for peacekeeping has never been greater."
• Death toll from Saudi strike on Yemen wedding rises to 131 Press TV 28 Sep 2015 -- The death toll from a recent Saudi airstrike against a wedding party in Yemen's southwestern province of Taiz has crossed the one-hundred mark as Riyadh presses ahead with an atrocious military campaign against its troubled southern neighbor.
• At UN, French President pledges to work with all parties towards political solution in Syria - except Syrian leader UN News 28 Sep 2015 -- France is ready to work with all countries that want to find a political solution to the four-year crisis in Syria except for President Bashar Al-Assad, who cannot be part of the solution, French President François Hollande told the UN General Assembly today at the annual general debate.
• Obama-Putin Meet with 'Shared Desire' to Solve Syrian Crisis VOA 28 Sep 2015 -- During a one-on-one meeting Monday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin shared their views on Syria, disagreeing about the role of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but agreeing to stay out of each other's way militarily.
• French Airstrikes in Syria Defy Russia-Syria-Iran-Iraq Coordination Center Sputnik 28 Sep 2015 -- Syrian member of the parliamentary foreign relations committee said that French anti-ISIL airstrikes over Syria are a response to the establishment of a joint coordination center between Russia, Syria, Iran and Iraq.
• No Plan for Russian ground operation in Syria right now: Putin Press TV 28 Sep 2015 -- Russia's President Vladimir Putin says Moscow does not plan ground operations in Syria right now, but will intensify its support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
• Putin: No Plans 'Right Now' To Send Troops To Syria RFE/RL 28 Sep 2015 -- President Vladimir Putin has said Russia had no plans 'right now' to put combat troops in Syria, but would continue backing the Syrian government.
• Obama Says U.S. Willing To Work With Russia and Iran To Resolve Syrian War RFE/RL 28 Sep 2015 -- U.S. President Barack Obama says the United States is prepared to work with Russia and Iran to bring an end to the conflict in Syria but that a resolution to the war must include a "managed transition" away from Syrian President al-Bashar Assad.
• Obama, Putin Clash Over Resolving Syrian Conflict VOA 28 Sep 2015 -- U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin clashed sharply Monday at the United Nations on how to end four years of fighting in Syria.
• Putin: Assad, Syrian Military 'Valiantly Fighting Terrorism' VOA 28 Sep 2015 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin told the United Nations General Assembly Monday that the armed forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are 'valiantly fighting terrorism face to face' and that refusing to cooperate with them is 'a huge mistake.'
• Syrian Rebels Angered By Mention Assad Could Stay VOA 28 Sep 2015 -- Syrian rebels are reacting with anger at the apparent shift in the policies of some Western governments over whether President Bashar al-Assad should remain in power for a transitional period in any political settlement of the country's brutal four-year-long civil war.
• Iraq PM defends anti-Daesh cooperation plan Press TV 28 Sep 2015 -- Iraq's Premier Haider al-Abadi has come out in support of Baghdad's intelligence-sharing deal with Iran, Russia, and Syria for battling the Daesh Takfiri group.
• Iraq May Share Intelligence on ISIL Against US Wishes Sputnik 28 Sep 2015 -- The Iraqi government, backed by the United Stated for years, is now taking another independent geopolitical step towards its neighbors, Iran and Syria, as well as Russia – it's going to share intelligence without Washington's approval.
• Poroshenko Says Conflict Costing Ukraine $5 Million A Day RFE/RL 28 Sep 2015 -- President Petro Poroshenko has said the conflict in the eastern part of Ukraine costs about $5 million a day -- money that the country could be putting into development.
• Turkish Security Zones Prompt Human Rights Concerns for Kurds VOA 28 Sep 2015 -- The escalating conflict between the Turkish state and the PKK Kurdish rebel group has resulted in increased curfews and temporary security zones across Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast. But more and more questions are being raised over the zones' legality and their impact on a free election due in November.
• UK to send troops to Somalia Press TV 28 Sep 2015 -- Britain is to send more than 300 troops to Somalia and possibly South Sudan to train soldiers and boost security in the region, Downing Street said Monday.
• Britain to Launch Peacekeeping Operations in Somalia, South Sudan Sputnik 28 Sep 2015 -- British Prime Minister David Cameron said that London will send peacekeepers to Somalia and South Sudan in order to bring stability to the region.
• Britain To Deploy Peacekeepers to South Sudan, Somalia VOA 28 Sep 2015 -- British Prime Minister David Cameron has announced the deployment of several hundred troops to South Sudan and Somalia to 'shore up stability' in those areas. But aid groups say South Sudan desperately needs other forms of aid.
• Better future for Somalia must remain collective priority, Ban says at high-level meeting UN News 28 Sep 2015 -- Outlining the progress made so far by the Government and people of Somalia, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today stressed that a better future for the Horn of Africa nation must remain a collective priority for the international community.
• Renewed attacks in Central African Republic prompt UN call for end to violence UN News 28 Sep 2015 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the United Nations Security Council today called for an immediate end to the sudden eruption of violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) which has led to more than 30 deaths and left over 100 wounded.
• CAR Leader Leaves UN Early Due to Violence at Home VOA 28 Sep 2015 -- The interim leader of the Central African Republic, Catherine Samba-Panza, left early from the United Nations General Assembly to return home because of violence plaguing the capital of her country.
• At General Assembly, Mali leader lauds UN for helping to restore peace to war-torn north UN News 28 Sep 2015 -- President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita of Mali took to the podium of the General Assembly today to voice his "profound gratitude" to the United Nations for its help in restoring peace after a vicious civil war erupted in the north of the African sub-Sahara country in 2012.

News Reports

• Remarks by President Obama to the United Nations General Assembly The White House 28 Sep 2015
• Obama: US can't solve world problems 'on our own' Press TV 28 Sep 2015 -- Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, US President Barack Obama stressed the need for diplomacy and cooperation, saying "we can't solve the world's problems on our own."
• Obama Stresses Whole-of-Government Approach in U.N. Speech AFPS 28 Sep 2015 -- President Barack Obama today urged a whole-of-government approach to international problems, telling the United Nations General Assembly that the military is just one arrow in any nation's quiver.
• 70th session of the UN General Assembly President of Russia 28 Sep 2015 -- Vladimir Putin took part in the plenary meeting of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
• In Assembly address, Russian President stresses national sovereignty within context of UN Charter UN News 28 Sep 2015 -- Stressing the unique legitimacy, representation and universality of the United Nations, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned today that many of the crises facing the world have been exacerbated by countries acting against sovereign States outside the UN Charter.
• Analysts: Russia Moves in Syria, Iraq, Upending US Role VOA 28 Sep 2015 -- With just two moves, Russia may have upended the U.S. role in the Middle East.
• Putin Calls For Backing Syria's Assad In IS Fight; Blames NATO For Ukraine Crisis RFE/RL 28 Sep 2015 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin again gave strong backing to Syria's regime in leading the fight against Islamic State, as he called for a broader coalition to fight the radical militants who have plunged Syria into near anarchy.
• In Brief: Putin's Address to the United Nations in 10 Quotes Sputnik 28 Sep 2015 -- Putin delivered a much-anticipated speech outlining Russia's position to the United Nations General Assembly on Monday. Here is a summary of what he said.
• United Nations Was Never About the Consensus - Putin Sputnik 28 Sep 2015 -- Putin said consensus was never the main goal when the UN was founded.
• Obama, Putin Clash Over Syria, Ukraine In Dueling UN Speeches RFE/RL 28 Sep 2015 -- They may have clinked wine glasses, but the pleasantries were spare between U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• Xi calls his US trip 'fruitful' People's Daily 28 Sep 2015 -- President Xi Jinping's state visit to the US has generated 'fruitful' results, especially in coping with climate change, fighting cybercrime and enhancing bilateral cooperation, experts said.
• China Pledges New Aid for UN Peacekeeping, Development VOA 28 Sep 2015 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping, addressing world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly, made new commitments to uphold peace, encourage global development and support efforts to reduce climate change.
• China's President urges UN General Assembly to put new development agenda into action UN News 28 Sep 2015 -- In his address to the United Nations General Assembly's annual gathering of world leaders, the President of China warned that the security of all countries was interrelated and that no country could protect its security alone and none could find stability at the expense of another's.
• Divided peninsula 'last remaining vestige of Cold War,' Republic of Korea President tells UN UN News 28 Sep 2015 -- In her address to the annual high-level meeting of the General Assembly, President Park Geun-hye of the Republic of Korea (ROK) cited the Iranian nuclear deal as she urged the international community to focus on resolving the North Korean nuclear issue.
• Seoul Official: Xi Comments a Warning to Pyongyang VOA 28 Sep 2015 -- A senior South Korean official says Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent warning against provocative actions on the Korean peninsula was intended as a warning message to North Korea.
• Nuclear deal could be blueprint for global relations based on mutual respect, Iranian President tells UN UN News 28 Sep 2015 -- While safeguarding its historic and cultural heritage, Iran is looking to the future – not only the distant future but also the near future with a bright outlook for cooperation, President Hassan Rouhani told the United Nations General Assembly today, stressing that his country's recent nuclear deal could suggest a way forward for broader international relations among all nations based on mutual respect and non-intervention.
• Rouhani: Iran Seeks Peace and Development VOA 28 Sep 2015 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Monday that the nuclear deal agreed to between the six major powers and Tehran should signal a new era and help lead to peace and stability in the Middle East.
• Rouhani: Nuclear deal brilliant example of victory over war IRNA 28 Sep 2015 -- Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said in his UN General Assembly address that Iran's nuclear agreement with six world powers was the victory of diplomacy over warmonger approaches worldwide.
• Rouhani Cutting UN Trip Short to Honor Hajj Stampede Victims VOA 28 Sep 2015 -- Iran's President Hassan Rouhani will depart New York for Tehran on Monday, cutting short his visit for the U.N. General Assembly meetings so that he can take part in a ceremony for the Iranians killed in a stampede during the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
• NASA Confirms Evidence That Liquid Water Flows on Today's Mars NASA 28 Sep 2015-- New findings from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) provide the strongest evidence yet that liquid water flows intermittently on present-day Mars.
• World drug problem violates human rights in five key areas, says UN official UN News 28 Sep 2015 -- The global drug problem violates human rights in five key areas – the right to health, the rights relating to criminal justice and discrimination, the rights of the child and the rights of indigenous peoples, a senior United Nations official said today.
• Terrorism most immediate problem for new Nigerian Government, President tells UN UN News 28 Sep 2015 -- The new Nigerian Government has many issues to contend with but none as important as defeating the terrorist threat posed by Boko Haram and bringing back the Chibok girls unharmed, the country's President declared at the United Nations General Assembly today.
• From General Assembly podium, Egypt calls for proactive UN strategy against extremism UN News 28 Sep 2015 -- Denouncing Islamic extremists for negating a religion that stands for tolerance, justice and mercy, Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi took to the podium of the General Assembly today to call on the United Nations and its Member States to join him in a proactive strategy to defeat terrorism.
• At UN Assembly, Gulf, Mid-east leaders call for urgent action against terrorist groups UN News 28 Sep 2015 -- Taking the podium at the 70th United Nations General Assembly today, leaders from Gulf and Middle East countries appealed to world leaders to unite against the growing threats from Islamic religious extremists, and also drew attention to a wide range of issues including the Syrian crisis, the ongoing Israel-Palestine dispute and the European refugee crisis.
• First Indian Astronomy Research Satellite Launched Into Orbit Sputnik 28 Sep 2015 -- According to reports, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday launched the country's first dedicated satellite for astronomical research.
• Catalonia Head Promises to Seek Independence Following Elections Sputnik 28 Sep 2015 -- Catalan President Artur Mas said that the pro-independence Junts pel Si (Together for Yes) coalition and their allies from the radical left-wing Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) party will use a road map, which will lead Catalonia to independence.
• Eastern European leaders at UN urge stronger cooperation to tackle threats to global peace and stability UN News 28 Sep 2015 -- Poland is ready to participate in the attainment of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted last week, the country's President told the UN General Assembly today, underlining that objectives such as the defence of democracy, sustainable economic growth, and fighting climate change all contribute to the preservation of peace world-wide.
• Cattle rustlers profit from Boko Haram bonanza IRIN 28 Sep 2015 -- Malama Amina stands quietly in the middle of her late husband's compound in northwestern Nigeria trying to figure out how she will feed herself and her six children in the coming months.
• UN ideals point the way to solving the world's crises, UN President tells annual Assembly debate UN News 28 Sep 2015 -- Warning against those who advocate authoritarianism and a return to the era of "might makes right" in the face of global disorder, United States President Barak Obama today gave a ringing endorsement of the lasting universality of the United Nations principles of freedom, prosperity and equality for all.
• Addressing General Debate, Cuban President calls for end to US embargo UN News 28 Sep 2015 -- In his first-ever address to the United Nations General Debate, Cuban President Raúl Castro noted the warming of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba before promising to reintroduce an annual resolution calling for an end to the long-standing US embargo on the island nation.
• Senior UN official alarmed at upsurge in human rights abuses in Burundi UN News 28 Sep 2015 -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights today reported an alarming upsurge in arrests, detention and killings in Burundi since the beginning of September, and urged the country's authorities to fight against impunity.
• Burundi risks sliding back into civil war, warns UN Press TV 28 Sep 2015 -- The UN has warned that Burundi risks sliding back into civil war due to a dramatic upsurge in killings following the controversial re-election of President Pierre Nkurunziza.
• Addressing UN Assembly, Dutch king calls for increased funds to ease refugee and migrant crisis UN News 28 Sep 2015 -- Western European leaders, taking the podium of the United Nations General Assembly on the opening day of 70th annual General Debate, today deplored the brutal abuses by Governments and terrorists that have, as in the case of Syria, driven millions of people from their homes.
• In UN speech, South African President calls for reform of Security Council UN News 28 Sep 2015 -- In his address to the United Nations General Assembly today, South African President Jacob Zuma stressed on reforming and restructuring of the UN Security Council in order to resolve conflicts surrounding Middle East and African nations.
• Burkina Faso Army: Soldiers Behind Coup Not Disarming VOA 28 Sep 2015 -- Burkina Faso's army says the elite presidential guard behind a recent coup attempt is refusing to be disarmed.
• Sloppiness, Not Moles, Led to KGB's Exposure of CIA Agents During Cold War Sputnik 28 Sep 2015 -- In a recent article for Salon, Cold War historian Jonathan Haslam explained why CIA agents abroad kept getting exposed by their Soviet counterparts. The historian explained that it was the Soviets' methodical approach to human intelligence, not massive infiltration, which gave the KGB the ability to quickly and methodically root out US agents.
• Sierra Leone starts another 42-day Ebola countdown People's Daily 28 Sep 2015 -- Sierra Leone on Sunday began another 42-day Ebola countdown after the last two Ebola patients were discharged from the Mathene Treatment Centre in the northern city of Makeni, local officials said.