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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 07 Oct 2015 [PDF]
• US Rules Out Intelligence Sharing With Russia on Fighting ISIL Sputnik 07 Oct 2015 -- State Department spokesman John Kirby said that the United States has ruled out any intelligence sharing with Russia in the fight against ISIL.
• Airstrikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Iraq, Syria AFPS 07 Oct 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.
• Afghanistan's Dostum Turns To Old Ally Russia For Help RFE/RL 07 Oct 2015 -- With the Taliban threatening to overrun large parts of Afghanistan, First Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum is seeking help from an old ally - Russia.
• US Rules Out Independent Investigation Into Afghan Hospital Attack Sputnik 07 Oct 2015 -- US State Department spokesman John Kirby said that the United States rejects calls for independent international investigation into the bombing of the Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz.
• Readout of the President's Call with Doctors Without Borders International President Dr. Joanne Liu The White House 07 Oct 2015
• Readout of the President's Call with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani The White House 07 Oct 2015
• Afghan Troops Claim Control of Kunduz Main Square VOA 07 Oct 2015 -- Afghan troops have regained control of the main square in Kunduz, a strategic northern city briefly seized by Taliban insurgents last week that has been the scene of intense fighting, officials said Wednesday.
• Obama Apologizes to MSF Over Kunduz Bombing VOA 07 Oct 2015 -- U.S. President Barack Obama has called the president of Doctors Without Borders to 'apologize and express condolences' after a U.S. airstrike on the group's hospital in the Afghan city of Kunduz killed 22 patients and staff.
• Fighting Continues In Kunduz As MSF Wants Bombing Probe RFE/RL 07 Oct 2015 -- Afghan troops have regained control of central part of the northeastern city of Kunduz from Taliban fighters after days of intense fighting.
• Top UN refugee official calls for renewed international focus on Afghanistan UN News 07 Oct 2015 -- The United Nations' most senior refugee official is appealing to the international community to refocus its attention on Afghanistan, warning that it would be dangerous to ignore the country, and praised Iran and Pakistan for hosting so many Afghan refugees.

Defense Policy / Programs

• George Washington Drops Anchor at Lima, Peru NNS 07 Oct 2015 -- USS George Washington (CVN 73) arrived in Lima, Peru, Oct. 3 for a port visit.
• Carter, Italian Leaders Affirm Enduring Security Partnership AFPS 07 Oct 2015 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said his meetings earlier today with top officials in Rome were "productive" and discussions included the security partnership between the U.S. and Italy and the two nations' shared resolve to confront challenges in the changing strategic environment.
• Joint Press Conference Secretary Carter and Minister Pinotti in Rome, Italy DoD 07 Oct 2015 -- Secretary of Defense Ash Carter; Italian Minister of Defense Roberta Pinotti
• 435th AGOW deploys team, expands OIR mission AFNS 07 Oct 2015 -- Full certainty is never guaranteed in the military, which is why Airmen are trained to deploy at a moment's notice and hit the grounding running when they're called upon.
• Remarks by Secretary Carter at a Troop Event at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy, October 6, 2015 DoD 07 Oct 2015 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter
• US, ROK Marines practice urban operations during KMEP 15-12 USMC News 07 Oct 2015 -- Heat beats down on asphalt, unlocking dams of sweat that pour off Marines during their advance toward a small town. Under smoke concealment, they sweep through house after house, lobbing grenades through doorways and barking verbal coordination over the explosions.
• USS Fort Worth completes first CARAT exercise with Bangladesh Navy NNS 07 Oct 2015 -- The littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) completed its first Cooperation Afloat Readiness And Training (CARAT) exercise with Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal, Oct. 3.
• NATO Plans New Drone Spy Force in 2016 to Monitor Mediterranean Sputnik 07 Oct 2015 -- US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said that a new NATO drone surveillance force to monitor the alliance's tumultuous southern flank region will be based in the Sigonella Air Base in Italy next year.
• Poland Trains Ukrainian Instructors Under NATO Program Sputnik 07 Oct 2015 -- Polish Defense Ministry spokesman said that Poland is training some 30 military instructors for the Ukrainian Armed Forces under NATO development program.
• Russia Complicates US Pivot to Asia VOA 07 Oct 2015 -- With Monday's signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership [TPP], the United States reached a milestone in its push for rebalancing toward the Asia Pacific region.
• Russia Deploys Mi-24 Helicopter Gunships Near Afghan Border Sputnik 07 Oct 2015 -- Russia's military said it will beef up its force in Tajikistan, which neighbors Afghanistan's Kunduz province, the site of a recent uptick in Taliban violence.
• Russia Announces Helicopter Reinforcements For Tajik Base Amid Afghan Unrest RFE/RL 07 Oct 2015 -- Russia has announced that it will deploy attack and military-transport helicopters to beef up its military presence in Tajikistan amid rising insecurity in northern Afghanistan.
• Work begins on third Royal Navy Patrol Vessel UK MOD 07 Oct 2015 -- Construction of the final Royal Navy Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) took an important step forward today.
• Chinese flotilla docks in Polish port in first ever visit Press TV 07 Oct 2015 -- Three Chinese warships have dropped anchor in Poland on the first such visit to the European country aimed at further strengthening ties with the NATO member state.
• India Refuses Purchase of 44 Rafale Fighters, Opts for Homebuilt Aircraft Sputnik 07 Oct 2015 -- The Indian government prefers to purchase domestic made Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) instead of an additional 44 French-built Rafale fighter jets.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 10/7/15 The White House 07 Oct 2015
• October 7, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 07 Oct 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 07, 2015

Other Conflicts

• 7 October 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 07 Oct 2015
• Saudi warplanes kill eight in northwestern Yemen Press TV 07 Oct 2015 -- Saudi warplanes have killed as many as eight people, including six women and children, in northwestern Yemen, as the Riyadh regime keeps up its indiscriminate military aggression against its impoverished southern neighbor.
• Houthis reaffirm acceptance of Security Council resolution aimed at ending violence in Yemen - UN UN News 07 Oct 2015 -- The United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, has welcomed the latest statements by the Houthis reaffirming their acceptance of a UN Security Council resolution aimed at ending the country's months-long conflict, the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.
• Yemen's Houthis, Saleh's Party Accept UN Peace Terms VOA 07 Oct 2015 -- The political party of former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh and Yemen's Shi'ite Houthi group have accepted a United Nations-brokered peace plan aimed at ending the country's bloody conflict.
• Syria launches large-scale ground offensive in Hama Press TV 07 Oct 2015 -- Syria's army and allied forces, backed up by the Russian Air Force, have launched a major ground operation in the western parts of the country.
• Russia to support Syria ground operations: Putin Press TV 07 Oct 2015 -- Russia's President Vladimir Putin says the country's Air Force, which has been bombing the positions of the militants in Syria, will support Syrian government forces fighting on the ground.
• Russia conducts intense raids on Syria militants: Monitor Press TV 07 Oct 2015 -- Russia has conducted "intense" airstrikes against the militants in Syria as Syrian forces "for the first time" carry out coordinated ground attacks on positions being targeted by Russian warplanes, according to a monitoring group.
• Iran Foreign Minister Denies Reports of Iranian Troops in Syria Sputnik 07 Oct 2015 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that there are only Iranian military advisers in Syria.
• Iranian FM Zarif Doubts US Coalition's Resolve to Defeat ISIL in Syria Sputnik 07 Oct 2015 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called a US-led international coalition of some 60 regional and Western nations bombing ISIL 'just a show.'
• Syrian Army Begins Full-Scale Offensive in Hama Province Sputnik 07 Oct 2015 -- The Syrian army began a full-scale operation against terrorist forces in the country's Hama province after several days preparation.
• Russian Defense Ministry Ready to Work With US in Syria - Shoigu Sputnik 07 Oct 2015 -- Russia's military is ready to cooperate with the US in Syria, the Russian Defense minister said.
• Russian Warships in Caspian Sea Launch Attack on ISIL in Syria Sputnik 07 Oct 2015 -- Russian warships have launched a total of 26 cruise missiles at Islamic State facilities, destroying all targets.
• Russian Firepower, Iranian-trained Forces Move on Syrian Rebels VOA 07 Oct 2015 -- Russia is adding to its barrage on rebel forces in Syria, sending in more firepower in the form of an additional Russian battalion armed with advanced tanks and artillery while punching ahead on the ground in central and western parts of the country with an Iranian-trained force that could number 10,000 or more.
• Official: US Not Notified of Russia Firing Missiles Through Iraq, Syria VOA 07 Oct 2015 -- Neither Russia nor Iraq warned the United States that cruise missiles had entered Iraqi airspace en route to Syria, a U.S. official told VOA.
• Russian Warships Launch Missiles Against IS In Syria RFE/RL 07 Oct 2015 -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says Russian warships in the Caspian Sea have launched cruise missiles at the Islamic State (IS) militant group in Syria.
• Russian Navy Fires Missiles into Syria VOA 07 Oct 2015 -- Russia, which has been carrying out airstrikes in Syria, said Wednesday it has used four warships in the Caspian Sea to launch rockets at Islamic State targets in the war-torn country.
• Daesh used mustard gas against Peshmerga in Iraq: Kurdistan govt. Press TV 07 Oct 2015 -- The Takfiri Daesh terrorists used mustard gas against Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in northern Iraq during clashes in August, says the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs in Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
• Iraq forces recapture several areas around city of Ramadi Press TV 07 Oct 2015 -- Iraqi forces backed by volunteer fighters have recaptured several strategic areas around the central Iraqi city of Ramadi from the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group, officials say.
• Iraq to officially request Russian military action against Daesh Press TV 07 Oct 2015 -- Iraq is planning to officially ask Russia for airstrikes against Daesh in a bid to purge the Takfiri militant group from the territories it controls in the west and north of the Arab country.
• Daesh terrorists set oil well alight in northern Iraq Press TV 07 Oct 2015 -- Takfiri Daesh terrorists have attacked an oil field in Iraq's conflict-stricken northern province of Kirkuk and set fire to an oil well there.
• Iraq May Ask Russia for Airstrikes Against Islamic State Sputnik 07 Oct 2015 -- According to the head of Iraq's parliament's defence and security committee, Baghdad may soon request Russian air support in battling the Islamic State.
• Frustrated by US, Some Iraqis Look to Russia to Defeat IS VOA 07 Oct 2015 -- Russia on Wednesday shot 26 long range cruise missiles from its navy ships in the Caspian Sea across Iraqi airspace to hit both anti-government and Islamic State targets in Syria, further ramping up its fierce bombing campaign there.
• Iraqi Sunnis Caught Between IS, Shi'ite Militias VOA 07 Oct 2015 -- Sheikh Yayha Ismail, a Sunni tribal leader from Iraq's western Anbar province, received me, surrounded by relatives in a modest house in Irbil. Tiny cups with drops of bitter coffee were served, a Bedouin ritual.
• Iraq Steps Up IS Battle Amid Tussle on Russian Participation VOA 07 Oct 2015 -- The Iraqi military says it has entered the Anbar province capital of Ramadi from the west and is attempting to advance on the center of the city. The report comes amid a dispute between the Iraqi government and United States over Russian participation in the battle against IS.
• DPRKorea urges US to sign peace treaty, create peaceful environment IRNA 07 Oct 2015 -- Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Wednesday urged the United States to respond to its proposal at the 70th UN General Assembly to replace the Armistice Agreement by a peace treaty.
• Disinformation Campaign Against IOM In CAR Endangers Staff VOA 07 Oct 2015 -- The International Organization for Migration said it is the target of a disinformation campaign in war-torn Central African Republic.

News Reports

• For Russians, Syria Campaign is Symbol of Competence VOA 07 Oct 2015 -- Russians have an old expression: 'You can't argue with the weather.' But some may have found it jarring to hear the daily forecast promising unusually clear skies and warm temperatures throughout October.
• Risky Business: Russian Syria Bombing Jeopardizes Ties With Sunni World RFE/RL 07 Oct 2015 -- Moscow could lose significant influence in the Middle East as nations there react angrily to its bombing of Syrian opposition targets.
• Iran's Ayatollah Tires of US Infiltration, Forbids Further Negotiations Sputnik 07 Oct 2015 -- Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader says that negotiating with the US has 'no advantages.'
• Supreme Leader: Talks with US forbidden IRNA 07 Oct 2015 -- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said negotiation with the US is forbidden.
• Talks with US banned because of disadvantages: Leader ISNA 07 Oct 2015 -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said holding negotiations with the US is banned as it has countless disadvantages and no benefits.
• Chornobyl Teems With Wildlife 30 Years After Disaster RFE/RL 07 Oct 2015 -- even in the wake of the world's worst nuclear accident,' said Jim Smith, a specialist in earth and environmental sciences at Britain's University of Portsmouth.
• DRC Government Demands Evidence of Rights Abuses VOA 07 Oct 2015 -- A spokesman for the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo said human rights groups concerned about abuses in the DRC should cooperate with the government by providing proof of alleged violations so that the government may investigate such claims.
• US Treasury asks how Toyota trucks fall in ISIL hands Press TV 07 Oct 2015 -- US counterterrorism officials have launched an inquiry to determine how the Daesh (ISIL) terror network is in possession of a large number of Toyota vehicles seen prominently in its propaganda videos in Iraq, Syria and Libya.
• DR Congo: political tensions 'running high' ahead of 2016 elections, UN officials warn UN News 07 Oct 2015 -- The top United Nations official in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) told the UN Security Council today that he cannot say with certainty whether the progress attained in the country is sustainable, or whether violence will erupt again and reverse what has been achieved so far.
• What happened to Liberia's Ebola orphans? IRIN 07 Oct 2015 -- More than 5,900 Liberian children lost one or both parents to Ebola. Some are with a surviving parent, others found loving homes with friends or relatives, but many have been left orphaned on the streets or are finding it tough to adapt to new lives with host families.