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News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 13 Oct 2015 [PDF]
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Col. Warren via Teleconference in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 13 Oct 2015 -- Operation Inherent Resolve Spokesperson Colonel Steve Warren
• US to Continue Supplying Syrian Rebels With Ammunition After 50-Ton Airdrop Sputnik 13 Oct 2015 -- According to the Pentagon, the United States will continue providing military aid to Syrian rebels as it's part of the US program to assist 'forces who are fighting ISIL'.
• Strikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 13 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.
• Coalition Airstrikes Enable Local Forces to Fight ISIL AFPS 13 Oct 2015 -- U.S.-led coalition airstrikes against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant are forcing the terrorist group to change the way it communicates, moves, reinforces and resupplies, the Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman said today.
• UN mission 'seriously concerned' by Taliban threats against Afghan media outlets UN News 13 Oct 2015 -- Expressing serious concerns at recent statements made from the Taliban that identified specific Afghan media outlets and its staff as targets, the United Nations Assistance Mission in the country (UNAMA) today urged all parties to the conflict to respect and protect the right to freedom of expression.
• Senior UN relief official urges action to address urgent humanitarian needs in Afghanistan and Pakistan UN News 13 Oct 2015 -- The head of Operations at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), John Ging, called today for renewed international commitment to address urgent humanitarian needs, and to shore up regional peace and stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan, noting that the two countries were on differing humanitarian trajectories.
• Taliban pulls back from Kunduz amid clashes in Ghazni Press TV 13 Oct 2015 -- The Taliban says its militants are retreating from the northern city of Kunduz, which fell to the militant group briefly late last month.
• Taliban Threat To Second Afghan Provincial Capital Repelled RFE/RL 13 Oct 2015 -- Fighting flared in eastern Afghanistan on October 12 as Taliban insurgents threatened to storm another provincial capital, two weeks after their brief capture of Kunduz city.
• US, Afghan Military Destroy Several al-Qaeda Sites in Afghanistan Sputnik 13 Oct 2015 -- The US conducted 63 precision airstrikes while Afghan forces engaged in several battles on the ground against al-Qaeda networks at two related sites, according to the US military.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Joint Press Conference by Secretary Carter, Secretary Kerry, Australian Foreign Minister Bishop and Australian Defence Minister Payne in Boston, Massachusetts DoD 13 Oct 2015 -- Secretary of Defense Ash Carter; Secretary of State John Kerry; Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop; Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne; John Kirby, State Department Spokesperson
• Carter: U.S., Australia Are 'Cornerstone' of Peace, Prosperity AFPS 13 Oct 2015 -- Australia is a strong partner to the United States and is making valuable contributions to peace and security around the world, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in Boston today.
• Kearsarge ARG and 26th MEU Enters U.S. 6th Fleet NNS 13 Oct 2015 -- The Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) entered the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations Oct. 13, 2015.
• Annual UNITAS Pacific Naval Exercise Kicks Off In Chile NNS 13 Oct 2015 -- Naval forces from Chile, Colombia, Mexico and the United States kicked off UNITAS 2015, an annual multinational exercise, in Valparaiso, Chile, Oct. 13.
• US Asserts Right to South China Sea Presence VOA 13 Oct 2015 -- In an apparent rebuff to China, Defense Secretary Ash Carter repeated his assertion that the U.S. will "fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows."
• Army leaders: US still needs ground troops in Mideast Press TV 13 Oct 2015 -- US Army leaders have blasted the Obama administration for its military policy in the Middle East, contending that Washington still needs to keep in and send ground troops to the Middle East.
• C-5M scoops up in-flight data for NASA AFNS 13 Oct 2015 -- Lockheed Martin and base officials recently recorded in-flight noise and vibration data onboard a C-5M Super Galaxy, ensuring the newly upgraded airframe was still compliant with NASA requirements.
• TR Carrier Strike Group Wraps Up Operations in 5th Fleet NNS 13 Oct 2015 -- The USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group (TRCSG) departed the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet area of operations Oct. 13, after more than six months in the region.
• ROK Navy Engineers Exchange With West Coast Seabees NNS 13 Oct 2015 -- The 30th Naval Construction Regiment and Naval Construction Group (NCG) 1 hosted a team of engineers from the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy during a visit to the U.S. Navy's West Coast naval construction forces, Oct. 5-10.
• U.S. 7th Fleet Commander Discusses 'Transnational Crime' at Maritime Security Symposium NNS 13 Oct 2015 -- Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, attended the 2015 Maritime Security Symposium Oct. 11 aboard the new Japanese destroyer, JDS Izumo (DDH-183).
• Secretary of Defense Ash Carter Visits NAS Sigonella NNS 13 Oct 2015 -- Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and his wife Stephanie visited Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella Oct. 6 as part of a five-day trip to Europe, during which time he toured the base and held a town hall with 250 service members.
• USS Benfold Enhances Security, Stability to 7th Fleet NNS 13 Oct 2015 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS
  Benfold (DDG 65) entered 7th Fleet's area of responsibility (AOR), Oct. 13, in support of security and stability to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
• Blue Sky V Promotes Stability, Security During Southern Seas '15 NNS 13 Oct 2015 -- Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2, embarked aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73) and the Chilean Air Force (FACh) are conducting exercise Blue Sky (BS) V as part of Southern Seas 2015, Oct. 9-23.
• NATO Deputy Secretary General addresses role of women for peace and security at UN Security Council NATO 13 Oct 2015 -- NATO is proud of its record in implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow said at a Security Council debate that marks the Resolution's 15th anniversary.
• Russia Western Military District to Receive Advanced NBC Vehicles Sputnik 13 Oct 2015 -- The Russian Western Military District's Separate Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defense (NBC) Brigade located in the Kursk Region will be re-equipped with the advanced NBC reconnaissance vehicles RKhM-6 in early 2016, Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement.
• China concludes integrated armed forces drills People's Daily 13 Oct 2015 -- A three-day military drill featuring coordination between China's army, air force and missile troops concluded on Tuesday in a plateau area in the northwestern Qinghai Province.
• PLA Navy training vessel 'Zhenghe' arrives in U.S. People's Daily 13 Oct 2015 -- The Chinese navy's training vessel 'Zhenghe' arrived Monday in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, starting a four-day goodwill visit to the United States.
• Iran starts mass production of 'Valfajr' smart torpedo Press TV 13 Oct 2015 -- Iran has launched the mass production line for a smart and high-speed torpedo, dubbed Valfajr, as part of the Islamic Republic's plans to enhance its military might.
• Tokyo Overrules Okinawa Governor's Refusal of US Base Relocation Sputnik 13 Oct 2015 -- Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said that Japanese government will continue preparations for the relocation of a US military base within the prefecture of Okinawa.
• Japan Joins India-US Naval Exercises VOA 13 Oct 2015 -- The United States and India annually hold naval drills to sharpen skills, but this year the fleet of aircraft carriers, destroyers and frigates conducting war games near the port of Chennai included a warship from Japan.
• UK Denies Alleged Policy Allowing to Strike Russian Jets in Middle East Sputnik 13 Oct 2015 -- The British defense ministry put an end to speculation that circulated in the media recently over the ability – and preparedness – of the Royal Air Force to start downing Russian jets in the Middle East.
• October 13, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 13 Oct 2015
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 10/13/2015 The White House 13 Oct 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 13, 2015

Other Conflicts

• 13 October 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 13 Oct 2015
• Security Council renews commitment to landmark resolution on women, peace and security UN News 13 Oct 2015 -- Marking the 15th anniversary the adoption of the United Nations Security Council's resolution 1325, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today declared his commitment to the inclusion of women in peace-building processes, while the Council adopted a new text by which it decided to integrate women, peace and security concerns across all country-specific situations on its agenda, within relevant contexts.
• Militay official says Riyadh used chemical weapons in Yemen Press TV 13 Oct 2015 -- Military officials in Yemen say Saudi Arabia has carried out a chemical attack in eastern Yemen, as Riyadh continues its military aggression against the impoverished Arab country.
• Saudi airstrikes leave seven people dead in Yemen Press TV 13 Oct 2015 -- The latest wave of Saudi air raids against Yemen has claimed the lives of seven people, including a child, in Yemen.
• Saudi Arabia Sells Off Wealth Fund as Yemen War Cost Rises Sputnik 13 Oct 2015 -- Saudi Arabia has begun selling off major portions of its wealth fund's European stocks amid the rising cost of its intervention in Yemen and falling oil prices.
• Syria: UN human rights advisers alarmed at rise of incitement to religious violence UN News 13 Oct 2015 -- Senior United Nations human rights officials today expressed their alarm at the rise in violent rhetoric by influential religious leaders – including calls for "holy war" against certain faiths – in relation to the situation in Syria.
• US Military Official: Russian Airstrikes Benefiting IS VOA 13 Oct 2015 -- Some Russian airstrikes in Syria are benefiting Islamic State militants, a U.S. military official said Tuesday.
• Iranian generals killed in fight on terror in Syria Press TV 13 Oct 2015 -- Two veteran Iranian generals have been killed while fighting against terrorist groups in Syria, reports say.
• Russian Aircraft in Syria Carry Out 88 Sorties in 24 Hours Sputnik 13 Oct 2015 -- The targets included ISIL command posts, weapon storage facilities, and sites where the group manufactured explosives, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said Tuesday.
• Syrian Kurds Accused of Human Rights Abuses Against Arabs VOA 13 Oct 2015 -- Kurdish forces in northern Syria, one of the few armed groups in the multilayered civil war trusted by the U.S.-led coalition to battle Islamic State extremists, are said to have carried out forced displacement of Arabs and Turkmen and mass house demolitions of villages in territory they have captured.
• Rocket Attack Hits Russian Embassy in Syrian Capital VOA 13 Oct 2015 -- Militants fired rockets at Russia's Embassy in Damascus in what Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called an act of terror meant to intimidate those who support the fight against Islamic State militants.
• Australia Prepares to Resettle 12,000 Syrian Refugees VOA 13 Oct 2015 -- Australia has begun the task of selecting for resettlement 12,000 refugees from the crisis in Syria, with the first group expected to arrive before late December.
• Coalition Spokesman: Now Time for Push into Ramadi VOA 13 Oct 2015 -- The time is right for Iraqi forces to make a "final push" to reclaim Ramadi from Islamic State fighters, according to the spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition fighting the militant group.
• Cholera infection cases in Iraq passes 1,500 mark: Health ministry Press TV 13 Oct 2015 -- Iraq says the number of recorded cases of cholera infection in one of the worst outbreaks to hit the Arab country in recent years has soared to more than 1, 500.
• Iraq bombs Daesh based on Quartet intelligence Press TV 13 Oct 2015 -- Iraq has started bombing Takfiri Daesh targets with help from intelligence gathered by the Quartet including Iran, Russia and Syria.
• 35 Daesh militants slain as Iraqis advance in Anbar Press TV 13 Oct 2015 -- Iraqi security forces have pushed ahead with their campaign against Takfiri Deash militants in Iraq's conflict-ridden western province of Anbar, inflicting losses on the terrorists.
• Iraq Starts Bombing ISIL Using Shared Russian, Syrian Intel – MP Sputnik 13 Oct 2015 -- The Iraqi military has reportedly launched its first air strikes on Islamic State militant positions using the data of a new information center in Baghdad which was created in cooperation with Russia, Iran and Syria.
• Iraqi Army Launches Phase Two of Anti-ISIL Offensive in Central Province Sputnik 13 Oct 2015 -- According to Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi, the Iraqi Armed Forces started the second phase of a military operation to liberate the central province of Salah al-Din from the Islamic State (ISIL) militant group.
• How Dutch Investigators Rebuffed Russia's Alternative MH17 Theories RFE/RL 13 Oct 2015 -- the quality of the MH17 flight crew, the state of the Boeing 777, the nature of the shrapnel holes, among many other things. But they also state clearly in the report that they looked at other theories and then ruled them out.
• Dutch Safety Board's final report on flight MH17 crash in Ukraine welcomed by UN UN News 13 Oct 2015 -- The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) welcomed the Dutch Safety Board's final report on Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which crashed on 17 July 2014 in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine.
• MH17 inquiry criticizes Ukraine for 2014 crash Press TV 13 Oct 2015 -- The Dutch Safety Board investigating last year's crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 has criticized the Ukrainian authorities for not closing the airspace above the country's volatile east.
• Dutch Report: MH17 Downed By Buk Surface-To-Air Missile RFE/RL 13 Oct 2015 -- Dutch investigators say that a Malaysia Airlines passenger plane that crashed in a conflict zone in eastern Ukraine in July 2014 was brought down by a Russian-made Buk surface-to-air missile.
• Dutch MH17 Commission Presents Crash Report Sputnik 13 Oct 2015 -- The Dutch Safety Board released its report on Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 on Tuesday at the Gilze-Rijen air force base.
• Dutch Probe: Buk Missile Brought Down MH17 VOA 13 Oct 2015 -- The Dutch Safety Board confirmed that a Russian-made missile brought down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 last year, placing blame on governments and airlines, and saying no one gave any thought to the risk of flying commercial airliners over eastern Ukraine where a conflict between Russian-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces was raging.
• Russian Missile Maker Counters Dutch MH17 Report VOA 13 Oct 2015 -- The Russian state arms manufacturer of the missile system believed to be behind the downing of Malaysian Air flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine last year says its own investigation into the crash contradicts findings from a Dutch probe into the tragedy.
• Statement by NSC Spokesperson Ned Price on the Dutch Safety Board Report on the Downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 The White House 13 Oct 2015
• NATO Secretary General statement on Dutch Safety Board's report into MH-17 crash NATO 13 Oct 2015
• Syrian army posts hit in Golan Heights: Israeli military Press TV 13 Oct 2015 -- The Israeli military says it has launched a number of artillery attacks against Syrian army posts in the Golan Heights, claiming that they were in response to rocket fire from Syria on the Israeli-occupied sector of the heights.
• Israel Authorizes Police to Seal Off Parts of Jerusalem VOA 13 Oct 2015 -- The Israeli cabinet has authorized police to seal off "centers of friction and incitement in Jerusalem." Many recent attackers have come from Arab areas in Jerusalem.
• Palestinian Attacks Kill 3 in Jerusalem VOA 13 Oct 2015 -- Jerusalem suffered its deadliest day yet Tuesday amid a wave of Palestinian attacks this month, with at least three Israelis killed.
• UN agency condemns suicide attacks in Chad, pledges continued support UN News 13 Oct 2015 -- The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today deplored the violent and fatal suicide attacks that were carried out over the weekend in the western Chad town of Baga Sola.
• Al-Shabab Seemingly Shifts Strategy as Fighters Dwindle VOA 13 Oct 2015 -- As it loses ground in Somalia, militant group al-Shabab increasingly has turned to attacks needing just a few fighters to make an impact. The biggest of these – such as the assault on Garissa University in northeastern Kenya in April – have left dozens of people dead. The group now is calling on Muslim youth in East Africa to take up this strategy.

News Reports

• Rohani Tells Iranians To Expect Economic Boom RFE/RL 13 Oct 2015 -- Iranian President Hassan Rohani says his country will face new conditions once the sanctions are removed, which he suggested could happen in the coming months.
• Iran Parliament approves JCPOA motion Press TV 13 Oct 2015 -- The Iranian Parliament (Majlis) votes to approve a motion to implement the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the agreement previously reached between Iran and the P5+1.
• Iranian Parliament Approves P5+1 Nuclear Agreement Sputnik 13 Oct 2015 -- The Iranian Parliament on Tuesday approved the P5+1 agreement on the country's nuclear program, IRNA news agency reported.
• Political Crisis Escalates In Iraq's Kurdistan Region RFE/RL 13 Oct 2015 -- The prime minister of Iraq's Kurdish region has fired four cabinet ministers and barred the speaker of parliament from entering the capital in an escalating political crisis that threatens to destabilize the region.
• US Suit Seeks Damages for CIA Interrogation Program VOA 13 Oct 2015 -- The American Civil Liberties Union is suing two former U.S. Air Force psychologists who designed the Central Intelligence Agency's harsh interrogation program aimed at forcing suspected terrorists to divulge information about possible attacks against the United States.
• CIA torture survivors sue psychologists who designed program Press TV 13 Oct 2015 -- Three survivors of the CIA's brutal torture program have sued the psychologists who designed it and helped the agency to implement it.
• Homeland Security Chief Discusses Changing Nature of Terrorism AFPS 13 Oct 2015 -- The threat of terrorism has changed from "terrorist-directed" to "terrorist-inspired" attacks, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson said at the annual Association of the U.S. Army meeting here today.
• Two Terror Suspects Detained in Moscow Admit Preparing Attack Sputnik 13 Oct 2015 -- The Moscow court arrested two suspects out of three present in court on Tuesday. The total number of suspects detained in connection with the case amounts to 12, according the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) chief Alexander Bortnikov.
• No Delay to Myanmar Elections VOA 13 Oct 2015 -- Myanmar's election oversight body has decided to proceed with the general election, as scheduled, next month, according to a government announcement Tuesday evening.
• Belarus election 'neither free nor fair,' says UN human rights expert UN News 13 Oct 2015 -- The United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Belarus, Miklós Haraszti, today said that while the Presidential polls conducted in the country this past Sunday were not met with violence as in previous cases, no progress was made in serving the Belarusians' right to free and fair election.
• Refugee rescue ship enters rough waters in Southeast Asia IRIN 13 Oct 2015 -- After spending the summer rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean, a ship owned by an American millionaire will attempt to do the same in Southeast Asia. But the Migrant Offshore Aid Station could find itself sailing into a sea of trouble in a region where rules governing the rights of migrants and refugees are harsher and less clear-cut than in Europe.
• Protesters, Police Clash In Kosovo RFE/RL 13 Oct 2015 -- Protesters besieged the central police station in the Kosovar capital, Pristina, on October 12 hours after a prominent opposition politician was detained, lobbing concrete and stones at police, who returned fire with tear gas.
• Attorney: Burkina Faso Leader Sankara Was Assassinated VOA 13 Oct 2015 -- A lawyer for the family of Burkina Faso's late Marxist revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara said Tuesday that an autopsy proved he was assassinated in 1987.
• Burundi: post-election crisis forces UN and partners to seek $32 million in revised relief plan UN News 13 Oct 2015 -- The United Nations in Burundi is calling for aid funding for the humanitarian crisis facing the country, which is facing its deepest political crisis since the end of the civil war after President Pierre Nkurunziza's decision to run for a controversial third term in office.