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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 20 Oct 2015 [PDF]
• Statement from Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook on Memorandum of Understanding with Russia regarding safety over Syrian air space. DoD 20 Oct 2015 -- Today senior officials from the Department of Defense and the Russian Ministry of Defense signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding measures to minimize the risk of inflight incidents among coalition and Russian aircraft operating in Syrian air space. With today's signatures the MOU is now in effect.
• Russia, US sign Syria airspace coordination agreement Press TV 20 Oct 2015 -- Russia and the United States have officially signed a coordination memorandum based on which the two countries' aircraft and drone flights over Syria will be regulated.
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 20 Oct 2015 -- Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook
• Coalition Trains Kurdish Troops for Anti-ISIL Fight AFPS 20 Oct 2015 -- Coalition airstrikes are effective, but holding ground in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant requires dedicated infantrymen -- and the Kurdish peshmerga is providing them, according to coalition officials here.
• Military Strikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 20 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.
• US military recommended 20k troops in Afghanistan: McCain Press TV 20 Oct 2015 -- US military leaders have recommended that Washington should leave as many as 20,000 American troops in Afghanistan after 2016, says Senator John McCain.
• US Slaps Sanctions on Top Taliban Leader VOA 20 Oct 2015 -- The United States imposed sanctions on Tuesday on a Taliban leader and fundraiser who it said helped plan attacks against the military in Afghanistan, authorize the assassination of Afghan government leaders and raise millions of dollars for the militant group.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US deploys ground-attack A-10 aircraft to Turkey Press TV 20 Oct 2015 -- The United States has deployed a number of attack aircraft to an airbase in southern Turkey, a US military official says.
• USS Ross Successfully Intercepts Ballistic Missile Target During Coalition Test NNS 20 Oct 2015 -- USS Ross (DDG 71) successfully intercepted a ballistic missile in the North Atlantic Ocean during the Maritime Theater Missile Defense (MTMD) Forum's At Sea Demonstration (ASD) Oct. 20, 2015.
• USS Porter Arrives in Batumi, Georgia NNS 20 Oct 2015 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) arrived in Batumi for a scheduled port visit, Oct. 20, 2015.
• Airmen of New York's 109th AW begin Antarctic mission AFNS 20 Oct 2015 -- The takeoff of the New York Air National Guard's LC-130 Hercules ski-equipped aircraft here Oct. 16 marked the official start of the 109th Airlift Wing's 28th season of support to science research at the South Pole.
• NATO Deputy Secretary General: better capabilities key to keep NATO fit and ready NATO 20 Oct 2015 -- NATO Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Alexander Vershbow stressed the importance of delivering "more and better capabilities" to ensure NATO stays fit and ready to meet any challenge at the NATO-Industry Forum in Lisbon on Tuesday (20 October 2015).
• NATO Trident Juncture Bigger Than Ordinary Military Exercises Sputnik 20 Oct 2015 -- The NATO Trident Juncture drills taking place in Spain this fall go beyond mere military exercises, Javier Parra, the secretary general of the United Left political coalition in the Valencian Community, told Sputnik on Tuesday.
• Estonia-NATO airbase plan provocative: Russia Press TV 20 Oct 2015 -- The Russian Foreign Ministry has called plans by Estonia to expand an airbase to provide more space for NATO aircraft as 'provocative.'
• Moscow Believes Expansion of Estonia's Amari Airbase to Be Provocative Sputnik 20 Oct 2015 -- Russia sees the expansion of Estonia's Amari Airbase as a provocative move.
• Hovercraft From Hell: Russia Designs Next Generation Military Landing Ship Sputnik 20 Oct 2015 -- A next generation large air-cushioned landing craft is being developed by Russia's Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau, Russian media reported on Tuesday.
• Putin: Russia Will Further Strengthen Armed Forces Sputnik 20 Oct 2015 -- The Russian Army and Navy ensure the country's sovereignty and play a crucial role in global and regional stability, Vladimir Putin said.
• Russia's Western Military District Gets 2,500 Modern Communication Systems Sputnik 20 Oct 2015 -- The modern stations and systems ensure a high level of noise immunity and imitation protection and enable rapid data transmission.
• Air defense stages drills at Khondab nuclear site IRNA 20 Oct 2015 -- Iranian army and air defense forces held a preparation maneuver at Khondab nuclear site in Arak, central Iran, a provincial official said on Tuesday.
• Army military drills wind up IRNA 20 Oct 2015 -- Iranian Army wound up Muharram maneuver in the western and northwestern Iran on Tuesday.
• 'Kamikaze' robots feature in Iran military drill for first time Press TV 20 Oct 2015 -- Military hardware known as "kamikaze" robots has debuted in ongoing military exercises by the Iranian Army.
• Iran to Build Own Missile Defense Based on Knockoff of Russia's S-300 Sputnik 20 Oct 2015 -- Iran plans to deploy a missile defense system built around an indigenous analogue of Russia's S-300 missile system before 2017, Russian media reported on Tuesday.
• Belarus Plans to Buy Russian Su-30SM Fighter Jets After 2020 Sputnik 20 Oct 2015 -- The new planes will replace the MiG-29 jet fighters designed in the Soviet Union.
• Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) Ships DSCA 20 Oct 2015 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) Ships and associated equipment, parts and logistical support for an estimated cost of $11.25 billion.
• Latvian Defense Ministry to Propose Amendments Allowing Army to Down UAVs Sputnik 20 Oct 2015 -- The Latvian Defense Ministry to announce legislative amendments permitting the county's armed forces shoot down UAVs over strategic sites.
• October 20, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 20 Oct 2015
• Daily Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 10/20/15 The White House 20 Oct 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 20, 2015

Other Conflicts

• 20 October 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 20 Oct 2015
• At Security Council, heads of main UN bodies highlight 'mutually reinforcing' areas of concern UN News 20 Oct 2015 -- During a debate on the working methods of the Security Council, the President of the General Assembly, as well as the Deputy Secretary-General and the Vice President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) emphasized the need for continued and improved interaction between the main bodies of the United Nations.
• China defends lighthouses construction in South China Sea People's Daily 20 Oct 2015 -- The Ministry of Transport held a completion ceremony for the construction of Huayang and Chigua Lighthouses on Huayang Reef of China's Nansha Islands, marking the start of the operation of the two lighthouses.
• Chinese President Xi: China's Actions in the South China Sea Are Not Expansionism People's Daily 20 Oct 2015 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said that the actions China has taken in the South China Sea are legitimate reactions to safeguard its territorial sovereignty. "Expansionism refers to laying claims to land outside one's own territory. China has never done anything like that, so such doubts or accusations are unwarranted."
• Saudi warplanes pound several areas in crisis-hit Yemen Press TV 20 Oct 2015 -- Saudi fighter jets have conducted a fresh round of attacks against several areas across Yemen.
• Houthis to Release Prisoners If All Parties to Yemeni Conflict Do Same Sputnik 20 Oct 2015 -- The Houthi rebels group, the main opposition faction in Yemen, is ready to release people they took prisoners provided the other parties to the conflict in the country do the same, a source in the movement told Sputnik on Tuesday.
• Iran, Russia Undeterred by Slow-Go in Syria VOA 20 Oct 2015 -- Forces fighting for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are struggling against rebels in the country's northwest, despite substantial backing from Russia and Iran, according to U.S. officials. But they caution that both Russia and Tehran seem prepared to dig in and intensify their efforts.
• Russian air raids destroy over 49 militant positions over 24 hrs across Syria People's Daily 20 Oct 2015 -- The Russian air force carried 33 air strikes over the past 24 hours, destroying over 49 positions of the armed militant groups in several Syrian areas, the Syrian army said in a statement on Monday.
• Over 10,000 people lay down arms in Syria's armistice program: Minister Press TV 20 Oct 2015 -- A Syrian government program for armistice has proven to be successful as thousands of people have reportedly given up their weapons over a two-year period, officials say.
• Syrian Army Continues to Attack Terrorists in Damascus' Suburbs Sputnik 20 Oct 2015 -- The Syrian army continued its military operation in the suburbs of Damascus, in the district of Dzhobar, which had come under the control of the Islamists several years ago, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported.
• Russia to Continue Coordination of Syrian Operation With Iraq Sputnik 20 Oct 2015 -- Russia will continue consultations and coordination of its counter-terrorism operations in Syria with Iraq, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.
• Activists: Russian Airstrikes Have Killed Nearly 400 in Syria VOA 20 Oct 2015 -- Russia's airstrikes in Syria have killed nearly 400 people, nearly a third of them civilians, since the campaign began three weeks ago, activist groups said Tuesday.
• Thousands of Syrians Flee Aleppo Countryside VOA 20 Oct 2015 -- Thousands of Syrian villagers are fleeing homes in the countryside south of Aleppo in the face of a government ground assault backed by Russian airstrikes, one of four major offensives mounted since Russia's military intervention in the long-running Syrian civil war.
• UN refugee agency provides shelter to Iraqis uprooted in restive Anbar province UN News 20 Oct 2015 -- The UN refugee agency has opened its most recent camp for internally displaced persons in Iraq's restive Anbar province – host to the largest number of 3.2 million Iraqis uprooted across the country and where more than 250,000 civilians have fled their homes over the past six months.
• Iraqi forces retake refinery town of Baiji, military says Press TV 20 Oct 2015 -- Iraqi forces and volunteer fighters have managed to liberate a major northern town from the Daesh Takfiri terrorists, military officials say.
• South Koreans enter North for family reunion Press TV 20 Oct 2015 -- Hundreds of South Koreans have entered a resort inside North Korean territory for a new round of family reunions.
• Korean Family Reunions Get Off to Good Start VOA 20 Oct 2015 -- The long awaited reunions of Korean separated families got underway Tuesday as the first group of mostly elderly participants from the South crossed into the North in a caravan of buses.
• UN agency reaches Donetsk after months of restricted humanitarian access UN News 20 Oct 2015 -- The World Food Programme (WFP) today announced that after a three-month suspension, it has restarted humanitarian activities in the non-Government-controlled area of Donetsk city in eastern Ukraine.
• Ban arrives in Israel, beginning two-day visit in region to 'help defuse tensions' UN News 20 Oct 2015 -- In an effort to ease the current tensions between Israel and Palestine, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is heading to the region to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian President Abbas, as well as with other senior officials.
• Central African Republic: Security Council condemns violence, reiterates decision to apply sanctions UN News 20 Oct 2015 -- The United Nations Security Council today expressed its deep concern about the recent upsurge of violence and instability in the Central African Republic (CAR), and reiterated its decision to apply an asset freeze and travel ban to those engaging in or providing support for acts that undermine the peace, stability or security of the country.

News Reports

• Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper steps down after election loss Press TV 20 Oct 2015 -- Canadian Israel-friendly Prime Minister Stephen Harper has conceded defeat in regional elections, stepping down and setting the stage for the appointment of an interim leader.
• Trudeau to Become Canada's New PM VOA 20 Oct 2015 -- Justin Trudeau will become Canada's next prime minister after leading his Liberal Party to a commanding victory in Tuesday's parliamentary elections.
• CIA Pressured to Release Drone Strike Data in Fresh Lawsuit Sputnik 20 Oct 2015 -- The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is pressing ahead with a lawsuit calling on the CIA to release crucial information about the US' drone warfare program, amid calls for greater transparency into the intelligence agency's actions.
• Larijani: Iranians' patient resistance bore fruit in nuclear talks IRNA 20 Oct 2015 -- Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said on Monday it was patient resistance of the Iranian nation which finally bore fruit for settlement of nuclear dispute with the western governments.
• Iranian official says expects sanctions to be lifted this year People's Daily 20 Oct 2015 -- An Iranian official said Monday he expects sanctions to be lifted by the end of the year on the condition Iran fully implements its nuclear-related commitments made in a landmark nuclear deal adopted on Sunday.
• First JCPOA joint commission wraps up in Vienna Press TV 20 Oct 2015 -- The joint commission established to oversee the implementation of a July agreement between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries has wrapped up its first meeting in the Austrian capital of Vienna.
• Iran to Resume Building of Enrichment Plants If West Violates Nuclear Deal Sputnik 20 Oct 2015 -- Tehran will begin constructing uranium enrichment plants if the West fails in its commitment to the P5+1 nuclear agreement, parliament speaker Ali Larijani said Tuesday.
• Japan need to make clear break from militaristic past People's Daily 20 Oct 2015 -- It is regrettable that select Japanese politicians are persistent in their visits to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in downtown Tokyo.
• EU Membership More Elusive Than Ever for Turkey VOA 20 Oct 2015 -- Moves by Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to clamp down on the Kurdish minority and the media before next month's parliamentary elections are fueling the longstanding skepticism of European leaders, and analysts say the prospect of Turkey joining the European Union seems more distant than ever.
• Ebola Crisis Spurs New WHO Reform Program VOA 20 Oct 2015 -- The World Health Organization chief said preparedness, awareness, and transparency are at the heart of the WHO reform process.
• Antimigrant Voices Boost Standing As Migrant Crisis Drags On RFE/RL 20 Oct 2015 -- Two faces of Europe's refugee debate squared off this week in Dresden, where the German antimigrant movement Pegida was celebrating its first year in existence.
• With winter closing in, UN relief wing races against time to reach isolated areas of Nepal UN News 20 Oct 2015 -- As the approaching winter has left a small time window for aid workers to reach earthquake-hit, high-altitude areas in Nepal, the United Nations humanitarian wing and its partners are racing against the clock to ensure timely delivery of food and shelter supplies to the isolated communities.
• 'Actions by States are increasingly transnational,' UN expert warns, stressing prohibition against torture UN News 20 Oct 2015 -- The UN Special Rapporteur on torture Juan Méndez today urged governments across the world not to allow a vacuum of human rights protection even when they act beyond their borders, saying "torture is torture here, there and everywhere."