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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 30 Oct 2015 [PDF]
• Airstrikes Continue Against ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 30 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.
• White House, DoD Step Up Counter-ISIL Campaign in Iraq, Syria AFPS 30 Oct 2015 -- Intensifying the campaign against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq and Syria will enhance U.S. military strategies that are working while moving away from those that are not, a senior Defense Department official said today.
• Department of Defense Background Briefing on Enhancing Counter-ISIL Operations DoD 30 Oct 2015 -- Senior Defense Official
• U.S. To Deploy Special Forces To Syria As Diplomats Meet In Vienna RFE/RL 30 Oct 2015 -- The United States says it will send a small number of special operations forces to Syria that will advise rebels but that the deployment will not be a combat mission.
• US Eyes Military Thrust With Islamic State Vulnerable VOA 30 Oct 2015 -- The entry of U.S. special operations forces into northern Syria to energize the fight against the Islamic State comes as intelligence officials see the terror group as the most vulnerable it has been in some time.
• US Orders Special Operations Forces to Syria VOA 30 Oct 2015 -- A small team of American ground troops will deploy to northern Syria to help assist opposition groups in the fight against Islamic State militants.
• Obama orders US special forces to 'assist' militants in Syria Press TV 30 Oct 2015 -- The United States is sending Special Operations Forces troops to Syria to 'assist' militants fighting against the government and the Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group, in an apparent breach of President Barack Obama's promise not to put US "boots on the ground' there.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DNI Releases Budget Figure for 2015 National Intelligence Program DNI 30 Oct 2015 -- Consistent with 50 U.S.C. 3306(b), the Director of National Intelligence is disclosing to the public the aggregate amount of funds appropriated by Congress to the National Intelligence Program for Fiscal Year 2015 not later than 30 days after the end of the fiscal year.
• Department of Defense Releases Budget Figure for 2015 Military Intelligence Program DoD 30 Oct 2015 -- The Department of Defense released today the MIP appropriated top line budget for FY 2015. The total MIP budget, which included both the base budget and Overseas Contingency Operations appropriations, was $16.5 billion.
• Detainee Transfer Announced DoD 30 Oct 2015 -- The Department of Defense announced today the repatriation of Shaker Aamer from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the Government of the United Kingdom.
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by General Breedlove in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 30 Oct 2015 -- Air Force General Philip Breedlove, commander, Supreme Allied Command Europe and commander, U.S. European Command
• Media Availability with Secretary Carter en route to Fort Wainwright, Alaska DoD 30 Oct 2015 -- Secretary of Defense Ash Carter
• Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group Enters U.S. 5th Fleet NNS 30 Oct 2015 -- The Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group (KSGARG) entered the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations (AOO) Oct. 31, after completing theater security operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet.
• Dunford Heads to Seoul for Military, Security Meetings AFPS 30 Oct 2015 -- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is en route to Seoul, South Korea, to participate in military and security discussions with America's long-term ally.
• Eucom Commander Cites Threats in Europe, Concern Over Russia AFPS 30 Oct 2015 -- As security threats in Europe increase, the United States remains concerned about Russia's destabilizing actions in Ukraine and Syria, the commander of U.S. forces in Europe said here today.
• US, Ghana strengthen maritime intelligence USMC News 30 Oct 2015 -- U.S. service members completed a Tactical Intelligence Support To Maritime Operations Centers for the Ghanaian Navy Oct. 12-23 at Ghana's Navy Trade Training School at Sekondi, Ghana.
• Reagan CSG Arrives in Busan NNS 30 Oct 2015 -- The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group (CSG) arrived in Busan for a goodwill port visit, Oct. 30.
• LCS Crew 104 Moves Aboard PCU Milwaukee (LCS 5) NNS 30 Oct 2015 -- The 'Juggernauts' of Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Crew 104 are one step closer to commissioning the Navy's newest warship, the future USS Milwaukee (LCS 5), after moving on board Oct. 18.
• Rota Region Participates in Trident Juncture 2015 NNS 30 Oct 2015 -- There were many more moving parts than usual around Naval Station Rota, Oct. 19-23, as the base hosted training scenarios as just a small part of the NATO-led multinational exercise Trident Juncture 2015.
• US solidifies NATO, allied partnership at Trident Juncture 2015 AFNS 30 Oct 2015 -- More than 130 operations, maintenance and support Airmen and five F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft from the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, deployed here Oct. 16 to participate in Exercise Trident Juncture 2015.
• On the wings of Trident Juncture 2015 NATO 30 Oct 2015 -- Air crews from Allied and partner nations are training to improve their readiness and ability to work together and interact with land and naval forces during NATO's Trident Juncture 2015 exercise. More than 160 aircraft including fighter jets, refueling tankers, transport aircraft, helicopters, surveillance planes and drones are training in the exercise, operating from 15 air bases in Italy, Spain, and Portugal, the three Allies hosting Trident Juncture.
• Russian Official Proposes Reviving Civil-Defense Training RFE/RL 30 Oct 2015 -- Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin has said the country should revive the old Cold War practice of training civilians on how to respond to a nuclear attack.
• NATO Commander: Russia's Syria Deployment Aimed To Take Eyes Off Ukraine RFE/RL 30 Oct 2015 -- NATO's top commander says Russia's military deployment to Syria was aimed at showcasing Moscow's resurgent armed forces, but also to distract Western attention from the simmering conflict in Ukraine.
• Russia to Receive Reconnaissance Ship to Monitor US Missile Defense in 2016 Sputnik 30 Oct 2015 -- The Ivan Khurs communications ship is planned to be launched in the second quarter of 2016, according to a spokesperson of Severnaya Verf shipyard.
• Russian Forces Launch Intercontinental Ballistic Missile From Plesetsk Sputnik 30 Oct 2015 -- Russian Defense Ministry said that Strategic Missile Forces have carried out a training launch of a Topol intercontinental ballistic missile from the northern Plesetsk cosmodrome.
• Russia Southern Military District Receives Over 10 New Aircraft in October Sputnik 30 Oct 2015 -- The 4th Air Force and Air Defense Forces Command of Russia's Southern Military District has received more than 10 new aircraft and helicopters, the Defense Ministry said in a statement issued on Friday.
• Russia, India May Conclude Up to $3Bln-Worth in New Arms Contracts Sputnik 30 Oct 2015 -- The value of a new package of contracts to supply Russian arms and military equipment to India may reach $3 billion, the Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade said Friday.
• Indian Military to Procure 149 Russia-Licensed BMP-2 Combat Vehicles Sputnik 30 Oct 2015 -- The Indian Defense Ministry on Thursday approved the acquisition of 149 BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles to be built in the country under license from Russia, The Times of India reported.
• Chinese peacekeepers play 'significant' role for Liberia peace: UN official People's Daily 30 Oct 2015 -- A senior UN peacekeeping official on Thursday commended China's peacekeeping efforts in sustaining peace and stability in Liberia, saying Chinese peacekeepers are 'very professional and well-disciplined.'
• Two killed in east Ukraine ammunition depot explosions Press TV 30 Oct 2015 -- Several explosions at an ammunition depot have killed two civilians and injured eight others in eastern Ukraine.
• Turkey - Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) (Corrected*) DSCA 30 Oct 2015 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Turkey for Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) and associated equipment, parts and logistical support for an estimated cost of $70 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on October 28, 2015.
• Venezuela to Spend $480Mln on Russian Sukhoi Jet Upgrade Sputnik 30 Oct 2015 -- Venezuela will allocate $480 million to upgrade its Russian-made Sukhoi fighter jets, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said.
• Daily Press Briefing by the Press Secretary Josh Earnest 10/30/15 The White House 30 Oct 2015
• October 30, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 30 Oct 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 30, 2015

Other Conflicts

• 30 October 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 30 Oct 2015
• China says Arbitral Tribunal's ruling on South China Sea 'null and void' People's Daily 30 Oct 2015 -- The Foreign Ministry on Friday said in a statement that a ruling by the Arbitral Tribunal on Thursday on the jurisdiction and admissibility of the South China Sea is null and void, and has no binding effect on China.
• China's navy commander warns US provocative acts in South China Sea could spark accidental conflicts People's Daily 30 Oct 2015 -- China's navy Commander Wu Shengli warned his U.S. counterpart there could be "seriously pressing situation between the frontline forces from both sides on the sea and in the air, or even accidental conflits' if the United States continues with its provocative acts in the South China Sea at a video teleconference on Thursday night.
• EU sides with US over ship patrol in South China Sea Press TV 30 Oct 2015 -- The European Union has sided with Washington over an incident in which a US warship approached a group of man-made islands in the South China Sea, which caused strong reaction from Beijing.
• China Refuses to Participate in Hearings on S. China Sea Dispute in Hague Sputnik 30 Oct 2015 -- Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said that the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in Hague to rule on the Philippines' claims to waters in the South China Sea 'was made without taking into account the rights of China' and is 'erroneous.'
• China to US: Minor Provocative Act in South China Sea Could Spark War Sputnik 30 Oct 2015 -- China's Naval Commander, Admiral Wu Shengli, has warned the US Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral John Richardson, that any "dangerous, provocative acts" of the US Navy could spark war in the South China Sea.
• Saudi jets mistakenly hit allied militants in Yemen Press TV 30 Oct 2015 -- An unknown number of militants loyal to fugitive former Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi have been killed in an incident in which Saudi military aircraft mistakenly bombed their positions in Yemen's central province of Ma'rib.
• MSF demands Saudi answer over airstrike on Yemen hospital Press TV 30 Oct 2015 -- Doctors Without Borders, a medical charity organization also known by its French acronym MSF, has called upon Saudi Arabia to provide convincing explanations over a recent aerial attack against a medical facility run by the group in northwestern Yemen.
• Progress over Syria to be very difficult: Kerry Press TV 30 Oct 2015 -- US Secretary of State John Kerry says he hopes progress can be achieved at international talks in Vienna, Austria to resolve the years-long conflict in Syria, but it would be very difficult.
• America's top spy blasts Putin's Syria campaign Press TV 30 Oct 2015 -- America's top spy has blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin's military campaign in Syria as an "impulsive" move that lacks careful strategic planning.
• Diplomats From 17 Countries, Including Iran, Discuss Syria Crisis In Vienna RFE/RL 30 Oct 2015 -- Diplomats from 17 countries, plus the UN and the European Union, are meeting in Vienna to seek ways to end the 4 1/2-year war in Syria.
• Russian Raids Said To Deliberately Target Rebel Field Hospitals In Syria RFE/RL 30 Oct 2015 -- Russian air strikes in Syria have deliberately targeted field hospitals in strategic opposition-controlled areas of Syria, killing and injuring staffers, disrupting their work and in some cases disabling hospitals altogether, opposition sources in Syria claim.
• Russian Strikes Destroy 1,600 Terrorist Targets in Syria Since Sept. 30 Sputnik 30 Oct 2015 -- The Russian air group in Syria has carried out 1,391 sorties over the past month, the General Staff said Friday.
• Under Fire, IS Struggles to Hold Raqqa VOA 30 Oct 2015 -- Under heavy bombardment by both the U.S.-led coalition and Russian warplanes supporting the Syrian government, Islamic State militants appear to be struggling to keep control of their stronghold in northeast Syria, the strategically important city of Raqqa.
• World Powers Agree on UN Plan for Syria VOA 30 Oct 2015 -- World powers involved in talks on Syria's political future have agreed to a U.N.-led process that involves talks between the Syrian government and opposition and also to explore a ceasefire that would still allow strikes against terrorist groups.
• UN strongly condemns attack on Iranian exiles camp in Iraq UN News 30 Oct 2015 -- The United Nations has strongly condemned the attack that occurred Thursday evening on a camp located near Baghdad International Airport that houses over 2,100 Iranian exiles and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.
• Iran ready to fully back Iraq's anti-terror fight: Minister Press TV 30 Oct 2015 -- An Iranian minister has expressed Tehran's full readiness to help Iraq in the fight against terrorist groups.
• U.S. Condemns Deadly Attack Against Exiled Iranian Opposition Group In Iraq RFE/RL 30 Oct 2015 -- The United States has condemned a rocket attack outside Baghdad that killed at least 23 Iranian opposition members and Iraqi soldiers and urged Iraq to pursue those responsible.
• UN strongly condemns attack on Iranian exiles camp in Iraq UN News 30 Oct 2015 -- The United Nations has strongly condemned the attack that occurred Thursday evening on a camp located near Baghdad International Airport that houses over 2,100 Iranian exiles and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.
• Israel says 'legalizes' hundreds of settler units in West Bank Press TV 30 Oct 2015 -- Israel says it has retroactively 'legalized' some 800 units in four settlements in the occupied West Bank.
• Head of mission urges release of remaining UN personnel taken hostage in South Sudan UN News 30 Oct 2015 -- The head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) today condemned the actions of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLM/A) in Opposition for holding UN personnel hostage, and refuted allegations that the Mission was transporting weapons and fuel for the South Sudanese group.

News Reports

• North Korea ruling party to hold first convention in decades Press TV 30 Oct 2015 -- North Korea says it will hold the biggest convention of the ruling Workers' Party in decades next year.
• UN Urges Russia, China To Allow Probe Of North Korean Abuses RFE/RL 30 Oct 2015 -- A United Nations investigator urged Russia, China, and other countries that have taken in forced labor from North Korea to grant him access to investigate for human rights abuses.
• North Korea Digging Tunnel at Nuclear Test Site Sputnik 30 Oct 2015 -- North Korea has been digging a new tunnel at its nuclear test site, local media reported Friday citing an official.
• Deep Divisions Ahead of Turkey's Sunday Election VOA 30 Oct 2015 -- Outside the Istanbul Military Museum, patriotic music blared from huge speakers on a truck bedecked with Turkey's national flag. A handful of tourists shuffled into the museum, but few locals heading to Istanbul's upscale and politically liberal Nisantasi district – a neighborhood peppered with designer label stores – paid much attention to the martial clamor, except to shield their ears.
• Turkish Opposition Cites Pressure Ahead of Poll VOA 30 Oct 2015 -- As Turkey prepares for parliamentary elections Sunday, the leader of the opposition HDP party contends the government is blocking its candidates from campaign appearances on Turkish media.
• Bureaucracy blocks earthquake aid in Pakistan IRIN 30 Oct 2015 -- International relief agencies are unable to reach some areas in Pakistan that were devastated by this week's earthquake, because government authorities have not granted them permission to carry out aid activities.
• U.S. Senator Seeks To Press Azerbaijan On Political Prisoners RFE/RL 30 Oct 2015 -- A senior U.S. senator says he intends to press Azerbaijani officials to release government critics imprisoned amid what rights groups call an escalating campaign to silence dissent in the oil-rich former Soviet republic.
• Georgian Officials Probe Alleged Saakashvili Recordings RFE/RL 30 Oct 2015 -- The Georgian State Security Service (SDSS) says it is looking into leaked wiretapped recordings -- apparently featuring the voice of ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili -- as part of an investigation into an alleged 'conspiracy to overthrow' the government.
• NGOs in Kenya protest threatened deregistration of 959 organisations IRIN 30 Oct 2015 -- A number of key Kenyan NGOs have reacted angrily to the announcement that 959 local organisations will be deregistered for being unable to account properly for their funding, blaming a growing culture of political repression.
• Caribbean region becomes free of highly enriched uranium - UN atomic watchdog UN News 30 Oct 2015 -- The United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) today announced that Jamaica completed the conversion of its research reactor to low enriched uranium this month, decreasing proliferation risks and making the Caribbean region completely free of highly enriched uranium.