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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 04 Nov 2015 [PDF]
• US, Russian planes test safety protocols over Syria skies People's Daily 40 Nov 2015 -- A US fighter plane and a Russian fighter plane flew in the same airspace over Syria on Tuesday, testing new safety protocols designed to avoid air clashes between the two countries.
• Military Forces Strike ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 04 Nov 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.
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Colonel Warren via teleconference from Baghdad, Iraq DoD 04 Nov 2015 -- Colonel Steve Warren, Operation Inherent Resolve Spokesman; Captain Jeff Davis, Director, Defense Press Office
• Pentagon to Resupply Syrian Rebels After Proper Use of Airdropped Munitions Sputnik 04 Nov 2015 -- On October 13, the US Department of Defense confirmed it had airdropped 50 tons of weapons to resupply Syrian rebels fighting against ISIL in Syria.
• US Special Forces to Operate Far From Russian Military in Syria - Nuland Sputnik 04 Nov 2015 -- The United States anticipates that its special forces deployed to Syria will operate far away from Russian airstrikes.
• Public Stoning Condemned In Afghanistan RFE/RL 04 Nov 2015 -- Afghan lawmakers have condemned and ordered an investigation into the stoning death of a young woman accused of adultery.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Dunford: U.S. Engagement in Pacific 'Unprecedented' AFPS 04 Nov 2015 -- Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. met with Japanese leaders here today to discuss freedom of navigation, changes to the U.S.-Japan alliance and threats and opportunities in the region.
• Media Availability with Secretary Carter at the ASEAN Defense Ministers-Plus Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia DoD 04 Nov 2015 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Ash Carter's Meeting With Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia DoD 04 Nov 2015
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Ash Carter's Meeting With Laos Minister of National Defense Lieutenant General Sengnouan Xayalath in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia DoD 04 Nov 2015
• F-35A successfully fires first airborne shots AFNS 04 Nov 2015 -- For the first time, an F-35A Lightning II successfully fired the four-barrel 25 mm GAU-22/A Gatling gun while in flight Oct. 30.
• Guardsmen deliver rescue capabilities across Pacific AFNS 04 Nov 2015 -- Alaska Air National Guardsmen from the 176th Wing, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, conducted long range search and rescue drills Oct. 31 near the coast of White Beach Naval Base.
• F135 engine testing benefits F-35 fleet AFNS 04 Nov 2015 -- The full hot-life capability of Pratt & Whitney's F135 engine, which is used in the F-35 Lightning II, was successfully demonstrated during accelerated mission testing at the Arnold Engineering Development Center.
• US Navy forced to replace F-35 with older warplanes Press TV 04 Nov 2015 -- The US Navy has announced that it is willing to purchase older aircraft to deal with delays in the Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 fighter jet program, which is plagued with various technical problems.
• Key West Visits Subic Bay during Western Pacific Deployment NNS 04 Nov 2015 -- The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Key West (SSN 722) arrived in Subic Bay for a visit as part of its deployment to the Western Pacific, Nov. 4.
• MSC's Lewis and Clark Arrives in Vanuatu for Continuing Support of KOA MOANA 15-3 NNS 04 Nov 2015 -- The U.S. Ambassador to Vanuatu Walter E. North attended Exercise KOA MOANA 15-3 Vanuatu opening ceremony at the Vanuatu Police Force here, Nov. 4.
• Why is US Deploying F-15C Fighter Jets to Turkey? Sputnik 04 Nov 2015 -- The US Air Force is deploying up to a dozen of US F-15C Eagle fighter jets to Turkey. And although the Pentagon announced that the deployment is to 'ensure the safety' of America's NATO allies, the move is seen by some as a counter to Russia's airstrikes in Syria.
• US missile surveillance program on halt after blimp ran away Press TV 04 Nov 2015 -- The Pentagon has reportedly put on hold a costly missile surveillance program after one of its unmanned blimps broke away from its moorings.
• 4th LAR completes final exercise in Trident Juncture 2015 USMC News 04 Nov 2015 -- U.S. Marines of 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion completed their final exercise for Trident Juncture 2015 in Alvarez de Sotomayor, a Spanish military training area north of Almería, Spain, Oct. 31, 2015.
• Trident Juncture shows NATO capabilities 'are real and ready' NATO 04 Nov 2015 -- The training of Allied forces during Exercise Trident Juncture 2015 shows that NATO is able to defend all Allies against any threat, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday (4 November 2015) after watching a live military demonstration of Allied forces working together in Spain. "Trident Juncture shows that NATO's capabilities are real and ready," the Secretary General said.
• NATO Flexes Its Muscles in Biggest Exercise in a Decade Sputnik 04 Nov 2015 -- NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg is in Spain Wednesday kicking off Exercise Trident Juncture 2015, the biggest NATO military exercise in more than a decade, in a further demonstration of its military ambitions all over Europe.
• Russian Naval Destroyer Leaves Strait of Gibraltar, Enters Mediterranean Sputnik 04 Nov 2015 -- The Russian Navy's Vice-Admiral Kulakov, an Udaloy-class destroyer, entered the Mediterranean Sea, a Northern Fleet spokesperson said Wednesday.
• Chinese naval ships visit U.S. East Coast for first time People's Daily 04 Nov 2015 -- Three Chinese naval ships arrived Tuesday at the United States' Naval Station Mayport for the first time, kicking off a five-day goodwill visit.
• Kim Jong Un Demands More Modern and Precise Anti-Aircraft Rockets Sputnik 04 Nov 2015 -- North Korea's leader has called for advancing the development of its anti-aircraft rockets, only a day after South Korean Defense Minister Han Min Koo and US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced a so-called 4D strategy to offset North Korea's missile threat.
• Iran holds comprehensive defense system seminar ISNA 04 Nov 2015 -- Iran held the second comprehensive defense system seminar on Wednesday.
• The Government of France - Hellfire Missiles DSCA 04 Nov 2015 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of France for Hellfire Missiles and associated equipment, parts and logistical support for an estimated cost of $30 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on November 3, 2015.
• Italy - Weaponization of MQ-9s DSCA 04 Nov 2015 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Italy for weaponization of MQ-9s and associated equipment, parts and logistical support for an estimated cost of $129.6 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on November 3, 2015.
• November 4, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 04 Nov 2015
• Press Briefing by the Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 11/4/2015 The White House 04 Nov 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for November 04, 2015

Other Conflicts

• 4 November 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 04 Nov 2015
• China, Taiwan to Hold 'Historic' Talks as Elections Near VOA 04 Nov 2015 -- Just weeks before Taiwan holds general and presidential elections, Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou has announced that he will hold face-to-face talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Singapore.
• China Blames States Outside of Asia for ASEAN Declaration Cancellation Sputnik 04 Nov 2015 -- The Chinese defense ministry on Wednesday blamed 'certain countries' outside of Southeast Asia for the cancellation of a ceremony commemorating the signing of a joint declaration, following a meeting of regional defense ministers.
• China warns US against challenging its sovereignty Press TV 04 Nov 2015 -- China has warned the United States against taking any dangerous actions that would threaten the East Asian country's sovereignty, just more than a week after a US destroyer entered disputed waters in the South China Sea.
• Yemen forces launch new retaliatory attacks against Saudi positions Press TV 04 Nov 2015 -- Yemeni forces have carried out a new round of retaliatory attacks on the positions of the Saudi military on the border region.
• Yemeni forces kill dozens of Saudi troops Press TV 04 Nov 2015 -- Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah fighters, backed by allied army units, have killed dozens of Saudi soldiers in a retaliatory attack in the southwestern Yemeni province of Ta'izz.
• Yemen: as cyclone weakens, UN warns more than 1 million people could be impacted by flooding UN News 04 Nov 2015 -- While the United Nations is reporting that Cyclone Chapala – the rare tropical storm that slammed into Yemen's southern coast yesterday, dumping perhaps a year's worth of rain in some areas – is expected to weaken to a tropical depression over the next 12 hours, the immediate concern remains the welfare of an estimated 1 million people, mainly in the two governorates of Shabwah and Hadramaut.
• US-Led Coalition Aims to Target ISIL Financing, Foreign Fighters Sputnik 04 Nov 2015 -- A steering group of the 65-nation US-led coalition against ISIL met in Brussels and approved targeting the terror group's financing, message and foreign fighters joining it, the US Department of State said in a media note on Wednesday.
• Iran rejects foreign military buildup in Syria ISNA 04 Nov 2015 -- A senior Iranian official reiterated Tehran's opposition to military intervention in Syria, saying that would further complicate the tumultuous situation in the conflict-stricken Arab country.
• Iran FM urges political solution to Syria crisis Press TV 04 Nov 2015 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has reaffirmed the Islamic Republic's logical and transparent stance on Syria, calling for diplomacy as the only way of resolving the crisis in the Arab country.
• Syria army reopens road to govt.-held parts of Aleppo: State TV Press TV 04 Nov 2015 -- Syria's state television says the country's armed forces have reopened a road leading to government-controlled parts of the northern city of Aleppo.
• U.S. Says Russia Deploys Heavy Artillery In Syrian Battles RFE/RL 04 Nov 2015 -- A top U.S. State Department official says Russia has deployed heavy artillery near the battlefield cities of Homs and Hama, as Moscow deepens its on-the-ground support of the Syrian armed forces' offensive against rebels.
• Syria Rights Groups: Combatants See Civilians as Fair Game VOA 04 Nov 2015 -- As the war in Syria expands, with Russia's role growing, new ground assaults taking place in multiple areas and the United States planning new efforts to fight Islamic State militants, rights activists say civilians are increasingly falling victim. And even combat leaders say that civilians are being used as tools in the war.
• US: 85 to 90 Percent of Russian Airstrikes Hitting Syrian Rebels VOA 04 Nov 2015 -- Eighty-five to 90 percent of Russian airstrikes in Syria since last month have hit the moderate Syrian opposition to President Bashar al-Assad, and not Islamic State militant targets as Moscow claims.
• Iraqis liberate 80 percent of Anbar from Takfiris: General Press TV 04 Nov 2015 -- Iraqi army troops, backed by volunteer forces, have made significant gains in their anti-Daesh military operations, liberating more than 80 percent of the western province of Anbar from the Takfiri group, says an army general.
• Islamic State Stages Rare Incursion Into Kurdish-Controlled Iraq RFE/RL 04 Nov 2015 -- Islamist State militants launched a rare attack inside Kurdish northern Iraq November 3, briefly taking over a local government compound near several producing oil fields.
• US-Backed Iraqi Forces Fall Short of Encircling Ramadi - Pentagon Sputnik 04 Nov 2015 -- US-supported Iraqi security forces fell short of encircling the town of Ramadi as planned because they are unable to penetrate sophisticated defensive barriers set up by the Islamic State, US Army Colonel Steve Warren told reporters on Wednesday.
• Council Of Europe Blasts Ukraine's Investigations Into Odesa Violence RFE/RL 04 Nov 2015 -- The Council of Europe says the Ukrainian government's investigations into violence that killed 48 people amid separatist tensions in the southern city of Odesa in May 2014 have fallen short of European standards.

News Reports

• US Officials: 'Highly Possible' Bomb Downed Russian Jetliner Over Egypt VOA 04 Nov 2015 -- U.S. and British officials are telling the media it is 'highly possible' that a bomb brought down a Russian passenger jet over Egypt's Sinai Peninsula last week, killing all 224 people on board.
• U.S. Official: Countering Kremlin Propaganda Is Long-Term Effort RFE/RL 04 Nov 2015 -- A State Department official has said U.S. efforts to counter misinformation and propaganda generated by the Kremlin will be a long-term effort that includes bolstering independent media in Eastern Europe and Eurasia.
• Turkey may hold referendum on constitution changes: Erdogan aide Press TV 04 Nov 2015 -- An aide to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the Ankara government may hold a national referendum, if necessary, on possible changes to the country's constitution aimed at expanding presidential powers.
• Turkey's Kurds Seek Way Forward Amid Post-election Crackdown VOA 04 Nov 2015 -- The government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has widened a crackdown on media and on what Ankara sees as separatists in the southeastern part of the country after his party regained control of parliament in snap elections. Meanwhile, a Kurdish-dominated party lost seats in Sunday's poll, and Turkey's Kurds are now looking for a way forward in their pursuit of autonomy.
• Russian Applications For U.S. Asylum Skyrocket In 2015 RFE/RL 04 Nov 2015 -- The number of new U.S. asylum applications by Russians has reached its highest level in more than two decades, a surge that immigration lawyers link to the Kremlin's tightening grip on politics, pervasive corruption, and discrimination and violence against sexual minorities.
• Velayati: Zarif acting within Leader's guidelines framework IRNA 04 Nov 2015 -- Head of Expediency Council Strategic Research Center Ali Akbar Velayati lauded the country's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for acting within the framework for nuclear talks as set by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution.
• UK Seeks Blanket Surveillance With Proposed Investigatory Powers Bill Sputnik 04 Nov 2015 -- The UK government is seeking to impose widespread surveillance on the country's population, the head of the New Communist Party of Britain told Sputnik Wednesday as Home Secretary Theresa May introduced a new draft surveillance bill.
• Draft Surveillance Bill to Provide 'Strongest' Protection Sputnik 04 Nov 2015 -- The new Investigatory Powers Bill will institutionalize surveillance, giving police and intelligence services access to browsing history and personal communications.
• Can Ukraine Kick Its Russian Gas Habit? RFE/RL 04 Nov 2015 -- The head of Ukraine's state-owned gas company, Naftogaz, dropped a bombshell this week, vowing that the country could stop buying gas from neighboring Russia as soon as early 2016 if Kyiv is not offered a better price.
• Maldives declares state of emergency ahead of major anti-govt. protest Press TV 04 Nov 2015 -- The Republic of Maldives has declared a state of emergency over 'threats to the national security', ahead of a planned protest against the government of President Yameen Abdul Gayoom.
• Crude awakening: can oil benefit the people of the Niger Delta? IRIN 04 Nov 2015 -- The thick, acrid smoke billowing above the tree line is the telltale sign of local refining of stolen crude oil in Nigeria's troubled Niger Delta.
• Anti-China Protests Precede Xi Visit to Vietnam VOA 04 Nov 2015 -- Anti-China protesters have taken to the streets in Vietnam to oppose an upcoming visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping.