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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Military Strikes Continue Against ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 26 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.
• Update: air strikes in Iraq UK MOD 26 Nov 2015 -- British forces have continued to conduct air operations to assist the Iraqi government in its fight against ISIL.
• Push For Afghan-Taliban Peace Talks Faces Skepticism in Kabul VOA 26 Nov 2015 -- Senior Pakistani officials insist key international partners support a new push by Islamabad to resume stalled peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government. But they say further progress is not possible unless Kabul supports the negotiations.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Modernising the rule-book of European security by Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General NATO 26 Nov 2015 -- Europe's security has become less predictable and less stable. This week, NATO held an extraordinary meeting where Turkey informed allies about the downing of a Russian Air Force plane violating its airspace.
• Memorandum to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee: Prime Minister's Response to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee's Second Report of Session 2015-16: The Extension of Offensive British Military Operations in Syria UK Prime Minister's Office Released 26 Nov 2015
• Oral statement to Parliament: PM statement responding to FAC report on military operations in Syria UK MOD 26 Nov 2015 -- David Cameron gave a statement in the House of Commons on his response to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee (FAC) report on military operations in Syria.
• China Headlines: Xi urges breakthroughs in military structural reform Xinhua 26 Nov 2015 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged breakthroughs in reform of the country's armed forces by 2020, vowing to reorganize the current military administration structure and military command system.
• China in Talks to Open Patrol Boat Service Base in Djibouti Sputnik 26 Nov 2015 -- China is in talks with the African country Djibouti on the construction of a naval logistics center, which will provide service for Chinese patrol boats in the Gulf of Aden and other areas in the region, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Wu Qian said Thursday.
• India Successfully Testfires Nuclear-capable Prithvi II Missile People's Daily 26 Nov 2015 -- India Thursday successfully testfired its home-made, nuclear-capable Prithvi II missile from a defense base in the eastern state of Odisha, sources said.
• Japan Approves Proposal on Joint Development of Subs for Australian Navy Sputnik 26 Nov 2015 -- The Japanese National Security Council approved on Thursday a proposal on a joint development of submarines for the needs of the Royal Australian Navy, local media reported.
• Taiwan hopes for continued sales of defensive weapons from U.S. CNA 26 Nov 2015 -- Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense repeated Thursday its hope that the United States will continue to sell Taiwan defensive weapons to help it bolster its self-defense capabilities.
• ECOWAS Official: Bloc's Counterterror Policies Working VOA 26 Nov 2015 -- A senior official at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says other regional blocs can learn from policies the West African group of nations has implemented to combat violent extremism in the region.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• Taiwan Looks for Role in South China Sea Dispute VOA 26 Nov 2015 -- The Taiwanese government is one of several that claims territory in the hotly contested South China Sea, but Taipei has long been sidelined in the dispute, overshadowed by China. Now, as the Philippines challenges Beijing's claims in an international court at The Hague, Taipei is looking to publicly assert its claims.
• France, Russia Agree to Exchange IS Intelligence VOA 26 Nov 2015 -- French President Francois Hollande said Thursday that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to exchange intelligence on the Islamic State militants and other extremist groups in Syria to maximize the effectiveness of their bombing campaigns.
• Islamic State Unfazed by Losses in Iraq, Syria VOA 26 Nov 2015 -- Progress in the U.S.-led effort to beat Islamic State on its home turf in Iraq and Syria has led some to speculate the terror group may be growing desperate. But counterterror officials say that is not the case, and warn the recent spate of terror attacks is merely part of the group's evolution.
• Hollande Urges Russia to Join Forces to Defeat Islamic State VOA 26 Nov 2015 -- French President Francois Hollande urged Russia to join world powers in creating a grand coalition to defeat the Islamic State militants who not only attacked Paris two weeks ago but control large areas of Iraq and Syria.
• Russia suspends military contacts with Turkey after downing of warplane People's Daily 26 Nov 2015 -- Russia's Defense Ministry said on Thursday that Moscow had suspended all military contacts with Ankara as ties between the two countries plummeted after the downing of a Russian warplane.
• Putin: Turkey's downing of Russian jet betrayal by friend Press TV 26 Nov 2015 -- Russia's president says the Turkish Air Force's recent shooting down of a Russian bomber over Syria's airspace was an act of betrayal by a country Moscow considered to be its friend.
• Erdogan Says Turkey Will Not Apologize for Downing Russian Su-24 Sputnik 26 Nov 2015 -- Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Ankara will not apologise to Russia for shooting down a Su-24 bomber jet.
• Putin on Su-24 Downing: Ally Delivered Treacherous Stab in the Back Sputnik 26 Nov 2015 -- Russia's President Vladimir Putin called the downing of Su-24 Fencer bomber an inexplicable and treacherous stab in the back.
• Putin: US Knew Flight Path of Russian Jet Downed by Turkey VOA 26 Nov 2015 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says the United States knew the flight path of a Russian jet, shot down by Turkey last Tuesday, and should have informed Turkey, its coalition ally.
• Moscow says killed terrorists in Su-24 search operation area Press TV 26 Nov 2015 -- Russia says it has killed terrorists in the search area of the downed Russian Su-24 jet inside Syrian territory near the border with Turkey after one of the two pilots of the ill-fated aircraft was saved.
• Turkey Releases Audio Of Apparent Warning To Russian Jet RFE/RL 26 Nov 2015 -- The Turkish military has released what it says is an audio recording of an apparent warning issued to a Russian jet before it was shot down near the Syrian border.
• Erdogan: No Apology for Downing of Russian Fighter Jet VOA 26 Nov 2015 -- Tensions remained heated between Ankara and Moscow Thursday following Turkey's shooting down of a Russian warplane near the Turkey-Syria border earlier in the week.
• Putin Says Russia Awaiting Apology From Turkey RFE/RL 26 Nov 2015 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he thinks Turkey's leadership is 'deliberately' pushing bilateral relations to a dead end.
• Russian Su-24M & warnings from Turkish jets Press TV 26 Nov
• Syrian troops making more advances against Takfiris Press TV 26 Nov 2015 -- The Syrian forces have made new advances against foreign-backed Takfiri terrorist groups across the war-stricken country, delivering stinging blows to them.
• Russia Helps Block Cross-Border Weapons Supply to ISIL in Syria's Latakia Sputnik 26 Nov 2015 -- The Syrian army with the support of Russian aircraft has blocked the cross-border supply of weapons to the Islamic State militants in the mountainous areas of the Syrian province of Latakia, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday.
• Germany Considers Sending Reconnaissance Aircraft to Syria Sputnik 26 Nov 2015 -- Berlin considers the possibility of sending Tornado reconnaissance aircraft to Syria.
• Russia to 'Do Everything Possible' to Achieve Syria Operation Goals Sputnik 26 Nov 2015 -- Russia will do everything to complete goals of its military operation in Syria to eliminate ISIL.
• Iraqi forces cut Daesh supply route to Ramadi Press TV 26 Nov 2015 -- Iraqi forces have managed to cut off Daesh's last supply line into Ramadi by recapturing a strategic bridge as they continue their operations to fully liberate the embattled western city.
• Iraqi Army Cuts Off Final ISIL Supply Line in Anbar Sputnik 26 Nov 2015 -- Iraqi troops have closed off the Islamic State jihadist group's last supply lines in the northern province of Anbar.

News Reports

• Jihadist Recruits: Misfits, Not Pious Conservatives VOA 26 Nov 2015 -- In the wake of the Paris attacks and the security scare in Belgium, European governments and radicalization experts are once again struggling to understand what is driving young European Muslims to join the Islamic State and carry out savage acts in their own countries, against fellow nationals.
• Feds Warns States Refusing Syrian Refugees is Illegal VOA 26 Nov 2015 -- The U.S. federal government is warning state officials they do not have the legal authority to refuse to accept refugees from Syria.
• US impose more sanctions on Russia over Syria Press TV 26 Nov 2015 -- The United States has imposed more sanctions against Russia for supporting the Syrian government, while Moscow has denounced the move, saying Washington is playing "geo-political games".
• Iran will halt JCPOA implementation if IAEA does not close 'PMD' file: Iran official Press TV 26 Nov 2015 -- A senior Iranian official has warned that the Islamic Republic will halt the implementation of a nuclear agreement with the P5+1 if the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) does not fully close the file of the so-called possible military dimensions (PMD) regarding Iran's nuclear program.
• 'Nothing has changed' - UN expert on DPR Korea says two years after key human rights report UN News 26 Nov 2015 -- A United Nations expert on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) today warned that nothing has changed in the country since the UN Commission of Inquiry on DPRK presented its landmark report to the Human Rights Council two years ago.
• Who Is Rocking The Boat In Karachayevo-Cherkessia And Why? RFE/RL 26 Nov 2015 -- This blog has noted before that, in some respects, the Karachayevo-Cherkessia Republic (KChR) can claim to be the poster child for the North Caucasus republics.
• UN nuclear watchdog's work impacting lives worldwide, says Agency chief UN News 26 Nov 2015 -- The head of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) today delivered an opening statement at the meeting of its Board of Governors by addressing issues of technical cooperation, nuclear applications, nuclear energy, safety and security, and nuclear verification.