Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 01 Dec 2015 [PDF]
• Coalition Airstrikes Target ISIL in Syria, Iraq AFPS 01 Dec 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.
• Carter: DoD Intensifies ISIL Fight, Urges More International Support AFPS 01 Dec 2015 -- The Defense Department is quickly adapting to fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and is urging the international community to step up the pace of its contributions to the fight, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said today.
• Recent Successes Against ISIL Encouraging, Dunford Says AFPS 01 Dec 2015 -- Recent successes on the battlefield in Iraq and Syria are encouraging, and the coalition and local partners need to build on these successes, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told Congress today.
• Dunford: ISIL Wants U.S. to Be Impetuous in Iraq, Syria AFPS 01 Dec 2015 -- The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant wants the United States to be "impetuous right now, as opposed to being aggressive," the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the House Armed Services Committee today.
• U.S. To Deploy New Force In Iraq, Expanding Fight Against IS RFE/RL 01 Dec 2015 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter says the United States will expand its involvement in the fight against Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq, deploying an 'expeditionary targeting force' to help local forces and conduct more raids both in Iraq and neighboring Syria.
• US Prepares to Strike at Heart of Islamic State VOA 01 Dec 2015 -- Teams of U.S. special operators could be in place within weeks, aiming to strike at the brain trust and nervous system of the Islamic State terror group, in an intensified effort to destroy what many see as a growing global threat.
• US prepared to increase special forces in Syria: Pentagon chief Press TV 01 Dec 2015 -- US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter says the United States is 'prepared to expand' the role of Special Operations Forces in Syria.
• US to Send 'Specialized' Force to Iraq to Fight IS VOA 01 Dec 2015 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter says the United States is deploying a 'specialized expeditionary targeting force' to Iraq to put more pressure on Islamic State (IS) militants and be in position to conduct raids over the border in Syria.
• US Ground Forces in Iraq 'Not Limited' to 3,500 - Joint Chiefs Chairman Sputnik 01 Dec 2015 -- US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Joseph Dunford said that he does not feel inhibited from recommending additional forces US forces in Iraq to President Barack Obama, 'that would cause us to grow greater than 3,500.'
• Foreign Ministers agree to sustain NATO's presence in Afghanistan, launch funding for Afghan forces NATO 01 Dec 2015 -- NATO Foreign Ministers today (1 December 2015) agreed a plan to sustain the NATO training mission in Afghanistan during 2016 and started work to secure funding for Afghan national security forces until the end of 2020.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Discussion with Secretary Carter at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum, Harvard Institute of Politics, Cambridge, Massachusetts DoD 01 Dec 2015 -- Secretary of Defense Ash Carter; Graham Allison, director, Belfer Center, Harvard Kennedy School
• Readout of Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work's meeting with Japan State Minister of Defense Kenji Wakamiya DoD 01 Dec 2015
• Built to last: U.S. Marines, Ugandan soldiers fortify engineering skills USMC News 01 Dec 2015 -- U.S. Marines and Uganda People's Defense Force soldiers completed an exercise to refine the UPDF's civil engineering proficiency Nov. 23, 2015.
• Kearsarge Departs Manama NNS 01 Dec 2015 -- Sailors and Marines aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) departed Manama, Bahrain, Nov. 30, after a six-day port visit.
• Tank Diplomacy: US Deploys More Armored Units to Eastern Europe Sputnik 01 Dec 2015 -- About 70 US armored vehicles are going to be redeployed to Romania from Germany on December 1, according to Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis.
• NATO Foreign Ministers address challenges to the south, agree new hybrid strategy and assurance measures for Turkey NATO 01 Dec 2015 -- NATO Foreign Ministers took steps to further the Alliance's adaptation to security challenges from the south on Tuesday (1 December 2015). The ministers reviewed the progress of the global coalition against ISIL, measures taken since the terrorist attacks in Paris, and the Vienna talks to find a political solution to the conflict in Syria.
• Press statements by the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini NATO 01 Dec 2015 -- NATO Spokesperson: Good evening, the Secretary General and the High Representative vice president of the European Commission will make short statements at the end of this session.
• NATO Wants to Beef Up Security Along Turkish Borders VOA 01 Dec 2015 -- NATO foreign ministers are looking at ways to beef up security along Turkey's border a week after Ankara shot down a Russian fighter jet along the Syrian border.
• NATO says to continue to 'augment' Turkey air defenses Press TV 01 Dec 2015 -- NATO says it is mulling the augmentation of Turkey's air defenses, amid a rift between Moscow and Ankara over the downing of a Russian plane by the Turkish military.
• NATO activates new Multinational Division Southeast headquarters in Bucharest NATO 01 Dec 2015 -- NATO and Romanian Ministry of Defense representatives activated the Multinational Division Southeast Headquarters in Bucharest, Romania today (1 December 2015), marking its official integration into the NATO command structure. The new, high-readiness headquarters will be able to command forces deployed within NATO's southeast region, supporting the defence of the Alliance. It will also be a hub for regional cooperation among Allies. The headquarters is designated to have 280 personnel.
• NATO Secretary General welcomes deepening cooperation and dialogue with Finland and Sweden NATO 01 Dec 2015 -- Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Finland and Sweden's important political and practical contributions to NATO in talks with Finnish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Timo Soini and Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström on Tuesday (1 December 2015). The meeting took place in the margins of NATO's Foreign Ministerial.
• Doorstep statement by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the start of the meetings of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs NATO 01 Dec 2015
• Obama: 'I want to be very clear: Turkey is a NATO ally.' Press TV 01 Dec 2015 -- US President Barack Obama says everyone should know that Turkey is a member of the NATO military alliance, after Ankara shot down a Russian jet in Syria.
• Turkey wants Russia military contact channels 're-opened' Press TV 01 Dec 2015 -- Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has called for the opening of military communication channels between Ankara and Moscow aimed at preventing incidents such as Turkey's recent downing of a Russian jet.
• Keep Them Coming! Russia Gets More S-400 Air Defense Systems Sputnik 01 Dec 2015 -- The Russian military will receive five new regimental units of S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft missile systems in 2016, according to arms manufacturer Almaz-Antey.
• Russia Awaiting Talks With Venezuela on Sale of 12 Fighter Jets Sputnik 01 Dec 2015 -- Russia and Venezuela are yet to begin formal talks on the sale of 12 fighter jets, after the Venezuelan leader announced that his nation intended to upgrade its Sukhoi air fleet, the Russian ambassador to Venezuela said.
• Philippines Scores First New Fighter Jets in a Decade Sputnik 01 Dec 2015 -- The Philippines on Monday received two Korean-made fighter jets as it strengthens its underfunded military in the midst of an escalating territorial dispute with China.
• Race underway for next-generation missiles People's Daily 01 Dec 2015 -- China is facing fierce competition with powerful rivals such as the United States and Russia in the development of next-generation missile systems, according to a recent report.
• Damavand destroyer; peak of Iran's high capabilities IRNA 01 Dec 2015 -- Damavand is the second-generation and highly-equipped Iranian destroyer which joined the country's Northern fleet in March in a ceremony.
• 'King of the Sea', anti-submarine chopper, joins Navy IRNA 01 Dec 2015 -- Three hardware, SH-3D anti-submarine helicopter known as 'king of the sea', Tunb destroyer and a Fokker cargo plane joined Iran's Navy on Tuesday in a ceremony attended by Navy commander Rear-Admiral Habibollah Sayyari.
• Iran Navy sends 37th flotilla to high seas Press TV 01 Dec 2015 -- The 37th flotilla of the Iranian Navy has set off for high seas to safeguard maritime routes used by Iranian vessels operating in international waters.
• Press Conference by President Obama The White House 01 Dec 2015
• Senior State Department Official on Secretary Kerry's Travel to Brussels, Pristina, Belgrade, Nicosia, and Athens US Dept. of State 01 Dec 2015
• December 1, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 01 Dec 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for December 01, 2015

Other Conflicts

• 1 December 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 01 Dec 2015
• Japan to Deploy Troops to Ishigaki Island, Near Disputed Zone With China Sputnik 01 Dec 2015 -- The Japanese government plans to deploy 500 troops to Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture, and gain a military presence in the East China Sea.
• Killing of Vietnamese Fisherman in Contested Waters Sparks Outrage VOA 01 Dec 2015 -- Vietnam has launched an official investigation into the killing of a fisherman in disputed waters near the Spratlys.
• Saudi airstrikes kill 3 in southwestern Yemen Press TV 01 Dec 2015 -- At least three civilians have been killed and several others wounded in Saudi Arabia's latest airstrikes against Yemen.
• UK cabinet approves Syria motion Press TV 01 Dec 2015 -- The UK cabinet has approved a motion to pave the way for the country to extend its airstrikes against ISIL militants from Iraq to Syria.
• Erdogan 'to resign' if Russia's Daesh oil trade claims proven Press TV 01 Dec 2015 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he is prepared to step down if accusations by Russia that Ankara has traded oil with the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group are proved right.
• Turkey Curries NATO Favor by Opening Airspace to French Jets Sputnik 01 Dec 2015 -- The decision by the Turkish government to allow French aircraft carrying out airstrikes on Daesh access to its airspace is intended to shore up NATO's relationship with Turkey and diminish the possibility of French cooperation with Russia, lawyer Ali Riza Aydin told Sputnik.
• Obama Urges Turkey, Russia to Focus on 'Common Enemy' VOA 01 Dec 2015 -- A week after Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet, U.S. President Barack Obama is calling for a de-escalation of tensions between the two countries and a unified front on the Syrian conflict.
• Moscow's Allegations Against Ankara Ratchet Up Tensions VOA 01 Dec 2015 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has challenged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to prove allegations that Turkey is facilitating oil smuggling by the Islamic State group. The challenge comes as bilateral tensions continue to escalate following Turkey's downing of a Russian jet last week.
• Turkey Shoots down Russian Plane to Protect Oil Trade with IS: Putin People's Daily 01 Dec 2015 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin is accusing Turkey of shooting down a Russian warplane in order to protect Turkish profiteering from illegal imports of oil produced by Islamic State rebels in Syria.
• UNICEF calls for end to attacks on civilian infrastructure after air strike cuts water supplies to Aleppo UN News 01 Dec 2015 -- An air strike on a water treatment plant in Syria's northern city of Aleppo last Thursday cut water supplies to some 3.5 million people, and while pumping has been partly restored, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is warning that 1.4 million still have reduced supply.
• Syrian Army establishes control over more areas IRNA 01 Dec 2015 -- The Syrian army, backed by the air force, continued targeting the Takfiri terrorist groups' strongholds, gatherings and hideouts in many areas across the country, inflicting heavy losses on them.
• Syria militants to leave last district in Homs: Governor Press TV 01 Dec 2015 -- The foreign-backed militants in Syria's western city of Homs will evacuate the last district they control under a deal with the government in Damascus.
• UAE ready to send ground troops to fight terrorists in Syria: Minister Press TV 01 Dec 2015 -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced its readiness to commit ground troops to the fight against 'terrorist groups' operating in Syria.
• Iraq: 'vicious circle of violence' claims nearly 500 civilian lives in November, UN mission reports UN News 01 Dec 2015 -- Nearly 500 Iraqi civilians were killed in Iraq last month in a "vicious circle of violence," ranging from acts of terrorism to armed conflict, as the total number of Iraqi casualties rose to more than 2,100, according to the UN Assistance Mission in the crisis-gripped country.
• Iraq forces launch new offensive to retake Ramadi Press TV 01 Dec 2015 -- The Iraqi army has launched a new operation to liberate the strategic city of Ramadi from the Takfiri Daesh terrorists, as pro-government forces close in on the militants in the capital of the western province of Anbar.
• Iraqi forces retake another area from Daesh in Anbar Province Press TV 01 Dec 2015 -- Iraqi government forces have reportedly liberated a city from the clutches of the Daesh terrorists as they push ahead with their military operations against the Takfiri group in Iraq's strife-torn western province of Anbar.
• Nusra Front Returns Lebanese Soldiers in Swap VOA 01 Dec 2015 -- Thirteen Lebanese soldiers and three police officers held by Jabhat al Nusra militant group, Al Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, were released Tuesday after resolution of a last-minute glitch that delayed the Qatar-brokered prisoner swap by 48 hours.
• Lebanon, al-Nusra Front exchange prisoners Press TV 01 Dec 2015 -- The Lebanese army and militants from the al-Qaeda-affiliated Takfiri group al-Nusra Front have exchanged prisoners.
• Lull in fighting allows access to thousands displaced in Myanmar IRIN 01 Dec 2015 -- Aid workers are planning to take advantage of a lull in fighting in Myanmar's Shan State to assess the needs of thousands of people displaced by clashes between the military and an ethnic armed group that began eight weeks ago.
• Defying Military Efforts, Boko Haram is Expanding in West Africa: UN Official IRNA 01 Dec 2015 -- Boko Haram is growing and threatening to spread further eastwards from Nigeria as far as the Central African Republic (CAR), despite heightened efforts by the Nigerian military and a regional task force, the top United Nations aid official in Cameroon told Reuters.
• Fierce fighting rages in eastern DR Congo Press TV 01 Dec 2015 -- Fierce fighting rages between UN peacekeepers and Ugandan rebels in the restive east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Sudan: unilateral sanctions hit innocent harder than political elites, warns UN rights expert UN News 01 Dec 2015 -- A United Nations human rights expert today urged States to review their unilateral coercive measures imposed on Sudan over the past two decades, "given the developments taking place in the country since the imposition of the sanctions regimes."

News Reports

• Islamic State Oil Trade Seduces Friends, Foes Alike VOA 01 Dec 2015 -- Oil may not be the largest revenue source for Islamic State extremists, but it has been the most seductive.
• Indonesia Tracks Hundreds Linked to Islamic State VOA 01 Dec 2015 -- Indonesia says it is monitoring at least 300 citizens who have returned to the country after leaving to join the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.
• Islamic State Targeting Africa: Top Africom Commander Tells VOA VOA 01 Dec 2015 -- The Syria-based Islamic State group has expanded its reach in Africa, courting Islamist extremists from Nigeria to Somalia while establishing a major nerve center close to Europe, a top leader of U.S. Africa Command told VOA.
• Europe Turns Attention to Unofficial Mosques VOA 01 Dec 2015 -- In the wake of the Paris attacks and security alerts in Belgium, Italy and Germany, Europe's intelligence services and politicians are turning their attention to hundreds of unofficial or unlicensed makeshift mosques operating in apartments and homes in migrant-dominated areas.
• Russian PM signs decree on economic sanctions against Turkey IRNA 01 Dec 2015 -- Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on the implementation of special economic measures against Turkey, the press service of the Russian government said Tuesday.
• Russia widens sanctions against Turkey Press TV 01 Dec 2015 -- Russia is expanding its sanctions on Turkey, restricting imports of Turkish fruit and vegetables in response to the downing of its bomber, a top government official says.
• Burkina Faso's Kabore Faces Great Expectations as President VOA 01 Dec 2015 -- A few minutes after the official announcement of his victory in Sunday's presidential election in Burkina Faso, Roch Marc Chrisitian Kabore spoke to a gathering of supporters and made sure to repeat a campaign pledge.
• Speaker urges closure of PMD case IRNA 01 Dec 2015 -- Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani urged closure of Possible Military Dimensions (PMD) case of Iran's nuclear program.
• Rights Group Wants Bush-era Officials Tied to US Interrogations Program Investigated VOA 01 Dec 2015 -- An international human rights advocacy group says former U.S. president George W. Bush and other key former government officials should be criminally investigated for their role in the interrogation of suspected terrorists captured after the 2001 terrorist attacks on the country.
• WFP Aid for N. Korea Drops Again VOA 01 Dec 2015 -- The World Food Program's distribution in North Korea has dropped for the third month in a row, the agency said on Monday.
• Myanmar Opposition Win Overcomes Ethnic Identity Politics VOA 01 Dec 2015 -- The Chin National Democratic Party went into Myanmar's November 8 election holding four seats in the national parliament, and with five representatives in the Chin State regional legislature. When a new government forms early next year, the party will hold no seats at all, having been wiped out by Aung San Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy.
• Chinese Leader in Zimbabwe to Sign Deals VOA 01 Dec 2015 -- China's President Xi Jinping arrived in Zimbabwe Tuesday to start his four-day Africa tour, a visit analysts say is aimed at deepening economic and security cooperation.
• US-Cuba Talks Underway; Focus on Migrants, Illegal Drugs VOA 01 Dec 2015 -- A surge in the number of Cubans entering the United States and methods to prevent the flow of illegal drugs between the two countries are among issues being discussed by U.S. and Cuban working groups this week.
• UN agency launches appeal to protect Palestinian refugees from winter's harsh weather UN News 01 Dec 2015 -- Without international support, thousands of Palestinian refugees could be left in the cold this winter, a United Nations aid agency warned today, launching a $2-million 'Share Your Warmth' appeal to stave off the rigours of the bitter weather many now face.
• Azerbaijan Deepens Crackdown On Shi'ite Stronghold RFE/RL 01 Dec 2015 -- Authorities in Azerbaijan have conducted a sweeping security operation in Nardaran, a suburb of Baku known as a traditional Shi'ite Muslim stronghold.
• Flow of refugee and migrant children into Greece doubles, UN agencies report UN News 01 Dec 2015 -- About a third of the refugees and migrants who have drowned in the Aegean Sea this year were children, while the number of children applying for asylum in the European Union has doubled compared to 2014, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported today, warning of the increasing perils facing youngsters as winter takes hold.