Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 08 Dec 2015 [PDF]
• Canada to withdraw jets fighting Daesh in Iraq and Syria Press TV 08 Dec 2015 -- Canada's new government says it will uphold its election campaign promise and withdraw the country's fighter jets which have been targeting purported Daesh targets in Iraq and Syria.
• Military Strikes Target ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 08 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.
• US pushes other nations to deploy special forces to Iraq, Syria Press TV 08 Dec 2015 -- US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford says that special operations forces from other nations might join the fight against the Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group in Iraq and Syria.
• Dunford Praises Afghans' Progress in Tough Fight AFPS 08 Dec 2015 -- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff thanked service members and civilians here for their service in Afghanistan, saying their sacrifices have prevented another attack on the homeland.
• Troop Level Decision Continues to Resonate, Campbell Says AFPS 08 Dec 2015 -- President Barack Obama's decision to keep 9,800 American forces in Afghanistan into 2016 has resonated through the region, the commander of NATO's Resolute Support Mission told reporters here today.
• Taliban Seizes Hostages, Kills Civilians Near Kandahar Airport VOA 08 Dec 2015 -- Five Taliban gunmen are holding a number of civilians hostage as they fight Afghan security forces at a military housing bloc near the Kandahar airport.
• Taliban attacks airport in Afghan city of Kandahar Press TV 08 Dec 2015 -- Taliban militants have launched an attack on the airport in the city of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan, clashing with security forces there.
• 11 killed in fighting between rival Taliban militants in Afghanistan Press TV 08 Dec 2015 -- Afghan security officials say at least 11 people have been killed and 10 others injured during fierce infighting between rival members of the Taliban militant group in the country's western province of Herat.
• Over 80 Militants Killed in Anti-Terrorism Operations in Afghanistan Sputnik 08 Dec 2015 -- 86 armed insurgents were killed and 43 others were wounded in Afghanistan, according to the Afghanistan Interior Ministry.
• Taliban Attack Kandahar Airport VOA 08 Dec 2015 -- Deadly clashes erupted in Afghanistan Tuesday night after a group of at least nine heavily armed Taliban suicide bombers attacked the airport in the southern city of Kandahar.
• Asian Countries Gather to Discuss Solutions to Afghanistan Problems VOA 08 Dec 2015 -- Representatives of Asian and other countries have gathered in Pakistan before a regional ministerial conference on Afghainistan.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 08 Dec 2015 -- Presenter: Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook
• Statement from Secretary of Defense Ash Carter on Omnibus Bill Negotiations DoD 08 Dec 2015
• US Army Grounds 100s of Combat Helicopters After Series of Fatal Crashes Sputnik 08 Dec 2015 -- Following a chain of deadly accidents during training exercises since October, the US Army has moved to ground around 1,100 aircraft for security checks.
• Brilliance in basics: 1st Marine Division launches Steel Knight USMC News 08 Dec 2015 -- Marines with 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division embarked aboard the USS Somerset and executed a complex amphibious assault on the shores of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Dec. 4, 2015.
• USS Tucson Visits Subic Bay during Indo-Asia-Pacific Deployment NNS 08 Dec 2015 -- The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Tucson (SSN 770) arrived at Subic Bay Dec. 6, for a visit as part of its Indo-Asia-Pacific deployment.
• America Modifications Increase Air Capabilities NNS 08 Dec 2015 -- The amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) is the first West Coast ship to have its flight deck upgraded with a thermal spray coating in key landing areas in order to more fully support the F-35 Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) that will be attached to the ship during future operations.
• Cooperation, reforms, security challenges dominate talks between Secretary General and Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina NATO 08 Dec 2015 -- Strengthening defence cooperation, implementing reforms and addressing shared security challenges were the main issues discussed between NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dr. Dragan Čović during talks on Tuesday (8 December 2015) at NATO headquarters.
• Russia deploys helicopters to base in Armenia Press TV 08 Dec 2015 -- The Russian Defense Ministry says Moscow has deployed attack and transport helicopters to a base in Armenia.
• Russia Sends Attack, Transport Helicopters to Air Base in Armenia Sputnik 08 Dec 2015 -- Seven of Russia's advanced Mi-24 Hind attack helicopters and Mi-8MT Hip transport helicopters have been deployed to a Russian air base in Armenia, the Southern Military District (SMD) said Tuesday.
• Russian T-50 PAK-FA Jet Flight Tests Near Completion Sputnik 08 Dec 2015 -- Russia's Sukhoi T-50 PAK FA next-generation multirole jet is nearing completion in its flight tests, the Deputy Defense Minister said on Monday.
• Iran Army to stage anti-terrorism maneuver: Commander Press TV 08 Dec 2015 -- The Iranian Army's Ground Forces will stage 'anti-terrorism' military exercises outside Tehran in coming days, the forces' commander says.
• Iran Intends to Buy Russia's T-90 Tanks Sputnik 08 Dec 2015 -- Brig. Gen. Ahmad Reza Pourdastan, the commander of Iran's Army Ground Force, said that Iran has plans to buy Russia-developed T-90 tanks and Iranian military experts would be sent to Russia to sign the contracts with Moscow.
• Iran Tests Another Ballistic Missile in Breach of UNSC Resolutions Sputnik 08 Dec 2015 -- Iran has carried out another test of a ballistic missile, allegedly violating two UN Security Council resolutions, media reported.
• China to Build Military Base in Djibouti to Help Fighting Sea Piracy People's Daily 08 Dec 2015 -- The Chinese government has confirmed the negotiations with Djibouti's government for the construction of a new military base there. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in late November that the base will be used to provide supplies for Chinese warships on escort missions in the Gulf of Aden.
• US Experts Warn of North Korea's SLBM Development VOA 08 Dec 2015 -- U.S. experts warn that North Korea's pursuit of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) could pose serious security threats to the United States and its allies despite speculation that Pyongyang's latest attempt to launch such a missile might have failed.
• U.S.-Japan Cooperative Development Project Conducts Successful Flight Test of Standard Missile-3 Block IIA MDA 08 Dec 2015 -- The Japan Ministry of Defense (MOD) Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA) and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), in cooperation with the U.S. Navy, announced the successful completion of a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA flight test from the Point Mugu Sea Range, San Nicolas Island, California.
• Remarks With UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon After Their Meeting US Dept. of State 08 Dec 2015
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 12/8/15 The White House 08 Dec 2015
• December 8, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 08 Dec 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for December 08, 2015

Other Conflicts

• 8 December 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 Dec 2015
• Chinese Land Buys, With Da Nang Residents' Help, Shock Vietnamese VOA 08 Dec 2015 -- An official in Vietnam's central city of Da Nang has admitted that local residents dodged laws to help Chinese citizens acquire coastal land facing the South China Sea.
• Houthis to join peace talks if Saudi stops aggression Press TV 08 Dec 2015 -- Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement says it will not attend next week's UN-mediated peace talks in Switzerland unless Saudi Arabia stops aggression against the country.
• Six Colombian troops, Australian commander killed in Yemen clashes Press TV 08 Dec 2015 -- Six Colombian troops and an Australian commander have been killed in clashes with Yemen's Houthi fighters and allied forces in the southwestern part of the country.
• Houthis Working to Make Upcoming Yemen Peace Talks Successful Sputnik 08 Dec 2015 -- The UN-brokered peace talks on Yemen will only succeed if all the warring parties genuinely support the political dialogue to end violence, rather than using the talks as a means to stall for time, a member of the Houthi opposition movement told Sputnik on Tuesday.
• Civilians pay for fuel strikes on Islamic State IRIN 08 Dec 2015 -- American bombs, Russian bombs, French bombs. They have all fallen on the city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the so-called Islamic State in Syria. For trapped civilians who have survived all the bombs and more, a new and very different threat is emerging: fuel prices are soaring just as the temperature drops and winter sets in.
• Russia Says Missiles From Submarine Hit 2 IS Targets VOA 08 Dec 2015 -- Russia said Tuesday that for the first time, it had struck Islamic State targets in northern Syria with missiles fired from a submarine in the Mediterranean.
• Moussavian cites 3 major obstacles to Syrian peace IRNA 08 Dec 2015 -- Iran's former nuclear negotiator Hossein Moussavian wrote in an article published in Huffingtonpost that there are three obstacles on the way of peace in Syria, which should be confronted initially.
• Syria: UNICEF plans to reach 2.6 million children with winter supplies and cash assistance UN News 08 Dec 2015 -- Warning of harsh winter conditions looming for more than eight million Syrian children living inside the war-ravaged country or as refugees around the region and beyond, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced a package of assistance for 2.6 million Syrian children, including cash assistance, in addition to ongoing humanitarian programmes.
• 31k foreigners have joined militants in Syria: Ex-UK spy chief Press TV 08 Dec 2015 -- The number of foreigners joining the ranks of Takfiri militant groups in Syria has more than doubled over the past months, a former British spy chief says.
• UN refugee agency says 12k Syrians stuck on Jordan border Press TV 08 Dec 2015 -- The United Nations refugee agency says some 12,000 Syrians have been stranded along the Jordanian border in worsening conditions, calling on Amman to allow their passage.
• Turkey urges training so-called moderate militants in Syria Press TV 08 Dec 2015 -- Turkey has called for the swift implementation of its proposals concerning the ongoing crisis in Syria, among them training and equipping the so-called moderate militants operating against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
• Syrian army troops deal major blows to Takfiri militants Press TV 08 Dec 2015 -- Syrian government forces have carried out a string of mop-up operations against foreign-backed militants across the conflict-ridden Arab country, inflicting heavy losses on them.
• UN agency urges Jordan to allow 12,000 desperate Syrian refugees stranded at border UN News 08 Dec 2015 -- Amid worsening conditions inside Syria, the United Nations refugee agency today expressed grave concern for nearly 12,000 people trying to flee the country who are now stranded in remote areas along the north eastern Jordanian border, and urged the Government of Jordan to allow them entry, prioritizing admission for the most vulnerable.
• US Lawmakers Still Divided on Syrian Refugees VOA 08 Dec 2015 -- Debate over accepting Syrian refugees erupted anew on Capitol Hill Tuesday, with dueling news conferences offering sharply differing views on how to keep the nation safe and sustain American values.
• Russia Lashes Out at Turkey Over Troops in Iraq VOA 08 Dec 2015 -- Lingering tensions between Russia and Turkey over Ankara's shooting down of a Russian fighter jet along the Syrian-Turkish border last month were evident Tuesday as Moscow's U.N. envoy lashed out at Ankara over its recent troop deployment to northern Iraq.
• Turkey suspends deploying forces to northern Iraq: Ankara Press TV 08 Dec 2015 -- Turkey says it has currently stopped the deployment of troops to northern Iraq, warning, however, that it will not withdraw those soldiers already stationed in the Arab country.
• Iraq Calls on NATO to Urge Turkey to Withdraw Troops From Country Sputnik 08 Dec 2015 -- Turkish military presence in Iraq is a violation of Iraq's sovereignty, and NATO should use its power, so that Turkey would immediately withdraw its troops from Iraqi territory, according to Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi's press service.
• Iraqi Kurd Leader to Meet Turkey's President VOA 08 Dec 2015 -- The leader of the semi autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan Region government is to visit Ankara on Wednesday. The Iraqi Kurds have developed close political and trade ties with Ankara and both share strained relations with Baghdad.
• Iraq recaptures large part of Ramadi from Daesh Press TV 08 Dec 2015 -- In a major blow to Takfiris, Iraqi officials say the country's forces have managed to retake large parts of the key city of Ramadi from the Daesh militants.
• Iraqi forces kill dozens of Takfiris in Anbar, Salahuddin Press TV 08 Dec 2015 -- Iraqi army forces have killed dozens of Daesh Takfiri terrorists as they continue their operations against the extremist group in two major provinces of Anbar and Salahuddin.
• Kiev's Captured Seven Villages in Buffer Zone in Donbass - DPR Envoy Sputnik 08 Dec 2015 -- Denis Pushilin, the envoy of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic at the Minsk reconciliation talks said that Ukrainian forces captured seven villages located in the 'gray' or 'buffer' zone in Donbass.
• DR Congo: UN report accuses security forces of summary executions and death threats ahead of elections UN News 08 Dec 2015 -- Security forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have used summary executions,death threats and arbitrary arrests against the opposition, media and civil society since the start of the year and ahead of key elections, according to a United Nations report issued today.
• Central Somalia fighting kills 20, displaces 90k, UN says Press TV 08 Dec 2015 -- Over two weeks of clashes between rival militiamen in central Somalia have left at least 20 people dead, 120 wounded and forced some 90,000 from their homes, the UN says.
• Armed groups pose 'critical threat' to stability in Central Africa, UN envoy tells Security Council UN News 08 Dec 2015 -- The violent activities of armed groups such as Boko Haram and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) have triggered a dire humanitarian and security crisis in Central Africa, the United Nations envoy on the region said today, telling the Security Council the challenges faced by the affected countries should not be underestimated and ongoing vigilance and international support is needed.

News Reports

• Designation of North Korea Entities Pursuant to Executive Order 13382 US Dept. of State 08 Dec 2015 -- To further impede North Korea's weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs, the Department of State is announcing on December 8 the designation of North Korea's Strategic Force for its contribution to North Korea's WMD-related activities.
• US House Votes to Tighten Controls on Visa-Free Travel VOA 08 Dec 2015 -- The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday overwhelmingly voted to bar people who have visited Iraq and Syria in the past five years from a program that allows visa-free entry to the U.S.
• Trump Proposes Total Ban On Muslims Entering United States RFE/RL 08 Dec 2015 -- Donald Trump, the front-runner to become the Republican Party's 2016 candidate for U.S. president, has proposed a 'total and complete shutdown' of all Muslims entering the United States -- drawing scorn and criticism from across the political spectrum and across the world.
• FBI: California Shooters Radicalized for 'Some Time' VOA 08 Dec 2015 -- The husband and wife who killed 14 people and wounded 21 others in California practiced shooting before the attack and had been radicalized 'for some time,' according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
• American Al-Shabab, Nabbed in Somalia, Denies IS Links VOA 08 Dec 2015 -- A former U.S. resident arrested in Somalia has confirmed he belonged to militant group al-Shabab but is denying alleged links to Islamic State.
• Security Council urges increased security steps, funds to uproot terrorism from Africa's Sahel region UN News 08 Dec 2015 -- Voicing grave concern at terrorist safe havens in Libya and the humanitarian crisis caused by Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria, the United Nations Security Council today appealed for greater international security cooperation and more humanitarian aid to bring stability to sub-Saharan Africa.
• US Examines Reports of Iranian Missile Test VOA 08 Dec 2015 -- The United States is reviewing reports that Iran carried out a ballistic missile test last month in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
• Russia expects Iran nuclear deal to be implemented in January ISNA 08 Dec 2015 -- Russia's envoy to the U.N. nuclear watchdog said he expected a nuclear deal between Iran and world powers to be implemented in January, leading to sanctions against Tehran being lifted.
• Draft resolution notes end to PMD, UNSC anti-Iran measures ISNA 08 Dec 2015 -- Iran's envoy to the IAEA Najafi said key articles of 5+1 draft resolution on PMD closes past and present issues on Iran nuclear program and puts UN resolution 2231 into effect.
• P5+1 draft resolution to close PMD issue: Iran envoy to IAEA Press TV 08 Dec 2015 -- The draft resolution that the P5+1 group of countries has delivered to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s governing board will bring an end to past and present outstanding issues regarding Iran's nuclear program, Iran's IAEA ambassador says.
• Optimism Follows Meeting of Myanmar's Political Heavyweights VOA 08 Dec 2015 -- Myanmar's political transition took another step forward last week when opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy Party swept last month's elections, met with former dictator General Than Shwe.
• Russia, China Object to UN North Korea Human Rights Meeting VOA 08 Dec 2015 -- China and Russia may not be able to prevent the United States from calling a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on human rights in North Korea this week, but they are expected to stop it from passing any punitive resolutions.
• Turkey detains 18 alleged supporters of Erdogan opponent Press TV 08 Dec 2015 -- Police in Turkey have arrested 18 people, including senior police officers, accusing them of supporting a US-based opponent of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
• No Safe Place to Run in Burundi's Capital VOA 08 Dec 2015 -- Many families in Burundi's capital have moved across town for fear of being caught in clashes between armed youth and security forces, as the political violence there enters its eighth month. Those who have fled, however, say life is no easier.
• Burkina Faso Labor Leader Welcomes Murder Charges in Sankara Case VOA 08 Dec 2015 -- The leader and chief negotiator for the Confederation of Labor Unions in Burkina Faso said the Burkinabe people are happy that authorities have brought charges against General Gilbert Diendere for the murder of the country's revolutionary President Thomas Sankara.
• Biden Says Western Pressure, 'Cost' To Moscow Will Rise If 'Aggression' Persists RFE/RL 08 Dec 2015 -- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has told Ukraine's parliament that Western pressure on Russia will increase if Moscow continues its 'aggression' against Kyiv.
• Biden Promises Ukraine Continued US Support VOA 08 Dec 2015 -- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has assured Ukraine's lawmakers that the United States will never recognize "Russia's attempt to annex Crimea," drawing a standing ovation in the country's parliament.
• Japan Will Continue Using ISS Until 2024 Sputnik 08 Dec 2015 -- Japan has agreed to continue using the International Space Station (ISS) until 2024, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday.
• Ethiopia: UN urges support to mitigate most devastating drought in 30 years UN News 08 Dec 2015 -- The United Nations today stepped up its efforts to mitigate the effects of the worst drought to strike Ethiopia in 30 years, with an appeal from the heads of four UN humanitarian bodies for massive international funding now to pre-empt the high risk of death and large scale suffering later.
• Indonesian President 'Furious' Over Bribery Scandal VOA 08 Dec 2015 -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo says he is furious and disappointed that his name has been dragged into a bribery scandal involving parliament speaker Setya Novanto.