Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 11 Dec 2015 [PDF]
• Letter From The President-- War Powers Resolution The White House 11 Dec 2015 -- "I am providing this supplemental consolidated report, prepared by my Administration and consistent with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148), as part of my efforts to keep the Congress informed about deployments of U.S. Armed Forces equipped for combat."
• Military Strikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 11 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.
• Update: air strikes in Iraq and Syria UK MOD 11 Dec 2015 -- British forces have continued to conduct air operations in the fight against Daesh
• Afghan President Expects Results-oriented Talks With Taliban VOA 11 Dec 2015 -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani says 'serious' reconciliation talks with pro-peace Taliban factions will begin very soon with the goal of reaching an agreement.
• Deadly Blast, Gunfire in Central Kabul VOA 11 Dec 2015 -- A bombing and gunfire struck a diplomatic area of Kabul Friday night, killing at least two people, according to police, and injuring several others.
• 'Russian Speaking' Woman Carries Out Suicide Attack in Afghanistan VOA 11 Dec 2015 -- An Afghan intelligence operative, a foreigner and her three children were killed in a bomb blast in eastern Afghanistan Friday, officials said.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Joint Press Conference With Secretary Carter and Secretary Fallon in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 11 Dec 2015 Presenter: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and U.K. Secretary of State for Defence Michael Fallon
• Carter: U.K. Will Help Bring About ISIL Defeat AFPS 11 Dec 2015 -- The United Kingdom is a strong partner in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, and will help bring about the eventual defeat of the terror network, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said today.
• Defence Secretary in talks with US counterpart UK MOD 11 Dec 2015 -- Defence Secretary Michael Fallon met his US counterpart Ash Carter in Washington ahead of concluding his two-day visit to the United States.
• F-35 conducts first expeditionary test during Steel Knight 16 USMC News 11 Dec 2015 -- Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121 conducted the F-35B Lightning II's first-ever expeditionary test in support of exercise Steel Knight 16, Dec. 10, 2015.
• Ike Concludes Successful Basic Phase NNS 11 Dec 2015 -- The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike) successfully concludes the basic phase of training with the completion of Tailored Ship's Training Availability/Final Evaluation Problem (TSTA/FEP), Dec. 9.
• Marine Corps to receive new precision guided mortar rounds USMC News 11 Dec 2015 -- Marine Corps Systems Command has awarded a $98 million contract to build a new precision extended range munition, called PERM, which will double the range and provide GPS accuracy to the existing expeditionary fire support system.
• Men in US Special Forces Oppose Adding Women VOA 11 Dec 2015 -- The recent announcement by the Pentagon to admit women into all military combat roles was widely praised, but a recently released survey reveals most of the men in elite units don't want females on their teams.
• US Tests SM-3 Interceptors for Romanian, Polish Missile Defense Shields Sputnik 11 Dec 2015 -- The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the Ballistic Missile Defense Systems (BMDS) conducted flight tests of its land-based Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) interceptors to be deployed in Romania later this year, MDA Director Vice Adm. James Syring said.
• Russia Concerned About US Sprawling Network of Military Bases Sputnik 11 Dec 2015 -- The US Department of Defense ambitious plan to expand the network of military bases globally raises concern in Moscow, Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Friday.
• Vietnam produces long-range UAV to serve national security People's Daily 11 Dec 2015 -- The Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology has successfully developed a long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with equipment for scientific research and electronic reconnaissance to serve national security, local media reported Friday.
• Pakistan testfires long-range ballistic missile People's Daily 11 Dec 2015 -- Pakistan on Friday testfired a surface-to-surface ballistic missile, with a maximum range of 2,750 km, the military said.
• Pakistan test-fires nuclear-capable ballistic missile Press TV 11 Dec 2015 -- Pakistan has successfully test-fired a new nuclear-capable ballistic missile with a range of 2,750 kilometers (1,708 miles).
• Pakistan Tests Ballistic Missile With Nuclear Capability RFE/RL 11 Dec 2015 -- Pakistan has test-fired a surface-to-surface ballistic missile that can carry a nuclear warhead and has a range of some 2,750 kilometers.
• December 11, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 11 Dec 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for December 11, 2015

Other Conflicts

• 11 December 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 11 Dec 2015
• Yemeni missiles hit Saudi military bases IRNA 11 Dec 2015 -- The Yemeni army and popular forces conducted several retaliatory attacks against key military bases and positions in two Saudi provinces, inflicting heavy losses on the kingdom's forces.
• Yemeni forces take two Saudi villages in Jizan Press TV 11 Dec 2015 -- Yemeni army forces, backed by popular committees, have taken control of two villages on the Saudi soil as they continue their retaliatory attacks against Riyadh's military.
• Ansarullah gives names of negotiators to UN for talks Press TV 11 Dec 2015 -- The leader of Yemen's Houthis, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, has confirmed that the Ansarullah movement will participate at UN peace talks in Switzerland next week.
• Russia says West's insistence on Assad ouster 'huge mistake' Press TV 11 Dec 2015 -- Russia says the West is making a 'huge mistake' by insisting on the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad before it works more closely with Moscow in the fight against Daesh terrorist group.
• Germany may shift to direct combat in Syria: Vice chancellor Press TV 11 Dec 2015 -- The German vice-chancellor Sigmar Gabriel has raised the possibility of Berlin's direct involvement in the so-called fight against Daesh in Syria, saying such scenario would come if current political and military efforts against the Takfiri group fail.
• Syria's Assad blasts Turkey as 'only lifeline' of Daesh Press TV 11 Dec 2015 -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says Turkey serves as the "only lifeline" for Daesh terrorists, censuring Ankara for its engagement in illegal oil transactions with the Takfiri group.
• Russia Supplies Weapons to Syria's Legitimate Authorities Sputnik 11 Dec 2015 -- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russia made contact with the so-called moderate opposition in Syria, which had no links to terrorists and extremists.
• Bashar Assad: Russia Never Wanted to Open Second Military Base in Syria Sputnik 11 Dec 2015 -- President Assad has refuted information about a second possible Russian military base in Syria and said that President Putin has not asked for anything in return for Russian military assistance in fighting against Daesh; the comments came in an interview the Syrian leader granted the Spanish news agency EFE.
• Counter Exposure: US Shifts Blame for Oil Smuggling From Turkey to Assad Sputnik 11 Dec 2015 -- In the aftermath of Russia's exposure of the illegal oil trade between Daesh (ISIL/ISIS) and Turkey, the US has decided to come up with its own 'revelation': the US Treasury admits that the jihadist group is profiting from oil exports to the tune of as much as $40 mln per month, but claims the terrorist group is selling it to President Assad.
• Assad Strikes Militants in Half-Abandoned Metropolis of Aleppo Sputnik 11 Dec 2015 -- A massive offensive has reportedly been launched by the Syrian Army in the country's northern province of Aleppo, where dozens of terrorists have been killed in fighting.
• Putin: Russia Supports Leading Western-Backed Opposition Group VOA 11 Dec 2015 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia is now supporting a leading Western-backed opposition group in joint operations with Syrian troops against Islamic State militants.
• Ceasefire in Homs has 'great value' in showing a nationwide truce in Syria is possible - UN envoy UN News 11 Dec 2015 -- The United Nations in Syria and its partners have evacuated more than 300 fighters along with their families from the last rebel-held neighbourhood of the western city of Homs, as part of a local truce the UN Special Envoy for Syria has described as having "great value" toward demonstrating that a nationwide ceasefire is "doable."
• Turkey says to 'reorganize' troops in Iraq Press TV 11 Dec 2015 -- Turkey says it has decided to 'reorganize' its troops in a camp in northern Iraq after holding talks with officials in Baghdad, who strongly criticized Ankara for the deployment.
• Ankara Deployed Troops to Iraq to Protect Turkish Soldiers - Erdogan Sputnik 11 Dec 2015 -- The current presence of the Turkish troops in Iraq is necessary due to the lack of security guarantees for Turkish soldiers deployed earlier in the country to train Kurdish militia fighting the Islamic State, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday.
• Erdogan: Troop pullout from Iraq 'out of question' Press TV 11 Dec 2015 -- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkish troops recently deployed to Iraq will not be leaving the Arab country for the time being.
• Turkey, Iraq Hold Talks on Turkish Troops Withdrawal From Iraq Sputnik 11 Dec 2015 -- Iraq's foreign minister held talks with high-ranking Turkish delegates, including Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Feridun Sinirlioglu and the head of the National Intelligence Organization, Hakan Fidan, according to the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.
• UN: Libya at Risk From Forces of Extremism VOA 11 Dec 2015 -- The U.N.'s top diplomat in Libya warned Friday that the country is 'in a race against time' to protect itself from the growing danger of Islamist extremist groups expanding their grip on the fractured nation.
• Libyan parties set 16 December as date to sign political agreement – UN envoy UN News 11 Dec 2015 -- The new United Nations envoy for Libya announced today that the parties to the country's political dialogue process have agreed to set 16 December as the target date to sign the UN-facilitated agreement on forming a national unity government, aiming to bring an end to the crisis that has left nearly 2.4 million Libyans in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.
• US to Russia: Let Badly Needed Aid Reach Eastern Ukraine VOA 11 Dec 2015 -- The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations is urging Russia to honor the Minsk peace deal and allow badly needed humanitarian aid into Ukraine.
• Ukraine could again slip into cycle of calm giving way to savage fighting - senior UN rights official UN News 11 Dec 2015 -- A senior United Nations human rights official warned today that the fighting in Ukraine, which has recently decreased, could erupt again with a massive civilian toll in a conflict that has already left over 9,000 people dead and nearly 21,000 injured over the past two years.
• North, South Korea hold high-level bilateral talks Press TV 11 Dec 2015 -- Officials from North and South Korea have opened high-level talks in a bid to mend relations soured by cross-border military tensions earlier this year.
• ICRC: Thousands in South Sudan Face Starvation VOA 11 Dec 2015 -- After two years of war, the International Committee of the Red Cross warns hundreds of thousands of people in South Sudan are facing severe food shortages, with many at the point of starvation.
• As Central African Republic prepares to vote, UN rights chief warns of inter-communal strife UN News 11 Dec 2015 -- On the eve of a constitutional referendum meant to help stabilize the Central African Republic (CAR) amid conflict between Muslims and Christians, the United Nations human rights chief today voiced deep concern at mounting sectarian language, warning of possible "dramatic consequences" given the highly volatile pre-election atmosphere.

News Reports

• Key Waterways Become Focus of Turkish, Russian Tensions VOA 11 Dec 2015 -- The escalating tensions between Moscow and Ankara over last month's downing of a Russian fighter by Turkish jets is threatening to resurrect an age-old rivalry over access to Turkey's Bosphorus and Dardanelles waterways.
• Experts Mull Options for Dealing With IS VOA 11 Dec 2015 -- The terror attacks in Paris and San Bernardino have added urgency to the conundrum now facing the U.S. and its allies: What to do about the Islamic State group?
• White House Sends Ankara Two Warning Shots Over Daesh Oil Smuggling Sputnik 11 Dec 2015 -- Senior US government representatives on Wednesday and Thursday finally addressed the terrorist organization's smuggling of oil via Turkish territory.
• Turkey issues arrest warrant for dozens linked to Gulen Press TV 11 Dec 2015 -- Turkey has issued arrest warrants for top opposition figure Fethullah Gulen and tens of others accused of having alleged links to a terror group, in what is seen as a new attempt by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government to counter the influence of its ally-turned-foe.
• Russia Charges Khodorkovsky With Organizing Murders RFE/RL 11 Dec 2015 -- Russia has charged former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky with organizing two murders and four attempted murders, accusations a spokeswoman for the exiled Kremlin critic called a 'farce.'
• Burundi: Ban condemns attacks on military camps; urges stakeholders to uphold rule of law UN News 11 Dec 2015 -- United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon today condemned the attacks by groups of unidentified assailants on military camps in Bujumbura early this morning and said that such acts of violence can lead to a further destabilization of the situation in crisis-torn Burundi.
• Burundi military bases attacked, dozens killed: Sources Press TV 11 Dec 2015 -- Gunmen have launched coordinated attacks on two army barracks in Burundi's capital of Bujumbura, with dozens of people killed, witnesses and military sources say.
• Burundi: 12 Killed in Attacks on Army Bases VOA 11 Dec 2015 -- A Burundian army spokesman said 12 gunmen who attacked military bases in the capital Friday were killed, as soldiers clashed with their attackers.
• Mugabe Pleads for Unity in Zimbabwe's Ruling Party VOA 11 Dec 2015 -- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is facing trouble within his own party as members jostle to succeed the 91-year-old leader.
• Saudis face high unemployment, poverty Press TV 11 Dec 2015 -- A new report released on Friday has provided a gloomy outlook for Saudi Arabia's economy within the next 15 years.
• Houston, We Don't Have a Problem: ISS Crew Returns Safely to Earth Sputnik 11 Dec 2015 -- The Expedition 44/45 crew of the International Space Station has safely returned to Earth.