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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 08 Jan 2016 [PDF]
• Military Strikes Target ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 08 Jan 2016 -- 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.
• RPA crashes in central Iraq AFNS 08 Jan 2016 -- An Air Force MQ-1 Predator crashed in central Iraq at approximately 12:50 p.m. local time Jan 7.
• 139 Taliban militants killed across Afghanistan Press TV 08 Jan 2016 -- About 140 members of the Taliban militant group have been killed in a series of Afghan army operations against the extremists across the country.
• The Taliban's Rare Winter Offensive In Afghanistan RFE/RL 08 Jan 2016 -- The Taliban is waging an unusually aggressive campaign of violence in Afghanistan this winter, unleashing deadly bombings in the capital, threatening to overrun a strategic southern province, and attacking a foreign consulate.
• US Drone Strike Kills at Least 17 IS Militants in Afghanistan VOA 08 Jan 2016 -- A suspected US drone strike Friday killed at least 17 Islamic State militants in eastern Afghanistan shortly after the extremist group beheaded seven people in the same area, said officials and residents.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Detainee Transfer Announced DoD 08 Jan 2016 -- The Department of Defense announced today the repatriation of Faez Mohammed Ahmed Al-Kandari from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the government of the State of Kuwait.
• Last Kuwaiti prisoner at Guantanamo repatriated Press TV 08 Jan 2016 -- The last Kuwaiti inmate at the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been transferred to his country, the Pentagon says.
• Makin Island Completes 2015 PMA NNS 08 Jan 2016 -- The crew of USS Makin Island (LHD 8) completed the Chief of Naval Operations' phased maintenance availability (PMA).
• Navy Cargo Handling Battalion 1 Sailors Train for Deep Freeze NNS 08 Jan 2016 -- Active and Reserve component Sailors assigned to Navy Cargo Handling Battalion 1 (NCHB 1) participated in a three-day refresher training at Naval Weapons Station, Cheatham Annex Jan. 6-8 in preparation for support of Operation Deep Freeze 2016 (ODF'16).
• Authorities Lose Track of US Hellfire Missile, Wrongly Ship Weapon to Cuba Sputnik 08 Jan 2016 -- An inert air-to-surface Hellfire missile, produced by the United States and intended for training purposes in Europe, was shipped to Cuba by mistake, local media report.
• KC-135s surpass 100,000 combat hours AFNS 08 Jan 2016 -- The KC-135 Stratotanker fleet at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, flew more than 14,700 sorties in 2015 accumulating 103,419 combat hours in support of Operations Inherent Resolve and Freedom's Sentinel.
• Outgoing Southcom Commander Outlines Mission AFPS 08 Jan 2016 -- The role of U.S. Southern Command is unique among the combatant commands, Southcom's outgoing commander said at a Pentagon news conference today.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Carter's Call with Japan Defense Minister Nakatani DoD 08 Jan 2016
• Military Academies Making Progress in Efforts to Address Sexual Assault DoD 08 Jan 2016 -- Today, the Department of Defense released its Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the United States Military Service Academies (MSA) for academic program year (APY) 2014 - 2015.
• NAVSUP FLC Bahrain Provides Logistics Support to French Aircraft Carrier Charles de Gaulle NNS 08 Jan 2016 -- Navy Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center (NAVSUP FLC) Bahrain supported resupply efforts for French aircraft carrier FS Charles De Gaulle (R 91) during its port visit to Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain in early January.
• USS Texas Visits Subic Bay During Indo-Asia-Pacific Deployment NNS 08 Jan 2016 -- Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Texas (SSN 775) arrived in Subic Bay Jan. 5 for a visit as part of its Indo-Asia-Pacific deployment.
• U.S. Navy hypes Russia and China's challenge to its maritime superiority People's Daily 08 Jan 2016 -- The U.S. is to strengthen its naval power in order to compete with rising Russian and Chinese military capabilities, the Chief of U.S. Naval Operations wrote in a recent strategy report.
• Eagle Eye: Russia Testing New Generation Missile Warning Satellite Sputnik 08 Jan 2016 -- Russia will orbit a second new generation satellite in 2016 to keep a closer eye on ballistic missile launches anywhere in the world, the Defense Ministry said, Zvezda TV channel reported.
• Modernization Time: Russian Northern Fleet to Receive More S-400 Systems Sputnik 08 Jan 2016 -- In 2016, Russia's Northern Fleet will continue to modernize its air defenses. In particular, the navy will receive S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems and Pantsir-S1 a medium range surface-to-air missile.
• Turkish Fighter Jets Violate Greek Airspace Over Aegean Sea… Again Sputnik 08 Jan 2016 -- A formation of four Turkish fighter jets violated Greek air space in the northeastern Aegean Thursday, the Greek Defense Ministry said, adding that two of the aircraft were armed.
• January 8, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 08 Jan 2016
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 1/8/2016 The White House 08 Jan 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 08, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 8 January 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 Jan 2016
• Taiwan reiterates stance on South China Sea CNA 08 Jan 2016 -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) reiterated Friday that Taiwan has adopted an initiative to resolve the sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea peacefully while maintaining its sovereignty claim over the area.
• UAE top commander injured, 3 Blackwater mercenaries killed in Yemen IRNA 08 Jan 2016 -- The commander of the UAE forces in Yemen was injured and three Blackwater mercenaries, including a French officer, were killed in the province of Ta'iz on Friday.
• Saudi cluster bombs use in Yemen may amount to war crime: UN Press TV 08 Jan 2016 -- UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed concern over Saudi Arabia's intensifying airstrikes against civilians in Yemen, warning that Riyadh's use of cluster bombs in the capital, Sana'a, may amount to a "war crime."
• ICRC concerned about Yemen hospital strikes Press TV 08 Jan 2016 -- Amid Saudi Arabia's unrelenting military aggression against Yemen, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has expressed alarm about attacks targeting hospitals in the country, warning that lack of medical supplies has put the life of millions of people at risk.
• Saudi Arabia escalates airstrikes in Yemen Press TV 08 Jan 2016 -- Saudi aircraft have intensified their airstrikes in Yemen, targeting Sana'a for the second day after dropping cluster bombs on the capital.
• Yemen: UN rights chief urges government to reverse decision to expel envoy from country UN News 08 Jan 2016 -- The United Nations human rights chief today urged the Government of Yemen to reverse its decision to declare his Representative in the strife-torn country persona non grata [unwelcomed person], saying that it was "unwarranted, counter-productive and damaging to the reputation of the Government and its coalition partners."
• UN chief 'deeply concerned' about intensification of airstrikes and ground fighting in Yemen UN News 08 Jan 2016 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said he is "deeply concerned" about the intensification of Saudi-led coalition airstrikes and ground fighting and shelling in Yemen, despite repeated calls for a renewed cessation of hostilities.
• Syrian army kills several Takfiri militants in Homs Press TV 08 Jan 2016 -- The Syrian army has struck heavy blows to the foreign-backed Takfiri militants in the central province of Homs, leaving a group of them dead and injured.
• Syrian Army Repels Daesh Attack Near Deir ez-Zor Military Airport Sputnik 08 Jan 2016 -- The Syrian armed forces repelled another major attack of Daesh (also known as ISIL) terrorists near Deir ez-Zor airbase, FNA reported.
• Taking the Ground Back: Syrian Army Further Liberates Aleppo Sputnik 08 Jan 2016 -- The Syrian Army alongside the National Defense Forces (NDF) attacked Daesh militants' defense lines in the eastern part of Aleppo province and regained control over a strategic road.
• Calling state of besieged Syrian town 'horrendous,' UN seeks humanitarian access UN News 08 Jan 2016 -- As the United Nations and its partners struggled today to gain humanitarian access to the Government-beseiged Syrian city of Madaya, amid reports of people starving to death or being killed while trying to leave, UN officials called the situation "horrendous…ghastly," and a potential war crime.
• Children Starve to Death in Syrian Town Under Siege VOA 08 Jan 2016 -- Hundreds of children and adults in a Syrian town under siege from government forces are on the verge of dying from malnutrition, according to aid agencies. Dozens of people have already died. The situation in the town of Madaya, in Idlib province, is so desperate that residents have reportedly been forced to eat their pets, while others are surviving on grass and leaves.
• Iraqi Security Forces Sharing Lessons of Ramadi, Officials Say AFPS 08 Jan 2016 -- Iraqi security forces are learning the lessons of the battle for Ramadi and already are sharing them, coalition officials said here today.
• Daesh attempted to raid Turkey base in Iraq: Sources Press TV 08 Jan 2016 -- Daesh Takfiri terrorists have reportedly attempted to carry out an attack against a military base used by Turkish forces deployed to northern Iraq without Baghdad's approval.
• Daesh terrorists claim deadly bomb attack near Libya's Sirte Press TV 08 Jan 2016 -- Daesh Takfiri terrorists have claimed responsibility for a bombing attack at a security checkpoint, which claimed the lives of six people, including an infant, in a northern Libyan town.
• Security Council urges Libyan parties to come together under new political deal to combat terrorists UN News 08 Jan 2016 -- Strongly condemned yesterday's terrorist attack on a security training centre in Zliten, Libya, and in the wake of that deadly incident and the recent attacks on the country's oil infrastructure, the United Nations Security Council has urged all Libyan parties to joint together to combat terrorist threats by implementing the recent agreement on a unity government.
• Ankara's Curfew Targeting Kurdish Rebels Comes Under European Scrutiny VOA 08 Jan 2016 -- Turkey's policy of using indefinite curfews in its battle against the Kurdish rebel group PKK is facing growing criticism and scrutiny.
• South Sudan govt. moves to share power with rebels Press TV 08 Jan 2016 -- South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has taken several steps toward implementing a stalled peace accord and sharing power with the rebel forces in the country.
• 'Alarming' outbreak of violence in new area of South Sudan uproots 15,000, UN reports UN News 08 Jan 2016 -- Fighting between armed groups and Government soldiers and an apparent breakdown in law and order in South Sudan's Western Equatoria state, with hundreds of houses burned down or looted, has uprooted 15,000 people over the past five weeks, and 500 a day are now pouring into Uganda, the United Nations refugee agency reported today.
• South Sudan Rebels Hail New Power-Sharing Deal VOA 08 Jan 2016 -- Rebels loyal to former South Sudan Vice President Riek Machar are hailing a power sharing deal reached Thursday with the government as a positive breakthrough, one that they say brings their country one more step closer to peace.
• Thousands Flee as South Sudan Violence Intensifies VOA 08 Jan 2016 -- The United Nations refugee agency reports thousands of people in South Sudan's Western Equatoria State are fleeing from growing violence and criminality. The outflow adds to the already huge problem of displacement both inside and outside this conflict-ridden country.
• Congo's forgotten war: The militia of Mambasa IRIN 08 Jan 2016 -- In spite of the death more than a year ago of key commander Paul Sadala, known as "Morgan", his Simba militia continue to wreak havoc in Mambasa, a vast territory of more than 35,000 square kilometres in Ituri Province, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Chad: UN provides emergency funds for tens of thousands displaced by Boko Haram violence UN News 08 Jan 2016 -- With nearly 200,000 people in Chad in need of urgent aid – 50,000 of them uprooted by Boko Haram terrorists from Nigeria – the United Nations emergency fund today announced a $7 million grant, the second in five months, and called on international donors to provide much more.

News Reports

• Going After Terrorists Online, White House Meets With US Tech Companies VOA 08 Jan 2016 -- Fighting the battle against terrorism on the Internet, the White House and its top law enforcement officials met Friday with the nation's biggest technology companies in San Jose, California.
• Statement by NSC Spokesperson Ned Price on Updates to U.S. Government Efforts to Counter Violent Extremism The White House 08 Jan 2016
• IS Foothold in Libya Threatens Europe, West Africa VOA 08 Jan 2016 -- The Islamic State has a new front: an established foothold in Libya.
• Russian Hacker Sandworm Blamed For Ukraine Power Outage RFE/RL 08 Jan 2016 -- U.S. cyberintelligence firm iSight Partners said it is certain that a Russian hacking group known as Sandworm caused last month's unprecedented power outage in Ukraine.
• DPRK's Successful H-bomb Test Hailed by Pyongyangites and Service Personnel KCNA 08 Jan 2016 -- A joint army-civilian meeting for welcoming Juche Korea's first successful H-bomb test took place on Friday.
• DPRK begins propaganda broadcasts across border after S.Korea's resumption People's Daily 08 Jan 2016 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Friday began its anti-South Korea propaganda broadcasts in border areas in response to Seoul's resumption of anti-DPRK broadcasts, Yonhap news agency reported.
• Tensions Building on Korean Border Following Nuclear Blast VOA 08 Jan 2016 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un received an irritating birthday gift Friday when South Korea resumed critical loudspeaker broadcasts along the border area.
• Views Mixed on China's Response to N. Korea Nuclear Test VOA 08 Jan 2016 -- North Korea has often blamed the 'hostile policy' of the United States for its development of nuclear weapons.
• China wary as S.Korea, US discuss deployment People's Daily 08 Jan 2016 -- China on Thursday expressed concern over the current developments on the Korean Peninsula, urging all members of the Six-Party Talks to return to the negotiation table after South Korea and the US discussed deploying strategic weapons in response to North Korea's nuclear test.
• S. Korea resumes anti-DPRK propaganda broadcasts as planned People's Daily 08 Jan 2016 -- South Korea's military resumed propaganda broadcasts against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) as planned in retaliation for DPRK's nuclear test, Yonhap news agency reported on Friday.
• South Korea resumes anti-North broadcasts Press TV 08 Jan 2016 -- South Korea resumes its propaganda broadcasts into North Korea across the border and Pyongyang increases the number of forward-deployed troops.
• S Korean Parliament Adopts Resolution Condemning North's Nuclear Test Sputnik 08 Jan 2016 -- The resolution states that the nuclear test was a serious provocation and threatens regional security, and will further increase international pressure and isolation of North Korea.
• New US sanctions on Iran will undermine JCPOA: MP Press TV 08 Jan 2016 -- A senior Iranian lawmaker says possible adoption of new sanctions against Iran by the US will harm a nuclear agreement reached between Tehran and the P5+1 group of countries last July.
• U.S. Republicans Push Bill To Rein In Iran Nuclear Deal RFE/RL 08 Jan 2016 -- A Republican bill to increase U.S. congressional oversight of the Iran nuclear deal cleared a key committee on January 7 and is headed for a vote in the full House of Representatives next week.
• Analysts: Nuclear Deal Plays Role in US Response to Iran, Saudi Crisis VOA 08 Jan 2016 -- The U.S. response to the rift in relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran may be influenced, in part, by a U.S. desire to see the Iran nuclear deal implemented, according to analysts studying the crisis.
• Pakistan Determined to Help India Probe Air Base Attack VOA 08 Jan 2016 -- Pakistan on Friday reiterated its resolve to cooperate with India on investigating last week's militant assault on India's Pathankot air base that left several security personnel dead and 22 others wounded. The base, located in India's northern Punjab state, is about 50 kilometers from the border with Pakistan.
• India Identifies Air Base Attack Mastermind as Jaish-e-Mohammed Group Head Sputnik 08 Jan 2016 -- The Indian intelligence services identified the 'handlers' of an attack on its air base as chief members of the Jaish-e-Mohammed extremist group, with the plan of the attack conceived in Pakistan, local media reported Friday.
• Drug Lord 'El Chapo' Recaptured in Mexico VOA 08 Jan 2016 -- Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto says authorities have captured fugitive drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, who brazenly escaped from prison through a secret underground tunnel seven months ago.
• Turkey Targets 2019 for Launch of Indigenous Satellite Sputnik 08 Jan 2016 -- After spending more than $1 billion on satellite programs, Turkey is preparing to build the country's first indigenous satellite.
• Venezuela army vows loyalty to President Maduro Press TV 08 Jan 2016 -- Venezuela's army has announced "absolute loyalty" to President Nicolas Maduro, amid a standoff between the government and the opposition-controlled parliament, which is seeking to oust him.
• Former PMs to Face Off in C.A.R. Runoff Election VOA 08 Jan 2016 -- Two former prime ministers will face off in the Central African Republic's presidential runoff election, set for January 31.