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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 12 Jan 2016 [PDF]
• Strikes Target ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 12 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.
• Afghanistan warns Taliban against staying out of peace process Press TV 12 Jan 2016 -- Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai has warned the Taliban militant group against staying out of an ongoing peace process with the government in Kabul.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Iran Assures U.S. That Small Craft Crews Will Resume Journey AFPS 12 Jan 2016 -- Iranian authorities have assured U.S. officials that the crews of two small U.S. Navy craft will be allowed to continue traveling from Kuwait to Bahrain, a senior defense official said.
• Pentagon Says Iran Detains Two U.S. Naval Boats RFE/RL 12 Jan 2015 -- The Pentagon says that Iran has detained two U.S. Navy boats, along with 10 naval personnel, but has told the United States that the crew will be returned "promptly."
• Pentagon: Iran Holding 2 US Navy Boats VOA 12 Jan 2015 -- The crew of two small U.S. Navy vessels are being held by Iran, but Pentagon officials say Tehran has assured them that the crew and gunboats will be "promptly" returned.
• Test team aims at new machine gun for Pave Hawk AFNS 12 Jan 2016 -- Arriving in the rain, an HH-60G Pave Hawk landed Jan. 5 at Edwards Air Force Base to begin testing the ballistic dispersion of a GAU-21 .50-caliber machine gun.
• Sessions aim to improve legislation for Air Force missions AFNS 12 Jan 2016 -- A day after the Air Force flew a B-52 Stratofortress over South Korea in the wake of their northern neighbor's nuclear bomb test, Air Force officers discussed the service's nuclear capabilities with policymakers Jan. 11.
• USS Lassen Departs Yokosuka After 10 Years Forward Deployed NNS 12 Jan 2016 -- Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen (DDG 82) left Yokosuka, Japan after nearly 10 years in the Forward Deployed Naval Forces, Jan. 6.
• USS Topeka Visits Subic Bay During Indo-Asia-Pacific Deployment NNS 12 Jan 2016 -- Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Topeka (SSN 754) arrived at Subic Bay, Philippines, Jan. 12 as part of its routine Indo-Asia-Pacific deployment.
• Bittersweet Goodbyes: Last S-3 Viking leaves U.S. Navy service NNS 12 Jan 2015 -- After more than 40 years of service, the last S-3B Viking in U.S. Navy service launched one last time from the runway at Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, California, on Jan. 11.
• USS Barry to Join Forward Deployed Naval Forces in Japan NNS 12 Jan 2015 -- Guided missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52) departed its Norfolk homeport of more than 20 years bound for Yokosuka, Japan, and the Forward Deployed Naval Forces (FDNF) of the U.S. 7th Fleet, Jan. 12.
• Remarks With Secretary of Defense Ash Carter with Filipino Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert del Rosario and Secretary of Defense Voltaire Gazmin US Dept. of State 12 Jan 2016
• US Welcomes Philippines Court Ruling on Defense Pact VOA 12 Jan 2016 -- Top U.S. officials reaffirmed Washington's 'ironclad' security commitment to Manila on Tuesday, applauding a ruling by the Philippine Supreme Court to uphold a bilateral defense agreement with the U.S., which could strengthen maritime security cooperation.
• US Ready to Implement Enhanced Defense Cooperation Deal With Philippines Sputnik 12 Jan 2016 -- The United States is prepared to realize the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the Philippines, US Secretary of State John Kerry said in joint remarks with US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, Filipino Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert del Rosario and Filipino Secretary of Defense Voltaire Gazmin on Tuesday.
• Philippine High Court Approves Defense Accord With US VOA 12 Jan 2016 -- The Philippine Supreme Court has upheld a defense pact with the United States.
• S. Korea, U.S. to stage annual joint war games with eye to DPRK nuke program People's Daily 12 Jan 2016 -- South Koreaand the United States will stage annual joint war games as early as in March, with an eye to detecting and destroying the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear program in time of emergency, Yonhap news agency reported Tuesday.
• Fly Meet Web: Russia Building a Powerful New Early Warning Radar Network Sputnik 12 Jan 2016 -- Earlier this month, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that 2016 will see the introduction of three powerful 'Voronezh'-series early warning radar systems. Adding to four stations of their type already in operation, the new systems' appearance will help lead, by 2020, to a full-scale modernization of the Russia's early warning radar network.
• Russia To Create New Military Divisions On West Flank RFE/RL 12 Jan 2016 -- Russia says it will form three new military divisions on its western flank this year, and deploy five strategic nuclear missile regiments on combat duty.
• Russia to Form Three New Military Divisions in Country's West Sputnik 12 Jan 2016 -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that it was also necessary to build ranges, munition depots and accommodation for the troops in the Western Military District.
• Over 3,000 Pacific Fleet Troops Launch Missile, Air Forces Exercise Sputnik 12 Jan 2016 -- According to Russian Defense Ministry's Eastern Military District's press service, more than 3,000 personnel from Russia's Pacific Fleet have commenced missile force, air force and marine corps exercises in the Kamchatka Territory.
• Russia to Create Five More Strategic Missile Forces Regiments in 2016 Sputnik 12 Jan 2016 -- Russian Defense Minister said that five new missile regiments from the Russian Strategic Missile Forces will enter service in 2016.
• Russia to Complete Construction of the Arctic, Kuril Military Bases in 2016 Sputnik 12 Jan 2016 -- The Russian Defense Ministry plans to complete the construction of its military facilities in the Arctic.
• Israel receives fifth German nuclear-capable submarine Press TV 12 Jan 2016 -- The Israeli regime has received of a fifth submarine from Germany, amid pressure on Berlin to halt the delivery of the state-of-the-art weaponry that is capable of being armed with nuclear warheads.
• Israeli Navy Receives Fifth Submarine From Germany Sputnik 12 Jan 2016 -- Israeli President Reuven Rivlin called Dolphin-class submarine, received from Germany 'a formidable war machine, the most advanced, complex and most expensive' unit in the Israeli military's arsenal.
• Iran unveils first indigenous amphibious aircraft ISNA 12 Jan 2016 -- Iran's first home-made amphibious aircraft was unveiled by Vice-President for Science Sorena Sattari in Abbas Port, southern Iran.
• Iranian F-4 fighter jet crash kills both pilots Press TV 12 Jan 2016 -- An Iranian Air Force fighter jet has crashed in the country's southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan, killing its two pilots.
• US spending billions of dollars on Afghan 'ghost soldiers' Press TV 12 Jan 2016 -- The United States is spending billions of dollars on Afghanistan's "ghost soldiers," who only exist only on paper, a report says.
• Russia Gets Weapons Wish List From Serbian Army Sputnik 12 Jan 2016 -- Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said that by the end of February, Russia and Serbia will form a high level commission on military cooperation, which is expect to commence its work by spring.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 12, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 12 January 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 12 Jan 2016
• Deputy UN chief presents new report on global migrant trends, highlighting rising numbers for 2015 UN News 12 Jan 2016 -- Presenting the key finding of the latest United Nations survey on international migrant trends, the UN Deputy Secretary-General today stressed that the issue of migration is one of the most challenging and important that the Organization is taking on in the new global landscape.
• Vietnamese accusation against China's test flight does not hold water: FM People's Daily 12 Jan 2016 -- The Vietnamese accusation claiming that China's test flights to the newly built airport on Yongshu Jiao affected regional security does not hold water, said a spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry at a press conference Monday, adding that China had informed the Vietnamese side of the flight plan in advance.
• Def. Minister Reiterates Japan Ready to Send Warships to Disputed Islands Sputnik 12 Jan 2016 -- Japanese Defense Minister stated that Japan is ready to send its warships to the area of the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
• Riyadh admits to using cluster bombs in aggression against Yemen Press TV 12 Jan 2016 -- Saudi Arabia has admitted that its military has used cluster bombs in the aggression against Yemen.
• UN spokesman says Yemen peace talks postponed Press TV 12 Jan 2016 -- The United Nations says the peace talks, which were to be held Thursday between Yemen's political factions, have been postponed by at least a week.
• Briefing: All you need to know about sieges in Syria IRIN 12 Jan 2016 -- At precisely the same time as aid lorries pulled into the besieged Syrian village of Madaya on Monday, too late to save those who had already starved to death, convoys also entered the besieged areas of Fua and Kefraya.
• Syria: UN officials give first-hand accounts of 'horrible, terrible' desperation in besieged towns UN News 12 Jan 2016 -- As United Nations officials gave on-site accounts of the "horrible and terrible" situation in the besieged Syrian town of Madaya, from 400 critically ill people facing death without immediate medical care to a kilo of rice costing $300, the first emergency evacuation took place today – a five-year-old girl rushed through pro-Government roadblocks for urgent surgery in Damascus.
• UN Weighs Whether Madaya Siege in Syria is War Crime VOA 12 Jan 2016 -- The United Nations is looking into whether the man-made humanitarian calamity inside the besieged Syrian town of Madaya is a war crime or a crime against humanity.
• Syria army retakes key militant bastion in Latakia Press TV 12 Jan 2016 -- The Syrian army, backed by volunteer forces, has managed to capture full control of the strategic town of Salma in the northwestern province of Latakia, state television reports.
• UN praises Syria call for more aid delivery to crisis-hit towns Press TV 12 Jan 2016 -- The UN humanitarian chief has welcomed the Syrian government's call for continued aid deliveries to crisis-hit areas as relief aid arrives in three Syrian towns cut off for months by conflict.
• Syria forces advance into key town in Latakia Press TV 12 Jan 2016 -- Syrian government forces, backed by Hezbollah resistance fighters, have reportedly entered the strategic town of Salma in Latakia as they continue their advances in the northwestern coastal province.
• Madaya hunger reports aim to demonize government: Syria Press TV 12 Jan 2016 -- Syria's ambassador to the UN says media reports of starving civilians in the southwestern town of Madaya have been fabricated in an attempt to defame the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
• Putin Says Russia Could Grant Syrian Leader Assad Asylum RFE/RL 12 Jan 2016 -- wiRussia could give asylum to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad if he has to leave his country, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview published on January 12.
• Degrade and Destroy: Syrian Army Advances On Daesh in Sweida Province Sputnik 12 Jan 2016 -- The Syrian Army has reportedly destroyed a column of Daesh's oil tankers in the country's southwestern province of Sweida.
• Syrian Kurdish Female Fighters Expand Ranks Against IS VOA 12 Jan 2016 -- Syrian Kurdish female fighters are expanding their ranks on the frontlines of the fight against Islamic State militants in northeastern Syria.
• Aid Workers Report 'Barely Moving Skeletons' in Syria's Madaya VOA 12 Jan 2016 -- Humanitarian workers say the plight of starving people in the Syrian town of Madaya is heartbreaking and the worst they have witnessed during the country's nearly five-year-long civil war.
• UN to Deliver More Aid to Madaya, Other Besieged Syrian Cities VOA 12 Jan 2016 -- The United Nations says it expects agencies to deliver more aid this week to tens of thousands of starving people in Madaya and other besieged Syrian cities.
• Putin Blames 'Insurgents' for Civilian Casualties in Syria VOA 12 Jan 2016 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says civilian casualties in Syria are the fault of 'the insurgents and their foreign supporters,' and not of President Bashar al-Assad.
• Turkmens see Kurdish trench as start of Iraq division Press TV 12 Jan 2016 -- Iraqi Turkmen leaders say the local Kurdish government is exploiting the war on Daesh to dig a trench that will divide the country.
• Iraqi forces liberate more regions in Anbar Province Press TV 12 Jan 2016 -- Security forces in Iraq, backed by tribal fighters, have made fresh gains against Daesh, liberating new areas in the western province of Anbar.
• Iraq Calls for Continuation of Anti-Daesh Fight After Baghdad Mall Attack Sputnik 12 Jan 2016 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi stated that the attack on the mall in Baghdad was a "desperate attempt" by Daesh militants, after they lost control over the western Iraqi city of Ramadi, which had been occupied by the group since May.
• Iraqi PM Tours Attack Site, Vows to Expel Extremists VOA 12 Jan 2016 -- Iraq's prime minister vowed Tuesday to press forward with the fight against Islamic State extremists, as he toured the wreckage of a Baghdad shopping mall hit by suicide bombers a day earlier.
• Libya: senior UN relief official condemns attacks on Benghazi power plant UN News 12 Jan 2016 -- Strongly condemning the recent attacks against a major power plant in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi, the top United Nations humanitarian official in the country said today he is "deeply shocked by these actions that directly affect civilian life," and warned that such "ignoble" attacks may amount to war crimes.
• African Union-UN mission calls for restraint in West Darfur as tensions rise over recent violence UN News 12 Jan 2016 -- The African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) expressed concern over continued tension in El Geneina town and around Mouli village, 15 kilometres south of El Geneina, West Darfur, after an armed attack on Mouli village.
• Aung San Suu Kyi Takes Center Stage at Myanmar Peace Talks VOA 12 Jan 2016 -- Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is calling for all factions to be included in the newest round of peace talks between armed ethnic groups and the country's outgoing quasi-civilian government.

News Reports

• Remarks of President Barack Obama - State of the Union Address As Delivered The White House 13 Jan 2016
• Turkey Issues 'Limited' Media Ban After Suicide Attack VOA 12 Jan 2016 -- The Turkish government has imposed what it called a 'limited' media ban on news coverage following Tuesday's suicide bombing in Istanbul.
• UN condemns 'despicable' terrorist bombing in Istanbul's Sultanahmet District UN News 12 Jan 2016 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today condemned the terrorist bombing in Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul, Turkey, calling it a "despicable crime targeting the heart of Istanbul's tourist district."
• Istanbul explosion carried out by suicide bomber of Syrian origin: Turkish President People's Daily 12 Jan 2016 -- A huge explosion that rocked Istanbul's historic Sultanahmet district on Tuesday was carried out by a suicide bomber of Syrian origin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
• Blast In Historic Central Istanbul Kills At Least 10; IS Blamed RFE/RL 12 Jan 2016 -- Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said a suicide bombing in central Istanbul that left 10 people dead, most of them Germans, was carried out by a member of the Islamic State (IS) militant group.
• Fears Renewed of Islamic State Attacks in Europe, US VOA 12 Jan 2016 -- Western intelligence agencies are increasingly worried that Islamic State militants will soon find ways to carry out more and increasingly sophisticated attacks on Europe and the United States, using November's terror attack on Paris as a blueprint.
• IS Orders Aspiring Terrorists: Wear a Cross, Shave Beards VOA 12 Jan 2016 -- Islamic State extremists are advising their supporters and recruits in the West to shave their beards and pretend to be Christians to help evade detection by intelligence services as they plot so-called 'lone wolf' terror attacks.
• IS Blamed for Istanbul Suicide Bombing VOA 12 Jan 2016 -- Foreign tourists are said to be among those killed and injured in a suicide attack in Istanbul's main tourism district. Turkish officials say at least 10 people - nine of them Germans - were killed and 15 others injured.
• China wants dialog on Korean Peninsula nuclear issue People's Daily 12 Jan 2016 -- All sides concerned should work together to bring the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue to the negotiation table, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.
• US citizen held in North Korea for spying: Report Press TV 12 Jan 2016 -- A naturalized US citizen has been arrested by North Korea over espionage charges amid rising tensions in the Korean peninsula.
• Iran rejects reports on removing Arak reactor core ISNA 12 Jan 2016 -- Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) rejected reports on removing core of Arak Reactor.
• Iran Atomic Agency Denies Reports Arak Reactor's Core Dismantled Sputnik 12 Jan 2016 -- The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) denied Tuesday media reports that the core of its heavy-water reactor in Arak has been dismantled.
• Iran to sell 40 tons of heavy water to US Press TV 12 Jan 2016 -- Iran said on Tuesday that it plans to sell as much as 40 tons of its excess heavy water supplies to the US – a major step which is expected to take the country toward the commercialization of its nuclear energy program.
• Iran May Sell Surplus Heavy Water Produced at Arak Nuclear Reactor to US Sputnik 12 Jan 2016 -- Iran hopes to sell 40 metric tons of excess heavy water produced at the Arak nuclear reactor to the United States for research purposes, the deputy chief of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI) said Tuesday.
• Iran preparing for unfreezing of $30bn Press TV 12 Jan 2016 -- As the prospects for the removal of sanctions against Iran loom large, the country says it has already started to prepare to embrace what it says will be a series of positive developments for its economy.
• Saudi-Iran Crisis Mars Tehran Sanctions Relief VOA 12 Jan 2016 -- Iran is on the brink of reintroducing itself to the world economy as economic sanctions may be lifted soon in accordance with the nuclear deal struck in Vienna last year. Iran agreed to curb its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
• White House: Bill Would Prevent US Implementation of Iran Deal VOA 12 Jan 2016 -- The White House says a bill that seeks to bar the U.S. from lifting certain sanctions against Iran would violate commitments necessary to implement the international agreement to limit the Iranian nuclear program.
• Kuwait to execute 2 on allegations of 'spying' Press TV 12 Jan 2016 -- A court in Kuwait has sentenced two people, including an Iranian, to death over allegations that they had been 'spying for Iran' and planning attacks in the Persian Gulf country.
• EU nations to share intel amid extrimist threats Press TV 12 Jan 2016 -- Foreign ministers and diplomats from 50 European countries have agreed to enhance intelligence sharing in a bid to track potential extremists and avoid further terrorist attacks.
• Draft UK surveillance law threatens freedom of expression, UN human rights experts warn UN News 12 Jan 2016 -- United Nations human rights experts have called for a comprehensive review of the United Kingdom's draft Investigatory Powers bill, warning that if adopted in its present form it could threaten the rights to freedoms of expression and association both inside and outside the country.
• 'We Have Made Mistakes': Putin's Key Moments From New Bild Interview Sputnik 12 Jan 2016 -- On January 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave his first interview of 2016. Journalists from German's leading newspaper Bild asked his opinion on a number of issues. Sputnik has selected ten of the president's most interesting answers.
• Turkey arrests dozens over 'document forging, wiretapping' Press TV 12 Jan 2016 -- Turkish authorities have arrested more than two dozen people as part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged forging of official documents and eavesdropping on top officials, including against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
• Several US Prosecutors Vie to Try Mexican Drug Lord VOA 12 Jan 2016 -- The expected extradition of Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman to the United States could take a year, but prosecutors in seven U.S. cities are looking to bring him to trial on a long list of murder and drug trafficking charges.
• Leading Figure From Uzbek Uprising Reported Dead RFE/RL 12 Jan 2016 -- The leader of a group that sparked an uprising a decade ago in Uzbekistan that ended in massacre and colored Tashkent's relations with the West died some five years ago, sources have told RFE/RL.