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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 13 Jan 2016 [PDF]
• Carter: Lasting Defeat of ISIL Depends on Coalition Strength AFPS 13 Jan 2016 -- Delivering a lasting defeat to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant must be a global effort, and coalition partners and others must step up their contributions to the escalating fight, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said today at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
• Pentagon Chief Spells Out Strategy for Taking Back IS 'Power Centers' VOA 13 Jan 2016 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Wednesday spelled out the U.S. strategy for retaking the Iraqi city of Mosul and Raqqa in Syria – cities he called Islamic State's two power centers.
• US Commandos Now in Iraq to Help Fight IS VOA 13 Jan 2016 -- U.S. special operations forces have arrived in Iraq, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday, and are set to help Baghdad's forces target Islamic State (IS) strongholds.
• Military Strikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 13 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.
• Update: air strikes in Iraq and Syria UK MOD 13 Jan 2016 -- Royal Air Force aircraft have joined other coalition jets in a carefully coordinated major strike on a Daesh terrorist headquarters in Mosul.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Obama Hails U.S. Leadership In Final Annual Address RFE/RL 13 Jan 2015 -- U.S. President Barack Obama hailed American economic and military strength and leadership, but warned against trying to make the United States “the world’s policeman” in a dangerous, changing world order.
• Obama Points to U.S. Strength in State of the Union Address AFPS 13 Jan 2016 -- In his final State of the Union address to the nation, President Barack Obama said the United States is the most powerful nation on Earth.
• Briefing on the Release of United States Sailors by Iran US Dept. of State 13 Jan 2016
• On U.S. Navy Sailors' Departure From Iran US Dept. of State 13 Jan 2016 -- Press Statement by John Kerry, Secretary of State
• US Investigating Iran's Brief Detention of US Sailors VOA 13 Jan 2016 -- The United States welcomed Iran's release of 10 U.S. Navy sailors Wednesday, a day after they drifted into Iranian waters and were detained.
• Statement from Secretary of Defense Ash Carter on U.S. Navy Sailors' Departure From Iran DoD 13 Jan 2016
• Iran releases US marines enter territorial waters ISNA 13 Jan 2016 -- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that two US vessels carrying 10 marines and entered Iranian territorial waters were released.
• John Kerry thanks Iran for freeing US Navy sailors Press TV 13 Jan 2016 -- US Secretary of State John Kerry has thanked Iran for freeing 10 US Navy sailors who had entered Iranian territorial waters inadvertently.
• Iran Frees US Sailors After Brief Detention VOA 13 Jan 2016 -- The United States welcomed Iran's release of 10 U.S. Navy sailors Wednesday, a day after they drifted into Iranian waters and were detained.
• Iran Frees All Detained U.S. Navy Sailors RFE/RL 13 Jan 2016 -- Ten U.S. sailors and two patrol boats detained by Iran on January 12 and accused of trespassing have been released after Tehran determined they did not deliberately enter Iranian waters.
• Iran Releases Detained US Sailors After Violation of Territorial Waters Sputnik 13 Jan 2016 -- Iran has released detained US Navy sailors after an alleged violation of the country's territorial waters, Iranian Tasnim news agency reported Wednesday.
• Iran frees trespassing US sailors after Americans apologized Press TV 13 Jan 2016 -- The ten US Marines who had trespassed on Iran's territorial waters and had been taken into Iranian custody have been released after Americans apologized for the incident.
• US sailors drifting into Iran waters not hostile: Spokesman Press TV 13 Jan 2016 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman says the drifting of the US vessels into Iran's territorial waters was no "hostile" act.
• Iran: US must apologize over trespassing of its vessels into Iran's waters Press TV 13 Jan 2016 -- A senior commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has demanded an apology from the United States for the recent trespassing by American naval forces on Iranian territorial waters.
• Iran: US must apologize over trespassing of its vessels into Iran's waters ISNA 13 Jan 2016 -- A senior commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has demanded an apology from the United States for the recent trespassing by American naval forces on Iranian territorial waters.
• Spokesman: US marines' entry to Iranian territorial water was not hostile IRNA 13 Jan 2016 -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari said on Wednesday that entry of the US Navy boats to Iranian territorial waters was not hostile.
• US marines entered unintentionally, released after apology: IRGC IRNA 13 Jan 2016 -- The US marines, who entered Iran's territorial waters yesterday, were released because it has become clear that their entry was not intentional and after they apologized for the move, IRGC said in a statement.
• IRGC says US crew are healthy, well-situated IRNA 13 Jan 2016 -- Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) declared Wednesday morning that the arrested US boats crew are healthy and well-situated in Farsi Island.
• IRGC confirms two US navy boats in Iran's custody IRNA 13 Jan 2016 -- Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) confirmed on Wednesday that two US navy boats are in Iran's custody.
• Ellsworth first CONUS base to run indoor K-9 facility AFNS 13 Jan 2016 -- Ellsworth Air Force Base became the first Air Force base in the continental U.S. to have an indoor training facility for its four-legged defenders when it became operational last fall.
• Fort Worth Completes PMAV NNS 13 Jan 2016 -- The littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) successfully completed a scheduled preventive maintenance availability (PMAV) at Changi Naval Base Jan. 11.
• NATO will not 'limit' missile program to please Russia: US Press TV 13 Jan 2016 -- Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will not comply with Russian demands to limit their missile system deployments, says a US official.
• Australia Rejects US Request to Increase Military Presence in Middle East Sputnik 13 Jan 2016 -- Australia has rejected a US request to increase its military presence in the Middle East following the terrorist attacks in Paris, a spokesperson for the country's Defense Minister said Wednesday.
• UK team deploys to train Nigerian forces fighting Boko Haram UK MOD 13 Jan 2016 -- A UK military training team will deploy to Nigeria as part of the ongoing efforts to train local forces to combat Boko Haram.
• Russia will deliver S-400 system to China in 2017: report CNA 13 Jan 2016 -- Russia will deliver its S-400 advanced surface-to-air missile system and 40N6E anti-air missiles to China in 2017, the latest edition of the Canada-based Kanwa Defense Review has said.
• Winning wars top responsibility amid increasing challenges: PLA Daily People's Daily 13 Jan 2016 -- Winning wars should be the top responsibility for the reorganized military agencies of the Central Military Commission (CMC), a PLA Daily commentary said on Wednesday.
• January 13, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 13 Jan 2016
• Press Gaggle By Press Secretary Josh Earnest, January 13 The White House 13 Jan 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 13, 2016
• Russian Company Delivers Eight Il-76 Aircraft to 'Unnamed' Asian State Sputnik 13 Jan 2016 -- Russia's Ilyushin Aviation Complex (Ilyushin) delivered eight Il-76 aircraft to an Asian country that cannot be named under the terms of the bilateral agreements in 2015, Ilyushin's first deputy general director said Wednesday.

Other Conflicts

• 13 January 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 13 Jan 2016
• China refutes Philippines' protest against test flights in S. China Sea People's Daily 13 Jan 2016 -- China refuted the Philippines' protest against test flights at a newly built airport in the South China Sea, stressing the test flights fall totally within China's sovereignty.
• China warns Japan against provocations on Diaoyu Islands People's Daily 13 Jan 2016 -- China has warned Japan against taking any provocative actions on the issue of Diaoyu islands or to face the consequences.
• Five Saudi troops killed in Yemen retaliatory operations Press TV 13 Jan 2016 -- Yemen's army and popular committees have killed five Saudi soldiers on the kingdom's soil amid Riyadh's relentless bombardment of its impoverished neighbor.
• Iran, Russia back UN efforts in resolving Syria crisis Press TV 13 Jan 2016 -- Iran and Russia have expressed their support for the United Nations' efforts to put an end to the four-and-a-half-year crisis in Syria, warning against growing threats posed by terrorist groups to the region.
• Syria liberates villages in Aleppo, Hama and Latakia Press TV 13 Jan 2016 -- Syrian military and allied volunteer fighters have liberated six major villages in the north and the west of the country as a massive anti-Takfiri mop-up operation picks up speed.
• Syrian Army Gains Control Over Strategic Heights in Latakia Province Sputnik 13 Jan 2016 -- The Syrian Army has gained control over the Mrouniyat Heights to the north of the city of Salma in the province of Latakia, a local source told Sputnik on Wednesday.
• Flushed Out: Syrian Army Reclaims Key Damascus Area Villages From Daesh Sputnik 13 Jan 2016 -- The Syrian armed forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, have clawed back two more villages from terrorists in the suburban Damascus region of Eastern Ghouta, Iranian media reported on Tuesday.
• 11 Daesh commanders killed, 7 wounded in west Iraq Press TV 13 Jan 2016 -- Iraqi security forces have killed at least 11 senior commanders of Daesh Takfiri terror group in the western province of Anbar.
• Iraqi Warplanes Bomb Daesh Meeting, Killing 11 Terror Group's Leaders Sputnik 13 Jan 2016 -- The Iraqi Interior Ministry reconnaissance group has completed a counter-terrorist operation in the northern Anbar province, killing 11 Daesh leaders, Iraq's Interior ministry said Wednesday.
• Turkey's Kurds Accuse EU of Turning Blind Eye VOA 13 Jan 2016 -- Turkey's military says it has killed 307 Kurdish separatists in recent weeks in counter-terrorism operations in southeastern Turkey, but the toll has also been great on civilians. Rights groups say 162 civilians, including 32 children, have been killed since August in districts where the military has imposed 24-hour curfews.
• New UN emergency funds seek to aid 1.7 million Africans uprooted by Boko Haram violence UN News 13 Jan 2016 -- With the Lake Chad Basin now the fastest-growing displacement crisis in Africa as 2.7 million people, 1.5 million of them children, have been uprooted by Boko Haram terrorists, the United Nations emergency fund has announced new grants of $31 million to four countries in the region.
• Donor support helps UN agency continue Humanitarian Air Service across Sudan UN News 13 Jan 2016 -- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomed significant contributions from donors towards the operation in Sudan last year of the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), which serves as a vital aid link in the country.
• Mali: UN Security Council calls on all parties to fully implement the peace agreement UN News 13 Jan 2016 -- Following a briefing on Monday on the situation in Mali by UN peacekeeping chief Hervé Ladsous, the Security Council has stressed that all parties signatory to June's peace agreement bear the primary responsibility for achieving lasting peace in the country.
• Election in Côte d'Ivoire opportunity to 'start a new chapter,' UN envoy tells Security Council UN News 13 Jan 2016 -- The top United Nations official in Côte d'Ivoire today highlighted that the peaceful conclusion of the presidential election provides the country's citizens with the opportunity to turn the page, start a new chapter in their nation's history and consolidate achievements towards long-term stability.
• UN Deplores 'Abrupt' Closure of Displaced Persons Camp in DRC VOA 13 Jan 2016 -- The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is condemning the closure and destruction of a displaced persons camp in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The sudden development left several thousand people with no place to live.

News Reports

• Xi urges confidence in overcoming corruption People's Daily 13 Jan 2016 -- China is gaining ground to overcome corruption, President Xi Jinping said at an anti-graft meeting on Tuesday, urging confidence in the campaign.
• Full text of China's Arab Policy Paper People's Daily 13 Jan 2016 -- The Chinese government on Wednesday issued its first Arab policy paper. Following is an English version of the paper:
• Economic Pressure Eyed as Key to Sanctions on N. Korea VOA 13 Jan 2016 -- While the U.S. Congress is pushing ahead on legislation that seeks to increase sanctions on North Korea for its purported nuclear test last week, experts say strong economic sanctions are key to the effort.
• South Korea fires warning shots at suspected North's drone: Military Press TV 13 Jan 2016 -- South Korea says it has fired warning shots at a suspected North Korean drone that Seoul says crossed the tense border between the two neighbors.
• South Korea to Continue Propaganda Broadcasts Directed at North - President Sputnik 13 Jan 2016 -- According to the South Korean President, Seul will not cease to broadcast propaganda directed at North Korea.
• More Joint Army-Civilian Meetings Held in DPRK to Hail Successful H-bomb Test KCNA 13 Jan 2016 -- Joint army-civilian meetings for hailing Juche Korea's first successful H-bomb test respectively took place in Ryanggang Province, cities and counties.
• South Korea vows to seek strong sanctions on North Press TV 13 Jan 2016 -- South Korea's President Park Geun-hye has vowed to make the necessary efforts to ensure that the UN Security Council adopts harsh punitive measures against Pyongyang over its latest nuclear test.
• Obama Ignores North Korea in Address to Congress VOA 13 Jan 2016 -- Of the many foreign policy challenges confronting the United States, North Korea's recent nuclear test was not among those mentioned in President Barack Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday.
• China Seen as Key to Blunting N Korea's Aggression VOA 13 Jan 2016 -- The road to successfully blunting North Korea's military adventurism and potentially forcing the rogue nation to give up its nuclear weapons program runs through Beijing, a panel of experts told a U.S. congressional hearing Wednesday.
• Pakistan Claims Arrest of Militants Behind Indian Airbase Attack VOA 13 Jan 2016 -- Pakistan said Wednesday it has arrested 'several individuals' belonging to the Jaish-e-Mohammad militant group that India suspects masterminded the deadly assault earlier this month on an Indian airbase.
• White House: Obama's Puzzling Ukraine Comment Referred To Kremlin Ally Yanukovych RFE/RL 13 Jan 2016 -- The White House has clarified U.S. President Barack Obama's puzzling reference to Ukraine in his final State of the Union address, in which he said Russia is "pouring resources in to prop up" its ex-Soviet neighbor.
• Many Puzzled By Obama's Reference To Ukraine As Russian 'Client State' RFE/RL 13 Jan 2016 -- U.S. President Barack Obama raised eyebrows around the world with a difficult-to-interpret reference to Ukraine in his final annual State of the Union address that lumped the post-Soviet state and its West-leaning government together with Syria as Russian 'client states.'
• US House of Representatives cancels vote on anti-Iran bill Press TV 13 Jan 2016 -- The US House of Representatives has cancelled voting on a measure to block the implementation of the Iran nuclear agreement.
• US High Court Considers Iranian Payments for Terror Victims VOA 13 Jan 2016 -- The U.S. Supreme Court has taken up the sensitive question of whether Iran has to pay nearly $2 billion in compensation to the families of victims of what the U.S. sees as Iranian-backed terrorist attacks.
• IAEA inspectors monitoring Arak complex modification Press TV 12 Jan 2016 -- A large number of International Atomic Energy Organization (IAEA) inspectors have arrived in Iran to monitor the modification of the Arak nuclear complex which will be completed within the next few days, an Iranian official says.
• Composing details on implementing JCPOA to accomplish in days IRNA 13 Jan 2016 -- Head of Headquarters to Supervise Proper Implementation of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Seyyed Abbas Araqchi said on Wednesday composing the last details on implementing the JCPOA will end in matter of one or two days.
• JCPOA implementation expected at weekend: Iran Press TV 13 Jan 2016 -- A senior Iranian official says implementation day for Tehran's historic nuclear deal with six world powers will not go beyond this weekend.
• Flashpoints Fuel Critics Of Iran Deal RFE/RL 13 Jan 2016 -- Since Tehran reached a historic nuclear accord with six world powers in July, there have been a number of incidents that have tested relations with Washington.
• Turkey arrests 5 over deadly bombing in Istanbul Press TV 13 Jan 2016 -- Turkish authorities have arrested five suspects in connection with a deadly bomb attack in the historic heart of the city of Istanbul that left 10 foreigners dead.
• Turkish police bust 'Daesh cell' in capital Ankara Press TV 13 Jan 2016 -- Turkish security forces have arrested 16 suspected members of the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group who had formed a cell to carry out a major terrorist attack in the capital, Ankara.
• Belgian Prosecutors Say Found 3 Safe Houses of Paris Attacks Perpetrators Sputnik 13 Jan 2016 -- The properties uncovered by Belian police included a flat in the city of Charleroi, where fingerprints of two of the attackers were found, as well as a house near the French border, according to a federal prosecutor's spokesman.
• IS Claims Attack on Pakistan Consulate in Afghanistan VOA 13 Jan 2016 -- Officials in eastern Afghanistan said a gun and bomb attack Wednesday near the Pakistani consulate in Jalalabad killed seven security personnel and wounded 10 people, including three civilians.
• With West Africa set to be declared free of Ebola virus transmission, UN chief calls for vigilance UN News 13 Jan 2016 -- On the eve of West Africa being declared free of Ebola virus transmission, top United Nations officials today highlighted the "extraordinary" global cooperation mustered to tackle an epidemic that killed over 11,300 people, at the same time calling for vigilance against future flare-ups.
• E. Africa Launches Program to Prevent, Control Pandemic Threats VOA 13 Jan 2016 -- Starting in 2014, West Africa experienced the largest Ebola outbreak in history, killing more than 11,000 people and bringing the threat of global pandemic to worldwide consciousness. Scientists believe the outbreak started with a small boy who contracted the virus from a bat.
• Four get death penalty in Gaza over spying for Israel Press TV 13 Jan 2016 -- A military court in the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip has sentenced four people to death on charges of spying for the Tel Aviv regime.
• China to launch Long March-5 rocket this year People's Daily 13 Jan 2016 -- China has made a major breakthrough in key technologies for its new generation heavy-lift launch vehicle, Long March-5 (LM-5), and plans to do a test launch later this year, according to China National Space Administration on Tuesday.
• Final provisional results for legislative polls in Central African Republic announced - UN mission UN News 13 Jan 2016 -- The United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) today reported that the final provisional results for the legislative elections have been announced by the Autorité Nationale des Elections (ANE), with 21 candidates, including three women, being elected by an absolute majority during the first round.
• Candidates Again Question Results in CAR Elections VOA 13 Jan 2016 -- Late last year, the Central African Republic held elections to replace the transitional government currently in power. The elections were seen as a welcome indicator of stability and a first step toward putting an end to the country's three-year conflict.
• How a city in Tanzania holds the key to peace in Burundi IRIN 13 Jan 2016 -- At some stage, both sides in Burundi's increasingly bloody political crisis are likely to be sitting across the table from one another in Arusha, Tanzania, looking to agree a political settlement.
• Protests Erupt In Azerbaijan Over Jobs, Economic Woes RFE/RL 13 Jan 2016 -- Protests have broken out in a handful of districts across Azerbaijan in the latest sign of mounting frustration over joblessness, price hikes, and other economic woes in the oil-rich Caucasus country.
• Saudi king not aware of his surroundings, report says Press TV 13 Jan 2016 -- Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is suffering from periodic blackouts and inability to speak, a new report says.