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Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 14 Jan 2016 [PDF]
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Secretary Carter at U.S. Central Command Headquarters, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida DoD 14 Jan 2016 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter; General Lloyd J. Austin III, CENTCOM commander; General Joseph Votel, SOCOM commander
• Carter, Dunford, Senior Commanders Meet to Accelerate ISIL's Defeat AFPS 14 Jan 2016 -- Further accelerating pressure to defeat Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant extremists will highlight discussions with top military leaders at U.S. Central Command today, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in a news conference.
• Austin Expresses Confidence That Anti-ISIL Forces Will Win in Iraq, Syria AFPS 14 Jan 2016 -- Indigenous forces in Iraq and Syria, supported by a 60-nation coalition, are making progress against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the commander of U.S. Central Command said today.
• Military Strikes Continue Against ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 14 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.
• U.S. Aims To Retake Islamic State Power Centers In Iraq, Syria RFE/RL 14 Jan 2016 -- The United States has deployed a special commando force to Iraq and is now setting its sights on wresting control of the Islamic State's (IS) power centers in Iraq and Syria, the U.S. defense secretary said.
• Officials: Afghan IS Leader Killed in Drone Strike VOA 14 Jan 2016 -- Officials in eastern Afghanistan say a U.S. drone strike Thursday killed Islamic State's top commander in the area, which the militants call Khorasan, along with at least 11 other insurgents.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US Transfers 10 Guantanamo Bay Detainees VOA 14 Jan 2016 -- The U.S. Defense Department says 10 Yemeni detainees have been released from U.S. detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and sent to the Middle East nation of Oman.
• Detainee Transfers Announced DoD 14 Jan 2016 -- The Department of Defense announced today the transfer of Fahed Abdullah Ahmad Ghazi, Samir Naji al-Hasan Muqbil, Adham Mohamed Ali Awad, Mukhtar Yahya Naji al-Warafi, Abu Bakr Ibn Muhammad al-Ahdal, Muhammad Salih Husayn al-Shaykh, Muhammad Said Salim Bin Salman, Said Muhammad Salih Hatim, Umar Said Salim al-Dini, and Fahmi Abdallah Ahmad Ubadi al-Tulaqi from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the Government of Oman.
• US Officials: Captured Boats Missed Refueling Meet-up VOA 14 Jan 2016 -- A refueling rendezvous that went astray and an engine issue are key pieces of the puzzle behind the incident involving the 10 U.S. Navy sailors who were held earlier this week by Iran, according to U.S. officials.
• Desert Storm: 2nd Bomb Wing leads the air war AFNS 14 Jan 2016 -- In the early morning of Jan. 16, 1991, the 2nd Bomb Wing deployed seven B-52G Stratofortresses and crews to Iraq in a single, secret mission that would mark the beginning of Operation Desert Storm.
• B-1B Lancer sets rotational records before leaving downrange AFNS 14 Jan 2016 -- A B-1B Lancer that achieved rotational milestones is scheduled to leave Al Udeid Air Base soon for a six-month hiatus for aircraft modifications stateside.
• Secretary of the Navy Names Expeditionary Sea Base Ship NNS 14 Jan 2016 -- Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced the Navy's newest Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) ship, T-ESB 4, will be named USNS Hershel 'Woody' Williams during a ceremony in Charleston, West Virginia, Jan. 14.
• Navy to Christen Expeditionary Fast Transport Carson City DoD 14 Jan 2016 -- The Navy will christen its newest expeditionary fast transport, USS Carson City (EPF 7), during a 10 a.m. EST ceremony Saturday, Jan. 16 in Mobile, Alabama.
• Readout of Deputy Secretary Work's Visit to Israel DoD 14 Jan 2016
• NATO Aircraft May Be Allowed to Patrol Bulgarian Airspace Sputnik 14 Jan 2016 -- The Bulgarian parliament approved amendments to the defense legislation in the first reading on Thursday, allowing NATO member countries to participate in patrolling the country's airspace, local media reported.
• Hunt You Down: Russian Navy to Receive Modern Anti-Submarine Aircraft Sputnik 14 Jan 2016 -- In November this year, the Russian Navy will receive two more IL-38N Novella anti-submarine aircraft, in addition to five that have already been taken on board, the Deputy General Director of Ilyushin Aviation complex Yuri Yudin said.
• Su-25SM Strike Aircraft Exercise Missile Launching in Southern Russia Sputnik 14 Jan 2016 -- Su-25SM strike aircraft are participating in drills in the Krasnodar Territory to practice maneuvers in adverse weather conditions, including launching guided missiles, the Defense Ministry's Southern Military District's (SMD) press service announced Thursday.
• French Arms Exports Reach All-Time High in 2015 - Defense Minister Sputnik 14 Jan 2016 -- According to the French defence minister, the country's arms sales have doubled in 2015, amounting to $17.48 billions' worth.
• January 14, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 14 Jan 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 14, 2016

Other Conflicts

• Japan Expands Military Presence in S China Sea Amid Tensions With China Sputnik 14 Jan 2016 -- Japan is set to boost its presence in the South China Sea in 2016 with Japanese anti-submarine reconnaissance aircraft making transits in locations along the South China Sea waters.
• Saudi air raids kill 15 civilians near Yemeni capital Press TV 14 Jan 2016 -- A new Saudi airstrike against Yemen has killed at least 15 Yemeni civilians and injured 25 others in an area outside the capital, Sana'a.
• Syrian army forces liberate more regions in Aleppo Province Press TV 14 Jan 2016 -- Syrian forces backed by fighters from popular defense groups have liberated another town in the northwestern province of Aleppo, tightening the noose around the foreign-sponsored terrorists operating in the strategic region.
• Starvation 'as a weapon' is a war crime, UN chief warns parties to conflict in Syria UN News 14 Jan 2016 -- With United Nations humanitarian teams witnessing scenes in Syria that "haunt the soul," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said the situation is "utterly unconscionable," and warned that the use of starvation as a weapon during conflict is a war crime.
• UN veto powers to push for aid delivery in Syria: UN envoy Press TV 14 Jan 2016 -- The UN special envoy for Syria says the five permanent members of the Security Council will push for "immediate action" to deliver humanitarian aid to beleaguered areas in the Arab country.
• New humanitarian aid convoys leaves for Syrian town Press TV 14 Jan 2016 -- A second convoy of humanitarian aid heads to Syria's southwestern town of Madaya as part of an agreement to allow the delivery of food and medicine into the area.
• Russia Unveils Agreement With Syria on Deployment of Combat Air Group Sputnik 14 Jan 2016 -- Russia has unveiled the text of the agreement with Syria on the deployment of the Russian air group in the country.
• Final Countdown? Syrian Army Advances on All Fronts Sputnik 14 Jan 2016 -- The Syrian Army and the country's popular forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, have continued their advance, inflicting heavy losses on the terrorist groups in the country's key provinces, Iranian media wrote on Wednesday.
• UN Chief on Syria: Starvation as Weapon Is War Crime VOA 14 Jan 2016 -- The U.N. Secretary-General has called for an end to sieges on Syrian towns, warning all parties to the conflict that using starvation as a weapon is a war crime.
• Iraq recaptures northern village hours after Daesh blitz Press TV 14 Jan 2016 -- Iraqi military and allied volunteer fighters have recaptured a northern village from Daesh militants, hours after it was blitzed by the Takfiri group.
• 10 killed, dozens hurt in bombings, shootings in, around Iraqi capital Press TV 14 Jan 2016 -- At least 10 people have been killed and more than three dozen others injured in separate bomb attacks and shooting incidents in and around the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, security and medical sources say.
• Turkish jets bomb northern Iraq Press TV 14 Jan 2016 -- The Turkish military says its warplanes have carried out airstrikes against militants from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), destroying their compounds in northern Iraq.
• Iraqi troops liberate dozens of families in Ramadi Press TV 14 Jan 2016 -- Iraqi forces liberate dozens of families held by Daesh terrorists in Ramadi as they make their way through the city where remnants of the Takfiri group have still a presence.
• Turkey: 200 IS Fighters Killed in Retaliation for Istanbul Attack VOA 14 Jan 2016 -- Turkey claimed Thursday that it has killed 200 Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq in retaliation for the suicide bomb attack that killed 10 German tourists in Istanbul two days ago.
• Ukraine's Poroshenko: Restoration of Sovereignty Top Priority for 2016 VOA 14 Jan 2016 -- Ukraine's president, Petro Poroshenko, said on Thursday he expected territory in the east held by Russian-backed rebels to return to Ukrainian control before the end of the year. At the same time, he said he hopes to set into motion mechanisms that would lead to the "de-occupation" of Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.
• New truce deal agreed between Ukraine conflicting sides Press TV 14 Jan 2016 -- The Ukrainian government and pro-Russia forces have struck a new truce deal, following the failure of a previous agreement.
• Poroshenko: Ukraine To Restore Control Over East This Year RFE/RL 14 Jan 2016 -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has vowed to regain sovereignty over the country's separatist east in 2016.
• UN raps DR Congo for displacing thousands by camp closure Press TV 14 Jan 2016 -- The United Nations has condemned the sudden dismantling of a UN camp for displaced people by government forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• 'Very real risk of violence' looms over DR Congo elections, senior UN official warns UN News 14 Jan 2016 -- The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) faces "very real risks of unrest and violence" over elections later this year while confronting a "significant deterioration" of security in its war-torn eastern provinces, the top United Nations official in the country warned today.

News Reports

• Analyst: IS Presence in Indonesia Growing VOA 14 Jan 2016 -- Indonesian officials estimate there are between 200 and 300 IS sympathizers in country
• Suicide bombing in Indonesia's capital kills 7, injures 20 People's Daily 14 Jan 2016 -- People gather near the explosion site in Jakarta, Indonesia, Jan. 14, 2016. Seven people including two suicide bombers were killed and 20 others injured in suicide blasts in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, on Thursday. (Xinhua/He Changshan)
• Jakarta Blasts Follow Deadly Blueprint of Paris Attacks Sputnik 14 Jan 2016 -- A series of explosions hit the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on Thursday, January 14, reportedly killing at least 10 people. Later on in the day, Jakarta police confirmed that Daesh (also known as Islamic State) was behind the blasts.
• Islamic State Claims Deadly Jakarta Attack VOA 14 Jan 2016 -- Islamic State has claimed responsibility for Thursday's coordinated bomb and gun attack in the Indonesian capital that left seven people dead, including all five attackers.
• Coordinated Terror Attack Kills 6 in Central Jakarta VOA 14 Jan 2015 -- Militants set off a series of explosions in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, Thursday, according to officials and witnesses, triggering a series of heavy gun battles with police and leaving at least six people dead.
• France to Boost Intelligence Activity in Fight Against Terrorism Sputnik 14 Jan 2016 -- The National Intelligence Council of France (CNR) has decided to improve the coordination of internal and external actions of the French intelligence services in the fight against terrorism, the Elysee Palace said in a statement on Thursday.
• Terrorism remains major threat in West Africa despite electoral progress – senior UN official UN News 14 Jan 2016 -- While peaceful and credible elections were held in several countries in West Africa in the past six months, violent extremism continues to pose a serious threat throughout the area, the top United Nations official for the region warned today.
• Experts React to News Ebola Epidemic Over VOA 14 Jan 2016 -- It's been more than two years since a young boy contracted the first suspected case of Ebola in the forests of Guinea.
• WHO declares end of Ebola outbreak in West Africa People's Daily 14 Jan 2016 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday declared the end of the most recent flare-up of Ebola virus disease in Liberia, saying all known chains of transmission have been stopped in West Africa.
• WHO declares end to Ebola epidemic in West Africa Press TV 14 Jan 2016 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that a two-year Ebola epidemic that took more than 11,000 lives in West Africa is now over.
• West Africa declared free of Ebola transmission, but UN health agency warns new flare-ups possible UN News 14 Jan 2016 -- The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) today declared the end of the most recent outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Liberia, announcing that all known chains of transmission have been stopped in West Africa, but the job is not yet over.
• WHO: Zero Ebola Cases in West Africa VOA 14 Jan 2016 -- The World Health Organization says the most recent outbreak of Ebola in Liberia is over, bringing the number of cases in West Africa down to zero for the first time since the regional epidemic began in early 2014. The WHO reports all known chains of transmission have been stopped in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, the three most heavily affected countries.
• Briefing with Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, January 14, 2016 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 14 Jan 2016
• Iran Fills Nuclear Reactor Core with Concrete, US Says VOA 14 Jan 2016 -- The U.S. confirmed Thursday that Iran has poured concrete into the core of the Arak nuclear reactor, making it nearly impossible to produce weapons-grade plutonium at the facility.
• AEOI Spokesman: Arak reactor works ended IRNA 14 Jan 2016 -- Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi announced on Thursday that Arak heavy water reactor works ended, adding that inspectors of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will verify it on Thursday afternoon.
• Implementation of Iranian nuclear deal expected soon: China People's Daily 14 Jan 2016 -- Final implementation of the Iranian nuclear deal, which downsizes Iran's nuclear program in return for Western sanction relief, is around the corner, a Chinese spokesperson said on Thursday.
• Iran removes Arak reactor core vessel Press TV 14 Jan 2016 -- Iran has removed the core vessel of the Arak heavy water reactor in compliance with its obligations under the country's nuclear agreement with six world powers, a senior nuclear official says.
• Iran Removes Core Vessel of Arak Reactor, IAEA Ready to Inspect Sputnik 14 Jan 2016 -- IAEA experts will inspect Iran's Arak reactor whose core vessel has been removed.
• Iran Removes Core of Arak Heavy Water Reactor as Part of Nuclear Accord VOA 14 Jan 2016 -- Iran's Atomic Energy Agency says it has removed the core of its heavy water reactor in the southern town of Arak, apparently completing the final condition of a nuclear deal with Western powers.
• US Diplomat: N. Korea, Greatest Source of Instability in NE Asia VOA 14 Jan 2016 -- U.S. is ratcheting up diplomacy with participants in the six-party talks for a strong and united response to the recent nuclear test by North Korea.
• N. Korea's Nuclear Test Seen as Attention-Getting Move VOA 14 Jan 2016 -- North Korea's purported nuclear test might be an attempt to seek attention from the United States, a former U.S. envoy said.
• Koreas Ramp Up Psychological Warfare After Nuclear Test VOA 14 Jan 2016 -- North Korea's fourth nuclear test earlier this month ended a short period of inter-Korean cooperation and restarted the Cold War standoff between Seoul and Pyongyang.
• More Joint Army-Civilian Meetings Hail Successful H-bomb Test KCNA 14 Jan 2016 -- Joint army-civilian meetings took place in Munchon, Kaesong, Sinpho and Huichon cities and Paechon, Phyongwon, Popdong and other counties to hail the successful first H-bomb test of Juche Korea.
• DPRK's Access to H-bomb Aimed to Finally Settle Accounts with Aggressors: Minju Joson KCNA 14 Jan 2016 -- Upon hearing the news that Juche Korea completely succeeded in the first H-bomb test, the south Korean chief executive rushed to her underground shelter, going busy with holding a 'security meeting' and crying out for forcing the north to 'pay a very high price for it'.
• India, Pakistan Cooperate in Terror Probe VOA 14 Jan 2016 -- New Delhi has welcomed Pakistan's offer to send a special team to help India in its investigation of a deadly attack at an Indian air-force base in a sensitive border area.
• China Gears Up to Play Bigger Role in Middle East Politics VOA 14 Jan 2016 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's first official visit to the Middle East next week is a signal of Beijing's intention to be a major player in Mideast affairs, analysts say.
• Dozens Killed By Deadly Swine Flu Virus In Ukraine RFE/RL 14 Jan 2016 -- An outbreak of the H1N1 swine flu virus has killed more than 50 people in Ukraine this winter - an increase of 10 percent over last year, Ukrainian authorities said.
• Russian Space Agency to Equip Zenit Rocket With Methane Engine Sputnik 14 Jan 2016 -- Russia's Federal Space Agency is planning to create a methane-powered version of the Zenit carrier rocket.
• How politics delayed Nepal reconstruction IRIN 14 Jan 2016 -- After delays due to political haggling, Nepal's government has finally authorised a National Reconstruction Authority to begin rebuilding the earthquake-devastated country, although the actual reconstruction will not begin for a couple of months – almost an entire year after the 7.8 magnitude quake killed about 9,000 people.
• Scores Detained In Azerbaijan Amid Countrywide Protests RFE/RL 14 Jan 2016 -- Scores of people, including opposition activists, were detained in Azerbaijan on January 13 amid countrywide protests over worsening economic conditions in the oil-rich Caucasus state.
• China, Economy Focus of Taiwan Elections VOA 14 Jan 2016 -- Taiwan will hold a general election Saturday to elect the 14th president and vice president of the Republic of China, and all 113 seats of the 9th Legislative Yuan.
• One Year After Family's Brutal Slaying, Armenian City Divided Over Russian Base RFE/RL 14 Jan 2016 -- Russia's 102nd Military Base has long been a fixture in this northwestern Armenian city, the country's second-largest.
• Zimbabwe Government Denies Mugabe Is Ill VOA 14 Jan 2016 -- A Zimbabwean government spokesman says President Robert Mugabe is in good health, dismissing an online report that he suffered a heart attack.