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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 21 Jan 2016 [PDF]
• US Defense Chief: Commandos Now Fighting IS in Syria, Iraq VOA 21 Jan 2016 -- U.S. defense chief Ash Carter said Thursday that the 200 American commandos now in Iraq and Syria are carrying out raids on Islamic State targets, 'killing or capturing them wherever we find them.'
• Military Strikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 21 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.
• Carter Outlines Counter-ISIL Campaign Plan in Paris AFPS 21 Jan 2016 -- The savage gunmen of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant who opened fire in Paris in November "attacked us all," Defense Secretary Ash Carter said today at the École Militaire in Paris.
• Effort to Isolate Key Syrian City Showing Success, Dunford Says AFPS 21 Jan 2016 -- The effort to isolate the Syrian city of Raqqa in the fight against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is producing some success, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
• US wasted millions on Afghan reconstruction projects: Government watchdog Press TV 21 Jan 2016 -- A US government watchdog has found that a Defense Department agency wasted millions of dollars on reconstruction projects in Afghanistan.
• UN condemns suicide attack targeting media in Kabul UN News 21 Jan 2016 -- The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) today condemned the suicide attack against media workers in Kabul yesterday that killed eight and injured 24 civilians, many of them from the media sector, as well as women and children.
• Pentagon Official Defends $150Mln Afghanistan Villas to Get Business Going Sputnik 21 Jan 2016 -- The millions of US taxpayer dollars spent building ornate villas in Afghanistan under the Department of Defense's Afghanistan business task force was a way to get investment started, US Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Brian McKeon told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
• US $822Mln Task Force to Boost Afghan Business Failing Sputnik 21 Jan 2016 -- The business investment program to help stabilize Afghanistan failed to justify its nearly $1 billion cost, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John Sopko told members of the US Senate Armed Services Committee.
• $300 Million Failure: US Failed to Build Major Power Plant In Afghanistan Sputnik 21 Jan 2016 -- As a Senate subcommittee met on Wednesday to look into waste from the Pentagon's USAID task force, some are calling for them to review why the Kajaki Dam, a $300 million project, is sitting in Afghanistan unfinished for the last eight years.
• Virginia Guard Prepares for Massive Snowstorm AFPS 21 Jan 2016 -- The Virginia National Guard has been authorized to bring up to 500 soldiers, airmen and members of the Virginia Defense Force on state active duty for possible assistance with the state's severe winter weather response operations.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Detainee Transfer Announced DoD 21 Jan 2016 -- The Department of Defense announced today the transfer of Tariq Mahmoud Ahmed Al Sawah from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Detainee Transfer Announced DoD 21 Jan 2016 -- The Department of Defense announced today the transfer of Abd al-Aziz Abduh Abdallah Ali Al-Suwaydi from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the Government of Montenegro.
• F-35 fires first AIM-9X missile AFNS 21 Jan 2016 -- An F-35 fighter jet from the 461st Flight Test Squadron launched an AIM-9X missile for the first time over the Pacific Sea Test Range Jan. 12.
• A Sea of Troubles: US Burning Millions to Repair Newest Ships Sputnik 21 Jan 2016 -- US Navy high-speed transport ships built by Austal Ltd. cannot stand blows by waves in the high seas. The claim was made in a report to the US Congress by Michael Gilmore, the Pentagon's director of operational test and evaluation.
• Operation Desert Storm changed the Air Force through innovation AFNS 21 Jan 2016 -- Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Lt. Gen. John Raymond addressed the Air Force Association on innovations that took place during Operation Desert Storm at the first AFA breakfast of the year Jan. 20 at the Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington, Virginia.
• Luke F-16 crashes in Arizona AFNS 21 Jan 2016 -- An F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base crashed at approximately 8:45 a.m. today north of Luke AFB in the vicinity of Bagdad, Arizona.
• Warfighters convene at Nellis for weapons, tactics conference AFNS 21 Jan 2016 -- Air Force senior leaders, industry executives, joint and coalition warfighters converged for the 2016 Weapons and Tactics Conference, hosted by the Air Combat Command at Nellis Air Force Base Jan. 3-16.
• Vice Chairman: Military, Nation Need Dialogue About New Technologies AFPS 21 Jan 2016 -- The military, the people of the United States and the people of the world need to understand the profound impacts of technologies on the horizon today, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said at the Brookings Institution here this morning.
• NMCB 3 Tackles Japan's Jungle NNS 21 Jan 2016 -- Seabees assigned to U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3 successfully completed jungle warfare training, Jan. 15.
• USS Emory S. Land Supports USS Florida CMAV NNS 21 Jan 2016 -- Sailors from submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) began maintenance on guided-missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) during a continuous maintenance availability (CMAV) period Jan 10.
• Remarks by Secretary Carter at Ecole Militaire in Paris, France DoD 21 Jan 2016 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter
• Cybercom Chief Details Strategic Priorities for 2016 AFPS 21 Jan 2016 -- U.S. Cyber Command's strategic priorities for 2016 include continued defense of DoD networks and systems, applying Cyber Mission Force capabilities more broadly and expanding international partnerships, Navy Adm. Mike Rogers said today.
• NATO Chiefs of Defence discussed the Resolute Support Mission, cooperation with Mediterranean Dialogue partners and NATO's adaptation NATO 21 Jan 2016 -- Over the course of the day, the Chiefs of Defence met to review the RESOLUTE SUPPORT Mission in Afghanistan and to discuss NATO's future strategy, posture and adaptation. They also exchanged views on regional security developments and military-to-military cooperation with their Mediterranean Dialogue Partners.
• Russia to Lay Down Two New Generation Corvettes in 2016 Sputnik 21 Jan 2016 -- Russia plans to lay down 15 warships, boats and vessels in 2016.
• Russia to Float Out Two New Submarines for Black Sea Fleet in Spring 2016 Sputnik 21 Jan 2016 -- The launch of two new Russian diesel-electric submarines of the Project 636.3 is scheduled for the spring of 2016, Deputy Navy Commander Vice Adm. Alexander Fedotenkov told reporters.
• UK Defense Chief Criticizes Corbyn's Plan to Send New Subs on Duty Unarmed Sputnik 21 Jan 2016 -- Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's plan to build new Trident submarines but send them on duty without nuclear warheads is pointless and even dangerous, UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said Thursday.
• Defence Secretary reaffirms nuclear deterrent commitment UK MOD 21 Jan 2016 -- Defence Secretary has visited the home of the Royal Navy's submarine service to make clear the Government's commitment to the nuclear deterrent.
• In wake of Taiwan elections, Chinese TV reports PLA live-fire drill CNA 21 Jan 2016 -- A state-run television network in China reported Wednesday that a live-fire drill had been conducted recently by the Chinese military off China's southeast coast, the first report of a military exercise following Taiwan's presidential and legislative elections last week.
• Israel needs more US military aid after Iran deal: Netanyahu Press TV 21 Jan 2016 -- Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu says Tel Aviv needs more US military aid following the nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries.
• Why Turkey is Set to Open Military Base in Somalia Sputnik 21 Jan 2016 -- After an agreement with Doha to establish a military base in Qatar, Ankara started to prepare for the opening of their second base in Somalia. Allegedly, this base will be used to train soldiers from Somalia and other African countries combating terrorist organizations.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 1/21/2016 The White House 21 Jan 2016
• January 21, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 21 Jan 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 21, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 21 January 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 21 Jan 2016
• China determined and capable of defending islands and reefs in South China Sea, says PLA Navy chief People's Daily 21 Jan 2016 -- The amount of defense facilities on islands and reefs of the Nansha Islands totally depends on the level of threat China faces, and China will not seek militarization in the region, said China's Navy chief to his U.S. counterpart on Wednesday.
• Vietnam Warns China Not Drill for Oil in Disputed Area Sputnik 21 Jan 2016 -- Following a recent rig settlement by Beijing, Vietnam has demanded that China not drill for oil in disputed waters to avoid a repeat of the 2014 deadlock over resource exploration and extraction in the South China Sea.
• Nearly four dozen Yemenis killed in fresh Saudi airstrikes Press TV 21 Jan 2016 -- Almost four dozen civilians have lost their lives in multiple Saudi aerial attacks against a number of regions across Yemen as Riyadh pushes ahead with its military onslaught against its southern neighbor.
• Yemen being pounded by US, British, Israeli jets: Army Press TV 21 Jan 2016 -- Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom have been contributing to Saudi Arabia's deadly war on Yemen by sending warplanes to bomb the impoverished nation, a Yemeni army official reveals.
• Saudi Arabia has killed 8,278 people in Yemen: Group Press TV 21 Jan 2016 -- More than 8,200 people have been killed and many more injured ever since Saudi Arabia started a war on Yemen in March, a civil group says.
• Turkey ups aid to Syria Takfiris ahead of talks: Russia Press TV 21 Jan 2016 -- Russia says Turkey is sending more reinforcements to Takfiri terrorists operating in Syria ahead of peace talks expected to be held later this month in the hope of ending the conflict in the Arab country.
• Over 120 UN agencies, NGOs call for end to Syrian crisis Press TV 21 Jan 2016 -- Over 120 UN agencies and other non-governmental organizations have urged people around the world to join an appeal for an end to the plight of millions in war-torn Syria.
• Syrian Army Airstrikes Cut Daesh Raqqa-Aleppo Supply Route Sputnik 21 Jan 2016 -- The Syrian forces together with units of the people's militia cut off Daesh communication routes from al-Mansur al-Miass and al- Karyateyn areas, destroying a large number of terrorists, official representative of the Syrian Armed Forces Brigadier General Ali Mayhub said on Wednesday.
• Run for the Hills: Syrian Army Kills Dozens of Terrorists in Major Advance Sputnik 21 Jan 2016 -- Daesh terrorists have confirmed the death of at least 70 of their own as the Syrian Army and popular forces continue their advance on the militants' positions west of Deir ez-Zor city, Iran's news agency Fars reported on Wednesday.
• In appeal to end suffering in Syria, UN agencies and 120 humanitarian organizations call for action now UN News 21 Jan 2016 -- Outlining a series of immediate, practical steps that can improve humanitarian access and the delivery of aid to those in need inside Syria, more than 120 humanitarian organizations and United Nations agencies issued a joint appeal today urging the world to raise their voices and call for an end to the Syria crisis.
• Daesh Barbarians Destroy 1,400-Year-Old Christian Monastery in Iraq Sputnik 21 Jan 2016 -- The Christian site was completely razed near Daesh-occupied Mosul in northern Iraq.
• Oil Facility Fires, Set Off by Rocket Attacks, Rage in Libya VOA 21 Jan 2016 -- Fires were raging out of control Thursday at one of the main oil facilities in northern Libya after militants hit storage tanks with rockets.
• Ukrainian Forces Shell Donetsk Region Settlements in Violation of Ceasefire Sputnik 21 Jan 2016 -- Ukrainian forces have shelled several settlements in the southeastern Donetsk region, despite the ceasefire agreed upon in Minsk, the Donetsk News Agency reports.
• Israeli settlers take over Palestinian homes Press TV 21 Jan 2016 -- Israeli settlers have taken over two Palestinian houses in the south of the occupied West Bank, claiming they had bought them despite the Palestinian law banning such transaction.
• US condemns Israel's planned land grab in occupied West Bank Press TV 21 Jan 2016 -- The administration of US President Barack Obama has condemned Israel's planned land grab in the occupied West Bank.
• UN chief calls on Israel to change policy after reported take-over of West Bank land UN News 21 Jan 2016 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for "substantial policy changes on the ground" by Israel, voicing deep concern at reports that the Government has declared of 370 acres in the occupied West Bank south of Jericho as so-called "state land."
• South Sudan: slaughter of civilians, gang rapes among 'shocking' crimes committed by all sides, says UN UN News 21 Jan 2016 -- Hundreds of extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances, gang-rapes, sexual slavery, forced abortion, massive child soldier recruitment and indiscriminate attacks against civilians with entire villages burned down have been perpetrated by all in sides in war-torn South Sudan, the United Nations reported today.
• Ban welcomes three-party ministerial meeting on dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Gabon UN News 21 Jan 2016 -- United Nations Secretary-General today welcomed the holding of a trilateral ministerial meeting on the dispute between Equatorial Guinea and the Gabonese Republic.
• Cyprus: UN chief holds first joint meeting with Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders UN News 21 Jan 2016 -- In his first joint meeting with the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders today, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged them to "capitalize on the current positive momentum" to reunite the island under a federal government.
• Al-Shabab Claims Responsibility for Mogadishu Restaurant Attack VOA 21 Jan 2016 -- Militant group Al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for an attack on a restaurant in the Somali capital that a witness says killed at least two people and injured four others.

News Reports

• British Judge: Putin 'Probably' OK'd Ex-Spy's Murder VOA 21 Jan 2016 -- A top British government investigator said Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin probably personally approved the assassination of Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian spy-turned-dissident who was exiled in Britain after criticizing Putin and accusing him – among other things – of being a pedophile.
• British Inquiry Implicates Russia, Putin In Death Of Ex-Agent Litvinenko RFE/RL 21 Jan 2016 -- A British inquiry has concluded that the Russian government was behind the 2006 poisoning death of former Russian security agent Aleksandr Litvinenko and that President Vladimir Putin 'probably approved' the killing.
• British report finds Russian leadership behind 2006 killing of ex-KGB agent Sputnik 21 Jan 2016 -- Britain's Foreign Office has summoned the Russian ambassador to London after a British public inquiry alleged President Vladimir Putin behind the 2006 murder of former KGB agent, Alexander Litvinenko in the UK.
• UK Report Claims Putin to Blame for Litvinenko Death Sputnik 21 Jan 2016 -- The killing of former Russian FSB secret service officer Alexander Litvinenko has been laid at the door of President Putin in a widely expected conclusion to a public inquiry.
• Russian Media Shrugs Off Litvinenko Report RFE/RL 21 Jan 2016 -- Upon receiving long-awaited news related to the assassination of a former Russian security agent in London, the popular Moscow-based radio station Vesti FM was among the few state media outlets not to bury it.
• Russia dismisses UK inquiry into Litvinenko murder Sputnik 21 Jan 2016 -- Russia's Foreign Ministry has strongly rejected as politicized the conclusion of a British inquiry into the 2006 killing of ex-KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko in London.
• Cameron: Report Confirms UK's Belief Litvinenko's Death 'State Sponsored' Sputnik 21 Jan 2016 -- UK Prime Minister David Cameron said that Thursday's report on the death of ex-FSB agent Alexander Litvinenko confirms both the previous and current UK governments' belief that the murder was state sponsored.
• Kremlin: British Report on Litvinenko's Death Could 'Poison' Russia-UK Ties Sputnik 21 Jan 2016 -- The British inquiry into the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko is a quasi-probe that could damage Russia-UK relations even further, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.
• Russia Dismisses British Litvinenko Inquiry Findings VOA 21 Jan 2016 -- Russia's Foreign Ministry is dismissing a British inquiry's conclusion that Russian President Vladimir Putin 'probably' approved a 2006 assassination operation in which the country's spy agency poisoned its former agent Alexander Litvinenko in London.
• US to continue using sanctions against Iran, says Kerry Press TV 21 Jan 2016 -- US Secretary of State John Kerry has rejected Iran's criticism of new sanctions against the country, saying Washington is determined to impose more sanctions against Tehran when "appropriate."
• Iran achieved almost all objectives in JCPOA: Rouhani Press TV 21 Jan 2016 -- President Hassan Rouhani says Iran has achieved almost all its objectives through a nuclear accord known as the JCPOA.
• New Iran Sanctions Sought on Capitol Hill VOA 21 Jan 2016 -- Days after President Barack Obama hailed the fruits of diplomacy with Iran, Republican lawmakers pressed for tougher sanctions on Tehran for recent missile tests and other actions.
• Tehran, Riyadh can accommodate each other: Zarif Press TV 21 Jan 2016 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the Islamic Republic does not seek any tensions with Saudi Arabia, and that the two Muslim countries can coexist peacefully.
• Muslim body calls for de-escalation Riyadh-Tehran dispute Press TV 21 Jan 2016 -- The head of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has called for the de-escalation of recent tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, saying such a situation diverts attentions from the "real challenges" facing Muslims.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, January 21, 2016 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 21 Jan 2016
• Ruble Leads Currency Retreat Across Former Soviet States RFE/RL 21 Jan 2016 -- The Russian ruble dropped to a new historic low against the U.S. dollar as currencies across the former Soviet Union continued to sputter amid persistently low oil prices.
• Breaking Bad RFE/RL 21 Jan 2016 -- In many ways it all began with the assassination of Aleksandr Litvinenko. Not that Vladimir Putin's Russia was exactly a model global citizen before the November 2006 killing of the former KGB spy who defected to Great Britain.
• US Tightens Visa Waivers VOA 21 Jan 2016 -- The United States Thursday tightened its Visa Waiver Program, ending easy access to the U.S. for travelers who have been in Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria in the last five years, as well as for citizens of those four countries.
• Deported Bangladeshi Migrant Workers Weighed 'Armed Jihad,' Police Say VOA 21 Jan 2016 -- One day after Singapore deported 26 Bangladeshi Muslim migrant workers who had been arrested in November for allegedly supporting the ideology of Islamist terrorist groups like al-Qaida and the Islamic State, authorities in the southeast Asian nation said the men were contemplating 'armed jihad' in the Middle East and Bangladesh.
• Indonesian Terrorism Law Reform Still Faces Opposition VOA 21 Jan 2016 -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo's call for strengthening the country's national security law could still face resistance in parliament, even after Islamic State-linked militants last week carried out the first serious terrorist attack in Jakarta since 2009.
• Pakistan: Afghan Territory Used for Deadly University Raid VOA 21 Jan 2016 -- Pakistan says a deadly assault on a university in a northwestern city on Wednesday was "being controlled from a location in Afghanistan through an Afghan cell phone" by a fugitive member of the Pakistani Taliban.
• Erdogan 'Abhors' Intelligentsia as 'Heartless and Despicable People' Sputnik 21 Jan 2016 -- Turkey's president lambasted members of the academic community, including teachers and professors, who called for an end to the violence in the Kurdish southeast.
• Venezuela's Supreme Court Approves Maduro's Economic Emergency Decree Sputnik 21 Jan 2016 -- Venezuela's Supreme Court has declared the decree of economic emergency, issued by President Nicolas Maduro last Friday, constitutional.
• Moldova Protests Call For Sweeping Reforms RFE/RL 21 Jan 2016 -- Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Moldova's capital for a second-straight day on January 21, calling for sweeping reforms amid widespread anger against what is perceived as a profoundly corrupt political elite.
• Former Burundian Presidents Appeal for Peacekeeping Force VOA 21 Jan 2016 -- Two former Burundian presidents have appealed to the U.N. Security Council to press the current government to accept an African Union-led peacekeeping force.