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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 02 Feb 2016 [PDF]
• Remarks at the Ministerial Meeting of the Small Group of the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL US Dept. of State 02 Feb 2016 -- Remarks by John Kerry, US Secretary of State, and Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni
• Statement by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Small Group of the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL US Dept. of State 02 Feb 2016
• Kerry: US Allies Will Destroy Islamic State VOA 02 Feb 2016 -- The United States and its allies Tuesday said they will "accelerate and intensify" their campaign against the Islamic State militant group.
• Strikes Continue Against ISIL in Syria, Iraq AFPS 02 Feb 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 against Daesh UK MOD 02 Feb 2016 -- Royal Air Force aircraft have inflicted further losses on Daesh terrorists operating in Syria and Iraq.
• 6,500 Coalition Troops in Iraq; US Wants More VOA 02 Feb 2016 -- Seventeen coalition member countries have sent more than 6,500 soldiers to Iraq to help in the fight against Islamic State – and the United States is calling for more.
• Afghanistan Fight Requires Unwavering Commitment VOA 02 Feb 2016 -- American troops and money will need to be in Afghanistan for years to come in order to prevent the unrelenting spread of terrorism, according to the latest, dour assessment from a top U.S. general.
• Campbell: Afghan Forces' Progress Uneven, But Improving AFPS 02 Feb 2016 -- Progress in Afghanistan has been uneven, but this is no time to waiver on America's commitment to the country, the commander of U.S. Forces-Afghanistan told members of the House Armed Services Committee today.
• Afghanistan Joins US-Led International Coalition Against Daesh - Kerry Sputnik 02 Feb 2016 -- John Kerry said that Afghanistan has officially joined the international coalition against the Daesh extremist group.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Remarks by Secretary Carter on the Budget at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C. DoD 02 Feb 2016 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter
• Carter Previews FY2017 Defense Budget Request AFPS 02 Feb 2016 -- Addressing diverse global challenges requires new thinking, new postures in some regions and new and enhanced capabilities, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said this morning during a preview of the Pentagon's fiscal year 2017 budget request.
• Pentagon Seeking $3.4 Billion To Counter 'Russian Aggression' RFE/RL 02 Feb 2016 -- The Pentagon will request $3.4 billion next year to counter 'Russia's aggression,' a fourfold increase from the current fiscal year that reflects administration and allied worries about Moscow's intentions in Europe.
• Pentagon Budget Focuses on Evolving Challenges VOA 02 Feb 2016 -- Secretary of Defense Ash Carter has laid out his military spending priorities for the 2017 Pentagon budget, reflecting efforts to counter Russia's assertiveness and fight Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.
• Comms program hits 100,000 hours of warfighter connectivity AFNS 02 Feb 2016 -- A program managed here to ensure warfighters can stay connected despite differing networks and austere environments recently reached a significant milestone and is also on a path to keep moving forward.
• Officials Describe Plans to Integrate Women into Combat Roles AFPS 02 Feb 2016 -- Senior Army, Navy and Marine Corps officials outlined plans to integrate women into combat roles before the Senate Armed Forces Committee today, and agreed incorporating women into combat ranks is the right path for the future.
• Department Realigns Counter Improvised Threat Capabilities AFPS 02 Feb 2016 -- The Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics has notified Congress of the department's intent to realign the Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Agency under the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.
• 7th ESB Marines test improved ribbon bridge USMC News 02 Feb 2016 -- Marines with 7th Engineer Support Battalion from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, test Improved Ribbon Bridge components with representatives from Marine Corps Systems Command, and Marine Corps Engineer School, at Production Plant Barstow's test pond aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow's Yermo Annex, California, Jan. 25, 2016
• II MEF Marines test the human factor in preparation for Cold Response 16 USMC News 02 Feb 2016 -- Noses and cheeks are red and breath makes an appearance with every exhalation. It has been below freezing, but that doesn't stop these II Marine Expeditionary Force Marines from being outside in the mountains and snow, preparing to participate in upcoming exercise Cold Response 16 by training at the Mountain Warfare Training Center from Jan. 11-21, 2016.
• Corpsman up! 2nd Med Bn. prepares for Cold Response 16.1 in Norway USMC News 02 Feb 2016 -- Sailors with 2nd Medical Battalion conducted Shock Trauma Squad training at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune North Carolina, Jan. 28, 2016 in preparation for an upcoming exercise, -Cold Response 16.1, in Norway, March of this year.
• Navy's Great Green Fleet Initiative Powers USS John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group NNS 02 Feb 2016 -- The fast combat support ship USNS Rainier (T-AOE 7) departed the Manchester Fuel Depot Jan. 22 with more than 3 million gallons of alternative fuel provided by Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) Puget Sound in support of the Navy's Great Green Fleet Initiative.
• Final GPS IIF satellite moves to next processing phase toward launch AFNS 02 Feb 2016 -- When a space vehicle is loaded with 320 pounds of hydrazine, the 45th Space Wing's Airmen-led GPS processing team knows they are in their final stages toward launching a premier capability to the warfighter.
• Pentagon seeks $13 billion for new nuclear-armed submarines Press TV 02 Feb 2016 -- The US Defense Department would seek over $13 billion over the next five years to fund the development and production of new submarines to carry nuclear ballistic missiles.
• Intel paints battlefield picture from windowless room AFNS 02 Feb 2016 -- In a windowless room, illuminated only by the light of computer screens, intelligence Airmen of the 455th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron paint a picture of the battlespace clear as day.
• NATO Secretary General welcomes US announcement to strengthen military presence in Europe NATO 02 Feb 2016 -- Today, Secretary of Defence Ash Carter announced that the US plans to increase significantly its military presence in Europe.
• £1.1 billion investment by MOD in future military flying training UK MOD 02 Feb 2016 -- More than a billion pounds is to be invested by the Ministry of Defence to continue the modernisation of military flying training in the UK.
• New Coast Guard patrol ship put into service in E China People's Daily 02 Feb 2016 -- A Coast Guard patrol ship was put into service on the morning of Jan. 29, 2016 in east China's Zhejiang province.
• China's military regrouped into five PLA theater commands People's Daily 02 Feb 2016 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping conferred military flags to the five newly-established theater commands of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Monday.
• India Could Order Additional 48 Russian Helicopters in Near Future Sputnik 02 Feb 2016 -- Indian Air Force is planning to order an additional 48 Mi-17V-5 helicopters for flights in different conditions, according to the Russian state technology company Rostec.
• Russian Helicopters Company Completes Delivery Contract With India Sputnik 02 Feb 2016 -- Russian Helicopters has delivered the final batch of its latest military transport helicopters to India, the holding company's press service said Tuesday.
• Japan confirms deployment of anti-missile systems amid DPRK launch fears People's Daily 02 Feb 2016 -- The Japanese government confirmed Tuesday it has readied itself for a possible test-firing of a rocket or ballistic missile by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) by deploying both ground and sea-based antimissile interceptors.
• Japan Deploys Patriot Missiles at 3 Bases to Counter N Korean Threat Sputnik 02 Feb 2016 -- Japan has deployed Patriot surface-to-air missile systems at three of its military bases to counter a perceived threat from North Korea, Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said Tuesday.
• Russia Opposes Deployment of US THAAD Defense System in South Korea Sputnik 02 Feb 2016 -- Russia believes that the deployment of THAAD in South Korea will not be helpful to peace and security in Northeast Asia nor to the resolution of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, according to Russian Ambassador to Seoul Alexander Timonin.
• February 2, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 02 Feb 2016
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 2/2/2016 The White House 02 Feb 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for February 02, 2016
• Israeli, US arms companies win UK contract Press TV 02 Feb 2016 -- An Israeli arms company along with an American military contractor have won a $713 million contract to provide aircraft training for the UK military.

Other Conflicts

• 2 February 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 02 Feb 2016
• As flood of child refugees and migrants into Europe soars, UN calls for enhanced protection UN News 02 Feb 2016 -- Child protection systems across Europe are completely overwhelmed as the rate of youngsters in the flood of refugees and migrants has soared to one in three compared with one in 10 less than a year ago, the United Nations warned today, calling for strengthened steps to prevent exploitation and abuse.
• Taipei concerned about Manila's downgrading of Taiping Island CNA 02 Feb 2016 -- The government is 'highly concerned' about a case Philippines has brought against China in an international court in which it argues that the land features comprising the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea are not islands, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday.
• China urges U.S. to stop flexing muscle on excuse of 'navigation freedom' People's Daily 02 Feb 2016 -- China on Monday accused the United States of being the biggest incentive for militarization of the South China Sea, and urged it to stop creating tension in the name of 'navigational freedom'.
• China Slams US Navy Warships in South China Sea as 'Paper Tigers' Sputnik 02 Feb 2016 -- China has condemned the US Navy's second incursion into its territorial waters in the South China Sea; this time the culprit was the USS Curtis Wilbur, which sailed close to the Paracel Islands on January 30.
• Several mercenaries of Riyadh killed in Yemen's Ta'izz Press TV 02 Feb 2016 -- Several pro-Saudi militants loyal to Yemen's fugitive former President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi were killed Tuesday in two separate attacks carried out by Yemeni forces in the country's southwestern province of Ta'izz.
• Nine killed in fresh Saudi airstrikes across Yemen Press TV 02 Feb 2016 -- At least nine people have lost their lives as Saudi fighter jets continue airstrikes on several areas across neighboring Yemen.
• Saudi commander: We're stuck in 'static war' Press TV 02 Feb 2016 -- Saudi Arabia's war on Yemen has ground into a no-win one, says the kingdom's military which has been pounding the Arab world's poorest nation for almost a year.
• Syria opposition calls off meeting with UN envoy Press TV 02 Feb 2016 -- The main Syria opposition coalition, the so-called High Negotiations Committee (HNC), says it will not attend a planned meeting with the United Nations special envoy for Syria.
• Iran denies sending Afghan fighters to Syria Press TV 02 Feb 2016 -- Iran has dismissed 'fabricated' reports about recruiting Afghan refugees to fight in Syria, saying such claims are propagandistic.
• Syria condemns Turkey over report on Latakia shelling Press TV 02 Feb 2016 -- Damascus Tuesday slammed the government in Ankara over Turkey's artillery fire on areas in Syria's Latakia Province.
• Army troops capture strategic village north of Aleppo Press TV 02 Feb 2016 -- The Syrian army has gained control of a strategic village near the Turkish border in Aleppo amid a successful offensive against foreign-backed Takfiri militants in the northwestern province.
• Russia Hammered For Waging War During Syrian Peace Talks RFE/RL 02 Feb 2016 -- Russia was roundly criticized by Western diplomats and the Syrian opposition for waging lethal air strikes and backing the Syrian regime's on-the-ground advances, even during peace talks.
• Turkey Still Opposes Participation of Syrian Kurds in Geneva Talks Sputnik 02 Feb 2016 -- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said that UN Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and the Russian side hope that Syrian Kurds could join next stage of Intra-Syrian talks.
• Combatants Cut Off: Syrian Army Destroys Daesh Lifelines in Aleppo Province Sputnik 02 Feb 2016 -- Two key supply lines of the terrorist group Daesh have reportedly been cut by the Syrian Army in the northern area of Aleppo Province.
• With 4 million Syrian children out of school, $1.4 billion sought by UN to save 'lost generation' UN News 02 Feb 2016 -- With four million Syrian and host community children in need of education and no let-up in sight in the fighting tearing the country apart, the United Nations and its partners are seeking $1.4 billion at a major conference in London on Thursday to save the current youth generation.
• Syria Talks Plunge Into Disarray on 2nd Day VOA 02 Feb 2016 -- Fragile indirect negotiations to end Syria's nearly five-year-old conflict slipped into disarray again on their second day Tuesday, with neither side holding formal sessions with the U.N. envoy in Geneva.
• Iraq awards contract to Italy's Trevi to repair Mosul dam Press TV 02 Feb 2016 -- The government of Iraq has announced that it has awarded a contract to Italian firm, Trevi, to repair and maintain the Mosul dam, which is the country's largest dam.
• Six killed, 27 injured in bombings in, around Iraqi capital Press TV 02 Feb 2016 -- Six people were killed and more than two dozen others injured in separate bomb attacks in and around the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, security and medical sources said Tuesday.
• Turkey Not Part of US-Led Coalition in Iraq - Coalition Spokesman Sputnik 02 Feb 2016 -- Coalition spokesman Steven Warren said that Turkish military forces in Iraq are not a part of the US-led coalition.
• At Least 40% of Daesh-Controlled Iraqi Lands Liberated in 2015 Sputnik 02 Feb 2016 -- The US-led international coalition liberated 40 percent of territories controlled by the Islamic State (IS, or Daesh in Arabic) terrorist group in Iraq and 20 percent in Syria in 2015, Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said Tuesday.
• Civilians starving to death in South Sudan: Monitor Press TV 02 Feb 2016 -- The chief ceasefire monitor in South Sudan says people are dying of starvation in the country's Western Equatoria state as warring sides fail to implement an agreed peace deal to end two years of war.
• Nigeria: Security Council condemns 'heinous' terrorist attack attributed to Boko Haram UN News 02 Feb 2016 -- Condemning in the strongest terms Saturday's "horrific terrorist attacks" attributed to Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria, which resulted in a large number of dead and wounded, the United Nations Security Council today called on all States to cooperate in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
• Outgunned Muslim Troops in CAR Plead for Weapons VOA 02 Feb 2016 -- Muslim soldiers in the Central African Republic's army are calling for more arms and ammunition to protect their home community in Bangui from a local militia. Residents of the area tell VOA they want the soldiers to be better equipped.

News Reports

• UN: North Korea Plans Satellite Launch This Month VOA 02 Feb 2016 -- North Korea has notified the U.N.'s International Maritime Organization of its plan to launch an "earth observation satellite" later this month, a move that has raised concerns in the U.S. and with other world powers that Pyongyang is trying to covertly advance long-range missile technology.
• African leaders support pullout from ICC Press TV 02 Feb 2016 -- African leaders have endorsed a proposal by Kenya to push for withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
• Iraqi Kurdish president calls for independence referendum Press TV 02 Feb 2016 -- President of Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Masoud Barzani has called for a non-binding independence referendum.
• UN in Central African Republic releases $9 million to respond to urgent needs UN News 02 Feb 2016 -- The United Nations announced today that the Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF) in the Central African Republic (CAR) has released $9 million for life-saving assistance to 2.3 million people who need urgent support, including those displaced by violence, returnees, refugees and vulnerable host communities.
• JCPOA aimed at lifting enemy-imposed 'siege' on Iran: Rouhani Press TV 02 Feb 2016 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the main objective that Tehran was pursuing in signing the nuclear agreement with the P5+1 group of countries was to lift "the siege" that 'ill-wishers' had imposed on the Islamic Republic.
• U.S. Judge Challenges Move To Drop Charges In Prisoner Deal With Iran RFE/RL 02 Feb 2016 -- A U.S. judge is challenging the government's move to drop charges against an Iranian man accused of sanctions violations as part of a U.S. prisoner swap agreement with Iran last month.
• As Consumer Debt Rises In Russia, Collectors Get Violent RFE/RL 02 Feb 2016 -- Dubbed 'black bailiffs' and 'vultures of the crisis,' overzealous debt collectors have shot to prominence in Russia as its economy founders - an unsavory byproduct of a prolonged recession fueled by the collapse of world oil prices and compounded by Western sanctions over Moscow's interference in Ukraine.
• Saudi fiscal reserves fall to four-year low on weak oil prices Press TV 02 Feb 2016 -- Saudi Arabia's fiscal reserves dropped to a four-year low last year as the kingdom was struggling to make up for an acute budget deficit caused by plunging oil revenues.
• Battle Royal: The Prospects of a Palace Coup in Saudi Arabia Sputnik 02 Feb 2016 -- With rumors circulating in Riyadh over whether 80-year-old Saudi King Salman is planning to abdicate in favor of his son, which would effectively constitute a palace coup, Middle East expert Alexander Orlov provides his own take on the impact such a move would have on the Saudi dynasty, the region and the world.