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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 05 Feb 2016 [PDF]
• Australian Commander: IS Changing Tactics VOA 05 Feb 2016 -- As part of VOA's ongoing reporting on Iraq, correspondent Sharon Behn interviewed Air Vice Marshal Tim Innes, national theater commander for all Australian forces deployed to the Middle East region, including Afghanistan. Innes assumed command of Australia's Joint Task Group 633 on January 25, 2016. The following article is based in part on that interview.
• Military Strikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 05 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.
• Centcom Spokesman: Counter-ISIL Momentum Attracts New Tribal Forces AFPS 05 Feb 2016 -- For Iraqis in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, success against the terrorist group is attracting local tribal forces to their ranks, a U.S. Central Command spokesman said today.
• Pakistan to Host New Afghan Peace Talks Saturday VOA 05 Feb 2016 -- Pakistan is hosting a new round of four-party discussions to help advance the Afghanistan government's hope for peace talks with the Taliban.
• US troop reduction will harm Afghan training mission: General Press TV 05 Feb 2016 -- The top commander of American forces in Afghanistan warns that the planned withdrawal of thousands of US troops from the war-ravaged country will harm efforts to train and support local security forces.
• US-led drone strikes kill 18 in eastern Afghanistan Press TV 05 Feb 2016 -- At least 18 people have lost their lives when US-led foreign forces carried out a string of drone strikes in Afghanistan's eastern province of Paktika.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Pentagon Releases Photos of Prisoner Abuse from Iraq, Afghanistan VOA 05 Feb 2016 -- The Pentagon has released nearly 200 pictures previously withheld from the public that document prisoner abuse in some Iraq and Afghanistan detention centers from 2001 to 2009.
• Pentagon releases detainee abuse photos Press TV 05 Feb 2016 -- The US Defense Department has released a series of photographs, showing injuries inflicted on detainees by American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Ford Tests Damage Control, Emergency Response During First GQ Drill NNS 05 Feb 2016 -- The crew of Pre-Commissioning Unit Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) held their first all-hands general quarters (GQ) damage control drill Feb. 4.
• U.S. Navy Assists in Local Effort to Reopen Thimble Shoals Channel NNS 05 Feb 2016 -- The Thimble Shoals Channel reopened Feb. 5 after a combined effort from the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Navy, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Virginia Beach Police Department, and the Virginia Pilots Association.
• Benfold Visits Otaru, Japan NNS 05 Feb 2016 -- Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65) made its first port visit while forward deployed to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region in Otaru, Japan, Feb. 5.
• USNA Water Conservation Project Will Save $1.5M Per Year NNS 05 Feb 2016 -- Naval Support Activity (NSA) Annapolis held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house Feb. 3 celebrating recent upgrades to the U.S. Naval Academy Water Treatment Plant.
• NSAB Conducts Security Training as Part of Navy-wide Exercise NNS 05 Feb 2016 -- Sailors aboard Naval Support Activity Bethesda (NSAB) might notice an increase in security training there, as the installation participates in the Navy-wide Exercise Solid Curtain-Citadel Shield 2016, during the first two weeks of February.
• Carter: Saudis to Contribute More in Counter-ISIL Fight AFPS 05 Feb 2016 -- The Saudi Arabian government has indicated its willingness to do more with the coalition in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said yesterday at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
• DoD Releases 2014 Annual Report on Suicide DoD 05 Feb 2016 -- Today, the Department of Defense (DoD) released its 2014 calendar year Suicide Event Report (DoDSER), which details the number of suicide attempts and deaths for U.S. service members.
• CNO Attends Kickoff of Indian International Fleet Review NNS 05 Feb 2016 -- Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson, along with senior representatives from more than 50 navies around the world, joined Adm. RK Dhowan, Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy, in opening the International Fleet Review Feb. 5 in Visakhapatnam, India.
• Military Sealift Command's USNS 1st Lt. Jack Lummus Arrives, Supplies Cobra Gold 2016 NNS 05 Feb 2016 -- Military Sealift Command (MSC) Marine Prepositioning Force ship USNS 1st Lt. Jack Lummus (T-AK 3011) arrived in Laem Chabang, Thailand, to offload vital military equipment in support of Marine Corps personnel participating in Exercise Cobra Gold 2016 (CG-16) Feb. 1.
• Texas Visits Yokosuka during Indo-Asia-Pacific Deployment NNS 05 Feb 2016 -- Virginia-class attack submarine USS Texas (SSN 774) arrived at Fleet Activities Yokosuka Feb. 5 for a visit as part of its Indo-Asia-Pacific deployment.
• F-35 fighter jet remains plagued by 'deficiencies': Pentagon Press TV 05 Feb 2016 -- The US Defense Department has warned that the highly advanced F-35 fighter jet remains plagued by dangerous problems that will further complicate the most expensive weapons project in history.
• NATO Secretary General discusses closer cooperation with EU Defence Ministers NATO 05 Feb 2016 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is meeting with EU Defence Ministers on Friday (5 February 2016) to discuss shared security challenges and stronger cooperation between the European Union and NATO. He stressed the importance of working more closely to address hybrid threats and violent instability in the South.
• Cash Crunch, Stretched Military Spur Russian Troop Cuts Near Afghan Frontier RFE/RL 05 Feb 2016 -- In April 2015, the commander of Russia's military base in Tajikistan said its size would swell to 9,000 troops by 2020.
• US Calls on Russia to Begin Talks on Further Reductions of Nuclear Arsenals Sputnik 05 Feb 2016 -- US National Security Advisor Susan Rice said that the United States is devoted to decrease the number of nuclear weapons globally.
• Russia Signed 13 Int'l Agreements on Military Cooperation in 2015 Sputnik 05 Feb 2016 -- Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said that 13 agreements on the development of military cooperation with foreign countries in 2015, including nine with countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States [CIS], agreements with the defense ministries of Argentina, Egypt, Iran and Cyprus.
• Russian Missile Cruiser Varyag to Be Modernized by 2020 Sputnik 05 Feb 2016 -- According to a source in the Russian defense industry, the flagship of the Russian Pacific Fleet, Guards' missile cruiser Varyag, will undergo a modernization until 2020.
• Outpost in Djibouti 'to help fleets' People's Daily 05 Feb 2016 -- China's first overseas naval logistics support outpost-expected to be built in Djibouti-is needed to handle difficulties encountered by Chinese peacekeeping fleets, the Foreign Ministry told China Daily on Thursday.
• Chinese naval fleet returns from escort missions, circumnavigation People's Daily 05 Feb 2016 -- A Chinese naval fleet of three warships returned home on Friday after escort missions in Somalian waters and a circumnavigation of the world that took them 309 days.
• South Korea Says North Korea Moving Closer to Rocket Launch VOA 05 Feb 2016 -- North Korea appears to be moving quickly on its preparations for a long-range rocket launch, South Korea's Defense Ministry said Friday.
• S. Korean defense chief orders active response to DPRK's possible launch People's Daily 05 Feb 2016 -- South Korea's defense chief on Friday ordered an active response to the possible satellite launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), which said it will conduct the launch as early as next week.
• North Korea Not to Use Nuclear Weapons Against South - Ruling Party Sputnik 05 Feb 2016 -- According to media reports, Pyongyang will not use its nuclear weapons against Seoul.
• India to receive sophisticated air-launched missile Press TV 05 Feb 2016 -- The Indian Air Force (IAF) has placed an order for the only developing supersonic air-launched cruise missile in the world to become the first military power to be equipped with the state-of-the-art weaponry, known as the war-winning missile.
• Turkey Ignored Russian-US Flight Safety Memorandum Over Syria - Russian MoD Sputnik 05 Feb 2016 -- Russian Deputy Defense Minister said that Turkey refused to conform with a flight safety memorandum on flights over Syria even before it downed a Russian bomber jet.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 2/5/2016 The White House 05 Feb 2016
• February 5, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 05 Feb 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for February 05, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 5 February 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 05 Feb 2016
• Vietnam's Man-Made Islands Don't Have Our Staying Power, China Says Sputnik 05 Feb 2016 -- Chinese websites have published satellite pictures of Vietnam's alleged island-building activities in the South China Sea, drawing attention to their comparative lack of success.
• Yemeni snipers kill 11 Saudi soldiers in western border regions Press TV 05 Feb 2016 -- Yemeni army forces, backed by fighters from allied Popular Committees, have killed 11 Saudi soldiers in retaliation for the Arab kingdom's deadly aggression against their country.
• Yemeni tribes call for mobilization against Saudi Arabia Press TV 05 Feb 2016 -- Yemeni tribes from across the country have called for mobilization against Saudi Arabia's deadly war on the Arab world's poorest nation, Press TV reports.
• Thousands of Syrians Head to Turkish Border, Fleeing Russian Airstrikes VOA 05 Feb 2016 -- As forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad pressed home an offensive in the country's northern Aleppo countryside, tens of thousands of desperate civilians headed to the border with Turkey, swelling the thousands already camped there.
• Next Few Days Seen Crucial for Syria Peace Talks VOA 05 Feb 2016 -- The next few days will "tell the story" on whether parties are serious about implementing a cease-fire in Syria and moving forward with talks on a political transition, Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday.
• Syria liberates more towns from militants' control in Aleppo Press TV 05 Feb 2016 -- Syrian forces push ahead with a major offensive north of the country, recapturing more towns in areas close to the Turkish border.
• Saudi military intervention in Syria amounts to war: Russian deputy Press TV 05 Feb 2016 -- A Russian deputy has warned Saudi Arabia that any military ground operation in Syria without the Damascus government's consent amounts to a declaration of war.
• Russia censures Syria opposition for UN talks walkout Press TV 05 Feb 2016 -- Russia has condemned Syrian opposition delegation for leaving the UN-brokered peace talks aimed at finding a political solution to ongoing conflict in Syria following government's successful offensive in the Aleppo province.
• Turkey has no plan for military incursion in Syria: Official Press TV 05 Feb 2016 -- A Turkish official denies secret preparations for a military intervention in Syria, saying Ankara has no plan for such an "incursion" in the Arab state.
• Syria crisis must be solved through dialogue: Iran official Press TV 05 Feb 2016 -- A senior Iranian official has ruled out any "military solution" to the crisis in Syria and said all Syrian sides should stick to dialogue to end violence gripping the Arab country.
• Syria oppositionists linked to al-Qaeda: Russia Press TV 05 Feb 2016 -- A Russian envoy to the United Nations says the Western-backed opposition in Syria is affiliated with Jabhat al-Nusra, which itself is linked to the terrorist al-Qaeda group.
• Army forces recapture town in southern Syria Press TV 05 Feb 2016 -- Syrian army soldiers backed by fighters from allied popular defense groups have managed to retake control of a strategic town in the country's southern province of Dara'a.
• Newest Su-35 Will Remain on Standby 24/7 at Hmeymim Airbase Sputnik 05 Feb 2016 -- Newest Russian Su-35 figter jets will be on constant standby at Hmeyimim airbase in Syria, representative of the Russian Air Forces in Syria told journalists.
• Syrian Army Cuts Al-Nusra Militants' Supply Line Between Aleppo and Turkey Sputnik 05 Feb 2016 -- Several key supply routes of the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front have reportedly been destroyed by the Syrian Army in an area of Aleppo Province which borders Turkey.
• Saudi Arabia May Deploy Thousands of Troops to Syria Sputnik 05 Feb 2016 -- Saudi Arabia could send thousands of ground forces to Syria, likely in coordination with Turkey, in order to take part in the fight against Islamic State radicals, The Guardian reports.
• NATO: Russian Airstrikes Undermining Non-military Efforts in Syria VOA 05 Feb 2016 -- NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg says Russia's airstrikes in Syria are undermining efforts to find a non-military solution to the conflict.
• Iraq slams Turkey bombing of northern village Press TV 05 Feb 2016 -- Baghdad has condemned the Turkish military's recent bombardment of a village in northern Iraq and renewed calls on Ankara to withdraw all its forces from the Arab country.
• Bomb attacks leave six people dead, 26 wounded across Baghdad Press TV 05 Feb 2016 -- At least six people have lost their lives and over two dozen others sustained injuries when a series of bomb explosions ripped through residential neighborhoods in Iraq's capital, Baghdad.
• Conflict in Turkey's Southeast Likely to Escalate Despite Peace Efforts VOA 05 Feb 2016 -- Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu unveiled his strategy for ending the conflict there. But, despite his efforts, violence could escalate because of a decision by state prosecutors to lift the immunity from prosecution of leading Kurdish members of parliament.
• Turkish Prime Minister Calls on Kurds to 'Leave Barricades' Sputnik 05 Feb 2016 -- Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Friday called on Kurds to 'leave the barricades' and instead unite and live in peace.
• Ukraine soldier killed as clashes intensify in volatile east Press TV 05 Feb 2016 -- A Ukrainian soldier has been killed and three others wounded amid escalation of clashes between government troops and pro-Russia forces in the country's restive east.
• Malian forces take back UN police base from assailants Press TV 05 Feb 2016 -- Malian forces, backed by UN helicopters, have managed to retake a UN police base in the city of Timbuktu hours after it was seized by yet unidentified assailants.
• 'Violence must stop now,' says UN expert as fresh fighting displaces thousands in North Darfur UN News 05 Feb 2016 -- Warning that, in the last two weeks, a new escalation of violence has forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee their homes in the Jebel Marra area of Darfur, a United Nations human rights expert today called for an immediate end to hostilities that have triggered new protection and humanitarian concerns in the long-restive region of Sudan.

News Reports

• Experts: N. Korean Abductions Sought to Halt Brain Drain VOA 05 Feb 2016 -- American experts on northeast Asia say North Korea's abduction program in the 1970s, which targeted thousands of South Koreans and Japanese, was a way for Pyongyang to address its depletion of intellectuals and visionaries.
• U.S. seeks international consensus on tougher sanctions against DPRK People's Daily 05 Feb 2016 -- The United States is seeking international support for imposing tougher sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
• US looking for global support on North Korea sanctions Press TV 05 Feb 2016 -- The United States seeks to garner international support to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea after recent escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula.
• Accelerating the Push Against Islamic State: What Will Work? VOA 05 Feb 2016 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said at a recent Rome meeting of the coalition fighting the Islamic State (IS) group that the challenge now is to push ahead with a strategy that will work, giving the militants 'no time to regroup, no place to run, no safe havens in which to hide."
• Islamic State Found Weaker In Iraq, Syria, Stronger In Libya RFE/RL 05 Feb 2016 -- The Islamic State (IS) militant group is growing weaker in Iraq and Syria but has gained strength in Libya, according to a new U.S. intelligence assessment.
• China Confirms 3 Hong Kong Booksellers' Arrests VOA 05 Feb 2016 -- Police in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong have confirmed the arrest of three missing Hong Kong booksellers who mainland authorities said are under investigation for 'illegal activities.'
• New Snowden Docs Reveal GCHQ's Metadata Collection Details Sputnik 05 Feb 2016 -- Currently wanted by the US government for revealing the extent of the NSA domestic and global spying apparatus, whistleblower Edward Snowden's latest leak reveals that Britain's GCHQ also collected enormous amounts of metadata.
• US, UK spy agencies eying 'reciprocal' online data sharing Press TV 05 Feb 2016 -- The US and the UK are discussing a deal that will allow their spy agencies to ask Internet companies in each others' countries to turn over online records and emails from people under investigation, officials say.
• WikiLeaks founder criticizes UK for his 'unlawful detention' Press TV 05 Feb 2016 -- WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has been hold-up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since 2012, urges British and Swedish authorities to allow him walk free from the 'arbitrary detention'.
• WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arbitrarily detained by Sweden and the UK, UN panel finds UN News 05 Feb 2016 -- The founder of the WikiLeaks website, which published confidential diplomatic information, has been arbitrarily detained by Sweden and the United Kingdom since his arrest in London in December 2010, as a result of the legal action against him by both Governments, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said today.
• WikiLeaks Founder Assange Calls UN Ruling 'Vindication' VOA 05 Feb 2016 -- A U.N. panel's finding that Julian Assange has been arbitrarily detained is a 'vindication,' said the WikiLeaks founder Friday from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has been living to avoid extradition.
• Intelligence windfall for U.S. from brother of ex-Chinese official:report CNA 05 Feb 2016 -- A Chinese defector has been reportedly revealed some of the innermost secrets of the Chinese government and military, including details of its nuclear command and control system, according to a report by the Washington Free Beacon, citing American intelligence officials.
• IMF Chief 'Concerned' About Corruption Charges In Ukraine RFE/RL 05 Feb 2016 -- International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde said she is concerned about the sudden resignation this week of Ukraine's reformist economy minister, citing government corruption.
• Taiwan's status not diminished in any way by U.K. position CNA 05 Feb 2016 -- The Republic of China is a sovereign independent democracy, and its status will not be diminished in any way by the stance of the British government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday.
• UK restates position on Taiwan in response to petition CNA 05 Feb 2016 -- The British government on Thursday reiterated its official position of not recognizing Taiwan as a country and said the issue of Taiwan's status should be resolved through dialogue based on the wishes of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.