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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 22 Feb 2016 [PDF]
• Military Strikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 22 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.
• Armed US drones to use Sicily base for Libya operations Press TV 22 Feb 2016 -- Italy has agreed to allow American armed drones to use an airbase in its southern island of Sicily for military operations against alleged positions of Daesh Takfiri terrorists in Libya and across North Africa.
• MQ-9 crashes in Afghanistan AFNS 22 Feb 2016 -- An MQ-9 Reaper assigned to the 451st Air Expeditionary Group, part of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, crashed Feb. 20 at about 9 p.m. Afghanistan time, at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.
• Afghan Military Downplays Recent Troop Withdrawal VOA 22 Feb 2016 -- Afghanistan's military has downplayed the recent withdrawal of troops from bases in a restive southern province, saying "logistics" and "tactical" reasons prompted the move. This comes as Afghan, Pakistani, Chinese and U.S. officials prepare to meet in Kabul for a new round of four-way discussions to promote Afghan peace talks.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Structural maintainers provide backbone of RPAs AFNS 22 Feb 2016 -- When people have a blemish, they see a dermatologist; when they have a physiological problem, they see an orthopedist. For the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper, aircraft structural maintainers fill both the aesthetic and structural maintenance roles to keep remotely piloted aircraft in check.
• Minot tests Minuteman III with launch from Vandenberg AFB AFNS 22 Feb 2016 -- A team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen from the 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, and the 625th Strategic Operations Squadron at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, aboard the Airborne Launch Control System, launched an unarmed LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a test reentry vehicle Feb. 20 from Vandenberg AFB.
• US, South Korea to Practice Offense During Joint Exercises VOA 22 Feb 2016 -- The United States and South Korea will reportedly practice preemptive military strikes to take out North Korean nuclear sites next month when they begin the largest joint exercises ever conducted by the two allied forces.
• U.S. exercise strengthens Pacific relationships USMC News 22 Feb 2016 -- After 10 days of training side-by-side and creating a better environment for local citizens. Thailand and the U.S. concluded co-hosting the largest multinational military exercise in Asia, Feb. 19.
• Cobra Gold 16: Non-combatant evacuation operation USMC News 22 Feb 2016 -- The U.S. military conducted a simulated non-combatant evacuation operation alongside the armed forces of Thailand, Malaysia and Japan Feb. 17, 2016, in Utapao, Thailand, during Cobra Gold 16.
• Blue Ridge Departs for Patrol in 7th Fleet AOR NNS 22 Feb 2016 -- U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) departed Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Feb. 22, to patrol the 7th Fleet area of operations, strengthening and supporting strong relationships and partnerships throughout the Indo-Asia Pacific region.
• USS Milwaukee Arrives in Mayport NNS 22 Feb 2016 -- USS Milwaukee (LCS 5), a San Diego-based littoral combat ship (LCS), arrived at the BAE shipyard in Mayport, Florida, Feb. 19.
• USS Anchorage Concludes Visit to Broadway Pier in Downtown San Diego NNS 22 Feb 2016 -- San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Anchorage (LPD 23) pulled out of Broadway Pier in downtown San Diego, Feb. 19, after hosting over 2,400 locals and foreign nationals for tours of the ship.
• US Naval Forces Southern Command/US 4th Fleet Holds Staff Talks with Peruvian Navy NNS 22 Feb 2016 -- Delegates from the U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet met with members of Marina de Guerra del Per (MGP-Peruvian Navy), Feb.17-18, during the annual Operational Naval Committee (ONC) conference.
• NDW Switches to Alternate Fuel Vehicles, Reduces Petroleum Consumption NNS 22 Feb 2016 -- Naval District Washington (NDW) is taking the steps to follow the mandate from Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Ray Mabus for use of alternative fuel vehicles and reduce petroleum consumption.
• USS Ashland Embarks Marines for Patrol NNS 22 Feb 2016 -- Sailors aboard amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) embarked the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Jan. 28-29 for a patrol of the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.
• Rear Adm. Kohler: Naval Information Forces is focused on Information Warfare NNS 22 Feb 2016 -- During a keynote speech at the West 2016 Conference in San Diego, Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR) Commander, Rear Adm. Matthew J. Kohler, discussed how the Navy's Information Warfare (IW) Type Command (TYCOM), is improving the generation and sustainment of IW force readiness across the Navy.
• U.S., Israel Begin Weeklong Ballistic Missile Defense Exercise AFPS 22 Feb 2016 -- The United States and Israel began a weeklong ballistic missile defense exercise yesterday, a Pentagon spokesman said today.
• NATO Launches Anti-Submarine Exercises in Central Mediterranean Sputnik 22 Feb 2016 -- NATO have launched anti-submarine exercises in the Mediterranean Sea.
• NATO-Kiev Special Ops Cooperation to Focus on Ukraine Defense Reforms Sputnik 22 Feb 2016 -- NATO plans to help Ukraine reform its military capabilities as part of last week's deal on cooperation in special operations, a source in the military bloc said Monday.
• Russian Space Intelligence Center to Receive New Radars - Chief Sputnik 22 Feb 2016 -- Russia's Main Space Intelligence Center will receive new radars, optical electronics and advanced means of technical surveillance in the near future.
• IRGC set to launch rotary-wing segment: Senior commander Press TV 22 Feb 2016 -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) is introducing a helicopter segment, says a senior military commander.
• Iran, Russia Negotiating 'Next Generation' S-300 Missile Systems' Supplies Sputnik 22 Feb 2016 -- Iran is discussing with Russia military supplies, including S-300 'new generation' missile systems, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Ansari-Jaberi said.
• Saudi Arabia Becomes Biggest Arms Importer in Middle East Sputnik 22 Feb 2016 -- In a further sign of its ramping up its military muscle, Saudi Arabia has become the biggest arms importer in the Middle East, and the second biggest in the world, after India, with an increase of 275 percent in 2011-5 compared to 2006-10.
• February 22, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 22 Feb 2016
• Press Briefing with the Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 2/22/2016 The White House 22 Feb 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for February 22, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 22 February 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 22 Feb 2016
• China Sea deployments no different from that of US on Hawaii: Official Press TV 22 Feb 2016 -- The Chinese Foreign Ministry says Beijing's military deployments in the South China Sea are no different from that of US on Hawaii.
• Chinese Missiles in South China Sea Threaten US Aircraft Carrier Dominance Sputnik 22 Feb 2016 -- China's deployment of its missiles in the South China Sea threatens the naval supremacy of US aircraft carriers in the region.
• S Korea Urges Japan to Stop Provocations on Disputed Islands Sputnik 22 Feb 2016 -- Seoul called on Monday on Tokyo to cease provocations to defend its right to the Liancourt Rocks islands that are the subject of territorial disputes between the two countries, according to a statement by the South Korean Foreign Ministry.
• Japan to Continue to Defend Its Right to S Korea-Controlled Liancourt Rocks Sputnik 22 Feb 2016 -- Tokyo intends to continue contesting Seoul's control over the Liancourt Rocks.
• Saudi bombardment kills 60 across Yemen Press TV 22 Feb 2016 -- Saudi Arabia's relentless bombardment of residential areas across Yemen has killed dozens of people in a matter of hours.
• Syria 'reduced to ruins,' with civilians paying the biggest price, says UN human rights panel UN News 22 Feb 2016 -- As the Syrian conflict is entering its sixth year, civilians are bearing the brunt of intensifying hostilities conducted by an ever-increasing number of warring parties, with aerial bombardments by pro-Government forces leaving "few safe places," a new United Nations-mandated report has found.
• Syria: head of panel for joint UN body says chemical weapons probing to begin in March UN News 22 Feb 2016 -- The head of a United Nations-mandated body tasked with identifying those behind chemical weapons attacks in the Syrian civil war said today that preliminary work on seven potential cases has been nearly concluded and that in-depth investigations will begin in March.
• Ban welcomes cessation of hostilities pact in Syria as 'signal of hope;' condemns bombings UN News 22 Feb 2016 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the agreement announced today by United States Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, as co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) Ceasefire Taskforce, on the terms of a nationwide cessation of hostilities in Syria scheduled to come into effect on Saturday.
• Joint Statement of the United States and the Russian Federation, as Co-Chairs of the ISSG, on Cessation of Hostilities in Syria US Dept. of State 22 Feb 2016 -- The United States of America and the Russian Federation, as co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) and seeking to achieve a peaceful settlement of the Syrian crisis with full respect for the fundamental role of the United Nations, are fully determined to provide their strongest support to end the Syrian conflict and establish conditions for a successful Syrian-led political transition process, facilitated by the UN, in order to fully implement the Munich Statement of the ISSG on February 11th, 2016, UN Security Council Resolution 2254, the 2015 Vienna Statements and the 2012 Geneva Communiqué.
• Cessation of Hostilities in Syria US Dept. of State 22 Feb 2016 -- Press Statement by John Kerry, US Secretary of State
• US, Russia Announce Cease-fire Plan for Syria VOA 22 Feb 2016 -- The United States and Russia have agreed on plans for a cessation of hostilities in Syria, a move that could pave the way for an expansion of humanitarian aid to besieged cities and set the stage for a resumption of talks on a political transition.
• US Envoy's Trip to Kobani Sparks Tension Between US and Turkey VOA 22 Feb 2016 -- A February 1 visit by a top U.S diplomat to Syria's border town of Kobani for meetings with Syrian Kurdish leaders is at the center of a widening rift between Ankara and Washington.
• UN condemns rampant war crimes in Syria Press TV 22 Feb 2016 -- A UN commission has condemned 'widespread war crimes in Syria', saying those responsible for the violent atrocities should be held accountable as part of the international peace process.
• US-Russia call for late February truce in Syria Press TV 22 Feb 2016 -- A draft deal reached between Russia and the United States has called for a ceasefire to start in Syria in late February.
• Syria opposition meets in Riyadh to discuss truce Press TV 22 Feb 2016 -- A Saudi-backed opposition group in Syria has held a meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, to discuss a ceasefire plan for the conflict-hit Arab country.
• Turkish-Saudi invasion of Syria not on agenda: Turkey's FM Press TV 22 Feb 2016 -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says Turkey and Saudi Arabia have currently no plan for a ground incursion into Syria.
• Syria Ceasefire Deal to Open Aid to Besieged Areas - Kerry Sputnik 22 Feb 2016 -- According to the US secretary of state, the ceasefire deal will permit the transportation of humanitarian supplies to besieged areas and promote a political end to the conflict.
• Breakthrough: US, Russia Agree on Syria Ceasefire Starting February 27 Sputnik 22 Feb 2016 -- Cessation of hostilities in Syria is expected to start on Saturday, February 27, according to a joint statement issued by the US State Department.
• Iraq: UN relief official calls for relocation of civilians to safer areas UN News 22 Feb 2016 -- The top United Nations humanitarian official in Iraq has said she is deeply worried about thousands of civilians who are trapped in Fallujah city and in Sinjar district and are unable to access aid, calling on Government officials to redouble efforts to relocate civilians to safer areas before the situation deteriorates further.
• Tensions running high at Koreas' Demilitarized Zone Press TV 22 Feb 2016 -- Tensions between the two Koreas have increased significantly along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
• Survivors of violence in Malakal face new crisis IRIN 22 Feb 2016 -- A new humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Malakal, South Sudan, just days after an attack on a Protection of Civilians camp by government soldiers – the challenge of caring for tens of thousands of survivors.
• Indian forces end three-day gunbattle in disputed Kashmir Press TV 22 Feb 2016 -- Indian security forces have ended a three-day gunbattle, after killing all militants who stormed a government-run facility in the disputed Kashmir region.

News Reports

• Ban arrives in Burundi in support of UN efforts to resolve political crisis UN News 22 Feb 2016 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived today in Bujumbura, capital of Burundi, for an official visit during which is expected to meet President Pierre Nkurunziza and other actors in support of ongoing UN efforts at resolving Burundi's political crisis.
• Ugandan Police Re-arrest Opposition Leader Besigye VOA 22 Feb 2016 -- Police in Uganda arrested opposition leader Kizza Besigye again Monday, days after he lost a presidential election he says was fraudulent.
• Ugandan Lawyers: Better Ways for Government to Deal With Besigye VOA 22 Feb 2016 -- Kizza Besigye was arrested again Monday, the latest in a series of arrests for Uganda's main opposition candidate who lost Thursday's elections to incumbent President Yoweri Museveni.
• Early Count Indicates Morales Losing Bolivia Referendum VOA 22 Feb 2016 -- The Bolivian president's attempt to amend the constitution, enabling him to run for a fourth term, seems headed for a defeat, according to an early vote count of Sunday's referendum.
• Opposition Calls Kadyrov 'Private Army' Threat To Russia RFE/RL 22 Feb 2016 -- A leaked excerpt from a soon-to-be-released report by the Russian opposition on Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov accuses him of amassing a 30,000-strong 'private army' that constitutes a threat to national security.
• Chinese Move Money Abroad as Economy Slows VOA 22 Feb 2016 -- The Chinese have been moving money abroad at record levels as China's economy continues to slow, boosting real estate prices around the world while raising concerns.
• US Intelligence Collection 'Improves,' More Spies Needed to Fight Daesh Sputnik 22 Feb 2016 -- According to CIA Deputy Director David Cohen, the US needs to recruit additional spies to compensate for the lack of US ground troops in Syria.
• Saudi Arabia puts 32 Shias on trial over 'spying for Iran' Press TV 22 Feb 2016 -- A group of 32 Shia Muslims, including an Iranian national, has been put on trial in Saudi Arabia over charges of spying for Iran.
• Ukraine Investigates Attacks Against Russian Banks Amid Maidan Commemorations RFE/RL 22 Feb 2016 -- Ukrainian authorities say they have launched a criminal investigation into multiple attacks on Russian banks during this week's commemorations of the deadly 2014 antigovernment Euromaidan protests.
• Next lunar probe mission: Chang'e-5 is under way People's Daily 22 Feb 2016 -- China's first moon lander, Chang'e-3, awakened automatically on Thursday after 'sleeping' through the lunar night, entering its 28th lunar day, China's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND) announced on Friday.
• UN 'trusted partner' for all political parties in Maldives, senior political official says after visit UN News 22 Feb 2016 -- The United Nations should stay engaged in facilitating a political dialogue between the Government of Maldives and the opposition parties, said a senior UN political official on the heels of a two-day visit to the island nation.