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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 23 Feb 2016 [PDF]
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest and Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL Brett McGurk The White House 23 Feb 2016
• Officials Provide Details of Latest Counter-ISIL Strikes AFPS 23 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 23 Feb 2016 -- Daesh terrorists continue to take serious losses from Royal Air Force strikes in support of Syrian opposition fighters and Iraqi security forces.
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Maj. Gen. Clarke via teleconference from Baghdad, Iraq DoD 23 Feb 2016 -- Presenter: Major General Richard Clarke, commanding general, Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command-Operation Inherent Resolve
• U.S. General Reports Iraqi Forces' Successes, Progress AFPS 23 Feb 2016 -- Over the past nine months, Iraqi security forces have had significant successes and have made noticeable progress that will lead to the eventual defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the commanding general of the Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command for Operation Inherent Resolve said today.
• Pakistani Military's Taliban Ties Seen as Important to Afghan Peace Talks VOA 23 Feb 2016 -- With the announcement of a new round of Afghan peace talks by the first week of March, Pakistan's military appears to be retaining its role as a key dealmaker in the process.
• Afghanistan, Taliban to hold peace talks next month Press TV 23 Feb 2016 -- The first round of direct peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban militant group are expected to take place in neighboring Pakistan by March.
• UN Accuses Afghan, US-led Forces of Executing 3 in Hospital Raid VOA 23 Feb 2016 -- The United Nations has accused Afghan and U.S.-led international forces of executing two patients and a 15-year-old boy in a joint raid on a hospital in central Afghanistan.
• Pakistan Plans to Host Afghan Peace Talks by First Week of March VOA 23 Feb 2016 -- Direct peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban-led insurgent groups are expected to start "by the first week of March" and Pakistan has offered to host the negotiations.
• Afghanistan: UN calls on all parties to respect protected status of medical facilities and personnel UN News 23 Feb 2016 -- Following two incidents in the past week that put access to health care in Afghanistan under attack, the United Nations mission in the country has urged all parties to refrain from targeting hospitals and to take all feasible precautions to prevent casualties among their patients and personnel.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Remarks by the President on Plan to Close the Prison at Guantanamo Bay The White House 23 Feb 2016
• Background Press Call on the Closing of the Prison at Guantanamo Bay The White House 23 Feb 2016
• Statement by Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook on Submission of Guantanamo Closure Plan DoD 23 Feb 2016 -- The Department of Defense formally submitted the administration's plan for closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility to Congress today. As the president has stated, responsibly closing the Guantanamo detention facility is a national security imperative. For this reason, among others, Secretary Carter supports the president's commitment to bringing a responsible end to detention at Guantanamo.
• DoD Submits Guantanamo Closure Plan to Congress AFPS 23 Feb 2016 -- The Defense Department submitted to Congress today the Obama administration's plan for closing the detention facility at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, President Barack Obama said.
• Pentagon to submit plan for Guantanamo closure Press TV 23 Feb 2016 -- The United States Defense Department is set to submit a plan to the Congress to close the Guantanamo prison, a spokesman says.
• Obama Presents Plan To Close Guantanamo, Says It 'Undermines' U.S. Security RFE/RL 23 Feb 2016 -- President Barack Obama has unveiled plans to transfer the last remaining detainees at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and shut down the controversial facility for good.
• Obama: Guantanamo Prison Undermines National Security VOA 23 Feb 2016 -- U.S. President Barack Obama outlined his administration's plan for closing the military detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, saying the facility 'does not advance our national security, it undermines it.'
• US Shifts Focus to Fate of 91 Terror Suspects at Guantanamo VOA 23 Feb 2016 -- The United States has held 779 suspected terrorists at its military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, since the 2001 al-Qaida attacks on New York and Washington. Now, however, the focus is on what to do with the remaining 91 people detained there, including 35 who have been cleared for release but are still being held as the U.S. searches for countries willing to accept them.
• Guantanamo Closure Plan is Best Way Forward, Pentagon Press Secretary Says AFPS 23 Feb 2016 -- The plan submitted to Congress to close the detention facility at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is the best way forward, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said today.
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 23 Feb 2016 -- Presenter: Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook
• UN rights chief welcomes US President's plan to close Guantánamo detention facility UN News 23 Feb 2016 -- The United Nations human rights chief today welcomed United States President Barack Obama's plan to close the Guantánamo Bay detention facility in Cuba, expressing hope that "no further obstacles are placed in the way of its implementation."
• Congressional Republicans: Obama's Guantanamo Plan Dead on Arrival VOA 23 Feb 2016 -- President Barack Obama is vowing to finally close down the military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as he pledged to do when he first ran for office eight years ago. But the Republican leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate was quick to reject the president's plan, calling it vague and dangerous.
• Clinton, Sanders Support Plans to Close Guantanamo VOA 23 Feb 2016 -- Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders voice their support Tuesday for President Obama's push to close the military detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
• Mildenhall KC-135s support French operation AFNS 23 Feb 2016 -- Three KC-135 Stratotankers, along with 50 Airmen from the 100th Air Refueling Wing at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, temporarily deployed to Istres-Le Tubé Air Base, France, in support of Operation Juniper Micron.
• Pacific partners practice humanitarian assistance during Cope North AFNS 23 Feb 2016 -- Military members from six nations joined together for a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief deployment throughout the region of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Feb. 14-18.
• Rebalance to Pacific Needs to Continue, Pacom Commander Says AFPS 23 Feb 2016 -- It is important for the U.S. military to continue its rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region, the commander of U.S. Pacific Command told the Senate Armed Services Committee today.
• General Cites High Level of Tension on Korean Peninsula AFPS 23 Feb 2016 -- Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are the highest he has seen in his time in command of the Combined Forces Command, Army Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti told the Senate Armed Services Committee today.
• BSRF Marines complete cold-weather training inside Arctic Circle USMC News 23 Feb 2016 -- U.S. Marines and sailors with Black Sea Rotational Force completed the final training evolution of an arctic-weather training package in Porsangmoen, Norway, Feb. 16-20, 2016.
• One team, one fight: 1/4, JGSDF take part in Iron Fist USMC News 23 Feb 2016 -- For years, Marines and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force have come together to build upon their storied relationship as allies through Exercise Iron Fist. The exercise requires Marines at all levels to effectively work with a partnered nation to complete tasks and missions.
• Norwegian, Marine planning effort epitomizes Cold Response spirit USMC News 23 Feb 2016 -- Seven months ago, planning began for Exercise Cold Response 16, a cold-weather training exercise involving 12 NATO and partner countries and approximately 16,000 troops.
• Secretary General: NATO and the EU working closer together than ever before NATO 23 Feb 2016 -- Calling the European Union "an essential partner for NATO," Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has welcomed closer cooperation between the European Union and NATO. Addressing the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee and Sub-Committee on Security and Defence on Tuesday (23 February 2016), he noted that 90% of the European Union's citizens are also citizens of NATO Allies, which underscores the importance of the relationship.
• Riga Simplifies NATO Navy Access to Latvian Territorial Waters - Statement Sputnik 23 Feb 2016 -- Latvia's government has approved new rules simplifying procedures for the access of NATO navy ships into the country's territorial waters, the government's press service said Tuesday.
• So what has happened to Russia's new Armata armored platform? Russia Beyond the Headlines 23 Feb 2016 -- Officially unveiled amid much pomp and ceremony last May, Russia's new Armata tank and Kurganets and Boomerang armored platforms were scheduled to go into service with the armed forces in 2016 – but this has yet to take place.
• News Analysis: Russian Buildup Focuses Concerns Around The Black Sea RFE/RL 23 Feb 2016 -- Nowhere in the world has Russia reconfigured the balance of power over the last decade as effectively as it has in the strategic Black Sea region.
• Russian Black Sea Fleet to Get New Submarines, Patrol Boats in 2016 Sputnik 23 Feb 2016 -- The Russian Black Sea Fleet will receive two new diesel submarines and two patrol boats this year.
• Indian First Nuclear Submarine Arihant Successfully Passes Tests Sputnik 23 Feb 2016 -- Over the last six months, the Arihant nuclear submarine has passed all the tests, including deep sea dive and missile firing, according to a source.
• Crucial Statement of KPA Supreme Command KCNA 23 Feb 2016 -- The Supreme Command of the Korean People's Army (KPA) issued the following crucial statement on Tuesday:
• Countries with fewer military links to Western countries potential clients for China's FC-20, military expert says People's Daily 23 Feb 2016 -- Developing countries that do not have close military attachments with Western countries will be potential buyers of China's FC-20 fighter jet, an expert said in an interview with People's Daily Online.
• China says US missiles due in South Kroea will harm its security Press TV 23 Feb 2016 -- China has warned that a United States missile system planned to be set up on South Korea's soil would harm its security.
• North Korea vows to retaliate against US, South Korea over joint war games Press TV 23 Feb 2016 -- North Korea has strongly slammed the upcoming joint US-South Korean military exercises, vowing to take "a thousand-fold revenge" against them in case of any armed provocation.
• Saudi Decision to Cut Arms Funding to Lebanon Puzzling VOA 23 Feb 2016 -- Saudi Arabia's decision to drop a multibillion-dollar arms deal with Lebanon is likely to play into the hands of Iran and Hezbollah, analysts warn.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for February 23, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 23 February 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 23 Feb 2016
• UN peacebuilding body highlights need to address root causes of conflict for sustainable peace UN News 23 Feb 2016 -- The head of the United Nations advisory body tasked with making recommendations on post-conflict recovery, reconstruction and development stressed today that building lasting peace requires predictable, sustained and adequate efforts and financing to help stop violence and address the root causes of conflict.
• Freedom of navigation in South China Sea not U.S. vessels' 'muscle show': China People's Daily 23 Feb 2016 -- China on Tuesday refuted once again the United States' claim that China has threatened the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, urging it to stop sowing dissension among South China Sea littoral countries.
• U.S. close-in reconnaissance the main source of militarization in South China Sea, spokesperson says People's Daily 23 Feb 2016 -- The U.S., which has sent military vessels and planes to areas in the South China Sea to conduct close-in reconnaissance, is the source of tension and militarization of the South China Sea, a China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said at a press conference Monday.
• China Builds Radar on Islands to Boost Surveillance - US Think Tank Sputnik 23 Feb 2016 -- China is allegedly constructing radar installations on disputed Cuarteron Reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, which is expected to boost the country's surveillance capabilities, US Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said in a statement.
• Contest Over South China Sea Spurred in Part by Resources VOA 23 Feb 2016 -- With tensions mounting over maritime disputes in the South China Sea, the cause of the problem, at least in part, is believed to lie at the bottom of the water. But it is still unclear exactly how much oil and natural gas lurk beneath the surface.
• Reversal of Fortunes Written on Syrian Map VOA 23 Feb 2016 -- Syrian rebel commanders acknowledge they are in an existential, make-or-break moment of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad. The five-year civil war has seen plenty of tortuous battlefield ups and downs.
• Syria gov't conditionally agrees to ceasefire on humanitarian ground IRNA 23 Feb 2016 -- Syrian government has accepted truce on humanitarian ground provided to continue with military campaign against terrorist groups including Daesh, al-Nusra and other al-Qaeda-linked terrorists, Syrian Arab News Agency said on Tuesday.
• Elements in foreign-backed FSA militants oppose Syria truce Press TV 23 Feb 2016 -- Elements inside the so-called Free Syrian Army, which has been designated by the United States and allies as moderate opposition in Syria, have threatened to ignore an imminent lull in the fighting agreed by warring sides in the Arab country.
• Russia opens coordination center at Latakia airbase Press TV 23 Feb 2016 -- Russia says it has opened a coordination center at its Hmeymim airbase in the Syrian province of Latakia in an attempt to facilitate talks between Damascus and different opposing parties.
• CIA, Pentagon chiefs say Russia will breach Syria truce Press TV 23 Feb 2016 -- US President Barack Obama's top military and intelligence advisers have expressed doubt on Russia's willingness to abide by the recently-announced ceasefire in Syria, saying they want Moscow to feel "real pain," according to a US government official.
• Ministry: Syria accepts ceasefire deal Press TV 23 Feb 2016 -- The Syrian government says it accepts the terms of a ceasefire deal announced by the United States and Russia on Monday.
• FSA Partly Refuses to Participate in Ceasefire Deal Without al-Nusra Front Sputnik 23 Feb 2016 -- A part of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) will not participate in the ceasefire deal unless al-Nusra Front is involved, a commander of Ahrar ash-Sham militants said Tuesday.
• A Fortress to be Reckoned With: How Russia's Airbase in Syria is Protected Sputnik 23 Feb 2016 -- The air defense of the Hmeymim air base in Syria, where the Russian air force is based, is sheltered by four-tiers of Russian and Syrian air defenses.
• Russia Launches Syria Reconciliation Center at Hmeymim Airbase Sputnik 23 Feb 2016 -- A coordination center for reconciliation of opposing sides in the Syrian conflict has begun operations at the Russian Hmeymim airbase in the Latakia province, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
• Syrian Army, Allies Gain More Ground Amid Major Offensive in Latakia Sputnik 23 Feb 2016 -- The Syrian army killed scores of Daesh and al-Nusra terrorists and destroyed much of their grid as part of an ongoing offensive in the north of the country, Syria's official news agency SANA reported on Monday.
• Advancing a Cessation of Hostilities in Syria US Dept. of State 23 Feb 2016 -- Press Statement by John Kirby, Assistant Secretary and Department Spokesperson, Bureau of Public Affairs
• Syria Agrees to US-Russia Cease-fire Plan VOA 23 Feb 2016 -- Syria said Tuesday it accepts a cease-fire plan proposed by the United States and Russia that would begin Saturday.
• Kerry Uncertain Whether Syrian Cease-fire Will Work VOA 23 Feb 2016 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told Congress Tuesday he is uncertain whether a joint U.S.-Russia cease-fire set to take effect in Syria on Saturday will work or lead to a negotiated peace settlement in the war-torn country.
• U.S., Russia announce Syria ceasefire plan, questions unresolved People's Daily 23 Feb 2016 -- The United States and Russia on Monday announced a plan for a cessation of hostilities in Syria starting from Saturday, which the UN described as 'a signal of hope' for an end to the nearly five-year-old conflict.
• U.S., Russia agree to Syrian ceasefire to begin Saturday People's Daily 23 Feb 2016 -- The United States and Russia announced Monday the plan for a cessation of hostilities in Syriathat will begin on Feb. 27, the U.S. State Department said.
• Iraq sends reinforcements to liberate key areas in Anbar Press TV 23 Feb 2016 -- The Iraqi army has sent reinforcements to a military base in the western province of Anbar in preparation for an operation aimed at retaking a key city from Daesh Takfiri terrorists.
• Victory Over Daesh in Ramadi Provides Strategy for Bigger Battle in Mosul Sputnik 23 Feb 2016 -- The upcoming battle to retake Iraq's second largest city of Mosul from the terror group Daesh will rely on strategy and skills developed in an earlier successful campaign from the smaller city of Ramadi, Commander the Combined Joint Forces Land Component Major General Richard Clarke said on Tuesday.
• Libya delays confidence vote over lack of quorum Press TV 23 Feb 2016 -- The internationally recognized parliament of Libya has failed to hold a vote of confidence in the UN-backed unity government over a lack of quorum.
• Germany Urges Kyiv To Implement Reforms Under Minsk Accord RFE/RL 23 Feb 2016 -- German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has said that infighting among political parties in Ukraine's governing coalition cannot be allowed to prevent the government from carrying out its reform obligations under the Minsk accords.
• France, Germany Urge Kyiv To Overcome Turmoil, Enact Reforms RFE/RL 23 Feb 2016 -- The foreign ministers of Germany and France have urged Ukraine to overcome its political turmoil and move ahead with reforms needed to revive the economy and carry out the Minsk peace agreement.
• UN refugee agency calls on Nigeria to heed wishes of internally displaced UN News 23 Feb 2016 -- The Nigerian authorities should heed the concerns of internally displaced people (IDP) in the north-east of the country, the United Nations refugee agency's to protection official said following his visit to Borno, the north-eastern state hardest hit by the Boko Haram insurgency.

News Reports

• US, China Report Progress on N. Korea Sanctions VOA 23 Feb 2016 -- Top diplomats of the U.S. and China said Tuesday that they had made 'significant progress" and were hopeful of reaching an agreement "in the near future" on a new U.N. Security Council resolution for tougher measures against North Korea after its recent nuclear and missile tests.
• DPRK Accedes to Space-related International Agreements KCNA 23 Feb 2016 -- The DPRK acceded to the agreement on the rescue of astronauts, the return of astronauts and the return of objects launched into outer space and the convention on international liability for damage caused by space objects on February 22, Juche 105 (2016), according to the decision of its government.
• Burundi: Ban welcomes promise of 'inclusive dialogue,' release of detainees UN News 23 Feb 2016 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the decision today by the President of Burundi to withdraw some media bans, cancel arrest warrants and release detainees as goodwill gestures to try to end months of violence in the crisis-torn country.
• UN Chief: Burundi President, Opponents Agree to Hold Talks VOA 23 Feb 2016 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza has agreed to begin talks with the opposition to bring an end to a nearly year-long political crisis.
• Vucic Says EU Membership Has 'Lost Magic Power' For Balkans RFE/RL 23 Feb 2016 -- The European Union has lost some of its allure for Balkan countries seeking to join, thanks to the migrant crisis and concerns about Britain leaving the bloc, Serbia's prime minister has said.
• Georgian President Remains A Divisive Figure RFE/RL 23 Feb 2016 -- The unexplained resignation in late December of Irakli Gharibashvili from the post of Georgian prime minister put an end to two years of friction between him and the country's president, Giorgi Margvelashvili.
• European Court Rules Russia Violated Navalny's Right To Fair Trial RFE/RL 23 Feb 2016 -- The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that Russia violated opposition leader Aleksei Navalny's right to a fair trial, and has ordered the government to pay him 56,000 euros (61,700) in legal costs and damages.
• Despite Harassment, Russian Opposition Leader Presents Scathing Kadyrov Report RFE/RL 23 Feb 2016 -- At a press conference that was repeatedly interrupted by a bomb threat, police with bullhorns, and hecklers, liberal opposition politician Ilya Yashin has presented a report condemning Chechen Republic leader Ramzan Kadyrov and calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin to dismiss him.
• Estonia Jails Three Men For Spying For Russia RFE/RL 23 Feb 2016 -- Estonian authorities say they have jailed three men convicted of spying for Russia.
• Italy calls in US envoy over NSA tapping of Berlusconi's phone calls Press TV 23 Feb 2016 -- Italy has summoned the US ambassador to Rome in the wake of reports that the US National Security Agency (NSA) tapped the telephones of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and his aides.
• NSA eavesdropped on Netanyahu, Berlusconi: WikiLeaks Press TV 23 Feb 2016 -- The US National Security Agency (NSA) tapped a phone conversation between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Italian counterpart Silvio Berlusconi, the whistle-blower website WikiLeaks has revealed.
• New documents expose widespread US espionage on Merkel Press TV 23 Feb 2016 -- A German newspaper has cited new classified documents by the online whistleblower WikiLeaks showing that the United States spied extensively on German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
• US spied on Ban to protect its oil firms: WikiLeaks Press TV 23 Feb 2016 -- The US National Security Agency has spied on United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's private meetings to save American oil companies, WikiLeaks new release says.
• Anxiety Grows in Fight Against IS, Extremists VOA 23 Feb 2016 -- Even as U.S. officials highlight military gains against the Islamic State terror group in Iraq and Syria, there is a growing sense of unease among former officials and analysts that the current strategies are not enough.
• For Iran's Reformists, Getting To The Polls Is Half The Battle RFE/RL 23 Feb 2016 -- Kazem has vowed, via a social network that's not blocked to him and his fellow Iranians, not to vote in this week's elections.
• Uganda: UN concerned over arrests of opposition leaders, use of force since elections UN News 23 Feb 2016 -- The United Nations human rights office expressed concern today over the "tense" post-election situation in Uganda, following reports that at least two people have been killed and an unknown number of people injured, heavy military and police forces deployed in the streets of Kampala, and the arrests of four opposition leaders since Thursday's elections.