Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 21 Mar 2016 [PDF]
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Colonel Warren via teleconference from Baghdad, Iraq DoD 21 Mar 2016 -- Presenter: Colonel Steve Warren, Operation Inherent Resolve Spokesman; Captain Jeff Davis, Director, Defense Press Office
• US Sets Up First All-American Fire Base in Iraq VOA 21 Mar 2016 -- The U.S. military has established the first all-American fire base in Iraq since the start of the war against Islamic State, a U.S. military spokesman said Monday.
• New US Firebase in Iraq to Protect Iraqi Forces for Liberation of Mosul Sputnik 21 Mar 2016 -- Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman Col. Steve Warren stated that US commanders decided to withhold information about the US presence of the base until it was fully operational in order to protect US and coalition forces.
• Coalition Strikes Target ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 21 Mar 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.
• Progress Continues in ISIL Fight, Inherent Resolve Spokesman Says AFPS 21 Mar 2016 -- Coalition forces and their partners on the ground are making sustained progress in the fight in Iraq and Syria against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman said today.
• US Marines 'Temporary' Deployment to Iraq Will Last For As Long as Needed Sputnik 21 Mar 2016 -- Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman Col. Steve Warren said that US marines deployed to a firebase in northern Iraq are supposed to be stationed there temporarily, but will stay as long as their capabilities are required.
• Afghan Military Raid Frees 16 Hostages From Taliban Prison VOA 21 Mar 2016 -- The Afghan military has raided a Taliban-held prison and freed 16 hostages, including civilian and security personnel, in the restive southern province of Helmand, officials said Monday.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US, Turkish KC-135 units fly together for first time AFNS 21 Mar 2016 -- To better understand how each nation completes the vital air refueling mission, the U.S. Air Force and Turkish air force flew KC-135 Stratotankers together in formation for the first time March 8 over the Nevada Test and Training Range, northeast of Nellis Air Force Base.
• 13th MEU Marines find practice makes perfect during Ssang Yong 16 USMC News 21 Mar 2016 -- U.S. Marines with the ground combat element of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit trained infantry marksmanship fundamentals on Suseongri Firing Range near Pohang, South Korea, during Exercise Ssang Yong 16, March 14, 2016. Ssang Yong is a biennial military exercise focused on strengthening the amphibious landing capabilities of the Republic of Korea, the U.S, Australian and New Zealand militaries. Alongside their amphibious capabilities, Marines trained other skill sets to bolster their combat effectiveness and more.
• Twin Dragons: 31st MEU storms beaches, ranges during Ssang Yong 16 USMC News 21 Mar 2016 -- The Marines and sailors of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit joined almost 20,000 service members from four different countries to conduct a combined amphibious assault and simulated follow-on actions as part of Ssang Yong 16 in South Korea.
• Fighting Bengals return from Western Pacific USMC News 21 Mar 2016 -- Four F/A-18D Hornets with Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 224 returned to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort March 16. The squadron has been deployed to the Western Pacific since October 2015 as part of the Unit Deployment Program.
• Boxer ARG, 13th MEU Wrap Up Exercise Ssang Yong 16 NNS 21 Mar 2016 -- The Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit team wrapped up their participation in Exercise Ssang Yong 16 off the coast of the Republic of Korea, March 18.
• USS Patriot Visits Amami, Japan NNS 21 Mar 2016 -- USS Patriot (MCM 7) arrived in Amami, Japan, for a scheduled port visit, March 19, after completing squadron level mine countermeasure training in Okinawa, Japan.
• San Jacinto Trains for Deployment NNS 21 Mar 2016 -- USS San Jacinto (CG 56) departed Naval Station Norfolk to begin composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX), March 16.
• USS San Jacinto Conducts Exercise Boarding NNS 21 Mar 2016 -- Sailors of the visit, board, search and seizure team from guided-missile cruiser USS San Jacinto (CG 56) conducted a simulated boarding on training support vessel Hugo, March 17.
• Boxer Arrives in Hong Kong NNS 21 Mar 2016 -- Amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) arrived in Hong Kong, March 21, for a scheduled port visit.
• Smooth Sailing: Advanced Russian Frigate Heads to Barents Sea for Trials Sputnik 21 Mar 2016 -- The state-of-the-art Russian frigate Admiral Essen is due to conduct the second stage of its state tests in the Barents Sea later this month, according to Sergey Mikhailov, spokesman for the Kaliningrad-based Yantar shipyard.
• Russia's Caspian Flotilla Holds Counterterrorism Drills Sputnik 21 Mar 2016 -- The training activities of Russian Caspian Flotilla involved more than 300 military personnel, around 20 surface ships, boats and support vessels, as well as about 10 weapons units and military equipment, according to the statement of the Southern Military District press service.
• China capable of building aircraft carrier without outside assistance, military expert says People's Daily 21 Mar 2016 -- Cao Weidong, a researcher at the PLA Naval Military Studies Research Institute, recently said in an interview that China is capable of building aircraft carriers independently.
• S.Korea says DPRK can conduct 5th nuke test at any time People's Daily 21 Mar 2016 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) can conduct another nuclear test at any time when the leadership makes a decision, Seoul's unification ministry said Monday.
• DPRK fires 4 short-range projectiles into east waters People's Daily 21 Mar 2016 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Monday fired four short-range projectiles into its eastern waters in an apparent show of force toward the ongoing U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises.
• North Korea fires five short-range projectiles into sea: South Press TV 21 Mar 2016 -- North Korea has fired four short-range projectiles into the waters off its east coast, South Korea's army says.
• Indonesia: Deadly Military Copter Crash Not Terror-Related VOA 21 Mar 2016 -- The death toll from an Indonesian military helicopter crash rose to 13 on Monday, the military said, with the discovery of the body of a missing soldier.
• Indonesia copter crash leaves 13 dead Press TV 21 Mar 2016 -- All the 13 people onboard an Indonesian military helicopter have been presumed dead after it crashed on the country's Sulawesi Island, an official says.
• Press Briefing by Senior Administration Officials - Havana, Cuba, 3/21/2016 The White House 21 Mar 2016
• March 21, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 21 Mar 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 21, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 21 March 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 21 Mar 2016
• Coast guard vessel not entered Indonesia waters: China Press TV 21 Mar 2016 -- China has denied that its coast guard vessel entered Indonesian waters, reiterating that Beijing respects Jakarta's sovereign rights.
• Indonesia Summons China Ambassador Over Fishing Boat in Territorial Waters Sputnik 21 Mar 2016 -- A Chinese fishing trawler`s in Indonesian waters of the South China Sea resulted in diplomatic responsibility of China's Ambassador Xie Feng over a standoff, local media reported Monday.
• 11 killed in Saudi aerial attacks on Yemen's Jawf Province Press TV 21 Mar 2016 -- Nearly a dozen people have been killed in a series of airstrikes carried out by Saudi warplanes in Yemen's Jawf Province, local media say.
• Houthis and Yemeni Government Agree on Truce Before Next Round of Talks Sputnik 21 Mar 2016 -- Yemeni rebels Houthis and the country's government agreed on a truce for one or two weeks before the next round of talks, scheduled for April, media reports.
• Political transition 'mother of all issues' for Syria talks - UN mediator UN News 21 Mar 2016 -- The UN mediator for the Intra-Syrian talks said today that political transition is the "mother of all issues" in the ongoing peace negotiations involving the Government and the opposition.
• Russia says to unilaterally monitor Syria truce if gets no response from U.S. People's Daily 21 Mar 2016 -- Russiawill unilaterally monitor the cease-fire situations in Syriaas from Tuesday if the United Statesfails to respond to Moscow's proposal on a joint monitoring mechanism, the Russian general staff said Monday.
• Arab League blocks bid for Kurdish federal region in Syria Press TV 21 Mar 2016 -- The Arab League has rejected the "separatist" Kurdish push for a federal government system in Syria, citing the risks it poses to the territorial integrity of the conflict-ridden country.
• Crackdown Amid Ceasefire: Syrian Army Pounds Al-Nusra in Idlib Province Sputnik 21 Mar 2016 -- A major Al-Nusra Front terrorist attack has been foiled by the Syrian Army and the country's National Defense Force in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, according to Sputnik's Arabic edition.
• Russian Pullout From Syria 'Positive Step' - Saudi Arabia Sputnik 21 Mar 2016 -- King of Saudi Arabia said that withdrawal of the main continent of Russian forces after broadly completing counterterrorist objectives in Syria is a "positive step".
• Syrian Kurds Accuse Ankara of Allowing Terrorists to Enter From Turkey Sputnik 21 Mar 2016 -- Turkey will take all the responsibility for allowing terrorists to enter Syria.
• Counter-Punch: Syrian Army Destroys Dozens of Daesh Terrorists in Aleppo Sputnik 21 Mar 2016 -- At least 50 Daesh terrorists were killed when the Syrian Army and the country's National Defense Force managed to repel a massive attack in the northern province of Aleppo, according to media reports.
• Russia Says to Control Syria Ceasefire Unilaterally From March 22 Sputnik 21 Mar 2016 -- According to the head of the General Staff's Main Operational Directorate, Russia will unilaterally control the Syria ceasefire starting March 22 if Washington fails to respond to Moscow's proposal on a joint control mechanism.
• Israel-Syria Border Quiets as Humanitarian Aid Increases VOA 21 Mar 2016 -- Less than an hour after a car bomb exploded wounding his leg in the Syrian province of Quneitra, Dr. Abu Hamzeh was in Israel.
• Turkey faced with biggest wave of terror: Erdogan Press TV 21 Mar 2016 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pledged to curb what he calls "one of the biggest and bloodiest terrorist waves" that his country has ever seen.
• Turkey's Inflamed Southeast Looking More and More 'Like Syria' Sputnik 21 Mar 2016 -- Hundreds of thousands of people, mostly Kurds, have been displaced by eight months of fighting between the Turkish military and Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants in the country's southeast. As the situation continues to deteriorate, some observers have begun comparing the situation to the brutal war that engulfed Syria five years earlier.
• Turkish Army Kills 22 PKK Militants in Southeast of Country Sputnik 21 Mar 2016 -- Turkish General Staff reported that 22 militants from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) were killed were killed in the past 24 hours during the standoff between the Turkish government and PKK.
• Administrative Chaos, Corruption Prompted Crimea to Leave Ukraine Sputnik 21 Mar 2016 -- According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Crimean Peninsula Residents chose to reunioin with Russia because of the arbitrariness of the Ukranian authorities, corruption and red tape.
• Militants Overrun Somali Army Base, Kill Over 70 Soldiers Sputnik 21 Mar 2016 -- Radical militants with the al-Shabaab group overran an army base near the Somali capital of Mogadishu, allegedly killing over 74 soldiers, local media reported Monday.
• UN rights chief welcomes ICC judgement finding Jean-Pierre Bemba guilty of war crimes in Central African Republic UN News 21 Mar 2016 -- The United Nations rights chief today welcomed the judgement delivered by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the case of Jean-Pierre Bemba, a Congolese national found guilty of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including rape, murder and pillage, committed in 2002 and 2003 in the Central African Republic (CAR).
• ICC Finds Bemba Guilty of War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity VOA 21 Mar 2016 -- The International Criminal Court has found former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba guilty on five counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
• Secretary Kerry's Meetings with Colombian Government and FARC Negotiators US Dept. of State 21 Mar 2016

News Reports

• Obama Hails 'New Day' In U.S.-Cuban Ties In Historic Havana Visit RFE/RL 21 Mar 2016 -- it sends a signal that at least there is engagement between the two countries on these matters," Obama said.
• Republican Presidential Candidates Criticize Historic Trip VOA 21 Mar 2016 -- U.S. President Barack Obama said the U.S. and Cuba have "half a century of work to catch up on" during a joint press conference with Cuban President Raul Castro Monday.
• Remarks by President Obama and President Raul Castro of Cuba in a Joint Press Conference The White House 21 Mar 2016
• FACT SHEET: United States-Cuba Relationship The White House 21 Mar 2016
• Obama Praises Progress in Ties with Cuba; Acknowledges 'Serious Differences' VOA 21 Mar 2016 -- U.S. President Barack Obama hailed the progress in relations between the United States and Cuba while acknowledging the two sides continue to have "very serious" differences on democracy and human rights."
• Key Paris Attacks Accomplice Identified VOA 21 Mar 2016 -- Belgian authorities have identified a key accomplice of Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam, as new developments underscore the tangled and far-flung network behind the November 13 terrorist attacks and rising new threats.
• Kazakhstan elections efficiently organized, some progress, still considerable way to go to meet OSCE election commitments, international observers say OSCE 21 Mar 2016 -- The 20 March early parliamentary elections were efficiently organized, with some progress noted, but they indicated that Kazakhstan still has a considerable way to go in meeting its OSCE commitments for democratic elections, international observers concluded in a preliminary statement
• Kazakh ruling party 'secures victory' in parliament vote: Early results Press TV 21 Mar 2016 -- Kazakhstan's ruling Nur Otan party has claimed victory in early parliamentary polls after millions of people took to polling stations across the country, preliminary results show.
• President-elect hopes China can display more good will CNA 21 Mar 2016 -- President-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has said there is a rare opportunity for Taiwan and China to display good will and build mutual trust between now and her inauguration on May 20.
• Taiwan's Boao delegate urges separation of politics, economics CNA 21 Mar 2016 -- Former Vice President Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) is expected to express Taiwan's stance during the Boao Forum for Asia that kicks off Tuesday in China that economic and trade relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait should not be affected by political change, an executive of the Cross-Strait Common Market Foundation said Monday.
• Republic of Congo Awaits Vote Results Amid Telecom Blackout VOA 21 Mar 2016 -- Vote counting is underway in the Republic of Congo but information is scarce, as the government has blocked all phone and internet use in the country. President Denis Sassou Nguesso is widely expected to win another term in office.
• Kosovar Prime Minister's Own Family Joined Migrants Seeking EU Asylum RFE/RL 21 Mar 2016 -- Kosovar Prime Minister Isa Mustafa has confirmed that his own brother was among a wave of migrants who illegally crossed into the European Union in 2015 - and that his brother's asylum application in Germany ultimately was rejected.
• Businessman Talon wins Benin presidential election: Unofficial results Press TV 21 Mar 2016 -- Provisional results from the second round of presidential election in Benin indicate that businessman Patrice Talon has won the votes in the West African country.