Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 07 Apr 2016 [PDF]
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Col. Warren via Teleconference from Baghdad, Iraq DoD 07 Apr 2016 -- Presenter: Colonel Steve Warren, Operation Inherent Resolve Spokesman
• Coalition Kills 2 Foreign Fighters in Iraq, OIR Spokesman Says AFPS 07 Apr 2016 -- The coalition against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant recently killed two "motivated" foreign fighters in Iraq, while local partners continue the fight to reclaim ground in Iraq and Syria, the spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve said today.
• US may establish more military bases in Iraq: Pentagon Press TV 07 Apr 2016 -- The US army may open new military bases in Iraq as the Arab country prepares to retake the northern city of Mosul from Daesh terrorists, a senior military official says.
• Counter-ISIL Strikes Continue in Syria, Iraq AFPS 07 Apr 2016 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Department of Defense Briefing by Gen. David M. Rodriguez DoD 07 Apr 2016 -- Presenter: General David M. Rodriguez (USA), Commander
• Philippines, U.S. Start Exercise Balikatan 2016 AFPS 07 Apr 2016 -- Exercise Balikatan 2016 opened here April 4 in a ceremony attended by government officials and senior U.S. and Philippine military leaders.
• USS Bremerton Visits Sasebo during Indo-Asia-Pacific Deployment NNS 07 Apr 2016 -- Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Bremerton (SSN 698) arrived at Fleet Activities Sasebo for a visit, April 6, as part of its deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
• Africa Command Faces Challenges Across Continent, Commander Says AFPS 07 Apr 2016 -- While Africa presents opportunities for some of its regions, the continent continues to face varied challenges, the commander of U.S. Africa Command said in a Pentagon news conference today.
• NHRC Standardizes Equipment Lists for Hospital Ships NNS 07 Apr 2016 -- If you're a provider deployed aboard a hospital ship, making sure you have the right equipment for the mission at hand is vital. The Naval Health Research Center completed a year-long project to optimize and standardize combat support Authorized Medical Allowance Lists, April 5.
• US Navy Spending Soars with $81 Billion Shipbuilding Spree Sputnik 07 Apr 2016 -- Is the US gearing up for WWIII, or are the lobbyists signing the checks for US military spending?
• Secretary General calls for NATO to make training a core task for the Alliance in the fight against extremism NATO 07 Apr 2016 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday (6 April) that the "strength and unity" of NATO is key to addressing current security challenges, including in the fight against extremism.
• US Prefers NATO Rotational Forces to Permanent Stationing in Europe Sputnik 07 Apr 2016 -- US Army Chief of Staff said that the plan to forward deploy rotational units of US and NATO forces in eastern Europe is preferable to having them permanently stationed.
• Russian Defense Ministry Needs Various Types of Drones Sputnik 07 Apr 2016 -- Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said that the ministry could spent significant sums of money on the development of different types of the UAVs, including the tactical, strategic and attack drones.
• Romania Wants New 'Allied Fleet' in Black Sea Including Ukraine, Georgia Sputnik 07 Apr 2016 -- Romania is calling for the creation of a new, NATO-supported 'allied fleet' in the Black Sea, including non-NATO members Ukraine and Georgia; Defense Minister Mihnea Motoc told Romanian media that Bucharest would be pushing the idea at NATO's summit in Warsaw in July. What's behind the initiative, and how will Russia respond? Sputnik investigates.
• Indonesia Interested in Buying Russian Weapons - Armed Forces Commander Sputnik 07 Apr 2016 -- Indonesia's armed forces commander said that Indonesia is interested in military-technical cooperation with Russia as the Asian country is in need of powerful weapons.
• Moscow, Jakarta Drafting Documents on Military-Technical Cooperation Sputnik 07 Apr 2016 -- Russia and Indonesia are preparing to increase mutual military-technical cooperation, the head of Russia's General Staff said Thursday.
• Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz The White House 07 Apr 2016
• April 7, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 07 Apr 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for April 07, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 7 April 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 07 Apr 2016
• Ma again invites Philippine officials to visit Taiping Island CNA 07 Apr 2016 -- President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) on Thursday repeated his invitation to the Philippines to send representatives or lawyers to visit Taiwan-held Taiping Island in the disputed South China Sea.
• Baku, Yerevan play blame game over Karabakh truce breach Press TV 07 Apr 2016 -- Azerbaijan and Armenia have accused each other of violating a ceasefire recently agreed to end hostilities in the Caucasus region of Nagorno-Karabakh following four days of fierce fighting in the disputed territory.
• Nagorno-Karabakh Envoys Must Take Part in Conflict Settlement Talks Sputnik 07 Apr 2016 -- Nagorno-Karabakh Republic's (NKR) President Bako Sahakyan said that the envoys of NKR should be included in the conflict settlement negotiations.
• Azerbaijan Accuses Nagorno-Karabakh Separatists Of Violating Cease-Fire RFE/RL 07 Apr 2016 -- Azerbaijan has accused Armenian-backed separatists in its breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region of violating a cease-fire agreed between the two sides.
• Saudi used US-made cluster bombs in Yemen market attacks: HRW Press TV 07 Apr 2016 -- The Human Rights Watch (HRW) says Saudi Arabia used US-made cluster bombs in two recent airstrikes on a busy market in Yemen, which killed scores of civilians.
• 300 staffers of Syrian company abducted by Daesh: State TV Press TV 07 Apr 2016 -- Takfiri Daesh militants in Syria have kidnapped 300 cement workers in an area northeast of Damascus, Syrian state television reports.
• 250 civilians missing east of Damascus after Daesh attack Press TV 07 Apr 2016 -- Around 250 Syrian civilians are feared kidnapped after an attack by Daesh terrorists on a cement factory east of Damascus, residents say.
• Opposition Member: Kurds Should Be Included in Syria Talks to Achieve Peace Sputnik 07 Apr 2016 -- Opposition by some Western states to the Kurds' participation in the intra-Syrian peace talks in Geneva will keep an idea of federalization on Kurds' agenda, a member of the Syrian Democratic Forum opposition party told Sputnik on Thursday.
• Russia Delivers 15 Tonnes of Humanitarian Aid to Syria Sputnik 07 Apr 2016 -- Russian reconciliation center in Syria said that Russian military transport aircraft have delivered 15 tonnes of food supplies to the Hmeymim airbase in Syria that will be distributed among the Syrian population.
• Next round of Intra-Syrian talks planned for 13 April – UN envoy UN News 07 Apr 2016 -- The United Nations mediator on the crisis in Syria said today that the next round of the peace talks will likely begin on Wednesday, 13 April, and is intended to be a concrete discussion leading to "a real beginning of a political transition."
• US, Turkey Discuss Ways to Back Syrian Opposition in IS Fight VOA 07 Apr 2016 -- U.S. and Turkish authorities are discussing ways to support the moderate Syrian opposition in the effort to push Islamic State from the Turkish border farther east in Syria.
• Upcoming Syria Peace Talks to Tackle Political Process VOA 07 Apr 2016 -- U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura says he plans substantive discussions with Syrian government and opposition parties next week in Geneva in hopes of kick-starting Syria's political transition process.
• UN Official Accuses Syria of Blocking Humanitarian Aid VOA 07 Apr 2016 -- A senior U.N. official is accusing the Syrian government of refusing permission for relief agencies to distribute humanitarian assistance to hundreds of thousands of vulnerable Syrians in blockaded and hard-to-reach areas.
• Daesh Oil Revenue Falls as Group Loses Rich Territory in Iraq Sputnik 07 Apr 2016 -- Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament stated that capabilities of the Daesh militant group to receive revenues from the illicit oil have declined, as the terrorists are losing control over the captured territories.
• Shia volunteer fighters say will join army battle for Mosul Press TV 07 Apr 2016 -- A group of Shia volunteer forces, known as the Popular Mobilization Units, says it will join an ongoing operation by the Iraqi army to liberate the northern city of Mosul from Daesh Takfiri terrorists.
• The Long Shadow Of The Seselj Verdict RFE/RL 07 Apr 2016
• South Sudan rebel leader to return to Juba on April 18 Press TV 07 Apr 2016 -- South Sudan's rebel leader Riek Machar says he will return to the capital Juba later this month to form a unity government with President Salva Kiir as part of their stalled peace deal.
• Security Council renews sanctions against those blocking peace in South Sudan UN News 07 Apr 2016 -- Determining that the situation in South Sudan poses a continuing threat to regional peace and security, the United Nations Security Council today renewed, until 1 June, its sanctions regime imposed last year against those blocking peace in the war-torn country, including a travel ban and a freeze on their assets.
• South Sudan Rebels Seek to Delay Inauguration of Transitional Government VOA 07 Apr 2016 -- South Sudanese rebels are seeking to delay the inauguration of the beleaguered country's transitional government to allow representatives of the rebel group to arrive in the capital, Juba, for the crucial phase in the peace process.
• South Sudan's Machar Plans Return to Juba April 18 VOA 07 Apr 2016 -- South Sudanese opposition leader Riek Machar says he will return to the capital on April 18 to form a transitional government with President Salva Kiir, more than two years after a feud between the two resulted in war.
• Transnistrian Peacekeeping Mission Could Transform After Political Deal Sputnik 07 Apr 2016 -- The Transnistria peacekeeping mission could be dealt with in case of political agreements between parties included, Russian Foreign Ministry Special Envoy Sergei Gubarev said Thursday.

News Reports

• US, Gulf to 'Push Back' Against Iran VOA 07 Apr 2016 -- The U.S. and Gulf allies have a shared concern about "Iran's destabilizing actions in the region," said Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday, following talks with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) ministers.
• US secretary of state in Bahrain amid protest calls Press TV 07 Apr 2016 -- US Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in Bahrain amid calls for protest against his visit to the Persian Gulf Arab country.
• Kerry, Bahrain Leader Discuss Iran's Destabilizing Activities VOA 07 Apr 2016 -- Iran needs to change its "foreign policy" in the region and stop weapons shipments, training "terrorists" and financing and supporting "proxies," said Bahrain's foreign minister.
• Russia, OPEC Said Likely To Freeze Oil Output Without Iran RFE/RL 07 Apr 2016 -- Russia and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries can reach an agreement to freeze oil production, even if Iran doesn't join in, a top OPEC official told Bloomberg News.
• Belgium Issues New Appeal in Quest for Brussels Airport Suspect VOA 07 Apr 2016 -- Belgian prosecutors have issued a new appeal for help in finding the suspected third attacker in last month's deadly Brussels airport bombings.
• Paris Attacks Suspect to Remain in Belgium for Several Weeks VOA 07 Apr 2016 -- The main suspect in the 2015 terror attacks in France, Salah Abdeslam, will be detained in Belgium for several more weeks before being extradited to France.
• In Geneva, senior UN official urges all-inclusive approach to stop virulent spread of violent extremism UN News 07 Apr 2016 -- Violent extremism is an affront to the very purposes and principles of the United Nations, the Head of the world body's Geneva headquarters said today, urging government delegations and experts gathered there to back the comprehensive approach needed to proactively address the drivers of the scourge, including through support of the Secretary-General's action plan on the issue.
• Putin Says Panama Papers Part Of Western Plot To Destabilize Russia RFE/RL 07 Apr 2016 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin mocked the massive leak of financial and legal documents known as the Panama Papers that reportedly implicate several people close to him, saying the project was part of a Western government campaign to destabilize Russia.
• Navalny: Hold Russians Named in 'Panama Papers' Accountable VOA 07 Apr 2016 -- Close associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin figure prominently in the Panama Papers, the leaked financial documents that shocked the world this week, but the revelations are drawing little more than a shrug in official Moscow.
• Putin Denounces 'Panama Papers' as Western Plot VOA 07 Apr 2016 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied allegations that documents leaked from a Panamanian law firm contain evidence of corruption among his closest associates, saying the so-called Panama Papers are part of a Western campaign to undermine Russia.
• China was Largest Market for Panama Papers Law Firm VOA 07 Apr 2016 -- A massive data leak from a Panamanian firm has revealed that from relatives of the founding father of the People's Republic of China, Mao Zedong, to current leader Xi Jinping, offshore holdings are common place among the families of China's ruling elite.
• Rouhani unveils Arak modern reactor fuel test IRNA 07 Apr 2016 -- President Hassan Rouhani unveiled power reactors fuel test and Arak modernized reactor test fuel complexes in Arak on Thursday, via video conference held here in a ceremony to mark the National Nuclear Technology Day (April 8 this year).
• Anarak nuclear site inaugurated by President Rouhani IRNA 07 Apr 2016 -- President Hassan Rouhani on Thursday inaugurated Anarak nuclear waste storage site in Isfahan Province, central Iran, through a video conference held here during a ceremony to mark the National Nuclear Technology Day (falls on April 8 this year).
• Construction of 2 new nuclear power plants planned: Kamalvandi IRNA 07 Apr 2016 -- Deputy Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said on Thursday that two new nuclear power plants will soon be built in Bushehr after examining one or two technical points.
• Iran president unveils latest nuclear achievements Press TV 07 Apr 2016 -- President Hassan Rouhani unveils some of Iran's latest nuclear achievements during a ceremony held ahead of the country's National Nuclear Technology Day on Friday.
• U.S. Talk about "World without Nuclear Weapons" Is Curtain-raiser to Nuclear War against DPRK: KCNA KCNA 07 Apr 2016 -- The Korean Central News Agency in an indictment Thursday says the U.S. trumpeting about a "world without nuclear weapons" is a curtain-raiser to a nuclear war against the DPRK.
• Analysts: Myanmar May Need to Compromise to Advance Relations with China VOA 07 Apr 2016 -- The friendly handshake between Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi and visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi this week is being portrayed in China as a "good beginning" for Sino-Myanmar ties.
• Turkey's PM and President Increasingly at Odds VOA 07 Apr 2016 -- Growing political differences are emerging again between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu as the country faces increasing domestic and international woes.
• Turkey warns it may stop implementing refugee deal Press TV 07 Apr 2016 -- Turkey has warned that it would stop implementing a historic deal with the European Union on curbing the flow of refugees to Europe if the EU fails to fulfill its promises.
• Dutch Voters Reject European Union Pact With Ukraine RFE/RL 07 Apr 2016 -- The Dutch government says it may have to reconsider ratifying a treaty establishing closer European Union ties with Ukraine after a strong majority of voters rejected an Association Agreement in a nonbinding referendum.
• Sudan's Omar al-Bashir says he will step down in 2020 Press TV 07 Apr 2016 -- Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir says he will step down by 2020 and has no plans to run for another term in office.
• Sudan's Bashir Says He Will Step Down in 2020 VOA 07 Apr 2016 -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir says he will step down when his current term is over, four years from now.
• Little Suspense Ahead of Djibouti Poll VOA 07 Apr 2016 -- Djibouti goes to the polls Friday. President Ismail Omar Guelleh, in power since 1999, is widely expected to win another term though concerns have been raised about the country's human rights situation in the run-up to the poll.
• Tsai promises to boost cross-strait exchanges, communication CNA 06 Apr 2016 -- President-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Wednesday that her administration will step up exchanges and communication with the Chinese government and will commit to maintaining peaceful and stable relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.