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Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 18 May 2016 [PDF]
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Col. Warren via teleconference from Baghdad, Iraq DoD 18 May 2016 -- Presenter: Colonel Steve Warren, spokesman, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve
• Centcom Commander to Focus on Partnerships, Complexities During AOR Visit AFPS 18 May 2016 -- On his third trip in seven weeks to U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility, Centcom's commander said today, he aims to strengthen relations with partners there and gain a deeper understanding of the region's complexities.
• Coalition Strikes Target ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 18 May 2016 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• OIR Spokesman: Attacks in Baghdad Show ISIL Reverting to 'Terrorist Roots' AFPS 18 May 2016 -- The recent rash of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant attacks in Baghdad that have killed hundreds of civilians likely reflects a shift in enemy tactics, Army Col. Steve Warren, spokesman for Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, said today.
• Cyber War Versus Islamic State 'Work in Progress' VOA 18 May 2016 -- For months now, U.S. government hackers have been setting their sights on the Islamic State terror group, intent on wiping the self-declared caliphate from cyberspace much like U.S. and coalition aircraft have sought to wipe it from the face of the earth. Yet, some of those helping to lead the virtual charge admit it is not yet clear just how effective the cyber efforts have been.
• Afghanistan Disappointed in 4-Way Talks About Taliban VOA 18 May 2016 -- Afghanistan is showing its anger at Pakistan by downgrading its representation to the international group trying to arrange peace talks with the Taliban.
• NATO Waiting to See What US Will Do in Afghanistan VOA 18 May 2016 -- Despite the uncertainty about U.S. future force numbers in Afghanistan, most NATO military chiefs say they are not planning to withdraw their forces from the war-torn country, the chairman of NATO's military committee said Wednesday.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Readout of Secretary Carter's meeting with Qatari Minister of State for Defense Affairs Khalid al-Attiyah DoD 18 May 2016
• Makin Island Certifies 3M Early NNS 18 May 2016 -- The crew of USS Makin Island (LHD 8) successfully completed the arduous Maintenance and Material Management (3M) certification assessment ten weeks ahead of schedule.
• AMC commander releases Rapid Global Mobility Vision AFNS 18 May 2016 -- In order to establish a common understanding of mobility's direction to 2035, the Air Mobility Command commander recently released his Rapid Global Mobility Vision.
• Exercise Eager Lion 2016, 5th MEB roaring in Kingdom of Jordan USMC News 18 May 2016 -- Marines and sailors from 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade are among 6,000 U.S. and Jordanian service members taking parting in Exercise Eager Lion 2016 in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, May 15-24.
• 1/2 prepares for Exercise Eager Lion 16 with squad exercise USMC News 18 May 2016 -- Marines with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division made their arrival in an allied nation known during a squad exercise in preparation for Exercise Eager Lion 16 in Al Quweyrah, Jordan, May 14.
• NATO Foreign Ministers Meet on Heels of Military Committee Discussions AFPS 18 May 2016 -- Montenegro will be invited to join the NATO alliance during the Foreign Ministers Meeting and will become the 29th member of the alliance if all members approve, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said here today.
• NATO Military Committee Will Lay Groundwork for Warsaw Summit AFPS 18 May 2016 -- Czech Gen. Petr Pavel, the chairman of NATO's Military Committee, laid out an ambitious agenda for the 175th meeting of the committee here today.
• Five NATO allies, one fight USMC News 18 May 2016 -- Hundreds of troops from five different NATO nations came together May 9-13, 2016 and operating as a single Allied force at the Novo Selo Training Area in Bulgaria.
• Secretary General previews NATO Foreign Ministers meeting NATO 18 May 2016 -- Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday (18 May 2016) that NATO Foreign Ministers will take decisions in the next two days which will pave the way to the July Warsaw Summit.
• NATO, Montenegro to sign accession accord: Stoltenberg Press TV 18 May 2016 -- NATO says it is on the verge of signing an accession agreement with Montenegro, despite Russia's repeated warnings that the move could complicate security in the West Balkan region.
• NATO Chief Claims Eastern Presence 'Not Substantial' and 'Only Defensive' Sputnik 18 May 2016 -- Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO deployment in Eastern Europe is and will be "far below" any "reasonable definition" of substantial forces and is in line with the NATO-Russia Founding Act.
• New Weaponry, More Spending, Tough Rhetoric Stoke Fears Of New U.S.-Russia Arms Race RFE/RL 18 May 2016 -- A new Russian intercontinental ballistic missile. Upgraded U.S. nuclear gravity bombs and air-launched nuclear cruise missiles. A European exclave freshly bristling with Russian ballistic missiles.
• Russia Open for 'Added Value' Dialogue With NATO Sputnik 18 May 2016 -- Moscow is open for dialogue with the Northern Alliance, including in the Russia-NATO Council format, but the discussions should bring "added value" to bilateral relations, Russia's envoy to NATO Alexander Grushko said Wednesday.
• US Spies at Russia's Northern Doorstep: Intelligence Tightens Around Russia Sputnik 18 May 2016 -- On Monday, US Air Force strategic reconnaissance aircraft RC-135 flew along Russia's northern borders, according to military flight tracking websites, becoming yet another flight in a string of recent observations; and while some experts refer to it as a "normal practice", others remind about the risk of confrontation in the Arctic.
• £411 million investment in new missile for UK's new jets sustains 700 UK jobs UK MOD 18 May 2016-- The Ministry of Defence has awarded a £411 million contract to develop a new missile for the UK's future F-35B supersonic stealth aircraft.
• PLA simulates beach landings in southeast coast People's Daily 18 May 2016 -- China conducted military drills in waters off its southeast coast to further improve mobile combat capabilities, media reported on Tuesday.
• Military drills in southeastern coastal areas have no specific targets, Defense Ministry says People's Daily 18 May 2016 -- Military drills in China's southeastern coastal areas are not meant to target anything specific, according to China's Ministry of National Defense.
• India Successfully Tests Nuclear-Capable Prithvi II Missile Sputnik 18 May 2016 -- India has successfully test-fired its supersonic interceptor missile, the Indian Defense Ministry said Wednesday.
• Thailand's Army Plans to Replace US Helicopters With Russian Aircraft Sputnik 18 May 2016 -- The Royal Thai Armed Forces plan to purchase Russia's Mi-17V5 helicopters, Thai Army's Commander-in-Chief Teerachai Nakwanich said Wednesday.
• Iranian scientists design system hiding military equipment from radars ISNA 18 May 2016 -- Iranian researchers at Islamic Azad University, Islamshahr Branch, central Iran, have developed a nano-composite which is capable of absorbing radar electromagnetic and infrared thermal waves with high efficiency.
• Background Briefing on the U.S. Government's Comprehensive Approach to Atrocity Prevention and Response US Dept. of State 18 May 2016
• May 18, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 18 May 2016
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 5/18/2016 The White House 18 May 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for May 18, 2016
• Russia Targets Over 14Bln Worth of Arms Sales in 2016 Sputnik 18 May 2016 -- Russia is planning to meet its goals on deliveries of weaponry under foreign sales contracts worth over $14 billion in 2016, the head of Russia's Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation said Wednesday.

Other Conflicts

• 18 May 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 18 May 2016
• UN deputy chief calls for greater integration efforts to meet challenges of refugees in urban areas UN News 18 May 2016 -- More than half of the world's refugees live in urban areas, and often in fragile cities with high levels of inequality, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said today, stressing the importance of integration efforts that enable refugees to benefit from the opportunities cities offer so that they can ultimately have a dignified life.
• Russia Wades Into South China Sea Dispute With ASEAN Accord VOA 18 May 2016 -- Russia is set to finalize an agreement with ASEAN countries including controversial references to maritime navigation and militarization of the South China Sea, a draft of the accord obtained by VOA Khmer shows.
• Yemen's south to announce independence on Saturday Press TV 18 May 2016 -- The leader of the separatist Southern Movement in Yemen says the group will announce the secession of the south from the rest of the Arab country and declare independence in a ceremony in the city of Aden on Saturday.
• Syrian forces hit militants hard in Dayr al-Zawr, Dara'a, Homs Press TV 18 May 2016 -- Syrian army troops have conducted military operations against foreign-backed Takfiri militants in several areas across the Arab country, inflicting further losses on them.
• Saudis threaten military force in Syria if talks fail Press TV 18 May 2016 -- Saudi Arabia has threatened to use military force against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad if ongoing political talks fail to bring peace to the conflict-stricken nation.
• In Kerry's Footsteps: What Saudi 'Plan B' Actually Means for Syria and Iran Sputnik 18 May 2016 -- Saudi Arabia has signaled it is ready to implement the much-talked-about 'Plan B' in Syria. What does Riyadh actually mean?
• ISSG Call for Syrian Political Settlement Time Limits Positive Step Sputnik 18 May 2016 -- ISSG's statement about the importance the Syrian crisis` political settlement has been a positive sign, one of the leaders of the Moscow-Cairo-formed opposition group told Sputnik Wednesday.
• Syria Support Group Wrestles with Ending Syrian Conflict VOA 18 May 2016 -- The International Syria Support Group has stepped up efforts to help stabilize Syria with new provisions that would exclude repeat cease-fire violators from being protected under the cessation of hostilities agreement and would also expand humanitarian air drops into besieged areas. However, challenges remained as the multi-national group wrapped up its meeting in Vienna.
• Iraqi Kurdish Official in US to Seek Help Against IS VOA 18 May 2016 -- The governor of an Iraqi province where the Islamic State terror group has seized territory says although there has been progress in pushing back IS-fighters over the past year, militants still retain control of some areas, and government forces are facing difficulties in keeping IS-fighters at bay.
• At least 10 killed as Turkish jets bomb northern Iraq Press TV 18 May 2016 -- Turkish fighter jets have bombarded the southeastern areas of Turkey and the northern parts of neighboring Iraq, killing at least 10 people, Turkish security sources say.
• NATO to Discuss Baghdad's Request of Army Training in Iraq Sputnik 18 May 2016 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that Baghdad's request on the extension of NATO training program to the Iraqi territory would be considered.
• Massive bomb explosion kills 4 Turkish soldiers in southeast Press TV 18 May 2016 -- A massive bomb explosion has ripped through a military vehicle in Turkey's Kurdish-dominated southeastern region, killing at least four soldiers and injuring nine others, security sources say.
• Libyan Army Bashes World Powers for Favoring Unity Government Troops Sputnik 18 May 2016 -- The Libyan Army wants more support from world powers in its fight against Islamists, the army spokesman told Sputnik on Wednesday, as he criticized the international community for giving its military aid to the UN-backed unity government alone.
• Friend or Foe? Doubts Plague US Military in Libya Training VOA 18 May 2016 -- The U.S. military is "prepared to support" a train-and-equip mission to fight the thousands of Islamic State militants in Libya when the Libyan government is ready for it, the head of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said Tuesday.
• In Niger, UN relief chief urges focus on civilians impacted by Boko Haram violence UN News 18 May 2016 -- Wrapping up a two-day mission to Niger, the top United Nations humanitarian official has called for greater attention to the crisis unfolding in the country's Diffa region, where violence at the hands of Boko Haram has forced more than 240,000 people out of their homes on both sides of the border with Nigeria.
• In call with Republic of Congo President, Ban cites concern over security operations in country's southeast UN News 18 May 2016 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, speaking by phone today with the President of the Republic of the Congo, Denis Sassou N'Guesso, expressed concern about the Government's ongoing security operation in the south-eastern Pool region of the country and its impact on the civilian population.
• In phone call, Ban and Kenyan President discuss government's decision to close refugee camps UN News 18 May 2016 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke today by telephone with President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya following the Kenyan Government's recent decision to close the Dadaab refugee camps, expressing deep appreciation for the country's decades of generosity to asylum seekers.
• UN humanitarian coordinator calls on Israeli authorities to stop destruction of aid supplies UN News 18 May 2016 -- The United Nations humanitarian coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory today condemned the demolition and confiscation of donor-funded humanitarian assistance by the Israeli authorities in the Palestinian community of Jabal al Baba.

News Reports

• Turkey says not to make EU-demanded changes to terror law Press TV 18 May 2016 -- Turkey says it will not heed calls by the European Union for changing its counter-terror law in return for privileges as part of a controversial deal aimed at curbing the refugee influx into Europe.
• Turkish parliament approves bill to lift MPs immunity Press TV 18 May 2016 -- Turkey's parliament has approved a controversial government-backed bill which would strip lawmakers of their immunity from prosecution in a move which critics say targets Kurds and dissidents.
• Ouster of Turkish PM Rekindles Dissent in Ruling AKP VOA 18 May 2016 -- Since the ousting of Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, pro-president media outlets are appealing for unity and loyalty to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The calls come as his removal provokes uncharacteristic dissent within the party, being played out on social media.
• Police Block Anti-Government Protest in Venezuela,Tear Gas Fired VOA 18 May 2016 -- Opposition leaders and frustrated Venezuelans took to the streets in Caracas on Wednesday to march to the national election board's headquarters and demand a recall referendum to end President Nicolas Maduro's socialist rule.
• Venezuela legislators reject Maduro's state of emergency Press TV 18 May 2016 -- Venezuela's opposition-led National Assembly has rejected the state of emergency decreed by President Nicolas Maduro.
• Somaliland Celebrates 25 Years of Self-Declared Independence VOA 18 May 2016 -- People, cattle, camels, donkeys and even a lion dressed up in Somaliland's red, white and green flag colors for parades and celebrations Wednesday marking 25 years since Somaliland's self-declared independence from the Federal Republic of Somalia.
• Trump Open to Talks with North Korea's Kim VOA 18 May 2016 -- Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump says he is open to talking with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in order to try to halt the country's nuclear program.
• Russia to start work on new Bushehr nuclear plant by year-end: Rosatom Press TV 18 May 2016 -- Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation, Rosatom, says the company is to begin engineering for the Bushehr-2 nuclear power plant by the end of 2016 after preparations are made by Iran in the project's construction site.
• Full Steam Ahead: Rosatom Ready to Start on Iran's New Nuclear Reactors Sputnik 18 May 2016 -- Engineers from Rosatom and their Iranian colleagues are planning to start the construction of a further two nuclear reactors at the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant by the end of the year, a source told RIA Novosti.
• IMF Warns Iran Not To Rely Only On Oil Revenue To Boost Economy RFE/RL 18 May 2016 -- A top International Monetary Fund official warned Iran not to count on a big jump in oil revenue to boost its economy, but said it should seek other opportunities to re-engage with the global economy.
• US Sanctions on Myanmar 'Will Not Hurt,' says Aung San Suu Kyi VOA 18 May 2016 -- The Obama administration's decision to continue certain sanctions on Myanmar will not harm the Southeast Asian country, according to Myanmar State Counselor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi.
• Clapper: Cyberattacks May Have Targeted Presidential Campaigns VOA 18 May 2016 -- The U.S. government's top intelligence official says he's seen indications of foreign hackers attempting to spy on the U.S. presidential candidates.
• Kazakhstan Cracks Down On Activists Ahead Of Land-Law Protests RFE/RL 18 May 2016 -- Kazakh authorities have intensified a crackdown on activists ahead of planned nationwide protests on May 21 against controversial new legislation on the privatization of agricultural land.