Further Reading

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 27 Jul 2016 [PDF]
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Colonel Garver via teleconference from Baghdad, Iraq DoD 27 Jul 2016 -- Presenter: Colonel Christopher Garver, Operation Inherent Resolve Spokesman; Captain Jeff Davis, Director, Defense Press Office
• Syrian Civilian Casualty Claims Found Credible VOA 27 Jul 2016 -- The United States military has started a formal investigation into what officials are calling credible claims of civilian casualties from a U.S.-led coalition airstrike in Manbij, Syria.
• Military Strikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 27 Jul 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.
• OIR Official: Captured Info Describes ISIL Operations in Manbij AFPS 27 Jul 2016 -- As the U.S.-led coalition and Syrian fighters continue the battle to retake the city of Manbij in Syria, captured information reveals the Islamic State of Iraq and The Levant's thought processes and plans, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman Army Col. Christopher Garver told Pentagon reporters today.
• Carter Tells Deploying Troops to Build on Momentum in Iraq, Syria AFPS 27 Jul 2016 -- Defense Secretary Ash Carter today told troops readying to deploy to Iraq that they must build on the momentum to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
• Afghanistan Alleges Former Leader of LeT Behind IS Attacks VOA 27 Jul 2016 -- Afghanistan has alleged for the first time that the former leader of an outlawed Pakistani militant group, who is wanted in the United States and India, is overseeing attacks by Islamic State fighters in the war-torn country.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Airmen drive RPA innovation with new electronic combat officer course AFNS 27 Jul 2016 -- In an effort to neutralize the enemy and their ability to impact combat operations, Airmen have created the Air Force's first MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft Electronic Combat Officers (ECO) course.
• Remarks by Secretary Carter at a Troop Event in Fort Bragg, North Carolina DoD 27 Jul 2016 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter
• Remarks by Secretary Of Defense Ash Carter in a Media Availability DoD 27 Jul 2016 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter
• NORAD, Northcom, Mexican Air Force Coordinate on Illicit-Flight Exercise AFPS 27 Jul 2016 -- The early morning call came through the command center here near Peterson Air Force Base today: a simulated illicit flight was heading out of the United States to Mexico.
• Total force AWACS ops support world's largest naval exercise AFNS 27 Jul 2016 -- Nearly 150 Airmen from the 513th Air Control Group and 552nd Air Control Wing are behind a total force effort to provide AWACS missions for the world's largest maritime exercise.
• Unique C-5 completes major inspection AFNS 27 Jul 2016 -- Dover Air Force Base is home to a fleet of 18 C-5M Super Galaxy intercontinental-range strategic airlifters, the Air Force's largest transport aircraft. It's also home to the service's only facility capable of conducting major isochronal inspections on them.
• Readout of Deputy Secretary Bob Work's meeting with Republic of Korea Vice Minister of National Defense Hwang In-Moo DoD 27 Jul 2016
• Military Sealift Command Delivers on Ocean Glory NNS 27 Jul 2016 -- Military Sealift Command (MSC) voyage-charter MV Ocean Glory is currently traveling through the Pacific Ocean as part of mobility operation Pacific Pathways 16-2 (PP16-2).
• Oceanographer of the Navy Signs Memorandum of Agreement with Republic of Korea Navy NNS 27 Jul 2016 -- Oceanographer of the Navy and Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command Rear Adm. Tim Gallaudet signed an amendment extending a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Republic of Korea navy (ROKN), July 25, shortly following a meeting with ROKN CNO Adm. Jung, Ho-sub.
• US Ships Exercise Tactical Complexity, Interoperability during CARAT Singapore NNS 27 Jul 2016 -- The U.S. Navy and Republic of Singapore navy are engaged in the underway portion of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Singapore July 26, and have already exercised multiple tactical engagements during their annual bilateral maritime exercise.
• Montpelier, Texas Awarded Arleigh Burke Fleet Trophy Award NNS 27 Jul 2016 -- Commander, Submarine Forces, Vice Adm. Joseph E. Tofalo, presented the prestigious Arleigh Burke Fleet Trophy Award for 2015 to USS Montpelier (SSN 765) during a pierside presentation at Naval Station Norfolk, July 22.
• US Surveillance Flight Makes Emergency Landing in Siberia Sputnik 27 Jul 2016 -- A US aircraft carrying out an observation flight over Russia was forced to make an emergency landing at Khabarovsk's airport due to an apparent landing gear malfunction.
• Cyber, Space, Middle East Join Nuclear Triad Topics at Deterrence Meeting AFPS 27 Jul 2016 -- The nuclear triad still is seen as a critical deterrent against aggression by U.S. adversaries, but all speakers during a U.S. Strategic Command meeting panel today also discussed the need for deterrence in the cyber and space domains, and the Middle East.
• Russia Boasts of Troop Buildup on Flank, Draws Flak VOA 27 Jul 2016 -- The U.S. State Department expressed concern Wednesday about new troop buildups that Russia has announced that it says are meant to counterbalance an increased military presence near its borders.
• Russia strengthens SW military flank in response to NATO buildup Press TV 27 Jul 2016 -- Russia has strengthened its southwestern military flank in response to the increasing military buildup by NATO and the deteriorating security situation in Ukraine.
• Russia to Finish Building Military Bases Off Arctic Coast by Year-End Sputnik 27 Jul 2016 -- Russia will finish building autonomous military bases the Arctic by the end of this year.
• Xi calls for armed forces reform People's Daily 27 Jul 2016 -- General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for the building of strong armed forces through military reform.
• India, Russia Make Conscious Efforts to Increase Defense Ties Sputnik 27 Jul 2016 -- After several years of frozen relations, a coming thaw shows a veritable increase in Indian-Russian defense ties.
• India Orders Four More Maritime Spy Jets Sputnik 27 Jul 2016 -- On the first day of his India visit, U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition Frank Kendall signed a deal with India for delivery of four more Boeing P-81 long range maritime spy planes.
• US Delivers 72 Surveillance Drones to Ukraine Wednesday Sputnik 27 Jul 2016 -- The US drone systems delivered to Ukraine are used to transmit live video images and location data to ground control stations, according to the US embassy in Kiev.
• July 27, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 27 Jul 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for July 27, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 27 July 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 27 Jul 2016
• What is UN peacebuilding and its role in preventing conflicts? UN News 27 Jul 2016 -- In conflicts, the United Nations is commonly associated with peacekeeping and UN 'blue helmets,' but increasingly the international community's focus is on "peacebuilding" – the idea of supporting a country throughout all stages of a conflict, including post-conflict recovery and socio-economic development, and on preventing the outbreak of fighting.
• US Navy to continue presence in South China Sea Press TV 27 Jul 2016 -- The US Navy has no intention to cease military operations in the South China Sea despite objections from the Chinese government, according to the US Defense Department.
• US Encouraged to See Direct Dialogue on Maritime Disputes VOA 27 Jul 2016 -- The U.S. says it is encouraged by the willingness of China and the Philippines to engage in direct dialogue over the South China Sea following a tribunal ruling against Beijing earlier this month.
• US wants to avoid confrontation in South China Sea: Kerry Press TV 27 Jul 2016 -- US Secretary of State John Kerry has said Washington wanted to avoid "confrontation" in the disputed South China Sea and help resolve the issue peacefully.
• China slams US, Japan, Australia for 'fanning tensions' Press TV 27 Jul 2016 -- China has lashed out at the United States, Japan and Australia for issuing a joint statement on the South China Sea, saying it was only "fanning the flames" of regional tensions.
• Ex-president says tribunal ruling 'unfair,' 'unreasonable' in WSJ CNA 27 Jul 2016 -- Former President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said the Taiwanese people are "furious" about a ruling handed down by a tribunal in favor of the Philippines in its case challenging the legitimacy of China's claims in the South China Sea, because the verdict is "unfair and patently unreasonable."
• 7 killed, 18 wounded as bomb blast hits Yemen's Ma'rib Press TV 27 Jul 2016 -- A bomb explosion has ripped through an open market in the Yemeni city of Ma'rib, leaving seven people dead and 18 others injured, local officials say.
• UN urges 'humanitarian' truce in Yemen's Ta'izz Press TV 27 Jul 2016 -- The United Nations has called for a humanitarian truce in Yemen's southwestern province of Ta'izz as heavy fighting continues in the embattled region.
• Yemen: Amid rising tensions in Taiz, senior UN official calls for humanitarian pause UN News 27 Jul 2016 -- Extremely concerned by reports of rising tensions in Yemen's Taizz governorate, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for the crisis-gripped country has called for a "humanitarian pause" to protect civilians.
• Syria grants amnesty to terrorists who lay down arms: Assad Press TV 27 Jul 2016 -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says the government will pardon militants, who turn in their weapons, stressing that the policy has been exercised by Damascus since the beginning of the crisis in the Middle Eastern country.
• Syria army cuts off supply lines to militant-held eastern Aleppo Press TV 27 Jul 2016 -- The Syrian army says it has cut off all supply routes to the militant-held eastern parts of the embattled city of Aleppo.
• West can't stand independent Syria: Assad Press TV 27 Jul 2016 -- Syria's president says Western countries started supporting anti-Damascus militants because they could not bear to see the Arab country leading an independent existence.
• Moscow Says Imposing External Solutions on Syrians Unacceptable Sputnik 27 Jul 2016 -- The Russian side stressed the importance of the expedient resumption of intra-Syrian talks without any preconditions, according to official statement the Russian Foreign Ministry.
• What Lies Behind Al-Nusra Front's Decision to Break Ties With Al-Qaeda Sputnik 27 Jul 2016 -- Al-Nusra Front has reportedly signaled its willingness to sever ties with al-Qaeda and change its name. What lies behind the terrorist group's re-branding?
• Syrian Army Kills Senior Nusra Front Commander During Clashes Sputnik 27 Jul 2016 -- Syrian army forces killed a field commander of the Nusra Front militant group in al-Rastan in Northern Homs, according to local media.
• More than 40 Killed in IS Truck Bomb Attack in Syria VOA 27 Jul 2016 -- More than 40 people have been killed and dozens of others wounded in the northeastern Syrian city of Qamishli after a massive suicide truck bombing claimed by Islamic State.
• Iraqis Primed to March on Mosul, Foreign Minister Says VOA 27 Jul 2016 -- Iraqi officials are increasingly emboldened about their prospects of retaking the city of Mosul from the Islamic State terror group even though it puts them at odds with the U.S. assessment.
• Iraqi Province to Demolish Homes of Convicted Terrorists VOA 27 Jul 2016 -- Convicted terrorists in the central Iraqi province of Babil will have their homes destroyed and their families forced out of the state under a new law passed by the provincial council.
• Daesh executes 17 commanders for escaping battlefield south of Mosul Press TV 27 Jul 2016 -- The Daesh Takfiri terrorists have executed 17 of the group's commanders for escaping the battlefield in a strategic Iraqi town south of their stronghold of Mosul.
• Militant attacks kill 14 in, around Baghdad Press TV 27 Jul 2016 -- At least 14 people have lost their lives and 29 others were injured in a spate of attacks carried out by militants in and around the Iraqi capital city of Baghdad.
• Korea No Closer to Peace on Armistice Anniversary VOA 27 Jul 2016 -- On the 63rd anniversary of the end of the Korean War, lasting peace remains elusive as regional tensions have increased and relations between Seoul and Pyongyang have regressed over the North's nuclear program.
• North Korea Floats Propaganda Leaflets Down Han River for First Time Sputnik 27 Jul 2016 -- North Korea has found a novel way of sending propaganda leaflets south, floating the threats of missile attacks down a river.
• Chinese Incursion in Indian State of Uttarakhand Sputnik 27 Jul 2016 -- Chinese troops entered the state of Uttarakhand last week, the government confirmed on Wednesday.
• Report: S. Sudanese Soldiers Raped Women Outside UN Camp VOA 27 Jul 2016 -- The United Nations says there will be "serious repercussions" if U.N. peacekeepers in South Sudan failed to protect women being raped outside a U.N. protection-of-civilians site, as reported Wednesday.
• UN rushes to ramp up support for South Sudan's battle against cholera outbreak UN News 27 Jul 2016 -- The United Nations and its partners are rushing to ramp up support for South Sudan's fight to contain a cholera outbreak through measures, including an oral vaccination campaign to reach over 14,000 people and the creation of treatment and rehydration centres.
• Root causes of Boko Haram threat in Lake Chad Basin must be tackled - UN political chief UN News 27 Jul 2016 -- To bring an end to the Boko Haram threat in the Lake Chad Basin region, affected countries must address the root causes that contributed to the emergence of the group, including the social, economic and political grievances of marginalized communities, the top United Nations political affairs official said today.
• Doctors Without Borders says northeastern Nigeria 'close' to famine Press TV 27 Jul 2016 -- Doctors Without Borders says the violence-wracked northeastern region of Nigeria is "close" to famine and must be declared a "top emergency" by the United Nations.
• In Borno State, Boko Haram Victims Face Humanitarian Catastrophe VOA 27 Jul 2016 -- The charity, Doctors Without Borders warns more than one-half million people in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria are facing a large-scale humanitarian disaster and are in need of urgent emergency assistance.
• Terror Group Claims Ex-Lawmaker Conducted Somali Suicide Bombing VOA 27 Jul 2016 -- A former member of Somalia's parliament who joined the Al-Shabab terror organization in 2010 was the man behind a suicide bombing that killed 13 people in Mogadishu Tuesday, according to the group.
• Recent Israeli Settlement Announcements US Dept. of State 27 Jul 2016 -- Press Statement by John Kirby, Assistant Secretary and Department Spokesperson, Bureau of Public Affairs

News Reports

• Turkey: In call with Foreign Minister, Ban seeks update on current probe into attempted coup UN News 27 Jul 2016 -- In a telephone call with the Turkish Foreign Minister today, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sought an update on current investigations and measures to hold those responsible for the attempted coup to account, and reiterated his expectation that Turkey adhere to its international human rights obligations.
• Escalation of Media Crackdown in Turkey Heightens Concerns VOA 27 Jul 2016 -- Two U.S. advocacy organizations blasted Turkey on Wednesday for stepping up a campaign to crack down on journalists and media outlets suspected of having ties to the plotters of a failed July 15 military coup.
• Turkey Closes Scores of Media Outlets, Dismisses 2,400 Soldiers, Officers VOA 27 Jul 2016 -- Turkey announced the dismissal of more than 2,400 military personnel Wednesday and shut down scores of media outlets in what appeared to be a widening crackdown following the failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government.
• More than 15,000 detained over failed coup: Turkey Press TV 27 Jul 2016 -- Turkey's interior minister says more than 15,000 people, including 10,000 soldiers, have been detained in the country in the wake of the failed coup of July 15.
• Turkey planned army overhaul before coup: Energy minister Press TV 27 Jul 2016 -- Turkey's energy minister says Turkish authorities were planning a major shake-up of the military to purge elements linked to US-based opposition figure, Fethullah Gulen, just before the coup attempt that left hundreds of people dead.
• Turkey: Soldiers involved in failed coup account for 1.5 percent of the military Press TV 27 Jul 2016 -- Turkey's military on Wednesday rejected claims that soldiers behind the abortive coup of July 15 made up a considerable portion of the army, saying that the coup plotters only accounted for 1.5 percent of the country's armed forces.
• Turkey orders arrest of more journalists in post-coup crackdown Press TV 27 Jul 2016 -- Authorities in Turkey have issued arrest warrants for another 47 journalists suspected of having been linked to a recent failed coup in the country.
• Turkish FM says extraditing Gulen key to future US-Turkey ties Press TV 27 Jul 2016 -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says the US's stance on extraditing Fethullah Gulen will determine the future of relations between the two countries.
• How Much More Can France Take? VOA 27 Jul 2016 -- French President Francois Hollande appears as shaken as those he has tried to comfort one terror attack after another.
• Bahrain postpones trial of top Shia cleric Press TV 27 Jul 2016 -- A court in Bahrain has adjourned the trial of top Shia cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim amid widespread protests against the move.
• Bahrain launches trial of top Shia cleric ISNA 27 Jul 2016 -- A court in Bahrain launched the trial of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Issa Qassim, amid widespread protests against the move.
• Catalonia determined to secede from Spain: Officials Press TV 27 Jul 2016 -- The Catalonian government says it will use its democratic mandate to push forward with secession from Spain because Madrid has failed to cooperate on the issue.
• Press Review KCNA 27 Jul 2016 -- The following are major news items and articles in the DPRK's leading newspapers on Wednesday
• UN anti-crime chief calls for greater prevention efforts, youth advocacy to fight terrorism UN News 27 Jul 2016 -- The threat of terrorism has expanded and become increasingly decentralized and diffuse throughout the past 10 years, the top United Nations anti-crime official said today, calling for greater efforts to tackle links between crime and terrorism and for increased advocacy among youth.
• Trump Suggests Russia Should Hack U.S. Election Rival Clinton's E-Mail RFE/RL 27 Jul 2016 -- Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has suggested Russia should hack the e-mails of his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, eliciting widespread disbelief and fueling further fears about the prospect of a foreign government meddling in the U.S. election.
• Russia rejects claims of meddling in US election campaign Press TV 27 Jul 2016 -- The Kremlin has dismissed the US allegations of interfering in the country's presidential election campaign after Washington blamed Russian hackers for a leak of US Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails.