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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 15 Aug 2016 [PDF]
• Military Strikes Continue Against ISIL in Iraq, Syria AFPS 15 Aug 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.
• Officials: No Evidence of IS Presence in Southern Afghanistan VOA 15 Aug 2016 -- Local officials and foreign military commanders in Afghanistan have played down concerns Islamic State is expanding activities beyond its traditional strongholds in the east.
• Louisiana National Guard Continues Flood Fight AFPS 15 Aug 2016 -- Since operations began Aug. 12, the Louisiana National Guard has rescued nearly 3,400 people and 400 pets in 12 parishes from heavy flash flooding.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Detainee Transfers Announced DoD 15 Aug 2016 -- The Department of Defense announced today the transfer of 15 detainees: Abd al-Muhsin Abd al-Rab Salih al-Busi, Abd al-Rahman Sulayman, Mohammed Nasir Yahi Khussrof Kazaz, Abdul Muhammad Ahmad Nassar al-Muhajari, Muhammad Ahmad Said al-Adahi, Abdel Qadir al-Mudafari, Mahmud Abd Al Aziz al-Mujahid, Saeed Ahmed Mohammed Abdullah Sarem Jarabh, Mohammed Kamin, Zahar Omar Hamis bin Hamdoun, Hamid al-Razak (aka Haji Hamidullah), Majid Mahmud Abdu Ahmed, Ayub Murshid Ali Salih, Obaidullah, and Bashir Nasir Ali al-Marwalah from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the Government of the United Arab Emirates.
• An AF first for aircraft research, development AFNS 15 Aug 2016 -- For the first time the Air Force has a means to conduct airworthiness assessments on non-Defense Department military type aircraft. This process enables the Air Force to gain a much deeper understanding of the state of civil aviation, while providing industry with an expert, independent evaluation of the safety and reliability of their products.
• USS Nimitz Implements Newest PACFLT Plan NNS 15 Aug 2016 -- U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Scott H. Swift recently established a six-part plan that aims to focus and align Sailors' efforts in preserving a resilient workforce, maintaining fleet readiness, reinforcing international order, leading in credibility, embracing opportunity and projecting power.
• Navy Accepts Delivery of Future USS Detroit (LCS 7) NNS 15 Aug 2016 -- The Navy accepted delivery of future USS Detroit (LCS 7) during a ceremony at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard, Aug. 12.
• Obligated Service Requirements Help Fleet Readiness NNS 15 Aug 2016 -- Navy Personnel Command (NPC) recently released guidance to the fleet on obligated service (OBLISERV) requirements that helps stabilize fleet manning and minimize personnel uncertainty.
• 'US nuclear weapons in Turkey at risk of seizure by hostile forces' Press TV 15 Aug 2016 -- A large number of American nuclear weapons stored at Turkey's Incirlik Air Base are at risk of being seized by "terrorists or other hostile forces," according to a Washington think tank.
• John C. Stennis Sailors Return Home NNS 15 Aug 2016 -- More than 3,000 Sailors aboard USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) returned to their homeport of Bremerton, Washington, Aug. 14, following a regularly scheduled seven-month deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific.
• USS Stethem visits Sydney to Promote Green Energy Initiatives NNS 15 Aug 2016 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) is conducting a port visit in Sydney, Australia, during her scheduled deployment in the 7th Fleet Area of Operations.
• GHWB Traps First Aircraft in 13 Months NNS 15 Aug 2016 -- Aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) trapped its first aircraft after more than 13 months, Aug. 9.
• Pacific Partnership 2016 Completes Malaysia Mission NNS 15 Aug 2016 -- Pacific Partnership 2016 departed Kuantan, Malaysia, Aug. 14, marking the completion of Pacific Partnership 2016's fourth mission stop.
• New Orleans Anchors in Bali NNS 15 Aug 2016 -- Sailors and Marines from amphibious transport dock USS New Orleans (LPD 18) and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) anchored off the coast of Bali, Indonesia, Aug. 7-12.
• US Service Members, Lebanese Armed Forces Participate in Exercise Resolute Response 16 NNS 15 Aug 2016 -- U.S. service members are participating in Exercise Resolute Response (RR) 16 with Lebanese armed forces (LAF) at Jounieh Naval Base, Lebanon, Aug. 8-17.
• Boxer Bids Farewell to Kota Kinabalu NNS 15 Aug 2016 -- Amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4), along with Amphibious Squadron 1 and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) departed Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, following a four-day port visit, Aug. 13.
• USS America Returns Home Following RIMPAC 2016 NNS 15 Aug 2016 -- Amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) returned to homeport following the successful completion of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2016, Aug. 12.
• T-45 Crashed Near NAS Kingsville, Pilots Eject Safely NNS 15 Aug 2016 -- A U.S. Navy T-45C Goshawk crashed southwest of Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, Texas, at approximately 9:20 p.m. central time, Aug. 14.
• Russia to Produce First Modernized NK-32 Aircraft Engines by End of 2016 Sputnik 15 Aug 2016 -- Russia's the manufacturing firm Kuznetsov plans to produce an initial batch of the upgraded Kuznetsov NK-32.02 aircraft engines by the end of 2016, according to media reports.
• Heavy Metal Meets the Rails: Russian Armored Trains Begin Exercises in Volgograd Sputnik 15 Aug 2016 -- On Monday, the Russian army kicked off military exercises in the Volgograd region, using its 'Baikal' and 'Amur' armored trains for the first time in nearly fifteen years.
• Russia Offered NATO Specific Proposals on Renewed Military Cooperation - Lavrov Sputnik 15 Aug 2016 -- Russian Foreign Minister said that Russia presented NATO with specific proposals on restoring military cooperation at the latest NATO-Russia Council meeting.
• NATO's Eastward Expansion Deepens Divisions in Europe - Lavrov Sputnik 15 Aug 2016 -- Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov stated that NATO's expansion into Eastern Europe will deepen the region's divisions.
• Russia: Preparing an Offensive or Maneuvering for Easing of Sanctions? VOA 15 Aug 2016 -- What is President Vladimir Putin planning for Ukraine? Kyiv officials argue Russia's leader is accumulating pretexts to justify a major assault with the aim of securing a land route through Ukraine's southeast regions to Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula Moscow annexed weeks after the 2014 ouster of Putin's ally Viktor Yanukovych.
• Estonia Mulls Russian Proposal to Discuss Air Security Issues Sputnik 15 Aug 2016 -- Estonian Defense Ministry has not yet worked out its position regarding the Russian invitation to discuss air security issues, Deputy Head of the Estonian Defense Ministry's Strategic Communications Department, Artur Jugaste said Sunday.
• UK accuses two Chinese servicemen of espionage: Report Press TV 15 Aug 2016 -- Two Chinese servicemen participating in a training program by the UK's Royal Air Force were "high-level intelligence officers" tasked with espionage duties, a confidential report has confirmed.
• South Korea's Park defends THAAD deployment despite protests Press TV 15 Aug 2016 -- South Korean President Park Geun-Hye has defended the deployment of an advanced US missile system in the East Asian nation despite fierce opposition inside and outside the country to the plan.
• Media: South Korea will pay a price if it does not give up THAAD deployment People's Daily 15 Aug 2016 -- Dissenting voices have been on the rise since Seoul and Washington announced their decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.
• Japan plans to 'go on offense' with 300 km-range missiles People's Daily 15 Aug 2016 -- Japan's decision to develop surface-to-sea missiles with a range of 300 kilometers to cover the disputed islands shows the country may be eyeing a shift to an offensive posture, analysts said.
• Tokyo threat to block Miyako unacceptable People's Daily 15 Aug 2016 -- Japan will develop a new land-to-sea missile that has a range of 300 kilometers, according to Yomiuri Shimbun.
• Beheading The Eagle: Is This The End Of The Turkish Army As We Know It? RFE/RL 15 Aug 2016 -- In 2011, Bilgin Balanli, a decorated four-star general in the Turkish Air Force, was expected to become Turkey's chief of the general staff. Instead, he was arrested, together with hundreds of other generals, admirals, and high-ranking officers. His supposed crime? Plotting to overthrow the government of then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP).
• August 15, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 15 Aug 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 15, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 15 August 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 15 Aug 2016
• Report: China May Cross Obama's 'Red Line,' Reclaim Scarborough Shoal Next Month Sputnik 15 Aug 2016 -- Tensions continue to mount in the South China Sea and with Beijing increasingly desperate to fundamentally alter the balance of power in the wake of The Hague ruling the possibility for a conflict in one of Asia's most dangerous flash points has never been greater.
• Yemen: UN chief condemns attack on school that killed at least 10 children UN News 15 Aug 2016 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the attack, reportedly an airstrike, on a school in northern Yemen that killed at least 10 children and injured many more over the weekend.
• At Least 20 Killed When Saudi-led Airstrike Hits MSF Hospital in Northern Yemen VOA 15 Aug 2016 -- In Yemen, an airstrike has hit a hospital run by the French medical charity Doctors Without Borders. A Yemeni official says more than 20 people were killed in the strike which he said was carried out by the Saudi-led coalition.
• 25 civilians killed, 20 others injured in Saudi attack on Yemeni hospital Press TV 15 Aug 2016 -- At least 25 civilians have been killed and 20 others injured in a Saudi airstrike on a hospital north of Yemen as Saudi Arabia continues to carry out deadly airstrikes against the impoverished Arab country in defiance of a ceasefire.
• Houthis, allied army units kill 32 Saudi-backed militants Press TV 15 Aug 2016 -- Yemeni Ansarullah fighters and allied army forces have killed 32 Saudi-backed militants loyal to Yemen's former regime in fierce clashes across the country.
• Statement by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter on the Liberation of Manbij DoD 15 Aug 2016
• Syrian Government, Rebels Pour Reinforcements into Aleppo VOA 15 Aug 2016 -- The Syrian government and rebel factions seeking to topple it poured reinforcements into the besieged northern city of Aleppo on Monday, as both sides braced for a decisive battle that diplomats are trying to avert.
• Russia, US edging nearer to agreement to up anti-militant fight in Aleppo: Moscow Press TV 15 Aug 2016 -- Russian military officials say Moscow is close to reaching an agreement with Washington on how to coordinate fight against militants in Syria's war-ravaged city of Aleppo.
• Russia needs assurances to lengthen Aleppo truce: Lavrov Press TV 15 Aug 2016 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says his country could lengthen a three-hour daily humanitarian ceasefire around the Syrian city of Aleppo if assurances are made that terrorists will not use it to move into the city.
• Cameroon: Boko Haram Trying to Turn Self-Defense Militia VOA 15 Aug 2016 -- Cameroon has been arresting or dismissing members of local self-defense militia in the country's north amid fears that Boko Haram may be trying to turn some of them against their communities.
• UN condemns 'appalling' attack on civilians in eastern DR Congo UN News 15 Aug 2016 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon joined his envoys from the Great Lakes Region and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today in strongly condemning the killing of dozens of civilians during an overnight attack in Beni, located in restive eastern part of the country, where the UN mission and national authorities have now deployed forces in the wake if the incident.
• DR Congo declares 3-day national mourning after massacre People's Daily 15 Aug 2016 -- Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) government has declared three days of national mourning starting Monday, following the massacre of 45 people in the eastern part of the country by suspected Ugandan rebels over the weekend.
• 51 killed with machete in DR Congo over weekend: Civil society groups Press TV 15 Aug 2016 -- Civil society groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo say more than four dozen people were hacked to death in the country's restive east over the weekend.
• Kiir Weighs Response as UN Security Council Votes to Send Troops to S. Sudan VOA 15 Aug 2016 -- South Sudan President Salva Kiir is leaving it to parliament to decide whether to accept or reject a U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing the deployment of 4,000 foreign troops to the country. The United Nations Security Council on authorized the additional troops Friday.
• Nearly one million refugees from South Sudan face dire conditions: UNHCR Press TV 15 Aug 2016 -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has warned that nearly one million refugees from South Sudan are living under dire condition in displacement camps in the conflict-ridden region.
• Central African Republic: After standoff, UN force detains 10 armed men, recovers weapons cache UN News 15 Aug 2016 -- The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR) has reported that after a standoff with a convoy of heavily-armed men near Sibut, the capital of Kémo Prefecture, UN forces detained 10 of the suspects and recovered a "significant quantity" of weapons and munitions.
• Regional Groups in Africa See Continuing Al-Shabab Threat VOA 15 Aug 2016 -- An East Africa regional organization says the Somalia-based militant group al-Shabab is actively plotting attacks in countries throughout the region.
• Six people killed in Turkey's car bomb attack blamed on PKK Press TV 15 Aug 2016 -- A car bomb attack targeting a police station in volatile southeast Turkey has claimed the lives of four police officers and two civilians, including a young child.
• Russia ready to show more proof of Ukraine incursion: Lavrov Press TV 15 Aug 2016 -- Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Russia is ready to provide the West with more evidence about armed Ukrainian incursions into the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea.
• Indian police commander, seven fighters killed in Kashmir gun battles Press TV 15 Aug 2016 -- A paramilitary police commander and seven suspected pro-independence fighters have been killed in a series of gun battles across Indian-administered Kashmir.

News Reports

• Trump Cites Cold War Precedent for Immigrant Test VOA 15 Aug 2016 -- Donald Trump's call for "extreme" changes in the U.S. immigration system explicitly linked a strategy for combating radical Islam with America's defeat of Communism during the Cold War - and would establish tougher ideological tests for immigrants than ever before.
• Trump Calls for 'Foreign Policy Realism' Aimed at Destroying IS VOA 15 Aug 2016 -- Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is outlining a plan Monday calling for "foreign policy realism," focused on destruction of Islamic State militants and other extremist groups, rather than reshaping nations to an American ideal.
• Russia's Solitary Man RFE/RL 15 Aug 2016 -- Vladimir Putin is throwing his old pals under the bus. He's replacing them with loyal and docile servants. And he's building a security apparatus that answers to him alone.
• Arrests of Journalists in Turkey Not Related to Profession - Foreign Minister Sputnik 15 Aug 2016 -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that journalists in Turkey are arrested because of their links with the movement of opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen.
• Cleric Gulen Supporters Planned to Kill Erdogan During Surgery in 2012 - Reports Sputnik 15 Aug 2016 -- The Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETO), deemed by Ankara to be made up of the supporters of Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, attempted to murder Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a surgery in 2012, local media reported Monday, citing a confession of a FETO member to Turkish prosecutors.
• Turkish Army Detains Top Provincial Prosecutor on Syria Border Wanted Over Coup Sputnik 15 Aug 2016 -- Turkish servicemen detained chief prosecutor in Erzurum province, who was put on the wanted list after the coup attempt in Turkey, on the border between Turkey and Syria, according to local media.
• Turkey threatens to scrap EU refugee deal unless visa-free deadline met Press TV 15 Aug 2016 -- Turkey has once again threatened to scrap a refugee deal it has struck with the European Union (EU) unless the bloc grants visa-free entry into Europe to Turkish citizens by October.
• 'Worst Case Scenario' Possible if EU Doesn't Lift Visa Regime With Turkey Sputnik 15 Aug 2016 -- A visa-free regime for Turkish citizens wishing to travel to the Schengen zone must be implemented in October or the EU refugee deal will be suspended, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has warned.
• In Ukraine, Attacks On Journalists Chill Media Landscape RFE/RL 15 Aug 2016 -- At a bustling Kyiv intersection lined with storefronts selling coffee and pastries, a pile of red roses surrounds a black-and-white photograph of Pavel Sheremet, an intrepid journalist who was killed by a car bomb here on July 20.
• Falcon 9 rocket, commo satellite successfully launched AFNS 15 Aug 2016 -- The 45th Space Wing supported the SpaceX Falcon 9 JCSAT-16 launch from Space Launch Complex 40 here Aug. 14.
• Identify of Thai Bombing Suspects a Source of Intense Speculation VOA 15 Aug 2016 -- Thai police investigators say up to 20 people were involved in last Friday's bomb attacks, but the identity of the culprits is a topic of intense speculation.
• President says his government undermined sanctions through JCPOA IRNA 15 Aug 2016 -- President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday that his government managed to undermine the foundations of sanctions by signing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
• S. Korean President Calls on Pyongyang to Stop Nuclear Provocation 'Immediately' Sputnik 15 Aug 2016 -- South Korean President said that North Korea must urgently stop the development of its nuclear program and the saber-rattling moves on the international arena.
• Greetings to Kim Jong Un from V. Putin KCNA 15 Aug 2016 -- Kim Jong Un, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK, received a congratulatory message from V. Putin, president of the Russian Federation, on Monday.
• Interior minister to visit Taiping Island CNA 15 Aug 2016 -- Interior Minister Yeh Jiunn-rong (葉俊榮） will lead a group of Coast Guard officers and academics on a visit to Taiping Island in South China Sea on Tuesday, Ministry of the Interior officials said Monday.
• Step toward Orchid Island autonomy to be taken in September CNA 15 Aug 2016 -- The process of implementing autonomy on the offshore Orchid Island has been accelerated following a visit there by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday.
• Zambian president Lungu re-elected in disputed vote Press TV 15 Aug 2016 -- Zambian President Edgar Lungu has been declared as the winner of a closely-fought re-election contest in the South African country, amid vote fraud allegations made by the main opposition party.
• Zambia President Re-Elected in Close Vote VOA 15 Aug 2016 -- Zambia's president has been re-elected in a closely contested vote that the opposition claims was rigged.