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News Reports

Current Operations

• Remarks before the Daily Press Briefing, John Kerry, Secretary of State, Washington, DC, September 12, 2016 - I appointed Jonathan Winer, one of my longest-serving and most trusted advisers, as our emissary to find a way to help the MEK be able to leave Iraq.
• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 12 Sep 2016 [PDF]
• Statement from Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook on Strike Against ISIL Senior Leader DoD 12 Sep 2016
• Counter-ISIL Strikes Target Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 12 Sep 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.
• One security force, 2 gunmen killed in hospital attack in S Afghanistan Press TV 12 Sep 2016 -- Unidentified gunmen have stormed a hospital in south Afghanistan, killing a security soldier before being shot to death during an exchange of fire.
• Afghan Forces Kill Suicide Bombers, End Hospital Siege VOA 12 Sep 2016 -- Afghan security forces Monday killed two armed suicide bombers to end a two-hour siege of a main hospital in the southern city of Kandahar, officials said.

Defense Policy / Programs

• PAR program issues EMD request for proposal AFNS 12 Sep 2016 -- On Sep. 12 the Air Force officially requested a proposal from Boeing to complete detailed design, modification, test and fielding of two aircraft that will provide presidential worldwide airlift support starting in the 2024 timeframe. A third production representative aircraft is still under consideration for future procurement.
• Bulgaria, US commence joint air policing AFNS 12 Sep 2016 -- The U.S. and Bulgarian air forces are conducting a joint NATO air policing mission in Bulgaria Sept. 9-16, which enables on-demand response capabilities that serve to mitigate and deter violations and infringements on Bulgarian sovereign airspace.
• Boxer ARG Returns to San Diego NNS 12 Sep 2016 -- Sailors and Marines of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group returned to their homeport of San Diego, Sept. 12, following a seven-month deployment to U.S. 7th Fleet, 5th Fleet and 3rd Fleet areas of operation.
• 13th Iteration of Exercise Kakadu Begins in Darwin NNS 12 Sep 2016 -- The 13th iteration of the multinational maritime Exercise Kakadu 2016 began with an opening ceremony Sept. 12 in Darwin, Australia.
• DESRON 7 Embarks on Bonhomme Richard ESG Ahead of Valiant Shield NNS 12 Sep 2016 -- A contingent of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7 staff embarked aboard amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), the flagship of the Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group, Sept. 11.
• Exercise Kowari: Surviving inside the outback USMC News 12 Sep 2016 -- Without food, water or shelter, thirty participants from the U.S. Marine Corps and Army, Australian Army, and the People's Liberation Army have survived inside the outback.
• Frank Cable Visits Subic Bay during Indo-Asia-Pacific Region Deployment NNS 12 Sep 2016 -- The submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40) arrived in Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines, Sept. 10, and the ships seventh port call during its deployment in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
• After Latest Nuke Test, US to Launch B-1B Bombers Over Korean Peninsula Sputnik 12 Sep 2016 -- The Pentagon will respond to last week's incident with a flyover intended to show solidarity with South Korea.
• Deputy Secretary General Vershbow reaffirms the Alliance's commitment to KFOR NATO 12 Sep 2016 -- Deputy Secretary General Vershbow met with Mr. Enver Hoxhaj at NATO Headquarters on Monday (12. September 2016) and stressed the Alliance's commitment to long-term stability in Kosovo and to the Alliance-led KFOR operation. He said that KFOR will continue to contribute to a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement in Kosovo, working in close cooperation with the Kosovo authorities and with the EU.
• Lithuanian MoD Claims NATO Air Force Escorted Russian Jet Once Last Week Sputnik 12 Sep 2016 -- Lithuania's Defense Ministry claimed that NATO's aircraft, carrying out air police mission in Baltic, detected and escorted Russian jet last week over the Baltic Sea.
• S. Korean president denounces DPRK's "reckless" adherence to nuke program People's Daily 12 Sep 2016 -- South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Monday denounced the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear ambitions, describing it as "reckless and fanatic" adherence.
• South Korea: North ready for next nuclear test Press TV 12 Sep 2016 -- North Korea is ready for another nuclear test in a previously unused tunnel at its Punggye-ri nuclear test site, say Seoul government sources.
• China-Russia navy drill in South China Sea highlights strong ties People's Daily 12 Sep 2016 -- China and Russia will start an eight-day joint naval exercise from Monday, which for the first time will take place in the South China Sea for the first time, according to a Chinese navy spokesman.
• US to Remain 'Responsive' to Outcome of Russia-China South China Sea Drills Sputnik 12 Sep 2016 -- The United States will carefully monitor the developments around the latest Russian and Chinese joint naval drills in the South China Sea, US Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson said at a Center for American Progress forum on Monday.
• China, Russia launch South China Sea naval wargames Press TV 12 Sep 2016 -- China and Russia have launched eight-day joint naval wargames in the disputed South China Sea amid tensions with the US which is expanding its military presence in the region.
• Commentary: Routine China-Russia joint naval drill no reason for fear mongering People's Daily 12 Sep 2016 -- As China and Russia started on Monday an eight-day joint naval drill off the coast of south China's Guangdong Province, speculations are going rife that the military exercises are meant as a "sabre-rattling" event in the South China Sea."
• S. Korean opposition parties oppose THAAD deployment, urge dialogue with DPRK People's Daily 12 Sep 2016 -- South Korea's opposition party chiefs on Monday expressed objections to the deployment of a U.S. missile shield in their homeland, calling for dialogue with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in their rare meeting with President Park Geun-hye.
• President vows to improve military equipment during inspection tour CNA 12 Sep 2016 -- President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday promised to improve the personal equipment and living environment of the nation's troops during a visit to a military base in Hsinchu.
• Germany, Romania to Fly Mission Over Russia, Belarus Sputnik 12 Sep 2016 -- German and Romanian inspectors will conduct an aerial surveillance flight over Russia and Belarus.
• Russia to Fly Surveillance Mission Over Denmark Sputnik 12 Sep 2016 -- The head of Russia's Nuclear Risk Reduction Center said that Russian inspectors will conduct an aerial surveillance flight over Denmark in a Tu-154M-LK-1 surveillance aircraft within the scope of the Treaty on Open Skies.
• Latvia to Boost Special Forces Numbers 3 Times Sputnik 12 Sep 2016 -- The Latvian army's special forces will increase threefold over the next few years, Special Tasks Unit (SUV) Commander Juris Usackis said.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 9/12/2016 The White House 12 Sep 2016
• September 12, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 12 Sep 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for September 12, 2016

Other Conflicts

• China, Vietnam Vow to 'Maintain Peace, Stability' in South China Sea VOA 12 Sep 2016 -- Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc officially started his high-profile visit with Chinese officials in Beijing Monday, amid simmering tension over the territorially-contested South China Sea issue.
• Yemeni retaliatory attacks kill six Saudi forces Press TV 12 Sep 2016 -- Six Saudi forces have been killed as Yemeni forces target the kingdom's military positions in retaliatory attacks against Riyadh's military aggression against the impoverished Arab country.
• Saudi warplanes bomb Yemen's Sa'ada, kill 14 Press TV 12 Sep 2016 -- Saudi fighter jets have pounded several areas across Yemen on the first day of the Muslim holidays of Eid al-Adha (the Feast of Sacrifice), killing at least seven people in the northern province of Sa'ada.
• Army chief: Turkey's military operations in Syria will continue Press TV 12 Sep 2016 -- Turkey's top military commander says an ongoing offensive in northern Syrian will continue until southern borders are secured and Turkish forces mop "all terrorists" out of the region.
• Nationwide truce agreed by US, Russia takes effect in Syria Press TV 12 Sep 2016 -- The Syrian army says a nationwide ceasefire brokered by the United States and Russia has taken effect across the war-ravaged Arab country.
• Syrian Ceasefire Begins at 16:00 GMT on Monday - Russian Defense Ministry Sputnik 12 Sep 2016 -- The ceasefire in Syria agreed by Russia and the United States has begun at 16:00 GMT, the Russian General Staff announced Monday.
• Syria Cease-Fire Takes Effect VOA 12 Sep 2016 -- A U.S.-Russia mediated ceasefire went into effect Monday in Syria, hours after government warplanes launched airstrikes around Aleppo and other Syrian provinces, prompting mounting skepticism and anger among rebel leaders who are already highly suspicious of the deal. They have said the ceasefire will only serve to boost President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
• Syrian Ceasefire: Washington Orders Rebels to Disband From al-Qaeda Linked Group Sputnik 12 Sep 2016 -- The armed Syrian opposition to President Bashar al-Assad were told that they have a right to defend themselves and retaliate should they come under fire in a letter from the US government.
• Free Syrian Army Supports Fight Against al-Nusra Front Terrorist Group Sputnik 12 Sep 2016 -- The Free Syrian Army (FSA) supports the fight against Jabhat Fatah al Sham (previously known as al-Nusra Front) terrorist group in Syria, Osama Abu Zeid, an FSA legal adviser, said Sunday.
• Free Syrian Army Ready for New Ceasefire if Syrian Government Complies Sputnik 12 Sep 2016 -- The Free Syrian Army (FSA) armed opposition group is ready to uphold the Syrian ceasefire if the country's government and Russia do likewise, Osama Abu Zeid, an FSA legal adviser, said Sunday.
• Iraq: The Islamic State Group's Forgotten War RFE/RL 12 Sep 2016 -- Another week, another cease-fire in Syria. Following a U.S and Russia-brokered deal, a "cessation of hostilities" between Bashar al-Assad's forces and opposition groups was set to go into force on September 12.
• Explosion hits Turkish town of Van, wounding 48 Press TV 12 Sep 2016 -- At least 48 people have been wounded in Turkey in a car bomb explosion targeting the provincial offices of the ruling AK Party in the country's eastern city of Van.
• Libya: UN envoy calls for immediate cessation of hostilities in Oil Crescent area UN News 12 Sep 2016 -- Expressing grave concerns over recent fighting in Libya's Oil Crescent area, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for the country and the head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Martin Kobler called on military forces that moved into the area to immediately stop fighting and refrain from any further military escalation.
• Libyan rival forces say they seized third oil port from government Press TV 12 Sep 2016 -- Forces loyal to Libya's powerful general, Khalifa Haftar, say they have seized a third Mediterranean oil port from those loyal to the country's Government of National Accord (GNA).
• Libya's Unity Government Suffers Fresh Blow as Army Seizes Oil Ports Sputnik 12 Sep 2016 -- There are growing concerns over the continuation of Libya's political crisis, after troops linked to the country's internationally-recognized government seized oil ports from militia loyal to the rival UN-backed unity government.
• Duterte Wants US Forces Out of South Philippines VOA 12 Sep 2016 -- The Philippine president says he wants all U.S. forces out of his country's south, where they have been advising local troops battling Muslim extremists.
• Philippine President Wants US Special Forces to Leave South of Country Sputnik 12 Sep 2016 -- The United States special forces must leave southern parts of the Philippines as they hinder country's counter-terrorist efforts, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday.
• Rights Group Accuses South Sudan Leaders of War Profiteering VOA 12 Sep 2016 -- A human rights group says it has found evidence of huge war profiteering by some of South Sudan's top political leaders, including the heads of the two sides in the country's civil war.

News Reports

• Mayors Removed as Turkish Crackdown Intensifies VOA 12 Sep 2016 -- Turkey's crackdown on the outlawed Kurdish rebel group the PKK is increasingly targeting the country's legal pro-Kurdish movement. On Sunday, 24 elected mayors of the main pro-Kurdish party, the HDP, were removed from office and replaced by government appointees called "trustees."
• CIA chief warns of Russia's sophisticated hacking capabilities Press TV 12 Sep 2016 -- CIA Director John Brennan warns that the US must be on guard in the face of Russia's "exceptionally capable and sophisticated'' cyber capabilities.
• Politicians, Experts Suspect Russia of Hacking US Political System VOA 12 Sep 2016 -- The controversy still rages over Russia's possible hacking into computer systems used by American political entities. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has warned Russia not to try to interfere with the U.S. general election in November. Yet Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says he doubts that Russia is involved.
• China urges U.S. to take responsibility on Korean Peninsula nuclear issue People's Daily 12 Sep 2016 -- China urges the United States to take due responsibility for the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and provide effective solutions, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday.
• Anti-Pyongyang sanctions can lead to a dead end: Beijing Press TV 12 Sep 2016 -- China says sanctions alone cannot solve the North Korean nuclear issue as the UN and the US are pushing for fresh bans against Pyongyang following its recent nuclear test.
• North Korea's Nuclear Test Puts New Pressure on China VOA 12 Sep 2016 -- The U.S. and its allies have responded to North Korea's fifth nuclear test conducted on Friday with calls for new sanctions, but China continues to give off ambiguous signals about whether it will support any further punitive action against its traditional ally.
• People-First Principle Is Life and Soul of WPK KCNA 12 Sep 2016 -- A life and death drive is now under way in the areas along the River Tuman in the northern tip of Korea to recover from the severest natural disaster since the liberation of Korea.
• Rodong Sinmun Editorially Calls for Directing All Efforts to Campaign for Recovering from Flood Damage KCNA 12 Sep 2016 -- It is an intention of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) to direct the main thrust of the 200-day campaign to the campaign for recovering from the flood damage in the northern area of North Hamgyong Province and to turn the area into the fairyland in the era of the Workers' Party within this year by dint of army-people great unity, harmonious whole, says Rodong Sinmun Monday in an editorial.
• North Korea mobilizes after devastating floods kill at least 133 Press TV 12 Sep 2016 -- North Korea is making recovery efforts after a devastating flood hit the northeast of the country, killing at least 133 people.
• Meager Opposition Gains Don't Satisfy Belarus's Opposition - Or Erase Vote Doubts RFE/RL 12 Sep 2016 -- For the first time in 20 years, official election results in Belarus show that candidates who are not allies of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka have won seats in parliament - two seats out of 110, to be exact.
• Belarus' Parliamentary Election More Open, but Still Marred by 'Irregularities' VOA 12 Sep 2016 -- Voters in Belarus went to the polls Sunday in a legislative election marred by the kind of irregularities that have characterized previous ballots in the former Soviet state.
• OSCE Observer Mission Chief Says Belarus Elections Were 'In No Way Free And Fair' RFE/RL 12 Sep 2016 -- The chief of the short-term OSCE observer mission in Belarus says the September 11 parliamentary elections were "in no way free and fair."
• Opposition Walks Out of Election Talks in DRC VOA 12 Sep 2016 -- Opposition parties walked out of talks on elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo Monday, saying their position on the order in which presidential and local elections should be held is non-negotiable. A spokesman for the ruling coalition said the walk-out is a negotiating tactic and the talks are not over.
• White paper hails China's progress in judicial protection of human rights People's Daily 12 Sep 2016 -- A white paper published Monday by the State Council Information Office hailed the new progress made in human rights protection in the field of justice as China enhances the rule of law in all respects.
• Gulf States Express Concern Over US 9/11 Legislation VOA 12 Sep 2016 -- Gulf Arab states have expressed concern over a bill passed by the U.S. Congress that would allow families of the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks to sue the Saudi government for allegedly supporting terrorism.
• Saudi-dominated [P]GCC worried about Sept. 11 legislation Press TV 12 Sep 2016 -- Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies in the Persian Gulf region have expressed dissatisfaction about recent legislation in the US that would enable the families of the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks to lodge complaints against Riyadh and demand reparations over the kingdom's alleged role.
• Saudi king's nephew abruptly resigns from all posts Press TV 12 Sep 2016 -- A nephew of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has abruptly resigned from all his posts, in what could be another sign of the widening rift within the ruling Saudi family.
• China to launch Kuaizhou-11, new generation of quick-response rocket in 2017 People's Daily 12 Sep 2016 -- The newest generation of China's homegrown quick-response rocket is scheduled to enter commercial use in 2017, a scientist with a State-owned space technology enterprise disclosed on Sept. 11.
• In Hong Kong, Government Pressed to Probe Threats Against Councillor VOA 12 Sep 2016 -- More than 70 groups gathered in Hong Kong Sunday to protest threats and intimidation levied against a member of Hong Kong's Legislative Council.
• Taiwan, China conduct repatriations under Kinmen Agreement CNA 12 Sep 2016 -- Taiwan's immigration authorities repatriated eight Chinese nationals from Matsu Monday, based on the Kinmen Agreement, while China handed over three Taiwanese.
• Taiwan continues international participation bids CNA 12 Sep 2016 -- Taiwan will continue its quest for greater participation in international organizations and activities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday, with the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly scheduled to open the following day.