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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 03 Oct 2016 [PDF]
• Counter-ISIL Strikes Hit Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 03 Oct 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.
• US military targets senior al-Qaeda leader in Syria Press TV 03 Oct 2016 -- The US military has targeted a "prominent" al-Qaeda leader in an airstrike in Syria, the Pentagon says, amid reports that one of the terror group's senior commanders was killed near the Idlib province.
• USS Ross supports OIR with French Strike Group NNS 03 Oct 2016 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) is providing multi-warfare defense support to Charles de Gaulle carrier strike group in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea Sep. 30, conducting operations against identified ISIL positions in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
• Statement by Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook on Strike against Al-Qaeda Leader DoD 03 Oct 2016 -- U.S. forces conducted an airstrike today near Idlib, Syria, targeting Egyptian national Abu al-Farai al-Masri, aka Ahmad Salamah Mabruk, one of Al-Qaeda in Syria's most senior leaders and a legacy Al-Qaeda terrorist who previously had ties to Osama bin Laden.
• Afghan troops fight Taliban to retake Kunduz Press TV 03 Oct 2016 -- Afghan officials say army troops have regained control of most of the northern city of Kunduz city a day after Taliban militants pushed to the city center.
• Taliban militants enter northern Afghan city of Kunduz Press TV 03 Oct 2016 -- Taliban militants have reached the center of the Afghan city of Kunduz following fierce clashes with government forces, which broke out earlier in the day.
• Taliban militants launch major attack on Afghanistan's Kunduz Press TV 03 Oct 2016 -- Taliban militants in Afghanistan have launched a major attack on Kunduz one year after briefly seizing control of the strategic northeastern city.
• Taliban Overruns Territory in New Afghan Offensives VOA 03 Oct 2016 -- Taliban insurgents are said to have overrun sizable territory in the key northern Afghan city of Kunduz, after staging a predawn multipronged offensive.
• Powerful blast kills 6 in northern Afghanistan Press TV 03 Oct 2016 -- At least six people have been killed in a powerful explosion that rocked a mountainous region in Afghanistan's northern Jawzjan Province.
• "One of the important things for the success of our effort is real commitment from the international community" - UN envoy for Afghanistan Tadamichi Yamamoto UN News 03 Oct 2016 -- From a decades-long conflict which has seen an ever-growing number of civilians killed to rooting out corruption among government bodies, Afghanistan has been facing a range of challenges with the international community's assistance – and many of these topics will be discussed at a gathering in the Belgian capital of Brussels on Wednesday, 4 October.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Pentagon paid UK firm $540mn to make fake Iraq terrorist videos Press TV 03 Oct 2016 -- The US military paid a UK PR firm over half a billion dollars in the wake of the 2003 Iraq invasion to create fake terrorist videos in a covert operation probably launched to prolong its occupation, an investigation has revealed.
• Improvised Threats Organization Becomes Part of Defense Threat Reduction Agency AFPS 03 Oct 2016 -- On Sept. 30 the Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Agency, originally a task force known as the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, became part of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, according to a defense official.
• Wildcard Detachment Completes Deployment in 7th , 5th , 3rd Fleet AORs NNS 03 Oct 2016 -- The "Wildcards" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23, Detachment 1, returned home to Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island, Sept. 11, after a seven-month deployment in the Persian Gulf and Western Pacific on board Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4).
• New Bahrain Barracks to Save Millions Spent On Off-Base Housing NNS 03 Oct 2016 -- Naval Support Activity Bahrain officially opened new barracks on Thursday that could save up to a million dollars a month currently being spent on off-base housing.
• Roosevelt Visits Eilat, Israel NNS 03 Oct 2016 -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt (DDG 80), stopped in Eilat, Israel for a scheduled liberty port visit, Sept. 10-14.
• Sri Lanka Navy Assists USS Hopper with MEDEVAC NNS 03 Oct 2016 -- Guided-missile destroyer USS Hopper (DDG 70) was assisted by the Sri Lanka navy in an emergency medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) Sept. 30 to help a Sailor in need of medical attention.
• USS Bulkeley Highlights Versatility During Back-to-Back Exercises NNS 03 Oct 2016 -- On the heels of international anti-submarine exercise, Cutlass Fury 16 (CF16), guided-missile destroyer USS Bulkeley (DDG 84) continues to strengthen our network of partners by participating in multi-national exercise Frontier Sentinel 16 (FS16), Sept. 26-28.
• US, S Korea Stage Military Exercise to Train Strike on North's Nuclear Assets Sputnik 03 Oct 2016 -- A US-South Korean military drill to train a preemptive attack on North Korea is set to begin in Alaska on Monday.
• NATO Deputy Secretary General discusses risk reduction and military transparency at OSCE conference NATO 03 Oct 2016 -- NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow outlined key steps needed to strengthen the Euro-Atlantic security system in a speech at the OSCE Security Days conference in Vienna on Monday (3 October 2015). Participating in a panel discussion on 'Preventing and Managing Close Military Encounters in Times of Crisis', Ambassador Vershbow stressed the importance of modernising the Vienna Document on military transparency.
• Putin Suspends U.S.-Russia Plutonium Deal, Blaming NATO, Sanctions, Magnitsky Act RFE/RL 03 Oct 2016 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has suspended a 16-year-old deal that called for reducing some of Russia's and the United States' stockpiles of weapons-grade plutonium, citing "Washington's unfriendly actions toward Russia."
• Putin Orders Suspension of Plutonium Cleanup Program with US VOA 03 Oct 2016 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree Monday suspending an agreement with the United States on disposing of weapons-grade plutonium.
• Russian FM says suspension of plutonium disposal deal, warning to US Press TV 03 Oct 2016 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says his country's suspension of a pact with the US on the disposal of weapons-grade plutonium is a signal to Washington that it should not use the language of force with Moscow.
• Rodong Sinmun on Country's Nuclear Force KCNA 03 Oct 2016 -- It is the firm faith and iron will of the Korean people to defend the sovereignty of the country and valuable peace and usher in a new era of national prosperity by dint of self-defensive capabilities with the nuclear force as a pivot, Rodong Sinmun Monday says in a commentary, and goes on:
• Turkey Tests Missile Defense System to Blunt IS Attacks VOA 03 Oct 2016 -- Turkey is in the final stages of a developing a new missile defense system to prevent rocket attacks on its cities by the Islamic State, Turkey's defense minister says.
• October 3, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 03 Oct 2016
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 10/3/2016 The White House 03 Oct 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 03, 2016
• French Firm Dassault Chooses India's Reliance Group in Rafale Aircraft Deal Sputnik 03 Oct 2016 -- Following the signing of an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with India, Dassault Aviation was required to choose an Indian partner for investing a half the amount of $8.7 bln Rafale deal under Offset Clause.

Other Conflicts

• 3 October 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 03 Oct 2016
• Yemeni missile 'targets Saudi military base' Press TV 03 Oct 2016 -- Yemeni forces have targeted a military camp in Saudi Arabia's extreme southwest in a missile attack.
• At least 22 killed in Daesh bombing attack on wedding in Syria's Hasakah Press TV 03 Oct 2016 -- At least 22 people have been killed in a Daesh bomb attack on a wedding in the northeastern Syrian province of Hasakah, says a UK-based monitoring group.
• Suspension of Participation in Bilateral Channels With Russia Established to Sustain the Cessation of Hostilities in Syria US Dept. of State 03 Oct 2016 -- The United States is suspending its participation in bilateral channels with Russia that were established to sustain the Cessation of Hostilities.
• US Suspends Talks With Russia Over Syria VOA 03 Oct 2016 -- Declaring its patience with Russia has run out, the United States on Monday suspended Syria cease-fire talks with Moscow, citing continued military attacks against civilian targets in the war-torn Middle Eastern country.
• State Dept: Washington Halts Bilateral Contact With Moscow Over Syria Sputnik 03 Oct 2016 -- According to the US State Department, the US has officially stopped all bilateral contact with Russia on Syria.
• US suspends negotiations with Russia over Syria ceasefire Press TV 03 Oct 2016 -- The United States has suspended negotiations with Russia on reviving a failed ceasefire in Syria amid heightened tensions over the embattled city of Aleppo.
• Russia airstrikes on Syria terrorists 'highly effective', Moscow says Press TV 03 Oct 2016 -- Russia has underlined that its aerial campaign in Syria against positions of foreign-backed terrorists has been "highly effective," dismissing allegations that its bombings over the militant-held city of Aleppo amounted to war crimes.
• 2 killed as bomb attacks hit Syrian city of Hama Press TV 03 Oct 2016 -- At least two bombers have detonated their explosives in the city of Hama in northwest Syria, killing two people and injuring a dozen more.
• Syrian army soldiers, allies recapture more districts in Aleppo Press TV 03 Oct 2016 -- Syrian government forces have managed to gain more ground against foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants in the strategic northwestern city of Aleppo.
• 'Bunker-buster' bombs in eastern Aleppo mean children not even safe underground, UN experts warn UN News 03 Oct 2016 -- The killing and maiming of children in eastern Aleppo by the Syrian Government and its allies is not only a brutal abdication of international human rights obligations, it will have a long-lasting impact on the young victims for generations to come, United Nations child rights experts warned today.
• Multiple bomb blasts claim lives of at least 15 civilians in Baghdad Press TV 03 Oct 2016 -- A string of bomb explosions has struck the Shia-majority areas of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, killing at least 15 people and wounding 40 others, security sources say.
• No Turkish forces allowed in Mosul operation: Iraqi Foreign Ministry Press TV 03 Oct 2016 -- Iraq says Turkish forces will not be allowed to participate in military operations aimed at liberating Mosul, an Iraqi city that Daesh has declared as its so-called headquarters.
• Libyan Military Kill 80 Daesh Militants in City of Sirte Sputnik 03 Oct 2016 -- Libya's military eliminated 80 Daesh militants in the city of Sirte.
• 20 PKK militants killed in clashes with Turkish forces in southeast Press TV 03 Oct 2016 -- Twenty militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) have been killed in fresh clashes with Turkish forces in the country's mainly Kurdish-populated southeast.
• FARC peace deal crushed by Colombian voters Press TV 03 Oct 2016 -- Voters in Colombia have blasted all hopes for a peace deal between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group.
• Colombia: "No" Vote on FARC Government Peace Deal US Dept. of State 03 Oct 2016 -- The United States commends the Government and people of Colombia for the democratic process held yesterday and recognizes that difficult decisions are going to have to be taken in the days ahead.
• As Colombian voters reject peace deal, Ban pledges UN support as country seeks way forward UN News 03 Oct 2016 -- In the wake of a referendum that defeated the peace accord signed by the President of Colombia and the country's largest rebel group just days ago, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon commended the parties for their determination, saying he believed peace could still be achieved and that all Colombians who had committed to ending the 50-year conflict should not be discouraged.
• Colombian Leaders Try to Revive Peace Deal After Stunning Referendum Defeat VOA 03 Oct 2016 -- Political leaders in Colombia are looking for a way forward after voters unexpectedly rejected a peace deal with leftist FARC rebels that would have ended a 52-year-old war.
• New Fighting, Displacement Show Limits of Myanmar Peace Process VOA 03 Oct 2016 -- Ethnic activists and community leaders from northern and southeastern Myanmar have condemned recent outbreaks of fighting, large-scale civilian displacement and alleged rights abuses in their areas.
• Turkey's Aegean Border Revision Claims Against International Law Sputnik 03 Oct 2016 -- Attempts by Turkey to seek to revise the country's borders with Greece are contradictory to international law and are unacceptable in Europe, the Greek Foreign Ministry said.

News Reports

• Two U.S. Diplomats Drugged In St. Petersburg Last Year, Deepening Washington's Concern RFE/RL 03 Oct 2016 -- Two U.S. officials traveling with diplomatic passports were drugged while attending a conference in Russia last year, and one of them was hospitalized, in what officials have concluded was part of a wider, escalating pattern of harassment of U.S. diplomats by Russia.
• Turkey Extending State of Emergency Another 3 Months: Government VOA 03 Oct 2016 -- The Turkish government says the state of emergency that went into effect following the failed coup on July 15 will be extended another three months, beginning October 19. Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus spoke to reporters Monday following a Cabinet meeting.
• Turkey extends state of emergency for 3 more months Press TV 03 Oct 2016 -- Turkey has extended for another three months a state of emergency imposed across the country after an abortive coup in mid-July.
• Turkey slams EU for not keeping promise on refugee aid Press TV 03 Oct 2016 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has slammed the European Union for failing to pay the promised three billion euros in aid to Ankara as part of the deal they signed in March to contain the refugee influx in Europe.
• India Adopts More Assertive Posture With Pakistan VOA 03 Oct 2016 -- The latest dispute between archrivals India and Pakistan centers on whether the Indian army took out several suspected terror camps just across the volatile border in Kashmir. While India claims its special forces carried out preemptive "surgical strikes" last week, Islamabad is adamant that they did not cross the line of control into Pakistan.
• Maryland Man Charged With Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIL for Plan to Kill U.S. Military Member US Dept. of Justice 03 Oct 2016 -- Nelash Mohamed Das, 24, a citizen of Bangladesh residing in Hyattsville, Maryland, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization, in connection with a plan to kill a U.S. military member.
• Scandal-hit Brazilian parties suffer major defeat in local elections Press TV 03 Oct 2016 -- Brazil's leftist Workers' Party (PT), whose officials have been caught in the massive Petrobras scandal, has suffered a major blow in municipal elections in the country's biggest city, Sao Paulo.
• Philippines Eyeing Aid Windfall From Diplomacy Shift VOA 03 Oct 2016 -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is rebalancing his foreign policy away from old ally the United States to former U.S. Cold War foes China and Russia, in a move that may generate a windfall of aid for the developing Southeast Asian country.
• Bahrain court refuses to grant Sheikh Salman freedom Press TV 03 Oct 2016 -- A court in Bahrain has turned down a request to grant freedom to distinguished Shia cleric Sheikh Ali Salman.
• Hungarian PM Declares 'Victory' Despite Low Referendum Turnout VOA 03 Oct 2016 -- Headlines in Hungary's newspapers on Monday read "The Referendum has Failed" and "The Country has said No."
• Bosnian Elections A Triumph For Nationalist Parties RFE/RL 03 Oct 2016 -- It was not about "the economy, stupid." It was not about jobs. It was not about general impoverishment. It was about identity. The three nationalist parties - Bosnian Muslim, Serb, and Croat - are the clear winners of the Bosnian local elections.
• Kersti Kaljulaid Elected First Female President of Estonia – Election Results Sputnik 03 Oct 2016 -- Kersti Kaljulaid was elected Estonia's first female president on Monday in voting that saw the Baltic country's representative in the European Court of Auditors as the only candidate.
• 3 Days of Mourning in Ethiopia Following Deadly Stampede at Festival VOA 03 Oct 2016 -- Ethiopians began observing three days of mourning Monday, one day after a celebration known as Irreecha, marking the end of the rainy season, left at least 52 people dead in the restive Oromiya region. The trouble happened during a police confrontation with anti-government protesters.