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Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 05 Oct 2016 [PDF]
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by General Anderson via teleconference DoD 05 Oct 2016 -- Presenter: Canadian Armed Forces Brigadier General D.J. Anderson, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve director of partner force development and the ministerial liaison team; Captain Jeff Davis, Director, Defense Press Office
• Coalition, Iraqi Forces to Investigate Strikes South of Mosul AFPS 05 Oct 2016 -- Coalition and Iraqi forces will conduct a joint investigation in the wake of coalition strikes today on a building being used by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials said.
• Mosul's Liberation From ISIL 'Inevitable,' Canadian General Says AFPS 05 Oct 2016 -- The liberation of Mosul, Iraq, from the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant fighters is inevitable, Canadian Armed Forces Brig. Gen. Dave J. Anderson of Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve told Pentagon reporters here today.
• Counter-ISIL Strikes Target Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 05 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.
• U.S. Strike in Yemen Kills 1 Terrorist, Wounds Another AFPS 05 Oct 2016 -- The U.S. military struck an al-Qaida target in the Arabian Peninsula, Sept. 29, in a remote area of Al Baydah Governate, Yemen, killing one terrorist and injuring another, according to a U.S. Central Command news release issued yesterday.
• Thousands fleeing Afghanistan's Kunduz amid fighting Press TV 05 Oct 2016 -- Thousands of people are fleeing Afghanistan's Kunduz as heavy fighting continues between Taliban and government forces around the strategic northern city.
• NATO Secretary General: We will continue to support Afghan security forces NATO 05 Oct 2016 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reaffirmed NATO's commitment to Afghanistan's security upon arrival at the Brussels Conference on Afghanistan on Wednesday (5 October 2016). He stressed that the efforts of the international community to promote Afghanistan's development and NATO's efforts to strengthen security go hand in hand. "Without security there can be no lasting development and without development there can be no lasting security," he said.
• Kerry Urges Taliban To Strike Peace Deal With Kabul RFE/RL 05 Oct 2016 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has urged the Taliban to follow the recent example of an Afghan warlord and strike its own peace deal with the Kabul government.
• More Than $15 Billion Pledged Through 2020 At Afghan Donors Conference RFE/RL 05 Oct 2016 -- Senior officials from world powers attending a donors conference in Brussels have pledged more than $15 billion in aid for Afghanistan during the next four years.
• Afghan Forces Free Kunduz of Taliban, Militants 'Sustain Heavy Losses' Sputnik 05 Oct 2016 -- An attempt by Taliban militants to seize the city of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan failed. The attackers sustained heavy losses and retreated, spokesperson for the Afghan Defense Ministry Dowlat Vaziri said.
• 'Keep Afghanistan on the path towards stability,' Ban tells Brussels Conference UN News 05 Oct 2016 -- Addressing a conference aimed at charting a way forward for conflict-ravaged Afghanistan, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged the international community to sustain its commitment to support the country and its people, while stressing the importance of holding both donors and the Afghan Government accountable for aid effectiveness.
• US Military Conducts Airstrikes in Troubled Afghan City VOA 05 Oct 2016 -- The United States military says it conducted airstrikes in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz Wednesday to defend government forces who are battling resilient Taliban insurgents for a third day in a row.
• Russia Concerned About Afghan Wing of Daesh - Russian Foreign Ministry Sputnik 05 Oct 2016 -- Russia is concerned about emergence of a Daesh wing in Afghanistan, which may result in a wave of migration from Central Asia to Russia, Zamir Kabulov, the Russian Foreign Ministry's director of the Second Asian Department said Friday.
• U.S. Southern Command Supports Caribbean Hurricane Response Efforts AFPS 05 Oct 2016 -- U.S. Southern Command is supporting the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development in delivering and coordinating humanitarian relief to Haiti, which has been hard hit by Hurricane Matthew, Southcom Commander Navy Adm. Kurt W. Tidd told reporters here today.
• National Guard Assists Southeastern States as Hurricane Matthew Approaches AFPS 05 Oct 2016 -- National Guard members in four southeastern states were at the ready today as Hurricane Matthew approached the United States.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Change Coming to Strategic Levels in Military, Dunford Promises AFPS 05 Oct 2016 -- Change is coming at strategic levels in the Defense Department, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the Association of the U.S. Army here today.
• 352nd SOW Delivers Combat Power Anytime, Anyplace AFNS 05 Oct 2016 -- Pre-flight briefs, heavy cargo loads, drop zone statistics, personnel guidance, aircraft and equipment inspections – a few of the many crucial steps it took Airmen from the 352nd Special Operations Wing to execute a Maritime Craft Aerial Delivery System drop Sept. 27, 2016.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Ash Carter's Meeting With Australia's Minister for Defence Marise Payne and Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne DoD 05 Oct 2016
• Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group, Pacific Surface Action Group Link Up in South China Sea NNS 05 Oct 2016 -- The Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group (BHR ESG) joined two guided-missile destroyers from the Pacific Surface Action Group (PAC SAG) for a series of interoperability drills in international waters, Oct. 3-4.
• NMCB 5 Relieves NMCB 4 as Forward Deployed Seabee Battalion NNS 05 Oct 2016 -- Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 5 assumed charge of all Western Pacific Region Naval Construction Force missions during a Relief in Place/Transfer of Authority ceremony at Camp Shields in Okinawa, Oct. 1.
• USS Frank Cable Concludes Vietnam Engagement NNS 05 Oct 2016 -- The submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40) completed a successful technical and good will visit port visit to Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam, Oct. 4.
• Nimitz Begins Sea Trials Following 20-Month EPIA NNS 05 Oct 2016 -- Aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) got underway Oct. 5 for sea trials, following a 20-month Extended Planned Incremental Availability (EPIA) that started February 2015 at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.
• Sortie Condition Alpha Set in Mayport; Ships Get Underway as Hurricane Matthew Approaches NNS 05 Oct 2016 -- Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet (COMUSNAVSO/C4F) ordered U.S. Navy ships in the Mayport area to set Sortie Condition Alpha or Bravo, Oct. 4, as Hurricane Matthew heads toward the Florida coast.
• Joint Declaration for the Export and Subsequent Use of Armed or Strike-Enabled Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) US Dept. of State 05 Oct 2016
• Fact Sheet: Joint Declaration for the Export and Subsequent Use of Armed or Strike-Enabled Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) US Dept. of State 05 Oct 2016 -- Today, the United States joined 44 nations to issue a Joint Declaration for the Export and Subsequent Use of Armed or Strike-Enabled UAVs.
• Locked and Loaded: Russia Develops Unique Reloading Vehicle for MSTA Howitzers Sputnik 05 Oct 2016 -- Russian self-propelled guns (SPG) will soon have the possibility to replenish ammunition with the help of unique support reloading vehicle, newly designed for the Russian military.
• Russia's Kalibr Missile-Armed Ships to Reinforce Mediterranean Group Sputnik 05 Oct 2016 -- Russia will reinforce its Mediterranean naval group with Kalibr-armed vessels.
• Norway Concerned by Modernization of Russia's Armed Forces in Arctic Sputnik 05 Oct 2016 -- Norway's defense chief expressed concern about Russia's military modernization in the Arctic region.
• Seoul to Get Dozens More Bunker-Busting Missiles from US Sputnik 05 Oct 2016 -- South Korea's purchase of Taurus long-range air-to-surface missiles comes only a month after North Korea's September 9 nuclear test, amid frequent ballistic-missile tests by its northern neighbor.
• Anti-THAAD Protesters Rally in Seoul VOA 05 Oct 2016 -- Hundreds of South Koreans who live near the future deployment site of the U.S. THAAD missile defense system staged a protest in Seoul Wednesday.
• Abnormal vibrations in F-16 jet wheel forces Chiayi airport closure CNA 05 Oct 2016 -- An Air Force F-16 jet fighter encountered abnormal vibrations in one of its wheels as it was returning to the Chiayi airport Wednesday morning, forcing the joint civil/military facility to close for about three hours.
• Turkey suspends 500+ military officers over coup Press TV 05 Oct 2016 -- Turkey has suspended more than 500 military staff over their alleged role in the mid-July coup attempt.
• Number of Turkish Soldiers Falls Drastically After Attempted Coup Sputnik 05 Oct 2016 -- The number of army personnel in the Turkish military has been reduced drastically due to a series of dismissals following the failed coup attempt in July, media reported on Wednesday.
• IRGC warns Saudi Navy to keep off Iran waters Press TV 05 Oct 2016 -- The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has issued a stern warning to all military vessels partaking in Saudi Arabia's ongoing wargames in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, noting that any act of transgression into Iran's territorial waters shall be met with an immediate and befitting response.
• October 5, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 05 Oct 2016
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 10/5/2016 The White House 05 Oct 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 05, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 5 October 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 05 Oct 2016
• Yemen resigned president sells foreign exchange reserves to pay salaries Press TV 05 Oct 2016 -- Yemen's President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, who has resigned and fled the capital, has begun to sell the foreign exchange reserves in Aden's central bank following his failure to pay the employees' salaries.
• Top UN relief official meets with key Saudi officials to discuss situation in Yemen UN News 05 Oct 2016 -- Visiting Saudi Arabia, the United Nations humanitarian chief today met with key officials from defense and foreign ministries there to discuss the situation in the neighbouring war-torn country of Yemen.
• Yemen: Security Council strongly condemns attack on vessel by Houthi forces UN News 05 Oct 2016 -- The United Nations Security Council has strongly condemned an attack by Houthi forces on a United Arab Emirates vessel operating near Bab al-Mandeb Strait on 1 October.
• Syria says will ease anti-terror attacks in Aleppo Press TV 05 Oct 2016 -- The Syrian military has announced a decision to scale back its attacks against foreign-backed Takfiri terrorists in Aleppo in a bid to allow a safe passage for civilians out of the embattled northwestern city.
• France Urging Russia, U.S. To Back UN Resolution On Syria Cease-Fire RFE/RL 05 Oct 2016 -- France is attempting to broker the passage of a United Nations Security Council resolution it has drafted for a Syria cease-fire and humanitarian aid deliveries in the embattled city of Aleppo.
• Pence: U.S. 'Should Use Force' In Syria If 'Barbaric' Aleppo Attack Continues RFE/RL 05 Oct 2016 -- Republican Donald Trump's running mate said the United States should use military force against Syrian government targets if Russia continues its "barbaric attack" on Aleppo, in what was one of the talking points of a charged debate with his Democratic opponent that often focused on Russia.
• Ankara Denies Claims Civilians Killed in Turkey's Airstrikes Near Aleppo Sputnik 05 Oct 2016 -- The reports of civilian deaths in a Turkish air force strike near Syrian Aleppo are not true and are a provocation, the general staff of the Turkish armed forces said Wednesday.
• New Satellite Imagery Confirms Extensive Bombing Damage in Aleppo VOA 05 Oct 2016 -- New satellite imagery of heavily bombed eastern Aleppo in northern Syria shows extensive damage to civilian areas since a temporary cease fire broke down on September 18.
• Turkey-Iraq Tensions May Complicate Battle Against IS in Mosul VOA 05 Oct 2016 -- As the operation to retake Mosul from the Islamic State group approaches, tensions between Iraq and Turkey are escalating over Turkey's possible military involvement in the attack.
• Ankara Summons Iraqi Envoy Over Resolution on Turkish Military Presence Sputnik 05 Oct 2016 -- The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the Iraqi ambassador over Baghdad's resolution calling the Turkish troops stationed in a military camp in northern Iraq an occupying force, a spokesperson from the ministry told RIA Novosti Wednesday.
• Plans Take Shape for Iraqi Assault on Mosul VOA 05 Oct 2016 -- Iraqi troops are gearing up to retake the city of Mosul from Islamic State, in an assault expected to begin later this month. Officials of the U.S.-led coalition assisting Iraq say up to 45,000 troops will be needed to keep Mosul secure after it is recaptured.
• 'Sad of state affairs' in Iraq as last month's surge in violence leaves more casualties - UN UN News 05 Oct 2016 -- The United Nations in Iraq has reported that civilians continue to bear the brunt of the conflict in the country, with a more than 28 per cent spike in fatalities and a 17 per cent increase in injuries from August to September this year.
• Iraqi PM Tells Mosul Residents Liberation Approaching VOA 05 Oct 2016 -- Tension between Iraq and Turkey rose a notch Wednesday after a warning by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi that the presence of Turkish troops in the north of the country risked provoking a larger regional confrontation. The growing spat came as military efforts to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul intensified.
• Colombia extends ceasefire with FARC to save deal Press TV 05 Oct 2016 -- Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos has announced the extension of a ceasefire with the main rebel group in the country in an attempt to save a peace deal that has been signed with the group but been rejected as too lenient by a narrow majority of Colombians in a referendum.
• Secretary Kerry's Phone Call With Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos US Dept. of State 05 Oct 2016
• Israeli fighter jet crash-lands after Gaza Strip bombing run Press TV 05 Oct 2016 -- An Israeli fighter jet pilot has died after his plane crash-landed while returning from a bombing raid on the besieged Gaza Strip.
• US condemns Israel's plan for new settlement Press TV 05 Oct 2016 -- The United States censures Israel's new plans to construct more illegal settlements in the occupied lands of Palestine.
• Israeli navy intercepts boat en route to Gaza Press TV 05 Oct 2016 -- Israeli navy has intercepted a boat transporting female international activists to the besieged Gaza Strip.
• Israeli airstrikes, tank fire hit besieged Gaza Strip Press TV 05 Oct 2016 -- Israeli airstrikes and tank shells have pounded the besieged Gaza Strip after an alleged rocket attack from the Palestinian coastal sliver targeted the occupied territories.
• Approval of New West Bank Settlement US Dept. of State 05 Oct 2016 -- Press Statementby Mark C. Toner, Deputy Department Spokesperson

News Reports

• Maryland Man Charged With Removal of Classified Materials and Theft of Government Property US Department of Justice 05 Oct 2016 -- A criminal complaint has been filed charging Harold Thomas Martin III, 51, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, with theft of government property and unauthorized removal and retention of classified materials by a government employee or contractor.
• Second Snowden? Feds Arrest NSA Contractor For Stealing Classified Data Sputnik 05 Oct 2016 -- According to the New York Times, the contractor, who worked for the same company as Edward Snowden, was arrested for stealing highly-classified 'source codes' developed by the NSA to hack foreign government systems.
• FBI Arrests NSA Contractor for Allegedly Stealing Computer Codes VOA 05 Oct 2016 -- A National Security Agency contractor has been arrested and is being investigated for taking "highly classified" information, according to a statement by the Department of Justice.
• Yahoo secretly scanned users' emails for US intelligence agencies Press TV 05 Oct 2016 -- A report says the US Internet giant Yahoo scanned hundreds of millions of users' emails in 2015 at the request of US intelligence agencies.
• Yahoo Denies Accusations of Scanning Users Emails at Request of US Intelligence Sputnik 05 Oct 2016 -- Reports on Yahoo scanning all customers' emails for information at the request of US intelligence agencies are false, a Yahoo statement obtained by Sputnik on Wednesday said.
• U.S. Says Russia's Suspension Of Weapons-Grade Plutonium Deal 'Big Mistake' RFE/RL 05 Oct 2016 -- The United States has called Russia's decision to suspend a cooperative program that commits the two countries to eliminating parts of their weapon-grade plutonium stocks "a big mistake."
• Kremlin Deplores Use Of 'Russia Card' In U.S. Presidential Campaign RFE/RL 05 Oct 2016 -- The Kremlin says it is unhappy with frequent references to Russia and President Vladimir Putin in the U.S. presidential campaign.
• Has The Kremlin Found A Successor To Ramzan Kadyrov? RFE/RL 05 Oct 2016 -- Two recent developments cast a pall over Ramzan Kadyrov's inauguration on October 5 - his 40th birthday - for a third consecutive term as Chechnya's leader.
• Police chief confirms IS target name list, says authenticity is low CNA 05 Oct 2016 -- Taiwan's National Police Agency (NPA) general director has confirmed that there is a name-list of Taiwanese nationals who have been listed by Islamic State (IS) as targets for abduction, but said it has no concrete evidence to prove the authenticity of the list.
• Gulen mulls fleeing US to avoid extradition: Turkish minister Press TV 05 Oct 2016 -- Turkey's justice minister says intelligence shows that Pennsylvania-based opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is blamed for the mid-July failed coup, is seeking to flee the US following Ankara's request for his extradition.
• Iran interested in cooperating with NASA ISNA 05 Oct 2016 -- Head of the Iranian space agency Mohsen Bahrami said Iran is interested and ready to cooperate with NASA.
• Iran to develop 4 oil fields based on new contract model IRNA 05 Oct 2016 -- Iran is to develop four of its oil fields using models based on new oil contracts (IPC). This is the first time the Iranian Petroleum Ministry is using the IPC for its projects.
• Velayati rules out Iranian involvement in any conflict abroad IRNA 05 Oct 2016 -- Head of the Strategic Research Center of the Expediency Council Ali-Akbar Velayati said on Wednesday that the Islamic Republic of Iran is not directly involved in any conflict in other countries.
• South Korean media report 'North Korean defections' Press TV 05 Oct 2016 -- South Korean media say North Korean embassy officials stationed in China have defected, claiming that the incident was the latest in a series of alleged defections by North Korean officials.
• Portugal's Guterres to Be Next UN Chief VOA 05 Oct 2016 -- Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres was unofficially selected Wednesday as the next U.N. secretary-general. He was expected to be officially endorsed in the coming days.
• Philippine president threatens to 'break up' with US People's Daily 05 Oct 2016 -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Tuesday that he would "eventually" cut ties with the United States.
• UN food relief agency to scale up emergency operations in southern Madagascar UN News 05 Oct 2016 -- Following a visit to Madagascar, the Executive Director of the United Nations' food relief agency has announced plans to scale up humanitarian operations in response to rising levels of hunger and malnutrition as a third consecutive year of drought deepens the suffering of hundreds of thousands of people in the south of the island nation.
• DRC Opposition Takes Hard Line Against Kabila Extending Term VOA 05 Oct 2016 -- The Democratic Republic of Congo's main opposition coalition, Le Rassemblement, on Tuesday announced the conclusion of a two-week conclave. Among agenda items was their response to President Joseph Kabila's intention to stay in power beyond the end of his second term and a clarification of the platform's position on talks it has so far boycotted.
• Zimbabwe Opposition Takes Street Ban Appeal to Supreme Court VOA 05 Oct 2016 -- A day after a lower court in Zimbabwe upheld a month-long ban on anti-government street protests, opposition and civil society groups are appealing the decision to the country's highest judicial body, the Supreme Court.