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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 25 Nov 2016 [PDF]
• Military Strikes Continue Against ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 25 Nov 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.
• Update: air strikes against Daesh UK MOD 25 Nov 2016 -- British forces have continued to conduct air operations in the fight against Daesh
• Germany Mulls Moving Anti-Daesh Operations Base From Turkey to Jordan Sputnik 25 Nov 2016 -- Germany military officials will travel to Jordan's capital Amman this weekend to investigate a possible relocation of Tornado spy jets from southern Turkey, sources told a German newspaper on Friday.
• Tunisian president confirms presence of US drones on Libyan border Press TV 25 Nov 2016 -- Tunisia's President Beji Caid Essebsi has confirmed that the US is operating spy drones over the Tunisian border with Libya, in an admission likely to cause controversy.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Royal Navy Leads US Task Force 50 for First Time NNS 25 Nov 2016 -- Royal Navy Commodore Andrew Burns, commander of Amphibious Task Group embarked on the U.K.'s premier naval warship, HMS Ocean (L 12), took command of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command's Task Force (CTF) 50 in the Arabian Gulf, Nov. 25.
• NATO and EU press ahead with cooperation on cyber defence NATO 25 Nov 2016 -- Against a backdrop of increasingly complex cyber threats, senior officials from NATO and the European Union (EU) met today (25 November 2016) to discuss the next practical steps in NATO-EU cooperation on cyber defence.
• Russian Foreign Ministry Denies Rumors of Military Buildup in Abkhazia Sputnik 25 Nov 2016 -- The Russian Foreign Ministry denied on Friday media reports of alleged Russian military buildup in Abkhazia.
• Share of Advanced Weapons in Russian Army to Exceed 50% by 2017 Sputnik 25 Nov 2016 -- The percentage of the Russian Armed Forces' advanced hardware will exceed 50 percent by 2017, the defense minister said.
• Russia's National Guard Director Sets Out Priorities for 2017 Sputnik 25 Nov 2016 -- Director Viktor Zolotov issued instructions on Friday to finalize the establishment of the agency's territorial system in 2017.
• UK Royal Navy Warship Towed Back to Port After Two Days at Sea Sputnik 25 Nov 2016 -- A UK Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer has been towed back into port just two days after it sailed, following a total propulsion failure while taking part in NATO exercises.
• Singapore's armored vehicles seized by Hong Kong customs People's Daily 25 Nov 2016 -- Singapore's defense ministry has confirmed that the armored vehicles and military equipment currently being held by Hong Kong customs belong to Singapore's armed forces, according to a report on the website Lianhe Zaobao.
• Senior Chinese military official visits Djibouti People's Daily 25 Nov 2016 -- A senior Chinese military official has visited a Chinese command ship being resupplied in Djibouti, along with soldiers and officers in the African country to support the construction of a supply facility.
• India's First BVR Missile Astra on Verge of Commercial Production Sputnik 25 Nov 2016 -- The successful public firing of the home-made missile has set the stage for its commercial production from next year. The Astra will replace some of the French, Russian and Israeli air to air missiles.
• Chinese Maritime Overtures to Bangladesh Makes India Wary Sputnik 25 Nov 2016 -- Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar will visit Dhaka at an awkward time in bilateral ties after Bangladesh accepted a generous aid offer including submarines from China.
• Seoul-Tokyo Intelligence Deal Raises Fears in South Korea VOA 25 Nov 2016 -- A landmark Japan-South Korea military pact is drawing complaints from opponents in Seoul, who are protesting the deal and how quickly it was arranged.
• Iran, Pakistan vow to enhance naval cooperation IRNA 25 Nov 2016 -- Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces in a meeting with Pakistan Naval Chief stressed enhancement of cooperation between the two countries' naval forces.
• Iran escorted over 3,800 ships in Gulf of Aden: Navy chief Press TV 25 Nov 2016 -- Iran's Navy chief says its forces have escorted 3,844 commercial ships to ensure their safe passage in the Gulf of Aden, where pirates are active.
• Japan to Launch First Military Communications Satellite on January 24 Sputnik 25 Nov 2016 -- The Japanese Ministry of Defense plans to launch the Kirameki-2 satellite that will be one of three military satellites, which will replace the civil analogues that are currently used for communication between Japan's military units.
• Egypt deploys pilots to boost Syrian anti-terror fight: Paper Press TV 25 Nov 2016 -- Egypt has reportedly sent 18 helicopter pilots to Syria to support the war-torn Arab nation in its fight against terrorism, and mulls more deployments to the same end early next year.
• Russia protests Ukraine's planned missile drill over Crimea Press TV 25 Nov 2016 -- Russia has lambasted Ukraine's "unilateral decision" to carry out training launches of missiles over the Crimean Peninsula, saying Kiev's military exercise will be a violation of Russia's sovereign airspace.
• Europe States Call to Renew Conventional Arms Control as Existing Treaties Fail Sputnik 25 Nov 2016 -- Fourteen European countries' top diplomats called for relaunching conventional arms control to prop up stability and peace on the continent.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for November 25, 2016

Other Conflicts

• Yemeni retaliatory attacks leave three Saudi soldiers dead Press TV 25 Nov 2016 -- Yemeni army soldiers, backed by fighters from allied Popular Committees, have reportedly launched two separate attacks against Saudi border guards in the kingdom's southwestern border region of Asir, leaving three soldiers dead.
• Turkey Plans Military Base in Northern Syria - SDF Representative Sputnik 25 Nov 2016 -- A representative of the Army of Revolutionaries, part of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said that Turkey is planning to build a military base in northern Syria on territory captured during the ongoing Euphrates Shield operation.
• Turkish warplanes launch airstrikes on Syrian city of al-Bab Press TV 25 Nov 2016 -- Turkish warplanes have carried out a series of airstrikes on the Syrian city of al-Bab in yet another blatant act of aggression against the sovereignty of the Arab state.
• More Casualties Reported Among Turkish Soldiers In Syria RFE/RL 25 Nov 2016 -- One Turkish soldier has been killed and five others sustained light injuries in clashes with Islamic State (IS) extremist group in northern Syria, the Turkish army has said in a statement.
• Turkish Air Force Hits 7 Daesh Targets in Northern Syria - General Staff Sputnik 25 Nov 2016 -- General Staff said that Turkey carried out airstrikes against the Daesh extremist group near the northern Syrian city of Al Bab, hitting seven targets.
• Ankara Warns Against Airstrikes on Turkish Troops in Syria - Prime Minister Sputnik 25 Nov 2016 -- Turkey warns against the repeat of Thursday's airstrike against Turkish troops in Syria, the country's prime minister, Binali Yildirim, said Friday.
• UN refugee agency steps up support as winter bites for displaced in Iraq and Syria UN News 25 Nov 2016 -- With winter approaching and temperatures falling, the United Nations refugee agency is preparing to open more camps and increase life-saving assistance to support the nearly 15 million people displaced by fighting in Iraq and Syria.
• Syrian army destroys terrorist tunnel near Damascus Press TV 25 Nov 2016 -- Syrian government forces have discovered and destroyed a long tunnel burrowed deep underground and used by foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants during a counter-terrorism operation on the outskirts of the capital, Damascus.
• Syrian Army Less Than Two Miles Away From Al-Bab City Seized by Daesh Sputnik 25 Nov 2016 -- The Syrian army is three kilometers (1.86 miles) away from the northern Syrian city of al-Bab, seized by the Daesh terrorist group, the Al-Mayadeen TV channel reported on Friday.
• Syrian Army Conducting Major Offensive Against Militants to North-East of Aleppo Sputnik 25 Nov 2016 -- Three quarters of Bustan al-Basha neighborhood to the north-east of Syria's Aleppo are under control of the Syrian government forces after the launch of large-scale offensive against extremist groups, according to militia source.
• Syrian Army Liberates 80% of Territory of Terrorist Stronghold in Eastern Aleppo Sputnik 25 Nov 2016 -- According to media reports, Syrian army achieved significant success in its offensive in the Masaken Hanano district, an important stronghold of insurgents in eastern Aleppo.
• Russian Military Experts Prove Mustard Gas Used in Attack on Aleppo Civilians Sputnik 25 Nov 2016 -- Russian military experts say they have found proof of the use of mustard gas by militants against civilians in the Syrian province of Aleppo.
• Russian military finds mustard gas attack trace in Aleppo Press TV 25 Nov 2016 -- The Russian military's chemical warfare defense unit has once again found traces of chemical arms used by foreign-backed militants against civilians in Syria's northwestern province of Aleppo.
• Thousands of Syrians Stranded Near Border With Jordan Receiving Aid VOA 25 Nov 2016 -- As freezing temperatures start to bite in the war-torn Middle East region, tens of thousands of Syrian refugees, stranded along the Syrian side of the border with Jordan, have been thrown a lifeline by the Hashemite Kingdom.
• UN Opens Two New Refugee Camps as More Iraqis Flee Fighting in Mosul Sputnik 25 Nov 2016 -- The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)opened two more camps for thousands of Iraqis forced to flee the city of Mosul, while three of the six UNHCR-operated camps were already full, according to agency spokesman Matthew Saltmarsh.
• Boko Haram hindering aid to refugees in Cameroon, UN says Press TV 25 Nov 2016 -- The United Nations says the Boko Haram Takfiri terrorists are hindering relief operations meant for tens of thousands of Nigerian refugees living in dire conditions in northern Cameroon.
• Boko Haram Refugees Find No Shelter in Remote Northern Cameroon VOA 25 Nov 2016 -- The U.N. refugee agency reports that thousands of Nigerian refugees massed along a remote border area in northern Cameroon are living in dire conditions, with little in the way of shelter and basic necessities.
• Lebanese army arrests senior Daesh commander, 10 aides in border raid Press TV 25 Nov 2016 -- Lebanese military forces have arrested a high-profile member of the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group along with 10 other militants during a mop-up operation in the northeastern town of Arsal on the border with conflict-plagued Syria.
• India's Modi says will cut water supply to Pakistan Press TV 25 Nov 2016 -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi says his administration is "committed" to cutting the water supply to Pakistan amid an escalation of tensions between the two nuclear neighbors.
• 8 Egyptian soldiers dead as car bomb hits restive Sinai Peninsula Press TV 25 Nov 2016 -- At least eight Egyptian soldiers have lost their lives when a group of unidentified armed men launched an attack against a military checkpoint in the country's restive Sinai Peninsula.
• Japan Finds Russia's Deployment of Missiles on Kurils Unacceptable Sputnik 25 Nov 2016 -- Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary said that Tokyo voiced protest to Moscow over the deployment of missile systems to the southern Kuril Islands.
• Central African Republic: UN envoy calls for protecting civilians as scores killed in ethnic violence UN News 25 Nov 2016 -- Condemning the recent outbreak of ethnic violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) that has killed scores of people, the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide has called for an immediate end to the hostilities and urged the authorities to take urgent measures to protect the population from further violence, regardless of their ethnicity or political affiliation.
• UN, global community back efforts of Somalia's electoral bodies to ensure credible, legitimate polls UN News 25 Nov 2016 -- The United Nations and other members of the international community have commended the efforts of Somalia's electoral bodies to ensure a credible and legitimate electoral process and supported the bodies' decisions to disqualify candidates who engaged in corruption, intimidation and manipulation in the ongoing parliamentary elections.

News Reports

• Trump's Transition Team Split on Secretary of State Choice VOA 25 Nov 2016 -- Disagreements among members of President-elect Donald Trump's transition team about who should serve as his secretary of state have left the future national security role open until those differences can be resolved.
• Trump Embraces Unpredictability as Foreign Policy Strategy VOA 25 Nov 2016 -- As a presidential candidate, Donald Trump repeatedly stressed the need for the president to be unpredictable when it comes to foreign policy. It seems he has succeeded.
• Syrian Opposition Member Says New Constitution Discussed With Trump's Son Sputnik 25 Nov 2016 -- Randa Kassis, the chair of the Syrian opposition Movement of the Pluralistic Society, told Sputnik that she had discussed a new Syrian constitution during her October meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump's son.
• China academics expect Trump to pursue 'hegemony' in Asia Press TV 25 Nov 2016 -- An influential government think tank in China says the US will not disengage from Asia and the South China Sea under President-elect Donald Trump and will continue to seek "regional hegemony."
• Hollande: French Police Prevented 'Large-Scale' Attack Planned for December 1 Sputnik 25 Nov 2016 -- French intelligence services and police managed to foil terrorist attack planned for December 1, according to French President Francois Hollande.
• IS Planned Attack on Paris-area Security Targets: Prosecutor VOA 25 Nov 2016 -- The Paris prosecutor says France has avoided an imminent terrorist attack, and five recently arrested suspects received their orders from the so-called Islamic State group. The men allegedly had been planning to strike targets near the capital next week.
• Australia's Most Wanted Daesh Recruiter Arrested by Turkish Authorities Sputnik 25 Nov 2016 -- Australia's most wanted Daesh operative and recruiter, Neil Prakash, was arrested in Turkey, media reported Friday, citing officials.
• Experts Urge Southeast Asian Leaders to Gauge Threat from Regional, Returning IS Supporters VOA 25 Nov 2016 -- Hundreds of fighters from Southeast Asia have traveled to Syria and Iraq to join the Islamic State (IS) militant group, and security analysts say they are tracking growing links between the terrorist organization and regional militant groups.
• Ankara reinstates 6,007 teachers suspended after coup Press TV 25 Nov 2016 -- Turkey has reinstated more than 6,000 teachers suspended in the government's crackdown following the abortive coup of July 15.
• Erdogan threatens EU with refugee flood Press TV 25 Nov 2016 -- Turkey's President Rejeb Tayyip Erdogan has accused the EU of dishonesty and betrayal and threatened to flood Europe with hundreds of thousands of refugees.
• Turkey slams EU for 'insignificant' vote on accession talks Press TV 25 Nov 2016 -- Turkish officials have strongly condemned a recent decision by the European Parliament to shelve accession negotiations with the Ankara government over the large-scale crackdown in the aftermath of the failed mid-July coup.
• Turkey Warns It Could Open Gates To Migrants If Pushed By EU RFE/RL 25 Nov 2016 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that Turkey could throw open its borders to illegal migrants heading to Europe, a day after the European Parliament voted for a temporary halt to EU membership talks with Ankara.
• Erdogan Vows to Let Refugees Into EU if Brussels Continues Anti-Turkey Policy Sputnik 25 Nov 2016 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened on Friday to open the country's borders for refugees to cross into Europe if the European Union continued its anti-Turkey policies.
• Erdogan: Turkey to Open Border if EU Continues its Threats VOA 25 Nov 2016 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned the European Union on Friday that if it continued to threaten his country, he would allow hundreds of thousands of migrants to flood into EU countries.
• Kim Jong Un Inspects Headquarters of Large Combined Unit 380 of KPA KCNA 25 Nov 2016 -- Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army (KPA) Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK, inspected the Headquarters of Large Combined Unit 380 of the KPA.
• China backs 'further response' to DPRK nuclear test People's Daily 25 Nov 2016 -- Beijing supports the United Nations Security Council in "making a further response" to the latest and largest nuclear test conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in September, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday.
• DPR Korea: With victims' suffering 'enormous,' urgent solution needed - UN rights expert UN News 25 Nov 2016 -- Wrapping up a 10-day visit to Northeast Asia, a United Nations human rights expert today called for a multi-faceted and people-centred approach to improve the "extremely complex" situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
• Ukraine's Ex-President Accuses Kyiv Of Sabotaging His Testimony RFE/RL 25 Nov 2016 -- Ukraine's ousted President Viktor Yanukovych has accused the Kviv government of "setting up a provocation" to "sabotage" his video testimony in a Ukrainian court trial of five former policemen charged with fatally shooting scores of antigovernment protesters in Kyiv in 2014.
• French Presidential Rivals Spar Over Russia, Putin RFE/RL 25 Nov 2016 -- French conservative presidential hopefuls Francois Fillon and Alain Juppe have traded blows over Russia in their final debate before a second-round primary, with Juppe criticizing his rival's perceived bond with the Kremlin.
• Juppe 'Surprised' With Putin's Reaction to Fillon Sputnik 25 Nov 2016 -- French presidential hopeful from The Republicans party Alain Juppe has expressed surprise at the reaction of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Francois Fillon, Juppe's rival in the Thursday primary debates.
• France's Fillon Calls President Hollande's Policy Toward Russia 'Absurd' Sputnik 25 Nov 2016 -- French presidential hopeful from The Republicans party Francois Fillon has slammed the current president Hollande's approach to policy regarding Russia and called for dialogue with Moscow.
• DR Congo: UN envoy calls on political stakeholders to show flexibility to aid election process UN News 25 Nov 2016 -- Wrapping up a visit to Africa's Great Lakes region, a United Nations envoy today urged stakeholders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) electoral process to do more to help ensure the country is able to hold peaceful elections.
• Migrant Tensions Growing in Bulgaria, Greece VOA 25 Nov 2016 -- About 300 migrants have been arrested following a riot in Bulgaria's largest refugee camp, as Greece calls on European Union member states to speed relocation efforts after a tragic accident killed two migrants in an overcrowded Lesbos camp.
• Kazakh President Says 'No Need' To Rename Capital After Him RFE/RL 25 Nov 2016 -- Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev says that "there is no need" to change the name of the country's capital, Astana, after the Kazakh parliament proposed to rename the city after him.