Further Reading

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Military Strikes Continue Against ISIL in Syria, Iraq AFPS 04 Dec 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.
• Ghani accuses Pakistan of launching 'undeclared war' on Afghanistan Press TV 04 Dec 2016 -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has accused Pakistan of waging an "undeclared war" on the violence-wracked country.
• Iran welcomes Afghan government peace-making efforts Press TV 04 Dec 2016 -- Iran has welcomed the Afghan government's latest achievements in restoring peace with the Hezb-i-Islami militant group, led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, in the conflict-ridden country.
• Afghan President Urges Pakistan To Spend Aid Money On Fighting Terrorism RFE/RL 04 Dec 2016 -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani says that the $500 million that Pakistan has pledged for reconstruction of Afghanistan would be better spent on fighting terrorism.
• Afghan Security Forces Kill Daesh Commander Sputnik 04 Dec 2016 -- Daesh commander identified as Mohammad Nasir, was killed during clashes at a Afghan security forces check post in the Darzab district, according to local media.
• Afghan President Suggests Creating Fund to Combat Extremism Sputnik 04 Dec 2016 -- Ashraf Ghani suggested creating a fund to fight extremism in Afghanistan.
• Afghan President: Taliban Won't Last Without Pakistan Support VOA 04 Dec 2016 -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told an international conference held in the northern Indian city of Amritsar that the Taliban insurgency in his country would not survive without support from Pakistan and called for the setting up of a fund to combat extremism.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Media Availability with Secretary Carter enroute to Tokyo, Japan DoD 04 Dec 2016 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter
• Offset Strategy Depends on Deterring Great Powers, Work Says AFPS 04 Dec 2016 -- Russia and China are rising in importance among the state powers that occupy the attention of Defense Department officials these days, and deterring those nations is the entire focus of the Pentagon's third offset strategy, Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work said here yesterday.
• Acquisitions Official: 'Very Unusual' Budget Environment Hinders New Product Development AFPS 04 Dec 2016 -- The Defense Department does not have enough resources in its new-product pipeline, and if it doesn't address that issue, it will be a much less healthy organization five to ten years down the road, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics said today at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California.
• US Navy to buy more Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets Press TV 04 Dec 2016 -- The US Navy plans to increase the number of its strike fighters aboard its carriers by adding dozens of Boeing Co F/A-18E/F Super Hornets to its squadron.
• Littoral Combat Ships Program 'Broke' the Navy - Acquisition Chief Sputnik 04 Dec 2016 -- The US Navy's Littoral Combat Ships program, riddled with technical failures, has already cost taxpayers billions of dollars and will take even more, but is unlikely to ever live up to expectations, US military representatives say.
• Why Russia's Revived 'Ghost Trains' Fuel So Much Fear in the West Sputnik 04 Dec 2016 -- Commenting on the recent successful pop-up launch tests of a Russian-made intercontinental ballistic missile on the advanced Barguzin rail-based strategic missile complex, German media have sounded a clear alarm, calling it "a nightmare," however noting that it comes only in response to the west's build-up on Russia's borders.
• Xi calls for smaller but more capable army People's Daily 04 Dec 2016 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for a smaller army with better combat capability and optimized structure as the military reform deepens.
• Xi Jinping Calls for Smaller But More Effective Chinese Army Sputnik 04 Dec 2016 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for a smaller but more effective army with an optimized structure and better combat capability as part of the country's ongoing military reform.
• Kim Jong Un Guides Combat Flight Contest among Commanding Officers of KPA Air and Anti-Air Force KCNA 04 Dec 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, guided the combat flight contest among commanding officers of the KPA Air and Anti-Air Force-2016.
• Missile-launching warship to join Iran's north fleet IRNA 04 Dec 2016 -- A new missile-launching warship (Sina 4) is scheduled to join Iran's north fleet in the near future, senior Navy officer Rear-Admiral Afshin Rezaei said on Sunday.
• S-300 system fully delivered to Iran: MP IRNA 04 Dec 2016 -- Spokesman of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Hossein Naqavi-Hosseini said Sunday that Russia fully delivered all parts of S-300 air defense system to Iran and the two countries have agreed to develop logistical and technical cooperation.
• Fateh submarine will join Iran Navy fleet soon: Commander Press TV 04 Dec 2016 -- A top Iranian Navy commander says the Islamic Republic will soon launch a new domestically-manufactured submarine.
• £100M investment in Britain's future 'Protector' programme UK MOD 04 Dec 2016 -- Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon agrees £100M contract to develop cutting-edge Protector Remotely Piloted Air System especially for RAF.
• No Alternative to Russian Helicopters in Afghanistan - Russian Foreign Ministry Sputnik 04 Dec 2016 -- Russian Special Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said that Afghanistan has no alternative to Russian arms in the nearest decades.
• Saudi Arabia mulls military base in Djibouti amid Yemen crisis Press TV 04 Dec 2016 -- Djibouti says Saudi Arabia is planning to set up a military base in the African country amid the Riyadh regime's deadly military campaign against neighboring Yemen.

Defense Industry

• Obama Bars Chinese Company From Buying US Part of Aixtron Technology Firm Sputnik 04 Dec 2016 -- Obama issued an executive order prohibiting a German subsidiary of China's Fujian Grand Chip Investment Fund to buy US part of the technology firm Aixtron.

Other Conflicts

• Pro-Hadi militias set to launch new assault on Yemen coastline Press TV 04 Dec 2016 -- Yemen's former president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi has ordered a major assault on the country's Red Sea coast against Houthi Ansarullah fighters and allied army forces, who have been defending the nation against a deadly Saudi offensive.
• Aleppo back in government hands in weeks: Syria Press TV 04 Dec 2016 -- Syrian army helicopters have dropped leaflets on eastern Aleppo warning the militants to surrender while they still can as the military has said it expects to retake the divided city within weeks.
• US, UK mulling Syria 'aid' airdrops: Report Press TV 04 Dec 2016 -- The US and UK governments have discussed the possibility of airdropping supplies to the militant-held areas of the Syrian city of Aleppo, according to a new report.
• Syrian army regains full control of city near Damascus Press TV 04 Dec 2016 -- Syrian government forces have wrested full control of a city near the capital Damascus after foreign-sponsored Takfiri extremists agreed to withdraw from the area in exchange for safe passage to militant-held regions in the northwestern city of Idlib.
• Syria urges NE Aleppo residents to return home Press TV 04 Dec 2016 -- The Syrian army has called on the displaced residents of liberated districts of northeastern Aleppo to return home as the Syrian forces advance against terrorists on the battlefield in the flashpoint city.
• At Least 21 Killed As Air Strikes Target Rebel-Held Idlib In Northwestern Syria RFE/RL 04 Dec 2016 -- At least 21 people, including at least three children, were killed on December 4 in a series of air strikes on the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, a monitoring group and activists said.
• Syrian Army Liberates Most Part of Helwaniyeh District in Eastern Aleppo Sputnik 04 Dec 2016 -- Syrian government troops continue their operation to liberate Aleppo from militants.
• Syrian Army Regains Full Control Over Al-Tall City in Damascus Province Sputnik 04 Dec 2016 -- The Syrian army regained full control over Al-Tall city in the Damascus province, the Russian Defense Ministry stated on Sunday.
• Monitors Report Dozens Killed in Syrian Airstrikes VOA 04 Dec 2016 -- Syrian monitors say at least 21 people, including several children, were killed Sunday in airstrikes southwest of Aleppo, as Russia-backed Syrian forces press a region-wide offensive against rebels seeking to topple the Damascus government.
• What Happens to Millions of Syrian Refugees if Assad Remains in Power? VOA 04 Dec 2016 -- The Syrian conflict has uprooted more than five million Syrians who have fled to neighboring states and Europe to maintain resistance against President Bashar al-Assad or to escape the airstrikes and barrel bombs, as well as fighting in their war-torn country. With the balance of battlefield power swinging possibly irreversibly in favor of the Assad government, they're asking what the future holds for them.
• Syrian Army Command Calls On East Aleppo Residents to Return After Liberation Sputnik 04 Dec 2016 -- The Syrian army's command calls on the residents of eastern Aleppo's liberated areas to return to their homes.
• Iraqi security forces uncover Daesh media center in southern Mosul Press TV 04 Dec 2016 -- A high-ranking Iraqi security official says government forces have managed to uncover and dismantle a media and information center run by the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group south of Mosul as they try to flush the extremists out of their last urban stronghold in the country.
• US, allies should stay in Iraq, even after Daesh's defeat: Carter Press TV 04 Dec 2016 -- US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter says that American military forces and other foreign troops need to remain in Iraq, even if the Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group is defeated.
• Russia Says North Caucasus IS Leader Killed In Daghestan Raid RFE/RL 04 Dec 2016 -- Russia's FSB security service says it has killed a leader of the Islamic State (IS) militant group during a raid in Russia's North Caucasus region of Daghestan.
• Kerry: Israel 'Heading to a Place of Danger' VOA 04 Dec 2016 -- Remarks by the U.S. secretary of state on Sunday are being quickly interpreted by the Israeli media as harsh criticism and undiplomatic.

News Reports

• Trump Expands Search for Top Diplomat VOA 04 Dec 2016 -- President-elect Donald Trump has widened his search for a secretary of state after high-profile meetings with four top candidates failed to yield a decision last week.
• US President-elect Donald Trump is clever and will learn: Putin Press TV 04 Dec 2016 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says that US President-elect Donald Trump's success in the business world shows that he is an intelligent person who will adapt swiftly to his upcoming role.
• Report of Tsai-Trump meeting called 'excessive speculation' CNA 04 Dec 2016 -- Taiwan's Presidential Office has denied that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) will meet U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in New York during an overseas trip next month, characterizing a report on the prospect of such a meeting as "excessive speculation."
• Taiwan's envoy to U.S. positive about Tsai-Trump call CNA 04 Dec 2016 -- A recent phone call between President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump marked significant progress in Taiwan-U.S. relations, Taiwan's Representative to the United States Stanley Kao (高碩泰) said on Saturday.
• Trump's 'simple courtesy call' with Tsai was right: ex-U.S. officials CNA 04 Dec 2016 -- It was right for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to take a congratulatory call on Friday from Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), another democratically elected leader - a simple courtesy and a fundamental part of real democracy, two former U.S. officials said on Sunday.
• Tsai-Trump phone not indication of policy shift: ex-U.S. official CNA 04 Dec 2016 -- A former deputy spokesman for the U.S. Department of State, Alan D. Romberg, has called a phone conversation between President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump a success as long as it did not signal a shift in U.S. policy.
• Trump's VP defends his talks with Taiwan president Press TV 04 Dec 2016 -- US Vice President-elect Mike Pence defends Donald Trump's phone conversation with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, which drew criticism from China.
• Trump's Phone Talk With Taiwan Leader 'Courtesy Call' - Vice President-Elect Sputnik 04 Dec 2016 -- Vice President-elect Mike Pence described a phone talk between Donald Trump and the Taiwan leader as "a courtesy call".
• Trump Team Downplays Taiwan Phone Call VOA 04 Dec 2016 -- Donald Trump's team downplayed the significance of the president-elect's telephone conversation with President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan, with which the United States has had no formal diplomatic ties since 1979.
• White House reaffirms one-China stance after Trump's talk with Taiwan leader People's Daily 04 Dec 2016 -- The White House on Friday reaffirmed backing for its long-standing one-China policy and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump received a telephone call from Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen.
• Duterte Boasts Trump's Backing of Philippines' War on Drugs Sputnik 04 Dec 2016 -- US President-elect Donald Trump has endorsed the anti-drug campaign in the Philippines, Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte said.
• Castro's Remains Buried in Private Ceremony in Cuba VOA 04 Dec 2016 -- The remains of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro were buried in eastern Cuba early Sunday morning after nine days of nationally-mandated mourning across the island.
• Speaker calls for adopting reciprocal measures against US sanctions IRNA 04 Dec 2016 -- Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani, speaking in the Majlis open session on Sunday, called for adopting reciprocal measures against the US sanctions.
• 264 MPs call for Iran's reciprocal moves against US IRNA 04 Dec 2016 -- 264 members of the Iranian parliament called for the government's appropriate reciprocal actions against the US administration.
• Speaker: Iran Sanctions Act against nuclear deal IRNA 04 Dec 2016 -- Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) violates the nuclear deal signed between the Islamic Republic and G5+1 countries (US, China, Russia, UK, France plus Germany), Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said.
• President: Iran's response to JCPOA violation would be decisive IRNA 04 Dec 2016 -- Any violation of the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, is going to meet with our decisive response, says Iran's President Hassan Rouhani.
• Iran MPs call for counter-measures against US Senate vote Press TV 04 Dec 2016 -- Iranian lawmakers have condemned a US Senate vote to extend the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA), urging the administration of President Hassan Rouhani to adopt proper counter-measures.
• Iran to firmly respond to US Senate vote on anti-Iran legislation: Rouhani Press TV 04 Dec 2016 -- Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has denounced a recent US Senate vote on a piece of anti-Iran legislation as a blatant infringement of last year's nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers, saying the Islamic Republic will give a firm response to the move.
• Iran President Demands Obama Not Sign Extension Of U.S. Sanctions RFE/RL 04 Dec 2016 -- Iranian President Hassan Rohani has urged U.S. President Barack Obama not to sign a 10-year extension of U.S. sanctions approved unanimously by the U.S. Senate.
• Faction of South Korean Ruling Party Ready to Back President's Impeachment Sputnik 04 Dec 2016 -- South Korea's ruling Saenuri Party announced the support of the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye amid a corruption scandal around her close friend and "shadow adviser" Choi Soon-si, after president refused to resign, according to local media.
• Far Right's Hofer Defeated in Austria Election VOA 04 Dec 2016 -- Austria's anti-immigrant candidate, Norbert Hofer, has failed in his bid to become the country's first far right leader since World War II, in an election seen as a test for the strength of populist movements in Europe.
• Austrian far-right populist concedes defeat in presidential vote Press TV 04 Dec 2016 -- Austria's far-right presidential candidate, Norbert Hofer, has conceded defeat to mainstream politician, Alexander Van der Bellen, in the country's presidential election, preliminary results show.
• In Austria, Pro-EU Candidate Defeats Far-Right Rival In Presidential Poll RFE/RL 04 Dec 2016 -- Austrian far-right candidate Norbert Hofer has been defeated in Austria's presidential race by rival candidate Alexander Van der Bellen, who is supported by the Green Party.
• Uzbeks Vote In Presidential Election Whose Outcome Is Largely A Foregone Conclusion RFE/RL 04 Dec 2016 -- Polls have closed in Uzbekistan, where voters are choosing who will be the country's next president after Islam Karimov, the autocrat who ruled the Central Asian nation for a quarter-century until his death three months ago.