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Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 04 Jan 2017[PDF]
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Colonel Dorrian via teleconference from Baghdad, Iraq DoD 04 Jan 2017 -- Presenter: Colonel John Dorrian, Operation Inherent Resolve Spokesman
• Coalition Strikes Continue Against ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 04 Jan 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• U.S.-Led Coalition Airstrikes Eliminate Key ISIL Leaders in Syria, Iraq AFPS 04 Jan 2017 -- U.S.-led coalition airstrikes in Iraq and Syria targeting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant have recently killed several prominent leaders of that organization, Air Force Col. John Dorrian, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman, said today during a news briefing.

Defense Policy / Programs

• 4 Guantanamo Prisoners to Be Sent to Saudi Arabia VOA 04 Jan 2017 -- The Obama administration will transfer four detainees to Saudi Arabia from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The names and nationalities of the four prisoners were not immediately known.
• Trump: No more detainee releases from Guantanamo Bay prison Press TV 04 Jan 2017 -- US President-elect Donald Trump has called for an end to the transfer of detainees from the notorious Guantanamo Bay prison.
• AF looks to ensure cyber resiliency in weapons systems through new office AFNS 04 Jan 2017 -- The Air Force, through its Life Cycle Management Center, has stood up the Cyber Resiliency Office for Weapons Systems (CROWS).
• PACOM marks 70 years of protecting, defending the US Army News 04 Jan 2017 -- U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), America's largest and oldest unified combatant command, turned 70 on Jan. 1, 2017.
• USS Monterey Concludes Port Call in Palma de Mallorca NNS 04 Jan 2017 -- Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61) departed Palma de Mallorca, Spain, Jan. 3 after a scheduled port visit to enhance U.S.-Spain relationships as the two nations work together for a stable, secure, and prosperous Europe.
• Russia Deploys Air-Route Radar Complex Sopka-2 on Wrangel Island Sputnik 04 Jan 2017 -- Russian deployed new air-route radar complex Sopka-2 on the Wrangel Island, spokesman of the Russian Eastern Military District (EMD) Alexander Gordeev said Wednesday.
• Russia warships dock in Philippines, signal new era Press TV 04 Jan 2017 -- Two Russian warships have docked at a port in the Philippines, potentially foreshadowing an era of enhanced military ties between Manila and Moscow as a gap widens between the Philippines and the United States.
• Russia to Sell 'Sophisticated' Arms To Manila After Foreign Policy U-Turn Sputnik 04 Jan 2017 -- One day following the Russian Navy's arrival in the Philippines to run regional threat-assessment drills, Russian Ambassador Igor Khovaev expressed Moscow's enthusiasm to equip the island nation with high-tech military hardware.
• Taiwan keeping tabs on China aircraft carrier: MND CNA 04 Jan 2017 -- Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) said on Wednesday that it is closely monitoring China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, currently on drills in the South China Sea.
• China's missile deployment in South China Sea completely reasonable: expert People's Daily 04 Jan 2017 -- Chinese military expert Yin Zhuo told CCTV that China's military deployment in the South China Sea is completely reasonable, in light of the powerful naval force of the U.S. in the region.
• Beijing: Aircraft Carrier Group in South China Sea is Testing New Weapons Sputnik 04 Jan 2017 -- On Wednesday the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that the country's sole aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, led a group of warships in weapons and equipment testing in the South China Sea this week.
• Critical India-Russia Pact to Improve Fighter Aircraft Availability Sputnik 04 Jan 2017 -- India and Russia are trying to correct the tardy supply of spares for fighter aircraft with a pact that would pave the way for local manufacturing of spares. This move should give further impetus to Indo-Russia defense ties.
• Delhi Wants to Ascertain Production, Export Right of Russia-India FGFA Project Sputnik 04 Jan 2017 -- The Indian government has been hanging back from making a firm commitment on the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) project because it first wants to confirm whether the agreement will allow commercial production and exports.
• India Plans to Find Foreign Single-Engine Fighters Manufacturer Sputnik 04 Jan 2017 -- Eleven Squadrons of Indian Air Force (IAF) equipped with Russian MiG-21 and MiG-27 aircraft are scheduled to retire by 2024 on completion of their Total Technical Life.
• Iran Test Fires Upgraded Domestic Talash Air Defense System Sputnik 04 Jan 2017 -- Days before the arrival of 2017, Iran's air force was busy testing its homemade Talash air defense system as part of an exercise dubbed 'Defenders of Velayat Skies 7,' which some see as a military demonstration to warn potential adversaries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and even the US, to stay away.
• Indonesia suspends military cooperation with Australia Press TV 04 Jan 2017 -- Indonesia says it has suspended military cooperation with Australia, reportedly over disrespectful training materials taught at an Australian academy.
• Indonesia Suspends Military Cooperation With Australia Sputnik 04 Jan 2017 -- Indonesia has suspended all military cooperation with Australia over unresolved technical matters, according to an Indonesian military spokesman.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 1/4/2017 The White House 04 Jan 2017
• January 4, 2017 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 04 Jan 2017

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 04, 2017

Other Conflicts

• 4 January 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 04 Jan 2017
• 'Give peace a chance,' urges UN official, reporting sense of optimism as Aleppo ceasefire holds UN News 04 Jan 2017 -- A senior United Nations humanitarian official reported today that though damage to Aleppo was extreme, aid workers were nonetheless inspired by signs of optimism and hope, and asked that peace be given a chance.
• US-led coalition pounding Syria infrastructure, not Daesh-held oil fields: Russia Press TV 04 Jan 2017 -- Russia has accused the US-led coalition of "systematically" bombing Syria's economic infrastructure rather than oil production facilities seized by Takfiri Daesh terrorists.
• Assad hails Iran support in Syrian fight against terrorism Press TV 04 Jan 2017 -- Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has praised the role of Iran in his nation's victories on the battlefield against Takfiri terror groups, saying the Islamic Republic also deserves to be congratulated on these successes.
• Obama Welcomes Turkish, Russian Effort To Revive Syrian Cease-Fire RFE/RL 04 Jan 2017 -- U.S. President Barack Obama welcomed Turkey's effort with Russia to revive a Syrian cease-fire and peace talks in a conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
• Iraq forces gain more ground in eastern Mosul Press TV 04 Jan 2017 -- Iraqi forces have managed to liberate another neighborhood from the grip of Takfiri Daesh terrorists in the eastern part of Mosul, as they continue mop-up operations in the already recaptured areas of the strategic city.
• Iraq discovers 80 bodies at Camp Speicher carnage site Press TV 04 Jan 2017 -- Iraqi forensic specialists have reportedly found the remains of scores of victims of the June 2014 massacre by Takfiri Daesh terrorists at an air force camp in the country's north-central province of Salahuddin.
• Libya: Amid threat of renewed conflict, UN envoy urges restraint UN News 04 Jan 2017 -- Expressing concern at escalating tensions and threat of renewed conflict following developments in central Libya, the United Nations envoy for the country urged all parties to work together on reconciliation and to refrain from any rhetoric that could inflame the situation.
• French Far-Right Presidential Contender Says Crimean Annexation Legitimate RFE/RL 04 Jan 2017 -- France's far-right leader and presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said on January 3 that Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea in 2014 was "not illegal."
• Two UN peacekeepers killed, two injured in ambush in Central African Republic UN News 04 Jan 2017 -- The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR) today condemned a deadly ambush on a convoy in the south-eastern part of the country which killed two blue helmets from Morocco and wounded two others.
• Gunmen kill two Moroccan peacekeepers in Central African Republic Press TV 04 Jan 2017 -- Gunmen have killed two Moroccan peacekeepers with a UN mission in the southeast of the Central African Republic (CAR).
• UN-backed aid plan requires $310 million for crisis-affected communities in Cameroon UN News 04 Jan 2017 -- A $310 million humanitarian response plan, backed by the United Nations, has been launched to provide life-saving assistance to 1.2 million people in Cameroon's northern and eastern regions.
• Somalia Car Bombing Wounds Security Guards Working for UN VOA 04 Jan 2017 -- Four security guards working for the United Nations have been wounded after a car bomb explosion near their compound in Mogadishu, Somali officials said.

News Reports

• Trump Rebukes Finding that Russia Meddled in US Election VOA 04 Jan 2017 -- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, two weeks from taking office, is mocking his political opponents, criticizing the country's mainstream news media and continuing to question the U.S. intelligence finding that Russia meddled in the presidential election.
• Trump Questions U.S. Intelligence Over Russia Hacking RFE/RL 04 Jan 2017 -- With his inauguration less than three weeks away, President-elect Donald Trump has made a fresh assault on the U.S. intelligence community.
• Trump Again Raises Doubt Over Russia Hacking Claim RFE/RL 04 Jan 2017 -- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has again cast doubt on intelligence alleging Russian meddling in the U.S. election.
• Trump Expresses 'Healthy Skepticism' About Russian Hacking Allegations Sputnik 04 Jan 2017 -- President-elect Donald Trump's skepticism about the US intelligence community's claims Russia interfered with the 2016 election are healthy given its past failures, Vice President-elect Mike Pence said on Wednesday.
• Assange denies contact with Putin, Trump Press TV 04 Jan 2017 -- WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has denied claims that he obtained hacked Democratic emails through his ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President-elect Donald Trump.
• WikiLeaks Again Denies Getting U.S. Democratic E-Mail Leaks From Russia RFE/RL 04 Jan 2017 -- WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has once again denied that he obtained thousands of leaked U.S. Democratic emails from Russian sources in an interview with U.S. network Fox News aired on January 3.
• Russian Foreign Policy Experts Mull the Future of US Relations VOA 04 Jan 2017 -- President-elect Donald Trump has expressed doubts about whether Moscow was involved in hacking computer systems connected to the U.S. Democratic Party. He also has called for improved relations with Russia, and even praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for choosing not to respond in kind to last week's expulsion of Russian diplomats from the U.S.
• Trump misguided, ignorant over NK nuke issue: experts People's Daily 04 Jan 2017 -- US president-elect Donald Trump is misguided in lashing out at China in his latest Twitter tirade over the North Korean nuclear issue, which only shows up his ignorance about this issue, Chinese experts said.
• Beijing's DPRK efforts 'widely recognized' People's Daily 04 Jan 2017 -- Beijing's efforts and contributions to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula are widely acknowledged by the international community, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday after US president-elect Donald Trump said China was not helping with the issue.
• S. Korea vows to maintain pressure, sanctions on DPRK in 2017 People's Daily 04 Jan 2017 -- South Korea's unification ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs vowed Wednesday to maintain a policy of pressure and sanctions toward the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in 2017.
• 70 spies serving jail terms in Iran capital: Tehran prosecutor Press TV 04 Jan 2017 -- Tehran's prosecutor says as many as 70 convicts are serving time in the province's prisons for compromising sensitive national intelligence.
• Gambia Electoral Head Flees Country, Fearing for Safety VOA 04 Jan 2017 -- Gambia's electoral chief has fled the country after he received threats for declaring longtime President Yahya Jammeh the loser of last month's election.
• Welcoming DR Congo political accord, UN Security Council urges efforts to resolve remaining issues UN News 04 Jan 2017 -- The United Nations Security Council today welcomed a comprehensive political agreement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and called on all stakeholders to continue to exercise flexibility and compromise in their discussions to swiftly resolve all pending issues, particularly those related to the holding of elections in the country within 2017.
• Top UN official in Haiti, Security Council welcome announcement of president-elect UN News 04 Jan 2017 -- A senior United Nations official and the Security Council today joined the international community in congratulating the next President of Haiti, whose election completes a repeatedly delayed process that took over a year.
• Kenya's Biometric Technology Could Delay Election Preps VOA 04 Jan 2017 -- Kenya's Electoral Commission says political wrangles and tension related to biometric voter technology may delay preparations for the country's upcoming elections. The opposition is threatening protests over a proposed amendment to Kenya's electoral law.
• Main suspect in Istanbul club attack entered Turkey via Syria: Hurriyet Press TV 04 Jan 2017 -- The Daesh-affiliated terrorist, who slew 39 people at an upscale Istanbul nightclub hours into the New Year, had reportedly entered Turkey via Syrian soil.
• Turkey Identifies Istanbul Attacker, Erdogan Vows Not To Give In To 'Terrorists' RFE/RL 04 Jan 2017 -- Turkish authorities say they have identified the perpetrator of the New Year's Day massacre at an Istanbul nightclub, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that the country will not surrender to "terrorists."
• Turkey Identifies Istanbul Nightclub Shooter VOA 04 Jan 2017 -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Wednesday authorities have identified the gunman who killed 39 people in a New Year's attack at a nightclub in Istanbul.
• Turkey Moves to Block Internet Access VOA 04 Jan 2017 -- Even in the best of times, the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has had a strained relationship with the Internet. Ankara repeatedly has tried to restrict various news and social media sites – such as YouTube and Twitter – during times of political stress or just to block content it finds insulting.
• IS Posts Drone Footage of Suicide Attacks as Group Struggles to Market Self VOA 04 Jan 2017 -- Islamic State propagandists posted a 42-minute video online Wednesday that included the drowning in a fish tank of an alleged Iraqi spy and the beheading of another, as well as drone footage of more than a dozen suicide bombings in northern Iraq undertaken by teenage boys and a one-legged old man.
• Crucial Polls in 5 Indian States Will Test PM Modi's Popularity VOA 04 Jan 2017 -- India will hold a series of state elections that will test the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the wake of a controversial currency ban that he has pitched as a major step to battle corruption, but which led to huge cash shortages in the country.
• China to send record 30 missions into space in 2017 People's Daily 04 Jan 2017 -- China plans to conduct some 30 space launch missions in 2017, a record-breaking number in the country's space history, said China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
• Taiwan respects U.S. think tank's report on cross-strait matters CNA 04 Jan 2017 -- The Presidential Office said Wednesday that it respects the views of a United States think tank, which recommended that the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump devise new strategies to maintain the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.