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Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 12 Jan 2017[PDF]
• Military Strikes Target ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 12 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. Strikes Kill 3 Al-Qaida Operatives in Yemen AFPS 12 Jan 2017 -- The U.S. military conducted strikes on al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula operatives in central Yemen on Dec. 29 and Jan. 8, according to a U.S. Central Command news release issued today.
• US Confirms Airstrike Killed 33 Afghan Civilians in Kunduz VOA 12 Jan 2017 -- A joint military operation in northern Afghanistan in early November killed 33 Afghan civilians and wounded 27, the U.S. military said Thursday in releasing details of its investigation into the incident.

Defense Policy / Programs

• AF selects Shaw AFB as the preferred location to host a new RPA unit AFNS 12 Jan 2017 -- The Air Force has selected Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, as the preferred location to base a new MQ-9 Reaper group, including mission control elements.
• JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Travis AFB named next KC-46A locations AFNS 12 Jan 2017 -- Air Force officials selected Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst, New Jersey, and Travis Air Force Base, California, as the preferred locations for the next two active-duty-led KC-46A Pegasus bases.
• AF announces NAS JRB Fort Worth as the preferred location for next F-35A base AFNS 12 Jan 2017 -- Air Force officials announced Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, as the preferred location for the first Air Force Reserve-led F-35 base, which is expected to begin receiving its first F-35As in the mid-2020s.
• Socom Commander Describes Complex Global Security Threats AFPS 12 Jan 2017 -- A spectrum of state and nonstate actors across multiple regions and domains calls for a new way of harnessing the maritime domain, the commander of U.S. Southern Command said at the Surface Navy Association's 29th National Symposium here today.
• Milley: Larger Army must come with training dollars Army News 12 Jan 2017 -- The Army's chief of staff has made it clear he thinks the Army needs to be bigger -- that is, more Soldiers in the force. But Gen. Mark A. Milley has also said it's imperative that growth in the end strength be paired with funding to ensure those additional Solders are trained and equipped.
• Marine Corps F-35Bs relocate to Japan USMC News 12 Jan 2017 -- Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121, an F-35B squadron with 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, departed Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, transferring to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Jan. 9, 2017.
• SNA Hosts Shipbuilding, Maintenance Panels NNS 12 Jan 2017 -- The Surface Navy Association (SNA) hosted shipbuilding and ship maintenance panels on the third and final day of their 29th annual symposium in Arlington, Virginia, Jan. 12.
• NNSY Launches High Velocity First Line Supervisor Program NNS 12 Jan 2017 -- Norfolk Naval Shipyard will launch its initial High Velocity First Line Supervisor (1LS) class in February, changing the way supervisors are both hired and trained.
• Eucom Commander: U.S. Armored Brigade's Deployment to Poland 'Significant' AFPS 12 Jan 2017 -- The recent arrival in Poland of the U.S. Army, 4th Infantry Division's 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team "marks a significant moment in European deterrence and defense," Army Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, commander of U.S. European Command, said in a Eucom news release.
• Convoy crosses Germany into Poland in support of Atlantic Resolve Army News 12 Jan 2017 -- Accomplishing a vital mission, such as convoying 21 military vehicles across Germany to Poland, demands an experienced team.
• US deploys 3,500 troops to Poland amid tension with Russia Press TV 12 Jan 2017 -- Around 3,500 US troops have arrived in Poland, one of the largest deployments of US forces in Europe since the end of the Cold War in 1991, sparking immediate anger from Russia.
• Joint press point by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Bill English NATO 12 Jan 2017
• New PLA Navy ship unveiled People's Daily 12 Jan 2017 -- The People's Liberation Army Navy has commissioned a new electronic reconnaissance ship, a PLA Navy media outlet reported on Wednesday in a rare move that also made public the composition of the nation's electronic intelligence fleet.
• PLA confirms aircraft carrier Liaoning passed through Taiwan Straits on Thursday People's Daily 12 Jan 2017 -- The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has confirmed that the Liaoning aircraft carrier passed through the Taiwan Straits on Thursday before dawn.
• China says aircraft carrier Liaoning has left Taiwan Strait Press TV 12 Jan 2017 -- A Chinese naval fleet, including China's sole aircraft carrier, has sailed out of the Taiwan Strait, the Chinese military has announced, a day after Taipei scrambled warplanes and navy ships to monitor the passage of the fleet.
• Chinese aircraft carrier completes passage through Taiwan Strait CNA 12 Jan 2017 -- The Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, completed its passage through the Taiwan Strait at 6:30 a.m. Thursday and continued its way back to China, according to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND).
• South 'to protest Chinese retaliation over THAAD deployment' Press TV 12 Jan 2017 -- South Korea says it may formally protest to China over actions perceived to have been taken in retaliation for Seoul's decision to allow the deployment of an advanced US missile system on its territory.
• Designation of Syrian Entity Pursuant to Executive Order 13382 US Dept. of State 12 Jan 2017-- Today, the Department of State imposed sanctions on an entity associated with Syria's weapons of mass destruction (WMD)-capable ballistic missile program by designating the Organization for Technological Industries (OTI) under Executive Order 13382.
• January 12, 2017 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 12 Jan 2017
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 1/12/2017 The White House 12 Jan 2017

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 12, 2017

Other Conflicts

• 12 January 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 12 Jan 2017
• Taiwan reiterates right to fish near disputed atoll CNA 12 Jan 2017 -- Taiwan reiterated Thursday that its fishermen have the right to enter and fish in waters near the Japan-held Okinotori atoll in the western Pacific, and said the relevant government agency had dealt with the matter of five fishing boats being chased by Japanese patrol ships the previous day.
• Fresh Saudi aerial attacks kill seven in Yemen Press TV 12 Jan 2017 -- At least seven civilians have lost their lives when Saudi military aircraft carried out a series of airstrikes against residential areas in conflict-ridden Yemen.
• Israeli rockets hit military airport near Damascus Press TV 12 Jan 2017 -- A huge explosion has rocked a Syrian Air Force installation southwest of the capital Damascus, after the Israeli regime launched a rocket attack against a designated target at the site.
• Russia withdraws S-24s, deploys S-25 jets to Syria's Latakia Press TV 12 Jan 2017 -- Russia says it has withdrawn six Sukhoi Su-24 fighter jets from its airbase in Syria's western Latakia Province and instead sent four Sukhoi Su-25 aircraft to the region.
• Reconstruction operation kicks off in eastern Aleppo Press TV 12 Jan 2017 -- Reconstruction work is underway in eastern Aleppo following the recent liberation of the strategic Syrian city from the grip of Takfiri terror groups.
• Syria ceasefire holding amid rising concerns about aid delivery and Damascus water supply - UN envoy UN News 12 Jan 2017 -- While the ceasefire in Syria is largely holding, the United Nations envoy for the country cautioned today that the truce may be under threat as clashes in villages in the Wadi Barada valley has damaged water infrastructure and left more than five million people in and around Damascus facing water shortages.
• UN Warns Cutoff of Water Supply to Damascus Could Trigger Military Action VOA 12 Jan 2017 -- A senior United Nations official says a water crisis affecting Syria's capital, Damascus, could trigger military action with devastating consequences unless vital supplies from the nearby, rebel-held Wadi Barada area, are restored.
• Violence killed over 16,000 Iraqi civilians in 2016: Research group Press TV 12 Jan 2017 -- A research group says violence left 16,361 civilians dead last year in Iraq, which has been hit by a campaign of death and destruction perpetrated by Takfiri Daesh terrorists over the past few years.
• Iraqi Hashad Sha'abi fighters gearing up for Mosul operation Press TV 12 Jan 2017 -- Iraqi fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units are reportedly moving their heavy military equipment and armored vehicles to the western flank of Mosul in preparation from an anti-Daesh offensive.
• Mosul Civilians Sift Through Rubble as Coalition Takes Fiercely Held Neighborhoods VOA 12 Jan 2017 -- "When we got out of the house, we ran. A sniper's bullet nearly hit my aunt's foot," says Nouradine, a former tile worker in a tiny grocery store in Mosul.
• Inter-communal tensions in Darfur threaten return of millions of displaced people, Security Council told UN News 12 Jan 2017 -- Armed fighting over land, water and other natural resources in Sudan's Darfur region continues to put civilians at risk, the top United Nations peacekeeping official told the Security Council today, calling for long-term solutions that would allow 2.6 million displaced people to return or resettle.
• South Sudan Official Accuses West of Plotting Regime Change VOA 12 Jan 2017 -- A South Sudan Army (SPLA) spokesman alleged that American, British and Norwegian government officials held a secret meeting with South Sudanese armed opposition officials loyal to former First Vice President Riek Machar in Nairobi, Kenya earlier this month to plot a regime change in Juba.
• Bangladesh urges Myanmar to end violence against Rohingya Muslims Press TV 12 Jan 2017 -- Bangladesh has urged Myanmar to end months of persecution and violence that have forced thousands of Rohingya Muslims in the northwestern Rakhine State to flee across the border.
• Humanitarian crisis in Lake Chad Basin 'growing in dramatic fashion,' Security Council told UN News 12 Jan 2017 -- Briefing the Security Council today, senior United Nations officials underlined the significant challenges and deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Lake Chad Basin region, including in particular those posed by the militant group, Boko Haram, and urged for sustained support to national and regional security, political and humanitarian action.

News Reports

• Trump Told U.S. Intelligence Didn't Write Or Leak 'Compromising' Report RFE/RL 12 Jan 2017 -- A top U.S. intelligence official has told President-elect Donald Trump that U.S. intelligence agencies did not write or leak a document alleging that Russian operatives have "compromising information" on him.
• US spy agencies engaged in Nazi tactics: President-elect Trump Press TV 12 Jan 2017 -- US President-elect Donald Trump has accused the country's spy agencies of using Nazi tactics over leaking "fake news" and "phony stuff" about him to the media.
• Trump says he thinks Russia behind election hacking People's Daily 12 Jan 2017 -- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Wednesday that "I think it was Russia" behind the cyberattacks targetting the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
• Trump Defense Chief Nominee Mattis Talks Tough on Russia VOA 12 Jan 2017 -- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's pick for defense lashed out against Russia during his Senate confirmation hearing Thursday, despite Trump's softer approach to Moscow.
• Trump's Pentagon pick accuses Iran of 'biggest destabilizing force' in Middle East Press TV 12 Jan 2017 -- US President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Defense Department, retired Marine General James Mattis, has told Congress that Iran is the "biggest destabilizing force in the Middle East."
• China must be banned from artificial islands: Rex Tillerson Press TV 12 Jan 2017 -- US President-elect Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, says China must stop its island-building activities in the disputed South China Sea and be banned from them.
• Trump's pick for U.S. secretary of state calls Russia a 'danger' People's Daily 12 Jan 2017 -- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state Rex Tillerson on Wednesday called Russia a "danger" to the United States and said he favored keeping current U.S. sanctions against Moscow for now.
• Trump's National Security Picks Back Tough Approach To Russia RFE/RL 12 Jan 2017 -- Two leading national security picks for Donald Trump's incoming administration warned that Russia is seeking to disrupt U.S. and European institutions and advocated an aggressive military and intelligence approach to counter Moscow.
• Kremlin Says Russia Hopes Putin, Trump Will 'Get Along' RFE/RL 12 Jan 2017 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman has said that the Kremlin hopes Putin and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will "get along."
• Trump's Remarks Provide Dose of Reality for Moscow VOA 12 Jan 2017 -- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's assertion that there is no such thing as a reset with Russia and his belief that Russia was behind the hacking of Democratic Party computers are being read in Europe as a sign that there is no guarantee relations between the U.S. and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be good.
• Trump's CIA Pick: Russia 'Threatening Europe,' Failing To Destroy Islamic State RFE/RL 12 Jan 2017 -- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to run the CIA says he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely satisfied with the political furor in the United States over what U.S. intelligence calls a Russian hacking campaign to meddle in the presidential election.
• Trump's CIA Nominee Promises 'Clear-eyed' View of Russia VOA 12 Jan 2017 -- President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to lead the CIA promised to maintain a "clear-eyed" view of Russia and said he would not comply with any White House order to restart the use of torture tactics.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, January 12, 2017 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 12 Jan 2017
• Djibouti President Doubts Africa Will Be High on Trump Agenda VOA 12 Jan 2017 -- Djibouti's president says African leaders believe President-elect Donald Trump will pay little attention to Africa, but is hopeful that Djibouti can continue a strong bilateral relationship with the U.S.
• Scuffles erupt at Turkey's parliament over constitutional change Press TV 12 Jan 2017 -- Scuffles have broken out at Turkey's parliament amid debates over a controversial bill on constitutional amendments, which would expand the powers of the president.
• Fears of IS Threat Grow in Turkey After Attack VOA 12 Jan 2017 -- Rather than uniting Turkey, the so-called Islamic State attack on an Istanbul nightclub, which killed 39 on New Year's Day, appears to have only deepened societal divisions.
• On-the-Record Press Call on Cuba Policy Announcement The White House 12 Jan 2017
• Former UN Secretary-General Pivots Toward South Korean Presidential Bid VOA 12 Jan 2017 -- Former Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon arrived back home Thursday in South Korea amid mounting expectations that he will run for president.
• Taiwan, Guatemala reaffirm commitment to bilateral ties CNA 12 Jan 2017 -- President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and her Guatemalan counterpart, Jimmy Morales, reaffirmed their commitment to relations and cooperation between the two countries Wednesday, with Tsai saying that Taiwan will continue to support a Guatemalan highway expansion project, a proposal put forward by Morales.
• U.S. secretary of state nominee reaffirms U.S. commitment to Taiwan CNA 12 Jan 2017 -- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for his secretary of state reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to Taiwan, based on the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) and the Six Assurances, during a Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday for his nomination as the top U.S. diplomat.
• Taiwan likely to see more active Chinese maritime presence: Paal CNA 12 Jan 2017 -- The recent conduct of air and maritime exercises by Chinese armed forces in the area around Taiwan is an example of by China showcasing its growing military strength and not a show of force directed at the government of Taiwan, according to former U.S. Institute in Taiwan (AIT) director Douglas Paal.
• China's pressure only raises Taiwanese hackles: Presidential Office CNA 12 Jan 2017 -- China's pressuring of Taiwan will only raise hackles and is not conducive to cross-Taiwan Strait relations, Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang (黃重諺) said Thursday.
• Sacked Envoys Failed Gambian Government, Official Contends VOA 12 Jan 2017 -- Gambian President Yahya Jammeh was right to fire 12 top envoys who failed to defend the Banjul government after the disputed December 1 election, the country's acting U.N. ambassador says.
• Nigerian lawmakers vote to offer asylum to Gambia's president Press TV 12 Jan 2017 -- Nigerian lawmakers have voted to offer Gambian President Yahya Jammeh asylum if he hands over power to opposition leader Adama Barrow, who was declared the winner of the country's December presidential election.
• Japanese prime minister visits Philippines to boost ties Press TV 12 Jan 2017 -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has arrived in the Philippines for a two-day state visit aimed at boosting bilateral ties.
• Venezuela opposition rules further crisis talks with government Press TV 12 Jan 2017 -- Venezuela's opposition says that it will not return to talks with the government of President Nicolas Maduro focused on alleviating the country's economic woes.