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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 24 Jan 2017[PDF]
• Military Strikes Continue Against ISIL in Syria, Iraq AFPS 24 Jan 2017 -- 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 24 Jan 2017 -- The RAF are continuing to take the fight to Daesh in Iraq and Syria.
• Taliban to Trump: Pull out troops or face 'shameful defeat' Press TV 24 Jan 2017 -- Taliban militants in Afghanistan have called on the new US president, Donald Trump, to withdraw American forces from the "quagmire" of the war-torn country or face "shameful defeat".
• Taliban Calls On Trump To Withdraw From Afghanistan 'Quagmire' RFE/RL 24 Jan 2017 -- The Taliban has called on President Donald Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan, saying it is a "quagmire" that has produced little but 15 years of destruction and death.
• Taliban to Trump: Leave Afghan 'Quagmire' Sputnik 24 Jan 2017 -- The Taliban is calling on US President Donald Trump to quickly exit Afghanistan given that over a decade and a half of US involvement has done little to end regional violence and instability.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Readout of Secretary Mattis' Call with New Zealand Minister for Defense Gerry Brownlee DoD 24 Jan 2017
• Readout of Secretary Mattis' Call with Australian Minister for Defense Marise Payne DoD 24 Jan 2017
• Senate Armed Services Committee to Consider Closing Excess Military Bases in US Sputnik 24 Jan 2017 -- The US Senate Armed Services Committee chairman John McCain and ranking member Jack Reed will review closing bases in the United States.
• KC-135 MOD program closes out year with magic number: Block 45 AFNS 24 Jan 2017 -- The KC-135 Block 45 upgrade program reached a milestone by closing out 2016 with the 45th aircraft in the modification line here.
• Rotational Unit in Poland Adapts to Surroundings AFPS 24 Jan 2017 -- Now you see them, and now you don't. Learning how to conceal 28-ton Bradley fighting vehicles and M1 Abrams tanks in any type of terrain takes a high level of skill.
• Leaders Forge New Partnerships in Ukraine Army News 24 Jan 2017 -- Building relationships is key to the success of any mission, but cooperation and understanding is especially essential when working in a multinational environment.
• Turbans, beards, dreadlocks now permissible for some Soldiers Army News 24 Jan 2017 -- Female Soldiers may now wear dreadlocks and male Soldiers whose religious faith requires beards and turbans may now seek permanent accommodation.
• Engineers Demonstrate Value of Cold Spray Repairs to Naval Aviation NNS 24 Jan 2017 -- The Marine Corps Assistant Deputy Commandant for Aviation (Sustainment), William E. Taylor, visited Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) Jan. 23 to learn more about cold spray additive technology.
• Navy Installations, Commands Exercise Force Protection NNS 24 Jan 2017 -- Naval installations within the continental United States (CONUS) will conduct Exercise Solid Curtain-Citadel Shield 2017 (SC-CS17) Jan. 30-Feb. 10.
• Pentagon chief vows 'unshakable commitment' to NATO Press TV 24 Jan 2017 -- The new American government's commitment to NATO will be "unshakable," US Defense Secretary James Mattis has told his British counterpart Michael Fallon, playing down President Donald Trump's criticism of the Western military alliance.
• NATO marks closer ties with Gulf partners, opens new centre in Kuwait NATO 24 Jan 2017 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg led the North Atlantic Council in celebrating the opening of the NATO-Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) Regional Centre on Tuesday (24 January 2017). During an inauguration ceremony in Kuwait, the Secretary General highlighted the Centre's potential in strengthening the partnership between NATO and Gulf partners, including in the important fight against terrorism.
• Joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah - Secretary General's opening remarks NATO 24 Jan 2017
• Opening remarks by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the inauguration ceremony of the NATO Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) Regional Centre, Kuwait City NATO 24 Jan 2017
• Remarks by Ambassador Tacan Ildem, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy at the inauguration ceremony of the Slovakia NFIU, Baracks Bratislava - Vajnory NATO 24 Jan 2017
• Europe needs new military alliance: French politician Press TV 24 Jan 2017 -- French presidential front-runner Francois Fillon has called for a new military alliance in Europe after US President Donald Trump described NATO obsolete.
• Russia to Boost Far East Missile Defense Amid China's ICBM Deployment - MP Sputnik 24 Jan 2017 -- Russia will not ignore the actions of China, which deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles near the Russian border, Russia's missile defense grouping in the Far East will be strengthened, first deputy chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security Frants Klintsevich said Tuesday.
• China May Have Deployed Missiles Not Far From Border With Russia Sputnik 24 Jan 2017 -- One of three Chinese brigades of intercontinental missiles Dongfeng-41 (DF-41) may have been deployed in the northern province of Heilongjiang bordering Russia, local media reported on Tuesday.
• Germany Prepares to Spend Hundreds of Millions on New Air Defense System Sputnik 24 Jan 2017 -- Germany is reportedly close to deciding whether to replace its short short-range air defense systems. If approved, this action would signal the beginning of a €460-million (about $490 million) procurement program over the next 5-10 years.
• India, Pakistan Missile Race Continues Unabated Sputnik 24 Jan 2017 -- India tested the guided Pinaka multi barrel launcher on the same day that Pakistan test-fired a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 2,200 kilometers, its second test in few weeks.
• Pakistan tests Ababeel missile fire IRNA 24 Jan 2017 -- Pakistan on Tuesday conducted a successful test flight of surface-to-surface nuclear capable ballistic missile Ababeel, which has a maximum range of 2000 kilometers, a military statement said.
• Pakistan test-fires 2nd nuclear-capable ballistic missile Press TV 24 Jan 2017 -- Pakistan has successfully test-fired a new surface-to-surface ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads with a range of more than 2,000 kilometers.
• Pakistan Successfully Tests Self-Engineered Nuclear Capable Missile Sputnik 24 Jan 2017 -- Pakistan successfully tested their own-produced ground-to-ground ballistic missile Ababeel that is capable of carrying nuclear warheads, the Pakistani Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Tuesday.
• Pakistan Tests Ballistic Missile Capable of Carrying Multiple Nuclear Warheads VOA 24 Jan 2017 -- Pakistan says it has successfully tested a surface-to-surface ballistic missile that is capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads and can hit targets with precision as far as 2,200 kilometers.
• Japan launches X-band defense communications satellite People's Daily 24 Jan 2017 -- Japan launched an X-band defense communications satellite on Tuesday for the Japanese Ministry of Defense.
• UN chief Guterres pledges commitment to achieving world free of nuclear weapons UN News 24 Jan 2017 -- Disarmament can play an important role in ending existing conflicts and preventing the outbreak of new strife, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said today, pledging to actively pursue the abolition of all weapons of mass destruction and the strict regulation of conventional weapons.
• India-UAE to Explore Joint-Production of Aircraft Sputnik 24 Jan 2017 -- India and UAE will strengthen their strategic partnership by attempting to step up defense and security cooperation during the visit of Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi for the Republic Day parade.
• Sweden to Scout Baltic Sea With New Radar Sputnik 24 Jan 2017 -- Amid incessant talks of the alleged "Russian threat," which rest on nothing but speculations and guesswork, Sweden is slowly stepping up its defense efforts. Among other things, the Nordic nation is working on a new radar station intended to boost the security of the Baltic Sea region.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 24, 2017

Other Conflicts

• 24 January 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 24 Jan 2017
• UN Special Envoy to Yemen Discusses Peace Process Renewal With Houthi Rebels Sputnik 24 Jan 2017 -- UN Special Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed held on Monday talks with Houthi rebels seizing control over country's capital Sanaa on the possibility of restarting the peace process, local media reported.
• China urges U.S. to watch how it talks about the South China Sea issue Xinhua 24 Jan 2017-- China on Tuesday urged the U.S. side to speak and act cautiously on the South China Sea issue, reiterating that China was committed to solving the issue peacefully through negotiation with the countries directly concerned.
• South China Sea, Not Trade First Point of Friction for Trump, China VOA 24 Jan 2017 -- Many thought trade would be the first area in which the administration of President Donald Trump could see tensions rising with China. On the campaign trail, Trump talked constantly about China and jobs, and pledged to label Beijing a currency manipulator and vowed to levy punishing tariffs to counter China's cheating on trade.
• Beijing tells Washington to 'speak and act cautiously' Press TV 24 Jan 2017 -- China has warned the United States not to make any rash comments about its islands in the South China Sea, urging the White House to mind the facts and not interfere in the territorial dispute.
• U.S. Threatens To Stop China From Building, Using New South Sea Islands RFE/RL 24 Jan 2017 -- The White House warned that it intends to prevent China from taking over territory in international waters in the South China Sea by building islands out of reefs and then using them for defensive purposes.
• Trump admin vows to prevent Beijing's island building in South China Sea Press TV 24 Jan 2017 -- The administration of new US President Donald Trump has stepped up war of words with China over the South China Sea and Beijing's trade policies, drawing a rocky future for Sino-American ties.
• Beijing to Trump: We'll Protect South China Sea Sovereignty Sputnik 24 Jan 2017 -- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying issued a warning to the new White House administration that Washington "is not a party to the South China Sea dispute," even though the US Navy maintains a significant presence in the global trade hub.
• Iran, Russia, Turkey issue joint statement on Syria IRNA 24 Jan 2017 -- The Islamic Republic of Iran, Russia and Turkey issued on Tuesday a joint-statement to put an end to current conflicts between Syrian government and political groups.
• Russia describes 1st day of Astana talks on Syria as 'successful' IRNA 24 Jan 2017 -- Russia's special presidential envoy on the Syria settlement, Alexander Lavrentiev says the first day of Syrian peace talks in Astana was successful.
• Commission to be set up to oversee cessation of hostilities in Syria IRNA 24 Jan 2017 -- Iran, Russia and Turkey are working towards establishing a commission for overseeing the execution of the agreement on cessation of hostilities in Syria.
• Astana talks bolster Syrian government's legitimacy: Iran Press TV 24 Jan 2017 -- A senior Iranian official says the recent Syria peace talks in Kazakhstan's capital city of Astana have bolstered the legitimacy of the Arab country's government.
• Syrian army, allies kill dozens of militants in, round Dayr al-Zawr Press TV 24 Jan 2017 -- Syrian government forces have launched a series of operations against foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants in the country's eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr, killing and injuring dozens of the extremists.
• Syria Sides At Odds As Truce Talks Conclude In Astana RFE/RL 24 Jan 2017 -- Russian, Turkish, and Iranian officials meeting in Kazakhstan say they have agreed to create a mechanism to monitor a fragile cease-fire in Syria.
• Russia Not Ruling Out New Guarantors to Syrian Ceasefire Sputnik 24 Jan 2017 -- Russia does not rule out that some other countries may become the new guarantors of the Syrian ceasefire but they must have real influence over the armed opposition, Alexander Lavrentyev, the head of Russian delegation to the Astana talks said Tuesday.
• With international agreement on ceasefire monitoring, UN envoy praises Syrian delegations in Astana UN News 24 Jan 2017 -- The talks to strengthen the ceasefire in war-torn Syria ended today in Astana, Kazakhstan, with agreement on how to monitor the effort started last month and praise from the United Nations Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura.
• UN Appeals for $4.6B to Assist Millions of Syrian Refugees VOA 24 Jan 2017 -- The United Nations is appealing for $4.63 billion to assist nearly five million Syrian refugees and millions of people hosting them in neighboring countries. The appeal is being launched in the Finnish capital of Helsinki on behalf of U.N. agencies and 40 non-governmental organizations.
• Kadyrov Says Chechens In Russian Military Police In Syria RFE/RL 24 Jan 2017 -- The head of Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, has confirmed that men from Chechnya are serving in Syria.
• Iraq Announces Liberation of Eastern Mosul AFPS 24 Jan 2017 -- After more than 100 days of hard urban combat, Iraqi officials announced the liberation of eastern Mosul today.
• Abadi: Eastern Mosul fully liberated from Daesh terrorists Press TV 24 Jan 2017 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has confirmed reports of the complete recapture of eastern Mosul as a large-scale operation goes on to rid the whole city from the Daesh Takfiri terrorists.
• Iraqi forces gear up for western Mosul liberation operation Press TV 24 Jan 2017 -- Iraqi forces have begun preparations for an offensive to purge the Daesh Takfiri terrorists from the western part of Mosul after wresting full control over the eastern part of the strategic city.
• Serial blasts kill six in Iraqi capital Press TV 24 Jan 2017 -- Chain explosions have killed at least six civilians in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, leaving dozens of others injured.
• UN, partners voice deep concern about 750,000 civilians as battle expands to western Mosul UN News 24 Jan 2017 -- A hundred days after the start of military operations to retake Mosul from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh) militants, humanitarian partners are expressing deep concern about the plight of the estimated 750,000 civilians who are currently living in the western sections of the city where fighting is expected to start in coming weeks.
• Iraq: East Mosul Free of IS Control VOA 24 Jan 2017 -- The Iraqi government says its security forces have taken complete control of eastern Mosul from the Islamic State group, more than 100 days after the fight for Mosul began in October.
• Suspected militant attack kills UN peacekeeper in Mali Press TV 24 Jan 2017 -- A United Nations peacekeeping soldier has been killed and two others have been wounded in an attack by suspected militants in Mali.
• Al-Shabab bombing near Mogadishu kills 4, injures 5 Somali troops Press TV 24 Jan 2017 -- At least four Somali soldiers have been killed and five more injured outside a military base near the capital, Mogadishu, in a roadside bombing claimed by the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab terrorists.
• Explosion Kills 7 Somali Policemen Just West of Mogadishu VOA 24 Jan 2017 -- At least seven policemen were killed in a huge explosion in a small town Tuesday near the capital, officials and witnesses said.
• Indian troops kill 3 as fresh violence erupts in Kashmir Press TV 24 Jan 2017 -- Indian soldiers have engaged in a fresh round of gun battle in Kashmir, killing three people.
• Israel OK's construction of 2,500 settler units in West Bank Press TV 24 Jan 2017 -- The Israeli regime has approved the construction of 2,500 new settler units in the West Bank in defiance of international calls to end such unauthorized activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.
• UN rights expert 'deeply concerned' about reprisals against those she met on official visit to Myanmar UN News 24 Jan 2017 -- A United Nations expert warned today about possible reprisals against the people she met during her recent visit to the country, noting that she was particularly struck by the fear of some she spoke to "who were afraid of what would happen to them after talking to me."

News Reports

• Trump 'forgot he was president' in CIA speech: Panetta Press TV 24 Jan 2017 -- Former CIA Director and Secretary of State Leon Panetta has voiced concerns about Donald Trump's recent remarks at the CIA, suggesting that Trump forgot he was president of the United States.
• US Senate confirms Trump's CIA director to lead a tense intelligence community Press TV 24 Jan 2017 -- US Representative Mike Pompeo has been approved as the new director of the CIA amid a rift between the intelligence community and new President Donald Trump.
• Trump Withdraws U.S. From Trans-Pacific Trade Pact RFE/RL 24 Jan 2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that withdraws the United States from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal.
• Ahead Of Talks, Kosovar PM Says Serbia Seeks Destabilization RFE/RL 24 Jan 2017 -- Kosovo's prime minister has accused Serbia of seeking to destabilize it ahead of a new round of European Union-facilitated talks aimed at ironing out persistent disagreements between the Balkan nations.
• Venezuela's Economic Woes Will Deepen, IMF Predicts VOA 24 Jan 2017 -- Venezuelans, already experiencing severe shortages of food and other consumer goods amid the country's worst economic crisis, are likely to feel even more pain as the year unfolds, the International Monetary Fund grimly predicts.
• Bushehr power plant unit's shutdown for overhauling IRNA 24 Jan 2017 -- The Deputy Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) says the Unit 1 of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant has been shut down for overhaul and fuel replacement.
• US failing to deliver nuclear deal promises: Salehi ISNA 24 Jan 2017 -- Iran has fully complied with its commitments under last year's landmark nuclear agreement and has taken new steps in collecting infrastructures related to centrifuges at Fordow as IAEA Director General has confirmed, Iran's atomic energy chief insisted.
• Zarif: JCPOA not facing a serious threat IRNA 24 Jan 2017 -- Foreign Minister, Mohammad-Javad Zarif, says one of the major achievements of the landmark nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is that it has tranquilized international atomshphere in Iran's favor.
• Israeli Nuclear Spy Vanunu Convicted Again for Violating Parole Sputnik 24 Jan 2017 -- Mordechai Vanunu, who revealed in the 1980s that Israel had nuclear weapons, has been convicted again, this time of violating the terms of his release, and now faces additional jail time.
• Israeli court convicts nuclear whistle-blower for violating terms of release Press TV 24 Jan 2017 -- An Israeli court has convicted nuclear whistle-blower Mordechai Vanunu of what it described as a violation of the terms of his release from prison under parole, more than a decade after he completed an 18-year prison sentence.
• Israeli premier faces more probes over corruption Press TV 24 Jan 2017 -- Israeli police have extended the scope of their investigation into allegations of corruption against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
• The Road to Brexit Gets Rougher for UK's May VOA 24 Jan 2017 -- British Prime Minister Theresa May suffered a setback Tuesday when Britain's supreme court ruled the government needs Parliament's approval to begin the process of leaving the European Union.