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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 30 Jan 2017[PDF]
• Military Strikes Target ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 30 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 30 Jan 2017 -- The RAF are continuing to take the fight to Daesh in Iraq and Syria.
• U.S. Raid in Yemen Garners Intelligence AFPS 30 Jan 2017 -- The U.S. military raid on the militant Islamist group al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula compound in Yemen Jan. 28 that killed a U.S. service member and injured three others yielded valuable intelligence, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters today.
• Afghan Police Eliminate Taliban Senior Commander in Country's Southeast Sputnik 30 Jan 2017 -- One of Taliban leaders Mawlavi Hamid was killed in the Afghanistan's province of Zabul, according to local media.
• Taliban Assaults District Center in Afghanistan's Helmand Province VOA 30 Jan 2017 -- Heavy clashes have erupted in southern Afghanistan, after Taliban rebels staged a coordinated assault on a district center.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Trump Administration Pushes Back on National Security Council Shake-up VOA 30 Jan 2017 -- The White House is firing back at critics, downplaying concerns that President Donald Trump's reorganization of the National Security Council is a marked departure from previous administrations.
• No Change to Chairman's Status as Senior Military Adviser, Officials say AFPS 30 Jan 2017 -- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will continue to present the National Security Council with his best military advice, DoD officials said today.
• Program office celebrates T-38C mod completion AFNS 30 Jan 2017 -- Air Force program officials recently completed two major modifications to the T-38C Talon.
• Readout of Secretary Mattis' Meeting with the His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan DoD 30 Jan 2017
• Readout of Secretary Mattis' Call with Republic of Korea Minister of National Defense Han Minkoo DoD 30 Jan 2017
• Readout of Secretary Mattis' Call with Italian Minister of Defense Roberta Pinotti DoD 30 Jan 2017
• AF buys next lot of Pegasus tankers AFNS 30 Jan 2017 -- The Air Force has awarded a $2.1 billion contract to Boeing for the third Low Rate Initial Production lot of KC-46A Pegasus tankers.
• U.S. 'Iron Soldiers' Stand Ready in Europe AFPS 30 Jan 2017 -- The Army's 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, is ready for any mission, U.S. European Command's deputy commander, Air Force Lt. Gen. Timothy M. Ray, said at the unit's consolidation and validation event here Jan. 30, 2017.
• Marines expand capabilities for 'every clime and place' USMC News 30 Jan 2017 -- Marines and sailors with 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, are putting their cold-weather survival skills to the test during Mountain Training Exercise 1-17 aboard the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center Bridgeport, Calif., Jan. 13 through Feb. 6, 2017.
• CP-17 Arrives in Guatemala, Makes Mission's First Stop NNS 30 Jan 2017 -- Continuing Promise 2017 (CP-17) arrived in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, Jan. 30, for its first stop on its three-month humanitarian mission.
• USS Topeka Returns to Guam NNS 30 Jan 2017 -- Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Topeka (SSN 754) returned to its homeport of Apra Harbor, Guam, Jan. 28, following a forward-operating period to the western Pacific.
• Continuing Promise 2017 Departs for Guatemala NNS 30 Jan 2017 -- The humanitarian mission Continuing Promise 2017 (CP-17) departed Naval Station Mayport, Florida, Jan. 26, for its stop in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala.
• Continuing Promise 2017 Tests Mobile Kitchen Trailers at NAVSTA Mayport NNS 30 Jan 2017 -- Culinary Specialists (CS) from across the nation met at Naval Station Mayport, Florida to test the feasibility of cooking from scratch using a Mobile Kitchen Trailer (MKT), January 24, 2017 in support of Continuing Promise 2017 (CP-17).
• First Pacific-Based F-35C Fighters Arrive at NAS Lemoore NNS 30 Jan 2017 -- Four of the Navy's newest F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft arrived at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore, Jan. 25.
• USS Cole Provides Assistance to Iranian-Flagged Dhow NNS 30 Jan 2017 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Cole (DDG 67) conducted an approach and assist in response to a distress call from an Iranian-flagged dhow, Jan. 27.
• Brand New Russian Corvette Bristling With Advanced Weapons Starts Sea Trials Sputnik 30 Jan 2017 -- The newest Steregushchy-class corvette, the Sovershenny ('Unbeatable') has begun sea trials, the Russian Pacific Fleet reported on Monday. Armed with the latest missile technology and fitted with advanced radar, stealth and electronic warfare systems, the warship is expected to significantly improve the Pacific Fleet's defensive capabilities.
• Chinese Army Commander: War With US Increasing Reality Sputnik 30 Jan 2017 -- Amid heightening tensions surrounding US President Donald Trump's protectionist stance, the possibility of a trade war and even physical combat between the world's two largest economies has become a full-fledged "reality."
• N Korea May Test Fire Mid-Range Missile Instead of ICBM Due to Technological Gap Sputnik 30 Jan 2017 -- A source in the South Korean Defense Ministry said Pyongyang might test fire an intermediate-range ballistic missile instead of an intercontinental one due to technological gap.
• Washington and Seoul Maintain Different Approaches to Showdown With North Korea Sputnik 30 Jan 2017 -- A recent White House press release didn't confirm that a consensus had been reached between the US and South Korean Presidents on Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) during their telephone conversation on January 30, according to Sputnik Korea.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 30, 2017
• In a Bid for Defense Exports, India is Giving Contracts to the Private Sector Sputnik 30 Jan 2017 -- The Indian government has started allocating big military orders to private firms in order to boost defense manufacturing. The Indian government seeks greater private sector participation to achieve military exports worth $2 bln by 2019.

Other Conflicts

• 30 January 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 30 Jan 2017
• At African Union Summit, UN chief Guterres spotlights need to strengthen cooperation UN News 30 Jan 2017 -- In his first address to the African Union since taking office, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today underscored the importance of a strategic AU-UN partnership for building sustainable development and advancing peace and security on the continent.
• UN releases $100 million to sustain relief operations in world's most neglected crises UN News 30 Jan 2017 -- United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today released $100 million from the organization's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to sustain operations in nine "neglected crises" where levels of vulnerability are alarmingly high but funding remains critically low.
• Saudi frigate comes under terrorist attack west of Hodeida by three Houthi suicide boats SPA 30 Jan 2017 -- The command of the coalition to support legitimacy in Yemen announced in a statement today 30/01/2017 that a Saudi frigate came under a terrorist attack by three suicide boats belonging to the Houthi militias while on patrol west of the port of Hodeida.
• Yemen: UN envoy condemns attack on building used to monitor cessation of hostilities UN News 30 Jan 2017 -- The United Nations envoy for Yemen strongly condemned today the attack on the De-escalation and Coordination Committee building, which regularly houses UN Staff, in Dhahran Al-Janoub, which is in Saudi Arabia near the Yemeni border.
• Army soldiers, allied forces destroy Saudi warship in western Yemen Press TV 30 Jan 2017 -- Yemeni army forces, backed by fighters from allied Popular Committees, have targeted and destroyed a Saudi military vessel in a missile attack off the coast of the country's western province of Hudaydah.
• White House Says Saudis Agree On Need For Syria, Yemen Safe Zones RFE/RL 30 Jan 2017 -- The White House says President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman voiced support for the idea of safe zones in Syria and Yemen in an hour-long phone call.
• At least 18 Daesh terrorists killed in Turkey's operations in northern Syria Press TV 30 Jan 2017 -- Turkish forces have killed 18 Daesh terrorists during operations in northern Syria over the past 24 hours.
• Turkish Military Operation in Syrian al-Bab Enters the Final Stage Sputnik 30 Jan 2017 -- The ongoing Turkish military operation in the vicinity of the Syrian city of al-Bab may be concluded within a month due to a number of factors.
• Turkey Kills 20 Daesh Terrorists During Aerial Bombardment in Northern Syria Sputnik 30 Jan 2017 -- According to the Turkish General Staff, 20 Daesh jihadist group members were killed in northern Syria as a result of airstrikes conducted by the Turkish Air Forces over the past 24 hours.
• Syrian forces make further gains across the country Press TV 30 Jan 2017 -- Syrian government forces have killed a large number of terrorists during their operations to purge the country's western province of Homs and the eastern city of Dayr al-Zawr from Daesh.
• Syria warns uncooridanted 'safe zones' would pose risks to civilians Press TV 30 Jan 2017 -- The Syrian foreign minister has warned that plans to create safe zone in the Arab country, proposed by the new US administration, would pose serious risks to civilians' lives if enforced without coordination with Damascus.
• Syria Talks in Geneva Postponed on De Mistura's Request Sputnik 30 Jan 2017 -- Riyad Haddad, the Syrian ambassador to Russia said that a new round of intra-Syrian talks in Geneva were postponed due to a request by UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.
• Russian Tu-22M3 Bombers Destroy Daesh Command Posts, Arms Depots in Deir ez-Zor Sputnik 30 Jan 2017 -- Six Russian Tu-22M3 bombers carried out on Monday airstrikes against new Daesh targets in Syria's Deir ez-Zor province destroying two command posts, arms depots, a large number of military equipment and terrorists, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
• Russia ready to help Iraq fight Daesh: Lavrov Press TV 30 Jan 2017 -- Russia has expressed readiness to provide the Iraqi government with assistance in the country's fight against the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.
• Some 350,000 children face siege-like conditions in western Mosul: Charity Press TV 30 Jan 2017 -- An estimated 350,000 children are trapped in siege-like conditions and risk execution by the Daesh terrorist group in the western part of Mosul, an international non-governmental organization warns.
• Iraqi troops found 27 civilians bodies in Mosul mass grave Press TV 30 Jan 2017 -- Iraqi forces have found a mass grave in the liberated parts of Mosul containing the bodies of 27 civilians slain by Daesh terrorists.
• Bangladesh to relocate Rohingya refugees to remote island Press TV 30 Jan 2017 -- Authorities in Bangladesh have controversially decided to encamp tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees from neighboring Myanmar at a remote offshore location.
• Is the Rohingya Situation Improving in Myanmar? VOA 30 Jan 2017 -- Since 2012, the violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state has displaced thousands of people. According to the United Nations Human Rights Council, that number has surpassed 140,000.
• Heavy Shelling by Pakistan Causing Avalanches in Kashmir - Indian Army Chief Sputnik 30 Jan 2017 -- Both countries have been engaged in heavy shelling with mortars on the border for the last one year. Both armies have lost dozens of soldiers in close firing at the Line of Control, the de-facto border between India and Pakistan.
• Warning of dire food shortages in Horn of Africa, UN agricultural agency calls for urgent action UN News 30 Jan 2017 -- With only one-quarter of expected rainfall received in the Horn of Africa in the October-December period, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today called for an immediate response to prevent widespread drought conditions from becoming a catastrophe.
• At Least 2 Policemen, 3 Militants Killed During Operation in Russia's Chechnya Sputnik 30 Jan 2017 -- At least two law enforcement officers and three militants have been killed during a police operation in Russian Chechen Republic.
• Three militants, two police officers killed in attack on Chechen police post Press TV 30 Jan 2017 -- A terrorist attack on a police station has left two officers and three militants dead in Russia's Chechnya Republic.
• Ukraine Reports Surge in Deadly Fighting with Pro-Russian Separatists VOA 30 Jan 2017 -- Ukraine says at least seven people have been killed in a two-day outbreak of fighting between pro-Russian separatists and government troops in war weary eastern Ukraine.
• Ukraine government says five troopers killed in fighting in east Press TV 30 Jan 2017 -- The Ukrainian government says five troopers were killed in new clashes with pro-Russia forces in the volatile regions of eastern Ukraine.
• Anxious Ukraine Risks Escalation In 'Creeping Offensive' RFE/RL 30 Jan 2017 -- NOVOLUHANSKE, Ukraine -- The way Ukrainian commander Vyacheslav "Eagle-Owl" Vlasenko described it, his troops snuck into this rustic town of 4,000 people in broad daylight and took it - and a valuable pig farm - without firing a shot.
• UN mission in South Sudan 'deeply concerned' by clashes between Government and opposition forces UN News 30 Jan 2017 -- Amid an outbreak of violence in the South Sudanese city of Malakal, the United Nations mission in the country today called on the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and the SPLA in Opposition to silence the guns.

News Reports

• Trump-Putin Phone Call: 'A Toe in the Water' VOA 30 Jan 2017 -- Saturday's phone conversation between presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin has raised the hopes of many Russian politicians for a U.S.-Russian rapprochement. But other observers in Moscow remain more cautious about the prospects for bilateral relations in the Trump era.
• Russia: No 'Moralizing' In Putin-Trump Phone Call RFE/RL 30 Jan 2017 -- Russia's foreign minister is suggesting that U.S. President Donald Trump did not raise the issue of human rights with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their telephone conversation on January 28.
• Trump Fires Acting AG Who Wouldn't Defend Immigration Order VOA 30 Jan 2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump wasted no time Monday night in firing an acting attorney general who earlier in the day ordered the Justice Department not to defend his executive order temporarily banning travelers from seven mostly Muslim countries.
• Obama Criticizes Immigration Ban, Says 'American Values' at Stake VOA 30 Jan 2017 -- As the White House continues to defend President Donald Trump's executive order banning entry to refugees and people from seven Muslim majority countries, former President Barack Obama has opposed it in his first statement since leaving the White House.
• UNHCR: Refugees 'Anxious, Confused and Heartbroken' over Travel Ban VOA 30 Jan 2017 -- People are "anxious, confused, and heartbroken" after being told they cannot come to the U.S. after having undergone a lengthy application process, according to Filippo Grandi of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
• UN agency 'alarmed' by uncertainty facing refugees in the process of being resettled in US UN News 30 Jan 2017 -- The head of the United Nations refugee agency today said he is "deeply worried" by the uncertainty facing thousands of refugees around the world who are in the process of being resettled to the United States after the country suspended its refugee programme last week.
• Pentagon Compiles List of Iraqis for Possible Exemption from Immigration Ban VOA 30 Jan 2017 -- The Pentagon says it is compiling a list of Iraqi nationals who have aided the U.S. military, in an attempt to exempt them from President Donald Trump's 90-day ban on immigration from seven countries identified by the White House as "sources of terror."
• Somali FM: Somalis 'Finger-Pointed' by Immigration Ban VOA 30 Jan 2017 -- Somalia's foreign minister says he is "saddened" by the order barring Somalis from entering the United States and hopes officials will reconsider the policy.
• Why Saudi Arabia, Egypt Have Kept Mum About Muslim Travel Ban VOA 30 Jan 2017 -- Public fury over the Trump administration's ban on travel from several Muslim majority countries may not be abating, but many Muslims in the Middle East and beyond are taking the measure in stride.
• Trump Unfazed by Criticism, Defends Immigration Ban VOA 30 Jan 2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has continued to defend his executive order banning entry to refugees and people from seven Muslim-majority countries, while rights groups vowed to keep pressing legal action, thousands of people protested in cities across the country and Democrats prepared to issue legislation to block the ban.
• Explainer: Who Is Affected By Trump's Entry Ban To U.S., And How? RFE/RL 30 Jan 2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order of January 27 bans refugees from all countries from entering the United States for 120 days and bans Syrian refugees from entering indefinitely.
• OIC says Trump visa ban to fuel violence, serve extremists Press TV 30 Jan 2017 -- The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the world's largest body of Muslim nations, has slammed US President Donald Trump's decision to ban nationals of seven Muslim countries from traveling to the United States, saying the controversial measure will only give rise to radicalism and fuel violence.
• Trump defends travel ban: 'This is not about religion' Press TV 30 Jan 2017 -- President Donald Trump says his executive order banning people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States "is not about religion," amid protests and backlash in the country and around the world.
• Trump Travel Ban Prompts Mounting Criticism Abroad RFE/RL 30 Jan 2017 -- Protests against U.S. President Donald Trump's temporary travel ban on citizens from mainly Muslim countries are growing louder outside the United States, with the world's largest body of Islamic nations expressing "grave concern" and German Chancellor Angela Merkel saying the move "runs contrary to the basic principles of international refugee help."
• As Protests Rage, Trump Says Travel Bans 'Working Out Very Nicely' Sputnik 30 Jan 2017 -- US President Donald Trump says the country's new travel bans are "working out very nicely" despite lawsuits, protests and chaos at airports.
• Trump Issues Statement Defending Travel Bans Sputnik 30 Jan 2017 -- Calling America a "proud nation of immigrants," US President Donald Trump defended the immigration restrictions he ordered January 27 and said he would continue "protect our own citizens and border."
• White House Brushes Off Foreign Service Dissent Over Immigration Order VOA 30 Jan 2017 -- U.S. State Department personnel who have a problem with President Donald Trump's immigration order "should either get with the program or they can go," White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters Monday. "This is about the safety of America."
• Trump's travel ban on Muslims illegal, inhumane: Iran first VP Press TV 30 Jan 2017 -- Iran's first vice president says US President Donald Trump's executive order to ban entry into the country from the Islamic Republic and six other Muslim states is "illegal, inhumane and in violation of human rights", adding Tehran will take reciprocal measures.
• Iraqi parliament votes to urge govt. to enact reciprocal travel ban on Americans Press TV 30 Jan 2017 -- Iraqi legislators have voted to call on the government to enact a reciprocity measure to block American citizens from entering the country if the US does not withdraw President Donald Trump's visa ban against Iraqi travelers.
• US Senate Presses Ahead on Trump's Nominee for Secretary of State VOA 30 Jan 2017 -- The U.S. Senate is pressing ahead on President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state, with a procedural vote that puts the confirmation on track for later this week.
• Trump Factor Improves Angela Merkel's Re-Election Prospects VOA 30 Jan 2017 -- Angela Merkel's aides jokingly explain the German chancellor's improving poll ratings as due to "the Trump factor."
• Fancy Bears Attempted to Hack Polish Foreign Ministry Sputnik 30 Jan 2017 -- The Polish Foreign Ministry and the company responsible for the cybersecurity of the country's state institutions, believe Fancy Bears (APT28) hacker group attempted an attack on the ministry servers in December.
• Group Linked to Syrian War Recruiting Banned in Pakistan VOA 30 Jan 2017 -- Federal counterterrorism authorities in Pakistan have banned a local charity that is suspected of luring recruits to battle alongside Iranian-backed fighters supporting government forces in Syria's civil war.
• Pakistan Puts Leading Figure In 2008 Mumbai Attacks Under House Arrest RFE/RL 30 Jan 2017 -- Pakistan authorities said they ordered the house arrest of a leading figure who allegedly was behind the 2008 attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people.
• Analysis: Is North Korea's Collapse Imminent? VOA 30 Jan 2017 -- Despite a growing narrative that North Korea might be teetering on the verge of collapse, there is a lack of consensus among U.S. experts on the imminent downfall of the reclusive regime.
• Turkish Emergency Rule Modified Amid Mounting Criticism VOA 30 Jan 2017 -- In the face of growing international and domestic criticism under a presidential decree, several measures have been introduced to ease some of the most controversial aspects of Turkey's State of emergency.
• Top Bahraini cleric to face another hearing on February 12 Press TV 30 Jan 2017 -- Bahrain's judiciary has scheduled another hearing session in the trial of top Shia cleric Sheikh Issa Qassim for next month amid angry anti-regime rallies across the kingdom.
• Philippines focuses on 'corrupt' police Press TV 30 Jan 2017 -- The Philippines' law enforcement agency has put a stop to its anti-narcotics campaign until its ranks have been cleansed of rogue officers.
• Philippines Suspends Bloody Anti-Drug Crackdown VOA 30 Jan 2017 -- The Philippine police have ended a controversial anti-drug operation in response to the kidnapping and brutal murder of a South Korean businessman by anti-narcotics officers.
• Jordan's King Abdullah To Visit U.S.; Trump Meeting Uncertain RFE/RL 30 Jan 2017 -- Jordan's King Abdullah will travel to Washington on January 30 to meet with U.S. officials, although it remains uncertain if he will hold talks with President Donald Trump.
• Can ECOWAS Tactics in Gambia Serve As Model? VOA 30 Jan 2017 -- Using a combination of diplomacy and muscle, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) forced longtime Gambian President Yahya Jammeh to cede power this month to challenger Adama Barrow, who won the nation's general election.
• Myanmar: UN rights expert condemns killing of prominent Muslim lawyer UN News 30 Jan 2017 -- A United Nations human rights expert today strongly condemned the brutal murder of a respected Muslim lawyer and constitutional law expert in Myanmar, who was also the legal adviser to the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD).