02 February 2017 Military News

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OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 02 Feb 2017[PDF]

Military Strikes Target ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 02 Feb 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.

White House defends al-Qaeda raid in Yemen that left civilians dead Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- The administration of President Donald Trump has defended a US special forces raid in Yemen as a "success by all standards," despite the death of multiple civilians and children.
Centcom: Civilians Likely Killed in Yemen Firefight AFPS 02 Feb 2017 -- A team designated by the operational task force commander has concluded that civilian noncombatants likely were killed in the midst of a firefight during a Jan. 29 raid in Yemen, and that casualties may include children, U.S. Central Command officials said last night.
US 'likely' killed Yemeni civilians, kids in recent Qaeda raid Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- A recent US attack on al-Qaeda terrorists in impoverished Yemen "likely" left civilians dead, says the United States Central Command.
US Raid in Yemen 'Successful Operation' by All Standards - White House Sputnik 02 Feb 2017 -- The US raid against al-Qaeda militants in Yemen on Sunday was a successful military operation by any standard, White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters on Thursday.

Afghan Provincial Governor Confident US Marines Will Help Contain Taliban VOA 02 Feb 2017 -- The United States is readying a group of roughly 300 Marines to deploy to Afghanistan's southern Helmand province this spring to assist local forces retake several districts lost to the Taliban during the past year and defend the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah, seen as the gateway to the rest of the country.

Defense Policy / Programs

DoD Investigation Clears Central Command Intelligence Leaders AFPS 02 Feb 2017 -- An exhaustive Defense Department Inspector General investigation into allegations that U.S. Central Command officials falsified or distorted intelligence found nothing to support such allegations, according to a DoD IG report issued yesterday.

Mattis Describes Overseas Trip as Opportunity to Listen to Allies' Concerns AFPS 02 Feb 2017 -- Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will listen to the concerns of South Korean and Japanese leaders during his first trip overseas in his new position.
Readout of Secretary Mattis' Meetings with ROK Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-Ahn and ROK National Security Advisor Kim Kwan-Jin DoD 02 Feb 2017
Satellite communications ball promises more bandwidth, greater portability Army News 02 Feb 2017 -- While it may resemble a giant beach ball, the inflatable ground antenna transmit and receive (GATR) ball is actually the Army's latest piece of satellite communications equipment. The technology is so new that the 369th Sustainment Brigade's GATR ball has a serial number in the single digits.
SMDC History: USACS Albert J. Myer to Connect Kwajalein Test Facilities in February 1961 Army News 02 Feb 2017 -- "AFRS Los Angeles and Radio Moscow have only 3/10th of one percent frequency spread." As a result on at least one occasion the residents of Kwajalein were inadvertently entertained by Radio Moscow.
Department of Defense Announces Guidance on Implementation of Civilian Workforce Hiring Freeze DoD 02 Feb 2017 -- Today, the Department of Defense (DoD) released a memorandum providing guidance on the implementation of the presidential memorandum, dated Jan. 23, subject: "Hiring Freeze."
E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Arrives in Japan NNS 02 Feb 2017 -- Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 125 arrived at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, Feb. 2.
Unified Trident Exercise Wraps Up with Successful Integration of International Forces NNS 02 Feb 2017 -- The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard along with the Royal navy, Royal Australian navy and French Marine Nationale successfully concluded exercise Unified Trident, Feb. 2.

Spanish, Canadian Frigates Heading to Romanian Black Sea Port Amid NATO Drills Sputnik 02 Feb 2017 -- Spanish and Canadian frigates Almirante Juan de Borbon and St. John's, taking part in maritime drills by seven NATO countries and Ukraine, are heading to Romania's Black Sea port Constanta, a military-diplomatic source told Sputnik on Thursday.
Secretary General: NATO is committed to peace and stability in the Western Balkans NATO 02 Feb 2017 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg commended Bosnia and Herzegovina for its contributions to Euro-Atlantic security during a visit to Sarajevo on Thursday (2 February 2017).
NATO Monitoring Reports About Increased Russian Influence in Balkan States Sputnik 02 Feb 2017 -- NATO has been following the situation around the reports of growing Russian influence in the Western Balkan states, such as Montenegro, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday.
Czech Republic Wants to Join NATO Battalions in Baltic States Sputnik 02 Feb 2017 -- The Czech Republic's Defense Minister Martin Stropnicky has announced that Prague aims to join the NATO multinational battalions in the Baltics, in order to enhance the eastern flank of the bloc.

McCain Calls on Trump to Provide Ukraine With Lethal Weapons Sputnik 02 Feb 2017 -- The United States should provide Kiev with defensive lethal assistance amid the spike of violence in eastern Ukraine, US Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain said in a letter to President Donald Trump released on Thursday.
Ukrainian president plans referendum on NATO membership Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko is planning a national referendum on whether the country should join the US-led NATO military alliance.
Poroshenko Says He Plans To Hold Referendum On Ukraine Joining NATO RFE/RL 02 Feb 2017 -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko told German media that he is planning a referendum on whether Ukraine should join NATO now that polls show 54 percent of Ukrainians favor such a move.
Ukraine's NATO Referendum 'Marketing' Move Designed to Impress West - DPR Sputnik 02 Feb 2017 -- A referendum on Ukraine's accession to NATO is a "marketing" move of Kiev aimed at making an impression on its western partners, Natalya Nikonorova, the acting foreign minister of the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Donetsk (DPR) told Sputnik on Friday.

This is When 5th-Generation PAK FA Fighter Jets Will Join Russian Army Sputnik 02 Feb 2017 -- Deliveries of PAK FA fifth-generation fighter aircraft to the Russian Armed Forces are most likely to start under the new 2018-2025 arms procurement program, Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said Thursday.

Royal Marines Future "Secure" in Scotland UK MOD 02 Feb 2017 -- The Defence Secretary said today that the future of the Royal Marines in Scotland is secure.
UK invests in new submarine training school on the Clyde UK MOD 02 Feb 2017 -- Defence Secretary announces near £4 million milestone in the building of a single UK hub for Royal Navy's submarine service at HMNB Clyde.

Pyongyang's 'Provocations' Reason for THAAD Deployment in S Korea - Pentagon Sputnik 02 Feb 2017 -- North Korea's provocative behavior is the only reason behind the US deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system on the South Korean territory, US Defense Secretary James Mattis said Thursday on his first official overseas trip, reiterating that the defense of Seoul is the purpose of deployment.
Mattis: US Committed to South Korea in Face of N. Korean 'Provocations' VOA 02 Feb 2017 -- U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said Thursday the Trump administration is committed to strengthening relations with South Korea in the face of what he called the "provocations" that country faces from North Korea.

Beijing to Deploy Aircraft Carrier in South China Sea Amid Tensions With US Sputnik 02 Feb 2017 -- The decision to station the Shandong aircraft carrier, currently under construction in Dalian, in close vicinity of a Chinese nuclear submarine base on Hainan Island in the South China Sea is fully in line with the original purpose of this particular type of ships, military expert Vasily Kashin told Sputnik.

Iranian Defense Minister Insists Tehran's Missile Test Not a Violation Sputnik 02 Feb 2017 -- Tehran's recent cruise missile test was successful and was not in violation of the country's commitment to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran's Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehqan said Thursday.
Iran Successfully Tests Cruise Missile Able to Carry Nuclear Warheads - Reports Sputnik 02 Feb 2017 -- Iran has carried out its first successful test of a cruise missile of Sumar type, capable of carrying nuclear warheads, Die Welt newspaper media reported on Thursday citing a source in German intelligence services.
Iran's missile tests not in contradiction with UNSC Resolution 2231 IRNA 02 Feb 2017 -- Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Bahram Qasemi, says Iran's missile tests are not in contradiction with the UN Security Council resolution 2231.
Velayati: Iran powerfully continues defense activities IRNA 02 Feb 2017 -- Head of the Strategic Research Center of the Expediency Council, Ali-Akbar Velayati, says the Islamic Republic of Iran is to powerfully continue its defense activities and has never sought any country's permission to do so.
Iran requires no one's permission to defend itself: Leader's aide Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- A senior Iranian official has played down the warmongering rhetoric and threats by US authorities against the Islamic Republic, emphasizing that the Islamic Republic does not wait for permission from any foreign state to defend itself.
Iran's ballistic missile test successful: Defense minister Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan says Iran's recent ballistic missile test has been "successful."
Iran Vows to Continue Missile Tests, Says Trump's Warnings 'Bluff' Sputnik 02 Feb 2017 -- Tehran will continue missile tests in accordance with its defense program despite recent warnings issued against Iran by the US national security adviser and President Donald Trump, the Iranian supreme leader's top aide said Thursday.

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sean Spicer, 2/2/2017, #7 The White House 02 Feb 2017

Defense Industry

DoD News: Contracts for February 02, 2017

Other Conflicts

2 February 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 02 Feb 2017

UAE summons Iranian chargé d'affaires over Yemen Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- The Emirati Foreign Ministry has summoned the Iranian chargé d'affaires in protest at what Abu Dhabi claims to be Tehran's "provision of weapons" to Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah fighters, an allegation the Islamic Republic has repeatedly dismissed as unfounded.
Yemeni forces kill Saudi trooper in border firefight Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- The Yemeni army, backed by fighters from allied Popular Committees, has killed a Saudi trooper in the kingdom's southwestern border region of Jizan, in a retaliatory assault against Riyadh's military aggression.

Scores killed in Turkish airstrikes in north Syria Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- At least 51 people have been killed in Turkish airstrikes in northern Syria where Ankara has deployed forces and occupied land with the help of militants.
Syria writes to UN condemns Turkey's attacks near al-Bab Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- Syria has strongly denounced Turkey's recent attacks near the flashpoint town of al-Bab, calling on the United Nations to assume its responsibilities and put an end to the violation of the Arab country's sovereignty.

Trump Proposal for Safe Zones in Syria Should Be Coordinated With Syrian Gov't Sputnik 02 Feb 2017 -- US President Donald Trump's recent proposal on creating safe zones for civilians in Syria should be coordinated with the Syrian government directly or through Moscow, which coordinates its actions on the Syrian territory with Damascus, member of the Syrian parliament Mohammed Kheir Jasim Nadir told Sputnik.
Syrian Army Conducts 'Lightning Military Operation' Against Daesh Near Palmyra Sputnik 02 Feb 2017 -- The field commander of the Syrian Army announced on Wednesday that the army has liberated new territories in the eastern part of Homs province.

UN: 382 civilians killed in Iraq violence in January Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- Latest figures released by the United Nations show that terrorist acts, violence and armed conflicts took the lives of some 400 civilians and left hundreds of others wounded in Iraq last month.
Days of ISIL are numbered, says UN envoy as nation prepares for unified Iraq UN News 02 Feb 2017 -- The military campaign to oust Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh) terrorists from Iraq is nearly won, but the humanitarian crisis is expected to continue for months, if not years, the United Nations top official for the country said today.
Rights Group: Iraqi Shi'ites Detaining Sunni Men Fleeing Mosul VOA 02 Feb 2017 -- A rights group is warning that militias within the Iraqi military are holding men fleeing Mosul in unidentified detention centers where they are cut off from contact with the outside world.

Putin says Ukraine escalating conflict to shore up US support Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the Ukrainian authorities of escalating the fresh bout of violence in the eastern part of the country, saying the Kiev government has resorted to such a ploy in order to rally support from the administration of US President Donald Trump and other Western powers.
Heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine extracting heavy civilian toll, UN Security Council hears UN News 02 Feb 2017 -- Briefing the Security Council on the situation in eastern Ukraine, the top United Nations political and humanitarian officials underlined today that continuing fighting in the region, with only short periods of respite, have exasperated human suffering.
EU's Tusk Says Fighting Must Stop In Ukraine, Points To 'Russia's Aggression' RFE/RL 02 Feb 2017 -- European Council President Donald Tusk is calling on Russia to use its influence with separatists in eastern Ukraine to end an upsurge of fighting that has caused many casualties and aggravated the humanitarian situation.
Kiev's Donbass Special Operation Spokesman Says No Ukrainian Tanks in Avdiivka Sputnik 02 Feb 2017 -- There are no Ukrainian armed forces' tanks in the eastern town of Avdiivka, there are only police armored vehicles, an official representative of the press center of the Ukrainian security forces special operations Leonid Matyukhin told Sputnik on Thursday.

Gunmen kill five on Nigeria-Cameroon border Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- Unidentified gunmen have killed five people, including three nationals from Nigeria and one from Cameroon, after raiding a United Nations (UN) team on the border between the two countries, the UN has announced.

Rising Tensions: Greece Reports Over 130 Airspace Violations by Turkey Sputnik 02 Feb 2017 -- Six Turkish aircraft violated the airspace of Greece at least 138 times on Wednesday, Greek media report.

Urgent scale-up in funding needed to stave off famine in Somalia, UN warns UN News 02 Feb 2017 -- A senior United Nations humanitarian official in Somalia today warned that without a massive and urgent scale up of humanitarian assistance in the coming weeks, famine could soon be a reality in some of the worst drought-affected areas in the African country.

Marching towards peace, FARC-EP begins turning in arms - UN Mission in Colombia UN News 02 Feb 2017 -- More than 200 men and women of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP) marched today to demobilization camps, two months after a peace deal that ended the Western Hemisphere's longest running conflict, United Nations monitors coordinating the process reported.

Jordan monarch warns against relocating US embassy to occupied al-Quds Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- Jordanian King Abdullah II has warned US President Donald Trump against fulfilling his campaign pledge to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the occupied Jerusalem al-Quds.
Israeli Forces Work to Clear West Bank Settlement VOA 02 Feb 2017 -- Israeli security forces continued working Thursday to clear the last remaining people from an illegal Jewish settlement in the West Bank.

News Reports

Europe Processing Donald Trump Challenge VOA 02 Feb 2017 -- When European Council President Donald Tusk put out an open letter this week describing the Trump administration as a "threat" to Europe, his message was clear: Europe must unite or fall prey to threats from Russia. But European governments are far from united in their approach to U.S. President Donald Trump.
US, Mexico Deny Trump Threatened to Send Troops Across Border VOA 02 Feb 2017 -- The United States and Mexico are both denying that U.S. President Donald Trump warned he was ready to send American troops into Mexico.
Trump threatened to send US troops to Mexico, report says Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- US President Donald Trump threatened to send troops to Mexico during a phone conversation with President Enrique Pena Nieto last week, says a report.

Trump Receives Limited International Support for Immigration Restrictions VOA 02 Feb 2017 -- The international reaction to temporary immigration restrictions put in place by U.S. President Donald Trump has been largely negative – with several major organizations publicly denouncing the directive – but a few foreign leaders have voiced support for the plan.

Rex Tillerson sworn in as 69th US secretary of state Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- Former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson has sworn in as the 69th secretary of state of the United States after the Republican-led Senate confirmed his nomination.
Tillerson Tells Diplomats Personal Opinions Should Not Impede Mission VOA 02 Feb 2017 -- In his initial comments to the State Department, the newly confirmed secretary of state introduced himself as "the new guy," and he quickly cautioned foreign service officers and other employees to not let "personal convictions overwhelm our ability to work as one team."

Trump: Nothing 'Off the Table' in Responding to Iran's Missile Launch VOA 02 Feb 2017 -- President Donald Trump said Thursday that Iran had been "formally put on notice" for its ballistic missile launch and warned that "nothing is off the table" in dealing with Tehran.
Trump: 'Nothing Off the Table' On Iran Sputnik 02 Feb 2017 -- US President Donald Trump declared in response to Iran's recent ballistic missile test that no option including the military is "off the table."
'Iran has been formally put on notice' over missile test: Trump Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- US President Donald Trump has stepped up rhetoric against Iran, saying the White House has formally put Tehran on notice over its recent ballistic missile test.
Trump: 'Nothing is off the table' in response to Iran's missile test Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- US President Donald Trump says "nothing is off the table" in terms of a response to Iran's ballistic missile test.
US claims on Iran missile tests baseless, provocative: Foreign Ministry Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- Iran has censured recent claims by a top adviser to US President Donald Trump about the Islamic Republic's missile program as "baseless," "repetitive," and "provocative."
US House Speaker says he backs more sanctions against Iran Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- The Speaker of the US House of Representatives Paul Ryan says he would support additional sanctions on Iran over Tehran's recent missile tests.
US Should Impose Additional Sanctions on Iran - House Speaker Sputnik 02 Feb 2017 -- According to the House of Representatives speaker, the US should impose additional sanctions against Iran.
Iran says Trump cannot kill Boeing deal Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- Iran has rejected speculations that the deteriorating rhetoric by US President Donald Trump against the country could lead to the cancelation of a major plane purchase agreement with the American aviation giant Boeing.

Slight Change to Russia Sanctions Puts Many on Edge VOA 02 Feb 2017 -- Efforts to fix an unintended consequence of recent sanctions against Russia nearly set off a new controversy for the Trump administration, underscoring the high level of anxiety present in relations between Washington and Moscow.
U.S. Treasury Eases License Sanctions On Russia's FSB RFE/RL 02 Feb 2017 -- The U.S. Treasury Department has eased some financial sanctions imposed on Russia's lead domestic security agency, a move experts said appeared to be aimed at helping U.S. technology companies.
US Treasury Eases Some Restrictions on Russian Security Agency VOA 02 Feb 2017 -- The U.S. Treasury Department announced Thursday that it is easing some restrictions on business transactions with Russia's Security Service (FSB), despite cyber-sanctions put in place by former President Barack Obama.
Executive Order 13694 of April 1, 2015 Blocking the Property of certain Persons Engagin in Significant Malicious Cyber-Enabled Activities - General License No. 1 Authorizing certain Transactions with the Federal Security Service Office of Foreign Assets Control - Dept. of the Treasury 02 Feb 2017
John McCain Calls Trump Easing of Sanctions on Russia's FSB 'Technical Fix' Sputnik 02 Feb 2017 -- The announcement the Trump administration will relax certain sanctions against Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) appears to be a "technical fix" rather than a change in US policy toward Russia, US Senator John McCain told reporters.

Hungarian Leader Calls For Improved EU-Russia Ties During Putin Visit RFE/RL 02 Feb 2017 -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban says he hopes relations between the European Union and Russia will improve in the near future and encouraged all parties to increase cooperation.
Kremlin Critic Hospitalized With Similar Symptoms To 2015 Poison Scare RFE/RL 02 Feb 2017 -- A Kremlin critic whose sudden and severe illness in 2015 led to suspicions that he had been poisoned is on life support in a Moscow hospital with similar symptoms, his wife told RFE/RL.

Germany Refuses to Share Intelligence With Turkey, Fearing Its Use Against Kurds Sputnik 02 Feb 2017 -- The German Defense Ministry has announced that it will decline to share recently-collected intelligence with Turkey, for fear that Ankara will use the information in its military campaign against the Kurds.

Evidence of Terror Group Chief's Part in Mumbai Attack 'Available in Pakistan' Sputnik 02 Feb 2017 -- In reply to Pakistan's demand for concrete evidence against Hafiz Saeed, a leader of the Jamat-ud-Dawa terror group, India has said that all the evidence to implicate the mastermind of Mumbai terror attack is already available in Pakistan.

Germany urges Turkey to protect separation of powers in new system Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called on Turkey to ensure that its constitutional principle of separation of powers will be protected as the country is to shift to a new presidential system.
Turkey's Erdogan 'Saddened' By Merkel Comments On 'Islamist Terrorism' RFE/RL 02 Feb 2017 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took German Chancellor Angela Merkel to task for using the phrase "Islamist terrorism," creating an uncomfortable moment during her visit to Ankara.
Merkel Sits Down With Erdogan to Talk EU-Turkey 'Press Release' Migrant Deal Sputnik 02 Feb 2017 -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel is in Turkey for meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss developments in Syria and Iraq and talk about topics ranging from press freedom, terrorism and the refugee crisis.

DRC Opposition at Crucial Impasse as Leader Dies VOA 02 Feb 2017 -- Leading Congolese opposition figure Etienne Tshisekedi died Wednesday in Brussels of an undisclosed illness, bringing to an end a political career which spanned six tumultuous decades. His passing comes at a crucial time for the opposition as it fights to dislodge President Joseph Kabila.
Analysts Cast Doubt on DRC Accord After Opposition Leader's Death VOA 02 Feb 2017 -- Analysts say the death of Congolese opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi could undermine a recent accord aimed at ending the country's political crisis.

British MPs vote in favor of triggering Brexit People's Daily 02 Feb 2017 -- Politicians in House of Commons gave overwhelming backing on Wednesday night to a parliamentary bill, paving the way for Prime Minister Theresa May to trigger the Article 50 mechanism for Britain to leave the European Union.
London rejects another independence referendum in Scotland Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- UK Prime Minister Theresa May believes that Scotland's effort to secede from Britain was settled by an independence referendum in 2014.

Migrant Deal With Libya Within Reach VOA 02 Feb 2017 -- A migrant deal between the European Union and Libya seems closer after leaders of the EU institutions met with the Libyan prime minister on Thursday. Details of the deal, proposed by the EU last week, were discussed ahead of Friday's informal EU summit in Malta.

France includes two of Fillon's children in embezzlement probe Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- Investigators in France have decided to extend their probe into allegations of illegal payment to family members by presidential candidate Francois Fillon to include two of his children.

India Unveils Measure to Clean Up Political Funding VOA 02 Feb 2017 -- In India, where illicit cash is the lifeblood of political parties, the government has slashed the limit on cash donations in a bid to clean up political funding. But analysts say much more needs to be done to tackle a problem that they say lies at the heart of corruption that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to eliminate.

Philippines president wants military to join war on drugs Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- The Philippines' president has said he plans to issue an executive order that would allow the involvement of the military in his anti-drug campaign in the wake of a scandal gripping the police force.

Romania minister quits amid widespread protests Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- A Romanian cabinet minister has resigned amid mounting protests against a decision by the government to decriminalize certain graft offences.
Protests Resume In Romania; President To Challenge Decree RFE/RL 02 Feb 2017 -- Romanians took to the streets to resume protests against moves by the government that critics say would weaken anticorruption legislation, and President Klaus Iohannis said he would challenge the government's emergency decree in the Constitutional Court.

No Breakthrough Reported At Kosovo-Serbia Talks In Brussels RFE/RL 02 Feb 2017 -- The presidents and prime ministers of Serbia and Kosovo have held a new round of talks aimed at improving ties, with no apparent breakthrough.

Thai Military Seeks Political Reconciliation Ahead of National Elections VOA 02 Feb 2017 -- The Thai military government is making a new bid at political reconciliation ahead of general elections likely in 2018.

Indonesia, Australia agree to 'choke off' terror funding Press TV 02 Feb 2017 -- Indonesia and Australia have reached an agreement to fight terrorist groups by blocking their financial resources amid concerns in both countries that supporters of Daesh may be planning new terror attacks there.

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