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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 22 Feb 2017[PDF]
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Col. Dorrian via teleconference from Baghdad, Iraq DoD 22 Feb 2017 -- Presenter: Colonel John Dorrian, Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman
• Inherent Resolve Strikes Target ISIS in Syria, Iraq AFPS 22 Feb 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• OIR Official: 'Conditions Have Been Set' for ISIS Defeat in Western Mosul AFPS 22 Feb 2017 -- Iraqi forces are advancing into western Mosul and making steady gains in efforts to liberate the area from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, the spokesman for Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve said today.

Defense Policy / Programs

• AF, Navy team up to save money with communications tower AFNS 22 Feb 2017 -- The Air Force is constantly looking for innovative ideas and solutions to save money and resources, and this effort recently paid off by utilizing a sister service asset to create a huge cost saving solution.
• Pacom Commander Outlines Regional Challenges AFPS 22 Feb 2017 -- America must continue to develop innovative capabilities if it is to remain "the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world," the commander of U.S. Pacific Command said yesterday at a conference in San Diego.
• Air Force Delivers Army Helicopters to Europe AFPS 22 Feb 2017 -- Air Force Air Mobility Command C-5 Galaxy transports delivered AH-64 Apache helicopters to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, today and are expected to deliver UH-60 Black Hawks to Latvia at the end the month as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
• Exercise Allied Spirit to return to Hohenfels Army News 22 Feb 2017 -- Approximately 2,770 participants from 12 nations will participate in Exercise Allied Spirit VI at the 7th Army Training Command's Hohenfels Training Area in southeastern Germany, March 8-31, 2017.
• NRL's UAV 'Wingman' Technology Used in Air Combat Trials NNS 22 Feb 2017 -- The Navy Center for Applied Research in Artificial Intelligence (NCARAI) at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) joined forces with Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to continue work on the NRL-developed Tactical Battle Manager (TBM), a software system which uses intelligent agents to guide unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) which each serve as a 'wingman' in manned/unmanned teams, in simulated beyond-visual-range (BVR) air combat missions.
• USS Hue City Arrives in Tallinn NNS 22 Feb 2017 -- Guided-missile cruiser USS Hue City (CG 66) arrived in Tallinn, Estonia, for a scheduled port visit to enhance U.S.-Estonia relations as the two nations work together for a stable, secure, and prosperous Baltic region and Europe, Feb. 22.
• NMCB 1 Ready, Relieves NMCB 11 NNS 22 Feb 2017 -- Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1 assumed charge of the Seabee's Europe and Africa Naval Construction Force missions from NMCB 11 during a transfer of authority ceremony at Camp Mitchell, Naval Station Rota's Seabee camp, Feb. 20.
• USS Hopper Returns to Pearl Harbor NNS 22 Feb 2017 -- Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Hopper (DDG 70) returned home from a 180-day independent deployment to the Arabian Gulf, western Pacific, and Indian Ocean, Feb. 21.
• Russian Defense Chief Says New Weapons Tested In Syria Campaign RFE/RL 22 Feb 2017 -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has expressed satisfaction with Moscow's military campaign in Syria and says it has been a good test of new weapons and special-forces units.
• Message for Tokyo? Russia Deploys Bastion-P Coastal Defense System in Kamchatka Sputnik 22 Feb 2017 -- Russia has deployed the first battery of its Bastion-P next-generation mobile coastal defense system in the southern Kamchatka Peninsula, Izvestia reports. Experts say the deployment will help protect Russia's strategic nuclear submarines, and can help send an important message to Tokyo about the on-going Kuril Islands dispute.
• Armenia's Decision to Deploy Iskander Missiles to Depend on 'Developments' Sputnik 22 Feb 2017 -- Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan explained in an interview with Sputnik what role Russia-supplied Iskander missile systems might play.
• Armenia's Cooperation With NATO 'Not Against Strategic Alliance With Russia' Sputnik 22 Feb 2017 -- Armenia's defense minister told Sputnik that Yerevan's cooperation with NATO does not threaten its relations with Russia.
• Yerevan Considers Russian Base 'Very Important Component' of Armenia's Security Sputnik 22 Feb 2017 -- Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan told Sputnik that Russia's base in Gyumri is "a very important component" of Yerevan's security strategy.
• Norway to Ditch Tanks, Stop 'Russian Aggression' With Missiles Sputnik 22 Feb 2017 -- The ongoing overhaul of Norway's defense capabilities still has many question marks hanging over it. For instance, the Norwegian Armed Forces may relinquish its use of heavy tanks and instead rely on missiles to be fired at enemy lines from afar. In any case, Russia is still considered the most likely adversary.
• China Shows Off Future Trimaran Frigate Sputnik 22 Feb 2017 -- China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is reportedly designing a trimaran boat that could serve as both an export vessel and a naval frigate.
• MOD signs £146 million contract to upgrade RAF's long-range missile UK MOD 22 Feb 2017 -- Minister for Defence Procurement Harriett Baldwin has today announced a £146 million contract with MBDA to regenerate an air-launched missile, alongside her French counterpart Laurent Collet-Billon.
• Kiev to Restore Air Defense System, Spend $333Mln on Arms Procurement in 2017 Sputnik 22 Feb 2017 -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that the restoration of the Ukrainian air defense system in 2017 will become a vital priority for the country.
• UAE Signs $700Mln Anti-Tank Missile Contract With Russia Sputnik 22 Feb 2017 -- Russia and the United Arab Emirates signed a contract on delivering anti-tank missiles for the Emirati army.
• Germany Plans to Expand Armed Forces Up to 198,000 Soldiers Till 2024 Sputnik 22 Feb 2017 -- Germany announced its plans to increase the Bunderwehr troops by around 10 percent.
• Russia Still India's Most Dependable Defense Partner Sputnik 22 Feb 2017 -- India is the largest buyer of Russian weapons, taking home 38 per cent of Moscow's exports. Washington's efforts to increase defense selling to India under make in India program are shrouded in doubts with the Donald Trump administration pushing for protectionism and saving American jobs.
• IRGC displays firepower as three-day drills come to close Press TV 22 Feb 2017 -- Ground Forces of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) partake in the third and final day of military drills in northeastern Iran, practicing the use of heavy artillery fire to destroy enemy targets.
• Japan's military exports to ASEAN hint at new proactive strategy: expert People's Daily 22 Feb 2017 -- such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia -- as early as this summer.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sean Spicer, 2/22/2017, #14 The White House 22 Feb 2017

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for February 22, 2017

Other Conflicts

• Tackling hunger crises in South Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria and Yemen requires $4.4 billion - UN UN News 22 Feb 2017 -- Sounding the alarm on behalf of more than 20 million people in South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, and north-east Nigeria facing devastating levels of food insecurity, Secretary-General António Guterres joined other top United Nations officials today calling for "strong and urgent" action from the international community to help the already-fragile countries avert catastrophe.
• UN: 20 Million People on Brink of Famine VOA 22 Feb 2017 -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Wednesday that 20 million people in four countries face famine unless the international community steps in to prevent it.
• China to put missiles on S China Sea islands: US officials Press TV 22 Feb 2017 -- US officials accuse China of intending to deploy long-range surface-to-air missiles on its artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea.
• Saudi Frigate Was Hit by Drone Boat, Not Suicide Bomber: US Navy Sputnik 22 Feb 2017 -- A top US Navy official is reporting that a Houthi vessel responsible for an attack on the Saudi frigate Al Madinah in late January was actually the work of a drone boat filled with explosives, instead of a suicide bomber, as previously reported.
• Yemeni fighters reach outskirts of Mocha, in serious blow to Riyadh Press TV 22 Feb 2017 -- In a major blow to the Saudi-led coalition supported by Washington, Yemeni fighters have reached the eastern outskirts of the port city of Mocha, which was overrun in early February by forces loyal to the former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.
• Army soldiers, allies kill Saudi mercenaries off Yemen coast Press TV 22 Feb 2017 -- Yemeni forces have launched an operation against Riyadh-backed militiamen loyal to the former government, killing scores of them, including the commander of Saudi-led Emirati troops in Yemen.
• Israeli warplanes bombard military positions outside Damascus: Reports Press TV 22 Feb 2017 -- Israeli military aircraft have reportedly carried out an overnight airstrike against Syrian army positions in the strategic and mountainous Qalamoun region, which lies north of the capital Damascus along the border with neighboring Lebanon.
• Syrian opposition calls for direct talks with government Press TV 22 Feb 2017 -- Syria's main opposition group, the so-called High Negotiations Committee (HNC), has announced that it wants face-to-face negotiations with the Syrian government.
• Russia hails successful anti-terror operation in Syria Press TV 22 Feb 2017 -- Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has praised Moscow's counter-terrorism military campaign in Syria, citing its success in testing new weapons and eliminating terrorists wreaking havoc in the Arab country.
• US may deploy more troops to Syria: Commander Press TV 22 Feb 2017 -- The top US commander for the Middle East says more American troops may be needed in Syria to step up the so-called campaign against the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group in the war-torn country.
• De Mistura: Intra-Syria Talks in Geneva Impossible Without Ceasefire Holding Sputnik 22 Feb 2017 -- UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura stated that the intra-Syria talks in Geneva would be impossible without holding the ceasefire in Syria
• Russian Aerospace Forces Have Eliminated Over 3,000 Militants in Syria in 2017 Sputnik 22 Feb 2017 -- The Russian Aerospace Forces have eliminated more than 3,000 militants, including 26 warlords, in Syria, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday. The aircraft have made 1,760 sorties in 2017. The minister underscored the key role of special task forces in the fight against terrorists.
• Syria negotiations may not yield breakthrough, but momentum needs to be maintained - UN envoy UN News 22 Feb 2017 -- A day before negotiations on the crisis in Syria kick off in Geneva, the United Nations Special Envoy for the war-torn country acknowledged that while he is "not expecting a breakthrough," the proactive momentum needs to be sustained, and the top United Nations relief official told the Security Council that the country's humanitarian needs would remain critical for a long time.
• No Breakthrough Expected in Upcoming Syrian Peace Talks VOA 22 Feb 2017 -- The U.N.'s chief mediator for the intra-Syrian talks says he does not see any imminent breakthrough on the horizon.
• Iran Sends Military Students to Syrian Front VOA 22 Feb 2017 -- Iran is increasingly using Syrian battlefields as a proving ground for fresh military officers in training, according to Iranian media reports and Syrian opposition figures.
• Mosul: What's Next? VOA 22 Feb 2017 -- The battle for Mosul has been bloody and slow – for Iraqi soldiers and civilians alike.
• Weapons withdrawal not observed in Ukraine: OSCE Press TV 22 Feb 2017 -- The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) says a newly-agreed truce in Ukraine does not look "too good," emphasizing that the withdrawal of heavy weapons has not taken place as cited in the agreement.
• Interview: U.S. Lawmakers Call For Lethal Weapons For Ukraine RFE/RL 22 Feb 2017 -- Two U.S. lawmakers say the time has come for the United States to supply Ukraine with lethal weapons to better defend itself against Moscow-backed separatists, saying that a "confrontational" Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no sign of easing the pressure on Kyiv.
• Myanmar Rohingya Not Returning, Despite Halt in Crackdown VOA 22 Feb 2017 -- Many Rohingya Muslims who fled alleged killings and other rights abuses during a Myanmar military crackdown in northern Rakhine state say they are not willing to return to their homes, despite last week's announcement that the military operation in the region has ended.
• No concessions on future Palestinian state: Jordan, Egypt Press TV 22 Feb 2017 -- Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and King Abdullah II of Jordan say there could be no concessions on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, reaffirming their support for a so-called two-state solution to the decades-long conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
• Turkish Coast Guard Vessels Enter Greek Waters Near Imia Island Sputnik 22 Feb 2017 -- The Greek navy and coast guard monitored that Turkish coast guard vessels entered Greek territorial waters near the disputed islet of Imia in the southeast Aegean, according to local media reports.
• Moscow Supports Search for Mutually Acceptable Solution to Karabakh Conflict Sputnik 22 Feb 2017 -- The Russian foreign minister said there was no alternative to the current format of co-chairs of the Minsk Group on Nagorno-Karabakh.
• Humanitarian agencies seek $1 billion to provide life-saving aid to millions northeast Nigeria - UN UN News 22 Feb 2017 -- As relief organizations increase response to the humanitarian emergency in the north-east of Nigeria, timely donor support amounting to a little over $1 billion is required to sustain life-saving assistance to millions people devastated by Boko Haram-linked violence, the United Nations relief aid wing has said.
• Central African Republic: Four UN peacekeepers wounded in ambush by armed group UN News 22 Feb 2017 -- The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic has reported that its troops on patrol were ambushed yesterday outside of Ippy in Ouaka prefecture.
• OSCE seeks to defuse conflicts, combat radicalization and build trust, UN Security Council told UN News 22 Feb 2017 -- Multilateral cooperation is the only way to achieve peace, security and stability, and there is no alternative to it, Austria's Foreign Minister told the United Nations Security Council today, underscoring the work of his country in its role as the Chair of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
• South Sudan Accused of Blocking Aid, Despite Famine VOA 22 Feb 2017 -- The head of the U.N. Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) says the government there should make sure that aid agencies can reach people who are starving.
• South African Court Blocks Government's ICC Withdrawal Push VOA 22 Feb 2017 -- South Africa's High Court ruled Wednesday that the government cannot withdraw from of the International Criminal Court without parliamentary approval.
• South Africa court blocks government bid to abandon ICC Press TV 22 Feb 2017 -- A South African court has blocked the government's decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), ruling that the move is "unconstitutional and invalid."
• Conflict, Growing Authoritarianism, Threaten Human Rights in Africa VOA 22 Feb 2017 -- During the Nairobi launch of Amnesty International's annual global report, Muthoni Wanyeki, the group's regional director for East Africa, the Horn, and the Great Lakes, said there has been a "backtracking" in global human rights, giving examples from some of the 11 countries she monitored.

News Reports

• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, February 22, 2017 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 22 Feb 2017
• In Syria And Ukraine, Russia Positions Itself As Solution To Problems It Created RFE/RL 22 Feb 2017 -- The world is becoming ever more tumultuous. But amid the general storm one country can be relied upon to maintain a sanguine -- and sanguinary -- course: Vladimir Putin's Russia.
• Ex-Hong Kong Leader Sentenced on Corruption Charges VOA 22 Feb 2017 -- Hong Kong's former chief executive Donald Tsang, the highest-ranking ex-official to be charged in the city's history, has received a prison term of 20 months for misconduct in public office.
• China leadership pledges stability, progress in key reform areas People's Daily 22 Feb 2017 -- China's top leadership on Tuesday pledged to stick to the basic tone of "seeking progress while maintaining stability" in 2017, aiming for more progress from supply-side structural reform.
• Trump's immigration policy may boost China's global talent pool: experts People's Daily 22 Feb 2017 -- America's tougher immigration stance under the Trump administration could benefit China, as the latter may be in a position to attract more global talent, experts have hypothesized.
• Seoul Accuses Kim Jong-un via Loudspeakers of Plotting Half-Brother's Killing Sputnik 22 Feb 2017 -- South Korean military informed the North Korean population that it was their state's leader Kim Jong-un who masterminded the murder of his half-brother Kim Jong-nam, broadcasting it through loudspeakers near the border line, Yonhap reported Wednesday, citing a South Korean military official.
• Kim's death impacts North Korea's image in China People's Daily 22 Feb 2017 -- Detailed and updated information about the death of Kim Jong-nam, an elder half-brother of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, has been widely available on the Internet and closely followed by the Chinese public, despite cautious coverage by Chinese mainstream media.
• Malaysia seeks to question North Korea embassy official over Kim's killing Press TV 22 Feb 2017 -- Police in Malaysia seek to question a senior official in the North Korean Embassy in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, in connection with the murder of the North Korean leader's half-brother in the city last week.
• Malaysia Urges North Korea Embassy Official to Testify on Kim Jong Nam Murder Sputnik 22 Feb 2017 -- Malaysia opposes to joint investigation of the killing of North Korean leader's half-brother Kim Jong Nam and urges a representative of the North Korean Embassy and an employee of the country's airline to give testimony on the murder.
• Malaysian Police Link N. Korean Diplomat to Kim Jong Nam Killing VOA 22 Feb 2017 -- The Malaysian police on Wednesday said they want to question three new North Korean suspects, including a North Korean diplomat, in connection with the apparent assassination last week of Kim Jong Nam, the older half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
• China Open to Indian NSG Membership, Yet Differences Remain - Foreign Secretary Sputnik 22 Feb 2017 -- Indian Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said that China is open to India joining the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), but its opinion on relevant details is different from that of New Delhi.
• Marine Le Pen Aides Under Investigation Over Misuse of EU Money Sputnik 22 Feb 2017 -- Catherine Griset, Marine Le Pen's chief of staff, has been placed under formal investigation over allegations that the Le Pen campaign misused EU money, France24 reports.
• China plays key role in maintaining multilateral world order: People's Daily People's Daily 22 Feb 2017 -- The world should maintain the current international order and system which was established after the World War II, said People's Daily in a commentary published on Monday, playing down the concerns that the world is facing an era shaped by disorder and illiberal actors.
• All JCPOA-related sanctions against Iran lifted: Foreign Ministry IRNA 22 Feb 2017 -- The main goal of the nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, was removal of nuclear sanctions and economic obstacles imposed against the country, says the foreign ministry deputy.
• Son Of Top Iranian Dissident Cleric Taken Into Custody RFE/RL 22 Feb 2017 -- The son of one of the founding fathers of the Islamic republic has been arrested to serve a six-year prison sentence for releasing a decades-old audiotape in which his father denounced the mass executions of political prisoners in 1988.
• Pakistan Launches Anti-Terror Operation Across Country Sputnik 22 Feb 2017 -- The Pakistani authorities announced a countrywide counterterrorism operation with the participation of law enforcement agencies and the armed forces.
• Pakistan Army Launches Nationwide Anti-terror Operation VOA 22 Feb 2017 -- Pakistan has launched its first ever nationwide military operation "to eradicate the threat of terrorism," in response to a recent surge in suicide bombings and militant attacks that killed scores of people in the country.
• Tsai pledges to maintain status quo across Taiwan Strait CNA 22 Feb 2017 -- President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Wednesday reiterated her administration's commitment to maintaining the status quo with China.
• Beijing defends demand for Spain to deport Taiwanese suspects to China CNA 22 Feb 2017 -- Beijing on Wednesday insisted that Spain deport more than 200 suspects, including Taiwanese and Chinese citizens, recently arrested in the country for alleged telecom fraud to China, on the grounds that the victims were all Chinese.
• Tension Rising Between Regional Rivals Turkey and Iran VOA 22 Feb 2017 -- Tensions are on the rise between Turkey and Iran. A growing war of words between the countries' diplomats has brought to the surface simmering competition for influence in the region.
• New Somali President Pledges to Tackle Issues of Insecurity, Corruption VOA 22 Feb 2017 -- Somalia's new president was formally inaugurated Wednesday, in a ceremony where he pledged to begin stabilizing the war-ravaged country but warned the task will take many years.
• Bahraini police clash with protesters in Nuwaidrat Press TV 22 Feb 2017 -- Bahraini police have once again clashed with protesters condemning the killing of a young activist by the Manama regime forces.
• EU Envoys Approve Visa Liberalization For Georgia RFE/RL 22 Feb 2017 -- European Union ambassadors have agreed to endorse visa liberalization for Georgia, a key step toward visa-free travel for Georgians to the Schengen zone.