Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Counter-ISIS Strikes Continue in Syria, Iraq AFPS 05 Mar 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.
• Pentagon proposes increased military engagement in Syria Press TV 05 Mar 2017 -- In a proposal presented to the White House, the Pentagon has called for a significant increase in US military engagement in Syria including more Special Operations forces, attack helicopters and artillery, US officials say.
• Taliban Kills 6 Afghan Security Forces Near Kunduz VOA 05 Mar 2017 -- Officials in Afghanistan's troubled northern Kunduz province say an overnight insurgent attack has left at least six national security force personnel dead.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Bonhomme Richard Arrives in Okinawa, Japan NNS 05 Mar 2017 -- During the visit, the ship will embark Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), along with their vehicles and cargo, prior to departing for a routine patrol.
• MK 18 Deployment, Retrieval Team Makes Historic AMCM Flight in St. Andrew Bay NNS 05 Mar 2017 -- For years, the U.S. Navy has swept the water columns in various ways for mines, to include using a Mk-107 sled towed by a MH-53E helicopter. This demonstration proved a possible lighter, less time intensive way to sweep for mines in theatre and deployed a MK-18 Mod 2 unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) from a MH-60S aircraft.
• Carl Vinson Welcomes U.S. Ambassador and Republic of the Philippines Guests NNS 05 Mar 2017 -- U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines Sung Kim and his guests visited the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), March 4.
• North Korea Missile Test Not Likely an ICBM VOA 05 Mar 2017 -- North Korea fired four ballistic missiles early Monday, three of which flew 1,000 kilometers before landing in the sea within 350 kilometers of the Japanese mainland, according to South Korean and Japanese officials.
• North Korean Missiles Land in Japanese Waters VOA 05 Mar 2017 -- North Korea fired four ballistic missiles Monday, three of which landed in Japanese waters, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said.
• Air Force base commander apologizes over drug scandal CNA 05 Mar 2017 -- The commander at the Ching Chuan Kang (CCK) air base in Taichung apologized Sunday for a scandal in which drugs were found on the base last month and some servicemen tested positive for drug use.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• Turkey Deploys Cobra 2 Armored Vehicles at Syrian Border Sputnik 05 Mar 2017 -- Turkey deployed its domestically produced, next-generation Cobra 2 armored vehicles to ensure security on the Turkish-Syrian border, Turkish Hürriyet newspaper reported.
• Daesh bombings kill over dozen in Syria's Aleppo province Press TV 05 Mar 2017 -- More than a dozen people have been killed and several others injured after members of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group carried out two separate bomb attacks in Syria's northern province of Aleppo.
• 66,000 displaced in fresh fighting in northern Syria: UN body Press TV 05 Mar 2017 -- The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says a total of 66,000 people have been displaced due to fresh fighting in northern Syria, where Turkey has been carrying out operations.
• Syrian forces liberate 15 villages from Daesh in Aleppo Press TV 05 Mar 2017 -- Syrian government forces, backed by Russian air support, have retaken 15 villages from Daesh terrorists in the country's northern regions.
• Syrian Government Forces Gain Ground In Aleppo Province RFE/RL 05 Mar 2017 -- Syrian state media say government troops have gained ground and widened their control over villages formerly held by Islamic State (IS) militants in the northern part of the country.
• Russian General Reveals Details of Palmyra's Liberation Sputnik 05 Mar 2017 -- The success of the operation for the liberation of Syria's Palmyra was made possible thanks to the actions of the Russian Air Force and the dedication of the Syrian military, Col. Gen. Andrei Kartapolov, the commander of the Russian military contingent in Syria, said Sunday.
• Syrian Army Liberates Almost 100 Populated Areas From Daesh Sputnik 05 Mar 2017 -- The Syrian government forces have freed almost 100 populated areas from Daesh terrorist group after liberating two more settlements since Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry said Sunday.
• US-backed Syrian Forces Resume Offensive to Recapture Raqqa VOA 05 Mar 2017 -- U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said Sunday their offensive to retake Raqqa, the de facto capital of so-called Islamic State (IS), has resumed after a halt that lasted for one week.
• Iraqi forces launch fresh push in western Mosul battle Press TV 05 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi forces have started a new push toward Mosul's old city center as they press ahead with their operation to purge the western bank of the Tigris River of Daesh terrorists.
• Iraqi Forces Launch New Push Toward Mosul Old City Center RFE/RL 05 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi forces have attacked four Islamic State-held areas in Mosul, the latest push in a battle that has displaced more than 45,000 people since it began in October last year.
• Military Operation in West Mosul Displaces Over 45,000 in More Than Week Sputnik 05 Mar 2017 -- Over 45,000 people have fled western Mosul in Iraq in past few days as the coalition-backed government campaign to retake the Iraqi city gains momentum, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Sunday.
• 15 Hospitalized as Details of Alleged Mosul Chemical Attack Emerge VOA 05 Mar 2017 -- "We can't sleep at night because it's hard to breath and our eyes are watering," says Yunis Mohammad Hassan, a father of three, outside his Mosul home in the Noor area.
• Armed groups fighting over Libya's 'oil crescent' Press TV 05 Mar 2017 -- Armed forces based in Libya's east have deployed extra troops in preparation for a counterattack to regain control of the oil-rich areas recently lost to militias.
• DPR Declares Blockade on Kiev as Donbass Republics 'Run Out of Patience' Sputnik 05 Mar 2017 -- The self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in the Ukrainian region of Donbass has declared a trade blockade on Kiev, in response to a previously imposed economic blockade on the part of Ukraine.
• US embassy move to Quds ruins whole Middle East, Fatah warns Press TV 05 Mar 2017 -- The Palestinian Fatah political faction has warned against the potential relocation of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the occupied Jerusalem al-Quds, stressing that any such move will "explode the situation" in the Middle East and North Africa.
• Firefight leaves three dead, several injured in Kashmir Press TV 05 Mar 2017 -- A police officer and two militants have been killed during a fierce gun battle at a southern village in the Indian-controlled Kashmir.
• In Niger, Security Council links aid and development in fight against Boko Haram UN News 05 Mar 2017 -- The Security Council – which is in the Lake Chad Basin to draw attention to the humanitarian and development needs of a region grappling with Boko Haram's terror – visited for the first time Niger, one of the poorest countries in the world.
• Lake Chad Basin Countries: Security Needs Are Hurting Development VOA 05 Mar 2017 -- A U.N Security Council delegation visiting Chad and Niger expressed support Saturday for countries in West Africa that are battling Boko Haram and coping with the humanitarian fallout from the war on terror.
• Sudanese rebels release 127 prisoners Press TV 05 Mar 2017 -- Rebels fighting the government in the southern parts of Sudan have freed some 127 captives with the army welcoming the move amid a renewed ceasefire.
• Central African Republic: UN condemns threats by armed group against civilians, peacekeepers UN News 05 Mar 2017 -- The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR) is warning a rebel movement against impeding humanitarian access, saying any threats to peacekeepers, aid workers or civilians are "unacceptable" and could be tried as warm crimes.

News Reports

• Former US Intel Chief Clapper Rejects Trump's Wire-Tap Claims Sputnik 05 Mar 2017 -- Former US Director of National Intelligence denied that President Donald Trump's was wire-tapped during his presidential campaign, in an interview with NBC.
• Obama spokesman says Trump's wire-tapping claims "simply false" People's Daily 05 Mar 2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump's accusation that his predecessor Barack Obama had his "wires tapped" in Trump Tower before Election Day is "simply false," Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis said Saturday.
• Reports: FBI Chief to Publicly Reject Trump Allegations of Obama Wiretapping VOA 05 Mar 2017 -- U.S. news media reports say FBI Director James Comey will ask the Justice Department to publicly reject President Donald Trump's charges that former President Barack Obama wiretapped his telephones at Trump Tower in New York.
• Obama spokesman rejects Trump's wiretap claim as 'simply false' Press TV 05 Mar 2017 -- Former US President Barack Obama has rejected the latest allegations by his successor Donald Trump that he had ordered electronic surveillance of the then Republican presidential nominee just before the November election.
• Trump may shelve plan for major deal with Russia: Report Press TV 05 Mar 2017 -- US President Donald Trump has reportedly told advisers he might temporarily put aside a plan to reach an agreement with Russia on how to deal with Daesh terrorists and other national security issues.
• U.S. Budget Director Confirms Plans For 'Dramatic' Cut In Foreign Aid RFE/RL 05 Mar 2017 -- The U.S. budget director has confirmed that the Trump administration will propose "fairly dramatic" reductions in U.S. foreign aid when it submits its fiscal 2018 budget later this month.
• South Korea Quadruples Cash Rewards for North Korean Defectors Sputnik 05 Mar 2017 -- South Korea is going to increase the rewards it offers North Korean defectors arriving with valuable information or technology by fourfold, fivefold and more, with some reaching more than $850,000.
• Hot topics of the government work report by Premier Li People's Daily 05 Mar 2017 -- The fifth session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) opened at the Great Hall of the People on Sunday in Beijing. During the meeting, Premier Li Keqiang delivered a report on the government work.
• Xi calls on intellectuals to better contribute to nation People's Daily 05 Mar 2017 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday called on intellectuals to make greater contribution to the nation's development.
• France's Fillon Vows to Continue Presidential Race Amid Penelopegate Scandal Sputnik 05 Mar 2017 -- French presidential hopeful from The Republicans party Francois Fillon claimed on Sunday he would continue the presidential race, stressing that "no one has the power" to force him out.
• EU Leaders Meet in Versailles to Hash Out Bloc's Future VOA 05 Mar 2017 -- Four top European leaders hold talks Monday on the future of the European Union, at a time when it faces multiple crises that are sparking doubts about its very existence.
• Bahrain approves military trials for civilians Press TV 05 Mar 2017 -- Bahrain has approved trial of civilians at military tribunals in a measure blasted by human rights campaigners as being tantamount to imposition of an undeclared martial law countrywide.