Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 09 Mar 2017[PDF]
• Counter-ISIS Strikes Continue in Syria, Iraq AFPS 09 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, conducting 22 strikes consisting of 82 engagements against ISIS targets yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Update: air strikes against Daesh UK MOD 09 Mar 2017 -- The RAF are continuing to take the fight to Daesh in Iraq and Syria.
• US deploys Marines with heavy artillery for Raqqah assault Press TV 09 Mar 2017 -- Hundreds of US Marines armed with heavy artillery have arrived in Syria to help allied local forces in preparation for an offensive to recapture the city of Raqqah from Daesh terrorists, officials say.
• U.S. Deploys Extra Troops To Syria In Battle To Oust IS From Raqqa RFE/RL 09 Mar 2017 -- About 400 additional U.S. forces have been temporarily deployed to Syria with heavy artillery in preparation for a fight to oust the extremist group Islamic State (IS) from its self-declared headquarters in the northern city of Raqqa.
• US Marines Deploy to Syria as Agreement on Raqqa Assault Eludes Allies VOA 09 Mar 2017 -- A contingent of U.S. Marines has arrived in northeast Syria to provide artillery support for local forces in an upcoming assault on Raqqa, the defacto capital of the Islamic State terror group, U.S. officials said.
• US mulls boosting Kuwait force for Syria, Iraq deployment: Report Press TV 09 Mar 2017 -- Washington is mulling the creation of a 1,000-strong Kuwait-based military force allegedly aimed at engaging Daesh in Syria and Iraq.
• US Marines Arrive in Syria to Aid Raqqa Offensive - Reports Sputnik 09 Mar 2017 -- US marines have arrived in Syria to establish an outpost in support of the operation to retake Raqqa.
• US General Admits Civilians Killed in Yemen Raid VOA 09 Mar 2017 -- A U.S. military investigation has found that U.S. forces killed between four and 12 civilians during a January raid targeting al-Qaida's branch in Yemen, according to U.S. Army General Joseph Votel, the commander who oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East.
• US working on new Afghanistan strategy: Commander Press TV 09 Mar 2017 -- The top US commander for the Middle East says Washington requires to put more troops on the ground in Afghanistan in the face of resurgent Taliban.
• Pakistan: Border with Afghanistan to Remain Shut Until Terror Concerns Addressed VOA 09 Mar 2017 -- Pakistan is defying calls for permanently opening the border with landlocked Afghanistan, asserting that terrorist attacks emanating from the neighboring country continue to hurt Pakistani citizens and security forces.

Defense Policy / Programs

• U.S. Embassy Reportedly Stops Interviews For Afghans Seeking Special-Immigrant Visas RFE/RL 09 Mar 2017 -- A U.S.-based advocacy group for refugees trying to enter the United States says the U.S. Embassy in Kabul has officially stopped scheduling interviews for applicants under the Afghan special-immigrant-visa program.
• Africom Commander: Enabling 'African Solutions to African Problems' AFPS 09 Mar 2017 -- U.S. Africa Command, its leader told the Senate Armed Services Committee today, employs partner-building efforts and small, targeted investments to enhance security on the African continent.
• Iran Poses Threat to Centcom's Area of Responsibility, Votel Says AFPS 09 Mar 2017 -- Iran poses the most significant threat to U.S. Central Command's complex area of responsibility, Centcom commander Army Gen. Joseph L. Votel told the Senate Armed Services Committee today.
• Pacific mission demonstrates C-5M upgrades AFNS 09 Mar 2017 -- A C-5M Super Galaxy aircraft from the 22nd Airlift Squadron here flew a Pacific channel mission March 4-5, 2017, to deliver cargo to Yokota Air Base, Japan.
• Scott hosts first jump on new drop zone AFNS 09 Mar 2017 -- Scott Air Force Base hosted its first airdrop on a new drop zone here March 1, 2017.
• Department of Defense Announces FY17 Research Equipment Awards DoD 09 Mar 2017 -- Today, the Department of Defense announced awards to 160 university researchers at 84 institutions, totaling $47 million through the Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP). DURIP supports the purchase of state of the art equipment supporting cutting edge defense research and associated graduate student research training.
• Bonhomme Richard, 31st MEU Depart Okinawa, Japan for Patrol NNS 09 Mar 2017 -- Amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) departed White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan, after embarking personnel, equipment, and supplies of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), March 8.
• CP-17 to Test New Technology NNS 09 Mar 2017 -- Continuing Promise 2017 (CP-17) will participate in the advanced testing phase of a web-based tool which will assist in the development of future cooperative health engagement (CHE) missions.
• Truxtun Aids Pakistani Navy Sailor NNS 09 Mar 2017 -- Guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG 103) assisted in the medical evacuation of a Pakistani navy sailor, March 6.
• Oklahoma City Visits Stirling during Indo-Asia-Pacific Patrol NNS 09 Mar 2017 -- Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Oklahoma City (SSN 723) arrived at HMAS Stirling, March 7, for a visit as part of its Indo-Asia-Pacific deployment.
• Joint press point with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the Prime Minister of Estonia, Jüri Ratas NATO 09 Mar 2017
• Lavrov Refutes Claims of Russia's Disproportionate Military Buildup in West Sputnik 09 Mar 2017 -- Allegations of Russia's disproportionate buildup in the western direction are not true, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.
• Russia Fully Complies With INF Treaty Despite Not Meeting Moscow's Interests Sputnik 09 Mar 2017 -- Russia has been, remains and will remain committed to all international obligations, including arising from the INF Treaty, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
• In Moscow, German FM Warns Of Danger Of New Arms Race With Russia RFE/RL 09 Mar 2017 -- German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has warned Russia about the danger of a new arms race triggered by the conflict in eastern Ukraine, and called for reducing the number of conventional weapons.
• Berlin Concerned Over US Military Spending, Russian Military Potential in Baltic Sputnik 09 Mar 2017 -- Germany's foreign minister voiced Berlin's concern over Washington's plans to increase military spending as well as Moscow's armed forces in the Baltic Region.
• Indian Navy Gets Jet Attack Craft to Take On Maritime Terrorists, Pirates Sputnik 09 Mar 2017 -- The increasing number of armed robberies in the Gulf of Aden and Daesh attempts to enter Indian waters through the Rann of Kutch prompted the Navy to beef up maritime surveillance in Indian Ocean Region.
• India to Develop 5th-Generation Jet With Russia Only if Gets Technologies Sputnik 09 Mar 2017 -- India will participate in a joint development of the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) in cooperation with Russia, only if technologies are transferred to New Delhi, The Times of India reported Thursday citing sources in the Indian Defense Ministry.
• Kosovo Establishes Plan to Create National Army, Flipping Off US, NATO Sputnik 09 Mar 2017 -- Despite backlash from Serbia, the US and the NATO secretary general, Kosovo will add heavy equipment and weaponry to the Kosovo Security Force, essentially transforming the 'security force' into a standing army.
• Stealth drone aim of missile designer People's Daily 09 Mar 2017 -- China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, the nation's largest missile-maker, has begun to develop military drones that can evade radar and anti-aircraft weapons.
• Iran successfully test-fires Hormuz-2 ballistic missile Press TV 09 Mar 2017 -- A top Iranian commander says the Islamic Republic has successfully test-fired Hormuz-2 ballistic missile.
• Iran's IRGC Reportedly Test-Fires Sea-Launched Ballistic Missile RFE/RL 09 Mar 2017 -- Iranian news agencies are reporting that the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has "successfully" test-fired a sea-launched ballistic missile.
• US, Iraq Working on 5-Year 'Enhanced Cooperation' Plan Sputnik 09 Mar 2017 -- CENTCOM commander Gen. Joseph Votel said that the United States and Iraq were working on a five-year plan to keep US forces in Iraq after the defeat of Daesh.
• Israeli Sea Drones Start Firing Missiles Sputnik 09 Mar 2017 -- While unmanned aerial vehicles have been increasingly represented across military portfolios, Israel is working on an unmanned remotely-operated surface vehicle. For the first time, Israel successfully tested its Spike missile system from a USV, the Jerusalem Post reports.
• Royal Navy's first new Offshore Patrol Vessel formally named UK MOD 09 Mar 2017 -- The first of the Royal Navy's new Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) has been formally named in Scotland today.
• Pentagon Wants to Replace Russian Helicopters in Afghanistan Sputnik 09 Mar 2017 -- CENTCOM commander Gen. Joseph Votel said that the US government was working on a plan to replace Afghanistan's Russian-made fleet of Mi-17 transport helicopters.
• Department Press Briefing - March 9, 2017 US Dept. of State 09 Mar 2017
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sean Spicer The White House 09 Mar 2017

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 09, 2017

Other Conflicts

• 9 March 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 09 Mar 2017
• Yemeni Government Forces Approach Houthi-Held Capital of Sanaa Sputnik 09 Mar 2017 -- The Yemeni government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition of mostly Persian Gulf countries took control a number of strategically important targets in vicinity of the Houthi-held capital of Sanaa, according to a military source.
• Yemen: UNICEF vaccination campaign reaches five million children UN News 09 Mar 2017 -- Amid escalating violence, the United Nations humanitarian agency for children and its partners have completed the first round of a nationwide door-to-door vaccination campaign reaching five million children under the age of five with oral polio vaccine and vitamin A supplementation.
• Saudi-led coalition keeps using cluster bombs on Yemen: Amnesty Press TV 09 Mar 2017 -- Amnesty International has slammed the Saudi regime and its allies for dropping cluster bombs on residential areas in Yemen despite the global outcry against the use of such internationally-banned weapons by the Riyadh-led coalition.
• Iran exports death to Yemen and Al-Houthi sells it to citizen as a medicine SPA 09 Mar 2017 -- Iran has since its inception continued to export death to all surrounding countries and interfere in the affairs of states by supporting militias to destabilize security in the region.
• Turkey warns US on Raqqah push with Kurdish help Press TV 09 Mar 2017 -- Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has warned of a major damage to US relations with Ankara if Washington includes Kurdish forces in the operation to retake Syrian city of Raqqah from Daesh.
• Syrian army troops retake al-Jarrah airbase in Aleppo from Daesh Press TV 09 Mar 2017 -- Syrian government forces have retaken an airbase in the country's northern province of Aleppo from Takfiri Daesh terrorists.
• Syrian Democratic Forces Vow Offensive on Raqqa in a Few Weeks Sputnik 09 Mar 2017 -- The Syrian Democratic Forces, including the Kurdish YPG faction, are moving closer to the Daesh stronghold in Raqqa, Syria, located along the Euphrates River.
• Syrian Army Retakes Kashish Military Airport East of Aleppo From Daesh Sputnik 09 Mar 2017 -- Syrian troops on Thursday drove militants of Daesh from the territory of the Kashish military airport east of the city of Aleppo, an informed source at the scene told Sputnik Thursday.
• Syrian Democratic Forces Flush Daesh Out of Menxer Hill Near Raqqa Sputnik 09 Mar 2017 -- The units of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces alliance (SDF) have liberated the strategic West Menxer Hill near the Syrian city of Raqqa from Daesh, the SDF statement read Thursday.
• Next intra-Syrian talks set for late March - UN envoy UN News 09 Mar 2017 -- The next round of the United Nations-facilitated intra-Syrian talks is expected to convene on 23 March to discuss issues related to governance, constitution, elections and counter terrorism, the UN Special Envoy for Syria has said.
• Bombs kill 26 near Tikrit as Iraqi forces battle Daesh in Mosul Press TV 09 Mar 2017 -- Bomb attacks at a wedding party near the central Iraqi city of Tikrit have claimed the lives of more than two dozen people as government forces push ahead with their battle to retake the strategic northern city of Mosul from Takfiri Daesh terrorists.
• Libyan Parliamentarian Blames UK, Italy for Attacks on Oil Fields in the East Sputnik 09 Mar 2017 -- On Tuesday, the Libyan parliament situated in the country's eastern city of Tobruk voted to withdraw from a unity government agreement following the attacks on the country's main oil-production area in the east. Parliamentarian Tarik al-Jarushi told Sputnik Arabic which European countries were behind these attacks and why.
• Over 20,000 Myanmar refugees enter China amid fighting between army, rebels: Beijing Press TV 09 Mar 2017 -- Thousands of people from Myanmar have fled into China following recent intense clashes between the military and armed ethnic rebel groups, a senior Chinese official says.
• Colombia atrocities ongoing despite peace deal: Red Cross Press TV 09 Mar 2017 -- An international humanitarian aid organization has warned of ongoing hardships and atrocities in Colombia despite recent peace accords reached between the government and leftist rebels.
• 'Holistic thinking' needed for peace, development in Lake Chad region – Deputy UN chief Mohammed UN News 09 Mar 2017 -- Highlighting the multifaceted nature of the crisis in Africa's Lake Chad Basin, the deputy United Nations chief underlined the need for a holistic approach that includes responding to the Boko Haram as well as closing the gap between humanitarian assistance and development interventions.
• Mali: UN expert calls for stronger protection of civilians amid ongoing violence UN News 09 Mar 2017 -- Serious security threats in north and central Mali put local populations and humanitarian aid workers at risk, a United Nations human rights expert said today.
• Burundian authorities 'shut doors' to engagement, cooperation – Security Council told UN News 09 Mar 2017 -- Nearly two years after the political impasse started in Burundi, national authorities are reducing their cooperation with the United Nations system which risks undermining efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis and cutting assistance to a population in need, the Security Council was told today.
• UN: Burundian Authorities Shutting Doors of Engagement on Crisis VOA 09 Mar 2017 -- The United Nations says that nearly two years since the election crisis in Burundi, the country is still at risk of intensifying its problems.
• South Sudan Soldiers Accused of Village Rampage VOA 09 Mar 2017 -- Villagers in southern South Sudan said SPLA soldiers went on a rampage in the Oming area this week after unidentified gunmen had earlier staged an attack that killed eight troops and wounded five others.
• Former Rebel Chief Joins National Salvation Front in South Sudan VOA 09 Mar 2017 -- The chairman of the South Sudan Democratic Movement, also known as the Cobra Faction, has joined the newly formed National Salvation Front headed by General Thomas Cirillo Swaka.
• Five Million Sudanese Currently in Middle of Famine as War Rages Sputnik 09 Mar 2017 -- Rim Nada, a regional representative of the World Food Program (WFP) revealed to Sputnik that around five million Sudanese are currently suffering from famine, with the figure expected to rise to 5.5 million during the period of drought.

News Reports

• South Korean Court Upholds Presidential Impeachment; Park Ousted VOA 09 Mar 2017 -- The South Korean Constitutional Court has voted unanimously to uphold the impeachment of President Park Guen-hye.
• Assange Accuses CIA of 'Devastating Incompetence' Over Leaks VOA 09 Mar 2017 -- WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange accused the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency of "devastating incompetence" Thursday after his organization was able to obtain and publish documents related to CIA hacking programs.
• WikiLeaks endangering US personnel and operations: CIA Press TV 09 Mar 2017 -- The CIA has publicly accused WikiLeaks of "jeopardizing" the US national security and helping adversaries inflict harm on the United States over the leak of thousands of documents that reveal the agency's hacking and spying secrets.
• CIA leaks prompt criminal investigation Press TV 09 Mar 2017 -- US intelligence agencies have launched a criminal investigation into the publication of a series of highly classified CIA hacking secrets by WikiLeaks.
• CIA Says WikiLeaks 'Equips Our Adversaries'; Assange Sees 'Incompetence' RFE/RL 09 Mar 2017 -- The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has accused WikiLeaks of putting Americans in danger with its release of thousands of documents that the group said were part of a U.S. cyberespionage toolkit.
• Trump Believes Outdated CIA Computer Systems Need to Be Updated Sputnik 09 Mar 2017 -- US President Donald Trump believes that the computer systems of the CIA are outdated and should be updated, according to White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.
• U.S. Lawmaker Says EU Imperiled By 'Kremlin-Backed Politicians' In France RFE/RL 09 Mar 2017 -- A senior U.S. lawmaker says that the future of the European Union could be in danger if "Kremlin-backed politicians" come to power in France.
• Putin Aims to Undermine Western Democracies With Election Meddling, Experts Say VOA 09 Mar 2017 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin is single-handedly trying to undermine democracy in the United States and Europe and rupture their decades-old NATO alliance by meddling in their elections, foreign affairs analysts and Estonia's former president told a congressional hearing Thursday in Washington.
• Putin Fires 10 Generals In Law Enforcement, Says Police Must Do Better RFE/RL 09 Mar 2017 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed several senior law enforcement and officers and told the authorities they must do a better job fighting a range of problems from extremism to teen suicides.
• Erdogan, Putin to Meet in Rapprochement Efforts VOA 09 Mar 2017 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is heading to Russia in the latest step in rapprochement efforts between the countries. Erdogan is to meet Friday with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin
• AEOI chief: Horizon of Iran-IAEA cooperation bright IRNA 09 Mar 2017 -- Vice-President and Head of the Atomic Energy Agency of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi congratulated the reelection of Yukiya Amano as director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and said that he sees good horizon in Tehran-IAEA cooperation.
• DyFM: JCPOA helps much to develop political maturity IRNA 09 Mar 2017 -- Head of follow up headquarter to implement Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Abbas Araqchi by referring to different dimensions of the international document said on Thursday that JCPOA helped a lot to develop political maturity in Iran's society.
• German Domestic Intelligence Marks Increase of Turkish Spying Activities Sputnik 09 Mar 2017 -- Germany's domestic intelligence service registered a boost in Turkish spying activities.
• Belarusian President Suspends Collection Of 'Parasite' Tax On Jobless People RFE/RL 09 Mar 2017 -- Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has announced that collection of a tax on unemployed people will be suspended for one year, stepping back from a policy that has prompted widespread protests in the tightly controlled former Soviet republic.
• Officials warn of Daesh expansion after train blast in India Press TV 08 Mar 2017 -- A recent blast on a passenger train in central India and the subsequent confrontation with a gunman have raised suspicions that the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group may be expanding its footprint across the South Asian country.
• Ethnic Albanian Party Chief Says Macedonia's Crisis Could Last 'Years' RFE/RL 09 Mar 2017 -- The leader of Macedonia's largest ethnic Albanian political party has said the governmental crisis in the country could last "years."
• Former South Ossetian Leader To Appeal Election Ban RFE/RL 09 Mar 2017 -- Eduard Kokoity, who served from 2001-2011 as de facto president of Georgia's breakaway Republic of South Ossetia, has declared his intention of appealing the regional Central Election Commission's refusal to register him as a candidate for the presidential election scheduled for April 9.
• 'Serbia Also First, Please' RFE/RL 09 Mar 2017 -- Politics in the Balkans operates on its own timescale. NATO air strikes against Serbia may have taken place 18 years ago, but reading the newspapers in Belgrade, one could be forgiven for thinking that they happened only yesterday. The past is here to stay.