Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 28 Mar 2017[PDF]
• Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS in Syria, Iraq AFPS 28 Mar 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, conducting 30 strikes consisting of 72 engagements against ISIS targets yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Update: air strikes against Daesh UK MOD 28 Mar 2017 -- The RAF are continuing to take the fight to Daesh in Iraq and Syria.
• Department of Defense Briefing by Gen. Townsend via Telephone from Baghdad, Iraq DoD 28 Mar 2017 -- Presenter: Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, commander, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve
• Inherent Resolve Commander Addresses Reports of Mosul Civilian Casualties AFPS 28 Mar 2017 -- The death of innocent civilians during war is a terrible tragedy that weighs heavily on everyone, the commander of the coalition effort to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria told Pentagon reporters today.
• US on Mosul Civilian Deaths: 'A Fair Chance We Did It' VOA 28 Mar 2017 -- The commander of American forces in Iraq says the U.S. military likely played a role in an airstrike in Mosul, an attack March 17 that witnesses said killed about 100 civilians.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Russian Actions Spur Eucom's Shift From Engagement to Deterrence AFPS 28 Mar 2017 -- The European Theater is the site of political volatility and economic uncertainty compounded by threats that are transregional, multidomain and multifunctional, the senior U.S. commander in Europe told a House committee here today.
• US Committed to Permanent Presence in Baltic States - European Command Chief Sputnik 28 Mar 2017 -- The United States is committed to maintaining a permanent military presence in the Baltic states as necessary, US European Command commander Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti told the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.
• LCS Crew 203 Deploys to Relieve USS Coronado Sailors NNS 28 Mar 2017 -- Littoral Combat Ship Crew 203 departed San Diego, March 28, for a scheduled rotational deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region aboard USS Coronado (LCS 4).
• USS Cole Assists Fishermen NNS 28 Mar 2017 -- Sailors from the guided-missile destroyer USS Cole (DDG 67) provided assistance to stranded fishermen, March 24.
• Truxtun Awarded Battle "E" NNS 28 Mar 2017 -- Commander, Destroyer Squadron (CDS) 22 announced the guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG 103) as their 2016 Battle Effectiveness (Battle "E") award winner, March 14.
• Eagles Complete Strike Fighter Advanced Readiness Program NNS 28 Mar 2017 -- The "Eagles" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 115 completed the Strike Fighter Advanced Readiness Program (SFARP) training syllabus at Naval Air Station (NAS) Fallon, Nevada, March 23.
• Carter Hall, 24th MEU Complete Spring Storm 17 NNS 28 Mar 2017 -- The amphibious dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD 50) and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) completed exercise Spring Storm 17, March 21, in Capul Midia, Romania.
• Statement by the Secretary General on meeting of the NATO-Russia Council NATO 28 Mar 2017 -- Following consultations with the members of the NATO-Russia Council, I have invited them to a meeting at ambassadorial level. The meeting will take place on 30 March at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
• Allies take further steps to enhance resilience NATO 28 Mar 2017 -- Officials and experts from NATO Allies and partners will discuss improving national resilience against evolving security challenges at a seminar in Bucharest on 28 and 29 March 2017. NATO Heads of State and Government pledged to increase Allied resilience at the Warsaw Summit in July 2016.
• U.S. Senate Advances Approval of Montenegro's Bid To Join NATO RFE/RL 28 Mar 2017 -- The U.S. Senate has voted overwhelmingly to advance the approval of Montenegro's bid to join NATO, paving the way for the Balkan nation to join the military alliance.
• US Senate Ratifies Montenegro as NATO Member VOA 28 Mar 2017 -- The U.S. Senate has ratified Montenegro's admission into the NATO alliance, an event many lawmakers view through the lens of a deepening struggle between Western nations and Russia.
• First US Goal at NATO Summit to Convince Allies to Boost Defense Spending - DoS Sputnik 28 Mar 2017 -- The initial goal US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will pursue at this Friday's NATO summit in Brussels is for all member nations to renew their commitment to increase defense spending, a senior Department of State official told reporters in a briefing on Tuesday.
• US missile systems can lead to nuclear attack: Top Russian commander Press TV 28 Mar 2017 -- The Russian general staff has warned of the ramifications of the US stationing of anti-ballistic missile (ABM) systems in Europe and on warships patrolling Russia's borders, saying the deployments create the potential for America to launch a nuclear attack on Russia.
• US Missile Defense System Provokes New Arms Race - Russian Ministry of Defense Sputnik 28 Mar 2017 -- The Russian General Staff stated Tuesday that the missile defense system deployed by the US provokes new arms race.
• Russian Eastern Military District Artillery Units Use Zoopark-1M Radar Sputnik 28 Mar 2017 -- Artillery units of the Russian Eastern Military District have used new Zoopark-1M radar systems for the first time, district's spokesman Alexander Gordeev said Tuesday.
• Russia can use Iran bases for anti-terror battle in Syria: Zarif Press TV 28 Mar 2017 -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Iran could, if necessary, allow Russia to use its military bases on "a case by case basis" for missions against terrorists in Syria.
• UK and France strengthen defence cooperation with new weapon system agreement UK MOD 28 Mar 2017 -- Defence Minister Harriett Baldwin and her French counterpart Laurent Collet-Billon today sign an agreement to explore future missile technologies with MBDA
• North Korea tests new rocket engine: US officials Press TV 28 Mar 2017 -- The United States says North Korea has conducted a fresh rocket engine test, amid heightened tensions with regional and extra-regional countries.
• N Korea Conducts Another Ballistic Missile Engine Test Sputnik 28 Mar 2017 -- North Korea conducted yet another ballistic missile engine test, media reported Tuesday citing two US defense officials.
• PLA stages live-fire drill near China-Myanmar border People's Daily 28 Mar 2017 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA)forces on Tuesday staged an air-ground live-fire drill in south China, close to the border with Myanmar, military sources said.
• Chinese military stages drills near restive Myanmar border Press TV 28 Mar 2017 -- China's army troops have held drills near its border with Myanmar following weeks of clashes between armed ethnic rebel groups and Myanmar's military.
• Iraqi President Denies Ban on Russian Arms Supplies Sputnik 28 Mar 2017 -- Baghdad has no restrictions on purchases of weaponry from Russia, but wants to diversify sources of arms imports, Iraqi President Fuad Masum told Sputnik.
• Baghdad Still Unable to Determine New US Policy Toward Iraq - President Sputnik 28 Mar 2017 -- Iraq is still unable to determine US President Donald Trump's policy as his administration is in no hurry to assume positions while it examines issues, Iraqi President Fuad Masum told Sputnik.
• Royal Saudi Navy works as protector and supporter SPA 28 Mar 2017 -- The Royal Saudi Navy works to protect the coast of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, participates in providing military support and protection for oil installations on the coast of the Arabian Gulf, works side by side with the rest of Saudi armed forces within the Coalition Command to Support the Legitimacy in Yemen, and secures Bab-el-Mandeb Strait from any hostile breaches to ensure regional and international security.
• Top U.S. Military Commander in Europe Calls For Lethal Weaponry For Ukraine RFE/RL 28 Mar 2017 -- The top U.S. military commander in Europe again backed sending more advanced weaponry to Ukraine to help it in its fight against Russia-backed separatists.
• US Must Consider Providing Lethal Weapons to Ukraine - European Command Chief Sputnik 28 Mar 2017 -- The United States must consider giving Ukraine lethal defensive weapons to aid Kiev in its fight in the eastern part of the country, US European Command commander Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti stated on Tuesday.
• More Than 100 Nations Launch Talks At UN Over Nuclear Ban -- But U.S., Russia, Others Absent RFE/RL 28 Mar 2017 -- More than 100 nations have launched talks at the United Nations to discuss a global ban on nuclear weapons, but the world's major powers boycotted the meeting.
• Afghan General Arrested On Corruption Charges RFE/RL 28 Mar 2017 -- A senior Afghan general has been arrested on charges of corruption and misuse of power, a government spokesman said.
• Official: Afghan Defense Ministry Fires 1,400 Staff Over Corruption RFE/RL 28 Mar 2017 -- Afghanistan's Defense Ministry has dismissed nearly 1,400 of its officials over alleged corruption over the past year, a high-ranking ministry official says.
• Brothers-in-Arms: Russia Helps Serbia to Modernize Its Air Force Fleet Sputnik 28 Mar 2017 -- Serbia with Moscow's aid is set to modernize its air force fleet, though apart from relying on Russia's MiG jet fighter aircraft it also depends on its own potential, which it accumulated since the time of Yugoslavia.
• Former Pakistan Army Chief Set to Take Command of 'Muslim NATO' VOA 28 Mar 2017 -- Pakistan's former army chief, Raheel Sharif, is set to become the first commander of a new Saudi-led counterterrorism coalition of mostly Sunni Islamic states, a move frustrating neighboring Shi'ite Iran in addition to prevailing domestic opposition and criticism.
• President Trump's Energy Independence Policy The White House 28 Mar 2017
• Daily Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sean Spicer -- #30 The White House 28 Mar 2017
• On Secretary Tillerson's Upcoming Travel to Brussels, Belgium for the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting US Dept. of State 28 Mar 2017 -- Special Briefing, Office of the Spokesperson, Senior State Department Official

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 28, 2017

Other Conflicts

• 28 March 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 28 Mar 2017
• China Nears Completion of Military Bases on S China Sea Reefs - Think Tank Sputnik 28 Mar 2017 -- China has almost completed the construction of military facilities on the disputed South China Sea Islands, the US-based Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) think tank said.
• Report: Beijing's Man-made South China Sea Islands Nearly Complete VOA 28 Mar 2017 -- A Washington-based think tank has concluded China has almost finished construction or three man-made islands in the South China Sea, giving it the ability to deploy warplanes and other military weapons on the islands at any time.
• China, Philippines to hold talks on maritime issues in May People's Daily 28 Mar 2017 -- China and the Philippines will hold the first meeting of a bilateral consultation mechanism on the South China Sea issue in May, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Tuesday.
• Half of all health facilities in war-torn Yemen now closed; medicines urgently needed - UN UN News 28 Mar 2017 -- More than 14 million people in Yemen have no access to health services, the United Nations health agency today said, warning that transportation of medical personnel and treatment for the injured is getting increasingly difficult as this week the fighting enters its third year.
• US-backed Forces to Resume Anti-IS Operations at Syrian Dam VOA 28 Mar 2017 -- After suspending an offensive to assess the safety of Syria's largest dam, U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters said Tuesday they are poised to resume operations against Islamic State extremists who had occupied the massive structure.
• Russian general criticizes US-led coalition's bombing of Syria dam Press TV 28 Mar 2017 -- A high-ranking Russian military figure has leveled strident criticism against the US-led coalition purportedly fighting the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group over pounding a major dam held by the extremists in Syria's embattled northern province of Raqqah.
• Some 40k Syrians displaced in fresh clashes near Hama: UN Press TV 28 Mar 2017 -- The United Nations (UN) says about 40,000 people, mainly women and children, have been forced out of their homes due to renewed violence perpetrated by militants near the government-held Syrian city of Hama.
• Gearing Up: US-Led Coalition to Use Tabqa Base During Raqqa Operation Sputnik 28 Mar 2017 -- Nasir Hec Mansur, commander of a unit of the Syrian Democratic Forces told Sputnik Turkey in an interview that the US-led coalition forces will use the recently liberated Tabqa military base during the operation in Raqqa.
• Syrian Army Discovers Secret Daesh Weapons Caches in Aleppo Sputnik 28 Mar 2017 -- The Syrian army has discovered several shelters which belonged to the terrorists in the vicinity of Aleppo, a Syrian military source told Sputnik Arabic.
• Russian Experts Defuse Over 1,800 Explosive Devices in Palmyra, Syria - MoD Sputnik 28 Mar 2017 -- Russia has cleared 940 buildings and a 28-mile stretch of roads of more than 1,800 explosive devices in the liberated Syrian city of Palmyra, the Russian General Staff said Tuesday.
• Over 10,000 Militants Trying to Capture Hama - Russian Military Sputnik 28 Mar 2017 -- A group of 10,000 ex-Nusra Front militants attempted to capture the Syrian Hama about a week, the Russian General Staff said Tuesday.
• Supporting Syrian refugees not only an act 'of generosity' but also of 'enlightened self-interest' - UN chief UN News 28 Mar 2017 -- Visiting the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan that is hosting about 80,000 Syrian refugees, the United Nations chief urged the parties to the conflict in Syria and the countries that have influence over them to realize that the crisis is not only a tragedy for Syrian people but also a threat to regional stability and global security.
• Russia and Iran Vow Partnership in Syria VOA 28 Mar 2017 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani signed bilateral agreements with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin Tuesday during his first visit to Moscow.
• Mosul: UN rights chief urges civilian protection as sniper fire, airstrikes kill dozens UN News 28 Mar 2017 -- The top United Nations human rights official today deplored the massive loss of civilian lives in the western sections of Iraq's Mosul city in recent days due to actions by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh) terrorists as well as airstrikes by the Government forces.
• Russia to Continue Supporting Donbass Residents in Any Circumstances - Lavrov Sputnik 28 Mar 2017 -- Russia will not leave residents of eastern Ukraine in trouble and will aim to prevent "hotheads" in Kiev from launching a new round of violence, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published Tuesday.
• Myanmar Silences Radical Monk, but Legacy of Hatred Speaks for Itself VOA 28 Mar 2017 -- The Myanmar nationalist monk Wirathu has long used vile language to make a point.
• DR Congo: UN and regional partners express concern about Kasaï unrest UN News 28 Mar 2017 -- The United Nations and regional partner organizations today expressed deep concern about the situation in the central Kasaï region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where at least two United Nations experts disappeared two weeks ago and dozens of police officers were reportedly found dead.
• Bodies of Missing UN Investigators Found in DRC VOA 28 Mar 2017 -- The bodies of two missing United Nations investigators and their interpreter have been found in the central part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Clashes leave two dead, 18 injured in Kashmir Press TV 28 Mar 2017 -- Indian police have clashed with demonstrators in the Indian-administered Kashmir, leaving two people dead and 18 others injured.

News Reports

• House Intel Chairman Rejects Calls to Recuse Self From Russia Probe VOA 28 Mar 2017 -- The House Intelligence Committee has canceled all meetings this week as its chairman, Devin Nunes, rejects Democratic calls to recuse himself from the committee's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
• Russian Billionaire Deripaska Ready to Deny Manafort Contacts Rumors in Congress Sputnik 28 Mar 2017 -- Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska said Tuesday he is ready to participate in hearings in the US Congress in connection with allegations about the purposes of his contacts with US President Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort.
• Russian Tycoon Accuses AP Of 'Malicious' Lie In Report On Ex-Trump Adviser RFE/RL 28 Mar 2017 -- A Kremlin-connected billionaire has accused the Associated Press of generating a "massive and misleading campaign" against him with its recent report on his ties to U.S. President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman.
• Kremlin Says Bank's Meeting With Trump Son-In-Law Was Routine RFE/RL 28 Mar 2017 -- The Kremlin says it was unaware of what it called "routine business" activity between U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and officials from state-owned Russian development bank Vneshekonombank.
• Lawmakers Tout US-Israeli Ties on Final Day of AIPAC VOA 28 Mar 2017 -- Several U.S. lawmakers spoke Tuesday about the importance of cooperation between the United States and Israel, on the final day of the annual policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
• Navalny's Group Targeted Over Protests As Kremlin Seen Weighing Crackdown RFE/RL 28 Mar 2017 -- Following large protests led by opposition leader Aleksei Navalny over the weekend, Russian authorities quickly moved to shut down his anticorruption foundation, sealing off its offices, seizing equipment, and jailing the Kremlin opponent and eight key staff members.
• Fears of Islamic State's Long Game Persist as Caliphate Crumbles VOA 28 Mar 2017 -- Across much of Iraq and parts of Syria, the Islamic State terror group is in retreat. Yet, Iraqi and U.S. officials tell VOA they have a creeping fear that the larger war is still very much undecided.
• Scotland to Seek New Independence Referendum VOA 28 Mar 2017 -- Scotland's Parliament voted Tuesday to seek a new referendum on independence from Britain, clearing the way for the country's first minister, its top lawmaker, to ask the British government to approve such a vote.
• Scottish Parliament defies UK and backs independence referendum Press TV 28 Mar 2017 -- Scottish lawmakers have backed calls by Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for a second independence referendum to separate from the UK, just one day before London triggers two years of negotiations on withdrawing from the European Union.
• Scottish Parliament Votes in Support of Holding Second Independence Referendum Sputnik 28 Mar 2017 -- The Scottish parliament voted on Tuesday in favor of a bid to hold the second independence referendum in light of Brexit between autumn 2018 and spring 2019.
• US Wants Venezuela's Cooperation, Not Its Suspension From OAS VOA 28 Mar 2017 -- As the Organization of American States weighs how to address a political and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, the United States on Tuesday said it was seeking the South American country's cooperation rather than its "immediate suspension" from the hemispheric group.
• Taiwan working to secure release of human rights advocate in China CNA 28 Mar 2017 -- The Presidential Office said on Tuesday that the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and other government agencies are doing all they can to help secure the release of Lee Ming-che (李明哲), a human rights and democracy advocate from Taiwan detained in China.
• MAC urges China to explain arrest of Taiwan human rights advocate CNA 28 Mar 2017 -- The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) called on China on Tuesday to explain what has happened to Taiwanese human rights and democracy advocate Lee Ming-che (李明哲) whose wife said he has been detained by Chinese security authorities.
• Tokyo Dismisses Chinese Protest Over Visit of Senior Japanese Official to Taiwan Sputnik 28 Mar 2017 -- The visit of a Japanese senior official to Taiwan on Saturday was meant only to promote Japan's tourist sights, local media reported Tuesday citing Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida.
• Belarus: UN expert decries Government's return to mass violence against peaceful protestors UN News 28 Mar 2017 -- A United Nations-appointed independent expert on the human rights situation in Belarus has expressed dismay over the Government's return to the policy of violent mass repression against peaceful demonstrators, non-governmental organizations, journalists and political opponents, and is calling on the authorities there to stop harassment and violence.
• Turkey spying on Gulen supporters unacceptable: German minister Press TV 28 Mar 2017 -- A German state minister has accused Turkey of committing "unacceptable" acts of espionage against the purported followers of exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of having engineered last July's botched coup in the country.
• Georgia celebrates onset of EU visa-waiver program Press TV 28 Mar 2017 -- Officials in Georgia have hailed a first day of European Union's visa-free travel program for the country's citizens, saying the "historic" day would mark a beginning toward the Georgia's integration into Europe.