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Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 03 May 2017[PDF]
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Col. Dorrian via teleconference from Baghdad, Iraq DoD 03 May 2017 -- Presenter: Colonel John Dorrian, Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman
• Military Strikes Hit ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 03 May 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 11 strikes consisting of 53 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Liberation Near for Syrian City of Tabqa, OIR Spokesman Says AFPS 03 May 2017 -- Backed by coalition strikes, Syrian partner forces are close to liberating the Syrian city of Tabqa, the spokesman for the Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve said today.
• At Least Eight Killed In Bombing Of NATO Convoy In Kabul RFE/RL 03 May 2017 -- A powerful blast targeting an armored NATO convoy in Kabul has killed at least eight people and wounded 28, including three coalition soldiers, officials say.
• Weeks After Massive US Bomb, IS Still on Air in Afghanistan VOA 03 May 2017 -- Almost three weeks after the United States dropped its most powerful non-nuclear bomb in Eastern Afghanistan, the Islamic State group continues to show battlefield resilience as well as run its FM radio channel in the area.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Eucom Chief Makes Case for Continued Funding for European Reassurance Initiative AFPS 03 May 2017 -- The European theater is critical to America's national interests and the NATO alliance is a key advantage for the United States, said Army Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, the commander of U.S. European Command, during testimony yesterday.
• Transcom Commander: Growing Global Complexities Require Global Organization AFPS 03 May 2017 -- The world is becoming ever more interconnected, and the U.S. military must be a global force to meet the challenges of an interconnected planet, the commander of U.S. Transportation Command told the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday.
• Sterett-Dewey Surface Action Group Units Arrive in Hong Kong NNS 03 May 2017 -- Sterett-Dewey Surface Action Group (Sterett-Dewey SAG) units arrived in Hong Kong, April 29, for the first foreign port visit of the group's Western Pacific deployment.
• US test-fires nuclear-capable ballistic missile amid N Korea showdown Press TV 03 May 2017 -- The US Air Force has test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the second time over the past seven days, raising the stakes in an already heated standoff with North Korea over its development of similar weapons.
• Secretary General: NATO-EU cooperation is ''now the norm'' NATO 03 May 2017 -- Addressing the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee and Sub-Committee on Security and Defence on Wednesday (3 May 2017), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed closer cooperation between the European Union and the Alliance. He stressed that "cooperation is now the norm, not the exception," and noted that a strong European defence contributes to fair burden-sharing. Mr. Stoltenberg also addressed the agenda of the upcoming meeting of NATO leaders in May.
• Flying High: Russia's T-50 Super Jet Preparing to Soar With Next-Gen Engine Sputnik 03 May 2017 -- Flight tests of Russian newest PAK FA (T-50) fighter aircraft with a standard engine will start in the near future, General Designer of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) Sergei Korotkov said Wednesday.
• Turkish, Azerbaijani Joint Military Drills Draw Protest From Nagorno-Karabakh RFE/RL 03 May 2017 -- Turkey and Azerbaijan have launched joint military exercises lasting from May 1 to May 5 with about 1,000 troops participating, Baku's Defense Ministry says.
• Polish President Approves Sending Troops to Romania, Baltic States Sputnik 03 May 2017 -- Poland's President Andrzej Duda has signed orders to deploy the country's troops to Romania and the Baltics.
• Chinese amphibious aircraft AG600 completes first taxiing test People's Daily 03 May 2017 -- China's domestically developed amphibious aircraft AG600 completed its first ground test on April 29 in Zhuhai, Guangdong province. Experts believe that the aircraft's maiden flight is not far off.
• India Revises Terms for Naval Transport Dock, Calls Fresh Bids Sputnik 03 May 2017 -- The Indian government has asked two of its domestic manufacturers to provide fresh commercial bids for manufacturing 20,000-ton landing platform docks (LPD) by the end of this month.
• India Launches Land Version of BrahMos Amid Tension on Pakistan Border Sputnik 03 May 2017 -- The Indian Army conducted the second launch of its advanced land attack version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in consecutive days amid intense pressure on the Narendra Modi government to retaliate against Pakistan for allegedly beheading two soldiers.
• Indian Army Carries Out Two Successful BrahMos Missile Tests Over 48 Hours Sputnik 03 May 2017 -- The Indian army successfully carried out two tests of the advanced BRAHMOS Block III land attack cruise missile system in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, according to official statement of the Indian Defense Ministry.
• China should take military action against THAAD deployment: military expert People's Daily 03 May 2017 -- China should take military countermeasures against THAAD deployment, a Chinese military expert said after the defense ministries of South Korea and the U.S. confirmed on May 2 that the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system is now operational in South Korea. The system reportedly has the initial capability to intercept North Korean missiles.
• South Korea's likely future president concerned about US missile system Press TV 03 May 2017 -- South Korea's leading presidential candidate has criticized the United States for hastily installing a controversial missile system in his country and circumventing the nation's democratic process.
• Saudi Arabia Seeks to Develop Military Industry - Defense Minister Sputnik 03 May 2017 -- Defense Minister Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud said that Saudi Arabia intends to develop military industry.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sean Spicer, 5/3/2017, #44 The White House 03 May 2017

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for May 03, 2017

Other Conflicts

• 3 May 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 03 May 2017
• Top security official renews Iran's support for ceasefire in Syria IRNA 03 May 2017 -- Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani in a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev on Wednesday underlined continuation of ceasefire in Syria
• Commander Says Iranian Forces Will Stay In Syria As Long As Assad Needs Them RFE/RL 03 May 2017 -- Iran will continue providing military assistance to Syria despite the death of more than a thousand Iranian fighters in the conflict, a senior commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guards has said.
• New round of Syrian peace talks begins in Astana IRNA 03 May 2017 -- New round of Syrian peace talks began in the Kazakh capital city of Astana on Wednesday with the participation of Syrian armed opposition groups and UN representative.
• Syria opposition leaves peace talks in Astana Press TV 03 May 2017 -- The so-called Syrian National Coalition (SNC) says the opposition is halting its participation in the latest round of the Astana peace talks aimed at bringing an end to the deadly conflict in the Arab country.
• Syrian city hit by car bombing, 7 killed Press TV 03 May 2017 -- A car bomb has been set off in a city in Syria's northern Aleppo Province, killing at least seven people and wounding 20 others.
• Fourth round of Syria peace talks opens in Kazakh capital Press TV 03 May 2017 -- Astana is hosting a fourth round of talks in the Kazakh capital between the Syrian government and the opposition aimed at resolving the now six-year foreign-backed militancy in the Arab country.
• Russia Could Deploy More Military Police to Syria if Safe Zones Created Sputnik 03 May 2017 -- In case the decision about the creation of safe, or de-escalation, zones in Syria is made, Russia may assist Syria by providing additional units of military police to ensure order in these designated areas, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security Frants Klintsevich said Wednesday.
• UN envoy urges Syrian parties to 'press ahead' after Astana talks suspended UN News 03 May 2017 -- A senior United Nations mediator today urged the continuation of talks on a Syrian ceasefire being held in the Kazak capital of Astana.
• Trump Sends Envoy to Russia-sponsored Syrian Cease-fire Talks VOA 03 May 2017 -- Russia-sponsored Syrian cease-fire talks taking place Wednesday and Thursday in Astana, Kazakhstan will include a U.S. State Department envoy attending as an observer.
• Remarks by President Trump and President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority in Joint Statement The White House 03 May 2017
• Trump, Abbas Pledge to Work Toward Israeli-Palestinian Peace Deal VOA 03 May 2017 -- President Donald Trump and the leader of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, pledged Wednesday at the White House to try to achieve a diplomatic breakthrough for Middle East peace.
• Trump, Abbas Meet as Peace Deal Seems Far Off VOA 03 May 2017 -- Expectations could hardly be lower for a diplomatic breakthrough as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and U.S. President Donald Trump held their first meeting Wednesday at the White House.
• Trump moves to settle Israeli-Palestinian conflict Press TV 03 May 2017 -- US President Donald Trump has welcomed Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas to the White House to discuss ways to resume the Palestinian-Israeli political process.
• Airstrike injures Boko Haram leader in northeastern Nigeria Press TV 03 May 2017 -- The leader of the Takfiri Boko Haram terrorist group, Abubakar Shekau, has been injured and one of his deputies has been killed when Nigerian Air Force jets bombed a remote area in northeastern Nigeria.
• Deadly Militant Attack Strains Fragile Pakistan-Iran Ties VOA 03 May 2017 -- Iran is pressing Pakistan to capture and punish Sunni militants who staged last week's deadly terrorist attack on Iranian border guards before allegedly fleeing to the neighboring country.
• Libya rivals agree to find solution to conflict Press TV 03 May 2017 -- The head of Libya's UN-backed unity government and a rival military commander have agreed to find a solution to the country's six-year-old conflict.
• Libyan Rivals Reach Agreement on Political Unification Sputnik 03 May 2017 -- Fayez al-Sarraj, the head of Libya's UN-backed government, has met with his rival Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar in the United Arab Emirates. It has been reported as a rare, but highly anticipated meeting between the leaders from the two rival Libyan factions.
• Myanmar rejects UN probe into crimes against Rohingya Press TV 03 May 2017 -- Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has rejected a decision by the United Nations' rights council to investigate allegations of killings, rape and torture by army forces against Rohingya Muslims in the county's troubled Rakhine State.
• Somali Government Minister Killed in Mogadishu VOA 03 May 2017 -- A Somali government minister was shot dead Wednesday near the country's presidential palace in Mogadishu.

News Reports

• Russian Election Hacking 'Wildly Successful' At Sowing Discord, U.S. Intelligence Figures Say RFE/RL 03 May 2017 -- Russia has succeeded in sowing political discord in the United States by interfering in the 2016 presidential election, which will likely prompt Moscow to try it again, two former top U.S. intelligence figures say.
• Russia, Turkey underline need to continue anti-terror fight Press TV 03 May 2017 -- Russia and Turkey have both underscored the need to continue the fight against terrorism and step up safe zones in war-tron Syria.
• Putin, Erdogan Hail Return To 'Normal Partner' Relations RFE/RL 03 May 2017 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have agreed that their countries have overcome a period of difficulties in bilateral relations and have returned to "normal partner interaction."
• Russian President Putin Holds Joint Presser With Turkish Counterpart Erdogan Sputnik 03 May 2017 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a joint press conference in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Wednesday, May 3. The two leaders previously discussed a series of issues over Russian-Turkish bilateral relations as well as the ongoing Syrian conflict.
• Tillerson Says 'Almost No Trust' Between U.S. And Russia RFE/RL 03 May 2017 -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says there is "almost no trust" at present between the United States and Russia, mentioning arms-control agreements and Ukraine as areas where Moscow "is not being particularly helpful today."
• Russian Court Upholds Navalny's Latest Embezzlement Verdict RFE/RL 03 May 2017 -- A Russian court has upheld an embezzlement verdict against opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, a politically charged ruling that will strengthen the government's case for keeping him out of next year's presidential election if President Vladimir Putin doesn't want him to run.
• Court Upholds Embezzlement Sentence for Russian Opposition Figure VOA 03 May 2017 -- A Russian court has upheld opposition leader Alexei Navalny's five-year suspended sentence for embezzlement, a move that could thwart his plans to run for president in 2018.
• Tillerson Singles Out China in Trump's New Approach on North Korea VOA 03 May 2017 -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has singled out China in the Trump administration's new approach to pressure North Korea to stop its provocative nuclear weapons program and missile tests.
• DPRK confirms arrest of U.S. citizen for alleged action to topple gov't People's Daily 03 May 2017 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Wednesday confirmed the arrest last month of a U.S. citizen for alleged action aimed at toppling the Pyongyang government.
• Pyongyang Charges Detained American With Crimes Against the State Sputnik 03 May 2017 -- North Korea announced that an American citizen arrested at Pyongyang International Airport on April 22 has been charged with "criminal acts of hostility" against the state.
• Tillerson: US Ready to Slap More Sanctions on North Korea Sputnik 03 May 2017 -- Washington is ready to slap another batch of sanctions on North Korea in the event of new missile and nuclear tests, Rex Tillerson said.
• Nuclear watchdog says DPRK is making progress with atomic plans People's Daily 03 May 2017 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is making progress with its nuclear program and its launching of missiles is extremely worrying, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Tuesday.
• Saudi Crown Prince Rules Out Opening Dialogue With Rival Iran RFE/RL 03 May 2017 -- In a rare televised interview, Saudi Arabia's deputy crown prince has said there is no possibility that he would open a dialogue with rival Iran because of its Shi'ite ambitions "to control the Islamic world."
• UK won't pay €100 billion to EU over Brexit: Davis Press TV 03 May 2017 -- The UK will not be paying 100 billion euros to the European Union in order to leave the bloc, Brexit Secretary David Davis says.
• Macedonian Crowds Continue Protests Against New Governing Coalition RFE/RL 03 May 2017 -- Thousands of nationalist demonstrators are continuing their protests in Skopje against a proposed governing coalition of Social Democrats and ethnic Albanian parties, five days after they charged into parliament and assaulted lawmakers.
• Macedonian Parliament's New Ethnic Albanian Speaker Enters Office RFE/RL 03 May 2017 -- Thousands of nationalist demonstrators were continuing their protests in Skopje on May 3 against a proposed governing coalition of Social Democrats and ethnic Albanian parties, hours after Macedonia's first ethnic Albanian speaker of parliament took physical possession of the speaker's office.
• Congress Uses Budget to Remind Trump on War Powers VOA 03 May 2017 -- The U.S. Congress is sending President Donald Trump a pointed reminder this week that, as commander in chief, he is legally bound to work with lawmakers when considering sending troops into harm's way. The message is contained several times in the $1 trillion federal budget that is making its way to the president's desk to fund the government through September.
• Report: Declining Deterrence Gives Somali Pirates a Lifeline VOA 03 May 2017 -- Declining vigilance is giving pirates an opening to renew their attacks on ships traveling near Somalia, according to a report by a maritime group.
• Concerns Over N. Korea, China Influence Shadow ASEAN FM Meeting VOA 03 May 2017 -- A meeting of foreign ministers from the 10 member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) with the U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson this week comes amid ongoing tensions on the Korean peninsular as well as concerns over China's growing influence in Southeast Asia.