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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 15 Jun 2017[PDF]
• Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 15 Jun 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 28 strikes consisting of 67 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• US relocates long-range rocket system from Jordan to Syria Press TV 15 Jun 2017 -- The US army has relocated a new truck-mounted, long-range missile launcher from Jordan to a base in Syria's al-Tanf, says an intelligence source.
• US-Deployed HIMARS Artillery in Syria Could Strike Pro-Gov't Forces - Moscow Sputnik 15 Jun 2017 -- The United States has redeployed HIMARS rocket artillery from Jordan to Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
• Task Force Southwest Supports Afghan Forces' Operations AFPS 15 Jun 2017 -- Marine Corps advisors with Task Force Southwest continue to support their Afghan forces during offensive operations throughout Helmand province here.
• U.S. Defense Chief Says Doesn't Have 'Carte Blanche' For Afghan Strategy RFE/RL 15 Jun 2017 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says President Donald Trump has given him the authority to establish troop levels in Afghanistan but that the president has not given him "carte blanche" to set strategy in the war-torn country.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DoD Seeks to Stay Ahead of Cybersecurity Threats, Acting CIO Says AFPS 15 Jun 2017 -- Staying ahead of the cybersecurity threat requires the Defense Department to hire the best people, partner with industry and practice good cyber hygiene, the DoD acting chief information officer said today.
• Frankenphone 2.0: MQ-9 communication innovation AFNS 15 Jun 2017 -- In 2015, a former member of the 42nd Attack Squadron saw a need to improve communications from MQ-9 Reaper aircrew to ground forces, thus, Frankenphone was created.
• Dover C-5M Formal Training Unit relocates to Texas AFNS 15 Jun 2017 -- The C-5M Super Galaxy Formal Training Unit conducted its final training flight June 8, 2017 at Dover Air Force Base prior to its move to Texas.
• Mattis, Dunford Describe Need for Increased, Stable DoD Budgets AFPS 15 Jun 2017 -- For the fourth time this week, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford defended the president's fiscal year 2018 defense budget request on Capitol Hill, this time before the House Appropriations Defense subcommittee.
• JCS Brings Combat Systems Back to Life NNS 15 Jun 2017 -- USS John C. Stennis' (CVN 74) combat systems department began a combat systems light off, June 13, a key milestone in the ship's yard schedule.
• Carl Vinson Strike Group Arrives in Hawaii NNS 15 Jun 2017 -- Aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2 arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for a scheduled port visit, June 14.
• US deploys 2 warships to Doha for joint drills with Qatari navy Press TV 15 Jun 2017 -- Two US navy vessels have arrived in Doha to take part in joint military drills with the Qatari navy amid escalating tensions between Arab Persian Gulf states.
• Russian Military Becomes Unrivaled in Terms of Arctic Warfare Sputnik 15 Jun 2017 -- Russian continues to develop its military infrastructure in the Arctic, ready to deal with any threat to the country's northern reaches.
• Russia May Deploy New Radar in Arctic to Detect US Submarines Sputnik 15 Jun 2017 -- Chairman of the Federation Council's Committee on Defense and Security said that Russia may deploy new radar station in Arctic.
• Russian Troops to Be Able to Return to Hmeymim, Tartus Syria Bases in 2018 Sputnik 15 Jun 2017 -- First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Council's Committee on Defense and Security Frants Klintsevich said that Russian servicemen may limit their deployment locations to only Hmeymim and Tartus bases in Syria as early as next year.
• Putin: Russian Troops Gain 'Absolutely Invaluable Experience' in Syria Sputnik 15 Jun 2017 -- Russia's military gained invaluable experience during the operation in Syria, President Vladimir Putin.
• Putin: We Need to Ensure Sovereignty, Transport Security in Russian Arctic Sputnik 15 Jun 2017 -- President Vladimir Putin said the Arctic was an extremely important region in terms of ensuring Russia's defense capabilities.
• Putin announces plans to reinforce Syrian army Press TV 15 Jun 2017 -- President Vladimir Putin has announced Russia's "medium-term" plans to beef up the Syrian army that is battling foreign-backed terrorist groups.
• China naval group berths at Iran's Bandar Abbas port IRNA 15 Jun 2017 -- A Chinese naval group berthed in southern Iran as Tehran and Beijing maintain their determination to enhance naval cooperation, the Iranian Navy has announced.
• Chinese Navy flotilla docks at Iran's Bandar Abbas People's Daily 15 Jun 2017 -- Chinese Navy vessels berthed at Iranian southern port of Bandar Abbas on Thursday.
• China's first AIP submarine reaches 10-year service milestone People's Daily 15 Jun 2017 -- China has mastered air-independent propulsion (AIP) technology, and the country's navy submarines can now be equipped with the system to reach the advanced level of similar systems throughout the world.
• Japan Trains Using Patriot Interceptor Systems Against North Korean Missiles Sputnik 15 Jun 2017 -- Japan's troops trained to use Patriot air-and-missile defense systems.
• US, Qatar sign $12bn fighter jet deal amid Persian Gulf row Press TV 15 Jun 2017 -- The US has signed a $12-billion deal to sell F-15 fighter jets to Qatar amid a dispute engulfing the Persian Gulf region, which saw President Donald Trump siding with a Saudi-led bloc of nations facing off against Doha.
• Qatar Asks US to Partly Implement $21.1Bln Deal - State Dept. Sputnik 15 Jun 2017 -- The US sale deal of F-15 fighter jets signed by Qatar on Wednesday was approved in November and is now partially implemented as a result of a decision by Doha to proceed in that manner, a US State Department official told Sputnik on Thursday.
• Department Press Briefing - June 15, 2017 US Dept. of State 15 Jun 2017
• Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, 6/15/2017 The White House 15 Jun 2017

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for June 15, 2017

Other Conflicts

• 15 June 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 15 Jun 2017
• UN Security Council Urges Peaceful Settlement in Yemen VOA 15 Jun 2017 -- The U.N. Security Council Thursday urged the parties to the conflict in Yemen to work towards a peace settlement to prevent the country from slipping further into a humanitarian catastrophe.
• Command of Coalition for Supporting Legitimacy in Yemen: UAE's ship was attacked by a missile from a boat off Yemeni coast SPA 15 Jun 2017 -- The Command of Coalition for Supporting Legitimacy in Yemen announced yesterday that an Emirati ship was attacked upon its departure from the Yemeni port of Mukha by a guided missile fired by Houthi militias without causing damage to the ship and resulted in the injury of one member of its crew.
• Fighting, Red Tape Prevent Humanitarian Aid Deliveries in Syria VOA 15 Jun 2017 -- A Senior United Nations official says intense fighting in Syria and bureaucratic red tape are impeding the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian assistance to hundreds of thousands of people trapped in besieged areas.
• Iraqi forces liberate key west Mosul district from Daesh Press TV 15 Jun 2017 -- Iraqi forces have managed to wrest control over a neighborhood in the western side of the flashpoint city of Mosul, in their latest push to liberate the whole city from the grip of Daesh terrorists.
• Philippines nabs top member of terror group ravaging southern city Press TV 15 Jun 2017 -- The Philippines' military says it has arrested a top member of a local terrorist group that has pledged allegiance to Daesh and overrun parts of a southern city in the country.
• UN, rights groups slam Israel's Gaza power plan Press TV 15 Jun 2017 -- The United Nations (UN) and more than a dozen rights groups, including Amnesty International, have warned that longer power cuts imposed by the Israeli regime on the besieged Gaza Strip would worsen the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave.
• Shabab kills 11, takes 20 hostages in Mogadishu Press TV 15 Jun 2017 -- Al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab militants have taken at least 20 people hostage in a restaurant in the Somali capital of Mogadishu after ramming an explosive-laden car into a hotel next door, claiming the lives of 11 people.
• 29 Dead After Al-Shabab Attacks Mogadishu Restaurants VOA 15 Jun 2017 -- Officials in Somalia say at least 29 people were killed in an overnight attack by al-Shabab militants on two popular Mogadishu restaurants.
• Independent UN probe reveals 'cruel and brutal nature' of human rights violations in Burundi UN News 15 Jun 2017 -- A United Nations-appointed panel of experts investigating human rights violations in Burundi today released the latest findings of their probe, noting that their initial fears concerning the scope and gravity of these abuses since April 2015 have been confirmed.
• UN details horrible torture, killing of opponents in Burundi Press TV 15 Jun 2017 -- The United Nations says the government of the African country of Burundi is condoning the torture and killing of its opponents security forces and government-allied militia.

News Reports

• Report: Mueller Investigating Whether Trump Tried To Obstruct Justice In Russia Probe RFE/RL 15 Jun 2017 -- U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller is examining whether President Donald Trump attempted to obstruct justice by trying to quash part of an FBI investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and then firing the FBI director, The Washington Post reported on June 14.
• Trump Says Obstruction Of Justice Probe Based On 'Phony Story' RFE/RL 15 Jun 2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump says that an investigation touching on whether he tried to obstruct justice stems from what he asserts is a "phony story" about possible collusion between his campaign and Russia.
• Trump Attacks Investigation of Possible Obstruction of Justice VOA 15 Jun 2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump is assailing reports that the prosecutor investigating Russian meddling in last year's election is now probing whether he tried to obstruct justice in the case.
• Briefing of Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, June 15, 2017 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 15 Jun 2017
• Putin Emphasizes The Positive In Marathon Question-And-Answer Show RFE/RL 15 Jun 2017 -- In his last scheduled televised question-and-answer session with the public before Russia's next presidential election in March 2018, President Vladimir Putin sought to convey confidence and competence.
• 'Too Long On Your Throne': Was Putin's Big Phone-In Show Massively Trolled? RFE/RL 15 Jun 2017 -- President Vladimir Putin's annual phone-in marathon was shaping up to be the carefully choreographed affair that Russians are accustomed to, until a string of brazenly defiant questions flashed across the backdrop and below the president as he spoke.
• Putin Says Russia is Not US Enemy, Downplays New Sanctions VOA 15 Jun 2017 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says he does not believe his country and the United States are enemies and downplayed fresh sanctions levied against his country by the American lawmakers.
• US Senate Approves Russia Sanctions VOA 15 Jun 2017 -- The U.S. Senate voted 98-2 Thursday to approve sweeping sanctions against Russia and make it harder for President Donald Trump to ease punitive measures against Moscow.
• Senate's Iran Sanctions Bill Faces Differing Views in House VOA 15 Jun 2017 -- A newly passed Senate bill that would impose additional U.S. sanctions on Iran faces uncertain prospects for passage in the House, whose members are expressing differing views about its efficacy.
• Background Briefing on the President's Cuba Policy The White House 15 Jun 2017
• Trump Expected to Tighten US Cuba Policy VOA 15 Jun 2017 -- As a candidate, Donald Trump promised to undo parts of a historic U.S.-Cuba agreement to re-engage after more than 50 years. He said the 2014 deal forged by Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro was "one-sided," favoring the communist government.
• S.Korean president proposes unconditional dialogue with DPRK if provocations stopped People's Daily 15 Jun 2017 -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Thursday proposed an unconditional dialogue with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) if Pyongyang stops any nuclear and missile provocations.
• U.S. intends to fulfill commitments to Taiwan: U.S. official CNA 15 Jun 2017 -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday that while the administration of President Donald Trump is committed to its one-China policy, it also intends to fulfill its commitments to Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA).
• Taiwan, Panama to discuss future arrangements for bilateral ties CNA 15 Jun 2017 -- Taiwan and Panama will discuss how to deal with their future relations after the two countries severed their bilateral century-long diplomatic ties earlier this week, a Taiwanese foreign affairs official said Thursday.
• MAC urges concerted stand against China CNA 15 Jun 2017 -- The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday urged Taiwanese politicians planning to take part in two upcoming forums in China to honestly reflect the voice of Taiwanese people, by taking a concerted stand at a time when Beijing is stepping up its efforts to isolate Taiwan.
• State Department Terrorist Designations of Mohammad Shafi Armar, Oussama Ahmad Atar, and Mohammed Isa Yousif Saqar Al Binali US Dept. of State 15 Jun 2017 -- The Department of State has designated Mohammad Shafi Armar, Oussama Ahmad Atar, and Mohammed Isa Yousif Saqar Al Binali as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) under Section 1(b) of Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which imposes sanctions on foreign persons determined to have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of U.S. nationals, or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States.
• Japanese Parliament Passes Controversial Anti-Conspiracy Bill Amid Protests Sputnik 15 Jun 2017 -- The upper house of the Japanese parliament passed a controversial bill that authorizes measures aimed at preventing terror plots.
• Putin: 'Kurdish Military Very Effective', Russia Has No Grounds to Break Ties Sputnik 15 Jun 2017 -- Moscow will not sever ties with Kurds, President Putin said lauding Kurdish fighters' contribution to the fight against terrorism.
• Pakistan's Sharif slams 'slandering' of his family over wealth Press TV 15 Jun 2017 -- Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has lashed out at those behind a probe into the wealth of his family, saying the "slandering" campaign would certainly hurt the country.
• Pakistan's Sharif Testifies Before Panel Probing His Family Wealth VOA 15 Jun 2017 -- Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has testified before a Supreme Court-appointed panel investigating whether his family used illegal means to establish overseas wealth and property.
• China to launch 4 important satellites for space science by 2020 People's Daily 15 Jun 2017 -- China is set to launch four significant satellites for space science during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), after successfully launching the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope Satellite at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on June 15, according to China's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.
• China launches X-ray telescope to hunt for black holes SPA 15 Jun 2017 -- China launched its first X-ray space telescope, which will hunt for black holes, pulsars and gamma-ray bursts, dpa reported.
• President, Speaker Trade Barbs Over Georgia's Draft Constitutional Changes RFE/RL 15 Jun 2017 -- As the process of adopting amendments to the Georgian Constitution enters what is intended to be the final phase, the level of recriminations between parliament speaker Irakli Kobakhidze, the constitutional lawyer who chaired the commission that drafted the changes, and Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili has reached a new level of intensity after confidential interim comments on the draft amendments by the Council of Europe's Venice Commission were leaked last week to the Georgian media.
• Lesotho Incoming PM's Wife Shot Dead Days Before His Swearing-in VOA 15 Jun 2017 -- Lesotho's incoming prime minister will take office Friday with a heavy heart, his spokesman says, after his estranged wife was shot dead Wednesday outside the capital of the tiny southern African nation.