Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 27 Jul 2017[PDF]
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Colonel Dillon via teleconference from Baghdad, Iraq DoD 27 Jul 2017 -- Presenter: Colonel Ryan Dillon, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve Spokesman; Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway, Pentagon Spokesman
• U.S., Coalition Continue Strikes Against ISIS in Syria, Iraq AFPS 27 Jul 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 22 strikes consisting of 35 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Coalition Announces Death of ISIS Leaders AFPS 27 Jul 2017 -- Coalition airstrikes killed several senior Islamic State of Iraq and Syria propagandists and facilitators in Iraq and Syria, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials announced today.
• Syrian Democratic Forces Make Gains in Raqqa Against ISIS AFPS 27 Jul 2017 -- In its 53rd day of coalition operations to liberate Raqqa, Syria, from Islamic State of Iraq and Syria control, the Syrian Democratic Forces have about 45 percent of the city under its control, Army Col. Ryan Dillon, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman, told Pentagon reporters today.
• Sustaining the victory in Mosul Army News 27 Jul 2017 -- During a three-year occupation of Mosul, Iraq, ISIS terrorized tens of thousands of Iraqi men, women and children, while also destroying many of the city's religious and cultural treasures, including the al-Nuri Mosque. In the fight against ISIS and for the liberation of Mosul, the Army Reserve's 316th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) has been spearheading the sustainment effort.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Statement by Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Dana W. White on Transgender Policy DoD 27 Jul 2017
• Top US General: No Changes Yet on Transgender Policy VOA 27 Jul 2017 -- The U.S. military's top general says there has been no change yet to the military's policy on transgender personnel, despite President Donald Trump's announcement on Twitter that they will be banned from serving "in any capacity."
• U.S., Eastern European Partners Conduct Training in Bulgaria AFPS 27 Jul 2017 -- Ukraine joined with the United States, Bulgaria, and Serbia this month to bolster defenses and strengthen security across the greater Black Sea region in a five-day, live-fire combat training exercise at the Shabla Air Defense Firing Range here.
• U.S., European Partners Participate in Novo Selo Training Exercise AFPS 27 Jul 2017 -- As an Army tank specialist, Pfc. Brody Henscheid of the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, has been in many drills with other U.S. tank crews.
• U.S., European Partners Building 'More NATO-Centric' European Defense Force AFPS 27 Jul 2017 -- The U.S. military has stood guard in Europe and supported European security since the end of World War II. But defense leaders say its role is evolving as the role of European partner nations in regional defense preparedness grows.
• Marines, sailors with Task Force Koa Moana 17 participated in opening ceremony for Exercise TAFAKULA on Tongatapu Island, Tonga USMC News 27 Jul 2017 -- Marines and sailors with Task Force Koa Moana 17 participated in an opening ceremony for Exercise TAFAKULA July 17 in Tongatapu Island, Tonga.
• USS Green Bay Visits Brisbane NNS 27 Jul 2017 -- Sailors and Marines assigned to the amphibious transport dock USS Green Bay (LPD 20) pulled into Brisbane, Australia for a routine port visit, July 27.
• 'Up-Gunned ESG' Concept Moves Forward in Talisman Saber 17 NNS 27 Jul 2017 -- Flanked by a U.S. destroyer and four Australian frigates, the Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group successfully executed elements of the 'Up-Gunned ESG' concept while participating in more than two weeks of live action training as part of Talisman Saber 2017.
• UNITAS 2017 Concludes in Peru NNS 27 Jul 2017 -- After two weeks of multinational exercises and events at-sea and in port, UNITAS 2017 concluded with a debrief and closing ceremony held on the oceanfront July 26, in Lima, Peru.
• GHWB Arrives in Portsmouth, England NNS 27 Jul 2017 -- The aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) (GHWB) arrived in Portsmouth, England, for a scheduled port visit, July 27.
• Total Force Airmen maximize refueling capacity in Europe AFNS 27 Jul 2017 -- In a long-standing total force partnership between Air Force Reserve Command and U.S. Air Forces in Europe, members of the 507th Air Refueling Wing are augmenting the 100th Air Refueling Wing here to provide KC-135R Stratotanker air refueling support to the European theater of operations, July 1-29, 2017.
• No sign detected of DPRK's missile test-launch: S. Korean military People's Daily 27 Jul 2017 -- South Korea's military said Thursday that no immediate sign has been detected of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s test-launch of another ballistic missile to mark the 64th anniversary of the armistice agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.
• Increasing Alarm: North Korea's Ballistic Missiles Could Reach US by 2018 Sputnik 27 Jul 2017 -- North Korea will need only a year to create an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the US. According to the sources of the US publications, this conclusion was reached by the intelligence community of the country. Previously, it was believed that the DPRK will be able to achieve such results no earlier than 2020.
• China Won't Get Port for Naval Base, Sri Lanka Assures India Sputnik 27 Jul 2017 -- China will not be able to use the Hambantota port in southern Sri Lanka as a naval base and limit its presence to commercial activities as part of a revised agreement approved by the Sri Lankan government on Tuesday, allaying strategic concerns raised by India.
• China's high sea military drills are routine: spokesperson People's Daily 27 Jul 2017 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force has entered a stage of carrying out systematic, routine and actual combat drills on the high seas, air force spokesperson Shen Jinke said Thursday.
• Indian Air Force Says Shalom To Israel's Largest Air Exercise Sputnik 27 Jul 2017 -- With India stepping up its ties with Israel, the Indian Air Force (IAF) will take part in the Blue Flag exercise to be held during November this year in Israel. This will be the largest multi-national exercise in Israel where the US, Italy, France, Germany, Greece, and Poland will take part.
• Eight Indian Submarines Lack Second Periscopes, Says Top Auditor Sputnik 27 Jul 2017 -- India's top auditor has revealed that more than half of its submarines were without the second periscope, which made them less efficient when deployed.
• Japan's defense minister to resign on Friday: NHK Press TV 27 Jul 2017 -- Japan's Defense Minister Tomomi Inada is hours away from resigning, local media say, as pressure mounts on the embattled minister over the suspected cover-up of information related to a United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan.
• UK to send warship to South China Sea, raising tensions with Beijing Press TV 27 Jul 2017 -- Britain plans to send a warship to the disputed South China Sea next year at a time of rising tensions between China and the US, a move likely to anger Beijing.
• UK to Send Brand New Ships to Disputed South China Sea for Drills Sputnik 27 Jul 2017 -- The United Kingdom will send two aircraft carriers on freedom of navigation exercises in the disputed South China Sea, UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Thursday.
• Department Press Briefing - July 27, 2017 US Dept. of State 27 Jul 2017
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, 7/27/2017, #2 The White House 27 Jul 2017

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for July 27, 2017

Other Conflicts

• 27 July 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 27 Jul 2017
• Yemen grappling with 'vicious' combination of worst crises: UN Press TV 27 Jul 2017 -- The United Nations has warned that the catastrophic situation in Yemen is turning into a combination of the world's worst humanitarian crises amid almost daily Saudi bombardment of the impoverished Arab nation.
• 'None of us should stand silent' while civilians suffer in Syria, Security Council told UN News 27 Jul 2017 -- Despite the remarkable hope and strength shown by most Syrians, daily life remains dangerous for millions of people across the country, a senior United Nations aid official warned today, calling for the parties to the six year conflict to stop targeting of civilians, to allow humanitarian access, and to end the "horrific" practice of besiegement.
• US Cuts Ties With Local Syrian Group Trained to Fight IS VOA 27 Jul 2017 -- The U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State is cutting ties with a local Syrian partner force who "engaged in activities not focused on fighting ISIS," a coalition spokesman said Thursday.
• UN should act on inhumane militant siege of al-Foua, Kefraya: Syria Press TV 27 Jul 2017 -- Damascus has written to the United Nations, calling for an immediate action to end the plight of thousands of people holed up in the militant-besieged Shia-majority towns of Kefraya and al-Foua.
• US-backed forces capture half of Syria's Raqqah Press TV 27 Jul 2017 -- The so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed group of mostly Kurdish forces, says it has wrested control over half of the Syrian city of Raqqah, the de facto capital of the Daesh terrorist group in the Arab country.
• Syrian Army Recaptures Terrain on Lebanese Border From al-Nusra Terrorists Sputnik 27 Jul 2017 -- The Syrian Army, together with Hezbollah, won the battle against al-Nusra Front and freed the mountainous area around the town of Fleita near Jurud Arsal on the eastern slopes of the Calamun mountain near the Syrian-Lebanon border.
• UN: As Many as 50,000 Civilians Still Trapped in Syria's Raqqa VOA 27 Jul 2017 -- The United Nations estimated Thursday that 20,000 to 50,000 civilians remained trapped in the Syrian city of Raqqa, the site of heavy fighting as U.S.-backed local forces seek to defeat Islamic State militants in their self-declared capital.
• Rights Group Alleges US-Trained Iraqi Troops Executed Dozens of Prisoners in Mosul VOA 27 Jul 2017 -- An Iraqi army division trained by the U.S. military allegedly assassinated several dozen prisoners in the final days of battle to recapture Mosul's Old City from Islamic State, according to Human Rights Watch.
• Nasrollah: Arsal operation going on till total purge IRNA 27 Jul 2017 -- Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrollah said live on Almenar TV on Wednesday that the Asral operation will continue until total purge of the area from Takfiri terrorists and added that he won't respond US President Donald Trump's remarks so that the Lebanese mission in the States doesn't face any trouble.
• Hezbollah discovers Nusra Front mass grave on border with Syria Press TV 27 Jul 2017 -- The Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement says its fighters have found a mass grave containing the bodies of slain members of the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham – previously known as the Nusra Front – militant group.
• Ceasefire takes effect on Lebanese-Syrian border: Reports Press TV 27 Jul 2017 -- A ceasefire has reportedly taken effect on the Lebanese side of the border with Syria near the town of Arsal, where Hezbollah resistance fighters have been combating Takfiri militants over the past week.
• UN Security Council urges all Libyans to support calls for national reconciliation UN News 27 Jul 2017 -- The United Nations Security Council today welcomed the Joint Declaration issued after a meeting between two Libyan political figures and urged all Libyans to support its calls for a negotiated political solution, national reconciliation, and an immediate ceasefire.
• Security Council extends mandate of UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus UN News 27 Jul 2017 -- The Security Council today renewed the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Cyprus for six months, until 31 January 2018, following the recent failure to reach a settlement to the longstanding conflict between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots on the Mediterranean island.
• Palestinians Clash With Israeli Soldiers at Holy Site After Security Measures Lifted VOA 27 Jul 2017 -- Israeli police and Palestinian worshippers clashed Thursday outside a revered holy site in the Old City within Jerusalem after Israel removed the final elements of security measures it installed there earlier this month.
• War crimes fugitive surrenders to UN peacekeepers in DR Congo; UN advocate urges justice for victims UN News 27 Jul 2017 -- The United Nations advocate for ending sexual violence in conflict has welcomed the surrender of fugitive rebel leader Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka to the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), known as MONUSCO.

News Reports

• U.S. Senate Sends Russia Sanctions Bill To White House In Rebuff To Trump RFE/RL 27 Jul 2017 -- The U.S. Senate on July 27 nearly unanimously approved tough sanctions on Russia and sent the legislation to the White House, presenting President Donald Trump with a dilemma as he seeks to improve relations with Moscow.
• US Senate Approves Russia Sanctions, Sends Bill to Trump VOA 27 Jul 2017 -- U.S. lawmakers have approved a bill imposing new sanctions in Russia, Iran and North Korea, which will now be sent to President Donald Trump for approval.
• Putin warns of tough Russia response to insolent US sanctions Press TV 27 Jul 2017 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has deplored a new round of US sanctions on his country, saying Moscow will definitively respond to the embargos if they are implemented.
• Putin Vows To 'Retaliate' If U.S. Moves Ahead With 'Boorish' New Sanctions RFE/RL 27 Jul 2017 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has lashed out at U.S. attempts to impose stricter sanctions on Moscow, saying his country was ready to "retaliate" if Washington moved ahead with the plan being put forward by Congress.
• White House Hints Trump Could Veto Russia Sanctions VOA 27 Jul 2017 -- The White House Thursday broached the possibility that President Donald Trump could veto new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea, prompting sharp criticism from U.S. lawmakers of both political parties.
• 'Destiny of Ultimate Demise': Pyongyang Threatens Washington to Back Off Sputnik 27 Jul 2017 -- As North and South Korea commemorated the 64th anniversary of the truce that effectively ended the Korean War, Pyongyang called on the US to end its aggression against the communist nation.
• UN expert urges two Koreas to discuss human rights UN News 27 Jul 2017 -- The proposed resumption of dialogue between the two Koreas is an opportunity to discuss and improve the human rights situation in the North, a United Nations expert has said at the end of his second visit to the South.
• North Korean Development, Shortages Go Hand in Hand VOA 27 Jul 2017 -- What may seem like conflicting reports – that North Korea's economy is growing while its people also face severe food shortages because of drought – underline the sharp divisions that exist in one of the world most isolated and repressive states.
• Iran successfully launches Simorgh satellite carrier Press TV 27 Jul 2017 -- Iran has successfully launched its domestically-manufactured Simorgh carrier, whose mission is to put Iranian satellites into the orbit.
• Iran Reportedly Test-Launches Rocket Capable Of Taking Satellite Into Orbit RFE/RL 27 Jul 2017 -- Iranian state media report that Iran has successfully test-launched a rocket capable of carrying a satellite into a low Earth orbit.
• Iranian parliament body to meet on US threats against nuclear deal: MP Press TV 27 Jul 2017 -- A key Iranian parliamentary committee is to convene an extraordinary session later this week to discuss the measures to be taken in the face of possible US threats against the 2015 nuclear deal, a senior legislator says.
• Islamic State Threatens Iran in New Video VOA 27 Jul 2017 -- The Islamic State group has issued a short new video in which it threatens the Islamic Republic of Iran and vows to destabilize the country with terrorist attacks.
• Firm Says Tehran-Linked Hackers Used Fake Female Profile To Lure Men RFE/RL 27 Jul 2017 -- A cybersecurity firm says hackers working for the Iranian government have impersonated a young female photographer on social media to lure men working in key industries of Tehran's regional rivals.
• Fear of Chinese Spies Halts Australia-Solomons Cable Project Sputnik 27 Jul 2017 -- A project to build a 4,000-kilometer underwater cable connecting Sydney and the Solomon Islands came to a screeching halt following the Australian Secret Intelligence Service's warning to the Solomons Islands prime minister that the Chinese firm contracted to do the work, Huawei, allows Chinese spies access to conduct cyberattacks.
• HRW urges Riyadh to clarify deposed crown prince's status Press TV 27 Jul 2017 -- Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Saudi Arabia to clarify whether restrictions are imposed on recently-deposed crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud's freedom of movement.
• European Court of Justice's Decision on Hamas US Dept. of State 27 Jul 2017
• Taiwan suspending operations at 3 overseas offices CNA 27 Jul 2017 -- Taiwan is suspending operations at its representative offices in Jeddah, Guam and Norway, in an effort to make better use of the country's resources, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday.
• Turkey sacks two MPs over alleged PKK links Press TV 27 Jul 2017 -- The Turkish parliament has dismissed two pro-Kurdish lawmakers from their legislative position over government allegations that their Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) is affiliated with a local militant group.
• Saakashvili Lashes Out, Says He Will Fight To Return To Ukraine RFE/RL 27 Jul 2017 -- Mikheil Saakashvili, the former Georgian president and Odesa regional governor who has been stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship, is vowing to resist what he called the "cowardly" move and to "continue fighting for a real European Ukraine."
• Catalonia adopts measure to make secession easier Press TV 27 Jul 2017 -- Catalonian lawmakers have approved reforms that would make it easier for the wealthy region to secede from Spain following an upcoming independence referendum.
• Qatar Ready for Talks After Arab States Reply to US Settlement Proposal – Doha Sputnik 27 Jul 2017 -- Qatar is ready to discuss the time and location of possible negotiations with the blockading Arab states after their response to US settlement initiatives voiced by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the Qatari Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
• Maduro Accuses World Media of Spreading Fake News on Venezuela Sputnik 27 Jul 2017 -- World media outlets have been disseminating misinformation about the situation in Venezuela, an act which can only be interpreted as a form of harassment against the deeply unsettled nation, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro said Thursday.
• Maduro censures new US sanctions on Venezuela as 'illegal' Press TV 27 Jul 2017 -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has denounced as "illegal" the new economic sanctions leveled by the United States against Venezuelan officials over a controversial government plan for rewriting the constitution.
• 3 Killed as Venezuela Anti-Maduro Strike Enters 2nd Day VOA 27 Jul 2017 -- A nationwide general strike in Venezuela entered its second day Thursday as street protests left three people dead in the ongoing showdown to protest the socialist government of President Nicolas Maduro.
• Wife of Zimbabwe Leader Says Mugabe Should Name Successor VOA 27 Jul 2017 -- Zimbabwe's first lady has urged 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe to name his choice for a successor.