• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 08 Aug 2017[PDF]
• Strikes Continue in Effort to Defeat ISIS in Syria, Iraq AFPS 08 Aug 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 35 strikes consisting of 42 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Update: air strikes against Daesh UK MOD 08 Aug 2017 -- The RAF are continuing to take the fight to Daesh in Iraq and Syria.
• Iranian Drone Interferes With USS Nimitz Flight Operations AFPS 08 Aug 2017 -- While operating in international airspace in the central Persian Gulf, an F/A-18E Super Hornet with Strike Fighter Squadron 147, assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, had an unsafe and unprofessional interaction with an Iranian QOM-1 unmanned aerial vehicle today, U.S. Central Command officials said.
• Iranian Drone Approaches US Jet in Persian Gulf, Makes It Take Evasive Action Sputnik 08 Aug 2017 -- An Iranian drone came close to a US fighter jet that was landing on a supercarrier in the Persian Gulf.
• US Military: Iranian Drone Comes Within 30 Meters of US Fighter Jet VOA 08 Aug 2017 -- An Iranian drone came within 30 meters of a U.S. Navy fighter jet that was waiting to land on the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz as it traveled in the central Persian Gulf, the U.S. Navy and U.S. Central Command said Tuesday.
• US Soldiers Deployed to Somalia Teaching Partners How to Drive Trucks VOA 08 Aug 2017 -- When dozens of American soldiers deployed to Mogadishu back in April, their presence marked the first American military forces in Somalia, except for a small unit of counterterrorism advisers, since March 1994.
• Hundreds Of Hostages Freed After Rare Joint IS-Taliban Attack In Afghanistan RFE/RL 08 Aug 2017 -- The Taliban released 235 hostages from a remote village in northern Afghanistan where it allegedly massacred as many as 50 mostly Shi'ite civilians in a rare joint assault with Islamic State insurgents, officials said on August 8.
• Iran rejects 'bizarre' Saudi claims of support for Taliban Press TV 08 Aug 2017 -- Iran's embassy in Kabul has dismissed as "bizarre" claims by a Saudi diplomat about the Islamic Republic's alleged links to Taliban militants and armed groups inside Afghanistan.
• Erik Prince offers Western mercenaries in Afghanistan Press TV 08 Aug 2017 -- US military contractor Erik Prince has advised the administration of President Donald Trump to deploy Western mercenaries to Afghanistan to save both manpower and money.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Pentagon mulling airstrikes against Daesh in Philippines: Report Press TV 08 Aug 2017 -- The US Department of Defense is weighing a new strategy that would authorize the military to expand its global drone strike program to the Philippines, according to a new report.
• US Reportedly Mulls Airstrikes Against Daesh Militants in Philippines Sputnik 08 Aug 2017 -- Washington may launch a military operation that would allow the US military to conduct airstrikes against Daesh (banned in Russia) positions in the Philippines, US media reported citing two defense officials.
• Exercise Khaan Quest 2017 Caps off with Conclusive Closing Ceremony USMC News 08 Aug 2017 -- Exercise Khaan Quest 2017 concluded with a closing ceremony at Five Hills Training Area near Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Aug. 5, 2017.
• Report: US Concludes North Korea Has Miniaturized a Nuclear Warhead VOA 08 Aug 2017 -- The U.S. is reported to have concluded that North Korea has successfully built a miniaturized nuclear warhead it could fit inside its missiles in what could be a major weapons breakthrough for the reclusive communist nation.
• US Officials Think North Korea Can Put Nuclear Weapon on Missile Sputnik 08 Aug 2017 -- US intelligence officials assesses North Korea has produced nuclear weapons for ballistic missile delivery, to include delivery by ICBM-class missiles, according to media reports.
• U.S. considering possible revisions to South Korea's missile guidelines: Pentagon ARIRANG 08 Aug 2017 -- In light of North Korea's growing missile threat, the Moon Jae-in administration requested Washington in late-June, to amend the current missile guidelines between the two countries.
• With Pyongyang Defiant, Pentagon Weighs Allowing Seoul More Powerful Weapons Sputnik 08 Aug 2017 -- As the US searches for the right pressure points to persuade North Korea to end its weapons development programs, the Pentagon is reviewing the ballistic missile regulation regime in place for South Korea, possibly paving the way for Seoul to possess more powerful projectiles.
• Indian Navy to Purchase Hundreds of Anti-Ship Missiles Sputnik 08 Aug 2017 -- The global tender is to be issued during first half of 2018. Several global firms are already in talks with Indian defense companies for manufacturing anti-ship missiles.
• Iran allows no West's inspection of military sites: IRGC commander ISNA 08 Aug 2017 -- A senior commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Division says Iran will never allow any Western country to inspect the Islamic Republic's military sites.
• Israeli military helicopter crashes, pilot killed Press TV 08 Aug 2017 -- The Israeli military says an Apache attack helicopter has crashed while attempting to land at a base in southern Israel, killing the pilot and critically wounding the co-pilot.
• Turkey continuing with construction of wall along Iranian border IRNA 08 Aug 2017 -- Turkish government has reportedly accelerated building a wall along the joint border with Iran.
• Turkey starts constructing wall along Iran border: Report Press TV 08 Aug 2017 -- Turkey has started building a wall along its border with Iran in parallel with the Turkish barrier along the Syrian frontier, a Turkish media report says.
• Turkey Starts Building Wall on Iranian Border as Measure of Protection From PKK Sputnik 08 Aug 2017 -- The Turkish authorities launched construction of a wall along the country's border with Iran as part of the efforts to protect the territory from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), listed by Ankara as a terrorist organization, local media reported Tuesday.
• Turkey agrees to German MPs visit of air base: Berlin Press TV 08 Aug 2017 -- Turkey has agreed to let German lawmakers visit soldiers serving at an air base in southern Turkey next month after Ankara refused a visit there in July.
• Berlin Thanks NATO for Organizing Visit to NATO Base in Turkey's Konya Sputnik 08 Aug 2017 -- The German Foreign Ministry expressed gratitude to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for organizing a visit of German lawmakers to a NATO base located in Turkey's Konya province, the ministry's spokesperson told Sputnik on Tuesday.
• Turkey Approves German Delegation's Visit to NATO Base in Konya Sputnik 08 Aug 2017 -- Ankara has approved the visit of German lawmakers to a NATO base located in Turkey's Konya province, media reported Tuesday; the approval was issued a month after the trip had been postponed.
• Remarks by President Trump Before a Briefing on the Opioid Crisis The White House 08 Aug 2017
• On-the-Record Briefing With the State Department Press Corps US Dept. of State 08 Aug 2017 -- Special Briefing by John J. Sullivan, Deputy Secretary of State

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 08, 2017

Other Conflicts

• 8 August 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 Aug 2017
• Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists kill 8 Saudi-backed militants in southern Yemen Press TV 08 Aug 2017 -- At least eight Saudi-backed militants, loyal to Yemen's former President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, have been killed and nearly 30 others sustained injuries after a group of terrorists attempted to storm their military camp in southern Yemen.
• Syrian army, allies make new advances against Daesh terrorists Press TV 08 Aug 2017 -- Syrian government forces, backed by allied fighters from popular defense groups, have made fresh territorial gains against the Takfiri Daesh militants in the country's southernmost province of Suwayda.
• Syrian Army Liberates About 39 Square Miles From Daesh in Suwayda Province Sputnik 08 Aug 2017 -- The Syrian Armed Forces liberated about 38.6 square miles of territory in the southeastern Syrian province of Suwayda from the Daesh terror group (banned in Russia), local media reported Tuesday.
• Syria's HNC: Talks to Determine if Assad Retains Power During Transitional Phase Sputnik 08 Aug 2017 -- A member of the Syrian opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) said Tuesday that President Assad's fate should be decided on in the course of the talks between the parties to the Syrian conflict.
• Recovery in Iraq's war-battered Mosul is a 'tale of two cities,' UN country coordinator says UN News 08 Aug 2017 -- Even as schools and markets begin to re-open in war-torn eastern Mosul, whole neighbourhoods of the western part of the Iraqi city have been destroyed and nearly a quarter of a million people have nowhere to return "anytime soon," a senior United Nations relief official said today.
• Iraq, Saudi Arabia Reopen Land Border and Prepare to Resume Air Links VOA 08 Aug 2017 -- Saudi Arabia and Iraq say they are in the process of improving relations after the first busloads of Iraqi pilgrims entered the Saudi kingdom through a border crossing at Arar, which had been closed for 27 years. The nations also say that they are resuming air transportation, but have not set a date for the first flights.
• Lebanese army gearing up for operation against Daesh: Reports Press TV 08 Aug 2017 -- The Lebanese military is reportedly making preparations to launch a long-awaited operation against hundreds of Daesh terrorists operating along the Syrian border with the help of the country's Hezbollah resistance movement.
• Lebanese Army Preparing for Operation Against Daesh on Border With Syria Sputnik 08 Aug 2017 -- The Lebanese army launched firearms proficiency drills as it prepares for the upcoming military operation against the Daesh terrorist group on the border with Syria, according to a source, familiar with the situation.
• Lebanese Army Prepares to Launch Major Push to Squeeze Daesh From Country Sputnik 08 Aug 2017 -- The Lebanese army is preparing to take decisive steps to clear the area near the border with Syria from Daesh terrorists who pose threat to nearby towns and cities.
• Donbass, Three Years On: Ukraine Army Loses 3,000 Troops Since Start of Conflict Sputnik 08 Aug 2017 -- The Ukrainian Armed Forces' losses since the start of the operation in Donbas have exceeded 3,000, Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff Chief Viktor Muzhenko said.
• Putin Visits Abkhazia On Anniversary Of Russia-Georgia War RFE/RL 08 Aug 2017 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia and reiterated Russia's support for the separatists.
• Russia, Abkhazia Agree to Enhance Security Cooperation in Caucasus - Putin Sputnik 08 Aug 2017 -- Russia and Abkhazia will develop closer security cooperation in the Caucasian region, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday.
• Putin: Russia to Continue Guaranteeing Abkhazia's Security, Independence Sputnik 08 Aug 2017 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow securely guarantees the security and self-sufficiency of Abkhazia, its independence.
• Quick response critical to stem year-long cholera outbreak in South Sudan - UN agency UN News 08 Aug 2017 -- Rapid responses are critical to stemming a cholera outbreak that has afflicted South Sudan for more than a year, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation that has left approximately four million people displaced by conflict, according to the UN migration agency.
• South Sudan: Deployment of UN-mandated regional protection force begins UN News 08 Aug 2017 -- The phased deployment in South Sudan of the United Nations-authorized regional protection force has begun, freeing existing peacekeepers to extend their presence to conflict-affected areas beyond the capital, Juba.
• UN sees 'early signs of genocide' in CAR amid renewed fighting Press TV 08 Aug 2017 -- The UN aid chief has voiced alarm over possible genocide in the Central African Republic (CAR), which has been hit by a fresh wave of clashes between armed groups in recent months.

News Reports

• Press Briefing on the Opioid Crisis, 8/8/2017 The White House 08 Aug 2017
• Russia Steps Up Efforts To Cut Reliance On U.S. Dollar, Payments System RFE/RL 08 Aug 2017 -- Russia will speed up efforts to reduce dependence on the U.S. dollar and credit-card system in the wake of tough new sanctions imposed by Washington, a top diplomat says.
• Venezuela's New Constituent Assembly Says Its Decisions Override All Others VOA 08 Aug 2017 -- Venezuela's newly established constituent assembly declared itself Tuesday to be above all other branches of government, including the opposition-led congress.
• Venezuelan govt. responsible for death of 73 protesters: UN probe Press TV 08 Aug 2017 -- The United Nations rights office has blamed Venezuelan government forces for at least 73 deaths among protesters since a wave of unrest began in the South American country over four months ago.
• US prepares more sanctions against Venezuelan officials Press TV 08 Aug 2017 -- The United States is planning additional sanctions for Venezuela following the oil-rich nation's election of a new assembly tasked with rewriting the constitution.
• Venezuela parliament to ignore constitutional assembly Press TV 08 Aug 2017 -- Venezuela's opposition-controlled parliament has announced that it will not recognize any decrees issued by the country's newly formed constitutional assembly.
• Venezuela: UN urges Government and opposition to relaunch political talks UN News 08 Aug 2017 -- Concerned that recent developments in Venezuela could lead to further escalation of tensions and hamper a peaceful solution to the crisis, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres again today urged the Government and the opposition to relaunch negotiations for the benefit of the Venezuelan people.
• UN Accuses Venezuela of Human Rights Abuses Against Protesters VOA 08 Aug 2017 -- The United Nations' human rights office says most of the 125 deaths in four months of anti-government street protests in Venezuela were due to the "widespread and systematic use" of excessive force by security forces.
• Trump Warns of 'Fire and Fury' for North Korea if Threats Don't Stop VOA 08 Aug 2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday issued a stark warning to North Korea, saying if Pyongyang continued its threats against the United States, "they will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen."
• Trump urges nations to be 'tough & decisive' against North Korea Press TV 08 Aug 2017 -- US President Donald Trump has praised the United Nations for addressing North Korea's missile and nuclear program, urging countries to increase their efforts in dealing with the threat posed by the North amid rising tensions between Washington and Pyongyang.
• China Says It Will Pay Price To Enforce North Korean Sanctions RFE/RL 08 Aug 2017 -- China stands to lose the most from new United Nations sanctions against North Korea because of its close economic ties with the country, but is prepared to pay the price, Beijing's foreign minister has said.
• Trump: North Korean Threats 'Will Be Met With Fire & Fury' Sputnik 08 Aug 2017 -- Pyongyang "best not make any more threats to the US," US President Donald Trump told the press pool in Bedminster, New Jersey, on Tuesday, as any attempts at intimidation "will be met with fire & fury -- and frankly power -- the likes of which the world has never seen before."
• Trump Calls for International Toughness, Decisiveness on North Korea Sputnik 08 Aug 2017 -- US President Donald Trump said that World's countries should be tough and decisive addressing threats posed by North Korea.
• China Ready to Pay Price for Sanctions Against N Korea for Stability in Region Sputnik 08 Aug 2017 -- China as the main trade partner of North Korea is ready to pay high price for the new UN Security Council sanctions against Pyongyang for the sake of denuclearization and stabilization on the Korean peninsula, according to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
• Russia Convinced No Alternative to Resuming Political Process on North Korea Sputnik 08 Aug 2017 -- Russia is convinced there is no alternative to resumption of political process on issue of North Korea, Moscow is ready to continue dialogue with Pyongyang, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
• Iran's president presents cabinet to parliament for vote of confidence Press TV 08 Aug 2017 -- Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has submitted the list of his nominees for ministerial posts to the Parliament (Majlis).
• Iranian President Presents Cabinet For Second Term RFE/RL 08 Aug 2017 -- Iranian President Hassan Rohani has presented the list of cabinet members for his second term in office with almost no changes in high-profile positions - and no women.
• US to be loser if violates JCPOA: Iran nuclear chief IRNA 08 Aug 2017 -- If the United States violates the July 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran will keep all options on the table, senior Iranian nuclear official said on Tuesday.
• Iran: US to lose if JCPOA is violated ISNA 08 Aug 2017 -- The United States will be on the losing side, if the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is violated, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi said.
• All options on table if US violates JCPOA: Iran's Salehi Press TV 08 Aug 2017 -- The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Ali Akbar Salehi, says Tehran will keep all options on the table if the United States violates the landmark 2015 nuclear deal signed between the Islamic Republic and the P5+1 group of countries.
• Arrests, Crackdown Put Spotlight On Islamic State Threat In Iran RFE/RL 08 Aug 2017 -- A fresh wave of arrests of alleged Islamic State (IS) militants, while scant on details, is helping build the case that the extremist group's activities in Iran go beyond the recent deadly bombings in Tehran.
• China's New Security Concern – The Kazakhs RFE/RL 08 Aug 2017 -- Relations between Kazakhstan and China have been good for more than two decades now.
• What Does Sharif's Ouster in Islamabad Mean for South Asia? VOA 08 Aug 2017 -- The removal of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has opened the door for opportunity and potential peril – in the country's foreign policy, specifically in dealing with Afghanistan, India and the United States.
• Pakistani Police Foil Taliban Attack In Lahore After Bombing, Officials Say RFE/RL 08 Aug 2017 -- Pakistani authorities say they have foiled a terrorist attack in the eastern city of Lahore, hours after a bombing wounded more than 30 people.
• Taiwan needs to play 'more proactive' role in Asia-Pacific: Tsai CNA 08 Aug 2017 -- President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Tuesday Taiwan is committed to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and must play a "more proactive" role there.
• China urged to adopt more flexible approach to Taiwan relations CNA 08 Aug 2017 -- Beijing should listen more carefully to what President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has said in her policy toward China and be more creative and flexible in its relations with Taiwan, a visiting American scholar said Tuesday in Taipei.
• Mauritania: UN chief says 'disagreements' over referendum results must be addressed peacefully UN News 08 Aug 2017 -- Following Mauritania's 5 August constitutional referendum, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has encouraged all stakeholders to ensure that disagreements are addressed peacefully within the confines of the law and respect for the rights to freedom of assembly and expression.
• UN refugee agency voices 'grave concern' as crisis escalates at Manus Island processing centre UN News 08 Aug 2017 -- The United Nations refugee agency today expressed a grave concern over the deteriorating conditions for refugees and asylum seekers at Australia's offshore immigration processing facility on the Manus Island of Papua New Guinea.
• South Africa's Zuma Narrowly Survives No-confidence Vote VOA 08 Aug 2017 -- South Africa's embattled president, Jacob Zuma, has narrowly survived an eighth attempt by parliament to unseat him in a vote of no confidence.
• Kenyan Voters Undeterred by Long Lines, Rain or Heat VOA 08 Aug 2017 -- The critical vote-counting state has begun in Kenya's presidential election, a contest between two long-standing political dynasties in a country with a history of post-election violence.