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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 18 Sep 2017[PDF]
• Inherent Resolve Strikes Target ISIS in Syria, Iraq AFPS 18 Sep 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, conducting 94 strikes consisting of 126 engagements in Iraq and Syria over the last two days, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• US Sending 3,000 More Troops to Afghanistan VOA 18 Sep 2017 -- Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says the U.S. is sending another 3,000 troops to Afghanistan, an increase of over 25 percent in the number of American forces there.
• UN: Islamic State Expands Activities to 7 Afghan Provinces VOA 18 Sep 2017 -- Afghanistan's branch of the Islamic State terrorist group has expanded its extremist activities to the country's seven provinces, as opposed to only one province last year, a United Nations report revealed Monday.

Defense Policy / Programs

• U.S., Japanese, South Korean Aircraft Conduct Show of Force Flights AFPS 18 Sep 2017 -- U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps aircraft joined Japanese and South Korean military aircraft in a sequenced show of force over the Korean Peninsula yesterday in response to North Korea's Sept. 14 launch of an intermediate range ballistic missile over Japan.
• US military forces hold joint military exercises with South Korea, Japan Press TV 18 Sep 2017 -- The United States military has carried out several flights over the Korean Peninsula in joint bombing drills with the South amid escalating tensions between Washington and Pyongyang.
• US, Allied Warplanes Stage Live-fire Exercise Over Korean Peninsula VOA 18 Sep 2017 -- Almost a dozen U.S., Japanese and South Korean warplanes armed with live weapons flew over the Korean peninsula in what the U.S. military is describing as a "sequenced bilateral show of force" in response to North Korea's latest missile launch.
• US F-35s, B-1B Lancers Conduct Flybys to Show 'Military Options' to Pyongyang Sputnik 18 Sep 2017 -- The US has "pretty much exhausted all the things that we can do at the [UN] Security Council at this point," Nikki Haley, US Ambassador to the UN, said Sunday regarding North Korea's continued missile tests, adding she would be "perfectly happy" to pass the situation onto Pentagon chief James Mattis who has "plenty of military options."
• USS Iwo Jima and USS New York Return to Mayport NNS 18 Sep 2017 -- The amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), the amphibious transport dock ship USS New York (LPD 21), along with multiple embarked Navy and Marine Corps units, completed initial rescue and recovery operations in support of federal and state officials Sept. 17, following Hurricane Irma's devastation of the Florida Keys.
• Navy Accepts Delivery of Future USS Omaha (LCS 12) NNS 18 Sep 2017 -- The Navy accepted delivery of the future littoral combat ship USS Omaha (LCS 12) during a ceremony in Mobile, Alabama, Sept. 15.
• US army opens 'first ever stationary unit' in Israel Press TV 18 Sep 2017 -- The United States has inaugurated a permanent military base in Israel, poised as "the first ever stationary unit" there.
• U.S. aircraft carrier to conduct joint exercise with S.Korean forces in Oct. People's Daily 18 Sep 2017 -- A U.S. aircraft carrier and its accompanying battleships will conduct a joint exercise with South Korean forces next month amid rising geopolitical risks on the Korean Peninsula.
• Last evacuated C-17 returns home AFNS 18 Sep 2017 -- The final C-17 Globemaster III evacuated due to Hurricane Irma's potential landfall returned to Joint Base Charleston Sept. 15, 2017.
• Air Force Secretary Outlines Forward-Looking Changes, Priorities AFPS 18 Sep 2017 -- Air Force Secretary Heather A. Wilson spoke today at the Annual Air and Space Conference here, detailing changes designed to drive the Air Force forward and priorities that include restoring readiness and cost-effectively modernizing the force.
• Secretary Mattis Issues Interim Guidance on Transgender Personnel Service AFPS 18 Sep 2017 -- Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has issued interim guidance on military service by transgender individuals based on direction received from a presidential memorandum, Defense Department officials said today.
• 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team prepares for the future of electronic warfare Army News 18 Sep 2017 -- As Soldiers move across the battlefield, under the cover of night, the enemy may be capturing their physical location. Compromised information could end their mission and endanger their lives. Are they safe? Who can commanders rely on to prevent enemy technology from detecting them?
• US, Malaysia Commence Bilateral Maritime Exercise NNS 18 Sep 2017 -- The U.S. Navy and Royal Malaysian Navy kicked off Maritime Training Activity (MTA) Malaysia at Lumut Naval Base, Sept. 18-26.
• T-45 Pilots Train Aboard Truman NNS 18 Sep 2017 -- Instructors from Training Air Wing (TRAWING) 1 and TRAWING 2 concluded Carrier Qualifications flying Boeing T-45C Goshawks aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), Sept. 16-17.
• Ike Begins Planned Incremental Availability NNS 18 Sep 2017 -- The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike) began its six-month Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) in Portsmouth, Virginia, Sept. 17.
• USS Coronado Makes Goodwill Visit to Jakarta, Lays Wreath on USS Houston in Sunda Strait NNS 18 Sep 2017 -- The Littoral Combat Ship USS Coronado (LCS 4) made a goodwill visit to Jakarta, Indonesia Sept. 14-16 to engage with civic leaders, the diplomatic community, and Navy counterparts from the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL).
• McCain blames Navy 'accidents' on Obama-era military cuts Press TV 18 Sep 2017 -- US Republican Senator John McCain says military cuts over the past years were the primary reason behind the recent deadly "accidents" involving US Navy warships USS John McCain and USS Fitzgerald in Asia.
• Russia's Putin attends Zapad-2017 joint drills with Belarus Press TV 18 Sep 2017 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has attended joint drills, demonstrating Moscow's military might, with Belarus near Russia's western border with Estonia.
• China, Russia Launch Naval Drills In Far East RFE/RL 18 Sep 2017 -- A group of Chinese warships has arrived in Russia's Far Eastern city of Vladivostok to participate in the second round of joint naval exercises.
• Russia Denies Lithuanian Airspace Violation During Zapad-2017 Exercises Sputnik 18 Sep 2017 -- The Russian Defense Ministry denied on Monday claims of deliberate violation of the Lithuanian airspace on September 16 by two Russian military transport plane during the Russia-Belarus Zapad-2017 strategic exercises.
• Zapad-2017 Drills: Russia Test-Launches Iskander-M Missile Sputnik 18 Sep 2017 -- The Russian military test-launched on Monday a missile from an Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile as part of the Zapad-2017 drills.
• Qatar to Purchase 24 Typhoon Fighters from UK Sputnik 18 Sep 2017 -- London has always been interested in forging strategic security and trade ties with Qatar which seems to reciprocate: the country has agreed to purchase Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets from the UK.
• China, Russia begin joint drills near North Korea Press TV 18 Sep 2017 -- China and Russia have started joint naval drills near North Korea, amid continuing tensions chiefly between Pyongyang and Washington that risk turning into a military conflict.
• DPRK nearing final stage of completing ICBM technology: S.Korea People's Daily 18 Sep 2017 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is nearing a final stage of completing technology of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), South Korea's defense ministry said Monday after the country's test last week of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM).
• US sanctions to speed up nuclear program development: N Korea Press TV 18 Sep 2017 -- North Korea warns that the more sanctions are imposed by the US and its allies against the peninsular country, the faster it will move to complete its nuclear weapons program, as tensions between Washington and Pyongyang escalate at an unprecedented rate.
• North Korea: UN Sanctions Motivate Acceleration of Nuclear Weapon Development Sputnik 18 Sep 2017 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea warned that UN sanctions against the country only motivates the military to accelerate nuclear weapons development, according to the state-run Korea Central News Agency (KCNA).
• Pyongyang Approaching 'Final Stage' of ICBM Development – S Korean MoD Sputnik 18 Sep 2017 -- North Korea is on the verge of mastering intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) technology, the South Korean Defense Ministry said on Monday.
• India's New Combat Intelligence Service to Track Activities in Nepal, Bhutan Sputnik 18 Sep 2017 -- The Indian government had been receiving inputs of an increased presence of Chinese and Pakistani spies in Nepal and Bhutan who could foment trouble in India with the help of local elements in those countries.
• India's First Scorpene Submarine to Join Naval Fleet from Next Month Sputnik 18 Sep 2017 -- The 1565-ton Scorpene class submarine is a critical asset in a war like situation with Pakistan as the shallow Arabian Sea does not provide required depth to the larger boats like the Kilo-class, or the six nuclear-powered attack submarines that India plans to build.
• Iran Brandishes 'Father of All Bombs,' Claims US Backed Daesh Terrorists Sputnik 18 Sep 2017 -- The "father of all bombs", which is on par with US-made non-nuclear ordnance of a similar class, is already in Tehran's possession, according to a top Iranian Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) commander. He also claimed that the IRGC has evidence of the US collaborating with Daesh.
• Government denies report of planned missile tests CNA 18 Sep 2017 -- The government on Monday denied a media report that said the military is planning to conduct live-fire surface-to-surface missile tests in response to flaring tensions in East Asia.
• Turkey sends tanks near Iraqi and Syrian borders Press TV 18 Sep 2017 -- Turkey has launched a military drill featuring tanks close to the Iraqi border and dispatched military vehicles to its southern border with Syria where several warring sides are jockeying for position in the face of Daesh losses.
• Thanks, But No Thanks: US Axes Gun Deal With Turkey Following Embassy Brawl Sputnik 18 Sep 2017 -- As retribution for the violent attack on peaceful protesters outside of the Turkish embassy in May, the Trump administration is withdrawing from a deal to sell $1.2 million worth of weapons to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's security detail.
• Ministers announce Ajax delivery milestone in Wales UK MOD 18 Sep 2017 -- Defence Minister Harriett Baldwin and Minister for the UK Government in Wales Guto Bebb visited General Dynamics' factory in Wales today to see two vehicles in the final stages of testing before they are delivered to the British Army.
• UK signs arms deal with Qatar after US jet sales Press TV 18 Sep 2017 -- The UK has signed a major military deal to sell Qatar 24 Eurofighter Typhoon jets amid accusations that the West is exploiting a diplomatic row among the Persian Gulf Arab states for its own profit.
• Azerbaijan Hosts Turkey For Air Force Drills RFE/RL 18 Sep 2017 -- The air forces of Azerbaijan and Turkey have begun a two-week military exercise in Azerbaijan.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sarah Sanders and State Department Director of Policy Planning Brian Hook The White House 18 Sep 2017

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for September 18, 2017
• Northrop Grumman to Acquire Orbital ATK for $9.2 Billion Northrop Grumman 18 Sep 2017 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation, a leading global security company, and Orbital ATK, Inc., a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, today announced they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Northrop Grumman will acquire Orbital ATK for approximately $7.8 billion in cash, plus the assumption of $1.4 billion in net debt.

Other Conflicts

• 18 September 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 18 Sep 2017
• Briefing on Syria US Dept. of State 18 Sep 2017 -- Special Briefing by David M. Satterfield, Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs
• Syrian forces inch closer to besieging Daesh terrorists in Dayr al-Zawr Press TV 18 Sep 2017 -- Syrian government forces, backed by allied fighters from popular defense groups, have come closer to encircling Daesh Takfiri terrorists in a pocket of the strategic eastern city of Dayr al-Zawr after crossing over the Euphrates River.
• SDF to Join in Syrian Liberation of Deir ez-Zor From Daesh 'at Any Moment' Sputnik 18 Sep 2017 -- The Syrian Army, backed by Russian warplanes, broke through the Daesh terrorist encirclement of Deir ez-Zor earlier this month; now the Kurdish-led, American-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are poised and ready to enter this eastern Syrian city, a SDF spokesman told Sputnik Turkey.
• Syrian Army Crosses Euphrates River East of Deir Ez-Zor as Part of Anti-Daesh Op Sputnik 18 Sep 2017 -- Syrian troops forced a crossing over the Euphrates river east of Deir ez-Zor on Monday as a part of an operation to clear the city's outskirts from Daesh terrorists, a Sputnik correspondent and Russian military reported.
• UN Investigators: Perpetrators of Crimes in Syria Must Face Justice VOA 18 Sep 2017 -- U.N. investigators are calling for perpetrators of crimes against civilians in Syria's long-running civil war to be prosecuted and brought to justice. The latest report submitted to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva by the International Commission of Inquiry on Syria documents multiple atrocities and gross violations committed by all warring parties.
• Iraq moves 1,400 wives, children of Daesh terrorists to new site near Mosul Press TV 18 Sep 2017 -- Iraqi authorities say they have moved some 1,400 foreign wives and children of suspected Daesh Takfiri terrorists to a new site north of Mosul, which used to be the terror group's de facto capital in the Arab country, dismissing the concerns of aid organizations.
• Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi to Give National Address on Rakhine Crisis VOA 18 Sep 2017 -- Myanmar's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi is scheduled to give a highly anticipated national speech Tuesday addressing her country's crisis in Rakhine state, where ongoing violence has led about 400,000 ethnic Rohingya to flee to neighboring Bangladesh in recent weeks.
• Suicide Blast Prompts Pakistan to Close Busy Afghan Border Crossing VOA 18 Sep 2017 -- A suicide blast near one of Pakistan's two main border crossings with Afghanistan has wounded at least 22 people, including several members of the security forces.
• Russia says US, Ukraine reject its UN proposal for eastern Ukraine Press TV 18 Sep 2017 -- Washington and Kiev have expressed reluctance to consider a proposal by Moscow for the deployment of United Nations peacekeepers in eastern Ukraine, where government troops and pro-Russia forces are engaged in a long-running conflict, the Russian ambassador to the UN says.
• India, Pakistan troops exchange fire on Kashmir border People's Daily 18 Sep 2017 -- The troops of India and Pakistan exchanged heavy fire and shelling on Monday for the fourth-straight day on the International Border (IB) in Kashmir, officials said.
• 15 killed in suspected Boko Haram attack in Nigeria's Borno Press TV 18 Sep 2017 -- At least 15 people have been killed in a bombing attack, bearing the hallmark of the Boko Haram Takfiri terrorist group, in the northeastern Nigerian state of Borno.
• Trump Confident There is Chance of Israeli-Palestinian Peace Deal VOA 18 Sep 2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he is confident "we have a chance" to forge a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, but signaled new uncertainty about the U.S. view of the international deal curbing Iran's nuclear program.

News Reports

• 40 million in modern slavery and 152 million in child labour around the world ILO 19 Sep 2017 -- New research developed jointly by the International Labour Organization (ILO)1 and the Walk Free Foundation2, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM)3, has revealed the true scale of modern slavery around the world. The data, released during the United Nations General Assembly, shows that more than 40 million people around the world were victims of modern slavery in 2016.
• Trump Debuts at UN, Calls for Administrative Overhaul of World Body VOA 18 Sep 2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump says he long ago recognized the promise of the United Nations when he chose a spot across the street to build a residential tower.
• Trump Chides UN For Bureaucracy, Urges It To Take 'Bold Stand' RFE/RL 18 Sep 2017 -- In his debut at the United Nations, President Donald Trump told the organization it was failing to live up to its potential and urged the organization to take a "bold stand" with a more clearly defined global mission.
• Trump says 'bureaucracy' and 'mismanagement' holding UN back Press TV 18 Sep 2017 -- US President Donald Trump has warned that "bureaucracy" and "mismanagement" are holding the United Nations back, a pointed message for an international organization he once criticized as weak and incompetent.
• Remarks by President Trump at the Reforming the United Nations: Management, Security, and Development Meeting The White House 18 Sep 2017
• Tillerson, Lavrov Discuss Ukraine, Syria Ahead Of UN General Assembly RFE/RL 18 Sep 2017 -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have met in New York ahead of the opening of the United Nations General Assembly, with Ukraine and Syria key topics of discussion, officials said.
• North Korean leader has to give up nuclear weapons: White House Press TV 18 Sep 2017 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has to give up his nuclear weapons, the White House has said, days after US President Donald Trump hinted at launching a possible military strike against the North.
• How to Wage an Information War VOA 18 Sep 2017 -- "One clear lesson is that you can't fight propaganda with propaganda," says Tetiana Popova. "If you do that you lose credibility yourself and bring all facts into doubt," adds the former Ukrainian deputy minister for information policy.
• Rouhani: Disgrace only outcome of JCPOA backdown IRNA 18 Sep 2017 -- President Hassan Rouhani says the only outcome of withdrawing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) will be disgrace.
• Iranian official stresses reciprocating breach of nuclear deal IRNA 18 Sep 2017 -- Iranian official underlined adopting reciprocal measures against the US breach of its promise regarding the nuclear deal reached between Iran and the world powers.
• Iran confident IAEA will resist unacceptable requests: Salehi ISNA 18 Sep 2017 -- The head of Iran's nuclear agency says the Islamic Republic is confident that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which monitors Iranian compliance with a multilateral 2015 deal, will remain impartial in its reporting.
• US will pay high price if Trump scraps JCPOA: Rouhani Press TV 18 Sep 2017 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says Washington will pay a high price if US President Donald Trump carries out his threats to scrap the historic nuclear deal reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries in 2015.
• Iran implementing nuclear-related commitments under JCPOA: IAEA Press TV 18 Sep 2017 -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has once again confirmed that Iran is implementing its commitments under the 2015 landmark nuclear agreement it signed with the P5+1 group of countries.
• Iran confident IAEA will remain impartial: Nuclear chief Press TV 18 Sep 2017 -- The head of Iran's nuclear agency says the Islamic Republic is confident that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which monitors Iranian compliance with a multilateral 2015 deal, will remain impartial in its reporting.
• Scrapping nuclear deal with Iran will be clear breach of agreement: Pres. Rouhani Press TV 18 Sep 2017 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the United States' potential withdrawal from a multilateral nuclear deal with Iran would constitute a clear non-performance of contractual obligations by Washington.
• Trump Calls For Tough Monitoring Of Iran Nuclear Deal RFE/RL 18 Sep 2017 -- President Donald Trump has suggested that the United States will walk away from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers if it deems that the UN's atomic agency is not tough enough in monitoring it.
• Iraqi Kurdistan referendum is a strategic mistake: Iran ISNA 18 Sep 2017 -- Iranian foreign ministry spokesman emphasized that the Iraqi Kurdish independence referendum is a strategic mistake that threatens the security and stability of Iraq.
• Iraqi PM demands suspension of Kurdish independence referendum Press TV 18 Sep 2017 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has formally demanded suspension of the upcoming Kurdish independence referendum amid the central government's strong opposition to the planned vote.
• Iraqi Supreme Court Suspends Kurdish Referendum VOA 18 Sep 2017 -- Iraq's supreme court has approved a request by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to suspend an independence referendum that the country's Kurdistan region planned to hold later this month.
• British terrorism threat level lowered from "critical" to "severe" People's Daily 18 Sep 2017 -- British Home Secretary Amber Rudd said on Sunday that the United Kingdom's terrorism threat level has been lowered from "critical" to "severe" after being raised to the highest possible in the wake of the Friday explosion at a subway station in west London.
• Experts from Europe, US, Asia eager to see how CPC evolves next month People's Daily 18 Sep 2017 -- With the 19th Communist Party of China National Congress approaching, politicians worldwide said they are observing "with great interest and high expectation" the political and policy outcome of the event, which begins Oct 18.
• China extends rule of law on Internet People's Daily 18 Sep 2017 -- China has accelerated the development of cyber laws since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), by actively engaging the government, Internet service providers and netizens in creating a clean cyber environment, observers said.
• Bahrain's king denounces boycott of Israel, says citizens free to visit Israel Press TV 18 Sep 2017 -- Bahrain's king Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah has called for an end to the Arab boycott of Israel, days after the Israeli premier said relations with the Arab world were better than any other time.
• Palestinian Fundamentalist Group Hamas Takes Steps to Rejoin Secular Rival Fatah Sputnik 18 Sep 2017 -- In 2007 a conflict between Fatah, then dominant Palestinian political party, and the Islamic fundamentalist organization Hamas led to the split of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas taking over the Gaza Strip. The decision of Hamas to finally hold negotiations with Fatah may indicate the first steps towards reconciliation.
• Kulsoom Sharif wins key vacant parliament seat in Lahore Press TV 18 Sep 2017 -- Kulsoom Sharif, the wife of ex-Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif, has won a key parliamentary seat, which was left vacant after the ouster of her husband by the Supreme Court amid a corruption scandal in July.
• Taiwan committed to smooth cross-strait relations: Presidential Office CNA 18 Sep 2017 -- The Presidential Office reiterated Taiwan's commitment to peaceful cross-Taiwan Strait relations on Monday, despite Beijing's alleged use of its "one China" principle to continue to suppress Taiwan on the international stage.
• Lesotho Opposition: Political Violence Unleashes 'Reign of Terror' VOA 18 Sep 2017 -- The June 2017 elections were supposed to soothe the troubled politics of Lesotho, a tiny enclave surrounded on all sides by South Africa. It was the third poll in five years, after two successive coalitions collapsed amid vicious infighting and meddling from the army.
• Turkey tries over two dozen journalists over alleged links to Gulen Press TV 18 Sep 2017 -- Turkish authorities have put on trial 31 former employees of the now shuttered Zaman daily and its English-language sister publication Today's Zaman over their alleged affiliation to a movement led by US-based opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom the Ankara government accuses of having masterminded the failed July 2016 coup attempt.