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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 26 Sep 2017[PDF]
• Military Strikes Target ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 26 Sep 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 40 strikes consisting of 52 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• US Defense Chief in Afghanistan for First Visit Since New Strategy Announced VOA 26 Sep 2017 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis landed in Afghanistan Wednesday on an unannounced visit – his first since the White House unveiled a revised plan for the U.S.-led war here.
• 437th AW crew provides quick-response relief following Hurricane Maria AFNS 26 Sep 2017 -- Members of the 14th Airlift Squadron at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency completed a humanitarian mission in support of Hurricane Maria to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Sept. 23, 2017.
• Kentucky ANG establishes air hub for Hurricane Maria relief AFNS 26 Sep 2017 -- Thirty two members of the 123rd Contingency Response Group departed the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville Sept. 23, 2017, to establish an air cargo hub that will support Hurricane Maria relief operations across the Caribbean.
• DoD, Partner Agencies Support Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands Hurricane Relief Efforts AFPS 26 Sep 2017 -- The Defense Department and partner agencies are supporting ongoing assessment and response operations in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, Pentagon spokesman Army Lt. Col. Jamie Davis said today in a statement.
• Virginia National Guard sends troops to Virgin Islands Army News 26 Sep 2017 -- The first group of Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team departed Sunday for the U.S Virgin Islands from Blackstone Army Airfield in Blackstone, Virginia, to join a multi-state, multi-agency response effort to recent hurricanes.
• Virginia Task Force One assists storm victims in the Virgin Islands Army News 26 Sep 2017 -- A hyperactive hurricane season has crippled the Virgin Islands, with all three islands being affected by Hurricanes Irma or Maria. Even the most resilient people will eventually need assistance.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Dunford: U.S. Faces Volatile, Complex Security Situations AFPS 26 Sep 2017 -- The United States faces a volatile, unpredictable world and must keep up its guard, Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said today during a reconfirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
• Erosion of U.S. Military Capabilities Must Be Stopped, Chairman Tells Senators AFPS 26 Sep 2017 -- The erosion of American military capabilities is real and must be halted, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the Senate Armed Services Committee here today.
• US Soldiers in Bulgaria, Romania deter aggression, assure allies Army News 26 Sep 2017 -- The permanent American military presence in Bulgaria and Romania "is critical to a strong Europe and a deterrence to Russian aggression," said Col. Benjamin Jones, referring to the proximity of Russian forces in Crimea, just some 200 miles away.
• Tablets Bring Firepower to the Future for Marines USMC News 26 Sep 2017 -- Marines from MAWTS-1 conducted and organized a digitally-aided close air support fire mission using Target Handoff System tablets at Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range, Calif, on Sept. 22, 2017.
• Navy Accepts Delivery of Future USS Little Rock (LCS 9) NNS 26 Sep 2017 -- The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of the future USS Little Rock (LCS 9) during a ceremony at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) shipyard, Sept. 25.
• Moldovan President Says NATO Liaison Office 'Will Not Bring Peace' RFE/RL 26 Sep 2017 -- Moldova's pro-Russia president has renewed criticism of plans for a liaison office of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the country, saying the ex-Soviet republic should stay clear of a "geopolitical confrontation" between Washington and Moscow.
• Mattis: Meeting With Indian Defense Minister Comes at Time of Strategic Convergence AFPS 26 Sep 2017 -- The United States places great importance on building a vibrant defense partnership with India, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in a press conference with India's Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman following their bilateral discussions in New Delhi yesterday.
• Secretary Mattis Joint Press Conference with Minister of Defence Nirmala Sitharaman DoD 26 Sep 2017 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis; Indian Minister of Defence Nirmala Sitharaman
• Mattis Hails 'Historic' Opportunity to Expand US-India Ties VOA 26 Sep 2017 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis took steps to reinforce a quickly growing defense partnership with India on Tuesday, declaring the relationship has "never been stronger."
• Russia Successfully Tests RS-12M Topol ICBM With Experimental Warhead Sputnik 26 Sep 2017 -- The Russian Strategic Missile Forces successfully tested on Tuesday an RS-12M Topol intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Defense Ministry said.
• RAF Valley's future secure for next 25 years as restoration work is completed UK MOD 26 Sep 2017 -- Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon unveiled a newly restored runway at RAF Valley on a trip to Anglesey, Wales today.
• China's homemade 'Rainbow 5' drone completes live-fire exercise People's Daily 26 Sep 2017 -- China's unmanned aerial vehicle CH-5, or "Caihong (Rainbow) 5," completed a live-fire exercise earlier this month. The CH-5 is the latest drone developed by the Chinese Academy of Aerospace and Aerodynamics.
• Faster-than-imagined aircraft carrier construction sparks speculation of an earlier sea test People's Daily 26 Sep 2017 -- It will not be long before China's first homegrown aircraft carrier, the Type 001A, starts its sea test, at least according to online speculation, judging from the latest advancements in its construction, but experts argue that according to the rules, an official sea trial will not come soon.
• Chinese navy fleet arrives in Brunei for friendly visit People's Daily 26 Sep 2017 -- A Chinese naval fleet arrived at the Muara port of Brunei on Monday for a three-day friendly visit to the country, conveying a message of friendship and cooperation.
• China says air force drills with Pakistan deter terrorists People's Daily 26 Sep 2017 -- The air forces of China and Pakistan have deterred terrorist forces with joint training exercises in northwest China, a senior military officer said on Monday.
• China holds military drills at 1st overseas base in Djibouti Press TV 26 Sep 2017 -- The Chinese military has for the first time staged exercises at the country's first overseas base recently opened in Djibouti.
• 'North Korea boosts defenses' amid tensions with US Press TV 26 Sep 2017 -- A South Korean report says North Korea has been reinforcing defenses on its east coast, amid a rising risk of a military confrontation with the United States.
• Indian Navy Gets New Lethal Warship INS Tarasa Sputnik 26 Sep 2017 -- India's newest warship, the INS Tarasa, is equipped with shoulder-launched Igla surface-to-air missiles for low-altitude anti-air warfare. The main gun fitted on the bow deck can fire 550 rounds a minute for a maximum range of 4,000m.
• Trump remarks confession to Iran power: IRGC top commander IRNA 26 Sep 2017 -- US president's anti-Iranian remarks in the UN General Assembly was a humiliating confession to Iran's power, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps commander said on Tuesday.
• Iran not affected by others about its defense program: Official IRNA 26 Sep 2017 -- Iran is determined to powerfully continue its missile and defense programs irrespective of the stances taken by other countries on the issue, senior Iranian official said on Tuesday.
• Iran deploys more missile batteries to western regions Press TV 26 Sep 2017 -- Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base has deployed new missile batteries to the western parts of the country to increase Iranian forces' preparedness to give a firm response to any possible act of aggression, a senior Iranian commander says.
• The only world safe from use of nuclear weapons is a world completely free of them - UN chief UN News 26 Sep 2017 -- The only world that is safe from the use of nuclear weapons is a world that is completely free of them, Secretary-General António Guterres said today as the United Nations marked the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
• Afghan Air Force receives first delivery of UH-60s at Kandahar Airfield AFNS 26 Sep 2017 -- The first two Afghan Air Force UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters arrived at Kandahar Airfield.
• Denmark Builds Warship Using N Korean Forced Labor Sputnik 26 Sep 2017 -- After it was revealed that construction of Denmark's new warship, the Lauge Koch, was built using North Korean forced labor, suspicions were raised that Danish taxpayer funds may have ended up in Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.
• Force of Habit: Sweden Investigating Yet Another Submarine Incursion Sputnik 26 Sep 2017 -- Sweden, which in recent years has had an impressive history of alleged submarine violations of its territorial waters, is currently investigating yet another possible intrusion, which is purported to have occurred in Gävle Harbor earlier this year.
• Department Press Briefing - September 26, 2017 US Dept. of State 26 Sep 2017

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for September 26, 2017

Other Conflicts

• 26 September 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 26 Sep 2017
• US airlifts Daesh terrorists to use them elsewhere: Syrian foreign minister Press TV 26 Sep 2017 -- Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem says American airplanes in Syria are transporting Daesh Takfiri terrorists to other places presumably to be later used in those areas.
• Russian aircraft fire cruise missiles at Daesh positions in Syria Press TV 26 Sep 2017 -- Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said on Tuesday that the warplanes took off from Engels airbase, located 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) east of Russia's major port city of Saratov, flew over territory of Iran and Iraq and launched Kh-101 air-to-surface cruise missiles at designated targets.
• Russia rejects claim of targeting civilians in Syria Press TV 26 Sep 2017 -- Russia has rejected a recent allegation by a shadowy monitoring group that Moscow has conducted air raids on civilian-populated areas in Syria.
• US hypocritical policies to blame for Russian general's death in Syria: Moscow Press TV 26 Sep 2017 -- Moscow has said that the death of Russian Lieutenant-General Valery Asapov in Syria is the result of the US' hypocritical policies.
• Russia, U.S. Allies Exchange Blame Over Deaths In Syria RFE/RL 26 Sep 2017 -- Russia and U.S.-allied forces in Syria exchanged accusations that deaths within their ranks were caused by fire from the other side, adding to tensions as they wage separate campaigns within close proximity of one another.
• Russian Bombers Strike Daesh, al-Nusra Positions in Syria - MoD Sputnik 26 Sep 2017 -- Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers have carried out strikes on the most important Daesh and Al Nusra Front facilities in several Syrian provinces, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
• Russian MoD Builds Euphrates Bridge in Syria for Transportation Services Sputnik 26 Sep 2017 -- Russian service specialists have built a bridge across the Euphrates river in Deir ez-Zor in order to transport military hardware.
• Libya groups start talks in Tunisia to launch new UN plan Press TV 26 Sep 2017 -- The opposing sides of a conflict in Libya have begun a series of negotiations in neighboring Tunisia to officially launch a new plan by the United Nations to end the six-year-old turmoil in the country.
• HRW sees 'crimes against humanity' in Myanmar treatment of Rohingya Press TV 26 Sep 2017 -- Human Rights Watch has accused Myanmar of committing "crimes against humanity" in Rakhine State, calling on the UN Security Council (UNSC) to act on the issue by imposing sanctions and an arms embargo against the government.
• Myanmar Braces for Turmoil as Rohingyas Prepare Major Ambush on State Forces Sputnik 26 Sep 2017 -- The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army has disclosed plans to launch a fresh ambush on Myanmar military similar to the one on August 25 this year.
• UN rights experts urge Member States to 'go beyond statements,' take concrete actions to help Rohingya UN News 26 Sep 2017 -- A month on from counter-terror operations following attacks on police outposts in Myanmar's Rakhine province, seven United Nations rights experts have called on the Government to stop all violence against the minority Muslim Rohingya community as well as on the global community to "go beyond" statements and take action to save them.
• Activist Group Accuses Myanmar Military of 'Crimes Against Humanity' VOA 26 Sep 2017 -- The activist group Human Rights Watch on Tuesday accused the Myanmar military of committing "crimes against humanity" as hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims flee violence in Rakhine State.
• China Unlikely to Back Tougher UN Actions Against Myanmar VOA 26 Sep 2017 -- The United Nations will focus its attention this week on the Rohingya humanitarian crisis and what has been described as "ethnic cleansing" in Myanmar's Rakhine state, although analysts say China is unlikely to support any actions that would put pressure on Yangon and its military.
• Hungary Threatens 'Pain' For Ukraine Over Controversial Language Law RFE/RL 26 Sep 2017 -- Hungary has pledged to block Ukraine's further integration with Europe after Kyiv enacted a controversial education law that critics say will restrict the study of minority languages in schools.
• Colombia's FARC leader warns government against violation of peace deal Press TV 26 Sep 2017 -- The leader of Colombia's former rebel group FARC has warned the country's government against failure to meet its obligations under a 2016 historic peace deal.
• Hundreds Feared Dead, Tens of Thousands Displaced in Ethnic Clashes in Ethiopia Sputnik 26 Sep 2017 -- Inter-ethnic clashes in southern Ethiopia have led to widespread bloodshed amid the struggle for arable land over the past month, the country's authorities have said.
• Civilians pay 'very heavy price' amid unfolding violence in western Central African Republic - UN UN News 26 Sep 2017 -- Since the beginning of September, the humanitarian situation in western Central African Republic (CAR) has deteriorated as armed groups have taken over several localities – particularly Bocaranga and Niem – which has forced thousands of people to flee into the bush where they cannot access aid, the United Nations relief wing reported today.
• Mali: Security Council strongly condemns deadly attack on UN peacekeepers UN News 26 Sep 2017 -- The United Nations Security Council has strongly condemned the attack by unknown assailants against a UN mission convoy in the region of Gao, northern Mali, on 24 September, that left three Bangladeshi peacekeepers dead and injured four others.
• Warring parties in South Sudan show 'little interest' pushing peace process forward, UN envoy warns UN News 26 Sep 2017 -- A window of opportunity for compromise over the 2015 peace agreement by warring parties in South Sudan is narrow, the United Nations envoy for the country said today, stressing the urgency to find a political solution and for international support to the process.
• Nigeria Jails 60 Biafran Separatists VOA 26 Sep 2017 -- On Monday, 60 supporters of the Biafra separatist movement were imprisoned by court order in the southeastern Nigerian state of Abia. The order is part of a growing government crackdown against the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group calling for southeastern Nigeria to break away and form an independent country.
• Amid cholera outbreak in north-east Nigeria, UN steps up aid, warns pregnant women most vulnerable UN News 26 Sep 2017 -- Large-scale displacement and a health system in tatters as a result of persistent violence by the Boko Haram terrorist group have left many – most worryingly, pregnant women and their unborn babies – vulnerable to cholera in the wake of an outbreak in August, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has warned.

News Reports

• Turkey urges Iran, Iraq to find solution to KRG problem IRNA 26 Sep 2017 -- President of the Turkish Republican People's Party Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu urged Iran, Iraq and Turkey to find a solution to Iraqi Kurdistan Region referendum.
• Iraq's premier gives Kurdish officials 3 days to hand over control of airports Press TV 26 Sep 2017 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has given the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) three days to hand over control of its airports if it seeks to avoid an international air embargo, a retaliatory move the Iraqi government says will take against the independence-seeking region in the wake of a highly controversial referendum.
• Iraqi Kurdistan's independence push could spark ethnic war: Turkey's Erdogan Press TV 26 Sep 2017 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned Massoud Barzani, the president of Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), that the current push for the independence of the KRG could spark an "ethnic war" in northern Iraq.
• Iran opposes disintegration of countries in Middle East: Defense min. Press TV 26 Sep 2017 -- Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami has voiced the Islamic Republic's opposition to any change in geographical borders in the Middle East and disintegration of regional countries.
• Reactions to Iraqi Kurdistan referendum continue Press TV 26 Sep 2017 -- Reactions continue to pour in over the independence referendum in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, which was held in defiance of widespread calls for its cancellation.
• Turkey's Erdogan Says Kurdish Referendum 'Treachery'; Iraq Rules Out Talks On Independence RFE/RL 26 Sep 2017 -- Turkey has accused the head of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region of "treachery" for pursuing an independence referendum, while the Iraqi government has threatened to ban flights into Kurdish regional airports.
• Baghdad Gives Iraqi Kurdistan Three Days to Hand Over Control of Airports Sputnik 26 Sep 2017 -- Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said that Iraqi Kurdistan has three days to hand over control of the international airports to Baghdad in order to avoid an embargo, local media reported.
• Everything You Need to Know About Iraqi Kurdistan Sputnik 26 Sep 2017 -- On August 25 voters cast their ballots in an independence referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan which was held despite the protest of Baghdad and some other foreign governments. Here is what you need to know about the region which so desperately seeks secession.
• Iraqi Kurdish Leader Claims Victory in Independence Referendum VOA 26 Sep 2017 -- Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani on Tuesday claimed victory in the referendum vote for independence and called for a "dialogue" with Iraqi authorities, who have rejected the vote as unconstitutional.
• Pyongyang reaching out to GOP analysts to figure Trump out: Report Press TV 26 Sep 2017 -- The North Korean government has been secretly attempting to reach out to analysts close to the United States' Republican Party in an effort to understand President Donald Trump.
• Trump: US 'Totally Prepared' for Military Option on North Korea VOA 26 Sep 2017 -- President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States was totally prepared for a military option in dealing with North Korea, while his administration announced new sanctions in response to the country's nuclear and missile activity.
• US Dismisses North Korean 'Declaration of War' Claim VOA 26 Sep 2017 -- Defense Secretary Jim Mattis emphasized Tuesday the U.S. seeks a peaceful resolution to escalating tensions with North Korea, despite Pyongyang's claim that a tweet by President Donald Trump on Monday was tantamount to a declaration of war.
• White House says U.S. has not declared war on DPRK People's Daily 26 Sep 2017 -- The United States has not declared war on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the White House said on Monday, in response to remarks of the DPRK's top diplomat.
• China wants US, DPRK seek way out for peaceful settlement amid war rhetoric People's Daily 26 Sep 2017 -- China on Monday reiterated its hope to see a peaceful settlement on the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula amid an escalating war of words between Pyongyang and Washington.
• US imposes sanctions on North Korean banks, executives Press TV 26 Sep 2017 -- The United States has imposed new sanctions on North Korea, targeting the country's major banks and 26 executives, amid increasing tensions between the two countries over US military build-up on the Korean peninsula and Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile tests.
• Trump: US 'Totally Prepared' To Impose Massive 'Devastation' on North Korea Sputnik 26 Sep 2017 -- The US armed forces stand completely ready for the "military option" on the Korean Peninsula, US President Donald Trump said Tuesday at the White House's Rose Garden during a joint news conference with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.
• Former Pakistani PM Sharif Appears Before Anticorruption Court RFE/RL 26 Sep 2017 -- Pakistan's former prime minister condemned an anticorruption court as he made his first appearance before the tribunal in Islamabad.
• Venezuela opposition boycotts talks with Maduro government Press TV 26 Sep 2017 -- Venezuela's opposition has announced that it will not attend planned talks with a government delegation in the Dominican Republic, saying the other side has failed to meet its promises regarding human rights and elections.
• Georgian Parliament Backs Controversial Changes To Constitution RFE/RL 26 Sep 2017 -- Georgian lawmakers have given final approval to draft constitutional amendments that would shift the government to a parliamentary-style system, with the president elected by lawmakers.