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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 28 Sep 2017[PDF]
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Colonel Dillon via teleconference from Baghdad, Iraq DoD 28 Sep 2017 -- Presenter: Colonel Ryan Dillon, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve Spokesman; Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway, Pentagon Spokesman
• Inherent Resolve Strikes Target ISIS in Syria, Iraq AFPS 28 Sep 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 44 strikes consisting of 66 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• ISIS 'Losing on All Fronts,' OIR Spokesman Says AFPS 28 Sep 2017 -- Coalition and partner forces are making significant progress in defeating the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, the spokesman for Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve said today in Baghdad.
• False Caliphate faces collapse as UK marks three year tackling Daesh UK MOD 28 Sep 2017 -- Royal Air Force strikes 1,340 times in Iraq and 262 times in Syria since 2014 as terror cult cowers in Raqqa
• US: Coalition Strikes Kill 3 Islamic State Drone Experts in Syria VOA 28 Sep 2017 -- The U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria said Thursday that three of the terror group's drone experts were killed in Syria this month.
• Joint Press Conference with Secretary Mattis, Secretary General Stoltenberg and President Ghani in Kabul, Afghanistan DoD 28 Sep 2017 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis; Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani; NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
• Secretary General wraps-up visit to Afghanistan, stresses NATO's enduring support NATO 28 Sep 2017 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg concluded a two-day visit to Afghanistan on Thursday (28 September 2017), following a visit to NATO's headquarters for southern Afghanistan. The Secretary General received operational briefings from senior military leaders at NATO's Train Advise and Assist Command in Kandahar, and addressed troops from Allied and partner countries together with General Nicholson, the Commander of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission.
• DoD Provides Update on Hurricane Relief Efforts AFPS 28 Sep 2017 -- The Defense Department continues ongoing relief operations in Puerto Rico and is leaning forward to rapidly deploy additional response capacity, expanding airfield throughput and positioning key leaders forward in support of Federal Emergency Management Agency efforts to stabilize the situation and sustain life, Defense Department spokesman Army Lt. Col. Jamie Davis said today.
• Pentagon Names Three-Star General to Head Up Puerto Rico Relief VOA 28 Sep 2017 -- The Pentagon has appointed Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan to lead all military hurricane response efforts in Puerto Rico.
• Readout of Deputy Secretary Shanahan's Call with Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo Rosselló DoD 28 Sep 2017
• Illinois ANG provides communications in Puerto Rico AFNS 28 Sep 2017 -- The Illinois Air National Guard is helping to provide critical communications to Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria.
• BEEliners bring humanitarian aid to St. Croix AFNS 28 Sep 2017 -- ST. CROIX, U.S. Virgin Islands (AFNS) – As Army and Marine Corps helicopters delivered humanitarian aid throughout St. Croix, an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III from Travis Air Force Base, California, landed Sept. 23, 2017 at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport, St. Croix, bringing humanitarian aid to residents affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
• Pennsylvania National Guard Joins Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief Efforts AFPS 28 Sep 2017 -- The Pennsylvania National Guard sent 14 crew members and two CH-47 Chinooks yesterday to assist Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.
• Fort Bragg Soldiers Assist St. Thomas Hurricane Relief Efforts AFPS 28 Sep 2017 -- Soldiers of the 602nd Area Support Medical Company, 261st Multifunctional Medical Battalion, 44th Medical Brigade, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, arrived here Sept. 12, within 24 hours of notification to start disaster relief efforts in response to Hurricane Irma.
• Northcom Appoints DoD Liaison to FEMA for Response Operations AFPS 28 Sep 2017 -- U.S. Northern Command is sending the commander of its Joint Force Land Component Command to serve as the Defense Department's primary liaison to the Federal Emergency Management Agency as hurricane response efforts transition from a sea-based to a land-based operation.
• Service Members Work With Puerto Rican, Federal Agencies to Help Island Recover AFPS 28 Sep 2017 -- The Puerto Rican government is working closely with federal agencies -- including the Defense Department -- to recover from the catastrophe that was Hurricane Maria, officials on the island said via teleconference today.
• Pennsylvania National Guard sends aircraft, crews to assist in Puerto Rico's relief Army News 28 Sep 2017 -- The Pennsylvania National Guard sent 14 crew members and two CH-47 Chinooks yesterday to assist Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Senate Confirms Dunford for Additional 2-Year Term as Chairman AFPS 28 Sep 2017 -- The Senate yesterday agreed to Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford's reappointment for another two-year term as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
• Road Warrior exercise tests defenders' combat capabilities AFNS 28 Sep 2017 -- Airmen from the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming; 91st MW at Minot AFB, North Dakota and the 341st MW at Malmstrom AFB, Montana, participated in the Road Warrior exercise at Camp Guernsey, Wyoming, Sept. 9-28, 2017. The 20th Air Force's exercise has strategic and tactical benefits that contribute to the security of America's nuclear assets.
• The 'Year of Execution': U.S. Army Europe rotational forces in action Army News 28 Sep 2017 -- "This is all about deterrence," said Lt. Gen. Frederick "Ben" Hodges, commanding general of U.S. Army Europe. "To deter, you have to have real capability and demonstrate the will to use that capability."
• FAST Company Europe Completes Exercise Lisa Azul NNS 28 Sep 2017 -- Marines assigned to Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team (FAST) Company Europe completed their final exercise as part of a two-week military operation training, Exercise Lisa Azul, Sept. 21.
• Boxer Passes FSO-M Ahead of Schedule NNS 28 Sep 2017 -- Sailors aboard amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) passed the Fleet Support Operations-Medical (FSO-M) 1.3 assessment with an overall score of 96, Sept. 22.
• USS Ponce Returns to Homeport NNS 28 Sep 2017 -- Afloat forward staging base-interim USS Ponce (AFSB(I) 15) returned to Naval Station Norfolk Sept. 27, after being forward deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations for more than five years.
• US Defense Secretary Holds Talks with Qatari Leaders VOA 28 Sep 2017 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has made an unannounced visit to Qatar, holding talks with the country's emir and defense minister at the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East.
• China registers 8,000 standby peacekeepers at UN People's Daily 28 Sep 2017 -- China has registered an 8,000-strong standby peacekeeping force at the UN, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MOD) on Thursday.
• China's J-20 fighter jet put into service: spokesman People's Daily 28 Sep 2017 -- China's latest J-20 stealth fighter has been officially commissioned into military service, according to Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense on Thursday.
• US to Send More Nuke-Capable Submarines, Bombers to Korean Peninsula Sputnik 28 Sep 2017 -- South Korean lawmakers have been wondering whether fault lines might emerge in US-South Korean military ties as tensions on the Korean Peninsula grow, but have been reassured that the US actually plans to increase the number of its "strategic" military assets in their region by the end of the year.
• Indian Air Force's Trainer Aircraft Kiran Crashes; Pilot, 30 Villagers Escape Sputnik 28 Sep 2017 -- Due to its aging fleet, the Indian Air Force has been witnessing on average eight aircraft crashes per year.
• Indian Defense Minister Sanctions $125 Mln for Russian-Made Klub Missiles Sputnik 28 Sep 2017 -- The Klub missiles would be fitted onto the Indian Navy's older warships including the Kora class missile corvettes and the Delhi class frigates.
• Iran Army helicopter crashes in northwestern country IRNA 28 Sep 2017 -- An Iranian Army helicopter crashed on Thursday during a test flight over a mountainous region of Orumiyeh the provincial capital of West Azarbaijan in northwestern country, sources in the Iranian Armed Forces said.
• Iran western borders safe: Commander IRNA 28 Sep 2017 -- Despite the unwelcomed event that took place in Iraqi Kurdistan Region, Iran's western borders are completely safe and secure, said Iranian Border Guard Commander in the western city of Qasre- Shirin on Thursday.
• Almost all Iranian missiles capable of pinpoint strikes: IRGC chief Press TV 28 Sep 2017 -- The chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says nearly all Iranian missiles are now capable of pinpoint strikes and that the Islamic Republic will use them whenever necessary.
• South Korea Wants Wartime Control of its Military VOA 28 Sep 2017 -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in says his government has stepped up efforts to take back wartime operational control (OPCON) of its forces from the U.S.-led command structure, at a time when North Korea and the U.S. are both threatening war.
• Ukraine rules out sabotage after blasts at ammo depot Press TV 28 Sep 2017 -- Ukraine's military officials have described blasts at an ammunition depot as a "huge blow," but dismissed reports of foreign sabotage in the incident that forced the evacuation of thousands of people.
• Ukraine Security Chief Says Depot Blasts Dealt 'Big Blow' To Combat Capability RFE/RL 28 Sep 2017 -- Explosions at two large Ukrainian military depots this year have caused losses of ammunition so high that they represent the biggest blow to Ukraine's combat capability since the start of the conflict with Russia-backed separatists in 2014, a senior security official said on September 28 in Kyiv.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, 9/28/2017, #17 The White House 28 Sep 2017
• Department Press Briefing - September 28, 2017 US Dept. of State 28 Sep 2017

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for September 28, 2017

Other Conflicts

• 28 September 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 28 Sep 2017
• Yemeni army advances in Midi front and foils Houthi militias attacks in Al-Joaf SPA 28 Sep 2017 -- Supported by the Arab alliance forces, the Yemeni army made great strides against the Houthi militias and pro-Saleh troops stationed in the southern parts of Ibn Abdullah valley, north west of the Yemeni city of Haradh.
• Syria writes to UN again to urge end to US 'war crimes' Press TV 28 Sep 2017 -- Syria has written to the UN again, urging the world body to take immediate action against a US-led bombing campaign, which is taking a heavy toll on civilians and devastating the country's infrastructure.
• Putin, Erdogan Pledge To Closely Cooperate On Syria RFE/RL 28 Sep 2017 -- Following talks in Ankara, the Turkish and Russian presidents said they agreed to closely cooperate on ending Syria's civil war.
• US-Led Coalition Continues to Assess if Daesh Leader al-Baghdadi Alive Sputnik 28 Sep 2017 -- The anti-Daesh coalition continues to assume Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is alive given no verifiable evidence of his death.
• Syria's Armed Opposition Not Interested in New Astana Peace Talks Sputnik 28 Sep 2017 -- Syria's armed opposition accuses Russia of making the rebels participate in peace talks.
• Rights Groups, Rebels Warn Syria's Idlib Province Now a 'Kill Box' VOA 28 Sep 2017 -- With his hair and face caked in dust, the little boy appears ghostly. Syrian emergency workers known as White Helmets say the toddler, appearing in a tweeted photo, had just been rescued from the rubble of a building hit in an airstrike in the northern Syria province of Idlib.
• Turkey and Russia Agree on Need for De-escalation Zone in Syria VOA 28 Sep 2017 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday agreed to push for the creation of a "de-escalation" zone in Syria's key northern province of Idlib to help end the civil war.
• Rival Governments, Armed Militias Threaten Stability in Libya VOA 28 Sep 2017 -- The U.N. Human Rights Office warns rival governments and armed militias in Libya are in violation of international humanitarian and human rights laws and their abusive actions threaten the stability of the country. The U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva is reviewing a report on the situation.
• Amnesty urges UNSC to impose arms embargo on Myanmar Press TV 28 Sep 2017 -- Amnesty International has called on the United Nations Security Council to spare no efforts to end the brutal crackdown against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, suggesting the imposition of a "comprehensive arms embargo" on the Southeast Asian country.
• Rohingya refugee crisis a 'human rights nightmare,' UN chief tells Security Council UN News 28 Sep 2017 -- Noting that the humanitarian crisis that has resulted in displacement of hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas from Myanmar not only provides a "breeding ground" for radicalization, but also puts vulnerable people – including young children – at grave risk, United Nations Secretary-General called for "swift action" to prevent further instability and find a durable solution.
• Deadly car bombing kills seven in Mogadishu Press TV 28 Sep 2017 -- A car bomb has exploded near a marketplace in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, killing at least seven people and wounding several others.
• Lebanon Military Tribunal sentences Takfiri preacher to death for attacks on army Press TV 28 Sep 2017 -- Lebanon's Military Tribunal has sentenced an extremist preacher to death for his role in fueling sectarian violence in the Arab country and organizing attacks against members of the army.
• Lake Chad Basin: Vulnerable people 'a step away from starvation,' says UN aid chief UN News 28 Sep 2017 -- The scale up of international assistance to the Lake Chad Basin this year has averted a famine in north-east Nigeria, even though millions of people are still suffering, according to the United Nations aid chief.
• DR Congo: UN mission deploys 'blue helmets' to protect civilians and refugees UN News 28 Sep 2017 -- Responding to the worsening security situation near a major town in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations mission in the country has deployed peacekeepers to deter any attacks on the city and to prevent escalation in clashes.
• Cameroon Seals Border as Fresh Violence Escalates in CAR VOA 28 Sep 2017 -- Business activity has come to a standstill as Cameroon has sealed its northern border with the troubled Central African Republic following escalating violence in the neighboring country. Cameroon says several of its citizens have been kidnapped and taken to C.A.R. by armed groups.

News Reports

• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, September 28, 2017 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 28 Sep 2017
• North Korean Workers Overseas Feeling Sanctions' Squeeze VOA 28 Sep 2017 -- North Korean overseas workers are feeling the heat as countries are stepping up their efforts to implement U.N. sanctions against their motherland.
• China orders North Korean companies to close over UN sanctions Press TV 28 Sep 2017 -- China has ordered North Korean companies operating in the country to close down as Beijing begins to implement the United Nations sanctions adopted against Pyongyang over its sixth and most powerful nuclear test earlier this month.
• S Korea says 'more provocation' expected of North soon Press TV 28 Sep 2017 -- South Korea says it worries that North Korea would take more "provocative action" in the Korean Peninsula region next month, when the anniversary of the establishment of its communist party arrives.
• 'Tame' Trump: 4.7 Million North Koreans Reportedly Ready to Volunteer for War Sputnik 28 Sep 2017 -- Turns out Kim Jong-un wasn't joking around when he said the DPRK would "tame [US President Donald Trump] with fire" last week.
• Zarif: If US leaves nuclear deal, Iran may quit or take other options IRNA 28 Sep 2017 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Thursday that if the US withdraws the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran will also opt for quitting the deal or taking other options.
• Iran may abandon nuclear deal if US withdraws: FM Zarif Press TV 28 Sep 2017 -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Iran may walk away from the 2015 nuclear deal with the P5+1 group of countries if the US withdraws from the agreement.
• Japan's PM dissolves lower house of parliament for general election People's Daily 28 Sep 2017 -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday dissolved the more powerful lower chamber of Japan's bicameral parliament and called a general election.
• Japan's Abe dissolves parliament ahead of snap polls Press TV 28 Sep 2017 -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has officially dissolved the lower house of the country's parliament, paving the way for snap elections in which he hopes his party will put up a better showing.
• At Security Council, top counter-terrorism officials stress 'All of UN' approach to tackle scourge UN News 28 Sep 2017 -- Addressing the Security Council, the head of the newly-created United Nations counter-terrorism office today outlined a framework to devise a cohesive, well-coordinated programme to support Member States as well as the priority areas of such work.
• Tsai administration committed to cross-strait status quo: MAC CNA 28 Sep 2017 -- The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Thursday that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) administration's stance on maintaining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait has not changed and does not conflict with the views of the country's premier on the issue.
• Uganda MPs brawl over presidential age limit bill for second day Press TV 28 Sep 2017 -- Scuffles have broken out for a second day at Uganda's parliament during debates over a highly controversial bill that could potentially grant President Yoweri Museveni another term in office.
• Catalonia Urges EU to Protect Fundamental Rights Under Siege by Spain Sputnik 28 Sep 2017 -- Catalonia calls for the European Commission and the European Parliament to respond to the harassment of civil rights organizations, journalists and individuals by Spain ahead of the upcoming independence referendum in Catalonia.
• UN chief urges all parties to refrain from acts that could escalate tension in Cameroon UN News 28 Sep 2017 -- Expressing "deep concern" over the deteriorating security situation in parts of Cameroon as well as heightened tensions related to planned events this Sunday, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called all parties to refrain from acts that could lead to further tensions and violence.
• Divisions Deepen Over Proposed Changes to Kenya's Electoral Law VOA 28 Sep 2017 -- After two days of talks among members of Kenya's electoral commission, the ruling party and the opposition fell apart apart amid disagreements over how to conduct fresh presidential elections set for next month. There are fears Kenya is headed for a political and constitutional crisis.
• Zimbabwe Businesses Defy Order to Reduce Prices VOA 28 Sep 2017 -- Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is lashing out against businesses that he believes are defying his orders to reverse price hikes for basic commodities.