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Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 19 Oct 2017[PDF]
• Officials Provide Details of Latest Strikes Against ISIS AFPS 19 Oct 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 12 strikes consisting of 15 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Raqqa Close to Liberation as ISIS 'Caliphate' Crumbles AFPS 19 Oct 2017 -- The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is on the run around the globe, chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White said today at news briefing.
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Dana W. White and Joint Staff Director Lt. Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 19 Oct 2017 -- Presenter: Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Dana W. White; Joint Staff Director Lieutenant General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr.
• Mattis Discusses Niger Operation, Asks Media to Stop Second-Guessing AFPS 19 Oct 2017 -- Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the Defense Department will make a report on the recent deaths of U.S. soldiers in Niger when it is appropriate and asked the media to not second-guess the leaders of the operation on the ground.
• US Military Investigating Deaths of Soldiers in Niger Ambush VOA 19 Oct 2017 -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said Thursday the military is investigating the deaths of four American soldiers in Niger earlier this month at the hands of Islamic jihadists.
• Pakistan's Jamaat-ul-Ahrar leader killed in US drone strike in Afghanistan Press TV 19 Oct 2017 -- The leader of Pakistan's Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), an offshoot of the country's Taliban militant group, has been killed in a US drone strike in neighboring Afghanistan.
• Taliban storm Afghan military base, kill 43 soldiers Press TV 19 Oct 2017 -- Taliban militants have attacked a military base in southern Afghanistan, killing at least 43 soldiers.
• Dozens Of Soldiers Killed In Taliban Attack On Afghan Army Camp RFE/RL 19 Oct 2017 -- The Afghan Defense Ministry says 43 soldiers have been killed and nine wounded in a Taliban attack on an army camp in the southern province of Kandahar.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Future USS Little Rock to be Commissioned in Buffalo, New York NNS 19 Oct 2017 -- Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer announced October 18 the newest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, PCU Little Rock (LCS 9), will be commissioned during a ceremony Saturday, December 16 at Canalside Buffalo.
• Navy to Christen Expeditionary Sea Base Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB 4) NNS 19 Oct 2017 -- The Navy will christen the Expeditionary Sea Base future USNS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB 4) during a 10 a.m. PDT ceremony Saturday, Oct. 21, at General Dynamics NASSCO, San Diego.
• Remarks by Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and His Excellency Avigdor Lieberman, Minister of Defense of Israel, during an honor cordon at the Pentagon DoD 19 Oct 2017 -- Presenter: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis
• USS Preble, USS Halsey Depart Pearl Harbor for Deployment NNS 19 Oct 2017 -- The guided-missile destroyers USS Preble (DDG 88) and USS Halsey (DDG 97) departed Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii for a regularly-scheduled deployment, Oct. 16.
• US Navy Releases Draft Request For Proposal For Coast Guard Icebreaker Design, Construction NNS 19 Oct 2017 -- The U.S. Navy, in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) under an Integrated Program Office (IPO), released a draft Request for Proposal (RFP) Oct. 19 for the detail design and construction of a Heavy Polar Icebreaker (HPIB).
• Rugged Alaska terrain sees Field Artillery Soldiers test new laser targeting system Army News 19 Oct 2017 -- Ten Field Artillery Soldiers tested the Joint Effects Targeting System Target Laser Designation System at the Cold Regions Test Center here recently.
• U.S.-UAE bilateral amphibious engagement kicks off USMC News 19 Oct 2017 -- Naval Amphibious Force, Task Force 51, 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (TF 51/5), announced the commencement of Iron Magic, a two-week, bilateral amphibious engagement involving USS Pearl Harbor, the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) and United Arab Emirates' Armed Forces Oct. 15-Nov. 2, 2017.
• DoD Just One Piece of Cyberdefense Puzzle, Official Says AFPS 19 Oct 2017 -- Defense of America's interests in cyberspace took center stage on Capitol Hill today as the Senate Armed Services Committee heard testimony about protecting the nation from cyberattacks.
• NATO Deputy Secretary General attends Cyber Security Conference NATO 19 Oct 2017 -- NATO Deputy Secretary General, Rose Gottemoeller, spoke of the vital importance of cyber defence when she addressed industry experts at the NATO Information Assurance Symposium (NIAS) Cyber Conference today (19 October 2017) in Mons, Belgium.
• India to Receive High-Tech US Carrier Launch System Sputnik 19 Oct 2017 -- The Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) to help jets take off from aircraft carriers - which has only just been tested on the US Navy's brand new USS Gerald Ford - will now find its way onto India's aircraft carriers.
• US: North Korea Months Away From Being Able to Hit US with Nuclear Missile VOA 19 Oct 2017 -- North Korea is likely just months away from being capable of striking the United States with a nuclear missile, according to two top U.S. officials.
• Promoting defense preparedness Iran's definite priority: IRGC CDR IRNA 19 Oct 2017 -- Top official of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said on Thursday that the enemy's recent futile threats against Iran revealed that promoting defense preparedness should still remain on the country's agenda as a definite priority.
• Iran missile, defense power not negotiable: Senior official IRNA 19 Oct 2017 -- The secretary of Iran's Expediency Council Mohsen Rezaei on Thursday reiterated that Iran will never negotiate over its missile and defense power, saying that if Washington rips up the Iran nuclear deal, Tehran will also set it aside and resume its nuclear activities.
• IRGC vows enhanced Iranian missile power in face of threats Press TV 19 Oct 2017 -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has sharply denounced the US president's hostile policies and insults against the Iranian nation, vowing that the country will speed up its conventional missile program and regional role in response to enemy threats.
• Pakistan Builds Afghan Border Fence in Bid to Stem Terrorist Attacks VOA 19 Oct 2017 -- Pakistan's military is installing a robust fence along its largely porous 2,600-kilometer border with Afghanistan and establishing new forts as well as outposts on mountain peaks.
• President Tsai hoping to boost military ties with Taiwan's allies CNA 19 Oct 2017 -- President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) told a group of senior military and police officers from Latin America and the Caribbean on Thursday that Taiwan is looking forward to deepening military exchanges and cooperation with other countries, particularly its diplomatic allies.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sarah Sanders and Chief of Staff General John Kelly The White House 19 Oct 2017
• Department Press Briefing - October 19, 2017 US Dept. of State 19 Oct 2017

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 19, 2017

Other Conflicts

• 19 October 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 19 Oct 2017
• U.S. Pushes For Quick UN Vote On Syrian Gas-Attack Inspections, Defying Russia RFE/RL 19 Oct 2017 -- The United States is pushing for a quick vote by the United Nations Security Council on extending the authority of an inspection team charged with determining who is responsible for chemical-weapons attacks in Syria, putting itself at odds with Russia.
• Watchful of the situation in Raqqa, Syria, UN chief urges need to revive political process UN News 19 Oct 2017 -- United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is urging all sides involved in the fight for Raqqa, Syria, to protect civilians, abide with international law, and allow humanitarian access to those in need.
• Tillerson blames 'Myanmar military' over Rohingya Press TV 19 Oct 2017 -- US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said Washington holds Myanmar's military leadership responsible for a harsh crackdown on the Rohingya Muslims but stopped short of saying whether Washington would take any action to address the issue.
• UN migration chief urges more support for Rohingyas fleeing Myanmar or 'thousands will suffer' UN News 19 Oct 2017 -- The United Nations migration agency and its partners are supporting Bangladesh in coordinating assistance for the influx of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees, including with clean water and sanitation, shelter, food and psychosocial care for the most vulnerable.
• Bangladesh Registers Thousands of Orphans in Rohingya Refugee camps VOA 19 Oct 2017 -- The Bangladeshi government has registered thousands of orphans in Rohingya refugee camps as officials and aid groups attempt to figure out a plan to deal with large numbers of unaccompanied minors.
• 3 Nigerian troopers killed in Boko Haram ambush in restive Borno state Press TV 19 Oct 2017 -- At least three soldiers have been killed after being caught in an ambush by Boko Haram militants in northeastern Nigeria.
• UN delivering coordinated humanitarian response in wake of Mogadishu bombings UN News 19 Oct 2017 -- The United Nations family of agencies and programmes is continuing to roll out its response in support of the recovery and clean-up effort in Mogadishu following Saturday's massive car bomb blast, which killed some 300 people, injured hundreds more, and is being called Somalia's worst-ever such attack.

News Reports

• U.S. Senators Single Out Russia In Push Against Anonymous Online Political Ads RFE/RL 19 Oct 2017 -- A bipartisan trio of U.S. senators has introduced legislation to regulate paid political ads that appear on Facebook, Google, and other social media in an effort to prevent foreign interference in U.S. elections, with special emphasis placed on alleged actions by Russia.
• Catalonia defiant as Madrid-set deadline arrives Press TV 19 Oct 2017 -- Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has threatened to formally declare independence if Spain moves to suspend the region's autonomy, a regional government source says, as a Madrid-imposed deadline arrives for Catalonia to unambiguously drop its secession bid.
• Catalan, Spanish Leaders Dig In Heels in Independence Standoff VOA 19 Oct 2017 -- Spain's government set plans in motion Thursday to strip Catalonia of its autonomy after the region's leader vowed to continue a vote on independence.
• Iraq warns oil companies against Kurdistan deals Press TV 19 Oct 2017 -- Iraq's oil ministry has cautioned oil companies against signing contracts with authorities in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region without its approval.
• Iraqi court issues arrest warrant for Kurdistan's vice president Press TV 19 Oct 2017 -- An Iraqi court has issued an arrest warrant for the vice president of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), accusing him of provocation against the Arab country's armed forces, which managed to take over Kirkuk province earlier this week.
• Kurdish region never wanted war with Iraqi army: KRG foreign minister Press TV 19 Oct 2017 -- The foreign minister of Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has said that the semi-autonomous region has never intended to engage in a confrontation with the Iraqi military.
• Iraqi Oil Ministry Warns Foreign Companies Against Contracts With Kurdistan Sputnik 19 Oct 2017 -- According to the Iraqi government, the authorities seek to provide a safe environment for the activity of international companies and are protecting their investments throughout the country following the independence referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan.
• Kurdistan's Peshmerga Hopes to Receive Foreign Help to Resolve Crisis Sputnik 19 Oct 2017 -- Kurdistan's Peshmerga Ministry's Secretary General says that an international intervention in region's disputes needed to resolve the crisis around Iraqi Kurdistan's independence referendum.
• Peshmerga: Iraqi Military Advancing in Two Areas Disputed With Kurds Sputnik 19 Oct 2017 -- Kurdish Peshmerga Ministry reports Iraqi military's offensive in Diyala province and nearby the Mosul Dam.
• Rival Parties Trade Blame Over Kirkuk Amid Fears of Kurdish Split VOA 19 Oct 2017 -- Iraqi Kurdistan's two main political families and their supporters traded accusations of blame Wednesday for the Iraqi army's easy takeover this week of the city of Kirkuk and other disputed areas in northern Iraq, which the Kurds seized from the Islamic State terror group three years ago.
• North Korea threatens to launch 'unimaginable' strike on US Press TV 19 Oct 2017 -- North Korea has threatened to launch an "unimaginable" strike on the United States as massive joint US-South Korean naval drills are underway off the Korean Peninsula, involving colossal American aircraft carrier the USS Ronald Reagan.
• N Korea Vows to Hit US With 'Unimaginable' Strike if US-S Korean Drills Continue Sputnik 19 Oct 2017 -- Pyongyang could stage an unprecedented strike on the US at an unexpected time, the North Korean state run news agency KCNA warned on Thursday. The threat came as the South Korean and US navies conduct massive joint drills amid increasing tensions over the north's nuclear and missile ambitions.
• North Korea's Nuclear Testing Site Crumbling, But Far From Finished Sputnik 19 Oct 2017 -- North Korea's nuclear testing site may be literally falling apart, with geologists claiming that repeated underground nuclear tests have fractured and perforated the rock beneath the mountainous testing ground that has hosted six nuclear tests in the last 11 years.
• Anti-graft watchdog continues corruption clampdown People's Daily 19 Oct 2017 -- For the past five years, the battle against corruption has been a top priority, with disciplinary watchdogs at all levels investigating and apprehending rogue Party officials.
• Report is road map to nation's dream People's Daily 19 Oct 2017 -- For those desiring a heads-up on the future orientation of the Communist Party of China, and thus that of the country, there can be no better guide than the report General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered to the 19th National Congress on Wednesday.
• Highlights of Xi's report to 19th CPC National Congress People's Daily 19 Oct 2017 -- Xi Jinping delivered a report to the opening of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Wednesday. The following are the highlights of the report:
• CPC creates Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era People's Daily 19 Oct 2017 -- The Chinese Communists mainly represented by Xi Jinping have created Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, leading Party officials said Wednesday.
• Xi calls for advancing socialism with Chinese characteristics for new era People's Daily 19 Oct 2017 -- Xi Jinping on Thursday called on members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and people of all ethnic groups in the country to advance socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era.
• Senate Republicans Plan Iran Nuclear Deal Strategy VOA 19 Oct 2017 -- Senate Republicans plan to introduce legislation that would add new conditions to the legislation that gives them review authority over the Iran nuclear deal, a longtime lawmaker says.
• EU reiterates commitment to Iran deal amid US threat to scrap it Press TV 19 Oct 2017 -- The EU foreign policy chief has reaffirmed the bloc's commitment to the 2015 international nuclear agreement between Iran and six other countries in the face of the belligerent US rhetoric against the accord.
• Audit orders Ahmadinejad to return $1.1bn to treasury Press TV 19 Oct 2017 -- A top Iranian state audit agency says it has found the country's former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad responsible for causing as much as $1.1 billion in damages to national wealth through imports of unauthorized gasoline as well as unsettled sales of hydrocarbon products to domestic clients.
• Iranian Opposition Figure Karrubi Allowed To Meet With Activist For First Time Since Arrest RFE/RL 19 Oct 2017 -- Iranian authorities have allowed opposition figure Mehdi Karrubi, who has been under house arrest since 2011, to meet with an activist from his own party, the first such meeting in the past six years.
• Putin: We will finally beat terrorists in Syria soon Press TV 19 Oct 2017 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says terrorists will be defeated in Syria soon, stressing that the intra-Syrian peace process was developing in a positive way despite problems.
• Ebola-Like Marburg Virus Kills Two People in Uganda Sputnik 19 Oct 2017 -- For the first time in three years, Uganda has faced an outbreak of the deadly virus which is similar to Ebola. The health ministry has already confirmed a number of deaths but it is unknown whether there are more infected people.
• Uganda Confirms 1 Death From Ebola-like Marburg Virus VOA 19 Oct 2017 -- Uganda's ministry of health confirmed Thursday that one person has died of Marburg hemorrhagic fever, a close relative of the Ebola virus. Surveillance teams have deployed to the affected district in the eastern part of the country to contain the outbreak.
• Senate Committee May Subpoena White House Cyber Adviser VOA 19 Oct 2017 -- Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee said Thursday they may subpoena the senior White House cybersecurity adviser after the administration blocked him from testifying during a hearing.
• China urged to accept Taiwan existence CNA 19 Oct 2017 -- Taiwan's top China affairs agency on Thursday called on Beijing to squarely face the fact of the Republic of China's (Taiwan) existence and to conduct dialogue with Taipei to settle their differences.
• U.S. calls for constructive cross-strait dialogue CNA 19 Oct 2017 -- The United States on Wednesday called on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to conduct constructive dialogue to settle their differences, after Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) again emphasized the "1992 consensus" as Beijing's basis for cross-strait talks.
• MOFA denies Taiwan has diplomatic crisis with Nicaragua CNA 19 Oct 2017 -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesman Li Hsien-chang (李憲章) on Thursday denied a United Daily News report which implied that Nicaragua would soon cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
• Erdogan pushing more mayors to resign amid AK shake-up ahead of 2019 elections Press TV 19 Oct 2017 -- Three more Turkish mayors, including the high-profile mayor of the capital Ankara, will resign, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says, as he seeks to repair the image of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) party ahead of 2019 elections.
• Ukrainian Deputies Send Immunity Bill To Constitutional Court In 'Small Victory' For Protesters RFE/RL 19 Oct 2017 -- Protesters calling for Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to enact anticorruption reforms or step down notched a small victory on October 19 as parliament sent a bill on lifting lawmakers' immunity from prosecution to the Constitutional Court for review.
• Kenya's Ruling Party Seeks Contempt of Court Against Odinga VOA 19 Oct 2017 -- Kenya's ruling party has asked for a contempt of court ruling against opposition chief Raila Odinga, saying Odinga and his supporters are trying to obstruct next week's re-run of the presidential election.
• Senegal Presidency Targets 'Fake News' VOA 19 Oct 2017 -- Senegal's presidency is getting into the fact-checking business.
• Venezuela: Illegitimate Parallel Institutions US Dept. of State 19 Oct 2017