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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 14 Nov 2017[PDF]
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Colonel Dillon via teleconference from Baghdad, Iraq DoD 14 Nov 2017 -- Presenter: Colonel Ryan Dillon, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve Spokesman; Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway, Pentagon Spokesman
• Coalition Airstrikes Kill 4 Senior ISIS Leaders AFPS 14 Nov 2017 -- Coalition airstrikes killed four senior Islamic State of Iraq and Syria leaders in the past three weeks, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials announced today.
• Defeat-ISIS Campaign Deprives Enemy of Safe Havens, OIR Official Says AFPS 14 Nov 2017 -- The U.S.-led coalition to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria continues to support Syrian Democratic Forces as they pressure ISIS by advancing toward the confluence of the Kabul and Euphrates River valleys, Army Col. Ryan S. Dillon, spokesman for Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, told reporters today.
• Update: air strikes against Daesh UK MOD 14 Nov 2017 -- The RAF are continuing to take the fight to Daesh in Iraq and Syria.
• Dozens Of Afghan Security Personnel Reported Killed In Taliban Attacks RFE/RL 14 Nov 2017 -- Afghan officials say Taliban fighters have stormed more than a dozen security posts in the country's south and west, killing at least 30 members of local security forces.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Trump's Nuclear Authority Reviewed on Capitol Hill VOA 14 Nov 2017 -- For the first time in decades, U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday examined the nuclear authority wielded by American presidents and, in particular, whether President Donald Trump could order a pre-emptive nuclear strike on North Korea.
• NEO Drill Prepares Iwo Jima for Deployment NNS 14 Nov 2017 -- Components of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit conducted a non-combatant evacuation operation (NEO) drill Nov. 12 as part of its Combined Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX).
• Nimitz Passes Maintenance Inspection with Flying Colors NNS 14 Nov 2017 -- The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz conducted a maintenance and material management inspection (3MI, November 9-11.
• Three-carrier exercises "normal operation": Pentagon chief People's Daily 14 Nov 2017 -- The deployment of three U.S. aircraft carriers, which entered waters off the Korean Peninsula in a joint maritime exercise with the South Korea, was just a "normal operation" with "no big message" intended, said U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis here on Monday.
• NATO Boss Courting Finland by 'Friends-With-Benefits' Arrangement Sputnik 14 Nov 2017 -- Amid a drastic spike in pro-NATO rhetoric in non-aligned Finland, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg pledged still closer cooperation with the Nordic country without it having to become a full member of the alliance.
• Chinese, U.S. militaries start joint drills on humanitarian relief, disaster rescue People's Daily 14 Nov 2017 -- The Chinese and U.S. militaries began joint drills on humanitarian relief and disaster rescue in Portland, Oregon, on the U.S. West Coast.
• German Intelligence Chief Urges West to Prepare for Russia's 'Potential Threat' Sputnik 14 Nov 2017 -- German Federal Intelligence Agency (BND) chief Bruno Kahl warned Western countries on Tuesday that they should be ready to deter the alleged "Russian threat".
• UAE buys new weapons worth $684 million from US firm Press TV 14 Nov 2017 -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has signed a new deal with an American arms manufacturer under which the firm would supply the small Persian Gulf country with laser-guided bombs, authorities say.
• India to Test Air Force Variant of World's Deadliest Missile - BrahMos Sputnik 14 Nov 2017 -- The BrahMos missile is a product of BrahMos Aerospace, which is a joint venture of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India and the NPO Mashinostroyenia of Russia. The name BrahMos is a portmanteau formed from the names of two rivers, the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia.
• MND publicizes key points of military pension reform CNA 14 Nov 2017 -- The Ministry of National Defense (MND) made public Tuesday key points in its proposed reform of military pensions, including setting a minimum monthly pension payment for retired military personnel of NT$32,160 (US$1,065), the same as for civil servants.
• Trump says U.S. won't end arms sales to Taiwan: report CNA 14 Nov 2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump made clear to Beijing last week that Washington will not end arms sales to Taiwan and will continue to furnish it with defensive weapons, a conservative online media outlet in the United States has reported.
• Erdogan Affirms Intent To Buy Russian Missile Defense Systems RFE/RL 14 Nov 2017 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reaffirmed his country's interest in purchasing a missile defense system from Russia despite concern about the deal among Ankara's NATO allies.
• EU members agree to establish new military union Press TV 14 Nov 2017 -- Twenty three countries from the 28-member European Union (EU) have signed a pact to fund and develop a new military union, an idea that the United Kingdom has opposed but may now have no say in as it prepares to leave the bloc.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for November 14, 2017

Other Conflicts

• 14 November 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 14 Nov 2017
• Growing Trust Leads to China-Southeast Asian Discussing Code for Disputed Sea VOA 14 Nov 2017 -- China's agreement with 10 Southeast Asian nations to start substantive talks on a code of conduct for a disputed sea shows a new level of trust among governments that stood divided just over a year ago.
• China, ASEAN to Begin Talks on S. China Sea Code of Conduct VOA 14 Nov 2017 -- Foreign policy analysts remain skeptical about the agreement between China and Southeast Asian nations to officially start negotiations on a legally binding code of conduct to resolve disputes in the South China Sea.
• ASEAN to negotiate South China Sea code of conduct People's Daily 14 Nov 2017 -- China and member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations said on Monday they would begin talks on details of a code of conduct in the South China Sea.
• OCHA urges Saudi-led coalition to open all Yemen's sea ports Press TV 14 Nov 2017 -- The military coalition led by Saudi Arabia should urgently open all Yemen's sea ports amid the famine and the spread of diseases that have affected some seven million people in the war-ravaged country, a UN official has said.
• House declares US military's role in Saudi war on Yemen unauthorized Press TV 14 Nov 2017 -- The US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a resolution clearly stating that US military assistance to Saudi Arabia in its war against neighboring Yemen is not authorized by Congress.
• Suffering deepens in Yemen as border shutdowns enter second week - UN agencies UN News 14 Nov 2017 -- A proposal to deliver vitally needed aid to war-ravaged Yemen via smaller ports than those under blockade will not solve the catastrophic humanitarian situation there, a senior UN official said Tuesday.
• Presence of Iranian military advisors in Syria legitimate: Lavrov Press TV 14 Nov 2017 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stressed that the presence of Iranian military advisors in Syria is "legitimate."
• Damascus slams US military presence in Syria as aggression Press TV 14 Nov 2017 -- Syria has strongly condemned the US military presence in the country, describing such a deployment as an act of aggression since it does not have any authorization from the Damascus government or a UN mandate.
• Russia accuses US of providing air cover for Daesh in Syria Press TV 14 Nov 2017 -- The Russian Defense Ministry has accused the US of only pretending to fight terrorism in the Middle East, saying it has "conclusive evidence" that Washington provides air cover for Daesh in Syria.
• Russia Shows Video-Game Footage As Evidence Of U.S. 'Cover' For IS RFE/RL 14 Nov 2017 -- The Russian military has released what it called "irrefutable evidence" that the United States is providing cover for Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria in order to "promote American interests."
• Damascus: Uninvited US Presence in Syria Constitutes Act of Aggression Sputnik 14 Nov 2017 -- The Syrian Foreign Ministry has commented on the remarks by the Pentagon chief who said that the presence of the United States in Syria had been approved by the United Nations as Washington is fighting Daesh terrorists.
• Increased Fighting in Syria's Aleppo Interrupts Humanitarian Activities Sputnik 14 Nov 2017 -- Fighting between various non-state actors in rural Aleppo, Syria has interrupted humanitarian activities, UN Secretary-General's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Monday.
• Israel deploys missiles weeks after bombing Gaza lifeline tunnel Press TV 14 Nov 2017 -- Israel has deployed missile systems to the center of occupied territories for fear of a possible retaliatory attack, two weeks after the regime's warplanes bombed Gaza and killed a dozen members of Palestinian resistance movements there.
• Background Briefing On Secretary Tillerson's Trip to Burma US Dept. of State 14 Nov 2017 -- Special Briefing by Senior State Department Official
• Myanmar military denies accounts of violence against Rohingya Press TV 14 Nov 2017 -- Myanmar's military has denied widespread accounts of violence, including murder, rape and destruction of property, against the persecuted Rohingya Muslim community in Rakhine state.
• UN warns of trafficking, sexual abuse in shadow of Rohingya refugee crisis UN News 14 Nov 2017 -- Human trafficking and exploitation are rife among Rohingya refugees who have fled Myanmar to seek safety in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, the United Nations migration agency has found.
• Expectations High for Tillerson to Press Myanmar on Rohingya Crisis VOA 14 Nov 2017 -- The plight of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who fled violence in Myanmar was more of a footnote than a focus when U.S. President Donald Trump mingled with Southeast Asian leaders in the Philippines.
• U.S., Russia Envoys Differ On Peace And Peacekeepers In Eastern Ukraine RFE/RL 14 Nov 2017 -- After talks on the conflict in eastern Ukraine, U.S. and Russian envoys say their countries have "different concepts for how to make peace" but will continue to work to achieve that goal.
• Security Council maintains partial lifting of arms embargo on Somalia for one year UN News 14 Nov 2017 -- The Security Council on Tuesday renewed until 15 November 2018 the partial lifting of the arms embargo on Somalia, authorization for maritime interdiction of illicit arms imports and charcoal exports, and the humanitarian exemption.
• Kosovo: Time for action overtakes time for excuses, UN envoy tells Security Council UN News 14 Nov 2017 -- Noting recent momentum to advance democracy and good governance in Kosovo, the head of the United Nations Mission there urged for more emphasis on rebuilding trust and reconciliation, including through engagement with women and the youth, as well as on overcoming challenges related to freedom of cultural and religious identity.

News Reports

• Jeffrey T. Richelson 1949-2017 14 Nov 2017 -- "On November 14, 2017 the National Security Archive mourned the passing of our most senior fellow, Dr. Jeffrey T. Richelson, prolific Freedom of Information Act requester and critically-praised author of extraordinary reference works on intelligence, nuclear weapons, China, terrorism, military uses of space, and espionage."
• U.S. Lawmakers Push Attorney General On Russia-Related Contacts During Campaign RFE/RL 14 Nov 2017 -- Congressional lawmakers pressed the United States' top law enforcement official on his recollection of interactions between President Donald Trump's election campaign and Russian officials.
• Sessions Rejects Accusations He Lied About Not Knowing of Trump Campaign Links to Russia VOA 14 Nov 2017 -- U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday rejected accusations that he had lied to lawmakers when he previously testified he knew of no contacts Donald Trump's election campaign had last year with Russian operatives.
• Trump 'Very Proud' of Trip to Asia, Says Progress Made on Security, Trade VOA 14 Nov 2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is "very proud" of his five-nation, 12-day trip to Asia, asserting lots of progress was made on issues such as security and trade.
• Tanks Pour Into Zimbabwe Capital After Military Chief Threatens to 'Step In' Sputnik 14 Nov 2017 -- An armored convoy of Zimbabwean tanks were seen rolling towards the capital city of Harare on Tuesday. The mysterious military actions come just one day after the nation's military leader said he was prepared to "step in" against the purge of supporters of ousted Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
• Several Explosions Heard in Zimbabwe Capital VOA 14 Nov 2017 -- At least three explosions, as well as heavy gunfire, were heard in the Zimbabwe capital of Harare early Wednesday, according to local witnesses.
• U.K. PM Says Russia Will Not Succeed In 'Sowing Discord In West' RFE/RL 14 Nov 2017 -- Russia's efforts to sow discord in the West will not succeed, and they already are prompting Western allies to work together to counter Moscow's meddling, U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May has said.
• Lawmaker Says Media Rejecting 'Foreign Agent' Label Would 'Stop Working' In Russia RFE/RL 14 Nov 2017 -- Foreign-funded media outlets that refuse to register as foreign agents under legislation drafted by Russian lawmakers will be ejected from the country, a senior legislator says.
• Erbil says to comply with Iraq's integrity IRNA 14 Nov 2017 -- The Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government has said it would remain committed to Iraq's integrity and decisions made by the country's Federal Supreme Court.
• Iraq's Kurdistan says respects secession ban ruling Press TV 14 Nov 2017 -- Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) says it abides by a recent top court ruling that bans any secession from the mainland, expressing hope that the decision will set the stage for dialog between Baghdad and Erbil.
• North Korea could come to talks while suspending nukes: South Korea Press TV 14 Nov 2017 -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in has indicated that talks with North Korea could begin without requiring the regime in Pyongyang to destroy its nuclear arsenal as a precondition.
• IAEA's new report exposes US false claims: Iran envoy to IAEA IRNA 14 Nov 2017 -- Iran's representative to the UN nuclear watchdog said on Monday that the body's new report has once again proved Iran's nuclear activities full compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, contradicting US claims about Iran.
• Why Iran Quietly Abolished Death Penalty For Some Drug Crimes RFE/RL 14 Nov 2017 -- Iran has some of the toughest antidrug laws in the world, with authorities handing out the death sentence to offenders trafficking or possessing as little as 30 grams of hard drugs like heroin or cocaine.
• US playing catch-up with China in space race: USAF general Press TV 14 Nov 2017 -- The United States has fallen behind China in "operationalizing space," says a high-ranking US Air Force general, calling for a more aggressive and less bureaucratic approach to catch up.
• Russia, Kazakhstan Offered Baikonur Space Center Cooperation to UAE - Roscosmos Sputnik 14 Nov 2017 -- United Arab Emirates Space Agency and Russia's space corporation Roscosmos plan to create a joint technical committee for the implementation of space projects.
• Threat of Jihadist Exodus Spurs Security Crackdown in Turkey VOA 14 Nov 2017 -- With the Islamic State and other jihadist groups facing imminent defeat in Syria, Ankara is becoming increasingly concerned that many fighters will escape into Turkey. In the past few years over 300 people have been killed in attacks in Turkey, blamed on jihadists. But with the prospect of thousands more militants escaping Syria to Turkey, security forces are now embarked in a desperate battle to thwart the threat, with hundreds of arrests in the past few weeks.
• Rights Group Sees Governments Increasing Social-Media Manipulation, Undermining Democracy RFE/RL 14 Nov 2017 -- Governments worldwide are increasing efforts to manipulate information on social media, undermining democracy and creating an overall decline in Internet freedom, according to Freedom House.
• Cambodian Strongman's Trump Outreach Falls Flat VOA 14 Nov 2017 -- The White House has resisted gushing overtures Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen made this week to U.S. President Donald Trump in Manila, issuing a stiff rebuke Tuesday to the strongman over his moves to dismantle Cambodia's democracy.
• Before High-Level Discussions, US Aims to Strengthen Ties to Africa VOA 14 Nov 2017 -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will welcome 37 African foreign ministers to Washington later this week in the largest African foreign policy event to date under President Donald Trump.
• Hariri says he will return to Lebanon in next two days Press TV 14 Nov 2017 -- Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri says he will return to Lebanon in the next two days, after his surprise resignation in Saudi Arabia created a shockwave in Lebanon's political scene.