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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 15 Nov 2017[PDF]
• Militant Convoy That Left Raqqa Contradicts America's New Counter-IS Strategy VOA 15 Nov 2017 -- When the Trump administration rolled out a new campaign in May to "annihilate" Islamic State, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis praised tactical changes that would provide "no escape" for the terrorists.
• Report: Afghan Opium Production Up 87 Percent In 2017 RFE/RL 15 Nov 2017 -- A new report says opium production in Afghanistan increased by 87 percent to a "record level" of 9,000 tons this year, compared with 2016 levels.
• Afghanistan opium production jumps 87 per cent to record level – UN survey UN News 15 Nov 2017 -- A profoundly alarming trend in the cultivation and production of opium in Afghanistan reveals an 87 per cent production increase compared to 2016, the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) said Wednesday in its Afghanistan Opium Survey 2017.
• Afghan Opium Production Increases by 87 Percent VOA 15 Nov 2017 -- Afghanistan has produced a record 9,000 metric tons of opium this year, up 87 percent compared with 2016 levels.
• 'Fresh US drone strike kills several militants in Somalia' Press TV 15 Nov 2017 -- The United States military says it has killed "several militants" in yet another drone strike in Somalia, bringing to 28 the total of such raids this year.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US military leaders can reject 'illegal' nuclear strike order by Trump: ex-general Press TV 15 Nov 2017 -- US military commanders could refuse to follow a possible presidential order to carry out a nuclear first strike should they view it as illegal, a retired military general has told a Senate hearing.
• Cybercom Challenges Industry: Be Agile, Precise AFPS 15 Nov 2017 -- At U.S. Cyber Command's first-ever industry day, leaders from across the command briefed nearly 400 members of private industry about the command's acquisition priorities at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's Arthur Lundahl Conference Center at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Oct. 27.
• U.S. House passes 700-bln-USD defense policy bill People's Daily 15 Nov 2017 -- The U.S. House of Representatives easily passed a defense policy bill worth nearly 700 billion U.S. dollars on Tuesday for the 2018 fiscal year.
• Readout of Deputy Secretary of Defense Shanahan's Meeting with Japan's State Minister for National Defense Tomohiro Yamamoto DoD 15 Nov 2017
• Navy Accepts Delivery of Future USS Ralph Johnson NNS 15 Nov 2017 -- The Navy accepted delivery of future guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) from shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) Nov. 15.
• Keel Laid for Future USS Lenah H Sutcliffe Higbee NNS 15 Nov 2017 -- The keel of the future USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123) was ceremoniously laid Nov. 14, at the Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) shipyard.
• Wayne E. Meyer Participates in Sustainment Exercise NNS 15 Nov 2017 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) is underway off the coast of Southern California participating in a sustainment exercise (SUSTEX).
• Oak Hill Gets Underway for Combined COMPTUEX NNS 15 Nov 2017 -- The amphibious dock landing ship USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) departed Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Norfolk, Virginia, to participate in Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit's (MEU) Combined Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) off the coast of North Carolina, Nov. 13.
• US Heavy Armor Arrives in Romania as Part of Atlantic Resolve Deployment Sputnik 15 Nov 2017 -- NATO continues to increase its buildup in Europe.
• Joint press point with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić NATO 15 Nov 2017
• 'Non-Aligned' Sweden Joins Fledgling European Military Alliance Sputnik 15 Nov 2017 -- Sweden, which has remained neutral for about two centuries, is now gradually phasing out its non-alignment. By joining the newly-founded European military alliance Pesco, Sweden has taken yet another step in this direction.
• 'Broken' British army '20 years out of date': Ex-military commander Press TV 15 Nov 2017 -- A retired British military chief has warned that his country's army is "20 years out of date" due to defense cuts and falling behind other comparative nations in the face of terror threats.
• India Envisions Early Deployment of Modern Tanks Along Chinese, Pakistani Border Sputnik 15 Nov 2017 -- The Indian Army chief has said that ultra-modern armored vehicles are the need of the hour for India to be prepared for hybrid warfare along the Pakistani-Chinese border.
• India's Opposition Smells Rat in Rafale Deal Sputnik 15 Nov 2017 -- The Indian National Congress has questioned the rationale behind the Narendra Modi-led government's decision to purchase French Rafale jets at an inflated price.
• Air Force locates signal that may be from missing Mirage-2000 CNA 15 Nov 2017 -- The Republic of China (Taiwan) Air Force announced on Wednesday that it has located a signal similar to that sent from the black box of a Mirage-2000 fighter jet, as the search for a fighter jet that went missing last Tuesday continues.
• Bulgaria Considering Boeing Super Hornets to Complement MiG-29s Sputnik 16 Nov 2017 -- The Bulgarian Air Force will look into buying Boeing F-18 Super Hornets following a review of competitors Saab, Lockheed Martin, and the consortium of European companies that make the Eurofighter Typhoon.
• Norway - AIM-120 C-7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) DSCA 15 Nov 2017 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Norway for AIM-120 C-7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) for an estimated cost of $170 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on November 14, 2017.
• Serbia Hosts Joint Military Drills With U.S. As Bosnia Hosts NATO Delegation RFE/RL 15 Nov 2017 -- At the invitation of the Serbian government, U.S. Army paratroopers from the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, will conduct a bilateral Serbian and U.S. airborne exercise this week.
• Armenian Defense Ministry Takes The Offensive To Close Deferment Loophole RFE/RL 15 Nov 2017 -- The Armenian military has set its sights on potential conscripts who may not be so eager to join its ranks, giving students an offer they literally can no longer find a way to refuse.
• Armenian Lawmakers Adopt Controversial Military-Service Bill RFE/RL 15 Nov 2017 -- Armenia's parliament has passed in its second and final reading a controversial bill that would restrict draft deferments.
• Al-Yarmouk 2 military drill between Saudi and Jordanian land forces wraps up SPA 15 Nov 2017 -- Al-Yarmouk 2 joint military drill between Saudi and Jordanian land forces came to an end today in the presence of the commander of the northern region major general Fahd bin Abdullah Al-Mitair and a number of senior officers.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for November 15, 2017

Other Conflicts

• 15 November 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 15 Nov 2017
• Saudi jets target Yemeni capital's airport Press TV 15 Nov 2017 -- Saudi Arabian fighter jets have targeted the airport in Yemen's capital Sana'a, worsening the already terrible humanitarian situation in the war-torn country.
• Besieged from abroad, blockaded at home, Yemenis' suffering goes on Press TV 15 Nov 2017 -- The humanitarian crisis in Yemen is deepening as the regime in Riyadh and its allies tighten the screws on all land, sea and air borders amid an international silence over the catastrophic situation in the impoverished Arab country.
• Russian bombers strike Daesh-held Bukamal in eastern Syria Press TV 15 Nov 2017 -- Russian Tupolev Tu-22M3 long-range bombers have launched fresh airstrikes against the positions of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group near the town of Bukamal in Syria's eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr, days after the extremists recaptured the territory from government forces, supported by allied fighters from popular defense groups.
• Russia-Based Bombers Hit Islamic State Sites In Syria, Military Says RFE/RL 15 Nov 2017 -- Six long-range bombers taking off from home bases in Russia overflew Iran and Iraq to strike sites held by Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria's Deir al-Zor Province, the Russian military says.
• Iraqi army forces, allies retake over dozen villages in Anbar Press TV 15 Nov 2017 -- Iraqi government forces, backed by allied fighters from Popular Mobilization Units, have established control over more than a dozen villages in the country's western province of Anbar as they are trying to purge the Euphrates Valley, which straddles the Iraqi-Syrian border, from the last remnants of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.
• In Myanmar, Tillerson rules out major bans over Rohingya crisis Press TV 15 Nov 2017 -- US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has met with Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi, expressing deep concerns about "credible reports" of government-sanctioned violence against Rohingya Muslims.
• Tillerson in Myanmar on Mission to Resolve Rohingya Crisis VOA 15 Nov 2017 -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, on a visit to Myanmar, expressed concern over "credible reports of widespread atrocities committed by security forces and vigilantes" in Rakhine state but said "broad-based economic sanctions" against the country would not be advisable.
• Putin Promises To Discuss Prisoner Swap With Separatist Leaders In Ukraine's East RFE/RL 15 Nov 2017 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised to talk with leaders of Moscow-backed separatists in Ukraine's eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk regarding a potential prisoner swap with Kyiv.
• UN agrees to deploy extra peacekeepers to Central African Republic Press TV 15 Nov 2017 -- The United Nations will send an extra contingent of troops to the Central African Republic amid warnings that lack of international support would leave the country at a real risk of ethnic cleansing.
• Central African Republic: UN mission mandate extended, additional 'blue helmets' authorized UN News 15 Nov 2017 -- The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday extended the mandate of the Organization's peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR), until 15 November 2018, increased the mission's troop level by 900 military personnel.
• In Vancouver, UN peacekeeping chief outlines 'very serious challenge' facing Mali operation UN News 15 Nov 2017 -- The "very serious challenge" facing peacekeepers with the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) makes it vital that additional efforts are made for the four-year-old operation to fulfil its mandate, the UN peacekeeping chief has said.
• Security Council renews mandate of UN peacekeeping force in Abyei for six months UN News 15 Nov 2017 -- The Security Council on Wednesday extended until 15 May 2018 the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Abyei, a contested area on the Sudan-South Sudan border.
• Somali Government Releases List of Deadly Car Bomb Suspects VOA 15 Nov 2017 -- The Somali government has released the names and the photos of the suspects behind last month's deadly truck bombing that killed more than 350 people and injured more than 400 others in Mogadishu.
• UN rights chief urges DRC authorities to allow peaceful expression of dissent at protests UN News 15 Nov 2017 -- The United Nations human rights chief on Wednesday called on the authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to lawfully handle demonstrations organized by those protesting the updated electoral calendar for general elections.
• UN peacekeeper in DR Congo honoured for combatting sexual violence on the frontlines UN News 15 Nov 2017 -- United Nations peacekeeper Major Seitebatso Pearl Block was commended on Wednesday for developing a Mission-wide, short message service (SMS) campaign to combat gender-based abuse by connecting with women in remote parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
• Serbian President Asked NATO to Maintain Peacekeeping Presence in Kosovo Sputnik 16 Nov 2017 -- Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Wednesday that he asked NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to maintain the number of the alliance-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) peacekeeping contingent in Kosovo unchanged.

News Reports

• Trump Reviews Asia Trip, Says US Global Standing 'Never Been Stronger' VOA 15 Nov 2017 -- President Donald Trump said Wednesday that "America's standing in the world has never been stronger" after his just-completed two-week trip to Asia.
• Zimbabwe President 'Confined to Home' After Military Action VOA 15 Nov 2017 -- Zimbabwe's longtime president is "confined to his home," South Africa's president said Wednesday, leaving Robert Mugabe's fate uncertain after what increasingly appears to be a military-backed effort to oust him after 37 years in power.
• Former Colonial Power Britain Urges Peaceful Change in Zimbabwe VOA 15 Nov 2017 -- Zimbabwe's former colonial power, Britain, has urged restraint following the apparent ouster of the country's president, Robert Mugabe.
• What Now for Zimbabwe? VOA 15 Nov 2017 -- Zimbabwe hovers in a state of uncertainty after the nation's army moved on the capital Tuesday. After nearly four decades in office, President Robert Mugabe appears to have finally gone too far in firing his vice president and positioning his wife to succeed him.
• South African President Says Zimbabwe Leader Mugabe Fine, Confined to His Home Sputnik 15 Nov 2017 -- On Tuesday, media reported armored vehicles moving toward Harare, Zimbabwe's capital, but the country's military has explained that it was mobilizing against criminals. Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is reportedly under heavy guard.
• Zimbabwe in 'bloodless transition' away from Mugabe Press TV 15 Nov 2017 -- Zimbabwe's ruling party, ZANU-PF, says the series of military activities underway in the country mark a "bloodless transition" of power from long-time President Robert Mugabe.
• EU urges 'peaceful resolution' to Zimbabwe crisis Press TV 15 Nov 2017 -- The European Union has called for a "peaceful resolution" to the unfolding crisis in Zimbabwe, after the army put long-time President Robert Mugabe under house arrest in a move that military officials insist is not a coup.
• Zimbabwe military appears to have taken over government institutions People's Daily 15 Nov 2017 -- The Zimbabwean military appears to have taken control of state institutions, saying that it is targeting criminals in government who are bent on destabilizing the country.
• Zimbabwe crisis seems like coup: African Union Press TV 15 Nov 2017 -- The African Union has expressed concern about the ongoing political crisis in Zimbabwe, calling on the country's military to halt their actions in what "seems like a coup" against President Robert Mugabe.
• Russia rejects Catalonia's cyber-meddling claims as 'hysteria' Press TV 15 Nov 2017 -- Russia has dismissed claims by Spanish authorities that Moscow interfered through its cyber campaign in a political standoff in Catalonia.
• North Korea Sentences Trump 'to Death' for Calling Kim Jong-un 'Short and Fat' Sputnik 15 Nov 2017 -- A North Korean news outlet has blasted US President Donald Trump with a furious diatribe, sentencing him "to death" for insulting "the dignity of the supreme [leader]," Kim Jong-un.
• China Sends Special Envoy to North Korea VOA 15 Nov 2017 -- China is sending a special envoy to North Korea later this week.
• Xi returns with overseas successes People's Daily 15 Nov 2017 -- President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that his visit to Laos was a success and he is "fully confident" of the future of China-Laos ties.
• Iraqi PM urges Kurds to withdraw to pre-2003 borders Press TV 15 Nov 2017 -- The Iraqi prime minister has welcomed a decision by Kurdish officials to respect a recent court ban on secession, but called on them to hand over control of the territory they have illegally overrun since 2003.
• Rosneft Chief Sechin A No-Show - Again - At Russian Minister's Trial RFE/RL 15 Nov 2017 -- The chief of state-owned Russian oil giant Rosneft, Igor Sechin, has for a second time failed to report to a Moscow court to testify in a high-profile extortion trial.
• Sechin's No-Shows At Big Trial Provide New Twist In Russia's Power Game RFE/RL 15 Nov 2017 -- There was a sense of inevitability as Igor Sechin, the powerful CEO of Russia's sprawling state oil giant and a trusted lieutenant of President Vladimir Putin, failed to turn up in court this week - not once, but twice.
• Russian Justice Ministry Warns RFE/RL As Duma Passes New Media Restrictions RFE/RL 15 Nov 2017 -- Russia's lower house of parliament has unanimously approved legislation that would authorize the government to designate media outlets receiving funding from abroad as "foreign agents."
• About 15 Percent Of U.S. Agencies Have Kaspersky Software On Computers RFE/RL 15 Nov 2017 -- About 15 percent of U.S. government agencies have detected Kaspersky Lab's software on their systems in a review prompted by concerns that the Russian antivirus firm is vulnerable to Kremlin influence, a security official has told Congress.
• Egypt's cassation court rejects Muslim Brotherhood leader's appeal Press TV 15 Nov 2017 -- The leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Badie, has lost his appeal against a life sentence over his alleged role in protests following the 2013 ouster of the country's first democratically-elected president, Mohamed Morsi.
• Hariri's prolonged stay in Saudi Arabia mysterious: Lebanon FM Press TV 15 Nov 2017 -- Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil has questioned Prime Minister Saad Hariri's prolonged stay in Saudi Arabia, calling it "mysterious" as the country is teetering on the brink of a political crisis following the premier's abrupt resignation.
• President Aoun calls Saudi detention of Hariri 'aggression against Lebanon' Press TV 15 Nov 2017 -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun says Saudi Arabia is holding Prime Minister Saad Hariri, calling the detention as an act of aggression against his country and a violation of international human rights regulations.
• EU Parliament Hails Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova Reforms; Eyes Russia Pressure RFE/RL 15 Nov 2017 -- European Parliament lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a resolution praising reforms in Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova and said the three former Soviet republics could eventually be considered for membership in the European Union.
• Kyrgyz President Continues Kazakh War Of Words RFE/RL 15 Nov 2017 -- Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev has criticized Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbaev again amid persistent tension between the neighboring Central Asian countries, saying he will not apologize to the "aged president."
• Russian, Armenian Leaders Hail Close Ties After Moscow Meeting RFE/RL 15 Nov 2017 -- Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian has hailed his country's close ties with Russia after meeting with President Vladimir Putin during a visit to Moscow to mark the Days of Armenian Culture in Russia celebrations.