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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 05 Dec 2017[PDF]
• Combat RPAs integral in defeating ISIS AFNS 05 Dec 2017 -- U.S. forces, coalition partners and Syrian Democratic Forces liberated Raqqah, Syria from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria's control in early October 2017. ISIS used the city as its capital for terrorist operations since January 2014.
• Pentagon declares 'conditions-based' presence in Syria Press TV 05 Dec 2017 -- The US military forces are poised to stay in war-ravaged Syria for "as long as we need to," says a Pentagon official.
• Officials Meet in Baghdad to Discuss Coalition Support for Iraqi Forces AFPS 05 Dec 2017 -- The High Level Committee of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense and Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve met today in Baghdad to discuss the way forward for the coalition's continued support of the Iraqi security forces.
• Joint US-Afghan Operation Kills Top al-Qaida, Taliban Leaders VOA 05 Dec 2017 -- Afghanistan's security forces, in joint counterterrorism raids with U.S. partners, this week have killed several high-profile leaders of al-Qaida, along with 80 other members of the terrorist network and the Taliban insurgency,

Defense Policy / Programs

• Readout of Secretary Mattis' Meeting With the Kuwaiti Emir DoD 05 Dec 2017
• Media Availability by Secretary Mattis En Route to U.S. DoD 05 Dec 2017 -- Presenter: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis
• South Korean Media: US B-1B Bombers to Fly Over Peninsula VOA 05 Dec 2017 -- American B-1B Lancer bombers will fly over the Korean Peninsula Wednesday in the combined air force exercise with South Korea, South Korean Yonhap News Agency reported Tuesday citing an unidentified military source.
• Readout of Secretary Mattis' Phone Call With Malaysian Minister of Defense DoD 05 Dec 2017
• USS Pinckney Arrives in Hawaii NNS 05 Dec 2017 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG 91) arrived in Pearl Harbor Dec. 4 following a six-month deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region and the Arabian Gulf.
• Manchester Fuel Depot "Fuelies" Celebrate 75 Years NNS 05 Dec 2017 -- Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) Puget Sound and Naval Base Kitsap marked the 75th anniversary of Manchester Fuel Depot (MFD) in a small ceremony at the facility Dec. 1.
• Off Target: US Navy's $500 Million Electromagnetic Rail Gun on Chopping Block Sputnik 05 Dec 2017 -- The US Navy's potentially game changing electromagnetic rail gun may wind up permanently shelved despite years of investment and research, according to a new report.
• Army researchers join international team to understand, defeat 'disinformation' cyberattacks Army News 05 Dec 2017 -- A team of U.S. Army researchers recently joined an international group of scientists in Chernihiv, Ukraine to initiate a first-of-its-kind global science and technology research program to understand and ultimately combat disinformation attacks in cyberspace.
• CBO: Trump Administration Plans Military Budget 20 Percent Above Cold War Peak Sputnik 05 Dec 2017 -- Plans by the US President Donald Trump to strengthen the US military would push defense spending in the next decade above record post-World War II levels of the 1980s, the final decade of the Cold War, according to a report by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
• Ship Shortage Threatens 'Core Competency' of US Naval Forces - Pentagon Sputnik 05 Dec 2017 -- A lack of warships is preventing young US Marines from training in realistic mission simulations, US officials said recently.
• NATO Foreign Ministers meeting wraps up in Brussels NATO 05 Dec 2017 -- NATO Foreign Ministers on Wednesday (6 December) discussed ways to increase NATO's role in projecting stability and fighting terrorism as part of preparations for the upcoming NATO Summit in Brussels next July.
• NATO Seeks Increased Cooperation With European Union AFPS 05 Dec 2017 -- Foreign ministers from Europe and North America will examine new ways to increase the interoperability between NATO and the European Union as they meet in Brussels this week.
• Joint press conference by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and EU High Representative/Vice President Federica Mogherini following the meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of NATO Foreign Ministers NATO 05 Dec 2017
• Joint Statement to the Media US Dept. of State 05 Dec 2017 -- Remarks by Rex W. Tillerson, Secretary of State and European Union High Representative Federica Mogherini
• Remarks at Meeting With NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg US Dept. of State 05 Dec 2017
• DPRK blasts U.S.-S. Korea joint air force exercises as "extremely reckless" People's Daily 05 Dec 2017 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Tuesday blasted as "extremely reckless" the ongoing U.S.-South Korean air force exercises, which are the largest ever in scale of their joint annual drills.
• Chinese aircraft conduct drills in Yellow Sea, East China Sea People's Daily 05 Dec 2017 -- The Chinese air force said Monday that its surveillance aircraft had recently conducted high-sea drills in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea to improve combat readiness and safeguard the country's "strategic interests."
• India Achieves Capability to Make Any Type of Surface to Air Missile Sputnik 05 Dec 2017 -- The indigenous radio frequency seeker has been developed at a cost of approximately $7 million and it will make the Akash more accurate and increase its range.
• Iran Navy launches missile-launching warship in Caspian Sea Sputnik 05 Dec 2017 -- A new domestically built missile-launching warship has formally joined Iran's naval fleet in the Caspian Sea, with the Iranian defense chief describing the vessel as the "symbol of peace at sea."
• Iraqi foreign ministry rejects calls to disband popular forces Press TV 05 Dec 2017 -- The Iraqi foreign ministry has strongly rejected French President Emmanuel Macron's call for dismantling the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), also known by their Arabic name as Hashd al-Sha'abi, which have played a significant role in crushing the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in the Arab country.
• UAE says forming new bloc with Saudi Arabia separate from GCC Press TV 05 Dec 2017 -- The UAE and Saudi Arabia are forming a new all-out alliance as the existing crisis in the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has cast doubt over the future of the Arab bloc.
• Serbia to Get the Same Russian Firepower That Helped Crush Daesh in Syria Sputnik 05 Dec 2017 -- The Serbian army will receive some 30 modernized Russian T-72 tanks next year. A Serbian military observer told Sputnik Serbia what the modern armor means for the Balkan country's defense capabilities.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, 12/5/2017, #37 The White House 05 Dec 2017
• Department Press Briefing - December 5, 2017 US Dept. of State 05 Dec 2017

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for December 05, 2017

Other Conflicts

• 5 December 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 05 Dec 2017
• Donors make initial pledges of $857 million to fund UN refugee agency's work in 2018 UN News 05 Dec 2017 -- Donor governments on Tuesday pledged an initial $857 million to fund the United Nations refugee agency's work to help some 67 million displaced or stateless people worldwide in 2018.
• US Calls for Immediate Cease-fire in Yemen VOA 05 Dec 2017 -- The United States has joined the United Nations in urging all sides in Yemen to refrain from violence and restart political talks to end the civil war, amid worries that tensions may escalate after rebels killed the country's former president and their former ally, Ali Abdullah Saleh.
• UN 'Deeply Concerned' About Yemen's Political, Humanitarian Crisis VOA 05 Dec 2017 -- Members of the United Nations Security Council are expressing deep concern about the situation in Yemen, a day after rebels killed the country's former president and their former ally, Ali Abdullah Saleh, following a spike in violence in the capital with the dissolution of their alliance.
• Yemeni missile beat US missile defense systems in Saudi Arabia: Research Press TV 05 Dec 2017 -- Despite Saudi Arabia's constant denials, new evidence shows that a Yemeni ballistic missile fired last month did hit the Riyadh airport a short while ago, according to a new report.
• Saudi coup plot in Yemen nipped in bud: Senior Iranian commander Press TV 05 Dec 2017 -- The chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says the Saudi regime has failed in its attempt to stage a coup d'état in neighboring Yemen.
• Top Saleh loyalist commander dies of wounds in Yemen's Sana'a Press TV 05 Dec 2017 -- Yemeni sources have indicated that the top commander of forces loyal to slain president Ali Abdullah Saleh has died of injuries he suffered during clashes this week with fighters of Houthi Ansarullah movement in the capital Sana'a.
• Amid alarming spike in violence, looming famine, Yemen gripped by uncertainty - UN officials UN News 05 Dec 2017 -- Yemen remains gripped by uncertainty after the assassination of the former president and a spike in brutal violence in and around its capital, Sana'a, the United Nations envoy for the war-torn country said Tuesday.
• UN rights chief calls for probe into attacks against Rohingya, says genocide 'cannot be ruled out' UN News 05 Dec 2017 -- The United Nations human rights chief on Tuesday called for an international criminal probe into the perpetrators of the widespread and brutal attacks that have driven more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar since August, noting that "elements of genocide" against the minority could not be ruled out.
• UN Official: Treatment of Rohingya May Contain Elements of Genocide VOA 05 Dec 2017 -- The top U.N. human rights official is condemning the persecution, and widespread and systematic brutal attacks against the Rohingya in Myanmar, suggesting this treatment might verge on genocide. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva, the site of a special session on Myanmar at the U.N. Human Rights Council.
• Trump's potential al-Quds move sparks global opposition Press TV 05 Dec 2017 -- US President Donald Trump's expected declaration of Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel's "capital" has drawn opposition from various countries and international bodies, including Turkey and the European Union (EU).
• PLO, Saudis warn against the US new policy on Jerusalem Press TV 05 Dec 2017 -- The Palestine Liberation Organization's top representative in the US says the formal recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as the Israeli capital will be the "kiss of death" to so-called peace efforts.
• Trump tells Abbas of intention to move embassy: Palestinian presidency Press TV 05 Dec 2017 -- US President Donald Trump has told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of his intention to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem al-Quds, the Palestinian presidency says.
• Trump Reportedly Tells Abbas He Is Going to Move Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem Sputnik 05 Dec 2017 -- The Arab world has been warning Washington against recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving the embassy there. However, it seems Donald Trump is adamant about making an announcement.
• Trump Set to Announce US Recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli Capital VOA 05 Dec 2017 -- President Donald Trump is planning to announce Wednesday that the United States will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. But analysts and officials say the president is not expected to set a date for moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv, a step that would most likely trigger an extreme reaction in the Arab world.
• Trump Informs Leaders of Plan to Recognize Jerusalem as Israeli Capital VOA 05 Dec 2017 -- President Donald Trump is telephoning several Middle East leaders ahead of an expected announcement that could come as early as Wednesday that the United States will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
• Middle East on Edge Ahead of Possible Change to US Policy on Jerusalem VOA 05 Dec 2017 -- Criticism of President Donald Trump's reported plan to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital is pouring in from across the Middle East, Europe and around the world.
• Thousands Flee Villages in English-speaking Parts of Cameroon VOA 05 Dec 2017 -- Thousands of people are fleeing villages in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon less than a week after President Paul Biya declared war against anglophone separatist groups. Fleeing villagers complain troops are engaging in rape, killings, and harassment, but the military says they are out to defend the population.

News Reports

• US Supreme Court allows Trump's travel ban fully implemented Press TV 05 Dec 2017 -- The US Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to fully enforce a travel ban targeting eight countries, six of them Muslim majority nations with no mention of a "bona fide" exception.
• IOC Bans Russia From 2018 Winter Olympics RFE/RL 05 Dec 2017 -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has banned Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympics over allegations of state-sponsored doping but said that some Russian athletes would be allowed to compete "under strict conditions."
• Police Report Details Final Days Of Former Russian Press Minister Lesin RFE/RL 05 Dec 2017 -- A city police report found that Mikhail Lesin, the former Russian press minister who later fell out of favor with the Kremlin, had been drinking heavily in the days prior to being found dead in a Washington hotel in November 2015.
• Russian Ministry of Justice Declares 9 Media Outlets 'Foreign Agents' Sputnik 05 Dec 2017 -- The Kremlin has retaliated following a US decision to signal out the Russian-owned network RT America with regulatory amendments targeting several key media outlets.
• Australian Prime Minister Unveils New Laws to Counter Foreign Interference Sputnik 05 Dec 2017 -- Against the backdrop of reports about foreign interference in Australia's universities, the government has proposed taking practical steps.
• Australia to Battle 'Foreign Meddling,' Expand Treason, Espionage Definitions Sputnik 05 Dec 2017 -- As claims of outside interference in Australian politics have reached fever pitch, Canberra has outlined plans to broaden the definitions of offenses against national security and create new categories of political crimes.
• Star Witness In Iran Sanctions Case Admits In Court To Paying Bribes RFE/RL 05 Dec 2017 -- The U.S. government's star witness in a high-profile Iran sanctions case has admitted in court that he paid bribes to secure his release from a Turkish jail after he was arrested in a sweeping corruption scandal in 2013.
• Officials: Jihadist Plot to Kill British Prime Minister Thwarted VOA 05 Dec 2017 -- Two men were charged Tuesday in London with terror offenses over an alleged plot to kill British Prime Minister Theresa May, according to British government officials.
• China's Long March rockets complete 60 commercial launches People's Daily 05 Dec 2017 -- China's Long March rockets have completed 60 commercial launches for both domestic and overseas clients, according to the ongoing 5th China Space Forum in Beijing.
• Former Georgian president Saakashvili detained in Ukraine Press TV 05 Dec 2017 -- Mikheil Saakashvili, the former president of Georgia, has been detained by police at his home in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev.
• In Kyiv, Saakashvili Freed From Custody, Calls For Poroshenko's Resignation RFE/RL 05 Dec 2017 -- Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has called for the resignation of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko at a defiant impromptu rally in front of parliament in Kyiv, shortly after his supporters freed him from police custody.
• U.S. Cites 'Concerns' Ukraine May Be Backtracking On Fight Against Corruption RFE/RL 05 Dec 2017 -- The U.S. State Department is raising "concerns" about signs that Ukraine may be backtracking on its commitment to fight corruption, jeopardizing support for Kyiv in the West.
• Venezuela to use cryptocurrency to evade sanctions Press TV 05 Dec 2017 -- Venezuela has announced plans to establish its own cryptocurrency system to carry out financial transactions and search for new financing options.
• Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri rescinds resignation: Cabinet Press TV 05 Dec 2017 -- Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has revoked his resignation, the country's cabinet says, one month after he made a surprise departure announcement in the Saudi capital of Riyadh and threw the Middle Eastern country into political turmoil.
• Lebanese Prime Minister Revokes Resignation Amid Consensus Deal With Rivals Sputnik 05 Dec 2017 -- Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri had announced his resignation on November 4 while visiting Saudi Arabia, accusing Iran and the Hezbollah movement of attempting to destabilize the situation in Lebanon and the Middle East.
• Vote counting finishes in Honduras, incumbent has more votes Press TV 05 Dec 2017 -- The electoral tribunal in Honduras has finished counting votes in the country's contentious presidential election after more than a week, with incumbent President Juan Orlando Hernandez having received more votes in the official tally.