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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 08 Dec 2017[PDF]
• Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 08 Dec 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, conducting 18 strikes consisting of 40 engagements against ISIS terrorists in Syria between Dec. 4 and yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Airstrikes Kill 5 al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula Members in Yemen AFPS 08 Dec 2017 -- U.S. airstrikes killed five al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula operatives in Yemen's al-Bayda governorate Nov. 20, in an effort to disrupt the terrorist's attack networks, according to a U.S. Central Command news release issued today.
• California Army National Guard provides aircraft, personnel to fight wildfires Army News 08 Dec 2017 -- Nearly 1,350 California National Guard personnel have joined in the battle against six large, ferocious wildfires that consumed more than 137,000 acres.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Trump Administration INF Treaty Integrated Strategy US Dept. of State 08 Dec 2017 -- "Today, we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty between the United States and what was then the Soviet Union."
• Army announces activation of second Security Force Assistance Brigade at Fort Bragg Army News 08 Dec 2017 -- The Department of the Army announced today the activation of the second Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina in Jan. 2018. SFABs are specialized units whose core mission is to conduct advise-and-assist operations with allied and partner nations.
• Army Sniper school candidates discover the key to lethality is 'a high tolerance for discomfort' Army News 08 Dec 2017 -- For the candidates who made it to week two of the U.S. Army Sniper School at Fort Benning, Georgia, their greatest challenges where just beginning.
• US Army Futures Command to reform modernization, says secretary of the Army Army News 08 Dec 2017 -- The new U.S. Army Futures Command with its eight cross-functional teams, or CFTs, will provide the unity of effort and command needed to reduce the requirements development process from 60 months down to around 12, said Secretary of the Army Dr. Mark T. Esper yesterday.
• Remote combat vehicles to punch as hard as Abrams tanks, says expert Army News 08 Dec 2017 -- Within five years, the Army would like to start testing remote combat vehicle prototypes, known as RCVs, which are unmanned, as light and as fast as a Stryker, but provide the same level of firepower as an M-1 Abrams tank, said Maj. Alan L. Stephens.
• Ohio Guard participates in joint medical training in Angola Army News 08 Dec 2017 -- About 30 members of the Ohio National Guard are participating alongside the Angolan and Serbian Armed Forces in the first combined medical engagement between the three militaries, Dec. 4-15 in the Republic of Angola.
• US Navy Prepares to Search for C-2A Aircraft NNS 08 Dec 2017 -- The U.S. Navy will deploy a team of deep water salvage experts to search for the C-2A Greyhound aircraft that crashed in the Philippine Sea on the way to USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) Nov. 22.
• North Carolina National Guard 42nd CST are evaluated by U.S. Army North Army News 08 Dec 2017 -- Soldiers and Airmen from the 42nd Civil Support Team (CST) conducted training at the North Carolina National Guard's, Camp Butner Training Facility as part of a U.S. Army North validation training exercise here on Dec. 07, 2017.
• NATO Deputy Secretary General inaugurates new NATO Liaison Office in Moldova NATO 08 Dec 2017 -- NATO Deputy Secretary General, Rose Gottemoeller, inaugurated the new NATO Liaison Office in Moldova today (Friday 8 December 2017).
• U.S. Sets New Economic, Military Measures Against Russia For INF Missile Dispute RFE/RL 08 Dec 2017 -- The United States said it was taking military and economic measures against Moscow in response to a festering, and increasingly tense, dispute over a Russian missile that Washington says violates an important Cold War treaty.
• Eight ships continue search for missing Argentine submarine Press TV 08 Dec 2017 -- Argentina's navy has announced that three new "objects" have been spotted as it expands the search area for a missing submarine.
• Wassenaar Arrangement Admits India as 42nd Member Sputnik 08 Dec 2017 -- On Thursday, Wassenaar Arrangement, an export control regime, admitted India as its new member, which would enhance its credentials in the field of non-proliferation.
• Japan plans to provide its fighters with long-range missiles, in defense SPA 08 Dec 2017 -- Japan today announced it was planning to provide its fighter planes with long-range cruise missiles.
• Japan Announces Plan to Equip Fighter Jets With Longer-Range Missiles Sputnik 08 Dec 2017 -- Japan has announced its intention to bolster its military with missiles with a range of up to 1,000 km; Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera made the announcement in the aftermath of a ballistic missile test by North Korea which landed in Japanese waters.
• Seoul Reportedly Approves Budget for Kim Jong-un 'Decapitation Unit' Sputnik 08 Dec 2017 -- The first tranche of funding has been approved to South Korea's recently created special forces 'decapitation unit', charged with liquidating the North Korean leadership and destroying key military facilities in the country in the event of war, local media report.
• S Korean President Urges Military to Enhance Defense Capabilities to Deter DPRK Sputnik 08 Dec 2017 -- Seoul fears that in the event of a new war, South Korea's armed forces will not be able to exert an independent influence on the situation.
• Remarks With French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian at a Press Availability US Dept. of State 08 Dec 2017

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for December 08, 2017

Other Conflicts

• 8 December 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 Dec 2017
• UN chief calls for $1 billion in donor contributions to emergency response fund UN News 08 Dec 2017 -- United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday called for $1 billion in donor contributions to the Organization's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) – a pool of funding that supports critical relief operations in crises around the world – as humanitarian needs have increased from $5.2 billion in 2005 to over $24 billion today.
• Tillerson Urges Saudi Arabia to Curb Military Role in Yemen VOA 08 Dec 2017 -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged Saudi Arabia Friday to curb its military intervention in Yemen, a country in the throes of a humanitarian crisis triggered by a two-year civil war.
• Iraqi forces liberate areas in fresh offensive to flush out Daesh from desert hideouts Press TV 08 Dec 2017 -- Iraqi army soldiers, supported by pro-government forces from Popular Mobilization Units, have scored territorial gains against Takfiri Daesh terrorists as they have launched a new phase of a large-scale military operation to dislodge the militants from their hideouts in the desert in western Iraq.
• Iraq starts 2nd phase of ops to clear desert areas of Daesh Press TV 08 Dec 2017 -- Iraqi forces have begun a new push to clear the last areas in the country's arid west of pockets of Takfiri Daesh terrorists.
• UN: Conditions Not Ripe for Return of Rohingya Refugees to Myanmar VOA 08 Dec 2017 -- The United Nations refugee agency says conditions are not ripe for the safe and stable return of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar, a country they recently fled to escape violence and persecution.
• Bellingcat Report Alleges Senior Russian General 'Figure Of Interest' In MH17 Downing RFE/RL 08 Dec 2017 -- A respected international investigative group says it has identified a senior Russian general as a figure of interest in the downing of a civilian airliner over eastern Ukraine in 2014.
• Mogherini Defends Ukraine's Territorial Integrity As EU Weighs Russia Sanctions Extension RFE/RL 08 Dec 2017 -- The European Union's foreign policy chief reiterated the EU's "unwavering" support for Ukraine's territorial integrity as the bloc considered moves to extend economic sanctions on Russia for its aggression in Ukraine.
• DR Congo: Over a dozen UN peacekeepers killed in worst attack on 'blue helmets' in recent history UN News 08 Dec 2017 -- At least 15 United Nations 'blue helmets' in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been killed and many more injured, in what the Secretary-General António Guterres described as the "worst attack" on UN peacekeepers in recent history.
• UN Raises DRC Death Toll to 15 Peacekeepers, 5 Congolese Soldiers VOA 08 Dec 2017 -- The United Nations says the death toll in an attack Thursday on U.N. peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo has climbed to 15, and the U.N. will fly its flags at half-staff Monday in tribute.
• Attack in Eastern Congo Kills 14 Peacekeepers, Injures Over 40 - UN Sputnik 08 Dec 2017 -- A UN peacekeeping mission base in Congo has repelled an attack by insurgents of the Allied Democratic Forces, according to radio station Okapi, which is linked to peacekeepers.
• 14 UN peacekeepers killed, over 40 wounded in DR Congo attack Press TV 08 Dec 2017 -- An armed group has attacked a base of the United Nations peacekeepers in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing at least 14 peacekeepers and wounding 40 others.
• US isolated at UNSC as allies condemn Trump's al-Quds decision Press TV 08 Dec 2017 -- The US has become isolated at the UN Security Council as Washington's traditional allies condemn President Donald Trump's move to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel's capital.
• Palestinian Killed in Middle East 'Day of Rage' Reaction to Trump's Jerusalem Move VOA 08 Dec 2017 -- A Palestinian man was killed by Israeli soldiers in Gaza Friday during clashes in a "Day of Rage" called for by Palestinians after the United States recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
• US Isolated at United Nations Over Jerusalem Decision VOA 08 Dec 2017 -- Some of the United States' oldest allies turned their backs on Washington's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and relocate its embassy there, during an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday.
• Tillerson: US Embassy Move Does Not Affect Jerusalem's Final Status VOA 08 Dec 2017 -- Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said it is up to Palestinian and Israeli negotiators to determine Jerusalem's ultimate status despite the Trump administration's decision this week to recognize the city as Israel's capital and move the U.S. embassy there.
• Somalia, Djibouti Say Trump's Recognition of Jerusalem is 'Dangerous' VOA 08 Dec 2017 -- Two East African countries say U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is "dangerous" and could spark an international crisis.
• UN Middle East envoy warns of 'risk of violent escalation' after US decision on Jerusalem UN News 08 Dec 2017 -- Wednesday's decision by United States President Donald Trump recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has been widely welcomed in Israel but it has also caused much anger among Palestinians and anxiety across the Middle East and beyond, the United Nations envoy on the region's peace process told ta special Security Council meeting on Friday.
• Gaza: UN official releases funds to enable life-saving aid programmes in enclave UN News 08 Dec 2017 -- A senior United Nations aid and development official in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) today released $2.2 million to support health, food and livelihood programmes in the Gaza Strip.
• Trump's Jerusalem Move to Hinder Return of Palestinian Refugees - Lebanese PM Sputnik 08 Dec 2017 -- The ministerial meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon, currently being hosted by France, is aimed at rallying support for Lebanon and Hariri, whose resignation last month, from which he later stepped back, has sparked fears of renewed turmoil in the crisis-ridden region.
• Israeli air strike, artillery shells hit Gaza, 25 injured Press TV 08 Dec 2017 -- Over two dozen Palestinians have been injured in Israeli artillery and air strikes against the besieged Gaza Strip, amid escalating tensions in the occupied territories in the wake of the US president's recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as the Israeli capital.
• US al-Quds move to pose new security challenges to Mideast: Lebanese PM Press TV 08 Dec 2017 -- Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has warned that US recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel's capital will pose new challenges to the security of the Middle East.
• Israel to build 14,000 settler units in Jerusalem al-Quds Press TV 08 Dec 2017 -- Emboldened by US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel's capital, the Israeli regime is reportedly planning to push ahead with plans to build around 14,000 new settler units in the city.
• US to regret Trump's 'foolish' embassy decision: Velayati Press TV 08 Dec 2017 -- US President Donald Trump's "foolish" move to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as the Israeli capital has dealt "the last blow" to the American "political life" in the Islamic world, says a senior Iranian official.
• U.S. Tells UN It Is Still Committed To Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process RFE/RL 08 Dec 2017 -- The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations says President Donald Trump remains committed to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, as the backlash continued against the controversial U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
• Security Council considers measures to support regional force in the Sahel UN News 08 Dec 2017 -- The United Nations Security Council today adopted a resolution clarifying the ways in which the international community, including the UN mission Mali – known by its French acronym MINUSMA – is expected to provide support to a multi-country joint military force conducting counter-terrorist operations in the Sahel.
• Opposition Forces Accused of Killing S. Sudan Lawmaker VOA 08 Dec 2017 -- Officials in South Sudan's Yei River state have accused fighters loyal to rebel leader Riek Machar of killing a state assembly lawmaker. A spokesman for the rebels denied the allegation.

News Reports

• State Department: US Travel Ban Fully Implemented VOA 08 Dec 2017 -- The U.S. State Department said Friday that it had begun implementing President Donald Trump's order limiting travel into the country.
• Previewing Upcoming Changes to the Department's Safety and Security Messages for U.S. Citizens US Dept. of State 08 Dec 2017-- Special Briefing by Carl C. Risch, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Consular Affairs
• Russia's foreign minister censures Washington's provocation in Korean Peninsula Press TV 08 Dec 2017 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has censured the joint military exercises conducted by the United States and South Korea, saying the drills could provoke North Korea to carry out more missile tests.
• China calls on US, North Korea to tone down rhetoric Press TV 08 Dec 2017 -- China has urged the United States and North Korea to exercise restraint, reminding the sides that war would not resolve the long-standing issues between them.
• China and Russia Urge Restraint, Diplomacy as Korean Crisis Worsens Sputnik 08 Dec 2017 -- Leaders from the foreign ministries of both China and Russia have called on North Korea and the United States to end the cycle of provocation that the DPRK recently claimed was making war on the Korean Peninsula inevitable.
• China, S. Korea Look to Sync Approach on Pyongyang VOA 08 Dec 2017 -- Analysts say issues surrounding North Korea and tensions on the peninsula will be a top priority when South Korean President Moon Jae-in visits China next week.
• Russia Says Falling Satellite Could Have Been Source Of Radioactive Cloud RFE/RL 08 Dec 2017 -- The state corporation in charge of Russia's nuclear energy industry, Rosatom, says that a spike in radioactivity over Europe earlier this autumn could have come from a falling satellite.
• Tillerson warns Saudi about its actions in Mideast Press TV 08 Dec 2017 -- US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has warned Saudi Arabia about "the consequences" of its actions in the Middle East.
• WHO: Rapid Action Brings Quick End to Marburg Outbreak in Uganda VOA 08 Dec 2017 -- Rapid action prevented the spread of the deadly Marburg virus just weeks after it was first detected in Uganda, the World Health Organization reports.
• Ukrainian Agents Detain Saakashvili, Hours After He Called For March RFE/RL 08 Dec 2017 -- Law enforcement officers have detained Mikheil Saakashvili, hours after the firebrand Ukrainian opposition activist and former Georgian president called on Ukrainians to demonstrate in the capital against the government.
• Saakashvili Vows To March To Kyiv's Maidan RFE/RL 08 Dec 2017 -- Mikheil Saakashvili, who was freed from police custody shortly after law enforcement authorities raided his apartment in Kyiv earlier this week, is calling on Ukrainians to demonstrate in the center of the capital on December 10.
• Russia Accused Of Harassing Moldovan Politicians With 'Fabricated' Lawsuits RFE/RL 08 Dec 2017 -- The head of Moldova's ruling party has accused Russian authorities of harassing him and other party officials with bogus lawsuits.
• Argentinian Ex-President Charged With Treason For Deal With Iran On 1994 Bombing RFE/RL 08 Dec 2017 -- A federal judge in Argentina has indicted former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner for treason and called for her arrest for allegedly covering up Iran's involvement in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center that killed 85 people.
• Analysts Doubt Much Has Changed in Zimbabwe VOA 08 Dec 2017 -- On the surface, a lot has changed in Zimbabwe in the last month – longtime president Robert Mugabe finally resigned after 37 years in power after the army took over state institutions, and a new administration has vowed to usher in sweeping changes.
• Opponents Vanquished, Cambodia PM Hun Sen Eyes Peace VOA 08 Dec 2017 -- In front of the largest religious monument on Earth, the world's longest-ruling prime minister – Cambodia's Hun Sen – prayed for peace and happiness in front of 5,000 monks Sunday.