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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 16 Jan 2018 [PDF]
• Department Of Defense Press Briefing By Brig. Gen. Glynn Via Teleconference From Baghdad, Iraq DoD 16 Jan 2018 -- Presenter: Brigadier General James F. Glynn, deputy commanding general, Special Operations Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve; Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway, Pentagon Spokesman
• Millions Liberated From 'Evil of ISIS,' OIR Official Says AFPS 16 Jan 2018 -- Coalition and Iraqi forces have liberated millions of people from the "evil of ISIS," with the efforts putting Iraq on a path toward greater security, an Operation Inherent Resolve official said today in Baghdad.
• Afghan Taliban Political Officials Visiting Pakistan VOA 16 Jan 2018 -- The Taliban insurgency has quietly sent political negotiators to Pakistan from its Qatar-based office amid a new diplomatic push for encouraging peace talks between parties to the Afghanistan war.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US Air Force Sends DOS-Attacking Aircraft to Korean Peninsula Sputnik 16 Jan 2018 -- According to reports Monday, the US' EC-130H Compass Call aircraft, which is capable of issuing a denial of service attack an enemy plane's communication abilities, was deployed to South Korea's Osan Air Force Base January 4.
• US Bombers, Warships Summoned to Korean Peninsula as Olympic Games Approach Sputnik 16 Jan 2018 -- The US military is bolstering its presence around the Korean Peninsula as the Olympic Games draw closer.
• B-52s return to Pacific for routine Continuous Bomber Presence mission AFNS 16 Jan 2018 -- Six B-52H Stratofortress bombers and approximately 300 Airmen from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, are deploying to Andersen AFB, Guam, in support of U.S. Pacific Command's Continuous Bomber Presence mission.
• Continuing Resolutions Create Uncertainty in Defense Department AFPS 16 Jan 2018 -- For the last nine years, DoD has been subject to continuing resolutions instead of having budgets, and the department needs stability and predictability to spend resources wisely and get service members the equipment and training they deserve, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here yesterday.
• US Navy Statement on USS Fitzgerald and USS John S McCain Consolidated Disposition Authority Accountability Actions NNS 16 Jan 2018 -- Below is a statement released Jan. 16, by U.S. Navy Chief of Information (Acting), Capt. Greg Hicks on Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) charges preferred against individual service members in relation to the USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) and USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) collisions:
• Javelin weapon training helps Soldiers "do what we do best" in support of NATO Army News 16 Jan 2018 -- Using advanced virtual reality technology, Soldiers with the 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division completed training on the Javelin Weapon System in Swietoszow, Poland, Jan. 11, 2018 in support of Atlantic Resolve.
• 1st SFAB combat advisor teams train for upcoming Afghanistan deployment Army News 16 Jan 2018 -- The convoy of American Soldiers and their Afghan counterparts came to a sudden halt as a group of Afghan villagers crowded the road. With raised voices, the villagers claimed that U.S. forces had attacked their livestock, and vehemently stated that they would not let the convoy pass until they received compensation for their damaged property.
• South Carolina National Guard leads the way with new missile training program Army News 16 Jan 2018 -- The South Carolina National Guard held a graduation ceremony for its Patriot missile system training program, a first of its kind for the National Guard. The program provides sustainment training for 14E Patriot fire control enhanced operators, trains 14A air defense artillery officers at the brigade level to plan Patriot air defense, and provides the prerequisite training for 140E Air and Missile Defense (AMD) Systems Tactician / Technician and the Air Defense Artillery Fire Control Operations (ADAFCO).
• MWSS-171 back at it again with Kamoshika Wrath USMC News 16 Jan 2018 -- U.S. Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 completed exercise Kamoshika Wrath 18-1 at Training Area 7 in Haramura, Japan, January 13, 2018.
• Hawaii Marines depart for ITX 2-18 USMC News 16 Jan 2018 -- Marines depart for Integrated Training Exercise 2-18 from Marine Corps Base Hawaii to Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms this week.
• USNS Brunswick Departs Lumut, Malaysia NNS 16 Jan 2018 -- The expeditionary fast transport ship USNS Brunswick (T-EPF-6) concluded a port visit to Lumut, Malaysia, Jan 12.
• USS Chafee Returns from Western Pacific Deployment NNS 16 Jan 2018 -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Chafee (DDG 90) returned to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam from an independent deployment to the Western Pacific and South America Jan. 12.
• Pentagon Plans to Develop New Low Yield Nuke, Nuke-Armed Cruise Missile - Reports Sputnik 16 Jan 2018 -- The weapons are ostensibly meant to be a response to growing Russian and Chinese military capabilities, according to a draft of the report seen by the Wall Street Journal.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Mattis' meeting with Canadian Minister of National Defense Harjit Sajjan DoD 16 Jan 2018
• Off-camera Gaggle by Secretary Mattis at Mountain Home Air Force Base DoD 16 Jan 2018 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis
• USS Lake Champlain Completes Ordnance Onload NNS 16 Jan 2018 -- The Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain (CG 57) completed an ordnance onload at Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, Jan. 12, in preparation for deployment to the Western Pacific.
• America and San Diego Depart Guam NNS 16 Jan 2018 -- The amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) and the amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego (LPD 22), both part of the America Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), along with embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), departed Guam Jan. 12 following a scheduled port visit.
• USS Frank Cable Marks 40th Anniversary of Ship's Christening NNS 16 Jan 2018 -- The crew of the submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40) celebrated the 40th anniversary of her christening while transiting the Pacific Ocean, Jan. 14.
• NATO, Partner Defense Chiefs Discuss Afghanistan, Iraq, Command Structures AFPS 16 Jan 2018 -- NATO chiefs of defense are meeting here today to examine the situations in Afghanistan, Iraq and on the alliance border with Russia.
• UK Royal Air Force scrambles jets to intercept Russian bombers Press TV 16 Jan 2018 -- The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has scrambled two fighter jets to intercept a pair of Russian strategic bombers approaching Britain's airspace, the British Ministry of Defense (MoD) claims.
• British Fighter Jets Intercept Russian Strategic Bombers RFE/RL 16 Jan 2018 -- Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) has scrambled two fighter jets to intercept Russian strategic bombers near U.K. airspace.
• US 'not giving up' on ties with Pakistan: Dunford Press TV 16 Jan 2018 -- The administration of US President Donald Trump is "not giving up" on ties with Pakistan despite repeatedly criticizing Islamabad's anti-terror efforts, says the top US military officer.
• Japan's Aegis Missile Defense System to Receive Commands From Tokyo Sputnik 16 Jan 2018 -- The Aegis Ashore missile defense system that Japan plans to deploy on its territory starting in 2023 will receive commands only from Tokyo and will be used as defense only, the country's Foreign Ministry told Sputnik, following a remark made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about Washington's potential use of the system.
• Denmark wants huge hike in military budget 'to deter Russia' Press TV 16 Jan 2018 -- The Danish government aims to increase its military spending to counter an alleged security threat from Russia in Eastern Europe.
• Chinese navy commissions new missile frigate for offshore defense Global Times 16 Jan 2018 -- China's new guided-missile frigate Wuhai, the latest member of the Type 056 corvettes family and with stronger anti-submarine capabilities, officially begun naval service on Monday.
• Searching for Answers: Argentine Congress Launches Probe Into Vanished Sub Sputnik 16 Jan 2018 -- The disappearance of the ARA San Juan, a TR-1700-class diesel-electric submarine in service with the Argentine Navy, will be investigated by a commission established by Argentina's congress, according to recent reports.
• Department Press Briefing - January 16, 2018 US Dept. of State 16 Jan 2018

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 16, 2018

Other Conflicts

• Riyadh Says Another Missile From Yemen Intercepted, This One Targeting Jazan Sputnik 16 Jan 2018 -- Saudi Arabia's air defenses claim they have intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched from Yemen targeting Saudi province of Jazan.
• Over 75 percent of Yemenis in need of aid: UN Press TV 16 Jan 2018 -- The United Nations (UN) says the number of the Yemenis who are dependent on assistance has risen to 22.2 million, as the risk of famine increases three years into a Saudi Arabian-led war on impoverished Yemen.
• At least 6 civilians are killed in Saudi airstrikes in Yemen's Hudaydah province Press TV 16 Jan 2018 -- Saudi warplanes have launched a series of attacks on Yemen's western province of Hudaydah, killing at least six people.
• Turkey sends armored vehicles to southern border with Syria: Sources Press TV 16 Jan 2018 -- Turkey has reportedly dispatched a convoy of over 40 military vehicles and tanks to the southern regions along the Syrian frontier amid growing Ankara-Washington tensions over a US plan to create a "border force" at Turkey's doorstep.
• Ankara to Prevent All Military Support to Syrian Kurds' YPG Militia Sputnik 16 Jan 2018 -- Ankara intends to prevent all military support to Syrian Kurds' People's Protection Units (YPG), which it considers an extension of Turkey's Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and urges NATO to treat all terrorist groups equally, Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, Gen. Hulusi Akar said.
• Turkey to Assault Syrian Afrin With Airstrikes on 149 Kurdish Targets - Reports Sputnik 16 Jan 2018 -- Turkey's possible offensive in Syria's northern Kurdish-controlled Afrin enclave will start with airstrikes on 149 targets of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), Turkish media reported on Tuesday.
• Erdogan Hopes to Continue Talks on Syria With Putin Rather Than Trump Sputnik 16 Jan 2018 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that he was not planning to discuss the US intentions to create "border security forces" northern Syria with US President Donald Trump, but would maintain contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• Turkish President Steps Up Threats on US-backed Militia in Syria VOA 16 Jan 2018 -- Turkish President Recep Erdogan on Tuesday stepped up threats to launch a cross-border operation against the Syrian Kurdish militia known as the YPG, which the U.S. backs in the war against Islamic State militants. Ankara sees the YPG as a terrorist organization linked to an ongoing Kurdish insurgency in Turkey.
• Rouhani: New US plan plot against territorial integrity, security of Syria IRNA 16 Jan 2018 -- President Hassan Rouhani condemned presence of the US forces in Syria and said that the new plan of the US for Syria is contrary to the international regulations and is a plot for territorial integrity and security of Syria and the region.
• President in a meeting with Syrian Parliament Speaker: ISNA 16 Jan 2018 -- The president met with the Speaker of the People's Council of Syria Hammouda Youssef Sabbagh on Tuesday and emphasized that the two countries should boost efforts to develop and strengthen close, inclusive relations between Tehran and Damascus.
• US plan to set up new border force blatant interference in Syria's internal affairs: Iran ISNA 16 Jan 2018 -- Iranian foreign ministry spokesman emphasized on Tuesday that US' plan to set up a new border force in Syria is blatant interference in internal affairs of the Arab country and leads to escalation of the crisis.
• Rohingya refugees safety must be ensured upon return: UN Press TV 16 Jan 2018 -- The United Nations refugee agency says Rohingya Muslim refugees in Bangladesh should be consulted and ensured of their safety before they are repatriated to Myanmar's Rakhine state.
• Bangladesh, Myanmar agree on Rohingya return in 2 years Press TV 16 Jan 2018 -- Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed to repatriate the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who have fled a recent army crackdown in Myanmar within a period of two years.
• Bangladesh, Myanmar to Reach Deal on Rohingya Repatriation in 2 Years - Reports Sputnik 16 Jan 2018 -- Bangladesh and Myanmar finalized on Tuesday an agreement on repatriation of Rohingya refugees within the next two years, local media reported.
• Myanmar, Bangladesh to Begin Return of Rohingya Refugees VOA 16 Jan 2018 -- Myanmar and neighboring Bangladesh have completed an agreement to repatriate scores of Rohingya Muslims who fled Myanmar to escape a brutal military crackdown.
• Palestinian Central Council 'Freezes' Recognition of Israel Sputnik 16 Jan 2018 -- The Palestinian Central Council (PCC), one of the Palestine Liberation Organization's (PLO) governing institutions, has decided not to recognize the state of Israel until it recognizes the Palestinian state, Nabil Shaath, the foreign affairs adviser of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told Sputnik.
• UNRWA lays off 100 due to US non-cooperation Press TV 16 Jan 2018 -- A United Nations agency that provides aid for millions of Palestinians across the Middle East has been forced to lay off more than 100 employees in Jordan because of the United States' refusal to allow the transfer of financial aid to the agency.
• South Sudan's Cease-Fire Broken by Both Sides, Monitors Say VOA 16 Jan 2018 -- The body that monitors South Sudan's shaky truce is blaming rebels for a Christmas Eve attack that killed 15 people and wounded 26 others.
• Resolve differences peacefully, Security Council to DR Congo political actors UN News 16 Jan 2018 -- Voicing serious concern over the continued political impasse and violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations Security Council has called upon all political actors to exercise maximum restraint and to address their differences peacefully.

News Reports

• Democracy 'Retreating' As Trump 'Abdicates' U.S. Role RFE/RL 16 Jan 2018 -- Democracy is "under assault and retreating" around the world, with the United States "abdicating" its traditional role as a champion of democratic ideals in the past year while Russia and China "increase repression at home" and "export their malign influence" abroad, Freedom House says.
• Ex-Trump Aide Steve Bannon Questioned in Russia Probe VOA 16 Jan 2018 -- Steve Bannon, President Donald Trump's former chief White House strategist, is being questioned Tuesday by lawmakers in their probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
• Lithuania Bars Kadyrov, 48 Other Russians Under Magnitsky Law RFE/RL 16 Jan 2018 -- Lithuania has issued its first blacklist of 49 Russians banned for allegedly violating human rights or engaging in corruption and money laundering under its new Magnitsky law.
• Former CIA Officer Arrested for Retaining Classified Information US Dept. of Justice 16 Jan 2018 -- Jerry Chun Shing Lee, aka Zhen Cheng Li, 53, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer, was arrested last night on charges of unlawful retention of national defense information.
• NHK apologizes for false missile alert NHK 16 Jan 2018 -- NHK is apologizing after issuing a false alert that said North Korea had probably launched a missile and warned people in Japan to take cover.
• Japan Apologizes for False North Korean Missile Alert Sputnik 16 Jan 2018 -- The public broadcaster NHK issued an on-air apology after it mistakenly sent the alert to its website and to users of its app on Tuesday.
• Japanese Broadcaster Issues False Alert of North Korean Missile Strike VOA 16 Jan 2018 -- Another false alert about a impending missile strike from North Korea was issued Tuesday – this time in Japan.
• Seoul Hopes to Build Dialogue With Pyongyang to Resolve Nuclear Issue Sputnik 16 Jan 2018 -- Seoul hopes to build upon recent breakthrough bilateral discussions with Pyongyang to resolve the nuclear crisis, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said at a ministerial meeting in Vancouver, Canada on Tuesday.
• Mattis Highlights Diplomatic Solution for North Korean Situation AFPS 16 Jan 2018 -- Defense Secretary James N. Mattis has highlighted the efforts aimed at strengthening diplomatic avenues for a secure, prosperous and denuclearized Korean Peninsula.
• DPRK announces result of working-level talks with S. Korea People's Daily 16 Jan 2018 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea announced Monday night the result of its working level talks with South Koreafor the dispatch of its art troupe to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
• US to Keep Pressuring N Korea Until Its Abandons Its Nuclear Program - Tillerson Sputnik 16 Jan 2018 -- The international pressure campaign against North Korea will continue until Pyongyang makes a decision to fully denuclearize, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said during a Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Security and Stability on the Korean Peninsula on Tuesday.
• Vancouver Talks Focus on Pressuring North Korea VOA 16 Jan 2018 -- Foreign ministers from 20 nations meeting in Vancouver in regard to North Korea say sanctions pressure must continue against the country until it abandons its nuclear weapons program.
• Trump, Xi Hopeful Korean Contacts Will Change Pyongyang's Nuclear Weapons Pursuit VOA 16 Jan 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, are hopeful that recent contacts between South and North Korean officials will lead to a change in Pyongyang's "destructive behavior" pursuing nuclear weapons, the White House said Tuesday.
• Military option no solution to domestic woes: President Rouhani IRNA 16 Jan 2018 -- No country can solve its domestic problems through despatching troops to other regional countries, said President Hassan Rouhani in the 13th Conference of Parliamentary Union of the OIC members (PUIC) in Tehran on Tuesday.
• Defense Minister: US to make complicated atmosphere against Iran IRNA 16 Jan 2018 -- Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said on Tuesday that the US is to make complicated atmosphere against Iran to pursue its new approach in dealing with the country.
• US new strategy seeks to create complex situation for Iran: Defense minister Press TV 16 Jan 2018 -- Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami has warned that the US is pursuing its new strategy against Iran by creating a complicated situation for the country.
• Germany Conducts Raids In Iranian Spy Probe RFE/RL 16 Jan 2018 -- The federal prosecutor's office in Germany says police have conducted a series searches across the country in connection with investigations into 10 suspected Iranian spies.
• Nazarbaev Thanks Trump For Backing Kazakh Territorial Integrity RFE/RL 16 Jan 2018 -- Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbaev thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for Washington's support of his country's territorial integrity, as the two leaders met for talks expected to focus on regional security, economic issues, and bilateral relations.
• Hundreds of Pakistani clerics unite to issue fatwa against bombings Press TV 16 Jan 2018 -- Hundreds of Muslim Pakistani clerics have issued an Islamic directive, forbidding suicide bombings as the country has been plagued with violence carried out by several militant outfits.
• Police, Protesters Clash Near Ukrainian Parliament RFE/RL 16 Jan 2018 -- Police and protesters have clashed near the Ukrainian parliament, where lawmakers discussed legislation on the "reintegration" of regions held by Russia-backed separatists.
• Assassinated Serb Politician Symbolized Tensions Still Brewing In Northern Kosovo RFE/RL 16 Jan 2018 -- Kosovar Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic, who was gunned down outside his office in the ethnically divided city of Mitrovica, rose to prominence after the war in 1999 despite questions surrounding his activities during the conflict.
• Kosovo PM Alleges Foreign Role In Serb Political Leader's Assassination RFE/RL 16 Jan 2018 -- Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj has suggested that the slaying of a leading ethnic Serb political leader in the country's north was the result of illegal interference coming from outside the country.
• Burundi Government Accused of Arresting Opponents of Constitutional Changes VOA 16 Jan 2018 -- Burundi's government recently proposed constitutional changes that would, among other things, allow President Pierre Nkurunziza to stay in office beyond 2020. Civil society groups say the government is arresting opponents of those changes in advance of an upcoming referendum.
• Kenya Opposition Leader Vows to Inaugurate Self as 'Peoples' President' VOA 16 Jan 2018 -- Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga, whose National Super Alliance (NASA) contests the results of October's re-run election, has defiantly vowed to inaugurate himself the "peoples" president' at the end of January, if there is no dialogue beforehand with President Uhuru Kenyatta.