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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 17 Jan 2018 [PDF]
• U.S. Continues to Train Local Security Forces in Syria DoD 17 Jan 2018 -- The U.S. continues to train local security forces in Syria. The training is designed to enhance security for displaced persons returning to their devastated communities. It is also essential so that ISIS cannot reemerge in liberated and ungoverned areas. This is not a new "army" or conventional "border guard" force.
• Haley: US Afghanistan Strategy Is Working VOA 17 Jan 2018 -- A senior U.S. official said Wednesday the Trump administration's Afghanistan strategy is working.
• Afghan Government, Taliban Deny Sending Envoys to Turkey Talks VOA 17 Jan 2018 -- Afghanistan government negotiators and Taliban officials have reportedly opened "unofficial" talks in Turkey to discuss the groundwork for initiating a formal peace dialogue between the government and the insurgent group.
• First to go: Green Berets remember earliest mission in Afghanistan (part 1) Army News 17 Jan 2018 -- The movie "12 Strong" arrives in theaters this Friday, and tells the harrowing story of the first U.S. special forces mission in Afghanistan following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The following Army.mil exclusive three-part feature recounts the events of the Green Berets' first mission in Afghanistan, as they sought to destroy the Taliban regime and deny Al-Qaida sanctuary in that country.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Defense Innovation Board Approves Recommendations at Quarterly Meeting AFPS 17 Jan 2018 -- The Defense Innovation Board – a federal advisory committee encompassing experts in academia, technology and business – approved two recommendations today aimed at improving innovation in the Defense Department.
• Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory/Futures Directorate Partners With MD5 to Create an Adaptive Threat Force USMC News 17 Jan 2018 -- The Marine Corps Warfighting Lab / Futures Directorate identifies future challenges and opportunities, develops warfighting concepts, and uses wargames and experiments to comprehensively explore solutions and inform the combat development process.
• USS Anchorage Departs for NASA's Orion Mission NNS 17 Jan 2018 -- San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD 23) departed from Naval Base San Diego to conduct an Underway Recovery Test (URT) in conjunction with NASA off the coast of Southern California, Jan. 17.
• US Navy commanders face negligent homicide charges over collisions Press TV 17 Jan 2018 -- The US Navy says it will charge commanders of two destroyers involved in collisions last year which claimed the lives of 17 sailors.
• 'Big Red One' to deploy as Atlantic Resolve division-level headquarters Army News 17 Jan 2018 -- The 1st Infantry Division will replace the 4th Infantry Division in March as U.S. Army Europe's division-level headquarters responsible for mission command of U.S. forces deployed in support of Atlantic Resolve.
• New York Army National Guard Soldiers deployed to Ukraine conduct MASCAL exercise Army News 17 Jan 2018 -- Medics assigned to the Joint Multinational Training Group -- Ukraine (JMTG-U) honed their life-saving skills while participating a massive casualty , or MASCAL, exercise, here, Jan. 12.
• "Knights" prepare for battle USMC News 17 Jan 2018 -- Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314, the "Black Knights," deployed as part of the aviation combat element (ACE) for Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command (SPMAGTF-CR-CC) from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., Jan. 10.
• Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory/Futures Directorate Partners With MD5 to Create an Adaptive Threat Force USMC News 17 Jan 2018 -- The Marine Corps Warfighting Lab / Futures Directorate identifies future challenges and opportunities, develops warfighting concepts, and uses wargames and experiments to comprehensively explore solutions and inform the combat development process.
• Texas Visits Sasebo During Indo-Asia-Pacific Deployment NNS 17 Jan 2018 -- The Virginia-class attack submarine USS Texas (SSN 775), arrived at Fleet Activities Sasebo, Jan. 17 for a visit as part of its deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
• USS Ross Conducts Live-Fire Exercises with the Royal Moroccan Navy NNS 17 Jan 2018 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) departed Agadir, Morocco, Jan. 13, 2018, after a scheduled port visit to participate in exercise African Sea Lion with the Royal Moroccan Navy frigate Tarek Ben Ziyad.
• Is Mach 5 Here? America's Hypersonic SR-72 May Have Finally Been Built Sputnik 17 Jan 2018 -- A recent presentation by a Lockheed Martin Skunk Works executive has defense observers speculating in a frenzy about the possibility that the supersonic SR-71 Blackbird spy plane's successor has been built.
• NATO Sees Russia as 'Peer Competitor' - Senior Military Officer Sputnik 17 Jan 2018 -- General Petr Pavel, chairman of the NATO Military Committee, during a press conference answered questions on the alliance's stance on Russia, possible ways of Daesh threat's eradication and training assistance to Iraq.
• NATO Notes Russia's 'Resurgence,' Urges Vigilance RFE/RL 17 Jan 2018 -- U.S. General Curtis Scaparrotti, NATO's supreme allied commander in Europe, has warned that the alliance will not be "dominant" in certain areas in five years if it fails to modernize and adapt to the growing threat from Russia.
• NATO Military Chiefs Discuss Strategic Environment's Challenges AFPS 17 Jan 2018 -- Continued change from Afghanistan, confronting Russia, and enhancing 360-degree European security highlighted discussions during the NATO Military Committee Meeting in Brussels these past two days.
• China's armed forces to set up full-time inspection teams People's Daily 17 Jan 2018 -- Senior Party members at the rank of military corps and above will be overseen by full-time inspection teams, said a military regulation made public Tuesday.
• Chinese aircraft carrier enters Taiwan's ADIZ: MND CNA 17 Jan 2018 -- China's aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in the early hours of Tuesday, sailing just west of the median line of the Taiwan Strait, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Wednesday.
• Chinese Aircraft Carrier Group Sails Through Taiwan Strait Sputnik 17 Jan 2018 -- China's sole active aircraft carrier and its carrier group sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, Taiwanese authorities report, noting that no unusual activity was detected.
• Netanyahu: $500mn Israel-India arms deal 'back on track' Press TV 17 Jan 2018 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says military officials accompanying him on a "very important" trip to India have managed to get "back on track" a $500 million arms deal that New Delhi had recently called off.
• Indian Navy Mulls More Submarine Hunters Sputnik 17 Jan 2018 -- The Indian Navy is looking to bolster its fleet of P-8I submarine-killing aircraft, the nation's naval chief said in a recent interview.
• India-China Bonhomie is Back on Track - Indian Army Chief Sputnik 17 Jan 2018 -- Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat has confirmed that the terms between Beijing and New Delhi have returned to the same level of cordiality that they'd been at prior to last year's Doklam standoff.
• India Fast Tracks Purchase of Assault Rifles & Carbines Worth $554 Mln Sputnik 17 Jan 2018 -- India's Ministry of Defense has cleared a proposal worth $554 million on Tuesday to purchase assault rifles and carbines. The ministry expects competitive bidding to start soon.
• Official: No single opportunity to talk missiles IRNA 17 Jan 2018 -- Head of Iran's Strategic Council on Foreign Relations Kamal Kharrazi said that Iran's missile might is totally nonnegotiable and there will be no single opportunity to talk about Iran's missiles.
• Iran missile program non-negotiable: Spokesman IRNA 17 Jan 2018 -- Iran's missile defense program is non-negotiable, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said on Wednesday.
• Iran's missile defense program is no way negotiable: FM spokesman ISNA 17 Jan 2018 -- Iranian defense ministry spokesman dismissed reports on holding "intensive and very serious dialogue" on Tehran's missile defense program, emphasizing that the country's missile program is not negotiable.
• Iran rejects Financial Times' claim on accepting missile talks Press TV 17 Jan 2018 -- Iran has categorically dismissed a claim by The Financial Times that it accepted to enter negotiations over its national missile program as well as its regional role during a recent meeting over the 2015 nuclear deal in Brussels.
• Saudi Arabia - Continuation of Missile System Support Services DSCA 17 Jan 2018 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Saudi Arabia of continuation of missile system support services for an estimated cost of $500 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• Three soldiers killed in Turkish military plane crash Press TV 17 Jan 2018 -- Three army personnel have been killed when a Turkish military cargo plane crashed in southwestern Turkey.
• Three Killed as Military Training Plane Crashes in Turkey - Reports Sputnik 17 Jan 2018 -- The rescue teams have found the wreckage of the Turkish Air Force's CASA CN-235 aircraft that crashed in the southern province of Isparta on Wednesday, the Daily Sabah reported, citing the local governor.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sarah Sanders and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ed O'Callaghan The White House 17 Jan 2018

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 17, 2018

Other Conflicts

• 17 January 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 17 Jan 2018
• Yemeni snipers shoot five Saudi soldiers dead in Jizan Press TV 17 Jan 2018 -- Yemeni army soldiers, supported by fighters from allied Popular Committees, have shot dead five Saudi soldiers in the kingdom's southwestern border region of Jizan, in retaliation for the Riyadh regime's military campaign against the crisis-hit country.
• Yemeni forces fire 2 ballistic missiles at key Saudi targets: Al-Masirah Press TV 17 Jan 2018 -- Yemeni forces say they have fired ballistic missiles at two key targets in southwestern Saudi Arabia in retaliation for the kingdom's fatal raids.
• Planned military operation in Syria could expand beyond Afrin: Turkey FM Press TV 17 Jan 2018 -- Turkey says the military operation it plans to launch against US-backed Kurdish militants in the northwestern Syrian city of Afrin could expand to the nearby city of Manbij.
• Ankara to Take All Measures to Thwart US Plans for Syria Border Security Force Sputnik 17 Jan 2018 -- The National Security Council of Turkey stated that Ankara is going to take all necessary measures, preventing the creation of "US border security forces" in Syria.
• Turkey May Expand Syrian Operation to Manbij, East of Euphrates Amid YPG Worries Sputnik 17 Jan 2018 -- According to Turkish media reports on Tuesday, Turkey's possible offensive in Syria's northern Kurdish-controlled Afrin enclave is set to start with airstrikes on 149 targets of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG).
• Tillerson says US will keep open-ended military presence in Syria Press TV 17 Jan 2018 -- US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has announced that US military will remain in Syria indefinitely, spelled out a US plan to advance a political transition in the country, and also called for closer cooperation with Russia to avoid conflict in "de-escalation zones."
• 10,000 bodies buried in mass graves across Syria's Raqqah: Official Press TV 17 Jan 2018 -- A senior Syrian medical official says members of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group have executed 10,000 people and buried their bodies in mass graves across the country's northern city of Raqqah.
• Iran Joins Russia In Opposing U.S. Plan To Guard Syrian Border RFE/RL 17 Jan 2018 -- Iranian President Hassan Rohani has joined Russia, Syria, and Turkey in opposing a new 30,000-strong border guard force inside Syria that the United States says is needed to keep Islamic State extremists out of the country.
• Tillerson Signals Open-Ended U.S. Military Presence In Syria RFE/RL 17 Jan 2018 -- Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said that the U.S. military will remain in Syria for the foreseeable future to prevent the resurgence of the extremist group Islamic State (IS).
• Remarks on The Way Forward for the United States Regarding Syria US Dept. of State 17 Jan 2018 -- Remarks by Rex W. Tillerson, Secretary of State
• Intensified fighting across Syria having 'devastating' impact on civilians, warn UN agencies UN News 17 Jan 2018 -- Intensification in hostilities across Syria is having a "devastating" impact on civilians, United Nations agencies in the war-ravaged country said Wednesday, warning that the fighting is also severely limiting life-saving humanitarian operations.
• 12 killed, 48 injured in suspected Boko Haram attack in Nigeria Press TV 17 Jan 2018 -- Twelve people have been killed and 48 others wounded in an attack by suspected Boko Haram bombers on Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri.
• UN poised to scale up support for Libya's post-conflict transition, Security Council told UN News 17 Jan 2018 -- The United Nations is implementing its Action Plan for Libya to create the necessary conditions for the completion of the North African country's post-conflict transition, the head of UN mission there said Wednesday.
• Bangladesh hosting more than a million Rohingya refugees: Official Press TV 17 Jan 2018 -- Bangladesh says it has counted over a million Rohingya Muslim refugees living in camps near its border with Myanmar, higher than previous estimates.
• Myanmar police kill 7 Buddhist rioters in Rakhine Press TV 17 Jan 2018 -- Police in Myanmar have opened fire on a group of Buddhists who were trying to seize a government office in the troubled Rakhine State, killing seven people.
• US cutting of aid for UNRWA censured Press TV 17 Jan 2018 -- A United Nations agency aiding Palestinian refugees in the Middle East, UNRWA, has censured the United States over its decision to cut funding for the body by more than half.
• US withholds $65 million from UN agency for Palestinian refugees Press TV 17 Jan 2018 -- The United States has withheld tens of millions of dollars in money for a United Nations agency tasked with providing services for Palestinian refugees.
• In Lebanon's Palestinian Camps, US Cuts Stoke Fear VOA 17 Jan 2018 -- As he awaited medical assistance made possible by foreign donors, Ahmad Said spoke darkly about the sudden cut in U.S. aid to the U.N. agency upon which he depends.
• U.S. Warns Kosovo Against Scrapping War Crimes Court RFE/RL 17 Jan 2018 -- The U.S. ambassador to Kosovo, Greg Delawie, has warned the country's politicians that they will bear "specific and harsh consequences" should their efforts to abolish a new war crimes court succeed.
• People in DRC Face Death as Money for Humanitarian Aid Dries Up VOA 17 Jan 2018 -- The International Organization for Migration warns that many people in the Democratic Republic of Congo will die if international donors do not plug the enormous funding gap that is depriving millions of people from receiving crucial humanitarian assistance.
• World cannot stand idle as millions in DR Congo 'suffer in silence,' says UN agency UN News 17 Jan 2018 -- The dramatic deterioration in the humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic over the past year has been further complicated by recent floods and health crises, the United Nations migration agency said Wednesday, appealing for urgent funding to ensure continued assistance and protection for millions in need.

News Reports

• Subpoenaed Trump Strategist Refuses To Talk In Russia Probe RFE/RL 17 Jan 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump's former chief strategist Steve Bannon has refused to comply with a subpoena ordering him to answer questions from a congressional committee investigating alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
• Two Republican Senators Assail Trump for Media Attacks VOA 17 Jan 2018 -- Two Republican U.S. senators have assailed President Donald Trump for his constant attacks on critical stories about his presidency, saying they undermine a basic tenet of democratic societies, a free and open news media.
• EU Issues Call To Action To Combat Russian 'Propaganda' RFE/RL 17 Jan 2018 -- The European Commission and lawmakers have accused Russia of orchestrating a "disinformation campaign" aimed at destabilizing the bloc and called for increased measures to combat the threat.
• Senate advances bill to renew NSA spying program Press TV 17 Jan 2018 -- The US Senate has advanced a bill to extend the controversial surveillance program by the National Security Agency for another six years.
• Ex-CIA officer arrested for retaining secret info on spy network in China Press TV 17 Jan 2018 -- A former CIA officer has been arrested on charges of unlawfully retaining highly-classified information about a US spy network in China, according to the Justice Department.
• Invisible Man: Nabbed CIA Agent Kept Low Profile While in Hong Kong Sputnik 17 Jan 2018 -- A former CIA staffer currently in US custody for allegedly keeping highly classified data reportedly stayed off the radar as a Hong Kong resident, leaving essentially no digital footprint.
• U.S. thanks Taiwan for sanctions on oil sales to North Korea CNA 17 Jan 2018 -- The United States expressed gratitude to Taiwan Wednesday for imposing sanctions on a Taiwanese man and overseas companies he is thought to control for their alleged involvement in selling oil to North Korea in violation of United Nations sanctions imposed last year.
• DPRK offers to send 230-member cheering squad to S.Korea-hosted Winter Olympics People's Daily 17 Jan 2018 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has offered to South Koreasending a 230-member cheering squad to the South Korea-hosted Winter Olympics during the ongoing working-level talks in the truce village of Panmunjom, Seoul's unification ministry said Wednesday.
• North, South Korea to march under 'unified flag' at Winter Olympics Press TV 17 Jan 2018 -- North and South Korean athletes have agreed to march under a "unified flag" at next month's Winter Olympics, in what seems to be a historic breakthrough after years of diplomatic tension between the two neighbors.
• Tillerson warns of military action against North Korea Press TV 17 Jan 2018 -- US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has threatened North Korea with a military response unless it abandons its nuclear weapons program.
• 'Irreversible Denuclearization': Tillerson Urges DPRK to Choose Pathway of Talks Sputnik 17 Jan 2018 -- Pyongyang could "trigger an option" of a military solution of the crisis in the region, if North Korea decides not to settle the conflict via talks, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday at a joint press conference with his Canadian counterpart Chrystia Freeland in Vancouver.
• Trump Accuses Russia of Helping North Korea Evade Sanctions VOA 17 Jan 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has accused Russia of helping North Korea evade international sanctions, and said Pyongyang is making daily progress in its quest to develop ballistic missiles that can reach the United States.
• US Ups Pressure on African Nations to Cut N. Korea Ties, Trade VOA 17 Jan 2018 -- As relations get hotter between the United States and North Korea, U.S. officials say they are trying to cut off Pyongyang's income sources any way they can, especially on the African continent.
• Official: Trump exceeds limits; talks on JCPOA not to be repeated IRNA 17 Jan 2018 -- A senior Iranian official said that US President Donald Trump has exceeded his limits by calling for revision of the JCPOA as there is no doubt that talks on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action will not be repeated under any circumstances.
• China reiterates support for Iran Deal IRNA 17 Jan 2018 -- China Foreign Ministry spokesman has once again expressed support for Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
• Chinese UN envoy: China will continue to support JCPOA IRNA 17 Jan 2018 -- Chinese Ambassador to the UN Wu Haitao described his country's stance on the Iran nuclear deal with six world powers ( JCPOA) as transparent, saying that his country will continue to support the international agreement.
• US should not impose conditions or ultimatum on JCPOA ISNA 17 Jan 2018 -- Iranian President's political deputy Majid Takht-Ravanchi emphasized that Iran doesn't welcome to enter the phase of withdrawing from the nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
• UN chief welcomes second anniversary of 'Implementation Day' for Iran nuclear deal UN News 17 Jan 2018 -- United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday welcomed the second anniversary of the day when Iran was confirmed to have taken a series of nuclear-related actions under the nuclear agreement reached with key countries in 2015.
• UN Mediator 'Very Hopeful' About Solving Macedonia Name Dispute RFE/RL 17 Jan 2018 -- A United Nations mediator has expressed optimism that a solution is within reach to solve a 27-year-old dispute over the name of the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia.