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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 31 Jan 2018 [PDF]
• Trump vows to fight IS till its defeat People's Daily 31 Jan 2018 -- The United States would continue fighting the Islamic State (IS) until the radical group is defeated, President Donald Trump said in his first State of the Union address Tuesday.
• Taliban openly active in 70% of Afghan territory: Study Press TV 31 Jan 2018 -- A new study finds that the Taliban militants are openly active in 70 percent of Afghanistan's soil, fully controlling four percent of the country and having presence in another 66 percent.
• Afghan Spy Chief, Interior Minister In Pakistan To Discuss Cooperation RFE/RL 31 Jan 2018 -- The Afghan intelligence chief and interior minister have traveled to Islamabad to discuss cooperation on security issues with Pakistani officials following a series of deadly attacks in Afghanistan.
• Study Finds Taliban Movement Operating on 70% of Afghan Soil Sputnik 31 Jan 2018 -- The militants of the Taliban radical movement are active on 70 percent of the Afghan territory, fully controlling 4 percent of the nation and demonstrating presence in another 66 percent, a BBC study has found.
• Afghan Spy Chief, Interior Minister Make Surprise Pakistan Visit VOA 31 Jan 2018 -- Top Afghan security officials have made a surprise visit to Pakistan, to discuss mutual cooperation with civilian and military leaders following a series of deadly Taliban and other militant attacks in Afghanistan.
• Pakistan recommends extension of stay for Afghan refugees Press TV 31 Jan 2018 -- Pakistan's Ministry of States and Frontier Regions has recommended that Afghan refugees be given a five-month extension of their stay.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Trump signs order to keep Guantánamo Bay prison open Press TV 31 Jan 2018 -- US President Donald Trump says he has signed a new executive order to keep open the notorious Guantánamo Bay prison in Cuba.
• Trump Signs Order To Keep Guantanamo Bay Detention Center Open RFE/RL 31 Jan 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump says he has signed an executive order to keep the high-security U.S. military detention center open at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
• Another Navy ballistic missile intercept reportedly fails in Hawaii Press TV 31 Jan 2018 -- The United States Navy has reportedly failed in testing a ballistic missile intercept again.
• Army Air Cavalry offers strategic intelligence advantage to Allied Spirit exercise Army News 31 Jan 2018 -- Soldiers with the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division are working seamlessly alongside their Czech counterparts in aviation, intelligence, and operations training during Exercise Allied Spirit VIII.
• Carl Vinson Strike Group Arrives in Guam NNS 31 Jan 2018 -- The Carl Vinson Strike Group arrived in Guam, Jan. 30-31, for the first scheduled port visit of a Western Pacific deployment.
• Exercise Cutlass Express 2018 Begins NNS 31 Jan 2018 -- Maritime forces from East Africa, West Indian Ocean nations, Europe, and the United States, as well as several international organizations began the seventh iteration of the annual multinational maritime exercise Cutlass Express 2018, Jan. 31.
• Pentagon Concerned Air Refuelling Tankers Vulnerable to EMP Attack Sputnik 31 Jan 2018 -- The Pentagon's weapons tester is concerned about the ability of the military's future aerial tanker to carry out its missions in the event of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack, according to a new report.
• 'Washington Lost Advantage in Hypersonic Weapons' - Chiefs of Staff Official Sputnik 31 Jan 2018 -- The vice chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the United States does hot have technical advantage in the hypersonic weapon research, as Russia and China had strengthened their positions in this sphere.
• Pentagon Fears Rapid Advancement of Chinese, Russian Anti-Satellite Weapons Sputnik 31 Jan 2018 -- Kessler Syndrome, here we come! The Pentagon has fretted that China and Russia are developing anti-satellite (ASAT) missiles that could shoot US low Earth orbit (LEO) objects out of the stars within the next two years.
• US Missile Interceptor Test in Hawaii Fails Sputnik 31 Jan 2018 -- A US military SM-3 missile launched from a Aegis test site on Wednesday off the Hawaiian cost failed to intercept a mock incoming missile, according to US officials.
• DoD's Network Defense Headquarters Achieves Full Operational Capability AFPS 31 Jan 2018 -- The U.S. Cyber Command component responsible for securing, operating and defending the Defense Department's complex infrastructure of roughly 15,000 networks with 3 million users has achieved full operational capability.
• Mattis, Tillerson Co-Host First U.S.-Qatar Strategic Dialogue AFPS 31 Jan 2018 -- Qatar is a strong and valued military partner to the United States, Defense Secretary James. N. Mattis said yesterday at the inaugural U.S.-Qatar Strategic Dialogue at the State Department.
• Putin Names Air Force Regiment After Estonia's Capital RFE/RL 31 Jan 2018 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree naming the 23rd fighter aviation regiment the "Tallinn" regiment, after the capital of neighboring Estonia.
• Putin Names Air Force Regiment After Estonia's Capital RFE/RL 31 Jan 2018 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree naming the 23rd fighter aviation regiment the "Tallinn" regiment, after the capital of neighboring Estonia.
• Indian Navy to Get More Stealth Power as it Launches Third Scorpene Submarine Sputnik 31 Jan 2018 -- The boat has superior stealth features such as advanced acoustic silencing techniques, low radiated noise levels, and a hydro-dynamically optimized shape along with the ability to launch precision attacks on enemy vessels.
• Seoul, Jakarta Affirm Cooperation on Fighter Jet, Submarine Development Sputnik 31 Jan 2018 -- South Korea and Indonesia have renewed a commitment to joint development of 4.5 generation jet fighters and submarines despite concerns about the Indonesian government's ability to fund the programs.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 31, 2018

Other Conflicts

• 31 January 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 31 Jan 2018
• 9 Yemeni civilians killed, nearly dozen injured as Saudi jets hit Amran Press TV 31 Jan 2018 -- At least nine civilians have lost their lives and nearly a dozen others sustained injuries when Saudi fighter jets carried out a string of airstrikes against a residential area in Yemen's northwestern province of Amran as the Riyadh regime does not shy away from its atrocious aerial bombardment campaign against its southern neighbor.
• Clashes in Yemen's Aden leave 40,000 displaced without aid: UN Press TV 31 Jan 2018 -- More than 40,000 internally displaced people are without aid in Yemen's second city Aden in the wake of a fight between separatists backed by the United Arab Emirates and rival forces loyal to Yemen's former President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, the UN says.
• Turkish Deputy PM Urges US to Help Avoid Face-Off Between Troops in Syria Sputnik 31 Jan 2018 -- Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag on Wednesday urged Washington to pursue efforts to avoid confrontations between the countries' troops within Ankara's military operation against US-backed Kurdish militia in the Syrian northern district of Afrin.
• Russia says hundreds, including civilians, killed in Turkish operation in Syria's Afrin Press TV 31 Jan 2018 -- Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova says several hundred people, including civilians, have been killed during Turkey's military operation in Syria's northwestern region of Afrin.
• Kurdish militants shell Turkish town, kill 1: Report Press TV 31 Jan 2018 -- Turkish media say Kurdish militants have fired two rockets from the northern Syrian region of Afrin at a Turkish border town, killing a teenage girl and wounding another person.
• Syrian Congress of National Dialog: Final statement Press TV 31 Jan 2018 -- The following is the final statement of the Syrian Congress of National Dialog, which was hosted by Russia in the resort city of Sochi on January 29 and 30, 2018, with delegates from the Syrian government and opposition in attendance:
• Russian-Backed Syria Forces Up Pressure on Rebels' Last Province VOA 31 Jan 2018 -- Nearly 200 civilians have reportedly been killed in Syrian government airstrikes launched in the past 37 days as part an offensive to retake territory in the northwest province of Idlib, the last province in the war-torn country remaining in the hands of insurgents battling to topple President Bashar al-Assad.
• Hezbollah vows to defend Lebanon's oil, gas against Israel Press TV 31 Jan 2018 -- Lebanon's resistance movement Hezbollah has vowed to defend the rights of the country in oil and gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean region against any new Israeli aggression.
• Palestinian Aid Agency Faces Worst Financial Crisis in History VOA 31 Jan 2018 -- The head of UNRWA, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, is sharply criticizing severe funding cuts by the United States. He warns the action could lead to rising instability in Palestinian territories and the region.
• With 'little hope' of a quick return to stability in Lake Chad Basin, UN and partners launch aid appeal UN News 31 Jan 2018 -- With more than a quarter of a million people affected by the Boko Haram insurgency in the Lake Chad Basin region, the United Nations refugee agency and its humanitarian partners launched on Wednesday an inter-agency funding appeal for $157 million.
• Egyptian army destroys 14 terrorist hideouts in central Sinai SPA 31 Jan 2018 -- Egyptian army forces destroyed 14 hideouts used by terrorist elements to hide, monitor troops and store administrative and medical needs in central Sinai.

News Reports

• Trump Gives First State Of The Union Address RFE/RL 31 Jan 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has given his first State of the Union address to a joint session of U.S. Congress - a speech on January 30 that dwelt mainly on domestic U.S. issues, but was closely watched for clues about his intentions on foreign policy.
• Trump demands U.S. foreign assistance money "only go to friends of America" People's Daily 31 Jan 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump asked Congress to pass a legislation to "help ensure American foreign-assistance dollars always serve American interests, and only go to friends of America" in his first State of the Union address Tuesday.
• FBI Statement on HPSCI Memo FBI 31 Jan 2018 -- "With regard to the House Intelligence Committee’s memorandum, the FBI was provided a limited opportunity to review this memo the day before the committee voted to release it. As expressed during our initial review, we have grave concerns about material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo’s accuracy."
• FBI: 'Grave Concerns' About Accuracy of Classified Russia-Linked Surveillance Memo VOA 31 Jan 2018 -- The FBI said Wednesday it has "grave concerns" about the accuracy of a classified memo crafted by Republican lawmakers that allegedly shows bias at the Justice Department against U.S. President Donald Trump.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, January 31, 2018 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 31 Jan 2018
• U.S. Senators Decry Decision To Hold Off On New Russia Sanctions RFE/RL 31 Jan 2018 -- U.S. senators have criticized President Donald Trump for not imposing new sanctions on Russia after his administration released a list of 210 officials and billionaires from the country's ruling elite, exposing them to scrutiny and potential future punitive measures.
• US puts Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on terror blacklist Press TV 31 Jan 2018 -- The United States has put the leader of the Palestinian Islamic resistance movement, Hamas, on its so-called terror blacklist and imposed sanctions on him, raising tensions in the region following Washington's recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel's capital.
• State Department Terrorist Designations of Ismail Haniyeh, Harakat al-Sabireen, Liwa al-Thawra, and Harakat Sawa'd Misr (HASM) US Dept. of State 31 Jan 2018 -- The Department of State has designated Ismail Haniyeh, Harakat al-Sabireen, Liwa al Thawra, and Harakat Sawa'd Misr (HASM) as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) under Section 1(b) of Executive Order (E.O.) 13224.
• US Designates Hamas Political Leader as 'Global Terrorist' VOA 31 Jan 2018 -- Less than a week after threatening to cut aid to the Palestinians if they fail to pursue peace with Israel, the United States is sanctioning the political leader of Hamas, the terrorist organization that controls the Gaza Strip.
• WP: Trump Administration Drops Victor Cha as Pick for Seoul Envoy KBS 31 Jan 2018 -- The White House will reportedly pass on its original candidate for U.S. ambassador to South Korea Victor Cha after he disagreed with President Donald Trump's policy on North Korea.
• Briefing on the Preparations for a Safe and Secure 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea US Dept. of State 31 Jan 2018 -- Special Briefing by I. Steven (Steve) Goldstein, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs; Michael T. Evanoff, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Diplomatic Security
• Trump administration a racist billionaires' club: North Korea Press TV 31 Jan 2018 -- North Korea did not hesitate to lash out at US President Donald Trump over his country's "gross" human rights violations shortly after his first State of the Union speech in which he referred to the North's leadership as being "depraved." Pyongyang's "white paper" on the human rights situation in the US during Trump's first year in office accused his administration of being a billionaires' club engaged in a "policy of racism" while denying health care and freedom of press to its citizens.
• Trump Condemns 'Depraved' North Korea In State of the Union VOA 31 Jan 2018 -- Calling North Korea a "depraved" and "cruel dictatorship," President Donald Trump, in his first State of the Union address, again promised to exert "maximum pressure" to prevent Pyongyang from developing nuclear missiles that can threaten the U.S. mainland.
• Xi Jinping unanimously elected deputy to 13th NPC People's Daily 31 Jan 2018 -- HOHHOT, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping was elected deputy to the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) by a unanimous vote at the first session of the 13th regional people's congress of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Tuesday.
• Hong Kong Citizens Move to Taiwan in Waves After Political Upsets VOA 31 Jan 2018 -- As new problems surface this month between Beijing and Hong Kong, a world financial center under Chinese rule for the past two decades, the nearby democratic island of Taiwan is expecting another wave of fearful immigrants.
• Iran blasts US spy chief's meddling remarks IRNA 31 Jan 2018 -- Spokesman for Iranian Foreign Ministry described the anti-Iran charges made by the director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as 'inexcusable and inappropriate'.
• Iran MPs pass Rouhani's budget bill after initially rejecting it Press TV 31 Jan 2018 -- Iran's parliament has passed general outlines of President Hassan Rouhani's new budget bill after initially rejecting it over concerns that the proposed cuts could hit vulnerable people the hardest.
• Rohani Says Iranian Leaders Must Listen To The People RFE/RL 31 Jan 2018 -- President Hassan Rohani has said that the Iranian people continue to support the clerical establishment despite foreign pressure but insisted that the country's leaders must listen to protesters behind a recent wave of unrest.
• UK Government Ministers Pledge to Publish Brexit Impact Assessments Sputnik 31 Jan 2018 -- Documents leaked earlier this week revealed the extent of the government's attempts to cover up its dire economic projections for the aftermath of Brexit.
• Egypt's Sisi vows to prevent repeat of 2011 uprising after election criticism Press TV 31 Jan 2018 -- Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has vowed to prevent a repeat of the 2011 uprising, threatening to take measures against anyone trying to destabilize the country, a day after opposition politicians called for a boycott of the March presidential election.
• Powerful Uzbek Security Service Chief 'Dismissed' RFE/RL 31 Jan 2018 -- Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev has dismissed powerful longtime National Security Service (MXX) chief Rustam Inoyatov, removing an influential insider who had been seen as his rival, two senior government officials have told RFE/RL.
• Media Blackout in Kenya as Odinga Takes Oath as 'People's President' VOA 31 Jan 2018 -- In Kenya, independent local broadcasters say the government orchestrated a media blackout Tuesday to prevent live TV coverage of opposition leader Raila Odinga swearing himself in as the so-called "people's president."