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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 01 Feb 2018 [PDF]
• Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 02 Feb 2018 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria between Jan. 25 and Feb. 1, conducting 41 strikes consisting of 78 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Coalition Operations Continue to Remove ISIS Leaders AFPS 02 Feb 2018 -- Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve and its partners continue to remove Islamic State of Iraq and Syria leaders from the battlefield and prevent the terrorist group's ability to regroup and resume its capacity to threaten citizens of all nations, CJTF-OIR officials reported today.
• Afghan forces detect Daesh hideout in Kabul Press TV 02 Feb 2018 -- Afghan forces have discovered a hideout of the Daesh Takfiri terrorists in a poor neighborhood of Kabul, thwarting major acts of terror planned in the capital.
• Afghan president vows revenge over deadly Kabul attacks Press TV 02 Feb 2018 -- President Ashraf Ghani has vowed to take revenge for a spate of deadly attacks in Afghanistan after senior authorities in Kabul pointed a finger of blame at neighboring Pakistan over the bloodshed.
• U.S. General Sees Afghan Troop Gains In Fight Against Taliban RFE/RL 02 Feb 2018 -- A top U.S. commander says he has seen improvement in Afghan forces' capabilities in the fight against Taliban extremists in Helmand Province since the American military returned to the troubled region nine months ago.
• US New Strategy in Afghanistan May Lead to More Casualties – Joint Staff Chief Sputnik 02 Feb 2018 -- The new US strategy in Afghanistan that implies sending more troops to the crisis-torn state could result in the growth of casualties within the ranks of US servicemen, US Joint Staff Director Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie said.
• Afghanistan, US Companies Working on Afghan Coal Deal VOA 02 Feb 2018 -- Afghanistan's government is in advanced stages of negotiations with several U.S. companies interested in becoming involved with the country's coal industry, a first step toward wider American investment in Afghanistan's potentially lucrative industrial mining sector.
• 'Roaming Freely': Afghanistan Provides Proof Daesh, Taliban Trained in Pakistan Sputnik 02 Feb 2018 -- About 200 people have been killed by Daesh and Taliban militants in Afghanistan in January, in what was harshly condemned by Islamabad which has repeatedly denied sheltering terrorists.
• BBC Report on Taliban Control of Afghanistan 'Groundless' - Afghan Government Sputnik 02 Feb 2018 -- According to a recent BBC report, the Taliban is not operating with impunity over most of Afghanistan - but according to the Afghan government, the BBC doesn't know what it's talking about.

Defense Policy / Programs

• News Briefing on the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review DoD 02 Feb 2018 -- Patrick Shanahan, Deputy Secretary of Defense; Dan Brouillette, United States Deputy Secretary of Energy; Thomas Shannon, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs; John Rood, Under Secretary of Defense For Policy; Anita Freidt, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance, U.S. State Department; Steve Erhart, Acting Under Secretary for Nuclear Security and NNSA Administrator
• Trump Nuclear Doctrine Takes Tougher Stance Toward Russia RFE/RL 02 Feb 2018 -- The administration of President Donald Trump wants to revamp the U.S. nuclear arsenal and develop new low-yield atomic weapons, mainly in response to Russian actions in recent years, according to a policy statement released February 2.
• Pentagon Adding New Nuclear Capabilities, Keeping Nuclear Triad to Deter Attacks VOA 02 Feb 2018 -- The Pentagon has released its 2018 Nuclear Posture Review, adding nuclear capabilities and updating the United States' current arsenal in order to deter nuclear attacks.
• Nuke Review Calls for Triad Modernization to Maintain Deterrence AFPS 02 Feb 2018 -- The United States must recapitalize the nuclear triad and accompanying command-and-control system to continue to maintain deterrence into the future, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis wrote in the preface to the Nuclear Posture Review released today.
• US to Equip F-35 Fighters with Nuke Capabilities - Nuclear Posture Review Sputnik 02 Feb 2018 -- US President Donald Trump's Nuclear Posture Review, formally released Friday afternoon, calls for strapping nuclear weapons onto stealthy F-35 jets, among other policy updates.
• Statement by President Donald J. Trump on the Nuclear Posture Review The White House 02 Feb 2018
• Unlocking Capacity is Critical to Reform, Shanahan Tells DoD Leaders AFPS 02 Feb 2018 -- The Defense Department must restructure to unlock capability and capacity, Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick M. Shanahan told senior defense leaders in the Pentagon this week.
• U.S. Troops Training Ukrainian Soldiers, Mattis Says AFPS 02 Feb 2018 -- Military trainers from the United States, Canada, Poland and Lithuania are training Ukraine service members at a training base in western Ukraine, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon this morning.
• Readout From Secretary James N. Mattis' Bilateral Meeting With Ukraine Minister of Defense DoD 02 Feb 2018
• Media Availability by Secretary Mattis at the Pentagon DoD 02 Feb 2018 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis
• 387th AEG develops Cargo City to maintain operations AFNS 02 Feb 2018 -- Construction is currently underway to provide a work environment for U.S. coalition forces to continue aerial port operations in Kuwait City. The aerial port is a strategic logistics point to deliver passengers and cargo throughout the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility and its future was put in jeopardy due to a construction project timeline issue.
• Air Force announces next steps in light attack experimentation AFNS 02 Feb 2018 -- Following the Light Attack Experiment conducted in August 2017, the Air Force announced its intention to continue experimenting with two non-developmental aircraft, the Textron Aviation AT-6 Wolverine and the Sierra Nevada/Embraer A-29 Super Tucano, from May to July 2018 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.
• Omani, U.S. Troops Conduct Combined Arms Maneuver AFPS 02 Feb 2018 -- Surrounded by clear blue skies and bright orange sand, Omani and U.S. forces conducted a simulated assault here against dozens of enemy fighters, Jan. 31, in the culminating event of Inferno Creek 18, a three-week training exercise conducted by the U.S. and Omani armies.
• Joint Chiefs Chairman Begins Visit to Indo-Pacific Region AFPS 02 Feb 2018 -- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff arrived here yesterday, beginning another trip to the Indo-Pacific region to meet with allies and U.S. service members.
• Facing the inferno: Soldiers forge partnership with Oman in combat assault training exercise Army News 02 Feb 2018 -- Surrounded by the clear blue skies and bright orange sand of Oman, Omani and U.S. forces conducted a simulated assault against dozens of enemy fighters, Jan. 31, 2018, in the culminating event of Inferno Creek 18, a three-week training exercise conducted by the U.S. and Omani armies near Thumrait, Oman.
• Exercise Justified Accord 2018 plan takes shape in Uganda Army News 02 Feb 2018 -- Sitting on the coast of Lake Victoria, Jinja is home to the source of the River Nile, the longest river in the world. It's also home to the planning and preparation for a multinational peacekeeping exercise.
• Cobra Gold 18: Royal Thai and US forces construct school building with Indonesian military USMC News 02 Feb 2018 -- The Royal Thai, United States, and Indonesian Armed Forces gathered during a pillar raising ceremony for an Exercise Cobra Gold 2018 construction project of a school building at Banthungsohongsa School in Chachoengsao, Kingdom of Thailand, Jan. 31, 2018.
• Truman Gets Underway for COMPTUEX NNS 02 Feb 2018 -- The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HST CSG) took another step in its pre-deployment work-up cycle by commencing the composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX) Feb 1.
• Bonhomme Richard Arrives in Okinawa, Embarks 3d MARDIV Marines NNS 02 Feb 2018 -- The Amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) arrived at White Beach, Okinawa to embark Marines assigned to 3d Marine Division (3d MARDIV), Jan. 31, in preparation for Exercise Cobra Gold 2018.
• US deploys troops to occupied territories for joint war games with Israel Press TV 02 Feb 2018 -- The US has deployed military forces to the Israeli-occupied territories ahead of a joint war game with Tel Aviv as the regime ramps up its threats of a new war against Lebanon.
• Pentagon Chief Accuses Russia of Attempts to Undermine NATO's Capabilities Sputnik 02 Feb 2018 -- Russia is trying to undermine NATO's cohesion and capabilities, Pentagon chief James Mattis said during a meeting with UK Secretary of State for Defence Gavin Williamson.
• Norwegian Party Leader Grills F-35 as Nation's 'Biggest Investment Blunder' Sputnik 02 Feb 2018 -- The problem-ridden US fighter-jet, projected to become the backbone of the Norwegian defense, as well as the nation's costliest defense purchase, is being met with increasing criticism in the Nordic country, as complications keep piling up.
• North Korea warns against resumption of US-South Korea war games after Olympics Press TV 02 Feb 2018 -- North Korea has warned against plans by the United States to resume joint war games with South Korea following the Winter Olympics, insisting in an official letter to the United Nations that it will not "sit idle" in response.
• Pentagon Reportedly 'Slow-Walking' North Korean Military Plans to White House Sputnik 02 Feb 2018 -- The New York Times has reported that the Department of Defense (DoD) has been slow to release their detailed war plans with the White House as they fear US President Donald Trump may actually use them.
• North Korea Accuses US of Deploying Aircraft Carriers Around Korean Peninsula Sputnik 02 Feb 2018 -- While the US and South Korea have decided to postpone military drills in the wake of the upcoming Winter Olympic Games, tensions on the peninsula show no signs of abating despite the joint efforts by Pyongyang and Seoul.
• 'China in talks to help build base in Afghanistan' Press TV 02 Feb 2018 -- China has been in talks with neighboring Afghanistan to help build a military base there, amid concerns about militants slipping into Chinese territory from the war-torn country, Afghan officials say.
• China Reportedly Negotiating Creation of Military Base With Afghanistan Sputnik 02 Feb 2018 -- The military base will be reportedly constructed in Afghanistan's northeastern province of Badakhshan that borders China's Xinjiang – a restive region with a Muslim Uighur minority that Beijing views as a potential source of instability.
• Military copters crash in south France, 5 killed Press TV 02 Feb 2018 -- At least five people have died in an incident during which two French military helicopters belonging to an army flight training school crashed in southern France.
• India to Build Tunnel Under 14000 Ft High Sela Pass Near Chinese Border Sputnik 02 Feb 2018 -- Tawang is claimed by India as part of Arunachal Pradesh as well as by China as part Tibet. The relations between the two neighbors have become increasingly strained since China had strongly objected to the Tawang visits of Tibetan leader in exile the Dalai Lama and the US ambassador to India.
• India Moves to Counter Growing Chinese Presence in Indian Ocean Region VOA 02 Feb 2018 -- India has signed a pact to build naval infrastructure in the Indian Ocean archipelago of Seychelles to counter growing Chinese influence in the region. The Indian foreign minister has also made an unusual visit to Nepal where Communist parties friendly with China are due to take power.
• Japanese MoD Confirms Failed Test of Aegis Ashore Missile Interceptor in Hawaii Sputnik 02 Feb 2018 -- Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera confirmed on Friday that the test of the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIB, developed jointly with the United States for an Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System interceptor, had failed.
• Poland Negotiated Better Deal for Patriot Missile System, Defense Minister Says Sputnik 02 Feb 2018 -- The Polish National Defense Ministry has secured an unspecified cost reduction in Patriot missile defense systems from the United States.
• Turkey's Envoy to Doha Refutes Reports of Plans to Deploy New Troops in Qatar Sputnik 02 Feb 2018 -- Turkey's ambassador to Doha Fikret Ozer refuted the claims on Friday about Ankara's alleged plans to deploy additional military forces in Qatar.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for February 02, 2018

Other Conflicts

• Houthi: Saudi, UAE serve US, Israeli interests Press TV 02 Feb 2018 -- Leader of Yemen's Ansarullah movement Abdul-Malik al-Houthi has reiterated that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which are engaged in the war on Yemen, are serving the interests of the United States and Israel.
• Two killed as volley of rockets strike Turkish border towns Press TV 02 Feb 2018 -- At least two people have been killed and several other injured after a barrage of rockets from Syria's Kurdish-controlled northwestern region of Afrin struck two Turkish border towns, officials say.
• US has no evidence of sarin gas used in Syria: Pentagon chief Press TV 02 Feb 2018 -- Defense Secretary James Mattis says the United States has no evidence to confirm reports that the Syrian government used the chemical nerve agent of sarin against its civilians.
• Trump prepared for military action in Syria to deter chemical attacks: Officials Press TV 02 Feb 2018 -- Senior US officials have claimed President Donald Trump is prepared to launch a military action if necessary against the Syrian government which they say is possibly developing new types of chemical weapons.
• Pentagon Chief: US Has No Evidence Damascus Used Sarin Gas in Chemical Attacks Sputnik 02 Feb 2018 -- US Secretary of Defense James Mattis says investigators are looking into reports that the Syrian government used sarin gas in recent chemical attacks, but there is no evidence of the gas usage so far, US media reported on Friday.
• Pentagon Chief: No Evidence of Recent Sarin Gas Use by Syria VOA 02 Feb 2018 -- The U.S. has no evidence that the Syrian government recently has used deadly sarin nerve gas on its citizens but is looking into reports of its alleged use from people on the ground, U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said Friday.
• Humanitarian diplomacy 'getting nowhere' in Syria warns UN special adviser UN News 01 Feb 2018 -- Civilians in Syria's besieged areas have not seen a single convoy of humanitarian aid arrive for a full two months, a senior United Nations adviser said on Thursday, lamenting that diplomatic efforts appear "totally impotent," and that hundreds of lives are being lost as a result.
• EU Sanctions 2 Current, 1 Former South Sudan Officials VOA 02 Feb 2018 -- The European Union imposed sanctions Friday on three current and former South Sudanese officials implicated in human rights violations and obstructions of their country's peace process.
• US to Impose Arms Restrictions Against South Sudan VOA 02 Feb 2018 -- The U.S. State Department announced Friday it would immediately enact restrictions on arms transfers to South Sudan.
• Round 2 of South Sudan Peace Talks Set to Open Monday VOA 02 Feb 2018 -- South Sudan's warring parties are preparing for a second round of talks next week, aimed at revitalizing a 2015 peace deal between the government and rebel forces. The initiative, known as the High-Level Revitalization Forum, takes place February 5-16 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• UN supports Bangladesh's efforts protect Rohingya camps from flooding ahead of monsoon season UN News 02 Feb 2018 -- The United Nations refugee agency and its partners are ramping up to assist Bangladesh's efforts to mitigate some expected impacts of the upcoming monsoon season in the country, during which, according to an initial risk analysis, at least 100,000 Rohingya refugees could be in grave danger from landslides and floods.
• Thousands of Rohingya Refugees at Risk as Bangladesh Monsoons Approach VOA 02 Feb 2018 -- The U.N. refugee agency says thousands of Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh face mudslides, floods, disease and other dangers from the upcoming monsoon season.
• Japan Protests Russia's Decision to Base Aviation on Kuril Island of Iturup Sputnik 02 Feb 2018 -- Russia is trying to undermine NATO's cohesion and capabilities, Pentagon chief James Mattis said during a meeting with UK Secretary of State for Defence Gavin Williamson.

News Reports

• What Is in the Nunes Memo? VOA 02 Feb 2018 -- A controversial document prepared by Republican members of Congress accuses U.S. law enforcement officials of abusing their surveillance authorities during the Russia investigation.
• Republican Memo Accuses Top Law Officers of Abusing Power VOA 02 Feb 2018 -- The House Intelligence Committee has released a bitterly disputed memo outlining allegations by Republicans that FBI investigators abused their powers in their probe of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
• Controversial Nunes Memo Criticized as Political Tool VOA 02 Feb 2018 -- The Nunes memo is a four-page document creating a big controversy in Washington, despite few people outside Congress having read it. It has even become the subject of a rift between U.S. President Donald Trump and his FBI director, Christopher Wray.
• Trump Approves Full Release of Classified Republican Memo Despite Objections VOA 02 Feb 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has approved publication of a Republican memo that argues that top law enforcement officials abused their investigative authority for partisan ends during and after the 2016 presidential campaign. Shortly after the House released the memo.
• FBI Director in Spotlight Amid Furor Over Nunes Memo VOA 02 Feb 2018 -- Christopher Wray, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is one of the central figures in the furor over the release of the so-called "Nunes memo."
• Statement from the Press Secretary The White House 02 Feb 2018 -- "Earlier today, President Donald J. Trump declassified a memorandum from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. "
• Trump accuses FBI, Justice Dept. of bias in favor of Dems in Russia probe Press TV 02 Feb 2018 -- US President Donald Trump has accused the top officials with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Justice Department of siding with Democrats in their investigations on the alleged Washington-Moscow links in the 2016 presidential elections.
• U.S. Republicans Release Controversial Memo On FBI Surveillance With Trump's OK RFE/RL 02 Feb 2018 -- Republicans on the U.S. House Intelligence Committee released a controversial memorandum that accuses the FBI and the Justice Department of being biased against President Donald Trump just moments after he declassified it.
• Trump Lashes Out At FBI Amid Debate Over Controversial Memo RFE/RL 02 Feb 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has lashed out at the FBI amid a controversy over a memo that has heightened tension in Washington during investigations into alleged Russian meddling in the election that put him in office.
• Congress Releases Republican Memo Alleging FBI Abuse of Power Sputnik 02 Feb 2018 -- The long-awaited memo compiled by the US House Intelligence Committee (HIC) that alleges surveillance abuses undertaken by the FBI and Justice Department (DOJ) against campaign officials of US president Donald Trump was finally released to the public Friday afternoon.
• Heads of 3 Russian intelligence agencies met with CIA director in US: Report Press TV 02 Feb 2018 -- The heads of three Russian intelligence agencies traveled to the United States to meet with CIA Director Mike Pompeo, amid a series of political rifts between the two sides over US President Donald Trump's alleged collusion with Russian officials and Washington's renewal of sanctions against Moscow.
• Russian Court Extends Detention Of Norwegian Spying Suspect RFE/RL 02 Feb 2018 -- A Russian court has extended the detention of a Norwegian man suspected of spying after he allegedly received classified documents from a Russian man who is also under arrest.
• U.S. Treasury Warns Against Expansion Of Russia Sanctions RFE/RL 02 Feb 2018 -- A new report to Congress by the U.S. Treasury Department warns that expanding Russia sanctions against Russia to include new issues of Russian government bonds would have "serious spillover effects" for the global economy.
• Treasury Targets Hizballah Financial Network in Africa and the Middle East US Treasury 02 Feb 2018 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) targeted the business operations of Hizballah by designating six individuals and seven entities pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism.
• US targets Lebanese resistance movement with new sanctions Press TV 02 Feb 2018 -- The administration of US President Donald Trump has imposed a new round of sanctions on Lebanese Resistance Movement Hezbollah, targeting local and global businesses that cooperate with the group's financial arm.
• US Imposes Sanctions that Aim to Cripple Hezbollah Militant Group VOA 02 Feb 2018 -- The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on seven businesses and six people Friday that aim to disrupt the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group.
• More Than 30 Pardoned Tajiks Believed To Have Rejoined IS RFE/RL 02 Feb 2018 -- More than 30 alleged militants who were pardoned by Tajik authorities after returning home from Iraq and Syria have gone back to the region to rejoin the extremist group Islamic State (IS), police say.
• Venezuela raps US comments on military ouster of President Maduro Press TV 02 Feb 2018 -- Venezuela's Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino has decried US comments about the possibility of the military ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a coup d'etat.
• China is getting a foothold in Latin America: Tillerson Press TV 02 Feb 2018 -- US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has warned Latin American countries against excessive reliance on economic ties with China, saying Beijing is establishing "a foothold in Latin America."
• Tillerson Urges Latin America To Beware Of Russia, China RFE/RL 02 Feb 2018 -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned countries of the Western Hemisphere to beware of "alarming" actions by Russia and China in their region, urging them to work with the United States instead.
• Tensions High in Kenya Amid Media Ban, Opposition Arrest VOA 02 Feb 2018 -- Political tensions continue to rise in Kenya as the government defied a court order to lift a ban on three independent media organizations. Authorities also arrested a key opposition ally in the wake of Raila Odinga's self-inauguration Tuesday as the so-called "people's president."