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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 12 Mar 2018 [PDF]
• Taliban overrun district center in Afghanistan's west Press TV 12 Mar 2018 -- Taliban militants in Afghanistan have captured a government district headquarters in the western province of Farah, continuing their attacks on the government despite a recent overture by Kabul to start direct dialog with the militants.
• Taliban Briefly Captures District In Western Afghanistan RFE/RL 12 Mar 2018 -- Afghan officials say government forces have retaken control of a district headquarters in western Afghanistan that was briefly seized by Taliban militants.

Defense Policy / Programs

• SECNAV Names Newest Destroyer in Honor of U.S. Marine NNS 12 Mar 2018 -- Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer named the next Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer in honor of Marine Corps Vietnam veteran and Navy Cross recipient Lance Cpl. Patrick Gallagher.
• Antietam Leads Surface to Air Missile Exercise in MultiSail 18 NNS 12 Mar 2018 -- The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG 54) led a Surface to Air Missile Exercise (SAMEX) during MultiSail 18 with U.S. forward-deployed naval forces and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces (JMSDF) March 10, in the Philippine Sea.
• USS Ashland Departs Sasebo for Final Readiness Drills, Regional Patrol NNS 12 Mar 2018 -- The forward-deployed amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) departed Sasebo, Japan for an amphibious certification assessment and follow-on patrol in the Indo-Pacific, March 8.
• Carl Vinson Begins Bilateral Exercise with Japan NNS 12 Mar 2018 -- The Carl Vinson Strike Group began a bilateral exercise with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), March 11, during a regularly scheduled deployment in the Western Pacific.
• Estonia Says Russian Plane Violated Its Airspace In The Baltic Sea RFE/RL 12 Mar 2018 -- Estonia says a Russian military cargo plane has violated its airspace near Vaindloo Island in the Baltic Sea.
• Russian Military Denies Claims of Violation of Estonian Airspace by Il-76 Plane Sputnik 12 Mar 2018 -- The Russian Defense Ministry denied allegations of the violation of the Estonian airspace by a Russian Il-76 military transport plane on Monday.
• MoD: Russia's Newest Hypersonic Missile Capable of Destroying Aircraft Carriers Sputnik 12 Mar 2018 -- Russia's deputy defense minister has offered new details on the new hypersonic missile announced by President Putin in a recent speech to lawmakers.
• Pentagon Slams Report of Reduced US Ops at Turkish Base as 'Speculation' Sputnik 12 Mar 2018 -- Amid rising tensions between Ankara and Washington, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed US officials, that the US military has slashed its operations at Turkey's Incirlik air base. However, later the Pentagon refuted the report.
• US slashes military operations at Turkey base amid rising tensions Press TV 12 Mar 2018 -- The US military has reportedly slashed its combat operations at Turkey's Incirlik air base, and is contemplating permanent cutbacks there amid rising tensions between the two NATO allies over Washington's steadfast support for the Kurdish militants operating at Turkish doorstep in Syria.
• Russia to start delivering S-400 missile systems to Turkey in early 2020 Press TV 12 Mar 2018 -- Russia will begin the delivery of S-400 surface-to-air missile defense systems to Turkey under an agreement concluded between the two countries late last year.
• Erdogan censures NATO for not helpimg in Turkey's Syria operations Press TV 12 Mar 2018 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has slammed NATO over its refusal to aid Ankara in its anti-terror operations in Syria's northwestern region of Afrin.
• Russia to Create Service Center for Air Defense in Iran – Presidential Aide Sputnik 12 Mar 2018 -- Russia will set up an after-sales service center for the maintenance of air defense systems in Iran, Presidential Aide for defense industry cooperation Vladimir Kozhin said Monday.
• US, Saudi forces launch 'friendship' war games amid Yemen offensive Press TV 12 Mar 2018 -- Saudi and US military forces have launched joint "friendship" war games in the kingdom's northern region as the Riyadh regime presses ahead with its deadly campaign against Yemen with Washington's support.
• U.S., Russia Remain World's Top Exporters Of Weapons RFE/RL 12 Mar 2018 -- The United States remains the world's top weapons seller, accounting for 34 percent of global arms sales over the past five years, a new study shows.
• Study Reveals Almost Half of US Arms Exports Went to Middle East in 2013-2017 Sputnik 12 Mar 2018 -- The United States remained the largest global arms exporter between 2013 and 2017, and nearly half of all US arms exports went to the Middle East during this time, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in its study on Monday.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 16, 2018

Other Conflicts

• 12 March 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 12 Mar 2018
• Syrian Army regains Madyra town in Ghouta IRNA 12 Mar 2018 -- The Syrian Arab Army regained control over Madyra town and a number of farms near Jisreen town as part of the ongoing military operations to eradicate Jabhat al-Nusra and its affiliated groups from the Eastern Ghouta in Damascus Countryside.
• ICRC, Syrian Red Crescent start rescue ops in Eastern Ghouta IRNA 12 Mar 2018 -- International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Syrian Red Crescent Society (SARC) have started rescue operations in Eastern Ghouta, Syria, ICRC president said.
• Washington will act unilaterally on Syria: US envoy to UN Press TV 12 Mar 2018 -- US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has warned that if the Security Council fails to act on Syria, Washington is ready "to act if we must," just as it did last year when it bombed a Syrian government air base over allegations of chemical weapons attack.
• Russia: Syrian government has 'every right' to defend own citizens against terrorists Press TV 12 Mar 2018 -- Russia says the Syrian government has "every right" to defend its own citizens against terrorists, who are wreaking havoc in the Arab country.
• France ready to strike chemical arms sites in Syria: Macron Press TV 12 Mar 2018 -- France has expressed readiness to launch targeted strikes against any site in Syria used to deploy chemical arms and weapons that could result in the death of civilians.
• Syrian army troops gain more ground in Eastern Ghouta Press TV 12 Mar 2018 -- The Syrian government forces have managed to make further advances on the terrorists' lines in militant-held Eastern Ghouta near the capital Damascus, tightening the noose around the foreign-backed terror groups, which have held captive several hundred thousands of people in the flashpoint enclave.
• Syria finds chemical weapons workshop in Ghouta Press TV 12 Mar 2018 -- The Syrian military has found a workshop used by foreign-backed militants to make chemical weapons, Russian media say.
• Mattis warns Syria, Russia on chemical weapons deployment Press TV 12 Mar 2018 -- US Defense Secretary James Mattis has warned the Syrian government against using chemical weapons implying it would prompt military consequences, as it did last year when US President Donald Trump ordered a strike on a Syrian air base.
• Moscow Exposes Nusra's Chemical Attack as US Warns It's Ready to Act in Syria Sputnik 12 Mar 2018 -- The United States presented a new UN draft resolution on Syria on Monday calling for a 30-day cessation of hostilities in the Damascus suburb of East Ghouta less than a month after the previous resolution demanding a ceasefire across all the Syrian territory was unanimously passed by the UN Security Council.
• Russian MoD: E Ghouta Militants Struggle After Call for Separation From al-Nusra Sputnik 12 Mar 2018 -- The United States presented a new UN draft resolution on Syria on Monday calling for a 30-day cessation of hostilities in the Damascus suburb of East Ghouta less than a month after the previous resolution demanding a ceasefire across all the Syrian territory was unanimously passed by the UN Security Council.
• Syria 'bleeding inside and out' as conflict enters eighth year, says UN chief UN News 12 Mar 2018 -- Despite a United Nations Security Council demand to institute a 30-day ceasefire across Syria, airstrikes, shelling and ground offensives have intensified in Eastern Ghouta, Secretary-General António Guterres reported Monday, warning that the conflict is entering its eighth year with the "grimmest" reality on the ground.
• Haley: Syria Ceasefire a Failure; US Proposes New Resolution VOA 12 Mar 2018 -- U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is denouncing the Syrian government and Russia for the failure of a cease-fire in Syria that the U.N. Security Council demanded two weeks ago.
• Syrian Rebel Group Agrees to Deal for Evacuating Ghouta Wounded VOA 12 Mar 2018 -- One of the main Syrian rebel groups in the besieged eastern Ghouta area says it has reached an agreement with Russia to evacuate wounded people from the region on the outskirts of Damascus.
• Daesh militants kill over two dozen civilians, Hashd al-Sha'abi fighters in Iraq Press TV 12 Mar 2018 -- Remnants of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group have shot and killed more than two dozen civilians and pro-government fighters in two separate attacks amid ongoing counter-terrorism operations to purge the extremists from all parts of the war-battered Arab country.
• UN expert says Myanmar's crackdown on Rohingya bears 'hallmarks of genocide' Press TV 12 Mar 2018 -- A top UN rights expert has warned that Myanmar's crackdown on the persecuted Rohingya bears "the hallmarks of genocide," insisting that the government should be held accountable for the ongoing crimes against the Muslim community.
• Myanmar builds military bases on Rohingya land: Amnesty Press TV 12 Mar 2018 -- An international rights organization has revealed that Myanmar's military forces are building army bases in locations where Rohingya Muslims used to live before a campaign of state-sponsored violence drove them out.
• EU Extends Sanctions Against Russians, Pro-Russia Ukrainian Separatists RFE/RL 12 Mar 2018 -- The European Union on 12 March officially prolonged its asset freezes and visa bans against 150 Russian officials and Russia-backed Ukrainian separatists.
• Indian soldiers kill three militants in Kashmir Press TV 12 Mar 2018 -- Three militants have been killed in a gun battle with Indian forces in the Himalayan region of Kashmir.
• Ahead of rainy season, UN under 'time pressure' to deliver aid in South Sudan UN News 12 Mar 2018 -- With the rainy season approaching in South Sudan, where one in three people has been displaced by more than four years of conflict, a senior United Nations humanitarian official has called for urgent financial support to distribute and preposition life-saving aid supplies.

News Reports

• Nunes Statement on Russia Investigation US HPSCI 12 Mar 2018 -- House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes issued the following statement today:
• Putin's 'Ukrainians, Tatars, Jews' Remark Triggers Backlash RFE/RL 12 Mar 2018 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent suggestion that Jews and other minorities in Russia could have been behind the meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election have prompted a backlash in the United States.
• Putin Suggests Jews, Ethnic Groups May Have Meddled in US Election VOA 12 Mar 2018 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin is suggesting that Jews, Ukrainians or Tatars might have meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, but again is rejecting Kremlin interference.
• Russia rejects as 'circus show' British claims on ex-spy case Press TV 12 Mar 2018 -- Russia has denounced as a "circus show" British Prime Minister Theresa May's allegations that Moscow was highly likely behind a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in England.
• Ex-spy poisoning in Britain totally unrelated to Russia, says Kremlin Press TV 12 Mar 2018 -- Moscow says it had no role in the poisoning of a former spy in Britain, noting the case is not an issue for the Russian government.
• UK eyes sanctions on Russia over 'nerve agent attack' Press TV 12 Mar 2018 -- The UK has announced that it is preparing to unveil new sanctions against Russia in response to an alleged chemical agent attack which London has blamed on Moscow.
• British PM Says 'Highly Likely' Russia Was Behind Nerve-Agent Attack RFE/RL 12 Mar 2018 -- British Prime Minister Theresa May says evidence shows that it is "highly likely" that Russia is behind the nerve-agent attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter in the city of Salisbury despite Kremlin denials that Moscow was involved in the incident.
• Deadly Nerve Agent Novichok Is A Decades-Old Cold War Foe RFE/RL 12 Mar 2018 -- Novichok, the powerful nerve agent that British Prime Minister Theresa May says was used in the attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, means "newcomer" in Russian. But the military grade chemical is anything but.
• Moscow Calls May's Claim About Russian Trace in Ex-Spy's Poisoning 'Circus Show' Sputnik 12 Mar 2018 -- British Prime Minister Theresa May has said that Moscow was either responsible for ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal's poisoning, or allowed the military-grade nerve agent to get into the hands of those who were.
• Putin on Skripal Case: UK Should Sort It Out Itself, Then We Will Talk Sputnik 12 Mar 2018 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has advised Britain to deal with the poisoning of former GRU colonel Sergei Skripal at home before discussing the incident with Russia.
• British PM: 'Highly Likely' Russia Behind Attack on Former Spy VOA 12 Mar 2018 -- British Prime Minister Theresa May said Monday a "military-grade nerve agent" known to have been developed by Russia was used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and that her government has concluded it is "highly likely" Moscow was responsible.
• UK Health Officials: Public Risk 'Low' After Poisoning of Former Russian Spy VOA 12 Mar 2018 -- British health officials said Sunday that traces of a nerve agent used in the suspected attempted murder of a Russian spy in Britain were found in a pub and restaurant he visited, but that the risk to public health remains low.
• White House Calls Attack on Ex-Spy in UK 'An Outrage,' But Doesn't Mention Russia VOA 12 Mar 2018 -- The White House is stopping short of blaming Russia for the poisoning of a former Russian military intelligence officer who was a double agent for Britain's intelligence services.
• Tillerson Cuts Short Africa Trip to Deal with North Korea VOA 12 Mar 2018 -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is cutting short his trip to Africa by about a day to deal with pressing matters including North Korea.
• Press Availability With Chadian Foreign Minister Mahamat Zene Cherif US Dept. of State 12 Mar 2018
• Remarks With Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama at a Press Availability US Dept. of State 12 Mar 2018
• Secretary Tillerson's Meeting With Chadian President Idriss Deby US Dept. of State 12 Mar 2018
• Secretary Tillerson's Meeting With Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari US Dept. of State 12 Mar 2018
• China to help Africa nurture independent growth capabilities People's Daily 12 Mar 2018 -- China will help African countries nurture independent growth and development capabilities as part of new measures to boost China-Africa economic and trade cooperation, a deputy commerce minister said Sunday.
• US will make no concessions to North Korea: Pompeo Press TV 12 Mar 2018 -- US President Donald Trump will make no concession to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during their upcoming meeting because Washington has put Pyongyang in a weak position, CIA Director Mike Pompeo says.
• North Korea yet to comment on Trump-Kim meeting plan: South Korea Press TV 12 Mar 2018 -- South Korea says it has not yet received an official response from the North about a summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, which the American president has said is being planned for May.
• US Has Yet to Hear Back from North Korea on Trump-Kim Meeting VOA 12 Mar 2018 -- The U.S. said Monday it has yet to hear back from North Korea in the days since President Donald Trump agreed to meet in person with Pyongyang's reclusive leader, Kim Jong Un.
• North Korea Nuclear Deal Would Require Major US Concession Too VOA 12 Mar 2018 -- The yet to be confirmed summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has raised expectations that a major breakthrough in resolving the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula is within reach.
• Xi's thought enshrined in China's Constitution People's Daily 12 Mar 2018 -- China's national legislature Sunday afternoon adopted constitutional amendments, enshrining Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era into the Constitution.
• Op-ed: China's new type of party system enlightens world People's Daily 12 Mar 2018 -- The system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation led by the Communist Party of China (CPC), as China's basic political system, is a new type of party system growing from China's soil, Chinese President Xi Jinping said when attending a joint panel discussion with political advisers during the First Session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
• Germany's CDU/CSU Conservative Bloc, Social Democrats Sign Coalition Agreement Sputnik 12 Mar 2018 -- Social Economy, EU Affairs
• UN anti-drug conference offers 'opportunity to chart a better and balanced path' forward - UN chief UN News 12 Mar 2018 -- Inclusive partnerships are essential to addressing drug challenges and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to the top United Nations panel dealing with all aspects of narcotic drugs.
• Turkey begins debating changes to electoral laws Press TV 12 Mar 2018 -- The Turkish parliament has begun debating a series of changes in the country's electoral laws, something that opponents of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan say would further consolidate his powers while affecting the integrity of votes.
• EU's Mogherini Says Ukraine Must Do More Against Corruption RFE/RL 12 Mar 2018 -- The European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has pressed Ukraine to do more to fight corruption and establish an anticorruption court that is in accordance with recommendations of independent experts.