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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 03 Apr 2018 [PDF]
• Centcom Commander Discusses Stabilization Posture in Iraq, Syria AFPS 03 Apr 2018 -- Administration officials, military leaders, senior Iraqi representatives and regional experts discussed views on Iraq and Syria at the U.S. Institute of Peace here today.
• Trump Wants US Troops Out of Syria VOA 03 Apr 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump is not backing away from his assertion the time has come to pull U.S. troops out of Syria, even as Washington's partners on the ground are urging him to reconsider.
• US military discussing sending additional troops to Syria: Report Press TV 03 Apr 2018 -- A new report causes more confusion over Washington's military role in Syria, saying the US military has been working on plans to dispatch dozens of additional troops to northern Syria only after President Donald Trump talked of a pullout from the Arab state in the near future.
• Russia Welcomes Trump Vow To Pull U.S. Troops Out Of Syria 'Very Soon' RFE/RL 03 Apr 2018 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he welcomes U.S. President Donald Trump's recent pledge to pull U.S. troops out of Syria "very soon" now that the Islamic State (IS) militant group has been largely defeated there.
• Russia FM: US military presence in Syria illegal IRNA 03 Apr 2018 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reaffirmed on Monday that the US military presence in Syria is illegal and contrary to the UN Charter.
• US Has Established Two New Bases in Manbij - Reports Sputnik 03 Apr 2018 -- The US has reportedly beefed up its military presence in the Manbij region in northern Syria which is facing the threat of a Turkish offensive. It was also reported that US military personnel has started patrolling the area between the Kurdish-held territories and those controlled by the Euphrates Shield forces on a daily basis.
• US Troops Withdrawal From Syria Would Send "Frightening Message" - Kurdish Envoy Sputnik 03 Apr 2018 -- A sudden withdrawal of US and coalition troops from Syria without an appropriate explanation would send a scary message, Kurdistan Regional Government's Representative to the United States Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman said on Tuesday.
• US Mulled Sending More Troops to Syria Before Trump's Call to Leave – Reports Sputnik 03 Apr 2018 -- According to CNN, citing several US defense and administration officials, the Pentagon had been discussing the deployment of additional troops to northern Syria.
• Hawkish US senator warns Trump against Syria troop withdrawal Press TV 03 Apr 2018 -- Hawkish US Senator Lindsey Graham has warned President Donald Trump against pulling American forces from Syria, saying it would lead to a re-emergence of the Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group and increased Iranian influence over the Syrian government.
• Dozens Of Taliban, Civilians Killed In Afghan Air Strike RFE/RL 03 Apr 2018 -- An Afghan air strike on a suspected Taliban gathering in the northern province of Kunduz has caused dozens of casualties, including among civilians, officials said.
• UN Probes 'Disturbing' Reports of Afghan Civilian Casualties in Kunduz VOA 03 Apr 2018 -- The United Nations says it is probing "disturbing reports of serious harm" to civilians during Monday's Afghan military airstrikes on a Taliban-controlled district in northern Kunduz province.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Department of Defense Selected Acquisition Reports (SARs) – December 2017 DoD 03 Apr 2018 -- The Department of Defense (DoD) has released details on major defense acquisition program cost, schedule, and performance changes since the December 2016 reporting period. This information is based on the comprehensive annual Selected Acquisition Reports (SARs) for the first quarter of FY 2018, as updated by the President's FY 2019 budget submitted to Congress on February 12, 2018.
• Kuwaiti, U.S. Ordnance Techs Share Experience, Techniques AFPS 03 Apr 2018 -- Explosive ordnance disposal technicians with the Kuwait Land Forces and the U.S. Army trained together March 22 at Gerber Training Area here, to improve both countries' ability to counter improvised explosive devices during terror attacks in cities.
• Department of Defense Announces FY18 Research Equipment Awards DoD 03 Apr 2018 -- The Department of Defense announced awards to 175 university researchers at 91 institutions in 36 states, totaling $53 million through the Defense University Research Instrumentation Program. DURIP augments research capabilities at universities conducting cutting edge research for DoD, through the procurement of state-of-the-art equipment.
• Largest regional amphibious combat rehearsal to commence in Djibouti, Africa USMC News 03 Apr 2018 -- Naval Amphibious Forces, Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (TF 51/5), announced the commencement of a two-week amphibious training event in international waters off the coast of Djibouti, Africa, scheduled to begin today.
• U.S. Marine Aircraft Crashes in Djibouti NNS 03 Apr 2018 -- An AV-8B Harrier pilot is receiving medical care after ejecting during takeoff from from Djibouti Ambouli International Airport, Djibouti, April 3, 2018, just after 4 p.m. local time.
• USS Topeka Returns to Guam NNS 03 Apr 2018 -- Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Topeka (SSN 754) returned to its homeport of Apra Harbor, Guam, on March 30 following a three-month forward-operating period to the Western Pacific.
• Mitscher, Gunston Hall Complete Task Force Exercise NNS 03 Apr 2018 -- Sailors from the guided-missile destroyer USS Mitscher (DDG 57) and the dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) completed Task Force Exercise (TFEX) 18-2 this past weekend.
• USS Porter Departs Naval Station Rota, Begins Fifth FDNF Patrol NNS 03 Apr 2018 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) departed Naval Station Rota, Spain to begin its fifth forward-deployed naval forces (FDNF) patrol in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations, April 2.
• PP18 Officially Starts with Ceremony in Indonesia NNS 03 Apr 2018 -- Service members assigned to Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) made the first official Pacific Partnership 2018 (PP18) mission stop in Indonesia where they participated in a two-part opening ceremony, April 2.
• Pacific Partnership 2018 Enhances Interoperability with HADR Seminar NNS 03 Apr 2018 -- Service members supporting Pacific Partnership 2018 (PP18) exchanged knowledge and experience with colleagues from the Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI) and the Badan Penanggulangan Bencana Daerah (BPBD), a local Indonesian disaster management agency, at a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) seminar in Bengkulu, Indonesia April 3.
• US Navy to Deploy First F-35Cs to Korean Peninsula in 2021 Sputnik 03 Apr 2018 -- The US Navy plans to forward-deploy its fifth-generation F-35Cs near the Korean Peninsula sometime after 2021, a service spokeswoman said this week.
• Baltic Leaders Expected To Ask Trump To Bolster Defenses Against Russia RFE/RL 03 Apr 2018 -- The presidents of three Baltic states are expected to ask U.S. President Donald Trump to do more to deter Russia by bolstering U.S. forces on NATO's eastern flank at a White House meeting scheduled for April 3.
• Trump Tells Baltic Leaders 'Nobody Tougher On Russia' Than Him RFE/RL 03 Apr 2018 -- The three Baltic presidents, after meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, pledged to continue meeting NATO's defense-spending obligations in the hope that the alliance will bolster security along NATO's eastern flank.
• Balts Reportedly Asking US for More Troops and Arms to 'Deter Russia' Sputnik 03 Apr 2018 -- With tensions between the West and Russia being at a post-Cold War low, the former Soviet Baltic republics are looking for greater protection from NATO against the imaginary "Russian threat."
• Trump Hosting Baltic Leaders Amid Russia Tensions VOA 03 Apr 2018 -- Hosting leaders of Baltic states at the White House Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump discussed how to strengthen security, business, trade, energy, and cultural partnerships between the United States and the three NATO allies.
• Admiral Explains Why Russia Moving Caspian Flotilla HQ to Dagestan Sputnik 03 Apr 2018 -- Russia is preparing a new base for its Caspian Flotilla, which is set to become of the country's most technically advanced naval facilities.
• Russian Navy Considering Permanent Presence in Northeastern Part of Black Sea Sputnik 03 Apr 2018 -- The command of Russia's Black Sea Fleet is considering the issue of ensuring the safety of navigation in the north-eastern part of the Black Sea, in particular, the permanent presence of naval forces and equipment in this area, in addition to maritime border guards, a Crimean security source told Sputnik on Tuesday.
• Boeing to Build New F/A-18 Super Hornets for Kuwait Sputnik 03 Apr 2018 -- Aerospace giant Boeing has won a contract in excess of $1 billion for engineering services related to the Kuwait Air Force's acquisition of more than two dozen F/A-18 Super Hornets, according to a recent Pentagon announcement.
• Russia, Turkey agree to speed up S-400 missile deal Press TV 03 Apr 2018 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have agreed to hasten the delivery of S-400 air defense missile systems to Ankara.
• Putin, Erdogan Agree To Speed Up Delivery Of S-400 Air-Defense Systems RFE/RL 03 Apr 2018 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have agreed to speed up the delivery of S-400 air-defense missile systems to Ankara, a purchase that has raised concern among Turkey's NATO partners.
• Defense minister praises Iran-Russia military cooperation IRNA 03 Apr 2018 -- Iranian defense minister on Tuesday expressed satisfaction with the level of cooperation between Tehran and Moscow in the military field.
• Indian Air Force Mi-17 Helicopter Crashes Near the Himalayas Sputnik 03 Apr 2018 -- The Russia-made Mi-17 is one of the world's most advanced military transport helicopters. Although the cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained, prima facie it looks like the aircraft became entangled with iron girders while landing, according to a local resident.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for April 03, 2018

Other Conflicts

• 3 April 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 03 Apr 2018
• Yemeni forces target Saudi warship off coast of Hudaydah Press TV 03 Apr 2018 -- Yemen's Ansarullah fighters have targeted a Saudi Arabian warship in retaliation to deadly airstrikes on the improvised country's province of Hudaydah.
• United States Announces Additional Humanitarian Assistance for Yemen at High-Level Pledging Conference US Dept. of State 03 Apr 2018 -- Today, the U.S. government announced nearly $87 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the people of Yemen at the Yemen High-Level Pledging Conference held in Geneva, Switzerland.
• Donors pledge $2 billion to scale up aid delivery in Yemen; UN chief urges unrestricted access to make sure it reaches people in need UN News 03 Apr 2018 -- An appeal that raised some $2 billion to help millions of people in Yemen was a "remarkable success of international solidarity" for the country's war-weary people, but aid alone will not provide a solution to the conflict, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday.
• Yemeni Army targets Saudi military base IRNA 03 Apr 2018 -- Yemen's missile unit has targeted a Saudi military base in Asir region.
• 16 Saudi forces killed in conflict with Yemenis IRNA 03 Apr 2018 -- Over the past two days 16 Saudi military forces have been killed in conflict with Yemenis in southern Saudi Arabia.
• UN chief urges Yemen warring sides to engage with new envoy Press TV 03 Apr 2018 -- United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has urged the warring parties in Yemen to hold peace talks to find a solution to the three-year old conflict.
• Saudi Army Base in Asir Hit By Ballistic Missile From Yemen Sputnik 03 Apr 2018 -- Armed forces in Yemen aligned with former President Ali Abdullah Saleh claim to have successfully fired a domestically made ballistic missile at a Saudi Arabian military base in that country's southwestern border region of Asir.
• Syrian Government Trying to Capture Another Rebel-held Area After Eastern Ghouta VOA 03 Apr 2018 -- The Syrian government launched several airstrikes Sunday on the rebel-held eastern Qalamoun area, northeast of Damascus, according to local activists.
• Leaders of Turkey, Russia, Iran Gather in Ankara to Discuss Syria End Game VOA 03 Apr 2018 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosts his counterparts from Russia and Iran Wednesday for a second trilateral summit on Syria. The three, whose countries have a significant military presence in Syria, are increasingly cooperating to resolve the civil war under the auspices of the so-called "Astana Process."
• Daesh Seized Oil Field From US-Backed Forces in Eastern Syria – Reports Sputnik 03 Apr 2018 -- Militants from the Daesh* terror group attacked areas under the control of the US-backed Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the oil rich province of Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria on April 2, according to reports by Al Masdar News.
• French Soldiers Enter Parts of Northern Syria as US Troops Withdraw - Reports Sputnik 03 Apr 2018 -- French military personnel have been deployed to Syria and are now patrolling areas in northern parts of the country under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), according to reports by the Kurdistan 24 news agency, citing Rezan Gilo, the joint chief of defense of Syrian Kurdistan.
• Iranian president calls for end to 'illegal' foreign military presence in Syria Press TV 03 Apr 2018 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has slammed unauthorized military presence of foreign forces in Syria, calling for an end to such "illegal" intervention.
• Leave or face war: Syria, Russia to militants in Eastern Qalamoun Press TV 03 Apr 2018 -- The Syrian government and Russia have given an ultimatum to multiple militant outfits present in Eastern Qalamoun near the capital Damascus to accept state rule and disarm, leave the volatile enclave or face war.
• Russia: 40,000 civilians return to Syria's E Ghouta Press TV 03 Apr 2018 -- Russia says more than 40,000 civilians have returned to Eastern Ghouta after the Syrian capital's countryside was almost fully liberated from militants.
• 1,146 Islam Army militants leave Damascus' Eastern Ghouta to northern Syria People's Daily 03 Apr 2018 -- Some 1,146 militants of the Islam Army and their families departed the Douma district in Eastern Ghouta toward the rebel-held Jarablus city in the north, marking the first batch of this rebel group to evacuate their main stronghold near Damascus, according to the state news agency SANA.
• About 160 bodies exhumed at Daesh massacre site in northern Iraq Press TV 03 Apr 2018 -- Iraqi forensic specialists have found a mass grave containing the remains of about 160 victims of a June 2014 massacre by Daesh Takfiri terrorists at an air force camp in the country's north-central province of Salahuddin.
• Iraq Seeks Support From US-Led Coalition to Continue Fight Against Daesh - Envoy Sputnik 03 Apr 2018 -- Iraq's Ambassador to the United States Fareed Yasseen said on Tuesday that his country still needs the support of the US-led coalition to continue the next phase of the fight against the Daesh terror group.
• Monsoons could result in 'enormous deaths' among Rohingya refugees: Advisers Press TV 03 Apr 2018 -- A group of international advisers has warned that the coming monsoon season could result in "enormous deaths" among persecuted Rohingya refugees from Myanmar living in overcrowded refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh.
• Hamas calls on Arab League to sue Israel at ICC for Gaza carnage Press TV 03 Apr 2018 -- Palestine's Hamas resistance movement has urged the Arab League to file a lawsuit with the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israel over its recent killings of over a dozen Palestinians during anti-occupation mass rallies in the Gaza Strip.
• UN eyes transition of Haiti role from peacekeeping to development UN News 03 Apr 2018 -- The United Nations has already started to prepare for a post-peacekeeping presence in Haiti, a senior UN official said Tuesday, stressing there are many reasons to be optimistic that the country's progress towards stability is now irreversible.
• Cameroon Calls on Fleeing English-Speaking Citizens to Return Home VOA 03 Apr 2018 -- As a campfire burns in a remote village on Cameroon's northwestern border with Nigeria, seven men and five boys roast cocoa yam for supper.

News Reports

• Trump Looks to Military to Help Secure U.S.-Mexico Border AFPS 03 Apr 2018 -- President Donald J. Trump said today he is looking at using the military to secure the border between the United States and Mexico.
• British Lab Not Identified 'Precise Source' Of Nerve Agent, But Attack Likely By 'State Actor' RFE/RL 03 Apr 2018 -- The chief executive of Britain's Porton Down defense laboratory says his scientists have not verified the "precise source" of the nerve agent used to poison the former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter -- explaining that it was not the task of his laboratory to do so.
• Chemical Weapons Watchdog To Discuss Skripal Poisoning Case RFE/RL 03 Apr 2018 -- The international chemical weapons watchdog is set to meet on April 4 to discuss Britain's allegations against Russia over the poisoning of an ex-Russian double agent in England last month.
• Kremlin's Political Clans Start Competing Ahead of Possible Reshuffle VOA 03 Apr 2018 -- Reelected to a new term, Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to announce his ministerial lineup next month, but there are already signs that his long-time prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, is being reined in amid maneuvering by Moscow's political clans, say analysts.
• Putin Claims His Election Win Was 'Cleanest' In Russian History RFE/RL 03 Apr 2018 -- President Vladimir Putin has claimed that last month's presidential election was "probably the most transparent and cleanest" in Russian history, accepting a certificate identifying him as the president-elect after a vote that opponents said was marred by fraud and international observers said gave voters no real choice.
• Direct Mayoral Elections Abolished In Yekaterinburg, Despite Protests RFE/RL 03 Apr 2018 -- Lawmakers in Russia's Sverdlovsk region have abolished the direct election of the mayor in the regional capital, Yekaterinburg, a move that has met resistance from the current mayor and protests by residents of Russia's fourth-largest city.
• Days After Resigning Over Deadly Fire, Russia's Tuleyev Gets Legislative Seat RFE/RL 03 Apr 2018 -- Just two days after he resigned as Kemerovo governor, citing an unbearable "moral" burden following a shopping-mall fire that killed 64 people, veteran politician Aman Tuleyev has been handed a seat in the Russian region's legislature.
• Kosovo's Haradinaj Rejects Erdogan's Criticism Of Firings Over Deported Turks RFE/RL 03 Apr 2018 -- Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj has rejected criticism from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over his dismissal last week of officials in Pristina who deported six Turkish citizens with ties to Erdogan's political foes.
• China hails North Korea's efforts to resolve nuclear weapons crisis Press TV 03 Apr 2018 -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has hailed North Korea's efforts to ease tension on the Korean peninsula after Pyongyang signaled its willingness to resolve the ongoing disputes over the country's nuclear weapons program.
• North Korean foreign minister travels to China Press TV 03 Apr 2018 -- North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho has arrived in China's capital of Beijing for talks with his Chinese counterpart, following a historic visit to the country by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un just a week ago.
• US awaits Ankara's evidence to extradite Gulen over Russian envoy murder: Official Press TV 03 Apr 2018 -- A high-ranking US official says Washington is awaiting evidence from Turkey over the alleged involvement of US-based opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen in the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Ankara, Andrey Karlov, more than a year ago.
• Putin, In Ankara, Launches Construction Of Turkey's First Nuclear Plant RFE/RL 03 Apr 2018 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin have formally launched the construction of Turkey's first nuclear power plant – a $20 billion project in Turkey's southern Mediterranean coastal region of Mersin.
• Slapping tariffs on 128 US items, China poised for further retaliation People's Daily 03 Apr 2018 -- China on Monday hit back at US tariffs by suspending tariff concessions on 128 items of US products, including pork and fruits.
• Israel PM cancels deal with UN on African migrants amid far-right protests Press TV 03 Apr 2018 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is cancelling a deal with the United Nations that would prevent the regime from deporting thousands of African migrants only hours after he announced the agreement.
• Israel Cancels New Deal to Relocate African Migrants VOA 03 Apr 2018 -- Israel did an about-face after agreeing to a compromise on illegal immigration from Africa.
• India Struggling to Establish Lost Link With Crucial Communication Satellite Sputnik 03 Apr 2018 -- GSAT-6A, launched on 29 March, was aimed at helping mobile communications even from very remote locations through hand-held ground terminals and was considered a huge advancement in communication for the Indian Armed Forces.
• Denmark Hopeful to 'Enter Superliga' With Recent Space Project Sputnik 03 Apr 2018 -- A 314-kilogram heavy observatory launched to the International Space Station from the Kennedy Space Center is a culmination of almost 20 years of work by a Danish research team that cost close to $50 million. The project is expected to shed light on climate change and propel Denmark to a top slot in space exploration.
• Spacex Launches Falcon 9 Rocket Carrying Supplies for ISS Sputnik 03 Apr 2018 -- A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon X spacecraft loaded with 5,800 pounds of scientific experiments, crew supplies and hardware headed off to the International Space Station on Monday afternoon.
• German Prosecutors Seek Permission to Extradite Former Catalan Separatist Leader VOA 03 Apr 2018 -- German prosecutors have asked a regional court to allow the extradition of former Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont, who faces a rebellion charge in Spain for organizing an independence referendum.
• US Designates Pakistani Party Milli Muslim League as 'Terrorists' VOA 03 Apr 2018 -- The U.S. State Department on Monday imposed sanctions on Pakistani political party the Milli Muslim League (MML), designating it and its leadership as "terrorists."