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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 04 Apr 2018 [PDF]
• Statement by the Press Secretary on Syria The White House 04 Apr 2018
• Trump Still Touts Syria Pullout Amid Talks With Aides, Allies VOA 04 Apr 2018 -- The United States involvement in Syria is "coming to a rapid end," but the White House is refusing to say when that end will come despite repeated, public calls by President Donald Trump for U.S. forces there to come home.
• Trump Agrees to Keep Troops in Syria - Administration Official Sputnik 04 Apr 2018 -- After a contradiction from the US special envoy to the US-led coalition, Trump has vowed to keep the country's troops in Syria "a little longer," but still wants the withdrawal relatively soon.
• Trump Reportedly To Keep U.S. Troops In Syria 'A Little Longer' RFE/RL 04 Apr 2018 -- A senior U.S. administration official says President Donald Trump has agreed during a meeting with his national security team to keep U.S. troops in Syria "a little longer" but does not want a long-term military commitment there.
• Update: air strikes against Daesh UK MOD 04 Apr 2018 -- The RAF are continuing to take the fight to Daesh in Syria.
• Pentagon at odds with Trump over troop withdrawal from Syria Press TV 04 Apr 2018 -- Top Pentagon and US State Department officials have adopted a totally different policy than that of President Donald Trump regarding the withdrawal of American troops from Syria, saying that the United States will not be leaving the war-torn Arab country anytime soon as the "mission is not over."
• US Forces Leave Parts of Syria's Raqqa, French Troops Set to Move In - Reports Sputnik 04 Apr 2018 -- A convoy of US military vehicles carrying combat personnel entered the oil-rich province of al-Hasakah in northeastern Syria this afternoon, after withdrawing from their positions in Raqqa province, according to Al Masdar News, citing reports from local activists.
• Afghanistan admits civilians killed in Kunduz airstrike Press TV 04 Apr 2018 -- Afghan officials have admitted that an earlier airstrike on a gathering of Taliban militants in the northern province of Kunduz has also killed civilians, including children.
• 'Littered With Bodies': Afghans Say Air Strikes Killed Civilians, Not Taliban RFE/RL 04 Apr 2018 -- Dozens of angry villagers screamed in anguish and beat their own faces outside a hospital in the northern Afghan province of Kunduz on April 3, a day after dozens of people were killed and wounded when the Afghan military unleashed an aerial assault on what it said was a gathering of Taliban leaders.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DoD, DHS to Work With Governors to Deploy Guardsmen to Southern Border AFPS 04 Apr 2018 -- President Donald J. Trump has directed the Defense and Homeland Security departments to work with state governors to deploy National Guard troops to the southern U.S. border, a top official said today.
• White House: US to Deploy National Guard to Southern Border VOA 04 Apr 2018 -- White House officials on Wednesday laid out plans to send National Guard troops to the United States' southern border with Mexico, as part of President Donald Trump's efforts to confront what he says is a growing problem with illegal immigrants.
• Trump says to use military to secure U.S.-Mexico border People's Daily 04 Apr 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he wants to use the military to guard the country's border with Mexico until his long-promised border wall is built.
• Trump: US Will Be Taking 'Strong Action Today' on Immigration VOA 04 Apr 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration would be taking "strong action" later Wednesday on immigration. Trump made the comment in an early morning tweet, but did not elaborate about planned steps.
• Amphibious Training Event Begins Off Djibouti's Coast AFPS 04 Apr 2018 -- Naval Amphibious Force, Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade has begun a two-week amphibious training event in international waters off the African coast of Djibouti.
• Pacific Partnership 2018 Begins in Palau NNS 04 Apr 2018 -- Pacific Partnership 2018, the largest annual multi-lateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) preparedness mission, kicked off at the Ngarachamayong Cultural Center in Koror, Palau, April 4.
• Land the landing force: Alligator Dagger begins USMC News 04 Apr 2018 -- A subtle tension hangs in the air on these kind of mornings. Excitement, nerves, and concentration coalesce within the skin of the ship, waiting to spill out into the skies and seas.
• John C. Stennis Departs Naval Air Station North Island NNS 04 Apr 2018 -- USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) departed Naval Air Station North Island, April 3.
• US Combat Ship Leaves Montreal After 3 Months Trapped in Ice Sputnik 04 Apr 2018 -- The US Navy's newest littoral combat vessel, the USS Little Rock, is finally back to cruising through waterways after icy conditions left the ship frozen in a Canadian port.
• Secretary General marks 69th anniversary of NATO, thanks Canada for its contributions NATO 04 Apr 2018 -- Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg marked the 69th anniversary of NATO's founding with an official visit to Ottawa on Wednesday (4 April 2018). Speaking alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Mr. Stoltenberg called the Alliance "a guarantor of peace, providing security and preventing conflict." He welcomed Canada's role as a founding member of NATO, and that Canada continues to make essential contributions to the transatlantic bond and to international security.
• Draft Russian Bill Requires Conscripts To Report For Duty Without Receiving Summons RFE/RL 04 Apr 2018 -- Russian lawmakers have given preliminary approval to a bill that would oblige draft-age men to report for military service even if they have not received a conscription notice.
• United Kingdom - MQ-9 Continuing Contractor Logistics Support DSCA 04 Apr 2018 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the United Kingdom of defense articles and services for continued follow-on support to the MQ-9 Reaper program for an estimated cost of $500 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• Iran pledges to continue cooperation with Russia until total elimination of terrorists: Defense Minister ISNA 04 Apr 2018 -- Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami, who is in Russia attend the seventh Moscow Conference on Global Security, held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoygu.
• Iran-Russia strategic cooperation serves regional, global stability, Rouhani tells Putin Press TV 04 Apr 2018 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has hailed Tehran-Moscow ties as constructive, saying the strategic cooperation between Iran and Russia contributes to regional and global stability and security.
• Iran vows to keep up anti-terror Russia ties until elimination terrorists: Defense chief Press TV 04 Apr 2018 -- Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami says Iran is set to keep up its counter-terrorism cooperation with Russia until Syria and the entire region are fully cleansed of terrorist outfits.
• China's upcoming drills might improve aircraft carrier's combat capability People's Daily 04 Apr 2018 -- China will conduct drills in the South China Sea from Thursday to April 11, an opportunity that might be taken to improve aircraft carrier Liaoning's combat capability.
• Russia delivers first S-400 regiment to China Press TV 04 Apr 2018 -- Russia has shipped the first regimental sets of it advanced S-400 Triumf missile defense systems to China as part of a 2014 government-to-government contract, according to Russian military-diplomatic officials.
• Pakistan Says 'Geo-Strategic Reasons' Bring it Closer to Russia VOA 04 Apr 2018 -- Pakistan and Russia have been able to "transcend" their history of mistrust and rivalry, leading to a rapid improvement and expansion in bilateral political, military and economic ties, says Pakistani Defense Minister Khurram Dastgir.
• Ankara Will Get Russian S-400 Systems in July 2019 - Turkish Defense Ministry Sputnik 04 Apr 2018 -- Shipments of Russian S-400 air defense systems to Turkey are scheduled for July 2019, Turkish Defense Ministry's Undersecratariat for Defence Industries (SSM) said Wednesday.
• Spain - CH-47F Aircraft DSCA 04 Apr 2018 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Spain of CH-47F aircraft for an estimated cost of $1.3 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• Slovakia - F-16 Block 70/72 V Configuration Aircraft DSCA 04 Apr 2018 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Slovakia of F-16 Block 70/72 V configuration aircraft for an estimated cost of $2.91 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on April 3, 2018.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sarah Sanders and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen The White House 04 Apr 2018

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for April 04, 2018

Other Conflicts

• 4 April 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 04 Apr 2018
• Briefing on U.S. Demining Efforts Around the World US Dept. of State 04 Apr 2018 -- Special Briefing by Jerry Guilbert, Chief of Programs for the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
• Mine action is 'concrete step towards peace,' says UN chief on International Mine Awareness Day UN News 04 Apr 2018 -- On the day set aside to raise awareness about the threat of landmines, unexploded grenades and other munitions that impede the return to normal life after conflict, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is urging Governments to provide political and financial support to keep up the vital work of mine action wherever it is needed.
• Statement by the Press Secretary on the Houthi Commercial Maritime Attack The White House 04 Apr 2018
• US Concerned Houthis Escalating Yemen Crisis by Attacking Ship - White House Sputnik 04 Apr 2018 -- The United States expressed concern after Yemen's Houthis attacked a ship in international waters and accused the militant group of trying to escalate the conflict in the country, the White House said in a press release on Wednesday.
• Erdogan Vows to Continue Operation in Syria Until Kurds Leave Manbij Sputnik 04 Apr 2018 -- Turkey will continue its operation in Syria until Kurdish forces leave Syria's Manbij region, the country's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.
• UN: Syria's Raqqa Devastated, Largely Uninhabitable VOA 04 Apr 2018 -- A senior U.N. official reports a U.N. assessment mission to Raqqa in northern Syria has found a devastated city, littered with unexploded weapons and largely uninhabitable.
• US, 3 Allies Vow to Hold Accountable Those Responsible for Syrian Gas Attack VOA 04 Apr 2018 -- France, Germany and the U.S. observed Syria's deadly use of chemical weapons on civilians one year ago in the town of Khan Sheikhoun by vowing to hold accountable those who were responsible.
• President Rouhani: No military solution envisaged for Syrian crisis IRNA 04 Apr 2018 -- President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that Iran believes that Syrian problem has no military solution and the conflict should be resolved through political means and Iran spares no effort to stop the war in the country.
• President Rouhani criticizes disintegration of Syria IRNA 04 Apr 2018 -- President Hassan Rouhani in Troika meeting on Wednesday criticized any efforts for disintegration of Syria.
• Trio talks on Syria kicks off in Ankara IRNA 04 Apr 2018 -- Trilateral talks between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Veladimir Putin kicked off on Wednesday afternoon in Ankara on Syrian developments.
• Joint statement by Presidents of Iran, Russia, Turkey ISNA 04 Apr 2018 -- Iranian, Russian and Turkish presidents in a joint statement emphasized that the Astana format had been the only effective international initiative that had helped reduce violence across Syria and had contributed to peace and stability in Syria.
• Presidents of Iran, Russia, Turkey vow to cooperate to achieve sustainable peace in Syria Press TV 04 Apr 2018 -- The presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey have reaffirmed their commitment to work toward achieving a sustainable ceasefire between warring sides in Syria and bringing peace and stability to the war-torn Arab country.
• Turkey, Russia, Iran Vow To Speed Up Efforts For 'Calm' In Syria RFE/RL 04 Apr 2018 -- The presidents of Iran, Turkey, and Russia have expressed determination to "speed up their efforts to ensure calm on the ground" in Syria, saying after a summit in Ankara on April 4 that they are committed to achieving a "lasting cease-fire."
• 1,200+ Militants Taken With Relatives From E Ghouta to Aleppo Prov. in 24 Hours Sputnik 04 Apr 2018 -- Earlier, Russian reconciliation center for Syria said that a total of 153,140 people have been evacuated from the area of Eastern Ghouta since the introduction of humanitarian pauses on February 28.
• Mass evacuations from Syria's war-ravaged cities 'desperate measures in desperate times,' says senior UN adviser UN News 04 Apr 2018 -- In Syria, the mass evacuation of civilians is threatening to leave aid workers "overrun" and "acutely underfunded," as details emerge of the unparalleled destruction in urban areas like the former ISIL-held city of Raqqa, UN senior adviser Jan Egeland said on Wednesday.
• Iraqi Official: PKK Has Actually Left City of Sinjar Sputnik 04 Apr 2018 -- The head of district state administration of the Iraqi city of Sinjar, Mehma Xelil, told Sputnik that members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) officially left the territory of Sinjar, near Iraq's northern border, April 1.
• Myanmar Migrants in Thailand Face Barriers of Race, Religion VOA 04 Apr 2018 -- Human rights and migrant assistance groups in Thailand say Myanmar migrant workers of Muslim and South Asian heritage have faced barriers in proving Myanmar nationality which is a required step in gaining legal status in Thailand.
• Arab League calls for Security Council probe into Israel's killings in Gaza Press TV 04 Apr 2018 -- The Arab League (AL) has condemned Tel Aviv's "crimes against humanity" in Gaza, demanding that the United Nations and the International Criminal Court (ICC) launch investigations into Israel's recent killings of unarmed Palestinian protesters.
• Israel Says It Has Foiled a Palestinian Militant Attack on Its Navy Vessel Sputnik 04 Apr 2018 -- Closely following the deadly clashes with the Israeli troops on March 30 and on, which left 18 protesters dead, a group of Palestinians have been detained for allegedly planning a retaliatory attack.
• Continuing hostilities greatest challenge for South Sudan, says UN relief official UN News 04 Apr 2018 -- With the next phase of regionally-backed peace talks for South Sudan scheduled for later this month, a senior United Nations aid official in the country has urged the parties involved to find a political compromise and allow peace to take hold in the strife-ridden country.
• Cameroon Security Forces Free 18 Hostages from Separatists VOA 04 Apr 2018 -- Authorities in Cameroon have freed 18 people, including 12 European tourists, who were seized by armed separatists fighting for the independence of the country's English-speaking regions. Dozens of hostages are still in captivity.

News Reports

• Report: Trump Under Investigation But Not Criminal Target VOA 04 Apr 2018 -- The Washington Post reported Tuesday that special counsel Robert Mueller told attorneys for U.S. President Donald Trump last month that while he is a subject of investigation, Mueller did not consider him a criminal target at that time.
• Facebook Deletes Accounts, Postings In Russian Linked To 'Troll Factory' RFE/RL 04 Apr 2018 -- Facebook says it has deleted dozens of pages linked to a Russian "troll factory" that was indicted in the United States for political activities aimed at influencing the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, April 4, 2018 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04 Apr 2018
• McMaster: We have failed to impose sufficient costs on Russia Press TV 04 Apr 2018 -- Outgoing US national security adviser H.R. McMaster has criticized President Donald Trump's policy on Russia, saying Washington has "failed to impose sufficient costs," on Moscow.
• Outgoing U.S. Security Adviser: West Has 'Failed To Impose Sufficient Costs' On Russia RFE/RL 04 Apr 2018 -- Outgoing White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster has called for stronger measures against Russian "threats" and "provocations," arguing that Russian President Vladimir Putin is mistaken in thinking the West will not push back against the Kremlin's "hybrid warfare."
• Russia urges UN Security Council meeting on British accusation about poisoning attack Press TV 04 Apr 2018 -- Russia has called on the United Nations Security Council to hold a meeting to discuss Britain's accusation that Russia was involved in the poisoning last month in Britain of a former Russian spy, an incident which has badly affected ties between Moscow and the West.
• Russia Loses Vote By Chemical-Weapons Watchdog Over New U.K. Poisoning Probe RFE/RL 04 Apr 2018 -- Russia has lost a vote by the global chemical weapons watchdog for a new joint investigation, including Russian participation, into a nerve-agent attack against a former Russian spy in England, a diplomatic source has told Reuters.
• US Confident in UK's Assessment of Salisbury Attack After Defense Lab Report Sputnik 04 Apr 2018 -- The US is fully confident in the United Kingdom's assessment of the poisoning of former Russian agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, after the announcement by the UK government's Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) at Porton Down, a US Department of State official told Sputnik on Wednesday.
• OPCW to Receive Results of Sample Analysis in Skripal Case by Next Week Sputnik 04 Apr 2018 -- Ahmet Uzumcu, the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, said Wednesday that the results of the sample analyses of the substance used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the United Kingdom, were expected to be received by early next week.
• Russia's Offer for Joint Probe Into Skripal Case 'Perverse' - UK OPCW Delegation Sputnik 04 Apr 2018 -- The UK delegation to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons called the Wednesday Russia's proposal for a joint investigation into the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in the United Kingdom "perverse."
• Russia Responds to Hungary Over Skripal Case: One Diplomat Expelled Sputnik 04 Apr 2018 -- Hungary is among the countries that have decided to join the UK in expelling Russian diplomats, hence why Moscow reserved the right to respond to Hungary's actions over the Skripal poisoning.
• Russia Expels One Belgian Diplomat in Response Over Skripal Case Sputnik 04 Apr 2018 -- Moscow's reciprocal move comes after a number of European countries, as well as the US, Canada and Australia decided to remove Russian diplomatic staff in solidarity with the UK, which groundlessly blamed the poisoning of ex-Russian intelligence officer Skripal on Russia.
• Putin Says Hopes Watchdog Will Help Defuse Diplomatic Row Over Poisonings RFE/RL 04 Apr 2018 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he hopes a meeting of the global chemical weapons watchdog on April 4 will help to defuse a major diplomatic row that arose over the poisoning of a former Russian spy in England.
• China plans additional tariffs on 50-bln-dollar U.S. products People's Daily 04 Apr 2018 -- China on Wednesday unveiled a list of products worth 50 billion U.S. dollars imported from the United States that will be subject to higher tariffs, including soybeans, automobiles, and chemical products.
• China Announces $50 Billion in Retaliatory Tariffs on US Goods VOA 04 Apr 2018 -- China announced Wednesday it plans to impose tariffs on $50 billion worth of U.S. goods in response to a similar package announced by the United States.
• Japan Increasingly Isolated As N. Korea Diplomacy Progresses VOA 04 Apr 2018 -- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may be looking for reassurance when he meets later this month with U.S. President Donald Trump, given that the Japanese leader has been left out of the rapidly progressing diplomatic talks to resolve the North Korean nuclear threat.
• North Korean foreign minister to visit Russia next week Press TV 04 Apr 2018 -- Russian authorities have announced that North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho is to visit Moscow amid efforts to ease tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and weapons program.
• Iran warns of threats of nuclear deal violations for int'l security IRNA 04 Apr 2018 -- Those killing the nuclear deal with Iran will be responsible for its negative consequences for the international order and security, Iran's defense minister said on Wednesday.
• Tehran will win if Trump pulls out of nuclear deal: Dennis Ross Press TV 04 Apr 2018 -- Longtime American diplomat and presidential aide Dennis Ross believes that if President Donald Trump pulls out of the nuclear deal with Iran, Tehran will be the ultimate winner.
• Daesh collapse means defeat of US regional policy: Iran defense chief Press TV 04 Apr 2018 -- The Iranian defense chief says the defeat of the Daesh terrorist group is equal to the defeat of the US's regional policy, and thus the collapse of the Takfiri outfit could be followed by a fresh wave of hostilities in the region fueled by extra-regional powers.
• DHS acknowledges unauthorized spying devices in DC Press TV 04 Apr 2018 -- The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has acknowledged for the first time that unauthorized spying devices are being used in Washington, DC.
• UNHCR Hopes for Solution to Plight of African Refugees in Israel VOA 04 Apr 2018 -- The U.N. refugee agency says it regrets Israel's decision to cancel an agreement to resettle thousands of Eritrean and Sudanese asylum seekers, but remains hopeful that a solution still can be found.
• China, Zimbabwe agree to establish comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation People's Daily 04 Apr 2018 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Zimbabwean counterpart Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday agreed to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation between their countries.
• Tensions Mount as Sierra Leone Awaits Poll Results VOA 04 Apr 2018 -- Tensions are mounting in Sierra Leone as people anxiously await the official results of Saturday's presidential run-off. Supporters on both sides have already claimed victory, raising concerns of possible unrest.