17 April 2018 Military News

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Defense Policy / Programs
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Current Operations

OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 17 Apr 2018 [PDF]

Department Of Defense Press Briefing by Colonel Dillon via Teleconference From Baghdad, Iraq DoD 17 Apr 2018 -- Presenter: Colonel Ryan Dillon, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve Spokesman
US Wants to Replace Its Troops in Syria With Gulf States' Militaries - Reports Sputnik 17 Apr 2018 -- Earlier, the White House had reiterated President Donald Trump's promise to pull US troops from Syria as soon as possible to "let the other people take care of it."

Fuel Fiasco: $154 Million in US Gas Could be in Taliban Hands - US Military Sputnik 17 Apr 2018 -- The US' total losses from fuel theft in Afghanistan are likely higher than $154.4 million, according to a US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) report released Friday. Authorities aren't quite sure where all the fuel has gone.

Guard Bureau Chief: 965 Guard Troops Deployed To U.S.-Mexico Border AFPS 17 Apr 2018 -- There are 965 National Guard troops deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border, the chief of the National Guard Bureau told a Senate panel today.
Trump Blasts California Governor Over National Guard Commitment to Border Sputnik 17 Apr 2018 -- US President Donald Trump said in a statement that California Governor Jerry Brown is opposed to safety and security along his state's border with Mexico because he will not allow the National Guard to patrol that border.

Defense Policy / Programs

Syria Airstrikes Reopen War Powers Discussion VOA 17 Apr 2018 -- The airstrikes ordered by President Donald Trump against Syria last week have prompted the U.S. Congress to revisit an often-delayed debate that centers on the most serious of its powers: the decision to authorize U.S. military force abroad.
Remarks by Secretary Mattis at an Enhanced Honor Cordon Welcoming Albania Defense Minister Olta Xhaçka to the Pentagon DoD 17 Apr 2018 -- Presenter: Secretary Of Defense James N. Mattis; Albania Defense Minister Olta Xhac¸ka
Bureau Chief Details National Guard's Contributions in Senate Hearing AFPS 17 Apr 2018 -- In support of the National Defense Strategy, the National Guard's focus remains on the war fight, defending and securing the homeland, and building enduring partnerships, the chief of the National Guard Bureau said on Capitol Hill today.
Readout of Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis meeting with Albanian Minister of Defense Olta Xhacka DoD 17 Apr 2018
HSC-25 Rescues Stranded Hikers Near Cetti Bay NNS 17 Apr 2018 -- Aircrew from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25, in partnership with the Guam Fire Department, rescued five hikers who were stranded atop a cliff while hiking up a stream to the Cetti Bay waterfall in Guam, April 15.
John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group Cruiser-Destroyer Warships Underway for Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT) NNS 17 Apr 2018 -- Cruiser-destroyer (CRUDES) warships and their associated helicopter detachments from USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) Carrier Strike Group (CSG) departed Naval Base San Diego for a Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT) exercise, April 16.
National Guard, Reserve Troops Participate in Disaster Response Exercises AFPS 17 Apr 2018 -- More than 400 South Carolina Army National Guard soldiers are participating in the U.S. Northern Command-hosted Guardian Response exercise here through April 30. They're joined by over a thousand other soldiers from the National Guard and reserves, supporting civil authorities for the training. Guardian Response is conducted in conjunction with the U.S. Army North-sponsored Vibrant Response exercise.

NATO to deploy 35,000 troops in largest-ever drills in Norway Press TV 17 Apr 2018 -- A total of 30 countries will send some 35,000 soldiers, more than 120 aircraft, 70 ships and 10,000 vehicles to the largest-ever drills held by NATO in Norway, sources in the military alliance have announced.

UK military embarrassed by lack of firepower in Syria attack Press TV 17 Apr 2018 -- Britain's lack of firepower in the recent US-led attack against Syria was "depressing" as it forced British military forces to play second fiddle to their French peers, military experts say.

Lavrov on S-300 Supply: After West's Attack, We Mull All Options to Defend Syria Sputnik 17 Apr 2018 -- Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry had stated that Russian-made air defense systems deployed by the Syrian forces managed to intercept 71 of 103 missiles, fired by the United States, France and the UK on April 14.
Russia to consider S-300 delivery to Syria after West attack: Lavrov Press TV 17 Apr 2018 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow will consider delivering S-300 air defense systems to Damascus following the recent strikes against Syria by three Western powers.

China developing precision strike weaponry People's Daily 17 Apr 2018 -- China and Russia are developing their own precision air strike capabilities as the US, UK and France attacked Syria over the weekend, military experts said on Monday.
China's fighter jet J-10C begins combat duty People's Daily 17 Apr 2018 -- China's new multi-role fighter jet J-10C began combat duty Monday, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) air force announced.
Relaxing Rules, Tightening Belts: China's Military Revises Troop Guidelines Sputnik 17 Apr 2018 -- China has issued new rules for its People's Liberation Army (PLA), revising guidelines on military discipline, training management, soldiers' weight and the use of mobile phones and the internet.

Kinmen to maintain routine training, combat readiness CNA 17 Apr 2018 -- The military will continue routine training while maintaining rapid response capability and combat readiness amid China's upcoming life-fire exercise in the Taiwan Strait, the Kinmen Defense Command said Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia, UAE Reportedly Recruit Mercenaries from African Countries Sputnik 17 Apr 2018 -- With the operation of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen going on for three years without much success and growing combat-related casualties, the two countries may seek alternative ways to replenish their troops.
Saudi, UAE recruiting 1000s of African mercenaries: Report Press TV 17 Apr 2018 -- Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are reportedly recruiting thousands of African mercenaries to serve in their military adventurism overseas, including the bloody war on Yemen.

Department Press Briefing - April 17, 2018 US Dept. of State 17 Apr 2018

Defense Industry

DoD News: Contracts for April 17, 2018

Other Conflicts

17 April 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 17 Apr 2018

Iran Using Yemen as 'Test Bed' for Malign Activities, DoD Official Says AFPS 17 Apr 2018 -- Iran is exploiting the situation in Yemen, arming opponents of the internationally recognized government and using the country as a "test bed" for malign activities, a top Defense Department official told lawmakers today.
Saudi airstrikes kills 6 civilians in western Yemen IRNA 17 Apr 2018 -- A Saudi-led Arab coalition air attack on the city of Al Hudaydah, western Yemen killed 6 members of a family, Yemeni TV Channel 'Almasirah' reported.
UN envoy plans to present Yemen peace roadmap in two months Press TV 17 Apr 2018 -- UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths says he will present a plan to the UN Security Council for resumption of peace talks between the warring parties in Yemen.
As conditions worsen in Yemen, new UN envoy hopes to rekindle peace talks UN News 17 Apr 2018 -- The new United Nations envoy for war-torn Yemen called Tuesday for all parties to the conflict to abandon preconditions and begin negotiations, and said he would offer a new framework for talks within the next two months.
UN Yemen Envoy Warns of Possible Military Operation Around Hodeida VOA 17 Apr 2018 -- The new U.N. envoy for Yemen warned Tuesday that reports of a possible military operation around a major urban center and a key seaport could ruin any hopes of ending that country's civil war.
Yemen's Houthis Vow to Step Up Missile Attacks on Saudi Arabia VOA 17 Apr 2018 -- Yemen's Houthi militia, which is supported by Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah, has vowed to step up its missile and rocket attacks on neighboring Saudi Arabia, which is leading a coalition of Arab and Gulf states trying to push the Houthis out of the Yemeni capital Sana'a.

US State Department Claims Inspectors Not in Douma VOA 17 Apr 2018 -- There was confusion Tuesday whether a team of international experts had arrived in the Syrian city of Douma to determine whether chemical weapons were used in an attack there 10 days ago.
OPCW experts enter Douma to probe suspected gas attack: Syrian state media Press TV 17 Apr 2018 -- The special investigators of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) have arrived in Douma, the largest town of Eastern Ghouta, to probe a suspected chemical attack which was used as a pretext for a barrage of Western missile strikes against the Arab country, Syrian state media reports.
Iran-Turkey cooperation must stop escalation of tensions in Syria: Rouhani Press TV 17 Apr 2018 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the recent US-led military strikes against Syria were a "very ugly precedent" in international relations, stressing that joint Iran-Turkey cooperation must prevent the escalation of tension in the Arab country.
Syrian army shells southern Damascus area ahead of anti-terror operation Press TV 17 Apr 2018 -- The Syrian army has started shelling a militant-held area south of the capital, Damascus, ahead of a major counter-terrorism operation there, says a pro-Damascus commander.
EU 'understands' missile attack on Syria, but stresses peace efforts Press TV 17 Apr 2018 -- European Union foreign ministers say the recent tripartite missiles strikes against Syria was 'understandable,' but that a diplomatic solution remains the only option for lasting peace in the war-torn country.
Syria gas attack false flag organized by UK spy services: Russia Press TV 17 Apr 2018 -- Russia says it has "irrefutable" evidence that a recent suspected chemical attack in the Damascus suburb town of Douma, which was used as a pretext for missile strikes against Syria, was a "false flag" operation orchestrated by British spy services.
Chemical Weapons Watchdog Experts Enter Douma: Syrian Media RFE/RL 17 Apr 2018 -- Syrian state media are reporting that experts from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) have entered the Syrian town of Douma, the site of a suspected chemical weapons attack that has deepened tension between Russia and the West.
U.S. Says It Doesn't Believe Chemical Arms Inspectors Entered Douma RFE/RL 17 Apr 2018 -- Washington says it believes experts from the global chemical weapons watchdog have not yet entered the Syrian town of Douma, the site of a suspected chemical weapons attack that has deepened tension between Russia and the West.
Israel Hints It Can Hit Iran's "Air Force" in Syria if It Retaliates for T-4 Sputnik 17 Apr 2018 -- According to the Russian Defense Ministry, two Israeli F-15 fighter jets conducted an attack against Syria's T-4 base on April 9. Israeli sources claim the attack was aimed at Iranian fighters in Syria, with Tehran denying the claims of its military presence in the country.
US-led Coalition Ready to Share Data with Russia on Daesh in Syria's Abu Kamal Sputnik 17 Apr 2018 -- Abu Kamal, a city on the Euphrates River in the Deir ez-Zor governorate, considered to be one of the last strongholds held by Daesh in Syria, was completely liberated from militants by the Syrian army in November 2017.
Syrian Army Set to Enter City in Damascus Province as Militants Agree to Leave Sputnik 17 Apr 2018 -- Troops from the Syrian Army and allied ground forces have made sweeping gains in Damascus' East Ghouta region in recent months, with government forces completely ousting terrorists from the area via a combination of transfer deals and military operations.
Saudi Arabia open to sending troops into Syria: FM Press TV 17 Apr 2018 -- Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir has announced that the regime in Riyadh would be ready to send troops into Syria as part of a potential wider deployment led by the United States.
Saudi Arabia Ready to Send Troops to Syria if Proposed - Foreign Minister Sputnik 17 Apr 2018 -- During its latest summit, the League of Arab States has called for an international investigation into the alleged chemical weapons' use in Syria and slammed what it described as Iran's meddling in the affairs of other countries.
Jaysh al-Islam Militants Start Turning in Weapons in Syria's Al-Dumayr - Reports Sputnik 17 Apr 2018 -- According to the agreement between the Syrian state and Jaysh al-Islam, about a thousand militants must leave the city and head to Jarablus in the north of Aleppo province, the SANA agency reported.
Syrian Air Defenses Target Missiles Over Homs, Damascus - Syrian TV Sputnik 17 Apr 2018 -- Syria's air defenses shot down missiles targeting Shayrat air base in Homs province early Tuesday, state media reported, as a Hezbollah media arm said missiles targeting Dumayr base near Damascus were also intercepted.
US Says Russia Trying to Complicate Syria Chemical Weapons Investigation VOA 17 Apr 2018 -- The U.S. State Department says Russia has tried to block an international watchdog from investigating a suspected chemical attack in Syria "by making it more complicated" for the specialists to do their work.
Russia: Global Watchdog to Access Site of Alleged Chemical Attack in Syria VOA 17 Apr 2018 -- A Russian official says a team of chemical weapons experts is set to make a visit Wednesday to the site east of Syria's capital where a suspected chemical attack killed dozens of people earlier this month.
Syrian air defenses respond to missile attack on 2 airbases People's Daily 17 Apr 2018 -- Syrian air defenses responded to a missile strike, believed to be carried out by Israel, that targeted two airbases in Syria after midnight Tuesday, according to the War Media, the media wing of the Syrian army.

Iraqi court sentences three Azerbaijani women, Kyrgyz citizen to death over Daesh membership Press TV 17 Apr 2018 -- A court in Iraq has sentenced three Azerbaijani women and a female Kyrgyz citizen to death over membership in the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group and involvement in acts of terror across the war-ravaged Arab country.

UN deputy aid chief shines light on plight of 400,000 Rohingya still inside Myanmar UN News 17 Apr 2018 -- Although the massive outflow of Rohingya from Myanmar to Bangladesh grabbed worldwide headlines, the international community must not forget that more than 400,000 of the minority group are living in dire situations at home, a senior United Nations official said Tuesday.

UN agency launches appeal to reach over 340,000 with assistance in crisis-struck Ukraine UN News 17 Apr 2018 -- Amid critical humanitarian needs in eastern Ukraine, the United Nations migration agency on Tuesday launched a $38 million funding appeal to reach more than 340,000 people with assistance this year – a sharp increase over the number reached to date.

Thousands Flee as Inter-Communal Violence Heats Up in Mali VOA 17 Apr 2018 -- A spike in inter-communal violence in central Mali has sent about 3,000 people fleeing to Burkina Faso over the past few weeks, the U.N. refugee agency reports.

Cyprus remains divided as peace effort fails again Press TV 17 Apr 2018 -- The rival leaders of Cyprus have once again failed in a meeting brokered by the United Nations (UN) to revive a peace process to reunify the ethnically-divided eastern Mediterranean island.

News Reports

Security forces arrest members of Daesh cell in Russia, foil planned attacks Press TV 17 Apr 2018 -- Russian security service says it has detained several members of a terror cell run by the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in southern Russia, foiling planned "resonant terror attacks" in the country.
Putin, Merkel Discuss Syria, Baltic Gas Pipeline RFE/RL 17 Apr 2018 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have discussed the situation in Syria and a controversial Baltic gas pipeline project in a telephone conversation, the Kremlin says.
Newspaper Says Russian Businessman Raped, Tortured, Killed In Jail RFE/RL 17 Apr 2018 -- A Russian entrepreneur suspected of embezzling money earmarked for building military submarines was raped, tortured, and killed in pretrial detention, the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta reports.

Inside the Internet Research Agency: a Mole Among Trolls VOA 17 Apr 2018 -- Vitaly Bespalov, a 23-year-old journalism school graduate, had no idea what to expect when he arrived at a nondescript four-story business center in St. Petersburg to interview for a job.
Russia Dismisses Rare US-British Warning on Hackers VOA 17 Apr 2018 -- Russia has rejected allegations from the United States and Britain that Russian-backed hackers are escalating cyberattacks on American and British companies, government operations and infrastructure.

G7 Ministers Call For Russia's 'Full Disclosure' On Spy Poisoning In Britain RFE/RL 16 Apr 2018 -- The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized countries have called on Russia to provide "full and complete disclosure" about the poisoning of a former Russian double agent and his daughter in Britain last month.

Koreas 'have my blessing' to discuss end of war: Trump Press TV 17 Apr 2018 -- US President Donald Trump has given his blessing to the upcoming inter-Korean peace talks seeking an end to the war on the Korean Peninsula.
South Korean officials may visit North ahead of summit Press TV 17 Apr 2018 -- South Korea says senior officials from the country may visit North Korea ahead of a summit between the South's President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un if more high-level talks are deemed necessary.
Direct hotline between leaders of S.Korea, DPRK likely to be set up this week People's Daily 17 Apr 2018 -- The hotline of direct dialogue between the leaders of South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is likely to be set up later this week, a senior Blue House official said Tuesday.
Trump Backs Seoul Effort to End Korean War VOA 17 Apr 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday endorsed Seoul's efforts to try to negotiate with Pyongyang to end the Korean War.
Trump Confirms 'Very High Level' Talks Between US, North Korea Sputnik 17 Apr 2018 -- US President Donald Trump confirmed Tuesday that talks between the United States and North Korea are taking place at "very high levels."

North Korea expresses support for Iran nuclear deal IRNA 17 Apr 2018 -- North Korea has expressed its backing for the July 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and the world powers, describing it as a very important international accord.

China announces anti-dumping measures on U.S. sorghum People's Daily 17 Apr 2018 -- China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) announced Tuesday that it will impose provisional anti-dumping measures on grain sorghum imported from the United States.

In Saudi Arabia, UN chief spotlights need to help nations build capacity to counter terrorism UN News 17 Apr 2018 -- The United Nations chief stressed the importance of preventing terrorism by addressing the root causes that turn grievances into destructive action, as well as the need to sustain the world body's funding to help countries develop their counter-terrorism capacities.

Taiwan Works to Keep Tiny Swaziland on Its Side VOA 17 Apr 2018 -- Taiwan's new president makes her first trip to Africa this week to visit one of the island's two remaining allies on the continent. Support for Taiwan has diminished in Africa over the past decade, as billions of dollars in Chinese investment have flowed into the continent.

French president warns authoritarianism on rise in Europe Press TV 17 Apr 2018 -- French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that there is a growing temptation of authoritarianism both inside the European Union and around the world, urging the continental bloc to reinforce its democratic process.

European Commission Recommends Membership Talks With Macedonia, Albania RFE/RL 17 Apr 2018 -- The European Commission recommended that the European Union launches membership talks with Albania and Macedonia, as the French president ruled out any expansion of the bloc until it is reformed.

Nigerian police in Abuja attack Shia protesters for 2nd day Press TV 17 Apr 2018 -- Fierce clashes have erupted for the second consecutive day between Nigerian police and hundreds of Shia protesters demanding the release of top Shia cleric Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky.

Tens Of Thousands Protest In Yerevan, Other Armenian Cities Against New Prime Minister RFE/RL 17 Apr 2018 -- Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in the center of the Armenian capital after lawmakers elected Serzh Sarkisian prime minister, cementing his continued dominance of power.

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