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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 23 Apr 2018 [PDF]
• In Afghanistan, Coalition Bombs Falling at Record Pace VOA 23 Apr 2018 -- The U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan dropped more bombs during the first quarter of 2018 than it has in the same period in any of the last 15 years, according to Pentagon data.
• Fresh Attacks by Taliban, IS Kill 19 Afghan Forces, Civilians VOA 23 Apr 2018 -- Authorities in Afghanistan say the latest Taliban and Islamic State attacks have killed 19 people, mostly government security forces.
• Eyes Over Africa: US Building Huge New Drone Base in Central Niger Sputnik 23 Apr 2018 -- The US military is building a new overseas military base in Niger, adding to its existing inventory of more than 800 bases in more than 70 countries, according to a recent dispatch from central Niger.
• Soldiers Practice Disaster Response Skills at Guardian Response Exercise AFPS 23 Apr 2018 -- Smoking buildings lay ruined. Debris and clothing are scattered across the landscape. Vehicles, some tipped topsy-turvy, are strewn along roads and paths. Human cries for help can be heard, calling out for someone to save them.
• Preparing for America's worst day: Army multi-component exercise tests the force Army News 23 Apr 2018 -- Fields of debris, demolished vehicles and bodies of mannequins and live role-players laid across an entire town center; words on bed sheets, asking for assistance, hung over the roofs of buildings; and street poles laid fallen, while buildings were covered in plumes of smoke, and homes were submerged in a body of water.

Defense Policy / Programs

• 'Sky Soldiers' innovate through air assault training in Europe Army News 23 Apr 2018 -- With only a few days into the Joint Warfighter Assessment, Sky Soldiers have already conducted an 18 hour Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise, planned a night air assault mission, and incorporated multiple new systems into brigade operations.
• Missouri National Guard engineers get valuable training with active duty explosive ordnance disposal Army News 23 Apr 2018 -- Soldiers from the 35th Engineer Brigade of Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., were given an opportunity to train with the 797th Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Company of Fort Hood, Texas, on armored breaching and effective demolition in early March.
• Readout of Secretary James N. Mattis' meeting with Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence General Prawit Wongsuwan DoD 23 Apr 2018
• Secretary Mattis Enhanced Honor Cordon Welcoming Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence General Prawit Wongsuwan DoD 23 Apr 2018 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis; Thailand Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Wongsuwan
• Commander, Surface Division ELEVEN Established NNS 23 Apr 2018 -- While Commander, Surface Division ELEVEN (COMSURFACEDIV 11) has been operating as an official command since March 9, a formal ceremony was held Apr. 20 to formally recognize the new command structure in front of LCS leaders, Sailors and regional supporting personnel.
• CE test warfighting capabilities AFNS 23 Apr 2018 -- The 355th Civil Engineer Squadron participated in an airfield damage response and assessment exercise at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, March 28-30, 2018.
• Missouri National Guard engineers get valuable training with active duty explosive ordnance disposal Army News 23 Apr 2018 -- Soldiers from the 35th Engineer Brigade of Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., were given an opportunity to train with the 797th Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Company of Fort Hood, Texas, on armored breaching and effective demolition in early March.
• Readout of Under Secretary of Defense for Policy John C Rood's Meeting with Singaporean Permanent Secretary Chan Yeng Kit, Singapore Ministry of Defence DoD 23 Apr 2018
• USS Coronado Completes Operational Testing of New Mine Detection System NNS 23 Apr 2018 -- USS Coronado (LCS 4) successfully completed operational testing of the Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis (COBRA) System, Apr. 6.
• USS Milius Bids Farewell to San Diego and Begins Transit to Japan NNS 23 Apr 2018 -- USS Milius (DDG 69) departed San Diego, April 20, officially beginning its transition to the Forward Deployed Naval Forces-Japan (FDNF-J) in Yokosuka, Japan.
• CP-18 Completes Closing Ceremony in Guatemala NNS 23 Apr 2018 -- The humanitarian mission Continuing Promise 2018 (CP-18) concluded its second mission stop in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala with a closing ceremony at Comando Naval de Carribe Naval Base.
• Kearsarge Teams Up with Groundwork New Orleans NNS 23 Apr 2018 -- Nearly 100 Sailors and Marines assigned to the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) teamed up with local volunteers from Groundwork New Orleans (NOLA) April 20 as part of a community service project during Navy Week NOLA.
• US keeping warships in Europe to 'contain' Russia: Report Press TV 23 Apr 2018 -- The United States military is reportedly considering keeping an aircraft carrier strike group in Europe instead of deploying it to the Middle East, a move that Pentagon sources say is aimed at deterring Russia.
• With threat of nuclear weapon use growing, non-proliferation treaty more vital than ever - UN official UN News 23 Apr 2018 -- The United Nations disarmament chief said on Monday that the world today faces similar challenges to the context that gave birth to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), and that the threat of use of nuclear weapons is growing.
• Russia's Lavrov says no decision yet on delivery of S-300 missiles to Syria Press TV 23 Apr 2018 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says his country has not yet decided to supply advanced S-300 missile defense systems to Syria, adding that the issue will be made public if Moscow makes such a decision.
• Lavrov: No Decision Yet On Delivery Of S-300 Missiles To Syria RFE/RL 23 Apr 2018 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow has not yet made a decision on whether to deliver advanced S-300 missile systems to Syria.
• Lavrov on Russia's S-300 Supplies to Syria: It's No Secret, But Not Decided Yet Sputnik 23 Apr 2018 -- Russia may supply its S-300 long-range surface-to-air missile systems to Syria on a free-of-charge basis, according to a Russian newspaper citing sources.
• First Made-in-China Aircraft Carrier Gearing Up for First Sea Trials Sputnik 23 Apr 2018 -- China's first indigenously constructed aircraft carrier is poised to begin sea trials this week, about a year after the massive ship was commissioned, according to a new report.
• US Admiral Warns China Could Use Its Bases to Challenge Washington Sputnik 23 Apr 2018 -- The chief of US Fleet Forces Command has warned that Beijing's current military infrastructure in the South China Sea may help it contain Washington's clout in the region.
• India Partially Abolishes Armed Forces Special Powers Act Sputnik 23 Apr 2018 -- While the contentious Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act has been removed entirely from the northeastern state of Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, the act will remain enforced under eight police stations near the border with Assam and in three districts near the border with Myanmar.
• Joint drill to be held in Indian Ocean: Iran cmdr IRNA 23 Apr 2018 -- The Indian Ocean countries are to hold a joint military exercise, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri said here at the 6th Indian Ocean Naval Symposium on Monday.
• Iran vows no submission as navy chiefs meet in Tehran Press TV 23 Apr 2018 -- Iran's top military official tells navy chiefs from the Indian Ocean's littoral states that the US has spawned crisis across a large expanse of Western Asia by acting as a patron to the Takfiri terror group of Daesh.
• Israel Pulls F-15s from Alaska War Games as Tensions Rise with Iran Sputnik 23 Apr 2018 -- Israel's air force cancelled the participation of its F-15 fighters in the Red Flag - Alaska multinational aerial combat exercises as the country faces rising tensions with Iran and Syria and mass protests by residents in Gaza. Instead, the fighter jets will remain at home, on high alert.
• Pakistan, Russia Hold High-Level Security Talks VOA 23 Apr 2018 -- Russia and Pakistan have held their first national security advisers-level bilateral talks in Moscow, focusing on prospects for closer cooperation in defense, space, cyber security, nuclear, intelligence-sharing as well as trade.
• Most Taiwanese think military cannot fend off China attack: poll CNA 23 Apr 2018 -- The majority of people in Taiwan think the country's military does not have the capability to prevent an invasion by China's armed forces, but they do not think such an attack is very likely, according to the results of a poll released Monday.
• Coalition of Military Help for Philippines Will Put China on Higher Alert VOA 23 Apr 2018 -- Participation this year by Australia and Japan in annual U.S.-Philippine military exercises will raise pressure on China and could spark an escalation of military drills, experts say.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sarah Sanders The White House 23 Apr 2018
• Press Availability in Toronto, Canada US Dept. of State 23 Apr 2018-- Press Availability by John J. Sullivan, Acting Secretary of State

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for April 23, 2018

Other Conflicts

• 23 April 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 23 Apr 2018
• UN chief condemns airstrikes on civilians in Yemen; calls for prompt, transparent investigation UN News 23 Apr 2018 -- United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called for a prompt, effective and transparent investigation into recent airstrikes on civilians in Yemen, which claimed at least 50 lives, including children, and injured many others.
• Saudi Arabia Intercepts Houthis' Missiles Fired at Aramco Facility Sputnik 23 Apr 2018 -- According to Al-Masirah news outlet, Houthis fired two Badr-1 ballistic missiles at the Aramco port in Jizan in the southwest corner of Saudi Arabia.
• Over 30 Civilians Killed in Yemen by Saudi-Led Airstrikes - Reports Sputnik 23 Apr 2018 -- At least 33 civilians were killed and 55 others were injured in the airstrikes of the Saudi-led coalition conducted on Sunday in the Bani Qais district in Hajjah province of Yemen, local media reported Monday.
• Saudi air strikes on Yemen kill 5 civilians IRNA 23 Apr 2018 -- According to Yemeni media, air strikes of Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia on Al-Tine, Yemen killed five members of a family.
• Yemen's Houthis hit Saudi Aramco oil facilities in Jizan Press TV 23 Apr 2018 -- Fighters from Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement have fired two ballistic missiles at a Saudi Aramco facility in the country's southwest.
• Yemeni wedding targeted by Saudi jets in Hajjah province Press TV 23 Apr 2018 -- A wedding ceremony in Yemen's has been targeted by Saudi airstrikes as the kingdom continues with its relentless war on the impoverished country.
• Civilians in S. Damascus Caught Between Militants, Govt. Troops VOA 23 Apr 2018 -- Hundreds of civilians living in a militant-held pocket of southern Damascus were caught in fierce clashes between Russian-backed Syrian government forces and militant groups controlling southern Damascus neighborhoods.
• As Syria War Grinds On, UN-EU Conference Aims to Revive Peace Process VOA 23 Apr 2018 -- Efforts to find a political solution to the Syrian civil war resume this week as representatives and ministers from 85 countries gather in Brussels for a two-day conference Tuesday, co-chaired by the United Nations and the European Union.
• Syrian Democratic Forces Continue Defeat-ISIS Fight, Official Says AFPS 23 Apr 2018 -- Syrian Democratic Forces are continuing the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in the middle Euphrates River valley, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Robert Manning said today.
• Commander: Trilateral coalition' attack against Syria disgraceful IRNA 23 Apr 2018 -- Top Commander of Islamic Revolution Guardian Corps (IRGC) Mohammad Ali Jaafari said on Monday that missile attack of the trilateral coalition comprising the US, Britain and France against Syria was disgraceful.
• Syria Army conducts attack on terrorists hotbeds in Damascus IRNA 23 Apr 2018 -- Units of the Syrian Arab Army have conducted precision strikes against terrorists' dens and fortified positions in al-Hajar al-Aswad neighborhood south Damascus.
• Chinese Special Envoy urges 'facts' on Syria People's Daily 23 Apr 2018 -- Special Envoy of the Chinese Government on the Syrian Issue, Xie Xiaoyan, emphasized on Sunday that all parties concerned should "speak with facts" about the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria.
• Syrian fighter jets strike militant positions near capital Damascus: Report Press TV 23 Apr 2018 -- Syrian army warplanes have continued launching precision strikes against positions held by foreign-backed militants south of the capital Damascus, causing casualties on their ranks and damage on their hardware and equipment, Syrian state media reports.
• US-led military strikes will fail to stop Syria's terror fight: Assad Press TV 23 Apr 2018 -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says the recent US-led military strikes against Syria will not succeed in stopping the country's war on terrorism.
• Daesh second-in-command killed in Iraqi airstrike inside Syria Press TV 23 Apr 2018 -- The militant commander ranked second in the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group has reportedly been killed during an Iraqi airstrike inside the Syrian territory.
• Assad Accuses US, UK, France of Supporting Militants Since Start of Syrian War Sputnik 23 Apr 2018 -- The US, the UK and France, which hit Syria, have supported militants since the start of the country's civil war and failed to help Damascus in the anti-terror fight, Syrian President Bashar Assad said on Monday at a meeting with Senior Assistant to Iran's Foreign Minister for Special Political Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari.
• US Won't Help Assad's Syria Rebuild Nation - State Department Sputnik 23 Apr 2018 -- Earlier this year, the acting assistant secretary of state for the Middle East, David Satterfield, estimated that Syria would need some $200-$300 billion to rebuild after the war. Russian economists have estimated that costs could be as high as $400 billion. According to the Syrian government, reconstruction will take 10-15 years to be completed.
• Syrian Army Continues Striking Daesh Positions in Southern Damascus - Source Sputnik 23 Apr 2018 -- Syrian aviation and artillery continue to destroy command posts and firing positions of the Daesh terrorist group on the southern outskirts of Damascus, thereby supporting the offensive of the ground forces, a source familiar with the situation told Sputnik on Monday.
• Israel's Forces Target Syrian Artillery After Mortar Fire Near Golan Heights Sputnik 23 Apr 2018 -- The Israeli armed forces launched an attack after a mortar shell fell next to a security fence in the north of the Israel-held Golan Heights.
• Israel targets Syrian artillery in Golan Heights, cites alleged mortar fire Press TV 23 Apr 2018 -- The Israeli military has targeted a Syrian army artillery position in the Golan Heights after claims that a mortar shell exploded close to the occupied territory.
• Ongoing U.S. Humanitarian Assistance for the Rakhine State Crisis US Dept. of State 23 Apr 2018 -- Today, Acting Secretary of State John J. Sullivan announced $50 million in additional humanitarian assistance for vulnerable people fleeing the Rakhine State crisis.
• UN Judges Hear Karadzic's Appeal Of 'Unjust' Conviction RFE/RL 23 Apr 2018 -- Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic has launched an appeal of his 40-year prison sentence before a United Nations court and demanded a retrial, claiming that his original trial was a "flawed process" that "led to an unjust result."

News Reports

• Fight over Trump's travel ban finally goes before Supreme Court Press TV 23 Apr 2018 -- The fight over President Donald Trump's controversial travel ban will finally go before the Supreme Court, in a showdown over the limits of the president's power to decide who enters the United States.
• US to Build World's Largest Consulate Facility in Iraqi Kurdistan - Reports Sputnik 23 Apr 2018 -- US Ambassador to Iraq Douglas Silliman and Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani led the groundbreaking ceremony for the world's largest US consulate in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, local media reported Monday.
• G7 To Set Up Group To Study Russia's 'Malign Behavior' RFE/RL 23 Apr 2018 -- The Group of Seven (G7) leading industrialized countries has decided to create a working group to address what British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called Russia's "malign behavior."
• Ahead Of U.S. Visit, Macron Warns Against Being 'Weak' With Putin RFE/RL 22 Apr 2018 -- French President Emmanuel Macron has warned against showing any weakness toward Vladimir Putin while insisting he wants to work with the Russian president.
• Armenian PM Sarkisian Resigns, Thousands Celebrate In Yerevan RFE/RL 23 Apr 2018 -- Thousands of jubilant Armenians have poured into Yerevan's main square to celebrate the resignation of Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian, who stepped down amid widespread street protests over his election to the newly powerful post following 10 years as president.
• PM Sargsyan resigns amid Armenia's widening protests Press TV 23 Apr 2018 -- Armenia's newly appointed Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan has bowed to widening public protests against his rule and resigned from his post.
• South Korea switches off propaganda loudspeakers along North border Press TV 23 Apr 2018 -- Ahead of an inter-Korean summit, South Korea has turned off giant loudspeakers on the heavily-armed border with the North, which were used to broadcast propaganda messages to North Korean soldiers and civilians.
• Seoul Announces End to Broadcasts Against Pyongyang at Demarcation Line Sputnik 23 Apr 2018 -- South Korea scrapped its propaganda broadcasts with the use of loudspeakers at its border with the North ahead of the upcoming bilateral summit, South Korea's National Defense Ministry said in a statement on Monday.
• Inter-Korean Summit Will Try to Broker Nuclear Deal for US VOA 23 Apr 2018 -- This week's summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, to be held on Friday, April 27, is expected to produce a denuclearization framework that U.S. President Donald Trump could support when he meets with Kim in May or June.
• White House Sees Denuclearization as Ultimate Goal of N. Korea Talks VOA 23 Apr 2018 -- The White House on Monday declared the ultimate goal of any negotiations President Trump would have with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is denuclearization and "until we see concrete actions taken towards complete and total denuclearization" the U.S. "maximum pressure" campaign on Pyongyang will continue and sanctions on the isolated country will not be lifted.
• Unity in Security Council was key to recent easing of tensions on Korean Peninsula - UN chief UN News 23 Apr 2018 -- The unity within the Security Council played an essential role in creating the positive momentum that led to a decision by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to suspend nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles, the United Nations chief said Monday, noting however that the 15-member body has so far failed to achieve such unity to tackle the Syrian crisis.
• Great Event to be Recorded Forever in History of WPK and DPRK KCNA 23 Apr 2018 -- The news about the Third Plenary Meeting of the Seventh Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea in which the great victory of the WPK's line of simultaneously pushing forward the economic construction and the building of a nuclear force was declared and the WPK's fresh strategic line was presented is lashing the whole country into great emotion and joy.
• DPRK Determined to Further Accelerate Advance of Revolution under Banner of Self-reliance KCNA 23 Apr 2018 -- The April 2018 Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) declared the great victory of the line of simultaneously pushing forward the economic construction and the building of a nuclear force and set forth the new strategic line of hastening the final victory. The Korean people are seething with this news.
• Trump to discuss North Korea sanctions relief only after denuclearization: Report Press TV 23 Apr 2018 -- US President Donald Trump will discuss sanctions relief with North Korea leader Kim Jong-un only after Pyongyang gets rid of its nuclear arsenal, a new report has revealed.
• Mattis Says 'A Lot of Reasons for Optimism' on North Korea Talks Sputnik 23 Apr 2018 -- US Defense Secretary James Mattis said Monday he is optimistic that upcoming talks with North Korea could be productive after Pyongyang announced its decision to halt nuclear and ballistic missile tests.
• Macron To Defend Iran Nuclear Deal During U.S. Visit RFE/RL 23 Apr 2018 -- Disagreements over the 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and six world powers are expected to be an important part of French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to the United States this week.
• No Alternative To Iran Nuclear Deal, Kremlin Says RFE/RL 23 Apr 2018 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman has said that there is no alternative to the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers and that the agreement should be observed by all those who signed it.
• French president calls for saving Iran nuclear deal IRNA 23 Apr 2018 -- French president called for saving Iran nuclear deal, known also as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) which was reached between the Islamic Republic and world powers in 2015.
• Iran FM urges Washington to comply with JCPOA IRNA 23 Apr 2018 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has called on the US to comply with Iran nuclear deal.
• 'Either all or nothing' on Iran nuclear deal: Zarif Press TV 23 Apr 2018 -- Iran says the European signatories to a multilateral nuclear agreement reached between Tehran and the P+1 group of countries should convince US President Donald Trump not to pull out of the deal, because there is no "Plan B" for it.
• Paris attacks suspect gets 20-year jail term over gunfight in Brussels Press TV 23 Apr 2018 -- The only surviving suspect in the terror attacks that hit the French capital, Paris, in 2015, has been sentenced to 20 years in jail by a Belgian court over a shootout with police in Brussels months later.
• Belgium Sentences Paris Attacks Suspect to 20 Years VOA 23 Apr 2018 -- The only surviving suspect of 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris, was sentenced to 20 years in jail Monday in Brussels for a separate shootout with Belgian police.
• Hezbollah after free & open legislative vote in Lebanon: Nasrallah Press TV 23 Apr 2018 -- The sectary general of the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement says his group seeks a clean and fair election as the Arab country gears up for a legislative vote in less than a fortnight.
• Qatar denies warplanes intercepted UAE airliner Press TV 23 Apr 2018 -- Qatar has rejected accusations by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that its military aircraft intercepted an Emirati passenger plane.
• Nicaragua revokes social security changes after deadly protests Press TV 23 Apr 2018 -- Nicaragua's President Ortega has canceled controversial social security reforms, which sparked four days of deadly anti-government protests and looting in the Latin American country.
• Council Of Europe Faults PACE Members In Azerbaijan Probe RFE/RL 23 Apr 2018 -- A 10-month investigation by the Council of Europe has alleged that several members of the organization's parliamentary assembly broke ethics regulations and conducted activity of a "corruptive nature" in connection with Azerbaijan.
• Pipeline, Geopolitics On Agenda As Berdymukhammedov Visits Uzbekistan RFE/RL 23 Apr 2018 -- Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov is visiting Tashkent, part of a surge in diplomatic activity in Central Asia since the death of longtime Uzbek leader Islam Karimov in 2016.
• U.S. Seeks Long Jail Term For Yahoo Hacker, Sending 'Message Of Deterrence' To FSB RFE/RL 23 Apr 2018 -- U.S. authorities have demanded a nearly eight-year prison sentence for a Kazakh-born computer hacker, asserting that a harsh term would send a message to Russia's main intelligence agency about hacking and espionage.