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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 26 Jul 2018 [PDF]
• Military Officials Fear Islamic State Still Potent in Iraq, Syria VOA 26 Jul 2018 -- The latest numbers from the U.S.-led coalition to destroy the Islamic State terror group appear, at first glance, to be damning.
• Coalition Admits 1K-plus Civilian Deaths From Airstrikes in Iraq, Syria VOA 26 Jul 2018 -- The U.S.-led coalition Thursday acknowledged the deaths of 1,059 civilians from its aerial bombings against the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria.
• US Base in Southern Syria Sends 'Signal' to Iran VOA 26 Jul 2018 -- The United States maintains a base in southern Syria that limits Iranian forces' ability to move through Syria's al-Tanf border crossing, U.S. officials and experts tell VOA.
• Pentagon: Coalition Airstrikes in Afghanistan on Record Pace in '18 VOA 26 Jul 2018 -- The U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan is on pace this year to drop a record number of bombs, according to Pentagon data.
• Department of the Army announces upcoming 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division deployment Army News 26 Jul 2018 -- The Department of the Army announced today the winter 2018 deployment to Afghanistan of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division stationed at Fort Drum, New York.
• Department of the Army announces upcoming 4th Infantry Division Headquarters deployment Army News 26 Jul 2018 -- The Department of the Army announced today the winter 2018 deployment to Afghanistan of the 4th Infantry Division Headquarters stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Department of the Army announces upcoming 3rd ABCT, 1st Armored Division deployment Army News 26 Jul 2018 -- The Department of the Army announced today the winter 2018 rotation to Korea of the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas.
• U.S., Egypt Commence Exercise Eagle Response 18 AFPS 26 Jul 2018 -- American and Egyptian naval forces began Exercise Eagle Response 18 at the Red Sea Naval Base here, July 24.
• U.S., South Korea Conclude 14th Integrated Defense Dialogue AFPS 26 Jul 2018 -- The South Korean defense ministry and the Defense Department have concluded the 14th Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue in Seoul, defense officials announced today in a joint U.S.-South Korean statement.
• Contract Milestone Brings Enterprise Cloud Solution One Step Closer to Warfighter DoD 26 Jul 2018 -- Today, the Department of Defense released the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) Cloud final request for proposals (RFP).
• US, Egypt Commence Exercise Eagle Response 18 NNS 26 Jul 2018 -- The U.S. Navy with the Egyptian Naval Forces commenced exercise Eagle Response 18 at the Red Sea Naval Base, Egypt, July 24.
• CNO Richardson Strengthens Partnerships at Inter-American Naval Conference NNS 26 Jul 2018 -- Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. John Richardson attended the 28th Inter-American Naval Conference (IANC), July 25-26, in Cartagena, Colombia, and delivered remarks highlighting the U.S. Navy's commitment to its naval partnerships in the region.
• USS Winston S. Churchill Arrives In Tallinn, Estonia NNS 26 Jul 2018 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) arrived in Tallinn, Estonia, for a scheduled visit, July 23, 2018.
• Bahrain - Follow-On Technical Support (FOTS) for the Royal Bahrain Navy Ship SABHA (FFG-90) DSCA 26 Jul 2018 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Bahrain of items and services in support of Follow-On Technical Support (FOTS) for the Royal Bahrain Navy Ship SABHA (FFG-90) for an estimated cost of $70 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• India Offers Help in Warship Building to Bangladesh Sputnik 26 Jul 2018 -- Over 90% of Bangladesh's arsenal is of Chinese origin. However, of late, Bangladesh has been looking to diversify its arsenal out of fear of being trapped in case of a full-blown conflict with Myanmar that enjoys China's solid backing on the Rohingya issue.
• Britain sends jets to intercept Russian plane over Black Sea Press TV 26 Jul 2018 -- Britain's Royal Air Force has scrambled jets from a base in Romania to intercept a Russia plane flying near NATO airspace in Eastern Europe.
• Royal Navy Copter Reportedly Escorts Two Russian Ships in English Channel Sputnik 26 Jul 2018 -- The past seven months have seen a number of encounters between the naval ships of Russia and Britain, as Russian warships conduct missions and pass by the UK on their way from the Russian Northern fleet's bases to the Mediterranean.
• UK Launches Romanian-Based Jets In Response to Russian Aircraft Over Black Sea Sputnik 26 Jul 2018 -- The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) said Thursday that its Typhoon fighters based in Romania have been launched in response to the Russian aircraft closing the NATO airspace.
• Warships traversing Taiwan Strait not abnormal: China CNA 26 Jul 2018 -- The passage of a large fleet of Chinese military warships through the Taiwan Strait earlier this month was a normal occurrence that does not warrant over interpretation, China's defense ministry said Thursday.
• India Spends More of GDP on Defense Than China - Defense Minister Sputnik 26 Jul 2018 -- Earlier this year, the Indian Army had expressed its deep disappointment on its defense budget allocation, expressing concern that the funds would not be adequate to make crucial purchases. Similar sentiments were echoed by the country's navy and air force.
• Indian Navy Looks to Raise High Performance Unmanned Submarine Squadron by 2021 Sputnik 26 Jul 2018 -- The document accessed by Sputnik indicates that the underwater drones should be equipped with a passive sonar device to enable constant tracking of submarines or undertake anti-submarine warfare tasks, thereby, freeing the nuclear-powered attack submarines to perform more critical functions.
• New US Bill May Help India Buy Russian Arms Without Being Sanctioned – Reports Sputnik 26 Jul 2018 -- In August, US President Donald Trump signed the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which stipulates that any country trading with Russia's defense and intelligence sectors will face secondary sanctions.
• 'New' F-15 Could Complement Future US, Israeli F-35 Squadrons Sputnik 26 Jul 2018 -- The Israeli Air Force once planned for the F-35 Adir to be the last manned fighter aircraft flown by Israeli pilots, but a looming agreement between Boeing and Tel Aviv indicates the IAF has ditched these plans to buy updated F-15s.
• South Korea Considering Pulling Troops Away From DMZ 'On a Trial Basis' Sputnik 26 Jul 2018 -- The South Korean Defense Ministry announced Tuesday that it wants to test the waters for a "full-scale pullout" of its forces from the Demilitarized Zone separating it from North Korea by removing some guards and equipment "on a trial basis."

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for July 26, 2018

Other Conflicts

• 26 July 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 26 Jul 2018
• Saudi Arabia halts oil shipments via Bab el-Mandeb after Yemeni retaliatory attacks Press TV 26 Jul 2018 -- Riyadh has temporarily suspended all oil shipments through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait after Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement launched retaliatory attacks on a Saudi warship and a vessel operated by the Riyadh-led coalition waging war the Arabian Peninsula state.
• Saudis Halt Oil Shipments In Red Sea After Attack By Iran-Backed Huthis RFE/RL 26 Jul 2018 -- Saudi Arabia announced it was temporarily halting all oil shipments through a strategic Red Sea shipping lane after an attack on two big oil tankers by Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels.
• Saudi Official Suspends Oil Shipments Via Bab al-Mandab, Red Sea VOA 26 Jul 2018 -- Saudi Energy Minister Khaled Faleh says the state-owned Saudi oil giant Aramco was temporarily stopping oil shipments through the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, according to Saudi-owned al-Arabiya TV. The action follows reports that two giant Saudi oil tankers had been targeted by Yemen's Houthi militia near the Red Sea port of Hodeida.
• Yemeni forces launch drone strike against Abu Dhabi International Airport Press TV 26 Jul 2018 -- Yemeni army soldiers, backed by allied fighters from Popular Committees, have reportedly launched an airstrike against a strategic economic target in the United Arab Emirates in retaliation for Riyadh's devastating military aggression against their impoverished homeland.
• On liberation course, Syria sets sights on Idlib Press TV 26 Jul 2018 -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says government forces have turned their focus on Idlib, noting that liberation of the northwestern province is one of the military's priorities.
• Army units deploy in Quneitra after defeating terrorists IRNA 26 Jul 2018 -- Units of the Syrian Arab army entered the liberated city of Quneitra and began to deploy in the city after routing terrorism in it, SANA reporter said.
• Syrian troops liberate several villages, hoist national flag in Quneitra Press TV 26 Jul 2018 -- Syrian army troops and their allied forces have raised the national flag in Quneitra in the southwest of the Arab country, as government soldiers continue their push to retake full control of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, a strategic Syrian territory that borders Jordan.
• Hezbollah, Assad condemn deadly terror attacks in Syria's Sweida Press TV 26 Jul 2018 -- The Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have condemned deadly Daesh attacks in southwestern Sweida Province, saying such crimes are mere attempts to prop up the foreign-backed terrorists which are suffering one defeat after another on the battlefield.
• UN chief strongly condemns terrorist attacks in south-west Syria UN News 28 Jul 2018 -- The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, has strongly condemned multiple suicide bombings on Wednesday in the government-held town of Sweida, in Syria's south-west, which killed and injured scores of civilians.
• Philippine leader approves autonomy law for Muslim region Press TV 26 Jul 2018 -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has approved a law permitting the autonomy-seeking Muslim community in the south of the country to start a legal procedure to gain autonomy.
• Despite challenges and 'unfinished business', Colombia celebrates progress towards lasting peace, Security Council hears UN News 26 Jul 2018 -- Amid a long series of challenges, the implementation of the peace process in Colombia is moving forward and has achieved important milestones in recent months, according to a new report by the United Nations Secretary-General presented to the Security Council on Thursday.
• Myanmar Legacy of Land Confiscations by Military Persists VOA 26 Jul 2018 -- Almost 20 years ago, Thein Win had four hectares of his land seized by the military in Myanmar's Ayeyarwady Delta, an area that once exported so much paddy around the world it was referred to as the "rice bowl" of Asia.
• US's Pompeo accuses Russia of 'occupying' Crimea Press TV 26 Jul 2018 -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has accused Russia of "occupying" the Crimean Peninsula, saying Washington "rejects" the move by Moscow.
• Cameroon's Escalating Conflict Triggers Alarm at UN VOA 26 Jul 2018 -- The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, is seeking access to Cameroon to verify what he says are alarming reports of horrific abuse by separatist and government forces in the country's English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions.

News Reports

• Guterres sounds alarm over worst cashflow crunch in years UN News 26 Jul 2018 -- The United Nations is at risk of running out of cash, the UN chief has warned, urging Member States to pay their mandatory contributions on time and in full, so that the world body can continue to deliver on its key mandates.
• Gun Play: The Rise And Fall Of Maria Butina's Wannabe Russian NRA RFE/RL 26 Jul 2018 -- Ahead of the December 2011 parliamentary elections in Russia that triggered street protests over alleged fraud, veteran opposition politician Vladimir Milov says he was contacted by a then obscure group asking to speak at an antigovernment rally he was planning.
• North Korea to transfer US soldiers' remains on Friday: Report Press TV 26 Jul 2018 -- North Korea will on Friday hand over the remains of an unspecified number of American soldiers killed in the Korean War, a report says.
• Experts Skeptical of N. Korean Denuclearization Gestures VOA 26 Jul 2018 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added to growing skepticism about North Korea's commitment to eliminate its nuclear weapons arsenal, while testifying at a Senate committee hearing on Wednesday.
• Pompeo: US Engaged in 'Patient Diplomacy' With North Korea Sputnik 26 Jul 2018 -- The United States is engaged in patient diplomacy with North Korea, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Wednesday.
• Major General Soleimani sharply reacts to Trump's recent military threat Press TV 26 Jul 2018 -- Iran's Major General Qassem Soleimani has sharply reacted to the recent "cabaret owner-style" military threat by US President Donald Trump against the Islamic Republic, saying he takes the position to respond "as a soldier" since it is beneath the dignity of Iran's president to do so.
• Quds Force Chief Tells Trump That Iran Is Ready To Confront U.S. RFE/RL 26 Jul 2018 -- A top Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) commander in Iran says his forces are ready to confront U.S. forces should President Donald Trump act on his warning that Tehran will "suffer consequences" if it threatens the United States.
• Iranian Commander to Trump: You Will Start War, We Will End It Sputnik 26 Jul 2018 -- Tensions between Iran and the United States have been mounting rapidly, with Washington trading threats with Tehran and vowing to impose oil trade blockade.
• Imran Khan claims victory in Pakistan's elections amid allegations of vote rigging Press TV 26 Jul 2018 -- Former star cricketer Imran Khan has declared victory in Pakistan's general elections against the party of jailed ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif amid accusations of vote rigging.
• Pakistan's Imran Khan Declares Victory In Elections As Rivals Allege Rigging RFE/RL 26 Jul 2018 -- Pakistani politician and former cricket star Imran Khan has declared victory for his Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf (PTI) party in the country's July 25 national elections that were marred by long delays in vote-tallying and allegations of rigging by rivals.
• Former Cricketer Imran Khan Wins Elections in Pakistan Sputnik 26 Jul 2018 -- The vote for Pakistan's lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, marks only the second time in the country's history since 1947 that a civilian government has handed power over to another government.
• Khan Targets Poverty, Corruption in Pakistan Election Victory Speech VOA 26 Jul 2018 -- Pakistan's former sports-celebrity-turned politician, Imran Khan, in his televised election victory speech Thursday pledged to tackle poverty and endemic corruption through a revamped governance system in the country.
• All Aum Doomsday Cult Members Executed in Japan Sputnik 26 Jul 2018 -- Six more members of Japan's notorious doomsday cult behind a deadly nerve agent attack in a Tokyo subway have been executed, local media reported Thursday.
• China's suppression of Taiwan will draw backlash: Premier Lai CNA 26 Jul 2018 -- China's suppression of Taiwan will not serve its end but will only provoke backlash in the international community, Premier Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said Thursday.
• U.S. congressmen back Taiwan as airlines cave in to China's demand CNA 26 Jul 2018 -- Several members of the United States Congress on Wednesday expressed objection to China's demand that American air carriers stop listing Taiwan as a country on their websites and they warned of the dangers of giving in to such pressure.
• China lodges representations with U.S. over defense bill People's Daily 26 Jul 2018 -- China expressed strong dissatisfaction and opposition on Wednesday to a U.S. defense spending bill which includes propositions aimed at China, and urged the U.S. not to disrupt the stable development of bilateral ties.
• 'We won't tolerate threats,' Turkey warns US Press TV 26 Jul 2018 -- Turkey and the United States engage in a war of words over Ankara's detention of an American pastor on terrorism charges.
• Trump threatens sanctions unless Turkey releases American pastor Press TV 26 Jul 2018 -- US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose "large sanctions" on NATO ally Turkey over its detention of American Christian pastor Andrew Brunson and called on Ankara to immediately release him.
• Trump Threatens Turkey With 'Large Sanctions' Over Detained U.S. Pastor RFE/RL 26 Jul 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington is ready to impose "large sanctions" on Turkey unless authorities there allow a U.S. pastor being detained on house arrest to go free.
• Turkey Refuses to Tolerate Threats as US Warns of Sanctions Over Detained Pastor Sputnik 26 Jul 2018 -- US evangelical pastor Andrew Brunson was moved to house arrest after spending over a year and a half in a Turkish prison on terror and espionage-related charges.
• Theresa May says Brits should rest assured of a smooth Brexit deal Press TV 26 Jul 2018 -- British Prime Minister Theresa May has told the UK public not to worry about Britain's exit from the European Union because she can get a "good deal" with the EU, despite government plans to urgently prepare for a no-deal Brexit, and stockpile food, medicine and blood.
• UN rights experts tell Bahraini govt. to end crackdown on activists, free speech Press TV 26 Jul 2018 -- United Nations human rights experts have called on the Bahraini government to put an end to the repression of activists, restrictions on freedom of speech and discrimination against women.
• Venezuela removes five zeroes from national currency Press TV 26 Jul 2018 -- Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has announced the removal of five zeroes from the national currency as the crisis-ridden Latin American country grapples with hyperinflation.
• Armenian Authorities Charge Ex-President Kocharian Over 2008 Crackdown RFE/RL 26 Jul 2018 -- Armenian authorities have charged former President Robert Kocharian with "overthrowing the constitutional order" and are seeking his pretrial detention on charges related to a crackdown on antigovernment protesters in 2008.
• DR Congo: UN envoy calls for 'a level playing field' in key upcoming elections UN News 26 Jul 2018 -- Major progress has been made on preparations for the upcoming elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but "conditions for a level playing field are not yet in place", said the most senior United Nations official based in the country.
• UN: Right Conditions Needed for Credible Elections in DRC VOA 26 Jul 2018 -- The head of the U.N. mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo warned Thursday that the right conditions are not yet in place for presidential elections this December, and without progress, the credibility of the vote could be compromised.
• Zimbabwe Opposition Will Not Boycott Polls VOA 26 Jul 2018 -- Zimbabwe's main opposition party has ruled out boycotting next week's general election, but still believes the electoral commission is planning to rig the vote to favor the ruling party.
• In First US Visit, Ethiopian Prime Minister Seeks Bridges to Diaspora VOA 26 Jul 2018 -- Ethiopians in Washington are expected to turn out in large numbers Thursday to greet Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who is making his first U.S. visit after instituting a series of transformative reforms in his homeland.
• US Releases Aid to Egypt Withheld Because of Rights Record VOA 26 Jul 2018 -- The Trump administration has released $195 million in military aid to Egypt that had been withheld because of concerns about the country's human rights record.