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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 01 Aug 2018 [PDF]
• Over 150 Daesh terrorists surrender in Afghanistan Press TV 01 Aug 2018 -- Over 150 Daesh Takfiri terrorists have surrendered to Afghan security forces in the northern province of Jawzjan after they were defeated by Taliban.
• At Least 200 IS Fighters 'Surrender' In Northern Afghanistan RFE/RL 01 Aug 2018 -- Dozens of Islamic State (IS) fighters have surrendered to Afghan forces, amid intense fighting between followers of the extremist group and the Taliban in the northern province of Jawzjan, an official says.
• Afghanistan Sets Date For 2019 Presidential Election RFE/RL 01 Aug 2018 -- Afghanistan's electoral authorities say the country will hold its next presidential election on April 20, 2019, six months after parliamentary polls.
• Daesh Commander, 152 Militants Surrender to Military in Afghanistan - Reports Sputnik 01 Aug 2018 -- A senior commander of the Afghan branch of the Daesh terrorist organization and 152 fighters have surrendered to the country's military in northern Afghanistan, Khaama Press News Agency reported on Wednesday.
• Afghan Government Rejects US Plan to Establish Independent Anti-Corruption Body Sputnik 01 Aug 2018 -- The Kabul government has pushed back on a US plan to overhaul anti-corruption efforts amid the complete failure of Afghan courts and the attorney general's office to counter government fraud and graft, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said in a report.
• Death of local UN staffer in latest Afghan suicide attack highlights tragic toll of violence against civilians UN News 01 Aug 2018 -- The death of a local United Nations staff member in a suicide attack on Wednesday in the city of Jalalabad, has highlighted the tragic and relentless effects of terrorist attacks targeting civilians across Afghanistan.
• Taliban Says IS 'Purged' From Northern Afghan Province VOA 01 Aug 2018 -- The Taliban insurgency announced Wednesday it has cleared Afghanistan's northern Jowzjan province of Islamic State, claiming residual IS fighters have fled and surrendered to government forces in the area.

Defense Policy / Programs

• FY19 Defense Authorization Bill Passes Congress in Record Speed DoD 01 Aug 2018 -- The Department of Defense applauds the passage of the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act at the swiftest pace in 20 years. This year's bill passed with overwhelmingly bipartisan support - a vote of 87-10 in the Senate and 359-54 in the House.
• US Congress Passes $716Bln Defense Spending Bill for 2019 Sputnik 01 Aug 2018 -- The US Senate on Wednesday passed the $716 billion National Defense Authorization Act for the fiscal year 2019. The measure passed with an 87-10 vote and now heads to US President Donald Trump's office to be signed into law.
• At the Speed of Relevance': US Air Force Building AI to Sort Drone Data Faster Sputnik 01 Aug 2018 -- The US Air Force says that it must rely on artificial intelligence technology to sift through vast troves of data gathered from surveillance drones because, "if you are not first in developing artificial intelligence and the means to employ [it] … you're going to be last."
• US 10th Fleet Breaks Ground to Compete in Cyberspace with New Reserve Unit NNS 01 Aug 2018 -- As Navy leaders envision the future of the fleet, cyberspace is top of mind.
• Ceremony Marks Opening of Garuda Shield 2018 AFPS 01 Aug 2018 -- With well-rehearsed precision, Indiana Army National Guardsmen from the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team held a joint ceremony here July 30 with their Indonesian army counterparts to mark the opening of the twelfth iteration of Exercise Garuda Shield, a bilateral exercise sponsored by U.S. Army Pacific.
• Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Conducts Underwater Mine Countermeasures during RIMPAC 2018 NNS 01 Aug 2018 -- Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) personnel are conducting underwater mine countermeasure (MCM) operations with a mobile diving center, staged at Naval Base Point Loma, in support of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise 2018 in the southern California (SOCAL) area of operations.
• Red Hill: Fueling RIMPAC and Ensuring Global Strategic Alliances NNS 01 Aug 2018 -- The Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility has issued over 19 million gallons of fuel to U.S. and foreign ships and aircraft participating in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise.
• HM 14 Supports Mine Countermeasure Ops during RIMPAC SOCAL NNS 01 Aug 2018 -- Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron (HM) 14 conducted airborne mine countermeasure (MCM) operations during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in the Southern California (SOCAL) area of operations as part of Combined Task Force (CTF) 177.
• Naval, Maritime Experts Train Together during RIMPAC for First Time NNS 01 Aug 2018 -- Naval and merchant maritime experts partnered together to deliver enhanced maritime domain awareness (MDA) for the first time in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise 2018.
• US Senators Privately Assured NATO Members of Support for Alliance - Reports Sputnik 01 Aug 2018 -- The US president has expressed skepticism regarding NATO's usefulness on multiple occasions and has even reportedly threatened to leave the bloc unless other members start spending more on their defense.
• NATO Using New Mission Set to Address Southern Flank AFPS 01 Aug 2018 -- Peace, stability and the rule of law are at the heart of security, and the NATO alliance is using a non-traditional effort called NATO Strategic Direction South to encourage this process.
• North-South General-Level Military Talks Held KCNA 01 Aug 2018 -- The north-south general-level military talks took place at the "House of Peace" in the south side portion of Panmunjom on Tuesday to implement the Panmunjom Declaration.
• PLA to end commercial services People's Daily 01 Aug 2018 -- President Xi Jinping has called for greater resolve and synergy in efforts to put an end to commercial activities of the military across the board.
• Xi requires resolute ending of military's paid services People's Daily 01 Aug 2018 -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Tuesday stressed resolute efforts to terminate all paid services provided by the armed forces.
• Defense ministry holds reception to celebrate PLA founding anniversary People's Daily 01 Aug 2018 -- A reception was held by the Ministry of National Defense on Tuesday to celebrate the 91st anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), which falls on Aug. 1.
• China Committed to Maintaining Defensive Nature of Military Policy - Minister Sputnik 01 Aug 2018 -- China intends to follow the path of peaceful development and further stick to the defense policy which is entirely defensive in nature, Defense Minister Wei Fenghe said on Wednesday.
• India Expresses Apprehension Over Military Pact Ahead of US Delegation's Arrival Sputnik 01 Aug 2018 -- A senior fellow of a New Delhi-based think-tank has warned that the COMCASA would restrict India's defense ties with Russia, invite periodic inspection by the US of Indian weapons platforms, while still subjecting India's access to US weapons systems to various export control regimes.
• Swedish Gov't Expected to Approve Purchase of US Patriot Systems – Reports Sputnik 01 Aug 2018 -- The Swedish government intends to decide in favor of purchasing the US Patriot air defense missile system on August 2, SR radio station reported.
• Reports: Iran Preparing for Major Military Exercise VOA 01 Aug 2018 -- Iran is preparing to soon begin a massive military exercise in the Persian Gulf that could demonstrate Tehran's ability to shut down the Strait of Hormuz.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 01, 2018

Other Conflicts

• 1 August 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 01 Aug 2018
• UN bodies alarmed at humanitarian crisis in Yemen Press TV 01 Aug 2018 -- The United Nations Children's Fund and Food Program have voiced grave concern about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Yemen, especially in its lifeline port city of al-Hudaydah.
• Invaders stuck in Yemen: Ansarullah IRNA 01 Aug 2018 -- The invaders underestimated the people and the Army of Yemen and have got stuck in Yemen's quagmire, a member of Ansarullah Political Council told the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on Wednesday.
• Saudis fire 200 missiles, mortar shells at Saada IRNA 01 Aug 2018 -- Saudi military forces have targeted residential areas in Saada Province with over 200 missiles and mortar shells, Yemeni TV Channel 'Al-Masirah reported.
• Yemen's Houthis unilaterally halt retaliatory attacks in Red Sea Press TV 01 Aug 2018 -- Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement has unilaterally suspended its retaliatory attacks in the Red Sea, from where Saudi-led warships have been targeting the war-torn state, especially its strategic port city of Hudaydah.
• Yemen's Houthis Declare Two-Week Halt of Military Ops in Red Sea - Official Sputnik 01 Aug 2018 -- The Defense Ministry of the government of the Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement declared a two-week suspension of military operations in the Red Sea after a recent attack on Saudi oil tankers, the Houthis' Supreme Revolutionary Committee head Mohammed Ali al-Houthi wrote in a statement published on Twitter Wednesday.
• Yemen: Attacks on water facilities, civilian infrastructure, breach 'basic laws of war' says UNICEF UN News 01 Aug 2018 -- Ongoing violence and attacks on civilian infrastructure in Hudaydah directly threaten hundreds of thousands of children and their families in Yemen, according to the head of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in a statement released on Wednesday
• Army liberates al-Qasir village in Daraa countryside IRNA 01 Aug 2018 -- Syrian army units clashed with the last groups of Daesh (ISIS) terrorists in the village of al-Qasir.

  The army continued to advance and encircle the remnants of terrorists in the village as their last hotbeds were destroyed and the village was declared free of terrorism, SANA reporter in Daraa said.

• Syria's army retakes more towns in southwest Press TV 01 Aug 2018 -- Syrian army troops have liberated more towns in southwestern Syria from the foreign-backed Takfiri militants.
• Syrian president praises armed forces for sacrifices in battle against terrorism Press TV 01 Aug 2018 -- President Bashar al-Assad has hailed the achievements of Syrian Armed Forces on the battlefield against foreign-backed militant groups, saying final victory over terrorism is close thanks to their sacrifices.
• Syrian Servicemen Ambushed in Dumayr, Brigadier General Killed - Source Sputnik 01 Aug 2018 -- Daesh* terrorist organization militants organized an ambush near Dumayr airport in the Syrian province of Damascus. As a result, three officers and 10 Syrian servicemen were killed, a Syrian security service source told Sputnik Wednesday.
• Myanmar roundly shamed over human rights inquiry panel Press TV 01 Aug 2018 -- Various human rights activists and observers have roundly denounced Myanmar's decision to appoint a commission of inquiry into widespread human rights abuses perpetrated with the state's own backing and with the military's direct participation against the Rohingya Muslim community.
• Ukrainian Leader Poroshenko Looks To Sue Russia Over Donbas, Crimea RFE/RL 01 Aug 2018 -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has ordered the creation of a body to prepare a lawsuit against Russia for damages caused by separatists whom Moscow supports in the Donbas region and for its illegal annexation of the Crimea Peninsula.
• UN officials call for children's rights to be respected in Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel UN News 01 Aug 2018 -- Children's rights continue to be violated in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Israel, according to three leading UN officials in the region who on Wednesday called on all parties responsible to take concrete and immediate steps to "allow children to live free of fear and to realize all their rights".

News Reports

• Irked Trump says Russia probe should end 'right now' Press TV 01 Aug 2018 -- US President Donald Trump has again lashed out at an ongoing investigation into an alleged collusion between his 2016 election campaign and Russia, saying it should end "right now".
• Manafort Trial Nears End Of Second Day As Trump Calls For Probe Shutdown RFE/RL 01 Aug 2018 -- The trial of U.S. President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, has nearly completed its second day in a federal court in the state of Virginia as Trump called on his attorney general to shut down the related probe of Russian election meddling.
• U.S. Prosecutors Detail Lavish Spending Of Trump's Ex-Campaign Chief RFE/RL 01 Aug 2018 -- U.S. prosecutors drilled deep into Paul Manafort's lavish lifestyle and spending habits, as they continued building their case that President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman committed bank fraud and tax evasion.
• Facebook Finds 'Sophisticated' Effort To Influence U.S. Election; Russia Suspected RFE/RL 01 Aug 2018 -- Facebook says it has discovered "sophisticated" efforts, possibly linked to Russia, to manipulate U.S. politics ahead of November's congressional elections, setting off a fury among politicians in Washington.
• More Than One--Quarter Of Russians Ready To Protest: Levada Poll RFE/RL 01 Aug 2018 -- A new poll shows that more than one-quarter of Russians are ready to protest against the economic policies of President Vladimir Putin's government - the highest number since Putin came to power in 2000.
• What Are Russian Military Contractors Doing In The Central African Republic? RFE/RL 01 Aug 2018 -- The three Russian journalists who were killed in the Central African Republic (CAR) this week had arrived in the war-torn country to investigate the reported presence there of a shadowy Russian paramilitary force whose units are said to have fought in Ukraine and Syria.
• OSCE Envoy 'Saddened And Shocked' By Killing Of Russian Journalists RFE/RL 01 Aug 2018 -- The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) media-freedom representative says he is "deeply saddened and shocked" by the killing of three Russian journalists who were investigating the activities of a Russian paramilitary organization in the Central African Republic (CAR).
• Russian Journalists Investigating Paramilitary Group Killed In Africa RFE/RL 01 Aug 2018 -- Three Russian journalists investigating the activities of a Russian paramilitary organization in the Central African Republic were ambushed and killed, their news outlet and local authorities say.
• Inter-Korean Conventional Military Reductions Tied to Denuclearization VOA 01 Aug 2018 -- Inter-Korean military talks have so far yielded trust building measures, but no significant reductions in troops or artillery at the border
• Anti-Government Protests Persist in Iranian City VOA 01 Aug 2018 -- Several hundred Iranians have staged a second day of anti-government street protests in Iran's third-largest city, Isfahan, in a sign of persistent public anger about the country's economic woes.
• Iran describes Russia's role in JCPOA as 'positive' IRNA 01 Aug 2018 -- Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani on Wednesday described the role of Russia in saving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as 'positive'.
• FM Zarif urges US to respect int'l commitments IRNA 01 Aug 2018 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a message referred to US unilateral withdrawal from Iran nuclear deal, urging the country to respect international commitments.
• "Iran sanctions at odds with Trump's call for dialogue" ISNA 01 Aug 2018 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi says Tehran believes in dialogue and logic, but the basic requirements for holding negotiation cannot be seen in the words and behaviours of US President Donald Trump and his administration.
• Trump says could talk with Iran "pretty soon" People's Daily 01 Aug 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States and Iran could meet "pretty soon."
• Iran to float pricing for Dollar after Rial's drastic crash Press TV 01 Aug 2018 -- Iran is working on a plan to create a floating mechanism for pricing the US Dollar to help prevent further depreciation of its national currency which lost its value by above 14 percent within only hours this past Sunday.
• Iran no longer vulnerable to US gasoline sanctions Press TV 01 Aug 2018 -- As the United States is preparing to re-impose a series of economic sanctions against Iran, signs show Washington will not be able to exploit what was generally believed to be Iran's Achilles heel in the previous round of sanctions.
• Iranians will never allow talks with US: IRGC commander Press TV 01 Aug 2018 -- The chief commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) rebuffs US President Donald Trump's offer of talks with Tehran, saying the Iranian nation will never allow their officials to hold talks with the "Great Satan" and will, instead, stay on the path of resistance against pressure.
• Iran's Parliament Summons Rohani Over Economic Woes Amid Street Protests RFE/RL 01 Aug 2018 -- Iranian lawmakers have given President Hassan Rohani one month to appear before parliament to answer questions amid growing public discontent over the country's deepening economic difficulties.
• Things Are So Bad In Iran That Afghan Migrants Are Going Home RFE/RL 01 Aug 2018 -- Sporting a long, graying beard and a dusty scarf, Noor Mohammad exits a gritty restaurant in the Afghan capital, where he has been trying to find work for weeks.
• 'PR Stunts': Iran Unimpressed As Trump Predicts 'Talks Soon' Sputnik 01 Aug 2018 -- Trump's peaceful overture to Iran marks a significant shift in tone after months of trading barbs with Tehran in wake of his walking away from the landmark nuclear deal and the threat to re-impose full sanctions on the Islamic Republic from August 6.
• CPC meeting stresses economic stability in H2, Party discipline People's Daily 01 Aug 2018 -- China will keep its economy on a stable and healthy development track with a proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy in the second half of 2018, according to a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Tuesday.
• Ethnic Kazakh Who Testified About 'Reeducation Camps' In China Will Not Be Deported RFE/RL 01 Aug 2018 -- A court in Kazakhstan has convicted ethnic Kazakh Chinese citizen Sairagul Sauytbay of illegal border crossing, but ordered her release and said she will not be deported to China, where she feared she would face "the most extreme" punishment.
• UN Urges India Not to Strip Millions of People of Their Rights VOA 01 Aug 2018 -- U.N. agencies are urging Indian authorities to ensure that more than four million people threatened with statelessness retain their basic rights and access to services while their claims of citizenship are under review.
• New cluster of Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - World Health Organization UN News 01 Aug 2018 -- The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) announced on Wednesday that preliminary laboratory results indicate a new cluster of cases of the deadly Ebola virus in North Kivu province.
• Deadly Ebola Outbreak Confirmed in Eastern DRC VOA 01 Aug 2018 -- Four cases of the Ebola virus have been confirmed in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, officials confirmed Wednesday.
• US imposes sanctions on 2 Turkish officials over detention of US pastor Press TV 01 Aug 2018 -- The United States Treasury Department is imposing sanctions on two Turkish officials over detention of a US pastor.
• White House Announces Sanctions on Turkish Ministers Over Detention of US Pastor Sputnik 01 Aug 2018 -- The sanctions were introduced by Washington against Turkish officials, including Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül and Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu due to the detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson.
• Treasury Sanctions Turkish Officials with Leading Roles in Unjust Detention of U.S. Pastor Andrew Brunson US Treasury 01 Aug 2018 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action today targeting Turkey's Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gul and Minister of Interior Suleyman Soylu, both of whom played leading roles in the organizations responsible for the arrest and detention of Pastor Andrew Brunson. These officials serve as leaders of Turkish government organizations responsible for implementing Turkey's serious human rights abuses, and are being targeted pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13818, "Blocking the Property of Persons Involved in Serious Human Rights Abuse or Corruption," which builds upon Treasury's Global Magnitsky Act authorities.
• US Targets Turkish Officials for Sanctions Over Pastor's Detention VOA 01 Aug 2018 -- Turkey says it strongly protests the decision by the United States to impose sanctions on two of its government officials over the detention of a U.S. pastor accused of aiding terrorists.
• Zimbabwe's Ruling Party Wins Majority in Parliament VOA 01 Aug 2018 -- Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party has won a majority in parliament, according to partial results released Wednesday.
• Clashes Erupt as Zimbabwe Election Results Delayed VOA 01 Aug 2018 -- Two people were shot dead in Zimbabwe's capital Wednesday as security forces clashed with protesters who were demanding the release of presidential election results.
• Zimbabwe opposition march turns into bloodshed in Harare Press TV 01 Aug 2018 -- At least one person has been killed in Zimbabwe's capital when security forces fired on opposition supporters protesting against what they say was electoral fraud.
• Zanu-PF wins most parliamentary seats in post-Mugabe Zimbabwe Press TV 01 Aug 2018 -- Zimbabwe's ruling party ZANU-PF has won the majority of seats in parliamentary elections, official results show, as vote counting continues separately in the presidential vote.
• 'Exercise restraint,' UN urges Zimbabwe after post-election violence UN News 01 Aug 2018 -- After reported attacks on demonstrators protesting election results in Zimbabwe that have left three dead, the United Nations called on the country's leaders on Wednesday to reject any form of violence.
• Kocharian's Arrest: 'Velvet' Victory Or Vendetta? RFE/RL 01 Aug 2018 -- Robert Kocharian became the first former head of state of an ex-Soviet republic to be jailed after a court in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, on July 27 ordered him to be held in pretrial detention.
• Djibouti Slams Call for End to Eritrea Sanctions VOA 01 Aug 2018 -- Djibouti, an increasingly strategic nation in the Horn of Africa, has condemned last week's call by Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed for the lifting of U.N. sanctions against Eritrea.