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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 03 Aug 2018 [PDF]
• Update: air strikes against Daesh UK MOD 03 Aug 2018 -- The RAF are continuing to take the fight to Daesh in Syria.
• Shia mosque bombing kills nearly 40 in Afghanistan Press TV 03 Aug 2018 -- Nearly 40 people have been killed and dozens more injured in a bombing and shooting attack at a Shia mosque in eastern Afghanistan near Pakistan's border.
• At Least 25 Killed In Afghan Suicide Bombings RFE/RL 03 Aug 2018 -- Afghan police say at least 25 people have been killed in twin suicide blasts at a Shi'ite mosque in southeastern Afghanistan.
• Afghan Special Forces Free 61 From Taliban Captivity RFE/RL 03 Aug 2018 -- Afghan special forces have freed 61 captives held by the Taliban in an operation in the southern province of Helmand, the military says.
• Suicide attack killing dozens at prayer in Afghan mosque 'may amount to war crimes,' says top UN official UN News 03 Aug 2018 -- A suicide attack that took place inside a Shia mosque in Afghanistan during Friday prayers, killing 48 and injuring more than 70, has been condemned by the head of the UN Mission in the country who said it "may amount to war crimes."
• Washington State National Guard Musters for Wildfire Support AFPS 03 Aug 2018 -- Nearly 150 Washington National Guardsmen have been activated to support wildland firefighting efforts in the state of Washington.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US defense bill mainly targets Russia, China and Turkey Press TV 03 Aug 2018 -- A US defense policy bill for fiscal year 2019 puts emphasis on two Washington's "potential adversaries," namely Russia and China, and punishes Turkey for planning to buy a Russian missile defense system.
• Hill AFB Airmen, aircraft progress together as F-35A program matures AFNS 03 Aug 2018 -- Two years after the Air Force declared initial operational capability for the F-35A Lightning II, pilots and maintainers at Hill Air Force Base's active duty 388th and reserve 419th Fighter Wings are steadily erasing the word "initial" from in front of "operational capability."
• Nations to Partner for Exercise Rapid Trident 18 in Ukraine Army News 03 Aug 2018 -- Exercise Rapid Trident 2018 will take place Sept. 3-15, 2018, at the Yavoriv Combat Training Center, Ukraine.
• Naval Oceanography Using RIMPAC '18 to Take Next Step in ASW NNS 03 Aug 2018 -- The Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command's (NMOC) newly published strategic plan focuses on people, capabilities and innovations. The plan's priorities are driving NMOC's participation in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise this year by using new an innovative techniques to exploit the environment in the undersea domain. RIMPAC is the world's largest maritime exercise.
• On Scene, Unseen: RIMPAC Submarines Showcase Capability in Undersea Domain NNS 03 Aug 2018 -- Multinational submarine forces conducted high-tech scenario-based exercises in the undersea domain enhancing partnership and cooperation during the world's largest international maritime exercise, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) June 27 through August 2.
• Royal New Zealand Navy leads undersea mine countermeasures effort in a RIMPAC first NNS 03 Aug 2018 -- In a Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise first, Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin Martin, commander, HMNZS Matataua, based in Auckland, New Zealand, served as the undersea mine countermeasures commander (UMCMC) in the Southern California (SOCAL) area of operations.
• Complex Mine warfare training complete in RIMPAC SOCAL NNS 03 Aug 2018 -- The tactical free play phase of Mine Warfare operations in the Southern California (SOCAL) area of operations in support of the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise finished today. The tactical free play phase is one of the five phases of the exercise, and the most complex training for participating units in mine warfare operations.
• US Navy Considered $1 Billion Plan for Breaking Down Old Nuclear-Powered Carrier Sputnik 03 Aug 2018 -- The US Navy has yet to choose a way forward for dismantling the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier. The delay has been motivated in part by the fact that disposing of the nuclear-powered craft could cost more than $1 billion ‒ a pill the Navy is loathe to swallow.
• Latvia - UH-60M Black Hawk Helicopters DSCA 03 Aug 2018 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Latvia of four (4) UH-60M Black Hawk Helicopters and related equipment for an estimated cost of $200 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• China, 10 ASEAN nations hold naval drill in Singapore Press TV 03 Aug 2018 -- The navies of China and Southeast Asian countries have carried out their first emergency naval drill amid lingering maritime disputes in the South China Sea.
• India Successfully Develops Next-Gen Software-Defined Naval Radios Sputnik 03 Aug 2018 -- The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has claimed that the state-of-the-art ship borne software-defined radios are similar to those made by Rhode and Schwarz of Germany, Thales of France and Harris of the US.
• India and the UN: Celebrating 70 years of invaluable service to the cause of peace UN News 03 Aug 2018 -- From protecting civilians, disarming ex-combatants and helping countries transition from conflict to peace, Indian men and women in uniform have served the cause of peace from the earliest years of United Nations peacekeeping and continue to do so in some of the most challenging missions.
• Sweden to buy Patriot missiles after Trump pressure Press TV 03 Aug 2018 -- Sweden says it has given the authorization to its military to purchase the Patriot air defense missile system from the United States amid what has been cited as rising threats by Russia.
• Remarks at the U.S.-ASEAN Ministerial US Dept. of State 03 Aug 2018 -- Remarks by Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 03, 2018

Other Conflicts

• 3 August 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 03 Aug 2018
• Taiwan willing to participate in talks over South China Sea: MOFA CNA 03 Aug 2018 -- Taiwan has the capacity and is willing to participate in multilateral negotiations in a joint effort to promote peace and stability in the South China Sea, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Friday.
• Japan Slams South Korea for Sending Its Ship to Disputed Islands Sputnik 03 Aug 2018 -- Tokyo filed a protest with Seoul on Friday over a ship researching waters around a group of South Korea's tiny islets contested by Japan, cabinet spokesman Yoshihide Suga said.
• UN health agency warns of new Yemen cholera surge after Saudi strikes hit medical facilities Press TV 03 Aug 2018 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that Yemen is likely to be struck by another "major wave" of cholera cases after a series of airstrikes by Saudi Arabia struck water facilities and medical infrastructure in the port city of Hudaydah.
• Fresh Yemen hospital attack raises risk of new cholera epidemic UN News 03 Aug 2018 -- A deadly attack on one of the last functioning hospitals in Yemen in the key port city of Hudaydah has put hundreds of thousands of people at risk and damaged efforts to prevent a third cholera epidemic in the war-torn country, top UN officials warned on Friday.
• WHO: Yemen May Be on Verge of New Deadly Cholera Epidemic VOA 03 Aug 2018 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) warns Yemen may be on the verge of another cholera epidemic, which could be deadlier than previous ones because of widespread malnutrition in the war-torn country.
• Turkey working to forestall Idlib offensive by Syria: Report Press TV 03 Aug 2018 -- Turkey is reportedly working to stave off an imminent Syrian army offensive to dislodge terrorists from Idlib which is the last major territory still in militant hands.
• Around 890,000 Refugees to Return to Syria in Coming Months - Russian Military Sputnik 03 Aug 2018 -- Around 890,000 Syrian refugees will return to their homes in Syria in the coming months, head of Russia's National Defense Control Center, Col. Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev, said Friday.
• Israel: Iran-Backed Fighters Cannot Stay in Golan Region VOA 03 Aug 2018 -- Israeli lawmakers say Israel will not tolerate Iranian-backed Shiite fighters remaining near its northern frontier with Syria, signaling Israeli suspicion of Russian assurances that Iranian forces have left the area.
• South Sudan President to Sign Revised Power-sharing Deal VOA 03 Aug 2018 -- South Sudanese President Salva Kiir said Friday he plans to sign a final power-sharing deal with rebels and other opposition groups intended to end the country's nearly five-year civil war.
• Israel makes rare threat of military intervention in Bab el-Mandeb Press TV 03 Aug 2018 -- Israel has for the first time publicly threatened to intervene militarily in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait which is under the de facto control of Yemen's popular Houthi Ansarullah movement.
• Ethiopia: humanitarians scale up life-saving aid to over 1 million forcibly displaced by violence in the south-west UN News 03 Aug 2018 -- To address the urgent needs of more than a million displaced by inter-communal violence in southwestern Ethiopia over the past four months, UN humanitarian agencies and their partners are ramping up their efforts, providing among other things shelter, household items, water and sanitation, and food to the most vulnerable.
• UN Investigator: Atrocities in DRC Fall Short of Genocide VOA 03 Aug 2018 -- The allegations in the DRC are horrendous: mass rapes, mutilations and beheadings.

News Reports

• Trump's aides say Russia still meddling in US elections Press TV 03 Aug 2018 -- Senior intelligence and national security officials in the administration of US President Donald Trump claim that Russia is behind "pervasive and ongoing" attempts to influence upcoming US elections, a threat Trump has repeatedly dismissed and played down.
• Manafort Prosecutors Grill Accountants About Tax Filings, Foreign Bank Accounts RFE/RL 03 Aug 2018 -- U.S. lawyers combed through years of business documents and income-tax returns for Paul Manafort, as they built their arguments that President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman committed tax evasion and fraud.
• Day Four: Accountant Testifies How She Helped Hide Manafort's Ukraine Income RFE/RL 03 Aug 2018 -- A former accountant testified how she helped falsify income and tax statements for Paul Manafort, U.S. President Donald Trump's ex-campaign chairman, as prosecutors further buttressed their tax and bank fraud case against him.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, August 3, 2018 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 03 Aug 2018
• Pompeo: North Korea's weapons program continues Press TV 03 Aug 2018 -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says North Korea continues work on its weapons programs despite its leader Kim Jong-un's promise to denuclearize.
• Russia allows entry of thousands of North Korean workers: WSJ Press TV 03 Aug 2018 -- A US report says Russia has violated UN sanctions against North Korea by allowing thousands of North Korean laborers to work in the country.
• U.S. Sanctions Russian Bank For 'Facilitating' Illicit North Korea Transactions RFE/RL 03 Aug 2018 -- The U.S. Treasury has targeted a Russian bank for "facilitating a significant transaction" on behalf of a person with ties to North Korea's banned weapons program.
• Treasury Targets Russian Bank and Other Facilitators of North Korean United Nations Security Council Violations US Treasury 03 Aug 2018 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today announced additional sanctions related to North Korea, continuing the enforcement of existing UN and U.S. sanctions. Today's action targets a Russian bank for knowingly facilitating a significant transaction on behalf of an individual designated for weapons of mass destruction-related activities in connection with North Korea. OFAC also targeted one individual and two entities for facilitating North Korean illicit financial activity.
• Sanctions Could Complicate Return of Remains from North Korea VOA 03 Aug 2018 -- Recovering the remains of U.S. soldiers killed during the Korean War could be complicated by restrictions under international sanctions, experts said, even though the White House is hailing the effort as "the momentum for positive change" in relations between the United States and North Korea.
• China says will impose additional tariffs on $60bn worth of US imports Press TV 03 Aug 2018 -- China says it will impose additional tariffs on $60 billion worth of US imports, including liquefied natural gas (LNG) and aircraft, in response to US President Donald Trump's plan to increase duties on Chinese goods worth $200 billion.
• Mnangagwa declared winner as opposition rejects result Press TV 03 Aug 2018 -- Emmerson Mnangagwa has been declared the winner of Zimbabwe's presidential election, but the opposition has rejected the results and accused the ruling party of vote rigging.
• Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Declares Victory of Incumbent President Mnangagwa Sputnik 03 Aug 2018 -- Following the official announcement of Emmerson Mnangagwa's victory in Zimbabwe's presidential election, members of rival party the MDC alliance were removed by the local police from the Electoral Commission (ZEC) after their rejection of the final outcome.
• Zimbabwe's Elections US Dept. of State 03 Aug 2018 -- Zimbabwe's July 30 elections presented the country with an historic chance to move beyond the political and economic crises of the past and toward profound democratic change. The Zimbabwean people turned out massively to cast their votes, underscoring their aspirations for a better future, despite challenges during the pre-election period.
• Zimbabwe Victor Urges Unity; Rival Challenges Election Result VOA 03 Aug 2018 -- Emmerson Mnangagwa called Friday on his country to unite, a day after he was declared the narrow winner of Zimbabwe's presidential election, while the opposition leader said the poll was a fraud and pledged to challenge the result.
• Zimbabwe Opposition Says Presidential Poll Was Rigged VOA 03 Aug 2018 -- Zimbabwean opposition leader Nelson Chamisa has rejected official results showing he lost Monday's presidential election to incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa. Chamisa said Friday he would pursue all available routes, including protests, to reclaim what he called the "stolen vote."
• Pakistan's opposition groups to challenge Khan with own PM candidate in parliament Press TV 03 Aug 2018 -- Pakistan's two former dominant political parties have pledged to stop Imran Khan from taking power.
• Fairness Allegations Haunt Khan's Newly Elected Party of 'Change' VOA 03 Aug 2018 -- A week after Pakistan went to the polls and the party of internationally renowned cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan claimed victory, questions continue to rise over the fairness and transparency of the polling process.
• Pakistani Extremists' Poll Success Stirs Unease VOA 03 Aug 2018 -- Many in Pakistan are concerned about strong performance of several extremist religious parties with links to terror groups in recent elections and those groups' emergence in the country's political arena.
• Tajik Authorities Identify Five Suspects In Attack On Foreign Cyclists RFE/RL 03 Aug 2018 -- Officials in Tajikistan have released the names of five men they say carried out a July 29 attack that left four foreign cyclists dead and three injured.
• Conflict in new Ebola zone of DR Congo exacerbates complexity of response: WHO emergency response chief UN News 03 Aug 2018 -- Protecting vulnerable people in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from the latest Ebola Virus outbreak is going to be "very, very complex", given the huge logistical challenges and ongoing conflict there, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.
• WHO: Congo's Newest Ebola Outbreak Poses Huge Challenge VOA 03 Aug 2018 -- Preparations are being made to send thousands of Ebola vaccines next week to North Kivu, the site of the latest outbreak of this deadly disease.
• NASA assigns crews to first test flights, missions on commercial spacecraft AFNS 03 Aug 2018 -- NASA introduced to the world on Friday the first U.S. astronauts who will fly on American-made, commercial spacecraft to and from the International Space Station – an endeavor that will return astronaut launches to U.S. soil for the first time since the space shuttle's retirement in 2011.