08 August 2018 Military News

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 08 Aug 2018 [PDF]

Media Availability with General Joseph L. Votel, Commander, U.S. Central Command, in the Pentagon DoD 08 Aug 2018 -- Presenter: Army General Joseph L. Votel, Commander, U.S. Central Command
Centcom Commander: Afghan Government Will Prosecute ISIS-K Terrorists AFPS 08 Aug 2018 -- Fighters with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-Khorasan terror group being held in Afghanistan will be prosecuted for their crimes, the commander of U.S. Central Command told Pentagon reporters today.
No Afghan Security Personnel Killed In U.S. Air Strike, Army Says RFE/RL 08 Aug 2018 -- The U.S. military says it has determined that no Afghan security forces were killed in an air strike during a battle against the Taliban in eastern Afghanistan earlier this week.
Afghanistan's Captured IS Fighters Being 'Treated as War Prisoners' VOA 08 Aug 2018 -- The top U.S. military commander in the Middle East says Afghanistan has assured the United States that Islamic State-Khorasan fighters captured in the country's north "will be treated as war prisoners."

Defense Policy / Programs

Poland Hosts First Deployable Air Base System Exercise AFPS 08 Aug 2018 -- Members of the U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and Army participated in the first Deployable Air Base System proof of concept exercise at the 31st Tactical Air Base here July 16-Aug. 13.
U.S., Allies Aim to Maintain Free, Open Indo-Pacific Region AFPS 08 Aug 2018 -- The current international order has been a boon for the nations of Southeast Asia, and the United States is working to ensure the nations of the region and world continue to enjoy the benefits of that order, the assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs said yesterday.
American-Italian Partners Improve Power Projection Capabilities at USAG Italy Army News 08 Aug 2018 -- U.S. and Italian partners at U.S. Army Garrison Italy improved their skills in readying deployable units, specifically the 173rd Airborne Brigade for rapid deployment from south of the Alps during a recent Installation Staging Area Proof of Principle exercise.
Georgia Guardsmen deliver in multinational exercise Army News 08 Aug 2018 -- Militaries from four nations participated today in the first ever helicopter troop insertion exercise by Georgian Special Operation Forces at the Vaziani Training Area, Georgia on Aug.6, 2018. The exercise included the U.S. Army, U.S. Army National Guard, Ukrainian Infantry Marines and mechanized infantry from the German Bundeswehr.
Oak Hill Returns from Six Month Deployment NNS 08 Aug 2018 -- The Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) returned to Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story , Aug. 7, following a six-month deployment to the U.S. 5th and U.S. 6th Fleet areas of operations .
RIMPAC Participants Transform DJC2 Into a MOC NNS 08 Aug 2018 -- Navy organizations partnered at the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise 2018 to use the Deployable Joint Command and Control (DJC2) system in an unprecedented way, enabling important new warfighting capabilities from mid-June through Aug. 2.
Disaster Relief: How Can AI Improve Humanitarian Assistance? NNS 08 Aug 2018 -- The unique topic of artificial intelligence (AI) for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) was in the spotlight last week, as leading minds from academia, industry and the federal government met to discuss how modern technology can help victims of disasters around the globe.

Estonia Searching For Missile Accidentally Fired During NATO Air Exercise RFE/RL 08 Aug 2018 -- Estonian military helicopters are looking for a missile after it was accidentally fired over the country's southern skies on August 7 by a Spanish fighter jet participating in a NATO training mission.
Estonian Military Continues Search for Accidentally Fired Spanish Missile Sputnik 08 Aug 2018 -- The Estonian military continues searching for a missile that was accidentally fired by a Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon during NATO's Baltic air-policing mission, spokesman for the Estonian Defense Forces Capt. Aivo Vahemets said on Wednesday.

Royal Navy Monitoring Russian Warships' Passage Through UK Waters Sputnik 08 Aug 2018 -- The UK Royal Navy said in a statement on Wednesday that its destroyer HMS Diamond was monitoring the overnight passage of Russian destroyer Severomorsk and cruiser Marshal Ustinov through the English Channel.
UK's Next-Gen Nuclear Deterrent Risks Delays Over Faulty Welding in US - Reports Sputnik 08 Aug 2018 -- The United Kingdom's next-generation nuclear submarines may be delayed due to a welding defect in ballistic missile tubes designed and manufactured in the United States, The Times newspaper reported on Wednesday.
Defence Secretary confirms UK-US relationship remains unparalleled UK MOD 08 Aug 2018 -- The USA has no greater friend on the global stage than the UK, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has reaffirmed during a visit to Washington, DC.

Pakistan, Russia Sign Rare Military Cooperation Pact VOA 08 Aug 2018 -- Pakistan has wrapped up a groundbreaking contract with Russia that would, for the first time, open doors for Russian military training of Pakistani army officers.

China 'successfully tests first hypersonic aircraft' Press TV 08 Aug 2018 -- China says it has successfully tested its first hypersonic aircraft, which can carry nuclear warheads with a capability of evading any missile defense system.

Commander: Iranian Army Airborne unit strongest in region IRNA 08 Aug 2018 -- Commander of Army Airborne Brigadier General Yusuf Qorbani said on Wednesday that in spite of imposed military sanctions of the US and the west, Iran has the strongest helicopters fleet in the region.
Iran rejects UK daily's claim on transfer of missile parts ISNA 08 Aug 2018 -- Iran has flatly denied the claim made by the British newspaper Evening Standard on transferring missile parts from London to Iran.

Record Number of Israeli Women to Serve in Armed Forces' Combat Units - Reports Sputnik 08 Aug 2018 -- A thousand Israeli women have volunteered to serve in the Armed Forces' combat units, the highest figure compared to those recorded in previous years, Galei Tzahal radio reported on Wednesday following the end of the military conscription period.

Kazakh President Appoints New Defense Minister RFE/RL 07 Aug 2018 -- President Nursultan Nazarbaev has appointed a new defense minister.

Taiwan Positions Land-Attack Cruise Missile Toward Mainland China Sputnik 08 Aug 2018 -- Satellite imagery published by Kanwa Defense Review shows that Taiwan has positioned a land-attack cruise missile toward mainland China that is capable of targeting several cities along the country's southeast coast.

Defense Industry

DoD News: Contracts for August 08, 2018

Other Conflicts

8 August 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 Aug 2018

Oral Cholera Vaccination Campaign in Yemen Falls Short VOA 08 Aug 2018 -- More than one-quarter million people in Yemen have been immunized against cholera. But, the three-day oral cholera vaccination campaign, held by the World Health Organization and U.N. children's fund between August 4 and 6, has fallen short of its mark by half.
Yemeni targets Saudi Arabia's Jizan Industrial City with ballistic missile Press TV 08 Aug 2018 -- Yemeni army forces have targeted the Jizan Industrial City in southern Saudi Arabia with domestically-manufactured Badr-1 ballistic missile.
Yemeni army soldiers, allies hit border posts in Saudi Arabia's Jizan, Najran regions Press TV 08 Aug 2018 -- Yemeni army forces, supported by allied fighters from Popular Committees, have targeted Saudi border posts in the kingdom's southern provinces of Jizan and Najran with rockets and artillery rounds, leaving a number of Saudi soldiers dead and injured.

UN calls on Myanmar to improve conditions for Rohingya repatriation Press TV 08 Aug 2018 -- The United Nations has urged Myanmar to improve conditions in Rakhine to pave the way for the safe return of Rohingya Muslims who fled violence in the western state into Bangladesh, and to ensure clear procedures to grant citizenship to those eligible.
UN Calls on Myanmar to Improve Conditions for Safe Return of Rohingyas VOA 08 Aug 2018 -- The United Nations is calling on Myanmar to live up to an agreement that would give the world body full access to northern Rakhine state, the scene of last year's brutal military crackdown on the region's Rohingya Muslims.

Israeli regime to construct three new settlements in Negev desert Press TV 08 Aug 2018 -- Israeli officials have approved plans for the construction of three new settlements in the Negev desert irrespective of the international outcry against the Tel Aviv regime's land expropriation and settlement expansion policies in occupied Palestinian territories.
'Well-being of two million' in Gaza at stake as emergency fuel runs dry: UN humanitarian coordinator UN News 08 Aug 2018 -- To avert hospital closures and raw sewage overflowing onto the streets of Gaza, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator on Wednesday called on Israeli authorities to allow UN-purchased emergency fuel back across the border of the Palestinian enclave.

Colombia swears in new president, fate of FARC deal in limbo Press TV 08 Aug 2018 -- Colombia has sworn in a new president, Ivan Duque, who has been critical of the previous administration's landmark peace deal with FARC, formerly an armed rebel group.
Colombia's New President Vows to Alter Peace Deal With FARC Rebels Sputnik 08 Aug 2018 -- New President of Colombia Ivan Duque said he wanted to make changes to a landmark peace agreement with leftist rebels.

News Reports

Ex-Manafort aide testifies his boss hid income in Cyprus Press TV 08 Aug 2018 -- A close associate and business partner of US President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort has testified at a trial that his former boss ordered him to conceal information about payments from Cyprus-based accounts that held millions of dollars in earnings from consulting work for pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine.
Manafort Deputy Details Delinquent Ukraine Payments; Defense Accuses Him Of Multiple Affairs RFE/RL 08 Aug 2018 -- Rick Gates, the U.S. government's star witness in its financial-fraud prosecution of Gates' former boss, Paul Manafort, has concluded three days of testimony and often withering cross-examination, detailing how a Ukrainian political party failed to pay $2.4 million in 2015, pushing Manafort into dire financial straits.
Poroshenko Confirms 2014 Meeting With Manafort Team RFE/RL 08 Aug 2018 -- Before he became the victor in Ukraine's 2014 snap presidential election, businessman Petro Poroshenko was scrambling to put together a winning campaign.
Gates Claims Manafort Did Political Work For Ukraine's Poroshenko, Who Denies It RFE/RL 08 Aug 2018 -- Rick Gates, a former business partner of lobbyist and political consultant Paul Manafort, said he and Manafort did consulting work for Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko -- something which the Ukrainian leader has denied.

U.S. Senator Delivers Letter From Trump To Putin During Moscow Trip RFE/RL 08 Aug 2018 -- U.S. Republican Senator Rand Paul says he delivered a letter from President Donald Trump intended for Russian leader Vladimir Putin to the Kremlin during the Kentucky politician's trip to Moscow.
US Senator Delivers Trump Letter to Putin VOA 08 Aug 2018 -- A U.S. senator says he has delivered a letter from President Donald Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin calling for more talks and exchanges between the two countries.

Previewing the Imposition of Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Sanctions on Russia US Dept. of State 08 Aug 2018 -- Special Briefing by Senior State Department Officials
Imposition of Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act Sanctions on Russia US Dept. of State 08 Aug 2018
US imposes sanctions on Russia over nerve agent attack in UK Press TV 08 Aug 2018 -- The United States has imposed new sanctions on Russia over Moscow's alleged role in poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal.
U.S. To Impose New Sanctions On Russia Over Skripal Attack RFE/RL 08 Aug 2018 -- The United States has said it will hit Russia with new sanctions aimed at punishing Moscow for the March nerve-agent poisoning in Britain of a former Russian spy and his daughter.
US Imposing Sanctions on Russia Over Skripal Poisoning - State Department Sputnik 08 Aug 2018 -- The US State Department announced Wednesday that it would be imposing sanctions against Russia regarding the poisoning of Yulia and Sergei Skripal in the UK earlier this year.
UK Def Sec Accuses Russia of 'Malign Behavior,' Hints at Skripal Poisoning Link Sputnik 08 Aug 2018 -- Gavin Williamson has been accusing Russian of many things, including the poisoning incidents in Salisbury and Amesbury despite any tangible proof of Moscow involvement in either one.
US Slaps New Sanctions on Russia Over Ex-Russian Spy Poisoning in Britain VOA 08 Aug 2018 -- The United States is imposing tough new sanctions on Russia after determining Moscow was responsible for poisoning a former Russian spy and his daughter in Britain in March.

North Korea Exceeding Commitment to Trump in Launch Site Dismantlement Sputnik 08 Aug 2018 -- Satellite footage appears to show that North Korea is dismantling a satellite launch pad at the Sohae Launching Station in a move that would go beyond the country's agreement with the US to completely denuclearize.
In Tokyo, UN chief expresses full support for US-Japan dialogue with North Korea UN News 08 Aug 2018 -- At a joint press conference in Tokyo on Wednesday with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the ongoing talks between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), as well as Japan's renewed initiative of dialogue with the country.
Trump's security adviser says North Korea not taking steps to denuclearize Press TV 08 Aug 2018 -- US President Donald Trump's National Security Adviser John Bolton says North Korea has not lived up to its end of the Singapore agreement on denuclearization.

Zarif: Trump's gestures, remarks just 'propaganda' IRNA 08 Aug 2018 -- The Americans have never had honesty, and the US President Donald Trump's moves and remarks are just 'propaganda,' Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said here on Wednesday.
Zarif: International relations is not a beauty pageant IRNA 08 Aug 2018 -- The foreign minister International tweeted Monday 'International relations is not a beauty pageant with tired cliches about a desire for world peace. And it is not the first time that a warmonger claims he is waging war for 'WORLD PEACE'.
President in a meeting with N. Korean FM: Untrustworthy, unreliable US not meeting any of its obligations ISNA 08 Aug 2018 -- Iranian President described establishment of full peace and security in the Korean Peninsula as the Islamic Republic of Iran's wish and said, "Tehran is willing to develop and deepen international relations and cooperation in all fields, including with Pyongyang".
Iran FM says talks with 'insincere' US impossible due to its 'erratic' policies Press TV 08 Aug 2018 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the Islamic Republic cannot trust the US to sit with it again in any possible negotiations as Washington has been pursuing "erratic policies" in dealing with Tehran.
EU threatens to slap sanctions on firms cutting trade with Iran under US pressure Press TV 08 Aug 2018 -- The European Union has threatened to impose sanctions on companies that stop doing business with Iran in compliance with the US sanctions snapback mechanism.
German Auto Giant Daimler Quits Iran, Citing U.S. Sanctions Threat RFE/RL 08 Aug 2018 -- German auto giant Daimler halted its business activities in Iran hours after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to block any company operating in Iran from selling in the vast U.S. marketplace.
Iraqi Leader Says Disagrees With U.S. Sanctions On Iran, But Will Honor Them RFE/RL 08 Aug 2018 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi said on August 7 that he does not agree with U.S. sanctions reimposed this week on Iran, but will abide by them to protect his country's interests.
Scattered Protests, Heavy Security Across Iran After New Sanctions VOA 08 Aug 2018 -- Scattered protests, along with a heavy police presence in many places were reported Wednesday across Iran, one day after the first round of new U.S. economic sanctions went into effect.

US to impose 25% tariffs on $16 billion of Chinese goods Press TV 08 Aug 2018 -- The administration of US President Donald Trump says it will begin imposing 25 percent tariffs on an additional $16 billion worth of Chinese goods in the next two weeks, escalating a trade war with the world's second biggest economy.
With a Positive Spin, Chinese News Outlets Cover Africa VOA 08 Aug 2018 -- In Rwanda, a Chinese-owned garment factory provides jobs to hundreds of local workers. In Ethiopia, a Chinese-built railway makes life easier for business owners and travelers. In Zambia, a Chinese-funded television project will bring satellite TV to 500 villages.

Amid 'volatile' environment, UN mission chief urges Iraqi leaders to 'listen to the voice of the people' UN News 08 Aug 2018 -- Despite a myriad of "long-neglected social, economic and development needs", the Head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) on Wednesday said progress had been made towards recovery and stability in the battle-scarred country, and called for Iraqi political leaders to continue to "work for national reconciliation" through "inclusive" solutions.

Pakistani Opposition Rallies Over 'Rigged' Elections RFE/RL 08 Aug 2018 -- Supporters of Pakistan's opposition political parties have rallied to protest what they claim were fraud and voting irregularities in last month's national elections, directly blaming the country's powerful military.
Pakistan's Opposition Alleges Rigging in July Polls VOA 08 Aug 2018 -- Pakistan's opposition parties gathered in Islamabad to protest what they said was rigging in last month's polls.

Saudi foreign minister says no room for mediation in Canada row Press TV 08 Aug 2018 -- Saudi Arabia says there is no room for mediation in the kingdom's escalating diplomatic dispute with Canada, days after Riyadh abruptly cut ties with Ottawa over its criticism of the Saudi crackdown on dissent.

South Carolina Teen Convicted for Attempting to Join ISIS US Dept. of Justice 08 Aug 2018 -- Zakaryia Abdin, 19, of Ladson, South Carolina, pleaded guilty today to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.

After Deadly Cyclist Attack, Tajik Minister Turns To Drama To Warn About Islamic State RFE/RL 08 Aug 2018 -- In official meetings and speeches in recent months, Tajikistan's interior minister has frequently warned about the dangers of the extremist Islamic State (IS) group.

Taiwan sees no room for talks with China on proposed undersea tunnel CNA 08 Aug 2018 -- Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Wednesday that under the current circumstances, there can be no bilateral discussions on China's proposal to build an undersea railway between the two sides.

Ankara Seeks to Ease US Tensions Amid Currency Slide VOA 08 Aug 2018 -- A Turkish diplomatic delegation is visiting Washington Wednesday in a bid to to ease tensions between the two countires.

Malaysia's ex-PM Najib charged with money laundering Press TV 08 Aug 2018 -- Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak has been officially charged with three counts of money laundering, to which he has pleaded not guilty.

Venezuela to try opposition lawmakers over Maduro 'assassination' bid Press TV 08 Aug 2018 -- Venezuela's government-allied Constituent Assembly says it will try opposition lawmakers in connection with what the government says was a failed assassination attempt against President Nicolas Maduro.
Venezuela Authorizes Arrest of Opposition Leader Accused of Attack on Maduro Sputnik 08 Aug 2018 -- The Venezuelan Supreme Court greenlighted on Wednesday the detention of opposition leader Julio Borges who had been accused of an assassination attempt against the country's President Nicolas Maduro.

Congo's Kabila Won't Run Again for Presidency VOA 08 Aug 2018 -- Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila says he will not seek re-election and will support former Interior Minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary in the upcoming presidential election.

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