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Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 15 Aug 2018 [PDF]
• 48 killed in bomb explosion in Shia neighborhood of Afghan capital Press TV 15 Aug 2018 -- Nearly 50 people have been killed in a bomb attack in front of an educational center in a mainly Shia Muslim area of western Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.
• Taliban attack another army base in north Afghanistan Press TV 15 Aug 2018 -- Dozens of Afghan police personnel and soldiers have been killed in a Taliban attack on a military base in Afghanistan's northern Baghlan Province, while reports from the southeastern city of Ghazni indicate security forces have managed to push the Taliban back after five days of fierce fighting.
• Suicide Bomber Targets Education Center In Kabul, Killing Dozens RFE/RL 15 Aug 2018 -- A suicide bomber has targeted students preparing for university exams in a predominantly Shi'ite neighborhood in the Afghan capital, Kabul, killing at least 48 people and wounding 67 others, official say.
• At Least 30 Afghan Soldiers, Police Killed In Taliban Attacks RFE/RL 15 Aug 2018 -- Taliban attacks on several military facilities in the northern Afghan province of Baghlan have killed at least 30 soldiers and police officers, provincial officials say.
• Afghanistan: top UN official denounces 'extreme' suffering of civilians in Ghazni UN News 15 Aug 2018 -- With the death toll rising after days of intense fighting for the Afghan city of Ghazni, south-west of Kabul, the Head of the United Nations mission in the country (UNAMA) said on Wednesday that the situation was "unacceptable" and called on warring parties to lay down their arms and seek a political solution to the conflict.
• Taliban Forces Overrun Military Base, Key Highway in Endless Afghan War Sputnik 15 Aug 2018 -- Afghan Security Forces (ASF) were stretched thin in the past three days of fighting in the country, which saw surprise attacks in northern and central provinces.
• Taliban Stops Guaranteeing Safety of Red Cross Workers in Afghanistan VOA 15 Aug 2018 -- The Taliban says it has withdrawn its security assurances for the International Committee of the Red Cross staff working in Afghanistan.
• Taliban Kill 40 Afghan Forces, Overrun Northern Army Base VOA 15 Aug 2018 -- A pre-dawn Taliban raid on a military base in northern Afghanistan has killed at least 40 security forces, the latest in a series of insurgent attacks across the country inflicting heavy casualties on government forces.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US, Polish conclude Aviation Rotation 18-4 AFNS 15 Aug 2018 -- U.S. and Polish troops concluded more than two weeks of intense bilateral training at Powidz Air Base, Poland, Aug. 14, 2018.
• Exercise Pitch Black 2018 strengthens alliances AFNS 15 Aug 2018 -- Exercise Pitch Black 2018 is a Royal Australian Air Force-hosted biennial multinational large force employment exercise held from July 27 through Aug. 17. This year's event, the largest since its inception, involves 16 nations, 140 aircraft and more than 4,000 personnel – approximately 150 of which call the 8th Fighter Wing from Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, their home.
• Secretary Mattis Press Gaggle en Route to Buenos Aires DoD 15 Aug 2018 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis
• Remarks By Secretary Mattis with Argentine Minister of Defense Aguad, Buenos Aires, Argentina DoD 15 Aug 2018 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis; Argentine Minister of Defense Oscar Aguad
• F-35 mapping event sets course for better organic supply chain management NNS 15 Aug 2018 -- With the greatest fighter aircraft of modern times comes enormous responsibility. A team from the F-35 Integrated Weapon Systems Team (IWST) at Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support (NAVSUP WSS) recently made a trip to Hill Air Force Base in Utah, July 16-20, to map out a course for F-35 future sustainment and supply chain management.
• Innovation Hub Opens at Patuxent River Naval Air Station NNS 15 Aug 2018 -- Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's (NAWCAD) Innovation Hub opened to the workforce during an open house event Aug. 7-9 at Patuxent River Naval Air Station.
• Mattis Criticizes Chinese Aggression During South American Tour VOA 15 Aug 2018 -- Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis has cautioned South American allies against Chinese aggression, slamming what he called China's "predatory economics" and its militarization of increasingly important areas in both sea and space.
• Lockheed Martin to Build Infrared Spacecraft for US Air Force - Pentagon Sputnik 15 Aug 2018 -- US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin won almost $3 billion to build three space vehicles to operate in geosynchronous high earth orbits (HEO) 22,000 miles above the planet, the Defense Department said in a press release.
• Russia regrets US suspension of cooperation within Open Skies Treaty Press TV 15 Aug 2018 -- Russia has expressed its deep regrets that the United States has ceased to financially support the Open Skies Treaty, a 16-year-old agreement designed to build up confidence through opening the skies of both countries to mutual military survey flights, Russian state news agency RIA reports.
• Russian Officials Denounce U.S. Move To Suspend Funding For Treaty RFE/RL 15 Aug 2018 -- The U.S. Congress and President Donald Trump have moved to block funding for an international military surveillance treaty, prompting a sharp reaction from Russian officials.
• Russian Military Denies Interception of Russian Su-24 Bombers Near NATO Airspace Sputnik 15 Aug 2018 -- The Russian Defense Ministry refuted on Wednesday claims of the alleged interception by NATO fighter jets of Russian Su-24 attack aircraft over the Black Sea.
• Russian Aerospace Forces Could Receive MiG-35 Fighters Ahead of Schedule - UAC Sputnik 15 Aug 2018 -- Russian Aerospace Forces may be able to receive deliveries of MiG-35 jets ahead of schedule in a bid for the manufacturer to keep up the rhythm and save money, the president of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) told Vedomosti newspaper.
• Britain's RAF scrambles jets intercept Russian bombers over Black Sea Press TV 15 Aug 2018 -- British air force fighter jets stationed as part of a NATO mission in Romania have been scrambled to intercept Russian bombers flying over the Black Sea in Eastern Europe.
• 'Clearly Unfriendly': Norway to Double US Marine Presence Near Russian Border Sputnik 15 Aug 2018 -- Norway's Defense Ministry announced Wednesday that plans to more than double the number of US Marines stationed in the country were moving forward, despite protest from Russia that the decision was a military escalation.
• RFA Tideforce docks in Falmouth ahead of entering service UK MOD 15 Aug 2018 -- The fourth and final Tide class tanker, RFA Tideforce, has arrived in Cornwall for customisation.
• Seoul, Pyongyang Fully Restore Military Communication Line - Defense Ministry Sputnik 15 Aug 2018 -- North and South Korea have fully restored their military communication line, which includes a telephone and fax machine, as part of the two states' efforts to boost bilateral ties, as agreed at an inter-Korean summit in April, the South Korean Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
• Department Press Briefing - August 15, 2018 US Dept. of State 15 Aug 2018
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sarah Sanders The White House 15 Aug 2018

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 15, 2018

Other Conflicts

• 15 August 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 15 Aug 2018
• Duterte says China should 'temper' behavior in contested sea Press TV 15 Aug 2018 -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte says Beijing should "temper" its behavior in the South China Sea, warning of a potential confrontation between China and the United States, which he says could affect his country.
• Saudi warships strike northwestern Yemeni village, six civilians dead Press TV 15 Aug 2018 -- At least six civilians have lost their lives when Saudi military vessels deployed in the Red Sea launched a barrage of missiles at a residential area in Yemen's northwestern province of Hajjah as the Riyadh regime continues with its atrocious military campaign against its crisis-hit southern neighbor.
• Yemeni army launch missile attacks on Saudi troops position IRNA 15 Aug 2018 -- Saudi troops position near Al-Mokha port in southwest Yemen were hit by two missiles Tuesday night, according to Almasirah news network.
• Yemeni retaliatory attack leaves three Saudi soldiers dead Press TV 15 Aug 2018 -- At least three Saudi soldiers have been killed when Yemeni army soldiers and allied fighters from Popular Committees launched an attack against a military base in Saudi Arabia's southwestern border region of Jizan as they continue their retaliatory raids against the Riyadh regime's aerial bombardment campaign.
• Army destroys terrorists sites in Idleb southern countryside IRNA 15 Aug 2018 -- Units of Syrian Arab Army carried out intensive operations against terrorists' gatherings and defense lines in the direction of the southeastern part of Idleb province.
• Syria, UN delegation discuss redeployment of peacekeepers to occupied Golan Press TV 15 Aug 2018 -- A delegation of UN commanders has visited Damascus for talks with Syrian Defense Minister Ali Abdullah Ayyoub on the redeployment of the world body's peacekeepers to the volatile demilitarized zone along the Israeli-occupied side of Syria's Golan Heights.
• Bosnian Serb Lawmakers Reject 2004 Srebrenica Report, Call For New Probe RFE/RL 15 Aug 2018 -- Lawmakers in Bosnia-Herzegovina's predominantly Serbian entity have voted to annul a report on the 1995 Srebrenica massacre that acknowledged Bosnian Serb forces violated humanitarian law by killing thousands of Muslim Bosniaks.
• Attempts To Deny the Srebrenica Genocide US Dept. of State 15 Aug 2018 -- International courts have concluded that genocide occurred in Srebrenica in 1995. The Republika Srpska Government's adoption of the 2004 report on the Srebrenica genocide was an important step in Bosnia and Herzegovina's reconciliation and in facing the difficult facts of the past.
• UN chief welcomes re-opening of key Gaza border crossing UN News 15 Aug 2018 -- The decision by Israel to reopen the only functional commercial crossing point into Gaza which has been closed to most deliveries for weeks, has been welcomed by the United Nations Secretary-General.
• Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan Agree To Work On Land Swap Near Border RFE/RL 15 Aug 2018 -- Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are working on a possible land swap near the border between the two Central Asian states, some parts of which have not been formally delineated since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

News Reports

• Trump pulls ex-CIA chief's security clearance Press TV 15 Aug 2018 -- US President Donald Trump has pulled the security clearance of one of his harshest critics, former CIA Director John Brennan.
• Trump Revokes Security Clearance of ex-CIA Director John Brennan - White House Sputnik 15 Aug 2018 -- White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Wednesday that US President Donald Trump is revoking the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan.
• Prosecutor: Paul Manafort's Life 'Littered With Lies' VOA 15 Aug 2018 -- The life of President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort was "littered with lies" as he pursued a lavish lifestyle, a U.Sprosecutor said in his closing argument Wednesday.
• Trump Ex-Campaign Chairman Declines To Testify As His Trial Nears End RFE/RL 15 Aug 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, has declined to testify in his own defense and his lawyers rested their case in his trial on tax evasion and bank fraud.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Svetlogorsk, August 15, 2018 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 15 Aug 2018
• Seoul Intends to Establish Single Economic Community With Pyongyang - Reports Sputnik 15 Aug 2018 -- South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday his planned third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un next month would be another step towards the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and an end to the 1950-53 Korean War.
• US ruins conditions for talks: Rouhani IRNA 15 Aug 2018 -- President Hassan Rouhani underlined that Iran is negotiating with the entire world, and underlined that the US itself has been ruining the conditions for negotiations.
• US to blame for burning bridges with Iran: Rouhani Press TV 15 Aug 2018 -- Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has once again dismissed Washington's offer of talks, which followed its unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal, saying the US, itself, burned its bridges for negotiations with Tehran.
• Tehran Official: 'Tsunami' of Poverty Bearing Down on Iran VOA 15 Aug 2018 -- A municipal leader in the Iranian capital, Tehran, has issued a stark warning about Iran's economic problems, saying a "tsunami" of poverty is bearing down on society.
• British Citizen From Sudan Held in London Car Attack VOA 15 Aug 2018 -- British counterterrorism police searched several properties Wednesday as they tried to determine what made a 29-year-old Sudan-born man crash a car outside Britain's Parliament in what police were treating as an act of terrorism.
• PM addresses nation from ramparts of Red Fort on 72nd Independence Day India Prime Minister's Office 15 Aug 2018 -- The Prime Minister said that India is proud of its scientists. He announced "Gagan-Yaan" a manned space mission, to be undertaken by India by 2022, using its own capabilities. He said India would become the fourth nation in the world to do so.
• India to Launch Manned Space Mission by 2022, PM Declares on Independence Day Sputnik 15 Aug 2018 -- As India is celebrating its 72nd Independence Day with gaiety and fervor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the ramparts of Delhi's historic Red Fort amid tight security. The first all-women anti-terror squad was the major highlight of the event.
• Russian Cosmonauts to Spend Almost 7 Hours Outside ISS on Wednesday Sputnik 15 Aug 2018 -- Russian cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev and Sergei Prokopyev will spend almost seven hours in the open space on Wednesday on a mission to install an antenna as part of a birds monitoring the experiment.
• Policy on Taiwan unchanged by Tsai's public address: U.S. official CNA 15 Aug 2018 -- Heather Nauert, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, said Tuesday that Washington's policy toward Taiwan has not changed, after being asked to comment on a public address made by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) Monday during a stopover in Los Angeles en route to Paraguay.
• US says won't change 'One China' policy after Tsai's speech Press TV 15 Aug 2018 -- The Trump administration has said it will not change its "One China" policy following a political speech by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in the US.
• Germany, Qatar vow support for Turkey amid US pressure Press TV 15 Aug 2018 -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani have expressed support for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan amid escalated tensions between Ankara and Washington.
• Turkey raises tariffs on some US products in response to economic war Press TV 15 Aug 2018 -- Ankara has sharply increased tariffs on certain US imports, some of them more than double, in response to Washington's "deliberate attacks" on the Turkish economy amid a widening dispute between the two NATO allies.
• Trump frustrated with Turkey for not releasing US pastor: White House Press TV 15 Aug 2018 -- US President Donald Trump is said to have "a great deal of frustration" over Turkey's refusal to release an American evangelical pastor, whose nearly two-year detention in the country has already caused an unprecedented deterioration in Ankara-Washington relations.
• White House: US Not Removing Tariffs on Turkey Even if Pastor Brunson Released Sputnik 15 Aug 2018 -- The United States will not remove steel and aluminum tariffs placed on Turkish imports even if Turkey decides to release American Pastor Andrew Brunson, White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a press briefing on Wednesday.
• President Rouhani: 30% of Caspian Sea issue solved IRNA 15 Aug 2018 -- After more than 20 years of negotiations over the Caspian Sea, some 30% of the issue has been solved so far and the remaining differences are yet to be solved, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday.
• Venezuela nabs 2 senior officers over attack on Maduro Press TV 15 Aug 2018 -- Venezuela has arrested two high-ranking military officers as part of an investigation into what the government says was an assassination plot against President Nicolas Maduro.
• US Ambassador to Zimbabwe: Sanctions Removal Linked to Genuine Reforms VOA 15 Aug 2018 -- U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe Brian Nichols has said the southern African country must embark on genuine reforms if it wants Washington to remove sanctions against some of the country's top officials. The ambassador spoke Wednesday after meeting with Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the State House in Harare.
• Kenyatta's War on Corruption: Lasting Legacy or Political Theater? VOA 15 Aug 2018 -- Two top-ranking officials in Kenya were charged with corruption this week in a $3 billion Chinese-built railway project, as part of President Uhuru Kenyatta's efforts to show no official is out of reach in the war on graft. However, some analysts question if the charges will lead to convictions or if they are simply political theater.