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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 04 Sep2018 [PDF]
• Haqqani Network Founder Dies After Long Illness VOA 04 Sep 2018 -- The man who founded the Haqqani network, one of the most feared and deadly arms of the Afghan Taliban, has died after a long illness.
• Founder Of Haqqani Network Dies From Illness, Taliban Says RFE/RL 04 Sep 2018 -- The founder of the Haqqani network, one of Afghanistan's most dangerous and feared militant groups, has died after a long illness, the network's ally, the Afghan Taliban, has announced.
• Haqqani's Deadly Legacy Continues To Shape The War In Afghanistan RFE/RL 04 Sep 2018 -- Elderly, ill, and partially paralyzed, the founder of one of Afghanistan's most notorious and brazen extremist organizations had been out of the insurgency game for years. But Jalaluddin Haqqani leaves behind a legacy of deadly violence that threatens to live on for decades.
• Afghan Security Forces Retake Northern District From Taliban RFE/RL 04 Sep 2018 -- The governor of Afghanistan's northern province of Baghlan says Afghan security forces have recaptured a strategic district from Taliban fighters who have controlled the area in recent weeks.
• Taliban announce death of founder of Haqqani militant network Press TV 04 Sep 2018 -- Afghanistan's Taliban militant group says the founder of its affiliated Haqqani militant network based in Pakistan has died after a long illness.
• UK bolsters support to NATO mission in Afghanistan UK MOD 04 Sep 2018 -- 100 troops arrive in Kabul alongside Defence Secretary
• Phantom of Takur Ghar: The Predator above Roberts Ridge AFNS 04 Sep 2018 -- A once quiet landscape turned battlefield, the clash of gunfire and shouts ripped through the Shahi-Kot Valley in the early hours of March 4, 2002. As part of an early war effort that targeted al Qaeda and Taliban forces in Afghanistan, the Battle of Roberts Ridge is still known as one of the deadliest engagements during Operation Anaconda.
• Task Force Hawaii Perseveres Against 2 Natural Disasters AFPS 04 Sep 2018 -- Just when Hawaii National Guard leaders thought they could begin to transition their personnel away from the disaster response mission that formed in the wake of Kilauea's eruption, Task Force Hawaii was bombarded by Hurricane Lane, Aug. 22-26.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Dunford Gets Greek View of Regional Challenges AFPS 04 Sep 2018 -- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said he very much welcomed seeing the Eastern Mediterranean region "through a Greek lens" as he finished consultations with his counterpart, Greek navy Adm. Evangelos Apostolakis, the chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff.
• Royal Australian Navy Delegation Visits NSWC Dahlgren Division in Wake of RIMPAC 2018 NNS 04 Sep 2018 -- Australian military officials touring Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD), received briefings on U.S. Navy technical programs ranging from directed energy to human systems integration, Aug. 16.
• NAVSTA Rota, USS Cook, USS Porter Integrates Major Fire Drill NNS 04 Sep 2018 -- Personnel assigned to Naval Station Rota, Spain and Sailors assigned to the guided-missile destroyers USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) and USS Porter (DDG 78) conducted and completed their third annual major integrated fire drill onboard the Cook Aug. 29, 2018.
• Colombia Takes the Lead in UNITAS LIX, Hosts Multinational Exercise NNS 04 Sep 2018 -- Gathering in Cartagena, Colombian naval forces are taking the helm for UNITAS LIX, hosting 11 countries' naval maritime forces during the annual exercise from Aug. 31 – Sept. 11.
• Navy Takes Delivery of Future USS Charleston (LCS 18) NNS 04 Sep 2018 -- The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of the future Littoral Combat Ship USS Charleston (LCS 18) during a ceremony at the Austal USA shipyard Aug. 31.
• Navy to Conduct Emergency Preparedness Exercise NNS 04 Sep 2018 -- For two days in September, Commander, Navy Installation Command, Regions Southwest and Northwest along with their installations and tenant commands will be testing their abilities to respond to a major earthquake and what follows next.
• Pentagon awards Boeing $800 million contract for refueling drones Press TV 04 Sep 2018 -- The Pentagon has granted US aerospace giant Boeing an $805-million contract to produce mid-air refueling drones for the US Navy.
• Italy takes up NATO air patrols over Iceland NATO 04 Sep 2018 -- Four Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon jets have arrived at Iceland's Keflavik Air Base, and from today (4 September 2018) they will help ensure the safety of Iceland's airspace. Over the next few weeks, the Italian pilots will provide intercept capabilities and train together with the Icelandic Coast Guard and the NATO Control and Reporting Centre. The Italian jets will complement the air surveillance which Iceland executes with its four remote radar and communication sites.
• UK's Warplane Deal With Qatar May Cost 'Billions' of Taxpayers' Money – Report Sputnik 04 Sep 2018 -- In December 2017, the UK defense giant BAE Systems clinched a deal with Qatar to sell the Gulf nation 24 Typhoon fighter jets as well as a package comprising weapons, pilot training and maintenance.
• UK may lose billions of taxpayer money over Qatar military deal: Report Press TV 04 Sep 2018 -- The UK government could end up losing billions of its taxpayer money because it has underwritten a major military deal to sell Typhoon fighter jets to Qatar.
• S.Korea in talks with DPRK on opening date of joint liaison office People's Daily 04 Sep 2018 -- South Korea's unification ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs said Monday that Seoul was in talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on the opening date of the joint liaison office to increase communications between the two sides.
• Chinese and Nigerien peacekeepers conduct joint defense drill in Mali People's Daily 04 Sep 2018 -- To address the grim security situation in Mali's Menaka region, a contingent in Menaka assigned to the 6th Chinese peacekeeping engineer detachment to Mali carried out a joint defense drill with the Nigerien peacekeeping infantry battalion on Aug. 29, in a bid to jointly enhance the capabilities to deal with emergencies. Menaka has been on an "Orange Alert", a high-risk level, since the deployment of the Chinese peacekeeping contingent in early July this year. As of the end of August, there have been 21 terrorist attacks with more than 90 casualties in the area.
• Indian MiG-27 Fighter Jet Crashes in Rajasthan - Defense Ministry Sputnik 04 Sep 2018 -- An Indian Air Force (IAF) MiG-27 fighter jet crashed on Tuesday during a routine flight near the city of Jodhpur in the country's northern state of Rajasthan, and the pilot has managed to eject safely, Indian Defense Ministry spokesman Sombit Ghosh said.
• Influential Iranian Cleric Rejects Europe's Demand For Talks On Ballistic Missiles RFE/RL 04 Sep 2018 -- An influential Iranian cleric says Europe is not helping to preserve a nuclear accord between Iran and world powers by demanding additional talks on issues like Tehran's ballistic missiles, the country's state media reported.
• Israel Declines To Rule Out Strikes On Iranian Military Targets In Iraq RFE/RL 04 Sep 2018 -- Israel's defense minister has said the Jewish state will not rule out staging air strikes on suspected Iranian military targets in Iraq after carrying out deadly raids on Iranian facilities in neighboring Syria in recent years.
• Philippines' Duterte Touts Israel as 'the Only Country' to Buy Arms From Sputnik 04 Sep 2018 -- On September 2, Rodrigo Duterte started his four-day official visit to Israel, the first by a Philippine president since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1957. The schedule includes a visit to a display of advanced weapons and equipment organized by the Israeli Defense Ministry.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for September 04, 2018
• Russia Ready to Construct Helicopter Carriers for Foreign States Sputnik 04 Sep 2018 -- Russian shipbuilders are ready to construct helicopter carriers for foreign countries in case of relevant requests, Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov told Sputnik.

Other Conflicts

• 4 September 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 04 Sep 2018
• Ansarullah Spokesman: UN not fulfilling promises IRNA 04 Sep 2018 -- Chairman of Yemeni delegation to Geneva talks Mohammad Abdul Salam said that the UN has so far failed to fulfill any of its promises to facilitate the return of wounded and Yemeni people abroad.
• Yemeni army, allies hit Saudi Aramco oil facilities in Jizan border region Press TV 04 Sep 2018 -- Yemeni army forces, supported by allied fighters from Popular Committees, have fired four domestically-designed and -developed ballistic missiles at a strategic economic target in Saudi Arabia's southwestern border region of Jizan in retaliation for the Riyadh regime's devastating military aggression against their impoverished country.
• UN to gather Yemen conflicting sides in Geneva Press TV 04 Sep 2018 -- The sides to the Yemeni conflict are to convene in Geneva for the first time since 2016 under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) in an attempt to revive stalled peace talks.
• Yemeni missile targets Saudi Aramco oil facility in Jizan IRNA 04 Sep 2018 -- Yemeni Army and popular committees targeted Saudi Arabia's Aramco oil facility in Jizan on Monday.
• US Warns Syria Against Chemical Attack on Idlib VOA 04 Sep 2018 -- The United States promises to "respond swiftly and appropriately" if Syria uses chemical weapons in Idlib province, the last rebel stronghold in Syria.
• Within Days, Largest Remaining Syrian Rebel Enclave Could Become Killing Zone VOA 04 Sep 2018 -- The Syrian province of Idlib has been a perilous, frequently bombed sanctuary for hundreds of thousands of Syrians forced to flee homes elsewhere in their war-shattered country. But within days the largest remaining rebel enclave could be reduced to a killing zone – effectively underscoring the end of the seven-year-long uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.
• Russia Joins Iran in Support of Syrian Idlib Offensive VOA 04 Sep 2018 -- Russia on Tuesday joined Iran in expressing support for Syria's impending operation to retake control of rebel-held Idlib province, the last major opposition stronghold in the country.
• Statement by the Press Secretary The White House 04 Sep 2018
• Peskov:Idleb situation undermines Syria political settlement IRNA 04 Sep 2018 -- Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov affirmed that Idleb province has become a nest of terrorism, where many terrorist groups have settled there and this leads to the destabilization of the situation and undermines attempts for diplomatic settlement in Syria.
• Araqchi: Astana meeting on Syria very promising IRNA 04 Sep 2018 -- Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi said on Tuesday that Astana negotiations comprising the Islamic Republic of Iran, Turkey and Russia experienced a very promising progress in fight against terrorism and lessening of tensions.
• Syria to expel terrorists from Idlib with minimum casualties IRNA 04 Sep 2018 -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday that efforts are underway to drive the terrorists out of the city of Idlib in Syria with minimum casualties.
• White House says US 'closely monitoring' situation in Syria's Idlib Press TV 04 Sep 2018 -- The United States is "closely monitoring" the situation in Syria's Idlib province, where efforts are underway to drive terrorists out.
• Iran FM vows bids to drive terrorists out of Syria's Idlib with least humanitarian cost Press TV 04 Sep 2018 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says efforts are underway to drive terrorists out of the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib with the least humanitarian cost.
• Russia dismisses President Trump's warning about offensive in Syria's Idlib Press TV 04 Sep 2018 -- Russia has strongly dismissed US President Donald Trump's warning to Syria not to carry out a full-scale offensive against terrorists in the militant-held province of Idlib, stressing that the northwestern region is a "nest of terrorism."
• US call for Iran, Hezbollah withdrawal from Syria meaningless: Sheikh Qassem Press TV 04 Sep 2018 -- Hezbollah says the US, whose pro-terror policies have faced defeat in Syria, is in no position to call for the withdrawal of Iranian advisors and allied Lebanese resistance fighters, who have emerged as "victors" of the war against terrorists in the Arab state.
• Attacking militant-held Idlib 'humanitarian mistake' for Iran, Russia, Trump claims Press TV 04 Sep 2018 -- US President Donald Trump has claimed that attacking militant-held Idlib would be a "humanitarian mistake" for Tehran and Moscow.
• Lawmaker Says Armenia Willing To Take Part In Syria Reconstruction RFE/RL 04 Sep 2018 -- Armenia is willing to take part in the reconstruction of Syria, Armenian parliament speaker Ara Babloyan has said during a meeting with the Syrian ambassador to Yerevan, Muhammad Haj Ibrahim.
• UN Urges Putin, Erdogan To Help Avert 'Bloodbath' In Syria's Idlib RFE/RL 04 Sep 2018 -- The presidents of Russia and Turkey should act urgently to avert a "bloodbath" in Idlib Province, the last major rebel stronghold in Syria, the UN envoy to Syria has said.
• US, Turkey Agree 'Any' Syrian Offensive in Idlib 'Unacceptable' - US State Dept Sputnik 04 Sep 2018 -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke on Tuesday over the phone with his Turkish counterpart, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, about the situation in Idlib, Syria.
• Moscow, Tehran, Ankara Ultimately Want Put an End to War in Syria - Russian FM Sputnik 04 Sep 2018 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the end goals of Russia Turkey and Iran in Syria may differ at some aspects, but the countries ultimately want the Syrian conflict to end.
• US Vows to Respond to 'Swiftly and Appropriately' if Assad Uses Chemical Weapons Sputnik 04 Sep 2018 -- The White House stated Tuesday that Washington, together with its allies, was ready to respond to a possible chemical attack carried out by the Syrian government forces. Prior to that, the Russian Defense Ministry warned that Syrian militants were preparing to stage fake attacks to blame them on the Syrian army.
• Trump Wanted to 'F***ing Kill' Assad After 2017 False Flag Chem Attack – Reports Sputnik 04 Sep 2018 -- A new book by Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward claiming to offer insight into a tumultuous Trump White House revealed the tense atmosphere during the lead-up to the US missile strikes against Syria in April 2017.
• Nusra Front May Produce Weaponized Chlorine in Syria - UN Envoy Sputnik 04 Sep 2018 -- Nusra Front terrorists have the ability to produce weaponized chlorine, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said in a press conference on Tuesday.
• Hezbollah Defies Alleged Secret US Offer on Tit-for-Tat Withdrawal From Syria Sputnik 04 Sep 2018 -- Earlier, Lebanese media reported that officials from US intelligence and security agencies had secretly traveled to Damascus in June to meet with Syrian officials, and to offer to pull US forces out of Syria in exchange for a withdrawal of Iranian advisers, the sharing of intelligence on terrorists, and a share of the spoils from Syrian oil sales.
• US-Led Coalition Denies Militants Operate Base Near Syria's Al-Tanf Sputnik 04 Sep 2018 -- The US-led coalition in Iraq and Syria denies allegations that a Syrian militant group has set up training camps near the United States' military base in Syria's al-Tanf, a spokesperson for Operation Inherent Resolve told Sputnik on Tuesday.
• Trump Warns Syrian Government Against Operation in Idlib Province Sputnik 04 Sep 2018 -- Trump has warned Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad against conducting a military operation in Syria's Idlib province, which remains a stronghold of insurgency in the country.
• It's time to apply maximum 'moral pressure' to save lives in Syria's Idlib: UN negotiator UN News 04 Sep 2018 -- All countries with influence over the grinding conflict in Syria should use all the "moral pressure" they can to avoid a full-scale military attack on Idlib, particularly Russia and Turkey, the United Nations top negotiator Staffan de Mistura said on Tuesday.
• Turkey Defends its Borders With Syria in Fear of Refugee Inflow - Reports Sputnik 04 Sep 2018 -- The Turkish military is sending military equipment to Kilis province bordering Syria over concerns of a new wave of refugees that could be provoked by a possible military operation in Syria's northwestern Idlib province, Hurriyet Daily News reported on Tuesday.
• Iraq milestone: Some four million people return home, displacement drops to four-year low UN News 04 Sep 2018 -- For the first time in nearly four years, the number of displaced Iraqis has fallen below two million, according to a new report released on Tuesday by the United Nations migration agency.
• Haley: Trump's Mideast Peace Plan 'Getting Close' VOA 04 Sep 2018 -- U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said Tuesday that she has read the Trump administration's much-anticipated Middle East peace plan. And while it is "getting close," it will not be rolled out later this month during the U.N. General Assembly, as some had predicted.
• Ceasefire agreement reached in Libyan capital, announces UN mission UN News 04 Sep 2018 -- An agreement on a ceasefire in Tripoli has been reached under the auspices of Ghassan Salame, the top United Nations official in Libya, the Organization's Support Mission in the country, UNSMIL, has announced.
• Africa's Lake Chad Basin: Over $2.1 billion pledged, to provide comprehensive crisis response UN News 04 Sep 2018 -- A United Nations-backed humanitarian conference to raise much needed resources for relief, development and peacebuilding programmes in Africa's Lake Chad Basin concluded on Tuesday, raising some $2.17 billion in support and about $467 million in concessional loans for the crisis-ridden region.
• New home for scores of South Sudan's displaced UN News 04 Sep 2018 -- Nearly 3,500 people displaced by violence in South Sudan have been relocated from a UN-run camp in the capital, Juba, to temporary housing, the organization's mission in the country, UNMISS, reported on Tuesday.

News Reports

• Chemical Weapons Watchdog Confirms Novichok Killed British Woman RFE/RL 04 Sep 2018 -- The substance that killed a woman in England in June was the same Novichok nerve agent that poisoned a former Russian agent and his daughter in May, the world's chemical weapons watchdog has confirmed.
• OPCW Probe Confirms Amesbury Victims Poisoned by Same Substance as Skripals Sputnik 04 Sep 2018 -- The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which had been conducting an independent investigation into two poisoning cases, which took place in the United Kingdom, has released a report on what it called "toxic chemical incidents" in Amesbury.
• Surveillance Common for Some Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Activists VOA 04 Sep 2018 -- Evading surveillance is a new skill for Andy Chan, founder of the Hong Kong National Party, but one he had to learn quickly over the summer.
• Microwave Weapons Suspected As Cause Of U.S. Envoys' Illnesses RFE/RL 04 Sep 2018 -- Doctors and scientists increasingly suspect that weaponized microwaves were the cause of unexplained noises and illnesses that afflicted U.S. diplomats and their families in Cuba and China in the last year, The New York Times has reported.
• Myanmar's Suu Kyi chooses silence over jailed journalists, ignores global outcry Press TV 04 Sep 2018 -- Myanmar's embattled leader Aung San Suu Kyi has resorted to a stony silence in face of a growing global outcry over the imprisonment of two Reuters journalists in the South Asian country as the Nobel Prize winner has come under mounting criticism for her inaction on the case.
• Pakistani lawmakers elect Imran Khan ally president Press TV 04 Sep 2018 -- Pakistani lawmakers have elected a nominee from Prime Minister Imran Khan's party to the ceremonial office of president, further cementing the ruling party's power.
• Leak At ISS Caused By 'Drill Hole,' Roscosmos Says RFE/RL 04 Sep 2018 -- A pressure leak at the International Space Station (ISS) last week was a drill hole that happened during manufacturing or in orbit, the chief of Russia's space agency says.
• Taiwan monitors ties with eSwatini after China Africa pledge CNA 04 Sep 2018 -- Taiwan is closely monitoring ties with eSwatini, its only diplomatic ally in Africa, and will continue to provide assistance to strengthen relations with the country, a foreign ministry official said Tuesday.
• Tsai urges European countries to support Taiwan CNA 04 Sep 2018 -- President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday urged European countries to support liberal democratic Taiwan at a time when a rising China is impacting the global landscape.
• Venezuela 'to raise fuel prices to reduce smuggling' Press TV 04 Sep 2018 -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says his government will raise the price of heavily-subsidized fuel to international levels in a declared attempt to stop billions of dollars in annual losses due to fuel smuggling into neighboring countries.
• Ex-British colony challenges UK claim to islands at ICJ Press TV 04 Sep 2018 -- Former British colony Mauritius has challenged at the World Court the legality of the United Kingdom's claim to its Chagos Islands, which now host the key US military base of Diego Garcia.
• Hungary's Orban Vows To Develop Ties With 'Kin' Central Asian States RFE/RL 04 Sep 2018 -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has vowed to develop closer ties with Kyrgyzstan and other Turkic nations of Central Asia.