• Military

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space
• Public Eye

Operations
Other Conflicts
Defense Policy / Programs
News Reports

Current Operations

• Black Hawk Crash Kills 4 Soldiers Training in Kuwait AFPS 25 Feb 2003 -- A Black Hawk helicopter crash in the Kuwaiti desert killed four American soldiers early this morning.
• Tent cities spring up across Kuwait Army News 25 Feb 2003 -- Six tent cities in Kuwait now have space for 15,500 soldiers and officials said more requests arrive daily.
• Acting SECNAV Tells Sailors, Marines on Tarawa to Stay Prepared Navy NewStand 25 Feb 2003 -- Several months after Navy Secretary Gordon R. England told the crew of USS Tarawa (LHA 1) to be prepared, the new acting Navy secretary delivered a follow-up message to the ship during a brief speech in the North Arabian Gulf Feb. 21.
• Black Knights fire it up before deployment USMC News 25 Feb 2003 -- Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron-264 (Reinforced), the "Black Knights," conducted its first squadron-wide integrated live-fire training evolution of the pre-deployment training program Feb. 10-14 at several landing zones aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C.
• 15th MEU (S0C) Marines knock off rust, sharpen combat skills USMC News 25 Feb 2003 -- Marines from E Company, Battalion Landing Team 2/1, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) dusted the sand from their weapons and conducted a live fire training exercise at Udari Range to refresh their war-fighting skills Feb. 17 and 18.
• Marines battle bitter cold 2/3 joins forces with JGSDF for Forest Light USMC News 25 Feb 2003 -- Soldiers of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's 25th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Division, Northern Army, lined the entryway of Camp Engaru here and waited in the bitter cold, to welcome their counterparts to Forest Light 03-2 recently.

Other Conflicts

• Annan urges parties in DR of Congo to work toward 'genuine' peace UN News Centre 25 Feb 2003 -- While the all-inclusive power-sharing agreement signed last December was an important step towards national reconciliation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the parties have yet to take steps to implement the accord and instead remain engaged in military confrontations, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan says in a report released today.
• Annan arrives in Greece continuing efforts to finalize Cyprus deal UN News Centre 25 Feb 2003 -- Continuing efforts to finalize a deal to enable a united Cyprus to join the European Union (EU) later this year, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived today in Greece, where he stressed adherence to the goal of reaching agreement by end of this month.
• IVORY COAST VOA 25 Feb 2003 -- Political leaders in Ivory Coast are discussing how to include rebel factions in a national unity government as international pressure increases to implement a peace accord and curb human-rights abuses.
• GREECE / ANNAN / CYPRUS VOA 25 Feb 2003 -- U-N Secretary General Kofi Annan says decision time has arrived on the Cyprus issue. The Secretary-General made the comment at the beginning of his visit to Athens on Tuesday.

Defense Policy / Programs

• White House Daily Briefing White House 25 Feb 2003
• DOD ANNOUNCES STATUS OF FORCES SURVEY FINDINGS 25 Feb 2003 -- Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness David S.C. Chu announced today the 2002 active-duty Status of Forces Survey (SOFS) findings. The survey was conducted July 8-Aug 13, 2002, to assess the attitudes and opinions of the active force on a variety of personnel and policy issues. More than 38,000 servicemembers were surveyed. This included officers and enlisted personnel from each branch of service who were stationed in the Continental United States and overseas locations. The response rate was 32 percent.
• Carl Vinson Battle Group visits Guam Seventh Fleet 25 Feb 2003 -- The aircraft carrier, USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), arrived here Tuesday, Feb. 25, for crew rest and relaxation, and to allow Sailors to interact with local citizens, enjoy sightseeing around the island and participate in community service projects.
• Romeo records firsts at undersea test range NAVAIR 25 Feb 2003 -- Two MH-60R helicopters recently got a break from the cold weather at NAVAIR Patuxent River and spent three successful weeks in the Caribbean as part of its developmental test phase.
• Secretaries Mineta, Ridge 'Change Watch' of Coast Guard Department of Transportation News Release 25 Feb 2003 -- At a historic a 'Change of Watch' ceremony at the D.C. Stadium-Armory, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta today transferred leadership of the U.S. Coast Guard to U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge, formally recognizing the change in civilian leadership over a military organization.
• Recon makes transition USMC News 25 Feb 2003 -- When it comes to intelligence gathering on today's battlefield, clandestine insertion is the name of the game as the most successful battle plan often relies on the quality of the intelligence gathered on the enemy's size and activity. But this data is impossible to obtain when the enemy knows they are being watched.
• Rising to the occasion ELMACO trains for future deployments USMC News 25 Feb 2003 -- The Marines of Electronics Maintenance Company, 3rd Materiel Readiness Battalion, 3rd Force Service Support Group, recently conducted a capability exercise here to practice for future deployments.
• Infantrymen put on their...WARFACE; 2/7 Marines vie for Super Squad USMC News 25 Feb 2003 -- It's a dark, cool night in the jungle. A squad of 15 Marines move stealthily through thick terrain over hills and streams. The brisk wind blowing swiftly across their faces makes it difficult to hear each other.
• CSAF briefs Senate on service's outlook for 2004 AFPN 25 Feb 2003 -- Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper joined the other service chiefs Feb. 25 to give the Senate Armed Services Committee his view of how fiscal 2004 is shaping up.
• SECAF, CSAF: War requires team effort AFPN 25 Feb 2003 -- Despite dramatic successes in recent armed conflicts, the Air Force would only present a portion of the forces brought to bear against Iraq, if indeed war is needed to disarm the forces of Saddam Hussein.
• Homeland Security Secretary Takes Coast Guard's Helm AFPN 25 Feb 2003 -- The Coast Guard welcomed Homeland Security Department Secretary Tom Ridge aboard today as its new chief civilian during a symbolic transfer of leadership here.
• Training Taken Very Seriously on Tortuga Navy NewStand 25 Feb 2003 -- Perfect practice prevents poor performance. You play like you practice. That's the mantra aboard dock-landing ship USS Tortuga (LSD 46) as she continues to drill and train in the Central Command area of responsibility.
• Army limits re-up options Army News 25 Feb 2003 -- Re-enlistment options are being limited to prevent the Army from exceeding end-strength numbers authorized by Congress, said a personnel official.
• CONGRESS / ISRAEL / TERRORISM VOA 25 Feb 2003 -- U-S lawmakers who have just returned from a visit to Israel are calling for a sharper focus on the role of Syria and Iran in supporting international terrorism, and potential threats of weapons of mass destruction.

• TWO NATO E3A AWACS SET TO ARRIVE IN TURKEY FEBRUARY 26 NATO AFSOUTH 25 Feb 2003 -- Two NATO E3A AWACS Early Warning Aircraft will arrive at the Konya Turkish Air Force Base tomorrow, 26 February.

• TURKEY / U-S TROOPS VOA 25 Feb 2003 -- Turkey's government has presented a bill to the parliament seeking authorization for the basing of some 62-thousand U-S troops in Turkey for a possible war against Iraq.

News Reports

• SHAPE News Morning Update SHAPE 25 Feb 2003
• SHAPE News Summary Analysis SHAPE 25 Feb 2003
• VENEZUELA / BOMBS VOA 25 Feb 2003 -- Venezuelan authorities are searching for those responsible for two bomb attacks that took place early Tuesday against the Spanish embassy and the Colombian consulate in Caracas. The blasts followed a verbal attack on both foreign governments by President Hugo Chavez:
• RICE / ZIMBABWE VOA 25 Feb 2003 -- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe says President Bush is trying to impose his will on weaker nations. The White House says Mr. Mugabe's economic mismanagement is making life worse for the Zimbabwean people.
• Security Council welcomes targeted sanctions as useful tool UN News Centre 25 Feb 2003 -- United Nations Security Council members today welcomed targeted sanctions as a useful tool to focus pressure on specific states and entities while minimizing the unintended impact on civilian populations and non-targeted states and entities.
• Desperate Liberian refugees continue demonstrations at UN office in Côte d'Ivoire UN News Centre 25 Feb 2003 -- As they have for nearly two weeks now, desperate Liberian refugees continued to demonstrate in front of the offices of the United Nations refugee agency in Abidjan demanding to be evacuated out of Côte d'Ivoire or moved to a safer location.
• Security must be guided by respect for civil liberties, UN human rights chief says UN News Centre 25 Feb 2003 -- The top United Nations human rights official today stressed that even in times of grave uncertainty - when there was a sense that "no one is safe" - a comprehensive strategy for security can and must be guided by the rule of law and respect for human rights.
• EDITORIAL: CUBAN CRACKDOWN ON DISSENT VOA 25 Feb 2003 -- crackdown is underway in Cuba against supporters of the Varela Project. In recent days, dozens of Cubans have been harassed, jailed, and expelled from jobs and universities. Their only crime is that they supported a national referendum on whether Cubans should have fundamental political and economic freedoms.
• U-S / VENEZUELA VOA 25 Feb 2003 -- The United States is condemning the bomb attacks early Tuesday against Spanish and Colombian diplomatic offices in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas. The bombings followed criticism of the two countries by President Hugo Chavez on Sunday for alleged meddling in the Venezuela's political crisis.
• N-A-M WRAP VOA 25 Feb 2003 -- Leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement have ended a two-day meeting in Malaysia, after opposing an attack on Iraq without backing by the United Nations. The participants also expressed concern over rising tensions on the Korean peninsula.
• ISLAM IN INDONESIA VOA 25 Feb 2003 -- The deadly bomb attacks in Bali last October were shocking and perplexing to many people, including Indonesian officials, who believed the country was immune from such acts of terrorism. Police suspect that the persons arrested and detained so far are likely to have links to radical Muslim groups.
• Arab Americans in Virginia Form Political Action Committee Washington File 25 Feb 2003 -- Recently, a group of community activists in Virginia came together to launch the newest Arab American political action committee (PAC). "The New Dominion PAC" (NDP) will work to strengthen Arab American political influence in Virginia, increase the community's participation in state and national politics, and educate elected officials and others about community concerns.
• BEIJING UNIVERSITIES BLASTS VOA 25 Feb 2003 -- Chinese officials say "homemade" explosives rocked two of China's top universities Tuesday, injuring nine people. Witnesses said one of the explosions left a smell of gunpowder. There have been no immediate claims of responsibility and no motive has been offered.
• INDONESIA/TIMOR INDICTMENTS VOA 25 Feb 2003 -- The United Nations has indicted eight current and former Indonesian officials on charges of crimes against humanity during the run-up to the independence of East Timor. Indonesian officials promptly said they would ignore the indictments.
• KENYA RECONCILIATION VOA 25 Feb 2003 -- In Kenya, the public's first public glimpse of a torture chamber run by former President Daniel arap Moi's government has fueled demands for justice for his victims.