Operations
Other Conflicts
Defense Policy / Programs
News Reports

Current Operations

• Rumsfeld Praises Airmen for Contributions to Iraqi Freedom AFPS 29 Apr 2003 -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told airmen here that what they accomplished for the Iraqi people, for the region and for the world is truly remarkable.

Other Conflicts

• SAF/DIAMONDS VOA 29 Apr 2003 -- Representatives from about 70 countries are meeting in South Africa to discuss implementation of a plan to ban the trade of so-called "blood diamonds" mined in war zones. Activists are complaining the plan still has too many loopholes.

• U.S. to Release "Road Map" to Mideast Peace Shortly Washington File 29 Apr 2003 -- The United States will soon release to the parties the "road map" for peace between Israel and the Palestinians now that the Palestinian parliament has approved a new cabinet led by Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters April 29, shortly after the cabinet was approved.
• New Peace Plan Expected To Be Released Soon RFE/L 29 Apr 2003 -- A new Middle East peace plan drawn up by Washington, the European Union, the United Nations, and Russia looks set to be released this week -- provided the Palestinian parliament approves a new cabinet in a vote today.
• Condemning terrorist attack in Tel-Aviv, Annan says it must not derail peace efforts UN News Centre 29 Apr 2003 -- The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, today condemned in the strongest possible terms tonight's terrorist attack in Tel Aviv and urged Israelis and Palestinians not to let what called "this morally reprehensible act" derail the resumption of the peace process.
• Annan appeals to Security Council for funds to secure peace in Côte d'Ivoire UN News Centre 29 Apr 2003 -- With important steps finally underway to secure durable peace in Côte d'Ivoire, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today appealed to the Security Council for the urgent, necessary financial and logistical support needed for the West African peacekeeping force to continue playing its essential role in promoting regional reconciliation.
• West African leaders urge Security Council to help ensure peace in Côte d'Ivoire UN News Centre 29 Apr 2003 -- As part of its ongoing bid to tackle new challenges to international peace and security and reinforce broad cooperation with regional groups, the United Nations Security Council today met with a high-level delegation from West Africa to discuss ways to ensure genuine peace in Côte d'Ivoire.
• PALESTINIAN / POLITICS VOA 29 Apr 2003 -- The Palestinian parliament has approved Mahmoud Abbas as the first Prime Minister. The decision clears the way for the U-S government to present a long-promised new international peace plan for the Middle East.
• ISRAEL BOMBING VOA 29 Apr 2003 -- An apparent suicide bomb attack has rocked a popular seaside restaurant in Tel Aviv, killing at least three people and injuring more than 30 of others. The attack comes just hours after the Palestinian parliament endorsed the new government of Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, who denounced terrorism and said he'd rein in militant groups.
• POWELL-MIDEAST VOA 29 Apr 2003 -- With a new Palestinian cabinet in place, the Bush administration is beginning a stepped up effort at Middle East diplomacy based on the international "road map" to an Israeli-Palestinian peace accord. Secretary of State Colin Powell leaves late Wednesday on his first trip to the region in a year.
• UN / IVORY COAST VOA 29 Apr 2003 -- U-N Secretary General Kofi Annan appealed to the Security Council today (Tuesday) for resources to support regional African forces in war-torn Ivory Coast.
• U-S / ISRAEL / PALESTINIANS VOA 29 Apr 2003 -- Bush administration officials say the end of the war in Iraq will signal the beginning of a major effort to renew the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The United States is expected to release (has released) the so-called roadmap designed to end 31-months of violence that has killed more than 700 Israelis and two-thousand Palestinians.
• BUSH-MIDEAST VOA 29 Apr 2003 -- The White House has welcomed the vote in the Palestinian parliament to approve a new cabinet led by Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. The Bush administration says the move paves the way for the release of a detailed peace plan.
• IVORY COAST / AID VOA 29 Apr 2003 -- United Nations agencies are appealing for 85-million dollars to help three-million civilians affected by the war in Ivory Coast.The appeal comes as steps are being made to restore security in the west of the country where the seven-month conflict continues.
• PALESTINIAN POLITICS VOA 29 Apr 2003 -- The Palestinian legislature is holding a special session in the West Bank city of Ramallah as lawmakers debate approval of the new government of Prime Minister-designate Mahmoud Abbas. A "yes" vote will pave the way for a resumption of Middle East peace efforts to be presented by the United States in the coming days.
• PALESTINIAN POLITICS VOA 29 Apr 2003-- Palestinian legislators are meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah to approve the new cabinet of Prime Minister designate, Mahmoud Abbas. The vote is a crucial step to resuming Middle East peace efforts, but just hours before the session, violence continued on the ground with two Palestinians killed in the West Bank and one killed in the Gaza Strip.
• INDONESIA ACEH VOA 29 Apr 2003 -- Leaders from the separatist movement in Indonesia's Aceh province say they are willing to meet the government to try to save a peace plan. But the Free Aceh Movement says it will not give up its campaign for independence.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Saudi Base to Close, Ops Center Moves to Qatar AFPS 29 Apr 2003 -- DoD officials said that the combined air operations center at this base will be mothballed and all U.S. aircraft operating from here will be gone by August.

• Osan-Pyeongtaek to Become Hub of USFK ROK Ministry of National Defense 29 Apr 2003 -- A senior ranking U.S. military official said on Friday (April 25) that most of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) will be moved to Osan-Pyeongtaek area in the long term, heightening the possibility that the headquarters of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command and the United Nations Command (UNC), currently in Yongsan Garrison, will be moved to the area.

• OIF contracting effort proves successful AFPN 29 Apr 2003 -- The early insertion of contracting officers into mobility packages may prove to be one of the most cost-effective decisions the Air Force made during Operation Iraqi Freedom, the coalition air force's top logistics officer said.
• Conventional missile plays crucial role AFPN 29 Apr 2003 -- From the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, much of the success coalition forces experienced depended largely upon the ability to inflict maximum damage to precise targets while incurring minimum risk. The plan required accurate weapons as much as skilled strategists.
• Secretary Rumsfeld Joint Media Availability with Prince Sultan 29 Apr 2003 -- Joint media availability with High Royal Highness Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, second deputy prime minister, minister of defense and aviation and inspector-general of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Al-Azzizia Palace, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
• SAUDI/RUMSFELD VOA 29 Apr 2003 -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld confirms that U-S forces are leaving Saudi Arabia. Mr. Rumsfeld met with Saudi officials in Riyadh.
• SAUDI/RUMSFELD VOA 29 Apr 2003 -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld flew from Qatar to Saudi Arabia for meetings with top Saudi officials. Mr. Rumsfeld's visit coincides with a major announcement from the Pentagon.
• USS Constellation makes Fremantle port visit Seventh Fleet 28 Apr 2003 -- The San Diego-based aircraft carrier, USS Constellation (CV 64), will pull in to Fremantle, Australia April 29th for the first port visit since departing the Arabian Gulf.
• TUP spotlights Boeing, NAVAIR teamwork NAVAIR 29 Apr 2003 -- The TAV-8B Harrier Trainer Upgrade Program (TUP) is a cooperative effort between the Boeing Company and the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Depot Cherry Point to support the warfighter.
• SELRES in Good Standing Authorized National Defense Service Medal Navy NewStand 29 Apr 2003 -- President George W. Bush signed an amendment to an Executive Order granting authorization for the National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) to members in good standing in the Selected Reserve of the Armed Forces of the United States.
• DOD ENHANCES POST-DEPLOYMENT HEALTH ASSESSMENTS 29 Apr 2003 -- The Department of Defense announced today its plan to enhance the post-deployment health assessment process.
• Destroyer Squadron 15: Eyes of The Hawk Navy NewStand 29 Apr 2003 -- While ship's company and air wing personnel dominate the ship and are known as the "Hawk-5 Team," other units are also embarked aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) and contribute significantly to the mission. One such unit is Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15.
• The Philadelphia Story -- Kitty Hawk Celebrates More Than 4 Decades of Service Navy NewStand 29 Apr 2003 -- In 1956, the same year USS Kitty Hawk's (CVA 63) keel was laid in Philadelphia, Grace Kelly and Bing Crosby attracted thousands to the theater in a movie remake of "The Philadelphia Story."

• An Enlarged NATO: Mending Fences and Moving Forward on Iraq Department of State 29 Apr 2003 -- Secretary Colin L. Powell: Testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
• "Reallocating NATO Forces in Europe," by Senator George Allen Washington File 29 Apr 2003 -- This column by Senator George Allen, a Virginia Republican and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Subcommittee on European Affairs, was first published April 29 in The Washington Times.
• Powell Asks for Senate Consent to NATO Enlargement Washington File 29 Apr 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee April 29 that the admission of seven additional nations to NATO should be approved because it will help promote democracy, the rule of law, free markets and peace throughout Eurasia, and it will improve NATO's ability to respond collectively to new dangers.
• Powell Encourages Congress to Ratify Entries of Seven Countries into NATO AFPS 29 Apr 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell asked Congress today to approve protocols that would welcome seven new members into NATO, which would be the alliance's largest expansion in its 54-year history.
• NATO Candidates Support Alliance Operations, Iraq Coalition Washington File 29 Apr 2003 -- A State Department official says the seven countries invited to join NATO -- Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia -- "are continuing to behave as de facto allies" by contributing to the war against terrorism, to NATO operations in the Balkans and Afghanistan, and more recently to coalition efforts to disarm Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

• Defense 'Mini-Summit' Highlights Unease With U.S. Dominance RFE/L 29 Apr 2003 -- The heads of four EU member states -- France, Germany, Belgium, and Luxembourg -- meet today in Brussels for a "mini-summit" on defense cooperation. All four countries opposed the war in Iraq, and the timing of the summit is highly symbolic. Although no particular breakthroughs are expected, the summit highlights Europe's unease over U.S. military dominance in the world.
• U.S./Europe: Blair Warns Against French 'Multipolar' Vision RFE/L 29 Apr 2003 -- Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair has warned that any attempt by Europe to set itself up as a rival center of power to the U.S. would be "dangerous and destabilizing." Blair's comments are seen as a direct challenge to France's President Jacques Chirac and his vision of a "multipolar" world.
• E-U / MILITARY (L-UPDATE) VOA 29 Apr 2003 -- Four European countries announced plans today (Tuesday) to establish a European Union military planning center that does not involve NATO.
• E-U / MILITARY VOA 29 Apr 2003 -- The leaders of France, Germany, Belgium, and Luxembourg have discussed strengthening European military capability and cooperation during a meeting in Brussels. Some analysts say could widen the divide among countries in the European Union and their relations with the United States.

News Reports

• SHAPE News Morning Update SHAPE 29 Apr 2003
• SHAPE News Summary Analysis SHAPE 29 Apr 2003
• Powell to Visit Spain, Albania, Syria, Lebanon Washington File 29 Apr 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell will travel to Spain, Albania, Syria and Lebanon May 1-3 to discuss bilateral relations, the liberation and future of Iraq, and U.S. efforts to advance peace in the Middle East.
• WHO Drops Toronto from SARS Travel Warning List Washington File 29 Apr 2003 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) announced April 29 that it is removing Toronto, Canada, from the list of places where travel is not advised because of the danger of contracting severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
• IEA Energy Ministers Vow to Combat Oil Supply Disruptions Washington File 29 Apr 2003 -- The International Energy Agency (IEA) says its member countries stand ready to counter any disruptions of oil supplies through the "judicious" use of emergency oil stocks, demand restraint and other measures.
• BUSH / CUBA RIGHTS VOA 29 Apr 2003 -- The White House has denounced Cuba's re-election to the U-N's human rights commission. Bush administration officials say it is like choosing a robber to protect a bank.
• U.S. Outraged at Cuba's Election to U.N. Human Rights Commission Washington File 29 Apr 2003 -- Calling Cuba's re-election to the United Nations (U.N.) Human Rights Commission an "outrage," the United States walked out of a meeting April 29 of the U.N. Economic and Social Council.
• W-H-O / SARS VOA 29 Apr 2003 -- The World Health Organization says that Wednesday it will lift the SARS-related travel ban it imposed on Toronto, Canada. But while W-H-O says the SARS situation has improved in Toronto, a travel ban will remain in effect for Hong Kong, Beijing, Guangdong and Shanxi provinces in China.
• CONGRESS SARS CHINA VOA 29 Apr 2003 -- A top U-S lawmaker is praising China for publicly acknowledging the magnitude of the SARS outbreak there after initially being slow to do so. But Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist says Beijing could do even more.
• WHO to take Toronto off SARS precautionary travel advisory UN News Centre 29 Apr 2003 -- The United Nations health agency announced today that it was lifting its precautionary advisory against non-essential travel to Toronto, Canada, effective tomorrow, in view of positive changes there with regard to the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
• SARS / ASEAN SUMMIT UPDATE VOA 29 Apr 2003 -- Leaders from Southeast Asia, China, and Hong Kong have concluded an emergency summit in Thailand pledging to work together to combat Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The leaders want to ease a crisis of confidence that has hurt the travel industry and is threatening economic growth in the region.
• EGYPT/SARS VOA 29 Apr 2003 -- Egypt and Saudi Arabia are increasing their efforts to prevent Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome from spreading to their countries. Medical teams are being stationed at ports of entry throughout Egypt, and Saudi Arabia is banning anyone from traveling to the kingdom who has visited one of the SARS-infected countries in the past 10 days.
• CUBA/DISSIDENTS VOA 29 Apr 2003 -- Cuban authorities say their recent crackdown on dissent has destroyed what the communist government of President Fidel Castro describes as an attempt by U-S diplomats to create political instability on the island. After summary trials earlier this month, 75 dissidents were sentenced to prison terms of as much as 28 years. But a leading human-rights advocate in Cuba says the repression has failed to stop the peaceful struggle for democracy.
• ZIMBABWE / MUGABE VOA 29 Apr 2003 -- The Zimbabwe government is denying reports that President Robert Mugabe is going to retire. A government statement released (late Monday) says Mr. Mugabe intends to stay in office until his term expires in 2008.
• ZIMBABWE/BANKS VOA 29 Apr 2003 -- In Zimbabwe, the state-owned media are sharply criticizing the country's banks for closing during last week's three-day general strike. The strike was called by the country's labor unions to protest a hefty price hike on fuel. The criticism of the banks comes as thousands of Zimbabweans are spending hours trying to withdraw money from the banks.
• NIGERIA / OIL STANDOFF VOA 29 Apr 2003 -- Oil company executives are negotiating for the freedom of about 100 European and American oil workers held captive by their striking Nigerian colleagues on several oil rigs off the Nigerian coast.
• CHINA SARS VOA 29 Apr 2003-- Riots broke out in a Chinese town because residents feared a local school would be turned into a quarantine center for people exposed to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
• SARS / W-H-O ECONOMICS VOA 29 Apr 2003-- A World Health Organization official says SARS is having an unnecessary negative economic impact on Asia - as the public perceives the virus to be a greater risk than it actually is.
• SARS / ASEAN SUMMIT VOA 29 Apr 2003-- Leaders from Southeast Asia, China and Hong Kong are holding an emergency one-day summit in Thailand on containing the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, and easing the economic impact on the region. The disease has killed more than 300 people and infected more than five-thousand, mostly in Asia