Operations
Other Conflicts
Defense Policy / Programs
News Reports

Current Operations

• Airmen capture Iraqi republican guardsman AFPN 11 Jun 2003-- Three air traffic control radar controllers were surprised June 9 when they found a member of Saddam Hussein's republican guard hiding in an abandoned building by their radar site at the international airport here.

Other Conflicts

• Bush Strongly Condemns Suicide Bus Bombing in Jerusalem Washington File 11 June 2003 -- President Bush condemned the June 11 suicide bus bombing in Jerusalem that reports say killed 16 and injured many others.
• Powell Urges Palestinians, Israelis to "Remain Steadfast" for Peace Washington File 11 June 2003 -- In the face of violence in the Middle East, Secretary of State Colin Powell said it is a "time for us to remain steadfast" in pursuing the path toward peace between Israelis and Palestinians as laid out by Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian and U.S. leaders during their meeting in Aqaba.
• Israeli Missile Attack Kills Two Palestinians in Gaza VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- Israeli forces have killed two Palestinians in a second raid on the Gaza Strip, following Wednesday's suicide bombing in Jerusalem that left 16 Israelis dead and 90 wounded.
• 16 Killed, 84 Wounded in Jerusalem Suicide Bombing VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- At least 16 people were killed in the suicide bombing of a Jerusalem bus Wednesday. At least 84 people were wounded in the explosion on Jaffa Street, a main thoroughfare in the city.
• ISRAEL / PALESTINIANS VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- Israel has passed on information to the United States that it says proves senior Hamas official Abdel Aziz Rantisi was involved in terror attacks. The move follows White House criticism of Israel's attempt to assassinate Mr. Rantisi on Tuesday.
• MIDEAST WRAP UPDATE VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- A week after Israel and the Palestinians agreed to begin carrying out a "road map" for peace, the region has fallen back into a cycle of violence after a deadly suicide bombing killed at least 16 people in Jerusalem (Wednesday)only to be followed by Israeli strikes against Arab targets in the Gaza Strip that reportedly left at least seven people dead. With a new initiative in the Middle East peace process facing a severe test, the Bush administration is vowing Wednesday's violence will not deter it from pressing ahead with a plan for peace.
• MIDEAST/RANTISSI/EGYPT REACT VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak Wednesday condemned Israel's attempt to assassinate a leader of the Islamic militant movement, Hamas. Egyptian officials say such actions threaten not only the new peace initiative but also talks they are holding to broker a truce among Palestinian factions.
• BUSH / BUS BOMBING VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- President Bush is calling on all nations to cut off terrorist financing to stop violence in the Middle East. The president is responding to Wednesday's bus bombing in downtown Jerusalem and the Israeli helicopter strike that followed.
• ISRAEL / EXPLOSION VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- An explosion has ripped through a bus in central Jerusalem, and police say at least 15 people were killed and dozens of others wounded. Less than an hour after the blast, Israeli helicopters fired missiles at a car in the Gaza Strip, killing at least six Palestinians.
• BUS BOMBING/ON-SCENE REPORT VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- VOA's Larry James has been on the scene of Wednesday's bloody bus bombing in Jerusalem and described it this way
• CONGRESS/MIDEAST VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- Members of Congress say the latest Palestinian suicide bombing in Israel underscores the need for Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas to crack down on Palestinian militants.
• ISRAEL / EXPLOSION VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- At least 16 people were killed in the suicide bombing of a Jerusalem bus today (Wednesday). At least 84 people were wounded in the explosion on Jaffa Street, a main thoroughfare in the city.
• Annan condemns Palestinian attack in Jerusalem as 'utterly reprehensible' UN News Centre 11 Jun 2003 -- Calling such attacks "utterly reprehensible," United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today condemned "in the strongest possible terms" the suicide bombing by the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Jerusalem, saying such actions "only serve to spur further hatred and mistrust."

• AFGHAN RIGHTS VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- As Afghanistan's transitional government works to set up a viable justice system, some international observers are concerned about reported human rights violations by the police. In some cases, Afghan law enforcement bodies are more a source of fear than of safety.

• WAR CRIMES/YUGOSLAVIA VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- Serbia's former state security chief, Jovica Stanisic, has been transferred to the U-N war crimes tribunal in The Hague to face charges relating to ethnic-cleansing operations in Croatia and Bosnia that left hundreds dead. Charges against the long-time ally of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic include persecution and murder.

• LIBERIA FIGHTING VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- West African mediators say they have received assurances from Liberia's government and rebels that they will stop fighting so that peace talks can begin in Ghana. Liberian President Charles Taylor faces increasing pressure to step down.
• U-N / CONGO VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- A U-N Security Council team is trying to salvage the peace process in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their efforts come amid new fighting in the northeast of the country. Security Council officials are in the capital, Kinshasa to encourage a wider political peace process before they visit Bunia, where much of the fighting is centered.
• LANKA/TIGERS VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- In Sri Lanka, Tamil rebels have rejected the latest government proposal to break a deadlock in the peace process.
• Mandate of UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus renewed until mid-December UN News Centre 11 Jun 2003 -- Acting on the recommendation of Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) until 15 December.
• Four UN hostages in Georgia released UN News Centre 11 Jun 2003 -- Four members of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) taken hostage last week have been released unharmed, the mission said today.
• 'Gravely concerned' by events in Liberia, Security Council, demands an end to fighting UN News Centre 11 Jun 2003 -- Gravely concerned at the rapidly deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in Liberia, members of the United Nations Security Council today urged all combatants in the strongest terms to end hostilities immediately and agree to a ceasefire.
• Annan discusses world's hot spots with US Secretary of State Powell UN News Centre 11 Jun 2003 -- United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan discussed a wide range of international issues with United States Secretary of State Colin Powell today, touching on the Middle East, Iraq, UN operations in Congo and Liberia, Myanmar and Zimbabwe.
• Security Council delegation meets with Congolese President Kabila UN News Centre 11 Jun 2003 -- A United Nations Security Council delegation met today with President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in Kinshasa in a bid to jump-start a solid political process for peace in Africa's troubled Great Lakes region.
• Liberia's Taylor Agrees To Cease-fire VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- Liberian President Charles Taylor has agreed to a ceasefire with rebels seeking to overthrow him so peace negotiations can proceed in Ghana.
• Mediators: Liberian Government, Rebels Will Stop Fighting VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- West African mediators say they have received assurances from Liberia's government and rebels that they will stop fighting so that peace talks can begin in Ghana. Liberian President Charles Taylor faces increasing pressure to step down.
• UN Team in DR Congo to Try to Salvage Peace Process VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- A U.N. Security Council team is trying to salvage the peace process in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their efforts come amid new fighting in the northeast of the country. Security Council officials are in the capital, Kinshasa to encourage a wider political peace process before they visit Bunia, where much of the fighting is centered.
• Concern Remains for Burmese Opposition Leaders VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- Burmese opposition groups have welcomed the news that pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is in good health and the military government is saying it plans to release her. However, foreign governments and human rights groups continue to press for the release of all the leaders of her party and a resumption of reconciliation talks.
• Kosovo: Challenges To UN Authority Rising RFE/L 11 Jun 2003 -- A senior United Nations official says increasing challenges to the UN's authority in Kosovo are slowing efforts to carry out reforms in the province.

Defense Policy / Programs

• U.S.: Pentagon Eyes New Flexible Network Of Military Bases Abroad RFE/L 11 Jun 2003 -- In a strategic shift aimed at improving America's ability to combat terrorism and rogue states, the Pentagon has plans to carry out the biggest realignment of its forces abroad since 1945. U.S. troops are expected to leave traditional bases in Germany, Turkey, and elsewhere for a new network of smaller and more flexible "forward operating bases" in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Africa.
• Albania: Rumsfeld Says U.S. Looks Forward To Closer Military Cooperation RFE/L 11 Jun 2003 -- The United States and Albania are set to increase military cooperation after a meeting between top Albanian government officials and U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Albania is hoping that will mean continued U.S. support for its bid to join NATO.
• Marshall Center Celebrates 10 Years of Transatlantic Service AFPS 11 Jun 2003 -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld spoke of the importance of international security cooperation at a joint American- German celebration marking the 10th anniversary of the founding of the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies today.
• Rumsfeld Talks About Dangers of 'Eroding' Sovereignty AFPS 11 Jun 2003 -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld had harsh words for the International Criminal Court and a Belgium law that allows anyone to prosecute anyone for war crimes.
• NATO Defense Ministers to Meet in Brussels June 12-13 Washington File 11 June 2003 -- Defense ministers from NATO member and partner countries will hold their biannual meeting at NATO Headquarters in Brussels June 12-13, at which they will review progress on transforming the alliance's military structure and capabilities including creation of a rapidly deployable NATO Response Force.
• Rumsfeld Arrives in Brussels for NATO Talks VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has arrived in Brussels for talks with his NATO counterparts that will be focused on post-war Iraq and the alliance's military reorganization to cope with 21st century challenges.
• War on Terrorism Is 'Toughest Challenge' Yet, Myers Says AFPS 11 Jun 2003 -- The war on global terrorism, the U.S. military's top officer told National Defense University graduates here June 10, is the most difficult national security challenge he's experienced in his career.

• U.S.: Rumsfeld Again Refers To 'Old' and 'New' Europe RFE/L 11 Jun 2003 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld again spoke of the "old" and "new" Europe when praising the contributions of Poland and Romania to the postwar reconstruction effort in Iraq.

• Netherlands Joins Global Partnership against Spread of WMD Washington File 11 June 2003 -- The United States welcomes the decision of the Netherlands to participate in the G-8 Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, said State Department Deputy Spokesman Philip Reeker June 11.

• ROK, U.S. EOD units diffuse explosive situation 8th Army [MSWORD DOC] 11 Jun 2003-- The clock was ticking for an American Explosive Ordnance Disposal soldier in a dark room lit only by a red light, he had 30 minutes to manually disable an Improvised Explosive Device before it would detonate. Could he do it?
• Daegu holds first peninsula council meeting 8th Army [MSWORD DOC] 11 Jun 2003-- English, music and sports. It's the answer to misunderstandings and the cultural rift between Korea's younger generations and the U.S. military in Korea.
• Marines stay on target with live fire training Marine Corps News 11 Jun 2003-- Marines of L Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division recently conducted squad live fire movement exercises on North Carolina Range during their deployment to Korea for the Korean Integrated Training Program.
• USS Arleigh Burke Returns from OIF Navy Newsstand 11 Jun 2003-- The guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) returned to its homeport in Norfolk, Va., June 11, after a successful five-month deployment supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
• USS Mount Whitney Set for Norfolk Return Navy Newsstand 11 Jun 2003-- Amphibious command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) will return to Norfolk, Va., June 13, completing a seven-month deployment.
• USS Stout and Nicholas Depart on Deployment Navy Newsstand 11 Jun 2003-- More than 600 Sailors aboard two Norfolk-based ships will deploy June 16. The guided-missile destroyer USS Stout (DDG 55) and the guided-missile frigate USS Nicholas (FFG 47), will deploy to the Mediterranean Sea to maintain a routine presence in the region.
• NMCB 133 Rebuilds Village School Navy Newsstand 11 Jun 2003-- Twenty Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133 were sent to a village nine miles away from the Iranian border to repair a half-century old school.
• PCU Mustin Makes a Four-day Pensacola Port Visit Navy Newsstand 11 Jun 2003-- After making a four-day port visit to Naval Air Station Pensacola (NASP), the Navy's newest Aegis guided-missile destroyer, PCU Mustin (DDG 89), headed by Cmdr. Ann Phillips, departed June 9 at approximately 2:45 p.m. The 509.5-foot ship is headed for San Diego, where it will join Commander, Destroyer Squadron 1, and be commissioned in mid-July.
• 26th MEU adds assets to CJTF-HOA'S counter-terrorism mission Marine Corps News 11 Jun 2003-- Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) recently welcomed significant additions to the pool of assets it draws from to fight the Global War on Terrorism across the region with the arrival in the Gulf of Aden of the three-ship USS Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), along with the guided missile frigate USS Gary.
• Marines participate in Baltic Sea Operations '03 Marine Corps News 11 Jun 2003-- BALTOPS '03 is an annual maritime exercise that takes place afloat in the Baltic Sea and ashore in Poland, Germany and Denmark. It is intended to improve interoperability with allies and Partnership for Peace countries by conducting a peace support operation at sea. The emphasis of this exercise is on regional stability, understanding and cooperation among the participating forces.
• A-10s ready for OEF action AFPN 11 Jun 2003-- About 150 people and eight A-10 Thunderbolt IIs deployed to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, from Spangdahlem AB, Germany, to stand guard and support Operation Enduring Freedom and the war on terrorism.
• Dyess sets record mission-capable rates AFPN 11 Jun 2003-- When the 7th Bomb Wing's B-1 Lancer maintainers and operators here surpassed Air Combat Command's monthly mission-capable rate two months in a row last June and July, officials called it "a huge success." It was the first time the wing had accomplished the feat.
• Air Force releases F-15 accident report AFPN 11 Jun 2003-- An Air Force Accident Investigation Board determined the cause of fatal F-15 Eagle accident was a breakdown in terrain avoidance responsibilities between the pilots and air traffic controllers on the ground.
• F-16 crashes in Arizona AFPN 11 Jun 2003-- An Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon jet assigned here crashed about 5:15 p.m. June 10 on the Barry M. Goldwater Range approximately 15 miles south of Gila Bend.
• F-16 crashes in Arizona Air Mobility Command News 11 Jun 2003-- Gen. John W. Handy, commander, U.S. Transportation Command and Air Mobility Command, has determined that continuation of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet call up is not required. CRAF carriers have been notified that passenger aircraft called up to support Operation Iraqi Freedom will be released June 18.

• U-N / INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- The United Nations Security Council is expected to vote before the end of the week on a controversial U-S resolution exempting U-S peacekeepers from the jurisdiction of the new Hague-based International Criminal Court.
• State Department Reviews ICC Article 98 Agreements Washington File 11 June 2003 -- The United States is trying to work with its friends "to find practical solutions" to the International Criminal Court (ICC) issue "and preserve everyone's interests," State Department Deputy Spokesman Philip T. Reeker said during the daily briefing June 10.
• Bosnia: France Warns Sarajevo About ICC Exemption Deal with U.S. RFE/L 12 Jun 2003 -- France says Bosnia could experience "negative consequences" in its relations with the European Union if Sarajevo ratifies a deal giving U.S. citizens immunity from extradition to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

News Reports

• SHAPE News Morning Update SHAPE 11 Jun 2003 -- Finland will not rush to join NATO / Rumsfeld lends his ear to ally Portugal / Top UN administrator urges more EU support for Kosovo / Poland sends officers to prepare for international peacekeeping mission / Iraqi exile leader urges U.S. to create professional Iraqi security force; says Saddam is alive and angry / Canada to open embassy in Afghanistan in January / U.S. says EU support for ICC is straining ties with Washington / Thousands of Iranians protest near university
• SHAPE News Summary & Analysis SHAPE 11 Jun 2003 -- Haggling over bases seen souring NATO command revamp / Germany says Al Qaeda behind attack on German peacekeepers

• CHINA/YANG BIN TRIAL VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- China's second-richest man went on trial Wednesday, facing corruption charges that could send him to prison for many years.
• CHINA CORRUPTION VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- A financial scandal in Shanghai is being felt across China, with Hong Kong business managers and a prominent banker implicated. The case comes as the country's leaders struggle to control corruption.
• INDONESIA/ACEH CENSORSHIP VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- The Indonesian government imposed martial law in the northern province of Aceh on May 17th after a five-month ceasefire with separatist rebels collapsed. Even as it launched a massive offensive against the rebels, the Indonesian military placed restrictions on journalists working in the troubled province.
• EDITORIAL: POLES VOTE TO JOIN E-U VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- In a nationwide referendum, Polish voters overwhelming voted to join the European Union, or E-U. Poland is returning to the great European family, Polish president Aleksander Kwasniewski [kvash-NYEFF-skee] said
• LAOS JOURNALISTS ARREST VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- The Lao government says it has arrested two European journalists and an American of Lao origin who were caught in a battle between Hmong rebels and Lao militia forces. An investigation into the incident is under way amid calls for the immediate release of the three men.
• BURMA/SUU KYI VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- Burmese opposition groups have welcomed the news that pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is in good health and the military government is saying it plans to release her. However, foreign governments and human rights groups continue to press for the release of all the leaders of her party and a resumption of reconciliation talks.
• ASIA SARS VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- A leading expert from the World Health Organization is in Beijing, studying China's outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The U-N health agency wants to know more about the rapid drop in cases seen in China.
• U-N / SOUTH AFRICA VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- The president of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, says his government will not interfere in the political situation in Zimbabwe. The South African president made these remarks to journalists in Geneva after speaking at the annual conference of the International Labor Organization.
• CONGRESS/BURMA VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- Congress has moved closer to imposing tough new sanctions on the military government of Burma, with overwhelming (97-1) Senate approval (Wednesday) of legislation to bar U-S imports from Burma.
• EU/ FARM SUBSIDIES VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- European Union farm ministers have opened two-days of talks in Luxembourg to reform the E-U Common Agricultural Policy. The European Union is under pressure to overhaul the 50-billion-dollar annual program which critics say leads to unwanted surpluses that hurt farmers in poor countries.
• FRANCE / STRIKES VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- A battle over proposed pension reforms is continuing in France, pitting teachers, transportation workers and other public sector employees against the country's conservative government. Another national strike has been called for Thursday, coinciding with key high school baccalaureate exams.
• ZIMBABWE / OPPOSITION VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- After many delays, a bail hearing for the leader of Zimbabwe's major opposition party got under way in Harare. Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai is seeking bail, after being charged with treason in connection with last week's general strike and anti-government protests.
• Leahy Backs McConnell Bill in Senate to Sanction Burma Washington File 11 June 2003 -- The ranking minority member of the Senate Judiciary Committee wants to "turn up the heat" on the military junta ruling Burma.
• U.S., Thailand Explore Defense Ties Upgrade, Urge Democracy in Burma Washington File 11 June 2003 -- In recognition of the long history of U.S.-Thai cooperation, President Bush has stated that the United States is "actively considering" designating Thailand as a Major Non NATO Ally (MNNA), according to a June 11 joint statement between the two countries.
• Labor Secretary Chao Describes Child Soldiers Initiative Washington File 11 June 2003 -- U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao has reiterated the Bush administration commitment to eliminate the practice in some parts of the world of pressing children into military service.
• Country-Wide Protests Affect Every Public Service in France VOA 11 Jun 2003 -- A battle over proposed pension reforms is continuing in France, pitting teachers, transportation workers and other public sector employees against the country's conservative government.
• EU: Giscard d'Estaing Close To A Deal As Constitutional Convention Draws To End RFE/L 11 Jun 2003 -- The Convention on the Future of Europe this week hopes to wrap up its work on drafting the first constitution for the European Union. Against all odds, the panel's president, Valery Giscard d'Estaing, appears to have succeeded in preparing a document that balances opposing interests while retaining coherence. However, this is only the first stage along a rocky path. EU leaders will review the constitution at their coming summit in Greece and may make changes. Then it goes to an intergovernmental conference, which must agree on the final version. The result is of vital interest to the 10 incoming members of the EU, who have had limited say in its preparation.
• Armenia: Election Observers Report Progress But Say The Country Is Still Not Meeting Democratic Standards RFE/L 11 Jun 2003 -- An independent delegation sent to monitor Armenia's parliamentary election and referendum vote in May says the ballot process improved after presidential elections in March but is still not fully democratic. It also suggests that improprieties surrounded the simultaneous vote on constitutional reforms.
• Kazakhstan: Premier Resigns Over Fixed Vote In Parliament RFE/L 11 Jun 2003 -- Kazakh Prime Minister Imanghali Tasmaghambetov says President Nursultan Nazarbaev accepted his resignation and that of his entire cabinet.
• Turkmenistan: Clock Ticking As Ashgabat Refuses To Budge On Dual-Citizenship Ban RFE/L 11 Jun 2003 -- Turkmenistan's unilateral termination of an agreement with Moscow on dual citizenship and the fate of thousands of Russian-speakers in the country are making headlines once again in the Russian media. A recent visit by Russian officials to Ashgabat failed to convince the Turkmen leadership to reverse its decision and allow dual citizens to hold on to their passports.