Military


17 August 2003 Military News


News

    Operations
    Other Conflicts
    Defense Policy / Programs
    News Reports

    Current Operations

    • REPORTER KILLED NEAR ABU GHYRIAB PRISON CENTCOM Release 17 Aug 2003-- Coalition forces engaged an individual in the vicinity of the Abu Ghyriab prison Aug 17. The individual was later identified as a reporter.
    • Iraq: Danish Soldier Killed, Two U.S. Soldiers Wounded RFE/RL 17 Aug 2003 -- A Danish soldier has been killed in a clash with Iraqi gunmen in Al-Basrah, Danish Army command in Copenhagen confirmed today.
    • IRAQ/SABOTAGE VOA 17 Aug 2003 -- Officials in Iraq say a second fire erupted on a key pipeline carrying oil to Turkey. There was also an apparent attack on the Baghdad water supply.

    • LIBERIA/PEACE TALKS (S&L-2nd UPDATE) VOA 17 Aug 2003 -- West African officials mediating Liberian peace talks in Ghana say the warring factions could sign a power-sharing accord as early as Monday. The announcement comes after Liberia's main rebel group retracted demands for the post of vice president in a planned transitional government. A rebel official indicated the group would still seek the post of parliament speaker.
    • LIBERIA/PEACE TALKS (S&L-UPDATE) VOA 17 Aug 2003 -- Liberia's main rebel group has retracted demands for the post of vice president in a planned transitional government, removing an obstacle to continuing peace talks in Ghana. A rebel official indicated the group would still seek the post of parliament speaker.
    • LIBERIA/PEACE TALKS VOA 17 Aug 2003 -- The new Liberian president, Moses Blah, has returned empty-handed from peace talks in Ghana. Meanwhile, more Nigerian peacekeepers have arrived in Monrovia to help with the humanitarian effort in the Liberian capital.

    • AFGHANISTAN/SCREENING VOA 17 Aug 2003 -- The United Nations says a pioneering screening program at the Afghanistan-Pakistan border has successfully cut down on the number of people trying to steal relief packages. The U-N refugee agency says the program is already saving the United Nations millions of dollars.

    Other Conflicts

    • ISRAEL / PALESTINIANS UPDATE VOA 17 Aug 2003 -- The planned Israeli transfer of West Bank towns to Palestinian control has been postponed after the two sides failed to agree Sunday on the terms of the transfer. Both sides have agreed to meet again this week in a bid to resolve their differences.
    • NEPAL REBELS / TALKS VOA 17 Aug 2003 -- Nepal's government and Maoist rebels have resumed peace talks aimed at ending a seven-year insurgency that has devastated the mountain kingdom. Sporadic fighting between rebels and government soldiers has been reported this week.
    • ISRAEL / PALESTINIANS VOA 17 Aug 2003 -- Top Israeli and Palestinian security officials are scheduled to meet today (Sunday) to discuss returning control of four West Bank towns to the Palestinians over the next two weeks. The discussions are part of efforts to keep hopes alive for the international "roadmap" to peace in the Middle East.

    Defense Policy / Programs

    News Reports

    • U-S/POWER OUTAGE VOA 17 Aug 2003 -- Electrical power has been restored to about 50-million people in eight U-S states and parts of Canada, following a massive black-out last week. But questions remain about the cause of the outage, which highlighted the need to modernize and upgrade the U-S electricity supply system.
    • CHINA EARTHQUAKE VOA 17 Aug 2003 -- Scores of aftershocks were felt after a strong earthquake hit China's remote northern province of Inner Mongolia Saturday. Two people were killed and thousands of homes destroyed.