Operations
Other Conflicts
Defense Policy / Programs
News Reports

Current Operations

• Iraq Reconstruction Update Briefing with Ambassador Bremer 26 Sept 2003-- Bremer: have spent most of the week, as you may know, making the case for the President's supplemental, $87 billion supplemental. And I just want to make a couple of points.
• Operation Iraqi Freedom Troops Return for R&R AFPS 26 Sept 2003-- Some came wanting little more than those creature comforts they said they took for granted before deploying to Iraq: long, hot baths, fast food restaurants and shopping malls.
• 4TH ID SOLDIERS ASSIST CLINICS DURING IMMUNIZATION DAY CENTCOM Release 26 Sept 2003-- Fourth Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade's soldiers along with local Iraqi healthcare workers provided immunizations for Iraqi children during the monthly Immunization Day in Ba'qubah on Sep. 22.
• IRAQIS ASSUME FACILITIES PROTECTION RESPONSIBILITIES CENTCOM Release 26 Sept 2003-- Coalition forces turned over responsibility for the Facility Protection Security Forces to the Iraqis during a formal change of responsibility ceremony held Sept. 23 in Mosul.
• CTF- 57 Aircraft, Crews Pass 10K Mark Navy Newsstand 26 Sept 2003-- Coalition maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft squadrons operating in the Persian Gulf under Commander Task Force (CTF) 57 recently reached 10,000 hours flight time in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).

• AFGHANISTAN/NATO MISSION VOA 26 Sept 2003-- NATO Secretary-General George Robertson says the alliance is near a final decision on whether to expand international peacekeeping in Afghanistan beyond the capital, Kabul

Other Conflicts

• Press Availabilty With UN Secretary General Kofi Annan; Foreign Minister Franco Frattini of Italy in the Capacity of European Union Presidency; European Union High Representative Javier Solana; and Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov of the Russian Federation US Dept. of State 26 Sep 2003
• U-S / MIDEAST / U-N VOA 26 Sept 2003-- Members of the international "quartet" on the Middle East, the United States, Russia, European Union and the United Nations, met at the United Nations Friday to discuss their stalled "road map" to Middle East peace. They appealed to Israel and the Palestinians to take immediate steps to implement the plan.
• ISRAEL/LEBANON VOA 26 Sept 2003-- Israeli officials say Germany is ready to release an Iranian and a Lebanese prisoner to help Israel secure the return of its missing soldiers. The offer comes as Israel is attempting to conclude a prisoner swap with the militant Islamic group, Hezbollah, in Lebanon
• ISRAEL/PALESTINIANS VOA 26 Sept 2003-- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says U-S objections will be taken into account in determining the fate of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. He was commenting on his Cabinet's decision earlier this month to remove Mr. Arafat
• Quartet Members Call for Bold Steps on Both Sides Washington File 26 Sept 2003-- Representatives of the United Nations, the European Union, Russia and the United States, collectively known as the Quartet, called upon Israel and the Palestinians to take steps that will allow for progress on the road map for peace between the two sides.
• Mideast Quartet Calls for End to Terrorist Attacks, Settlements Washington File 26 Sept 2003-- The diplomatic Quartet on the Middle East offered no new suggestions on ways to end the escalating violence September 26, but said that envoys of the four would increase their travel in the region to prepare for another Quartet meeting before the end of the year.
• Russia: Moscow Court Awards Some Compensation To Theater-Siege Families RFE/RL 26 Sep 2003 -- A Moscow court has ordered the city government to pay compensation to relatives of some of the victims of last October's Chechen hostage siege.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Bush: All Nations Should Support Afghanistan and Iraq AFPS 28 Sept 2003-- All nations must join in confronting the threat of terrorism where it arises, President George W. Bush said Sept. 27 in his weekly radio address.
• Army Announces Mobilization of Two National Guard Brigades 26 Sept 2003-- The Secretary of Defense today approved the Army's request to mobilize two U.S. Army National Guard brigades that on July 26 were alerted to participate in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 30th Infantry Brigade from North Carolina will mobilize effective Oct.1, 2003, and the 39th Infantry Brigade from Arkansas will mobilize effective Oct. 12, 2003.
• Rumsfeld: U.S. Is Taking the Battle to the Terrorists AFPS 26 Sept 2003-- It takes money to take the fight against global terrorism directly to the terrorists, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here Sept. 25.
• Congress Sends $368 Billion Appropriations Bill to President AFPS 26 Sept 2003-- Congress has sent the fiscal 2004 Defense Appropriations Bill to President Bush for his signature.
• NSWC PHD teams with FTSCPAC to support USS Cushing (DD 985) NAVSEA 26 Sept 2003-- NSWC Port Hueneme Division (PHD) personnel recently provided distance support to USS Cushing (DD 985) by replacing a NATO Seasparrow Surface Missile System (NSSMS) Signal Data Converter (SDC) backplane assembly prior to the ship's annual missile exercise. Distance Support is proven to play a vital role in enabling the Fleet Response Plan and supports Navy's ability to surge and sustain ships while deployed at-home.
• Optimal Crewing is Not Minimal Crewing: The Need for Human Systems Integration NAVSEA 26 Sept 2003-- Admiral Vernon E. Clark, Chief of Naval Operations, has outlined a challenging vision, Sea Power 21, which defines the transformed Navy of the 21st Century. One of the key elements of his vision is the Sea Warrior initiative, which is to "serve as the foundation for warfighting effectiveness by ensuring the right skills are in the right place at the right time." In future, Navy crews will be "streamlined teams of operational, engineering, and information technology experts who collectively operate some of the most complex systems in the world." Admiral Clark concludes that "optimal manning policies" will enable the Navy to reduce crew sizes substantially, an important objective considering that today's manpower costs contribute some 60% to the total ownership cost of our ships.
• Navy Successfully tests Newest Aegis Weapon System NAVSEA 26 Sept 2003-- The Navy successfully tested the seventh generation of the Aegis Weapon System (AWS) during two sea trials recently onboard the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Pinckney (DDG 91).
• 1ST Anglico Stands Again Marine Corps News 26 Sept 2003-- During Desert Storm, a Saudi Arabian soldier waved his hands, crossing them back and forth in front of him indicating to his counter parts his apprehension in moving toward the battle to liberate Kuwait. Close by, a U.S. Marine, with Air and Naval Gunfire Liaison Company called for fire using his radio. A few moments later, a berm in front of them blew up sending enemy debris flying high in the air. After witnessing this, the Saudi soldier smiled and waved approvingly as he said, "We go now."
• Forward deployed Sailors and Marines prepare for action 7th Fleet News 26 Sept 2003-- The Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) completed their Fall 2003 Blue/Green Workups and Amphibious Ready Group Exercise (BG/ARGEX) off the coast of Subic Bay, Philippines, Sept. 21.

• British army chief on a two-day visit to Kashmir IRNA 26 Sep 2003 -- The British chief of defense staff, Gen. Michael Walker, is now in India, touring the dividing Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) to review the situation on one of the world`s highly militarized frontiers on Thursday.
• British Chief of Defense Staff talks to Indian defense minister IRNA 26 Sep 2003 -- British Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Michael Walker called on Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes and discussed matters of mutual interests and defense related issues in New Delhi.

• Bosnia-Herzegovina: Officials Agree On Uniting Separate Armies RFE/RL 26 Sep 2003 -- Bosnian military and political leaders have reached an agreement on establishing a unified command for the separate armies of Bosnia's two entities, Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation.

• NATO Missile Defence Feasibility Study Transatlantic Industry Study Team selected NATO 26 Sep 2003 -- At the November 2002 Prague Summit NATO Heads of State and Government agreed to initiate a new NATO Missile Defence Feasibility Study to examine options for protecting Alliance territory, forces and population centres against the full range of missile threats.
• NATO Secretary General welcomes agreement on defence reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina NATO 26 Sep 2003 -- "I was very pleased to hear that the political leadership within Bosnia and Herzegovina has agreed on wide-ranging and radical defence reforms for their country"
• CONCLUSION OF NATO RESERVE FORCES OPERATIONAL REHEARSAL DYNAMIC RESPONSE 2003 IN BOSNIA, KOSOVO NATO AFSOUTH 26 Sep 2003 -- The very successful operational rehearsal Dynamic Response 2003 (DR03) was completed today with the redeployment of the last contingent of the forces that have operated for the past month in Bosnia-Herzegovina and in Kosovo as an integral part of SFOR and KFOR respectively.
• NATO'S FUTURE VOA 26 Sept 2003-- In Focus today.The North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO is one of the most successful international organizations in history. NATO members have been safe and prosperous for over 50 years and former enemy nations are eager to join NATO. However, cracks appeared in the alliance this year and critics question whether the alliance has outlived its usefulness.

News Reports

• SHAPE News Morning Update SHAPE 26 Sep 2003 -- NATO's Lord Robertson: Alliance to boost cooperation with Uzbekistan / German takes over NATO naval forces in Mediterranean / U.S. secretary of state claims some "convergence" of views on Iraq / Japan to send troops to Iraq this year / Poland names commander to take over its Iraq peacekeeping operation next year / Philippines to send peace-keepers to Liberia
• SHAPE News Summary & Analysis SHAPE 26 Sep 2003 -- UN to leave just a handful of foreign staff in Iraq / Croatian government adopts action plan for NATO membership / Bosnian leaders agree on central command for armed forces / NATO aims to repeat Balkans success in Afghanistan: Lord Robertson

• ASEAN / BURMA / SUU KYI VOA 26 Sept 2003-- Indonesia's envoy to Burma says he is hopeful the detention of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi will not derail the upcoming summit of Association of Southeast Asian Nations