Operations
Other Conflicts
Defense Policy / Programs
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 05 Dec 2003 [PDF]

• Roadside Bomb Claims Coalition Soldier, Wounds Iraqi Citizens AFPS 05 Dec 2003 -- One coalition soldier was killed and approximately 12 Iraqi citizens were wounded when a convoy was struck by a roadside bomb in Baghdad early this morning, a military spokesman said in a briefing today from the Iraqi city.
• Transcript: Coalition Provisional Authority Briefing from Baghdad 05 Dec 2003 -- Participating were Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, deputy director for operations, and Daniel Senor, senior advisor
• IRAQ / ATTACK VOA 05 Dec 2003 -- In Iraq, a powerful roadside bomb detonated in a crowded street in Baghdad Friday, killing one U-S soldier and at least two Iraqis. Many more Iraqi civilians were wounded in the blast.

• Rumsfeld Praises New Freedoms in Afghanistan, NATO Presence Washington File 05 Dec 2003 -- On his visit to Afghanistan two years after its liberation from Taliban forces, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld praised the political, economic and infrastructure reforms in the country.
• Provincial Reconstruction Teams Help Build Afghanistan's Future Washington File 05 Dec 2003 -- A tree-planting ceremony was deemed a fitting ritual to mark the opening of the sixth Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) headquarters in Herat, western Afghanistan, December 1.
• Transcript: Secretary Rumsfeld Press Conference with Afghan President Karzai 05 Dec 2003
• EDITORIAL: AFGHAN RECONSTRUCTION VOA 05 Dec 2003 -- The U.S. is committed to helping the Afghan people take responsibility for their own security and their own future. As Zalmay Khalilzad, the new U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, says, "A moderate and democratic Afghanistan will demonstrate to the region and to the Muslim world how much can be achieved by a nation working in partnership with the international community to build a free society."

Other Conflicts

• UNHCR/REFUGEES VOA 05 Dec 2003 -- The United Nations Refugee Agency is appealing for more than one-billion-dollars to fund its refugee assistance and protection work next year. The funds are to benefit 20-point-five-million people worldwide.

• MIDEAST GENEVA ACCORD: A 'GLIMMER OF HOPE' FOR PEACE US Dept. of State IIP, Foreign media Reaction 05 Dec 2003
• POWELL / MIDEAST PEACE VOA 05 Dec 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell met Friday with the Israeli and Palestinian authors of the unofficial "Geneva Accord" for Middle East peace. Former Israeli Justice Minister Yossi Beilin and former Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo say they're encouraged by the reception they received in Washington.
• UN refugee agency joins disarmament programme in Liberia UN News Centre 05 Dec 2003 -- The United Nations refugee agency has joined the UN inter-agency programme of disarmament, demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration (DDRR) in war-torn Liberia, announcing it would offer assistance to 40,000 former combatants in the West African country and in its neighbours.
• Ivory Coast Protests VOA 05 Dec 2003 -- The government of France says it is closely following the violence in its former colony of Ivory Coast. Protesters have demonstrated for several days in Abidjan, the business capital of the West African country. They are protesting the French military presence in Ivory Coast. Riot police fired tear gas as they fought with young demonstrators near the main French military base in Abidjan. On Tuesday the government banned demonstrations, but the protests continued.
• POWELL / MIDEAST PEACE VOA 05 Dec 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell met Friday with the Israeli and Palestinian authors of the unofficial "Geneva Accord" for Middle East peace. Former Israeli Justice Minister Yossi Beilin and former Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo say they're encouraged by the reception they received in Washington.
• SUDAN/PEACE TALKS VOA 05 Dec 2003 -- Sudanese First Vice President Ali Osman Taha and rebel leader John Garang are expected to resume their peace talks in Kenya Saturday.
• RUSSIA/BLAST VOA 05 Dec 2003 -- Security has been increased across the North Caucasus after an explosion on a commuter train near Chechnya, in which 37 people died and about 150 others were injured. Russian President Vladimir Putin blames terrorists for the bombing, and vows to punish the culprits.
• Russia: 40 Killed As Bomb Rips Through Passenger Train In Southern Russia RFE/RL 05 Dec 2003 -- At least 40 people were killed and dozens injured today when a blast ripped through a passenger train in Russia's southern Stavropol Krai, not far from the breakaway republic of Chechnya.
• ISRAEL/PALESTINIANS VOA 05 Dec 2003 -- Israel's deputy prime minister says there is no chance of peace with the Palestinians and Israel needs to take unilateral steps to draw its own borders. The comments come as the Israeli and Palestinian architects of an unofficial peace initiative meet with U-S Secretary of State Colin Powell in Washington.
• RUSSIA TRAIN VOA 05 Dec 2003 -- At least 32 people are dead and about 60 others injured after an explosion tore through a commuter train in southern Russia, near Chechnya.
• BOSNIA / WAR CRIMES VOA 05 Dec 2003 -- War crimes judges have sentenced a Bosnian-Serb General to 20 years in prison for his role in the siege of Sarajevo. Judges found General Stanislav Galic guilty of terrorizing the city's residents through a two-year campaign of shelling and sniping.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Rumsfeld Visits Georgia, Affirms U.S. Wish That Russia Honor Istanbul Accords AFPS 05 Dec 2003 -- With mounting concern in this former Soviet republic over Russia's behavior in the region and a new interim government still finding its feet, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld toured a U.S.- sponsored military training facility and met with key leaders here today.
• V-22 Osprey Reaches 1,000-Hour Milestone Navy Newsstand 05 Dec 2003-- Dec. 2, the V-22 surpassed 1,000 flight hours flown since the Osprey's return to flight in May 2002.
• Successful Testing Highlights Capabilities of ADS for ASW, Maritime Surveillance Navy Newsstand 05 Dec 2003-- The Advanced Deployable System (ADS), an undersea surveillance system for shallow water littoral missions, successfully completed dual array testing off San Diego in mid-November.
• Kitty Hawk receives new engine test cell 7th Fleet Release 05 Dec 2003-- Since the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet has replaced the F-14 Tomcat as the primary fighter interceptor aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), a new, highly advanced engine test cell has been installed in the ship's jet shop to facilitate the transition.

• Osprey Successful at Sea Navy Newsstand 05 Dec 2003-- The V-22 Integrated Test Team (ITT) completed a detachment in USS Bataan (LHD 5) in November, the second at-sea period for the Osprey program this year.
• Army Reservist' Families VOA 05 Dec 2003 -- Of the 105,000 soldiers preparing to relieve U.S. troops in Iraq this spring, more than a third are reserve forces. Among them is a battalion of New York's National Guard, the largest activation in the state since World War II. Normally, National Guard soldiers sign up for weekends and occasional call-ups for natural disasters. But since September 11th, 2001, they've deployed to protect bridges, borders, and subways, many more than once. While the soldiers are largely falling in step, many of their families are discontent.

• Meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission at the level of Foreign Ministers NATO 05 Dec 2003 -- The NATO-Ukraine Commission, including representatives of the seven Invitee nations, met today at the level of Foreign Ministers in Brussels.
• Chairman's Summary of the Meeting of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council in Foreign Ministers Session NATO 05 Dec 2003

News Reports

• SHAPE News Morning Update SHAPE 05 Dec 2003 -- Powell reopens NATO debate on Iraq, but no quick decisions likely / Colin Powell hopes for more German help in Iraq next year / Iraq's Baath Party re-emerges in new guise / Russia counters criticism over Georgia, Moldova and tells NATO to ratify arms treaty / West partly to blame for likely win of nationalists linked to Milosevic in Serbian elections / NATO to consult with EU on Bosnia peacekeeping / Pentagon weighs contentious peacekeeping plans
• SHAPE News Summary & Analysis SHAPE 05 Dec 2003 -- France testing army corps for NATO or EU operations / Minister: Iraq welcomes greater NATO role / Bulgaria, Lithuania expect NATO membership earlier than planned

• State Department Briefing, December 5, 2003 Washington File 05 Dec 2003 -- Israel/Palestinians, India/Pakistan, Syria/Israel, Iraq, Nigeria/Liberia, Russia, Cuba, Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan

• ZIMBABWE/POLITICS VOA 05 Dec 2003 -- Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe has ruled out any talks with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, the M-D-C. He made the comments in a speech to more than two-thousand delegates at the annual congress of the ruling Zanu-P-F party
• NIGERIA/COMMONWEALTH VOA 05 Dec 2003 -- The Commonwealth summit has opened in Nigeria, where Zimbabwe's suspension from the group is dividing heads of state.