Operations
Other Conflicts
Defense Policy / Programs
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 10 Dec 2003 [PDF]

• 101st Soldiers Seize Former Regime Members, Weapons AFPS 10 Dec 2003 -- U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division soldiers seized more than 50 suspected supporters of the deposed Saddam Hussein regime and confiscated weapons today in two separate operations in northern Iraq, according to U.S. Central Command.
• Two Soldiers Killed, Four Wounded in Separate Mosul Attacks AFPS 10 Dec 2003 -- Two American soldiers were killed by insurgents in separate attacks in the Iraqi city of Mosul today, according to U.S. Central Command.
• TASK FORCE "ALL AMERICAN" CAPTURES SPANISH ATTACKERS CENTCOM Release 10 Dec 2003-- At 2:00 am this morning, paratroopers from 3rd Brigade, 82d Airborne Division with the assistance of Iraqi police conducted Operation Panther Squeeze, a series of 18 raids in Lutafiyah to kill or capture individuals believed to be responsible for the attack against Spanish forces on November 29th. The cooperation efforts between the coalition forces and Iraqi police contributed to the great success of this operation.
• 4th ID CAPTURES CRIMINALS, CONFISCATES WEAPONS CENTCOM Release 10 Dec 2003-- Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division and Task Force Ironhorse over the past 24 hours conducted 184 patrols and five raids resulting in the capture of 36 individuals. Thirty-four of the patrols were joint operations conducted with the Iraqi Police, the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps and the Border Guard.
• 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION (AIR ASSAULT) HITS FEDAYEEN STRONGHOLD CENTCOM Release 10 Dec 2003-- The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) captured numerous Fedayeen, Saddam and other former regime elements during two operations in northern Iraq.
• Operation Bulldog Mammoth strikes insurgents where they live Army News Service 10 Dec 2003-- First Armored Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team conducted a rare brigade-sized cordon and search of an Abu Ghurayb apartment complex, northwest of Baghdad Dec. 4.
• 'BULLDOG MAMMOTH' USES MAMMOTH FORCE, NETS MAMMOTH RESULTS V Corps Release 10 Dec 2003-- The 3rd Brigade Combat Team of V Corps' Task Force 1st Armored Division recently led one of the largest operations in Iraq since the declared end of combat operations in May.
• IRAQ/ATTACKS VOA 10 Dec 2003 -- Two U-S soldiers have been killed in separate attacks in the city of Mosul in northern Iraq. And a U-S military cargo plane was forced to land after reportedly being hit by a missile.

• 2003 & Beyond: Afghanistan Looks Toward Presidential Elections, Despite Violence RFE/RL 10 Dec 2003 -- This year has seen continued fighting in Afghanistan between U.S. forces and the Taliban, as well as factional violence. But the country also reached an important milestone in its efforts to create a new political order -- the writing of a national constitution. That sets the stage for the next big step in Afghanistan's political evolution, a presidential election planned for June.
• AFGHANISTAN / U-S ATTACK VOA 10 Dec 2003 -- U-S forces in Afghanistan have confirmed reports that eight civilians, including six children, were killed during an assault on a suspected terrorist compound last Friday.
• AFGHANISTAN / LOYA JIRGA VOA 10 Dec 2003 -- Afghanistan's transitional president, Hamid Karzai, wants his country, as part of its new constitution, to adopt a system of government that places vast powers in the hands of the president.
• Afghanistan: U.S. Military Says Six Children Died In Air Raid RFE/RL 10 Dec 2003 -- The U.S. military today said six children and two adults were killed in a U.S. air raid in eastern Afghanistan on 5 December.

Other Conflicts

• Kosovo: UN launches set of standards in preparation for final status UN News Centre 10 Dec 2003 -- Senior United Nations and local officials today launched a set of standards designed to prepare ethnically divided, UN-administered Kosovo for final status, including free, fair and regular elections, free media and a sound and impartial legal system.
• UN Secretary-General expresses concerns at disturbances in Liberia UN News Centre 10 Dec 2003 -- United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan expressed his concerns today about disturbances in Liberia since the formal launch at the weekend of the West African country's disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and rehabilitation (DDRR) programme.
• U-S / SUDAN TALKS VOA 10 Dec 2003 -- The State Department's chief diplomat for Africa says he's optimistic that a peace deal ending Sudan's 20-year civil war can be completed by the end of the year. Acting Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Charles Snyder says only two significant issues in Kenyan-sponsored peace talks remain unresolved.
• U-N / WAR CRIMES VOA 10 Dec 2003 -- U-N war crimes judges have sentenced a former Bosnian Serb army commander to 17 years in prison for his role in the Srebrenica massacres in 1995. Dragan Obrenovic, who admitted to playing a part in Europe's worst executions since World War Two, is the second Bosnian Serb to plead guilty to helping murder more than seven thousand Muslim men and boys.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Grossman in Ankara Discusses U.S. Force Posture Washington File 10 Dec 2003 -- Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Marc Grossman was in Ankara December 9 to consult on "changes we believe need to be made in the global force posture of the United States around the world."
• Injuries expected to drop with new parachute Army News Service 10 Dec 2003-- Airborne Soldiers should expect to see a new parachute system in the next few years that will replace the T-10 model that has been in use since the 1950s.
• Transcript: Under Secretary Feith Press Conference with the Romanian Minister of National Defense 10 Dec 2003 -- Press conference at the Romanian Ministry of Defense in Bucharest following global posture consultations. Participating were Douglas J. Feith, under secretary of defense for policy, and Ioan Mircea Pascu, Romanian minister of national defense
• New simulator for basic marksmanship Army News Service 10 Dec 2003-- A new computer-generated training system called the EST 2000 will replace the Weaponeer, a marksmanship training aid that has been in commission for more than 30 years.
• Study determining C-5A's viability AFPN 10 Dec 2003-- Experts here are evaluating the C-5 Galaxy's current health, service life and long-term viability as the first phase of an on-going study to decide the aircraft's future.
• A Nighthawk in Raptor's clothing AFPN 10 Dec 2003-- It took 10 gallons of dark gray paint, 5 1/2 gallons of light gray paint and 3 gallons of silicon paint to give one F-117A Nighthawk here an F/A-22 Raptor-style makeover.

• Pak Air Force aircraft crashes IRNA 10 Dec 2003 -- A Pakistan Air Force F-7 fighter aircraft crashed on Wednesday during a `routine operational training mission` near Punjab city of Chakwal, state APP news agency reported.

• U.S. Increases Sensitive Tech Access Terms for Foreign Nationals Washington File 10 Dec 2003 -- The U.S. Department of Commerce has agreed to lengthen the term of licenses giving access to sensitive technology to highly skilled foreigners taking temporary jobs in the United States.

News Reports

• SHAPE News Morning Update SHAPE 10 Dec 2003 -- British military chief says armed forces will be restructured to fight war on terrorism / NATO seeks to expand cooperation with Mediterranean neighbours / UK, France, and Norway plan submarine rescue craft / Reform of Slovak armed forces on track / EU report: Europe must be more supportive of U.S. global security role / Kyrgyzstan calls for coordination between Russian and U.S.-led coalition bases on its territory / Kofi Annan wary of security and UN role in Iraq
• SHAPE News Summary & Analysis SHAPE 10 Dec 2003 -- DSACEUR backs EU planning cell at SHAPE / EU envoy discusses Concordia mission, cooperation with U.S., NATO / Defense Minister Struck insists NATO remains "first choice" / Chief of the Bulgarian General Staff says Sofia studying "NRF doctrine" / No American bases for Czech Republic in proposed move / UN warning over Afghan elections / Germany favors participation in U.S. MEADS project

• ZIMBABWE / COMMONWEALTH VOA 10 Dec 2003 -- Zimbabwe's parliament is meeting Wednesday to debate the country's withdrawal from the Commonwealth, which was agreed by the cabinet Tuesday. Zimbabwe's imminent departure from the Commonwealth could have a big impact on the country's foreign relations.
• BRITAIN / ARMS VOA 10 Dec 2003 -- European human rights activists have marked International Human Rights day with a call for the world's biggest powers to support a treaty to control the trade in conventional arms.