Operations
Other Conflicts
Defense Policy / Programs
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 26 Dec 2003 [PDF]

• Four Soldiers Killed in Iraq, Accident Claims Another, Operation Nets 66 AFPS 26 Dec 2003 -- Four soldiers were killed in operations in Iraq and another was killed in an accident Dec. 24 to 26, coalition officials announced.
• IRAQ/ATTACKS VOA 26 Dec 2003 -- Separate attacks in central Iraq have killed four U-S soldiers.
• TASK FORCE ALL AMERICAN SOLDIERS CONTINUE TO IMPROVE SECURITY IN AL ANBAR CENTCOM Release 26 Dec 2003-- During the last 24 hours, Task Force All American soldiers in Al Anbar conducted 160 patrols (including seven joint patrols with Iraqis).

• Afghanistan: UN workers escape injury in Kabul bomb blast UN News Centre 26 Dec 2003 -- An explosion struck a building housing six United Nations workers in the Afghan capital of Kabul early yesterday, but the UN Assistance Mission to the country (UNAMA) reported that no one was injured.

Other Conflicts

• ISRAEL / GENERAL VOA 26 Dec 2003 -- The head of Israel's Army, General Moshe Ya'alon, predicted in an interview Friday that it will be possible to reach a cease-fire with Palestinians within weeks. At the same time, he called on the government to do more to improve living conditions for the Palestinians.
• UN peacekeepers in Liberia set to expand into rebel strongholds UN News Centre 26 Dec 2003 -- The United Nations peacekeeping force in Liberia will deploy troops to three rebel strongholds in the next few days and should have most of the country covered by the end of January, the Force Commander said today.
• ISRAEL / PALESTINIANS VOA 26 Dec 2003 -- Israeli security authorities decided Friday to step up the elimination of suspected Palestinian terrorists in response to a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv Thursday that killed at least four Israelis.
• IVORY COAST / DISARMAMENT VOA 26 Dec 2003 -- French and African peacekeepers have begun verifying the start of a process aimed at disarming northern rebels and the army in divided Ivory Coast.
• Indian troops kill seven separatists along Bhutan border IRNA 26 Dec 2003 -- At least seven Indian separatists were killed Thursday by federal soldiers while trying to enter the border state of Assam from Bhutan as the military offensive by the Buddhist nation has reached a crucial stage.
• Bhutanese troops block supply lines of Indian separatists IRNA 26 Dec 2003 -- Bhutanese troops continued with their assaults to expel Indian separatists as the Buddhist nation blocked all supply lines of essentials leading to the rebel hideouts, officials Friday said.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Powell Rejects Charges of U.S. Unilateralism in Foreign Policy Washington File 26 Dec 2003 -- In a CNN interview broadcast on December 25, Secretary of State Colin Powell rejected charges that U.S. foreign policy is excessively "unilateralist" in its approach by citing examples of multilateral diplomatic initiatives and military operations ranging from the Middle East to Asia.
• ISRAEL / INDIA VOA 26 Dec 2003 -- Israeli officials have flown to India to complete the sale of sophisticated spy planes to India. The arms deal, one of the largest ever made by Israel, is worth more than one billion U-S dollars.

News Reports

• BENIN/ CRASH VOA 26 Dec 2003 -- More than 100 people have died in Thursday's crash of a Lebanese chartered plane in the west African nation of Benin
• BENIN/ CRASH VOA 26 Dec 2003 -- More than 100 people have died in Thursday's crash of a Lebanese chartered plane in the west African nation of Benin.
• CHINA/BLAST VOA 26 Dec 2003 -- Workers in southwestern China are seeking ways to cap a gas well that blew out Tuesday, releasing poisonous fumes that have killed at least 191 people.