Military


11 March 2004 Military News


News

Operations
Other Conflicts
Defense Policy / Programs
News Reports

Current Operations

  • OIF/OEF Casualty Update 11 Mar 2004 [PDF]

  • Sanchez Says Security Improving, But More Work Needed AFPS 11 Mar 2004 -- As Iraq's security force continues to grow, so will its responsibilities, and that's the basis for local control, Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, Combined Joint Task Force 7 commander, told reporters today during a Baghdad press briefing.
  • IRAQ/DEVELOPMENTS VOA 11 Mar 2004 -- The U-S military is investigating whether two U-S civilians working for the Department of Defense were killed by Iraqi police, or by assailants posing as police.
  • 1st FSSG settles in, prepares to relieve Army in Iraq Marine Corps News 11 Mar 2004-- Nearly half of the 1st Force Service Support Group has arrived and is getting settled in to its bases in Iraq, steadily preparing to receive the reigns from the Army here.
  • TF OLYMPIA, IRAQI POLICE DETAIN THREE, COLLECT WEAPONS CENTCOM Release 11 Mar 2004-- Soldiers from 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) and local Iraqi police detained personnel suspected of anticoalition activities and conducted ongoing weapons-collection operations in northern Iraq.
  • MOSUL POLICE THANK COALITION FORCES FOR ASSISTANCE CENTCOM Release 11 Mar 2004-- Iraqi policemen from the Mosul area met with soldiers from the U.S. Army's 503rd Military Police Battalion Wednesday to thank them for their assistance in providing security and stability in northern Iraq over the past year.
  • 4ID, TF IRONHORSE OPERATION UPDATE CENTCOM Release 11 Mar 2004-- 4th Infantry Division and Task Force Ironhorse conducted 162 patrols and seven raids and captured 21 individuals Monday and Tuesday.
  • STRYKER BRIGADE DETAINS NINE, COLLECTS WEAPONS, FOILS POWER LINE SABOTAGE CENTCOM Release 11 Mar 2004-- Soldiers from 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained personnel suspected of anticoalition activities and conducted ongoing weapons-collection operations in northern Iraq Tuesday and Wednesday. Coalition soldiers also foiled the sabotage of power lines in Mosul.
  • MEF Marines train behind 8-ball in Kuwait Marine Corps News 11 Mar 2004-- In case the commanding general ever needs to be evacuated from a "hairy situation," they're the guys tasked with getting it done. So they train to drive like Hollywood stunt men and firefight their way out of jams - for example, being pinned down by a larger enemy force.
  • Civilians among deploying personnel Marine Corps News 11 Mar 2004-- When newspapers headlines or the 10 o'clock news report on deployments, they usually talk about men and women in uniform - not slacks, jeans or button-down shirts. But U.S. troops aren't the only people who deploy during times of war. A small number of civilian contractors and Department of Defense employees are usually called upon to support the troops "in every clime and place."
  • Marines role-play Iraq missions Marine Corps News 11 Mar 2004-- It's Saturday morning and a bunch of Marines are huddled around computers in separate rooms, battling each other. But this is no arcade, and they're not playing video games. They're preparing for redeployment to Iraq by using computer-aided, combat simulation systems at the I Marine Expeditionary Force's Battle Simulation Center.
  • MWHS-3 supports OIF II in Iraq Marine Corps News 11 Mar 2004-- July 2003 marked the return of the last units from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif.
  • HMM-466 takes off in Iraq Marine Corps News 11 Mar 2004-- Pilots and crews of Marine CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466 began their first flight operations here Feb. 28.
  • 'Win the Peace' coalition delivers hope for future AFPN 11 Mar 2004-- More than 200 students at a school outside Nasiriya, Iraq, received a surprise delivery of school supplies donated by "Win the Peace." WTP is an unofficial, organization made up of Airmen with the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing at a forward-deployed location.

  • Afghanistan: U.S., Romanians Trying To Get Health Care To The Poor RFE/RL 11 Mar 2004 -- Medical experts from the U.S.-led antiterrorism coalition treat hundreds of impoverished Afghan civilians every week. But mobile medical teams that deliver medical aid to Afghan women have to be sensitive to the cultural traditions of the country's male-dominated society.
  • Afghanistan: NATO Steps Up 'Force Generation' For Reconstruction Teams RFE/RL 11 Mar 2004 -- A major meeting focusing on Afghanistan is taking place today at NATO's military headquarters in Mons, Belgium. NATO officials say member states of the alliance will be asked to contribute troops and assets toward setting up more so-called Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) in the north and west of the country. PRTs are expected to play a crucial role in stabilizing Afghanistan ahead of elections later this year.
  • RFE/RL Afghanistan Report, Vol 3, Number 10 11 Mar 2004 -- DISPUTE ERUPTS OVER AFGHAN MINISTER'S PURPORTED RESIGNATION / RIGHTS GROUP CRITICIZES U.S. MILITARY CONDUCT / AFGHAN MINISTER-CUM-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SAID TO HAVE RESIGNED GOVERNMENT POST... / ...WHILE HE DISPUTES REPORTS OF RESIGNATION... / ...WHILE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN OFFERS DIFFERENT VERSION OF EVENTS / STAGE SET FOR CONTENTIOUS AFGHAN ELECTION CAMPAIGN... / ...AS NEW POLITICAL PARTY TAKES SHAPE / AFGHAN ADMINISTRATION SACKS MAYOR OF KABUL / RELATIONS REPORTEDLY IMPROVING BETWEEN KABUL AND ROGUE AFGHAN COMMANDER / RESIDENTS OF EASTERN AFGHAN PROVINCE CRITICIZE CENSUS PROCESS / EU URGES DELAY IN ELECTIONS / TAJWAR KAKAR -- FIGHTING FOR WOMEN AND FREEDOM / TEAM INVESTIGATES REPORTS OF SELF-IMMOLATION AMONG AFGHAN WOMEN / RIGHTS GROUP ALLEGES ABUSES BY U.S. FORCES IN AFGHANISTAN... / ...BUT IS CHALLENGED BY U.S. MILITARY SPOKESMAN / NEW RECONSTRUCTION TEAM ESTABLISHED IN SOUTH-CENTRAL AFGHANISTAN / U.S. FORCES REPORT KILLING NINE SUSPECTED NEO-TALIBAN IN SOUTHEAST AFGHANISTAN... / ...BUT NEO-TALIBAN SPOKESMAN DENIES THE REPORT / PAKISTAN SAYS NO U.S. FORCES ARE OPERATING ON ITS SIDE OF BORDER WITH AFGHANISTAN / SELF-DESCRIBED TALIBAN SPOKESMAN CLAIMS TROOPS KILLED SEVEN AFGHAN SOLDIERS / TURKISH ENGINEER, AFGHAN GUARD KILLED / LOCAL RED CRESCENT DIRECTOR KILLED IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN / UN BODY CITES GROWING DRUG TRAFFIC THROUGH TAJIKISTAN... / ...AND CRITICIZES TURKMENISTAN FOR LACK OF COOPERATION / TAJIK OFFICIAL DOWNPLAYS AFGHAN DRUG TRANSIT THROUGH TAJIKISTAN / THIS WEEK IN AFGHANISTAN'S HISTORY

  • Progress Made in Haiti's Security and Stability, General Says Washington File 11 Mar 2004 -- The rapid deployment of international security forces and closely coordinated U.S. interagency efforts have yielded progress in the security and stability of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, according to General James Hill, commander of U.S. Southern Command.
  • HAITI / L-ONLY VOA 11 Mar 2004 -- Police in Haiti broke up a violent demonstration of supporters of former President Jean Bertrand Aristide Thursday in Port-au-Prince. Several people were admitted to local hospitals with gunshots wounds but there have been no reports of fatalities. Multi-national troops and Haitian police have started disarmament operations in an effort to try and control violence in Haiti.
  • Situation Report for Media: Multinational Interim Force-Haiti SOUTHCOM Release 11 Mar 2004 [PDF]--Following are significant events and activities of the Multinational Interim Force (MIF) and Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) -Haiti and associated agencies during the last 24 hours

Other Conflicts

  • SOMALIA: Peace process should move into phase three, say IGAD and partners AFPS 11 Mar 2004 -- The members of Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) facilitation committee for the Somali peace talks, and international observers have expressed support for the process of moving the talks into their third and final phase, according to a joint statement issued on their behalf.
  • UN probing how 'black box' from Rwanda came into its possession - spokesman UN News Centre 11 Mar 2004 -- The United Nations is investigating how it came into possession of a flight data recorder - a "black box" alleged in a press report to have been from the downed aircraft of the Presidents of Rwanda and Burundi - and is handing it over to an outside firm for an analysis of its contents, a UN spokesman said today.
  • ISRAEL / PALESTINIANS / DIPLOMACY VOA 11 Mar 2004 -- Visiting U-S diplomats have pressed Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for more details of his proposed withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. The talks on Thursday came as Mr. Sharon's top security advisors recommended that he also dismantle up to 24 Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
  • SUDAN PEACE VOA 11 Mar 2004 -- Sudan is on the verge of a peace deal ending its devastating 20-year long North-South civil war. But a separate war in the western Darfur region is threatening to not only destroy hopes for peace, but create another African crisis.
  • U-N/BLACK BOX VOA 11 Mar 2004 -- United Nations officials have admitted that an aircraft black box possibly linked to a 1994 plane crash that sparked genocide in Rwanda, has been lying unexamined in a U-N file cabinet.Discovery of the black box reopens a painful chapter in Secretary-General Kofi Annan's past.
  • U-S-Israel-Gaza VOA 11 Mar 2004 -- Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz met top Bush administration officials in Washington Thursday in a continuing high-level dialogue on Israeli plans to "disengage" from the Palestinians, starting with the removal settlements from Gaza. A senior U-S official said the Israeli plan can be helpful provided it is part of a coordinated process leading to a two-state solution of the Middle East conflict.
  • EGYPT / ISRAEL VOA 11 Mar 2004 -- Egypt said Thursday it was willing to increase security along its side of the border with Gaza, if Israel decides to pull its troops and settlers out of the Gaza Strip.
  • UGANDA: Government to concentrate Lira IDPs into larger camps IRIN 11 Mar 2004 -- The Ugandan government has announced plans to reduce the number of camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the northern district of Lira and instead concentrate the people in larger camps to minimise their risk of being attacked by rebels.
  • ANGOLA: Troops for peacekeeping in Cote d'Ivoire IRIN 11 Mar 2004 -- Angolan troops are heading to Cote d'Ivoire in their first United Nations peacekeeping mission the government anounced on Thursday.
  • ZIMBABWE: Suspected mercenaries awaiting charges IRIN 11 Mar 2004 -- A group of suspected mercenaries detained by the Zimbabwean authorities could be charged for attempting to acquire firearms illegally in the country, the acting attorney-general, Bharat Patel, told IRIN on Thursday.
  • INDIA / KASHMIR VOA 11 Mar 2004 -- In Indian Kashmir, officials say two soldiers have been wounded in an attack by Islamic militants. Violence has been raging in the region despite a new bid for peace between India and Pakistan.
  • ISRAEL/PALESTINIANS/DIPLOMACY VOA 11 Mar 2004 -- Three senior U-S officials are holding talks today (Thursday) with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The focus of discussions is the Israeli leader's plan to dismantle most of the Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and withdraw the military units deployed there.
  • ETHIOPIA/LANDMINES VOA 11 Mar 2004 -- A Norwegian aid agency says nearly 13-hundred Ethiopians have been killed or injured by land-mines in the last two years. The grim statistics come amid international pressure on Ethiopia to sign an international convention banning land-mines.

Defense Policy / Programs

  • 304th Civil Affairs leaves big shoes behind ARCENT News 11 Mar 2004-- Even to the untrained eye, tracks left by the 304th Civil Affairs (CA) Brigade are easy to follow. Footprints of the unit's efforts can easily be traced across the globe, but its shoes will be hard to fill.
  • DARPA Grand Challenge to Showcase Unmanned Vehicle Technology AFPS 11 Mar 2004 -- Enthusiasm is building at California Motor Speedway in Fontana, Calif., as 21 unmanned ground vehicles prepare to face off against the clock this weekend while traversing 200 miles of rugged terrain.
  • Myers Discusses Haiti, Terrorism, Brazil's Shoot-Down Policy AFPS 11 Mar 2004 -- Haiti, terrorism, Brazil's shoot-down policy and military relations between the United States and Brazil were among the subjects in a series of high-level meetings here March 10 for Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
  • Air Force avoiding Draconian measures while shaping force AFPN 11 Mar 2004-- The Air Force will try to avoid "adverse consequences" while reducing its end strength during the next few years.
  • Officials release Pave Low accident report AFPN 11 Mar 2004-- An accident investigation board determined that failure of the No. 2 engine because of compressor stall, failure of the auxiliary fuel tanks to jettison and the uneven terrain of the landing area caused an MH-53 Pave Low helicopter to crash Nov. 23. The board released its findings March 10.
  • "Evil Eyes" return from deployment with ESG-1, 13th MEU(SOC) Marine Corps News 11 Mar 2004-- More than 250 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Marines returned home in formation here Monday afternoon after a six-month deployment throughout the western Pacific in support of the Global War on Terrorism.
  • Air Force surgical team ready for duty AFPN 11 Mar 2004-- It may seem like a small medical team to some, but people here need not worry about their emergency surgical needs. The five-person U.S. Air Force surgical team, an operational surgical component of the 376th Expeditionary Medical Group, is ready for duty.
  • Pearl Harbor-based Cruiser Returns Home Navy Newsstand 11 Mar 2004-- USS Port Royal (CG 73) returned home to Pearl Harbor March 11 following a six-and-a-half month deployment with Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 1.
  • CNO Says Navy Will Increase Operational Capability, Availability Navy Newsstand 11 Mar 2004-- At a March 10 Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Vern Clark told senators the Navy is accelerating investment in Sea Power 21 to ensure the Navy Marine Corps team remains the preeminent naval force in world.
  • Philippine Sea to Return from Deployment Navy Newsstand 11 Mar 2004-- The guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) and embarked Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron, Light (HSL) 44, Det. 3 will return to its homeport of Mayport, Fla., March 12 after completing a five-month deployment with the USS Enterprise (CVN 65) Carrier Strike Group (CSG) in support of the global war on terrorism.
  • USS Bridge Gets Underway For Last Time to Conduct Inspection, Weapons Offload Navy Newsstand 11 Mar 2004-- In the early hours of Feb. 24, USS Bridge (AOE 10) cast off mooring lines and began her final underway period as a U.S. Navy vessel.

  • Australia to buy new tanks from US PLA Daily 11 Mar 2004 -- The Australian army will buy 550 million Australian dollars (about 423 million US dollars) worth of US tanks to upgrade its fighting ability, Defense Minister Robert Hill announced here Wednesday.

  • State Department Noon Briefing, March 11, 2004 Washington File 11 Mar 2004 -- Announcement/Madrid bombing, Spain, Egypt/Palestinians, Israel/Palestinians, Syria, Syria/Iraq, Cyprus/Greece/Turkey, Greece, Russia, Iran, Haiti, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, IAEA Director's Washington visit
  • White House Briefing, March 11, 2004 Washington File 11 Mar 2004 -- Spain/Madrid terrorist attacks, president's speech to National Evangelical Society, Nassau County 9-11 Memorial, Bush-Cheney 2004 fundraiser, Dept. of Commerce nomination, Federal Reserve Chairman Allen Greenspan testimony/economy

News Reports

  • SHAPE News Morning Update SHAPE 11 Mar 2004 -- U.S. eyes North Africa for military training / NATO assures Baltic states on air defense despite Russian concerns / Danish government presents plan for defense reform to tackle more foreign assignments and terror / President Karzai calls on stretched NATO for election back-up / NATO debates handover of Bosnia force to EU / Belarus begins destroying largest mine arsenal of countries to ratify anti-mine convention
  • SHAPE News Summary & Analysis SHAPE 11 Mar 2004 -- Belgium to double contribution to ISAF / NATO considering mission to help with Afghan elections / Authorities press pace of Afghan disarmament / NATO chief blasts "mindless act of barbarism" in Madrid / Daily: U.S. general will lead Iraqi army

  • ZIMBABWE / PLANE VOA 11 Mar 2004 -- The Zimbabwe government says the men detained Sunday for alleged involvement in a mercenary operation will be charged in court in the coming days.
  • GREATER MIDDLE EAST INITIATIVE: 'ESSENTIAL' REFORMS CANNOT BE 'IMPOSED' US Dept. of State IIP, Foreign Media Reaction 11 Mar 2004