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Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 22 Jul 2004 [PDF]
• DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty

• IMEF Marines and soldiers engage in daylong firefight with AIF -- suffer 14 WIA CENTCOM 22 Jul 2004 -- I MEF sustained fourteen casualties; 13 Marines and one soldier were wounded in action. However, none of the injuries suffered were considered life threatening in nature; ten of the 14 have already returned to duty.
• U.S. Troops Kill 25 Insurgents In Al-Ramadi RFE/RL 22 Jul 2004 -- The U.S. military says U.S. soldiers killed 25 insurgents, wounded 17 others, and captured 25 more during several hours of fighting in the western Iraqi city of Al-Ramadi.
• New Video: 7 Kidnap Victims Held by Militants in Iraq VOA 22 Jul 2004 -- Officials from several countries say they are doing everything possible to secure the safe release of seven truck drivers kidnapped in Iraq.

• Nearly four out of five eligible Afghans now registered to vote - UN mission UN News Centre 22 Jul 2004 -- Almost four out of every five estimated eligible voters in Afghanistan have registered for the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections, the United Nations Assistance Mission in the country (UNAMA) announced today.
• Afghanistan: U.S. Military Now Admits To Contacts With 'Renegade' Counterterrorism Group RFE/RL 22 Jul 2004 -- The growing scandal arising from the U.S. abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan now includes the case of three U.S. civilians accused of kidnapping and torturing suspected Afghan resistance fighters. The three are on trial in Kabul, and the man who calls himself their leader, Jonathan Idema, says they have tortured no one and insists that their work is supported by the U.S. government. After initial denials, a spokesman for the U.S.-led antiterrorism operation in Afghanistan now admits the coalition did have contacts with Idema.
• AFGHANISTAN POLITICS VOA 22 Jul 2004 -- A powerful northern Afghan commander says he will run for president in Afghanistan's coming election. General Abdul-Rashid Dostum, though unlikely to win the presidency, is a major force in Afghan politics because of strong support from the country's ethnic Uzbeks.
• Afghans Soldiers And Police Chief Killed In Ambush RFE/RL 22 Jul 2004 -- Officials say 11 Afghans, including a former police chief, were killed in an ambush today in Helmand Province.

• IG: Individual discipline failures led to detainee abuse Army News 22 Jul 2004 -- While there is room for improvement in detainee operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, cases of reported detainee abuse there were caused primarily by individuals failing to live up to the standards of decency and Army Values they had been taught in the Army, according to an Inspector General inspection report made public during recent congressional testimony.

Other Conflicts

• U.N./POWELL-SUDAN VOA 22 Jul 2004 -- U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell says the United States is still not satisfied with the Sudanese government's response to the humanitarian crisis facing the Darfur region. Mr. Powell and Secretary General Kofi Annan called on the Sudanese government to live up to its commitment to disarm Janjaweed militia fighters immediately.
• RUSSIA / MIGS / SUDAN VOA 22 Jul 2004 -- Sudan is reported to have taken delivery of the last of 12 MiG fighter jets purchased from Russia in a deal signed three years ago. Although the Sudanese government says the jets are needed to defend against external threats, delivery of the planes comes as the Khartoum government faces increasing criticism for its involvement in the conflict in the western Darfur region and hints that the international community may step in if conditions do not improve.
• DARFUR/MEDIATION VOA 22 Jul 2004 -- Two rebel groups from Sudan's western Darfur province say they will resume peace negotiations they broke off with the Sudanese government a few days ago. The agreement to resume negotiations was concluded during crisis talks held at the Geneva-based Center for Humanitarian Dialogue.
• BRITAIN / SUDAN VOA 22 Jul 2004 -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair is playing down a report that he is making contingency plans to send British troops to Sudan to deal with that country's ethnic conflict. The prime minister discussed the Sudan crisis at his monthly news conference.
• DARFUR / MEDIATION VOA 22 Jul 2004 -- Representatives from Darfur's two rebel groups and the African Union are meeting in an effort to restart peace talks, which collapsed over the weekend. The meeting is being hosted by the Geneva-based conflict mediation organization, the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue.

• SOUTH AFRICA: Troop deployment to DRC and Eritrea extended IRIN 22 Jul 2004 -- South African peacekeeping troops are to stay on in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Eritrea for another year, a government official told IRIN.
• ISRAEL / E-U VOA 22 Jul 2004 -- Israel chastised the European Union on Thursday, saying it doubted whether it could be seen anymore as an honest broker in the Middle East. The harsh statement came in reaction to the decision of EU representatives to vote for the U.N. General Assembly resolution against Israel's controversial West Bank security barrier.
• Israeli Helicopter Targets Gaza Workshop VOA 22 Jul 2004 -- Palestinian residents of a southern Gaza refugee camp say an Israeli helicopter fired a missile at a workshop early Thursday, causing damage but no serious injuries.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Coalition Invades Bellows Beach at RIMPAC Navy Newsstand 22 Jul 2004 -- Sailors, Marines and coalition forces from Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force 3 conducted an amphibious assault exercise at Bellows Beach on the island of Oahu July 20.
• GW Sailors Have Finger on Pulse, Ready to Surge Navy Newsstand 22 Jul 2004 -- USS George Washington (CVN 73) (GW) transited the Strait of Gibraltar July 20 and entered the Atlantic Ocean, as the ship and crew wind down a historic six-month deployment. The crew anticipates a big homecoming celebration July 26, but they are still on call under the Navy's Fleet Response Plan (FRP).
• Multinational Task Force Launches Baltic Exercises The Army National Guard 22 Jul 2004 -- Soldiers launched an international military exercise during opening ceremonies held Tuesday at an army base in Eastern Latvia. The RESCUER / MEDCEUR exercise begins this week and will continue until the end of July in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, three of NATO's newest members.
• ARMY ACCELERATES SELECTED FCS CAPABILITIES Army News Release 22 Jul 2004 -- The Army announced today that it is accelerating the delivery of selected Future Combat Systems (FCS) capabilities to the Current Force. The Army is committed to providing our Soldiers the best equipment possible and FCS will remain the cornerstone of the Army's transformational program.

• IG: Individual discipline failures led to detainee abuse Army News Service 22 Jul 2003 -- While there is room for improvement in detainee operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, cases of reported detainee abuse there were caused primarily by individuals failing to live up to the standards of decency and Army Values they had been taught in the Army, according to an Inspector General inspection report made public during recent congressional testimony.
• Bad Troops, Poor Leaders Responsible for Detainee Abuses AFPS 22 Jul 2004 -- A few "bad apples" and a lack of proper supervision - not a failure in military training, doctrine or policy - were responsible for detainee abuses in Afghanistan and Iraq, senior Army leaders told a Senate committee today.
• CONGRESS - PRISONER ABUSE VOA 22 Jul 2004 -- The U.S. Army's inspector general has found a total of 94 cases of confirmed or alleged abuse of prisoners by U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, a higher number than previous estimates by the Defense Department. The inspector general testified before a Senate panel Thursday

• USS Ronald Reagan to Arrive at New Homeport Navy NewsStand 22 Jul 2004 -- USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) and its 3,000 crew members will arrive at their new home at Naval Air Station North Island July 23 at 10 a.m.
• Army Chief Says Force Gaining Flexibility, Agility AFPS 22 Jul 2004 -- The Army has an "extraordinary opportunity" to transform its forces to respond to "one of the most dangerous times in our history," the Army chief of staff told Congress July 21.
• Army Accelerates Future Combat System AFPS 22 Jul 2004 -- Army officials are accelerating the delivery of selected future combat systems to the current force. Under the program, the Army will speed up deployment of some segments of the system. They will begin reaching the field is fiscal 2008, rather than in fiscal 2014.
• Truman's EOD Exercises with Moroccan Troops Navy Newsstand 22 Jul 2004 -- U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) members, currently aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), teamed up with a Moroccan EOD team during the multi-national exercise Majestic Eagle in July, which included joint forces from Morocco, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

• State Department Noon Briefing, July 22 Washington File 22 Jul 2004 -- Department issues, Sudan, China, Venezuela, Israel/Palestinians, Philippines, Japan, Libya

News Reports

• SHAPE News Morning Update SHAPE 22 Jul 2004 -- Foreign minister wants Serbia-Montenegro to drop lawsuit against NATO / Annan says not a single country has pledged troops to UN protection force in Iraq / Spain offers to help in Iraqi elections, but again rules out sending troops / Olympic security costs rise as Greece grapples with foreign demands
• SHAPE News Summary & Analysis SHAPE 22 Jul 2004 -- U.S. commits 400 special forces soldiers to Athens / Powell presses Serbian leader to bring fugitive Mladic to book / Europe warms to idea of unified military agency

• ZIMBABWE / MERCENARIES VOA 22 Jul 2004 -- The trial of 70 suspected South African mercenaries has been delayed once again to give lawyers more time to prepare. The men were arrested at Zimbabwe's international airport in March and accused by the government of plotting to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea.