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Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 09 May 2005 [PDF]
• TASK FORCE LIBERTY SOLDIER KILLED, ONE WOUNDED BY IED
• TWO U.S. SOLDIERS KILLED NEAR KHALIDIYAH
• THREE MARINES, ONE SAILOR KILLED IN HADITHAH
• TASK FORCE LIBERTY SOLDIER KILLED
• MARINE KILLED IN UBAYDI
• MARINE KILLED IN AL QAIM
• MARINE KILLED NEAR AL QAIM
• DoD Identifies Marine Casualties
• DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
• DoD Identifies Marine Casualties

• MARINE TEAM BEGINS COMBAT OPERATION IN AL ANBAR CENTCOM 09 May 2005 -- Marines, Sailors and Soldiers from Regimental Combat Team-2, 2nd Marine Division are conducting combat operations in northwestern Al Anbar province.
• US Forces Arrest Key Insurgents in Iraq VOA 09 May 2005 -- The U.S. military says it has arrested two key members of the Iraqi insurgency led by Abu Musab Zarqawi. And military officers say those two men, and other captured insurgents, are providing a wealth of information about the insurgency -- information that is being used in counter-insurgency operations, including a major offensive in northwestern Iraq.
• US Forces Launch Offensive in Western Iraq VOA 09 May 2005 -- U.S. forces have launched an offensive in Iraq's al-Anbar province, and report killing dozens of insurgents. Three U.S. Marines have also been killed in the area.
• Can you dig it? 2-14 Inf. hunts for weapons in Abu Ghraib MNF-I/MNC-I 09 May 2005 -- "Life is a garden: dig it," one Soldier says, quoting the movie Joe Dirt before he begins to move earth with a rusted shovel.
• Marine team begins combat operation in Al Anbar MNF-I/MNC-I 09 May 2005 -- Marines, Sailors and Soldiers from Regimental Combat Team-2, 2nd Marine Division are conducting combat operations in northwestern Al Anbar province.
• 22nd MEU obtains operational control of its combat forces USMC News 09 May 2005 -- The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) made its first major step in preparing for its upcoming deployment today when it obtained operational control of the units with which it is scheduled to deploy later this year.
• Sending out well trained ISF USMC News 09 May 2005 -- At the inception of the Iraqi Security Force, it was unclear what the future would hold for its service members.
• A Battery reaches out, touches insurgents USMC News 09 May 2005 -- They are not often seen, but they’re definitely heard. In the late hours of the night or in the early morning, the thundering blasts shake the ground, which can be felt across the camp here and causes many service members to ask, “Was that incoming or outgoing?”
• Bengals continue fight in Iraqi skies USMC News 09 May 2005 -- The Fighting Bengals of Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 224 have achieved a milestone by logging more than 3,000 combat flight hours and 1,400 combat sorties in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
• 3/8 Weapons Company nets possible insurgent USMC News 09 May 2005 -- Lance Cpl. Joshua B. Johnson and fellow Marines with 2nd platoon, Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment detained a possible insurgent, April 24.
• RFA Diligence Supports Iraqi Navy Navy NewsStand 09 May 2005 -- Sailors and Marines from the United States, Great Britain, Poland and Australia worked with civilian mariners to convert Royal Fleet Auxiliary Ship (RFA) Diligence into a forward-deployed base for Iraqi patrol craft April 20.

• 23 INSURGENTS SUSPECTED DEAD AFTER GUN BATTLE CENTCOM 09 May 2005 -- Two insurgents were confirmed killed and another 21 suspected dead after a five-hour gun battle in the Laghman province Sunday.
• Afghanistan: Tribal Leaders Back Karzai's U.S. Strategic Partnership RFE/RL 09 May 2005 -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai left Kabul on Monday on official business that will take him to Europe and the United States during the next week. His aides say he will meet with NATO leaders and U.S. President George W. Bush to discuss a long-term strategic partnership -- including the possibility of a long-term U.S. military presence in Afghanistan.
• Afghanistan: Taliban Radio Back On The Air RFE/RL 09 May 2005 -- In April, residents of the southern Afghan city of Kandahar were able to hear again Shari'a Zhagh (Voice of the Shari'a) -- the name used for Kabul's Radio Afghanistan during the Taliban rule between 1996 and 2001.
• UN worker, two others killed in Afghan blast UN News Centre 09 May 2005 -- Condemning a suspected suicide bombing which killed a United Nations worker and two others in Afghanistan over the weekend, Secretary-General Kofi Annan has urged measures to combat insecurity in the war-ravaged country.
• Afghan Assembly Backs U.S. Partnership RFE/RL 09 May 2005 -- More than 1,000 representatives gathering in a Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly) have backed Afghan President Hamid Karzai's plans for a "strategic partnership" with the United States.
• AFGHANISTAN: UN work continues despite killing of staff member IRIN 09 May 2005 -- The United Nations in Kabul announced on Monday that relief and development work would continue in Afghanistan despite the death of an international staff member in a bomb blast in the capital Kabul, on Saturday.
• Afghan Tribal Leaders Back Long-term US Military Role VOA 09 May 2005 -- Tribal leaders in Afghanistan have endorsed President Hamid Karzai's plan to ask for long-term security ties with the United States.
• Afghan Soldiers Taking Over Security Mission in Tarin Kowt AFPS 09 May 2005 -- U.S. forces here are beginning to hand over security responsibilities to the Afghan National Army.
• Two Marines, Up to 23 Insurgents Killed in Afghanistan Firefight AFPS 09 May 2005 -- Two U.S. Marines were killed during an intense, five-hour gun battle in Afghanistan's Laghman province May 8. As many as 23 insurgents are suspected dead.
• Vice Chairman Nominee Giambastiani Visits Troops in Afghanistan AFPS 09 May 2005 -- President Bush's nominee to be the next vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff arrived in Afghanistan May 8 to visit with troops and tour U.S. and coalition compounds.
• RFE/RL Afghanistan Report, Vol 4, Number 15 09 May 2005 -- TALIBAN RADIO RETURNS TO SOUTHERN AFGHAN AIRWAVES / AFGHAN DRUG KINGPIN ARRESTED IN U.S.... / ...AS NEO-TALIBAN DENY LINKS TO NURZAI / POLICEMAN INJURED AFTER COUNTERNARCOTICS OPERATION IN EASTERN AFGHANISTAN / NEO-TALIBAN REMAIN ACTIVE IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN / FORMER TALIBAN FOREIGN MINISTER SPEAKS / HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS EXPRESS CONCERN OVER DEATH OF ALLEGED ADULTERER / 'HUNDREDS' DEMONSTRATE AGAINST U.S. MILITARY CONDUCT IN EASTERN AFGHANISTAN / AFGHAN PRESIDENT VOICES CONCERN OVER CIVILIAN DEATHS / CIVILIANS INJURED IN FIREFIGHT IN EASTERN AFGHANISTAN / 28 AFGHANS KILLED WHEN HIDDEN ARMS DUMP EXPLODES / AFGHAN DEFENSE MINISTER DISCUSSES MILITARY, SECURITY, AND DISARMAMENT / TEMPORARY AFGHAN RADIO AND TV COMMISSION ESTABLISHED / NEW GOVERNOR'S SELECTION COULD HINT AT COMPROMISE OVER NORTHWESTERN AFGHAN PROVINCE / AUTHORITIES BAN DOMESTIC FLIGHTS BY PRIVATE AFGHAN AIRLINE / DAILY DISCUSSES AIDS AND AFGHANISTAN'S FAILURE TO TACKLE IT / ROMANIA SUSPENDS PATROLS IN AFGHANISTAN / TAJIK PRESIDENT VISITS AFGHANISTAN / THIS WEEK IN AFGHANISTAN'S HISTORY

Other Conflicts

• NEPAL: Concern about food crisis speculation IRIN 09 May 2005 -- May is the time of the year when a large number of migrant Nepali workers return from India to their home villages. They make the journey in order to harvest winter crops and start sowing summer crops, especially in the most remote hills and mountains.
• SOUTH AFRICA: Govt deploys reservists to the DRC IRIN 09 May 2005 -- South Africa has, for the first time, deployed a company of reservists outside the country to replace members of the regular force on a peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
• COTE D IVOIRE: New setback for peace as talks end with no date set to disarm IRIN 09 May 2005 -- Cote d'Ivoire's faltering peace process hit a new snag at the weekend when the government and rebels ended talks on disarmament without agreeing on a date for the rebels to begin handing in their weapons.
• DRC: 30 arrested in alleged Katanga secession plot IRIN 09 May 2005 -- At least 30 civilians and military personnel suspected of plotting the secession of Katanga Province from the Democratic Republic of Congo have been arrested, Deputy Provincial Governor Chikez Diemu said on Monday.
• RWANDA: Army general before gacaca court IRIN 09 May 2005 -- Rwandan army Maj-Gen Laurent Munyakazi stood before a gacaca court on Saturday, accused of having helped militiamen who killed thousands of Tutsi people hiding in two adjacent churches in the capital, Kigali, during the 1994 genocide.
• GUINEA-BISSAU: Supreme Court delays approval of presidential candidates IRIN 09 May 2005 -- Tension is growing in Guinea-Bissau as the Supreme Court delays a key decision on whether to allow former presidents Kumba Yala and Joao Bernardo "Nino" Vieira, to contest presidential elections due on 19 June.
• AU mission in Sudan effective where deployed but needs strengthening - Annan UN News Centre 09 May 2005 -- The African Union's (AU) "groundbreaking" mission in Sudan is effective where deployed and needs strengthening to enable it to expand its presence to cover more of the vast and difficult terrain in Darfur, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan says in a report out today.
• Quartet reaffirms commitment to two-state Middle East solution, Annan says UN News Centre 09 May 2005 -- The Quartet working to restore peace in the Middle East - the United Nations, United States, European Union and Russian Federation - today reiterated its willingness to help Israelis and Palestinians with the hard work and difficult decisions needed to make positive use of what it called a "hopeful and promising moment" for both sides.
• Quartet Reaffirms Support for Israeli-Palestinian Peace Washington File 09 May 2005 -- The United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia -- collectively known as the Quartet when dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict -- have affirmed the full support of the international community to help the parties "maintain momentum at this fragile moment of opportunity for peace."

Defense Policy / Programs

• Transcript: Defense Department Special Briefing09 May 2005 -- Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Policy Ryan Henry and Acting Under Secretary of the Army Ray Dubois
• Overseas Realignment Process Proceeding in 'Deliberate, Thoughtful' Manner AFPS 09 May 2005 -- The Defense Department is moving forward with plans to reshape its force structure overseas through close coordination with Congress, other government agencies and U.S. allies and partners, defense officials told Pentagon reporters here today.
• Commission Says Pentagon's Realignment Plans Could Jeopardize US Military VOA 09 May 2005 -- The Pentagon's plan to withdraw 70-thousand troops from bases overseas and transfer them back to the United States could hurt the military's ability to respond to emergencies and threatens U.S. influence in Europe and elsewhere. Those are among the conclusions of a report released (today/ Monday) by an independent commission in Washington.

• Navy's First Littoral Combat Ship Honors Freedom09 May 2005 -- Secretary of the Navy Gordon England has selected the name Freedom for the Navy's first new Littoral Combat Ship (LCS).
• Young Airmen protect base, people AFPN 09 May 2005 -- Cops. They are everywhere -- on the flightline, on the roadways, at the entry control points, in the search pits.
• Nassau ESG Departs for New Horizons Navy NewsStand 09 May 2005 -- More than 2,000 Sailors of the USS Nassau (LHA 4) Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) departed their homeport in Norfolk, Va., May 5 to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility in support of exercise New Horizons (NH) in Haiti.
• USS San Francisco Investigation Completed Navy NewsStand 09 May 2005 -- The U.S. Navy announced May 9 the completion of the investigation into the Jan. 8 accident aboard the submarine USS San Francisco (SSN 711) that claimed the life of one Sailor.
• USS Nimitz Strike Group Deploys Navy NewsStand 09 May 2005 -- More than 6,200 Sailors from the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Carrier Strike Group (CSG) deployed from San Diego May 7 to conduct operations in the Central and Western Pacific.
• USS Patriot Commanding Officer Relieved Navy NewsStand 09 May 2005 -- Lt. Cmdr. Mike Little, commanding officer for the forward-deployed mine countermeasures ship USS Patriot (MCM 7), received a punitive letter of reprimand and was relieved of command May 7 by Rear Adm. Victor Guillory, commander, Amphibious Force, U.S. 7th Fleet following non-judicial punishment held in Sasebo, Japan.
• MAG-29 participates in Operation Carolina Thunder USMC News 09 May 2005 -- Marine Aircraft Group 29 participated in a long-range tactical recovery of aircraft personnel mission and casualty evacuation as part of Operation Carolina Thunder at the MacKall Army Airfield and Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune April 12.
• Antietam Sailors Make History in the Persian Gulf Navy NewsStand 09 May 2005 -- Sailors forward deployed in the North Persian Gulf aboard USS Antietam (CG 54) performed the first underway replenishment (UNREP) between a U.S. Navy guided-missile cruiser and a U.S. Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) April 26.
• C-130 maintainers accomplish ‘in-field’ depot maintenance AFPN 09 May 2005 -- It took about a month for C-130 Hercules maintainers here to repair significant structural damage normally requiring a stateside depot team with full access to back shop structural support.

• State Department Briefing, May 9 Washington File 09 May 2005 -- Syria/Iraq, Iran, Russia, North Korea, John Bolton Hearings/Department Responsiveness to Committee Requests, Classification of Documents Requested by Senator Biden, Qualifications of John Bolton to be U.S. Ambassador to United Nations, U.S. Representatives to the World Economic Forum, Cuba/Venezuela, Israel/Palestinian Authority, Iraq
• White House Daily Briefing, May 9 Washington File 09 May 2005 -- President's schedule, Russia/civil society organization, President Bush and President Putin relationship, President and Mrs. Bush attended military parade, Red Square/architecture, World War II veterans, Bush meeting with President Hu and Prime Minister Koizumi, President visited the embassy and thanked diplomatic staff/marines, Bush private meeting with 10 American and 10 Russian veterans of World War II, Bush received a coin from Berlin, looking ahead tomorrow/tour of Old Town Tbilisi, Bush meeting with President Saakashvili, roundtable with civil society leaders, Georgia/beacon of liberty, Iraq/purple revolution, Ukraine/orange revolution, Lebanon/cedar revolution, Georgia/rose revolution, Iraq, North Korea/Six-Party Talks, Iran

Defense Industry

News Reports