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Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 12 Dec 2005 [PDF]
• II MEF SOLDIER KILLED NEAR RAMADI
• TASK FORCE BAGHDAD SOLDIER KILLED
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty

• Explosion Kills Three In Baghdad RFE/RL 12 Dec 2005 -- Iraqi police say three civilians were killed today when a vehicle loaded with explosives detonated in eastern Baghdad.
• Insurgent Violence, Early Voting in Iraq VOA 12 Dec 2005 -- Iraqi police say insurgents killed at least nine people in separate attacks, while security forces and people in hospitals and detention centers cast ballots Monday, three days ahead of the main voting in parliamentary elections.
• CENTAF releases its airpower summary AFPN 12 Dec 2005 -- U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials released today's airpower summary.
• Three Soldiers Killed During Separate Incidents in Iraq AFPS 12 Dec 2005 -- One Task Force Baghdad soldier was killed south of Baghdad today. Another died in western Baghdad on Dec. 11.
• Convoy attacked by suicide bomber MNF-I 12 Dec 2005 -- A U.S. convoy was attacked Dec. 12 by a suicide car bomber at 1:30 p.m. on a street in Fallujah.
• Iraqi security forces, Task Force Freedom continue sweep of terrorists and weapons MNF-I 12 Dec 2005 -- Iraqi security forces along with Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained 46 suspected terrorists and seized weapons caches in northern Iraq, Dec. 5 -12.
• Detainee Voter Turn Out Overwhelming MNF-I 12 Dec 2005 -- Nearly 90 percent of all eligible security detainees in Multi-National Forces-Iraq Theater Internment Facilities participated in today’s democratic vote on the Iraqi National Ballot.

• AFGHANISTAN: National rights body denied access to detainees IRIN 12 Dec 2005 -- Despite receiving 113 complaints of human rights violations at the hands of US-led coalition forces over the past year, the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) continues to be denied access to coalition detention centres, the AIHRC said in its annual report this week.
• AFGHANISTAN: NATO expansion welcomed IRIN 12 Dec 2005 -- Kabul has welcomed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) decision on Friday to expand its peacekeeping mission, saying it would boost security in the post-conflict country.
• Afghanistan: NATO Prepares To Move Into Most Restive Provinces RFE/RL 12 Dec 2005 -- NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on 8 December formally endorsed an expansion of NATO's peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan

• State Department Updates U.S. Response to Pakistan Earthquake Washington File 12 Dec 2005 -- The United States has pledged a total of $510 million to relief and reconstruction efforts following the October 8 Pakistan earthquake, according to a fact sheet issued December 12 by the State Department.

Other Conflicts

• Turkey Seeking CIA Help To Fight PKK RFE/RL 12 Dec 2005 -- Turkey says it wants the United States to provide more intelligence to help it fight the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
• Chechen Parliament Convenes RFE/RL 12 Dec 2005 -- The new Chechen parliament held its opening session today, electing chairmen for its upper and lower chambers and hosting an unscheduled appearance by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• UN officials arrive in Eritrea, attempting to diffuse peacekeeping crisis UN News Centre 12 Dec 2005 -- The top United Nations officials travelling to the Horn of Africa at the urgent request of Secretary-General Kofi Annan to diffuse the crisis caused when Eritrea requested the pullout of peacekeeping personnel of certain nationalities have arrived in the capital of that country, Asmara.
• ETHIOPIA-ERITREA: Ease border tension, top UN official urges IRIN 12 Dec 2005 -- Ethiopia and Eritrea must take concrete actions to ease tensions along their shared frontier given continuing fears that war could break out afresh between the two countries, a top United Nations official said on Monday.
• ETHIOPIA: Gov't to pull back troops from tense border IRIN 12 Dec 2005 -- Ethiopia will pull back troops from its tense border with Eritrea to comply with a United Nations order to avert fresh conflict in the Horn of Africa, the Ethiopian foreign minister said.
• Croatian General Pleads Not Guilty To War Crimes RFE/RL 12 Dec 2005 -- At his first appearance before the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague, the former Croatian general Ante Gotovina today pleaded not guilty to a seven-count indictment.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DoD Announces Recruiting and Retention Numbers for November 12 Dec 2005 -- The Department of Defense announced today its recruiting and retention statistics for the active and reserve components for the month of November.

• Medical Experts Debate Ethics of Military Interrogations VOA 12 Dec 2005 -- Medical Experts Debate Ethics of Military Interrogations

• Airmen keeping search and rescue ‘choppers’ flying AFPN 12 Dec 2005 -- Whether it’s for a matter of life and death or a routine mission, 64th Expeditionary Helicopter Maintenance Unit troops here keep their combat search and rescue helicopters ready.
• Supersonic Raptor drops first guided bomb AFPN 12 Dec 2005 -- An F/A-22 Raptor flying at supersonic speed dropped its first 1,000-pound guided joint direct attack munition over the range here.
• BRAC Implementation Plan on Schedule, Official Says AFPS 12 Dec 2005 -- The Defense Department expects to have a plan to implement Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommendations early next year, a DoD official said here Dec. 7.
• Black Hawks to Sinai part of aviation transformation, Russian cooperation Army News 12 Dec 2005 -- After years of planning, the first five UH-60 Black Hawks for Soldiers of Task Force Sinai in Egypt departed Pope Air Force Base Dec. 2 on a Russian aircraft.
• Battle Lab testing future battlefield communications Army News 12 Dec 2005 -- A satellite-based communications systems for combat vehicles is now being evaluated by the Battle Command Battle Lab.
• Soldiers helping build bridges, schools in Indonesia Army News 12 Dec 2005 -- The United States and Indonesia launched joint humanitarian assistance projects on Nias Island Dec. 7, the first military-to-military operations between the two countries since restrictions on defense cooperation with Indonesia were lifted last month.
• Kearsarge Modifies Structure to Accommodate Ospreys Navy NewsStand 12 Dec 2005 -- The amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) is receiving structural and equipment upgrades to become the first amphibious assault ship to accommodate the Marine Corps’ MV-22 Osprey.
• USS Patriot Returns From Korean Port Visit Navy NewsStand 12 Dec 2005 -- USS Patriot (MCM 7) returned to its forward deployed home of Sasebo, Japan, Dec. 3 after making a two-day port visit to Chinhae, Republic of Korea (ROK).
• KH Sailors Conclude Successful Fall Underway Period Navy NewsStand 12 Dec 2005 -- USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) returned to its forward-deployed operating port of Yokosuka, Japan, Dec. 12, after completing its fall underway period, during which the ship’s crew overcame several challenges and experienced many successes.

• White House Briefing, December 12 Washington File 12 Dec 2005 -- President's schedule, Honduras, Iraq, Lebanon/Beirut bombing, president's strategy for victory in Iraq speeches
• State Department Briefing, December 12 Washington File 12 Dec 2005 -- Secretary Rice's speech at Heritage foundation, U.S. partnership for international journalism program, Statement on the assassination of Gebran Tueni, Secretary Rice's discussion with French Foreign Minister Douste-Blazy/Mehlis investigation, Lebanon/Syria, Iraq, Iran, North Korea

Defense Industry

News Reports

• U.N. Finds More Signs of Syrian Involvement in Lebanese Killing Washington File 12 Dec 2005 -- The U.N. commission investigating the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri says that new evidence strengthens previous findings implicating Syria in the attack, according to a new report released December 12.
• U.N. Security Council Condemns Tueni Assassination in Lebanon Washington File 12 Dec 2005 -- The Security Council condemned the assassination of Lebanese journalist and parliament member Gibran Tueni and warned that the perpetrators of the attacks will be held accountable.
• Rice Outraged by Vicious Killing of Lebanese Lawmaker VOA 12 Dec 2005 -- The United States is harshly condemning Monday's assassination of Lebanese lawmaker and journalist Gibran Tueni.
• Car Bomb Kills Anti-Syrian Lawmaker Near Beirut VOA 12 Dec 2005 -- A car bomb in Beirut has killed a prominent member of parliament who was also the editor of Lebanon's leading daily newspaper.
• Lebanese Publisher And Lawmaker Killed In Blast RFE/RL 12 Dec 2005 -- Police and rescue workers in Beirut say a car bomb that exploded this morning killed outspoken newspaper magnate and parliamentarian Gibran Tueni.
• Car Bomb Kills Anti-Syrian Lawmaker Near Beirut VOA 12 Dec 2005 -- A staunch anti-Syrian Lebanese lawmaker and noted journalist has been killed in a bomb blast in Beirut.

• Myanmar: Annan praises Asian States for backing release of Aung San Suu Kyi UN News Centre 12 Dec 2005 -- United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today commended the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) for its call on Myanmar to “expedite” both its political reform efforts and its release of political detainees, including democracy activist Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.