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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 16 Jan 2008 [PDF]
• MND-North Soldiers attacked by small arms (Salah ad Din)
• Female Suicide Bomber Kills at Least 8 North of Baghdad VOA 16 Jan 2008 -- At least eight people were killed by a female suicide bomber in a crowded market north of Baghdad in volatile Diyala province
• Baghdad Violence Decreasing with Reconciliation Efforts Army News 16 Jan 2008 -- Northwest Rashid community leaders, senior Iraqi Security Forces leaders and Iraqi government members gathered Jan. 6 for a reconciliation meeting.
• Phantom Phoenix denies enemy sanctuary (Arab Jabour) MNF-I 16 Jan 2008 -- Two weeks into Operation Marne Thunderbolt, al-Qaeda in Iraq extremists are on the run. The operation is targeting AQI sanctuaries and weapons stockpiles in southern Arab Jabour.
• Operation Phantom Phoenix: U.S. Soldiers find cache, given warheads (Baghdad) MNF-I 16 Jan 2008 -- Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers found a cache of explosives and were given a bag containing warheads by an Iraqi citizen in the Rashid district Jan. 14.
• Jan. 15 airpower summary: Fighting Falcons fly successful missions AFPN 16 Jan 2008
• Coalition Forces Kill 3 Terrorists, Detain 4 AFPS 16 Jan 2008 -- Coalition forces killed three terrorists and detained four suspects today during operations targeting al Qaeda networks in central and northern Iraq, military officials reported.
• ‘Phantom Phoenix’ Makes Security, Civil Progress in First Week AFPS 16 Jan 2008 -- Operation Phantom Phoenix, a series of division- and brigade-level strikes against al Qaeda and other extremists in Iraq, continues to disrupt terrorist safe havens and bases
• Phantom Phoenix Allows Provincial Governor to Visit Local Officials AFPS 16 Jan 2008 -- Diyala's provincial governor visited local representatives of qada, or county, governments in the Muqdadiyah area at Forward Operating Base Normandy here Jan. 14.
• Pentagon Moves to Blunt Gates' Rebuke of NATO Allies VOA 16 Jan 2008 -- The Pentagon is moving to blunt concern and criticism that is already coming from European allies, in the wake of an article in Wednesday's Los Angeles Times
• Gates Says NATO Allies 'Committed' to Mission in Afghanistan AFPS 16 Jan 2008 -- U.S. defense officials made it clear today that while they appreciate the hard work NATO troop-contributing nations are doing in Afghanistan, more counterinsurgency training would help further the allies' success.
• Afghans in Forefront of Anti-insurgent Fight, General Says AFPS 16 Jan 2008 -- Afghanistan’s national security forces are in the forefront of the fight against insurgents who seek to derail the government and impose their will on the Afghan people, a senior U.S. military officer posted in Afghanistan said today.
• Berlin says no decision on sending combat troops to Afghanistan IRNA 16 Jan 2008 -- A German Defense Ministry spokesman stressed that no decision has yet been taken on sending a 240-men Quick Reaction Force to Afghanistan to replace a Norwegian unit in July.
• Afghanistan: Former Taliban Commander Advises U.S. Ambassador RFE/RL 16 Jan 2008 -- The U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, William Wood, on January 13 met with Mullah Abdul Salaam, the former Taliban commander who recently defected to the side of the Afghan government and now heads the Kabul-backed administration in Musa Qala.
• NATO Warns Afghan Civilians to Keep Distance From Military Vehicles VOA 16 Jan 2008 -- The NATO-led mission in Afghanistan has urged civilians to stay away from military patrol vehicles so that they are not mistaken for insurgents.
• AFGHANISTAN: Winter aggravates IDP hardships IRIN 16 Jan 2008 -- Tens of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in formal and informal camps, abandoned buildings and other locations in the south, west and north of Afghanistan face the threat of contracting winter diseases and are struggling to keep warm, affected people and officials said.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Navy Granted Authority To Use Sonar In Training Off California 16 Jan 2008 -- The Navy announced today that two important steps have been taken under existing law and regulations to allow it to conduct effective, integrated training with sonar off the coast of southern California after a federal court earlier this month imposed untenable restrictions on such training.
• Air Force weapon system roadmap released AFPN 16 Jan 2008 -- Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley today released the Air Force's weapon system "roadmap," a long-term plan for providing Air Force capabilities the nation needs in the 21st century to meet threats to the nation's security.
• 4 new pilots begin F-22 training AFPN 16 Jan 2008 -- The first Air Force pilots selected to fly the F-22 Raptor without previous fighter experience entered the 63rd Fighter Squadron for the Raptor Lead-in course Jan. 14 here.
• New financial manager-comptroller sworn in AFPN 16 Jan 2008 -- Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne swore in the Air Force's new assistant secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller in a ceremony at the Pentagon Jan. 15.
• Personnel center leadership changes hands AFPN 16 Jan 2008 -- Air Force Personnel Center officials welcomed their 23rd commander during a change-of-command ceremony here Jan. 16.
• DoD Selects New Government Travel Charge Card 16 Jan 2008 -- The Department of Defense announced today the selection of Citibank to provide travel charge card services for its members under the General Services Administration’s umbrella SmartPay® 2 master contract.
• F-16 crashes in Gulf of Mexico AFPN 16 Jan 2008 -- An Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed at about 7:30 p.m. Jan. 15 in the Gulf of Mexico near Key West, Fla.
• Army Fields Up-Armored Humvees to NTC Army News 16 Jan 2008 -- Brand new, lined up one after the other in a seemingly endless row, the Army's current Up-Armored Humvees have finally made their way to the National Training Center.
• No U.S.-Chinese warship standoff in Taiwan Strait: U.S. official CNA 16 Jan 2008 -- There were no incidents when the Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier battle group navigated through the Taiwan Strait last November, a spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Fleet said Tuesday.
• Poland rejects calls for three-way talks on missile shield RIA Novosti 16 Jan 2008 -- Warsaw sees no need to hold three-way talks involving Russia on U.S. plans to deploy missile defense elements in Poland, the country's foreign minister said on Wednesday.
• Belarus considers buying advanced Russian air defense system RIA Novosti 16 Jan 2008 -- Belarus is looking to buy the advanced S-400 Triumf (SA-21 Growler) air defense system from Russia, the chairman of the Belarusian State Military-Industrial Committee said on Wednesday.
• Press Gaggle by Dana Perino The White House 16 Jan 2008
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 16 Jan 2008

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 16, 2008
• BAE SYSTEMS AWARDED FIRST F-35 PRODUCTION CONTRACT BAE Systems 16 Jan 2008 -- BAE Systems has been awarded its first F-35 Low Rate Initial Production full funding contract worth over £25M.
• U.S. Navy Selects Northrop Grumman for Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare Systems Northrop Grumman 16 Jan 2008 -- The U.S. Navy has selected Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) for the design, development and delivery of dismounted and mounted development models for Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device (RCIED) Electronic Warfare (CREW) systems.
• U.S. AIR FORCE/LOCKHEED MARTIN TEAM COMPLETES ON-ORBIT DEPLOYMENT OF MODERNIZED GPS SATELLITE IN RECORD TIME Lockheed Martin 16 Jan 2008 -- The modernized Global Positioning System Block IIR (GPS IIR-M) satellite, launched from Cape Canaveral on Dec. 20, 2007, has been declared fully operational for military and civilian navigation users around the globe, following a record-setting on-orbit deployment by a joint U.S. Air Force/Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] team.
• MEADS Receives $66 Million Contract to Incorporate New PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement Lockheed Martin 16 Jan 2008 -- The NATO Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) Management Agency awarded a $66 million contract to incorporate the Lockheed Martin [NYSE:LMT] PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) Missile as the baseline interceptor for the tri-national program
• Russia delays overhaul of Indian Navy submarine RIA Novosti 16 Jan 2008 -- The delivery of an Indian Navy diesel submarine which recently underwent a two-year refit at a Russian Barents Sea shipyard will be delayed by at least six months, a shipyard spokesman said Wednesday.
• U.S. reports arms deals of $72 bln to Gulf allies from 1981-2006 RIA Novosti 16 Jan 2008 -- The United States rendered military services worth a total of $72 billion to six Arab states in the Persian Gulf from 1981 to 2006, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) said on Wednesday.

Other Conflicts

• Quandt: Bush May Open Door for Mideast Peace in Next Administration cfr.org 16 Jan 2008
• Analysis: Bush’s Candor Marks Mideast Trip cfr.org 16 Jan 2008 -- President George W. Bush’s eight-day trip through the Middle East lived up to its billing as a momentum-building exercise
• Bush Ends Mideast Tour; Mubarak Endorses Peace Effort VOA 16 Jan 2008 -- President Bush has ended his Middle East tour on a positive note, with a show of support for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process from Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
• Israeli Troops Kill Islamic Jihad Commander in West Bank VOA 16 Jan 2008 -- Israeli forces on Wednesday killed a top West Bank commander of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad in an operation in the occupied West Bank
• No agreement reached on Kosovo’s future status in Security Council UN News Centre 16 Jan 2008 -- The Security Council today discussed the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Kosovo – a Serbian province where ethnic Albanians outnumber Serbs and other minorities by nine to one – with no agreement being reached over its future status.
• COTE D'IVOIRE: UN warns of lingering threats to stability IRIN 16 Jan 2008 -- Nearly two years on from the signing of a peace accord widely deemed the last, best chance for Cote d’Ivoire, “systemic factors of instability” continue to threaten peace efforts, according to the UN, which has extended the mandates of UN and French forces in the country.
• India admits helping Lankan navy against Tamil Tigers IRNA 16 Jan 2008 -- For the first time in recent years, India has acknowledged helping the Sri Lankan navy in its operations against the Tamil Tigers.
• Ban Ki-moon urges dialogue to halt violence in Sri Lanka following latest attacks UN News Centre 16 Jan 2008 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned the attacks which occurred in Sri Lanka today, killing and injuring dozens – including children – and coinciding with the formal end of a truce between the Government and Tamil rebels.
• Arrests of Balkan war crimes fugitives ‘absolute priority’ – UN prosecutor UN News Centre 16 Jan 2008 -- The new prosecutor of the United Nations tribunal judging war crimes committed in the Balkan conflict of the 1990s today appealed to the international community to help bring the four remaining fugitives to justice.
• UN, AU envoys meet with key Darfur rebel alliance UN News Centre 16 Jan 2008 -- A key rebel alliance today told the United Nations and African Union (AU) Special Envoys for Darfur that it is ready to work with the newly-deployed hybrid peacekeeping force, known as UNAMID.
• Four Kosovo mediators to hold talks in Slovenia RIA Novosti 16 Jan 2008 -- Negotiators of four states involved in talks on Kosovo's status will meet in Slovenia on Saturday to discuss a timeframe for a police mission for the province, Serbia's Beta news agency reported.
• Russian peacekeepers' rotation in Sudan planned for Jan.28-Feb.2 RIA Novosti 16 Jan 2008 -- The Russian air group, part of the United Nations Mission in Sudan, will carry out a regular rotation from January 28 until February 2, 2008, the Russian Air Force said on Wednesday.
• Right-wing faction pulls out of Israeli government RIA Novosti 16 Jan 2008 -- The right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel, Our Home) party announced on Wednesday it was pulling out of the governing coalition in protest over the struggling prime minister's peace talks with Palestinians.
• Bus blast kills at least 23 in Sri Lanka as ceasefire ends RIA Novosti 16 Jan 2008 -- An explosion on a bus in central Sri Lanka has killed at least 23 people and injured around 70 as a ceasefire between the government and Tamil Tiger insurgents formally came to an end on Wednesday.
• Bush Completes Mideast Tour VOA 16 Jan 2008 -- President Bush has ended his Middle East tour on a positive note, with a show of support for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process from Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
• SUDAN: Rebel positions bombed in West Darfur IRIN 16 Jan 2008 -- Fresh violence in the Sudanese state of West Darfur has restricted humanitarian work around El Geneina, with aid workers describing the region as “a no-go area”.
• DRC: Nkunda's rebel group spells out demands IRIN 16 Jan 2008 -- The insurgency led by dissident general Laurent Nkunda in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has spelt out its demands at a peace conference to end the conflict in the troubled North and South Kivu provinces in the east, where, according to the UN, insecurity and human rights abuses have displaced at least half a million people in the past 12 months.
• Israeli Troops Kill Militants in West Bank, Gaza in Separate Attacks VOA 16 Jan 2008 -- Palestinian medical workers say an Israeli air strike near Gaza City Wednesday killed at least three Palestinians, including a teenager.
• Right Wing Party Pulls Out of Israeli Government VOA 16 Jan 2008 -- The leader of a right-wing Israeli party quit the ruling coalition government, Wednesday, saying he does not support negotiations with Palestinians that will result in Israeli giving up land it captured in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War
• Islamic Militants Capture Military Base in NW Pakistan VOA 16 Jan 2008 -- Islamic militants have captured a remote military outpost in northwest Pakistan near the Afghan border

News Reports

• MYANMAR: UK announces doubling of aid IRIN 16 Jan 2008 -- One of the main aid donors to Myanmar (formerly Burma), the UK government, has announced it is doubling its humanitarian aid to the impoverished country over the next three years, in response to what it describes as a "staggering" humanitarian crisis.
• UN appeals for $42 million to help 500,000 crisis-affected Kenyans UN News Centre 16 Jan 2008 -- In the aftermath of the violence that tore through Kenya following last month’s elections, the United Nations has asked for $42 million to provide some 500,000 people with food, water, shelter and other priority needs over the next six months.
• US Says American Embassy Car Was Apparent Target of Lebanon Blast VOA 16 Jan 2008 -- The U.S. State Department says "preliminary evidence" suggests a U.S. embassy car was the target of Tuesday's blast that killed three people in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
• Investigators Search for Clues in Bombing of US Embassy Car in Beirut VOA 16 Jan 2008 -- The bomb that targeted a U.S. embassy vehicle in Beirut on Tuesday was the first attack on American interests there since the 1980s
• Suharto Regains Consciousness, Breathing Improves VOA 16 Jan 2008 -- Doctors treating former Indonesian President Suharto, 86, say he has regained consciousness and his breathing has improved to a point that he may be taken off a ventilator.