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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 19 Mar 2008 [PDF]
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualties
• Coalition Force Soldier killed in vehicle rollover (Diyala)
• President Bush Discusses Global War on Terror The White House 19 Mar 2008
• Bush on 5 Years: Removing Saddam Right Decision Army News 19 Mar 2008 -- Five years ago, American forces marched into Iraq to liberate that nation. Today, President George W. Bush affirmed the decision was the right one.
• Iraq: Bush Says War Still Worth Fighting -- And Winning RFE/RL 19 Mar 2008 -- Five years ago, U.S.-led forces began the invasion of Iraq. It was to have been a quick war and inexpensive, paid for at least in part with Iraqi oil revenues.
• Bush: Iraq 'Is a Fight America Can and Must Win' VOA 19 Mar 2008 -- President Bush marked the fifth anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq with a speech at the U.S. Defense Department.
• Bush Marks Five-Year Anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom AFPS 19 Mar 2008 -- President Bush reflected on the triumphs and tragedies of the Iraq war today, five years after the U.S. ousted Saddam Hussein and roughly one year after a troop surge helped to tamp down violence there.
• Bush Defends War in Iraq VOA 19 Mar 2008 -- President Bush marked the fifth anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq with a speech at the U.S. Defense Department
• March 18 airpower summary: B-1B deters enemies AFPN 19 Mar 2008
• Coalition Forces Kill Two Suspected Terrorists, Detain Dozens AFPS 19 Mar 2008 -- Coalition forces killed two suspected terrorists and detained dozens of others in recent days during operations to disrupt al Qaeda networks in central and northern Iraq, military officials reported.
• Five Years On, American Army In Iraq Still Faces Challenges VOA 19 Mar 2008 -- The US military had little difficulty toppling Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003. Yet the post-invasion challenges in Iraq — promoting democracy, rebuilding infrastructure, providing security, beating back an anti-American insurgency and defusing the Sunni-Shiite conflict — have tested the limits of the armed forces
• Agency Helps Clarity Emerge From Fog of War AFPS 19 Mar 2008 -- Multinational Division Center formed in spring 2007 as part of the U.S. troop surge.
• NATO Progress in Afghanistan Significant, General Says AFPS 19 Mar 2008 -- Despite the task NATO faced when it arrived in Afghanistan in 2003, the alliance has made significant progress in the country, the deputy chairman of the alliance’s military committee said here yesterday.
• Troops Kill Enemy Fighters in Afghanistan’s Khowst Province AFPS 19 Mar 2008 -- A coalition military operation in Afghanistan’s Khowst province today resulted in several enemy fighters being killed, but also claimed the lives of two innocent civilians, military officials here reported.
• Airmen ease Marines move to Afghanistan AFPN 19 Mar 2008 -- With last year's operations in Afghanistan among the highest since they began in 2001, Airmen here are acutely aware of the mission importance to refuel aircraft supporting those operations, as well as provide world-class service and care to transiting passengers, said Col. Harrison Smith, the commander of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, the host unit at Manas Air Base.
• US Military Confirms Civilian Deaths During Operation in Afghanistan VOA 19 Mar 2008 -- The U.S. military in Afghanistan has confirmed the deaths of two civilians during an operation against insurgents in eastern Khost province.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Airmen build legal complex at Camp Justice AFPN 19 Mar 2008 -- Approximately 50 Airmen deployed to support Joint Task Force Guantanamo in February to put the finishing touches on the Expeditionary Legal Complex construction projects at Camp Justice here.
• USNORTHCOM hosts hurricane preparation conference AFPN 19 Mar 2008 -- Heavy snow may have been falling outside, but the men and women gathered inside a conference room here in mid-March had another kind of severe weather on their minds.
• Officials provide Virtual Uniform Board update AFPN 19 Mar 2008 -- Air Force officials recently announced the new Virtual Uniform Board, which transforms the Air Force Uniform Board process by providing a streamlined tool for submitting recommendations to improve dress and personal appearance standards.
• T-6A accident investigation complete AFPN 19 Mar 2008 -- Air Force officials have completed the investigation of the Nov. 28, 2007, T-6A Texan II mid-air collision near Gunshy Auxiliary Field, Miss., which resulted in the loss of both aircraft.
• Americans Must Be Committed to Defeating Terrorist Enemy, England Says AFPS 19 Mar 2008 -- Americans must be as committed to defeating the terrorist enemy as that enemy is to defeating the United States and all that for which the nation stands, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England said today at the Navy League’s Sea, Air, Space Expo here.
• War on Terrorism Requires More Than Military Force, Expert Says AFPS 19 Mar 2008 -- Winning the war on terrorism will be a long, slow process predicated on earning the loyalty of people insurgents want to control for their own ends, according to one of the U.S. Army’s premier counter-insurgency experts.
• 'Dagger' Brigade Switches Patch in Activation Ceremony Army News 19 Mar 2008 -- The 2nd "Dagger" Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Infantry Division officially became the 172nd Infantry Brigade (Separate) "Blackhawks" during an activation ceremony here March 17.
• U.S. and Indian Officials Discuss WWII Recovery Missions 19 Mar 2008 -- Officials of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) met today with representatives of the Indian government in New Delhi to lay the groundwork for future U.S.-Indian humanitarian operations in Arunachal Pradesh State.
• NAVFAC Southeast Awards $45.8 Million Contract to Local Contractor Navy NewsStand 19 Mar 2008 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast awarded a $45.8 million contract on March 4 to NTF, L.L.C., a large business joint venture of Opus South and Whitesell-Green of Pensacola, Fla. for design and construction of a new facility for the U.S. Air Force at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola.
• Expeditionary Forces Fill Gap in Maritime Zone Navy NewsStand 19 Mar 2008 -- During the Naval Expeditionary Forces Expo and Symposium, in Virginia Beach March 11-13, leaders from the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Air Force discussed how they work together in an expanded battlespace, applying the new unified maritime strategy.
• TR Prepares for Busy Underway Navy NewsStand 19 Mar 2008 -- USS Theodore Roosevelt (TR) (CVN 71) got underway March 17, in preparation for upcoming carrier qualifications and strike group drills
• NMCB 1 Celebrates Seabee Birthday Abroad Navy NewsStand 19 Mar 2008 -- On March 5, 1942, Adm. Ben Moreell was granted the authority to establish a naval construction force and officially call its personnel "Seabees."
• Navy Seabee Achieves Third Warfare Qualification in Only Four Years Navy NewsStand 19 Mar 2008 -- A U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 5 Sailor completed his third warfare designation on March 15, achieving this career milestone in less than four years.
• Mustin Proves Practice Makes Perfect During ULTRA-C Navy NewsStand 19 Mar 2008 -- Sailors aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile cruiser USS Mustin (DDG 89) demonstrated that practice makes perfect during a Unit-Level Training Assessment-Certification (ULTRA-C) conducted March 10-14.
• NATO fighters scramble again to intercept Russian Bear bombers RIA Novosti 19 Mar 2008 -- NATO fighters scrambled to accompany Russian Tu-95 Bear strategic bombers on a regular patrol over the Atlantic on Wednesday, a Russian Air Force spokesman said.
• Russian foreign ministry receives U.S. missile defense proposals RIA Novosti 19 Mar 2008 -- The U.S. has handed Russia new proposals on the planned deployment of a missile defense shield in Central Europe, a Russian deputy foreign minister confirmed Wednesday.
• Press Briefing by Dana Perino The White House 19 Mar 2008
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 19 Mar 2008

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 19, 2008
• NEW MISSILE WARNING SATELLITE BUILT BY LOCKHEED MARTIN PROGRESSING IN CRITICAL TEST PHASE Lockheed Martin 19 Mar 2008 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] announced today that the first Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) geosynchronous orbit (GEO-1) spacecraft is progressing through a series of key tests that will demonstrate the integrated satellite's readiness to enter the critical environmental test phase in preparation for launch in late 2009.
• BAE SYSTEMS RECEIVES U.S. NAVY CONTRACT FOR MINE NEUTRALIZERS WORTH POTENTIALLY US$60MILLION BAE Systems 19 Mar 2008 -- BAE Systems has been awarded a US9.8million contract from the U.S. Navy to supply mine neutralizers which will be launched from a helicopter, ship and fast RIB.
• BAE SYSTEMS RECEIVES FOLLOW-ON ORDERS FOR NEW MINE RESISTANT AMBUSH PROTECTED VEHICLES WORTH $715 MILLION BAE Systems 19 Mar 2008 -- BAE Systems has received two follow-on delivery orders for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles totalling $715 million from the U.S. Marine Corps.
• Raytheon's Airborne Mine Neutralization System Advances to Production Raytheon 19 Mar 2008 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) received a $7.7 million U.S. Navy contract for the low rate initial production of three AN/ASQ-235 Airborne Mine Neutralization Systems (AMNS).
• Radar Sensor to be Incorporated Onto Northrop Grumman's MQ-8B Fire Scout 19 Mar 2008 -- Radar will be incorporated onto Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) MQ-8B Fire Scout Vertical Takeoff and Landing Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (VTUAV).

Other Conflicts

• Cook: No Likelihood of U.S. Breaking with Israel on Hamas Talks cfr.org 19 Mar 2008
• CHAD: Govt suspends due process to destroy 1,000 houses IRIN 19 Mar 2008 -- A presidential decree suspending due process and clamping down on civil liberties following a two-day rebel attack on the capital was later also used by the mayor of N’djamena to evict thousands of residents and demolish their homes.
• DR Congo: UN mission says Katanga conditions still suitable for refugee returns UN News Centre 19 Mar 2008 -- Conditions in the North Katanga region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are still conducive to the return of some 20,000 refugees now in Tanzania and Zambia despite recent agitation against the United Nations Mission there, known as MONUC, the mission said today.
• Deadly Battles Reported in Somali Capital VOA 19 Mar 2008 -- Residents of Somalia's capital say at least eight people have been killed in renewed fighting between Islamist insurgents and Ethiopian troops backing the Somali government.
• Journalists Still Barred from Kenya Military Operation VOA 19 Mar 2008 -- A military and police operation targeting a militia in western Kenya continues. As Derek Kilner reports from Nairobi, journalists are complaining that they are still being barred from the areas affected by the operation.
• McCain Committed to Mideast Peace Process VOA 19 Mar 2008 -- U.S. Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, is touring Israel and meeting with Israeli leaders as part of his Mideast tour that has taken him to Iraq and Jordan
• Deadly Battles Reported in Somali Capital VOA 19 Mar 2008 -- Residents of Somalia's capital say at least eight people have been killed in renewed fighting between Islamist insurgents and Ethiopian troops backing the Somali government.
• ISRAEL-OPT: New campaign to promote safety of medical staff IRIN 19 Mar 2008 -- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and the Palestinian Ministry of Health launched a campaign on 17-18 March to help protect medical staff and institutions in the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT).
• SOMALIA: "Seize window of opportunity to bring peace" IRIN 19 Mar 2008 -- The international community should seize a window of opportunity, despite the difficult security and humanitarian situation in Somalia, to bring peace to the war-ravaged country, the UN has said.
• KENYA: State failed to protect citizens during unrest - UN report IRIN 19 Mar 2008 -- Kenyan authorities failed in their responsibility to protect citizens when violence erupted after disputed presidential elections in December 2007, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
• UN police to return to conflict-hit N. Kosovo city RIA Novosti 19 Mar 2008 -- United Nations police will return to Mitrovica in north Kosovo on Wednesday, a day after a Ukrainian peacekeeper died following a clash with rioters, a UN spokesman said.
• Greater accountability, end to impunity key to stability in Kenya - UN report UN News Centre 19 Mar 2008 -- While the violence that swept across Kenya several months ago was triggered by disputed presidential polls, the crisis was fuelled by underlying causes including poverty and discrimination, United Nations human rights officials said today, urging greater accountability and an end to impunity to address those issues and prevent further outbreaks.

News Reports

• Tibetan spiritual leader asks Tibetans to show restraint IRIN 19 Mar 2008 -- Asking Tibetans to show restraint, the spiritual leader of Tibet, Dalai Lama Tuesday said he will resign as leader of Tibet's government-in-exile if the situation in Lhasa and its neighbouring provinces got out of control.
• China in Intense Struggle With Dalai Lama Over Tibet VOA 19 Mar 2008 -- China says it is engaged in a life and death struggle with the Dalai Lama over Tibet, following a Chinese crackdown on violent protests there last week
• Iranian Overtures to Latin America Spark US Concern VOA 19 Mar 2008 -- Iranian moves to solidify ties with Venezuela, Bolivia and other leftist governments in Latin America have sparked increasing concern in the United States
• Islam: Turkish Theologians Revise Hadith, To Mixed Reactions RFE/RL 19 Mar 2008 -- Turkish religious authorities have been careful in presenting the Hadith Project, launched some two years ago.
• Pakistan's Parliament Elects First Female Speaker VOA 19 Mar 2008 -- Pakistan has seen its first significant transfer of power since last month's nationwide elections