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Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 20 Mar 2008 [PDF]
• March 19 airpower summary: F-16s bomb enemy targets AFPN 20 Mar 2008
• First Brigade Combat Team transfers authority MNF-I 20 Mar 2008 -- The 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division completed a transfer of authority with Regimental Combat Team 1 March 20.
• US Military: Seven Terrorists Killed in Iraq VOA 20 Mar 2008 -- The U.S. military says coalition forces have killed seven terrorists and detained 20 suspects during operations in central and northern Iraq.
• Coalition Troops in Iraq Capture 15 Suspected Insurgents AFPS 20 Mar 2008 -- Coalition troops in Iraq today captured 15 suspected insurgents during operations in central and northern Iraq, military officials said.
• U.S./Afghanistan: Cheney Meets Karzai In Kabul To Discuss Strategy RFE/RL 20 Mar 2008 -- U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney has made an unannounced visit to Kabul for talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, in the middle of what was an announced nine-day tour of the Middle East and Turkey.
• Security Council extends mandate of UN mission in Afghanistan UN News Centre 20 Mar 2008 -- The Security Council today renewed the mandate of the United Nations political mission in Afghanistan and widened its scope to include leading international civilian efforts to provide political outreach, support reconciliation programmes and strengthen cooperation with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
• Marines’ Afghanistan Deployment Shows U.S. Commitment, Cheney Says AFPS 20 Mar 2008 -- The 3,200 Marines on their way to help Afghanistan indicate the depth of the U.S. commitment to the country, Vice President Richard B. Cheney said in Kabul yesterday.
• Cheney Thanks U.S. Troops Serving in Afghanistan AFPS 20 Mar 2008 -- Vice President Richard B. Cheney thanked American servicemembers today for their service in Afghanistan, saying they are making history every day.
• US Vice President Calls for More NATO Support in Afghanistan VOA 20 Mar 2008 -- Mounting concern about the resurgent Taliban and the Afghanistan economy have prompted the U.S. vice president to make a surprise visit there
• Security Forces Cooperate Along Afghanistan-Pakistan Border AFPS 19 Mar 2008 -- As part of their ongoing effort to enhance communication and cooperation, Afghan and Pakistani border security forces at Torkham Gate met Feb. 28 with the 173rd Airborne Brigade’s Special Troops Battalion commander to address security and communication issues and the upcoming opening of the Khyber Border Coordination Center.
• AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN: Afghans reluctant to leave Jalozai refugee camp IRIN 20 Mar 2008 -- Afghans in Jalozai refugee camp, Pakistan’s largest refugee camp, are reluctant to leave, despite a deadline to vacate coming up in less than a month.
• Russian territory could be used for NATO supplies to Afghanistan RIA Novosti 20 Mar 2008 -- Russia may allow its land and airspace to be used as a transit route for NATO-led counter-terrorism operation supplies to Afghanistan, a senior defense official said on Thursday.

Defense Policy / Programs

• MILCON: Fort Bliss Building 7 BCT Complexes Army News 20 Mar 2008 -- The Fort Bliss Expansion Program execution planning began in April 2005
• AFPC general talks about women in the military AFPN 20 Mar 2008
• B-1B achieves first supersonic flight using synthetic fuel AFPN 20 Mar 2008 -- A B-1B Lancer from the 9th Bomb Squadron here became the first Air Force aircraft to fly at supersonic speed using an alternate fuel March 19 in a flight over Texas and New Mexico.
• Air Force to lead National Image Conference AFPN 20 Mar 2008 -- The Department of Defense named the Air Force as the lead service for this year's National Image Conference to be held April 14 to 18 at the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas.
• Air Force leaders, lawmakers discuss BRAC construction AFPN 20 Mar 2008 -- Air Force leaders met with members of House and Senate subcommittees in March here to discuss military construction, base realignment and closure and joint service basing issues.
• FAA lauds Air Force synthetic fuel team AFPN 20 Mar 2008 -- The Air Force team that developed a blend of petroleum and synthetic fuel for the B-52 Stratofortress received the Federal Aviation Administration's 2007 Excellence in Aviation Research Award at a ceremony March 14 in the Air Force Research Laboratory's Propulsion Directorate here.
• NORAD to celebrate 50th Anniversary AFPN 20 Mar 2008 -- North American Aerospace Defense Command is celebrating a milestone this year, 50 years of a rich and colorful history between two countries that formally acknowledged a mutual commitment to defend their citizens from air attacks.
• Guard Helping Residents in Midwest Flooding Army News 20 Mar 2008 -- National Guard members transported evacuated residents, provided shelter, supplied drinking water and executed other missions in states affected by Midwest flooding on March 20, the first day of spring.
• Bush Praises Military’s Performance, Courage in War on Terror AFPS 20 Mar 2008 -- President Bush praised the performance and courage of U.S. troops engaged in the global war on terrorism while discussing Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa during a Pentagon Channel interview yesterday.
• Retiring Commander Says Progress Occurring in Unstable CENTCOM Region AFPS 20 Mar 2008 -- The increased cooperation between coalition forces and Iraqis at the local level as well as economic progress in Iraq are leading reasons for increasing stability in an unstable region, said Navy Adm. William J. "Fox" Fallon, the retiring CENTCOM commander.
• Combat Pay Counts Toward Economic Stimulus Payment Eligibility AFPS 20 Mar 2008 -- Military personnel serving in combat zones are eligible for an economic stimulus payment, an Internal Revenue Service spokesman said today during an “America Supports You Live” interview on BlogTalkRadio.com.
• Military Sealift Command Ships Prepare for Sea-Basing Exercise in Africa Navy NewsStand 20 Mar 2008 -- Military Sealift Command (MSC) ships USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo (T-AK 3008) and USNS LCPL Roy M. Wheat (T-AK 3016) arrived off the coast of Monrovia, Liberia, in the Gulf of Guinea, March 20.
• TR conducts CIWS PAC fire during underway qualifications Navy NewsStand 20 Mar 2008 -- Crew members a board USS Theodore Roosevelt (TF) (CVN 71) conducted a Pre-action Aim Calibration (PAC) fire on the Close-in Weapon System (CIWS) while underway March 19.
• Bunker Hill Undergoes Cruiser Modernization Navy NewsStand 20 Mar 2008 -- Guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) began preparations to install new technologies aboard the ship, at the General Dynamics/National Steel and Shipbuilding Company shipyard, March 18.
• CNO Highlights Navy Opportunities at Engineering Conference Navy NewsStand 20 Mar 2008 -- Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead spoke at the 34th Annual Convention of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) in Orlando on March 19.
• USS Fitzgerald Wins Battle "E" Navy NewsStand 20 Mar 2008 -- The crew of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) received word March 6 while underway in the Western Pacific, that they had been awarded the 2007 Battle Efficiency, (Battle "E") award.
• VAW 126 Holds Change of Command Ceremony Navy NewsStand 20 Mar 2008 -- Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 126 held a change of command ceremony aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), March 18.
• Azerbaijan: Opposition Deplores Indecision Over NATO RFE/RL 20 Mar 2008 -- The opposition Musavat party convened a roundtable discussion in Baku on March 17 focusing on Azerbaijan's protracted ambivalence with regard to NATO membership.
• U.S. ready to allow Moscow to monitor missile defense system RIA Novosti 20 Mar 2008 -- The United States has proposed an array of confidence building measures to Russia, in particular allowing Moscow to monitor U.S. missile defense elements in Central Europe, Russia's foreign minister has said.
• Press Briefing by Dana Perino The White house 20 Mar 2008
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 20 Mar 2008

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 20, 2008
• Marine Corps Embedded Platform Logistic System on Track for July Delivery, Nine Months After Contract Award Lockheed Martin 20 Mar 2008 -- critical design review by the U.S. Marine Corps earlier this month confirmed that the Embedded Platform Logistics System is on track for delivery this summer - just nine months after contract award.
• Northrop Grumman to Supply Machinery Control System for New Amphibious Assault Ship Northrop Grumman 20 Mar 2008 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Sperry Marine business unit has been selected to supply the Machinery Control System (MCS) for LHA 6, the first of a new generation of large-deck amphibious assault ships for the U.S. Navy.
• BAE SYSTEMS RECEIVES $15 MILLION CONTRACT FROM U.S. MARINE CORPS FOR MRAP INSTRUCTOR, KEY PERSONNEL AND NEW EQUIPMENT TRAINING BAE Systems 20 Mar 2008 -- BAE Systems has been awarded a $15 million contract modification for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle test support from the U.S. Marine Corps.
• BAE SYSTEMS RECEIVES ARMOR MATERIAL CONTRACT POTENTIALLY WORTH UP TO $47.2 MILLION Bae Systems 20 Mar 2008 -- BAE Systems has been awarded a U.S. Army contract worth up to $47.2 million to manufacture armor for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles.
• L-3 Named Prime Contractor on $326 Million U.S. Marine Corps Contract L-3 Communications 20 Mar 2008 -- L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL) announced today that it was awarded a contract by the U.S. Marines to supply Tactical Video Capture Systems (TVCS) at military training sites in the United States and overseas.
• Raytheon Completes 9th Consecutive Successful JFires Demonstration for DoD Leaders Raytheon 20 Mar 2008 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) recently completed its ninth consecutive successful JFires (Joint Force Interoperability and Requirements Evaluation SupraCenter) demonstration for the U.S. Army and Department of Defense.
• Upgraded Early Warning Radar in Greenland Completes Construction Phase Raytheon 20 Mar 2008 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has completed the construction phase of the Upgraded Early Warning Radar (UEWR) at Thule Air Base, Greenland, signifying the facility's readiness to begin hardware installation and integration.

Other Conflicts

• UN Security Council Considers Somalia Options VOA 20 Mar 2008 -- The U.N. Security Council is looking at options, proposed by the secretary general, for stabilizing Somalia
• CHAD: Civilians flee as govt targets critics IRIN 20 Mar 2008 -- The Chadian government has continued to detain an unknown number of people without charges since rebels invaded the capital N’djamena for two days in early February, despite lifting a state of emergency on 15 March.
• SENEGAL: Rebels act on kidnap threats in Casamance IRIN 20 Mar 2008 -- Rebels belonging to the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) kidnapped 16 villagers in Bissine, 64 km east of Ziguinchor near the Guinea-Bissau border on 16 March before releasing them two days later, according to different local sources.
• GHANA-LIBERIA: Cessation clause invoked over refugee demos IRIN 20 Mar 2008 -- Ghana’s government has invoked a clause of the 1951 Refugee Convention to force the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to close operations for 26,000 Liberians in Ghana.
• Deadly attacks in West Darfur breached international law – UN report UN News Centre 20 Mar 2008 -- Recent attacks by militias and the Sudanese army on four villages in West Darfur that left at least 115 people dead and some 30,000 displaced violated international humanitarian and human rights law, a United Nations report released today has found.
• Alongside political progress, Somalia needs action on security – UN envoy UN News Centre 20 Mar 2008 -- The top United Nations envoy in Somalia, where the new reconciliation strategy of the transitional Government has garnered wide support, today called on the Security Council to promote complementary action on security in the country, long beset by chaos.
• Fresh, Deadly Battles Reported in Somali Capital VOA 20 Mar 2008 -- Residents of Somalia's capital say six people were killed in fighting between Islamist insurgents and government troops.
• Palestinian Officials: Bid to Reconcile Hamas, Fatah Fails VOA 20 Mar 2008 -- Palestinian officials say Yemeni-brokered talks have failed to reconcile differences between rival Palestinian factions - Hamas and Fatah.
• AU Troops Arrive on Comoros Island of Moheli VOA 20 Mar 2008 -- African Union troops arrived on the Comoros island of Moheli Thursday to join Comoran forces ahead of a planned assault to retake the rebel-held island of Anjouan.
• SRI LANKA: Flash floods displace thousands in war-torn area IRIN 20 Mar 2008 -- More than 50,000 people have been hit by flooding in northwestern Mannar District in Sri Lanka since 12 March, the government said.
• SRI LANKA: Election begins to solidify government control IRIN 20 Mar 2008 -- The overwhelming success of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP), a breakaway faction of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), in the 10 March local government elections in the eastern Batticaloa District has prompted the group, backed by the Sri Lankan government, to seek additional victories at provincial level.
• TIMOR-LESTE: IDPs begin to return home as security improves IRIN 20 Mar 2008 -- A month after the attacks in Timor-Leste that left rebel leader Alfredo Reinado dead and President Jose Ramos Horta wounded, some of the 30,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) living in camps throughout Dili, the capital, are returning home.
• UGANDA: "Survival of the fittest" as food crisis bites Karamoja region IRIN 20 Mar 2008 -- The food crisis in northeastern Uganda's Karamoja region has reached such a dire level that more than one million people are in need of emergency food aid, a government minister in charge of relief has said.
• Gaza Strip to be connected to regional power system RIA Novosti 20 Mar 2008 -- The Gaza Strip is to be connected to a unified regional energy system, the Egyptian news agency MENA said on Thursday.
• State Duma urges buildup of peacekeepers in Georgia RIA Novosti 20 Mar 2008 -- The State Duma has proposed that the government consider increasing the number of Russian peacekeepers deployed in Georgia's conflict areas, the parliament's lower house said in a draft statement Thursday.
• UN Attempts to Contain Congo Violence VOA 20 Mar 2008 -- The U.N. mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo is trying to help the government contain explosive pockets of violence and insecurity in several parts of the country, while at the same time, cautioning against the government's use of force

News Reports

• US Urges China to Use Restraint in Tibet VOA 20 Mar 2008 -- The United States has called on China to use restraint against protesters in Tibet and to hold talks with the country's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama
• Dalai Lama Willing to Meet With Chinese Leaders VOA 20 Mar 2008 -- Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, says he is willing to discuss the crisis in Tibet with top Chinese leaders
• China's Actions Against Tibet Overshadow Taiwan Elections VOA 20 Mar 2008 -- Taiwan's 17 million voters are expected go to the polls Saturday to elect a new president.
• Belarus advises U.S. to halve number of diplomats in Minsk RIA Novosti 20 Mar 2008 -- Belarus's Foreign Ministry has advised the U.S. to halve the number of its diplomats in Minsk, ministry spokesman Andrei Popov said Thursday.