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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 09 May 2008 [PDF]
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• MND-Center Soldier dies
• Coalition Soldiers Kill Six Enemy Fighters, Capture Weapons Caches AFPS 09 May 2008 -- Coalition and Iraqi soldiers in Baghdad killed six enemy fighters, fended off an attack, and captured and destroyed several weapons caches yesterday.
• Brigade Leaves Iraq Region Secure, Revitalized AFPS 09 May 2008 -- Nearing the end of a 15-month deployment in Iraq’s Madain Qada region, the 3rd Infantry Division’s 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team has accomplished its purpose of contributing to violence reduction in Baghdad and stabilizing communities throughout the region, the brigade’s commander said yesterday.
• Afghanistan Mission Requires More NATO, International Support, General Says AFPS 09 May 2008 -- U.S., NATO and Afghan forces’ efforts are preventing Taliban insurgents and transnational terrorists from regaining a foothold in Afghanistan, but more support is required from NATO and the international community, a senior U.S. military officer told members of a local think tank here yesterday.
• Australia to Investigate Afghan Prisoner Mistreatment Claims VOA 09 May 2008 -- The Australian military is investigating claims that its soldiers mistreated prisoners in Afghanistan

Defense Policy / Programs

• Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Geoff Morrell, Lt. Gen. Huntoon and Lt. Gen. Klotz from the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. 09 May 2008 -- Presenter: Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell, Director, Army Staff Lt. Gen. David Huntoon and Director, Air Force Staff Lt. Gen. Frank Klotz
• Pakistan FM Criticizes Proposed US Defense Appointment VOA 09 May 2008 -- Pakistan's foreign minister has rejected the proposed appointment of the former U.S. commander of the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as the top defense liaison to Pakistan
• Air Force units poised to support Pacific disaster relief AFPN 09 May 2008 -- Air Force assets are in place at Utaphao Air Base, Thailand, to support a potential relief mission in Myanmar.
• Burma Allows One U.S. C-130 to Deliver Relief Supplies AFPS 09 May 2008 -- Burmese officials have given permission for an Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft to deliver supplies to Rangoon on May 12, White House officials said here.
• New wings to secure A-10 longevity AFPN 09 May 2008 -- New wings are the answer to Air Force concerns on the aging A-10 Thunderbolt II, an airframe flying since 1975.
• Guardian Challenge competition kicks off with spirit AFPN 09 May 2008 -- Guardian Challenge, the only space warfighter competition in the Air Force, is 17 years old and going strong.
• Carrier Strike Group Commander Stresses Interoperability, Partnerships AFPS 09 May 2008 -- While transiting through the Strait of Magellan on board USS George Washington today, the commander of Carrier Strike Group 8 explained the importance of interoperability and partnership building in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Gates Observes Army Future Combat Systems Progress AFPS 09 May 2008 -- Army Staff Sgt. Joshua Flowers has served combat deployments in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and understands firsthand what warfighters need to succeed.
• Center Creates ‘Little Miracles’ in Treating Combat Stress AFPS 09 May 2008 -- A revolutionary treatment program here is demonstrating “little miracles” as it gives new hope to soldiers afflicted with post-traumatic stress disorder who want to stay in the Army, its director reports.
• Stennis and Air Wing Team Return to Flight Operations Navy NewsStand 09 May 2008 -- USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9 embarked May 5, getting underway for the first time in almost a year for flight deck certifications.
• Peruvian Sub Arica Visits Mayport to Build on Partner Relations Navy NewsStand 09 May 2008 -- Peruvian Navy submarine BAP Arica (SS-36) made a port visit to Naval Station Mayport, May 6-9, to extend Peru's focus on partner nation interaction.
• Navy Civil Affairs Commander Relieved Navy NewsStand 09 May 2008 -- The commanding officer of Maritime Civil Affairs Group (MCAG) was relieved from duty on May 9.
• Commander Carrier Air Wing 5 Relieved of Command Navy NewsStand 09 May 2008 -- Rear Adm. Richard B. Wren, Commander, Task Force 70, relieved Capt. Michael P. McNellis, Commander Carrier Air Wing 5, of command due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command in an effective manner.
• Navy's Training Leader Kicks off Naval Aviation Symposium 2008 Navy NewsStand 09 May 2008 -- The Naval Aviation Symposium 2008 was held May 8-9 at the National Naval Aviation Museum on board Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola.
• Indian Navy to keep watch on Chinese nuclear submarine movements IRNA 09 May 2008 -- Indian Navy would be keeping a close watch on the movement of Chinese nuclear submarines, which are operating out of a recently discovered underground base in the South China Sea, Chief of Naval staff Admiral Sureesh Mehta said Friday in Mumbai.
• India to acquire six more submarines IRNA 09 May 2008 -- India will soon float global tenders to acquire six submarines but would like to see indigenous development of this technology in the future, Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta said in Mumbai Friday.
• India to upgrade over 50 Mirage fighters - newspaper RIA Novosti 09 May 2008 -- India is close to sign a contract with France, worth an estimated 1 billion euros ($1.54 billion) for the upgrade of the 51 Mirage-2000 fighters in service with the Indian air force (IAF), a national newspaper said on Friday, citing military sources.
• Press Briefing by Gordon Johndroe The White House 09 May 2008
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for May 09, 2008
• ATK Notified of Canadian Government Decision to Block Proposed Acquisition of MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Information Systems and Geospatial Businesses ATK 09 May 2008 -- ATK Reaffirms FY09 Guidance, Takes an Approximate $6.6 Million Pre-Tax FY08 Fourth-Quarter charge for Transaction-Related Expenses
• General Dynamics Awarded $6.5 Million Contract for Next-Generation Cryptographic Technologies for Battlefield Networks General Dynamics 09 May 2008 -- General Dynamics C4 Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has been awarded a $6.5 million contract option to produce Engineering Design Models of the Advanced Cryptographic Module (ACM) for the U.S. Army’s Programmable Objective Encryption Technologies (POET) program, following a recent successful Critical Design Review
• Northrop Grumman KC-45: Why We Won -- Fleet Effectiveness Northrop Grumman 09 May 2008 -- The U.S. Air Force found Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) bid to build the next generation of aerial refueling tankers superior to Boeing's in four of the five most important selection criteria
• Honeywell and Pratt & Whitney Awarded Engine Demonstrator Contract Pratt & Whitney 09 May 2008 -- The Advanced Turbine Engine Company, LLC (ATEC), a Honeywell (NYSE:HON) and Pratt & Whitney joint venture, was awarded a $108 million contract by the U.S. Army for the Advanced Affordable Turbine Engine (AATE) technology demonstrator program. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX) company.
• Russia plans to diversify arms exports in future - govt. official RIA Novosti 09 May 2008 -- Russia, one of the world's leading arms exporters, is planning to expand the variety of weaponry and military equipment sold on global markets, a government official said on Friday.

Other Conflicts

• Analysis: Somalia’s Perpetual War cfr.org 09 May 2008 -- Pirates hijacked a record number of ships off the Somali coast this year, fighting in Mogadishu has driven hundreds of thousands from the city, and the aid workers that supply critical food and medical supplies to displaced Somalis are now targeted by Islamic insurgents
• CHAD: Govt arrests 4 EUFOR troops IRIN 09 May 2008 -- Four troops from EUFOR, the European Union force in Chad, were arrested on 7 May by local authorities near the southern town of Moundou
• BURUNDI: Fighting displaces 20,000 IRIN 09 May 2008 -- At least 20,000 people have fled their homes near the Burundian capital, Bujumbura, after fighting between the army and rebels, officials said on 9 May.
• SENEGAL: Lack of peace accord hampers demining in Casamance IRIN 09 May 2008 -- After years of delays linked to instability in strife-torn Casamance, the government finally launched a landmine clearance programme in the region in February 2008, but lack of adherence to the 2004 peace accord is hampering progress.
• CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Who’s who with guns? IRIN 09 May 2008 -- The Central African Republic is striving to turn the page on decades of armed violence linked to mutinies, coups and attempted coups. Hundreds of thousands of civilians remain displaced, many of them unable, or too afraid, to farm their land
• SRI LANKA: Armed group releases underage recruits as vital election nears IRIN 09 May 2008 -- The Karuna faction, the Tamil Tiger breakaway group, which has been transforming itself from an armed military group into a political party, released 39 underage recruits in April 2008.
• LEBANON: Battle for Beirut IRIN 09 May 2008 -- Everyone kept insisting it was not a civil war, but jumping for cover as a rocket-propelled grenade slammed into the apartment block beside us, and masked gunmen fired deafening salvos across the road dividing Sunni and Shia neighbourhoods of Beirut, it certainly felt like it.
• Lebanon: Increasing Violence Raising U.S. Concerns Over Iran RFE/RL 09 May 2008 -- Several times this year, the United States has sought to rally its allies in the Arab world against what it calls Iran's continued meddling in the region.
• Hezbollah Seizes Control of West Beirut, 11 Dead VOA 09 May 2008 -- Hezbollah gunmen in Lebanon have seized control of west Beirut after clashes with fighters loyal to the country's Western-backed government left at least 11 people dead.
• Russia concerned over spiraling violence in Lebanon RIA Novosti 09 May 2008 -- Moscow is seriously concerned over the recent surge of violence in Lebanon following the government's actions targeting Hezbollah's military communications network, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
• Kosovo: Three Months On, Mitrovica Still Divided On Statehood RFE/RL 09 May 2008 -- Violinist Gezim Latifi, like most ethnic Albanians, was flush with optimism in the days immediately preceding Kosovar authorities' February declaration of independence from Serbia
• Interview: Time For Serbs To Say 'We Knew What Happened' On Bosnian War Crimes RFE/RL 09 May 2008 -- Serbia holds parliamentary elections on May 11 that are touted as crucial in determining the future of a country still deeply divided between European and nationalist, pro-Russian ambitions
• Russian reinforcements join peacekeepers in Abkhazia RIA Novosti 09 May 2008 -- Russian peacekeepers deployed in the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict zone to strengthen the Collective CIS Peace Keeping Force have started performing their duties, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said on Friday.

News Reports

• Burma Agrees to US Aid for Cyclone Victims VOA 09 May 2008 -- Burma's military government has agreed to allow a single U.S. cargo plane to deliver relief supplies for victims of Saturday's killer cyclone
• MYANMAR: Food aid shipments held as selective approach from government dismays aid workers IRIN 09 May 2008 -- Aid workers are dismayed at the limited and selective access provided to foeign relief for Myanmar. WFP has suspended its limited air cargo deliveries on 9 May, after two chartered plane loads of food aid were impounded in Yangon, according to Reuters.
• UN to Resume Aid Flights Despite Seizure of Supplies by Burmese Authorities VOA 09 May 2008 -- The World Food Program decided to send in two relief flights as planned on Saturday, despite the government of Burma's refusal to distribute the food that was flown in by WFP on Friday
• Russia sends first plane with humanitarian aid to Myanmar RIA Novosti 09 May 2008 -- A Russian Il-76 airplane from the emergencies ministry's fleet left on Friday from an airfield near Moscow with humanitarian aid to Myanmar, an emergencies spokesperson said.
• Top UN official in Asia-Pacific joins call for urgent access to Myanmar UN News Centre 09 May 2008 -- Echoing calls on the Myanmar authorities to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid in the wake of the deadly cyclone which has left some 1.5 million people in need, the top United Nations official in the region today urged the Government to act quickly to avert an even worse tragedy.
• UN Suspends Aid to Burma VOA 09 May 2008 -- U.N. officials say they have suspended aid shipments to Burma after the military government seized all of the food and equipment that had been flown in by the World Food Program
• India sends more relief to cyclone hit Myanmar IRNA 09 May 2008 -- India will be sending its second transport plane IL-76 with necessary relief material to Myanmar Saturday for the people affected by the deadly cyclone which has claimed nearly twenty three thousand people.
• ZIMBABWE: Hunger drives post-election violence, deepens poverty IRIN 09 May 2008
• Israeli Prime Minister Says He Will Resign if Indicted in Corruption Probe VOA 09 May 2008 -- Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says he will resign if he is indicted in a corruption investigation involving an American businessman long involved in Israeli politics
• Detentions, Violence And Tensions Escalate In Zimbabwe VOA 09 May 2008 -- The Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights says the number of people it has treated as a result of post-election torture or political violence has suddenly escalated