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Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 16 May 2008 [PDF]
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• May 15 airpower summary: Reaper strikes enemy AFPN 16 May 2008
• Coalition Troops in Iraq Kill Terrorist, Detain 19 AFPS 16 May 2008 -- Coalition forces killed one terrorist and detained 19 suspects during a series of operations targeting al-Qaida in Iraq operatives in central and northern Iraq today, military officials said.
• New York Guardsmen Support Task Force Phoenix in Afghanistan AFPS 16 May 2008 -- The National Guard's 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team based in New York is part of a task force sent to Afghanistan to train and mentor the Afghan national security forces, a military official said yesterday.
• Afghan, Coalition Forces Detain Eight Taliban Suspects in Raid AFPS 16 May 2008 -- Afghan and coalition security forces detained eight suspected Taliban militants during a joint operation conducted in Paktia province yesterday, U.S. military officials said.

Defense Policy / Programs

• White Sands Builds Facility to Research Aircraft Sound Army News 16 May 2008 -- The future of military and civilian aircraft will be a silent one with the construction of the Aeroacoustic Research Complex, which will research and map aircraft noise on White Sands Missile Range.
• England Calls on Congress to Pass Funding Quickly AFPS 16 May 2008 -- The deputy secretary of defense called on Congress to act quickly to pass the fiscal 2008 supplemental legislation for the war on terror.
• Cartwright: Current Generation Ready to be Next ‘Greatest Generation’ AFPS 16 May 2008 -- The current generation of warfighters in Iraq and Afghanistan is poised to be the next “greatest generation,” the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here yesterday.
• DoD Official Discusses Standards, Conduct for Federal Employees AFPS 16 May 2008 -- Showing appreciation for the men and women that risk their lives to defend the United States is essential, and yet rumors and fears about ethical restrictions that limit the amount of gift giving is a concern for many philanthropic organizations.
• General discusses Burma relief posture, mobility issues AFPN 16 May 2008
• Multinational exercise in Croatia wraps up AFPN 16 May 2008 -- Croatia hosted the closing ceremony for the 2008 Medical Training Exercise in Central and Eastern Europe, or MEDCEUR, here May 14.
• Pulsed detonation engine flies into history AFPN 16 May 2008 -- The engine that naysayers thought could never propel an aircraft across the sky is now at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, where it will be displayed this summer and remembered for its 2008 history-making flight.
• Combat Hammer offers opportunity to evaluate precision-guided munitions AFPN 16 May 2008 -- In a "remote village" west of Salt Lake City, a 2,000-pound enhanced guided bomb unit-15 slips suddenly through an open window of a 30-foot building with immaculate precision
• Seabees Underway for Pacific Partnership 2008 Navy NewsStand 16 May 2008 -- Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 5, NMCB 133 and Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) 1 embarked USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) to perform humanitarian and community relations projects in Southeast Asia in support of Pacific Partnership 2008.
• Deputy Chief of Staff of Mexican Navy Visits Kearsarge Navy NewsStand 16 May 2008 -- Mexican Rear Adm. Roberto Gomez, Mexican Navy Deputy Chief of Staff visited the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) May 7, to discuss the ship's recent humanitarian relief efforts and capabilities.
• Guatemalan Vice President Visits Boxer Navy NewsStand 16 May 2008 -- Guatemalan Vice President, Dr. Jose Rafael Espada, visited USS Boxer (LHD 4), May 13, to tour the medical facilities with the ship's health care providers in support of Continuing Promise (CP) 2008.
• Marine Task Force Provides Critical Aid to Continuing Promise Navy NewsStand 16 May 2008 -- The Reserve Special Purpose Marine Corps Air-Ground Task Force (SPMAGTF) 24, embarked aboard USS Boxer (LHD 4), is providing various levels of support for the equal partnership mission Continuing Promise (CP) 2008.
• Coalition Forces Complete Goalkeeper III Exercise Navy NewsStand 16 May 2008 -- Coalition Forces, led by Royal Bahrain Navy Brig. Gen. Abdulla Saeed Al Mansoori commander, Task Force (CTF) 152 conducted Exercise Goalkeeper III (GK III) in the Persian Gulf, May 12-14.
• U.S. Ambassador to Chile, GW Carrier Strike Group Host Partnership Reception Navy NewsStand 16 May 2008 -- More than 300 distinguished guests boarded USS George Washington (CVN 73) (GW) May 15 for a reception co-hosted by the U.S. Ambassador to Chile, Paul Simons and the Commander, George Washington Carrier Strike Group (GW CSG), Rear Adm. Philip Hart Cullom.
• Kearsarge Wins Flatley Award Navy NewsStand 16 May 2008 -- In a Navy message released May 2, Kearsarge has been designated the winner of the Admiral Flatley Memorial Award for aviation safety.
• Growler Support Center Opens on NAS Whidbey Island Navy NewsStand 16 May 2008 -- A grand opening ceremony was held for the new EA-18G Growler Support Center on Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island, May 13.
• Kearsarge Completes Unprecedented ULTRA C & E Certification in One Week Navy NewsStand 16 May 2008 -- The amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) successfully completed the Unit Level Training Assessment (ULTRA) Certification/Engineering from April 30 through May 2.
• Seabees to Benefit from New Tactical Training Facility Navy NewsStand 16 May 2008 -- Construction of the 20th Seabee Readiness Group's (SRG) new Tactical Training Facility (TTF) is underway on board Naval Construction Battalion Center (NCBC) Gulfport.
• Kitty Hawk to Make Homeport Bremerton, Wash. Navy NewsStand 16 May 2008 -- USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, will be homeported in Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Wash., effective July 15.
• Air Force Hosts Anti-IED Conference in Southwest Asia AFPS 16 May 2008 -- The battle against improvised explosive devices takes place on the streets of Iraq and Afghanistan every day, but this week coalition members took the fight into a conference room, tucked away on an air base in Southwest Asia.
• Gates Calls for Faster Application of Warfighting Assets AFPS 16 May 2008 -- The Defense Department needs to worry more about what warfighters need right now than what they may need down the road, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said last night.
• NTC Improves Force Protection Training Army News 16 May 2008 -- The National Training Center here has made significant progress in improving force-protection training for Army brigade combat teams as they prepare for future deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Funds freed to help UK's defence budget IRNA 16 May 2008 -- Prime Minister Gordon Brown was reported Friday to have agreed to let the Ministry of Defence (MoD) free up funds to provide life-saving kit for troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and give the go-ahead for two new super aircraft carriers.
• Russia to join large-scale NATO-led naval exercises RIA Novosti 16 May 2008 -- The Russian Navy will participate for the first time in a large-scale submarine rescue exercise conducted by NATO countries and their allies, a Navy spokesman said on Friday.
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 16 May 2008
• Press Gaggle by Dana Perino and Ed Gillespie, Counselor to the President The White House 16 May 2008

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for May 16, 2008
• Boeing Opens New EA-18G Growler Support Center Boeing 16 May 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] held a grand opening for its new EA-18G Growler Support Center (GSC) at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash., Tuesday in preparation for the delivery of the first EA-18G Growler to the U.S. Navy fleet. The center will provide technical and logistics support for the Navy's premier airborne electronic attack aircraft.
• U.S. Navy Awards General Dynamics $38 Million for Work on USS Hawaii General Dynamics 16 May 2008 -- The U.S. Navy has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $38 million contract modification to perform a range of work on USS Hawaii (SSN-776) during its post-shakedown availability (PSA). Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).
• Boeing Receives Contract to Further Develop Dual-Role Missile Boeing 16 May 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has been awarded a $5.2 million U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) contract to demonstrate the effectiveness of Guidance Integrated Fuzing (GIF) technology developed under the Seeker Integrated Target Endgame Sensor (SITES) program.
• Northrop Grumman KC-45: Why We Won - Strengths and Weaknesses Northrop Grumman 16 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

Other Conflicts

• UN refugee agency provides aid to more than 40,000 Somalis who fled capital UN News Centre 16 May 2008 -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has provided aid to more than 40,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Somalia who live in precarious conditions in dozens of makeshift settlements west of the capital, Mogadishu.
• UN tribunal postpones trial of Serbian security figure due to ill health UN News Centre 16 May 2008 -- The United Nations tribunal set up to deal with the worst crimes committed during the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s today adjourned the trial of a former high-level official with the Serbian secret service after ruling that he is not fit to stand trial on health grounds.
• Top UN envoy in Sudan welcomes deal to end deadly clashes in disputed town UN News Centre 16 May 2008 -- The top United Nations official in Sudan today welcomed the agreement to end the deadly fighting between Government forces and the former southern rebels in the disputed Abyei area, which has forced thousands of civilians to flee this week.
• Burundi: Secretary-General welcomes arrival of rebel group for peace talks UN News Centre 16 May 2008 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed today’s arrival in Burundi’s capital of a delegation from the Palipehutu-FNL, the rebel group involved in deadly fighting with Government forces in recent weeks, for a resumption of peace talks.
• Growing violence in eastern Chad alarms UN refugee agency UN News Centre 16 May 2008 -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is voicing deep concern about the escalating violence inside eastern Chad, where two gendarmes guarding a refugee camp were shot dead earlier this week and an increasing number of vehicles have been hijacked by bandits.
• KENYA: Claims of torture by army and militia, as food shortages grip Mt Elgon IRIN 16 May 2008 -- The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has called for an investigation into allegations of torture committed by security forces deployed in the clash-torn Mt Elgon district in western Kenya.
• UN Security Council Supports Possible Peacekeepers for Somalia VOA 16 May 2008 -- The U.N. Security Council has passed a resolution that could pave the way for a possible U.N. peacekeeping force in Somalia
• SUDAN: Abyei town deserted following fresh clashes IRIN 16 May 2008 -- Thousands of people have fled Abyei town after two days of clashes between Sudanese government troops and the southern Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A).
• CHAD: Aid groups face dilemma over EU protection IRIN 16 May 2008 -- Faced with frequent armed robberies, many aid groups in eastern Chad say the European Union Force (EUFOR), deployed there since February, is not doing its job of protecting them.
• LEBANON: Palestinian refugees stage demo near Israeli border IRIN 16 May 2008 -- Several hundred Palestinian refugees marched to the Lebanon-Israeli border on 14 May exchanging loud-hailer greetings and storming part of the fence in dramatic scenes commemorating 60 years since they - or in most cases their forbears - were driven into exile during the creation of Israel.

News Reports

• U.S.: Democrats Outraged At Bush’s 'Appeasement' Remark RFE/RL 16 May 2008 -- U.S. President George W. Bush is being attacked at home for comments he made on a visit to Israel
• U.S.: Democratic Presidential Campaign Winding Down, But To What End? RFE/RL 16 May 2008 -- As the U.S. primary election campaign comes to a close, it is nearly a mathematical impossibility for Senator Hillary Clinton of New York to win enough delegates to be chosen as the Democratic Party's nominee for president
• UN humanitarian chief to arrive in Myanmar on Sunday UN News Centre 16 May 2008 -- The top United Nations relief official plans to talk directly with the authorities in Myanmar in an effort to accelerate the relief effort for victims of Cyclone Nargis which may have left more than 100,000 people dead and severely affected up to 2.5 million others.
• Red Cross Says Clean Water Urgent to Prevent Disease in Burma VOA 16 May 2008 -- The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says clean water is urgently needed to prevent epidemics of waterborne diseases in cyclone-stricken Burma
• UN Says 1 Million Burmese Children at Risk After Cyclone VOA 16 May 2008 -- A United Nations agency says that as many as one million children may be at risk of disease following Cyclone Nargis
• Nearly 78,000 dead after Myanmar cyclone RIA Novosti 16 May 2008 -- The official death toll following Myanmar's Cyclone Nargis, which hit the Southeast Asian country two weeks ago, has risen to 77,738, and 56,000 are missing, national television reported on Friday.
• Burma Says 78,000 Dead, 56,000 Missing After Cyclone Nargis VOA 16 May 2008 -- Burma's state media say the death toll from cyclone Nargis has reached almost 78,000 and that another 56,000 people are missing.
• China's President Arrives in Quake Zone as Concern Turns to Survivors VOA 16 May 2008 -- China's President Hu Jintao arrived in Sichuan province Friday to support earthquake relief efforts
• Zimbabwe Sets Runoff Presidential Vote for June 27 VOA 16 May 2008 -- Zimbabwe says the delayed presidential runoff election between President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is to be held on June 27
• Serbia: Is Nationalist-Socialist Coalition Ready To Take Power? RFE/RL 16 May 2008 -- Political uncertainty continues in Serbia with an anti-Western coalition of nationalists and socialists announcing that they are close to forming a government
• Georgia: Minister Heads To Moscow Amid Fresh Spying Charges RFE/RL 16 May 2008 -- The never-easy relations between Russia and Georgia have suffered a fresh blow, with Russian media reporting that federal security services have detained a Georgian-born Russian citizen on charges of spying for Georgia and engaging in terrorist activities in the North Caucasus.
• Georgia dismisses Russian spy claims as 'provocation' RIA Novosti 16 May 2008 -- The Georgian Interior Ministry has dismissed as a 'provocation' Russian reports that a Georgian intelligence service agent had been detained in southern Russia on Friday.
• Bush in Saudi Arabia for Nuclear Deal VOA 16 May 2008 -- U.S. President George Bush is in Saudi Arabia for talks with King Abdullah marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Washington and Riyadh