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Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 11 Dec 2008 [PDF]
• DoD Announces Force Adjustment DoD 11 Dec 2008 -- The Department of Defense announced today that the 34th Infantry Division headquarters, based in Rosemount, Minn., is scheduled to deploy in the spring of 2009 to support Operation Iraqi Freedom
• Dec. 10 airpower summary: F-15Es provide aerial protection AFNS 11 Dec 2008 -- Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations Dec. 10, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.
• Troops in Iraq Capture Suspects, Find Weapons AFPS 11 Dec 2008 -- Coalition soldiers and Iraqi security forces captured suspected criminals and terrorists, disarmed a roadside bomb and found enemy weapons stockpiles in recent operations, military officials reported.
• Minnesota National Guard to Command Active-Duty Forces in Iraq AFPS 11 Dec 2008 -- For only the second time since 9/11, a U.S. Army National Guard division headquarters will deploy to command active-duty forces in combat.
• Suicide Bomber Kills at Least 55 Near Kirkuk VOA 11 Dec 2008 -- A suicide-bomber struck in the ethnically divided Iraqi city of Kirkuk, killing more than two dozen patrons inside a restaurant.
• Ukrainians Complete Mission in Iraq MNF-I 11 Dec 2008 -- An End of Mission ceremony was held here for the Ukrainian Army, Dec. 9.
• AF plan could enable Iraq air sovereignty, independence AFNS 11 Dec 2008 -- Work being done here by officials of the Electronic Systems Center and its federally funded research and development center partner, MITRE Corp., is helping pave the way for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.
• Backgrounder: Saudi Arabia and the Future of Afghanistan cfr.org 11 Dec 2008
• Two Additional Brigades to Deploy to Afghanistan, Gates Says AFPS 11 Dec 2008 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today he wants to send two combat brigades to Afghanistan by summer in addition to the brigade combat team already scheduled to deploy there in January.
• Gates Pledges More Resources to Fight Protracted War in Afghanistan AFPS 11 Dec 2008 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today pledged more resources to top commanders in southern Afghanistan for what he said likely will be a protracted fight.
• Afghan Police, Coalition Forces Disrupt Terrorist Network AFPS 11 Dec 2008 -- Afghan National Police and coalition forces detained five suspected militants during a combined operation to disrupt the Haqqani terrorist network in Afghanistan’s Khowst province yesterday.
• Gates Praises Work of Remote Air Hub for Afghanistan War Effort AFPS 11 Dec 2008 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates stopped briefly here today on his way to Afghanistan, but took time in a town-hall session to talk with a few hundred airmen and soldiers stationed at this dusty, remote way station.
• Airman helps shape future Afghan firefighters AFNS 11 Dec 2008 -- Afghan firefighters at the Kabul International Airport stand ready to answer a call to save lives and resources here thanks to the dedicated efforts of their American counterpart.
• U.S., NATO Seek Afghan Supply Routes Other Than Pakistan RFE/RL 11 Dec 2008 -- Taliban fighters have been increasing the number and intensity of their attacks on NATO convoys that pass through Pakistan.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Statement of Senator Carl Levin on Senate Armed Services Committee Report of its Inquiry into the Treatment of Detainees in U.S. Custody Office of Sen. Levin 11 Dec 2008 -- On November 21st, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved its report on aspects of the treatment of detainees in U.S. custody since 2001. Today we’re releasing the executive summary and conclusions of that report
• US Senate Report Says Bush Officials Enabled Detainee Abuse VOA 11 Dec 2008 -- A U.S. Senate report has concluded that Bush administration policies led directly to the abuse of detainees in U.S. custody in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
• Transcript: Media Availability with Secretary Gates From Kandahar, Afghanistan DoD 11 Dec 2008 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates
• Gates Tells Troops ‘Sense of Duty’ Caused Him to Stay AFPS 11 Dec 2008 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told several hundred troops here today that a sense of duty caused him to agree to stay on in his current job through the administration change.
• Medics, maintainers test skills at alternative careers AFNS 11 Dec 2008 -- How many steps does it take to prepare an F-16 Fighting Falcon to launch for a combat sortie? How stomach-turning is it to sit in on a surgery?
• Official Responds to Congressional Findings on Military Linguistics AFPS 11 Dec 2008 -- A congressional assessment of how the Pentagon is implementing its language strategy reflects the Defense Department’s progress and shortfalls, a Pentagon official said yesterday.
• Home From Iraq, Army Brigade Trains for Homeland Response Mission AFPS 11 Dec 2008 -- The first active-duty unit dedicated to supporting U.S. civilian authorities in the event of a nuclear, biological or chemical attack is wrapping up three days of intensive training its members hope they never have to apply in real life.
• DoD lays groundwork for 'tour normalization' in Korea Army News 11 Dec 2008 -- At the request of the commander, U.S. Forces Korea, the Department of Defense has approved command sponsorship of families at two new locations in Korea and an increase in tour lengths for accompanied service members permanently assigned there
• Ribbon cut for Army Guard Readiness Center expansion Army News 11 Dec 2008 -- Ground was ceremonially broken Wednesday for an estimated $98-million expansion of the Army National Guard Readiness Center in Arlington, Va
• AAV battalion splashes into ship-to-shore operations USMC News 11 Dec 2008 -- Marines of Company C, 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, conducted a three-day ship-to-shore operation in conjunction with the USS Nashville at Onslow Beach, Dec. 5 to 7
• DoN Releases Service Specifications for Next Generation Enterprise Network Navy NewsStand 11 Dec 2008 -- The assistant chief of naval operations (ACNO) for the Next Generation Enterprise Network (NGEN) released the Draft NGEN Block I, Increment 1 Service Specification document Dec. 4.
• Carl Vinson's Weapons Department Prepares for RCOH Completion Navy NewsStand 11 Dec 2008 -- The USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) Weapons Department is preparing for the completion of the ship's refueling complex overhaul (RCOH) and the beginning of sea trials.
• NASA Trains Rota Medical Personnel to Support Shuttle Missions Navy NewsStand 11 Dec 2008 -- A four-person medical team from NASA taught a medical response class Dec. 8 to more than 25 Sailors, Airmen and Soldiers from Naval Station NAVSTA) Rota and Moron Airbase selected to man NASA's Space Shuttle Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) Site.
• Top Seabee Visits Camp Arifjan Navy NewsStand 11 Dec 2008 -- During a brief stop on his way to Afghanistan, Commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, chief of civil engineers, addressed Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4's wardroom and chiefs mess during a luncheon at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Dec. 4.
• DESRON 60 Commander Visits Deployed Seabees in Rota Navy NewsStand 11 Dec 2008 -- Seabees forward deployed in Spain received a special visit from the commander of Destroyer Squadron 60 (DESRON 60) at Naval Station (NAVTSA) Rota's Camp Mitchell Dec 4.
• Iwo Jima ESG Saves Money, Leads Atlantic Fleet in 2M Cost Avoidance Navy NewsStand 11 Dec 2008 -- Ships from the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) lead the Atlantic Fleet in micro-miniature (2M) repair cost avoidance for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2008, with a combined savings of more than $1 million.
• U.S. may offer Israel 'nuclear umbrella' against Iran - paper RIA Novosti 11 Dec 2008 -- New US administration will provide Israel with deterrent guarantees in case of Iran attack, an Israeli newspaper said.
• Iraq Urges Obama to Open Dialogue with Iran VOA 11 Dec 2008 -- Iraq is urging U.S. President-elect Barack Obama and his incoming administration to open a dialogue with Iran to help solve Middle East problems.
• Russian warship to visit Nicaragua on Dec. 12-15 RIA Novosti 11 Dec 2008 -- Russia's Admiral Chabanenko missile destroyer and 2 support ships will pay a visit to Nicaragua.
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 11 Dec 2008
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Dana Perino The White House 11 Dec 2008

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for December 11, 2008
• Boeing C-17 Aircrew Training System Goes Into Operation at Dover AFB Boeing 11 Dec 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and the U.S. Air Force held a ceremony Dec. 5 to mark delivery of the new C-17 Aircrew Training System (ATS) to Dover Air Force Base (AFB), Del.
• Lockheed Martin-Built Military Communications Satellite Marks 15 Years In Service Lockheed Martin 11 Dec 2008 -- The U.S. Air Force’s Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) B10 satellite, built by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT], has achieved 15 years of on orbit operations, far exceeding its original 10 year design life.
• Boeing Missile Defense Work Adds $193 Million a Year to Arizona Economy Boeing 11 Dec 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], through its work on the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) program, contributed more than $193 million to Arizona's economy in 2007 and supported more than 1,900 direct and indirect jobs in the state, according to an Arizona State University study released today.
• EADS Defence & Security to deploy a TETRA network to the Philippines, covering one of the largest shipyards in the world EADS 11 Dec 2008 -- EADS Secure Networks (SN) Korea, an integrated activity of EADS Defence & Security (DS), is to deliver by the end of 2008 a complete TETRA network to the Subic shipyard in the Philippines.
• Raytheon Canada to Provide High-Frequency Surface Wave Radars for Romania Raytheon 11 Dec 2008 -- Raytheon Company has been awarded a $16 million subcontract by the BAV Division of VSE Corporation to provide Romania with two High-Frequency Surface Wave Radar systems.
• SAIC Awarded $10 Million Task Order to Support Department of Defense Joint Test and Evaluation Program SAIC 11 Dec 2008 -- Science Applications International Corporation (NYSE: SAI) today announced that it was awarded a task order by the Department of Defense (DOD) to support the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation Joint Test and Evaluation (JT&E) program

Other Conflicts

• Pakistan navy, air force put on alert IRNA 11 Dec 2008 -- Pakistan has put its naval forces on alert, Pakistan Navy spokesman said.
• BURUNDI: Not yet out of the woods IRIN 11 Dec 2008 -- The agreement by Burundi’s last rebel group to change an unconstitutional ethnic reference in its name and move its forces into assembly sites takes the country significantly closer to peace but still leaves much to be done, according to analysts.
• Burundi faces threat of fresh conflict as impasse with rebels deepens, UN warns UN News Centre 11 Dec 2008 -- Although Burundi has made commendable advances in key areas for peace consolidation, an impasse between the Government and the last major rebel holdout is deepening and the risks of renewed confrontation are intensifying, according to a United Nations report being discussed by the Security Council today.
• DR Congo: UN reports progress in talks between government, rebels UN News Centre 11 Dec 2008 -- Talks between the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a main rebel group are continuing to make headway, according to the top United Nations envoy tasked with helping to resolve the conflict that has engulfed the east of the vast African nation.
• Gunmen kill leader of displaced persons camp in Darfur, UN reports UN News Centre 11 Dec 2008 -- Unidentified gunmen have shot dead the traditional leader of a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sudan’s war-ravaged Darfur region, the latest in a series of attacks on the 2.7 million people uprooted by over five years of fighting between the Government and rebels, the United Nations reported today.
• Senior UN peacekeeping official assesses operation in Côte d’Ivoire UN News Centre 11 Dec 2008 -- Senior United Nations peacekeeping aide Edmond Mulet is in Côte d’Ivoire to meet with a range of Government officials and discuss the work of the world body’s operation there, known as UNOCI, whose current mandate expires at the end of next month.
• Emergency relief continues to filter into Gaza, UN reports UN News Centre 11 Dec 2008 -- A slow trickle of humanitarian aid has continued to flow into the Gaza Strip, where 1.5 million residents are forcibly confined, the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) reported today.
• Livni: Arab Israelis' Future Lies 'Elsewhere' VOA 11 Dec 2008 -- Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni says her country's Arab citizens will only be able to fulfill their national aspirations outside of Israel.
• UN Envoy Chides Congo Rebels for Lack of Progress in Peace Talks VOA 11 Dec 2008 -- Talks between the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo and a rebel faction taking place in Nairobi have encountered difficulties, with U.N. Special Envoy Olusegun Obasanjo placing most of the blame on the rebel delegation.
• Ethiopia's PM Declares 'Mission Accomplished' in Somalia VOA 11 Dec 2008 -- Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has declared "mission accomplished" in Somalia, and told parliament Ethiopian troops will be home from their controversial two-year military mission within weeks.
• Russia criticizes Georgia's gas cutoff for S.Ossetia RIA Novosti 11 Dec 2008 -- Russia's envoy to the OSCE: Georgia's decision to cut natural gas supplies to S Ossetia an attempt to pressure the breakaway republic.
• Chechen warlord gunned down in Instanbul RIA Novosti 11 Dec 2008 -- A former Chechen separatist field commander has been killed in Istanbul.
• Ingushetian Court Calls Opposition Leader's Shooting Death 'Accidental' RFE/RL 11 Dec 2008 -- A court in Nazran has refused to classify the recent shooting death of an Ingush opposition leader as murder.

News Reports

• Four Pakistani militants added to UN terrorism sanctions list UN News Centre 11 Dec 2008 -- The United Nations Security Council has imposed sanctions, including a travel ban and assets freeze, on four leaders of a Pakistani militant group blamed by India for last month’s deadly terrorist attack in Mumbai.
• Pakistan Bans Islamic Charity Linked to Mumbai Attack Plot VOA 11 Dec 2008 -- Pakistan has banned a well-known Islamic charity implicated in the Mumbai terrorist attacks.
• Charity Linked To Lashkar-e-Taiba Under The Spotlight RFE/RL 11 Dec 2008 -- To the children attending classes at Jamaat-ud-Dawa in Pakistani, their benefactor is a charitable organization reinforcing their faith.
• India's Parliament Debates Response to Mumbai Terror Siege VOA 11 Dec 2008 -- Indian cabinet members: Those who laid siege to Mumbai came from Pakistan, but are ruling out military retaliation..
• Somalia: UN-backed meeting wraps up with call for greater action to fight piracy UN News Centre 11 Dec 2008 -- A United Nations-backed meeting concluded today with participants calling for greater cooperation to combat the rampant piracy off the coast of Somalia, emphasizing that a durable solution to the problem requires peace and stability in the war-ravaged Horn of Africa nation.
• UN Envoy Says World Has Ignored Piracy Long Enough VOA 11 Dec 2008 -- Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah: Underestimating the pirates has cost the world tens of millions of dollars in ransom money this year.
• Somali pirates 'to release Ukrainian vessel in next two weeks' RIA Novosti 11 Dec 2008 -- The Ukrainian ship Faina may be released in the next 2 weeks.
• Bangladesh to End Emergency Rule December 17 VOA 11 Dec 2008 -- Bangladesh's military-backed government has announced it will lift the state of emergency ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for December 29.
• South Africa - Zimbabwe Border Declared Cholera Disaster Area VOA 11 Dec 2008 -- Zimbabweans crossing into South Africa due to the cholera epidemic has caused South Africa to declare the border a region a disaster area.
• Russia could join OPEC, cut oil production - Medvedev RIA Novosti 11 Dec 2008 -- Russian President Medvedev refused to rule out possibility of Russia joining OPEC.
• Russian MP says Arctic shelf 'historically' belongs to Moscow RIA Novosti 11 Dec 2008 -- Russian Presidential Envoy on Arctic and Antarctic cooperation: Russia would not cede right to Arctic shelf exploration.
• Solzhenitsyn's 'Gulag Archipelago' Struck The Kremlin 'Like An Atom Bomb' RFE/RL 11 Dec 2008 -- Even before the end of Nikita Khrushchev's thaw, Solzhenitsyn had become a banned writer.
• ZIMBABWE: Tracking the descent IRIN 11 Dec 2008 -- A power-sharing deal - brokered by South African President Thabo Mbeki, appointed as negotiator by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) - and signed on 15 September, was heralded as a new dawn for Zimbabwe.