16 May 2000 Military News

U.K. Decisions on C-17, Meteor Build Upon Britain-Boeing Ties Boeing 16 May 2000 -- The United Kingdom government's selection of the Boeing C-17 for its strategic airlift requirement and the Meteor air-to-air missile system for its fleet of Eurofighters builds upon the strong relationship between Britain and Boeing, a Boeing executive said.
Boeing Member of Winning United Kingdom Missile Team Boeing 16 May 2000 --'s decision by the United Kingdom to equip Royal Air Force Eurofighters with the Meteor beyond-visual range air-to-air missile means that Boeing will be a member of the leading international team in air-to-air missile systems.
United Kingdom Selects Boeing C-17 Globemaster III Boeing 16 May 2000 -- The United Kingdom Ministry of Defense announced its intention to lease four Boeing C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft for the Royal Air Force beginning in 2001.

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 16 May 2000

Text: Secretary of State on Reform of UN Peacekeeping Finance System 16 May 2000 -- Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said in a statement late May 16 that "In a time of expanded peacekeeping missions, with crises raging on several continents, it is vitally important for UN peacekeeping operations to be on a sound financial footing."
Text: Holbrooke Remarks on UN Peacekeeping Reform 16 May 2000 -- Stressing that the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) must be reformed or "the very future of the United Nations is endangered," U.S. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke said May 16 that the General Assembly must not only give the department more staff and management capabilities, but the ancient system for financing peacekeeping operations must be changed.
U-S / U-N / PEACEKEEPING COSTS Voice of America 16 May 2000 -- The United States has formally proposed (Tuesday) a major overhaul in the system of financing United Nations peacekeeping operations.

SIERRA LEONE / REFUGEES Voice of America 16 May 2000 -- The United Nations refugee agency, U-N-H-C-R, says it is bracing for the arrival of large numbers of Sierra Leonian refugees in neighboring Guinea-Conakry.
SIERRA LEONE / JACKSON Voice of America 16 May 2000 -- In Sierra Leone, there is mounting public opposition to a planned visit by the Reverend Jesse Jackson.
Jackson: People of Sierra Leone and U.S. Want Peace and Justice By Charles W. Corey Washington File 16 May 2000 -- The people of Sierra Leone and the United States are on "the same side of history, fighting for peace and justice" and should turn "to each other and not on each other," says the Reverend Jesse Jackson, the special envoy of President Clinton and the Secretary of State for democracy in Africa who leaves this week on a mission to end the fighting in the west African nation.
Text: Jesse Jackson Clarifies Misunderstanding on Sierra Leone 16 May 2000 -- U.S. Special Envoy for the President and the Secretary of State for the Promotion of Democracy in Africa, Jesse Jackson, made plain May 16 that "Foday Sankoh and the RUF alone are responsible for the current crisis in Sierra Leone."

U.S. Drafts Ethiopia-Eritrean Arms Embargo By Judy Aita Washington File 16 May 2000 -- The United States has presented to the U.N. Security Council a draft resolution that would establish an arms embargo against Ethiopia and Eritrea in an attempt to end their border war.
ETHIOPIA / ERITREA Voice of America 16 May 2000 -- Ethiopia says it has captured more than a thousand Eritrean prisoners of war in renewed fighting on the two countries' western front.
ERITREA-ETHIOPIA Voice of America 16 May 2000 -- Eritrea has confirmed that Ethiopian troops have moved into Eritrean territory, but officials say Addis Ababa's claims of taking huge amounts of land and cutting off the main supply road are exaggerated.

PHILIPPINES / REBELS Voice of America 16 May 2000 -- In a move that could stop the escalating hostilities on the main southern Philippine island of Mindanao, the country's leading Muslim separatist group has started a pullback of forces.
CHIAPAS BISHOP REACT Voice of America 16 May 2000 -- A new bishop has taken over in Mexico's troubled southern state, Chiapas. His predecessor leaves a legacy of deep involvement with the poor as well as complaints that he sided with Zapatista rebels who staged an uprising in 1994.
LANKA ATTACK Voice of America 16 May 2000 -- Heavy fighting has broken out in Sri Lanka's northern Jaffna region, after three days of relative calm.
BURUNDI - PEACE Voice of America 16 May 2000 -- A prominent Mauritanian diplomat, Ambassador Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, says mediators will have a hard time bringing an end to violence in Burundi.

PRESS BRIEFING BY SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR TAJIKISTAN United Nations 16 May 2000
AIDS EPIDEMIC IN AFRICA Voice of America 16 May 2000 -- The American press is applauding a recent announcement by five international pharmaceutical firms that they will drastically cut the price of AIDS drugs to Africa, where the disease has infected 34- million people.

ATK Completes First Test Firing of Rocket Motor for New Oriole Sub-Orbital Launch System ATK 16 May 2000 -- ATK (NYSE: ATK) (Alliant Techsystems), said Alliant Missile Products Company, Rocket Center, W. Va., has successfully completed the first of two planned test firings of a solid rocket motor for the new Oriole sub-orbital launch system.

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