Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Government Statements and Transcripts
US Domestic Responses
International Responses
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Operations

• National Guard and Reserve Mobilized as of 12 Dec. Total number currently on active duty in support of the partial mobilization for the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 17,355; Naval Reserve, 8,965; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 29,037; Marine Corps Reserve, 1,216; and the Coast Guard Reserve 2,168.
• AFGHAN FIGHTING VOA 12 Dec. 2001-- American warplanes attacked al-Qaida positions in Eastern Afghanistan today (Thursday), as Afghan tribal forces await a new deadline for al-Qaida fighters in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan to surrender. The tribal forces known as the Eastern Alliance say the al-Qaida fighters must give up by mid-day today (Thursday).
• AFGHANISTAN / AL-QAIDA VOA 12 Dec. 2001-- U.S. warplanes Wednesday continued bombing attacks on suspected al-Qaida fighters in Tora Bora, Afghanistan, after they failed to surrender to anti-Taleban forces.
• AFGHAN / PENTAGON VOA 12 Dec. 2001-- Heavy fighting continues in Afghanistan's Tora Bora region where al-Qaida terrorists remain under U-S air-strikes as they battle Afghan opposition forces

  Video footage of airstrikes, used during DoD news briefing
  Click on the small image to view a larger version
  Footage showing December 11, 2001, F-18 airstrike in a wooded area in the Tora Bora cave complex area against a possible vehicle	Footage showing December 11, 2001, F-14 airstrike in a wooded area in the Tora Bora cave complex area. Visible through the thermal imaging of the video are people

  
  

Defense Policy / Programs

Government Statements and Transcripts

• Transcript: Special Briefing on Special Operations Forces Capabilities 12 Dec. 2001 -- "Special Operations is a very small outfit. You look at the overall numbers, and we have around 45,000 SEALs, Special Forces, and Air Force Air Commandos. That is not a large number. That is about 1.3 percent -- and that's a good number to remember, because 1.3 percent of DoD personnel are in Special Ops, and we only take up about 1.3 percent of the budget -- defense budget"
• Transcript: DoD News Briefing - ASD PA Clarke and Gen. Pace 12 Dec. 2001 -- "At approximately 11:30 Eastern Standard Time today an Air Force B-1 bomber went down in the Indian Ocean approximately 30 miles north of Diego Garcia. There are no known casualties. Rescue efforts are underway, and we have no indication as to the cause. There is a KC-10 orbiting above the crash site, and there is a destroyer on its way"
• Transcript: Bush Signs Into Law Afghan Women and Children Relief Act 12 Dec. 2001-- Bush: "a liberated Afghanistan must now be rebuilt so that it will never again practice terror at home or abroad. This work begins by ensuring the essential rights of all Afghans."
• The End of the Taliban Reign of Terror in Afghanistan 12 Dec. 2001-- Taliban rule in Afghanistan is finished. But the vanquished Taliban, even in defeat, continue to commit atrocities on the civilian population that has rejected them. The Taliban's foreign al Qaeda protectors hide in caves, trying desperately to escape the consequences of their crimes. Their atrocities are the actions of fanatics who tried -- and failed -- to subjugate the Afghan people.
• Byliner: Amb. Gutierrez on Terrorism's Economic Impact on the Americas 12 Dec. 2001-- The following article ("September 11 and its Aftermath: The Impact of Doing Business in the Americas") is by Ambassador Lino Gutierrez, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs. There are no republication restrictions; the article is in the public domain.

US Domestic Responses

• CONGRESS / BIOTERROR VOA 12 Dec. 2001-- The U-S House of Representatives has passed (by a 418 to two vote) legislation aimed at dealing with the threat of bioterrorism
• U-S / AFGHAN EMBASSY VOA 12 Dec. 2001-- A senior State Department official will fly to Kabul in the next few days to officially open a U-S diplomatic mission in Afghanistan for the first time in twelve years.
• NEW AL-QAIDA THREAT VOA 12 Dec. 2001-- U-S officials say the captured American who fought with the Taleban in Afghanistan has described plans for a bio-terror attack on the United States in the next few days
• PAK / AFGHAN / U-N VOA 12 Dec. 2001-- The U-N special envoy for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, has met with leaders in Pakistan to discuss international efforts aimed at bringing peace to Afghanistan
• BUSH / AFGHAN WOMEN VOA 12 Dec. 2001-- President Bush says the United States will not walk away from Afghanistan as it struggles to rebuild in the post-Taleban era
• CONGRESS INTELLIGENCE VOA 12 Dec. 2001-- The House of Representatives has passed (by voice vote) a compromise bill funding U-S intelligence agencies. Lawmakers say the legislation contains provisions that will help the United States in its war on terrorism
• PENTAGON/JUSTICE VOA 12 Dec. 2001-- A top Defense Department official appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee to defend the Bush administration's controversial plans to set up military tribunals to try foreign terrorists
• Afghan Women Praise Bill to Help Afghan Women, Children USIA 12 Dec. 2001-- Say new law will help restore human rights to Afghanistan

International Responses

• INDONESIA AL QAIDA VOA 12 Dec. 2001-- The head of Indonesia's national intelligence agency says the al-Qaida terrorist network is cooperating with some militant groups in Indonesia. The comment may contradict a report by the United States government that indicates Indonesia is not among the 45 countries where the terrorist network is believed to operate.
• POPE / TERRORISM VOA 12 Dec. 2001-- In a message issued this week (Tuesday), Pope John Paul II has spoken out about the right to combat terrorism. He said self-defense against acts of terror is legitimate, but warned against expanding the fight against entire nations, ethnic groups or religions.

Defense Industry

• BAE SYSTEMS completes first Rapier upgrade BAE Systems 12 Dec 2001 -- BAE Systems Customer Solutions and Support has completed the refurbishment of the first of 20 Rapier ground-based air defence missile systems for the Australian Army.
• Boeing Awarded $37.6-Million Contract To Upgrade NATO AWACS Fleet Boeing 12 Dec 2001 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE:BA] has received a $37.6-million contract to enhance the flight deck of NATO's fleet of 17 E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft.
• Northrop Grumman Wins $81 Million Contract to Provide Omnibus Support to Joint Interoperability Test Command Northrop Grumman 12 Dec 2001 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has been selected to lead one of three teams that have been awarded an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract to provide scientific, engineering, logistic, administrative, acquisition and ancillary support to the Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC).
• Northrop Grumman Successfully Conducts Miniature Air Launched Interceptor Flight Tests Northrop Grumman 12 Dec 2001 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Integrated Systems sector successfully conducted a flight test on Dec. 11 of the Miniature Air Launch Interceptor (MALI) at the Naval Air Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif. The interceptor is designed to thwart cruise missiles.
• Thales partners STN Atlas for Dutch and Belgian MCM fleet upgrade Thales 12 Dec 2001 -- The award of the contract, on 10 December 2001, to STN Atlas Elektronik for the upgrade of 10 Dutch Alkmaar and 6 Belgian Flower class Mine Countermeasure Vessels, marks a significant milestone in industrial co-operation in this field.
• General Dynamics Wins $24.4 Million Contract to Develop and Install Key Management Infrastructure Capability General Dynamics 12 Dec 2001 -- General Dynamics Communication Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has won a $24.4 million contract from the National Security Agency (NSA) to implement the first capability increment of the Department of Defense’s Key Management Infrastructure (KMI).

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 12 Dec 2001

News Reports

• RUSSIA & TERRORISM VOA 12 Dec. 2001-- A famed Soviet dissident, Vladimir Bukovsky, warns that Communism is by no means dead and continues to inspire terrorism around the world, including Muslim nations.
• BUSH / BIN LADEN VOA 12 Dec. 2001-- The Bush administration appears to be nearing an announcement on the release of a videotape of Osama bin Laden. A team of translators has been reviewing the tape in which the al-Qaida leader speaks in Arabic about the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States
• Senior U.S. Official Discusses Terrorism Potential in Africa USIA 12 Dec. 2001-- Asst. Sec. Kansteiner talks with press in Pretoria
• Women Can Bring Peace to the Future of Afghanistan, Ahmadi Says USIA 12 Dec. 2001-- Human rights, respect, and dignity for women must be ensured

• ATK Rocket Motors Boost Boeing Delta II Launch Vehicle Carrying NASA Satellites ATK 12 Dec 2001 -- Rocket motors manufactured by ATK (Alliant Techsystems) (NYSE: ATK) helped launch a Boeing Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. on Dec. 7 on a mission to place two NASA satellites into orbit.