Operations
Other Conflicts
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
News Reports

Current Operations

• RFE/RL Afghanistan Report, Vol 1, Number 2 05 Dec 2002 -- POST-TOKYO INTERNATIONAL DONORS CONFERENCE IN THE PIPELINE / CONFERENCE IN GERMANY DISCUSSES PROMISES, PLANS FOR AFGHANISTAN / FULL TEXT OF KARZAI'S DECREE ON THE FORMATION OF THE AFGHAN NATIONAL ARMY / KABUL DAILY WELCOMES EXTENSION OF ISAF... / ...AS GERMAN CABINET EXTENDS MANDATE FOR TROOPS IN ISAF... / ...BUT GERMANY CATEGORICALLY REJECTS EXPANSION OF ISAF / SENIOR U.S. SENATOR WANTS LONG-TERM PLANS FOR AFGHANISTAN / FIGHTING IN WESTERN AFGHANISTAN INTENSIFIES... / ...AS KABUL'S INTERVENTION IS REQUESTED... / ...AND U.S. LAUNCHES AIR ATTACK IN RESPONSE TO ATTACK / U.S. REPORTEDLY IN CONTROL OF SHINDAND AIR BASE / AFGHAN-CURRENCY REPLACEMENT DELAYED / BAGHLAN PROVINCE CLOSES NEWSPAPER / INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION TO REPATRIATE PROFESSORS FOR KHOST UNIVERSITY / KABUL UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR MURDERED / FUTURE AFGHAN CONSTITUTION DISCUSSED IN GERMANY / THIS WEEK IN AFGHANISTAN'S HISTORY

Other Conflicts

• ISRAEL / SHARON / PALESTINIANS VOA 05 Dec 2002 -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has given his conditional backing to a plan supported by the United States that calls for the founding of a Palestinian state. But his announcement has been rejected by the Palestinian leadership and Israeli right-wingers
• IVORY COAST / FIGHTING VOA 05 Dec 2002 -- People fleeing areas of fighting in Ivory Coast say conditions are growing more desperate for those caught behind rebel lines
• SRI LANKA/PEACE TALKS VOA 05 Dec 2002 -- Sri Lanka's government and Tamil rebels have reached an agreement that could end their 19-year civil war. The deal gives regional autonomy to Sri Lanka's ethnic Tamil minority
• EAST TIMOR UPDATE VOA 05 Dec 2002 -- Calm returns to East Timor's capital Thursday , Dili, a day after the worst violence there since peacekeepers arrived three years ago. The government plans an investigation into the causes behind the demonstrations

Defense Policy / Programs

• Local Training Exercise Prepares Tarawa For Next Deployment Navy Newsstand 05 Dec 2002-- USS Tarawa (LHA 1) had the feel of a warship ready for something important recently. As the ship steamed off the coast of Southern California, sights and sounds that hadn't filled her spaces since her previous deployment in 2000-2001 began to reappear.
• MWSS-271 Headquarters hits the field Marine Corps News 05 Dec 2002-- Marine Wing Support Squadron 271 recently completed an Aviation Ground Support Operations Center Exercise.
• A-10 crash kills pilot AFPN 05 Dec 2002-- Capt. Eric Palaro died Dec. 4 in a mid-air collision involving two A-10 Thunderbolt IIs about 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas over the Nevada Test and Training Range.
• ACC conducts flight leadership focus day AFPN 05 Dec 2002-- To focus on the importance of flight leadership, Air Combat Command aircraft will not be flying Dec. 6.
• Acquisition chief discusses transformation AFPN 05 Dec 2002-- Communication and creativity are key to transforming the defense acquisition process, the Air Force's top acquisition official said during a visit here Dec. 3.
• Blue Ridge heads back to sea after maintenance period 7th Fleet Press Release 05 Dec 2002-- Operations Specialist 2nd Class Shereeda Veasey, an Inglewood, Calif., native, receives contact information, then plots the information on the status board in the pilot house aboard USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19).

Defense Industry

• Boeing Selects Florida Company as 767 Tanker Supplier Boeing 05 Dec 2002 -- Boeing [NYSE:BA] has selected AAR Composites of Clearwater, Fla., an operating unit of AAR (NYSE:AIR), as a member of its nationwide team to provide the 767 Tanker Transport to the U.S. Air Force and customers around the globe.
• LATEST LOCKHEED MARTIN F-16 UPGRADE VERSION COMPLETED ON SCHEDULE Lockheed Martin 05 Dec 2002 -- The latest version of Lockheed Martin F-16s to have Common Configuration Implementation Program (CCIP) modifications have begun delivery on schedule.
• LOCKHEED MARTIN UK SELECTED FOR ROYAL NAVY CEC CONTRACT Lockheed Martin 05 Dec 2002 -- Lockheed Martin UK Ltd. - Integrated Systems has been selected as the prime contractor for the Royal Navy's Co-operative Engagement Capability (CEC) T23 Frigate programme by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) following an extensive competitive source selection process.
• Northrop Grumman, TRW Continue Constructive Discussions with Justice Department Northrop Grumman 05 Dec 2002 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) and TRW Inc. (NYSE:TRW) announced today that they continue to have constructive discussions with the Department of Justice relating to their proposed merger and continue to believe that a mutually acceptable consent decree can be reached within the next several days.
• ATK Successfully Tests New Solid Rocket Motor for Orbital’s Ground-Based Missile Defense System Booster ATK 05 Dec 2002 -- ATK (Alliant Techsystems, NYSE: ATK) has successfully tested a new Orion solid rocket motor that will serve as the first stage of the interceptor booster Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) is developing for the U.S. Ground-based Missile Defense System (GMDS).
• ORBITAL'S MISSILE DEFENSE BOOSTER SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES PRE-LAUNCH OPERATIONAL MILESTONE Orbital Sciences Corp. 05 Dec 2002 -- Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) announced today the successful test firing of the rocket motor that will serve as the first stage of the interceptor booster the company is developing for the U.S. Ground-based Missile Defense (GMD) system under a contract from The Boeing Company.

News Reports

• SHAPE NEWS MORNING UPDATE VOA 05 Dec 2002 -- Commander: Peacekeepers offered U.S.-made Stinger missiles for sale / Iraq accuses UN team of spying, US cools war talk / Iraq declaration alone won't trigger action says Wolfowitz / Hungary preparing to receive around 4,500 participants in Iraqi training program / NATO sees new strike force in place before 2004 / Germany cuts defence to save billions, irks allies / Iraq could force U.S. Balkan pullout says congressman

• BUSH / EID AL-FIDR VOA 05 Dec 2002 -- President Bush has marked the end of the holy month of Ramadan with a message of health and prosperity for Muslims around the world
• BURMA - NE WIN VOA 05 Dec 2002 -- Burma's former dictator Ne Win has died at the age of 91. A once powerful figure who drove his country into economic ruin, he died while under house arrest ordered by the very generals he picked to succeed him
• Venezuela-Strike VOA 05 Dec 2002 -- Venezuela is bracing itself for a fourth day Thursday of a general strike called by the opposition to force populist President Hugo Chavez to call early elections, or resign. The situation in the capital is tense
• INDONESIA BROADCAST BILL VOA 05 Dec 2002 -- The Indonesian parliament passes a controversial broadcasting bill that some praise but most fear mark a return to the repression past Indonesian governments have used to control the media