Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• U.S. SOLDIER INJURED BY LANDMINE AT BAGRAM AIR BASE 09 Jan 2003 -- A U.S. Army soldier was injured late last night at Bagram Air Base when he stepped on a landmine. The incident occurred at approximately 11:00 p.m. EST on the southern side of the base. The soldier was participating in mine clearing operations when he stepped in an uncleared area
• U.S. Forces in Afghanistan Report Several Incidents AFPS 09 Jan 2003-- U.S. troops have been involved in several unrelated incidents in Afghanistan in recent days including a rocket attack and weapons cache discoveries, a coalition spokesman reported this morning.
• Afghan Army graduates fifth battalion Army News Service 09 Jan 2003-- With weapons in hand and uniforms creased and pressed, more than 400 new graduates from the 5th Battalion, Afghan National Army, proudly marched past their officers and dignitaries with a look of fierce pride in their eyes.
• RFE/RL Afghanistan Report, Vol 2, Number 2 09 Jan 2003 -- IS THE KABUL DECLARATION A BASIS FOR GOOD-NEIGHBORLY RELATIONS? / U.S. AND PAKISTAN 'PLAY DOWN' AFGHAN BORDER CLASH... / ...AS KARACHI PAPER ALLEGES U.S. BOMB LANDED IN PAKISTAN... / ...AND THERE IS CONFUSION ON AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN BORDER-CROSSING UNDERSTANDING... / .WHICH IS RESOLVED WITH A NEW UNDERSTANDING / NEW BODY ESTABLISHED TO DEFEND PRESS FREEDOM IN AFGHANISTAN... / ...WHILE EDITOR OF KABUL WEEKLY CRITICIZES PRESS RESTRICTIONS... / ...AND ANTIGOVERNMENT RADIO STATION DEBUTS IN PAKTIYA / KABUL DETERMINED TO FIGHT NARCOTICS... / ...AS AFGHAN FARMERS NOT COMPENSATED FOR DESTROYING OPIUM-POPPY CROPS / IRANIAN DRUG-CONTROL CHIEF VISITS KABUL... / ...AFGHAN, IRANIAN OFFICIALS DISCUSS DRUG CONTROL... / ...AND IRANIANS ATTEND KABUL COUNTERNARCOTICS CONFERENCE / LARGE CACHE OF ROCKETS SEIZED IN AFGHANISTAN / U.S. TO ASSIST AFGHAN WOMEN'S PROGRAMS / AFGHAN PRESIDENT PROMISES A DEMOCRACY BASED ON ISLAMIC VALUES / KANDAHAR GOVERNOR BANS THE USE OF FOREIGN CURRENCY / FEARED HIJACKING OF AFGHAN AIRLINERS PROVES FALSE / THIS WEEK IN AFGHANISTAN'S HISTORY

• Army's best MPs back from Balkans Army News Service 09 Jan 2003-- The 549th Military Police Company, Fort Stewart, Ga., won the Brigadier General Jeremiah P. Holland award for excellence among Army military police companies.

Defense Policy / Programs

• White House Daily Briefing White House 09 Jan 2003
• COMSUBPAC 2002 Battle "E" Winners Announced COMSUBPAC 09 Jan 2003 -- Winners of the 2002 Battle Efficiency "E" award for the Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet were named recently.
• DOD IS PREPARED TO PROTECT AGAINST BIOLOGICAL THREATS 09 Jan 2003 -- Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs William Winkenwerder Jr. today stated that the U.S. military is prepared to protect its personnel against the use of biological weapons. The Department uses a range of measures to protect servicemembers from biological threats including combinations of protective clothing and equipment, detectors, vaccines, antibiotics and training.
• MERLIN HELICOPTER JOINS RFA VESSEL FOR TRIALS Royal Navy News 09 Jan 2003-- A Merlin helicopter will fly onto RFA Wave Ruler, one of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary's newest vessels, for the first time in Plymouth Sound on Friday 10 January.
• Committee Chair Will Urge More Funds for Military Modernization Washington File 09 Jan 2003-- The new chairman of the House Armed Services Committee warned that "we live in a very dangerous world" and said he will seek to boost funds for military modernization to $90,000 million in the 108th session of Congress, an increase of $19,000 million over the previous year.
• Burns: NATO Strengthening Ability to Maintain European Security Washington File 09 Jan 2003-- The addition of seven new nations to NATO, new relations with Russia and closer ties with ex-Soviet republics in Central Asia and the Caucasus, and new and expanded military innovations are all part of NATO's objectives as it remakes itself for the 21st century, says Ambassador Nicholas Burns.
• Top Marine: Transformation More Than Basic Modernization AFPS 09 Jan 2003-- America's top Marine general believes there should be "a distinction between transformation and basic modernization."
• The Invisible Men: Army Staff Sgts. Long Brown and Brad Swayne AFPS 09 Jan 2003-- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard Myers entered the Pentagon briefing room to give an update on the global war on terror.

Defense Industry

• BAE SYSTEMS Completes Ptarmigan Upgrade For Out-Of-Area Communications BAE Systems 09 Jan 2003 -- BAE Systems C4ISR has completed the delivery of thirty Installations under the Mobile Access to the Ptarmigan Packet Switching (MAPPS) programme awarded by the UK MoD in February 1998.
• Boeing Demonstrates New Network-Centric Warfare Capability Boeing 09 Jan 2003 -- As part of its Weapon System Open Architecture, or WSOA, program, The Boeing Company has demonstrated an internet-like connection -- between a command and control-type aircraft and a strike fighter -- that allows real-time airborne collaboration for strikes on time-critical targets.
• MBDA signs METEOR missile contract EADS 09 Jan 2003 -- The 1.86 billion euros fixed price prime contract awarded to MBDA for the new Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air weapon was signed at the Defence Procurement Agency in Abbey Wood, Bristol by the Defence Procurement Agency (DPA) on behalf of the Governments of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the UK.
• SWITZERLAND AWARDS CONTRACT TO LOCKHEED MARTIN FOR PORTABLE RADARS Lockheed Martin 09 Jan 2003 -- Lockheed Martin has signed a contract with the Swiss Defence Procurement Agency to provide 24 Portable Search and Target Acquisition Radars (PSTAR). They will be used for short-range air defense throughout Switzerland. Typically, PSTAR interfaces with a weapons system such as a Stinger anti-aircraft missile.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 09 Jan 2003
• DRC: Ugandan official suggests "neutral" troops replace its forces in Congo IRIN 09 Jan 2003 -- A Ugandan official has proposed that a protection force from a neutral country such as Egypt, Ethiopia or Morocco be sent to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) after the withdrawal of Ugandan troops is complete, The New Vision Ugandan government-owned newspaper reported on Thursday.
• DRC: UN opens inquiry into reports of cannibalism IRIN 09 Jan 2003 -- The UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, known as MONUC, announced on Wednesday it had opened investigations into reports of cannibalism and human rights violations by rebels near the northeastern town on Beni, North Kivu Province.
• ALGERIA / VIOLENCE VOA 09 Jan 2003 -- Islamic militants in Algeria are being blamed for more than 100-deaths since January first. In the latest incident, reported in the Algerian press, the militants killed eight-soldiers in an attack east of Algiers
• CONGO / CANNIBALISM VOA 09 Jan 2003 -- A United Nations team has been dispatched to northeastern Congo to investigate allegations that Congolese rebels are practicing cannibalism in the war-torn region
• IVORY COAST / FIGHTING VOA 09 Jan 2003 -- Rebels in Ivory Coast say government helicopters attacked a western town on Thursday. The reported attack came despite plans for a new round of peace talks that are scheduled to begin in Paris next week
• SRI LANKA TALKS VOA 09 Jan 2003 -- Tamil Tiger rebels have ruled out disarming until there is a final settlement of the 19-year conflict with the Sri Lankan government. But the two sides have drafted a plan to address humanitarian issues in their latest peace negotiations in Thailand
• RWANDA-TANZANIA: Thousands more "Rwandans" step forward for repatriation IRIN 09 Jan 2003 -- Over the last week, about 3,000 Rwandan refugees that had previously tried to avoid forced repatriation operations have stepped forward, seeking help to return home, the spokeswoman for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Tanzania told IRIN on Thursday.
• CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Consultations on national conference under way IRIN 09 Jan 2003 -- The coordinator of the national reconciliation dialogue in the Central African Republic (CAR), Bishop Paulin Pomodino, has said that a committee is being set up to decide a date, venue and agenda for its meeting.
• ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: Congressman urges world to act IRIN 09 Jan 2003 -- US Congressman Frank Wolf has warned of a looming crisis in Ethiopia and Eritrea, stressing that both countries are desperately in need of help.

News Reports

• RED CROSS / ETHIOPIA VOA 09 Jan 2003 -- The International Committee of the Red Cross is warning that immediate action is needed to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Ethiopia. The Swiss-based organization says months of drought have left millions of people in urgent need of aid
• KENYA PARLIAMENT VOA 09 Jan 2003 -- Kenya's ninth parliament opened Thursday, with a new ruling party, a new government, a new president and many new faces. Parliament was convened earlier than usual in order to start implementing the incoming government's reform program
• SAF / SHARON SCANDAL VOA 09 Jan 2003 -- South Africa has received an official request from the Israeli attorney general to investigate a large loan made to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon by a businessman living in South Africa. At issue is whether Mr. Sharon used the loan to repay an illegal political contribution to his 1999 political campaign
• ISRAEL / POLITICS VOA 09 Jan 2003 -- Israel's Supreme Court Thursday overturned a ban barring two Israeli-Arab members of parliament from running to keep their seats in the January 28th elections
• DJIBOUTI: Parliamentary elections set for Friday IRIN 09 Jan 2003 -- Djiboutian voters will go to the polls to elect members of parliament on Friday, a senior Djibouti official told IRIN.
• DRC: Belgium to probe Congolese minister accused of money laundering IRIN 09 Jan 2003 -- Belgian judicial authorities are investigating possible money-laundering activities linked to ore trafficking by a minister in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), state-owned Radio-Television Belge de la Communaute Francaise (RTBF) reported from Brussels on Wednesday.
• CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: WFP resumes food distribution to May 2001 coup victims IRIN 09 Jan 2003 -- The World Food Programme (WFP) in the Central African Republic has resumed food distribution in the southern suburbs of the capital, Bangui, to 84,000 victims of a coup attempt in 2001, according to the agency's programme officer.
• DRC: Kinshasa inaugurates national diamond certification programme IRIN 09 Jan 2003 -- The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) officially launched its national diamond certification programme on Tuesday, as part of its participation in the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, which took effect on 1 January 2003.