News

12 May 2003 Military News

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

Experience and adaptability ensure success for 24th MEU (SOC) in Iraq Marine Corps News 12 May 2003-- As the USS Nassau (LHA-4) Amphibious Ready Group steamed out of the Arabian Gulf, members of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) looked forward to returning home after eight months away. Throughout the deployment, the MEU experienced a variety of foreign terrain and diverse cultures, challenging training exercises and real world missions - all of which helped prepare them for their ultimate test - Operation Iraqi Freedom.
24th MEU's jets bomb Baghdad, Tikrit Marine Corps News 12 May 2003-- Harrier pilots of the Aviation Combat Element, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) left a significant mark on Saddam Hussein's regime during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
From the Warlords Marine Corps News 12 May 2003-- Less than a week after ground actions commenced in Operation Iraqi Freedom, members of Battalion Landing Team 2/2 ("The Warlords"), 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) received orders to go ashore in Kuwait and proceed north to Central Iraq for combat operations as part of the Marine Corps' Task Force Tarawa.
Semper Angels save Iraqi girl Marine Corps News 12 May 2003-- Quick action, warm hearts, and a $1.75 worth of medical supplies recently saved a two-year-old Iraqi girl from near death at the base headquarters for the I Marine Expeditionary Force.
EOD Marines secure unexploded Iraqi munitions, protect local populace Marine Corps News 12 May 2003-- Marine Explosive Ordnance Disposal specialists are working not only to clean the country of unexploded Iraqi weaponry, but also to protect the local populace.
Oregon Guard Unit Joins Inshore Boat Unit in Kuwait Navy Newsstand 12 May 2003-- Soldiers from the Oregon National Guard joined U.S. Navy and Coast Guard forces in Kuwait recently.
Mount Whitney Returns to Norfolk Navy Newsstand 12 May 2003-- The Amphibious Command Ship, USS Mount Whitney (LCC/JCC 20), is expected to return to Norfolk June 13, after completing a seven-month deployment. Mount Whitney departed Norfolk Nov. 12 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and the ongoing war on terrorism.
Guardsmen man guns on ships bound for Iraq Army News Service 12 May 2003-- Puerto Rican National Guardsmen are standing watch over American equipment being shipped to Iraq
Unit puts the 'deploy' in 'deployment order' ACC News 12 May 2003-- The media broadcast images of jets launching and bombs dropping during Operation Iraqi Freedom, showing Air Force people doing what they're trained to do. What most viewers didn't see were the people responsible for getting those jets over there to put bombs on targets and patrol the skies

Defense Policy / Programs

AMC officials address post deployment downtime Air Mobility Command News 12 May 2003-- With many U.S. military personnel returning from deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Air Mobility Command officials are reiterating the policy for post-deployment downtime.
'Warrior's Walk' honors 3ID soldiers killed in Iraq Army News Service 12 May 2003-- More than 3,000 family members, soldiers and friends of the 3rd Infantry Division (Mech.) attended a memorial ceremony April 30 to honor the division's 34 soldiers killed in action during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Army bids farewell to White Army News Service 12 May 2003-- A farewell ceremony marked the end of Thomas White's term as the 18th secretary of the Army May 9 at Fort Myer, Va.
U.S. Navy Warship Conducts Rescue At Sea Navy Newsstand 12 May 2003-- While transiting home on their 21st and final deployment in the Arabian Gulf and after participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom, USS Constellation (CV 64) received a distress call from an Indonesian inter-island ferry boat carrying civilian passengers in the Banda Sea.
Through the early years at the Depot Marine Corps News 12 May 2003-- The Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, has undergone many changes since it came in existence in the early 1900's. Many units have come and gone, buildings have been erected and torn down and built again. Even a few famous faces have marched across the parade deck here.
Marine Corps Logistics Command formed Marine Corps News 12 May 2003-- Marine Corps logistics entered a new era in a ceremony here May 8, when Materiel Command and Logistics Bases consolidated into one force, Marine Corps Logistics Command.
Plan will get AEF back on track, fix 'disparity' AFPN 12 May 2003-- While many deployed airmen are returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom to hero's welcomes, others deployed for as much as three times longer are still waiting to hear when they will go home.
Afghanistan More Stable Today Than One Year Ago AFPS 12 May 2003 -- Coalition forces in Afghanistan have "had a significant impact on the enemy," a military spokesman there said today.
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Wins SECNAV Safety Award NAVSEA News Wire 12 May 2003-- Portsmouth Naval Shipyard was recently named a winner of the Secretary of the Navy 2002 Achievement in Safety Ashore Award. The shipyard won the award in the large industrial activity (continental United States) category.
Bath Iron Works Lays Keel for 25th Arleigh Burke Destroyer NAVSEA News Wire 12 May 2003-- Bath Iron Works (BIW) laid the keel on May 7 for the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer Bainbridge (DDG 96), the 25th such ship to be constructed at the Maine shipyard The last time BIW constructed this many hulls of a ship class was during World War II.
Port Hueneme Division Provides Technical Support to USS Nimitz NAVSEA News Wire 12 May 2003-- In response to an urgent request from USS Nimitz (CVN 68), engineers at Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Port Hueneme Division (PHD) recently provided rapid technical support to assist in bringing her Ship Self Defense System (SSDS) back online.
Electromagnetic Railgun Successfully Tested NAVSEA News Wire 12 May 2003-- A successful sea trial demonstration of an electromagnetic launcher (EML) was conducted in Kirkcudbright, Scotland on April 24, demonstrating how projectiles at hypersonic velocities can be fired. Senior US Navy officials, including Adm. Robert Natter, Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, and Rear Adm. Jay Cohen, Chief of Naval Research, were on hand to see this promising technology
NNSY Returns USS Jacksonville to Fleet Early NAVSEA News Wire 12 May 2003-- Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) completed its second consecutive Interim Drydocking (IDD) availability early and under budget, when it recently returned the submarine USS Jacksonville (SSN 699) to the Fleet.
LHD 8 to Begin Transformation of 'Big Deck' Amphibious Force NAVSEA News Wire 12 May 2003-- The Navy and Northrop Grumman Ship Systems (NGSS) Ingalls Operations in New Orleans are preparing for the start of fabrication of LHD 8, the warship that will lead the transformation of the Navy's next-generation "big deck" amphibious force. This milestone event will be heralded at a Start of Fabrication Ceremony at NGSS' shipbuilding facility in Pascagoula, Miss., on May 22.
Port Hueneme Division Develops and Tests Remote Launch Capabilities for the MK 41 VLS NAVSEA News Wire 12 May 2003-- Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme Division (PHD) and Lockheed Martin recently completed a successful demonstration of the MK 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) remote interface at the Desert Ship, located at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. This marked the first successful remote test of a VLS launcher.
7th Fleet, Blue Ridge return to Yokosuka 7th Fleet News 12 May 2003-- After completing one of the largest exercises in the Western Pacific area of operations, the crew of the 7th Fleet command and control ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) returned here May 12 after nearly two months underway.
U-S Military/Environment VOA 12 May 2003 -- Legislators in the Armed Services Committees of both houses of Congress are debating a proposal that would exempt U-S military bases from environmental laws that Pentagon officials say hamper military training and testing. But opponents argue that the initiative is unnecessary and would compromise U-S environmental safeguards.
CHP Visits Constellation Strike Group Navy Newsstand 12 May 2003-- Crew members aboard USS Constellation (CV 64), who are in the final weeks of the ship's 21st and final deployment, are scheduled to receive a visit from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) prior to pulling into their homeport at Naval Air Station, North Island, Calif.

Defense Industry

Lockheed Martin Portal Integrates Pentagon Network Management Lockheed Martin 12 May 2003 -- An innovative network "manager of managers" feature has just been added to a new web portal system installed by Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) in the Pentagon for network operators and users.
Northrop Grumman Successfully Redelivers USS Enterprise (CVN 65) Northrop Grumman 12 May 2003 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) announced today that its Newport News sector has successfully redelivered the world's first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise (CVN 65), to the U.S. Navy after an Extended Drydock Selected Restricted Availability (EDSRA). The redelivery took place May 7 after successful sea trials.
Northrop Grumman, Boeing and Raytheon Announce Teaming Agreement for Next-Generation Air Force Surveillance System Northrop Grumman 12 May 2003 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC), The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) and Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTN) officials agreed today to work together in developing the U.S. Air Force's E-10A Multi-sensor Command and Control Aircraft (MC2A). This innovative teaming agreement covers the Weapon Systems Integration (WSI) efforts for the E-10A, which provides an enhanced airborne ground surveillance and cruise missile defense capability to the warfighter.

Other Conflicts

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 12 May 2003

PRESS BRIEFING BY UNITED KINGDOM ON WEST AFRICA SECURITY COUNCIL MISSION United Nations 12 May 2003

UN opens regional seminar in bid to prevent small arms trade in Central Africa UN News Centre 12 May 2003 -- Senior government officials and representatives of civil society gathered today in the Republic of the Congo, for the opening of a United Nations seminar aiming to develop a road map to prevent and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in the Central African region.
Mideast Peace Now Focus of U.S. Foreign Policy, Powell Says Washington File 12 May 2003 -- Advancing a Middle East peace that follows the proposed roadmap for ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has become the focus of the Bush administration's foreign policy, says Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Powell, Egyptian Foreign Minister Maher Confer on Middle East Peace Washington File 12 May 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell said he and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher all agreed that the parties involved in the Middle East conflict must "seize this moment of opportunity" to move the peace process forward.
Powell Hopes Israelis and Palestinians Can Take Steps for Peace Washington File 12 May 2003 -- In an interview with the NBC Today Show, televised May 11, Secretary of State Colin said the end of the war in Iraq marks an opportunity to pursue a resolution of the Palestinian Israeli conflict. Powell held talks with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders in the region May 11.
U.S. Committed to Working for Peace, Powell Tells Abbas Washington File 12 May 2003 -- "Momentum for reform and peace is building," Secretary of State Colin Powell said May 11, after meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas.
POWELL / JORDAN VOA 12 May 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell is in Jordan to promote the so-called "road map", the latest international plan for peace in the region. Mr. Powell's efforts have been met with a good deal of skepticism.
EGYPT/POWELL VOA 12 May 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell has discussed the internationally-backed road map for Israeli-Palestinian peace with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo. The secretary said both sides must "quickly" begin the process of overcoming their differences.
ISRAEL / PALESTINIANS VOA 12 May 2003-- Israeli troops shot dead three Palestinians in the Gaza Strip today (Monday), after imposing a tight closure on the territory. The latest violence came despite appeals by visiting Secretary of State Colin Powell for the two sides to end the bloodshed
Militia retake northeastern town of Bunia in DR of Congo - UN UN News Centre 12 May 2003 -- After sporadic weekend firefights between rival militia in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), two Hema groups joined forces and retook the town of Bunia today, according to the United Nations mission in the country.
Weekend rebel offensive drives thousands of refugees from DR of Congo into Burundi - UN UN News Centre 12 May 2003 -- Nearly 5,000 people from the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have taken refuge in neighbouring Burundi after fleeing a large-scale weekend offensive by one of the largest Congolese rebel groups, the United Nations refugee agency said today.
D-R-C / VIOLENCE VOA 12 May 2003 -- In the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a tribal militia has taken control of the town of Bunia, causing thousands of civilians to flee their homes. The United Nations is coming under pressure to end the violence by sending in more troops.
DRC: Oxfam calls for deployment of UN rapid reaction force IRIN 12 May 2003 -- The British aid organisation Oxfam has called on the UN to deploy rapid reaction troops to enforce peace in Bunia, northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which has been rocked by violence between rival Hema and Lendu militias since the withdrawal of Ugandan troops which were controlling the town.
DRC: Rebel UPC takes control of Bunia IRIN 12 May 2003 -- The rebel group, Union des patriotes congolais (UPC) took control of Bunia on Monday after six days of fighting between rival ethnic militias, MONUC, the UN Mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo(DRC), told IRIN.

Refugee flood in Côte d'Ivoire adds urgency to Security Council trip to region UN News Centre 12 May 2003 -- A United Nations Security Council mission to conflict-plagued West Africa this week was given added urgency today by a report that the number of internal refugees displaced by fighting in Côte d'Ivoire had now reached as many as 750,000.
UN / W AFRICA / IVORY COAST VOA 12 May 2003 -- The United Nations Security Council takes up conflicts in Ivory Coast and the Congo just days before council members leave on a mission to West Africa.
COTE D'IVOIRE: Army continues giving guns to Liberian refugees IRIN 12 May 2003 -- The Cote d'Ivoire army is continuing to recruit young Liberians from Guiglo refugee camp in the west of the country to fight against Ivorian rebel forces in the area, according to UN officials and Liberian residents in the camp and the commander of French peacekeeping forces in the area.
COTE D'IVOIRE: Curfew ends, railway reopens as ceasefire holds IRIN 12 May 2003 -- Cote d'Ivoire's government has lifted the curfew which it imposed in September at the start of a civil war whose wounds are slowly starting to heal. In another move to reduce tension and reunite the rebel-held north with the government-held south, the first train in eight months ran from Abidjan to the rebel capital of Bouake at the weekend.

GUATEMALA PEACE VOA 12 May 2003 -- More than five years after a peace accord ended Guatemala's civil war, representatives of governments and international organizations that support the peace process are to meet to assess its progress this week (Tuesday and Wednesday) in Guatemala City. As the meeting approached, various sectors of Guatemalan society and diplomatic missions unleashed a wave of criticism of what they say is a stagnated process.
LIBERIA: Government reports fierce fighting in southeast IRIN 12 May 2003 -- The Liberian government reported fierce fighting between its forces and rebels of the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL) for control of the port city of Greenville, Sinoe county, some 250 km southeast of the capital, Monrovia.

CHECHNYA / BLAST VOA 12 May 2003-- A powerful explosion has killed 30 people at a government compound in Russia's breakaway Chechnya region
ACEH PEACE MONITORS VOA 12 May 2003-- International ceasefire monitors who had been deployed in Indonesia's Aceh Province have been pulled out, as the prospect of military action looms
SOMALIA: Consensus emerging on federal charter, says talks mediator IRIN 12 May 2003 -- The Kenyan mediator to the Somali peace talks says a consensus is emerging on the controversial issue of a federal charter.
UGANDA: Stakeholders aim to restart peace talks in north IRIN 12 May 2003 -- Stakeholders in northern Uganda’s troubled districts have joined a number of international relief agencies to draft a new resolution which it is hoped will restart peace talks between the government and Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels.
RWANDA: Tribunal official appeals for support from African nations IRIN 12 May 2003 -- The registrar of the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), Adama Dieng, has appealed to African human rights ministers to support the court's efforts to pursue those responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, the tribunal reported.
SUDAN: Peace talks resume in Kenya IRIN 12 May 2003 -- Talks aimed at ending Sudan's long-running civil war resumed in the Kenyan town of Machakos on Saturday, with the signing of a partnership agreement on administrative arrangements for a transitional period.
ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: Dialogue on border issue "unthinkable", says Eritrea IRIN 12 May 2003 -- Eritrea has rejected any notion of a dialogue regarding the border issue with Ethiopia, saying the matter is closed and "hermetically sealed".
IVORY COAST / LIBERIAN REFUGEES VOA 12 May 2003 -- Liberian refugees in western Ivory Coast are asking the United Nations to move them elsewhere. The U-N top refugee official visited a camp in the area, where the refugees told him how unsafe their lives have become since Ivory Coast's civil war broke out last year.
BURUNDI: Feature - Winning back Burundi's child soldiers IRIN 12 May 2003 -- In his December 2002 report to the UN Security Council, Secretary-General Kofi Annan identified Burundi as one of five conflict-ridden countries across the world where children were being used as soldiers.
BURUNDI-TANZANIA: Ndayizeye pleads for support in bringing peace IRIN 12 May 2003 -- Burundi's newly-inaugurated president, Domitien Ndayizeye, thanked Tanzania on Monday for its support in the country's peace process but asked its neighbour to help implement a 3 December 2002 agreement signed between the government and rebel groups to stop fighting.
WEST AFRICA: Lubbers tackles refugee crisis in West Africa IRIN 12 May 2003 -- Ruud Lubbers, the head of the UN refugee agency UNHCR, has said it was vital to secure a political settlement to the long-running civil war in Liberia in order to end conflicts in neighbouring West African countries, which have forced over two million people to abandon their homes.

News Reports

SHAPE News Morning Update SHAPE 12 May 2003
SHAPE News Summary & Analysis SHAPE 12 May 2003
Caribbean Community Joins Global Outcry Against Repression in Cuba Washington File 12 May 2003 -- The 15-member community of Caribbean nations known as Caricom has joined the international outcry against the latest crackdown on human rights in Cuba by calling for clemency for the 75 dissidents who were recently jailed on charges of alleged crimes against state security.
"How to Hurt Castro," by Congressman Jeff Flake Washington File 12 May 2003 -- This column by Representative Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona, a member of the House International Relations Committee, was first published May 12 in the New York Times.
"When Will People Pay Attention?" by Congressman Frank Wolf Washington File 12 May 2003 -- "Another international crisis is quietly escalating in the world today. But it doesn't involve weapons of mass destruction, despotic leaders, nuclear arms or even terrorism. It is hunger, and millions of people in the Horn of Africa -- infants, young children, women and the elderly -- are at risk of starvation."
SAF /DE KLERK TRIAL VOA 12 May 2003 -- A court in Cape Town has heard closing arguments in the trial for the murder of former First Lady Marike de Klerk. A judgment is expected as early as Tuesday.
FRANCE / STRIKES VOA 12 May 2003 -- France is bracing for a country-wide demonstration Tuesday on a scale not seen in years. Tens-of-thousands of workers are expected to protest government proposals to overhaul the pension system.
ZIMBABWE / TRIAL VOA 12 May 2003 -- In Zimbabwe, the treason trial of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has resumed in Harare.Mr. Tsvangirai and two officials of his Movement for Democratic Change party are facing charges of plotting to assassinate President Robert Mugabe.
BALI TRIAL VOA 12 May 2003-- The first person accused of involvement in last October's deadly bombing on the Indonesian island of Bali has gone on trial
NIGERIA: Obasanjo's official landslide has hollow ring IRIN 12 May 2003 -- The triumph of President Olusegun Obasanjo and his ruling party in Nigeria's general elections was as sweeping as it was unprecedented. But given widespread accusations of electoral fraud on a massive scale, their resounding victory has a hollow ring.
ZIMBABWE: Tsvangirai treason trial resumes IRIN 12 May 2003 -- The treason trial of Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, and two of his colleagues resumed on Monday.
SOMALIA: Kahin confirmed as president, opposition unhappy IRIN 12 May 2003 -- The constitutional court of the self-declared republic of Somaliland on Sunday confirmed the incumbent president, Dahir Riyale Kahin, as the winner of last month's presidential election, local sources told IRIN on Monday.

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