Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Seabees bridge way in Iraq Marine Corps News 02 Jun 2003-- Suspended sixty feet above the Tigris River, crews of Navy Seabees worked through the heat repairing what has been a gaping hole in this city's roadway system.

• AFGHANISTAN: Special report on the new constitution IRIN 02 Jun 2003 -- In the relatively quiet Wazir Akbar Khan neighbourhood of the Afghan capital, Kabul, 35 Afghan men and women are deliberating on one of their country's most important documents. These members of the constitutional commission are reviewing the first draft of the new supreme law before embarking on a wider consultation process this month.
• AFGHANISTAN: Citizens threatened for expressing views on constitution IRIN 02 Jun 2003 -- The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) and the United Nations in the capital, Kabul, have expressed concern over a reported rise in the number of threats and incidences of harassment against people in the provinces expressing their political views on the country's new constitution.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Transcript: Deputy Secretary Wolfowitz Remarks at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seoul 03 Jun 2003 -- "Ladies and gentlemen, this October, the people of the Republic of Korea and the people of the United States will celebrate together the 50th anniversary of the signing of the ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty. The anniversary and the relationship it represents are unique, and we celebrate them. The alliance we honor has changed the course of history - and changed it for the better. Substantial blood, treasure, and mutual commitment have been invested in this alliance by the citizens of our two countries. We must do everything possible to maintain its strength and its health for the sake of future generations of Koreans and Americans. Today I'd like to discuss America's commitment to the security of Korea and reiterate the firm intention of the United States to continue doing our part in protecting this extraordinary alliance."
• Wolfowitz Arrives in Seoul Korea-net 02 Jun 2003 -- U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz arrived in Seoul Sunday (June 1) for a two-day visit for talks on the North Korean nuclear programs with officials.

• Stryker Brigade completes certification exercise Army News Service 02 Jun 2003-- The Army's first Stryker Brigade Combat Team completed its certification exercise "Arrowhead Lightning II" last week at the Joint Readiness Training Center.
• Panama, Chile, U.S. Plan to Protect the Panama Canal Navy Newsstand 02 Jun 2003-- Spearheaded by Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (COMUSNAVSO), a team of U.S., Chilean and Panamanian naval experts finalized in late May, the first coalition plan to protect the Panama Canal against terrorist threats.
• C-9B Skytrain II Completes 30 years of Continuous Fleet Support Navy Newsstand 02 Jun 2003-- The C-9B Skytrain II and the personnel who operate and maintain them, have done their job so well that on May 8, a major milestone in naval aviation history was quietly passed.
• Naval Reserve Fighter Squadron Adds a Chapter to the History Books Navy Newsstand 02 Jun 2003-- It hasn't been done in 50 years. Not since the Korean War has an entire Naval Reserve strike fighter squadron been activated and deployed at sea.
• VAQ-136 Gauntlets Put Deployment in the History Books Navy Newsstand 02 Jun 2003-- The Gauntlets of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 136 returned home May 6, after a deployment that involved support to Operations Southern Watch and Iraqi Freedom.
• HSL-51 Detachment 3 Returns from Tandem Thrust '03 Navy Newsstand 02 Jun 2003-- The Warlords of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HSL) 51 Detachment (Det.) 3 returned from sea May 12. It was 26 days earlier, April 17, that these men first embarked on USS O'Brien (DD 975) for their journey southward to participate in the multinational exercise Tandem Thrust '03.
• Fleet users get first look at Romeo NAVAIR News Release 02 Jun 2003-- NAVAIR's H-60 Program Office (PMA-299) recently welcomed the Navy's newest helicopter, MH-60 Romeo, into its first operational evaluation period with the fleet.
• Gold Eagle leaves Guam after two-week maintenance upkeep USS Carl Vinson News Release 02 Jun 2003-- Carl Vinson (CVN 70) left Guam yesterday after a two-week inport to resurface the a portion of the aircraft carrier's 4 1/2-acre flight deck.
• One chapter in expeditionary combat support training ends, new one to begin AMC News 02 Jun 2003-- March 24 marked the end for the Air Mobility Warfare Center's last Phoenix Readiness course. Phoenix Readiness combat support training has ended, to be replaced in October by the Air Force's expeditionary combat support training program, Eagle Flag.
• DOD STARTS SECURE INTERNET REGISTRATION AND VOTING DEMONSTRATION FOR 2004 ELECTION 02 Jun 2003 -- The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), in conjunction with several states and counties, has begun conducting a large Internet registration and voting demonstration for the 2004 election. This Congressionally mandated project is called SERVE, which stands for Secure Electronic Registration and Voting Experiment.
• Vice President Tells West Point Cadets "Bush Doctrine" Is Serious AFPS 02 Jun 2003 -- If there is anyone in the world today who doubts the seriousness of the Bush Doctrine, I would urge that person to consider the fate of the Taliban in Afghanistan, and of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq," Vice President Richard Cheney told an applauding 2003 West Point graduating class May 31.
• U.S. Force Review Won't Degrade Deterrence in South Korea AFPS 02 Jun 2003 -- Any realignment of American military forces in South Korea would enhance, rather than degrade, that country's ability to deter potential threats such as those posed by North Korea, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz said June 2 in Seoul.
• CARAT task group to conduct annual Southeast Asia exercise 7th Fleet 02 Jun 2003-- A U.S. Navy task group with an embarked U.S. Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) has formed for the ninth annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise series in Southeast Asia this June-July.

• G-8 Partnership Makes Progress in Effort to Prevent Spread of WMD Washington File 02 Jun 2003 -- The Group of Eight (G-8) leading industrial democracies announced that it has made significant progress in its effort -- begun last year -- to prevent weapons of mass destruction from falling into the hands of terrorists and state sponsors of terrorism.

Defense Industry

• Lockheed Martin-Led Team Completes Key Design Milestone on Advanced EHF Military Communications Satellite Program Lockheed Martin 02 Jun 2003 -- The Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) team of Lockheed Martin Space & Strategic Missiles, Sunnyvale, Calif. and Northrop Grumman Space Technology, Redondo Beach, Calif. has successfully completed all 49 Preliminary Design Reviews (PDR).
• BAE SYSTEMS Receives Military Management Quality Award For 2002 BAE Systems 02 Jun 2003 -- BAE Systems has received the Military Traffic Management Command's (MTMC) Quality Award for 2002. The company was recognised for managing ordnance support activities for all branches of the armed forces at the U.S. Naval Magazine Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (NAVMAGPH). BAE Systems also received MTMC's Quality Award for 2001.
• USAF F-15E to Fly the LITENING Rafael 02 Jun 2003 -- The U.S. Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation's Electronic Systems sector a $32.6 million contract to provide 24 LITENING ER precision targeting systems for use aboard its F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 02 Jun 2003
• Bush Travels to Mideast to Show Commitment to Peace Washington File 02 Jun 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell says President Bush is traveling to Egypt and Jordan for meetings with Arab and Israeli leaders to show his commitment to peace in the Middle East.
• Public Poll Says Most Americans Favor Evenhanded Approach in Mideast Washington File 02 Jun 2003 -- A May 2003 survey of the U.S. public reveals that most Americans want to see their government engage in an evenhanded approach to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, to the point of using pressure tactics if one or both sides do not take the steps called for in the Middle East road map.
• BUSH / EGYPT VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- President Bush is in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, on his first mission to the region for Middle East peacemaking. He will be discussing a plan with Arab leaders aimed at securing peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
• BUSH / MIDEAST OVERNIGHTER VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- President Bush meets today (Tuesday) with Arab leaders in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. It will set the stage for a three-way summit Wednesday in Jordan with Palestinian and Israeli prime ministers.
• U.S.: Bush Set For First Foray Into Israeli-Palestinian Summitry RFE/L 02 Jun 2003 -- U.S. President George W. Bush heads to Egypt today for a meeting with Arab leaders ahead of the 4 June summit in Jordan with the prime ministers of Israel and Palestine.
• U.S. "road map to Mideast peace" accused KCNA 02 Jun 2003 -- A month has passed since U.S. President bush proposed "road map to Mideast peace" to Palestine and Israel as a trump card with which to implement his Mideast policy.
• EGYPT / SUMMIT PREVIEW VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- Final preparations are under way for Tuesday's meeting between President Bush and Arab leaders in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Mr. Bush, who is now at the G-8 meeting in Evian, France, leaves France Monday for talks with Arab leaders aimed at pushing Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts forward.
• ISRAEL / BARGHOUTI VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- A leader of the Palestinian uprising who is on trial for murder has used Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's recent statement against "occupation" in his defense.

• More troops, 1-year extension recommended for UN mission in DR of Congo UN News Centre 02 Jun 2003 -- With the parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the United Nations standing at the intersection of peace and war, Secretary-General Kofi Annan has recommended that the mandate of the UN mission in the country be extended until next June and that its authorized military strength be boosted to nearly 11,000 troops.
• DR of Congo: Annan welcomes approval of multinational emergency force UN News Centre 02 Jun 2003 -- United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today welcomed the Security Council's approval of a robust multinational force to work alongside the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to restore stability to the troubled town of Bunia and help improve the humanitarian situation there.
• CONGO'S CIVIL WAR VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- An increasing number of United States newspapers are editorializing about the failure of this country, many other major powers and the United Nations to intervene in Congo's long civil war. As reports of new fighting emerge, papers are appealing for stronger intervention in what they complain is a long-neglected but bloody conflict.
• CONGO / REBELS VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- As an international force prepares to land in the Democratic Republic of Congo in an attempt to end weeks of violence in the northeastern province of Ituri, there are reports of more fighting in the province.
• CONGO: Humanitarian evaluation mission underway in Pool region IRIN 02 Jun 2003 -- The first full-scale humanitarian evaluation of the entire Pool region of the Republic of Congo since the outbreak of civil unrest in March 2002 is currently underway.
• DRC-UGANDA: French-led UN force for Bunia seeks to use Ugandan airport IRIN 02 Jun 2003 -- A delegation of French officials was due to arrive in Uganda on Monday for discussions with President Yoweri Museveni over the possible use of Uganda's Entebbe airport as a rear base for a French-led international peacekeeping force to patrol Bunia, northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to French diplomatic sources.
• PHILIPPINE REBELS VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- Islamic rebels in the southern Philippines have begun a 10-day ceasefire. But the government is calling on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to renounce terrorism and turn in members who are suspected of being responsible for a series of deadly bombings.
• SOMALIA: Over 20 killed in another ceasefire violation IRIN 02 Jun 2003 -- Over 20 people were killed in the course of an outbreak of heavy fighting in the Middle Shabelle Region, south-central Somalia, according to sources in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
• SIERRA LEONE: Special Court to examine Bockarie's body IRIN 02 Jun 2003 -- The body reported to be that of former Sierra Leone rebel commander Sam Bockarie was returned from Liberia on Sunday and will undergo an independent forensic examination to confirm its identity and determine the cause of death, the Special Court in Sierra Leone said.
• AFRICA: Council discusses missions to Central and West Africa IRIN 02 Jun 2003 -- The UN Security Council discussed on Friday ways to refine conflict prevention strategies by involving regional or global organizations and exploring the links between peace and security on the one hand and social and economic development on the other.

News Reports

• SHAPE News Morning Update SHAPE 02 Jun 2003 -- President Bush calls on Europe to overcome differences and unite against terrorism / NATO to lease planes from behind old Iron Curtain / No deterrents in U.S. war on terror / Senator vows full probe into U.S. data on Iraq arms / NATO lures illegal Bosnia weapons with lottery / Rice repeats U.S. complaints about France¨ Strategic U.S.-Russian weapons accords
• SHAPE News Summary & Analysis SHAPE 02 Jun 2003 -- US and UK drop Iraq national conference plan / NATO to take over Afghan peacekeeping force August 11 / U.S launches surprise weapons initiative / NATO chief sees calmer seas ahead / Russia wants guarantees of no foreign NATO bases in Baltics / U.S., Japan shoot down idea of NATO-like alliance in Asia / UN approves French-led Democratic Congo force / U.S. considers realigning military presence in Asia

• Health of Imprisoned Cuban Dissidents Concerns U.S. Washington File 02 Jun 2003 -- The United States is concerned about the health of several political prisoners in Cuba, according to a June 2 statement issued by State Department Deputy Spokesman Philip Reeker.
• U.S. Deplores Nepal's Forced Repatriation of Tibetans to China Washington File 02 Jun 2003 -- The State Department issued a statement June 2, saying the U.S. government deplores Nepal's forced repatriation of 18 Tibetan asylum seekers to China May 31.
• U-S / CUBA PRISONERS VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- The United States Monday demanded that Cuba provide adequate health care for a recently imprisoned dissident, Oscar Espinosa Chepe, said to be suffering from a life-threatening liver ailment and other medical problems. The State Department says others among the 75 opponents of the Fidel Castro government sentenced to prison terms in April are also ill.
• U-S-REACT ZIMBABWE VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- The United States Monday condemned the use of force against opposition-led demonstrations in Zimbabwe, and urged that country's neighbors to join in pressing the government of President Robert Mugabe for reforms and respect for human rights.
• G-8/PROTESTS VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- As industrialized country leaders continue to meet in Evian, France ,Today (Monday), Switzerland is still reeling from the violence of anti G-8 demonstrations. The public disorder upset many Swiss.
• G-8 SUMMIT/WRAP VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- The Group of Eight leading industrialized countries is strongly urging North Korea and Iran to halt their nuclear programs, and the group says the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism are the pre-eminent threats to world security. The annual G-8 summit, which ends on Tuesday, also saw President Bush and French President Jacques Chirac signal that they are ready to put their feud over the U-S-led war in Iraq behind them.
• TOGO / ELECTIONS UPDATE VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- Partial results in the west African nation of Togo give Africa's longest ruling leader Gnassingbe Eyadema the early lead in Sunday's presidential election, but one opposition candidate says he is forming his own government because he is the winner.
• G-8 SUMMIT / NUCLEAR VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- Leaders of the world's major industrialized democracies and Russia have warned Iran and North Korea about their nuclear programs, saying the two countries should comply with international safeguards. The warning came in a joint statement, which also labeled the spread of weapons and terrorism as the preeminent threats to global security.
• SARS / CHINA HEALTH CARE VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- Health experts say the SARS crisis that has sickened thousands of people in China and killed hundreds reveals deep flaws in the country's medical system. Rural areas suffer the most - they are home to most of China's people - but few of its hospitals and doctors.
• ASIA SARS VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- For the first time since it started reporting, China says it has no new cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. But as the outbreaks in Asia fade, attention is turning to the psychological damage the disease has wrought.
• US / MEXICO RELATIONS VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- Mexican President Vicente Fox says that, in spite of differences over the war in Iraq, he believes relations with the United States are back on track after meeting with President Bush at the G-8 summit in France this past weekend. As V-O-A's Greg Flakus reports from Mexico City, Mr. Fox wants to make an immigration accord with the United States a priority in upcoming meetings between officials from both countries.
• G-8 / BUSH / CHIRAC VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- President Bush and French President Jacques Chirac have publicly signaled that they have put their feud over the Iraq war behind them and are prepared to work together on major economic and security issues. The two leaders staged a public reconciliation at the G-8 summit in the French town of Evian just before Mr. Bush embarked on a peacekeeping mission to the Middle East.
• U-S / BURMA CRACKDOWN VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- The United States is condemning the Burmese military government's latest crackdown on opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party, the N-L-D. The State Department is calling for the immediate release of the Nobel peace laureate and top associates from detention.
• ZIMBABWE / PROTEST VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- Most of Zimbabwe's towns and cities are closed as part of anti-government protests. But the arrest of the opposition leader and many opposition organizers, as well as a strong security presence in the city prevented planned mass demonstrations in the capital.
• TOGO ELECTIONS VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- People in the West African country of Togo are awaiting results from Sunday's presidential election in which Africa's longest-ruling leader, Gnassingbe Eyadema, faced a stiff opposition challenge.
• ZIMBABWE / SCENE VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- Planned protest marches into the city centers of Zimbabwe did not materialize as planned in Monday due to a heavy police presence. But a general strike brought business to a halt in most urban centers of the country.
• ZIMBABWE / SCENE VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- On the first day of planned anti-government strikes and protests in Zimbabwe, all business activity was brought to a standstill in the capital, Harare. But getting people to march on the city streets was proving to be a major challenge.
• ZIMBABWE PROTEST VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- Police in Zimbabwe have arrested opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai ahead of a week of planned anti-government protests. Authorities have vowed to crush the demonstrations.
• ZIMBABWE / PROTESTS VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- Zimbabwe police arrested several opposition leaders, as an anti-government general strike began across the country.
• BURMA SUU KYI VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- Universities and colleges in Burma have been closed after military authorities detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and many of her supporters. Most of the offices of her political party have also been closed.
• G-8 / BUSH / CHIRAC VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- President Bush and French President Jacques Chirac have given the most public indication yet that they are patching up their quarrel over the Iraq war. The two men say it is time to move on.
• INDIA/HEAT VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- A searing heat wave has killed nearly one-thousand people in India, mostly in the south of the country. The intense heat also is affecting neighboring Bangladesh.
• Myanmar: Annan 'worried' by continued detention of pro-democracy leaders UN News Centre 02 Jun 2003 -- Stressing that Myanmar is at a "critical juncture" in its ongoing political transition, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today said he believes Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other pro-democracy leaders currently being held in "protective custody" should be released immediately and allowed to cooperate with the Government to bring about national reconciliation in the country.
• TOGO: Opposition says elections marred by irregularities IRIN 02 Jun 2003 -- Hours after polling closed in Togo's presidential elections on Sunday, all the four opposition parties and one independent candidate, said the polls were marred by widespread fraud and irregularities in favour of Africa's longest serving incumbent, Gnassingbe Eyadema.
• CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Bozize says transition to end January 2005 IRIN 02 Jun 2003 -- Central African Republic (CAR) leader Francois Bozize said on Friday that his rule, which started on 15 March when he ousted President Ange-Felix Patasse in a coup, would end in January 2005.
• SWAZILAND: Democratic gains in new constitution IRIN 02 Jun 2003 -- After a seven-year wait, Swazis were able to glimpse a draft of a new national constitution and found that while governing power remains firmly in the hands of the monarchy, the kingdom's ruling authorities have bowed to domestic and international pressure and acknowledged the existence of human rights.