Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Civil affairs soldiers apprehend car thief in Baghdad Army News Service 19 Jun 2003-- While five soldiers from Tactical Support Team 4, 411th Civil Affairs Battalion were en route to the battalion headquarters to deliver the unit's mail, a crowd of shouting Iraqi citizens informed the soldiers that a carjacking was taking place nearby.
• Civil affairs team helps reconstruct pipeline, distribute food Army News Service 19 Jun 2003-- The 411th Civil Affairs Battalion, an Army Reserve unit from Danbury, Conn., is rebuilding sewer lines in a run down part of the city, and providing food for a neglected group of people.
• 1ST ARMORED DIVISION PATROLS HELP KEEP BAGHDAD STREETS SAFE V Corps 19 Jun 2003-- Soldiers from V Corps' "Old Ironsides" Division are taking to the streets here to help keep neighborhoods safe and secure and to protect key city assets.

• DJIBOUTI / U-S / CIVILIAN ASSISTANCE VOA 19 Jun 2003 -- U-S troops, hunting for terrorists in the Horn of Africa, are also conducting large-scale humanitarian missions in the region to gain support from the local people. The growing U-S military presence in the Horn of Africa country is, for now, being widely accepted.

• RFE/RL Afghanistan Report, Vol 2, Number 21 19 Jun 2003 -- AFGHAN ELECTIONS JEOPARDIZED BY LACK OF SECURITY / ICG REPORT CRITICIZES CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS IN AFGHANISTAN... / ...WHICH IS REJECTED BY UNAMA... / ...AND BY THE AFGHAN CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW COMMISSION / CRC VISITS NANGARHAR PROVINCE... / ...AS COMMISSION HEAD RULES OUT FEDERAL SYSTEM FOR AFGHANISTAN / REPRESENTATIVES OF HERAT PROVINCE WANT AN ISLAMIC CONSTITUTION / NGOS WARN OF DISASTER IN AFGHANISTAN UNLESS SECURITY IS ESTABLISHED / ...AS DOES KABUL DAILY... / ...AS ANOTHER PUBLICATION WARNS OF DANGER TO ELECTIONS IN ABSENCE OF SECURITY / SWISS EXPERT SAYS AFGHANISTAN HEADED TOWARD CHAOS / OPIUM-CROP ERADICATORS KILLED IN ORUZGAN PROVINCE / UN SAYS LACK OF SECURITY RESPONSIBLE FOR INCREASED DRUG PRODUCTION IN AFGHANISTAN / NEO-TALIBAN FORCES WARN OF SUICIDE ATTACKS / CORRECTION / THIS WEEK IN AFGHANISTAN'S HISTORY
• AFGHAN/PRESS VOA 19 Jun 2003 -- The United Nations and human-rights officials in Afghanistan are expressing concern about the arrests of two Afghan editors for publishing an article that allegedly slanders Islam.

Defense Policy / Programs

• New NATO Transformation Command Established in Norfolk AFPS 19 Jun 2003 -- "Haul up the Allied Command Transformation flag," Secretary General Lord George Robertson said during the ceremony here today. "Allied Command Transformation is now established."
• Remarks by the Secretary General of NATO, Lord Robertson at the ceremony to the Commission of the New Allied Command Transformation NATO 19 Jun 2003 -- "This is a unique ceremony. Because we are not only welcoming a new commander - we are also changing fundamentally the very nature and purpose of this strategic headquarters. Indeed, we are creating a new organisation all together. That, in the history of this great Alliance, makes this a very special day."
• "Building on Capabilities and Steering Change" Remarks by NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson at the SACLANT Seminar NATO 19 Jun 2003 -- "That future, however, is now. These transformation concepts are no longer restricted to the battle lab. They are no longer theories dreamed up by academics and brainy colonels, and demonstrated on computers. These new technologies, new doctrines and new concepts are being used today -- in the major conflicts on the front pages of our newspapers."
• Media opportunity with Lord Robertson, Admiral Giambastiani and General Jones at the Allied Command Transformation Activation Ceremony and Change of Command NATO 19 Jun 2003 -- " key thing here is that this is something completely new and completely different that's quite revolutionary. NATO has transformed itself. This is a new NATO. This command is absolutely critical to the way in which we develop and are able to deal with the new threats and challenges. "

• Eberhart: 9-11 Created Need for New Unified Command AFPS 19 Jun 2003 -- Air Force Gen. Ralph E. Eberhart, commander of U.S. Northern Command, noted that the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on America brought about the most significant reorganization within DoD since the department was created in 1947.
• United Kingdom Joins Arctic Environmental Cooperation 19 Jun 2003 -- Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment Raymond F. DuBois will represent the United States at the multi-national principals meeting for the Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation (AMEC), June 26-27, at the Old Royal Navy College, Greenwich, United Kingdom. A highlight of the meeting will be the formal induction of the United Kingdom into the Cooperation, joining current member countries Norway, Russia, and the United States.
• Grapple's Homecoming Date Changed Navy Newsstand 19 Jun 2003-- More than 100 Sailors aboard the rescue and salvage ship USS Grapple (ARS 53) will now return to Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek from Operation Iraqi Freedom June 27. The ship was originally scheduled to return June 24.
• Task Force 12 Brings New Technology to Undersea Warfare Navy Newsstand 19 Jun 2003-- As the 21st century unfolds, technological advances in warfare remain at the forefront of the evolutionary process of modern warfare.
• Naval Reserve Force Ship Returns from Mediterranean Deployment Navy Newsstand 19 Jun 2003-- Mine Readiness Group 3 returned to Naval Station Ingleside June 13 following a successful Mediterranean deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
• Bluefin Tested in Waters Around Naval Station Ingleside Navy Newsstand 19 Jun 2003-- A handful of onlookers got a sneak preview of the future of mine warfare, June 10, aboard USS Falcon (MHC 59). What they saw was a demonstration of an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) being operated from an Osprey-class coastal mine hunting ship.
• "From Courage, Life ." Lassen Lives Motto Navy Newsstand 19 Jun 2003-- A little more than two years ago, USS Lassen (DDG 82) sat freshly painted and sparkling new in Tampa, Fla., where she was commissioned into active service April 21, 2001.
• Coalition Enlists Italians In Mine Warfare Effort Navy Newsstand 19 Jun 2003-- In the spring of 1941, R.N. Sagittario, a lone Italian Navy torpedo boat under the command of Capt. Giuseppe Cigala Fulgosi, was escorting a German convoy destined for the invasion of Crete, when her crew sighted a British force of three cruisers and several destroyers incoming on their position.
• Below the Baltic Navy Newsstand 19 Jun 2003-- "You try to think like a submarine captain, then stay one step ahead; it's like a chess match," Senior Chief Sonar Technician (Surface) (SW) James Inzana said, summing up his approach for tracking submarines.
• 1/5 describes hardships of war in Iraq's early days (Part 1) Marine Corps News 19 Jun 2003-- While President Bush was giving Saddam Hussein and his loyalists 48 hours to submit to coalition demands, Marines and sailors of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment were in position to attack.
• Trailblazing reserve unit demobilizes Marine Corps News 19 Jun 2003-- They're reservists. But, contrary to the historical precedent set by their predeccessors, they didn't linger behind front-line troops when Operation Iraqi Freedom kicked off.
• Officials release U-2 accident report AFPN 19 Jun 2003-- Air Force investigators have determined that engine failure caused a U-2 Dragon Lady surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to crash Jan. 26 near Osan Air Base, South Korea.
• AF won't court-martial F-16 pilots AFPN 19 Jun 2003-- The 8th Air Force commander announced decisions regarding the Tarnak Farms "friendly-fire" cases of Majs. Harry Schmidt and William Umbach on June 19. Neither pilot will be referred to trial by court-martial.
• Air Force releases academy sexual misconduct study AFPN 19 Jun 2003-- Less than 1 percent of male cadets and 5 percent of female cadets at the Air Force Academy have been involved in known sexual assault allegations over the 10-year period examined, according to the report on academy sexual misconduct released June 19.
• GULF MINEHUNTERS RETURN Royal Navy News 19 Jun 2003-- Royal Navy minehunters HMS Bangor and HMS Sandown return to their home base of Portsmouth on Friday, June 20, after a record deployment clearing mines laid in the Gulf waterways by Saddam Hussein.

Defense Industry

• Boeing Rapidly Deploys Blade Fold System for U.S. Army Apaches Boeing 19 Jun 2003 -- Called "the toughest combat aircraft in the world" the Boeing [NYSE: BA] AH-64D Apache Longbow multi-role combat helicopter has a newly designed main rotor blade fold system which adds flexibility to the U.S. Army's deployment planning for force insertion.
• First flight of prototype P-3B equipped with EADS CASA FITS within the modernisation programme for Spanish Ejército del Aire EADS 19 Jun 2003 -- Recently, the prototype of the maritime patrol P-3B aircraft of the Spanish Air Force, included in the operation upgrade programme, performed its first flight.
• General Dynamics Awarded $5 Million Warhead Design and Development Contract General Dynamics 19 Jun 2003 -- General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has been awarded a contract valued at $4.8 million for design and development of the BLU-113 warhead system by the U.S. Air Force Air Armament Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. This contract includes production options which, if awarded, have an additional value of approximately $24 million. The period of performance with all options exercised is through June 2008. Work will be performed at the company’s Niceville, Fla., facility.
• Lockheed Martin's Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft Solution is Right for Many Countries Lockheed Martin 19 Jun 2003 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] officials said today at the Paris Air Show that the company's solution to meet the U.S. Navy's requirement for a new maritime patrol aircraft also presents a low risk solution to countries looking to upgrade or acquire maritime patrol capability.
• Lockheed Martin's Evolving F-16 Maintains Warfighter's Edge in Modern Combat Lockheed Martin 19 Jun 2003 -- Lockheed Martin's [NYSE: LMT] F-16 Fighting Falcon continues its historic evolution, honing its edge in meeting new operational requirements both in the defense marketplace and in combat, according to John Bean, Vice President for Lockheed Martin F-16 programs. Bean said at the Paris Air Show today the F-16 is still the most modern, capable and sought-after international production fighter today. It has been proven in combat time after time, including recent operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and both wars in Iraq.
• U.S. Air Force Awards Northrop Grumman Second Contract for LITENING Advanced Targeting Systems Northrop Grumman 19 Jun 2003 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Defensive Systems Division will provide its new LITENING advanced targeting (AT) system capability to support U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harriers.
• Northrop Grumman, RAFAEL Awarded 2nd LITENING Delivery Contract Rafael 19 Jun 2003 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's Defensive Systems Division will provide the new LITENING advanced targeting (AT) system capability to support U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harriers.
• Northrop Grumman's Fire Scout UAV Performs 'Lost Communications' Autonomous Recovery and Shutdown Northrop Grumman 19 Jun 2003 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Integrated Systems sector has achieved another first for the U.S. Navy's RQ-8A Fire Scout vertical takeoff and landing tactical unmanned air vehicle (UAV) system. During a recent flight test, Fire Scout autonomously returned to a predetermined spot, landed and shut itself down after communications links between the air vehicle and its ground control station (GCS) were purposely shut off.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL AND THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT United Nations 19 Jun 2003
• RED CROSS/TERRORISM VOA 19 Jun 2003 -- The International Committee of the Red Cross, the I-C-R-C, says the fight against terrorism has changed the nature of armed conflict, making humanitarian operations more complex and difficult to carry out.
• War on Terror Makes Humanitarian Operations More Complex VOA News 19 Jun 2003 -- The International Committee of the Red Cross, the ICRC, says the fight against terrorism has changed the nature of armed conflict, making humanitarian operations more complex and difficult to carry out. ICRC's annual report 2002, describes the Swiss-based humanitarian organization's activities in 75 countries around the world.

• U.S. Studying Whether to Increase U.N. Peackeepers in DRC Washington File 19 Jun 2003 -- Increasing the number of United Nations peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will not resolve the country's problems if all the parties don't have the political will to abide by the Lusaka peace accords, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Negroponte said June 18.
• BURUNDI-DRC: North Kivu ceasefire talks resume in Bujumbura IRIN 19 Jun 2003 -- Talks to reach a ceasefire among various armed groups in North Kivu Province of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) resumed on Wednesday after interruption last week by the Burundian government, which said it had not been informed of the negotiations.
• DRC: RCD-Goma captures Lubero as ceasefire talks continue IRIN 19 Jun 2003 -- The Rwandan-backed Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD-Goma) on Thursday captured the town of Lubero, in North Kivu Province of northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire in the region continued in the Burundian capital, Bujumbura.
• DRC: Calls made for more robust MONUC mandate IRIN 19 Jun 2003 -- A special UN Security Council mission and several regional players have called for reinforcing the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, MONUC, especially in eastern regions where fighting has recently killed hundreds and displaced thousands, UN News reported on Wednesday.
• DRC: North Kivu ceasefire undermined by new clashes in Lubero IRIN 19 Jun 2003 -- A ceasefire among belligerents in North Kivu Province of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) could be undermined by capture of the town of Lubero on Thursday by the Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD-Goma) rebel movement.
• UN envoy 'strongly condemns' latest Palestinian militant attacks in Israel UN News Centre 19 Jun 2003 -- A senior United Nations official for the Middle East today strongly condemned two recent attacks by Palestinian militants in Israel and called on the Palestinian Authority to "bring to justice the perpetrators of these murderous acts."
• Six-month extension recommended for UN's Israel-Syria disengagement force UN News Centre 19 Jun 2003 -- With the situation in the Middle East still "very tense and likely to remain so" pending a comprehensive settlement, Secretary-General Kofi Annan has recommended extending for six months the United Nations operation supervising the ceasefire between Syrian and Israeli forces.
• 30 Wounded as Israelis Dismantle West Bank Settler Outpost VOA News 19 Jun 2003 -- More than 30 people have been injured in scuffles between Jewish settlers and Israeli security personnel who dismantled an outpost of Jewish settlers outpost in the West Bank, Thursday. Hundreds of settlers tried to prevent the team of Israeli soldiers and police from tearing down the tiny Mitzpeh Yitzhar outpost near the Palestinian town of Nablus.
• U.S.: Powell To Visit Mideast In Bid To Revive 'Road Map' For Peace RFE/L 19 Jun 2003 -- Last week, the U.S.-backed "road map" for Middle East peace was dealt a blow amid a resumption of violence in which more than 50 Israelis and Palestinians were killed. The bloodshed subsided this week as Washington sent an envoy to the region ahead of an expected visit tomorrow by Secretary of State Colin Powell.
• Israeli Settlers Clash with Soldiers Over Effort to Dismantle Illegal Outpost VOA News 19 Jun 2003 -- Hundreds of Israeli settlers have clashed with soldiers sent to dismantle an illegal outpost near the West Bank town of Nablus. The removal of such settlements is one of the steps called for in the new international peace plan know as the "road map."
• Israeli Troops Begin Dismantling West Bank Settler Outpost VOA News 19 Jun 2003 -- Israeli forces are tearing down a Jewish settlement outpost in the West Bank despite heated protests from settlers in the area.
• Suicide Bomber Targets Israeli Grocery Store VOA News 19 Jun 2003 -- A Palestinian suicide bomber killed himself and an Israeli man, when he detonated a bomb in a small village near the northern Israeli town of Beit Shean. The attack occurred as Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas prepares for more talks aimed at persuading militant groups to accept a cease-fire.
• ISRAEL/PALESTINIANS VOA 19 Jun 2003 -- Hundreds of Israeli settlers have clashed with soldiers sent to dismantle an illegal outpost near the West Bank town of Nablus. The removal of such settlements is one of the steps called for in the new international peace plan know as the road map.
• EDITORIAL: ROADBLOCK TO PEACE VOA 19 Jun 2003 -- In the wake of continued terrorist attacks that aim to destroy the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, President George W. Bush said, "the free world and those who love freedom and peace must deal harshly with Hamas and the killers." Mr. Bush said a settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be achieved

• Liberia peace talks continue in Ghana following ceasefire agreement UN News Centre 19 Jun 2003 -- Following the signing of a ceasefire agreement between the Liberian Government and the country's two main rebel factions earlier this week, the United Nations said today that peace talks are continuing in Accra, Ghana, where the parties are drafting a long-term agreement aimed at leading to a proposed transitional administration.
• LIBERIA / TAYLOR VOA 19 Jun 2003 -- Prospects for the peace process under way in Liberia are said to hinge to a large degree on whether President Charles Taylor will agree to relinquish power. But it appears unlikely he will do so willingly, even though discontent and pressure on his presidency is mounting.
• LIBERIA: Relief agencies resume helping displaced people IRIN 19 Jun 2003 -- The two-day-old ceasefire between the government and rebels in Liberia appeared to be holding on Thursday, as relief agencies resumed the distribution of aid to thousands of displaced people in Monrovia and sent out exploratory missions to the interior of the war-torn West African country.
• LIBERIA: Minister warns of "bloodbath" if Taylor is forced out IRIN 19 Jun 2003 -- The Liberian Information Minister, Reginald Goodridge, warned on Thursday that "an immediate and unceremonious departure" for President Charles Taylor, could lead to a "bloodbath" in the war-torn West African country.
• Conditions in Guinea-Bissau continue to worsen, Security Council told UN News Centre 19 Jun 2003 -- The political, economic and security situation in Guinea-Bissau has worsened, raising questions of the feasibility of proceeding with next month's elections, a top United Nations envoy told the Security Council today.
• Security Council expresses concern over 'fragile' situation in Guinea-Bissau UN News Centre 19 Jun 2003 -- Security Council expresses concern over 'fragile' situation in Guinea-Bissau

• CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: UN missions to help repatriate former soldiers IRIN 19 Jun 2003 -- Consultations are at an advanced stage between the UN Peace-building Office in the Central African Republic (CAR), known as BONUCA, and the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) on how to repatriate some 300 former CAR soldiers living in the Congo, a UN official told IRIN on Wednesday.
• CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Interview with spokesman of CEMAC peacekeeping force IRIN 19 Jun 2003 -- In an effort to appease tensions between the Central African Republic (CAR) and neighbouring Chad, the regional Economic and Monetary Community of Central African States (CEMAC) decided in November 2002 to send a 350-strong peacekeeping force to Bangui, the CAR capital.
• Georgia: Rights Groups Say Chechnya Not Ready For Refugees' Safe Return RFE/L 19 Jun 2003 -- An estimated 300,000 civilians have fled Chechnya since Moscow ordered the first of two military crackdowns on the breakaway republic nine years ago. Most have migrated to neighboring Ingushetia, where they live in makeshift camps, often in appalling conditions. Others have found shelter in Georgia, which has granted them international refugee status. But now Russia wants to see them back in Chechnya. Activists say it's Moscow's way of hiding its protracted and still-violent conflict from international critics.
• AFRICA / REFUGEES VOA 19 Jun 2003 -- The U-N High Commissioner for Refugees is in Tokyo for a conference on the plight of some 15 million displaced Africans. The U-N agency - a day before World Refugee Day - is urging countries to see refugees as a potential asset - not a problem.
• ANGOLA: Quartering areas closed, resettlement problems continue IRIN 19 Jun 2003 -- The Angolan government declared all quartering areas of former rebel soldiers and their families officially closed on Thursday, despite logistical problems that continue to hamper the process of resettlement.
• SUDAN-UGANDA: Khartoum denies backing Ugandan rebels IRIN 19 Jun 2003 -- Sudan has strongly denied accusations, made on Monday by the Acholi Religious Leaders’ Peace Initiative (ARLPI) in northern Uganda, that the Sudanese army is continuing to arm the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group.
• SOMALIA: New government expected by early July - mediator IRIN 19 Jun 2003 -- Ambassador Bethwel Kiplagat, the chairman of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) technical committee and Kenya’s special envoy to the Somali peace talks, told a press conference on Wednesday that a new Somali government should be formed by early July. Kiplagat had earlier set a target of 18 June.
• Great Lakes: Work begins on regional peace and development conference IRIN 19 Jun 2003 -- The official launching of the preparatory process of the International Conference for Peace, Security, Democracy and Development for the Great Lakes region, initiated by the UN and the African Union, will take place in Nairobi, Kenya, on 23 and 24 June, the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region announced on Thursday.
• NIGERIA: Nigeria evacuates 3,000 people from Monrovia IRIN 19 Jun 2003 -- More than 3,000 people have been evacuated from Liberia in the past three days as the Nigerian authorities begin to move an estimated 6,000 of its citizens to safety from the war-torn country, officials said on Thursday.
• NIGER: President clashes with opposition over electoral reform IRIN 19 Jun 2003 -- Niger, which has been plagued by coups since it adopted multi-party democracy in 1992, is facing a new political crisis as President Mamadou Tandja drives through a controversial reform of electoral law without consulting opposition parties.
• CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Government suspends eight diamond firms IRIN 19 Jun 2003 -- Eight commercial companies trading in gold and diamonds were suspended on Wednesday after they refused to allow an inter-ministerial commission to investigate their legal status, state-owned Radio Centrafrique reported.
• HORN OF AFRICA: Former Finnish President appointed UN envoy IRIN 19 Jun 2003 -- UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has appointed the former Finnish president, Martti Ahtisaari, as his special envoy for the humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa, in response to a severe drought that has affected large parts of Eritrea and Ethiopia, UN News reported on Wednesday.

News Reports

• General Assembly adopts $2.17 billion peacekeeping budget UN News Centre 19 Jun 2003 -- The United Nations General Assembly has approved a budget of some $2.17 billion to finance the world body's 11 active peacekeeping missions for the next 12 months.

• SHAPE News Morning Update SHAPE 19 Jun 2003 -- First units of new NATO quick response force should be ready in October / Lithuania seeks NATO base on its territory / NATO considering U.S. plan for sending small groups of troops beyond Kabul / U.S. risks losing Afghanistan peace says report / Belgium proposes immunity against war crimes law / Pentagon sees more non-U.S. troops in Iraq / Iranian nuclear aims spark bitter row with U.S. / EU leaders to mull first European security strategy
• SHAPE News Summary & Analysis SHAPE 19 Jun 2003 -- SACEUR and top leaders meet the media / NATO chief visits U.S. to inaugurate new command structure¨ German daily: Middle East at NATO's planning horizon / More calls for an expansion of ISAF's mandate

• UN refugee agency chief opens symposium on African's displaced persons UN News Centre 19 Jun 2003 -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Ruud Lubbers, today opened an international symposium in Tokyo on the refugee crisis in Africa, where nearly 4.6 million people currently receive support from the UN agency.
• Young Refugees Need Opportunities, UNHCR Says Washington File 19 Jun 2003 -- The U.N. refugee agency honors the courage and perseverance of the youngest people uprooted from their homelands on World Refugee Day 2003. The occasion is marked on June 20, according to a statement from Ruud Lubber, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
• REFUGEES: REFUGEES AND POLITICS VOA 19 Jun 2003 -- Refugees, either because of their numbers or location, at times acquire an important political dimension. In 1989, thousands of East Germans fleeing their communist regime across neighboring countries helped topple the Berlin Wall. In the Middle East, Palestinian refugees are often used as pawns in a game of regional politics.
• REFUGEES: EGYPT/SUDAN VOA 19 Jun 2003 -- Sudan's civil war -- Africa's longest -- has led to the deaths of an estimated two-million people. It has created millions of refugees, the vast majority of them from the south, where most of the fighting between the government and southern-based rebels is taking place. Refugees have fled to all the neighboring countries, including Egypt. Although many of those who have come to Egypt have been there for years, their status remains uncertain.
• REFUGEES / WHO IS A REFUGEE? VOA 19 Jun 2003 -- More than 13-million men, women and children around the world are officially registered as refugees. They have fled war and persecution for an uncertain future. Unlike migrants, they have not necessarily chosen to uproot their families and leave friends and relatives behind. Who is a refugee?
• AUSTRALIA REFUGEES VOA 19 Jun 2003 -- A court in Australia has ruled the government's indefinite detention of child asylum seekers is unlawful. Refugee advocates call the ruling a victory for human rights. The government, however, may appeal the decision handed down by the Family Court in Melbourne.

• Public-Private Partnerships Aid Demining in Armenia, Mozambique Washington File 19 Jun 2003 -- The U.S. Special Representative of the President and Secretary of State for Mine Action has thanked three valued partners --- the Humpty Dumpty Institute, the Children of Armenia and SkyLink Aviation --- for their contributions to clearing mines in Armenia, Mozambique and elsewhere.
• State Department Urges Release of Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi Washington File 19 Jun 2003 -- The State Department released a statement on the birthday of Burmese democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi June 19 calling for her immediate release and urging the military junta to provide "a full accounting of the dead, injured, and missing from the attack of May 30" on Suu Kyi and many of her supporters.
• Women Senators Call for Release of Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi Washington File 19 Jun 2003 -- All 14 women members of the U.S. Senate sent a letter of support June 19 to Burmese democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi, who is currently being held in detention by the military junta, and called for her immediate release.
• BALKANS COOPERATION VOA 19 Jun 2003 -- When European leaders gather for their semi-annual meeting in Greece , ways to promote regional cooperation in the Balkans will be a principal subject on the agenda.
• EU Summit Begins in Greece Amid Tight Security VOA News 19 Jun 2003 -- European Union leaders are beginning a three-day summit at a seaside resort in northern Greece, where they are expected to debate the draft of a constitution for the bloc as well as their countries' ties with the United States and the situation in the Middle East.
• E-U SUMMIT / SCENESETTER VOA 19 Jun 2003 -- European Union leaders are beginning a three-day summit at a seaside resort in northern Greece, where they are expected to debate the draft of a constitution for the bloc as well as their countries' ties with the United States and the situation in the Middle East. Greek authorities have put on an unprecedented show of force to cope with an expected wave of anti-globalization demonstrators.
• TURKEY / REFORM UPDATE VOA 19 Jun 2003 -- Turkey's parliament approved a set of reforms Thursday that are aimed at strengthening the country's bid to become a full member of the European Union.Parliamentary approval of the bill came during a summit of E-U leaders that began Thursday in Salonika, Greece.
• EU: Summit In Greece Getting Under Way RFE/L 19 Jun 2003 -- The European Union's midyear summit is about to get under way, amid tight security, near the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki. During the discussions (opening tonight, and on 20 and 21 June) the leaders of EU member states plus the candidate members -- mostly from Eastern and Central Europe -- will cover a broad range of subjects. The future of the Balkans, EU relations with the United States, the threat of terrorism, and developments in Iran, Iraq, and the Mideast are all expected to be among the issues raised. In addition, the leaders will formally receive the draft of the EU's first constitution.
• EU: Will It Ever Speak With One Voice On The World Stage? RFE/L 19 Jun 2003 -- European Union officials have long hoped that someday the bloc would speak with one voice in its affairs abroad. In recent years, member states have worked hard to forge common foreign-policy positions -- especially in economic areas. But the Iraq war laid bare deep divisions among members on major foreign-policy issues. As EU officials meet this weekend in the Greek port of Thessaloniki, healing these foreign-policy rifts is high on the agenda. But the question remains: Can the EU ever achieve the goal of a common foreign policy?
• Latvia: Vike-Freiberga, The Country's 'Proper Granny,' Expected To Face Easy Re-Election As President RFE/L 19 Jun 2003 -- Latvia's parliament is due to elect the country's president tomorrow. Vaira Vike-Freiberga, the current incumbent and presently the only candidate in the vote, is expected to easily win a second four-year term. While praised for her impressive performances on the international stage, Vike-Freiberga is criticized for her lackluster involvement in domestic politics.
• MALAYSIA / MAHATHIR VOA 19 Jun 2003 -- Malaysia's outgoing Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad accused the United States of using the September 11 terrorist attacks as an excuse for Western countries to dominate the world. Asia's longest serving leader made the remark in a speech to the annual meeting of his United Malays National Organization.
• Malaysian Prime Minister Accuses US of Trying to Dominate World VOA News 19 Jun 2003 -- Malaysia's outgoing Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad accused the United States of using the September 11 terrorist attacks as an excuse for Western countries to dominate the world. Asia's longest serving leader made the remark in a speech to the annual meeting of his United Malays National Organization.
• CHINA / ANTIQUITIES THEFT VOA 19 Jun 2003 -- China has arrested a museum official for stealing some of the precious antiquities he was supposed to be guarding. It is the biggest such theft reported in half a century of Communist rule.
• TURKMENISTAN/RUSSIA VOA 19 Jun 2003 -- Russians holding dual-citizenship in Turkmenistan must choose a single citizenship or passport by Sunday, according to a decree by Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov. The deadline is causing growing concern among Russians in Turkmenistan.
• W-H-O/SARS VOA 19 Jun 2003 -- One-hundred days after its first warning about Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, the World Health Organization says it has changed some policies, after reviewing lessons learned from its fight against the virus.
• BURMA SUU KYI BIRTHDAY VOA 19 Jun 2003 -- Democracy activists around the world are marking the birthday of Burma's opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, with protests and renewed calls for her release from detention.
• BALKANS COOPERATION VOA 19 Jun 2003 -- When European leaders gather for their semi-annual meeting in Greece (June 21st), ways to promote regional cooperation in the Balkans will be a principal subject on the agenda.
• POWELL/BANGLADESH VOA 19 Jun 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell says he is traveling to Israel and the Palestinian territories to restore momentum to U-S efforts to bring peace to the region. He briefly visited Bangladesh en route from an Asian security conference to the Middle East.
• BURMA SUU KYI VOA 19 Jun 2003 -- Burmese pro-democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi is spending her 58th birthday in what Burma's government is calling "protective custody." The military government maintains that the detention is temporary.
• RL60 demonstrator engine nearly ready, engine testing in September Pratt & Whitney 19 Jun 2003 -- Le Bourget, France (June, 19 2003)— The RL60 next generation cryogenic upper stage rocket engine has achieved another set of milestones, as all major components have been independently tested and delivered to the assembly floor at Pratt & Whitney (P&W). The combustion chamber, injector and nozzle are also now in their final stages of assembly.