Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Desert Scorpion raid nets $8 million buried on farm Army News Service 23 Jun 2003-- In the darkness outside a six-foot metal gate blocking the entranceway to a Ba'ath party farm complex, 4th Infantry Division soldiers were poised for a raid early June 16. They watched four sleeping Iraqi guards and when two of them began to stir, the soldiers climbed over the gate and moved in.
• Combat engineers destroy leftover Hussein-era ordnance Army News Service 23 Jun 2003-- The 4th Infantry Division's 10th Engineer Battalion, and the 890th Engineer Battalion, a National Guard unit from Picayune, Miss., blew up weapons and unexploded ordnance with a little help from local children near the town of al Fallujah June 17.
• Mortar platoon guards detainees, patrols Tikrit Army News Service 23 Jun 2003-- Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Brigade's Mortar Platoon assumed they would have one job when they arrived in Iraq: to lob mortar shells at the enemy.
• Army begins process to hire local Iraqi translators Army News Service 23 Jun 2003-- The U.S. Army needs translators throughout Iraq and Titan, a Virginia-based company, will soon help the Army and its need for communication in the Al Salah Din province.
• Coalition Forces Launch Operation in Eastern Afghanistan AFPS 23 Jun 2003 -- Coalition and Afghan militia forces launched Operation Unified Resolve with a series of movements throughout the eastern province of Nangarhar, June 18, Combined Joint Task Force 180 officials said today.
• Marine Killed in Djibouti Training Accident AFPS 23 Jun 2003 -- A Marine was killed and eight Marines and Navy service members injured in what appears to be a training accident in Djibouti June 22, Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa officials said.
• Some Ambassadors Wear Uniforms Marine Corps News 23 Jun 2003-- They traveled thousands of miles to get here. They are the best 676 volunteers hand picked for the job. They are veterans of peacekeeping operations from Russia to the Western Sahara. Commonly known by the coalition forces as the "Rocks," they are the soldiers, sailors, and airmen of the Republic of Korea.

• Challenges to Afghan Reconstruction Outlined at Congressional Hearing Washington File 23 Jun 2003 -- At a June 19 hearing before the House Committee on International Relations, economic and political challenges affecting the reconstruction of Afghanistan were outlined by a panel of academics, directors of various non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and representatives from the State Department and the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention.
• AFGHANISTAN: Interview with Afghan vice-president IRIN 23 Jun 2003 -- Vice-President Hedayat Amin Arsala is considered to be one of the leading moderates among the members of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's cabinet.
• AFGHANISTAN: National Solidarity Programme to boost rehabilitation IRIN 23 Jun 2003 -- The government has announced that intensive rehabilitation projects will be undertaken in 5,000 villages country-wide within the next four weeks under the National Solidarity Programme (NSP). The announcement follows the inauguration of the fifth launch of the NSP in the central Bamian Province last week.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Task Force 1-35 forms line of protection for soldiers in Iraq USAREUR 23 Jun 2003 -- There is a thin line between the soldiers in Baghdad's city center and the vagrants who want to harm them, but crossing that line is like passing through a brick wall.
• Senators, representatives get Stryker update Army News Service 23 Jun 2003-- When conditions are just right, the Stryker Infantry Carrier and its variants meet the Army's requirement of being able to be transported 1,000 miles via C-130 aircraft, Army officials recently told members of Congress and their staffers.
• AF tries reducing deployment discrepancies AFPN 23 Jun 2003-- Today's Air Force is expeditionary, and all airmen should be prepared to deploy to support military operations worldwide, according to Maj. Gen. Timothy A. Peppe.
• Unpowered gliders resume flight AFPN 23 Jun 2003-- The 94th Flying Training Squadron here resumed unpowered glider flights June 23.
• Officials release F-15 accident report AFPN 23 Jun 2003-- Officials investigating the March 17 midair collision of two F-15C Eagle aircraft on the Nevada Test and Training Range near Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., have determined the accident occurred when one of the pilots failed to coordinate his flight path with that of his lead pilot.
• Osan mission meets final frontier PACAF 23 Jun 2003-- Air Force Space Command's top man visited the peninsula to learn more about the mission here and provide input on how space assets can benefit 7th Air Force.
• Joint Training Improves Combat Skills For U.S., ROK Soldiers 8th Army Release [MS WORD DOC] 23 Jun 2003-- Despite the ongoing threat of terrorism around the world, military police soldiers serving on the Korean peninsula continue to prove that they are fit and ready to fight tonight as they sharpen their combat skills while conducting a great demonstration of their war-fighting capabilities alongside their Republic of Korea, or ROK counterparts.
• Wolfowitz Explains Pentagon Strategy Changes AFPS 23 Jun 2003 -- The 9-11 terrorist attacks confirmed for DoD leaders the need for significant changes in U.S defense strategy to one that would focus on "uncertainty and surprise," Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz told the House Armed Services Committee June 18.
• Bush Nominates Brown as Special Ops Commander AFPS 23 Jun 2003 -- President Bush has nominated Army Lt. Gen. Bryan D. Brown for promotion to general and as the next U.S. Special Operations Command commander.

• Enemy Combatant Taken Into Custody 23 Jun 2003 -- Department of Defense today took control of Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri after the President designated him to be an enemy combatant. Ali-Marri was tranferred to the Naval Consolidated Brig, in Charleston, South Carolina, where he will be detained.

• Belgium: Leaders May Strip 'Universal' From Universal Jurisdiction Law RFE/L 23 Jun 2003 -- Human rights activists celebrated in 1993 when Belgium adopted a law empowering its courts to prosecute persons accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity no matter where the crimes were alleged to have been committed. The human rights community called the law a victory for the emerging principle of "universal jurisdiction" over the most vile of human crimes. But in the years since, practical considerations have moved Belgium to modify its allegiance to the universal jurisdiction principle.

• BUSH PAKISTAN OVERNIGHTER VOA 23 Jun 2003 -- President Bush meets today (Tuesday) with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. They will confer at Camp David, the U-S presidential retreat near Washington.

Defense Industry

• Northrop Grumman Marks Five Years as ICBM Prime Northrop Grumman 23 Jun 2003 -- As Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) marks five years as prime manager of the nation's Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) force, the company is continuing to meet its commitment to ensure the viability of the U.S. nuclear deterrent force through 2020.
• Northrop Grumman's Defense Travel System Releases Newest Software Northrop Grumman 23 Jun 2003 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Mission Systems sector has released the latest version of the Defense Travel System (DTS) software, called the Enhanced Jefferson Release, which improves the travel process for all users. It is available to all current DTS users today.
• BAE SYSTEMS Launches New Micro Infrared Camera BAE Systems 23 Jun 2003 -- BAE Systems has launched a new micro infrared camera for commercial and Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS) military applications.
• Boeing Completes GPS IIF Integrated Baseline Review Boeing 23 Jun 2003 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] announced today that in partnership with the U.S. Air Force, it has recently completed the Integrated Baseline Review, a significant Global Positioning System (GPS) control segment milestone.

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 23 Jun 2003
• Middle East, Iraq and Africa focus of Annan's bilateral talks in Jordan UN News Centre 23 Jun 2003 -- The Middle East conflict, the situation in Iraq and peace in Africa were the focus of a series of bilateral meetings United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan held today in the margins of the World Economic Forum in Jordan, where he delivered a major address.

• DR of Congo, Burundi key to peace in Great Lakes - Security Council report UN News Centre 23 Jun 2003 -- Having just wrapped up a special mission to Central Africa, the United Nations Security Council says it considers that the installation of the transitional government in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the successful conclusion of a ceasefire in Burundi could clear the way for a possible international conference aimed at addressing long-term peace and security issues in the wider Great Lakes region.
• Great Lakes: Preparatory process for international conference begins IRIN 23 Jun 2003 -- The first meeting to launch the preparatory process of an international conference for peace, security and democracy for the Great Lakes region opened on Monday in Nairobi, Kenya, under the aegis of the UN and the African Union (AU).
• Israelis, Palestinians Hold Security Talks VOA News 23 Jun 2003 -- Israeli and Palestinian security chiefs are meeting to discuss transfer of security to the Palestinians in parts of the occupied territories.
• No Breakthrough Reported in Israeli-Palestinian Security Talks VOA News 23 Jun 2003 -- Israeli and Palestinian security chiefs are meeting to discuss the transfer of security to the Palestinians in parts of the occupied territories. The latest in a series of meetings on the issue has so far failed to yield results.
• ISRAEL / PALESTINIANS VOA 23 Jun 2003 -- Israeli and Palestinian security chiefs are meeting to discuss the transfer of security to the Palestinians in parts of the occupied territories.
• Israeli General Says 'No' to Temporary Truce with Militants VOA News 23 Jun 2003 -- A senior Israeli general says Israel does not want a temporary cease-fire with Palestinian militants, because that would only give them time to re-group and re-arm for future attacks.
• Israel Denies Involvement in Gaza Strip Explosion VOA News 23 Jun 2003 -- Israel denies it had anything to do with an explosion in the Gaza Strip, late Sunday, that killed four Palestinian militants.

• Abducted UN military observers in DR of Congo released unharmed UN News Centre 23 Jun 2003 -- Two United Nations military observers abducted last week in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been released, according to the UN mission in that country.
• DRC: MONUC staff released, observer mission sent to North Kivu IRIN 23 Jun 2003 -- Two UN military observers abducted last week in the town of Beni, in North Kivu Province of northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), have been found "safe and sound", the UN Mission in the DRC, MONUC, reported.
• DRC: Militia group agrees to canton its forces outside Bunia by Tuesday IRIN 23 Jun 2003 -- The Union des patriotes congolais (UPC) has agreed to canton its forces outside Bunia, the main town of Ituri District in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), by 11:00 (8:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the Hema militia group reported.
• DRC: Mbeki to decide on SANDF Bunia deployment IRIN 23 Jun 2003 -- South African troops may soon be assisting the French-led European Union mission protecting civilians in the strife-torn town of Bunia, in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
• UNICEF/ANGOLA VOA 23 Jun 2003 -- The United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, says Angola has taken some significant steps toward rebuilding the country from 30 years of civil war. But UNICEF says much work lies ahead, and help is needed from the international community.
• CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: UN agency registers 1,300 Congolese refugees for repatriation IRIN 23 Jun 2003 -- The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, in the Central African Republic (CAR) has registered 1,300 refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for repatriation, an official said told IRIN on Saturday.
• SUDAN: Humanitarian gains as peace hopes rise IRIN 23 Jun 2003 -- In this special report IRIN outlines major developments in the peace process during 2003, and looks forward to future talks. A previous web special, published in January, describes in detail the important humanitarian issues surrounding the talks and gives background on the key areas of negotiation.
• BURUNDI: Cantonment postponed as fighters seek aid for their families IRIN 23 Jun 2003 -- Cantonment of 285 fighters loyal to the Forces Nationales de Liberation (FNL) faction led by Alain Mugabarabona was postponed on Monday after they refused to go to the cantonment area saying they first had to be assured that aid would be provided to their families.
• ERITREA: Announcement of war dead marks "beginning of the chapter" - minister IRIN 23 Jun 2003 -- Eritrea has been announcing the names of its war dead from the two-year conflict with Ethiopia, nearly three years after the end of the war.
• LIBERIA: Switzerland blocks Taylor's accounts IRIN 23 Jun 2003 -- Switzerland has ordered its banks to block any accounts held by Liberian President Charles Taylor, his relatives and members of his government, following a request by the UN-backed Special Court set up to try war crimes suspects in Sierra Leone.
• SOMALIA: Somaliland detains former minister IRIN 23 Jun 2003 -- The authorities in the self-declared republic of Somaliland have detained Gen Jama Muhammad Ghalib, a former interior minister and police chief of Somalia, according to his son Abdirahman Jama.

News Reports

• SHAPE News Morning Update SHAPE 23 Jun 2003 -- Belgium to Change a War Crimes Law / EU and US set for extradition deal over terrorism / Sweltering end to EU summit in Greece / U.S. sends warning to Libya over 'pursuit of WMD' / British refuse to adopt U.S. peace tactics / Arabs fear U.S. plans after Iraq
• SHAPE News Summary & Analysis SHAPE 23 Jun 2003 -- Improved protection for ISAF forces in Kabul reported / Envoy signs pact on Czech troops' participation in Operation Concordia / Experts examine explosives ship / Hopes for Serbia-Kosovo talks / Turkish military to cut size of conscripted force

• JAPAN-CHINA ISLANDS VOA 23 Jun 2003 -- Japan's Coast Guard has intercepted a group of Chinese protesters aboard a fishing boat near a disputed group of islands. It was the latest encounter between Japan and China in a territorial dispute that dates back more than a century.

• U.S. Offers Vision of Middle East Economic Development Washington File 23 Jun 2003 -- United States Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Zoellick, in June 23 remarks to the World Economic Forum in Amman, Jordan, said he sees increased trade and investment as key to regional integration. Following is a fact sheet on President Bush's Middle East Free Trade Initiative released by the Office of the USTR summarizing the proposal and its intended goals
• WHO Says SARS Transmission Stopped in Hong Kong Washington File 23 Jun 2003 -- The chain of transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has been broken in Hong Kong, according to a finding announced by the World Health Organization (WHO) June 23.
• Myanmar democracy leader's detention 'truly deplorable' - Annan UN News Centre 23 Jun 2003 -- United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan voiced grave concern today over the conditions under which Myanmar democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is being held, terming it "truly deplorable" and again calling for her immediate release.
• U-N/ BURMA VOA 23 Jun 2003 -- United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan calls on Burma's military junta to release pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from the "truly deplorable" conditions in which she is being held.
• U-S/TAJIKISTAN VOA 23 Jun 2003 -- The United States says the weekend referendum in Tajikistan failed to meet international standards for transparency. Tajik authorities say an overwhelming majority of voters approved constitutional changes that will, among other things, allow President Emomali Rakhmonov to run for two more terms in office, ending in 2020.
• PUTIN BRITAIN PREVIEW VOA 23 Jun 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin travels to London Tuesday on the first state visit of a Russian leader to Britain in 129 years. Amid the royal splendor of the visit, Mr. Putin will meet with Prime Minister Tony Blair. Key topics are expected to include Russia's economic interests in the rebuilding of Iraq and Mr. Putin's stance on continued nuclear cooperation with Iran.
• SAF / TRIAL VOA 23 Jun 2003 -- Thirteen of the 22 white supremacists accused of plotting to overthrow the South African government have told the court the proceedings are illegitimate. And six others have pleaded not guilty while three others have postponed their plea.
• TAJIKISTAN VOTE VOA 23 Jun 2003 -- Nearly final results from a weekend referendum in Tajikistan show an overwhelming majority of voters approved a set of constitutional amendments, one of which would enable the president to run for two more terms in office, ending in the year 2020.
• ZIMBABWE / POLITICS VOA 23 Jun 2003 -- Zimbabwe's president, Robert Mugabe, has instructed civil servants to begin preparing for a general election. Mr. Mugabe's call comes two years before parliamentary elections are scheduled.
• BURMA / SUU KYI VOA 23 Jun 2003 -- International efforts to secure the release of Burma democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi are continuing. The conditions of her detention are being kept secret by the country's ruling generals.
• SERBIA MONTENEGRO FUTURE VOA 23 Jun 2003 -- In March 2002, the European Union persuaded Serbia and Montenegro to join in a new, looser federation, intended to forestall for at least three years Montenegro's drive for full independence. But influential Serb leaders are accusing Montenegrin officials of being reluctant to forge close ties, and some say both territories might be better off as separate states.
• AFRICA UNION LEADERSHIP VOA 23 Jun 2003 -- The governments of two west African countries, Ivory Coast and Mali, are waging a public relations battle to have their candidate elected head of the African Union. The election for a new leader of the pan-African body will take place July 10th during a summit in Mozambique.
• Repatriation for North Korean People's Army soldier US Forces Korea Release 23 Jun 2003-- The United Nations Command will return the remains of one North Korean soldier to representatives of the North Korean People's Army at Panmunjom at 11 a.m., June 24. The deceased was found June 17 on the Eastern Bank of the Imjin River.