Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• AFGHANISTAN/ATTACK VOA 18 Jul 2003 -- In Afghanistan, at least eight government soldiers have been killed in the troubled southeastern region along the border with Pakistan.
• AFGHANISTAN: NATO prepares to take ISAF command IRIN 18 Jul 2003 -- The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) - is preparing to take over the command of the UN-mandated 4,500-strong International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) for Afghanistan on 11 August. More than 50 NATO troops are already setting up their headquarters in the Afghan capital, Kabul.



• U.N. Special Envoy For Liberia Calls for "Quick Action" In Crisis Washington File 18 Jul 2003 -- The situation in Liberia calls for "quick and concerted international action to address the human suffering" in that West African nation, the new U.N. special envoy for Liberia said July 17.
• Liberia Intervention Could Prevent Terrorist Attacks, Experts Say Washington File 18 Jul 2003 -- U.S. intervention is justified in Liberia because, as a failed state, Liberia could serve as a terrorist "breeding ground" and platform for attacks on America as well as the rest of the world, says former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Herman Cohen.
• Pentagon Makes Plans for Possible Deployment in Liberia VOA News 18 Jul 2003 -- The Pentagon may soon move a three-ship, 2,300 Marine amphibious assault group into the Mediterranean where it could move quickly to Liberia if President Bush decides to order a U.S. peacekeeping unit into the strife-torn country.
• New Liberia Fighting Prompts Fears of Cease-Fire Collapse VOA News 18 Jul 2003 -- Renewed fighting has broken out close to the Liberian capital, Monrovia, prompting fears that last month's cease-fire agreement between the government and rebels could collapse.
• UN refugee agency 'concerned' by reports of fresh fighting near Liberian capital UN News Centre 18 Jul 2003 -- Following a few days of tense calm, the United Nations reported today that the rumble of battle on the outskirts of Monrovia has again sent war-weary Liberians fleeing toward the beleaguered centre of the capital, which is already overflowing with thousands of frightened people displaced by months of fighting between rebels and government forces.
• PENTAGON/LIBERIA VOA 18 Jul 2003 -- The Pentagon may soon move a three-ship, 23-hundred Marine amphibious assault group into the Mediterranean where it could move quickly to Liberia if President Bush decides to order a U-S peacekeeping unit into the strife-torn country.
• New Fighting Reported Outside Liberian Capital VOA News 18 Jul 2003 -- Fighting has again erupted in Liberia, as rebels and government forces battle outside the capital, Monrovia. The rebels are about 20 kilometers outside the city center.
• LIBERIA/FIGHTING VOA 18 Jul 2003 -- Renewed fighting has broken out close to the Liberian capital, Monrovia, prompting fears that last month's cease-fire agreement between the government and rebels could collapse.
• SHARPTON / LIBERIA VOA 18 Jul 2003 -- Democratic presidential candidate Al Sharpton leaves Saturday on a fact-finding trip to Liberia.
• LIBERIA: ECOWAS prepares to deploy peacekeeping force IRIN 18 Jul 2003 -- The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has begun initial moves to deploy a vanguard force of peacekeepers into Liberia amid reports that rebels fighting to topple President Charles Taylor had advanced to the Po River, 17 km west of the capital, Monrovia.
• LIBERIA: Draft comprehensive peace accord presented IRIN 18 Jul 2003 -- West African mediators at the Liberian peace talks in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, on Friday released a draft comprehensive peace agreement in line with the requirements contained in a cease-fire agreement signed on June 17.
• Philippines Cease-Fire Could Pave Way for Resumption of Peace Talks VOA News 18 Jul 2003 -- The Philippine government and Muslim separatist rebels have agreed to a cease-fire in a fresh bid to end more than 30 years of conflict in the country's south.
• PHILIPPINES/CEASE-FIRE VOA 18 Jul 2003 -- The Philippine government and Muslim separatist rebels have agreed to a cease-fire in a fresh bid to end more than 30 years of conflict in the country's south.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Transfer of Detainees Completed 18 Jul 2003 -- The Department of Defense announced today the transfer of 27 detainees for release from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to their countries of origin, as well as the arrival of approximately 10 enemy combatants to Guantanamo Bay.

• U.S. Dealing with ICC Concerns "As Constructively as Possible" Washington File 18 Jul 2003 -- The United States is attempting to put forward its concerns about the International Criminal Court (ICC) and to implement legislation reflecting those concerns in a manner "as constructive as possible," says Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Lincoln Bloomfield.
• U.S., U.K. to Enhance Exchange of Defense-Related Information Washington File 18 Jul 2003 -- President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair agreed July 17 to further strengthen and deepen the U.S.-U.K. defense relationship, according to the following White House statement
• Rumsfeld on Need to Streamline Defense Personnel System Washington File 18 Jul 2003 -- Congress will soon decide whether the Department of Defense is to join the rest of the world -- and many newly revamped parts of the federal government, such as the Department of Homeland Security -- in entering the 21st century.
• Defense Dept Creates New Office to Support Iraqi Rebuilding Washington File 18 Jul 2003 -- Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith says the Defense Department is creating the Office of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) Representative to support the reconstruction efforts in Iraq.
• New Personnel System Needed to Meet New Challenges AFPS 18 Jul 2003 -- DoD's military and civilian personnel systems need to be as flexible as the fighting forces they support, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld wrote in a Washington Post commentary today.
• Rumsfeld, Myers Thank Employers of Guard and Reserve Members AFPS 18 Jul 2003 -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, thanked about 20 of the nation's top business leaders today for their support of employees serving in the National Guard and reserves.
• Building a First-rate Personnel System AFPS 18 Jul 2003 -- It's all about building a first-rate personnel system to complement a first-rate military, said David Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness.
• US Senate Passes Defense Spending Bill VOA News 18 Jul 2003 -- The U.S. Senate has approved a $367 billion defense spending bill for the next budget year. Democrats used debate on the bill to challenge President Bush on Iraq.
• 22d MEU STANDS UP AND BEGINS PRE-DEPLOYMENT TRAINING Marine Corps News 18 Jul 2003-- "E Pluribus Unum" ('Out of Many - One') is a phrase that can be found on both the Great Seal of the United States and the Presidential Seal and is meant to signify the unification of the original 13 colonies into the United States.

• NATO / U-S VOA 18 Jul 2003 -- NATO Secretary General George Robertson is urging the U-S Congress to drop a clause in a defense procurement bill that would require the Pentagon to buy more American-made military equipment. The bill passed by the House of Representatives would, in Mr. Robertson's view, increase defense costs and weaken trans-Atlantic ties.
• Industry team developing Army's Future Combat System Army News Service 18 Jul 2003-- The Army took a step last week toward transforming to a lighter, faster force with the Future Combat Systems of 18 manned and unmanned vehicles by 2010.
• First Baghdad police graduate civil retraining Army News Service 18 Jul 2003-- Ninety-six Iraqi police officers graduated July 16 from a three-week retraining course in Baghdad that stressed human rights and modern techniques.
• Developing FCS 'key' to Army transformation Army News Service 18 Jul 2003--Development and eventual fielding of the Army Future Combat System by 2010 is a key step in transforming the Army, said Dennis Muilenburg.
• Super Hornet Final Environmental Impact Statement Released Navy Newsstand 18 Jul 2003-- The Secretary of the Navy has released a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for introduction of the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet to the East Coast of the United States.
• VS-35 Returns Home Navy Newsstand 18 Jul 2003-- May 3 marked the return for San Diego-based 'Blue Wolves' of Sea Control Squadron (VS) 35 from a nearly 10-month deployment
• Kennedy Studies Up for Big Exam Navy Newsstand 18 Jul 2003-- The crew and contractors working aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) are rapidly approaching the first big test of the maintenance they've been doing since January. The light-off assessment (LOA) is scheduled for the beginning of August, and Kennedy Sailors are working hard to make sure they're prepared.
• Grossenbacher Discusses Current State, Future of Submarine Force Navy Newsstand 18 Jul 2003-- Vice Adm. John J. Grossenbacher, commander, Naval Submarine Forces, held an all-hands call with Naval Submarine Base New London's submarine community to discuss the current state of the submarine force and where it's heading in the future.

• "Conference on Transatlantic Defence Industrial Cooperation Challenges and Prospects", Keynote address by NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson NATO 18 Jul 2003 -- CONFERENCE ON TRANSATLANTIC DEFENCE INDUSTRIAL COOPERATION CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS

• Theft Trade Secrets Investigation Leads to Indictment 18 Jul 2003 -- Joseph E. Schmitz, Department of Defense inspector general, today announced that a joint investigation by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) resulted in a criminal indictment against two former Boeing Co. managers. The two, who were managers in the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program, were charged with conspiracy to conceal and possess trade secrets by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles.
• Investigation leads to indictments AFPN 18 Jul 2003-- The Defense Department's inspector general announced July 18 criminal indictments against two former Boeing Co. managers

Defense Industry

• BAE SYSTEMS Selected For U.S. ARMY's Future Combat System Ground And Airborne Platform Communication Systems BAE Systems 18 Jul 2003 -- BAE Systems has been selected by the Army Lead System Integrator (LSI) team of The Boeing Company [NYSE:BA] and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) to enter negotiations toward a contract to develop and integrate the joint interoperable Ground and Airborne Platform Communication Systems (GPCS and APCS), two critical elements of the U.S. Armys Future Combat System (FCS) network-centric warfighting capabilities.
• Boeing Successfully Completes Tenth SDB Test Launch Boeing 18 Jul 2003 -- The Boeing (NYSE: BA) Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) continued successful flight-testing this week with a release from an F-15E at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
• Boeing Tanker Leasing Proposal is Innovative Solution to Modernization Challenge Boeing 18 Jul 2003 -- The U.S. Air Force has a real problem. Its fleet of 500 KC-135E tankers is more than 40 years old, but it does not have the up-front money to begin replacing these aircraft through a traditional procurement approach -- estimated to be $8 billion in the next five to six years, according to Department of Defense officials.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 18 Jul 2003
• UN Expert Admonishes Humanitarian Conditions in Israel VOA News 18 Jul 2003 -- A United Nations food expert calls the humanitarian conditions in the West Bank and Gaza appalling, but says he sees a change on the part of Israel.
• UN / PALESTINIAN RIGHTS VOA 18 Jul 2003 -- A United Nations food expert calls the humanitarian conditions in the West Bank and Gaza appalling, but says he sees a change on the part of Israel.

• SOLOMONS / POLICE VOA 18 Jul 2003 -- Australia, New Zealand, and some South Pacific states are mobilizing troops and police to deploy to the Solomon Islands. The predominantly Australian force is being sent to bring order and security to the island nation, which has plunged into chaos and lawlessness. There is one man in the Solomon Islands who will be particularly gratified to see the peacekeepers arrive.

• CYPRUS ANNIVERSARY VOA 18 Jul 2003 -- People on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus are marking the 29th anniversary of the division of their island, at a time when hopes for reunification have recently been dashed.

• Congressman, Business Leader Strongly Condemn Sao Tome Coup Washington File 18 Jul 2003 -- A prominent Congressman and business leader have strongly condemned the July 16 political/military crisis in Sao Tome & Principe that saw President Fradique de Menezes toppled from power while he was away attending the Leon Sullivan African self-help Summit in Abuja.
• SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE: Efforts intensify to restore Menezes to power IRIN 18 Jul 2003 -- Fradique de Menezes, who was deposed as president of the island nation of Sao Tome and Principe by rebel soldiers, said on Friday diplomatic efforts had intensified to restore him to power.
• Bush Praises Installation of Transitional Government in Congo Washington File 18 Jul 2003 -- Following is the text of a statement by President Bush on the inauguration of a new transitional government in the Democratic Republic of Congo
• Big challenges remain to secure peace in DR of Congo, Security Council told UN News Centre 18 Jul 2003 -- As the international community welcomed the inauguration of a new power-sharing government in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), top United Nations officials told the Security Council today that immense challenges remain as the volatile, war-torn central African country edges toward peace and reconciliation.
• U-N / D-R-C VOA 18 Jul 2003 -- Security Council members expressed support today (Friday) for a new transitional government in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo while urging continued international support for peacekeepers to help restore security.
• CONGO / POLITICS VOA 18 Jul 2003 -- Ministers in the new Congo government from the two largest rebel groups have refused to take their oaths of office, spoiling a remarkable week in the country's effort to end five years of civil war that has claimed more than three million lives.
• DRC: Ministers from former rebel movements refuse oath of office IRIN 18 Jul 2003 -- Transitional government officials designated by the two principal former rebel movements in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) refused to take the oath of office on Friday because it included swearing allegiance to President Joseph Kabila.
• BURUNDI: Zuma cautions rebels on more fighting IRIN 18 Jul 2003 -- At the end of a brief visit to Burundi on Thursday, South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma said that a summit planned for Sunday in the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam would examine how to best to punish perpetrators of violence in the country.
• BURUNDI: UN agency steps up efforts to feed thousands of displaced civilians IRIN 18 Jul 2003 -- The UN World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Friday that it was setting up a temporary camp at Kiriri, to the east of the capital, Bujumbura, to feed some 25,000 people displaced by recent fighting around the city.
• Security Council approves 'modified' plan for UN troops in Sierra Leone UN News Centre 18 Jul 2003 -- Recognizing the continuing fragile security situation in Africa's Mano River region, the Security Council today approved Secretary-General Kofi Annan's recommendation for a modified, four-stage reduction in military strength of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMISL), which would culminate in complete withdrawal by December 2004.
• New force commander appointed for UN mission in Timor-Leste UN News Centre 18 Jul 2003 -- Secretary General Kofi Annan has named a senior Malaysian officer as the next commander of peacekeeping forces of the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET).
• ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: UN tells sides to normalise ties IRIN 18 Jul 2003 -- The UN Security Council has called on Ethiopia and Eritrea to normalise relations and cooperate fully with the upcoming demarcation of their common border.
• SOMALIA: Frontline states say they are united IRIN 18 Jul 2003 -- The frontline states, bordering Somalia, are united in their support for a successful outcome to the Somali peace talks currently underway in Kenya, according to a Kenyan foreign ministry statement.
• SUDAN: Time for sides to prove commitment to peace - US envoy IRIN 18 Jul 2003 -- The Sudanese government and rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) can resolve their differences within a matter of weeks if both sides are genuinely interested in peace, former US senator John Danforth told reporters in Nairobi on Friday.
• COTE D'IVOIRE: European Commission aids post-war efforts IRIN 18 Jul 2003 -- The European Commission has allocated 30 million euros (US $33.6 million) for the Ivorian government's post-war efforts to return the West African country to peace and stability, the EU said in a statement on Thursday.
• ZAMBIA: Agreement with US on ICC extradition IRIN 18 Jul 2003 -- Zambia this month signed a bilateral agreement with the United States not to extradite US citizens accused of war crimes to the International Criminal Court (ICC), a US embassy official told IRIN on Friday.

News Reports

• SHAPE News Morning Update SHAPE 18 Jul 2003 -- Pentagon considers more reservists for Iraq duty / Turkey says Iraqi council not fully representative / NATO urges Belgrade to get Mladic and drop law suit / NATO urges Bosnia's armies to reform and join under single command / Albania reaffirms its commitment to eventual NATO membership / U.S. won't go to Liberia until African troops arrive
• SHAPE News Summary & Analysis SHAPE 18 Jul 2003 -- Bush, Blair defend motives of Iraq war / Russia calls for new UN resolution / NATO seeks to expand military presence to Central Asia / Canadian general assumes command of peacekeeping brigade in Afghan capital / Two top U.S. generals to hold talks in Turkey on Iraq

• Kyrgyzstan: President Hints At Retirement -- But Skeptics Remain Wary RFE/L 18 Jul 2003 -- Kyrgyz President Askar Akaev has hinted that he will not seek re-election when his current term expires in 2005. If Akaev turns that suggestion into reality, he would be the first Central Asian president to step down voluntarily. Since Akaev has never made an official statement on the possible democratic handover of power, his critics dismiss the latest rumors as another political deception.
• Afghanistan: History Of 1973 Coup Sheds Light On Relations With Pakistan RFE/L 18 Jul 2003 -- Many Afghans old enough to remember the 40-year reign of former King Mohammad Zahir Shah describe his rule as a nostalgic era of peace and prosperity.
• ZIMBABWE / POLITICS VOA 18 Jul 2003 -- After a long delay, the Zimbabwe High Court has announced the date it will hear the opposition's challenge of the results of last year's presidential election.
• FIJI / ILLEGAL GOVERNMENT VOA 18 Jul 2003 -- Fiji's Supreme Court has unanimously ruled the two-year old nationalist government of Laisenia Qarase is unconstitutional and must include minority ethnic Indians. Prime Minister Qarase, who promised to abide by the court's decision, must now decide whether to appoint a new cabinet or hold snap elections.
• HONG KONG/POLITICS VOA 18 Jul 2003 -- A day after Hong Kong's leader, Tung Chee-Hwa, admitted to making mistakes in his six-year tenure, the head of Hong Kong's largest pro-China party says he will advocate popular elections of Hong Kong's next chief executive.
• BURMA SANCTIONS VOA 18 Jul 2003 -- The United States is imposing new trade sanctions on Burma to protest the military government's treatment of democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi and her followers. But will the sanctions have any effect on the generals?
• Hong Kong's Pro-China Party Pushes for Popular Elections VOA News 18 Jul 2003 -- A day after Hong Kong's leader, Tung Chee-hwa, admitted to making mistakes in his six-year tenure, the head of Hong Kong's largest pro-China party says he will advocate popular elections of Hong Kong's next chief executive.
• CENTRAL ASIA: Weekly news wrap IRIN 18 Jul 2003 -- A powerful earthquake shook Tajikistan on Sunday. The epicentre of the quake, measuring 4-5 on the 12-point [Mercalli] scale, was reported to be located 160 km northeast of the capital, Dushanbe. There were no reports of casualties or damage.