Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Franks Adds Humor About His Career to Serious Speech About Global War on Terrorism AFPS 25 Jul 2003-- Army Gen. Tommy Franks said he wasn't surprised when Saddam Hussein's sons Uday and Qusay were killed in a pitched battle in Iraq. The general who led international coalitions in Afghanistan and Iraq even predicted the demise of the pair's father.
• 4th ID Commander Reports Iraqis Providing Information, Attacks Lessening AFPS 25 Jul 2003-- The July 22 deaths of Saddam Hussein's sons Uday and Qusay at the hands of U.S. forces who were tipped of by an Iraqi citizen is bringing forth intelligence information that has led to weapons seizures and the arrests of Saddam loyalists.
• Liberia evacuations continue AFPN 25 Jul 2003-- Flying 200 feet above palm trees and myriad grass huts, the 56th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron completed its mission -- inserting the remaining members of the Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team and evacuating more people from the U.S. Embassy in Liberia.
• Saudi, U.S. Authorities Work Closely Against Al Qaeda Washington File 25 July 2003---The United States and Saudi Arabia are working closely together against the Al Qaeda terrorist organization, reported State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher July 25.
• U.S. Welcomes Japanese Decision to Send Troops to Iraq Wahington File 25 July 2003--Japanese troops to participate in Iraqi reconstruction
• IRAQ / PHOTO REACT VOA 25 Jul 2003-- In the Shia Muslim slums of Sadr City outside of Baghdad, there is no mourning for Saddam's sons, killed by U-S forces earlier this week
• PENTAGON / SADDAM VOA 25 Jul 2003-- A top U-S military commander says he believes coalition forces are closing in on fugitive ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
• BRITAIN / IRAQ VOA 25 Jul 2003-- Britain's top official in Iraq says the killing of Saddam Hussein's sons, Uday and Qusay, should dash the hopes of followers of the former Iraqi leader that they can ever return to power
• AFGHANISTAN: Interview with Afghan interior minister IRIN 25 Jul 2003 -- Although allies in the US-led coalition to fight terrorism, relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan hit a low recently when an angry mob, protesting against alleged Pakistani border incursions, ransacked the Pakistani embassy in the Afghan capital, Kabul. The Afghan interior minister, Ali Ahmed Jalali, is currently in Pakistan to resolve a range of bilateral issues, including the border dispute and alleged cross border attacks by Al-Qaeda and Taliban renegades. Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have been poor in recent years, with Islamabad being blamed for creating and supporting the Taliban - the fundamentalist movement that ruled Afghanistan until it was ousted by the US-led coalition in late 2001.
• Annan 'very pleased' with US decision to position forces off Liberia UN News Centre 25 Jul 2003 -- United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today welcomed the decision by the United States to position troops near Liberia to support deployment of West African forces to stabilize the war-torn country, and he called on other states to join in providing necessary backing on an urgent basis.
• PENTAGON/LIBERIA VOA 25 July 2003--President Bush has ordered U-S forces to take up position off the coast of Liberia. But V-O-A Defense Correspondent Alex Belida reports Pentagon officials stress there is still no decision on whether American soldiers will take direct part in any peacekeeping operation in the strife-torn West African country.
• LIBERIA/FIGHTING VOA 25 Jul 2003-- Heavy shelling and gunfire continued Friday in the Liberian capital, Monrovia. Responding to the renewed violence, the U-N refugee agency issued an urgent appeal for the deployment of international peacekeepers
• CONGRESS / LIBERIA VOA 25 July 2003--African-American members of Congress say the Bush administration needs to immediately send troops to Liberia. The lawmakers told reporters on Capitol Hill that the scale of the crisis demands President Bush decide quickly on a U-S military commitment and leading role in organizing an international force
• LIBERIA: Heavy bombardment resumes in Monrovia IRIN 25 Jul 2003 -- Heavy fighting resumed in the Liberian capital Monrovia on Friday after a 24-hour lull, as government forces battled to recapture the port and rebels showered the city centre with rockets and mortar shells.
• LIBERIA: Divided rebels appeal for ceasefire, fighting rages on IRIN 25 Jul 2003 -- A senior representative of the Liberians United For Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) rebel group attending peace talks in Ghana urged LURD fighters on Friday to stop their week-long battle with government forces for control of the capital Monrovia and cease fire immediately.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Naming the new numbered Air Force Air Mobility Command 25 Jul 2003-- When Air Mobility Command sought a name for the new numbered Air Force to be activated here, it went back through the Service's history to find a name to be used for the future.
• AMC reorganizing; activating 18th Air Force AFPN 25 Jul 2003-- Gen. John W. Handy, commander of U.S. Transportation Command and Air Mobility Command here, announced a major reorganization of AMC.
• Forging the WASP ESG/22d MEU blue-green team Marine Corps News 25 Jul 2003-- The 22d Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) took its first step toward deployment recently by attending its Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) Conference at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia.
• 'Wolfpack' comes home to Miramar 'den' Marine Corps News 25 Jul 2003-- Approximately 65 Marines arrived home here today from Okinawa, Japan, having achieved unprecedented success in support of III Marine Expeditionary Force operations throughout the Pacific Theater from July 2002 to July 2003. The majority of the Marines were from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466.
• NSWC Crane Team Completes IROS3 Live Fire Test And Evaluation NAVSEA News Wire 25 Jul 2003-- Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane Division formed a multi-talented "Fleet Tiger Team" comprised of experts from Crane, NSWC Dahlgren Division, USS Ramage (DDG 61), Tactical Training Group Atlantic, and other Fleet and industry representatives has led development of a new system to provide shipboard force protection.
• Navy to Demonstrate New Shipboard AT/FP System NAVSEA News Wire 25 Jul 2003-- The Program Executive Office for Integrated Warfare Systems, in conjunction with Commander, Fleet Forces Command; Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet; and the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane (Ind.) Division is conducting a pierside technology demonstration of the Integrated Radar Optical Surveillance and Sighting System (IROS3) aboard USS Ramage (DDG 61) on July 30 at Naval Station Norfolk.
• Significant Milestones in the Life of a New Construction Ship NAVSEA News Wire 25 Jul 2003-- "So the ship's been christened, so now it goes out to sea, right? Or, is that the commissioning? Have they put the ship into the water yet? And, when do they break the champagne bottle?"
• Navy to Commission Destroyer Mustin Navy Newsstand 25 Jul 2003-- The Navy will commission the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Mustin (DDG 89), during a ceremony July 26 at Naval Air Station North Island.
• Chairman Hunter Announces Approval of Air Force Tanker Lease HASC 24 Jul 2003 -- House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) today announced the Committee has completed its review of the Air Force's proposed lease of 100 KC-767 air refueling tankers.
• China Should Tighten Missile Controls, U.S. Official Says Washington File 25 July 2003--The Chinese government needs to tighten its controls over missile proliferation, says Paula A. DeSutter, assistant secretary of State for verification and compliance.
• Final Phase of CARAT 2003 Kicks Off in Malaysia Navy Newsstand 25 Jul 2003-- Members of the Malaysian Armed Forces and the U.S Navy and Marine Corps gathered in the Kuantan Air Base auditorium here July 24 to open the final phase of the 2003 Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise series. During the exercise, a variety of training events involving assets of both countries will take place at sea, in the air and ashore.
• USS Olympia Approaches "Hump Day" Navy Newsstand 25 Jul 2003-- Prior to its Western Pacific deployment, USS Olympia (SSN 717) completed a six-month pre-overseas movement (POM) work-up period.

Defense Industry

• General Dynamics to Purchase Datron, Inc.’s IMCO Unit General Dynamics 25 Jul 2003 -- General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) and Datron, Inc. have entered into a definitive agreement for General Dynamics to acquire Datron’s Intercontinental Manufacturing Company (IMCO). Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
• Lockheed Martin Conducts First-Ever LOSAT Test Against Reinforced Urban Structure Lockheed Martin 25 Jul 2003 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] conducted a successful test of the transformational Line-of-Sight Antitank (LOSAT) Weapon System in which a Kinetic Energy Missile (KEM) was fired at a reinforced urban structure with devastating effect. The test, Engineering Development Flight Test-2 (EDF-2), was conducted at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., on July 17. I
• Lockheed Martin Selected for Phase II of DARPA/U.S. Army UCAR Program Lockheed Martin 25 Jul 2003 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has been awarded $9.4 million to enter the second phase of a development agreement by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the U.S. Army for the Unmanned Combat Armed Rotorcraft (UCAR) program.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 25 Jul 2003
• Israeli Security Fence VOA 25 July 2003--On Friday/Today Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas met [NOTE: scheduled to begin at 1125 EDT/1525 UTC] with President Bush at the White House to discuss the "road map" for Middle East peace. One of the major points of dispute is the "fence" or "wall" that Israel is building to separate Palestinian areas on the West Bank from Israel and its settlements. Today's Dateline explores the controversy over the so-called "wall of separation
• ISRAEL / PALESTINIANS VOA 25 Jul 2003-- Israel has increased to nearly 600 the number of Palestinian prisoners it is considering for release
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• EASTERN D-R-C / INSECURITY VOA 25 Jul 2003-- An international humanitarian agency is warning that there will be more violence in northeastern Congo if the term of an international peacekeeping force is not extended.
• DRC: MONUC deplores arms trafficking in northeast IRIN 25 Jul 2003 -- The UN on Friday denounced the trafficking of arms in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), following the seizure of a cache of munitions in Beni on Thursday by the Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie-Kisangani/Mouvement de liberation (RCD-K/ML), who turned them over to the UN Mission in the DRC, known as MONUC.
• Russia: Army Officer Found Guilty Of Murder Of Chechen Woman RFE/L 25 Jul 2003 -- Russian Colonel Yurii Budanov today was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering a Chechen woman and sentenced to 10 years in a maximum security prison.
• RUSSIA / CHECHNYA TRIAL VOA 25 Jul 2003-- A military court in southern Russia has sentenced an army officer to ten years in prison for murdering a Chechen woman

• SUDAN: Darfur rebels deny signing truce agreement IRIN 25 Jul 2003 -- The Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) rebels operating in Darfur, northern Sudan, have denied signing a truce agreement with the Sudanese government.
• SUDAN: Darfur rebels deny signing truce agreement IRIN 25 Jul 2003 -- The Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) rebels operating in Darfur, northern Sudan, have denied signing a truce agreement with the Sudanese government.
• ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: Ethiopia claims soldiers' remains are Eritrean IRIN 25 Jul 2003 -- Ethiopian defence officials have insisted that the remains of 220 soldiers, handed over to Ethiopia by the UN peacekeeping force on Friday, are Eritrean troops. But Eritrea rejected the claim, saying that Ethiopia wanted to "hide its losses and casualties".
• ERITREA: UNMEE asked to close information centres IRIN 25 Jul 2003 -- The UN’s Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) says it has been asked by the Eritrean government to close down its two outreach centres in the country, although for the moment they are still open.
• SOLOMONS INTERVENTION VOA 25 Jul 2003-- The head of the Australian-led intervention force in the troubled Solomon Islands says there has been a substantial improvement in security since the operation began more than 24-hours ago
• Uzbekistan Demands Kyrgyzstan Punish 'Attackers' Of Uzbek Border Guards RFE/L 25 Jul 2003 -- Uzbekistan's Foreign Ministry has demanded that Kyrgyz authorities bring to justice Kyrgyz citizens that Uzbekistan says attacked Uzbek border guards last week.

News Reports

• SHAPE News Morning Update SHAPE News 25 Jul 2003-- Czech parliament's lower house votes to support NATO enlargement / U.S. negotiating for more foreign troops in Iraq, top U.S. general says / U.S. presses Turkey to decide on troops for Iraq / One dead in attack on UN police HQ in Mitrovica / Kostunica seeks return to power in Serbia / U.S. ships positioned for possible Liberia duty / Iran will pull out of Non-Proliferation Treaty if attacked
• SHAPE News Summary & Analysis SHAPE 25 Jul 2003 -- Only 80,000 NATO troops available for Iraq / Serbia rules out Kosovo's independence / NATO's new structure: more flexible and more efficient

• SECRETARY-GENERAL LAUNCHES COMMISSION ON PRIVATE SECTOR AND DEVELOPMENT AT HEADQUARTERS PRESS BRIEFING United Nations 25 Jul 2003
• Armenia/Turkey: Economic Necessity Pushing Yerevan, Ankara Closer RFE/L 25 Jul 2003 -- For the first time since the breakup of the Soviet Union, arch rivals Turkey and Armenia seem ready to set aside their historical differences and establish good neighborly ties. While cautioning against too high expectations, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian recently described Ankara's overtures and Yerevan's reciprocal gestures as "small steps in the right direction."
• U-S-North Korea-Yemen VOA 25 July 2003--The United States is imposing new trade sanctions against North Korea stemming from a shipment of Scud missiles bound for Yemen intercepted at sea last December. Yemen was allowed to take possession of the missiles and will not be penalized for its role in the transaction.
• CQ KOREAN WAR / ARMISTICE ANNIVERSARY VOA 25 July 2003-- Sunday marks the 50th anniversary of the truce that ended the Korean War. The fact that there was never a formal peace treaty after all that time is an issue some experts say has resonance in the current nuclear stand-off with North Korea
• U-S / GUATEMALA VOA 25 July 2003-- The United States is expressing concern about election-related demonstrations in Guatemala, and urging former military strongman Efrain Rios Montt, in particular, to curb violence by supporters of his controversial presidential candidacy.
• BURMA / ASEAN VOA 25 Jul 2003-- Burma's Foreign Minister is publicly urging European and Asian leaders to stop isolating his country. Win Aung wrote an editorial for the Singapore Straits-Times Friday in the latest salvo in a political offensive over Burma's detention of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi
• CENTRAL ASIA: Weekly news wrap IRIN 25 Jul 2003 -- The week in Central Asia started with Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev's meeting with representatives of the government, media, political parties and non-governmental groups, and claiming he would not seek re-election in 2005. "New constitutional amendments don't allow a new term for me," he said, adding that elections in 2005 would take place in full accordance with the constitution and democratic principles. However, Emil Aliyev, deputy chairman of the Ar-Namys opposition party, called the meeting a 'decoration' to improve the country's international image.
• South Africa: Apartheid-era battalion no longer a threat IRIN 25 Jul 2003 -- News reports linking some of the military officers involved in the attempted overthrow of the Sao Tome and Principe government to South Africa's infamous 32 Battalion have sparked memories of what was arguably one of the most feared apartheid-era units.
• GUINEA: Opposition rejects government offer of dialogue IRIN 25 Jul 2003 -- A coalition of six leading opposition parties in Guinea has rejected a government offer to engage in dialogue ahead of presidential elections due in December, demanding that President Lansana Conte first create an independent electoral commission and allow private radio and television stations to open in the country.
• BAE SYSTEMS Microprocessors Enroute To Mars BAE Systems 25 Jul 2003 -- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has successfully launched two Mars Exploration Rovers on seven-month journeys to Mars. The Rovers are outfitted with BAE Systems radiation-hardened RAD6000 computers that will process and send data back to earth to help NASA search for evidence about ancient water on Mars.
• Spectrolab Terrestrial Concentrator Solar Cell Achieves Unparalelled Solar Energy Conversion Boeing 25 Jul 2003 -- Spectrolab, Inc., a subsidiary of The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], has achieved an unprecedented conversion efficiency for a terrestrial concentrator solar cell.