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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• IRAQ / PRISON VOA 04 Aug 2003 -- Coalition forces have re-opened a once much-feared prison on the outskirts of Baghdad to house both criminals and security detainees in Iraq. Military officials say they hope the newly renovated facility and better treatment of prisoners will help to dispel past horrors.
• Iraq: New Attacks Against U.S. Soldiers Reported RFE/L 04 Aug 2003 -- Reports say U.S. troops in Iraq sustained new attacks today, with casualties reported in Baghdad.
• V CORPS MILITARY POLICE GIVE IRAQI COUNTERPARTS STATE-OF-THE-ART RADIO SYSTEMS V Corps 04 Aug 2003-- V Corps's 18th Military Police Brigade achieved another milestone in advancing the Iraqi Police Service when the brigade issued state-of-the-art communication radios to Iraqi officers at the Al-Mamun Police Station in western Baghdad last week.
• 1-Year Rotation Plan for Operation Iraqi Freedom V Corps MS DOC 04 Aug 2003-- In the announcement, the Army did not specify the rotation plan for the V Corps Headquarters, or numerous other Corps and USAREUR units that deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom

• U.S. helps Afghan National Army recruitment Army News Service 04 Aug 2003-- The U.S. Army is helping the new Afghan National army spread the message of the "importance of one army" to the 33 separate militias around the country.
• Khatami: Iran will spare no efforts to ensure Afghan peace IRNA 04 Aug 2003 -- President Mohammad Khatami said here Monday that Iran will leave no stone unturned for establishing peace in Afghanistan with UN assistance.

• U-S / LIBERIA VOA 04 Aug 2003 -- The United States Monday welcomed the first deployment of Nigerian peacekeeping troops in Liberia while again urging warring factions in the country to cease hostilities. It also renewed its call on Liberian President Charles Taylor to leave the country.
• Liberia: UN airlifts first of two Nigerian battalions to war-torn capital UN News Centre 04 Aug 2003 -- The United Nations today transported the first of two battalions from Nigeria to Liberia's main airport to set up a forward headquarters for West African troops that will help restore order in the war-torn country.
• LIBERIA / PEACEKEEPERS VOA 04 Aug 2003 -- The first contingent of Nigerian peacekeepers arrived near the embattled city of Monrovia, Liberia on Monday, boosting hopes for an end to weeks of bitter fighting.
• LIBERIA/PEACEKEEPERS VOA 04 Aug 2003 -- Peacekeeping troops from Nigeria have begun arriving in the Liberian capital, Monrovia. The first helicopter loads of soldiers took up positions to secure Robertsfield International Airport for the arrival of an initial group of about 300 peacekeepers.
• LIBERIA / REBELS VOA 04 Aug 2003 -- As peacekeeping troops began arriving in Liberia Monday, the leader of the main rebel group promised his forces would withdraw as soon as the peacekeepers are deployed in the capital, Monrovia.
• LIBERIA / AID VOA 04 Aug 2003 -- The British-based charity Save the Children has flown 30 tons of relief supplies to Liberia.
• LIBERIA: Peacekeepers arrive , rebels agree to withdraw from Monrovia IRIN 04 Aug 2003 -- The first Nigerian troops arrived in Liberia on Monday as the vanguard of a West African-led peacekeeping force that will try to enforce a ceasefire between the government and two rebel groups, clearing the way for relief agencies to operate safely in the war-torn country.
• LIBERIA: Nigerian troops arrive, delay entry to Monrovia IRIN 04 Aug 2003 -- Almost 200 Nigerian troops arrived at Liberia’s international airport on Monday as the vanguard of a West African peacekeeping force, but their commander warned that it would be “a couple of days” before they began to deploy in the war-torn capital Monrovia.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Signal soldiers ramp-up for UFL with Warrior Storm Exercise 8th Army Release MS DOC 04 Aug 2003-- Soldiers of the 1st Signal Brigade don't fly helicopters or shoot artillery rounds down range. However, they are responsible for accomplishing one of the most important and real-time missions during any nationwide exercise on the Korean peninsula.

• Strykers make first overseas deployment Army News Service 04 Aug 2003-- After "grinding" through two years of training, a unit from the Army's first Stryker Brigade Combat Team flew to Korea for it's first international training mission July 30.
• Peleliu, ESG 1 Support Mock Terrorist Camp Assault Navy Newsstand 04 Aug 2003-- When U.S. Marines recently staged an attack on a mock terrorist camp in the quiet beach community of Seal Beach, Calif., they were supported offshore by a large contingent of Navy ships and Sailors.
• E-2's Advanced Hawkeye Enters SD&D NAVAIR Release 04 Aug 2003-- The NAVAIR E-2 program today announced the official commencement of the Systems Development and Demonstration (SD&D) phase of the Advanced Hawkeye (AHE) program with a contract award to the Northrop Grumman Corporation. The contract is valued at approximately $1.9 billion and includes SD&D efforts to begin in fiscal year 2003 and conclude in fiscal year 2013. The Defense Acquisition Board granted approval for the program to enter this phase on June 6, 2003.
• VMFA-232 gets a new look Marine Corps News 04 Aug 2003-- When one thinks of high-tech fighter aircraft technology-jet engines, avionics, computers and mechanical systems-exterior painting and the effects of corrosion rarely come to mind.
• 'Warhorses' ride home Marine Corps News 04 Aug 2003-- Fifteen CH-53E Sea Stallions flew in three groups of five in clear-blue skies over San Diego, bringing more Marines home from Operation Iraqi Freedom.
• AFRICA / TROOPS VOA 04 Aug 2003 -- The Nigerian peacekeeping troops who began arriving in Liberia Monday represent the latest effort by African nations to resolve crises on their own continent. Some experts point out, their record is mixed.

• Latvia: Medics A Small But Strong Contingent In Afghan Assistance Force RFE/L 04 Aug 2003 -- With just days remaining until NATO assumes control of the 29-nation International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, Latvian Defense Minister Girts Valdis Kristovskis last week paid a visit to Kabul to assess how his country's eight-person medical team is faring.

Defense Industry

• ATK Wins Development Contract for 'Shredder' ATK 04 Aug 2003 -- ATK (Alliant Techsystems) (NYSE:ATK) announced today that it has received a $1.9 million research and development contract to provide the U.S. Air Force with a precision-guided penetrating bomb, Shredder, for testing. Shredder is a weapons system designed to neutralize chemical or biological Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) stored in hardened bunkers.
• BAE SYSTEMS Secures Laser Warning Sensor Upgrade Programme BAE Systems 04 Aug 2003 -- BAE Systems was recently awarded a $6 million contract from ATK Integrated Defense Company, Clearwater, Florida, for the first full-rate production order for the AN/AAR-47(V) Missile Warning Sensor.
• BAE SYSTEMS To Provide More AIMS Antennas For U.S. And Allied Navies BAE Systems 04 Aug 2003 -- (Note to Editors: This story supplements a July 2003 announcement by the Department of Defense.)
• Boeing Awarded F-15E Mission Training Center Contract Boeing 04 Aug 2003 -- The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing [NYSE: BA] a $285 million contract to establish and operate four F-15E Mission Training Centers. The long-term services contract will run from August 2003 through 2016.
• Lockheed Martin Announces Formation of Maritime Systems & Sensors Business Segment Lockheed Martin 04 Aug 2003 -- In a move to enhance customer satisfaction and strengthen its competitive advantage in design and integration of combat systems and sensors for maritime and related markets, Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] is further integrating its naval electronics and surveillance systems units into a single business enterprise called Maritime Systems & Sensors (MS2).
• BAE SYSTEMS Silicon Inertial Measurement Unit Selected For Autopilot On South African Army Unmanned Aircraft BAE Systems 04 Aug 2003 -- A silicon inertial measurement unit made by BAE Systems has been selected for use on the South African Armys Unmanned Aerial Observation System (UAOS) tactical aircraft. Advanced Technologies & Engineering Co. (Pty) Ltd. of South Africa, the aircraft developer, chose the SiIMU™ silicon micro-machined electro-mechanical inertial measurement unit for the vehicles autopilot and strap-down inertial navigation system.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 04 Aug 2003
• PRESS BRIEFING BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT United Nations 04 Aug 2003
• PRESS BRIEFING BY ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR PEACEKEEPING United Nations 04 Aug 2003
• DRC: RCD-Goma announces concessions on partition of military regions IRIN 04 Aug 2003 -- The Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD-Goma) former rebel movement has said it is willing to make concessions regarding the partition of responsibilities for newly-created military regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
• DRC: Amnesty calls on MONUC to implement its new mandate IRIN 04 Aug 2003 -- International human rights organisation Amnesty International has called on the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, known by its French acronym MONUC, to implement fully its newly strengthened mandate under Chapter Seven of the UN Charter and "intervene decisively to protect civilians lives".
• DRC: Belgian, French defence ministers vow continued support IRIN 04 Aug 2003 -- The Belgian and French defence ministers, saying they are pleased with the work of the EU-led peace-enforcement mission in the Ituri District of northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), have pledged continued support for the peace and stability efforts in the country.
• ISRAEL/PALESTINIANS VOA 04 Aug 2003 -- Israel has announced it will release some prisoners from Palestinian militant groups this week, along with about 400 other Palestinian prisoners. The move is one of a series of confidence-building measures by Israel to promote peace with the Palestinians. But some of the releases may be blocked by legal action.
• ISRAEL / PALESTINIANS VOA 04 Aug 2003 -- An Israeli woman and her three children have been shot and wounded by Palestinian gunmen near the Israeli West Bank settlement, Har Gilo.

• SOMALIA: Somaliland rejects attempts to bring it into peace talks IRIN 04 Aug 2003 -- The authorities in the self-declared republic of Somaliland in northwestern Somalia have reiterated their rejection of attempts to bring them into the ongoing Somali reconciliation talks in Kenya.
• SOMALIA: Puntland denies interfering in Somaliland's affairs IRIN 04 Aug 2003 -- The authorities in the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland, northeastern Somalia, have dismissed accusations by the neighbouring self-declared republic of Somaliland that they are interfering in Somaliland's internal affairs.
• Kosovo: officer killed in first fatal attack on UN police force UN News Centre 04 Aug 2003 -- The United Nations police force in Kosovo suffered its first fatal attack last night when an officer was shot and killed in a sniper ambush while driving towards the former flashpoint town of Mitrovica in what the top UN envoy in the area called a "despicable" and "repugnant" act of murder.
• Security Council renews authorization of multinational force for Côte d'Ivoire UN News Centre 04 Aug 2003 -- The United Nations Security Council today renewed for six months authorization given to States participating in the West African and French forces policing a peace agreement in Côte d'Ivoire.
• RUSSIA/ BLAST VOA 04 Aug 2003 -- People in the Southern Russian city of Mozdok, near the Chechnya border, observed a day of mourning Monday for the 50 people killed in the bombing of a military hospital on Friday. Rescue workers have called off the search for both survivors and victims in the rubble.
• BURUNDI/CEASE-FIRE VOA 04 Aug 2003 -- The United Nations' childrens agency, UNICEF, is launching a week-long health campaign for women and children in Burundi, and is calling on warring groups in the country to declare a cease-fire so the effort can proceed. The move comes as peace talks are set to resume on Tuesday.
• LAOS / BOMB VOA 04 Aug 2003 -- A bomb has exploded in the capital city of Laos, injuring at least eight people.
• HONG KONG/POLITICS VOA 04 Aug 2003 -- Beijing has approved new financial and security secretaries for Hong Kong. Their predecessors resigned last month amid the territory's biggest political crisis since it returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997.
• RWANDA: Court sentences 11 to death for genocide IRIN 04 Aug 2003 -- A court in Rwanda's southern province of Butare on Friday sentenced 11 people to death and 73 others to life imprisonment in a mass trial involving 142 people accused of involvement in the 1994 genocide.
• RWANDA-UGANDA: Kampala to send back 25,600 Rwandans IRIN 04 Aug 2003 -- The Ugandan prime minister's office has announced the government's intention to repatriate 25,600 Rwandan refugees following an agreement among Kampala, Kigali and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, The New Vision reported.
• BURUNDI: Zuma in Dar es Salaam for peace talks IRIN 04 Aug 2003 -- South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma was expected on Monday in the Tanzanian commercial city of Dar es Salaam to oversee peace talks between the transitional government of Burundi and the Conseil national pour la defense de la democratie-Forces pour la defense de la democratie rebel faction led by Pierre Nkurunziza.

News Reports

• SHAPE News Morning Update SHAPE 04 Aug 2003 -- NATO peacekeepers to police Kabul, but not beyond / Troubled Afghan alliance meets to discuss new party / UK envoy says new UN resolution on Iraq considered / Arab League chief willing to meet with new Iraqi council / Senate gives final approval to new, less-ambitious war crimes law / Senator Warner wary of sending U.S. troops to Liberia / Syria seeks bigger EU role in Middle East peace efforts
• SHAPE News Summary & Analysis SHAPE 04 Aug 2003 -- NATO commander calls for action before consensus / NATO commander due in Romania to check membership readiness / Peace force set to land in Liberia

• POWELL / TERM VOA 04 Aug 2003 -- The State Department and the White House are denying a published report Monday that Secretary of State Colin Powell and his deputy Richard Armitage have told the White House they will not serve a second term if President Bush is re-elected.
• Italy Donates to U.S.-OAS Anti-Landmine Program in Central America Washington File 04 Aug 2003 -- Italy has made its third donation since 2001 to a program supported by the United States through the Organization of American States (OAS) to eliminate landmines in Central America.
• U-S / AZERBAIJAN POL VOA 04 Aug 2003 -- The United States has declined to criticize the installation of the son of Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev as the country's new Prime Minister and, potentially, the next president in the event of his father's incapacitation. But the State Department says it hopes Ilham Aliyev will help reform the Central Asian country's electoral system.
• Azerbaijan: Ilham Aliev's Confirmation As Premier Will Keep Presidency In The Family RFE/L 04 Aug 2003 -- Ilham Aliev, the son of ailing Azerbaijani President Heidar Aliev, was today confirmed as the country's new prime minister in a move designed to ensure he succeeds his father as the country's leader.
• SUDAN/FLOODS VOA 04 Aug 2003 -- The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says at least 12 people have been killed and more than 325-thousand displaced by floods in eastern Sudan. Relief officials are calling it the worst flooding in 70 years.
• Azerbaijan: Parliament Confirms Aliev's Son As Prime Minister RFE/L 04 Aug 2003 -- Azerbaijan's parliament today confirmed ailing President Heidar Aliev's son, Ilham (pictured), as prime minister in an emergency session.
• PHILIPPINES/CHARGES VOA 04 Aug 2003 -- The Philippine government has filed criminal charges against a senator and six others for their alleged involvement in a failed military rebellion last week.
• INDONESIA COMMUNISM VOA 04 Aug 2003 -- Indonesia's People's Consultative Assembly today rejected a proposal to lift the ban on the Communist Party. The ban was put in place in the 1960's after Indonesian Communists allegedly tried to overthrow the government.
• AZERBAIJAN POL VOA 04 Aug 2003 -- Azerbaijan's parliament has voted to appoint the son of ailing President Heidar Aliyev as the former Soviet Republic's new prime minister. The move could pave the way for the younger Aliyev to assume the presidency against strong objections from the opposition.
• BANGLADESH/CHARGES VOA 04 Aug 2003 -- Bangladesh's former prime minister has been charged with corruption.
• CAMBODIA/POLITICAL ANALYSIS VOA 04 Aug 2003 -- The ruling Cambodian Peoples' Party has claimed victory in the recently completed general elections, although final official results will not be announced until Friday. That was not unexpected. There were some surprises, however, in the all-important contest for second place.
• NAMIBIA: Caprivi treason trial delays unacceptable, says Amnesty IRIN 04 Aug 2003 -- The long delay in the trial of 122 Namibians accused of treason amounted to justice denied for the defendants, Amnesty International has said.