• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Transcript: DoD News Briefing - Mr. Di Rita and Lt. Gen. Schwartz 13 Aug 2003 -- Participating was Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Lawrence Di Rita and Director for Operations, the Joint Staff, Air Force Lt. Gen. Norton A. Schwartz.

• 4ID SOLDIER KILLED CENTCOM Release 13 Aug 2003-- One 4th Infantry Division soldier was killed and one wounded when the M-113 armored personnel carrier they were riding in struck an explosive device near the town of Ad Dwar at approximately 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 13.
• SOLDIER KILLED IN CONVOY ATTACK CENTCOM Release 13 Aug 2003-- One 4th Infantry Division soldier was killed and two were wounded at approximately 6:15 p.m. Aug. 12 when their convoy was attacked by an improvised explosive device in the vicinity of Al Taji.
• IRAQ/SOLDIERS VOA 13 Aug 2003 -- Three U-S soldiers have been killed in Iraq, as guerilla attacks continue against coalition forces.
• ONE KILLED, ONE INJURED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENT CENTCOM 13 Aug 2003-- A soldier from the 101st Airborne Division was killed and a civilian interpreter was injured August 12 when their vehicle was hit by a taxi.
• New CG visits 1st FSSG Troops in Iraq Marine Corps News 13 Aug 2003-- The new Commanding General of 1st Force Service Support Group, in command for less than a month, wasted no time in visiting with his Marines and sailors in Kuwait and Iraq.
• Formerly Unstable Countries Now Exporting Stability to Iraq AFPS 13 Aug 2003 -- "The significant event is these countries, dealing so long with instability, are now exporting stability to Iraq," said Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers during a press conference here Aug. 12.
• Explosive Devices Kill Three U.S. Soldiers, Wound Five In Iraq AFPS 13 Aug 2003 -- Explosive devices apparently planted by pro-Saddam insurgents killed two U.S. 4th Infantry Division soldiers and injured three in two separate incidents in Iraq on Aug. 12 and 13, according to U.S. Central Command news releases.
• Investigation Says Troops Justified Firing at Baghdad Hotel AFPS 13 Aug 2003 -- U.S. troops fighting their way into Baghdad April 8 were justified when they fired a tank round at a local hotel, an incident that killed two television cameramen, a recently concluded U.S. Central Command investigation determined.

• Thousands more troops needed for vital security in Afghanistan - UN envoy UN News Centre 13 Aug 2003 -- Speaking on a day when clashes and a bus bombing claimed dozens of lives in Afghanistan, the top United Nations envoy to that country told the Security Council today that thousands more international troops were needed to provide vital security if the political pacification process in the war-torn nation was to succeed.
• UN / AFGHANISTAN PEACE VOA 13 Aug 2003 -- The head of the U-N mission in Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, urged the Security Council Wednesday to expand peacekeeping forces across the country.
• Afghanistan: Government Changes Governors In Restive Provinces RFE/RL 13 Aug 2003 -- The Afghan government reshuffled two provincial governors today, whose provinces have been difficult for Kabul to control.
• Afghansitan: More Fighting Along Border With Pakistan RFE/RL 13 Aug 2003 -- There are reports of heavy fighting in Afghanistan on the border with Pakistan today, as well as a car-bomb attack in the south.
• UNICEF/AFGHANISTAN VOA 13 Aug 2003 -- The Afghan Ministry of Health has begun chemically treating thousands of shallow wells in the capital Kabul. This campaign aims to reduce the incidence of water-borne diseases, such as diarrhea, which are a major killer of children.
• AFGHANISTAN/BLAST VOA 13 Aug 2003 -- A bomb explosion on a bus in southern Afghanistan has killed at least 15 people and injured several others.
• AFGHANISTAN: UN says 15 killed in bomb blast IRIN 13 Aug 2003 -- Fifteen people were killed when a bomb explosion ripped through a bus in the southern Afghan province of Helmand on Wednesday, according to a UN official. The incident is the latest in a series of such incidents in the country.
• 200 U.S. Troops to Support African Peacekeepers in Liberia Washington File 13 Aug 2003 -- A U.S. military force of approximately 200 troops -- including a company-size Marine quick reaction force -- will arrive shortly in Liberia to assist African peacekeepers and support the arrival of vital humanitarian assistance at Monrovia's port, U.S. Defense Department officials said August 13.
• American Troops Set to Assist West African Force in Liberia AFPS 13 Aug 2003 -- Roughly 200 more American troops could move into the West African nation of Liberia in coming days if rebel forces keep their pledge to move out of the country's capital city. About 100 American service members are currently in Liberia.
• With food and fresh water scarce, UN agencies rush staff, supplies to Liberia UN News Centre 13 Aug 2003 -- With roughly half a million people in Monrovia still facing severe shortages of food and drinking water and with medical supplies dwindling, United Nations humanitarian agencies continue to scale up their operations in the crowded, war-ravaged Liberian capital.
• PENTAGON/LIBERIA VOA 13 Aug 2003 -- Some 200 additional U-S military personnel will be moving ashore in Liberia soon. Not all will remain on the ground overnight but it is the biggest American force committed so far to the West African led peacekeeping effort in the war-torn country.
• LIBERIA / LOOTING VOA 13 Aug 2003 -- In the rebel-held seaport in Liberia's capital, Monrovia, thousands of people have gone on a looting spree, before Thursday's deadline for the rebels to hand over the port to West African peacekeepers. Stockpiles of food and fuel have been stolen.
• LIBERIA/HUMANITARIAN VOA 13 Aug 2003 -- International aid agencies are gearing up to launch a massive relief operation in Liberia, following the pledge by the main rebel group to vacate the main port in Monrovia. But elsewhere in Liberia, fighting continues between government forces and another rebel group.
• LIBERIA: Looting spree at port of Monrovia as rebels prepare to withdraw IRIN 13 Aug 2003 -- Rebel fighters joined thousands of hungry civilians on a looting spree in the port of Monrovia on Wednesday. They burst into warehouses and containers to carry off sacks of maize and wheat, one day before rebel forces were due to surrender the port and its fast dwindling food stocks to Nigerian peacekeepers.
• SOUTH AFRICA: Mbeki agrees to send troops to Liberia IRIN 13 Aug 2003 -- President Thabo Mbeki's decision to provide military support for peacekeeping operations in Liberia is seen as a reinforcement of South Africa's strategic role on the continent.
• Kenyan military unite with CJTF-HOA for peacekeeping operations Marine Corps News 13 Aug 2003-- Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa personnel instructed Kenyan Army and Air Force military during the Africa Contingency Operations Training and Assistance (ACOTA) program at Embakasi, a Kenyan airbase in Nairobi, from July 21 - Aug. 15.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Myers: U.S. Committed to Full Partnership With Colombia AFPS 13 Aug 2003 -- "The air of optimism here is palpable - you can really feel it," said Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers at a press conference here Aug. 12.
• Firebolt, Shamal to Swap Crews Navy Newsstand 13 Aug 2003-- It typically takes two months for a vessel setting sail from Norfolk, Va., to reach the Arabian Gulf and vice versa for its forward-deployed counterpart to return. Today, the Navy's coastal patrol community can do it in just ten days.
• Last Groton-Based Submarines Return Home After OIF Deployments, Combat Navy Newsstand 13 Aug 2003-- The Los Angeles-class, fast-attack submarines USS Providence (SSN 719) and USS Augusta (SSN 710) returned to Naval Submarine Base New London (SUBASE) this week to the waiting arms of family and friends.
• Next Generation AESA Radar Takes First Flight in a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet NAVAIR Release 13 Aug 2003-- The first flight of the integrated APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar was flown in a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet at NAVAIR China Lake, Calif. on Wednesday, July 30, 2003. The flight marked another milestone in the spiral development of the aircraft by commencing an extensive flight test program with the APG-79 installed. The new radar will make the F/A-18 an even more powerful precision strike platform providing revolutionary capability to the fleet.
• 3/12 puts steel on target despite heavy rains and marsh-like conditions... Success in the mess Marine Corps News 13 Aug 2003-- With the training in the mud and rain done, the Marines India Battery, 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, returned home and looked back at their accomplishments during their month of training at the Ojojihara Maneuvering Area, Japan.
• A day in the life of artillery... India battery gun line Marines do more than just point and shoot Marine Corps News 13 Aug 2003-- They sleep in the mud and rain for days on end. If they are lucky, they sleep in the hard confined back of a M23 7-ton vehicle. Instead of the normal routine of lifting weights at the gym they lift and move a 16,000 pound gub-several times in one day.
• Marines delayed not stopped by Typhoon Etau... CARAT returns home Marine Corps News 13 Aug 2003-- With nothing stopping them--not even Typhoon Etau, which packed winds of 113 knots--the nearly 450 Marines and Sailors of Landing Force Cooperation Afloat Readiness And Training returned here Friday after a two-month tour to four Southeast Asian countries.
• 22nd MEU Learns to Combat Shipboard Fires Marine Corps News 13 Aug 2003-- On a blistering hot day in July 1967 in the coastal waters of North Vietnam, crewmembers aboard the aircraft carrier USS FORRESTAL were preparing to launch a wave of attack and fighter aircraft against enemy targets in North Vietnam when tragedy reared its ugly head.
• Texas Guard deploys to serve ACC News 13 Aug 2003-- The job of providing services to the thousands of military members stationed at or passing through a base in the U.S. Central Command area of operation during the early months of 2003 fell to a team of airmen used to answering the call of duty.
• C-130, KC-135 make CONUS aeromedical evacuation debut AMC News 13 Aug 2003-- The C-130 Hercules and KC-135 Stratotanker made their debut as aeromedical evacuation aircraft for routine flights within the continental United States Aug. 7 when they transported 21 patients to California, Texas and Kentucky.

• Armitage Notes Critical, Global Role Played by Australia Washington File 13 Aug 2003 -- Australia is increasingly "a critical player on the world stage," says Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 13 Aug 2003
• Côte d'Ivoire peace shows promise; determination needed for road ahead - Annan UN News Centre 13 Aug 2003 -- The peace process in Côte d'Ivoire has made encouraging progress in the past six months, but according to the first report on the new United Nations mission in the country, the road to true stability is long and fraught with contradictions that must be resolved in order for the new Government to fully implement its promising work plan.
• DR of Congo: Security Council extends panel seeking to halt plunder of resources UN News Centre 13 Aug 2003 -- Striving to halt the continuing plunder of natural resources in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations Security Council today unanimously renewed the mandate of a special investigative panel and demanded that all States take immediate steps to end such illegal exploitation.
• SFOR conducts operation to detain person indicted for war crimes (PIFWC) NATO SFOR Press Release 13 Aug 2003 -- This afternoon SFOR conducted an operation intended to detain Ratko Mladic who is under indictment by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for war crimes.
• SWAZILAND BLOCKADE VOA 13 Aug 2003 -- Labor and political organizations from Swaziland and South Africa have begun a four-day blockade of Swaziland's borders to demand constitutional reform and increased democracy. The protests were timed to coincide with a major international meeting in Swaziland.
• LAOS / CONFLICT VOA 13 Aug 2003 -- The Laos government is denying reports that ethnic Hmong rebels have recently attacked two army camps. But diplomats in Laos say a series of bomb blasts and bus attacks in the tiny landlocked nation are linked to anti-government activity.
• SOLOMONS WARLORD VOA 13 Aug 2003 -- The main rebel leader in the violence-torn Solomon Islands has surrendered to Australian-led peacekeepers and is under arrest for robbery. Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said allegations of murder against Harold Keke would also be investigated.
• BURUNDI: Food distribution to CNDD-FDD rebels resumes IRIN 13 Aug 2003 -- Food distribution among Burundian fighters loyal to rebel leader Pierre Nkurunziza resumed on Wednesday after a six-month suspension, Army Spokesman Augustin Nzabampema told IRIN.
• EDITORIAL: PROGRESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST VOA 13 Aug 2003 -- At the end of the Second World War, the United States committed itself to help build a prosperous and democratic Europe. White House National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice says that the U.S and its allies have made a similar commitment to the Middle East
• ISRAEL PALESTINIANS VOA 13 Aug 2003 -- Israeli troops have destroyed the family home of the suicide bombers suspected of carrying out an attack in the Israeli town, Rosh Ha'Ayin, Tuesday.

News Reports

• SHAPE News Morning Update SHAPE 13 Aug 2003 -- Saudi official says key al Qaeda figures in Iran / FBI arrests British man in alleged plot to get shoulder-fired missiles / Kosovo declaration seen angering ethnic Albanians / Gunfire rattles Serbia's boundary with Kosovo / UN envoys near accord on Iraqi council resolution / Turkish leaders meet to discuss deployment of peacekeepers in Iraq / Germany to further explore whether to deploy peacekeepers outside Kabul
• SHAPE News Summary & Analysis SHAPE 13 Aug 2003 -- More comments on NATO's takeover of ISAF / NATO source: Russia offers firefighting planes to Portugal

• ZAMBIA / IMPEACHMENT VOA 13 Aug 2003 -- Zambia's parliament has voted against impeaching President Levy Mwanawasa. The impeachment motion was tabled (Wednesday).
• ARGENTINA / AMNESTY VOA 13 Aug 2003 -- One body of Argentina's Congress has voted to stop legal protections for members of the former military regime accused of human rights abuses. Efforts continue to remove the amnesty laws.
• Serbia: Defense Minister Says Conflict Escalating In South RFE/RL 13 Aug 2003 -- The defense minister of Serbia and Montenegro is warning that violence is rising between Serbs and ethnic Albanians in and around Kosovo.
• THIRD TRIPARTITE COMMISSION MEETS AT BAGRAM CENTCOM Release 13 Aug 2003-- The Tripartite Commission, composed of senior diplomatic and military representatives of Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States held its third meeting at Coalition Headquarters at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, today to discuss mutual concerns.
• ORBITAL'S PEGASUS ROCKET SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES NASA/CANADIAN SPACE AGENCY SCIENTIFIC SATELLITE Orbital Sciences Corp. 13 Aug 2003 -- Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) announced today that its Pegasus® space launch vehicle successfully launched the Scientific Satellite (SCISAT-1) Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) spacecraft for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Canadian Space Agency.