• 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

• With arrival of Spanish, 3/5 Marines head home Marine Corps News 28 Aug 2003-- One of the most welcome sights to Marines and soldiers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines Regiment was a military convoy full of soldiers.
• Ukrainians replace Marines in Al Kut Marine Corps News 28 Aug 2003-- The Ukrainian Army officially took over for 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment as the military authority in Wasit province, Iraq on Aug. 26.
• 'Little Beige Book' Aids Communication in Iraq AFPS 28 Aug 2003 -- Because he finds it difficult to communicate with the Iraqis, Army Command Sgt. Maj. Bob Szakal holds on to a little beige book a friend from civil affairs gave him.
• Sabotage Still Hampers Infrastructure Progress in Iraq AFPS 28 Aug 2003 -- Sabotage continues to hurt efforts to improve Iraq's infrastructure, but coalition forces are working to secure oil and electric lines so progress can be made, said Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez from his headquarters in Baghdad, today.
• Italians, Dutch Provide Air Base Security AFPS 28 Aug 2003 -- Troops from the 28 countries that have committed forces to support the international coalition in Iraq have begun assuming more and more duties. Dutch and Italian forces are working together to provide internal airfield security at this air base in southern Iraq.
• Iraq: U.S. Commander Says Better Intelligence Needed, Not More Troops RFE/RL 28 Aug 2003 -- The commander of U.S. ground forces in Iraq, Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, said today that there is no need for more U.S. troops to be deployed in Iraq.
• IRAQ / VIOLENCE VOA 28 Aug 2003 -- Military authorities in Iraq say a British soldier has been killed and another wounded in the southern city of Basra.
• SOLDIER DIES OF NON-COMBAT CAUSES CENTCOM 28 Aug 2003-- A U.S. soldier with the 304th Civil Affairs Brigade died of undetermined causes at approximately 11 a.m. on Aug. 27 at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.
• Iraq: British Soldier Killed In South RFE/RL 28 Aug 2003 -- The British military says a British soldier was killed in southern Iraq today.
• IRAQ/BRIT KILLED VOA 28 Aug 2003 -- Military authorities in Iraq confirmed Thursday morning that one British soldier was killed and another injured during the night, in the southern part of the country.
• Airmen keep Bagram protected AFPN 28 Aug 2003-- Firemen always have had a lot of responsibility resting on their shoulders, from the proverbial rescue of a kitten stuck in a tree to selflessly entering towering infernos to rescue those inside.
• Contractor to control air traffic at Bagram AFPN 28 Aug 2003-- The base here is scheduled to be the first of four supporting Operation Enduring Freedom to replace Air Force air traffic controllers and airfield managers with contracted civilians. The transition is expected by the end of September.
• AFGHAN CONSTITUTION VOA 28 Aug 2003 -- A senior Afghan official says the adoption of his country's new constitution must be delayed for at least two months, in order to allow time to draft a document acceptable to all Afghans.
• UN Children's Fund opens Afghan workshop on former child soldiers UN News Centre 28 Aug 2003 -- The top United Nations envoy in Afghanistan today opened a workshop organized by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) on the demobilization and reintegration of former child soldiers in the war-torn country.
• AFGHANISTAN/FIGHTING VOA 28 Aug 2003 -- Coalition forces are intensifying their fight against Taleban remnants and other militants in southeastern Afghanistan. Some of the local support for the militants may be tied to ethnic issues.
• RFE/RL Afghanistan Report, Vol 2, Number 31 28 Aug 2003 -- REFUGEES RETURN HOME FROM IRAN / AFGHAN FARMERS SAY WHEAT SUBSIDIES ARE HURTING THEM / UP TO NINE REPORTEDLY KILLED IN CLASH WITH NEO-TALIBAN IN AFGHANISTAN / NEO-TALIBAN REPORTEDLY ASSEMBLING IN KANDAHAR, ZABUL PROVINCES / U.S., AFGHAN FORCES LAUNCH OFFENSIVE AGAINST NEO-TALIBAN... / ...AS MOP-UP OPERATIONS CONTINUE... / ...AND NEO-TALIBAN REMAIN DEFIANT, CITE MUCH LOWER CASUALTY FIGURES / DOZENS OF SUSPECTED TALIBAN REGIME SUPPORTERS ARRESTED / SECURITY COMMANDER FOR AN AFGHAN DISTRICT REPORTEDLY KILLED / SEVEN KILLED IN ORUZGAN PROVINCE... / ...AND THREE IN BADAKHSHAN / U.S. SOLIDER DIES IN PAKTIKA PROVINCE / JALALABAD AIRPORT SURVIVES ROCKET ATTACK UNSCATHED / PAKISTANI FOREIGN MINISTER ATTEMPTS TO CLEAR UP DIFFERENCES WITH AFGHANISTAN... / ...EXPRESSES SUPPORT FOR KARZAI... / ...AND REJECTS CLAIMS THAT PAKISTAN HAS VIOLATED AFGHAN TERRITORY... / ...WINS THE RELEASE OF PAKISTANI PRISONERS... / ...AS AFGHANS REPORTEDLY FIRE ARTILLERY AT PAKISTANI CHECKPOINT / ZABUL GOVERNOR BLAMES PAKISTAN FOR ALLOWING AND ENCOURAGING ATTACKS... / ...WHICH PAKISTAN DENIES / PAKISTAN SAYS U.S. INVITED IT TO MOHMAND AREAS / FORMER ZABUL GOVERNOR ASSUMES NEW POST / EIGHT TROUBLESOME COMMANDERS DISARM IN BALKH / GERMANY MIGHT LEAD PRT IN KONDUZ... / ...ONLY IF IT'S WITH UN MANDATE / ATHEISTIC PARTIES TO BE BANNED UNDER NEW AFGHAN LAW... / ...AS NEW POLITICAL PARTY IS BANNED FOR CONNECTIONS WITH FORMER COMMUNIST PARTY... / ...BUT THE DOOR IS LEFT OPEN FOR THE TALIBAN TO REJOIN POLITICAL LIFE / FORMER AFGHAN PRESIDENT WANTS GREATER PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN CONSTITUTION-MAKING PROCESS / THIS WEEK IN AFGHANISTAN'S HISTORY
• AFGHANISTAN: Interview with finance minister IRIN 28 Aug 2003 -- One of the major challenges facing the fledgling Afghan government is the collection of taxes and revenues from the provinces, which are still largely dominated by powerful warlords and local commanders. In an interview with IRIN, Dr Ashraf Ghani, the Afghan finance minister, said the government's ability generate revenue from the provinces was gradually improving and that its target of raising income of US $200 million this financial year was realisable.
• LIBERIA/HUMANITARIAN VOA 28 Aug 2003 -- Thousands of starving Liberians living in the countryside are on the move toward the capital, Monrovia, bringing with them reports of continued fighting.
• LIBERIA: Interim President vows to hand over office on 14 October IRIN 28 Aug 2003 -- Moses Blah, Liberia's interim president, vowed on Thursday to hand over power in October to new leaders elected at peace talks in the Ghanaian capital Accra, after serving as head of state for just two months.
• LIBERIA: Klein urges relief agencies to operate cross border IRIN 28 Aug 2003 -- Jacques Klein, the UN special envoy to Liberia urged relief organisations in neighbouring Cote d'Ivoire on Thursday to begin cross-border relief operations into rebel-held areas of southern and eastern Liberia.
• LIBERIA: Uncontrolled gunmen could torpedo fragile peace process IRIN 28 Aug 2003 -- The flare-up in fighting between Liberian government fighters and rebels in several parts of the war-ravaged West African nation this week, underscores the extreme fragility of Liberia’s peace process.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Special ops aviation unit traverses Bermuda Triangle en route to new home Army News Service 28 Aug 2003-- Under the eerie green glow of night-vision goggles, three special operations aircrews took to the Puerto Rican skies early, leaving behind a tropical paradise and a five-year legacy of successful operations in Central and South America.
• 'Knowledge warriors' assess network-centric needs at Army symposium Army News Service 28 Aug 2003-- The term "network-centric, knowledge-based force" may not seem a natural fit with a soldier's warfighting tool kit of heat rounds, automatic weapons, grenade launchers and Apache helicopter gun ships.
• Boats that 'fly' Marine Corps News 28 Aug 2003-- The sand explodes from the beach as monstrous crafts, flying 6 feet above the water as seagoing transport vessels, almost effortlessly transform into shore-side ships.
• Khaan Quest '03 kicks off Marine Corps News 28 Aug 2003-- Marines deployed to Mongolia, for the first time in the history of the Marine Corps, August 18 in support of Khaan Quest '03.
• Division staff gives MEF a boost for UFL Marine Corps News 28 Aug 2003-- More than 400 Marines and Sailors from 3rd Marine Division geared up for two weeks of training in the Central Training Area for exercise to support exercise Ulchi Focus Lens 2003.
• Air Force office studies aging aircraft AFPN 28 Aug 2003-- The Air Force has created an office within the installations and logistics directorate to assess the future of its aging aircraft fleet.
• DoD Launches Quantum Leap-1 28 Aug 2003 -- John Stenbit, assistant secretary of defense for networks and information integration and chief information officer of the Department of Defense, announced today the successful completion of Quantum Leap I. The exercise demonstrated a concept of net-centric operations called "horizontal fusion " -- the ability to integrate data from several sources for rapid and effective decision-making.
• U.S. Troops, Aircraft a Hit at Moscow Air Show AFPS 28 Aug 2003 -- The KC-135 boom operator from the Royal Air Force base at Mildenhall, England, was part of a team of about 100 people representing the U.S. military at the 6th Moscow Aviation and Space Show here Aug. 19-24. The show marked the first time American aircraft have been on public display on Russian soil.
• Military Recruiting, Retention Picture Looks Good AFPS 28 Aug 2003 -- Despite predictions to the contrary, Americans are continuing to volunteer for the military, and those already in service are re- enlisting at a vigorous rate.
• Aviano Scorpions participate in 14-nation deployment USAFE 28 Aug 2003-- The 603rd Air Control Squadron here is preparing to deploy to the 2003 NATO Air Meet at Kzresiny Air Base, near Poznan, Poland.
• U.S. Air Force, NATO participate in air exercise over Poland USAFE 28 Aug 2003-- The NATO live-flying exercise, NATO AIR MEET 2003, takes place Sept. 5-19 at Poznan Air Base and Powidz Air Base, Poland.
• Rice Says Security Lies in Spread of Democratic Values Washington File 28 Aug 2003 -- The foreign policy goal of the United States and its allies should be the spread of democratic values around the globe, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice told German ZDF German Television in an interview July 31.

Defense Industry

• NITEworks MOD/Industry Partnership Launched For Testing Networked Warfare BAE Systems 28 Aug 2003 -- BAE Systems welcomed Lord Bach, Minister for Defence Procurement to Farnborough today to officially launch NITEworks a joint MoD/Industry partnership for exploring networked warfare.
• Boeing Selected for Small Diameter Bomb Contract Boeing 28 Aug 2003 -- The U.S. Air Force has selected Boeing [NYSE: BA] for a contract worth approximately $188 million for the continued development and production of the Small Diameter Bomb (SDB). Upon completion of design and development, the program is estimated to generate $2.5 billion in sales to the USAF.
• Army, Boeing-SAIC LSI Team Complete Core Future Combat Systems Team Boeing 28 Aug 2003 -- The U.S. Army and its Lead System Integrator (LSI) team of Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) today completed a precedent-setting process designed to bring the "best of industry" to the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program.
• Gulfstream Awarded Contract Worth up $473 Million by Israel’s Ministry of Defense General Dynamics 28 Aug 2003 -- Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE:GD), has been awarded a contract with a potential value of up to $473 million. Gulfstream will supply and provide support for four Gulfstream G550 business jet aircraft, with an option for two additional G550 aircraft, to the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
• Northrop Grumman Team to Compete for MDA Targets and Countermeasures Program Northrop Grumman 28 Aug 2003 -- A Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) team has submitted its proposal to compete for the Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) Targets and Countermeasures prime integration program, valued at more than $1 billion during the initial four-year period of performance.
• Lockheed Martin Conducts Successful GMLRS Test Firings At White Sands Missile Range Lockheed Martin 28 Aug 2003 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] recently conducted a successful test of its transformational Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) at White Sands Missile Range, NM. Two three-round ripples (six total rounds) of GMLRS rockets were fired from an MLRS M270A1 launcher, marking the first time the Guided rocket has been fired from this launcher.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 28 Aug 2003
• Security Council caps month with debate on support for UN peacekeeping UN News Centre 29 Aug 2003 -- Wrapping up their work for August in the shadow of last week's deadly attack on United Nations headquarters in Iraq, members of the Security Council today focused on ways of providing better support for UN peacekeeping operations in various parts of the world.

• INDIA/KASHMIR UPDATE VOA 28 Aug 2003 -- In Indian Kashmir, at least four people have been killed in a standoff between security forces and suspected Islamic militants. The violence drew a warning from India's deputy prime minister that such attacks could affect a fragile peace process with Pakistan.
• INDIA/KASHMIR VOA 28 Aug 2003 -- In Indian Kashmir, at least four people have been killed in a standoff between security forces and suspected Islamic militants. The violence erupted as Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee held a high-profile meeting in Kashmir's summer capital, Srinagar.
• GAZA / MISSILE STRIKE VOA 28 Aug 2003 -- A missile fired by an Israeli helicopter gunship has killed a Hamas activist in the Gaza Strip. The raid came just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered his defense forces to take "all necessary steps" against Palestinian militants following a Hamas rocket attack against an Israeli city.
• PALESTINIANS/FUNDS VOA 28 Aug 2003 -- Officials of several Islamic charities in the Gaza Strip say they have had at least 39 of their bank accounts frozen by the Palestinian Authority, as part of reported efforts to crack down on Palestinian militant groups.
• NEPAL/REBELS VOA 28 Aug 2003 -- Maoist rebels in Nepal are suspected of having killed one senior military officer and seriously wounding another in separate attacks in the capital, Kathmandu. Wednesday, the rebels said they were ending a seven-month truce and breaking off peace talks with the government.
• IVORY COAST/PLOT REACTION VOA 28 Aug 2003 -- Ivory Coast's former prime minister has accused his successor of plotting to assassinate President Laurent Gbagbo. The accusations follow the arrest in France of 10 people on suspicion they planned to destabilize Ivory Coast.
• Security Council splits prosecutor's job of two UN war crimes tribunals UN News Centre 28 Aug 2003 -- A separate prosecutor's post was created today for the United Nations war crimes tribunal for Rwanda after the Security Council decided to split the prosecutorial duties of the two UN courts trying cases stemming from the 1994 Rwanda genocide and the Balkan wars of the 1990s, with Secretary-General Kofi Annan nominating a Gambian jurist to the new position.
• BURUNDI: Three years since Arusha, peace remains elusive IRIN 28 Aug 2003 -- Burundi celebrated on Thursday the third anniversary of the Arusha accord for peace and reconciliation, but analysts say the agreement has not yet met the expectations of the country's people.

News Reports

• SHAPE News Summary & Analysis SHAPE 28 Aug 2003 -- U.S. holds back to commitment on NATO force / Germany reportedly talking to NATO allies on expanded role for ISAF / UN-mandated force studied with an American in command / SFOR says operation at Karadzic family homes "successful"
• IRAN/ARGENTINA VOA 28 Aug 2003 -- The former Iranian ambassador to Argentina is to appear Friday in a London court in connection with the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires. The arrest has sparked an intense war of words between officials in Buenos Aires, London, and Tehran. But some people question whether the arrest will advance the nine-year investigation.
• ZIMBABWE / FUEL VOA 28 Aug 2003 -- The Zimbabwe government has announced a dual pricing system for petroleum products, allowing gasoline prices to triple. This is the latest in a series of steps by President Robert Mugabe's government to end the country's worsening fuel shortages.
• U.K.: Arrest Of Iranian Ex-Diplomat Threatens London-Tehran Ties RFE/RL 28 Aug 2003 -- Last week's arrest in Britain of Iran's former ambassador to Argentina has resulted in an international row. Argentina wants him extradited in connection with a 1994 bomb attack on a Jewish center in Buenos Aires. Iran, meanwhile, is demanding his release.
• Central Asia: Dike Project Created To Save Kazakh Part Of The Aral Sea RFE/RL 28 Aug 2003 -- After decades of concern over the drying up of the Aral Sea, one of the world's greatest environmental disasters, a dike is being built to save at least a portion of the sea.
• Serbia and Montenegro: Belgrade's Parliament Approves Declaration On Kosovo RFE/RL 28 Aug 2003 -- The Serbian parliament yesterday passed a declaration calling Kosovo an indivisible part of the republic, despite the province's international administration. The declaration comes ahead of talks between Belgrade and Pristina expected next month. But analysts say the move is aimed more at scoring political points at home than at laying out a strategy ahead of the talks.
• Serbia: Belgrade Declares Kosovo 'Indivisible' Part Of Country RFE/RL 28 Aug 2003 -- The Serbian parliament today unanimously adopted a declaration stating that Kosovo is an "indivisible" part of Serbia.
• RWANDA: Polls a new step forward, but EU notes irregularities IRIN 28 Aug 2003 -- Rwanda's first post-genocide presidential election, though peaceful, was marred by numerous irregularities, the EU Observer Mission in Rwanda reported on Wednesday.
• COTE D'IVOIRE: Police general arrested in connection with coup plot IRIN 28 Aug 2003 -- A top ranking policeman and several military officers are among a group of about 30 people arrested in Cote d'Ivoire over the past few days following the discovery of an alleged plot to assassinate President Laurent Gbagbo, military sources said.
• CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Bangui requests revival of joint border security body IRIN 29 Aug 2003 -- The government of the Central African Republic (CAR) has asked neighbouring Sudan to revive their joint border security commission to stem local tension between populations on both sides of the frontier, state-owned radio reported.