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Military


18 November 2003 Military News

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

  • OIF/OEF Casualty Update AS OF: Nov. 18, 2003, 10 a.m. OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM U.S. CASUALTY STATUS
  • Transcript: Army Maj. Gen. Swannack Jr., Live Video Tele-conference from Baghdad 18 Nov 2003 -- "we extend all the way from south of Baghdad, in towns like Iskandariyah and Mahmudiya (sp), directly to the south, all the way out 530 kilometers to the borders with Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. And this battle space is about 410 kilometers north to south, or it's about the size of the state of Wyoming. Has some chief towns associated with it, most closest, and probably some that you want to ask me some questions about -- Fallujah, then it goes to Habbaniya, generally tracing the Euphrates River to the west, and then Ar Ramadi, and then up towards Husaybah, which is on the Syrian border. Matter of fact, it's a very important border port of entry. Down to the south, 850 kilometers of border with the three countries. Farthest south is the border crossing port called Tanif (sp) in southern Syria, then Tribil (sp) at Jordan, and then RR, that we've just started occupying on the Saudi Arabian border."
  • Increased Military Offensive Weeding Out Iraqi Regime Loyalists Washington File 18 Nov 2003 -- Coalition forces have increased offensive operations in order to defeat anti-coalition elements in Iraq and further the restoration of essential services, economic activity and democratic governance for the citizens of Iraq, says Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, deputy director for operations at the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA).
  • 82D AIRBORNE DIVISION CONTINUES CRACK DOWN ON INSURGENTS CENTCOM Release 18 Nov 2003-- 82d Airborne Division, also known as Task Force "All American," conducted operations in order to stop violence and acts of insurgents who oppose the transition of Iraq to a free and democratic state.
  • 101st AIRBORNE DIVISION DISCOVERS WEAPONS CACHES CENTCOM Release 18 Nov 2003-- Two weapons caches were discovered by the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) during an aerial reconnaissance of an area two kilometers west of the Qayyarah West Airfield on Nov. 17.
  • 101ST ROUNDS UP EIGHT SUSPECTS, WEAPONS DURING SEARCHES CENTCOM Release 18 Nov 2003-- The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) apprehended and detained eight Iraqis during four cordon and knock searches on Nov. 17 in northern Iraq.
  • Transcript: Coalition Provisional Authority Briefing 18 Nov 2003 -- Participating was Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, Deputy Director Operations and Dan Senor, Senior Advisor to Coalition Provisional Authority
  • Supplemental Bill to Improve Quality of Life for Troops in Iraq AFPS 18 Nov 2003 -- Part of the $87.5 billion supplemental appropriations bill for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan signed earlier this month by President Bush will go toward improving quality of life for troops there.
  • Security Situation in Al Anbar Province Improving, Says 82nd Airborne Commander AFPS 18 Nov 2003 -- Attacks against coalition forces in the Al Anbar province have decreased in the past weeks, 82nd Airborne Division Commander Maj. Gen. Charles H. Swannack Jr., said in an interview from Baghdad, Iraq, today.
  • Raids Net 99 Suspects as Coalition Roots Out Insurgents AFPS 18 Nov 2003 -- Coalition forces in Iraq captured 99 anti-coalition suspects in 25 raids, and the 4th Infantry Division conducted 36 attacks against anti-coalition targets, a U.S. military official told reporters in Baghdad Nov. 17.
  • IRAQ / SECURITY VOA 18 Nov 2003 -- A U-S military commander in Iraq says his troops may soon pull back from the restive town of Ramadi, in the so-called Sunni triangle, and turn security responsibilities over to the Iraqi police.

  • New Afghan Constitution, Elections Will Realize Bonn Agreement Washington File 18 Nov 2003 -- With the expected ratification of a new constitution in December and national elections planned for the first half of 2004, Afghanistan is on the verge of realizing the political goals laid out in the 2001 Bonn Agreement, said Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah.
  • UN refugee agency to withdraw 30 staff from Afghan border area after killing UN News Centre 18 Nov 2003 -- The United Nations refugee agency announced today that it was temporarily suspending assistance to Afghan returnees from Pakistan, withdrawing 30 international staff from the border area and closing reception centres in four provinces following the weekend killing of a staff member.
  • Afghanistan: UN Refugee Agency Partially Suspends Operations After Attacks RFE/RL 18 Nov 2003 -- The UN refugee agency says it is withdrawing its international staff from parts of Afghanistan amid a series of recent attacks that have targeted UN workers and buildings. The decision follows the killing on 16 November of a French UN aid worker by suspected Taliban supporters.
  • AFGHANISTAN/U-N VOA 18 Nov 2003 -- United Nations officials are reviewing the security situation in southern and southeastern Afghanistan, where Sunday's killing of a French aid worker has forced the world body to suspend relief operations. The United Nations also has suspended its programs in Pakistan to repatriate Afghan refugees.

Defense Policy / Programs

  • U.S. Sailors, Marines Exercise with Cameroon Military Navy Newsstand 18 Nov 2003-- U.S. Sailors and Marines on board High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2) completed the second phase of West African Training Cruise 2004 (WATC 04) here Nov. 14, after a day of challenging joint at-sea rescue and amphibious exercises with members of the Cameroon Naval Infantry.
  • DoD Releases Selected Acquisition Reports 18 Nov 2003 -- The Department of Defense has released details on major defense acquisition program cost and schedule changes since the June 2003 reporting period. This information is based on the Selected Acquisition Reports (SARs) can be viewed at submitted to the Congress for the Sept. 30, 2003, reporting period.
  • 2nd Assault Amphibian Bn. Marines conduct ship-to-shore operations Marine Corps News 18 Nov 2003-- "Hatches closed, hatches closed," echoed over the radio as Pfc. Adam R. Tate, crew chief, Company A, 3rd Platoon, 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, pulled the door closed that separated him from the rest of the world.
  • Expeditionary Medical Unit Increases Capabilities Navy Newsstand 18 Nov 2003-- The Navy's first Expeditionary Medical Unit (EMU), along with the Forward Resuscitative Surgical System (FRSS), tested their abilities to handle casualties in a forward deployed environment during an exercise held here Oct. 29.

  • Transcript: Secretary Rumsfeld Osan Korea Town Hall Meeting 18 Nov 2003
  • Rumsfeld Reassures South Koreans on Reorganization Efforts AFPS 18 Nov 2003 -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld reassured South Korean leaders that any changes in the U.S. posture in the country will do nothing to detract from the United States' commitment to defend Korea.
  • North Korean Military 'Very Credible Conventional Force' AFPS 18 Nov 2003 -- With 1.2 million people under arms, the North Korean military is "a very credible conventional force," the U.S. general in charge of defending against that force said.
  • U.S. to Reorganize Forces in Korea Around Two Hubs in South AFPS 18 Nov 2003 -- American military forces in South Korea need to transform to defend against changing threats in today's world, the general in charge of U.S. and combined forces in that country said.
  • U.S.: Rumsfeld Ends South Korean Visit Amid Questions About Military Presence RFE/RL 18 Nov 2003 -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld completed his visit to South Korea today, saying the country must learn to become more "self-reliant." The United States had previously denied that its plan to pull U.S. forces out of the South Korean capital, Seoul, presaged a cutback in the total number of U.S. forces in the country. But Rumsfeld's latest comments are now fueling speculation that Washington may be planning to reduce its presence on the peninsula.
  • RUMSFELD ASIA DMZ VOA 18 Nov 2003 -- A day after discussions about possibly shifting U-S forces in South Korea and Seoul's dispatch of more troops to Iraq, top U-S defense officials inspected U-S and South Korean troops.

  • Rumsfeld Says Cooperation by Many Needed to Fight Proliferation Washington File 18 Nov 2003 -- The combined cooperative efforts of international organizations are the only way to combat the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, says Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

  • CHINA-TIBET VOA 18 Nov 2003 -- China recently conducted military exercises in Tibet, in what officials say was an anti-terrorist drill. A Chinese official say the exercises were meant to keep forces ready for a crackdown on what he called separatists allied with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

  • EU: Brussels To Set Up Defense Agency RFE/RL 18 Nov 2003 -- The European Union yesterday took an important step toward consolidating its evolving security policy, approving a joint defense agency for capabilities development, research, and armaments. Although less controversial than some other EU defense plans, it appears that much will depend on what becomes of the new agency's currently vague mandate.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

  • DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICES OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL AND THE SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT United Nations 18 Nov 2003

  • U.N. Calls AIDS Awareness Important Part of Military Training Washington File 18 Nov 2003 -- The U.N. Security Council November 17 reviewed efforts being made to ensure that U.N. peacekeepers and civilian police are vigilant in working to stop the pandemic of HIV/AIDS as required by Security Council resolution 1308, adopted in 2000.

  • DRC: ICRC completes round of aid to war-weary Ikela IRIN 18 Nov 2003 -- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported on Monday that it had completed the delivery of a round of aid to some 25,000 people in the eastern part of Ikela, in Equateur Province, northwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  • DRC: Foreign rebel fighters prepare for repatriation IRIN 18 Nov 2003 -- Hundreds of foreign rebels and their families in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are being processed for voluntary repatriation, Vital Kamerhe, the government spokesman, told reporters on Monday.

  • ISRAEL / PALESTINIANS VOA 18 Nov 2003 -- Two Israelis have been shot and killed by a suspected Palestinian gunmen in an incident on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Eight Palestinians have been wounded in Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip.
  • ISRAEL PALESTINIANS VOA 18 Nov 2003 -- Two Israelis have been shot and killed by suspected Palestinian gunmen in an incident on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

  • IVORY COAST / REBELS VOA 18 Nov 2003 -- West African mediators for Ivory Coast are trying to convince rebels to rejoin a power-sharing government as threats for renewed war increase. The moves comes after rebels declared a state of emergency in the territory under their control.
  • COTE D'IVOIRE: Rebel fighters display heavy weapons in Bouake IRIN 18 Nov 2003 -- Cote d'Ivoire's rebels rolled out a massive display of heavy weapons in Bouake, 379 km north of the commercial capital, Abidjan on Tuesday, hours after declaring a state of emergency in areas under their control. They said their actions were in response to government preparations to launch attacks on their positions.

  • UN / ARMS EMBARGO VOA 18 Nov 2003 -- A U-N committee overseeing the arms embargo imposed on Somalia 11-years ago, says the embargo must be respected if the country's peace process is to be successful.
  • SOMALIA: Security Council extends mandate of political office IRIN 18 Nov 2003 -- The UN Security Council has agreed to extend the mandate of the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) up to 2005.

  • Annan's special representative in Algeria for talks on Western Sahara UN News Centre 18 Nov 2003 -- The Special Representative of Secretary-General Kofi Annan for Western Sahara, Alvaro de Soto, is holding talks today in Algeria as he continues his initial tour of the region, according to a United Nations spokesman.
  • Nine killed in gunbattle in India`s Tripura IRNA 18 Nov 2003 -- At least seven militants were killed and two more, including a woman rebel and a federal soldier, critically injured in separate gun battles in India`s troubled northeast, officials said on Tuesday.
  • SRI LANKA TALKS VOA 18 Nov 2003 -- Sri Lanka's feuding prime minister and president appointed a special committee to help resolve the political crisis that erupted earlier this month. But there are no firm plans yet to resume peace talks with Tamil rebels.
  • TURKEY / KURDS VOA 18 Nov 2003 -- Turkish police have stormed Istanbul's main courthouse to end a half-hour seige by Kurdish-rebel sympathizers who held three judges hostage. No one was injured, the hostages were freed, and police arrested more than 20 people.
  • ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: Boundary Commission due to meet IRIN 18 Nov 2003 -- An independent commission set up to resolve the border dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea is expected to hold key talks in London on Wednesday over the stalled demarcation.
  • UGANDA: Rebels kill 12 in Lira district IRIN 18 Nov 2003 -- Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels bludgeoned to death 12 people in the northern Lira district on Tuesday, including nine abducted children they were moving with in the area, army sources said.
  • RWANDA: Kagame welcomes return of Hutu rebel IRIN 18 Nov 2003 -- The return on Saturday of Rwandan Hutu rebels from the Democratic Republic of the Congo would help speed up the repatriation of more rebels remaining in the jungles of the vast central African nation, Rwandan President Paul Kagame said on Tuesday.

News Reports

  • SHAPE News Morning Update SHAPE 18 Nov 2003 -- UN under U.S., Iraqi pressure to play important role in power transfer / Britain sees no quick expansion of NATO role in Iraq / EU to set up defence agency, divided on military HQ / UN suspending operations in southern and eastern Afghanistan / Russian prime minister in Finland, NATO membership debate heats up / Turkish connection to al-Qaida probed
  • SHAPE News Summary & Analysis SHAPE 18 Nov 2003 -- UN refugee agency withdraws foreign staff from southern and eastern Afghanistan / Several European states ready to help train 25,000 Iraqi police / Britain willing to lead EU force in Bosnia

  • BORDERS: KOREAS/DMZ/A DESTINATION VOA 18 Nov 2003 -- The Demilitarized Zone that divides North and South Korea is the world's most heavily fortified border, with almost two-million troops ready to wage war at a moment's notice. But the D-M-Z, as it is known, also attracts foreign tourists visiting Seoul, as well as wildlife enthusiasts who come to do research in what has become a lush sanctuary for endangered species.
  • U-S / GERMANY VOA 18 Nov 2003 -- The United States and Germany have had strong disagreements over the U-S-led war against Iraq, but their friendship stretches back decades. Some of the deepest links were forged by the hundreds of thousands of American soldiers and their families, who lived and worked at U-S military bases on German soil. Significant reductions in American troop strength in Germany have already occurred, and they are expected to continue.
  • PRESS BRIEFING ON 2004 HUMANITARIAN APPEAL United Nations 18 Nov 2003
  • DJIBOUTI: Feature – The Horn’s bright new hope IRIN 18 Nov 2003 -- Nestling between foes Eritrea and Ethiopia, with strife-torn Somalia at its tip, the tiny Red Sea state of Djibouti appears set to take off in a big way.



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