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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 25 Feb 2004 [PDF]

• Transcript: Coalition Provisional Authority Briefing 25 Feb 2004 -- Senior Advisor to the CPA, Daniel Senor and Deputy Director for Coalition Operations Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt
• Terrorist Bomb Suspect Killed by Coalition Forces Washington File 25 Feb 2004 -- Coalition forces have killed an explosives expert believed to be a top aide to Abu Musaab al-Zarqawi, the Islamic militant suspected of orchestrating the August bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Iraq, U.S. officials of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) said February 24.
• Coalition Gives Details on Terrorist's Death, Updates Ops AFPS 25 Feb 2004 -- Coalition officials this morning gave more details about the death of Abu Mohammed Hamza, a terrorist bomb expert for al Qaeda ally Abu Musab Zarkawi.
• Iraq: 2 Killed in US Helicopter Crash VOA News 25 Feb 2004 -- A U.S. military helicopter has crashed in a river in western Iraq, killing two people on board.
• TF 1AD CAPTURES THREE SUSPECTED ILLEGAL WEAPONS DEALERS CENTCOM Release 25 Feb 2004-- Task Force 1st Armored Division soldiers from the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment conducted two cordon-and-search operations, capturing three suspected insurgents and several illegal weapons Feb. 20.
• 4ID's 2nd BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM CAPTURES ANTI-COALITION FORCE LEADER CENTCOM Release 25 Feb 2004-- Soldiers from 4th Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team captured Khathan Al Anber, an individual believed to be a leader of anti-coalition forces and a major source of funds for the remnants of the Fedayeen.

• COMBINED FORCES COMMAND AFGHANISTAN CENTCOM Release 25 Feb 2004-- In Kandahar, 10 additional voter registration sites are projected to open within the next 30 days.
• South Asia: Pakistan Clamps Down On Al-Qaeda, Taliban Suspects As Reports Fly Over Bin Laden's Whereabouts RFE/RL 25 Feb 2004 -- Pakistani troops have arrested some 20 suspects in an operation aimed at tracking down Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters believed to be hiding in remote tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan. This latest offensive comes amid heightened speculation that U.S.-led forces are closing in on Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
• US Blames Lone Gunman for Downing of Civilian Helicopter in Afghanistan Sunday VOA News 25 Feb 2004 -- The U.S. military in Afghanistan says that Sunday's downing of a civilian helicopter was the work of a single gunman.
• Pakistan Arrests 20 Suspects in Hunt for Al-Qaida Members VOA News 25 Feb 2004 -- Pakistan has arrested at least 20 suspects as it wrapped up a new operation to flush out suspected foreign terrorists in its semi-autonomous tribal area. The operation may provide important leads in the hunt for members of the al-Qaida terror network.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Rumsfeld Visits Kazakhstan for Talks on Strengthening Relationship AFPS 25 Feb 2004 -- Had Saddam Hussein followed Kazakhstan's example, the war in Iraq never would have been fought, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today.
• Kazakhstan: Rumsfeld's Visit Underlines Growing Military Cooperation RFE/RL 25 Feb 2004 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived today in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, following a visit to neighboring Uzbekistan.

• Vice testifies on Army's response to sexual assault reports Army News Service 25 Feb 2004-- Vice Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey Jr. assured members of a Senate Armed Forces subcommittee that the Army is committed to a zero tolerance policy of sexual violence within its ranks.
• Norfolk Ships Participate in Multi-Battle Group In Port Exercise Navy Newsstand 25 Feb 2004-- The Norfolk-based USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) Carrier Strike Group joined the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) and USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) strike groups in a Multi-Battle Group In Port Exercise (MBGIE) Feb. 23 to 27.
• USS Bataan Offloads Marines in Support of OIF Navy Newsstand 25 Feb 2004-- The multi-purpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) offloaded Marines, their equipment and ammunition into Kuwait Feb. 20-22 for their scheduled seven-month tour of duty in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
• Enterprise Carrier Strike Group to Return from Deployment Navy Newsstand 25 Feb 2004-- The lead ship in the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group (CSG), USS Enterprise (CVN 65), will return to its homeport of Norfolk, Va., Feb. 29.

• State Department Briefing, February 25, 2004 Washington File 25 Feb 2004 -- Morocco, Haiti, Iran, Middle East, Libya, Cyprus, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Iraq, Greece, Israel/Palestinians, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Sweden
• White House Daily Briefing, February 25, 2004 Washington File 25 Feb 2004 -- Haiti, Chairman Greenspan/Social Security, Constitutional amendment/gay marriage, North Korea, meeting with congressional leaders, presidential travel, Supreme Court ruling, Libya

• Pakistan, Russia set to boost defense ties IRNA 25 Feb 2004 -- Pakistan said on Wednesday it is set to reinvigorate relations with Russia and expand bilateral relations in all fields particularly defense and communications.
• US, S.Korea engage in joint military exercise PLA Daily 25 Feb 2004 -- Thousands of US and South Korean troops are engaging in a mass joint combat readiness exercise near the heavily-fortified border with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), officials said Tuesday.

Defense Industry

• General Dynamics Awarded $19 Million Contract Modification for Submarine Services General Dynamics 25 Feb 2004 -- The U.S. Navy has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $19 million contract modification for work on operational and new-construction submarines. Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).
• Lockheed Martin Introduces New Paveway Dual Mode Guided Bomb at Asian Aerospace Lockheed Martin 25 Feb 2004 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] introduced its new Paveway Dual Mode Guided Bomb at the Asian Aerospace exhibition in Singapore.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 25 Feb 2004
• HAITI ON VERGE OF 'ANARCHY' IN DESPERATE NEED OF OUTSIDE HELP US Dept. of State IIP, Foreign Media Reaction 25 Feb 2004
• HAITI / LAWLESSNESS VOA 25 Feb 2004 -- Widespread lawlessness and chaos is gripping Haiti's capital, where President Jean-Bertrand Aristide is facing increasing pressure to resign. VDie-hard backers of the embattled leader are terrorizing people they suspect of non-allegiance to Mr. Aristide, including a flood of foreigners desperate to leave the country.
• BUSH / CONGRESS / HAITI VOA 25 Feb 2004 -- President Bush has met with African-American members of the U-S Congress to discuss the deteriorating situation in Haiti. Mr. Bush told them he shares their concerns for the Haitian people.
• FRANCE / HAITI VOA 25 Feb 2004 -- France's foreign minister today (Wednesday) said Haiti's embattled president, Jean Bertrand Aristide, was responsible for much of the turmoil in his country, and suggested he should resign.
• U-N / HAITI VOA 25 Feb 2004 -- The U-N Security Council has agreed to hold an emergency session on Haiti on Thursday.
• CONGRESS/HAITI VOA 25 Feb 2004 -- African-American members of Congress met with President Bush Wednesday to urge U-S action to support Haitian President Aristide. Calling the situation in Haiti a near "catastrophe", members of the Congressional Black Caucus say the United States is not doing enough to prevent more bloodshed.
• HAITI OPPOSITION VOA 25 Feb 2004 -- Opposition leaders in Haiti say they are still committed to an international peace accord to end Haiti's political crisis. But they say they want the international community to try and convince Haiti's president to step down. About 70 people have died over the past month as violence has gripped Haiti.
• Haiti: Security Council deplores opposition's rejection of peacemaking plans UN News Centre 25 Feb 2004 -- The United Nations Security Council today deplored the Haitian opposition's rejection of proposals from two regional organizations that could form the basis for a peaceful compromise with President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to stem the Caribbean country's violent political crisis.
• BUSH/HAITI VOA 25 Feb 2004 -- President Bush says the United States will turn back any Haitian refugees who try to reach the United States. Mr. Bush is calling for an international security force for Haiti, once leaders there reach a political settlement.
• US Still Aiming for Peace Plan in Haiti Despite Opposition Rejection VOA News 25 Feb 2004 -- The United States says it is not giving up on efforts to persuade Haitian opposition leaders to accept the international peace plan for the troubled country despite their stated rejection of the power-sharing arrangement Tuesday.
• France ready to join peace force in Haiti PLA Daily 25 Feb 2004 -- France reaffirmed Tuesday its willingness to join a peace force in Haiti and said it will meet in Paris with representatives of the Haitian government and rebels.

• Militias have killed civilians in northern DR of Congo, UN mission says UN News Centre 25 Feb 2004 -- Rival factions of the Mayi-Mayi militia have killed at least 30 civilians in several villages and forced others to flee their homes in Katanga province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations mission (MONUC) there said today.
• D-R-C / GOVERNMENT VOA 25 Feb 2004 -- Congo's largest former rebel group says it will not withdraw from the country's fragile power-sharing government, following the release of one of its hard-line military officers, who was arrested last week. But from the southeastern Congo town of Lubumbashi, Dino Mahtani reports political tensions remain high in the wake of shootouts between government loyalists and hard-liners from the country's largest former-rebel group.

• International Court of Justice begins deliberations in Israeli wall case UN News Centre 25 Feb 2004 -- The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is starting deliberations on an advisory opinion on the legal consequences of the construction of an Israeli wall in the occupied Palestinian Territory after public hearings in the case concluded today.
• ISRAEL / PALESTINIANS VOA 25 Feb 2004 -- Israeli forces raided four Palestinian bank branches Wednesday, seizing millions of dollars during a hunt for militant groups' money.
• ISRAEL / BARRIER VOA 25 Feb 2004 -- Three days of hearings over the legality of the West Bank barrier concluded Wednesday at the World Court, with dozens of Muslim countries backing Palestinian arguments that the barrier is illegal and will block the creation of a viable two-state solution to the Mideast conflict.

• CHAD-SUDAN: WFP starts humanitarian air service to eastern Chad IRIN 25 Feb 2004 -- The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Wednesday it had started a humanitarian air service to eastern Chad, where relief agencies are trying to assist more than 110,000 refugees from the troubled Darfur province of Western Sudan.
• MILOSEVIC / WAR CRIMES VOA 25 Feb 2004 -- After two years in court, the prosecution's case against Slobodan Milosevic is officially closed. War crimes prosecutors decided to end their case against the former Yugoslav president early because of his bad health and the recent resignation of the trial's presiding judge, who also has health problems.
• NIGERIA / KILLINGS VOA 25 Feb 2004 -- Nearly 50 people are reported dead in a small farming town in central Nigeria following ethnic clashes.
• Those blocking Somalia peace 'will be held accountable' - UN Security Council UN News Centre 25 Feb 2004 -- Warning that it will keep close watch on those blocking efforts to resolve the conflict in Somalia, the United Nations Security Council today called on the country's warring parties to reach a peaceful settlement.
• UGANDA / VIOLENCE VOA 25 Feb 2004 -- A peace march in the northern Ugandan town of Lira turned violent and government officials say police fired into the crowd, wounding several people. News reports say mobs attacked rival tribesmen and quote witnesses as saying as many as eight people may have been killed.
• SOMALIA: Factions accuse talks organisers of mismanagement IRIN 25 Feb 2004 -- Some Somali factions participating in the Somali peace talks in Kenya have accused the conference organisers of mismanaging the proceedings and disregarding the conference rules during the latest plenary session, said a press statement issued on Tuesday.
• SUDAN: Special report III: Chronology of events IRIN 25 Feb 2004
• AFRICA: Japan looks towards peacekeeping role IRIN 25 Feb 2004 -- The Japanese government is looking to extend its involvement in conflict resolution in Africa beyond just providing money to include participation in UN peacekeeping operations, an embassy official said on Wednesday.

News Reports

• SHAPE News Morning Update SHAPE 25 Feb 2004 -- Slovenia's parliament ratifies NATO accession / NATO chief defends alliance attempts to round up indicted war criminals in Balkans / Bosnia may miss chance for Partnership for Peace program / Afghan president says election may be delayed / Moldova separatists warn of war if West steps in / Egypt's Mubarak visits Saudi Arabia for talks on Iraq and U.S. plan for reform in the Middle East
• SHAPE News Summary & Analysis SHAPE 25 Feb 2004 -- Gen. Winterberger: Show flight of NATO AWACS in Latvia, Lithuania made in openness / NATO plans only limited expansion of ISAF due to budgetary constraints / EU force in Bosnia should be equivalent to SFOR: Solana / President Putin dismisses prime minister

• STATE / HUMAN RIGHTS VOA 25 Feb 2004 -- The U-S State Department Wednesday issued its annual report on human rights practices world-wide, saying there were rights developments in 2003 ranging from dramatically uplifting to disappointing. It cited "backsliding" in China's human rights record and said the U-S-led invasion of Iraq ended years of grave human rights violations by the Saddam Hussein government.