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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 18 Jun 2004 [PDF]
• DoD Identifies Army Casualties
• SOLDIER KILLED, CONTRACTOR WOUNDED IN MORTAR ATTACK

• IRAQ WRAP VOA 18 Jun 2004 -- U.S. troops and insurgents clashed Friday for a second day in northern Iraq. But in the southern holy city of Kufa, militia loyal to radical Shi'ite cleric Moktada al-Sadr obeyed his order to leave the city and return to their homes.
• Iraqi Counterinsurgency Troops to Target Urban Terrorists AFPS 18 Jun 2004 -- Specially trained Iraqi troops will soon deploy into Baghdad to go after city-dwelling terrorists, a senior U.S. military officer told a House panel June 17.
• Iraq: Pace Of Attacks Increases In Run-up To Sovereignty RFE/RL 18 Jun 2004 -- Two car bombings that killed 41 people in the Baghdad region on 17 June highlight the fast pace of insurgent attacks as the 30 June handover date nears. Both the incoming sovereign Iraqi government and U.S. officials are vowing to improve security, but the next two weeks could see escalating threats.

• Department of Defense Report, June 18: Afghanistan Update Washington File 18 Jun 2004 -- Afghanistan continues making progress toward democracy as Afghans register to vote in the September national elections and as the nation raises an army, says Lieutenant General David Barno.
• RFE/RL Afghanistan Report, Vol 3, Number 22 18 Jun 2004 -- NATO'S INVOLVEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN BETWEEN THE PRAGUE AND ISTANBUL SUMMITS / CHINESE WORKERS KILLED IN NORTHEASTERN AFGHANISTAN... / ...AS NEO-TALIBAN ARE BLAMED... / ...AND ARRESTS MADE IN CONNECTION WITH KILLINGS / U.S. MARINES KILL 21 SUSPECTED NEO-TALIBAN IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN... / ...AND CLAIMS TO HAVE KILLED MORE THAN 80 MILITANTS IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN / AFGHAN AND COALITION FORCES TO SET UP JOINT OPERATIONS CENTERS / MORE THAN 50 KILLED IN CLASHES ALONG AFGHAN-PAKISTANI BORDER / TWO AFGHAN SOLDIERS, ONE NEO-TALIBAN COMMANDER KILLED IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN / GOVERNMENT OFFICES SOUTH OF KABUL ATTACKED, CASUALTIES REPORTED / PAKISTANI POLITICIAN SAYS HE IS 'MEDIATING' BETWEEN NEO-TALIBAN AND U.K. / BRIGADE IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN DISBANDS... / ...AND MAIN PHASE OF DISARMAMENT BEGINS IN NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN / SUPPORTERS OF WARLORD BLOCK NEWLY APPOINTED AFGHAN GOVERNOR / NORTHERN AFGHAN COMMANDER WARNS OF MORE CLASHES / FACTIONAL FIGHTING LEAVES THREE DEAD IN WEST-CENTRAL AFGHANISTAN / AFGHAN ELECTORAL BODY SAYS ELECTIONS ARE ON TRACK... / ...AS AFGHAN LEADER SEEKS GREATER NATO COMMITMENT FOR ELECTIONS / UN SPOKESMAN SAYS VIOLENCE WILL NOT DELAY ELECTIONS / THREE PARTIES OBTAIN PERMISSION FOR POLITICAL ACTIVITIES / THIS WEEK IN AFGHANISTAN'S HISTORY

• PAKISTAN/AL-QAIDA VOA 18 Jun 2004 -- Security forces in Pakistan have killed a rebel tribal leader in an operation against al-Qaida-linked terror suspects in a remote mountainous region. Pakistani officials say that nearly 70 suspected terrorists have been killed in the area in less than two weeks.

Defense Policy / Programs

• JFK Strike Group Completes CJTFEX, Deploys Navy Newsstand 18 Jun 2004 -- The USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) Carrier Strike Group (JFK CSG) successfully completed its portion of Combined Joint Task Force Exercise (CJTFEX) 04-2, designated Operation Blinding Storm, in June and is now certified to deploy.
• San Diego Ships Deploy in Support of Global War on Terrorism Navy Newsstand 18 Jun 2004 -- Almost 700 Sailors aboard USS Preble (DDG 88) and USS Mobile Bay (CG 53) deployed June 17 to the Western Pacific and Central Command area of responsibility (AOR) in support of the global war on terrorism (GWOT).
• BALTOPS '04 Wraps Up Navy Newsstand 18 Jun 2004 -- For more than 5,000 service members from 13 countries, the 32nd annual maritime exercise Baltic Operations 2004 (BALTOPS '04) ended June 16.
• CNO Says Speed, Agility, Stealth Critical to Future Naval Operations Navy Newsstand 18 Jun 2004 -- New capabilities and concepts will give the Navy the ability to get to the fight quicker and influence events during the pre-hostilities phase, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vern Clark said during his June 16 address to the Current Strategy Forum. This is the same venue where he unveiled the Navy's Sea Power 21 vision two years ago.
• Enterprise Completes First NATO Exercise of Summer Pulse '04 Navy Newsstand 18 Jun 2004 -- ABOARD USS ENTERPRISE, At Sea (NNS) -- The USS Enterprise ("Big E")(CVN 65) Carrier Strike Group (CSG) completed Exercise Neo Tapon, a combined exercise involving North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members and hosted by Spain, June 14.

• World: Torture -- Physical Force Is An Unreliable Method Of Interrogation (Part 2) RFE/RL 18 Jun 2004 -- The recent Abu Ghrayb prison scandal revealed that the United States, like many nations, uses controversial interrogation techniques like depriving prisoners of sleep or forcing them to wear hoods. But the question remains -- are such techniques, or even more severe ones, effective?

• Exercise Cooperative Partner 2004: NATO exercises with partners in the Black Sea NATO 18 Jun 2004 -- NATO's maritime exercise COOPERATIVE PARTNER 2004 (CP 04) will take place from 20 June until 02 July 2004 in Varna, Bulgaria, and in the Black Sea.
• "NATO'S ISTANBUL SUMMIT: NEW MISSION, NEW MEANS": SECRETARY GENERAL'S SPEECH AT THE ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE NATO 18 Jun 2004

• State Department Noon Briefing, June 18 Washington File 18 Jun 2004 -- Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Cyprus, Greece, Mexico
• White House Daily Briefing, June 18 Washington File 18 Jun 2004 -- President's radio address/economy, Bush's visit with wounded soldiers, Russia's sharing of intelligence with U.S. on Iraq, murder of Paul Johnson, week ahead

Defense Industry

• Tenth U.S. Army AH-64D Apache Longbow Battalion Certified Combat-Ready Boeing 18 Jun 2004 -- The U.S. Army's tenth AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter battalion has been certified combat-ready after completing extensive training in its Boeing [NYSE: BA] helicopters at Fort Hood, Texas.
• General Dynamics Receives $16 Million Contract for MK47 “STRIKER40” Weapon Systems General Dynamics 18 Jun 2004 -- General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has been awarded a $16 million firm-fixed-price contract from the U.S. government for production of the MK47 MOD 0 Weapon System. Called the “STRIKER40,” the MK47 weapon system is a lightweight 40mm grenade launcher with an integrated fire control system capable of firing air-bursting ammunition.
• Lockheed Martin Clarifies Wire Service Story on Joint Strike Fighter Lockheed Martin 18 Jun 2004 -- A Reuters wire service story on June 17 mischaracterized a previously reported delay in the Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 18 Jun 2004
• PRESS BRIEFING ON SECURITY COUNCIL WEST AFRICA MISSION United Nations 18 Jun 2004
• WEST AFRICA/SECURITY VOA 18 Jun 2004 -- West African defense chiefs and commanders of the region's three United Nations peacekeeping missions are meeting in the capital of Nigeria, Abuja, to discuss ways to prevent renewed conflicts in the volatile area.

• U. S. / SUDAN / DARFUR VOA 18 Jun 2004 -- The State Department says the Bush administration is considering imposing travel and financial sanctions against officials of the Sudanese government to pressure them to rein in Arab militiamen accused of ethnic cleansing in Sudan's western Darfur region.
• DRC-SOUTH AFRICA: Cooperation agreement will help cement peace process IRIN 18 Jun 2004 -- A military cooperation agreement between South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), signed on Friday, is critical to cementing the peace process in the DRC, a security analyst told IRIN.
• GUINEA: Ethnic fighting forces UN to suspend activities in southeast IRIN 18 Jun 2004 -- Two days of fighting between rival ethnic communities in Guinea's southeastern town of Nzerekore has forced UN agencies working with refugees in the surrounding area to suspend their operations temporarily, UN officials said on Friday.
• UN electoral team wraps up assessment mission to Haiti UN News Centre 18 Jun 2004 -- A United Nations electoral team has wrapped up a visit to Haiti, where it held 10 days of wide-ranging talks on the logistical, technical and administrative
• Security Council mission heads to West Africa to observe peace operations UN News Centre 18 Jun 2004 -- With the United Nations Security Council spending at least half of its time on African issues, the Ambassadors of 14 of the 15 Council members will leave New York on Sunday for a 10-day fact-finding visit to seven West African countries, the leader of the group said today.
• BURUNDI/REFUGEES VOA 18 Jun 2004 -- The United Nations refugee agency says it is trying to move thousands of Congolese refugees deeper into Burundi. The refugees fled fighting in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The U.N. says the refugees are too close to the battle zone.
• CHAD-SUDAN: Chad threatens to quit as Darfur mediator as border tension rises IRIN 18 Jun 2004 -- Chad has threatened to abandon its role as mediator between the Sudanese government and rebels in the Darfur region amid growing indications that the Darfur conflict is spilling across the border into eastern Chad.
• ISRAEL/PALESTINIANS VOA 18 Jun 2004 -- Israel has published plans to build a deep trench in parts of the southern Gaza Strip along the border with Egypt. The military says it will help stop Palestinian militants from smuggling in weapons.

News Reports

• SHAPE News Morning Update SHAPE 18 Jun 2004 -- Czech military specialists to help guard NATO summit in Istanbul / U.S. Senate votes to add 20,000 troops to Army / U.S. vows stiffer effort to curb Afghan drug trade / Slobodan Milosevic demands that Mr. Clinton, Mr. Blair and Mr. Schroeder be subpoenaed to war crimes trial / Prosecutors charge four over Kosovo rioting / New UN governor warns against neglecting Kosovo / Bosnian Serb calls on Karadzic to surrender / Kofi Annan slams U.S. bid to limit global criminal court / Navies of China and Britain to hold joint search and rescue exercises / UN probes possible undeclared nuclear site in Iran
• SHAPE News Summary & Analysis SHAPE 18 Jun 2004 -- Portugal to send Air Force team to Afghanistan in July / Renegade Afghan overruns provincial capital / Turkey: Gulf countries less Egypt, Saudi Arabia seen warm to NATO wider region dialogue

• BUSH / MILITARY VOA 18 Jun 2004 -- Surrounded by troops who have fought in Iraq, President Bush Friday praised America's soldiers for the fight against terrorism. The president also heard positive remarks from Republican Senator John McCain, who has reportedly rejected proposals to join Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's campaign for the White House.