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Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 11 Aug 2004 [PDF]

• IRAQ WRAP VOA 11 Aug 2004 -- U.S. and Iraqi forces say they are preparing a major assault against insurgents loyal to radical Shi'ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in the holy Shi'ite city of Najaf after a week of bloody clashes. Iranian journalists have been detained in Baghdad. And Iraqi politician Ahmad Chalabi returns home to defend himself against charges of financial misdeeds.
• IRAQ/URBAN COMBAT VOA 11 Aug 2004 -- U.S and Iraqi forces backed by heavy armor and air power are poised to move on the holy city of Najaf to flush out insurgents loyal to rebel Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. After a week of heavy fighting and casualties, American forces have been warning a final battle to end what has been a four-month insurrection by Sadr militiamen could be imminent.
• U.S., Iraqi Forces Prepare for Major Assaults in Najaf AFPS 11 Aug 2004 -- U.S. Marines and soldiers and Iraqi National Guardsmen engage in joint training exercises in preparation for major assaults against enemy forces in the Iraqi city of Najaf, a Multinational Force Iraq news release said today.
• MARINES ASSUME CONTROL OF AN NAJAF, AL QADISIYAH PROVINCES CENTCOM 11 Aug 2004 -- I Marine Expeditionary Force assumed control on Monday of the An Najaf and Al Qadisiyah provinces, which include the towns of Najaf, Ad Diwaniyah and Kufa, per the direction of the commander of the Multi-National Forces in Iraq.
• MEU, IRAQI NATIONAL GUARD, SOLDIERS GEAR UP FOR 'ONE TEAM, ONE FIGHT' CENTCOM 11 Aug 2004 -- Sporadic fighting between 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit forces and Anti-Iraqi Forces in the Wadi Al Salam cemetery persists for a sixth day today, as Marines, U.S. Army Soldiers and Iraqi National Guardsmen continue joint training exercises in preparation for major assaults against enemy forces in the city of Najaf.
• Dutch forces involved in gun battle in southern Iraq IRNA 11 Aug 2004 -- Dutch military forces were engaged in a gun battle with an armed group Tuesday night in Rumaythah near the southern Iraqi city of Samawah, where Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force troops are stationed.

• U.S. Walking Lightly, but Effectively in Afghanistan AFPS 11 Aug 2004 -- The American footprint in Afghanistan is light, but that doesn't mean its impression isn't felt throughout the country.
• Afghanistan: 18 candidates found eligible for presidential elections - UN UN News Centre 11 Aug 2004 -- The Afghan Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB), which works with United Nations participation, today announced the names of 18 eligible candidates for the 9 October Presidential election, seen as a major landmark on the road to bringing peace and stability to a country torn by 25 years of war and civil conflict.
• AFGHANISTAN / US / RUMSFELD VOA 11 Aug 2004 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says Afghanistan's government should take the lead to curb the country's opium production.
• Afghan Voter Drive Shows Country Ready for Democracy AFPS 11 Aug 2004 -- The number of people who have registered to vote in Afghanistan's presidential elections in October has exceeded the rosiest expectations, Afghan and American officials said here today.
• Rumsfeld Addresses State of Afghanistan's Terror Fight AFPS 11 Aug 2004 -- While en route to Afghanistan by way of Oman, Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld spoke today about Afghanistan's progress in its war on terrorism.
• Afghanistan: Candidate Alleges UN-Afghan Board Violated Election Law RFE/RL 11 Aug 2004 -- Afghanistan's election board has named 18 candidates who have qualified to run in the 9 October presidential election -- including Transitional Administration Chairman Hamid Karzai. But there are allegations that the joint UN-Afghan election board violated the country's election law by allowing private militia commanders to compete.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Four S-3B Viking Naval Aviators Missing Navy News Service 11 Aug 2004 -- An S-3B Viking aircraft operating from the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) was flying in the vicinity of Iwo Jima island chain when communications were lost at approximately 7:42 p.m. (local time), Aug. 10. Four naval aviators aboard the aircraft were listed as missing after failing to return to the carrier.

• Reserve medical team arrives in Niger AFPN 11 Aug 2004 -- team of Air Force Reserve Command medical specialists arrived here Aug. 6 and quickly set up shop at the camp's medical clinic. They began seeing patients early Aug. 9.

• DoD Assists CDC with Anthrax Plasma Project 11 Aug 2004 -- The Departments of Defense (DoD) and Health and Human Services (DHHS) today announced that the military will support a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) effort to create a new medication against anthrax. This new medication, anthrax immune globulin (AIG), is an antibody-based medication and could become a critical medical countermeasure for the nation in case of an anthrax attack.
• Troops' Plasma Needed to Develop New Anthrax Defense AFPS 11 Aug 2004 -- A new program starting today to develop a new defense against anthrax will depend on servicemembers' donated plasma to be most effective.

• State Department Noon Briefing, August 11 Washington File 11 Aug 2004 -- Venezuela, Iran, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Cyprus, Israel/Palestinians, North Korea, Department/Rewards for Justice Program, Iraq, India, Mauritania

Defense Industry

• BAE SYSTEMS Awarded $59 Million For Ground Standoff Minefield Detection System BAE Systems 11 Aug 2004 -- BAE Systems received a $59.9 million U.S. Army contract for the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) of the Ground Standoff Minefield Detection System-Future Combat System, July 21.
• BAE SYSTEMS Avionics Group Announces Award Of Supply Contract For Hidas For Greece's Apache Helicopters BAE Systems 11 Aug 2004 -- BAE Systems Avionics Group has announced that the US Army has signed the contract for the supply of Electronic Warfare (EW) equipment plus associated engineering and support for the Greek Apache helicopters.
• Lockheed Martin Hellfire Scores Perfect 6-for-6 in British Army Live-Fire Tests Lockheed Martin 11 Aug 2004 -- The British Army Air Corps recently fired Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] AGM-114K Hellfire missiles in a live-fire training exercise at the British Army Training Unit-Suffield (BATUS) in Alberta, Canada. The missiles scored six hits in six launches in their first live-fire tests with the British Army Air Corps.
• Office of Naval Research Awards Lockheed Martin Phase II RATTLRS Contract Lockheed Martin 11 Aug 2004 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] received a Revolutionary Approach to Time-critical Long Range Strike (RATTLRS) phase-two contract award from the Office of Naval Research on July 20. RATTLRS is part of the National Aerospace Initiative and is a demonstration program to increase capabilities and performance for expendable supersonic vehicles. In total, this is a five-year (base and options) Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract with a ceiling of $175 million.
• Pratt & Whitney and U.S. Air Force Open Heavy Maintenance Center for Raptor's F119 Engines Pratt & Whitney 11 Aug 2004 -- Pratt & Whitney (P&W), in partnership with the U.S. Air Force, has opened a new joint maintenance facility for the overhaul of F119 engines at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center (OC-ALC) at Tinker Air Force Base. The F119 Heavy Maintenance Center (HMC) is the result of a partnership between the U.S. Air Force and P&W’s Military Aftermarket Services (MAS) unit to support the U.S. government’s transformational goals for the military.
• Raytheon's AMRAAM Selected by United Kingdom as Interim Beyond-Visual-Range Solution Raytheon 11 Aug 2004 -- The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (MOD) has signed a contract with Raytheon Company's (NYSE: RTN) Missile Systems business for AIM-120 C-5 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) and associated safety, logistical and surveillance support. The contract has an estimated value of $144 million.
• Army Reinforces Commitment to Troops With Additional Thermal Weapon Sight Order; Raytheon Awarded $36 Million for New Production Raytheon 11 Aug 2004 -- Following recent orders of 9,956 Thermal Weapon Sights (TWS), the U.S. Army has contracted with Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) to deliver 1,856 additional systems under new orders worth $36 million.
• Skyshield 35 Ahead Air Defence System Rheinmetall Defence 11 Aug 2004 -- China Lake, July 13, 2004: To verify the performance of the Oerlikon Contraves' Skyshield 35 Ahead Fire Unit – against small targets, a live firing was carried out by the US Army with their Skyshield system at the China Lake firing range in California. The firing was a spectacular success: two unmanned air vehicles as targets, two Ahead fire bursts, two multiple hits on target. Each of the unmanned air vehicles was knocked out of the sky and completely destroyed.
• BAE SYSTEMS To Provide Signals Intelligence For Army UAVS BAE Systems 11 Aug 2004 -- The U.S. Army has selected BAE Systems to begin System Design and Development (SDD) for the Armys Tactical Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) Payload (TSP).

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 11 Aug 2004
• DARFUR: ONLY 'CONCRETE MEASURES' CAN STOP THE 'INHUMAN BARBARITY' US Dept. of State IIP, Foreign Media Reaction 11 Aug 2004
• Both Israelis, Palestinians undermining prospects for peace, Security Council told UN News Centre 11 Aug 2004 -- Both Israelis and Palestinians are undermining prospects for peace, with the former failing to end settlement expansion and carrying out collective punishment, the latter failing to end violence and combat terror, and civilians on both sides suffering, according to the latest United Nations briefing on the Middle East today.
• U.N. Reports No Progress on Mideast Peace Washington File 11 Aug 2004 -- In the past month there has been no tangible progress towards resuming the Middle East peace process while violence is continuing to claim innocent lives, a senior U.N. official told the Security Council August 11.
• SUDAN: Rwandan troops to be airlifted to Darfur IRIN 11 Aug 2004 -- Rwandan troops will leave Kigali on Sunday for the troubled Darfur region of western Sudan, where they will serve in an African Union (AU) contingent being deployed to protect observers from the pan-African body, a Rwandan military spokesman told IRIN.
• Top UN envoy for Sudan attends conference on native administration of Darfur UN News Centre 11 Aug 2004 -- The top United Nations envoy for Sudan today attended the opening of a conference to review a draft law on the native administration of the Darfur region, where fighting between rebels and Government forces since early 2003 has led to what senior UN officials have called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
• HUMAN RIGHTS / SUDAN VOA 11 Aug 2004 -- A leading human rights group says the Sudanese government is incorporating members of the Janjaweed militia into its official security forces. The allegation comes one day after humanitarian observers in Darfur reported a spate of helicopter gunship strikes against civilians in the troubled region.
• Sudan: Khartoum Accused Of Making Empty Promises In Darfur RFE/RL 11 Aug 2004 -- The United Nations is accusing Sudan of carrying out fresh attacks against rebels in Darfur, even as a UN-brokered agreement requiring Khartoum to create safe havens for the displaced comes into effect. Both the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and its refugee agency, the UNHCR, say Sudanese authorities are pressuring refugees to return to unsafe villages, where they face violence by pro-government militias. The UN also says the Sudanese government is hampering humanitarian access to the region.

• ISRAEL / PALESTINIANS VOA 11 Aug 2004 -- One person has died and at least 13 people were injured when a car bomb exploded at a busy West Bank checkpoint Wednesday.
• ISRAEL PALESTINIANS VOA 11 Aug 2004 -- Israeli troops and tanks raided the Khan Younis Refugee camp in the Gaza Strip Wednesday in an operation that left at least 12 Palestinians wounded, three of them critically.

• UGANDA: Sudanese rebels say they killed 46 LRA rebels IRIN 11 Aug 2004 -- Rebels fighting the Sudanese government in the southern Equatoria region have claimed that they killed 46 Ugandan insurgents of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) during heavy fighting around Lowai last week, and that they are on the lookout for LRA leader, Joseph Kony.
• Top UN envoy for Burundi visits provinces in push for peace and security UN News Centre 11 Aug 2004 -- The top United Nations envoy for Burundi today made her first visit outside the capital of the central African country, where there the world body is seeking to cement a multi-party, power-sharing government and pave the way to peace after more than a decade of civil war.
• MAURITANIA / COUP PLOT VOA 11 Aug 2004 -- Opposition leaders in Mauritania are calling for dialogue with the government as dozens of people are being arrested following the latest alleged coup plot.
• CONGO / HUMAN RIGHTS VOA 11 Aug 2004 -- The governments of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda have rejected claims by the United Nations that, during the last two years, they have fueled massive human rights violations in the Democratic Republic of Congo's troubled north eastern district of Ituri.
• Georgia: Moscow Sees No Easy Solutions For South Ossetia, Abkhazia Conflicts RFE/RL 11 Aug 2004 -- The Russian and Georgian defense ministers continued their talks in Moscow on 11 August, aimed at lowering tensions that have flared between the two countries over South Ossetia in recent days. Both sides say they are ready to defend their national interests and the rhetoric -- especially from Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili -- has at times been inflammatory.
• LIBERIA / TAYLOR EXILE VOA 11 Aug 2004 -- Liberians are celebrating the first anniversary of former president Charles Taylor's flight into exile, which effectively ended the two-decade civil war in the west African nation.
• Lankan peace talks to stem from self-rule proposals IRNA 11 Aug 2004 -- A top Sri Lankan government official has said that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)`s blueprint for an interim self-rule as well as a fresh set of proposals, presently being drafted by the Freedom Alliance Government, could be the basis for future peace talks.
• Nepalese Maoists warn of Kathmandu blockade IRNA 11 Aug 2004 -- After a series of blockades in the remote districts, Maoists Tuesday announced an indefinite blockade of Kathmandu from August 18.
• India asks Nepal to provide security to its companies IRNA 11 Aug 2004 -- India has urged Nepal to provide security to Indian companies in the kingdom following Maoist threats to close down some two dozen big companies, including Indian joint ventures, indefinitely from next week.

News Reports

• SHAPE News Morning Update SHAPE 11 Aug 2004 -- NATO starts "eye in the sky" patrols / Two Serb generals hint at Hague surrender / UN terrorism fight neglects human rights / Al Qaeda plans include assassination plot / U.S. wants ships within 2,000 miles to check in / Dutch to airlift first foreign troops to Darfur
• SHAPE News Summary & Analysis SHAPE 11 Aug 2004 -- NATO forces given freer hand in Afghanistan / Gen. Jones expresses optimism over election process / New plan to tackle Afghan drugs / NATO advance party in Iraq

• Amazonas satellite reaches geostationary orbit EADS 11 Aug 2004 -- After its launch from Baikonur on 5th of August at 4:32 (0:32 CET time) by a Proton Breeze M launch vehicle, the Amazonas satellite’s perigee altitude was raised in several burns of its own engine until it reached geostationary orbit. Its solar arrays were successfully deployed as were the antenna reflectors and the satellite is now accurately pointing to Earth. All systems are behaving nominally. As planned the satellite is drifting to its final orbital position where it will be thoroughly tested before the payload can be brought into full operational service.