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Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 06 Oct 2004 [PDF]

• MARINES CONTINUE CONDOLENCE PAYMENTS IN NAJAF CENTCOM 06 Oct 2004 -- Marines from the 11th MEU dispatched a mobile payment team to neighborhoods in Najaf for 10 hours yesterday, making $176,180 worth of "on the spot" solatia and collateral damage payments to Iraqis caught in the crossfire when multinational and Iraqi security forces battled Muqtada al-Sadr and his militia in August.
• MNF-I STRIKES IN FALLUJAH CENTCOM 06 Oct 2004 -- Multi-National Force-Iraq struck an Abu Musab al-Zarqawi safe house in southwest Fallujah this morning. Credible intelligence sources confirmed Zarqawi leaders were meeting at the safe house at the time of the strike. The precision strike occurred at 2:31 a.m. Central Baghdad Time.
• U.S., Iraqi Forces Conducting Anti-Insurgency Operations RFE/RL 06 Oct 2004 -- U.S. and Iraqi forces today conducted sweeping operations south of Baghdad and continued pounding suspected militant positions in the town of Al-Fallujah.
• 2ID brigade launches 'Operation Bulldog' in Ramadi Army News 06 Oct 2004 -- Soldiers who deployed to Iraq from Korea a month ago began a sweeping operation in Ar-Ramadi Sept. 30 to deny anti-coalition forces safe haven, round up suspected anti-coalition leaders, and find weapons caches.
• Iraqi Coastal Defense Force Joins Maritime Security Operations Navy NewsStand 06 Oct 2004 -- The Iraqi Coastal Defense Force (ICDF) integrated with coalition forces in the Northern Arabian Gulf, following a brief ceremony in Umm Qasr, Iraq, Sept. 30.

• Afghans Will Not Be Subject to Taliban, Says Armitage Washington File 06 Oct 2004 -- The United States has dedicated itself to the proposition that the Afghan people will never again suffer under the rule of the Taliban, and is building up the country's police and military to help prevent that possibility, said Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage.
• State's Armitage Says Afghan Election Will Lead to a Better Future Washington File 06 Oct 2004 -- Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage says the October 9 presidential election in Afghanistan will be marked by violence but will lead to a better future for the war-torn country.
• U.S. Commander Notes Great Successes on OEF's Third Anniversary AFPS 06 Oct 2004 -- Three years after the coalition began combat operations against the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan, the Afghan people are just days away from a presidential election expected to be a major stabilizing effort in a lynchpin country in the war on terror.
• Afghans Leading the Way to Elections AFPS 06 Oct 2004 -- As the days tick away, edging closer to the first national elections in Afghanistan, coalition troops and U.N. elections workers are making sure that the Afghans are taking a leading role.
• Afghan Ops: Major Attack on Terrorism, Fight Not Over AFPS 06 Oct 2004 -- Afghanistan was the "head of the snake" of global terrorist activity, a petri dish that bred extremists committed to terrorizing free people around the world - and that's why continued success there is so critical to the global war on terror.
• Afghanistan: Security Concerns Keep International Monitors Away From Polls RFE/RL 06 Oct 2004 -- Concerns about security in Afghanistan are keeping international monitors away from the polling stations in the 9 October Afghan presidential election.
• AFGHAN CANDIDATES RESIGN VOA 06 Oct 2004 -- In a surprise move on the eve of Afghanistan's first-ever presidential election, two candidates say they are withdrawing from the race and throwing their support behind current transitional President Hamid Karzai, also a candidate.
• AFGHANISTAN: NATO completes expansion in the north IRIN 06 Oct 2004 -- More than 2,000 troops have been deployed in Afghanistan by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) to support the Afghan security forces during Saturday's presidential polls, NATO officials confirmed to IRIN on Wednesday.
• Karzai's Running Mate Escapes Bomb Blast Unhurt RFE/RL 06 Oct 2004 -- Afghan Transitional Administration Chairman Hamid Karzai's running mate for the 9 October presidential election escaped a bomb blast unhurt today.
• AFGHAN/ELECTION/ KARZAI VOA 06 Oct 2004 -- Afghanistan will hold its first presidential election in decades on October 9th. Among the 18 candidates vying for office is incumbent President Hamid Karzai, a respected but sometimes controversial figure who took the reins of the Afghan transitional government in 2002.
• AFGHAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES VOA 06 Oct 2004 -- When Afghans go to the polls for their country's first presidential election Saturday, they will choose between no fewer than 18 candidates.
• AFGHANISTAN/CAMPAIGN ENDS VOA 06 Oct 2004 -- A bomb attack on an election rally in northeast Afghanistan has marred the last day of an otherwise peaceful campaign season, as the country prepares for its first-ever vote for president. The Afghan Interior Ministry says the blast killed two people and injured another two.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US POL / VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE VOA 06 Oct 2004 -- Republican Vice President Dick Cheney and Democratic Senator John Edwards clashed over the war in Iraq and the U.S. economy, in their only scheduled debate in this year's race for the White House.
• Vice Presidential Candidates Debate Iraq, War on Terror, Economy Washington File 06 Oct 2004 -- Iraq and the war on terror played a prominent role in the October 5 debate between Vice President Cheney and Democratic vice presidential candidate Senator John Edwards of North Carolina. The debate was held at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

• U.S., Republic of Korea Reach Agreement on Troop Redeployment 06 Oct 2004 -- The Department of Defense announced today that after several months of close consultations, the United States and the Republic of Korea have reached final agreement regarding the June 2004 U.S. proposal to redeploy 12,500 U.S. troops from Korea. Throughout these consultations, the United States has made clear that it remains committed to the defense of the Republic of Korea, to the security and stability of the region and to a strengthened Republic of Korea-U.S. Alliance. The future of the alliance is strong and will be adaptive to change and responsive to the needs of the Korean people.
• SOKOR/US TROOPS VOA 06 Oct 2004 -- South Korea and the United States have agreed that U.S. troop strength in the Asian country will be reduced at a much slower pace than originally announced. VOA's Steve Herman reports from Tokyo that the change came after intense pressure from Seoul.
• PENTAGON / PACIFIC SITREP VOA 06 Oct 2004 -- The Pentagon is planning to add another submarine to two others already deployed to the Pacific island of Guam, and is considering stationing an aircraft carrier strike group there as well. The deployments would put the U.S. military in a position to respond more quickly to a crisis in Asia, including one on the Korean peninsula.
• B-52 aircraft to use AFRL hydraulic fluids AFPN 06 Oct 2004 -- A fire-resistant hydraulic fluid Air Force Research Laboratory experts here developed will now be used in more than 90 percent of B-52 Stratofortress bomber components, increasing the aircraft's survivability and operational safety.
• U.S., Russian Navies Complete Northern Eagle 2004 Navy NewsStand 06 Oct 2004 -- Crews aboard USS Hue City (CG 66) and Russian ships RFNS ADM Levchenko and RFNS Severomorsk completed the first bilateral exercise between the Russian Northern Fleet and U.S. warships Oct. 4.
• Adriatic Exercise Builds Cooperation, Teamwork Navy NewsStand 06 Oct 2004 -- Sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) are participating in a multilateral naval exercise in the Adriatic Sea with forces from Albania, Croatia and Macedonia Oct. 3-15.
• MMA Completes First Major Review Navy NewsStand 06 Oct 2004 -- The Navy completed a Systems Requirements Review (SRR) of the Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) program Sept. 30 at a three-day conference in Seattle.
• Assault Breaching Vehicle in testing at Aberdeen USMC News 06 Oct 2004 -- A group of Marines were at the Army Test Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. on 22 September taking part in a Limited Users Evaluation as well as conducting tests and making improvements to the Marine Corps' latest innovation in mechanized engineering capability, the Assault Breaching Vehicle, before it makes its way to the Fleet Marine Force sometime next year

• State Department Noon Briefing, October 6 Washington File 06 Oct 2004 -- Intellectual Property Theft, Duelfer Report/Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Brazil, Israel/Palestinians, Turkey
• White House Daily Briefing, October 6 Washington File 06 Oct 2004 -- White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan briefed reporters October 6 on Air Force One en route to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Defense Industry

• EADS Acquires Racal Instruments Group EADS 06 Oct 2004 -- EADS’ business portfolio in the United Kingdom has been boosted by the acquisition of Racal Instruments Group, announced today. Racal Instruments is a leader in the development, production, and integration of systems and instruments to test electronics, aerospace, and defense systems.
• EADS North America Acquires Racal Instruments EADS 06 Oct 2004 -- EADS North America has acquired Racal Instruments Group, marking the initiation of a core strategic element of growth through acquisition. Racal Instruments is a leader in the development, production, and integration of systems and instruments to test electronics, aerospace, and defense systems. Racal Instruments will be operated through EADS North America Defense Company.
• US101 Helicopter Completes First Flight of More Powerful GE Engines and New Cockpit Displays for Marine One Lockheed Martin 06 Oct 2004 -- Team US101 has for the first time flown a US101 medium-lift helicopter equipped with more powerful, FAA-certified General Electric CT7-8E engines and new, large-screen cockpit instrument displays. Both the engines and the improved cockpit displays will be used for the Presidential Helicopter Replacement (VXX) program.
• Raytheon's Complementary Low Altitude Weapon System Intercepts Cruise Missile Drone Raytheon 06 Oct 2004 -- In its second guided flight test, Raytheon Company's Complementary Low Altitude Weapon System (CLAWS) successfully intercepted a BQM-74 surrogate cruise missile target at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. All mission objectives were met.
• Thales joins network-centric operations industry consortium (NCOIC) Thales 06 Oct 2004 -- Thales has become a member of the Network Centric Operations Industry Consortium (NCOIC). The aim of the NCOIC is to establish a collaborative forum that brings together the best of industry in order to recommend a communications and information architectural approach that systems and platform developers may follow in order to enable each to participate in a global network environment.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 06 Oct 2004
• GUINEA-BISSAU VOA 06 Oct 2004 -- The head of the armed forces and the army spokesman in Guinea-Bissau have been killed during an army mutiny. The soldiers were apparently revolting over unpaid wages for peacekeeping duties in Liberia.
• BOSNIA / WAR CRIMES VOA 06 Oct 2004 -- The trial of the only Muslim charged with crimes in the Bosnian area of Srebrenica has opened at the Yugoslav war crimes Tribunal in The Hague. Naser Oric, a former commander of Bosnian Muslims, is charged with six counts of war crimes against Serbs - including murder, cruel treatment, and plunder.
• SUDAN/DARFUR VOA 06 Oct 2004 -- The World Food Program is warning that people living in the war-torn Darfur region of western Sudan will need food aid until the end of next year.
• Sudan: UN Maintains Pressure To End Civilian Plight RFE/RL 06 Oct 2004 -- The UN special envoy to Sudan says the government has failed to improve security for civilians in the Darfur region and has not taken steps to prosecute those responsible for atrocities. Envoy Jan Pronk's report to the UN Security Council has echoed recent reports of other UN experts about conditions in Darfur. He appealed to the international community to maintain pressure on Sudan and assist in the deployment of an African force to protect civilians. Otherwise, he said, there is risk of deterioration in what is already called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
• DRC: Security in east improves as UN mission cleared for more troops IRIN 06 Oct 2004 -- Armed with an expanded mandate and an increase in troop strength, the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) may now be better placed to capitalise on the slight improvement in the security situation in the east of the country.
• DRC: India, Pakistan to send more troops IRIN 06 Oct 2004 -- India and Pakistan are due to rapidly deploy some 1,700 soldiers to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), following Friday's resolution by the UN Security Council to increase the strength of its peacekeeping mission there, UN News reported on Tuesday.
• SUDAN/PEACE TALKS VOA 06 Oct 2004 -- The Sudanese government Wednesday blasted a report from an international research organization warning that civil war could break out across Sudan, unless long-running negotiations between the government and the country's main rebel group in the south conclude quickly and successfully. The final round of talks is scheduled to open in Kenya Thursday.
• ISRAEL U-N VOA 06 Oct 2004 -- Israel says Palestinian terrorists are exploiting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), even as it admitted that military experts might have mistaken a stretcher for a rocket in a video showing an object being loaded into a U.N. vehicle.
• LEBANON / UN VOA 06 Oct 2004 -- Thursday, the United Nations Security Council is expected to discuss the Secretary General's report on Lebanon and Syria's compliance with the U.S. and French-sponsored resolution calling for Syria to withdraw its troops from Lebanon. Both governments have rejected the resolution as interference. From Beirut, Correspondent Laurie Kassman reports Lebanese officials say it is a question of timing.

News Reports

• CONGRESS / BURMA VOA 06 Oct 2004 -- The House of Representatives is expected to approve a resolution calling on the U.N. Security Council to take action to deal with what it calls dangers posed by Burma's military government to the people of Burma, and to Southeast Asia.