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Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 19 Nov 2004 [PDF]
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

• Transcript: Defense Department Briefing on Progress of Reconstruction Work in Iraq; Plans For Reconstruction in Fallujah 19 Nov 2004 -- Charles Hess, Director, Army's DoD Iraq Project and Contracting Office and Bill Taylor, State Department Iraq Reconstruction Management Office
• U-S/IRAQ VOA 19 Nov 2004 -- A top U-S military official in charge of the Middle East says coalition forces will do all they can to ensure Iraqi elections set for late January will go ahead. But with parts of Iraq's Sunni triangle still in the grip of insurgents, U.S. officials, both civilian and military are not prepared to say the entire country will be safe enough to ensure a nationwide vote.
• Iraqi Forces Fought Well in Fallujah, U.S. Generals Say AFPS 19 Nov 2004 -- Iraqi military forces distinguished themselves during fighting against insurgents during the recent Fallujah operation, senior U.S. Army and Marine Corps generals told House members here Nov. 17.
• Defense Department Report, November 19: Iraq Operational Update Washington File 19 Nov 2004 -- Army Lieutenant General Lance Smith says coalition and Iraqi military forces are doing everything possible to thwart an intimidation campaign that is under way in Iraq to keep Iraqis away from polling booths in January 2005.
• IRAQ / WRAP VOA 19 Nov 2004 -- Iraqi troops backed by U.S. forces have raided a Sunni mosque in the Iraqi capital, killing at least two people. On Thursday, the Iraqi interim government warned that Islamic clerics who incite violence will be considered participants in terrorism. Meanwhile, an apparent suicide car bomb has blown up near an Iraqi police patrol, killing at least one person and wounding four others.
• Iraq: Commanders Say Crackdown On Insurgents Successful In Al-Fallujah, Mosul RFE/RL 19 Nov 2004 -- A U.S. general has expressed confidence that the U.S.-led offensive in the Iraqi city of Al-Fallujah has "broken the back" of insurgents and disrupted their activities around Iraq. Marine Lieutenant General John Sattler said that as a result of the 10-day U.S.-led assault, Al-Fallujah can no longer be used as a "safe haven" for militants to organize attacks. U.S.-led forces are also said to be closing in on remaining insurgents in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.
• Car Bomb In Baghdad; Iraqi Forces Storm Mosque RFE/RL 19 Nov 2004 -- A suicide car bomber rammed into a police patrol in Baghdad today destroying several cars and killing at least one policeman, as Iraqi forces stormed one of the major Sunni Muslim mosques in Baghdad after Friday prayers, killing at least two people.
• OPERATION WOLFHOUND POWER DETERS INSURGENCY IN HAWIJA CENTCOM 19 Nov 2004 -- Task Force 1-27 Infantry Soldiers conducted a multiple-day offensive security operation called Operation Wolfhound Power that began on Nov. 11, in response to recent insurgent activity within this Sunni Arab city.
• Soldiers Detain Six In Raids Near Kirkuk MNF-I/MNC-I 19 Nov 2004 -- Task Force Danger Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment detained six individuals in a series of raids conducted near Kirkuk on Nov. 19 at about 1 a.m.
• Al-Fallujah Offensive 'Breaks Backs' Of Rebels RFE/RL 19 Nov 2004 -- A U.S. general has expressed confidence that the U.S.-led offensive in the city of Al-Fallujah has "broken the back" of insurgents and disrupted their activities around Iraq.
• Buried Treasure: Soldiers unearth weapons caches Army News 19 Nov 2004 -- Just outside of Logistics Support Area Anaconda, the end of the road is not the end of the mission for the scouts in Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1-77th Armor, 1st Infantry Division; they dismount and go farther.
• U.S. Marines with K-9s search for weapons USMC News 19 Nov 2004 -- U.S. Marine dog handlers and their K-9s searched through buildings in Fallujah for weapon caches and explosive ordinances Nov. 14.
• 3/5 unveil weapons cache in Fallujah USMC News 19 Nov 2004 -- Marines with Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, pushed through Fallujah clearing houses along the way and finding weapons cache left behind by insurgents Nov. 11.
• Marines reopen Iraqi supply lanes following Fallujah battle USMC News 19 Nov 2004 -- Marines with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment's civil affairs team briefly restored access to and from Saqlawiyah, Iraq, Nov. 16 following the Fallujah invasion.
• Marines assist Iraqis recover remains of Fallujah conflict USMC News 19 Nov 2004 -- As U.S. Marines fired their final shots in Fallujah, the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment civil affairs team is helping local Iraqis begin the body recovery process in the war-torn city.

• Afghanistan: Spokesman Denies Splits In Taliban, Condemns Kidnapping Of Women RFE/RL 19 Nov 2004 -- Recent media reports suggest that remnants of Afghanistan's former Taliban regime are riddled with leadership rivalries and internal divisions that were exacerbated by October's relatively peaceful elections in Afghanistan.

Defense Policy / Programs

• New Secretary of The Army Sworn In 19 Nov 2004 -- Dr. Francis J. Harvey was sworn in today at the Pentagon as the 19th Secretary of the Army.
• Transcript: Special Defense Department Briefing 19 Nov 2004 -- Mr. Charles Abell, PDUSD (Personnel and Readiness)

• Defense Leaders Vow Unity to Fight Narcoterrorism AFPS 19 Nov 2004 -- Drug trafficking and the security threat it creates were key topics discussed here this week by defense ministers and their delegations attending the sixth Defense Ministerial of the Americas.
• Actionable Intelligence: UAs to beef up MI assets Army News 19 Nov 2004 -- The 3rd Infantry Division "units of action" deploying to Iraq will have unmanned aerial vehicles, the Prophet collection system and more assigned intelligence assets than a typical brigade combat team.
• Jumper: AEF has been successful AFPN 19 Nov 2004 -- Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper told House Armed Services Committee members that while reconstitution of air expeditionary forces is not moving as quickly as expected, the concept is battle-proven.
• Security forces work as customs inspectors AFPN 19 Nov 2004 -- For years, security forces Airmen have been the first line of defense for air bases and Airmen, securing them both from attack. Since March, security forces Airmen of the 886th Expeditionary Security Forces Group have been protecting America in a new mission -- that of customs and agriculture inspections.
• NEWS ANALYSIS: Modular brigades prep for deployment Army News 19 Nov 2004 -- The concept of modularity is approaching its first true test as units across the country undergo transformation and prepare for deployments overseas.
• Saipan Participates in SINKEX Navy NewsStand 19 Nov 2004 -- USS Saipan (LHA 2) participated in a unique exercise with other Standing Naval Force Atlantic (SNFL) ships Nov. 12, the sinking of ex-Research Vessel Gosport, or SINKEX.
• Enterprise Prepares For New Landing Gear Navy NewsStand 19 Nov 2004 -- USS Enterprise (CVN 65) (Big E) is getting an upgrade to its landing gear. The state-of-the-art cross check system is being installed during the ship's ongoing Extended Selected Restricted Availability at Northrop Grumman Newport News shipyard to help improve the ship's ability to catch aircraft.
• International Ships Visit Norfolk Navy NewsStand 19 Nov 2004 -- Six ships from NATO's Standing Naval Force Atlantic (STANAVFORLANT) pulled into Norfolk Naval Station Nov. 18.
• Joint Multinational Exercise Concludes, Integrates Forces Navy NewsStand 19 Nov 2004 -- UNITAS Atlantic Phase concluded in Montevideo, Uruguay, Nov. 17, after two weeks of seminars and training operations involving more than 2,000 people, 10 ships, two submarines and 11 aircraft from Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Spain and the United States.

• U.S.: Does The U.S. Military Prosecute Its Soldiers Aggressively Enough? RFE/RL 19 Nov 2004 -- The U.S. Department of Defense has moved quickly to open a criminal investigation into the recent killing by a U.S. marine of a wounded and apparently unarmed Iraqi in Al-Fallujah. Other cases of alleged malfeasance by the military -- such as the Abu Ghurayb prisoner-abuse scandal -- also are being probed.

• State Department Noon Briefing, November 19 Washington File 19 Nov 2004 -- Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Israel/Palestinians, Venezuela, Russia, Afghanistan, India, Burma

Defense Industry

• Spain acquires Taurus KEPD 350 EADS 19 Nov 2004 -- The Spanish Air Force is to equip its F/A-18 and Eurofighter aircraft with the Taurus KEPD 350 precision stand-off guided missile system. Spain confirmed this procurement intention during the German-Spanish summit talks held by federal chancellor Gerhard Schröder and prime minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero on 8 November.
• Submarine Jimmy Carter Completes First Voyage General Dynamics 19 Nov 2004 -- The Jimmy Carter (SSN-23), the nation’s newest and most advanced nuclear-powered attack submarine, returned to the Electric Boat shipyard here today following the successful completion of its first voyage in open seas, called “alpha sea trials.” Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).
• Rheinmetall DeTec bolsters its presence in Poland Rheinmetall Defence 19 Nov 2004 -- By opening a representative office in Poland, the Rheinmetall DeTec group – already Europe's leading supplier of military hardware – has taken another major step on the path to internationalization, pursuing its strong commitment to serve important future markets.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 19 Nov 2004
• AFRICA/LANDMINES VOA 19 Nov 2004 -- A report by an anti-landmine group says there are more countries with landmines and unexploded ammunition in Africa than on any other continent.

• CONGRESS/SUDAN VOA 19 Nov 2004 -- As the U.S. Congress moves toward concluding legislative business for the year, it is about to give (Eds: update as needed) final approval to legislation providing about 300-million dollars in aid for refugees and peace efforts and development needs in Sudan, including assistance for the troubled western Darfur region where the United States declared genocide to have occurred.
• SUDAN / DARFUR / PEACE VOA 19 Nov 2004 -- A panel of former U.S. and foreign diplomats specializing in African affairs expresses hope that a peace deal being negotiated between the Sudanese government and a key rebel group will translate to peace throughout Sudan. The conclusion comes during a meeting in Washington Friday at the U.S. Institute of Peace.
• United States Welcomes Actions Toward Peace in Sudan Washington File 19 Nov 2004 -- The United States welcomes actions toward peace in Sudan taken at a two-day meeting of the U.N. Security Council in Nairobi, Kenya, says State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli.
• U.N. Again Warns Violence, Atrocities Must End in Darfur Now Washington File 19 Nov 2004 -- "The violence and atrocities being perpetrated in Darfur must end now. You have heard this message clearly from the Security Council -- heed it," warned Ambassador John C. Danforth, U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations, at a special U.N. Security Council meeting on Sudan during which Sudanese government officials and rebel representatives also pledged to end the 21-year-old civil war in southern Sudan before January 2005.
• Nepal to set deadline for talks with rebels IRNA 19 Nov 2004 -- The Nepal government will announce a deadline for the Maoists for talks and call general election if the rebels fail to come to the negotiating table before its expiry, a senior Nepal minister said on Thursday.
• Sudan Government and southern rebels sign peace pledge before Security Council UN News Centre 19 Nov 2004 -- The Government of Sudan and southern rebels today pledged to end two decades of war by 31 December, signing a memorandum in front of the United Nations Security Council which had convened in neighbouring Kenya in a rare session outside New York to press for peace in Africa's largest county.
• Conflict in Africa Threatens Polio Eradication Effort Washington File 19 Nov 2004 -- A massive polio immunization drive is under way in more than 20 nations of West and Central Africa, but in Cote d'Ivoire violence has forced a postponement of the vaccination campaign, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) announced November 18.
• United Nations Wants Peace in Sudan by End of 2004 Washington File 19 Nov 2004 -- The world is seeking to put the government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) on center stage to have them sign a peace agreement by December 31, said Ambassador John C. Danforth, the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations.
• CONGRESS/SUDAN VOA 19 Nov 2004 -- As the U.S. Congress moves toward concluding legislative business for the year, it is about to give (Eds: update as needed) final approval to legislation providing about 300-million dollars in aid for refugees and peace efforts and development needs in Sudan, including assistance for the troubled western Darfur region where the United States declared genocide to have occurred.
• SOMALIA SECURITY COUNCIL VOA 19 Nov 2004 -- Somalia's newly elected president, Abdulahi Yusuf Ahmed, addressed the special U.N. Security Council meeting in the Kenyan capital Friday, asking the members to provide peacekeeping troops to enable him establish a government in his war torn country.
• SUDAN / DARFUR VOA 19 Nov 2004 -- The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. food programs in Rome, is touring Sudan's embattled Darfur region to witness first-hand the human suffering caused by 21 months of conflict, and check on relief efforts.
• IVORY COAST / LIBERIA REFUGEES VOA 19 Nov 2004 -- United Nations aid agencies say they are concerned that the influx of thousands of refugees from the Ivory Coast into Liberia could threaten that country's fragile peace process. About 13-thousand refugees from Ivory Coast have crossed into Liberia over the past two weeks.
• SUDAN: Security Council demands immediate end to violence IRIN 19 Nov 2004 -- The UN Security Council adopted a resolution on Friday demanding that the Sudanese government, rebel forces and other armed groups in the western region of Darfur cease all violence and ensure that their members comply with international humanitarian law.
• GREAT LAKES: Regional leaders meet to sign declaration of peace IRIN 19 Nov 2004 -- Following months of preliminary meetings with national delegations, heads of state in and around the war-ravaged, Great Lakes region met in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Friday in what is touted as the first summit of its kind.
• PAKISTAN / KASHMIR VOA 19 Nov 2004 -- Pakistan's president says he is not happy with all of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's comments this week about the disputed territory of Kashmir. But the Pakistani government is taking a wait-and-see approach as a peace dialogue between the sides continues.
• AFRICA/GREAT LAKES SUMMIT VOA 19 Nov 2004 -- The leaders of 11 African countries, who began a two-day summit in Tanzania Friday, are expected to sign a declaration covering peace and security, governance, economic development, and regional cooperation in the Great Lakes region.
• UN / SUDAN VOA 19 Nov 2004 -- The U.N. Security Council is urging Sudan and a southern rebel group to conclude a peace deal by the end of this year, while offering the prospect of a major infusion of aid.

News Reports

• UN/SEX SCANDAL VOA 19 Nov 2004 -- A U.N. investigation has turned up evidence of sexual abuse by peacekeeping troops and civilian staff in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Officials have ordered a system-wide review of discipline among peacekeepers.

• BURMA / ILO VOA 19 Nov 2004 -- The International Labor Organization says it has decided to send a high level mission to Burma to see whether the government remains committed to ending forced labor. The organization says it will take tough measures against the Burmese government if it fails to cooperate in tackling the problem.