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Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 05 Jan 2005 [PDF]
• DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

• Transcript: Operational Update 05 Jan 2005 -- Gen. Thomas Metz, Commander, Multinational Corps-Iraq
• Transcript: Special Defense Department Briefing on Security Operations In Baghdad 05 Jan 2005 -- Major General Peter W. Chiarelli, Commander, Multinational Division-Baghdad, and Commanding General, 1st Cavalry Division
• IRAQ / SECURITY VOA 05 Jan 2005 -- The commander of multi-national forces in Baghdad says the coalition is having some success fighting the insurgency, but he acknowledges that violence will continue as the January 30th election approaches.
• Iraq Minister: Mosul Military Operations To Begin Soon RFE/RL 05 Jan 2005 -- Qassim Dawud, the interim Iraqi minister of state for national security, says Iraqi forces, backed by U.S.-led troops, will soon begin military operations against insurgents in the northern city of Mosul.
• Iraqi National Guard repels insurgents 31st MEU raids net 27 detainees MNF-I/MNC-I 05 Jan 2005 -- An insurgent attempting to emplace an improvised explosive device near a school in Ar Rutbah wound up being the victim Monday.
• Task Force Baghdad Secures Salman Pak as a Part of "Operation Triple Play" MNF-I/MNC-I 05 Jan 2005 -- To improve security for the upcoming elections in Iraq, Task Force Baghdad troops executed "Operation Triple Play" Dec. 31 in order to hinder the ability of insurgent groups to plan and resource large operations.
• Cavalry Moves in on Insurgents Near Euphrates MNF-I/MNC-I 05 Jan 2005 -- Days after moving from Baghdad to Camp Dogwood in North Babil, the Soldiers of Task Force 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, went on the offensive against anti-Iraqi activity in this relatively unfamiliar area of Iraq.
• IP officer Wounded in Mortar Attack Near Baqubah MNF-I/MNC-I 05 Jan 2005 -- An Iraqi police officer was wounded when anti-Iraqi force mortar fire hit his home near Baqubah on Jan. 4 at about 3:40 p.m.
• Second MOI Battalion Detains Three in Raid Near Samarra MNF-I/MNC-I 05 Jan 2005 -- Soldiers from the 2nd Iraqi Ministry of the Interior Commando Battalion detained three individuals in a raid near Samarra at about 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 4.
• Marines Seize Weapons Caches, Detain 16 MNF-I/MNC-I 05 Jan 2005 -- Marines from the 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, detained 16 suspected insurgents and discovered several weapons caches on Jan. 4 during operations throughout Al Anbar Province.
• ISF, MNF-I Detain 17 Terrorists in Past 24 hours MNF-I/MNC-I 05 Jan 2005 -- Iraqi Security Forces and elements of Task Force Olympia and 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Regiment (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), detained 17 suspected terrorists during several operations throughout northern Iraq over the past 24 hours.
• Task Force 2-12 Finds Large Cache Near Euphrates MNF-I/MNC-I 05 Jan 2005 -- When Task Force 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, of the 1st Cavalry Division, moved from Camp Striker in Baghdad to Dogwood less than a week ago, they were met with a barrage of mortar hits on the camp and improvised explosive device hits on their convoys.
• 5 Iraqi Police, 8 Others Wounded in VBIED Attack MNF-I/MNC-I 05 Jan 2005 -- Five Iraqi police officers were killed and eight others, including Iraqi police, Iraqi National Guard soldiers and civilians, were wounded when anti-Iraqi forces detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device in Baqubah on Jan. 5 at about 4:05 p.m.
• I Marine Expeditionary Force Net Nine Suspected Insurgents Throughout western Al Anbar Province MNF-I/MNC-I 05 Jan 2005 -- Elements of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit conducted three operations during the past 48 hours that netted nine suspected insurgents throughout the western Al Anbar Province.
• American General: Insurgents Will Not Stop Iraqi Elections AFPS 05 Jan 2005 -- Multinational forces are getting better at finding and foiling bomb attacks in the Baghdad, Iraq, area, the U.S. general responsible for that area said today.
• Safety challenges workforce at Iraqi Army base Army News 05 Jan 2005 -- Wide variances in building processes, and almost non-existent safety rules and regulations have made ongoing reconstruction efforts in Iraq dynamic and complex.
• Charlie 1/2 supports Army's 1st BCT in As Suwayrah USMC News 05 Jan 2005 -- In a large hangar at an abandoned airfield once used by one of Saddam Hussein's most feared units - the Medina Armored Division of the Republican Guard - Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit rang in the new year hoping to ring up anti-Iraqi insurgents.
• 1/23 Marines disrupt insurgents around Ramadi USMC News 05 Jan 2005 -- The moonlit midnight hour only faintly illuminated the shadowy-team of Marines who crept across the muddy, fenced in yard around a drab farmhouse in the small Iraqi village.
• Red Wolves Return from Iraq Navy NewsStand 05 Jan 2005 -- Nearly 45 pilots, air crew, and maintenance personnel of Helicopter Combat Support Special Squadron (HCS) 4, Det. 3, will return to Naval Station Norfolk Jan. 6 after a three month deployment to Iraq.

• Taliban Commander Among Five Killed In Afghan Fighting RFE/RL 05 Jan 2005 -- A provincial governor in southern Afghanistan says Taliban militants attacked a government office and killed one of the Afghan soldiers guarding the building.
• Afghan, Pakistani Troops Clash On Border Frontier RFE/RL 05 Jan 2005 -- Afghan and Pakistani soldiers have exchanged fire along their border, near the site of a reconaissance drone crash.

• Transcript: U.S. Military Relief Efforts for Tsunami Victims U.S. Pacific Command 05 Jan 2005 -- Captain Rodger Welch, USN, Tsunami Relief Spokeperson, U. S. Pacific Command
• Army Deploys Forces in Support of Tsunami Disaster Relief / Operation United Assistance Army 05 Jan 2005 -- The Department of the Army announced today forces deploying as part of the Combined Support Force for the Tsunami disaster relief effort.
• More Ships, Helicopters Arrive to Aid Tsunami Victims AFPS 05 Jan 2005 -- Navy helicopters continue to airlift aid to thousands of people left struggling for survival due to the earthquake- generated tsunami that hit Indian Ocean nations from Indonesia to Somalia.
• Red Horse Airmen deploy to Thailand AFPN 05 Jan 2005 -- Airmen from here packed up and are heading to Utapao, Thailand, to assist in the region devastated by tsunamis Dec. 26.
• Quartermaster teams will help identify Tsunami victims Army News 05 Jan 2005 -- In response to the deadly tsunami that struck south Asia last week, Fort Lee is sending several teams of mortuary affairs specialists to assist in recovery efforts and to help identify the tens of thousands of victims of the disaster.
• Army units provide vital support to tsunami relief efforts Army News 05 Jan 2005 -- Several Army units are among the many military assets the United States is using to bring relief to the victims of an earthquake-induced tsunami in the Far East.
• BHR, Embarked Commands Stand Up Logistics Operations Command Center for Humanitarian Mission Navy NewsStand 05 Jan 2005 -- In response to one of the worst natural disasters in modern history, multi-purpose amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (BHR) (LHD 6) and her embarked logisticians of Expeditionary Strike Group 5 and the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) (Special Operations Capable) formed a Logistics Operations Command Center (LOCC).
• Navy Cargo Handling Battalion to Assist Tsunami Relief Effort Navy NewsStand 05 Jan 2005 -- Approximately 100 members of the Williamsburg-based Navy Cargo Handling Battalion (NCHB) 1 are preparing to deploy in support of the tsunami relief efforts in Southeast Asia.
• BHR Repair Division Innovating New Way to Bring Fresh Water to Tsunami Victims Navy NewsStand 05 Jan 2005 -- USS Bonhomme Richard's (BHR) (LHD 6) Repair Division began manufacturing more than 20 fresh water distribution manifolds Jan. 2 to help dispense fresh water to tsunami victims in South Asia.
• Ingleside Ship Deploys to Support Disaster Relief Efforts Navy NewsStand 05 Jan 2005 -- High Speed Vessel (HSV) 2 Swift deployed Jan. 3 to support the Tsunami disaster relief efforts in the U.S. Pacific Command area of responsibility in the vicinity of Singapore.
• USS Bonhomme Richard Ready to Start Delivering Humanitarian Assistance Navy NewsStand 05 Jan 2005 -- The San Diego-based amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) (BHR) flew more than 150,000 pounds of humanitarian relief supplies and four International Red Cross workers aboard the ship Jan. 5.

Defense Policy / Programs

• GUANTANAMO INVESTIGATION VOA 05 Jan 2005 -- The U.S. military command that is responsible for the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, says it will investigate allegations of prisoner abuse at the base.
• 'America's Big Stick' is Good as New Navy NewsStand 05 Jan 2005 -- USS Theodore Roosevelt (TR) (CVN 71) met its goal of completing its Docked Planned Incremental Availability (DPIA) at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) in Portmouth, Va., and sea trials, as well as delivering the ship back to the fleet Dec. 17.
• Central, South Asian States to Meet for Security Conference AFPS 05 Jan 2005 -- Officials from nine countries, including the United States, will meet here Jan. 11 for the first in a series of conferences designed to increase security cooperation among states in the Central and South Asia region.

• White House Daily Briefing, January 5 Washington File 05 Jan 2005 -- Bush calls Mideast leaders/donates to tsunami relief efforts/personnel announcements/Gonzales confirmation hearing/medical liability lawsuits
• State Department Noon Briefing, January 5 Washington File 05 Jan 2005 -- Asia/Department, Sri Lanka, Iran, Indonesia, Syria, Iraq, Israel/Palestinian Authority, China/Taiwan, North Korea

Defense Industry

• Naval Helicopters Aid Tsunami Victims Sikorsky 05 Jan 2005 -- As they have for 60 years, Sikorsky helicopters are leading the way in easing human suffering in the aftermath of catastrophe, living up to vertical lift's highest calling as envisioned by Igor I. Sikorsky.
• BAE SYSTEMS To Develop Unmanned Aerial Vehicle For Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency BAE Systems 05 Jan 2005 -- The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), has selected BAE Systems as one of three companies to develop a ducted-fan unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) as part of a first phase of its Organic Air Vehicle Class II (OAV II) program. The award of the design and development contract follows a competitive selection process.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 05 Jan 2005
• PRESS BRIEFING BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT United Nations 05 Jan 2005
• MIDDLE EAST: A 'NEW AND FRAGILE PALESTINIAN LEADERSHIP' US Dept. of State IIP, Foreign Media Reaction 05 Jan 2005
• Middle East: Palestinian Presidential Election Seen As Chance For New Start RFE/RL 05 Jan 2005 -- Palestinians go to the polls on 9 January to elect a new leader to replace the late Yasser Arafat. The election is viewed as a key opportunity for reviving the Arab-Israeli peace process. But as the vote approaches, violence is escalating, with Palestinian attacks on Israelis followed by large-scale Israeli raids into Gaza. And the election campaigning is deteriorating into hard-line rhetoric.
• ISRAEL / TURKEY VOA 05 Jan 2005 -- Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is on a mission to Israel with a two-fold purpose: improve ties with the Jewish state and offer to serve as intermediary with Syria on the possible resumption of peace talks.

• Security Council hopes deal to end war in southern Sudan will help resolve Darfur crisis UN News Centre 05 Jan 2005 -- Welcoming the initialling of the final two protocols of a comprehensive peace deal to end the 21-year civil war in southern Sudan, the Security Council today voiced hope that the agreement will play a role in resolving the separate conflict engulfing the country's Darfur region in the west.
• Report: 14 Russian Soldiers Killed In Chechnya RFE/RL 05 Jan 2005 -- An official with the pro-Moscow Chechen administration was cited today as reporting that 14 Russian soldiers and at least three local Chechen troops have been killed in a series of incidents in Chechnya over the last two days.

News Reports

• Indonesia, Maldives, Sri Lanka: Earthquake and Tsunami OCHA Situation Report No. 12 UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 04 Jan 2005
• Transcript: PRESS BRIEFING ON TSUNAMI DISASTER United Nations 05 Jan 2005
• As tsunami aid nears $4 billion, UN warns 150,000 could die without urgent care UN News Centre 05 Jan 2005 -- With aid pledges for the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami already reaching between $3 billion and $4 billion, the United Nations health agency warned again today that 150,000 people are at "extreme risk" of dying from preventable diseases unless clean drinking water and other basic needs are restored within days.
• UN message to tsunami relief workers and donors: thanks, keep it coming UN News Centre 05 Jan 2005 -- Praising the enormous global outpouring of pledges for the victims of last week's devastating tsunami in the Indian Ocean, United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland today delivered "a few messages" of thanks, caution and pleas for coordination.
• Annan arrives in Indonesia to launch UN flash appeal for tsunami victims UN News Centre 05 Jan 2005 -- Praising as "marvellous" the world response so far to last week's devastating Indian Ocean tsunami, Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia, today to launch the United Nations flash appeal expected to total many hundreds of millions of dollars for the most urgent needs over the next six months.
• U.S. "Horrified" at Child Trafficking in Tsunami Aftermath Washington File 05 Jan 2005 -- Reports of rape, kidnapping and trafficking of children already victimized by the Indian Ocean tsunami are considered credible by the U.S. State Department, according to department spokesman Adam Ereli, who addressed the subject in a briefing January 5.
• Effects of Tsunami Also Felt in East Africa Washington File 05 Jan 2005 -- The massive tsunami in the Indian Ocean that inundated many countries in Southeast and South Asia December 26, 2004, has also had effects as far away as East Africa, touching primarily Somalia, Tanzania and Kenya.
• High-Level Officials Meet in Jakarta on Tsunami Recovery Effort Washington File 05 Jan 2005 -- High-level officials from more than 20 nations converge January 6 on Jakarta, Indonesia, for a one-day meeting to discuss relief and rebuilding for the nations stricken by the December 26, 2004, earthquake and tsunami.
• U.S. Field Hospitals Ready for Delivery, Set Up in Relief Zone Washington File 05 Jan 2005 -- The U.S. military is preparing to establish a variety of medical centers in the countries ravaged by the December 26, 2004, tsunami in the Indian Ocean region.
• Tsunami Expert Leads U.S. Scientific Delegation to Sri Lanka Washington File 05 Jan 2005 -- A delegation of American scientists from the National Science Foundation's Tsunami Research Group and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will travel into the tsunami-ravaged areas of Sri Lanka January 9-16.
• Nations Assess Tsunami-Linked Environmental Damage Washington File 05 Jan 2005 -- Reefs, shorelines, vegetation and croplands may all have suffered serious damage from the tsunami that slammed into the coasts of 12 nations, and the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) is working with affected governments to determine the severity of the problems and how they might be addressed.
• Disease Could Claim Thousands More Tsunami Victims Washington File 05 Jan 2005 -- The risk of water-borne diseases is high in the tsunami-ravaged regions of Asia, and the World Health Organization (WHO) is making a fundraising appeal to combat the threat.
• UN / TSUNAMI / WEDNESDAY VOA 05 Jan 2005 -- The United Nations is urging warring parties in Sri Lanka and Indonesia to put aside their conflicts and join forces to provide assistance to tsunami victims. Aid is beginning to reach some of the most remote regions as cargo planes, helicopters and heavy equipment arrive to speed the delivery process.
• TSUNAMI WRAP VOA 05 Jan 2005 -- International aid commitments continue to grow ahead of Thursday's emergency donors summit in the Indonesian capital.
• Asia: U.S. Tsunami-Aid Effort Seen As Partly Aimed At Winning Muslim Friends RFE/RL 05 Jan 2005 -- The United States has taken on a high-profile role in delivering relief to the Indian Ocean countries devastated by the tsunami disaster, particularly the worst hit area -- Indonesia's Aceh province on the island of Sumatra. While the United States has a long tradition of generously responding to people in need, Washington also appears to view the tragedy as a chance to improve its image among Muslims -- an image that has been tarnished by the Iraq conflict and the war on terror.
• Asia: Tsunami Prompts Record Outpouring In Aid -- But Why? RFE/RL 05 Jan 2005 -- Aid organizations say they are amazed by the enormous public response to the 26 December tsunami disaster in Asia. While governments have pledged around $2 billion, private groups and individuals have pledged hundreds of millions of dollars more. It is being called the biggest aid effort in human history.
• QUAKE - SIT-REP VOA 05 Jan 2005 -- As hopes fade that any of those missing since the December 26th earthquake and tsunami will be found alive, aid workers are focusing on protecting the survivors. Children are most vulnerable to a variety of risks.
• BLAIR / TSUNAMI VOA 05 Jan 2005 -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair says his country is likely to spend several hundred million dollars for relief and reconstruction in the Asian countries hit by last week's tsunami.
• SOMALIA/TSUNAMI VOA 05 Jan 2005 -- The United Nations has appealed for more than 13-million dollars to help 54-thousand Somalis affected by the recent Asian tsunami.
• POWELL / ACEH VOA 05 Jan 2005 -- U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has visited the tsunami-wrecked region of Indonesia's Aceh Province Wednesday pledging to help the devastated area.

• UKRAINE APPEAL O'NITE VOA 05 Jan 2005 -- Ukraine's Supreme Court is scheduled to meet Thursday to review another election appeal filed by the losing presidential candidate, Viktor Yanukovych. This will delay the official announcement of winner in the December 26th presidential re-run election.
• Ukraine: Capable Or Crooked? Yuliya Tymoshenko Leaves Few Unmoved RFE/RL 05 Jan 2005 -- Admired by her supporters as a charismatic leader and castigated by her opponents as a corrupt turncoat, Ukraine's Yuliya Tymoshenko leaves few people indifferent. Now, Tymoshenko, who does not mince words, says she expects to be Ukraine's next prime minister.
• UKRAINE POL VOA 05 Jan 2005 -- Ukraine's outgoing President Leonid Kuchma has accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, the man he had earlier hoped would be his successor.