Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 22 Mar 2005 [PDF]
• Marine killed in Al Anbar Province
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

• Coalition raid nets 3 suspected of Kirkuk rocket attack MNF-I/MNC-I 22 Mar 2005 -- Task Force Liberty Soldiers detained three Iraqis suspected of a rocket attack on a Coalition Forces base during a raid in Kirkuk about 1 a.m., March 22.
• Guard Unit Credits Training in Overcoming 27 Insurgents AFPS 22 Mar 2005 -- A Kentucky National Guard unit is being credited with responding in "textbook" fashion during an ambush here March 20, killing 27 insurgents and capturing a sizable weapons cache and valuable intelligence.
• Destructive weapons, destructive people unable to escape Iraqi Coalition MNF-I/MNC-I 22 Mar 2005 -- Iraq Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained 20 suspected insurgents and seized a number of weapons during operations in northern Iraq March 21 and 22.
• Ministry of Interior Commandos encounter insurgent training facility MNF-I/MNC-I 22 Mar 2005 -- Members of the Iraqi Ministry of Interior (MOI) 1st Police Commando Battalion discovered and attacked an apparent training facility for Anti-Iraqi Forces (AIF) in southwestern Salah Ad Din Province at about 11 a.m. March 22.
• Iraqi Army raid finds large weapons cache MNF-I/MNC-I 22 Mar 2005 -- An Iraqi Army raid discovered a weapons cache consisting of over 70 anti-tank mines near Miqdadiyah at about 5:00 p.m. March 22.
• Local national tip leads Marines to weapons cache MNF-I/MNC-I 22 Mar 2005 -- Task Force Baghdad Marines, acting on a tip from a local resident, unearthed a buried weapons cache March 21 in southeast Baghdad.
• Suspected terrorists apprehended after IED attack MNF-I/MNC-I 22 Mar 2005 -- Task Force Baghdad Soldiers detained three men suspected of detonating an improvised explosive device near a patrol in east Baghdad on March 21.

• A-10s PROVE COMBAT CAPABILITIES CAN SAVE LIVES CENTCOM 26 Mar 2005 -- More than 200 villagers were rescued from flood waters Friday as airborne A-10s from the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing out of Bagram Airfield helped identify and report the victims' exact location.
• Afghanistan will need international help to build future beyond elections, Security Council told UN News Centre 22 Mar 2005 -- Afghanistan will need sustained international help way beyond September's legislative elections marking the completion of the Bonn accord that set up the country's transitional phase after the ouster of the Taliban regime in 2001, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan says in his latest report delivered today.
• U.S. Pledges $200,000 to Support Reforestation of Afghanistan Washington File 22 Mar 2005 -- U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad announced a $200,000 U.S. pledge to the Afghan Conservation Corps to support a program to reforest Afghanistan, according to a statement from the embassy in Kabul March 21.
• Opium Production Threatens Afghanistan's Future, Officials Say Washington File 22 Mar 2005 -- Three key U.S. officials testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on International Relations March 17 about what one called "the greatest challenge facing Afghanistan today" -- opium production and trafficking in that country.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Rumsfeld Seeks Strengthening Of U.S.-Latin American Ties AFPS 22 Mar 2005 -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld arrived here at the Argentine capital city March 21, kicking off a four-day Latin-American trip.
• Military Police Unit Stands Up at Guantanamo Bay AFPS 22 Mar 2005 -- With the activation of a new active-duty military police battalion and company here March 21, the Army has moved into a new phase of detention operations -- one that incorporates lessons learned here and elsewhere in the war on terrorism.
• U.S.-Argentine Relationship 'Continues to Strengthen,' Rumsfeld Says AFPS 22 Mar 2005 -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld arrived here at Brazil's capital city today after participating in what he described as "excellent" discussions with Argentina's minister of defense earlier in the day.
• Army Reserve Components Boost Enlistment Age Limit AFPS 22 Mar 2005 -- The Army Reserve and the Army National Guard have raised the age limit for recruits from 34 to 39, Defense Department officials said.
• Congress hears testimony on manpower, recruiting AFPN 22 Mar 2005 -- By the end of the year, the Air Force will have reduced its number of personnel to the congressionally mandated limit, said the service's deputy chief of staff for personnel during testimony on Capitol Hill on March 16.
• Joint Red Flag bringing big picture together AFPN 22 Mar 2005 -- One of the nation's largest integrated exercise involving live and virtual simulations is well under way at locations throughout the United States.
• Officials announce new chief of AF Scientific Advisory Board AFPN 22 Mar 2005 -- Acting secretary of the Air Force Peter B. Teets selected Heidi Shyu as chair of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board on March 22. The board is an independent group that provides technical advice to Air Force leaders.
• SRB list drops to 32 specialties AFPN 22 Mar 2005 -- Air Force officials made significant changes to the selective re-enlistment bonus program as a result of continuing force-shaping efforts.
• CSAF: Raptor, Eurofighter complementary AFPN 22 Mar 2005 -- The Air Force chief of staff added to his 5,000-plus flying hours with familiarization flights in both the F/A-22 Raptor and the Eurofighter aircraft.
• Army Installations to Receive Higher Priority for Funding Army News Release 22 Mar 2005 -- The Army has begun implementing a new policy that will increase annual funding for installations.
• Test program to up RC enlistment age Army News 22 Mar 2005 -- The Army has announced a three-year test program to evaluate raising the reserve-component non-prior-service maximum enlistment age from less than 35 years of age to less than 40 years of age.
• Ike Simulates UNREP in Preparation for Return to Sea Navy NewsStand 22 Mar 2005 -- USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike) simulated an underway replenishment (UNREP) March 18 with the Military Sealift Command ship USNS John Lenthall (T-AO 189) while pierside at Naval Station Norfolk.
• NMCB 21 Seabees Shine at "Bearing Duel" Field Exercise Navy NewsStand 22 Mar 2005 -- Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 21 from Lakehurst, N.J., completed Operation Frosty Teamwork in March, the "Bearing Duel" Field Exercise (FEX) at the national mobilization site at Camp Shelby, Miss.
• Blue Ridge, 7th Fleet Wrap Philippine Visit Navy NewsStand 22 Mar 2005 -- USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) and the embarked U.S. 7th Fleet staff departed Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines, March 20 after successful visits to Manila and the former U.S. Navy base at Subic Bay.
• Emory S. Land Completes Gulf of Guinea Deployment Navy NewsStand 22 Mar 2005 -- USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) (ESL) Sailors enjoyed a well-deserved break in Rota, Spain, in March after two months of Gulf of Guinea operations in Western Africa, enhancing security cooperation between the United States and participating Gulf of Guinea nations.

• OSCE MONITORING MISSION ON GEORGIAN-RUSSIAN BORDER NOT TO BE RESUMED RIA Novosti 22 Mar 2005 -- The OSCE monitoring mission on the Georgian-Russian border will not be resumed, nor the setting up on its technical base of a training mission for passing experience to Georgian border-guards is expected, Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Georgi Gomiashvili has told Novosti-Georgia.
• OPERATIVE COOPERATION TO BE RUSSIA-NATO COUNCIL'S PRIORITY RIA Novosti 22 Mar 2005 -- The top priority of the Russia-NATO Council for 2005 should be the development of operative cooperation, Director of the NATO Information Office in Moscow Isabelle Francois said live on the Echo of Moscow radio.
• RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER NAMES THE COST OF MILITARY BASES WITHDRAWAL FROM GEORGIA RIA Novosti 22 Mar 2005 -- The withdrawal of the Russian military bases from Georgia will cost approximately $250-300 million.
• WITHDRAWAL OF RUSSIAN BASES FROM GEORGIA IS POSSIBLE ONLY ON COMPROMISE RIA Novosti 22 Mar 2005 -- The head of the State Duma committee for the CIS affairs and relations with compatriots, Andrei Kokoshin, hopes that a compromise decision will be found at the Russian-Georgian negotiations on withdrawal of the Russian military bases from Georgia.

• EU/SUMMIT VOA 22 Mar 2005 -- The European Union opens (has opened) a summit today (Tuesday 17:15 UTC) in Brussels on boosting jobs and growth in the 25-nation group, but other issues, including resuming arms sales to China, may receive prominent attention.

• White House Daily Briefing, March 22 Washington File 22 Mar 2005 -- President's meeting with Canadian/Mexican leaders, Terry Schiavo case, Minnesota school shooting
• State Department Briefing, March 22 Washington File 22 Mar 2005 -- Sudan, Jordan, Israel/Palestinian Authority, China, North Korea, Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Iceland, United Nations

Defense Industry

• Ministry of Defence signs contract with the ATLAS Consortium for the Defence Information Infrastructure (Future) project EADS 22 Mar 2005 -- Lord Bach, Minister for Defence Procurement, today announced that the contract has been signed with the ATLAS Consortium for the MOD’s Defence Information Infrastructure (Future) (DII(F)) project.
• T-50 AIRCRAFT COMPLETES AERIAL GUNFIRE TESTING Lockheed Martin 22 Mar 2005 -- The T-50 Golden Eagle advanced jet trainer successfully completed aerial gunfire testing recently. The T-50 Golden Eagle is being developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) with technical support from Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT].
• FCS Team Issues Final Requests for Proposals for Class II and III Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Boeing 22 Mar 2005 -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), as the Lead Systems Integrator team for the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program, recently released separate Requests for Proposals for development of FCS Class II and III Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems. Industry participants will have 30 days in which to respond with contract awards anticipated in early August.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 22 Mar 2005
• UN / SUDAN RESOLUTION VOA 22 Mar 2005 -- The United States has divided up a controversial draft U.N. Security Council resolution on Sudan in hopes of breaking a lengthy deadlock that has prevented action on Darfur. A vote on at least one of the resolutions could come as early as Thursday.
• US / SUDAN / DARFUR VOA 22 Mar 2005 -- The United States is asking the African Union to investigate the shooting of a U.S. aid official Tuesday in Sudan's troubled Darfur region. The State Department did not assign blame for the incident but said neither the Sudanese government nor Darfur rebels is doing enough to stop violence in the region.
  
  
• NO ONE KILLED IN HELICOPTER CRASH IN CHECHNYA RIA Novosti 22 Mar 2005 -- According to updated information, no one was killed in the MI-8 helicopter crash in Chechnya, a spokesman for the Regional Operational Headquarters for the counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus told RIA Novosti on the phone.
• INTERIOR MINISTRY'S HELICOPTER CRASHES IN CHECHNYA RIA Novosti 22 Mar 2005 -- According to preliminary information, six people were killed and two gravely injured in the crash of a Mi-8 helicopter, a sources in the headquarters of the United Group of Forces in the North Caucasus told RIA Novosti.
  
  
• DRC: Another key Ituri leader arrested IRIN 22 Mar 2005 -- The Congolese government has arrested Thomas Lubanga, the leader of the Union des patriotes Congolais (UPC), a key political movement in the northeastern district of Ituri, a government official announced on Tuesday.
• DRC: Disarmament begins in Ituri, targeting 4,000 rebels IRIN 22 Mar 2005 -- Some 550 former combatants surrendered their arms on Sunday and Monday in the northeastern district of Ituri, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in a disarmament effort targeting 4,000 militiamen, the largest number so far.
  
  
• US / ISRAEL / SETTLEMENTS VOA 22 Mar 2005 -- The Bush administration Tuesday repeated its call for an end to Israeli settlement activity in Palestinian areas. It said it is seeking clarification of reported plans by Israel to build 35-hundred new housing units in the West Bank near Jerusalem.
• PAKISTAN/TRIBES VOA 22 Mar 2005 -- Tensions between the Pakistani government and dissident tribesmen in the southwestern province of Baluchistan are raising the possibility of serious fighting. A parliamentary delegation has met with a key leader in the troubled province to seek a solution.

News Reports

• 93 Dead of Mysterious Fever in Angola VOA News 22 Mar 2005 -- Angola's government says 93 people, mostly children, have died from an unidentified fever that is similar to the deadly Ebola virus.
  
  
• KOSOVO DECISION AS PRECEDENT FOR SELF-PROCLAIMED REPUBLICS RIA Novosti 22 Mar 2005 -- The settlement of the Kosovo status problem can serve as a precedent for other regions seeking independence, particularly Nagorny Karabakh, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Northern Cyprus, Konstantin Kosachev, the chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
• WILL RUSSIA LOSE ITS INFLUENCE IN TRANSDNIESTRIA? RIA Novosti 22 Mar 2005 -- A fortnight after the elections in Moldova, it is still uncertain whether pro-western or pro-Russian forces have won, as both the incumbent authorities and opposition are claiming victory.
  
  
• US / KYRGYZSTAN UNREST VOA 22 Mar 2005 -- The United States Tuesday urged all parties in the political crisis in Kyrgyzstan to refrain from violence and engage in dialogue to resolve their differences. U.S. officials say mob violence is not helping the case of government opponents protesting alleged fraud in recent parliamentary elections.
• KYRGYZSTAN OPPOSITION CANNOT COPE WITH SITUATION IN THE SOUTH RIA Novosti 22 Mar 2005 -- The opposition in Kyrgyzstan cannot cope with the situation it has produced in the south of the country.
• AKAEV: OPPOSITION IS FINANCED FROM ABROAD RIA Novosti 22 Mar 2005 -- President of Kyrgyzstan Askar Akaev has accused the opposition of getting funds from abroad.
• AKAEV: STATE OF EMERGENCY WILL NOT BE IMPOSED RIA Novosti 22 Mar 2005 -- President of Kyrgyzstan Askar Akaev has confirmed that the state of emergency will not be declared in the republic.
• KYRGYZSTAN PRESIDENT SAYS HE WILL NOT RESIGN RIA Novosti 22 Mar 2005 -- Askar Akayev, the President of Kyrgyzstan, said he would not resign and would not cancel parliamentary election results.
• KYRGYZSTAN: IS THERE A SOLUTION TO THE "VELVET" CRISIS? RIA Novosti 22 Mar 2005 -- Even the most ardent optimists would not qualify the current crisis in Kyrgyzstan as "velvet." The question now is: can bloodshed be avoided?
• LAW ENFORCEMENT BODIES WITHDRAWN FROM SOUTHERN KYRGYZSTAN RIA Novosti 22 Mar 2005 -- All law-enforcement bodies have been withdrawn from troubled southern Kyrgyzstan in order to avoid provocations that could result in civilians' and power structure personnel's casualties, Kyrgyz president's press secretary Abdil Segizbayev said on Tuesday.
• EVENTS IN KYRGYZSTAN ARE FOLLOWING THE UKRAINIAN SCENARIO RIA Novosti 22 Mar 2005 -- Tensions in Kyrgyzstan, where the opposition is clashing with the authorities, are reminiscent of the "velvet revolutions" in Georgia and Ukraine. Konstantin Simonov, the director of the Center for Current Politics in Russia, tells RIA Novosti about the political reasons for this situation.
• KYRGYZ AUTHORITIES AND OPPOSITION BOTH NEED DIALOGUE - EXPERTS RIA Novosti 22 Mar 2005 -- Yesterday, the opposition captured all strategic facilities (state buildings, the airport and television) in Osh, the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan. Izvestia, Vedomosti and Gazeta cover events in detail.
• Kyrgyz President Says Elections Were Valid RFE/RL 22 Mar 2005 -- Kyrgyz President Askar Akaev has said the recent parliamentary elections in the country are valid.
• KYRGYZSTAN: Southern protests maintain momentum IRIN 22 Mar 2005 -- The provincial capital of Osh was returning to normal on Tuesday although protests and disturbances led by opposition supporters continued in the key city and in other parts of the south.
• KYRGYZSTAN: Pro-government demonstration in the capital IRIN 22 Mar 2005 -- An estimated 10,000 people gathered in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek in support of President Askar Akayev on Tuesday as the south of the country slipped further under the control of opposition protesters.
  
  
• ARAB / SUMMIT VOA 22 Mar 2005 -- With the Arab world facing pressing issues, including massive demonstrations in Beirut, the Syrian troop withdrawal from Lebanon and democratic reform, the Arab League summit opened Tuesday focused on just one issue: renewed calls for Israel to withdraw from occupied Arab territories in return for normalization of relations.
• ARAB / SUMMIT VOA 22 Mar 2005 -- The 22-member Arab League opens a two-day summit in Algiers, Tuesday, but as many as eight Arab heads of state will not be attending. And, despite the pressing issues of democratic reform in the Middle East, the Arab-Israeli conflict; and the Syrian troop withdrawal from Lebanon, the summit is instead expected to focus much of its attention on reforms within the Arab League, itself.
  
  
• MALAYSIA/BURMA/ASEAN VOA 22 Mar 2005 -- A group of Malaysian lawmakers is pressing for Burma to be prevented from taking over the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year, because of the military government's failure on democracy and human rights.
  
  
• TSUNAMI/INDONESIA NGOS VOA 22 Mar 2005 -- The Indonesian government says it will decide by next month which international aid organizations will be allowed to continue rebuilding Aceh province, which was badly hit by last December's tsunami. There are concerns the government may try to limit access to the region, where it has been fighting separatist rebels for decades.
  
  
• PRESS BRIEFING ON HAITI United Nations 22 Mar 2005
• UN / HAITI VOA 22 Mar 2005 -- The top United Nations envoy to Haiti is promising a sustained crackdown on rebel former soldiers and armed street gangs who control parts of the Caribbean nation. The envoy pledged to make Haiti safe for elections scheduled later this year.