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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 21 Apr 2005 [PDF]
• TWO MARINES KILLED IN AR RAMADI
• DoD Identifies Marine Casualties
• DoD Identifies Army Casualties

• Transcript: Defense Department Briefing 21 Apr 2005 -- Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Larry Di Rita
• Insurgents Say They Shot Down Helicopter in Iraq, Killing 11 VOA News 21 Apr 2005 -- A militant group in Iraq says it shot down a civilian helicopter that crashed near Baghdad Thursday, killing all 11 people on board.
• Iraq: Tens Of Bodies Discovered In Tigris As Violence Continues RFE/RL 21 Apr 2005 -- The bodies of more than 50 people have been reported found in the Tigris River south of Baghdad. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, announcing the discovery, said the victims are believed to be Shi'ite Muslim hostages executed by Sunni militants in the city of Madain. Reports earlier this week (16-17 April) said the militants had taken tens of Shi'ite civilians hostage and had threatened to kill them unless all of Madain's Shi'ite residents left the city. But Sunni authorities denied the claim, and the Iraqi Army failed to find any hostages after entering Madain.
• 2nd Platoon now 'on offensive' in Ramadi USMC News 21 Apr 2005 -- A Camp Pendleton-based platoon drew fire from a drive-by shooter here April 14 - further evidence that enemy fighters are still lurking in a town that was once an insurgent hotbed.

• Senior Taleban Officials Surrender to Afghan Government VOA News 21 Apr 2005 -- Afghan officials say two senior members of Afghanistan's former Taleban regime have surrendered to the government under an amnesty offer.
• TASK FORCE CLASHES WITH INSURGENTS NEAR SALERNO CENTCOM 21 Apr 2005 -- More than a dozen insurgents were killed late Tuesday night as Coalition helicopters, aircraft and artillery responded to a rocket attack at Forward Operating Base Salerno.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US Military Court Convicts Sergeant of Murdering 2 Officers in Kuwait VOA News 21 Apr 2005 -- A U.S. military court has convicted an Army sergeant of murdering two of his comrades and wounding 14 others in a grenade and rifle attack two years ago in Kuwait.
• DoD a Leader in Environmental Stewardship, Officials Say AFPS 21 Apr 2005 -- The Department of Defense is not only meeting the challenges of environmental stewardship but continues to be a leader in every aspect of environmental management, officials said recently.
• New Army Program for High-Demand Linguists Producing Results AFPS 21 Apr 2005 -- A new Army military occupational specialty, 09L, is the latest weapon in the nation's arsenal in the global war on terror -- and it's working, Army officials said April 20.
• CWC 729 test fires M198 Howitzers USMC News 21 Apr 2005 -- "Stand by . fire!" Shouts like this could be heard breaking the early morning silence of Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command Twentynine Palms, Calif. right before the deafening blast of an M198 155mm Howitzer Wednesday.
• Air Force officials postpone technology conference AFPN 21 Apr 2005 -- The 2005 Air Force Information Technology Conference scheduled for Aug. 28 to Sept. 1 in Montgomery, Ala., has been postponed until after January 2006.
• Airmen maintain national defense in weapons storage area AFPN 21 Apr 2005 -- Separated from the rest of the base by miles of fence topped with razor wire and high-tech surveillance equipment, certain Airmen here see few people during the duty day other than their military counterparts. For that, their daily efforts go largely unnoticed.
• Guard, Reserve leaders testify on Capitol Hill AFPN 21 Apr 2005 -- The directors of the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve testified April 20 on readiness and management support before the Senate Armed Services Committee subcommittee.
• Eisenhower Welcomes Hawkeyes "2000" Navy NewsStand 21 Apr 2005 -- The "Screwtops" of Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 123 landed on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (Ike) (CVN 69) April 17 with new modifications as the ship commenced another round of carrier qualifications.
• Reserve Squadron Supports Ike Navy NewsStand 21 Apr 2005 -- The Emerald Knights of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 75, from Jacksonville, Fla., landed their SH-60F Seawhawks aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (Ike) (CVN 69) April 17, to support Ike during her third underway period since leaving the shipyard after completing a scheduled four-year, mid-life overhaul.
• Naval Coastal Warfare Squadron 33 Deploys in Support of OIF Navy NewsStand 21 Apr 2005 -- Naval Coastal Warfare Squadron (NCWRON) 33 from Naval Coastal Warfare Group (NCWGRU) 1 deployed to Kuwait April 14 to relieve NCWRON 25 of NCWGRU 2, which is scheduled to return to Norfolk later this month.

• Sharon Expresses Concerns about Russia's Missile Sales to Syria VOA News 21 Apr 2005 -- Israeli Prim

• Enhancing NATO-Ukraine Cooperation Short-term Actions NATO 21 Apr 2005 -- NATO Allies and Ukraine have agreed to launch the initiatives outlined below to enhance their cooperation in support of Ukraine's reform priorities.

• NATO Boosts Ties with Russia, Ukraine VOA News 21 Apr 2005 -- NATO has struck deals to increase its cooperation with Russia and Ukraine as the military alliance deepens its roots in what was once enemy territory of the old Soviet bloc. e Minister Ariel Sharon has expressed concern that Russian anti-aircraft missiles being sold to Syria could fall into the hands of terrorist groups.

• Russia, NATO Sign Military Cooperation Agreement RFE/RL 21 Apr 2005 -- NATO and Russia today signed a milestone "Status of Forces Agreement" that will make it easier for the two sides to organize the transit of troops through each other's territory.

• White House Daily Briefing, April 21 Washington File 21 Apr 2005 -- Social Security, energy bill, Bolton nomination, Ecuador, border patrol, economy, Bush trip to Tennessee, Crown Prince Abdullah visit, Iraq/violence, Israel/Palestinians, Secretary Rice comments on Belarus, Japan/China
• State Department Briefing, April 21 Washington File 21 Apr 2005 -- Iraq, France, Bolton/nomination, Department/Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs, Sudan, United Nations, Ecuador, China/Taiwan, Russia, Lebanon, Israel/Palestinians

Defense Industry

• Second Romanian Type 22 Frigate Commissioned To Time And Budget BAE Systems 21 Apr 2005 -- Regina Maria, the second of two ex-Royal Navy Type 22 frigates being regenerated and modernised by a BAE Systems-led team for the Romanian Navy, is to be officially named and commissioned at Portsmouth today.
• Boeing Debuts Super Hornet with Advanced Radar System Boeing 21 Apr 2005 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] will debut the F/A-18E/F Block II Super Hornet equipped with the revolutionary APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system at a ceremony at Boeing's St. Louis facilities today.
• General Dynamics Awarded Additional FCS Command and Control Integration Work General Dynamics 21 Apr 2005 -- General Dynamics C4 Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has been awarded an additional $75 million for command and control systems integration work related to the U.S. Army Future Combat Systems (FCS) program. The expanded scope of work includes delivery of the largest battle command software package for FCS. Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Science Applications International Corporations (SAIC), prime contractors for FCS, made the award.
• Gulfstream Aerospace Delivers Four Special Mission Aircraft and Receives Order for One More in 1Q05 General Dynamics 21 Apr 2005 -- In the first quarter of this year, Gulfstream Aerospace, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), delivered four new special mission aircraft – one to the Japan Coast Guard (JCG), one to the U.S. Army, one to the U.S. Navy, and one to the National Center for Atmospheric Research. During the same quarter, Gulfstream also received an order from the German Aerospace Center for a G550 that will serve as an atmospheric research aircraft.
• Raytheon Selected as Combat System-System Engineer for the Australian Navy's New Air Warfare Destroyers Raytheon 21 Apr 2005 -- Raytheon Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), has been selected by the Australian Department of Defence as the preferred bidder for the combat system-system engineer project for the Royal Australian Navy's $4.6 billion ($6 billion Australian) Air Warfare Destroyer program.
• Raytheon Resumes Production of TOW ITAS Precision Guidance Systems Under $32 Million Contract Raytheon 21 Apr 2005 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) will produce and deliver to the U.S. Army Improved Target Acquisition Systems (ITAS) under a $32.3 million contract from the U.S. Army's Aviation and Missile Command, Huntsville, Ala. From 1999 through 2003, the Army procured 709 ITAS units; the order announced today marks the resumption of system production.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 21 Apr 2005
• CHAD-SUDAN: Governor urges UN to help local Chadians as well as Darfur refugees IRIN 21 Apr 2005 -- The governor of Chad's eastern Ouaddai region urged the United Nations on Thursday to channel more aid to the local Chadian population.
• RWANDA: Refugees could be joining rebels, minister says IRIN 21 Apr 2005 -- Rwandans who have been fleeing to Burundi and Uganda since the beginning of April could have been recruited into rebel groups, a government minister told IRIN on Thursday.
• SUDAN: Peacekeepers to arrive in the south within a month IRIN 21 Apr 2005 -- The UN announced on Wednesday that it would have peacekeeping troops on the ground in south Sudan within a month, to monitor the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which ended 21 years of civil war in the south.
• ETHIOPIA-ERITREA: UN investigates clashes on border IRIN 21 Apr 2005 -- UN peacekeepers are investigating two recent armed clashes on the Ethiopia-Eritrea border that left up to four dead, a UN official said on Thursday.
• Bomb blast in Nepal kills 3 policemen IRNA 21 Apr 2005 -- Three policemen and a civilian were killed on Wednesday in Nepal in a bomb blast blamed on Maoist militants, reports Asian Age, leading New Delhi based newspaper.
• Withdrawal of heavy weapons begins in Côte d'Ivoire, UN mission says UN News Centre 21 Apr 2005 -- Côte d'Ivoire Government troops and the fighters from the West African country's major rebel force started their four-day withdrawal of heavy weaponry from the frontline today and it has been proceeding without a major hitch, the United Nations peacekeeping mission said.
• Israel and Palestinians must do more to sustain peace hopes, Security Council told UN News Centre 21 Apr 2005 -- The Palestinians must do more to reorganize their security forces to prevent violence and Israel must halt all settlement activity if recent hopes for resolving the Middle East conflict are to be sustained, the top United Nations political officer told the Security Council today.
• Aid workers unable to reach 25,000 displaced in DR of Congo camp, UN says UN News Centre 21 Apr 2005 -- With aid workers unable to reach about 25,000 displaced people in a camp in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during a cholera outbreak, the situation is likely to worsen not only for the infected, but also for those who need basic supplies of food and water, the United Nations emergency coordination office said today.
• Improved political climate has not ended Western Sahara stalemate - UN report UN News Centre 21 Apr 2005 -- The overall improved political climate in Western Sahara has not ended the stalemate between the parties on the core issue of how the people of the territory can exercise their right of self-determination, Secretary-General Kofi Annan says in a new report recommending a six-month extension of the United Nations mission there to maintain stability.
• Chechnya: Who Will Strike First Following Maskhadov's Death? RFE/RL 21 Apr 2005 -- The reprisals that some anticipated would follow the killing on 8 March of Chechen leader and resistance forces commander Aslan Maskhadov have not taken place -- yet. A 20 April commentary posted by the website ari.ru attributed the comparative lull in hostilities in recent weeks to the statutory 40-day mourning period prescribed by Islam, which ended on 17 April.

News Reports

• Interview: Moldovan Foreign Minister Discusses GUUAM RFE/RL 21 Apr 2005 -- In an exclusive interview with RFE/RL, Moldovan Foreign Minister Andrei Stratan discusses the political and economic relevance of GUUAM ahead of the organization's summit tomorrow.

• Brazil Grants Asylum to Ecuador's Deposed President VOA News 21 Apr 2005 -- Brazil has granted asylum to deposed Ecuadorean President Lucio Gutierrez, who had taken refuge in the Brazilian embassy since his ouster Wednesday.
• US Appeals for Ecuadoreans to Reject Violence in Political Crisis VOA News 21 Apr 2005 -- The United States Thursday called on Ecuadoreans to reject violence and respect the rule of law in that country's political turmoil.

• TAJIKISTAN: Donors meet to discuss landmines IRIN 21 Apr 2005 -- Landmines continue to remain a source of concern in Tajikistan, particularly in the north, with the number of mine victims in the area increasing over the past few months, according to mine action officials.