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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 27 Apr 2005 [PDF]
• TASK FORCE LIBERTY SOLDIER KILLED IN VEHICLE ACCIDENT
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty

• Task Force Liberty Soldiers detain four after mortar attack MNF-I/MNC-I 27 Apr 2005 -- Task Force Liberty Soldiers detained four individuals near Samarra at about 9:30 a.m. April 26 in relation to an indirect fire attack on a Coalition Forces base.
• Soldiers near Musayyib provide aid to attack victims MNF-I/MNC-I 27 Apr 2005 -- When terrorists fired mortar rounds near the Taheer Patrol Base, near Musayyib, Soldiers assigned to II Marine Expeditionary force (Fwd) provided medical assistance.
• Six detained by joint search in Hawija MNF-I/MNC-I 27 Apr 2005 -- Task Force Liberty and Iraqi army Soldiers detained six individuals in Hawija April 27 after coming under attack from an improvised explosive device and small arms fire earlier in the day.

• RFE/RL Afghanistan Report, Vol 4, Number 14 27 Apr 2005 -- DISARMAMENT IN AFGHANISTAN -- WHICH MILITIAS AND WHAT WEAPONS? / VIOLENCE CONTINUES IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN / NEO-TALIBAN RADIO BEGIN BROADCASTING IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN / PAKISTANI SOURCES DENY JOINT COUNTERINSURGENCY OPERATIONS WITH COALITION FORCES / COMMENTARY SAYS AFGHAN DISARMAMENT IN DISARRAY / HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP CALLS FOR CONTINUED MONITORING IN AFGHANISTAN / OPPOSITION COMMANDER SURRENDERS TO GOVERNMENT IN EASTERN AFGHANISTAN / TOP AFGHAN WARLORD JOINS KARZAI'S GOVERNMENT / AFGHAN OPPOSITION LEADER DISCUSSES POLITICAL OBJECTIVES / GERMAN TROOPS TO TRAIN AFGHAN DRUG FORCES / TURKISH PREMIER VISITS KABUL / ONE ROMANIAN SOLDIER KILLED, TWO INJURED IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN / THIS WEEK IN AFGHANISTAN'S HISTORY

Defense Policy / Programs

• DoD Seeking 'Demonstration Authority' for Changes to Officer Management AFPS 27 Apr 2005 -- Defense officials are requesting that Congress give the department permission to experiment with some changes to officer personnel management.
• Rumsfeld, Myers Testify on Budget Requests AFPS 27 Apr 2005 -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld asked Congress today to approve the fiscal 2005 supplemental funding request quickly.
• Bush Proposes Oil Refineries on Closed Military Bases AFPS 27 Apr 2005 -- President Bush unveiled a plan today to encourage building oil refineries on military sites that have closed.
• DoD Issues Call for National Foreign Language Capabilities 27 Apr 2005 -- The Department of Defense announced today the release of its white paper that recommends immediate and long-term engagement by public, private and government agencies to improve the nation's foreign language and cultural competency.
• Space, air, information warfare centers integrate capabilities AFPN 27 Apr 2005 -- The Air Force is integrating some forces to better manage air, space and information operations combat capabilities to support missions worldwide, Air Force officials announced April 26.
• Alaskan road project resumes on Annette Island Army News 27 Apr 2005 -- Operation Alaskan Road is underway again as a joint task force resumes work this summer on a 14.5-mile road across the rugged terrain of Annette Island.
• Army Reserve answers nation's call for 97 Years Army News 27 Apr 2005 -- On April 23, 1908, a new component of the U.S. Army came into being with the creation of the Medical Reserve Corps, the Army's first federal reserve force.
• Navy Announces New Combat Meritorious Advancement Program Navy NewsStand 27 Apr 2005 -- The Navy established the Combat Meritorious Advancement Program in April, which provides commanders the opportunity to advance junior enlisted Sailors who display uncommon valor and extraordinary leadership while engaged in, or in direct support of, combat operations.
• ACB 1 Completes Exercise Tactical Warrior '05 Navy NewsStand 27 Apr 2005 -- More than 550 active-duty and Reserve Seabees from Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) 1 conducted their annual field training exercise (FTX), "Tactical Warrior 05," at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton March 8-14.
• VP-4 Gets New Leadership, Continues Maritime Security Efforts Navy NewsStand 27 Apr 2005 -- In an April 12 change of command ceremony, Cmdr. Steven G. Bethke assumed command of Patrol Squadron (VP) 4, "The Skinny Dragons," and became the leader of a vital piece in the multinational coalition united in the fight against terrorism.
• VMFA-242 (AW) 'Bats' share lessons learned in Iraq USMC News 27 Apr 2005 -- The "Bats" of Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, hosted members of the Marine aviation community April 20 at the Miramar Officers' Club for a "hotwash" of their role in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

• State Department Briefing, April 27 Washington File 27 Apr 2005 -- Togo, Annual Country Report on Terrorism, Israel/Palestinians, Italy, Cyprus, Bangladesh, Sudan, Mexico
• White House Daily Briefing, April 27 Washington File 27 Apr 2005 -- President's speech on energy, White House/security, new refineries/military bases, gasoline prices, filibuster/nuclear option, John Bolton, Putin/Middle East road map, Iraq/new government, White House/volunteers, North Korea, U.N. reform, Syria, China/Taiwan, Social Security/legislation

Defense Industry

• ATK Delivers First XM25 Prototypes to U.S. Army for Testing and Evaluation ATK 27 Apr 2005 -- Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) has delivered the first six prototype XM25 advanced airbursting weapon systems to the U.S. Army for field-testing. The XM25 fires a High Explosive (HE), air bursting 25mm round capable of defeating an enemy behind a wall, inside a building or in a foxhole. The advanced design allows the operator to program the round so that it flies to the target and detonates at a precise point in the air. It does not require impact to detonate.
• U.S. Army Awards General Dynamics $2.7 Million to Develop ‘Mounted Warrior’ Soldier System General Dynamics 27 Apr 2005 -- The U.S. Army has awarded General Dynamics C4 Systems two contracts with a combined value of $2.7 million to develop and equip an advanced combat helmet system with integrated wireless voice communication capabilities for combat vehicle crewmen. Named “Mounted Warrior,” the system will provide additional capabilities when tethered to a combat vehicle, such as the ability to see operational data and video on a helmet-mounted display. Initially, Mounted Warrior will be integrated with the Stryker eight-wheeled armored combat vehicle. General Dynamics C4 Systems is a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).
• LOCKHEED MARTIN COMPLETES FIRST LIVE TRACK WITH SPY-1F RADAR ABOARD NORWEGIAN FRIGATE Lockheed Martin 27 Apr 2005 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] successfully completed the first live shipboard tracking exercise with its new SPY-1F multifunction phased array radar system aboard the Norwegian frigate Fridtjof Nansen (F-310).
• Northrop Grumman 'Tactical Internet' System Wins Award for Coalition Operations Support Northrop Grumman 27 Apr 2005 -- A Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC)-developed system that provides joint coalition forces with a clear, continuous common operating picture of the battlefield in Iraq and Afghanistan, has been honored as the "Best Program in Support of Coalition Operations."
• Open Community supports the Armed Forces Rheinmetall Defence 27 Apr 2005 -- With the interest group 'Open Community', a number of leading German technology companies have started a trailblazing initiative that is aimed at paving the way to an open standard for military system architectures. The Bundeswehr and other armed forces stand to benefit greatly from high-performance technical solutions that are based on common standards and therefore network-capable.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 27 Apr 2005
• Ivory Coast Opposition And Rebels Wary Of Presidential Decrees VOA 27 Apr 2005 -- Ivory Coast's president, Laurent Gbagbo, has decreed that all candidates will be allowed to run in a presidential election there later this year. But rebels and opposition leaders say they are worried by other decisions the president announced in a televised speech late Tuesday.
• COTE D IVOIRE: Gbagbo agrees to let rival stand in election, rebels give cautious welcome IRIN 27 Apr 2005 -- Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo has agreed to use his constitutional powers to allow a main opposition rival to stand in October's elections, bowing to international pressure and to one of the key demands of rebels occupying the north of the country.
  
  
• Vanguard of large UN peacekeeping force arrives in southern Sudan UN News Centre 27 Apr 2005 -- Twelve Nepalese soldiers, the vanguard of what will eventually be a 10,000-member United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Sudan, has arrived on the ground at the start of the launch of a massive operation to help the vast region stabilize and its people rebuild their lives after the devastation of a 21-year civil war.
• SUDAN: Darfur peace talks to resume in May - AU spokesman IRIN 27 Apr 2005 -- Peace talks between the Sudanese government and rebels in the western region of Darfur are expected to resume in May, a spokesman for the African Union (AU) in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, told IRIN on Wednesday.
  
  
• LIBERIA: Former rebel leader to run for president IRIN 27 Apr 2005 -- The leader of Liberia's one-time main rebel group, Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) Sekou Conneh, told IRIN on Wednesday that under pressure from former fighters, he will stand as president in landmark October polls.
• DRC: Aid delivery to Katanga easier, UN mission says IRIN 27 Apr 2005 -- Security has improved in the Democratic Republic of Congo's southeastern province of Katanga, allowing humanitarian groups to mobilise aid, the UN Mission in the country, known as MONUC, said on Monday.
• BURUNDI: Stop fighting us, rebel leader tells government IRIN 27 Apr 2005 -- Burundi's remaining rebel group, the Forces nationales de liberation (FNL) will end the war only when government troops stopped attacking its forces, rebel leader Agathon Rwasa said on Wednesday.

News Reports

• ECUADOR: FALL OF GUTIÉRREZ EXEMPLIFIES ANDEAN 'INSTABILITY' US Dept. of State IIP, Foreign Media Reaction 27 Apr 2005

• Venezuela's President to Visit Cuba VOA 27 Apr 2005 -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will visit Cuba on Thursday to discuss bilateral relations with Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

• Togo Authorities Say Opposition Illegal VOA 27 Apr 2005 -- Togo's interim government warns that security forces will detain all those acting illegally in the wake of increasing violence following controversial elections Sunday. Clashes involving angry opposition militants have already killed at least 20 people, but some residents say the number could be much higher.
• TOGO: Poll chaos spreads, hundreds flee, opposition leader declares himself president IRIN 27 Apr 2005 -- Hundreds of people fled Togo in fear of their lives on Wednesday as deadly street battles between opposition protesters and security forces raged for a second straight day after the son of the late long-ruling ruler was declared winner of a disputed election.

• Former Nepal PM Deuba arrested IRNA 27 Apr 2005 -- Nepal police early today arrested former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba for alleged involvement in irregularities while in office before King Gyanendra seized power, a spokesman for his party told AFP.

• Middle East: Lebanon Looks To Parliamentary Elections Following Syrian Pullout RFE/RL 27 Apr 2005 -- Lebanon is turning its attention toward elections scheduled for May after Syria on Tuesday announced that it has withdrawn all of its forces from the country.

• KYRGYZSTAN: Focus on major players ahead of presidential polls IRIN 27 Apr 2005 -- The current political agenda in Kyrgyzstan, where opposition-led protesters overthrew the regime of former president Askar Akayev in March, is dominated by upcoming presidential elections in early July.

• B-SAT AWARDS LOCKHEED MARTIN AUTHORIZATION TO PROCEED ON A2100 SMALL-CLASS SATELLITE Lockheed Martin 27 Apr 2005 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has been granted an authorization to proceed (ATP) by the Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT) of Japan to build its next geostationary telecommunications satellite. Designated BSAT-3a, the 1.8-kW satellite will provide direct broadcast services throughout Japan following its scheduled launch the second quarter of 2007. B-SAT and Lockheed Martin expect to sign the contract for this satellite in the next few weeks.