Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 25 Jul 2005 [PDF]
• ONE TASK FORCE LIBERTY SOLDIER KILLED, TWO WOUNDED BY INDIRECT FIRE
• TASK FORCE LIBERTY SOLDIER KILLED IN SAMARRA
• DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

• Two Suicide Car Bombings Rock Baghdad RFE/RL 25 Jul 2005 -- There were two suicide car bombings in Baghdad this morning.
• Successful operations net terror suspect and weapons cache MNF-I 25 Jul 2005 -- Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) detained one suspected terrorist and seized a weapons cache during operations in northern Iraq July 23.
• U.S. Soldier Among Several Killed in Suicide Attacks AFPS 25 Jul 2005 -- Suicide attacks in Iraq today killed a U.S. soldier and several Iraqis, including two Iraqi commandos and 10 civilians, military officials in Baghdad reported.
• Planes soar thanks to Baghdad's 'tower of power' AFPN 25 Jul 2005 -- Except for a thick dusty haze squatting on the city from day to day, Baghdad and the surrounding Iraqi countryside would be completely visible from here.

• Heavy Fighting In Afghanistan Kills U.S., Afghan Soldiers AFPS 25 Jul 2005 -- Two soldiers - one U.S., the other Afghan - were killed today during what the military said was heavy fighting in a small village west of Deh Rawod in Afghanistan's Oruzgan province.
• Joint UN-Afghan election board condemns murder, abduction of poll workers UN News Centre 25 Jul 2005 -- The joint United Nations-Afghan body handling elections in Afghanistan condemned today in the strongest terms violence against people seeking to stabilize the war-torn country following last week's murder of one election worker and the kidnapping of two more.
• More Blasts In Afghanistan RFE/RL 25 Jul 2005 -- Three Afghan policemen were wounded in a bomb blast today in the Afghan capital, Kabul.
• Purported Mullah Omar Recording Emerges In Afghanistan RFE/RL 25 Jul 2005 -- Taliban spokesman Abdul Latif Hakimi says fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar has called on his supporters to put aside differences and continue to battle U.S. and Afghan government forces.
• RFE/RL Afghanistan Report, Vol 4, Number 21 25 Jul 2005 -- INCONSISTENCIES IN THE STATE OF THE WAR ON TERRORISM / VIOLENCE INCREASING IN SOUTH AND EAST / AFGHAN WARLORD VERDICT SETS PRECEDENT / RACE TO PRESERVE HISTORIC MINARETS OF HERAT, JAM / THIS WEEK IN AFGHANISTAN'S HISTORY

• Teamwork moves Rwandan troops AFPN 25 Jul 2005 -- It takes a lot more than Hercules to move Rwandan Defense Force members to the Darfur region of the Sudan.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US Military Chief Urges Better Understanding of War on Terror VOA 25 Jul 2005 -- The top U.S. military officer, who will soon retire, said Monday that the American people do not sufficiently understand the importance of the global war on terrorism, and may come to regret that they are not paying more attention to it.
• Joint Chiefs Chairman Says Extremism at Core of Terror Threat Washington File 25 Jul 2005 -- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says that the July 23 bombings in the Egyptian resort Sharm al-Sheikh demonstrate - just as do the London bombings - that attacks by violent extremists "can affect all of us."
• U.S. security forces work alongside Ecuador airmen AFPN 25 Jul 2005 -- Instead of facing mortar attacks in Afghanistan or bullets in Iraq, security forces Airmen here can shake off the tension that surrounds being a target in a war zone.
• Supersonic JDAM drop marks increase in Raptor capability AFPN 25 Jul 2005 -- As the midafternoon sun blazed on the Mojave Desert and thunderclouds loomed in the distance, a sleek dark gray war bird took to the sky to push the envelope of flight testing.
• On target: Ammo Airmen do bang up job AFPN 25 Jul 2005 -- Tucked away behind tall bunkers and old engine parts lays a unique greenhouse with a special crop.
• Reserve improves safety, floor space on rescue helicopters AFPN 25 Jul 2005 -- Air Force Reserve Command's 15 combat search and rescue helicopters will get improved crew seats and more cabin space to care for rescued people when modifications are complete this year.
• Blue Flag starts with bang at Nellis, Hurlburt Field AFPN 25 Jul 2005 -- Joint forces from around the United States, along with 11 coalition partners, converged here and at the Combined Air Operations Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., for the start of Blue Flag 05-02 on July 24.
• U.S. Must Maintain Will in Terror War, Myers Says AFPS 25 Jul 2005 -- The war against violent extremism is a battle of wills, and if the American people give up, they'll end up living in a world ruled by violence and fear, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters at the National Press Club here today.
• QDR Will Reflect Tomorrow's, Not Today's, Challenges AFPS 25 Jul 2005 -- Military leaders will resist any temptation to assume the force needed for the future will be a cookie-cutter version of today's needs, Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers told reporters at the National Press Club here today.
• Navy Reservists Mobilized to Continue Customs Inspection Mission Navy NewsStand 25 Jul 2005 -- More than 450 Navy Reservists mobilized by the Naval Expeditionary Logistics Support Force (NAVELSF) began four weeks of intensive customs inspections training in Williamsburg, Va., July 22.
• Truman Sustains Readiness During JTFEX 05-2 Navy NewsStand 25 Jul 2005 -- USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3 completed sustainment training July 19 under the Navy's Fleet Response Training Plan (FRTP) during Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet's Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX 05-2).
• Boxer Completes CARAT Malaysia Navy NewsStand 25 Jul 2005 -- Sailors aboard USS Boxer (LHD 4) saw the end of the 11th edition Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Malaysia July 18.
• Mullen to Navy: "All Ahead Full" Navy NewsStand 25 Jul 2005 -- In a naval administrative (NAVADMIN) message sent to the Navy on his first full day in office, new Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Mullen stated his priorities and said the time was now to take advantage of the reforms initiated by his predecessor, Adm. Vern Clark.
• USS Gonzalez Visits Bahrain Navy NewsStand 25 Jul 2005 -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Gonzalez (DDG 66) departed the port of Manama after completing a six-day port visit here July 23.
• Stennis Gets a Technology Makeover Navy NewsStand 25 Jul 2005 -- USS John C. Stennis' (CVN 74) Automated Data Processing (ADP) upgraded the Stennis network operating system and all desktop computers and monitors June 23.
• ESG 1 Visits Pearl Harbor Navy NewsStand 25 Jul 2005 -- Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 1 arrived in Pearl Harbor July 22 for a brief port visit en route to a regularly scheduled Western Pacific deployment in support of the global war on terrorism and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
• Shuttle return to flight includes local efforts AFPN 25 Jul 2005 -- Almost two weeks after its original launch date, NASA's Discovery Shuttle is scheduled for its return to flight July 26, but they are not doing it alone.
• STRATCOM supports shuttle in return to flight AFPN 25 Jul 2005 -- Two and a half years have passed since the tragedy of the Space Shuttle Columbia accident brought the nation's manned space flight program to a grinding halt.

• Rumsfeld: Loss Of Kyrgyz Air Base Will Not Harm Operations RFE/RL 25 Jul 2005 -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld today said the possible loss of access to an air base in Kyrgyzstan will not set back U.S. military operations in Afghanistan.
• Kyrgyzstan: Air Base Expected To Dominate Rumsfeld Talks RFE/RL 25 Jul 2005 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is in Kyrgyzstan today. He will meet President-elect Kurmanbek Bakiev and acting Defense Minister Ismail Isakov during his two-day stay in Bishkek.

• White House Daily Briefing, July 25 Washington File 25 Jul 2005 -- Energy legislation, Central American Free Trade Agreement, highway legislation, Roberts' nomination, leak investigation, labor unions, North Korea, Bush/African American leaders meeting, Middle East, India, Britain shooting/terrorism, recess appointments, China, prisoner treatment
• State Department Briefing, July 25 Washington File 25 Jul 2005 -- North Korea, Egypt, Cyprus/Greece, Philippines, Iraq, Israel/Palestinians, Sudan, Venezuela/region, Italy, Zimbabwe, Europe

Defense Industry

• BAE Systems Receives $31 Million Contract for C-130J Electronic Warfare Systems BAE Systems 25 Jul 2005 -- NASHUA, New Hampshire -- BAE Systems has received a $31 million production contract from the U.S. Air Force to provide 31 AN/ALR-56M radar warning receiver systems for a new fleet of Air Force and Marine Corps C-130J aircraft and line replaceable unit (LRU) spares for the Taiwan Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft.
• New V-22 Osprey Logistics Support Center Opens in New Bern, North Carolina Boeing 25 Jul 2005 -- In a ribbon cutting ceremony today, a new V-22 Logistics Support Facility (VLSF) officially opened at the Craven County Industrial Park to provide interim logistics support for the V-22 Osprey aircraft.
• Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet Engages Moving Targets with JDAM Boeing 25 Jul 2005 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] successfully demonstrated the capability of a single F/A-18E/F Super Hornet to engage moving land targets during a test at Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif.
• EADS equips German frigates with MIDS terminals EADS 25 Jul 2005 -- For the first time EADS is equipping frigates of the German Navy with the Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS). As the company announced on Monday, EADS Defence Electronics has signed a contract for the delivery of eight MIDS LVT (Low Volume Terminals) for frigates.
• Northrop Grumman's Fire Scout UAV Successfully Fires Test Rockets Northrop Grumman 25 Jul 2005 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) RQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned air vehicle (UAV) reached another important milestone July 22 when the UAV successfully fired two test rockets. This is the first successful live weapons fire from an autonomous unmanned helicopter. This event proves Fire Scout's ability to perform strike missions -- in addition to conducting intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance -- and subsequently expands its capabilities.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 25 Jul 2005
• Annan calls for closer cooperation between UN and regional organizations UN News Centre 25 Jul 2005 -- Acknowledging that recent challenges have eroded confidence in the ability of multilateral institutions to respond, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today said "moments of crisis carry seeds of opportunity," offering the UN and regional organizations the chance to work together more closely on peacebuilding and peacekeeping.

• United Nations Taking "Robust Posture" in Haiti Washington File 25 Jul 2005 -- A United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti says it is taking a "robust posture" to disrupt and bring to justice armed gangs in the Caribbean nation while employing all possible measures to reduce the risk of civilian casualties.
• In robust fight against Haiti's gangs, UN peacekeepers seek to avoid civilian casualties UN News Centre 25 Jul 2005 -- With the security situation in parts of Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, remaining very tense, the United Nations peacekeeping mission has taken a robust posture to disrupt the activities of armed gangs and bring them to justice, while taking all possible measures to reduce the risk of civilian casualties.

• UN Kept Out Of Ivory Coast Town VOA 25 Jul 2005 -- United Nations peacekeepers have been stopped from entering a city in southern Ivory Coast that was the scene of armed attacks early Sunday.
• Côte d'Ivoire: UN forces put on alert following attack on police post UN News Centre 25 Jul 2005 -- With elections in Côte d'Ivoire barely three months away, the United Nations 6,500-strong force has been put on alert and is sending military units to help restore calm after an attack by unidentified assailants on a Gendarme brigade and police station in Anyama, north of Abidjan, the strife-torn West African country's major city.
• COTE D IVOIRE: Question mark hangs over disarmament - again IRIN 25 Jul 2005 -- Government soldiers have recaptured a town near Abidjan which was occupied by unidentified attackers at the weekend, but rebels controlling the north of Cote d'Ivoire raised fresh doubts on Monday about their willingness to disarm ahead of elections planned for October.

• DRC: Thousands flee latest attack in South Kivu IRIN 25 Jul 2005 -- Most of the people living in the village of Kigalama, in the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) South Kivu Province, have fled after Rwandan rebels launched an attack there last week, the provincial governor said on Monday.
• Nepal parties ask Maoists to commit to multi-party democracy IRNA 25 Jul 2005 -- Nepal's political parties, agitating against the royal takeover, have asked Maoist rebels to express commitment to multi-party democracy and human rights in order to create a conducive atmosphere for initiating dialogue, reports Press Trust of India.
• DRC-UGANDA: No sanctuary for new Congolese rebels, Uganda says IRIN 25 Jul 2005 -- Uganda said on Monday it would not allow the newly-created rebel Congolese Revolutionary Movement or any other armed group to launch attacks from its territory on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
• ACEH PEACE DEAL: 'RAYS OF HOPE' SHINE ON STRIFE-RIDDEN REGION US Dept. of State IIP, Foreign Media Reaction 25 Jul 2005

News Reports

• GUINEA-BISSAU: Lower turnout in second round of presidential election IRIN 25 Jul 2005 -- There was a lower turnout in the second round of Guinea-Bissau's presidential election on Sunday, but voting took place peacefully and in good order according to observers.
• Philippine President Calls for Parliamentary System as Impeachment Motion Filed VOA 25 Jul 2005 -- Embattled Philippine President Gloria Arroyo has urged Congress to consider a sweeping overhaul of government - shifting from a U.S.-style presidency to a parliamentary system.
• LOCKHEED MARTIN HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE TEAMS RECEIVE NASA HONORS Lockheed Martin 25 Jul 2005 -- In a ceremony at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland, Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] employees and teams engaged in operating and servicing the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) have been recognized for their work with Goddard Awards of Excellence.