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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 30 Aug 2005 [PDF]
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty

• US Military: Air Strikes in Western Iraq Kill Several Militants VOA 30 Aug 2005 -- The U.S. military has carried out air strikes in western Iraq against what it describes as three terrorist safe houses.
• Coalition forces bomb terrorist safe houses in Husaybah, Karabilah MNF=I 30 Aug 2005 -- Coalition forces destroyed three terrorist safe houses using precision-guided bombs the morning of Aug. 30.
• Multi-National Forces nab terrorists in city of Hit MNF=I 30 Aug 2005 -- Multi-National Forces security operations in western Iraq , near the city of Hit , resulted in the capture of five terrorists during a two-week period in August.

• General Says Increased Violence No Threat to Afghan Polls VOA News 30 Aug 2005 -- NATO's top military commander says a recent upsurge in violence in Afghanistan does not present a major threat to the country's stability ahead of next month's landmark parliamentary elections.
• Silent protectors support Operation Enduring Freedom AFPN 30 Aug 2005 -- A silent protector continues to support the war on terrorism, often accomplishing its mission without the beneficiaries of the protection it offers even knowing a sortie is being flown.
• U.N. Reports Decline in Opium Poppy Cultivation in Afghanistan Washington File 30 Aug 2005 -- The number of hectares devoted to opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan declined 21 percent from 2004 to 2005, but the production of opium itself was down only 2 percent, according to a report issued August 29 by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
• NATO Chief Says Afghan Violence Not Coordinated Threat RFE/RL 30 Aug 2005 -- The U.S. general in command of NATO's military operations said today that he believes increased violence in Afghanistan stems from varied, unrelated causes and does not threaten the country's political stability.
• Afghanistan: EU Observer Mission Head 'Hopeful' About September Elections RFE/RL 30 Aug 2005 -- Emma Bonino, who heads the EU observation mission to Afghanistan for the 18 September legislative elections, told the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee today she is hopeful of the poll's success.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Guard, NORTHCOM Respond to Hurricane Aftermath AFPS 30 Aug 2005 -- Twenty-four hours after Hurricane Katrina battered the Gulf Coast, an estimated 7,500 National Guard troops from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi were on duty today, supporting civil authorities, distributing generators, providing medical care, and setting up shelters for displaced residents.
• Guard troops to help neighbors combat Katrina Army News 29 Aug 2005 -- Army National Guard Special Forces boat crews were prepared to leave their Florida homes and conduct search and rescue operations in flooded, devastated communities in Mississippi or Louisiana.
• Keesler, Columbus survive Hurricane Katrina AFPN 30 Aug 2005 -- Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., survived a direct hit by Hurricane Katrina, but initial estimates show it suffered extensive damage to industrial and housing areas.

• REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT TO COMMEMORATE THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF V-J DAY Washington File 30 Aug 2005 -- President Bush says he has "confidence" in the successful outcome of the global campaign against terrorism, comparing the battle to the struggle faced by the United States and its allies during World War II.

• New Center Helps Promote Records Classification Review AFPS 30 Aug 2005 -- A government-wide effort to declassify documents that no longer need protecting, including thousands of Defense Department materials, took a big step forward last week with the official opening of the Interagency Referral Center, in College Park, Md.
• Army Recruiting Campaign Focuses on Prospects, Influencers AFPS 30 Aug 2005 -- Army advertising aimed at parents, teachers, coaches and other adults who influence young people's decisions regarding military service appears to be gaining momentum as part of the overall "Army of One" recruiting campaign, the director of the Army's strategic outreach effort said today.
• ARH contract signing marks step forward in aviation Army News 29 Aug 2005 -- Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Richard Cody marked the beginning of a new era in Army aviation Aug. 29 when he signed a ceremonial contract with Bell Helicopter for the Army's $2.2 billion Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter.
• Dive Casualty Drill Tests EOD Reservists' Response Time Navy NewsStand 30 Aug 2005 -- Divers from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 10 participated in a dive casualty drill as part of a scenario-driven exercise at FUERZAS ALIADAS PANAMAX 2005 in Panama City, Panama, Aug. 4-17.
• F/A-18 Airframe Logs 6 Million Flight Hours Navy NewsStand 30 Aug 2005 -- The F/A-18 airframe design - which includes Hornet and Super Hornet generations - reached a milestone of having logged six million accumulated flight hours, Aug. 3.
• Hydro Blast Machinery Revolutionizes Navy's Way of Removing Non-Skid Navy NewsStand 30 Aug 2005 -- USS Essex (LHD 2) took another step to replace the "non-skid" aboard the ship Aug. 26 using a hydro-blast method, a method that is saving valuable man-hours and money during the ship's current selected restricted availability (SRA) period
• CNE/C6F Warfighting Staff Underway for JFMCC Exercise Navy NewsStand 30 Aug 2005 -- Sailors and Marines from the combined staff of Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet (CNE/C6F) are underway participating in an exercise as Joint Forces Maritime Component Commander Europe (JFMCC EUR).
• GW Leaves Dry Dock Navy NewsStand 30 Aug 2005 -- USS George Washington (CVN 73) (GW) completed an undocking and berthing shift at the Northrop Grumman Newport News (NGNN) shipyard Aug. 30.
• USS Firebolt Responds to Call for Medical Help Navy NewsStand 30 Aug 2005 -- USS Firebolt (PC 10), conducting maritime security operations (MSO) in the Persian Gulf, responded to a call for medical assistance from a local fishing dhow at approximately 8 p.m. (local), Aug. 29.

• State Department Briefing, August 30 Washington File 30 Aug 2005 -- U.S. Passport office in New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina, Palestinian Authority, North Korea, Venezuela, Lebanon, Morocco/Algeria, Iran, United Nations/Millennium Summit, Kosovo, Iraq, arms control

Defense Industry

• Raytheon Company Names Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II Team Raytheon 30 Aug 2005 -- Raytheon Company has named its partners for the upcoming Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) contract competition this fall.
• Northrop Grumman Nears Completion of First Next-Generation Global Hawk Northrop Grumman 30 Aug 2005 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) moved significantly closer to completing the first of its next-generation, enhanced-capability RQ-4B Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) due to deliveries of two critical airframe components within the last month.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 30 Aug 2005
• COTE D IVOIRE: South Africa ends mediation blaming rebels and opposition IRIN 30 Aug 2005 -- Blaming rebels and opposition parties, South Africa said on Tuesday it was ending its mediation in the Cote d'Ivoire crisis and it was now the UN's call whether elections aimed at restoring peace to the West African nation could be held on schedule on 30 October.
• South Africa Ends Mediation Role in Ivory Coast VOA 30 Aug 2005 -- South Africa says it has concluded its mediation efforts in Ivory Coast and asked the United Nations and the African Union to take over peace efforts in the divided country.

• Egypt, Sharon Agree on Palestinian States, Disagree on Borders VOA 30 Aug 2005 -- Egypt has reaffirmed its strong support for a future Palestinian state on land Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast War, while a day earlier Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon defined substantially more-limited future boundaries.
• Netanyahu Announces Bid to Run Against Sharon for Likud Leadership VOA 30 Aug 2005 -- Former Israeli finance minister and prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu announced Tuesday that he is a candidate for chairman of the Likud Party.

• Russia: Ivan Rybkin Discusses Prospects For Peace In Chechnya RFE/RL 30 Aug 2005 -- Former Russian Security Council Secretary Ivan Rybkin was closely involved in the Chechen peace process in 1996-98, including liaising with former Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov in the run-up to the 1997 Russian-Chechen treaty.
• Chechen Minister Confirms Basaev Back In Government RFE/RL 30 Aug 2005 -- A senior Chechen rebel representative confirmed today that Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basaev has rejoined the separatists' government.
• Russia: One Year After Beslan Tragedy, Questions Remain RFE/RL 30 Aug 2005 -- On 1 September 2004 -- the first day of the school year -- armed militants took more than 1,000 people hostage at School No. 1 in the small North Ossetian city of Beslan.

• PRESS CONFERENCE BY SECRETARY-GENERAL’S PRINCIPAL DEPUTY SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR BURUNDI United Nations 30 Aug 2005
• UN steps up police presence in Kosovo after Serb killings UN News Centre 30 Aug 2005 -- The United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) today tightened security in the Albanian-majority province, stepping up police patrols on the streets of Serb enclaves after gunmen killed two Serbs and injured two others over the weekend.
• Security Council urges speedy, comprehensive settlement to Sudan's Darfur crisis UN News Centre 30 Aug 2005 -- With peace talks between the Sudanese Government and rebel factions based in the western Darfur region set to reopen on 15 September in Abuja, Nigeria, the United Nations Security Council today strongly urged the parties to quickly reach agreement to end the two-year civil war that has killed nearly 180,000 people and driven more than 2 million from their homes.

News Reports

• Lebanon: UN probe names intelligence officers as suspects in ex-premier's death UN News Centre 30 Aug 2005 -- The United Nations inquiry into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri identified three former heads of Lebanese intelligence and security agencies and a former member of parliament as suspects in the car bombing that also killed 20 other people, a UN spokesperson said today.
• Former Lebanese Security Chiefs, Guards Commander Suspects in Hariri Murder Probe VOA 30 Aug 2005 -- Lebanon says three former security chiefs and the commander of the country's Presidential Guards are suspects in the U.N. probe into the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
• Lebanon Police Arrest Former Security Chiefs VOA 30 Aug 2005 -- Lebanese police have arrested three high-ranking former pro-Syrian security officials for questioning as suspects in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq al Hariri.

• TANZANIA: Violence must end, Zanzibari political rival say IRIN 30 Aug 2005 -- Presidential candidates from the two main rival political parties in Tanzania's semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar and Pemba have committed themselves to encouraging their supporters to stop fomenting violence in the run-up to the 30 October elections.

• EGYPT: Election rules slammed by civil society groups IRIN 30 Aug 2005 -- The issuing of rules and directives for the upcoming Egyptian presidential elections by the Presidential Election Committee (PEC) on 28 August has enraged both the judges and civil organisations hoping to supervise the poll on 7 September.
• Orbital Receives Contract For Horizons-2 Commercial Communications Satellite Orbital Sciences Corp. 30 Aug 2005 -- Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) announced today that Horizons-2 Satellite, LLC, a 50/50 joint venture between PanAmSat Corporation (NYSE: PA) and JSAT Corporation (Tokyo: JSAT), has ordered one geosynchronous (GEO) communications satellite, which will be based on Orbital's industry-leading STARTM small satellite platform. The spacecraft will carry the name Horizons-2 and will be launched into a PanAmSat-licensed orbital slot at 74 degrees West Longitude over the United States. The new order calls for a 22-month on-ground delivery schedule. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.