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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 21 Sep 2005 [PDF]
• DoD Identifies Army Casualties
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty

• Terrorists Use Children as Shields; Child Dies in Firefight AFPS 21 Sep 2005 -- One child was killed and another was injured when terrorists used them as human shields during coalition forces raids of three terrorist safe houses Sept. 20 in Mosul, Iraq's third largest city, officials in Baghdad reported today.
• Task Force Liberty Soldiers find unexploded ordnance in Kirkuk MNF-I 21 Sep 2005 -- Task Force Liberty Soldiers conducting operations in rural fields and ruins outside of Kirkuk discovered several weapons caches around 7:00 a.m., Sept. 21.
• Army helicopter down in northwest Iraq MNF-I 21 Sep 2005 -- An AH-64 Apache helicopter conducted a precautionary landing due to mechanical failure approximately 50 kilometers south of Mosul.
• Terrorists use children as shields MNF-I 21 Sep 2005 -- One child was killed and another injured when terrorists used them as human shields during Coalition forces raids of three terrorist safe houses Sept. 20.
• Coalition forces capture driver of key al Qaida leader MNF-I 21 Sep 2005 -- Coalition forces captured Abdul Ghafur Yahiyah Abdullah al Abdullah (aka Abu Nur), a known terrorist who served as a driver for two key al Qaida in Iraq leaders, in Mosul Sept. 6.
• Al Qaida in Iraq Emir killed in Haditha MNF-I 21 Sep 2005 -- Coalition forces raided a terrorist safe house in the city of Haditha Sept. 18, resulting in the death of Shehab Hamed (aka Abu Ali), a known al Qaida in Iraq senior military Emir, and the capture of another terrorist.

• Afghans show huge strides election day Army News 21 Sep 2005 -- As Afghans in Zabul Province await the results of their historic first parliamentary elections, Coalition officials reflect on the strides authorities in Southern Afghanistan have made since Task Force Bayonet arrived in March.
• Japan to Extend Military Mission to Afghanistan VOA 21 Sep 2005 -- Japan says it plans to extend the country's commitment to provide naval support to U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
• Afghanistan: Karzai Asks U.S.-Led Coalition To Change Strategy Against Terrorism RFE/RL 21 Sep 2005 -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai has called upon the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan to change its strategy in the battle against terrorism.
• AFGHANISTAN ELECTIONS: AN 'HISTORIC' EVENT US Dept. of State IIP, Foreign Media Reaction 21 Sep 2005

• Transcript: Defense Department Special Briefing 21 Sep 2005 -- Presenter: Marine Corps Major General Timothy Ghormley, commander, Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa
• Horn of Africa Force Seeks to Win Friends, Prevent Terrorism AFPS 21 Sep 2005 -- U.S. military forces in the Horn of Africa are working to win the hearts and minds of the people and are preventing the spread of terrorism throughout the region, the area's U.S. commander said today.

• 82nd Airborne Division Becomes 'Waterborne' in New Orleans AFPS 21 Sep 2005 -- The Army's 82nd Airborne Division took to the water soon after it deployed to New Orleans to provide disaster relief assistance in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the unit's two-star general said here Sept. 20.
• Army prepares for round two as Rita approaches Army News 21 Sep 2005 -- Three weeks after the Gulf Coast was pummeled by Hurricane Katrina, Army emergency responders there are preparing for the possibility of a second round of severe weather from Hurricane Rita.
• Reserve Seabees Support Katrina Recovery Efforts Navy NewsStand 21 Sep 2005 -- Reserve Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 18 are supporting their active-duty counterparts here during hurricane relief efforts.
• Airmen in New Orleans prepare for Rita AFPN 21 Sep 2005 -- As Hurricane Rita gains strength in the Gulf of Mexico, the men and women of the 4th Air Expeditionary Group here are battening down the hatches in preparation for yet another storm surge.
• Air Force mobilizes for Hurricane Rita AFPN 21 Sep 2005 -- As Hurricane Rita churns through the Gulf of Mexico, the Air Force is mobilizing forces in anticipation of the storm hitting the Texas Gulf Coast.
• Squadrons Complete Surveys of Gulf Coast Fairways, Oil Platforms Navy NewsStand 21 Sep 2005 -- In support of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in September, Sailors from Mine Countermeasures Squadron (MCM) 3 and Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron (HM) 15 worked side-by-side with Coast Guard ships to search for oil rigs lost or damaged due to the hurricane and to look for navigational hazards and obstructions in a 1,500-square-mile area along the Gulf Coast.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Military Commission Proceedings to Resume for 'Australian Taliban' AFPS 21 Sep 2005 -- Proceedings will resume within the month at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in the military commission trial of David Hicks, the so-called "Australian Taliban," Defense Department officials announced Sept. 20.

• Navy Region South Orders Evacuation of South Texas Bases Navy NewsStand 21 Sep 2005 -- Due to the approach of Hurricane Rita, Commander, Navy Region South has ordered an evacuation of Naval installations in south Texas, to include Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Naval Station Ingleside, and Naval Air Station Kingsville.
• Pearl Harbor Participates in Bright Star Exercise Navy NewsStand 21 Sep 2005 -- USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) played a major role in the Bright Star 05/06 exercise in the Mediterranean Sea in September.
• DoD Adopts New Business Practices to Manage Supply Chain AFPS 21 Sep 2005 -- The Defense Department is adopting a more customer-focused approach to acquisitions, technology and logistics, the department's top AT&L official told a group of more than 300 industry leaders at the National Defense Industrial Association's September luncheon here today.

• Russia Boosts Military Cooperation with Kyrgyzstan IRNA 21 Sep 2005 -- Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov says Russia plans significant investment in Kyrgyzstan, aimed at increasing military and security cooperation and ensuring regional stability.
• Russia, Kyrgyzstan Plan Military Exercises In 2006 RFE/RL 21 Sep 2005 -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov says his country plans to hold joint antiterrorist military exercises with Kyrgyzstan next year.

• State Department Briefing, September 21 Washington File 21 Sep 2005 -- Iran, 2007 Diversity Visa Lottery, North Korea, Iran/Iraq, Sudan
• White House Briefing, September 21 Washington File 21 Sep 2005 -- Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Social Security, spending cuts, Iran, Supreme Court

Defense Industry

• U.S. Navy Awards General Dynamics $8.4 Million Planning Contract For Submarine Repair Work General Dynamics 21 Sep 2005 -- The U.S. Navy has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat an $8.4 million contract to begin advanced planning for maintenance, repair and alterations on the USS Augusta (SSN-710). Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).
• Raytheon Completes Acceptance Testing for the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force Raytheon 21 Sep 2005 -- Raytheon Company has successfully completed flight trials and acceptance testing for the EXTRACT System, an airborne reconnaissance system aboard a special airborne reconnaissance aircraft for the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force.
• Sikorsky Awarded Design Analysis Contracts for X2 Technology Sikorsky 21 Sep 2005 -- Sikorsky Aircraft has been awarded two U.S.government contracts to perform conceptual, preliminary design for two X2 Technology heavy-lift coaxial rotorcraft.
• Ninth Boeing Ground-based Midcourse Defense Interceptor Emplaced Boeing 21 Sep 2005 -- The Boeing [NYSE: BA] Ground Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) program team and the Missile Defense Agency emplaced the ninth GMD interceptor in its underground silo at Fort Greely, Alaska on Sept. 18.
• MODERNIZED GPS SATELLITE BUILT BY LOCKHEED MARTIN READY FOR LAUNCH FROM CAPE CANAVERAL Lockheed Martin 21 Sep 2005 -- The second modernized Global Positioning System (GPS) Block IIR satellite built by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] for the U.S. Air Force is set for launch aboard a Delta II rocket on Sept. 25, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICES OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL AND THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT United Nations 21 Sep 2005
• Security Council underscores role of civil society in conflict prevention UN News Centre 21 Sep 2005 -- Underlining the need for a broad strategy for conflict prevention and peaceful settlement of disputes, the United Nations Security Council has emphasized the potential contributions of a vibrant and diverse civil society and pledged to strengthen its relationship with its organizations.

• PRESS CONFERENCE BY SECRETARY-GENERAL’S SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE IN SUDAN United Nations 21 Sep 2005
• Despite serious risks, political progress in Sudan remains on track: top UN envoy UN News Centre 21 Sep 2005 -- Despite the resurgence of insecurity in Darfur and south Sudan, new tensions in Khartoum and other threats, political progress is on track on the main fronts of conflict in Sudan, the top envoy of the United Nations to the country said today.
• Former Sudan Rebels Question Power-Sharing Arrangement VOA 21 Sep 2005 -- An official in southern Sudan says the former southern rebel group is unhappy with certain aspects of Sudan's new power-sharing government.
• SUDAN: Rebels take over government town in Darfur IRIN 21 Sep 2005 -- In a further escalation of the conflict in western Sudan, rebels of the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) have taken control of the government-controlled town of Shareya, northeast of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur State, aid workers said.

• US Officials Brief Lawmakers on Post-Gaza Scenarios VOA 22 Sep 2005 -- U.S. officials have briefed members of Congress on what the Bush administration believes must happen in the wake of Israel's withdrawal from Gaza.
• Bush Sees Opportunity for Peace in Gaza Withdrawal VOA 21 Sep 2005 -- President Bush says now that Israel has withdrawn from Gaza, Palestinian leaders should seize the opportunity to show they are determined to end violence and bring peace to the region.

• SOMALIA: UN special envoy calls for dialogue among leaders IRIN 21 Sep 2005 -- The UN Secretary-General's special representative for Somalia, François Lounseny Fall, urged Somali leaders to resolve their differences through dialogue and consensus and move towards restoring stability in the war-scarred Horn of Africa country.
• SOMALIA: PM to go to Mogadishu for consultations IRIN 21 Sep 2005 -- Somali Prime Minister Ali Muhammad Gedi is expected to visit the Somali capital, Mogadishu, within the next few days to consult with members of his cabinet who are based there, an official in his office said.

• Report Says Kurdish Rebels Extend Unilateral Ceasefire with Turkey VOA 21 Sep 2005 -- A pro-Kurdish news agency says Kurdish rebels have extended their unilateral ceasefire with Turkey for two more weeks.
• Thousands Rally for Peace in Nepal VOA 21 Sep 2005 -- More than 10,000 people have marched through the streets of the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, to demand an end to a civil war that has claimed more than 12,000 lives since 1996.
• Indonesian Gunboat Fires on Chinese Fishing Fleet, 1 Fisherman Dead VOA 21 Sep 2005 -- An Indonesian naval vessel has fired on a Chinese fishing fleet, which was allegedly operating illegally.
• DRC: UN confirms desertions but says some troops have already returned to base IRIN 21 Sep 2005 -- Soldiers from the 12th brigade deserted their posts in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the last week, the military spokesman for the UN said on Tuesday, but 580 of them have already returned to base.
• Croatia: Hague Prosecutor Says Vatican Is Shielding Top War Crimes Fugitive RFE/RL 21 Sep 2005 -- Carla Del Ponte, the Hague-based war crimes tribunal's chief prosecutor, told London's "The Daily Telegraph" of 20 September that she believes that leading fugitive indictee and former Croatian General Ante Gotovina is hiding in an undisclosed Franciscan monastery in Croatia.

News Reports

• Defendants Say Foreign Media Helped Plot Revolt in Uzbekistan VOA 21 Sep 2005 -- The first of 15 defendants on trial for their alleged roles in a May anti-government uprising in the eastern Uzbek town of Andijan says he plotted the rebellion with the help of foreign journalists.

• Boeing and Lockheed Martin to Resubmit Filing for United Launch Alliance Boeing 21 Sep 2005 -- Lockheed Martin Corporation [NYSE: LMT] and The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] announced today that they have withdrawn their filing pursuant to the Hart-Scott-Rodino Anti-Trust Improvements Act of 1976 regarding the formation of the United Launch Alliance, LLC (ULA). The companies intend to resubmit their filing later this week.
• Israel Aircraft Industries Signed a Contract for the Sale of AMOS 3 Communications Satellite to Spacecom Israel Aerospace Industries 21 Sep 2005 -- IAI's President & CEO, Moshe Keret: "IAI will implement advanced technologies in the development of AMOS 3 and will continue to be a major factor in the Israeli and world space markets"
• Boeing and Lockheed Martin to Resubmit Filing for United Launch Alliance Lockheed Martin 21 Sep 2005 -- Lockheed Martin Corporation [NYSE: LMT] and The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] announced today that they have withdrawn their filing pursuant to the Hart-Scott-Rodino Anti-Trust Improvements Act of 1976 regarding the formation of the United Launch Alliance, LLC (ULA). The companies intend to resubmit their filing later this week.
• Orbital Delivers Five Cargo Transport Containers To NASA For International Space Station Orbital Sciences Corp. 21 Sep 2005 -- Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) announced today that it has delivered five Cargo Transport Containers (CTCs) to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for use in conjunction with the resupply of the International Space Station (ISS).