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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 16 Nov 2005 [PDF]
• MARINE DIES FROM VBIED
• DoD Identifies Marine Casualties
• DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
• TASK FORCE BAGHDAD SOLDIER DIES
• FIVE II MEF MARINES KILLED IN ACTION

• US Military Defends Use of White Phosphorus in Iraq VOA 16 Nov 2005 -- The United States military has defended its use of white phosphorus against insurgents in Iraq, but denies having used it against civilians.
• U.S. Defends Use Of White-Phosphorus Weapons In Iraq RFE/RL 16 Nov 2005 -- The Pentagon today admitted to using incendiary white-phosphorus ammunition in Iraq in 2004 during an offensive in the restive Sunni city of Al- Fallujah, but said use of the weapons was legal.
• CENTAF releases airpower summary report AFPN 16 Nov 2005 -- U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials released today's airpower summary report.
• Air Force fighters strike insurgents AFPN 16 Nov 2005 -- Air Force F-15 Eagles, F-16 Fighting Falcons and MQ-1 Predators flew air strikes against anti-Iraqi forces near the Iraq-Syria border in support of Operation Steel Curtain.
• Big bangs destroy 2,000 munitions AFPN 16 Nov 2005 -- Airmen from the 407th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal flight detonated 2,000 munitions, keeping them the out of the hands of insurgents.
• Five Marines Killed in Steel Curtain Firefight AFPS 16 Nov 2005 -- Five Marines assigned to Regimental Combat Team 2, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), were killed today during a firefight while conducting Operation Steel Curtain in New Ubaydi, Iraq, military officials reported.
• Car Bomb Kills Marine; U.S., Iraqi Troops Find Weapons, Terrorists AFPS 16 Nov 2005 -- A U.S. Marine assigned to Regimental Combat Team 8, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), was killed in a suicide car-bomb attack near Karmah, Iraq, Nov. 15.
• Al Qaeda in Iraq Emir of Sadah bagged MNF-I 16 Nov 2005 -- Multi-National Forces used multiple intelligence sources and tips from concerned citizens to locate a known al Qaeda in Iraq safe house harboring terrorists and foreign fighters Nov. 7.
• Iraqi and Band of Brothers Soldiers seize weapons MNF-I 16 Nov 2005 -- Iraqi and U.S. Soldiers found and disposed of four weapons caches and an IED Nov. 14 in north central Iraq with the help of several local citizens.
• ESG-1 CONDUCTS MARITIME SECURITY OPERATIONS IN ARABIAN SEA CENTCOM 16 Nov 2005 -- Members of Expeditionary Strike Group One (ESG-1) are currently leading a group of six coalition ships conducting maritime security operations (MSO) in the North Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman.
• Operation Steel Curtain update MNF-I 16 Nov 2005 -- Iraqi Army Soldiers and Marines, Soldiers and Sailors continue Operation al Hajip Elfulathi (Steel Curtain) in the al Qaim region.

• Car Bomb Detonates Near U.S. Military Convoy in Afghanistan AFPS 16 Nov 2005 -- A car bomb detonated near a U.S. military convoy on the outskirts of Kandahar, Afghanistan, early today, killing one Afghan civilian and destroying a civilian flat-bed truck.
• Communicators lay foundation for Afghanistan's future AFPN 16 Nov 2005 -- Before U.S. forces return the airport terminal and tower here to Afghan control, combat communicators first installed more than a mile of copper and fiber cable.
• Kandahar Car Bomb Kills Three Civilians RFE/RL 16 Nov 2005 -- Police in Afghanistan say a suicide car bomber today rammed a vehicle filled with explosives into a U.S.-Afghan military convoy, killing three Afghan civilians.
• CAR BOMB DETONATES IN KANDAHAR CENTCOM 16 Nov 2005 -- A vehicle borne improvised explosive device detonated near a U.S. military convoy in Kandahar killing one Afghan civilian and destroying a civilian flat-bed truck this morning.

• Pararescuemen continue Pakistan humanitarian relief AFPN 16 Nov 2005 -- Above the mountainous countryside of northern Pakistan, two Air Force pararescuemen aboard a Russian-made MI-8 helicopter survey areas where people may need relief supplies.
• U.S. MILITARY RAPID REFUELING POINT OPENS CENTCOM 16 Nov 2005 -- A U.S. military Rapid Refueling Point at Muzaffarabad Airport opened Nov. 15 allowing relief helicopters to refuel quicker and provide earthquake aid further north in support of Pakistani-led relief efforts.
• State Department Updates U.S. Response to Pakistan Earthquake Washington File 16 Nov 2005 -- The United States has raised its commitment to relief and reconstruction efforts following the October 8 Pakistan earthquake, announcing $180 million in aid to Pakistan for earthquake assistance, according to a fact sheet issued November 9 by the State Department.
• State's Hughes Highlights U.S. Role in Pakistan Quake Relief Washington File 16 Nov 2005 -- The United States is the leading donor nation in the worldwide effort to provide emergency assistance to Pakistan following the devastating October 8 earthquake, says Karen Hughes, State Department under secretary for public diplomacy and public affairs.
• NATO Faces Challenge in Pakistan Earthquake Response Washington File 16 Nov 2005 -- NATO faces extreme challenges and high costs in rushing humanitarian aid to earthquake-devastated Pakistan, but a U.S. diplomat says the alliance quickly is gaining experience and is starting talks possibly to extend the emergency mission beyond January 2006.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US Lawmakers Headed for Difficult Negotiations on Iraq, Prisoner Issues VOA 16 Nov 2005 -- After Senate approval on Tuesday of a measure calling on President Bush to provide more specifics about his future strategy in Iraq, lawmakers in Congress are headed for difficult negotiations on language regarding the interrogation and treatment of detainees, among other issues.

• B-52 simulator plays big role in exercise AFPN 16 Nov 2005 -- A B-52 Stratofortress simulator is allowing 11th Bomb Squadron students to train with Soldiers and Airmen near Fort Polk, La., taking part in the live fire portion of exercise Air Warrior II.
• Surface Strike Group Returns to Norfolk Navy NewsStand 16 Nov 2005 -- More than 1,000 Sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyers USS Mahan (DDG 72) and USS Mitscher (DDG 57), and the frigate USS Hawes (FFG 53), returned to their homeport at Naval Station Norfolk Nov. 15 from supporting the global war on terrorism.
• USS Key West Returns From Western Pacific Deployment Navy NewsStand 16 Nov 2005 -- Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Key West (SSN 722) returned from a six-month Western Pacific deployment to its homeport of Pearl Harbor Nov. 10.
• CSCS Takes Shipboard Air Controller Training to New Heights Navy NewsStand 16 Nov 2005 -- In October, the Navy took delivery of Phase I of a revolutionary computer-based training system to better support Antisubmarine and Antisurface Warfare Tactical Air Controller (ASTAC) training at the Center for Surface Combat Systems (CSCS) Learning Site in Norfolk, Va., and Fleet Antisubmarine Warfare Training Center in San Diego.
• Enterprise Combat Systems Department Hits Its Target Navy NewsStand 16 Nov 2005 -- USS Enterprise's (CVN 65) Combat Systems Department Sailors put their tracking and firing systems to the test in November as part of TSTA (Tailored Ship's Training Availability).

• Africa "Vital" to U.S. Security, Defense Conference Says Washington File 16 Nov 2005 -- U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer was in the vanguard of top defense officials, military officers, diplomats and scholars who hailed Africa as vital to U.S. national security interests at a conference hosted by the National Defense University (NDU) November 15-16.

• State Department Briefing, November 16 Washington File 16 Nov 2005 -- Iraq, Spain, Israel/Palestinians, Ireland, Egypt, Ethiopia, Turkey, Syria, Bulgaria, China

Defense Industry

• Italy Joins ATK and the U.S. Navy in the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile Development Program ATK 16 Nov 2005 -- U.S. defense contractor Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) announced today that a Memorandum of Agreement between the Italian Ministry of Defense and U.S. Department of Defense has been signed establishing a partnership for the joint development of the AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM). AARGM is the follow-on to the High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM). It will greatly enhance the warfighter’s capability to defeat enemy air defenses and strike other time sensitive targets through a cost-effective upgrade to existing HARM missiles.
• BAE Systems announces closure of facility at Lochside, Edinburgh BAE Systems 16 Nov 2005 -- BAE Systems announced today that it will close its facility at Lochside, Edinburgh, in 2006, with the potential loss of up to 260 jobs. The decision to close the engineering and product development facility is driven by a defence market environment that provides fewer opportunities for the large, customer-funded development projects that have historically sustained the business.
• Danish National Armament Director flight-tested the Eurofighter EADS 16 Nov 2005 -- During a visit to the Manching facility of EADS Military Aircraft on 7th and 8th November, Major General Klaus L. Axelsen, Chief of the Royal Danish Air Force Air Materiel Command (AMC), and National Armament Director, flew the Eurofighter in a scheduled flight test sortie in which he experienced the overall capabilities of the aircraft. In particular, he participated in very demanding flight control system tests of the automatic recovery system and the Infra Red Search and Track system (IRST).
• Raytheon Awarded $8.6 Million Contract for Radar on Japan's U-125A Search and Rescue Aircraft Raytheon 16 Nov 2005 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) was recently awarded an $8.6 million contract to provide the APS- 134LW radar hardware to Toshiba for subsequent delivery to the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF).
• Raytheon to Reduce Cost of Fratricide Avoidance System Raytheon 16 Nov 2005 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has received a $5.4 million U.S. Army contract to develop and validate methods to reduce the cost of its Battlefield Combat Identification Device (BTID), a millimeter wave system that can prevent "friendly fire" incidents in combat.

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 16 Nov 2005
• Sudan: senior UN envoy to meet with Darfur rebels on taking part in peace talks UN News Centre 16 Nov 2005 -- Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Representative for Sudan, Jan Pronk, left for South Darfur today for discussions with commanders of the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement and Army on a range of issues, including their participation in the seventh round of peace talks scheduled to start next Monday.
• SUDAN: Clashes erupt between communities in Western Equatoria IRIN 16 Nov 2005 -- Clashes between communities in the southwestern Sudanese state of Western Equatoria have left several people dead and forced humanitarian agencies to evacuate international staff, a senior UN official said on Wednesday.

• LIBERIA: Fraud claims sully peaceful poll IRIN 16 Nov 2005 -- Allegations of widespread electoral fraud by football hero and disappointed presidential hopeful, George Weah, were brought before officials of the Liberia's electoral commission on Wednesday.
• LIBERIA: Africa finally gets first female president as defeated soccer tsar calls for peace IRIN 16 Nov 2005 -- Africa won its first female president on Tuesday when counting ended in Liberia's historic presidential poll, with former World Bank economist Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf garnering 59.4 percent against former soccer star George Weah.

• Japan Protests Russian Comments On Disputed Islands RFE/RL 16 Nov 2005 -- Japan today protested comments by a Russian official criticizing Tokyo's stance on a territorial dispute between the two nations.

News Reports

• In Beirut, UN official fully backs Mehlis probe, urges Syria's full cooperation UN News Centre 16 Nov 2005 -- Continuing meetings in Beirut today, a senior United Nations official emphasized his confidence in Detlev Mehlis' investigation into the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and issued a renewed plea for Syria to cooperate fully with that probe so that the crime does not go unpunished.

• Secessionist Kosovo, Montenegro Test Serbia's Politics VOA 16 Nov 2005 -- With the status of Serbia's relationship with Kosovo and Montenegro soon to come under discussion, Serbian politics may be entering a new and unpredictable phase.