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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 16 Dec 2005 [PDF]

• Transcript: News Briefing with Gen. George Casey 16 Dec 2005 -- Presenter: Army Vice Chief of Staff, Commander, U.S. Forces in Iraq, Gen. George Casey
• Defense Department Report, December 16: Iraq Update Washington File 16 Dec 2005 -- The commander of U.S. ground forces in Iraq says December 15 was a great day there because of the high volume of voters and the low level of violence.
• CENTAF releases daily airpower summary AFPN 16 Dec 2005 -- U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials released today's airpower summary.
• Coalition forces share small-arms skills AFPN 16 Dec 2005 -- Thirty people from the military security forces of five countries gathered for a coalition weapons training exercise at a desert air base Dec. 15.
• Iraq Info Ops Review Yields No Wrongdoing, Casey Says AFPS 16 Dec 2005 -- A preliminary investigation of alleged improprieties conducted by U.S. military information operations activities in Iraq hasn't found any wrongdoing, the top U.S. officer in Iraq said today.
• Arrest warrant issued for Iraqi terrorist leader with ties to Zarqawi MNF-I 16 Dec 2005 -- On Dec. 4, The Iraqi Central Investigating Court in Baghdad issued an arrest warrant for Mullah Halgurd Al-Khabir, a "Jihadist" terrorist commander, suspected of leading the insurgency against Coalition and Iraqi forces.

• Suicide Bomb Sparks Security Concerns in Afghan Capital VOA 16 Dec 2005 -- A car bomb exploded in the Afghan capital on Friday, killing the driver and injuring two pedestrians.

• Afghanistan Prepares to Install New National Assembly AFPS 16 Dec 2005 -- Just as election activities wrap up in Iraq, the people of Afghanistan are looking toward a historic event in their own country, as its National Assembly convenes Dec. 19 for the first time in more than three decades.
• U.S. SEABEES TURNOVER OPERATIONS CENTCOM 16 Dec 2005 -- The 140 U.S. Sailors of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 74 were formally recognized today by United States Ambassador to Pakistan Ryan Crocker, and Rear Admiral Mike LeFever, Commander of the U.S. Disaster Assistance Center Pakistan, for their important contributions to the ongoing U.S. earthquake relief efforts in Pakistan.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Military Commission Charges Referred 16 Dec 2005 -- The Department of Defense announced today that charges were referred to a military commission in the cases of Binyam Ahmed Muhammad and Ghassan Abdullah al Sharbi by the appointing authority, John D. Altenburg Jr. on Dec. 12, 2005.

• Review of European Security Issues Washington File 16 Dec 2005 -- Rice addresses detainee concerns; European Union forces in Gaza; NATO in Afghanistan; South-Eastern Europe Brigade; Russia helps NATO fleet guarding Mediterranean; U.S.-Romania basing agreement; New administrator for Bosnia; Croatia war-crimes suspect arrested; Kosovo wrap-up

• Russian Navy Delegation Visits DSU Navy NewsStand 16 Dec 2005 -- A Russian Federation Navy Delegation visited the Deep Submergence Unit (DSU) aboard MV Kellie Chouest Dec. 14 to observe Deep Submergence Recovery Vehicle (DSRV) Mystic conduct recovery training exercises off the coast of California.
• Special tactics Airmen train on submarine AFPN 16 Dec 2005 -- The Ohio-class Trident ballistic missile submarine is being converted to carry smaller Tomahawk missiles. It has storage and operational equipment to support up to 60 special operations forces.
• TSA trains bomb dog teams for transit systems AFPN 16 Dec 2005 -- Six mass transit officers partnered with bomb dogs are graduating today at Lackland, marking the Transportation Security Administration's first full-scale expansion into canine protection for people riding trains, light rail and buses in America's major cities.
• New Rules to Reinforce Guard, Reserve Reemployment Protections AFPS 16 Dec 2005 -- The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve is lauding today's Labor Department announcement that it is issuing rules clarifying re-employment rights for citizen-soldiers as a major step forward for Guardsmen, Reservists and their civilian employers.
• Rumsfeld: Military Always Has Banned Detainee Abuse AFPS 16 Dec 2005 -- President Bush's decision to support a congressional measure that bans "cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment" of terror suspects in U.S. custody or under U.S. control won't change military operations because the military always has upheld those principles, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said during a Dec. 15 television interview.

• TWO KIDD-CLASS DESTROYERS TO BE COMMISSIONED SATURDAY CNA 16 Dec 2005 -- A pair of Kidd-class destroyers purchased from the United States and delivered to Taiwan near the start of this month are scheduled to be commissioned at the northeastern military base of Keelung Saturday, Republic of China Navy sources said Friday.

• State Department Briefing, December 16 Washington File 16 Dec 2005 -- Presidential order on National Security, Egypt, Iran, Syria/Lebanon, Palestinian Authority, Turkey/Cyprus, Israel/Palestinians
• White House Briefing, December 16 Washington File 16 Dec 2005 -- President's schedule, NSA surveillance of Americans report, war on terrorism, Iraq/U.S. troop withdrawal, pre-war intelligence, deficit reduction bill, Federal Reserve, Patriot Act

Defense Industry

• New combined maintenance and upgrade contract for RAFS Tornado aircraft will save in excess of 100 million BAE Systems 16 Dec 2005 -- The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has awarded an innovative contract worth some 130 million to BAE Systems for Combined Maintenance and Upgrade work on the Royal Air Force's Fleet of Tornado GR4 aircraft. The contract underlines the MOD’s commitment to providing value for money on behalf of the taxpayer.
• Raytheon Awarded Department of Health and Human Services Contract Potentially Worth $25 Million to Support Non-Proliferation in the Former Soviet Union Raytheon 16 Dec 2005 -- Raytheon Technical Services Company LLC (RTSC), a subsidiary of Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), has been awarded a United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) task order to provide technical and management support to the HHS Biotechnology Engagement Program (BTEP).
• Thales Announcement about Atlas Elektronik Thales 16 Dec 2005 -- This announcement initiates a 6-month period of due diligence, with the objective of finalizing the deal before mid-2006. Following this period, Thales will become DCN's industrial shareholder of choice, and as a minority shareholder will have the right to participate in the management of the company.
• Thales and IBD Holding GmbH form joint venture in survivability technologies for the future Thales 16 Dec 2005 -- Advanced Survivability Technology is headquartered in La Ferté-Saint-Aubin, near Orléans, central France, and is equally owned by the two partners.

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 Dec 2005
• PRESS CONFERENCE ON SUDAN, CÔTE D’IVOIRE VISITS BY SPECIAL ADVISER ON PREVENTION OF GENOCIDE United Nations 16 Dec 2005
• UN seeks $85 million to tackle landmine scourge in Sudan, Somalia and Uganda UN News Centre 16 Dec 2005 -- Seeking to curb the scourge of landmines and other explosive remnants of war that kill or injure between 15,000 and 20,000 people annually worldwide, the United Nations is appealing for more than $85 million to tackle the crisis in three of the most affected countries - Sudan, Somalia and Uganda.

• With peacekeepers leaving Eritrea, UN mission at a crossroads, official says UN News Centre 16 Dec 2005 -- As staff members of the United Nations mission meant to keep the truce between Ethiopia and Eritrea began pulling out of Eritrea for security reasons following new restrictions placed on them by that Government, the head of UN peacekeeping stressed that the Mission is at a critical crossroads.
• HORN OF AFRICA: UNMEE monitoring tense border despite setbacks IRIN 16 Dec 2005 -- The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) is continuing to monitor the tense border between the two countries despite restrictions on operations and the expulsion of some of its staff, a UN official said.

• LIBERIA: Poll authorities throw out Weah fraud claims IRIN 19 Dec 2005 -- Liberia's national electoral commission on Friday threw out claims of massive fraud in presidential elections made by unsuccessful candidate and former football legend, George Weah.
• COTE D IVOIRE: UN extends sanctions to diamonds IRIN 16 Dec 2005 -- The UN Security Council has unanimously approved a new resolution to ban imports of rough diamonds from war-torn Cote d'Ivoire and renew an existing arms embargo.
• Sri Lankan rebels train Indian Maoist militants IRNA 16 Dec 2005 -- A leader of the Indian Maoist militants admitted for the first time that Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels trained them two decades.
• DR Congo: Annan calls for large, peaceful turn out in constitutional referendum UN News Centre 16 Dec 2005 -- United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called on the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to vote peacefully and in large numbers in Sunday's constitutional referendum to bring democracy and prosperity to the vast country that has known neither during decades of civil war and factional fighting.
• BURUNDI: UN to start troop pullout on Wednesday IRIN 16 Dec 2005 -- Some 180 soldiers in a Mozambican contingent are set to leave Burundi on Wednesday, marking the start of the withdrawal of the UN Mission there known as ONUB.
• Beslan Rescue Lacked Direction, Says Ex-FSB Head RFE/RL 16 Dec 2005 -- The former head of the Federal Security Service (FSB) in Russia's southern republic of North Ossetia today said the crisis center set up to deal with last year's Beslan school hijacking remained directionless for nearly 24 hours.
• Hamas Wins Local Elections in West Bank VOA 16 Dec 2005 -- The Islamic militant group Hamas has won important victories in West Bank municipal elections. prompting concern for both the Palestinian Authority and Israel.

News Reports

• United Nations Extends Probe into Lebanon Assassination Washington File 16 Dec 2005 -- The Security Council, expressing "extreme concern" that Syria had not yet cooperated fully with investigators, voted unanimously December 15 to extend the inquiry into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri another six months.
• UN Security Council Extends Hariri Murder Probe VOA 16 Dec 2005 -- The U.N. Security Council has voted unanimously to extend the investigation into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

• Alcatel Alenia Space delivers initial Syracuse 3A telecom capacity just a month after launch Thales 16 Dec 2005 -- Alcatel Alenia Space has upheld its commitment to customer DGA (the French defense procurement agency), to deliver the initial operational capacity of the Syracuse 3A military communications satellite just a month after its launch.