Operations
Defense Policy
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 23 Jan 2006 [PDF]
• TWO MARINES KILLED IN HAQLANIYAH
• DoD Identifies Army Casualties
• SOLDIER KILLED BY ROADSIDE BOMB IN BAGHDAD

• CENTAF releases combined airpower summary AFPN 23 Jan 2006 -- U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials released the airpower summary for Jan. 21 to 23.
• Mosque Attacked; U.S. Forces Capture Gunman, Weapons AFPS 23 Jan 2006 -- Enemy fighters attacked a Baghdad mosque, and U.S. forces detained a gunman with possible links to an improvised explosive device they were securing in separate incidents yesterday
• Troops capture terrorists, gunman in Tikrit Army News 23 Jan 2006 -- Five suspected terrorists were detained, four suspected bombers and a gunman were captured in northern Iraq Jan. 19-22.

• U.S., Coalition Efforts Helping Improve Afghanistan AFPS 23 Jan 2006 -- Humanitarian efforts continue in Afghanistan as coalition forces helped remove snow from impassable roads and built "hygiene facilities" at a small school. In addition, international diplomats visited a provincial reconstruction team Jan. 21.
• RFE/RL Afghanistan Report, Volume 5, Number 2 23 January 2006 -- DUTCH DILEMMA IN AFGHANISTAN / ARE MILITANTS COPYING IRAQI INSURGENTS' SUICIDE TACTICS? / BIN LADEN THREATENS WEST, BUT U.S. SAYS AL-QAEDA WEAKENED / A CHRONOLOGY OF SUICIDE ATTACKS IN AFGHANISTAN SINCE 2001

• U.S. Navy Captures Suspected Pirates Off Somali Coast Washington File 23 Jan 2006 -- The U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill captured a group of suspected pirates in the Indian Ocean January 21, approximately 87 kilometers (54 miles) off the coast of Somalia, the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command announced in a press release the same date.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Transcript: President Discusses Global War on Terror at Kansas State University The White House 23 Jan 2006
• Bush: Progress Continues in Terror War, But Threat Remains AFPS 23 Jan 2006 -- President Bush said today he will listen to military ground commanders, not polls or focus groups, when making decisions about force levels in Iraq.

• F-22A Raptor flies first operational missions AFPN 23 Jan 2006 -- The F-22A Raptor showed another of its capabilities when it flew its first two operational sorties over the United States in support of Operation Noble Eagle Jan. 21 and 22.
• Raptor completes operational refueling flight first AFPN 23 Jan 2006 -- Airmen from the 18th Air Refueling Squadron here took part in the first operational aerial refueling mission for the F-22A Raptor Jan. 21 in support of Operation Noble Eagle.
• EOD working to protect others AFPN 23 Jan 2006 -- It takes a special person to deal with the stress of working with explosives.
• Force-shaping officers can go into Reserve AFPN 23 Jan 2006 -- One weekend a month, two weeks a year." This catch phrase has been repeated on television commercials over the years, but for those facing the Air Force's force-shaping initiative, it may soon become a reality.
• Military Culture Must Change to Fight 'Long War' AFPS 23 Jan 2006 -- As the United States confronts terrorism, military personnel have to make a cultural shift as they fight what officials now call "the Long War," senior DoD officials said.
• DoD First to Transfer Digital Records to National Archives AFPS 23 Jan 2006 -- The Defense Department became the first federal agency to transfer digital records to the National Archives and Records Administration using newly established Electronic Records Archive "pre-accession" guidelines Jan 20.

• Ukraine: Crimea Lighthouse Becomes Another Bump In Ukrainian-Russian Relations RFE/RL 23 Jan 2006 -- Port authorities in Yalta, Crimea, on 13 January took over a lighthouse that had been used thus far by Russia's Black Sea Fleet. The takeover has provoked a diplomatic squabble between Moscow and Kyiv and drawn public attention in both countries to the Russian military presence in Ukraine

• Nepal gov't procuring military articles from China, Pakistan IRNA 23 Jan 2006 -- The royal Nepalese government has started procuring military articles from other countries, including China and Pakistan.

• State Department Briefing, January 23 Washington File 23 Jan 2006 -- Iran, Turkey, Sudan, Cyprus, Iraq, Palestinian Authority, Kosovo, Russia, Japan, Pakistan, Nepal, East Asia
• White House Briefing, January 23 Washington File 23 Jan 2006 -- President's schedule, war on terror, White House/Abramoff connection, Ford Motor Company/U.S. economy, Iraq/American hostage, Iran, Congress/surveillance program

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 23, 2006
• Lockheed Martin UK Announces Completion Of HMT Vehicles Limited Acquisition Lockheed Martin 23 Jan 2006 -- Lockheed Martin UK Holdings Limited, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation [NYSE: LMT], has acquired HMT Vehicles Limited, a United Kingdom-based developer of designs for military vehicles.
• Northrop Grumman, Defense Department Begin to Deploy Health Readiness System Northrop Grumman 23 Jan 2006 -- The U.S. Department of Defense began limited deployment of a Web-based health-information system, designed and developed by Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC), to enhance occupational healthcare services and reduce health threats to military and civilian personnel.
• Oshkosh Truck Unveils Next Generation of Unmanned Defense Logistics Vehicle Oshkosh 23 Jan 2006 -- Oshkosh Truck Corporation (NYSE:OSK) announced today that it has unveiled an unmanned version of its Palletized Load System (PLS) vehicle at the U.S. Army Tactical Wheeled Vehicle Component Technology Demonstrations in Yuma, Ariz. Showcasing the immediate application of the technology for the U.S. Army fleet, Oshkosh is demonstrating a real-world mission scenario as the driverless truck transports cargo between destinations seven miles apart in the Arizona desert.
• U.S. Navy Awards Contract Option to Raytheon Raytheon 23 Jan 2006 -- A subsidiary of Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has been awarded a one-year option with a ceiling of $70.2 million on an existing indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract with the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).
• The French Defense Procurement Agency has chosen Sagem Défense Sécurité to equip French Army with multifunction infrared binoculars Sagem (Safran group) 23 Jan 2006 -- Sagem Défense Sécurité has been awarded a contract by the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) to equip the French army with multifunction thermal binoculars, integrating a laser rangefinder and compass.
• Thales UK develops upgraded Gunners Sight Thales 23 Jan 2006 -- Working in conjunction with the Ministry of Defence Technology Development Programme, Thales UK has developed a dual axis stabilised as part of the Manned Turret Integration Programme (MTIP).
• Boeing Receives Aircraft for Laser Gunship Program Boeing 23 Jan 2006 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] Missile Defense Systems (MDS) has taken delivery of the aircraft for the Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) program, achieving the first of several key milestones in the laser gunship effort.

• Japanese Police Raid Yamaha Over Helicopter Sales to China VOA 23 Jan 2006 -- A police raid on Japan's second-largest motorcycle manufacturer Monday had nothing to do with two-wheeled vehicles. The authorities were looking for evidence that Yamaha Motor exported remote-controlled helicopters to China, in violation of Japanese law.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 23 Jan 2006
• DRC: Armed group kills 8 UN peacekeepers in Garamba park IRIN 23 Jan 2006 -- An armed, unidentified group killed eight peacekeepers from Guatemala and injured five others on Monday, during an ambush in Garamba National Park, in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) near the borders of Sudan and Uganda, according to the United Nations Mission in the DRC (MONUC).
• DRC-UGANDA: Military hands over 36 armed men to Congolese authorities IRIN 23 Jan 2006 -- Ugandan military officials on Monday handed over to Congolese authorities some 36 armed men who were among thousands of refugees who fled to Uganda following recent heavy fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
• DRC: Mayi-Mayi attack new area of Katanga IRIN 23 Jan 2006 -- Relief workers say that fighting between the Congolese army and Mayi-Mayi militias in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Katanga Province has spread to a new area south of the town of Mitwaba in recent days, with militiamen there becoming increasingly dangerous and destructive.
• Annan condemns killing of eight UN peacekeepers in DR of Congo UN News Centre 23 Jan 2006 -- United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan condemned the killing today of eight Guatemalan peacekeepers serving with the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) and the wounding of five others as they sought Ugandan rebels who had displaced thousands of local civilians from a park.
• United States Offers Condolences for Peacekeepers Killed in Congo Washington File 23 Jan 2006 -- The United States offered its condolences January 23 to the families of eight Guatemalan peacekeepers killed in operations of the U.N. Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
• Eight UN Peacekeepers Killed in Congo Fighting VOA 23 Jan 2006 -- Eight Guatemalan Special Forces soldiers serving with the United Nations were killed and another five wounded, during fighting in a remote corner of the Democratic Republic of Congo

• Powerful landmine blast kills 3 soldiers in Sri Lanka IRNA 23 Jan 2006 -- Three soldiers were killed and two others wounded in a powerful landmine blast in eastern Sri Lanka today as Norway's peace envoy arrived here to save the tottering truce.
• Tamil Tigers Must Stop Violent Attacks, State's Burns Says Washington File 23 Jan 2006 -- Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns called upon the Sri Lankan rebels to end their violent attacks on Sri Lankan government forces and urged the Sri Lankan government to investigate reported abuses of Sri Lanka's Tamil minority.
• US Warns Sri Lankan Rebels Against Cease-fire Violations VOA 23 Jan 2006 -- A top U.S. official says the Tamil Tiger guerrilla group bears the bulk of the responsibility for the near collapse of Sri Lanka's peace plan.
• Diplomats Try to Save Sri Lanka's Unraveling Ceasefire VOA 23 Jan 2006 -- Top U.S. and Norwegian officials are in Sri Lanka as part of a diplomatic offensive to save the country's three-year-old ceasefire from unraveling completely.

• 23 people killed in fresh violence in Nepal IRNA 23 Jan 2006 -- At least 23 people, including 17 Maoist rebels, were killed in fresh violence in Nepal as security forces battled guerillas in central Makwanpur district.
• New Violence Hits Nepal as Opposition Calls for Protests VOA 23 Jan 2006 -- In Nepal, new fighting between security forces and Maoist rebels has killed more than 25 people, while a politician has been shot dead.
• NEPAL: Rights activists concerned over escalating violence IRIN 23 Jan 2006 -- Human rights activists in Nepal are concerned over a sharp escalation in violence at the hands of both security forces and Maoist rebels, who have been waging an armed rebellion against the Nepalese government for the past ten years.

• SUDAN: Darfur talks halt over al-Bashir's bid for AU chair IRIN 23 Jan 2006 -- Peace talks between parties to the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region ground to a halt on Monday as rebel delegations withdrew to await the result of President Umar al-Bashir's bid to win the chairmanship of the African Union.
• UN envoy calls for resumption of talks between Sudanese Government and opponents UN News Centre 24 Jan 2006 -- The United Nations special representative in Sudan is calling for the resumption of serious peace talks in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, between the Government of Sudan and its opponents in the western and eastern regions.

• NIGERIA: Fate of hostages uncertain as militants push demands IRIN 23 Jan 2006 -- Four foreign oil workers taken hostage by armed militants in Nigeria's Niger Delta region were in their 12th day in captivity on Monday, with those claiming to be their captors insisting on the release of ethnic Ijaw leaders in government custody.
• Nigerian Militants Threaten to Take More Hostages, New Attack VOA 23 Jan 2006 -- Nigerian militants in the oil-rich Niger Delta are threatening to take more foreign hostages, but another attack on an oil platform was stopped.

• CHAD: UN scales back in east after local officals kidnapped IRIN 23 Jan 2006 -- Nearly 200 aid workers pulled out of two humanitarian bases in eastern Chad at the weekend after unknown armed men kidnapped government officials and two aid groups had jeeps stolen, the UN refugee agency said.
• COTE D IVOIRE: Anti-UN riots threaten continued assistance to refugees, displaced IRIN 23 Jan 2006 -- The gutting of UN facilities and evacuation of staff in western Cote d'Ivoire last week could deprive thousands of refugees and displaced of food aid and other humanitarian assistance, officials warned on Monday.
• Rice: Prospect of Hamas Role in Palestinian Government Problematic VOA 23 Jan 2006 -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Monday the prospect of a role in a Palestinian government for the militant Islamic group Hamas poses a practical problem for the United States, which views Hamas as a terrorist organization
• Annan calls for extension of UN peacekeeping force in Georgia through July UN News Centre 23 Jan 2006 -- Describing the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Georgia as "critical for maintaining stability," Secretary-General Kofi Annan today recommended that the Security Council extend its mandate in the troubled country for a further six months until 31 July 2006.

News Reports

• Putin Sends FSB To Secure Caucasus Energy Plants RFE/RL 23 Jan 2006 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin today instructed the FSB federal security service to boost security at all energy facilities in the Caucasus.
• African Union Summit Marred by Security Crackdown VOA 23 Jan 2006 -- Security is tight in the Sudanese capital city of Khartoum, as the nation prepares for the African Union Summit, set to begin on Monday.
• Azeri Gas Starts Flowing to Georgia; Repairs to Ruptured Pipeline Continue VOA 23 Jan 2006 -- Azerbaijan has started natural gas deliveries to Georgia - one day after a series of explosions in the Russian Caucasus region of North Ossetia knocked out the main supply line from Russia to Georgia amid a prolonged spell of sub-zero temperatures.

• LEBANON: Year in Review 2005 - Developments in democracy IRIN 23 Jan 2006 -- Political observers often cite Lebanon as an example of freedom and democracy amidst other non-democratic states in the region.
• PRESS CONFERENCE ON UN PROCUREMENT BY UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR MANAGEMENT United Nations 23 Jan 2006