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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 02 Aug 2006 [PDF]
• DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
• MARINES DIES IN ALANBAR AUG 2.
• SOLDIER DIES IN AL ANBAR AUG 2.
• Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace 02 Aug 2006 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld
• Despite Challenges, Iraqi Authorities Act To Stabilize Country Washignton File 02 Aug 2006 -- Terrorists will continue to hide behind innocents and stage attacks calculated to maximize media coverage and public outcry, but they will not weaken the coalition's resolve to defeat them, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld told journalists at an August 2 Pentagon press briefing.
• CENTAF releases airpower summary AFPN 02 Aug 2006 -- U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials have released the airpower summary for Aug. 2.
• Coalition, Iraqi Soldiers Capture Kidnappers, Terrorists, Seize Weapons AFPS 02 Aug 2006 -- In separate operations throughout Iraq today and July 31, coalition and Iraqi forces foiled a kidnapping attempt, captured eight terrorists, and seized numerous weapons, U.S. military officials in Iraq reported.
• Iraqi Forces Search University, Target 'Death Squads' AFPS 02 Aug 2006 -- Iraqi security forces searched a university in Ramadi, Iraq, today in response to insurgent activity and targeted militia "death squads" in four operations yesterday, U.S. military officials in Iraq reported.
• DoD Announces Units for Next Afghanistan Rotation 02 Aug 2006 -- The Department of Defense announced today major units scheduled to deploy as part of the next rotation of forces operating in Afghanistan

Defense Policy / Programs

• USS Asheville Departs for Western Pacific Navy NewsStand 02 Aug 2006 -- Sailors aboard nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Asheville (SSN 758) said farewell to friends and family members just before departing San Diego for a Western Pacific deployment, Aug. 1.
• Ramstein's north airstrip receives makeover AFPN 02 Aug 2006 -- The north runway here is under a nearly $20 million, three-phase construction plan that will extend it 1,000 feet and allow heavier air transports to take off fully loaded.
• Five personnel centers scheduled for realignment AFPN 02 Aug 2006 -- In an effort to provide and deliver services in the most effective and efficient way for the Air Force, military officials plan to realign about 170 civilian personnel positions to the Air Force Personnel Center at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.
• Rumsfeld: Army 'Vastly Better' in Equipment, Training, Experience AFPS 02 Aug 2006 -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld disputed recent assertions today that the Army is declining in readiness due to equipment shortfalls.
• Army establishes Installation Management Command Army News 02 Aug 2006 -- The Army is establishing the Installation Management Command to improve its ability to provide critical support programs to Soldiers and their families while ensuring its installations are "flagships of readiness."
• Global Hawk passes 10,000 flight hours milestone AFPN 02 Aug 2006 -- The Global Hawk unmanned aerial system continues to prove its utility and effectiveness in the global war on terror, having flown more than 10,500 flight hours by late July.
• FAA authorizes Predators to seek survivors AFPN 02 Aug 2006 -- Traditionally tasked to hunt for targets, Air Combat Command's Predators are now authorized to seek survivors during disaster relief operations.
• Daily Press Briefing Department of State 02 Aug 2006
• Press Briefing by Tony Snow The Whitle House 02 Aug 2006

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 02, 2006
• BAE Systems Awarded $223.5 million Contract to Remanufacture and Upgrade Bradley Vehicles BAE Systems 02 Aug 2006 -- BAE Systems has received a $223.5 million contract modification from the U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command to remanufacture and upgrade 96 Bradley Combat Systems vehicles.
• General Dynamics Awarded $46 Million Long-Lead Contract for M1A2 Abrams Tank Reset General Dynamics 02 Aug 2006 -- The U.S. Army has awarded General Dynamics Land Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), a $46 million contract to provide long-lead parts to support the reset of 72 M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks.
• Northrop Grumman Begins Work on Dedicated Facility for High-Energy, Solid-State Laser System Integration and Production Northrop Grumman 02 Aug 2006 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC), moving quickly to consolidate its recent achievements in solid-state lasers, has begun constructing a dedicated facility for system integration work and low-rate production of high-energy lasers for military weapon systems.
• Pratt & Whitney Delivers Third Flight Test F135 Engine for F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Pratt & Whitney 02 Aug 2006 -- Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX), has delivered the third F135 flight test engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Lightning II. This is the final engine that will support the F-35's first flight tests scheduled to begin later this year. Pratt & Whitney's F135 is the lead propulsion system on the F-35.
• ATK Receives $90 Million Contract to Supply Orion Motors for Missile Defense and Commercial Satellite Launch Vehicles ATK 02 Aug 2006 -- Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) has received a $90 million contract to provide first, second, and third stage Orion solid rocket motors to Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) for use in a variety of launch platforms including the nation's Ground-based Missile Defense (GMD) program. ATK's Launch Systems Group will perform the work at its manufacturing facilities in Utah. Production will run through February 2009.
• Lockheed Martin Delivers Second Spacecraft Structure For Advanced Military Communications Program Lockheed Martin 02 Aug 2006 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] announced today the successful delivery of the flight structure for the second Advanced Extremely High Frequency (EHF) spacecraft. The Advanced EHF system will provide global, highly secure, protected, survivable communications for all warfighters serving under the U.S. Department of Defense.
• Lockheed Martin Awarded Air Force Contract For Angels Nanosatellite Program Lockheed Martin 02 Aug 2006 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] announced today that the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Space Vehicles Directorate, located at Kirtland Air Force Base, NM, has chosen the company to provide engineering design and development support for the Autonomous Nanosatellite Guardian Evaluating Local Space (ANGELS) satellite program. The contract, valued at $8 million, will extend the ANGELS Phase 3 basic effort from Preliminary Design Review (PDR) through Critical Design Review (CDR), August 2006 through August 2007. Following completion of the CDR, the Air Force will pursue a follow-on contract for production of a protoflight unit.
• International arms exhibition opens in Russia RIA Novosti 02 Aug 2006 -- An international exhibition showcasing the latest technical developments in armaments for land forces has opened in Moscow, Russia's state-controlled arms exporter Rosoboronexport said Wednesday.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 02 Aug 2006
• PRESS CONFERENCE BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT United Nations 02 Aug 2006
• Record Number of Rockets Strike Israel VOA 02 Aug 2006 -- Hezbollah militants fired a record number of rockets against Israel Wednesday as Israeli troops carried out their deepest raids yet in Lebanese territory
• Muslim Countries Meet to Stem Violence in Lebanon VOA 02 Aug 2006 -- The Malaysian foreign ministry says officials from predominantly Islamic countries will urge the United Nations to demand an unconditional cease-fire in Lebanon and deployment of a U.N. peacekeeping force that must include Muslim troops.
• Aid Convoys Travel to Southern Lebanon VOA 02 Aug 2006 -- The United Nations has resumed aid shipments to southern Lebanon.
• US Claims Progress in Lebanon Diplomacy VOA 02 Aug 2006 -- The United States said Wednesday there is a convergence of views with key allies over how to stop the fighting in Lebanon despite another postponement of a key U.N. Security Council meeting.
• Relief Agencies Stuggle with Aid Distribution in Lebanon VOA 02 Aug 2006 -- Shipments of humanitarian aid are reaching the south Lebanese port city of Tyre, but aid agencies say they are still having trouble getting the relief supplies to areas where they are most needed.
• US: Security Council Close to Agreement on Lebanon VOA 02 Aug 2006 -- U.S. Ambassador John Bolton says the U.N. Security Council is "near agreement" on the fundamentals of a political framework for Lebanon, despite differences over a cease-fire.
• As fighting rages in southern Lebanon, Annan reiterates call for cessation of hostilities UN News Centre 02 Aug 2006 -- The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and Hizbollah have continued to exchange fire close to United Nations positions in southern Lebanon over the past 24 hours, with heavy fighting observed on both sides, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported today.
• Backgrounder: Defining Victory: The Differing Goals of Israel and Hezbollah cfr.org 02 Aug 2006
• Rice Sees Israel-Hezbollah Cease-Fire in "Days, Not Weeks" Washington File 02 Aug 2006 -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says a cease-fire and lasting settlement in the three-week-old conflict between Israel and Hezbollah likely will come within "days not weeks."
• LEBANON: Israeli commandos attack militants in hospital IRIN 02 Aug 2006 -- The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) confirmed it attacked Hizbollah militants based in a hospital in Baalbek, east Lebanon yesterday. General Dan Halutz, the Israeli Chief-of-staff, said that after a series of aerial bombardments, commandos landed by helicopter and engaged with militants at the Al Hekme Hospital in the north of the city.
• LEBANON: Fuel shortage hampering aid efforts IRIN 02 Aug 2006 -- United Nations humanitarian agencies have warned that fuel shortages and associated distribution problems in Lebanon may seriously affect rescue operations and assistance to people trapped in southern parts of the country.
• Israel Says Fighting Will Continue Until Peacekeepers Are Sent to Lebanon VOA 02 Aug 2006 -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says Israel will not stop its offensive in Lebanon, until an international peacekeeping force is in place in southern Lebanon
• Israel Says Hezbollah Fighters Captured in Baalbek VOA 02 Aug 2006 -- The Israeli army says its forces captured three Hezbollah guerrillas after fierce fighting deep inside Lebanon, in the northeastern city of Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley.
• US Reports Progress in Lebanon Diplomacy VOA 02 Aug 2006 -- The Bush administration reported progress Tuesday toward building an international peacekeeping force for Lebanon.
• Egypt's First Lady Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in Lebanon VOA 02 Aug 2006 -- In a rare political statement, Egypt's First Lady Suzanne Mubarak Tuesday urged the international community to call for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon.
• ISRAEL-OPT: Aid agencies ask the world to remember Gaza IRIN 02 Aug 2006 -- Aid agencies and the United Nations are calling upon the international community not to forget the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, which they say is at least as serious as the situation in southern Lebanon.
• Israel 'Captures' Hizballah Fighters In Raid RFE/RL 02 Aug 2006 -- Israel says its forces captured several Hizballah fighters deep inside Lebanon.
• Fighting Heavy Near Hizballah Stronghold RFE/RL 02 Aug 2006 -- Israeli airborne commandos battled Hizballah fighters early today around a Hizballah-run hospital near Baalbek in eastern Lebanon.
• Georgia: U.S. Official Assesses Kodori Operation's Impact RFE/RL 02 Aug 2006 -- In recent days, Georgia has launched an offensive in the Kodori Gorge, an area that straddles the breakaway region of Abkhazia and the rest of Georgia.
• Georgia's actions in Abkhazia hinder conflict settlement -Russia RIA Novosti 02 Aug 2006 -- Georgia's military operation in the Kodori Gorge could seriously hamper the settlement of the long-running conflict between Georgia and the breakaway republic of Abkhazia, Russia's deputy foreign minister said Wednesday.
• Georgia increasing military presence in Kodori Gorge -Abkhazia RIA Novosti 02 Aug 2006 -- Authorities of the Georgian breakaway republic of Abkhazia said Wednesday that Georgia had deployed over 2,000 soldiers along with military hardware and helicopters in Abkhazia's Kodori Gorge, and was continuing to increase its military presence.
• Russian peacekeepers deny setting up new checkpoints in Kodori RIA Novosti 02 Aug 2006 -- Russian peacekeepers have not set up any additional checkpoints in the Kodori Gorge in Georgia's separatist region of Abkhazia, the commander of the Collective Peacekeeping Forces in the area said Wednesday.
• COTE D IVOIRE: Local government officers return to rebel-held north IRIN 02 Aug 2006 -- Four key local government officers who fled south after civil war erupted four years ago have returned to Cote d'Ivoire's rebel-held north, at least temporarily, under a UN-backed peace plan.
• BURUNDI: Colonel arrested as coup crackdown continues IRIN 02 Aug 2006 -- Secret service agents in Burundi arrested an army colonel on Wednesday in a government crackdown on suspected coup plotters, the government spokesman said.
• Eritrea-Ethiopia: at meeting of sides, UN pledges best efforts under trying conditions UN News Centre 02 Aug 2006 -- A senior United Nations envoy has pledged the world body's continued efforts to fulfil its mandate in Ethiopia and Eritrea, where UN blue helmets are monitoring a ceasefire along the disputed border between the two Horn of Africa countries.
• U.S. Envoy Calls Meeting of Serb and Kosovo Leaders "Historic" Washington File 02 Aug 2006 -- A senior U.S. negotiator says the July 24 meeting between the elected leaders of Kosovo and Serbia was an "historic occasion" that will help advance ongoing negotiations aimed at settling the province's legal status by the end of 2006.
• UN Appeals for Calm, Patience as Vote Counting Continues in DRC VOA 02 Aug 2006 -- The United Nations has appealed for calm and patience in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where vote counting has gotten off to a slow start, amid allegations of election fraud
• Sri Lanka Battle Rages Despite Cease-Fire VOA 02 Aug 2006 -- In Eastern Sri Lanka, government forces are exchanging artillery fire with guerrillas from the Tamil Tiger separatist group, in the eighth day of fighting that began as a dispute over an irrigation channel
• SOMALIA: Neighbouring states urged not to fuel discord IRIN 02 Aug 2006 -- A regional bloc spearheading efforts to restore peace in Somalia has urged neighbouring states to refrain from doing anything that might exacerbate the crisis, amid reports of the presence of foreign troops and arms smuggling.
• UGANDA: Government, rebels to resume talks in Sudan IRIN 02 Aug 2006 -- Peace talks between the Ugandan government and the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) will resume next Monday in Juba, Riek Machar, the chief mediator and southern Sudanese Vice-President, said.

News Reports

• U.S. Officials Discuss Health of Cuba's Fidel Castro Washington File 02 Aug 2006 -- U.S. officials have reacted with caution regarding reports that long-time Cuban dictator Fidel Castro is seriously ill.
• Questions Surround Cuba's Raul Castro VOA 02 Aug 2006 -- In Cuba, Vice President Raul Castro has maintained a low profile since assuming executive authority while his older brother, Fidel, recovers from intestinal surgery.
• Castro Said to Be In Stable Condition VOA 02 Aug 2006 -- The Cuban government has released a statement from President Fidel Castro saying his heath is stable and he is in good spirits after intestinal surgery.
• Iran's Supreme Leader Rallies Muslims RFE/RL 02 Aug 2006 -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei today urged Muslims worldwide to stand against Israel and the United States.