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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 26 Jan 2007 [PDF]
• MNF-W personnel attacked
• DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Navy Casualties
• Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Col. Galloucis from Iraq 26 Jan 2007 -- Presenter: Commander, 89th Military Police Brigade, Col. Michael Galloucis
• United States Might Accelerate Troop Surge in Iraq Washington File 26 Jan 2007 -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the U.S. troop surge to Iraq might accelerate, and he warned that any foreign fighters seeking to harm coalition troops will be targeted. He also said he is optimistic about the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan.
• CENTAF releases airpower summary for Jan. 26 AFPN 26 Jan 2007 -- U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials have released the airpower summary for Jan. 26.
• Karbala Attackers Used U.S. Army-Styled Uniforms to Gain Access AFPS 26 Jan 2007 -- Insurgents who attacked the Provincial Joint Coordination Center in Karbala, Iraq, were dressed in U.S. Army-styled combat uniforms and carried U.S.-type weapons, convincing Iraqi checkpoints to allow them passage, military officials released today.
• Established Procedures Followed After Black Hawk Crash AFPS 26 Jan 2007 -- Coalition forces followed established "aircraft down" procedures when reacting to the crash of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter Jan. 20 in Diyala province in which 12 U.S. servicemembers died, military officials in Baghdad reported today.
• Deadly Bomb Blast Hits Baghdad Market VOA 26 Jan 2007 -- A bomb blast in Baghdad Friday, killed at least 15 people at an open market
• Gates: Commanders Will Get Troops They Need AFPS 26 Jan 2007 -- While U.S. commanders in Iraq do not have a "blank check" to request additional troops, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said today he will consider all their recommendations and ensure they have the forces they need to accomplish their mission.
• Report: Bush Authorizes Targeting Iranians in Iraq VOA 26 Jan 2007 -- President Bush says U.S. forces in Iraq will do what is necessary to protect themselves and the Iraqi people, but he would not respond directly to a report in The Washington Post that he has issued new orders for U.S. troops to take a tougher approach to Iranian operatives in Iraq
• Nine Insurgents Killed in Iraq, 21 Detained; Weapons Caches Discovered AFPS 26 Jan 2007 -- Coalition forces killed nine insurgents and detained 21 more this week in operations across Iraq.
• Deadly Bomb Blast Hits Baghdad Market VOA 26 Jan 2007 -- A bomb blast in Baghdad Friday, killed at least 15 people at an open market
• Transcript: DoD News Briefing witth Maj. Gen. Freakley from Afghanistan 26 Jan 2007 -- Presenter: Commander of the Combined Joint Task Force-76 and Commanding General, 10th Mountain Division Maj. Gen. Benjamin Freakley
• U.S. Pledges Additional $10.6 Billion to Afghanistan Operation Washington File 26 Jan 2007 -- The United States intends to devote an additional $10.6 billion to security and reconstruction operations in Afghanistan, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced January 26. She made the announcement shortly before she met with NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, Belgium, to urge the organization's members to follow suit in increasing their commitment to the Afghan mission.
• US Says Troop Coordination Critical to NATO, Afghanistan Mission VOA 26 Jan 2007 -- A top US State Department official warned Friday that NATO's future may hinge on alliance members dropping conditions they have placed on their troops' service in Afghanistan.
• Progress Quietly Proceeds in Afghanistan, General Says AFPS 26 Jan 2007 -- More Afghan adults are employed; more of their children are attending school; and the Afghan government is expanding, the senior U.S. military commander in Afghanistan said today.
• Rice Asks NATO Allies to Reach Deeper for Aid to Afghanistan VOA 26 Jan 2007 -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asked NATO allies Friday to do more to help Afghanistan, and pledged extra U.S. troops and aid to help defeat the Taleban
• Rice to Press NATO Allies for More Money for Afghan Security VOA 26 Jan 2007 -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is due in Brussels Friday to press America's NATO allies for more money to battle the resurgent Taleban in Afghanistan.
• NATO Pledges To Boost Afghan Operations RFE/RL 26 Jan 2007 -- NATO foreign ministers, meeting today in Brussels, pledged to increase efforts to confront an expected Taliban offensive in Afghanistan.
• Afghanistan: Analyst Discusses Increased U.S. Effort RFE/RL 26 Jan 2007 -- The United States will seek $10.6 billion for reconstruction and security in Afghanistan, a significant increase in funding, given that Washington has spent a little more than $14 billion for that country in the more than six years since the U.S.-led invasion to topple the Taliban government

Defense Policy / Programs

• President Bush Congratulates General Petraeus on Senate Confirmation, Discusses Way Forward in Iraq The White House 26 Jan 2007
• US Senate Confirms Petraeus as Top US Commander in Iraq VOA 26 Jan 2007 -- The U.S. Senate has unanimously confirmed Army General David Petraeus to be the next coalition commander in Iraq, succeeding General George Casey
• Senate Unanimously Confirms Petraeus to Head Operations in Iraq AFPS 26 Jan 2007 -- The Senate today confirmed Army Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus for promotion to general and assignment as commander of Multinational Force Iraq.
• Transcript: Press Availability with Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates at the Pentagon 26 Jan 2007 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates
• Department of Defense and Turkey Sign Joint Strike Fighter Agreement 26 Jan 2007 -- Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England and the Turkish Minister of National Defense Vecdi Gonul signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to begin future cooperation in the production, sustainment, and follow-on development (PSFD) phase of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program.
• DoD Inspector General Reports Naval Air Station Cecil Field Status 26 Jan 2007 -- Today, the Department of Defense acting inspector general, Thomas Gimble, notified the President and Congress that the State of Florida had not met the requirements of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC) Commission regarding the relocation of the East Coast Master Jet Base from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va., to Naval Air Station Cecil Field in Jacksonville, Fla.
• Leaders chart expectations for AFSO21 experts VOA 26 Jan 2007 -- A top Air Force general recently traveled to the University of Tennessee to check in on the first class to complete the class "Level II Experts in Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century" - also known as "AFSO 21."
• AFSPC commander: Minot in 'thick of the fight' VOA 26 Jan 2007 -- The Air Force Space Command commander stressed team spirit, command goals and the importance of space in military operations On his first official visit to Minot AFB Jan. 23.
• Boxer Drill Prepares For Newest Navy Test Navy NewsStand 26 Jan 2007 -- USS Boxer (LHD 4) took steps to prepare for its upcoming Afloat Training Group (ATG) assessment with a general quarters drill (GQ) Jan. 23 simulating a shipwide mass conflagration.
• Airborne Laser returns for more testing AFPN 26 Jan 2007 -- The YAL-1A, a modified Boeing 747-400F known as the Airborne Laser, is undergoing a long-term test phase at the Air Force Flight Test Center here that includes test firing the aircraft's low-power lasers in flight for the first time.
• Gates Expresses Support for Casey, Fallon AFPS 26 Jan 2007 -- Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. and Navy Adm. William J. Fallon, both of whom are nominated for key leadership positions, are supremely qualified professionals who should be confirmed by the Senate, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
• BHR Begins Onload Navy NewsStand 26 Jan 2007 -- USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) (BHR) began its first phase of the amphibious on-load of Marines and supplies off the coast of Southern California on Jan. 25.
• U.S. Missile Defense in Europe to Counter Rogue States AFPS 26 Jan 2007 -- Missile defense assets the United States is planning to base in Eastern Europe will be aimed at countering threats posed by rogue nations, such as Iran, and will not pose a threat to allies in the region, a senior defense official said here yesterday.
• Predator accident report released AFPN 26 Jan 2007 -- Pilot error caused an MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle to crash during a training mission at Creech AFB, Nev., Aug. 3, 2006, according to an aircraft accident investigation report released Jan. 26 here.
• DoD Shows Off Non-lethal Energy Weapon AFPS 26 Jan 2007 -- The Defense Department this week unveiled its first non-lethal, counterpersonnel, directed-energy weapon.
• U.S. Missile Defense To Counter Iranian, 'Rogue' Threat RFE/RL 26 Jan 2007 -- A U.S. general in charge of missile defense says the system that Washington wants to deploy in Poland and the Czech Republic is not aimed at countering a threat from Russia, but from a potential long-range missile attack by Iran or "rogue nations."
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 26 Jan 2007

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 26, 2007
• U.S. Navy Awards General Dynamics $25 Million For Post-Shakedown Work on USS Texas General Dynamics 26 Jan 2007 -- The U.S. Navy has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $25 million contract modification to continue to perform a range of work on USS Texas (SSN-775) during its post-shakedown availability (PSA). Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).
• US Army Black Hawks, Apaches Get Engine Upgrades GE Aviation 26 Jan 2007 -- A new U.S. Army contract ensures the continuation of a fleet-wide T700 helicopter engine upgrade program that could ultimately involve more than 5,000 engines.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICES OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL AND THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT United Nations 26 Jan 2007
• New Round of Violence in Somali Capital VOA 26 Jan 2007 -- A mortar attack and shootings are the latest violence to hit the Somali capital, which is struggling to regain stability after Ethiopian-backed government forces ousted Islamists who controlled the capital for much of last year
• Hamas Marks First Anniversary of Election Victory VOA 26 Jan 2007 -- The Islamic militant group Hamas is marking the one year anniversary of its landslide victory in Palestinian elections.
• CIS: 'Frozen Conflict' Regions Wait For Kosovo Plan RFE/RL 26 Jan 2007 -- Joerg Himmelreich, of the German Marshall Fund in Berlin, spoke to RFE/RL correspondent Jeremy Bransten on the possible impact of Kosovo's future status on the so-called frozen conflicts of the former Soviet Union.
• UN Envoy Presents Kosovo Proposals RFE/RL 26 Jan 2007 -- The special UN envoy for Kosovo has presented his proposal for the province's future status to the six-nation Contact Group.
• Juba Peace Deal Shows Cracks in Sudan VOA 26 Jan 2007 -- Sudan is commemorating the second anniversary of the signing of a peace deal that put an end to 21 years of fighting between the north and south.

News Reports