Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 19 Apr 2007 [PDF]
• Roadside bomb strikes MND-B patrol
• Small arms fire targets MND-B patrol
• Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Maj. Gen. Barbero from the Pentagon 19 Apr 2007 -- Presenter: Deputy Director for Operations Joint Staff J-3 Maj. Gen. Michael Barbero
• Transcript: Media Availability with Secretary Gates and Gen. Petraeus from Fallujah 19 Apr 2007 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Multinational Force-Iraq Commanding General Gen. David Petraeus
• April 18 airpower: C-130s provide heavy airlift support AFPN 19 Apr 2007 -- Coalition airpower supported coalition ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in the following operations April 18, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.
• Iraqi Forces Thwart Terrorist; Insurgent Bomb Hits Ambulance AFPS 19 Apr 2007 -- A quick-thinking Iraqi soldier thwarted a would-be terrorist, U.S. soldiers found a weapons cache, and a terrorist bomb hit an ambulance, wounding three Iraqis during operations in Iraq April 17.
• ROMEO Sailors Return Home After Completing Customs Mission Navy NewsStand 19 Apr 2007 -- Sailors from Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group (NAVELSG) Navy Customs Battalion ROMEO returned home April 17 and 18 after completing a seven-month deployment in the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
• Almost 200 Killed In Baghdad Attacks Despite Crackdown RFE/RL 19 Apr 2007 -- Nearly 200 people have been killed in a series of attacks in Baghdad in the worst single day of violence in the Iraqi capital since the U.S.-led security crackdown began in February.
• General Details U.S. Military Operations in Iraq, Afghanistan AFPS 19 Apr 2007 -- The recent security crackdown in Baghdad has not pushed violence into other parts of Iraq, despite various "high-profile attacks" that might indicate the opposite, a senior U.S. military officer said here today.
• Opium Funds Taliban Operations, Hurts Afghan Economy, Fallon Says AFPS 19 Apr 2007 -- The illicit, but lucrative, opium trade is helping to finance Taliban operations while placing a stranglehold on Afghanistan's economy, the commander of U.S. Central Command testified during a Congressional hearing yesterday.
• Envoy denies US claim on discovery of Iranian weapons in Kandahar IRNA 19 Apr 2007 -- Iranian Ambassador to Kabul Mohammad-Reza Bahrami denied the US claim on discovery of some Iranian made weapons and ammunition in Kandahar province to the south of Afghanistan.
• Spokesman rejects US claim on discovery of Iranian military equipment IRNA 19 Apr 2007 -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini here Thursday dismissed the remarks of US officials about discovery of Iranian made military equipment in Afghanistan as a repeated and unauthorized scenario.
• Afghanistan: Rights Groups Say Taliban Increasingly Target Civilians RFE/RL 19 Apr 2007 -- Two international human rights groups have issued reports this week warning that Afghan civilians are increasingly bearing the brunt of conflict in their country.
• Amnesty Says Taliban Deliberately Targeting Civilians RFE/RL 19 Apr 2007 -- Amnesty International says in a new report that Taliban militants have been increasing deliberate attacks on civilians as part of their battle against Afghan government and U.S. and NATO-led forces.
• A-10s return to Bagram AFPN 19 Apr 2007 -- Increased firepower is in the making for U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan.
• Taleban Terrorizing Afghan Communities by Impersonating Police VOA 19 Apr 2007 -- U.S. officials in Afghanistan say they have uncovered a new Taleban campaign to discredit the national police force and terrorize local Afghan communities

Defense Policy / Programs

• DoD Receives Independent Review Group Report 19 Apr 2007 -- The Independent Review Group (IRG) established by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates provided DoD with its assessment of rehabilitative care and the administrative processes at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) and the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) on Monday.
• Media Availability with Secretary of Defense Gates from Telaviv, Israel 19 Apr 2007 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates
• Boeing KC-767 Tanker Extends Wing Refueling Hoses for First Time Boeing 20 Apr 2007 -- The Boeing [NYSE: BA] KC-767A Tanker reached another significant test milestone April 12 when its aircrew successfully extended and retracted the left and right Wing Aerial Refueling Pod (WARP) hoses for the first time.
• Partnership of the Americas Arrives at Salvador Navy NewsStand 19 Apr 2007 -- U.S. Navy Task Group 40.0, deployed for Partnership of the Americas (POA) 2007, arrived in Salvador, Brazil, April 18, for a port visit.
• Reserve Unit Hosts NATO Operational Planning Process Exercise Navy NewsStand 19 Apr 2007 -- Supreme Allied Command Transformation (SACT) Detachment 113 will reprise last year's training exercise to familiarize military Reservists from around the nation with NATO's Operational Planning Process (OPP) on April 21-22, at Battle Creek Air National Guard Base.
• USS Russell Returns to Homeport Navy NewsStand 19 Apr 2007 -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG 59) returned home to Naval Station Pearl Harbor on April 7 after a three-month deployment with Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group (CSG).
• Battlefield technology key to Atlantic Strike V AFPN 19 Apr 2007 -- As the convoy travels down the dusty path, the lead Humvee's Joint Terminal Attack Controller zeroes in on a potential target 1,500 meters in front of him. He sends the coordinates to the waiting aircraft above.
• Weather can't stop desert-dwelling Airmen at Red Flag-Alaska AFPN 19 Apr 2007 -- Working in a cold-weather environment may not be in the repertoire of desert-dwelling maintainers supporting Exercise Red Flag-Alaska 07-1, but Airmen from Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., don't seem to mind and they're not about to let it affect their mission.
• Gates: U.S. Committed to Relationship With Israel AFPS 19 Apr 2007 -- The United States is committed to continue helping Israel "maintain its qualitative military edge" over other countries in the region that threaten its security, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
• Chief of Staff Shares Vision, Gets Feedback Army News 19 Apr 2007 -- The Army's top-ranking officer paid a visit here Tuesday, touring the installation a week after taking over the Army's top uniformed position.
• Last Call for Navy's Large Harbor Tugs Navy NewsStand 19 Apr 2007 -- The U.S. Navy large harbor tugs seem to have all but disappeared from most U.S. ports over the last decade.
• Lincoln Outfitted With New Pri-Fly Equipment Navy NewsStand 19 Apr 2007 -- Flight operations aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) will never again be the same following the overhaul of the ship's navigational equipment and systems.
• DESRON 31 Change Of Command Navy NewsStand 19 Apr 2007 -- Capt. R. Bruce Stewart, deputy for operations U.S. Pacific Fleet, assumed command of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 31 on April 5 during a ceremony held pierside at Naval Station Pearl Harbor.
• Defense Secretary Gates Cites Concerns About Syria, Iran Washington File 19 Apr 2007 -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates discussed prospects for reconciliation in Iraq, the Middle East peace process, disruptive Syrian activities in the region and Iran's nuclear ambitions as part of his ongoing trip through the Middle East that included stops in Egypt, Israel and Iraq.
• Air Force proactive in combating biological warfare AFPN 19 Apr 2007 -- Air Force officials have approved a new Counter-Biological Warfare Concept of Operations and Air Force Instruction to help Air Force installations better respond to biological threats.
• PACAF leads way in Air Force's anthrax vaccine push AFPN 19 Apr 2007 -- Pacific Air Forces' implementation of the Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program is off to a good start.
• Airmen train colleagues for combat during Atlantic Strike AFPN 19 Apr 2007 -- Insurgents wait beside a roadway for an Army convoy. As Humvees pass, the insurgents launch their attack, blasting improvised explosive devices and firing rockets at the vehicles. Air Force joint terminal attack controllers embedded with the Soldiers respond by calling for an impromptu airstrike. A-10 Thunderbolt IIs swoop in to quickly neutralize the threat as the convoy continues on its mission.
• US Senator Freezes Military Aid to Colombia VOA 19 Apr 2007 -- A leading U.S. lawmaker has frozen $55 million in military aid to Colombia due to concerns about a scandal linking Colombian politicians to paramilitary fighters.
• Georgia to start NATO membership program in fall - president RIA Novosti 19 Apr 2007 -- Georgia will be ready to start a NATO membership program in the fall of 2007, President Mikheil Saakashvili said at the 65th Rous-Rout seminar Thursday.
• Second military convoy leaves Russian base in Georgia RIA Novosti 19 Apr 2007 -- A second military convoy carrying equipment left a Russian military base in Georgia early Thursday, a RIA Novosti correspondent said.
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 19 Apr 2007
• Press Gaggle by Dana Perino The White House 19 Apr 2007

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for April 19, 2007
• General Dynamics Awarded $32 Million For Virginia-Class Long-Lead Material General Dynamics 19 Apr 2007 -- The U.S. Navy has awarded General Dynamics' Electric Boat $32 million in material orders for the purchase of long-lead material for Virginia-Class submarine spare parts and systems. Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).
• General Dynamics Team Selected to Implement U.S. Government's Nationwide Integrated Wireless Network General Dynamics 19 Apr 2007 -- The Department of Justice has selected General Dynamics C4 Systems to implement nationwide, interoperable wireless communications services to department field agents as part of the Integrated Wireless Network (IWN) program
• Raytheon and U.S. Navy Team for Standard Missile Improvements Raytheon 19 Apr 2007 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) and the U.S. Navy have teamed to successfully complete a major update to Standard Missile-2 (SM-2).
• SAIC Awarded Contract to Support Pacific Air Forces SAIC 19 Apr 2007 -- Science Applications International Corporation (NYSE: SAI) announced today it won a contract from the U.S. Air Force, Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) to provide a full range of engineering and technical support services.

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 19 Apr 2007
• Experts, Activists Urge Bush to Take Stronger Action on Darfur VOA 19 Apr 2007 -- Experts and activists appearing before a congressional committee have urged President Bush to take stronger action to pressure the Sudanese government to comply with international demands for a 20,000 - strong United Nations and African peacekeeping force for Darfur
• Analysis: On Darfur, Impasse or Progress? cfr.org 19 Apr 2007 -- As the one-year anniversary of the Darfur peace agreement approaches, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir seems, once again, to have agreed to some form of UN peacekeeping presence in the region.
• Sudan vows to cut red tape on UN to support African peace mission in Darfur UN News Centre 19 Apr 2007 -- The Sudanese Government has announced it will streamline some passport and customs procedures to allow the United Nations to better support the existing African Union peacekeeping mission in the war-torn Darfur region.
• US Lawmakers Welcome President Bush's Statement on Darfur VOA 19 Apr 2007 -- U. S. lawmakers are reacting to President Bush's strong statement that the U.S. will tighten financial sanctions against Sudan if Khartoum does not cooperate fully regarding the situation in Darfur
• Somali Sub-Clans Said to be Uniting Against Government, Ethiopia VOA 19 Apr 2007 -- In a possible sign that fractious sub-clans of Somalia's Hawiye tribe may be uniting to oppose Ethiopia and Somalia's interim government, a top Islamist leader and the deputy prime minister of the interim government have jointly issued an ultimatum for Ethiopian troops to leave Somalia immediately or face an all-out war
• SOMALIA: Displaced Somalis living rough near Kenyan border IRIN 19 Apr 2007 -- At least 15,000 Somalis who fled violence in the capital, Mogadishu, are facing disease and uncertainty in Dobley town, near the Kenyan border, local sources told IRIN on Thursday.
• Ban Ki-moon lauds Arab League's commitment to revitalize Middle East peace plan UN News Centre 19 Apr 2007 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the statement by a committee of League of Arab States regarding the resuscitation of the Arab Peace Initiative, which in the past he has called one of the pillars of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
• Palestinian militants say missile attacks on Israel to continue RIA Novosti 19 Apr 2007 -- A militant Palestinian group denied media reports Thursday that it is ready to stop missile attacks against southern Israel.
• Around 70 LTTE rebels may have been killed, wounded in air raid IRNA 19 Apr 2007 -- As part of stepped-up tit-for-tat attacks between the Sri Lankan forces and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels, a Lankan air force raid on a Tamil rebel base in the island's north may have killed or wounded as many as 70 guerrillas.
• Unilateral decision on Kosovo status unacceptable - FM Lavrov RIA Novosti 19 Apr 2007 -- Imposing a unilateral decision on the status of Serbia's breakaway province of Kosovo is unacceptable and talks on the issue should be continued, the Russian foreign minister said Thursday.

News Reports

• U.S. Prepared To Boost Reconstruction Aid for Lebanon Washington File 19 Apr 2007 -- President Bush has requested a dramatic increase in levels of funding to support ongoing relief and reconstruction efforts in Lebanon as part of the supplemental budget now under consideration in Congress, and administration officials addressing a congressional subcommittee asserted that the funds are necessary to support progressive forces in that country.
• South Caucasus: Is Russia Losing Influence? RFE/RL 19 Apr 2007 -- Moscow's influence in the South Caucasus region has been steadily waning in recent years.
• Central Asia/Caspian: Region's Growth A Mixed Blessing, UN Warns RFE/RL 19 Apr 2007 -- The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) has identified Caspian-basin and Central Asian states as Asia's fastest-growing economies.