Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 15 Jun 2007 [PDF]
• Task Force Lightning Soldier attacked
• Task Force Lightning Soldiers attacked
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• Task Force Lightning Soldier dies in non-combat related incident
• Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Col. Daniel Ball from the Pentagon 15 Jun 2007 -- Presenter: Commander of the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Multinational Division-Central Col. Daniel Ball
• June 14 airpower summary: A-10s deliver massive firepower AFPN 15 Jun 2007 -- Coalition airpower supported coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations June 14, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.
• Iraqi, Coalition Forces Capture Terrorist Leaders AFPS 15 Jun 2007 -- Iraqi and coalition forces captured one terrorist leader and killed 16 suspected terrorists today
• Aviation Unit Supports 'Surge' Forces in Baghdad AFPS 15 Jun 2007 -- As the troop surge in Baghdad approaches full force, the aviation unit that controls the skies over Iraq's capital is changing tactics daily to keep a leg up on the enemy, the unit's commander said today.
• Local Security Engagements Squeezing Insurgents, General Says AFPS 15 Jun 2007 -- The quickened tempo and increasingly localized nature of joint U.S.-Iraqi security operations are gradually pushing al Qaeda and related insurgent groups out of Iraq's neighborhoods, a coalition spokesman said this week.
• Afghan, Coalition Forces Kill More Than 24 Enemy Fighters AFPS 15 Jun 2007 -- Coalition and Afghan forces have killed and detained more than two dozen enemy fighters in operations in Afghanistan over the past two days, U.S. officials said.
• Convoy operations require training, communication, synergy AFPN 15 Jun 2007 -- The key to successful convoy operations is preparation and if practice makes perfect, then the goal of the 455th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron is perfection.
• Afghanistan: NATO Focuses On Training, Minimizing Civilian Casualties RFE/RL 15 Jun 2007 -- NATO defense ministers agreed in Brussels on June 14-15 to step up the training of Afghan security forces and on measures to reduce civilian casualties in Afghanistan.
• Afghanistan: NATO Focuses On Reducing Civilian Casualties RFE/RL 15 Jun 2007 -- Insisting that Afghanistan remains the alliance's top-priority mission, NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said that "concrete measures" must be taken by NATO to reduce civilian casualties.
• USS John C. Stennis Returns to OEF Missions Following Port Visit Navy NewsStand 15 Jun 2007 -- USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9 returned to the North Arabian Sea June 14 following its third port visit in the Middle East.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Dr. S. Ward Casscells, Vice Adm. Donald Arthur, Rear Adm. John Mateczun, Maj. Gen. Gale Pollock, Maj. Gen. Bruce Green, Col. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, Ellen Bmbre, and Shelley Macdermid from the Pentagon 15 Jun 2007 -- Presenter: Dr. S. Ward Casscells, Vice Adm. Donald Arthur, Rear Adm. John Mateczun, Maj. Gen. Gale Pollock, Maj. Gen. Bruce Green, Col. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, Ellen Bmbre, and Shelley Macdermid
• DoD Receives Mental Health Task Force Results 15 Jun 2007 -- Secretary of Defense Robert Gates received the Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health results and forwarded them to the Congress on June 14
• Press Availability with Secretary Gates in Brussels, Belgium 15 Jun 2007 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates
• F-2 makes live bomb debut during exercise AFPN 15 Jun 2007 -- "Hands-on" took on real meaning for members of the Japan Air Self Defense Force as F-2 support fighter pilots dropped the first live weapons from the fighter here June 13 as part of Exercise Cope North.
• New C-17 checklist reduces redundancies AFPN 15 Jun 2007 -- A team here has developed a way to shorten C-17 Globemaster III preflight time by one hour and 30 minutes by reducing redundancies and eliminating overlap during the aircraft preflight procedures.
• Red Flag-Alaska wraps up AFPN 15 Jun 2007 -- The second Red Flag-Alaska exercise of the year ended June 15 after two weeks of intense, air-combat training over Alaska's mountain ranges.
• Guard wing transitions to Langley AFPN 15 Jun 2007 -- The Virginia Air National Guard's 192nd Fighter Wing records its last F-16 Fighting Falcon training mission June 20.
• Army Continues Working to Improve Warfighters' Gear, Equipment AFPS 15 Jun 2007 -- Today's soldiers have the best equipment available, and the Army keeps striving to improve it, the general who oversees the equipping effort said.
• Starling Assumes Command of NETWARCOM Navy NewsStand 15 Jun 2007 -- Vice Adm. H. Denby Starling II relieved Vice Adm. James D. McArthur Jr., as commander of Naval Network Warfare Command (NETWARCOM) on June 15 in a ceremony at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek.
• Merrick Relieved by Nisbett as Commanding Offier of USS Albany Navy NewsStand 15 Jun 2007 -- Cmdr. Mark Merrick was relieved by Cmdr. Thad Nisbett as commanding officer of the nuclear-powered fast attack submarine USS Albany (SSN 753) in a ceremony June 14 on board Albany at Naval Station Norfolk's Pier 3.
• Bataan Completes ULTRA-S Evaluation Navy NewsStand 15 Jun 2007 -- The multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) completed a three-day evaluation, Unit Level Training Assessment-Sustainment (ULTRA-S), while underway in the Mediterranean Sea, June 10.
• Juneau Complete Emergency Defense of Amphibious Task Force Training Navy NewsStand 15 Jun 2007 -- Sailors and Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) completed a successful Emergency Defense of Amphibious Task Force (EDATF) exercise June 2.
• Communications Key to Talisman Saber 2007 Navy NewsStand 15 Jun 2007 -- A wave of new technologies is proving to be a keystone for Talisman Saber 2007 (TS07), the military exercise held between the United States and Australia now in the force integration and training (FIT) phase from June 10-18.
• Task Group 40.0 Departs Mejillones in Support of Team Work South Navy NewsStand 15 Jun 2007 -- USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52), USS Mitscher (DDG 57) and Chilean Frigate Almirante Latorre (FFG 14) of Partnership of the Americas (POA) Task Group 40.0 departed Mejillones on June 2 to begin the underway exercises of Team Work South 2007 after a rewarding port visit.
• Russia: Moscow 'Unhappy' With Outcome Of CFE Conference RFE/RL 15 Jun 2007 -- An extraordinary conference of the 30 state parties to the 1990 Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty ended today in Vienna with participants failing to agree on a final joint statement.
• Russia dissatisfied with CFE extraordinary conference RIA Novosti 15 Jun 2007 -- Russia is not satisfied with the results of an emergency conference of signatory countries to the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE), which ended in the Austrian capital Friday, the head of the Russian delegation said.
• Azeri Radar Would Not Replace Czech Anti-Missile Site, U.S. Says Washington File 15 Jun 2007 -- NATO's 26 nations have agreed to assess by February 2008 the political and military implications of planned missile-defense systems in Europe, and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said alliance members have voiced no criticism of the U.S. portion of the plan.
• NATO, Russia disagree on US missile system for Europe IRNA 15 Jun 2007 -- NATO Defence Ministers agreed Thursday to assess by February 2008 the political and military implications for the 26-member Alliance of the US missile system in Europe.
• U.S., Russian Defense Chiefs Meet, Avoid Missile Issue RFE/RL 15 Jun 2007 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates held a brief meeting today with his Russian counterpart, Anatoly Serdyukov, on the sidelines of a conference of NATO defense ministers, which ended today in Brussels.
• NATO defense ministers favor missile shield talks with Russia RIA Novosti 15 Jun 2007 -- Defense ministers of 26 NATO member states have spoken out for continuing consultations with Russia on plans to deploy U.S. missile defense elements in Central Europe.
• Joint use of Azeri radar does not remove Iran threat - Obering RIA Novosti 15 Jun 2007 -- The joint use of a radar in Azerbaijan, which Russia has proposed to Washington, would not remove the threat of a missile attack from Iran, the U.S. missile defense chief said Friday.
• Press Gaggle by Scott Stanzel The White House 15 Jun 2007
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 15 Jun 2007

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for June 15, 2007
• EADS North America underscores Aerial Refueling and homeland security capabilities at the Paris Air Show EADS 15 Jun 2007 -- First KC-30B for the Royal Australian Air Force joins EADS' Aerial Refueling Boom System (ARBS) testbed aircraft and German A310 tanker at Le Bourget
• UAV demonstrator Sharc successfully completes first flight EADS 15 Jun 2007 -- With the successful first flight of the new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Sharc, EADS Defence & Security (DS) has launched the flight test campaign for this innovative unmanned helicopter. During the first flight, the unmanned coaxial dual-rotor 200 kg class helicopter – which is being tested by the Military Air Systems unit of DS – demonstrated stability and impressive flight characteristics.
• Thales Australia FFG Upgrade on Track Thales 15 Jun 2007 -- Thales Australia's guided missile frigate (FFG) Upgrade Project continues to make progress, with the third frigate leaving dry dock ahead of schedule at the company's Garden Island facility on 8 June.
• Netherlands' and German navies contract Thales for sustainment of AAW suite Thales 15 Jun 2007 -- THALES SA announced that the Royal Netherlands Navy and Thales Nederland signed a contract for the support needed to sustain the APAR and SMART-L system capabilities on board of the "De Zeven Provinciën" class frigates of the Royal Netherlands Navy and the "Sachsen" class frigates of the German Navy.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 15 Jun 2007
• PRESS CONFERENCE BY UNITED NATIONS PALESTINE RELIEF AGENCY United Nations 15 Jun 2007
• Deploring Gaza situation, Ban Ki-moon calls for aid access, end to violence UN News Centre 15 Jun 2007 -- Voicing deep concern at the deadly violence that has engulfed the Gaza Strip this week, especially its effect on ordinary Palestinians, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for an immediate restoration of calm, renewed respect for human rights and the necessary security to allow United Nations agencies and other aid workers to deliver humanitarian relief.
• UN could deploy peacekeepers in Gaza - Lavrov RIA Novosti 15 Jun 2007 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday he did not rule out that United Nations peacekeepers could be sent to the Gaza Strip if all sides to the conflict agree.
• Israel to consider transfer of frozen tax revenues to Abbas - newspaper RIA Novosti 15 Jun 2007 -- Israel is set to consider transferring frozen tax revenues to the Palestinian leader now that Mahmoud Abbas has broken with radical Islamists in the Palestinian National Authority's (PNA) coalition government, a local newspaper said Friday.
• Hamas declares amnesty for Fatah prisoners RIA Novosti 15 Jun 2007 -- Islamist militant group Hamas, which has gained full control of Gaza after six days of bloodshed, declared an amnesty Friday for all its Fatah prisoners, including the Palestinian pro-presidential group's commanders.
• Hamas seizes Gaza, Palestinian leader Abbas sacks government RIA Novosti 15 Jun 2007 -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared a state of emergency and dissolved the government after six days of bloody gun battles, in which Hamas fighters wrested control of key Fatah strongholds in Gaza.
• 4 Lebanese Soldiers Killed in Fighting With Islamic Militants VOA 15 Jun 2007 -- Lebanese authorities say four soldiers were killed Friday in ongoing fighting with Islamic extremists in a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon.
• Fighting Ends in Gaza as Hamas Takes Control VOA 15 Jun 2007 -- Palestinian factional fighting in the Gaza Strip ended on Friday as Hamas Islamic militants completed their takeover of Fatah facilities
• Analysis: Vying for Peace in Sudan cfr.org 15 Jun 2007 -- After much diplomatic wrangling and months of stalling by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, Khartoum has agreed to the deployment of a joint United Nations/African Union peacekeeping force in its western Darfur region
• CAR: UN movement ban still in place IRIN 15 Jun 2007 -- Aid operations in northwestern Central African Republic (CAR) have yet to resume, four days after an international staff member of the charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) was killed, because the situation there is still worrying, the United Nations said.
• Security Council members head to Addis for talks on UN-African Union cooperation UN News Centre 15 Jun 2007 -- The first stop for members of the United Nations Security Council travelling on a week-long mission to Africa will be the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, where they will focus on cooperation between the world body and the African Union (AU), as well as ongoing efforts for peace and development in Sudan and Somalia.
• Burundi Prepares to Send Peacekeeping Troops to Somalia VOA 15 Jun 2007 -- Burundi says it is ready to deploy troops as part of the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia in July
• WFP: Humanitarian Aid Getting to Darfur Despite Insecurity VOA 15 Jun 2007 -- The World Food Program (WFP) says it has been able to successfully feed up to three million internally displaced people in Sudan's conflict-ridden province of Darfur.

News Reports

• Zimbabwe Passes Communication Spying Law VOA 15 Jun 2007 -- Zimbabwe this week passed a new law allowing the government to monitor telephones, mail and the Internet
• COMOROS: Bacar defies African Union and the Union government IRIN 15 Jun 2007 -- In defiance of both the Union of Comoros government and the African Union (AU), Mohamed Bacar, 45, inaugurated himself for a second term as the president of Anjouan Island this week
• EAST AFRICA: Increased spending pledged for social services and IDPs IRIN 15 Jun 2007 -- In their budget proposals for 2007-2008, Kenya and Tanzania pledged to boost spending on education and health, while Uganda set aside funds for rehabilitating the conflict-ravaged north, where internally displaced persons (IDPs) are returning to their villages.
• GLOBAL: Cutting red tape in disaster response IRIN 15 Jun 2007 -- After five years of research, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has finalised a set of guidelines to facilitate the delivery of international assistance in disasters.
• Ex-UN Head Kurt Waldheim Dead At 88 RFE/RL 15 Jun 2007 -- Former United Nations Secretary-General and Austrian President Kurt Waldheim has died of heart failure at the age of 88.