Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 04 Oct 2007 [PDF]
• MND-B unit targeted by small arms fire attack
• Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Maj. Gen. Sherlock from the Pentagon 04 Oct 2007 -- Presenter: Director for Operational Planning, Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Richard Sherlock
• Oct. 3 airpower summary: B-1Bs provide show of force AFPN 04 Oct 2007 -- Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations Oct. 3, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.
• Troops Kill Five Insurgents, Seize Suspects, Weapons in Iraq AFPS 04 Oct 2007 -- Iraqi and coalition forces killed five insurgents, detained 20 suspects and seized weapons in Iraq over the past three days, military officials said.
• Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team Sees Successes in Fallujah AFPS 04 Oct 2007 -- Iraqis are taking solid steps toward self-sufficiency in Fallujah, Iraq, the leader of a provincial reconstruction team embedded with U.S. troops there said today.
• C-130s put troops, supplies on target in Afghanistan AFPN 04 Oct 2007 -- The mission of the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron here is to provide accurate and immediate airdrops of critical supplies to troops on the ground throughout Afghanistan, and these airdrops have a significant impact on the success of ground missions for those fighting the war on terrorism.
• AFGHANISTAN: Some aid vulnerable to mismanagement, corruption, say experts IRIN 04 Oct 2007 -- Relief operations in insecure parts of Afghanistan are highly vulnerable to waste and corruption, local officials, residents, aid officials and analysts say.

Defense Policy / Programs

• House Approves Bill Making Iraq Contractors Subject to US Courts VOA 04 Oct 2007 -- Acting amid continuing controversy over a recent incident involving Blackwater, the largest American private security contractor in Iraq, the U.S. House of Representatives has overwhelmingly approved legislation that would subject contractors to prosecution by U.S. courts
• US Defense Chief Wants More Military Control of Security Contractors in Iraq VOA 04 Oct 2007 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he wants to give the coalition military command in Iraq a larger role in coordinating the activity of private security contractors that operate in the country
• Gates Addresses Private Security Contractor Issues AFPS 04 Oct 2007 -- Into his second day of a five-day, five-country trip to Central and South America, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has faced as many questions from the press about private security contractor issues in Iraq as he has regional security issues in the Americas.
• CNO Delivers First Message to the Fleet Navy NewsStand 04 Oct 2007
• Media Availability with Secretary Gates and Defense Minister Goni from Chile 04 Oct 2007 -- Presenter: Secretary Of Defense Robert Gates and Chilean Defense Minister Jose Goni
• Officials complete transfer of two more California bases AFPN 04 Oct 2007 -- With the closure of six major Air Force installations in California by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, the state has been going through a tremendous transformation since 1988.
• New chapter for Air Force Special Operations begins AFPN 04 Oct 2007 -- Cannon Air Force Base Airmen stood up the newly designated 27th Special Operations Wing during a unit redesignation and change-of-command ceremony Oct. 1 here, which began a new chapter for Air Force Special Operations Command.
• Team re-engineers network environment AFPN 04 Oct 2007 -- What was a maze of 35 antiquated routers, switches and load balancers used to direct millions of e-mails each day is now a streamlined set of seven all-in-one nodes that saves time, money and resources.
• New Commander Speaks of Military's Newest Combatant Command AFPS 04 Oct 2007 -- Members of the new U.S. Africa Command are going to listen to the people of the continent and help them realize their plans, the first commander of the organization said here yesterday.
• Marine Corps Exceeds Recruiting, Retention Numbers AFPS 04 Oct 2007 -- The Marine Corps announced today that it exceeded its recruiting and retention expectations for the year, marking the first milestone in a push to significantly expand the overall force by 2011.
• U.S. to Strengthen Defense Relationship with Chile AFPS 04 Oct 2007 -- The U.S. military will strengthen its relationship with Chile by encouraging the country's peacekeeping efforts in the region and increasing interoperability with more foreign military exchanges and bilateral operations, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
• Nassau Strike Group Completes Deck Landing Qualifications During ESGINT Navy NewsStand 04 Oct 2007 -- Navy helicopter squadron detachments of the Nassau Strike Group (NASSG) and members of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (24 MEU) Air Combat Element (ACE) recently completed deck landing qualifications (DLQs) during the strike group's Expeditionary Strike Group Integrated exercise (ESGINT).
• Riverine Squadron 2 Deploys Navy NewsStand 04 Oct 2007 -- The Navy's Riverine Squadron (RIVRON) 2 departed Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek for its first deployment Oct. 2.
• French, Japanese, U.S. Ambassadors to Bahrain Visit Big E Navy NewsStand 04 Oct 2007 -- The French, Japanese and American Ambassadors to Bahrain visited USS Enterprise (CVN 65) (Big E) on Oct. 3.
• CSF Establishes Larger Military Presence at Bangor Learning Site Navy NewsStand 04 Oct 2007 -- The Center for Security Forces (CSF) announced the establishment of a larger military presence at its Bangor Learning Site on Sept. 14.
• Taiwan Likely to Unveil Cruise Missile at National Day Parade VOA 04 Oct 2007 -- Taiwan is developing a cruise missile that will be capable of hitting land targets in China
• NATO secretary general on visit to Georgia RIA Novosti 04 Oct 2007 -- NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer was uncommitted when discussing Georgia's prospects of joining NATO during his visit to the South Caucasus country on Thursday.
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 04 Oct 2007
• Press Briefing by Dana Perino The White House 04 Oct 2007

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 04, 2007
• Northrop Grumman's KC-30 Tanker Team Will Create Aerospace Jobs and Generate Economic Activity Approaching $40 Million Annually in New Mexico Northrop Grumman 04 Oct 2007 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) KC-30 Tanker team will generate economic activity nearing $40 million annually and create 1,800 direct and indirect jobs in New Mexico if the KC-30 Tanker aircraft is selected by the U.S. Air Force.
• Northrop Grumman Wins General Services Administration Alliant Contract Northrop Grumman 04 Oct 2007 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has been awarded a General Services Administration (GSA) Alliant indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract to deliver cost-effective information technology (IT) solutions to the U.S. federal government for improved service and increased efficiency.
• Australia's Air Warfare Destroyer Build Begins With Signing of Contract Valued at US$1.2 Billion Raytheon 04 Oct 2007 -- Representatives of the AWD Alliance (the Commonwealth of Australia, Raytheon Australia and ASC Shipbuilding) have signed Australia's Air Warfare Destroyers (AWD) Phase III contract signaling the start of building.

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 04 Oct 2007
• Liberia becomes eligible for UN Peacebuilding Fund UN News Centre 04 Oct 2007 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon declared today that Liberia is eligible to receive assistance from the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund, set up a year ago to help States emerging from conflict consolidate their gains and not slide back into war.
• Rice to Shuttle Between Israelis, Palestinians VOA 04 Oct 2007 -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice begins a trip to Russia and the Middle East next week that will include five days of shuttling among Israeli and Palestinian officials
• Chad Government, Rebels Agree on Preliminary Peace Deal VOA 04 Oct 2007 -- Major rebel groups in Chad have agreed to a peace deal with the government following months of negotiations
• SUDAN: Attack raises questions over hybrid force IRIN 04 Oct 2007 -- The 29 September attack on an African peacekeeping base in Darfur has raised fresh questions about the planned transformation of the AU Mission in Sudan (AMIS) into a hybrid AU-UN force that includes personnel from non-African countries.
• DRC: Thousands of refugees return home - UNHCR IRIN 04 Oct 2007 -- At least 43,000 refugees returned to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between January and October, with another 310,000 still in neighbouring countries, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
• NEPAL: Former Maoist rebels threaten to disrupt elections IRIN 04 Oct 2007 -- Concern is growing among politicians and foreign envoys that the elections for Nepal's Constituent Assembly next month could be disrupted.

News Reports

• Bush to Syria: Stay Out of Lebanese Elections VOA 04 Oct 2007 -- President Bush says Syria should stay out of presidential elections in neighboring Lebanon
• Backgrounder: Understanding Myanmar cfr.org 04 Oct 2007
• UN envoy briefs Secretary-General on Myanmar visit UN News Centre 04 Oct 2007 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was briefed today by his Special Envoy for Myanmar, Ibrahim Gambari, who has just returned from the region following discussions with senior Government officials and the Nobel laureate and political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi.
• Burma's Military Ruler Sets Conditions for Talks With Opposition Leader Aung San Suu Kyi VOA 04 Oct 2007 -- Burma's state media say the country's military ruler is willing to meet with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, as the crackdown against pro-democracy activists continues.
• Military Dictatorship Increases Crackdown in Burma VOA 04 Oct 2007 -- Burma's military dictatorship has redoubled efforts to crush anti-government demonstrations, even as former soldiers defecting to Thailand report signs of dissension within the leadership's ranks
• US Lawmakers Reiterate Support for Burma Democracy Movement VOA 04 Oct 2007 -- There have been more expressions of support in the U.S. Congress for Burma's democracy protesters
• Analysis: A Rough Ride for Pakistan cfr.org 04 Oct 2007 -- Gen. Pervez Musharraf, by most accounts, appears set to win (Reuters) a new term as president
• President Musharraf ready to launch reconciliation policy RIA Novosti 04 Oct 2007 -- Pakistan's President General Pervez Musharraf is ready to resign as Armed Forces chief next month and launch a national reconciliation policy if re-elected president, Pakistani media said on Thursday.
• Former Pakistan PM Bhutto Hints at Power-Sharing Deal VOA 04 Oct 2007 -- Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto says she expects to reach a power-sharing agreement with President Pervez Musharraf by the end of the day.
• Orbital In Final Preparations For Launch of Intelsat-11 and Optus D2 Communications Satellites Orbital Sciences Corp. 04 Oct 2007 -- Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB), the world leader in smaller-sized commercial geosynchronous (GEO) communications satellites, is in final preparations for the launch of two of its spacecraft from the European space launch complex in French Guiana.
• Transfer of Star One C1 satellite to its launch site in French Guiana Thales 04 Oct 2007 -- Thales Alenia Space announced that it has transferred the Star One C1 communications satellite to the launch site in Kourou, French Guiana.