Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 28 Nov 2007 [PDF]
• DoD Identifies Army Casualties
• Press Briefing: Briefing by Al-Dabbagh and Brig. Gen. Qassim Atta, November 28, 2007 MNF-I 28 Nov 2007
• Air Force firefighters teach Iraqis blaze fighting basics AFPN 28 Nov 2007 -- Seven local Iraqi firefighters shared a momentous occasion as they graduated from the Ali Base basic firefighter skills course.
• Troops Detain Dozens, Kill Suspected Terrorist in Iraq AFPS 28 Nov 2007 -- Iraqi and coalition forces captured 32 suspected terrorists and killed another in Iraq over the past three days, military officials said.
• Mine Countermeasures Exercise Sweeps Persian Gulf Navy NewsStand 28 Nov 2007 -- The U.S. Navy conducted a mine countermeasures exercise (MCMEX) Nov. 12-15 to demonstrate its ability to counter potential mine-laying and to maintain open sea lanes and anchorages in the region, an important mission of Maritime Security Operations (MSO).
• Operation Varsity March leads to capture of suspect (Sayafiyah) MNF-I 28 Nov 2007 -- Soldiers from Company B, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, captured 13 suspected extremists during a nighttime air assault mission in Sayafiyah, Iraq, a small village outside of Salman Pak, Nov. 24.
• Afghanistan's Judiciary Rebuilding Under New Supreme Court Washington File 28 Nov 2007 -- A fresh team of Supreme Court justices appointed by Afghan President Hamid Karzai in 2006 is determined to build up the professionalism of the country's judiciary, which has suffered from Afghanistan's 30 years of war, destruction and instability.
• AFGHANISTAN: Swiss aid to continue despite military withdrawal IRIN 28 Nov 2007 -- Switzerland will maintain its humanitarian and development assistance to Afghanistan despite a decision by Bern to pull out its two army officers in northern Afghanistan by March 2008.
• Storm-Stricken Bangladesh Gets Aid from U.S. Marines, Sailors Washington File 28 Nov 2007 -- Twenty-four hundred U.S. Marines and sailors are helping the Bangladeshi government provide clean water, medical aid, food and other relief supplies to victims of Cyclone Sidr, the most severe storm to hit the country since 1991.
• 22nd MEU SOC Ramps Up Relief Operations in Bangladesh Navy NewsStand 28 Nov 2007 -- Marine helicopters from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit Special Operations Capable (SOC) delivered more than 2,500 gallons of water Nov. 27 along with 12,000 lbs., of medical supplies to areas in Bangladesh hardest hit by Tropical Cyclone Sidr, a storm that ripped through the country Nov. 15.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Press Secretary Geoff Morrell from the Pentagon 28 Nov 2007 -- Presenter: Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell
• Army Issues Instructions to Prepare for Funding Shortfall Army News Release 28 Nov 2007 -- The Army announced Nov. 28 that it has taken initial steps to plan for reduced operations at all Army bases while the congressional review continues on funding for operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and requirements associated with the Global War on Terror.
• Army Issues Instructions to Prepare for Funding Shortfall Army News 28 Nov 2007 --The Army announced today that it has taken initial steps to plan for reduced operations at all Army bases while the congressional review continues on funding for operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and requirements associated with the Global War on Terror.
• Army Directs Cutbacks in Anticipation of Budget Shortfall AFPS 28 Nov 2007 -- Army installation commanders worldwide have been directed to plan for spending scale-backs due to an anticipated budget crunch sparked by governmental wrangling over funding for the war on terrorism, according to an Army news release issued today.
• F-15 A-D models ordered to stand down for additional inspections AFPN 28 Nov 2007 -- For the second time this month, the commander of Air Combat Command has directed a fleet-wide inspection of all ACC F-15 A through D model aircraft.
• Air Force trainers involved in mid-air collision AFPN 28 Nov 2007 -- Two Columbus Air Force Base T-6 Texan II primary trainers collided about 12:47 p.m. Nov. 28 near the Columbus AFB Auxiliary airfield in Shuqualak, Miss.
• AFSOC welcomes new commander AFPN 28 Nov 2007 -- Air Force Special Operations Command ushered in a new commander Nov. 27 in Freedom Hangar at Hurlburt Field, Fla.
• Secretary sees first afterburning engine test with synthetic fuel AFPN 28 Nov 2007 -- The secretary of the Air Force viewed the first ground testing of the General Electric F101 engine using a 50-50 mix of Fischer-Tropsch and JP-8 jet fuels Nov. 27 at Arnold Air Force Base.
• Bush to Visit Pentagon to Discuss Long-Range Plans for Military AFPS 28 Nov 2007 -- President Bush is slated to visit the Pentagon tomorrow afternoon to talk with senior leaders about long-term strategic plans for the military, the Pentagon press secretary told reporters today.
• Arabic Cultural-Awareness Training Now Available Army News 28 Nov 2007 -- Arabic cultural-awareness training from Third U.S. Army/U.S. Army Central and the Jordanian Armed Forces is now available to all American servicemembers.
• HMS Victory Commanding Officer Visits USS Constitution Navy NewsStand 28 Nov 2007 -- The commanding officer (CO) of the oldest commissioned warship in the world, HMS Victory, joined the captain and crew of USS Constitution, "Old Ironsides," the oldest commissioned warship afloat, Nov. 5-7 in the Charlestown Navy Yard.
• Russia disappointed with U.S. missile shield proposal - Lavrov RIA Novosti 28 Nov 2007 -- Russia is disappointed with Washington's written proposals on missile defense cooperation, but is ready to continue constructive talks on the issue, the foreign minister said on Wednesday.
• Russia ready to continue U.S. missile shield talks - Lavrov RIA Novosti 28 Nov 2007 -- Russia is disappointed with Washington's written proposals on missile defense cooperation, but is ready to continue constructive talks on the issue, the foreign minister said on Wednesday.
• Lavrov says any new nuclear pact with U.S must lower WMD limits RIA Novosti 28 Nov 2007 -- A treaty to replace a major nuclear arms reduction agreement between Russia and the U.S. must set lower ceilings for nuclear arsenals and limit the development of new nuclear weapons, Russia's foreign minister said on Wednesday.
• Russia test-fires two ballistic missiles RIA Novosti 28 Nov 2007 -- A missile brigade from the Siberian Military District test fired two SS-21 Scarab short-range ballistic missiles during a tactical exercise at a test site in south Russia, a military spokesman said on Wednesday.
• Iranian Navy receives stealth-capable submarine - national TV RIA Novosti 28 Nov 2007 -- Iran's Navy commissioned Wednesday a domestically designed and produced light submarine featuring extended stealth capability and strong firepower, state television reported.
• Ukraine's army will become all-volunteer in 2009 RIA Novosti 28 Nov 2007 -- The Ukrainian army will move to become a fully-professional service in 2009, President Viktor Yushchenko told a defense ministry meeting on Wednesday.
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 28 Nov 2007
• Press Briefing by Dana Perino The White House 28 Nov 2007

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for November 28, 2007
• LOCKHEED MARTIN, VIKING LIFE-SAVING EQUIPMENT NORGE TEAM TO DEVELOP SAFER, MORE COST-EFFECTIVE SEA-BORNE CREW TRANSFER SYSTEM Lockheed Martin 28 Nov 2007 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] and VIKING Life-Saving Equipment Norge AS announced today that they are teaming to provide a safer, more efficient and cost-effective, off-shore crew transfer system capable of operating in heavy sea conditions.
• Northrop Grumman's KC-30 Tanker Team Will Create Aerospace Jobs and Generate Economic Activity Approaching $200 Million Annually in Michigan Northrop Grumman 28 Nov 2007 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) KC-30 Tanker team will generate economic activity approaching $200 million annually and create or support more than 2,700 direct and indirect jobs in Michigan if the KC-30 Tanker aircraft is selected by the U.S. Air Force.
• UNITED KINGDOM AWARDS LOCKHEED MARTIN $4.8 MILLION FOR DESERT HAWK III UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS Lockheed Martin 28 Nov 2007 -- The United Kingdom's Defence Equipment & Support Organization in the Ministry of Defense awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a $4.8 million contract to procure additional Desert Hawk III Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).
• Navy Exercises $52 Million Option for Raytheon's Mine Hunting Sonar Raytheon 28 Nov 2007 -- The U.S. Navy has awarded Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) a $52 million contract for the low rate initial production of nine new AN/AQS-20A sonar mine detecting sets, spares and their accompanying kits.
• F135 Team Delivers F135 STOVL Propulsion System to Lockheed Martin Pratt & Whitney 28 Nov 2007 -- Pratt & Whitney has delivered the first F135 short-takeoff/vertical-landing (STOVL) propulsion system including the Rolls-Royce Lift System to Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Texas
• Boeing Demonstrates Maturity of TSAT Encryption System Boeing 28 Nov 2007 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has successfully demonstrated the communications and transmission security architecture of its proposed Transformational Satellite Communications System (TSAT).

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 28 Nov 2007
• Indyk: Bush Seemed Uninvolved in His Own Peace Conference cfr.org 28 Nov 2007
• CFR Fellows Respond to Annapolis Conference cfr.org 28 Nov 2007
• Iran calls Mideast peace conference a failure RIA Novosti 28 Nov 2007 -- Iran's president said on Wednesday that the Middle East peace conference held in Annapolis was doomed to failure, and produced no substantial results.
• Rice Pledges Urgent Annapolis Agreement Follow-Up VOA 28 Nov 2007 -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is pledging urgent follow-up work to Tuesday's Israeli-Palestinian agreement in Annapolis, Maryland to resume final-status peace negotiations after a seven-year interruption
• UN's Côte d'Ivoire envoy holds talks on planned elections UN News Centre 28 Nov 2007 -- The senior United Nations envoy to Côte d'Ivoire today held talks on elections planned for next year in the country, which has been divided since 2002 between the rebel-held north and Government-controlled south.
• Ivorian President Embarks on Reconciliation Trip in Rebel North VOA 28 Nov 2007 -- Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo has embarked on a planned multi-city three-day trip to the rebel-held north in Ivory Coast, following an agreement with rebel leader turned Prime Minister Guillaume Soro to hold national elections during the first half of 2008
• Suicide Bomber Targets Sri Lankan Minister in Colombo VOA 28 Nov 2007 -- One person has been killed and two others injured in an attack by a suspected suicide bomber in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo
• Second Explosion Rocks Sri Lankan Capital VOA 28 Nov 2007 -- An explosion on the outskirts of Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, has killed at least 16 people and wounded at least 20 others - just hours after a suicide bomber targeted the office of a government minister.
• SRI LANKA: "Groundless" allegations could threaten aid work - UN official IRIN 28 Nov 2007 -- "Groundless public accusations can seriously compromise our ability to carry out humanitarian and development work and are also putting the safety and security of UN staff and non-governmental organisation (NGO) partners at risk," Neil Buhne, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Sri Lanka, said in a recent statement released by the UN Inter Agency Standing Committee (ISAC) country team.
• Security Council applauds efforts to consolidate peace in Burundi UN News Centre 28 Nov 2007 -- The United Nations Security Council today welcomed efforts to bring lasting peace to Burundi, calling for a consolidation of progress in the country, which is rebuilding after being torn apart by 13 years of armed conflict.
• Report: Radical Somali Fighters Moving into Central Regions VOA 28 Nov 2007 -- Hundreds, possibly thousands, of civilians in two central Somali regions have reportedly fled their homes in fear, after an ambush Monday on Ethiopian troops triggered a fierce gun battle with Islamist fighters
• UN Court Reduces Jail Terms for Three in Rwanda Genocide Case VOA 28 Nov 2007 -- A U.N. tribunal has commuted the jail terms of three Rwandan journalists convicted of inciting the country's 1994 genocide.
• Russian peacekeepers in Abkhazia get new chief of staff RIA Novosti 28 Nov 2007 -- Major General Yevgeny Achalov has been appointed chief of staff of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in the zone of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict, a Ground Forces spokesman said Wednesday.
• SUDAN: Darfur fighting "displaced 30,000 in October" IRIN 28 Nov 2007 -- The UN special envoy for Darfur has again expressed concern over the security and humanitarian situation in the Sudanese region, where violence displaced at least 30,000 civilians in October alone, and led to the deaths of seven humanitarian workers.
• UGANDA-SUDAN: Worries over Otti's whereabouts cast shadow on talks IRIN 28 Nov 2007 -- Efforts to peacefully resolve the conflict in northern Uganda have gained momentum but uncertainty over the fate of a key rebel leader could hinder the process, observers said.
• DRC: Curfew imposed in Equateur to stem worsening insecurity IRIN 28 Nov 2007 -- Authorities in the northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) province of Equateur have imposed a nighttime curfew in the area until further notice in a bid to curb insecurity, including murder and extortion by armed men.

News Reports

• Key OSCE Gathering Set For U.S.-Russia Clash Over Democracy RFE/RL 28 Nov 2007 -- Russia and the United States look set to clash over human rights and democracy this week when OSCE foreign ministers meet in Spain to assess competing visions for the future of the world's largest regional security organization.
• Pakistan's president steps down as army chief RIA Novosti 28 Nov 2007 -- President General Pervez Musharraf stepped down as Pakistan's army chief on Wednesday, fulfilling his pledge a day before he is to be sworn in as civilian leader for a new term.
• Pakistan's Musharraf Steps Down as Army Chief VOA 28 Nov 2007 -- Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has stepped down as chief of the army in a ceremony transferring power to his hand-picked successor, General Ashfaq Kayani
• Russian Presidential Campaign Formally Begins RFE/RL 28 Nov 2007 -- Russia's presidential election campaign formally kicked off today, amid widespread speculation about President Vladimir Putin's intentions.
• Russian presidential election campaign kicks off RIA Novosti 28 Nov 2007 -- The presidential election campaign formally kicked off in Russia on Wednesday as a government newspaper published an upper house resolution announcing the date of next year's polls.
• Fellow Chessmaster Karpov Denied Right To Visit Kasparov RFE/RL 28 Nov 2007 -- A number of visitors, including chess grandmaster Anatoly Karpov, have been turned away from the Moscow detention center where United Civic Front leader Garry Kasparov has been held since an opposition rally on November 24.