Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 23 Jan 2008 [PDF]
• MND-North Soldier dies in accident (Kirkuk)
• DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• PRESS CONFERENCE: Phantom Phoenix Update: Maj. Gen. Bergner, Jan. 23, 2008 MNF-I 23 Jan 2008 -- Maj. Gen. Kevin J. Bergner, Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesman, provides an operational update of Operation Phantom Phoenix
• Jan. 22 airpower summary: F-15s conduct show of force AFPN 23 Jan 2008
• Ammo keeps fighters supplied in quest for Iraqi freedom AFPN 23 Jan 2008 -- Airmen can fly, fight and win in any wartime situation, but being able to do that is only possible if pilots are properly equipped with the right munitions for their target.
• Troops Kill 20 Suspected Terrorists, Nab 16 AFPS 23 Jan 2008 -- Coalition and Iraqi forces killed 20 suspected terrorists, detained 16 others and destroyed several weapons caches in Iraq during the past two days, military officials said.
• Army Chief Information Officer Visits MND-C Brigades Army News 23 Jan 2008 -- The Army's chief information officer visited three Multi-National Division - Central communication operations sections Jan. 19 to get a feel for the way communications are being run in the Task Force Marne area of operations.
• Last Jump: XVIII Airborne Corps Heads Out Door Army News 23 Jan 2008 -- The XVIII Airborne Corps Special Troops Battalion performed its last pre-deployment jump Jan. 15 at Sicily drop zone on Fort Bragg - heading out the door of a C-130 high-performance aircraft before heading to Baghdad.
• Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Maj. Gen. Rodriguez from the Pentagon Briefing Room 23 Jan 2008 -- Presenter: Commander, Combined Joint Task Force-82 and Regional Command East Maj. Gen. David Rodriguez
• Governor Bids Farewell to Deploying New York Guard Army News 24 Jan 2008 -- More than 1,400 New York Army National Guard Citizen-Soldiers bound for Afghanistan formally bid farewell to their friends and family Jan. 16 at deployment ceremonies held across the state.
• Experts Urge US, NATO, Regional Cooperation on Afghanistan VOA 23 Jan 2008 -- Experts testifying at a Capitol Hill congressional hearing have told lawmakers that the United States and NATO allies need to take new steps to support the government of Afghanistan, warning that resurgent Taliban and al-Qaida forces based in Pakistan pose a long-term threat
• Commanders in Afghanistan Share Tactics, Procedures AFPS 23 Jan 2008 -- Commanders in Afghanistan share their best counterinsurgency tactics, but the country is big and what works in one area may not work in another, the commander of NATO's Regional Command-East said during a Pentagon news conference today.
• US Commander Says Taliban, al-Qaida Work Together in Pakistan VOA 23 Jan 2008 -- A senior U.S. commander in Afghanistan says Taliban and al-Qaida forces in the Pakistan border area are turning their attention more toward Pakistan, and are working together to hit Pakistani forces
• Progress in Eastern Afghanistan Will Blunt Taliban Offensive AFPS 23 Jan 2008 -- The U.S. commander of NATO's Regional Command East in Afghanistan today said he does not think the Taliban will launch a spring offensive in his area of operations.
• Troops Battle Elements, Violence to Bring Hope to Afghan Valley AFPS 23 Jan 2008 -- The sound of water dripping through the roof was a constant reminder of the weather outside Forward Operating Base Able Main.
• Pakistan army launches major operation in tribal region IRNA 23 Jan 2008 -- Pakistani army on Wednesday launched a major operation against the local Taliban of Baitullah Mehsood group in the country's South Waziristan tribal region, locals said.
• Pakistan Sends Military Reinforcements to Fight Militants in South Waziristan VOA 23 Jan 2008 -- The Pakistani military says it is sending reinforcements to the South Waziristan region on the Afghan border to target a rebel commander accused of involvement in the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Navy to Christen Guided Missile Destroyer Dewey 23 Jan 2008 -- The Navy will christen the newest Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer, Dewey, Saturday, Jan. 26, during a 10 a.m. CST ceremony at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in Pascagoula, Miss.
• New Ammo Will Decrease Fragments in Close Urban Environs Army News 23 Jan 2008 -- A new type of ammunition is arriving in time to help Soldiers in dangerous urban landscapes, such as those in Iraq.
• Army to Retire BDUs Army News 23 Jan 2008 -- The Army's Deputy Chief of Staff for G-1 (Personnel) announced this month that the final wear-out date for the Army Battle Dress Uniform and Desert Battle Dress Uniform will be April 30 for both active-duty and reserve-component Soldiers.
• Boeing Successfully Completes Flight of First AEW&C Wedgetail Aircraft Modified in Australia Boeing 23 Jan 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has conducted a successful functional check flight of the first 737 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft modified in Australia for Project Wedgetail.
• Aviator pay details to be released AFPN 23 Jan 2008 -- Details on the retention bonus offered to experienced aviators should be released soon, Air Staff officials here said.
• From Land to Sea: Stennis Accomplishes Major Milestone Navy NewsStand 23 Jan 2008 -- USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) returned to the water for the first time Jan. 18, since entering dry dock at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) in September 2007.
• Swift Supports Environmental Research During Africa Partnership Station Navy NewsStand 23 Jan 2008 -- An Africa Partnership Station (APS) initiative to support the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) oceans and climate research and data collection efforts kicked off Jan. 18-21 when the crew of High Speed Vessel 2 Swift deployed five surface drifting buoys at sea during a transit from Rota, Spain to Dakar.
• MWR Opens New Recreation Center for Sailors Navy NewsStand 23 Jan 2008 -- Naval Base (NB) Kitsap Sailors enjoy amenities provided at the new Bremerton Recreation Center at NB Kitsap, Bremerton, Jan. 18.
• USS Philippine Sea Holds Change of Command Navy NewsStand 23 Jan 2008 -- A change of command ceremony was held aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG-58) on Jan. 17.
• Brooks to serve as initial venue to test fit new service coat AFPN 23 Jan 2008 -- About 150 Airmen from Brooks City-Base, Lackland and Randolph Air Force Bases in Texas, will participate in a fit test of the new Air Force Heritage service dress coat here Jan. 28 - Feb. 1.
• NATO chief proposes Russia-NATO summit in April RIA Novosti 23 Jan 2008 -- NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer proposed on Wednesday holding a meeting of the Russia-NATO Council at the beginning of April during a summit of the alliance in Bucharest, a spokesman said.
• Russia says no change in NATO policy after presidential elections RIA Novosti 23 Jan 2008 -- The result of Russia's March 2 presidential elections will not affect Russia's policy regarding NATO, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's pan-European cooperation department said Wednesday.
• Russia concerned over NATO military buildup around its borders RIA Novosti 23 Jan 2008 -- Russia is concerned over NATO's expansion, which is aimed at building up its military potential around Russian borders rather than strengthening European security, the foreign minister said on Wednesday.
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 23 Jan 2008
• Press Briefing by Dana Perino The White House 23 Jan 2008

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 23, 2008
• Raytheon to Provide Revolutionary AESA Capabilities to 135 F/A-18s Raytheon 23 Jan 2008 -- The U.S. Navy is retrofitting 135 Super Hornets with Raytheon Company's (NYSE: RTN) APG-79 active electronically scanned array radar.
• LOCKHEED MARTIN-BUILT GPS SATELLITES PASS 75 YEAR MARK OF COMBINED ON-ORBIT OPERATIONS Lockheed Martin 23 Jan 2008 -- The Global Positioning System (GPS) Block IIR and IIR-M satellite constellation, designed and built by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] to provide significantly improved navigation capabilities for military and civilian users worldwide, has accumulated over 75 years of successful on-orbit operations.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 23 Jan 2008
• Humanitarian situation in Gaza still difficult, says UN relief agency UN News Centre 23 Jan 2008 -- The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip remains extremely difficult, the United Nations agency tasked with helping Palestinian refugees said today, with Israeli authorities both easing and adding to the restrictions and measures on the transport of goods and people in and out of the area.
• Thousands Flood Across Border From Gaza to Egypt VOA 23 Jan 2008 -- Residents of the Gaza Strip have flooded across the border into Egypt to stock up on food and other supplies after militants blew a huge hole in the border barricade, eventually opening the wall completely
• UN Chief Calls for Peaceful Resolution of Gaza Crisis VOA 23 Jan 2008 -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urges Israelis and Palestinians to show restraint and to resolve their complex political issues through dialogue
• Gazans Pour Into Egypt After Border Fence Breached VOA 23 Jan 2008 -- Thousands of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip poured into an Egyptian border town, early Wednesday, after militants blew a large hole in the border wall overnight that separates Gaza from Egypt
• Statement on Gaza Stalls in UN Security Council VOA 23 Jan 2008 -- Following a day of debate, the U.N. Security Council could not agree on language for a statement condemning the deterioration of the situation in the Gaza Strip.
• ISRAEL-OPT: Militants force open parts of border with Egypt IRIN 23 Jan 2008 -- In the early morning of 23 January Palestinian militants blew up sections of the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, effectively allowing tens of thousands of Palestinians to freely leave or enter the enclave for the first time since last June 2007.
• ISRAEL-OPT: Fuel for Gaza's power plant allowed in IRIN 23 Jan 2008 -- UN and Palestinian officials in Gaza have said some 760,000 litres of industrial fuel for Gaza's power plant were imported from Israel on 22 January, and another 200,000 were delivered on 23 January.
• PRESS CONFERENCE BY SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL IN NEPAL United Nations 23 Jan 2008
• Top UN envoy to Nepal optimistic that delayed elections will be successful UN News Centre 23 Jan 2008 -- The top United Nations envoy to Nepal says he is optimistic that twice-delayed Constituent Assembly polls will be staged successfully on 10 April, given the desire of ordinary Nepalese for peace and democracy and the political leaders' demonstrated capacity for dialogue.
• Surge of bandit attacks jeopardizes food rations to Darfur - UN agency UN News Centre 23 Jan 2008 -- Food rations to more than 2 million people in Darfur may have to be cut within weeks after a surge of bandit attacks this month against trucks carrying relief supplies to the war-wracked Sudanese region, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned today.
• Ban Ki-moon urges early funding for $3.8 billion UN humanitarian appeal UN News Centre 23 Jan 2008 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on donors to respond quickly and generously to a $3.8 billion United Nations humanitarian appeal, stressing that for the poorest of the poor, early funding means the difference between life and death.
• Ban Ki-moon hails agreement to end violence in eastern DR Congo UN News Centre 23 Jan 2008 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hailed the agreement reached today between the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and armed groups in the country's war-torn east as an "important step," pledging the United Nations' continuing support to end the suffering of the population there.
• Congolese Strife Continues to Kill Thousands VOA 23 Jan 2008 -- A new survey reports that an estimated 5.4 million people have died in the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 1998
• Kurds to protest against Turkish military actions in N.Iraq IRNA 23 Jan 2008 -- Germany-based Kurds are to demonstrate in Berlin on Saturday against Turkey's ongoing military operations in northern Iraq, the press reported Wednesday.
• CHAD: Mixed verdicts on coordination of massive relief effort IRIN 23 Jan 2008
• Georgia rejects Russia's version of pact with breakaway regions RIA Novosti 23 Jan 2008 -- Georgia's acting state minister for conflict settlement said Wednesday the ex-Soviet republic would not sign the Russian version of a non-use of force agreement with its separatist regions.
• Russia has no plans to back independence for Abkhazia, S.Ossetia RIA Novosti 23 Jan 2008 -- Russia has never declared its readiness to recognize the sovereignty of ex-Soviet breakaway provinces if Kosovo's independence is declared, Russia's foreign minister said on Wednesday.
• Former UN Chief Ready to Mediate Kenya Talks VOA 23 Jan 2008 -- Former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan is in Kenya to begin talks aimed at resolving the bitter political dispute between President Mwai Kibaki and opposition challenger Raila Odinga

News Reports

• Russia for UN Security Council reform - foreign minister RIA Novosti 23 Jan 2008 -- Russia supports the opinion that membership of the UN Security Council should be extended, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.
• Secretary-General renews call on States to end disarmament stalemate UN News Centre 23 Jan 2008 -- Deeply troubled by the impasse in the work of the world's only multilateral disarmament negotiating forum, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today renewed his call to countries to move forward in a spirit of compromise to improve the global security climate.
• UN Secretary General Urges Action to Forestall Arms Races VOA 23 Jan 2008 -- In a blunt statement to the U.N. Conference on Disarmament, the U.N. Secretary-General urged the 65-member body to start negotiations on a nuclear weapons material treaty