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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 11 Mar 2008 [PDF]
• Coalition force Soldiers attacked by IED (Ad Diwaniyah)
• March 10 airpower summary: B-1Bs conduct show of force AFPN 11 Mar 2008
• March 9 airpower summary: C-17s deliver supplies to front AFPN 11 Mar 2008
• Airmen aid coalition ground forces one leaflet at a time AFPN 11 Mar 2008 -- American Airman here and members of the Australian Defence Force recently teamed up to deliver critical information to Iraqi civilians in southern Iraq.
• Assistant surgeon general visits Balad hospital AFPN 11 Mar 2008 -- The assistant Air Force surgeon general for nursing services and medical force development met with deployed medics March 3 and 4 at Balad Air Base.
• Coalition Troops in Iraq Detain 11 Suspected Terrorists AFPS 11 Mar 2008 -- Coalition forces in Iraq detained 11 suspected terrorists today during operations to disrupt al Qaeda networks in central and northern Iraq, military officials said.
• U.S. Bomber Destroys Al Qaeda in Iraq Jail, Torture Facility AFPS 11 Mar 2008 -- Three buildings that had served as an al Qaeda detention and torture facility were destroyed yesterday by a U.S. military bomber.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Secretary Robert Gates from the Pentagon 11 Mar 2008 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates
• Gates Accepts Resignation of CENTCOM Chief Fallon AFPS 11 Mar 2008 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today reluctantly accepted Navy Adm. William J. "Fox" Fallon's letter of resignation as commander of U.S. Central Command and request for retirement. Fallon's resignation will take effect March 31, Gates said in a Pentagon news conference.
• US Middle East Commander to Retire VOA 11 Mar 2008 -- The senior U.S. military officer responsible managing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and U.S. military engagement throughout the Middle East, Central Asia and East Africa, has decided to retire this month after a magazine article said he opposed administration policy toward Iran
• 1st Cav Cdr: Soldiers Key Ingredient in Deployment's Success Army News 11 Mar 2008 -- The commanding general of the 1st Cavalry Division spotlighted the effects the First-Team-led troop surge had on violence in Iraq throughout the division's recent deployment during an Association of the United States Army chapter meeting here March 5.
• US Policy in Horn of Africa Questioned VOA 11 Mar 2008 -- Democratic Senator Russ Feingold Tuesday delivered a scathing criticism of the U.S. policy in the Horn of Africa
• Colombian Minister of Defense Visits Pentagon 11 Mar 2008 -- The Department of Defense announced that Colombian Minister of Defense Juan Manuel Santos visited with Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates at the Pentagon today. Minister Santos provided an update on the Government of Colombia's efforts to counter the decades-long FARC insurgency's campaign of terror against Colombians.
• Command chief outlines future of cyber warfare AFPN 11 Mar 2008 -- The Air Force is leading the way in controlling the warfighting domain of the 21st century, and the formation of the newest Air Force major command is progressing well, the command chief of Air Force Cyber Command (Provisional) said during a March 4 visit here.
• Cadets receive cold-weather training in Alaska AFPN 11 Mar 2008 -- Cadets from both Eagle River and West High School Junior ROTC programs participated in an overnight stay at Otter Lake on Fort Richardson, Alaska, to gain cold weather survival training Feb. 29 to March 1.
• 45th Space Wing Airmen support NASA's successful launch AFPN 11 Mar 2008 -- With support from Airmen with the 45th Space Wing, Space Shuttle Endeavour blasted off safely from Kennedy Space Center March 11 at 2:28 a.m. (EDT), starting NASA's 25th mission to the International Space Station.
• 556th becomes newest UAS squadron AFPN 11 Mar 2008 -- The 556th Test and Evaluation Squadron became the Air Force's first operational test squadron for unmanned aircraft systems during a ceremony March 5 here.
• New Patrol Base Under Construction AFPS 11 Mar 2008 -- Construction of Patrol Base Vanderhorn began in early March near Sayifiyah, a region formerly controlled by insurgents.
• Defense Department Stands by Tanker Contract Decision AFPS 11 Mar 2008 -- The selection of Northrop Grumman Corp. to build the next-generation air-refueling tanker aircraft followed a fair competition and was based on the merits of the proposals submitted, a senior Defense Department official told reporters today.
• Mullen Visits Fort Carson Warrior Transition Unit AFPS 11 Mar 2008 -- Every chance he gets, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen stops to visit wounded warriors, and yesterday was no exception.
• Top Commander in Korea Urges Three-Year, Accompanied Tours AFPS 11 Mar 2008 -- The top U.S. general in Korea told Congress today he supports three-year, family-accompanied tours in Korea in light of planned operational and quality-of-life changes under way there.
• White Sands Testing New Laser Devices Army News 11 Mar 2008 -- A new series of laser aiming and illumination devices are now being tested at White Sands Missile Range.
• USS Jefferson City Returns Home Navy NewsStand 11 Mar 2008 -- USS Jefferson City (SSN 759) returned home to Naval Base Point Loma, March 10, after a six-month deployment to the Western Pacific.
• Training Key for Real-World Rescue Navy NewsStand 11 Mar 2008 -- Sailors of Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) responded to a rescue and assistance emergency the morning of March 10 while the ship was conducting a combined exercise with the Republic of Korea (ROK).
• Fox 2/4 Ride with Kormar in Indonesia Navy NewsStand 11 Mar 2008 -- Marines from Fox Company Battalion Landing Team 2, 4th Marine Regiment, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), conducted bilateral Combat Rubber Raiding Craft beach landing exercises with Indonesian marines at Benungan Beach, March 10.
• Bulkeley: Mission Readiness Through Excellence Navy NewsStand 11 Mar 2008 -- Two weeks into its 2008 deployment, an unparalleled work ethic and dedication to achievement are showing why the guided-missile destroyer USS Bulkeley (DDG 84) is an important asset to the Nassau Expeditionary Strike Group (NAS ESG).
• USS Bremerton Holds Change of Command Ceremony Navy NewsStand 11 Mar 2008 -- USS Bremerton (SSN 698) held a change of command ceremony March 4 in Pearl Harbor.
• Mount Whitney visits Portsmouth, England Navy NewsStand 11 Mar 2008 -- Crew members of USS Mount Whitney (LCC/JCC 20) concluded an eventful three-day port visit to Portsmouth, England March 3-6 after completing a NATO exercise.
• Lejeune Hospital Reopens Renovated Multi-Service Ward Navy NewsStand 11 Mar 2008 -- A ribbon-cutting ceremony March 6, marked the reopening of the renovated .5 million dollar multi-service ward on the third floor of the Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune.
• UK Assumes Command of Combined Task Force 158 Navy NewsStand 11 Mar 2008 -- Combined Task Force (CTF) 158 recieved a new commander during a ceremony aboard Khawr Al Amaya oil terminal (KAAOT), March 10.
• Mullen Praises Northern Command's Interagency Efforts AFPS 11 Mar 2008 -- U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command are models of interagency cooperation, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here yesterday.
• USS Key West Holds Change of Command Ceremony Navy NewsStand 11 Mar 2008 -- USS Key West (SSN 722) held a change of command ceremony at the USS Bowfish Musem March 7.
• NAVFAC Pacific Awards Contract for New Communications Facility Navy NewsStand 11 Mar 2008 -- The Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Pacific awarded Watts Constructors, LLC, of Honolulu, a $46.9 million, firm-fixed-price contract on March 5 for construction of a new communications center at Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station (NCTAMS) Pacific.
• US Releases Annual Human Rights Report VOA 11 Mar 2008 -- The U.S. State Department has released its annual report on human rights, shining the spotlight on governments around the world it says are repressing their people while attacking champions of democracy and the rule of law
• UK war costs double as equipment replacement soars IRNA 11 Mar 2008 -- The combined cost of Britain's military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq is expected to almost double in the year ending March 2008, according to an all-party group of MPs.
• Russia's MiG signs $1bln deal to upgrade 70 Indian fighters RIA Novosti 11 Mar 2008 -- Russia's MiG has signed a contract with the Indian Defense Ministry to upgrade around 70 MiG-29 fighters, in service since the 1980s, a spokesman for the aircraft manufacturer said on Tuesday.
• Joint command war games to be held in Russia and Armenia RIA Novosti 11 Mar 2008 -- Around 4,000 troops from Armenia, Russia and Tajikstan will take part in command exercises as part of Rubezh-2008 this Summer/Fall, a military spokesman said on Tuesday.
• U.S.-S. Korea War Exercises under Fire KCNA 11 Mar 2008 -- Key Resolve and Foal Eagle joint military exercises, large-scale war exercises for invading the DPRK, staged by the U.S. and south Korean bellicose forces from March 2 to 7 were extremely provocative and adventurous saber rattling aimed at creating new military tension on the Korean Peninsula and gravely threatening peace and the cause of reunification as they were a dangerous nuclear test war to invade and stifle the DPRK.
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 11 Mar 2008
• Press Gaggle by Dana Perino The White House 11 Mar 2008

Defense Industry

• Boeing Protests U.S. Air Force Tanker Contract Award Boeing 11 Mar 2008 -- Citing irregularities with the process of the competition and the evaluation of the competitors' bids, The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has filed a formal protest with the Government Accountability Office (GAO), asking the agency to review the decision by the U.S. Air Force to award a contract to a team of Northrop Grumman and European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) to replace aerial refueling tankers.
• Northrop Grumman Updates Job Projections for Air Force KC-45A Tanker Program Northrop Grumman 11 Mar 2008 -- KC-45A Will Support More Than 48,000 Direct and Indirect American Jobs At More Than 230 U.S. Suppliers; None of These Jobs Will Move to Europe
• DoD News: Contracts for March 11, 2008
• Northrop Grumman/Air Force Complete Guidance Upgrade Installations On Minuteman III ICBMs Northrop Grumman 11 Mar 2008 -- With the installation of a modernized missile guidance set (MGS) delivered by Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC), the U.S. Air Force declared full operational capability on Feb. 25 for the Minuteman III inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) guidance replacement program, a major milestone in the ICBM modernization effort
• Romania awards Lockheed Martin contract to provide 17 Radar Systems Lockheed Martin 11 Mar 2008 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE:LMT] Overseas Corporation and the Romania Ministry of Defense (MoD) have signed a contract for the co-production of 17 TPS-79(R) Multi-Mission Surveillance Radar systems for Romania's Phase II "Gap Filler" program.
• Northrop Grumman Successfully Completes Second Major Demonstration Milestone for the Joint High-Powered Solid State Laser Phase 3 Program Northrop Grumman 11 Mar 2008 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has demonstrated exemplary performance capability of a laser chain, the first major building block of a solid state demonstrator laser designed to reach a power level of 100kW.
• Raytheon, VT Halter Marine and EG&G Team Pursue U.S. Coast Guard Fast Response Cutter-B Raytheon 11 Mar 2008 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), VT Halter Marine Inc., and EG&G Technical Services have teamed to offer the U.S. Coast Guard a proven, reliable and cost-effective vessel to meet the requirements of the Fast Response Cutter-B (FRC-B) program.
• Future Soldier - From Fiction to the Frontline Thales 11 Mar 2008 -- Holographic quantum technology and acoustic sniper sensors may sound like the stuff of science fiction films - but they are actually new defence technologies which could soon be destined for the battlefield.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 11 Mar 2008
• UN unveils handbook for civil-military coordination in humanitarian crises UN News Centre 11 Mar 2008 -- As the number and scale of humanitarian responses to both natural disasters and conflicts keeps rising, the United Nations and the European Commission today launched a new handbook to help humanitarian staff coordinate with military forces during emergency operations.
• Peacekeeping grows yet international support uneven - UN officials UN News Centre 11 Mar 2008 -- The international community's often faltering support for United Nations peacekeeping operations was making it difficult to maintain gains in key conflict areas, even though the UN has greatly boosted its operations in this field, top officials of the Organization have warned.
• JORDAN: Squalid conditions at Jerash camp for Palestinian refugees IRIN 11 Mar 2008 -- A squalid Palestinian refugee camp near the Roman ruins of Jerash offers an incongruous backdrop to the surrounding
• Mideast Peace Process Under Scrutiny Before Arab Summit VOA 11 Mar 2008 -- Many Arabs say recent violence in Gaza and Israel is placing the Middle East peace process in jeopardy again
• Palestinian rocket attack could end fragile Gaza ceasefire RIA Novosti 11 Mar 2008 -- Palestinian militants have launched a rocket at a city in the south of Israel, breaking a tacit ceasefire agreement, the Israeli army said on Tuesday.
• Former Bosnian Croat leaders refused temporary leave by UN war crimes tribunal UN News Centre 11 Mar 2008 -- The United Nations tribunal set up to deal with the worst war crimes committed during the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s today overturned last month's decision to grant provisional release to five former senior Bosnian Croat figures who are currently on trial.
• War crimes trial of Croatian generals starts in Hague RIA Novosti 11 Mar 2008 -- The trial of three Croatian generals accused of crimes against humanity started Tuesday at the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague.
• War crimes trial of former top Croatian generals begins at UN tribunal UN News Centre 11 Mar 2008 -- The trial of three former senior Croatian generals accused of murdering, persecuting and displacing ethnic Serbs during the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s got under way at a United Nations war crimes tribunal today.
• UN Security Council Urges Speedy Deployment of Darfur Peacekeepers VOA 11 Mar 2008 -- The U.N. Security Council has expressed deep concern about the situation in the Darfur region of the Sudan, where violence has surged recently, and has called for all parties to observe a cease-fire
• SUDAN: Government, Darfur groups violating human rights law - rapporteur IRIN 11 Mar 2008 -- The Sudanese government and various movements in Darfur have failed to protect civilians, creating a critical human rights situation characterised by continuing violations of international law, a UN rapporteur has warned.
• Top UN official urges pressure on Darfur combatants to lay down arms UN News Centre 11 Mar 2008 -- Recent fierce fighting in Sudan's devastated Darfur region makes it clear that the international effort to protect the population is at dire risk unless the parties are pressured to negotiate a peace, at top United Nations peacekeeping official said today.
• CHAD-SUDAN: Islamic community failing Darfur victims, rights groups say IRIN 11 Mar 2008 -- Human rights advocates and religious leaders are using a conference in the Senegalese capital Dakar to tell leaders of predominantly Muslim countries they are failing the people of Darfur.
• SUDAN-CHAD: Another new peace agreement, this one to be signed at OIC summit IRIN 11 Mar 2008 -- Chad and Sudan have signed numerous peace agreements pledging to stop supporting rebels in the past and human right groups say they are not holding their breath that a new agreement brokered by Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade, which is scheduled to be signed at the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) summit in Dakar on 12 March, will be any different.
• Chad, Sudan Leaders Trade Accusations VOA 11 Mar 2008 -- The leaders of Chad and Sudan are trading accusations of causing violence in each other's country, before a possible summit in Senegal between the two leaders
• Serbia Calls for UN to Keep Administering Kosovo VOA 11 Mar 2008 -- Serbia's foreign minister says the responsibilities of the U.N. mission in Kosovo must not be transferred to any other organization, such as the European Union
• UN talks on Kosovo to go ahead despite U.S., U.K. objections RIA Novosti 11 Mar 2008 -- Russia's delegation to the United Nations Security Council successfully blocked British and American attempts to thwart a council meeting set for Tuesday on Kosovo, a diplomatic source in the UN said.
• International Criminal Court joins cases of two Congolese rebel leaders UN News Centre 11 Mar 2008 -- The pre-trial chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has ruled that it will join the cases of two rebel leaders facing charges for crimes allegedly committed by their militia groups in the far east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 2003.
• Over 700 blue helmets relocated out of Eritrea UN News Centre 11 Mar 2008 -- More than 700 peacekeepers have been temporarily relocated to their home countries from Eritrea, the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) reported.
• UN mission must continue control over Kosovo, Serbia tells Security Council UN News Centre 11 Mar 2008 -- The situation on the ground in Kosovo has deteriorated since its Provisional Institutions of Self-Government declared independence last month, Serbia's Foreign Minister told the Security Council today, calling for Belgrade and Pristina to meet again to try to work out a different resolution to their dispute over Kosovo's status.
• Museveni Says Uganda Rebels Will Not Face International Criminal Court VOA 11 Mar 2008 -- Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni says as part of the peace agreement between his government and the Lord's Resistance Army, the rebels indicted by the International Criminal Court are to be tried in Uganda under a traditional judiciary process
• PRESS CONFERENCE BY GEORGIA United Nations 11 Mar 2008
• SOMALIA: Displaced families surviving on less than one meal a day, says ICRC IRIN 11 Mar 2008 -- Large numbers of families displaced by violence in Somalia are surviving on less than one meal a day and spending large proportions of their meagre income buying drinking water, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
• LEBANON: Palestinians without papers could soon get IDs IRIN 11 Mar 2008 -- A ploughed field and a dirt road form the walls of Atieh Ahmad's "prison", belying its setting in the sweeping expanse of Lebanon's Bekaa Valley.

News Reports

• Pakistan's Interior Ministry confirms 24 deaths in twin suicide attacks IRNA 11 Mar 2008 -- The Interior Ministry on Tuesday said that 24 people were killed in the twin suicide attacks in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore.
• Deadly Twin Car Bombings Hit Lahore, Pakistan VOA 11 Mar 2008 -- Two bomb blasts have rocked Pakistan's second-largest city, killing at least 24 people and injuring 200 others.