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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 12 Jun 2008 [PDF]
• MND-B Soldier attacked by IED (Baghdad)
• MNF-W Marine dies of non-combat related incident (Fallujah)
• June 11 airpower summary: B-1B supports war AFPN 12 Jun 2008
• Forces in Iraq Kill Eight, Detain 24 AFPS 12 Jun 2008 -- Forces in Iraq killed eight enemy fighters, detained 24 terrorism suspects and found various weapons in recent operations, military officials said.
• EOD-6 Sailors Return Safely from Iraq Navy NewsStand 12 Jun 2008 -- Thirty-one Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 6 (EODMU-6) returned to Naval Weapons Station Charleston June 7 following a five-month deployment to Iraq.
• Building blocks in place for Afghanistan's development, Ban tells Paris summit UN News Centre 12 Jun 2008 -- With the launch of Afghanistan's own blueprint for development, fresh pledges from donors, the commitment of the Government and a strengthened United Nations mandate, the key elements for the rebuilding of the strife-torn nation are in place, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told world leaders gathered in Paris.
• Donors Pledge Billions for Afghanistan VOA 12 Jun 2008 -- International donors pledged billions of dollars in aid for Afghanistan at a meeting in Paris, but also urged Kabul to do more to fight corruption and instability
• US Military Officials Press NATO Allies for More Troops in Afghanistan VOA 12 Jun 2008 -- U.S. military officials are pressing their NATO allies to send more forces to Afghanistan to help secure the lawless tribal region along the Pakistani border.
• AFGHANISTAN: Over 3.5 million at" high risk" of food insecurity - ministry IRIN 12 Jun 2008 -- High food prices and drought have driven over one million vulnerable people across Afghanistan into "high-risk" food-insecurity in the past five months, increasing the total number of "most vulnerable people" to over 3.5 million, the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL), told IRIN.
• Afghanistan: Donors' Conference Opens In Paris RFE/RL 12 Jun 2008 -- An international donors' conference at which organizers hope to raise billions of dollars in reconstruction aid for Afghanistan has opened in Paris.
• US Releases Video of Clash Along Pakistan-Afghan Border VOA 12 Jun 2008 -- The U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan has released video footage of a disputed air strike that Islamabad says resulted in the deaths of 11 Pakistani soldiers.
• US aircraft bomb areas in Pakistan's Waziristan tribal region IRNA 12 Jun 2008 -- The U.S aircraft have again violated Pakistan's air space and launched another air strike in the country's South Waziristan tribal region, witnesses in the region said Thursday.
• Pakistan: Relations With U.S. In Crisis After Clash Across Afghan Border RFE/RL 12 Jun 2008 -- Relations between U.S. and Pakistani military forces are in crisis after clashes and a U.S. air strike that hit a Pakistani border post and killed 11 Pakistani soldiers.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US High Court Says Guantanamo Detainees Can Challenge Detention VOA 12 Jun 2008 -- The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that detainees at the Guantanamo Bay detention center have the right to challenge their detention in U.S. civilian courts, and cannot be restricted to the process the military has created
• UN human rights chief welcomes United States court ruling on Guantánamo Bay UN News Centre 12 Jun 2008 -- The United Nations human rights chief has welcomed today's decision by the United States Supreme Court that the country's constitution extends to foreigners being held in Guantánamo Bay and that they have the right to challenge their detention in the civilian court system.
• Bush Disagrees with High Court Guantanamo Bay Ruling VOA 12 Jun 2008 -- U.S. President George Bush says he disagrees with a Supreme Court ruling that prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility have the right to challenge their detention before civilian judges
• Department of Defense Announces the Members of the Task Force on Nuclear Weapons Management 12 Jun 2008 -- Today Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced the membership of the task force asked to review DoD's nuclear weapons management
• Al-Qaida Pressured, But Remains 'Lethal Foe,' Chairman Says AFPS 12 Jun 2008 -- Although al-Qaida's operations in Iraq have been battered, the terrorist organization remains a threat to be reckoned with, the U.S. military's top officer said here today.
• Media Availability with Secretary Gates and Traveling Press from Brussels, Belgium 12 Jun 2008 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates
• Digital Records Improve Soldiers' Medical Care Army News 12 Jun 2008 -- Soldiers who need medical care while deployed don't need to worry about paper records getting lost thanks to the Medical Communications for Combat Casualty Care system, which stores their records digitally.
• Air Force charts new course for 2009 force shaping AFPN 12 Jun 2008 -- Air Force officials here currently are deciding how to carry out force shaping plans in the coming year following an announcement by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates Monday to halt personnel cuts.
• Ashland Supports CTF 158 in North Persian Gulf Navy NewsStand 12 Jun 2008 -- The amphibious dock landing ship, USS Ashland (LSD 48) recently completed operations as part of Combined Task Force (CTF) 158 in the North Persian Gulf (NPG).
• Ceremony Kicks Off Continuing Promise Operations in Peru Navy NewsStand 12 Jun 2008 -- Peruvian officials welcomed USS Boxer (LHD 4), to their country, June 10, with a ceremony in the town square of Huacho, during the Pacific phase of Continuing Promise (CP) 2008.
• Stennis' Cat 1 Launches 50,000th Aircraft Navy NewsStand 12 Jun 2008 -- The crew of Stennis launched their 50,000th aircraft off catapult, June 8.
• Arleigh Burke Trophy Presented to USS Providence Navy NewsStand 12 Jun 2008 -- Adm. Jonathan Greenert, Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, presented the crew of USS Providence (SSN 719) with the U.S. Atlantic Fleet 2007 Arleigh Burke Fleet Trophy, June 12.
• Cutter Dallas Supports 6th Fleet In Africa Partnership Station Navy NewsStand 12 Jun 2008 -- U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Dallas (WHEC 716) departed Charleston, S.C., May 27, for a four-and-a-half month deployment to conduct maritime safety and security exchanges with countries along the central and west coasts of Africa, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
• Mullen Visits 3rd Infantry Division to Express Thanks, Gauge Concerns AFPS 12 Jun 2008 -- The nation's top military officer yesterday praised recently redeployed soldiers here who made up part of the troop surge in Iraq for "changing the calculus in Iraq and giving us possibilities that clearly a year ago we didn't have."
• Mullen Assesses Warrior Transition Unit at Fort Stewart AFPS 12 Jun 2008 -- Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, toured the new Warrior Transition Unit here yesterday and met with wounded troops to hear how the Army is ensuring they get the best care and support possible.
• Stennis at the End of TSTA; Prepares for FEP Navy NewsStand 12 Jun 2008 -- USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9 began their final phase of Tailored Ship's Training Availability (TSTA), TSTA III, June 8.
• USS Carl Vinson Begins Catapult Testing Navy NewsStand 12 Jun 2008 -- The crew of USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) surpassed another milestone at Northrop Grumman Newport News shipyard June 3, when the project team began testing the ship's refurbished catapults for the first time in more than three years.
• Canadian Ships Tow Yemeni Dhow Back to Safety Navy NewsStand 12 Jun 2008 -- HMCS Protecteur (AOR 509) and HMCS Iroquois (DDH 280) operating off the coast of Somalia, provided assistance to a ship in distress June 11.
• Gates Begins NATO Deliberations in Belgium AFPS 12 Jun 2008 -- NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan is the most important issue facing NATO defense ministers -- including U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates -- meeting here today, a top U.S. military official said.
• Gates to Discuss Afghanistan, Missile Defense at NATO Conference AFPS 12 Jun 2008 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and fellow NATO defense ministers will discuss alliance operations in Afghanistan, the alliance missile defense program, and transition plans for Kosovo during a two-day ministerial beginning here today.
• World: NATO Defense Ministers Open Meeting In Brussels RFE/RL 12 Jun 2008 -- NATO defense ministers have launched two days of meetings in Brussels to hammer out alliance plans regarding Russia, Afghanistan, and Kosovo.
• President Bush Participates in Joint Press Availability with Prime Minister Berlusconi of Italy The White House 12 Jun 2008
• Press Briefing by Dana Perino and National Security Advisor Steve Hadley The White House 12 Jun 2008
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 12 Jun 2008

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for June 12, 2008
• BAE SYSTEMS RECEIVES $10 MILLION GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION CONTRACT FOR OUTER TACTICAL VESTS BAE Systems 12 Jun 2008 -- BAE Systems has been awarded a $10 million contract from the General Services Administration for Outer Tactical Vests (OTV) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War On Terrorism.
• General Dynamics Awarded USD $67 Million Modification to Previously Awarded U.S. Army RG-31 Mk5 Contract General Dynamics 12 Jun 2008 -- The U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC), in support of the Program Executive Office for Combat Support and Combat Service Support (PEO CS&CSS), has awarded a USD $67.3 million modification to a previously awarded contract for RG-31 Mk5 vehicles to General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada
• Northrop Grumman KC-45: Why We Won -- Superior Air Refueling Northrop Grumman 12 Jun 2008 -- The U.S. Air Force found Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) bid to build the next generation of aerial refueling tankers superior to Boeing's in four of the five most important selection criteria
• BAE SYSTEMS PILOT TAKES WORLD LATEST FIGHTER AIRBORNE FOR THE FIRST TIME BAE Systems 12 Jun 2008 -- With BAE Systems test pilot Graham Tomlinson at the controls, the first short take off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the F-35 Lightning II has taken to the skies above Fort Worth, Texas, for the first time.
• Boeing Delivers 6th C-17 to Royal Air Force Boeing 12 Jun 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] delivered the United Kingdom's sixth C-17 Globemaster III to the Royal Air Force (RAF) today during a ceremony at the company's Long Beach, Calif., C-17 manufacturing facility.
• Northrop Grumman and DHS Systems Receive Contract Worth Up to $240 Million for Mobile Command Posts Northrop Grumman 12 Jun 2008 -- The U.S. Army has selected Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) and its partner DHS Systems to provide mobile tactical operations centers that can be rapidly deployed for command, control and communications on the battlefield.
• Northrop Grumman Wins Contract to Support U.S. Central Command Training Northrop Grumman 12 Jun 2008 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) was awarded a contract by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) to operate U.S. Central Command's (USCENTCOM) Joint Training System Support Office (JTSSO) at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
• Raytheon Awarded $86.6 Million to Provide U.S. Army With Persistent Surveillance Capability Raytheon 12 Jun 2008 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has been awarded an $86.6 million contract to provide Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment elevated sensor systems to the U.S. Army as part of the Base Expeditionary Targeting and Surveillance System program.
• Raytheon Delivers 1,000th Tomahawk Block IV Cruise Missile to U.S. Navy Raytheon 12 Jun 2008 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) achieved a significant production milestone with the delivery of the 1,000th Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile to the U.S. Navy.
• SAIC Awarded $42 Million Contract From Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency SAIC 12 Jun 2008 -- Science Applications International Corporation (NYSE: SAI) announced today that it has been awarded a prime contract by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to support the agency's Deep Green Program

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 12 Jun 2008
• Darfur Peace Talks on Verge of Collapse VOA 12 Jun 2008 -- The two top mediators on Darfur have painted a grim picture of the prospects for peace in the western Sudanese region
• New Fighting Between Rebels, Government in Eastern Chad VOA 12 Jun 2008 -- Chadian rebels are reporting renewed fighting with government troops in eastern Chad.
• Israel Pursues Ceasefire With Hamas VOA 12 Jun 2008 -- Prospects appear to have improved for a Middle East ceasefire
• UN, US Pressure Mounts Against FDLR Rebels in Eastern DRC VOA 12 Jun 2008 -- The United States is re-emphasizing a reward program of up to $5 million per person to get information about 13 Rwandan genocide suspects still believed to be in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
• Human Rights Report Says Ethiopia Committing War Crimes in Ogaden VOA 12 Jun 2008 -- U.S.-based Human Rights Watch says it has collected extensive evidence that confirms allegations the government in Ethiopia is committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in its military campaign to crush the rebel movement in the restive Ogaden region.
• Kosovo: Ban outlines plans to reconfigure UN presence UN News Centre 12 Jun 2008 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon unveiled plans today to reconfigure the structure and profile of the United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK) in the wake of Kosovo's decision earlier this year to declare its independence from Serbia.
• BURUNDI: Rebel leader's return a boon for peace prospects IRIN 12 Jun 2008 -- The return from exile of a key rebel leader is a significant development in Burundi's search for peace, but his group and the government need to quickly overcome mutual suspicions and make compromises, according to observers.
• MALI: Gun running worsening IRIN 12 Jun 2008 -- Mali has become an established transit route for weapons heading from West Africa's increasingly peaceful coastal states to active conflicts in West and Central Africa, an ECOWAS expert has warned.
• Sri Lankan military launches operation to capture LTTE Chief IRNA 12 Jun 2008 -- Sri Lankan military has launched a major offensive to capture "alive" the elusive LTTE supremo, Velupillai Prabhakaran, believed to be hiding in a bunker in the rebel stronghold of Mullaitivu, the army chief said in Colombo.
• Analysis: Presidents Give Green Light For Continuation Of Karabakh Talks RFE/RL 12 Jun 2008 -- The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Serzh Sarkisian and Ilham Aliyev, met for one hour on June 6 on the sidelines of a CIS summit in St. Petersburg to discuss prospects for resolving the Karabakh conflict.
• Kosovo: 'State Of Confusion' Looms Ahead of Transition Period RFE/RL 12 Jun 2008 -- Kosovo is just days away from putting its new constitution into force, but the details of who will provide for the region's administration and security remain deeply unclear.

News Reports

• ZIMBABWE: SADC election observers - ready or not for 'D-Day' poll IRIN 12 Jun 2008 -- Election observers from the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) began deploying in Zimbabwe this week ahead of the 27 June presidential election runoff, and in the middle of a ruling party campaign marked by violence and intimidation.
• UN food agency appeals for naval escorts for shipments to Somalia UN News Centre 12 Jun 2008 -- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) appealed today to naval powers to help protect its food-delivery ships from pirate attacks, saying that as many as two million Somalis could go hungry without this protection.
• Bush to Talk Iran, Afghanistan with Italy's Berlusconi VOA 12 Jun 2008 -- U.S. President George Bush is holding a series of talks in Rome with Italian leaders - discussions expected to focus largely on Iran and Afghanistan
• U.S.: Bush Italy Visit Highlights Unity, But Amid Widening Differences Over Iran, Russia RFE/RL 12 Jun 2008 -- U.S. President George W. Bush can expect an enthusiastic welcome from his old friend, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, in Rome.
• Analysis: Southern Africa's Zimbabwe Divide cfr.org 12 Jun 2008 -- As the date of Zimbabwe's runoff presidential election draws closer, speculation about the fluid political situation runs rampant. Some Western diplomats and rights groups say a coup has put the military in charge (Times of London).
• World Food Program Appeals for Naval Escort for Somalia Food Ships VOA 12 Jun 2008 -- The World Food Program is appealing to the world's naval powers to continue their voluntary escorts of food ships heading for Somalia