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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 15 Sep 2008 [PDF]
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualties
• Iraqi-led Operation Nets 63 al-Qaida in Iraq Suspects AFPS 15 Sep 2008 -- Sixty-three suspected al-Qaida in Iraq members were detained during an operation led by Iraqi security forces in Iraq's Ninevah province yesterday.
• Sept. 14 airpower summary: F-15Es provide aerial surveillance AFPN 15 Sep 2008 -- Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations Sept. 14, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.
• Gates Presents Awards to U.S. Leaders in Iraq AFPS 15 Sep 2008 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today recognized Army Gen. David H. Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker, a military-and-civilian team the secretary said has transformed Iraq.
• 7th ESB relinquishes command to 9th ESB USMC News 15 Sep 2008 -- 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 22nd Naval Construction Regiment, received control of its area of operations from 7th ESB during a transfer of authority ceremony here Sept. 15.
• Reserve Marine Infantrymen Arrive in Iraq USMC News 15 Sep 2008 -- Reserve Marines from 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment arrived here during the second week of September to conduct missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
• Washdow complete, 15th MEU ready for trip home USMC News 15 Sep 2008 -- Marines from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit recently hit an important milestone in their deployment while completing a crucial segment of their deployment.
• Bombs Kill 34 People in Iraq as US Defense Chief Visits VOA 15 Sep 2008 -- Iraqi police drives past damage made by two car bombs in central commercial district of Karrada
• Gates in Iraq to Mark New Phase of Conflict VOA 15 Sep 2008 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates flew into Iraq Monday for a change of command ceremony he says marks the beginning of a new phase in the conflict- in which the United States will gradually reduce its military presence
• Gates Hails 'Hero of the Hour' as Petraeus Prepares to Leave Iraq Command VOA 15 Sep 2008 -- The top U.S. commander in Iraq will leave his post Tuesday after a momentous year and a half, during which he is credited with reversing a spiral of violence that seemed destined to plunge the country into civil war
• Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Maj. Gen. Lindell from Afghanistan 15 Sep 2008 -- Presenter: Commander, Combined Air Corps Transition Force, Maj. Gen. Jay Lindell
• Army Brigade Deployment Changed to Afghanistan in Early 2009 Army News Release 15 Sep 2008 -- The Department of the Army confirmed details today of the Department of Defense's announcement to deploy the 3rd Brigade (Spartans), 10th Mountain Division to Afghanistan instead of Iraq as previously scheduled
• Demand for peace by violence-plagued Afghans 'overwhelming' - UN UN News Centre 15 Sep 2008 -- Later this week, thousands of people across Afghanistan will be marking the International Day of Peace, a commemoration that takes on particular significance in the South Asian nation that has this year witnessed some of the worst violence since the overthrow of the Taliban, including yesterday's deadly attack on a United Nations humanitarian convoy.
• Afghan, Coalition Forces Kill, Detain Militants AFPS 15 Sep 2008 -- Afghan and coalition forces killed one militant and detained eight during separate operations in Afghanistan yesterday, military officials reported.
• Afghan National Army Air Corps Increases Capability AFPS 15 Sep 2008 -- The Afghan National Army Air Corps has made big strides, with 27 operational aircraft - three times the number it had a year ago -flying 350 percent more missions in direct support of Afghan security forces, a senior military official reported today.
• Defense Department Announces New Forces for Afghanistan Mission AFPS 15 Sep 2008 -- The Defense Department announced today the deployment of two additional units to Afghanistan, following up on President Bush's announcement last week that he will beef up the U.S. presence there while reducing it in Iraq.
• AFGHANISTAN: IRC reviews option to resume activities IRIN 15 Sep 2008 -- The International Rescue Committee (IRC) says it is still "reviewing and analysing" the security situation before deciding whether to resume activities in Afghanistan.
• US Denies Reports That Helicopters Crossed Into Pakistan VOA 15 Sep 2008 -- The U.S. Department of Defense is denying Pakistani tribal leaders' allegations that Pakistani soldiers forced U.S. military helicopters to turn back to Afghanistan after the aircraft allegedly crossed into Pakistani territory.
• DoD Announces Afghanistan Force Rotation 15 Sep 2008 -- The Department of Defense announced today the deployment of two additional units to Afghanistan. A Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) that could have up to approximately 2,000 Marines will deploy to Afghanistan in November 2008 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom
• Local Officials: Pakistani Soldiers Force US Helicopters Back to Afghanistan VOA 15 Sep 2008 -- Pakistani officials say their soldiers forced U.S. military helicopters to turn back to Afghanistan, after the aircraft crossed into Pakistani territory.
• Kearsarge Delivers More Relief Supplies to Haiti AFPS 15 Sep 2008 -- The amphibious ship USS Kearsarge delivered an estimated 114 metric tons of disaster relief supplies Sept. 12 as it continued its logistical support to remote communities in Haiti affected by recent tropical storms and Hurricane Ike.
• Airmen, soldiers aid people affected by Hurricane Ike AFPN 15 Sep 2008 -- Airmen from the Texas Air National Guard and Soldiers from the Texas Army National Guard banded together with civilian emergency responders to help people affected by Hurricane Ike in Galveston, Texas, Sept. 14.
• Guard hauls nearly 2,500 to safe havens Army News 15 Sep 2008 -- Hauling people to safe, dry places became one of the main missions for National Guard troops after Hurricane Ike rampaged through Texas and Louisiana on Friday night and Saturday.
• Helicopter aircrews rescue hurricane victims AFPN 15 Sep 2008 -- Airmen from the 129th Rescue Wing took off from Kelly Field in San Antonio Sept. 13 and helped rescue stranded victims of Hurricane Ike near Galveston, Texas.
• Navy, Air Force, Army, Coast Guard join forces for Ike rescues AFPN 15 Sep 2008 -- Navy helicopter rescue crews positioned here participated in a joint search and rescue effort Sept. 13 flying missions in response to Hurricane Ike's Sept. 12 landfall on the Gulf Coast.
• Louisiana Guard Continues Hurricane Recovery Efforts AFPS 15 Sep 2008 -- Louisiana National Guardsmen have used high-water vehicles, boats and helicopters to save more than 330 flooding victims in the wake of Hurricane Ike.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Navy to Christen USNS Carl Brashear 15 Sep 2008 -- The Navy will launch and christen dry cargo/ammunition ship the USNS Carl Brashear at a 10 a.m. PDT ceremony on Sept. 18, 2008
• VMGR-234, MWSS-374 team up to support Mojave Viper USMC News 15 Sep 2008 -- Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 234 performed an aerial delivery operation in support of Mojave Viper, a month-long pre-deployment training evolution, here Sept 15.
• U.S. Army Garrison - Miami anti-terrorism exercise involves local police, fire fighters. Army News 15 Sep 2008 -- Under the glaring summer sun, local police, bomb squads and fire departments practiced their interoperability with each other and the garrison Directorate of Emergency Services recently in a recent exercise that simulated a hazardous material spill and chemical exposure at U.S. Southern Command headquarters.
• DoD Announces 48 Finalists for $1M Wearable Power Prize Competition 15 Sep 2008 -- The Department of Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E) office announced today the 48 team finalists for its $1 million Wearable Power Prize that will culminate Oct. 4 during a head-to-head competition in Twentynine Palms, Calif.
• Cooperative Spirit international exercise continues through Oct. 10 in Germany Army News Release 15 Sep 2008 -- Cooperative Spirit 2008 (CS08) is an American, British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand (ABCA) Armies' Program Combat Training Center (CTC) rotation to validate and test interoperability solutions developed by the ABCA Armies' Program
• ACB-1 Seabees Return from Pacific Partnership 2008 Navy NewsStand 15 Sep 2008 -- Eleven Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) 1 Seabees returned to their homeport, Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, Calif., following a four-month deployment aboard the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy Sept. 6, 2008, as part of exercise Pacific Partnership 2008.
• Army chief visits newly assigned consequence management force Army News 15 Sep 2008 -- Troops who are soon to be part of a federal military consequence management force drilled on their new response mission here Sept. 14 under the attentive eye of the Army's senior ranking general.
• NAVICP Commander Retires After 39 Years, Changes Command Navy NewsStand 15 Sep 2008 -- Commander, Naval Inventory Control Point (NAVICP) conducted a change of command and retirement ceremony Sept. 12 on the Naval Support Activity-Philadelphia (NSA-P).
• Reservists fly Operation Deep Freeze Springfly missions AFPN 15 Sep 2008 -- Ten reservists from the 446th Airlift Wing deployed Sept. 4 to Christchurch, New Zealand in support of Operation Deep Freeze, 2008-2009 Springfly.
• Denmark Assumes Command of Combined Task Force 150 Navy NewsStand 15 Sep 2008 -- Danish Royal Navy Commodore Per Bigum Christensen assumed command of Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 from Canadian Commodore Bob Davidson during a change of command ceremony held aboard HMCS Iroquois Sept. 15 in Manama.
• Mercy Completes 'Humbling but Motivating' Pacific Mission, Visits Guam Navy NewsStand 15 Sep 2008 -- Following a four-month tour to five nations, and helping thousands of people while also supporting the U.S. Maritime Strategy, the USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) arrived on Guam Sept. 3.
• Avengers, Blacksheeps Team-Up with BHR Navy NewsStand 15 Sep 2008 -- AV-8B Harriers returned to the flight deck of USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6)(BHR) after a 10-month 2007 Western Pacific deployment as Marine Attack Squadrons (VMA) 211 and 214 began deck landing qualifications (DLQ) Sept. 14.
• Kearsarge Continues Haiti Relief, Begins Phase II of Recovery Navy NewsStand 15 Sep 2008 -- At the direction of Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command, USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) began preparations for Phase II of its disaster relief efforts in Haiti Sept. 13.
• Space Operations a Key Focus for the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group Navy NewsStand 15 Sep 2008 -- The Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) is blazing trails in the area of space operations and taking advantage of every opportunity to employ this concept.
• Boxer Conducts Change of Command Navy NewsStand 15 Sep 2008 -- A change of command ceremony was held aboard USS Boxer (LHD 4) in San Diego Sept. 13.
• Consequence Management Response Force to join Army Northern Command Army News 15 Sep 2008 -- As America remembers the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, more than 800 members of a joint response force are preparing for their new mission of responding to CBRNE, or chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosive incidents.
• Kazakhstan, NATO hold peacekeeping exercises RIA Novosti 15 Sep 2008 -- Kazakhstan and NATO have started joint exercises to evaluate the readiness of Kazakh peacekeepers to take part in NATO-led operations, the Kazakh Defense Ministry said on Monday.
• Russia eyes Mediterranean as alternative to Sevastopol naval base RIA Novosti 15 Sep 2008 -- Russia could build up its presence in the Mediterranean to make up for the loss of its naval base in Ukraine's port of Sevastopol, a Black Sea Fleet official said on Monday.
• Russian strategic bombers patrol Caribbean RIA Novosti 15 Sep 2008 -- Two Russian Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers that landed in Venezuela last week will carry out a patrol mission over the Caribbean on Monday, a Russian Air Force spokesman said. (Russian strategic bombers - Image gallery)
• Russia's Pacific Fleet holds live firing drills in Far East RIA Novosti 15 Sep 2008 -- A naval task force from Russia's Pacific Fleet has started scheduled exercises involving live firing in the Sea of Japan, a fleet spokesman said on Monday.
• Iran starts large-scale Air Force, air defense drills RIA Novosti 15 Sep 2008 -- Iran has launched a three-day series of Air Force and missile defense exercises throughout the country, the Air Force commander said on Monday.
• Taiwan's plan to buy fighters still not accepted by U.S. CNA 15 Sep 2008 -- The government's request to purchase F16C/D jet fighters from the United States has still not been accepted by Washington, a ranking official in the Presidential Office said Monday after receiving an update on Washington's position.
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 15 Sep 2008
• Press Briefing by Dana Perino and Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson The White House 15 Sep 2008

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for September 15, 2008
• Sikorsky Aerospace Services to provide Aerial Refueling Capability for 13 U.S. Air Force H-60 Helicopters Sikorsky 15 Sep 2008 -- Sikorsky Aerospace Services today announced a contract to supply the U.S. Air Force with 13 aerial refueling assemblies for H-60 helicopters
• BAE SYSTEMS RECEIVES $11 MILLION BRADLEY CONTRACT MODIFICATION FOR MINE ARMOR KIT INSTALLATIONS BAE Systems 15 Sep 2008 -- BAE Systems has been awarded a $11 million contract from the U.S. Army to purchase and install Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Mine Armor Kits on 433 Bradley Combat Systems vehicles.
• BAE SYSTEMS RECEIVES $5 MILLION CONTRACT FROM U.S. ARMY FOR AIR WARRIOR FLEXIBLE BODY ARMOR BAE Systems 15 Sep 2008 -- BAE Systems has been awarded a $5 million contract from the U.S. Army for Air Warrior Flexible Body Armor (FBA).
• Boeing Laser JDAM Demonstrated on B-52H for 1st Time Boeing 15 Sep 2008
• Boeing Awarded Contract for Radar Upgrade on Saudi AWACS Fleet Boeing 15 Sep 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has been awarded a contract for the initial phase of upgrading the radar on Saudi Arabia's fleet of five E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft.
• Lockheed Martin Upgrades Space Communications Processing System for USAF Space Commanders Lockheed Martin 15 Sep 2008 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] today announced the successful delivery of a space communications system that will bring more accurate and timely decision-making information to U.S. Air Force Space Commanders.
• Russia to showcase military hardware in South Africa RIA Novosti 15 Sep 2008 -- Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Monday it will exhibit over 250 types of weaponry at a major arms exhibition in Cape Town this week.
• Spike and SkyLite B Team Up Rafael 15 Sep 2008 -- Haifa – Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd carried out a demonstration of the integrated operational capabilities of the Spike multi-purpose missile system and the SkyLite B mini-UAV, in cooperation with customers in a South American country last month.
• Itzhak Nissan, Israel Aerospace Industries' President & CEO: "The Israeli Defense Industry is One of the Engines that Push Israel's Growth and Hi-Tech Industry" Israel Aerospace Industries 15 Sep 2008
• Thales awarded second phase of sonar support contract Thales 15 Sep 2008 -- Thales UK's naval business has today agreed terms, worth £134 million, for the second phase of its 10-year contract with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the in-service support of all Royal Navy (RN) major sonar systems.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 15 Sep 2008
• Little Country Caught In Big-Stakes Game RFE/RL 15 Sep 2008 -- It's not surprising, given the uncertainty in their country and its breakaway regions, that many Georgians are reaching for historical analogies. Some mention Cyprus, some Israel and Palestine, and others North and South Korea.
• EU, NATO Play Catch-Up In Georgia RFE/RL 15 Sep 2008 -- Russian and NATO envoys are pressing their cases on opposing sides of Russian-imposed buffer zones around breakaway republics in Georgia, where the West has been playing catch-up since Russian forces routed their Georgian counterparts in five days of intense fighting in early August.
• France Muscles Way Into Georgia Envoy Post RFE/RL 15 Sep 2008 -- EU foreign ministers have agreed to send a new top envoy to Georgia in a move that could signal crumbling support for a tougher line in response to Russia's recent actions in the South Caucasus.
• NATO, Georgia talks may cause new conflict - Russian MP RIA Novosti 15 Sep 2008 -- NATO discussions with Georgia on the accession of the South Caucasus state to the military alliance only encourage Tbilisi to plan new military actions, a senior Russian lawmaker said on Monday.
• EU ready to deploy observer mission in S.Ossetia, Abkhazia- Solana RIA Novosti 15 Sep 2008 -- The European Union is ready to send a civilian observer mission to South Ossetia and Abkhazia, but its deployment depends on the situation in the conflict zone, the EU's foreign policy chief said on Monday.
• Russia to sign S.Ossetia, Abkhazia cooperation pacts this week RIA Novosti 15 Sep 2008 -- Russia will sign cooperation agreements, which will have a military component, with Abkhazia and South Ossetia this week, President Dmitry Medvedev said Monday.
• NATO chief heads for Georgia in show of support against Russia RIA Novosti 15 Sep 2008 -- NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer will arrive in Georgia on Monday, after making strong statements in support of Georgia that have been met with criticism from Russia.
• Russia pledges further support for Georgian breakaway region RIA Novosti 15 Sep 2008 -- Russia plans to sign a series of deals with Abkhazia to bolster the Georgian breakaway region as an independent state, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
• Prison overcrowding hinders peace process in post-conflict States - UN experts UN News Centre 15 Sep 2008 -- Ineffective judicial systems are leading to prison overcrowding in countries with United Nations peacekeeping operations and can obstruct these blue helmet missions, senior officials have told a Department of Peacekeeping (DPKO) meeting in New York.
• Bosnian Muslim army chief receives three-year jail term from UN tribunal UN News Centre 15 Sep 2008 -- The head of the Bosnian Muslim forces during the Balkan wars of the 1990s was today sentenced by a United Nations court to three years' imprisonment over the cruel treatment his troops inflicted on Bosnian Serb soldiers captured during the conflict.
• DR Congo: UN envoy urges return to peace process after recent clashes UN News Centre 15 Sep 2008 -- The top United Nations envoy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has joined a group of international officials in calling for stepped-up efforts to restore peace to the country's volatile eastern region, the scene of recent fighting between the Government and rebel groups.
• In Darfur, UN helicopter lands safely after coming under fire UN News Centre 15 Sep 2008 -- A United Nations helicopter in Darfur was able to land safely yesterday after being shot at in the third incident of its kind in the war-wracked region of western Sudan.
• UGANDA: Shoring up peace in the north IRIN 15 Sep 2008 -- Police reform, improved agricultural production and better mechanisms for resolving land disputes are among the prerequisites for northern Uganda's long-term recovery from humanitarian crisis, according to Oxfam International.
• ISRAEL-OPT: West Bank economic improvement disputed IRIN 15 Sep 2008 -- The Palestinian economy showed some improvement in the first half of 2008, according to the Israeli Civil Administration in the West Bank, though economists and Palestinian observers questioned its claims.
• Two Ugandan Peacekeepers Killed in Somalia VOA 15 Sep 2008 -- Another Ugandan peacekeeper has been killed by Islamist insurgents in the Somali capital Mogadishu, the second soldier to die there in as many days
• Heavy Security in Port Harcourt, as Nigerian Militants Step-up Attacks VOA 15 Sep 2008 -- The ongoing violence in Nigeria's Niger Delta region has had a major effect on life in the main commercial city of Port Harcourt
• Nigerian Militants Follow Up Threats with Another Day of Violence VOA 15 Sep 2008 -- Nigeria's most prominent militant group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, or 'MEND', has claimed responsibility for a third day of violence in the southern oil producing region

News Reports

• Zimbabwe Political Rivals Sign Landmark Power-Sharing Deal VOA 15 Sep 2008 -- The president of Zimbabwe and two opposition leaders have signed a power-sharing agreement aimed at ending the Zimbabwean crisis
• Reactions Are Mixed After Mauritania Election Date Announcement VOA 15 Sep 2008 -- Mauritanians are reportedly reacting with cautious optimism after the national assembly approved plans yesterday to hold a free and fair presidential election within 12-14 months