03 January 2009 Military News

Officials: Pakistan Arrests Top Taliban Figure VOA 03 Jan 2009 -- Pakistani security officials say they have arrested a former senior Taliban figure who was released by Afghanistan in 2007 in exchange for a kidnapped Italian journalist.

Australia: No to Guantanamo Detainees VOA 03 Jan 2009 -- The Australian government has formally rejected the United States' request to resettle former detainees from the Guantanamo Bay detention center.

Second stage of Operation Cast Lead begins Israeli Defense Forces 03 Sep 2008 -- A short while ago IDF forces began to implement the second stage of Operation Cast Lead. Land forces have begun to maneuver within the Gaza Strip.
Secretary-General sounds alarm as Israeli forces enter Gaza UN News Centre 03 Jan 2009 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has voiced his deep concern over Israel's launch of a ground operation into Gaza today, with the Security Council calling an emergency meeting to discuss the situation.
Statement by DM Ehud Barak Israel Ministry of Defense 03 Sep 2008 -- A few hours ago, Israeli ground forces entered the Gaza Strip as part of operation Cast Lead against the Hamas terrorists and their affiliates and infrastructure in Gaza
Israel Steps Up Offensive on Gaza with Artillery Fire VOA 03 Jan 2009 -- Israel has stepped up its Gaza offensive - with warplanes, gunboats and artillery firing on dozens of targets on Saturday as the military action entered its second week.
Israeli Offensive Kills Senior Hamas Commander VOA 03 Jan 2009 -- An Israeli air strike killed a senior Hamas commander in Gaza Saturday as the military offensive against the Islamist faction entered its second week.
Bush Says 'One-Way Cease-Fire' in Gaza Will Not Work VOA 03 Jan 2009 -- U.S. President George Bush is speaking out for the first time on the latest crisis in the Middle East.

Sri Lanka Bombs Rebels in North VOA 03 Jan 2009 -- Sri Lanka's military says it bombed Tamil Tiger positions in the country's north Saturday, a day after government troops seized the rebels' headquarters in Kilinochchi.
UN to Assess Needs of Survivors of LRA Attack in DRC VOA 03 Jan 2009 -- United Nations aid agencies and MONUC, the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday will visit one of the villages that were brutally attacked by the rebel Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army last week.
Ethiopia to Complete Somalia Withdrawal 'Within Days' VOA 03 Jan 2009 -- A spokesman says Ethiopian troops will complete their withdrawal from Somalia "within days," and that sufficient precautions have been made to prevent a feared power vacuum when they are gone.
Explosions Rock Kosovo VOA 03 Jan 2009 -- Police in Kosovo say explosions and protests have rocked the ethnically divided northern city of Mitrovica in the latest bout of ethnic unrest triggered by the stabbing of a Serb man earlier this week.

Opposition Candidate Wins Ghanaian Presidency VOA 03 Jan 2009 -- Tax law professor John Atta-Mills is Ghana's next president.
Zimbabwe Media Reports Mugabe Set to Form Government VOA 03 Jan 2009 -- Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has started preparations to form a government by terminating employment of a dozen ministers from his ZANU-PF party to clear the way for a new Cabinet, state media said on Saturday.
EU Feels Impact Of Russia-Ukraine Gas Dispute RFE/RL 03 Jan 2009 -- The EU is feeling the impact of the Russian-Ukrainian gas dispute.
Moscow, Kyiv in Blame Game Over Europe's Energy Shortfall VOA 03 Jan 2009 -- Flows of Russian gas to four European Union countries were below normal levels on Saturday following Moscow's decision to cut off supplies to Ukraine in a pricing dispute on January 1.
2008 In Review: Was This The Year That Russia Peaked? RFE/RL 03 Jan 2009 -- From its historic victory against Canada in the world ice hockey championships to skyrocketing oil revenues and growing international muscle, Russia spent at least the first half of the year the way it likes -- a winner on all fronts
EU Demands Full Return of Russian Gas VOA 03 Jan 2009 -- The European Union has demanded an immediate resumption of Russian natural gas to EU countries after Russia cut off supplies to Ukraine.

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