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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 21 Apr 2009 [PDF]
• DoD News: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
• April 20 airpower summary: Tankers fuel the fleet AFNS 21 Apr 2009 -- Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and ISAF troops in Afghanistan during operations.
• Combined military operation nets wanted individuals Army News 21 Apr 2009 -- Cooperation between Iraqi Police, Iraqi Army and Soldiers from 4-9th Cavalry led to the arrest of seven criminals near Kirkuk.
• Iraqis, Long Knives unleash 'Lion's Roar' Army News 21 Apr 2009 -- The Iraqi Army's 10th Division sent out their ground troops and air support assets to conduct the first large-scale combined-arms live-fire exercise.
• Johnny 5 helps IA Engineers stay alive Army News 21 Apr 2009 -- 17th IA Engineer Regiment Soldiers had the opportunity to train on a robot designed to help Soldiers 'stay alive'.
• 277th Engineers tutor Iraqi Army in heavy equipment project Army News 21 Apr 2009 -- While clearing rubble at Baghdad IAP, Soldiers of the 277th Engineer Co level the ground to expand the safety distance zone.
• Iraqi Logistics gains momentum toward self- Sustainment Army News 21 Apr 2009 -- Kirkush Military Training Base Logistics Training Advisory Team has been mentoring the Kirkush Repair and Maint. Co.
• Afghan, Coalition Forces Kill Militant, Detain Another AFPS 21 Apr 2009 -- One militant was killed and a suspect was detained during a joint operation by coalition and Afghan forces in southern Afghanistan.
• US Getting More Afghan Help to Reduce Civilian Casualties VOA 21 Apr 2009 -- Senior US defense official: American forces in Afghanistan working to try to reduce civilian casualties.
• Afghanistan Reports Progress in Talks with Taliban Militants VOA 21 Apr 2009 -- Afghan government has held positive talks with Taliban militants in an effort to encourage peace.
• US, Tajikistan Finalize Deal to Supply Troops in Afghanistan VOA 21 Apr 2009 -- Top US official: US and Tajikistan have finalized a deal on the transit of non-military cargo for Western operations in Afghanistan.
• Predator crashes in eastern Afghanistan AFNS 21 Apr 2009 -- An Air Force MQ-1 Predator unmanned aircraft crashed in eastern Afghanistan April 21 in the early morning hours.
• Legal Ambiguity in Pakistan Emboldens Militants, Worries Lawmakers VOA 21 Apr 2009 -- Pakistani government's approval of Islamic courts in parts of the country's northwest was aimed at bringing peace.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Guard troops train with simulated Iraqi forces Army News 21 Apr 2009 -- Guardsmen from 32nd Infantry BCT conducting close-quarters combat and urban-operations training to prepare the Soldiers for deployment.
• Silicon Valley rescue C-130s go digital AFNS 21 Apr 2009 -- Nestled in the center of the world's technology epicenter is the California Air National Guard's 129th Rescue Wing.
• UNITAS Gold Marks 50 Years of International Maritime Cooperation AFPS 21 Apr 2009 -- The Navy’s longest-running annual multilateral exercise got underway, with 11 participating nations.
• CBIRF's chem lab on wheels USMC News 21 Apr 2009 -- Chemical Biological Incident Response Force, II Marine Expeditionary Force Marines and sailors have a life-saving mission as emergency responders.
• Truman Takes Steps To Protect Sailors From CBR Attack Navy NewsStand 21 Apr 2009 -- Sailors aboard USS Harry S. Truman prepare the crew for possibility of chemical, biological or radiological attack.
• Part of Pittsburgh history ends with casing of 99th colors Army News 21 Apr 2009 -- Colors of the 99th Regional Readiness Command cased on stage at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall April 19.
• EPLOs redefine part of Air Force mission AFNS 21 Apr 2009 -- When most Americans think of the USAF, picture that doesn't normally come to mind is a military organization that helps during natural disasters.
• Kazakhstan pulls out of NATO drills in Georgia RIA Novosti 21 Apr 2009 -- Kazakhstan will not take part in NATO-led military exercises in Georgia in May.
• Russia confirms Admiral Gorshkov delivery to India in 2012 RIA Novosti 21 Apr 2009 -- Russia will deliver the modernized Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier to the Indian Navy in 2012.
• Russian army in North Caucasus receives new attack helicopters RIA Novosti 21 Apr 2009 -- The first six Mi-28N Night Hunter attack helicopters have been delivered to Russia's North Caucasus military district.
• Flexibility, partnerships, knowledge key to mediating conflicts UN News Centre 21 Apr 2009 -- To boost its ability to limit bloodshed, UN must have flexible funding, partnerships and information for mediation.
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 21 Apr 2009
• Briefing by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, 4-21-09 The White House 21 Apr 2009

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for April 21, 2009
• General Dynamics Awarded $56 Million to Support Defense Information Systems Agency General Dynamics 21 Apr 2009 -- General Dynamics Information Technology, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has been awarded a five-year, $56 million contract to provide service design, transition and operations support to the Defense Information Systems Agency’s (DISA) Multi-National Information Sharing Delivery, Transition and Operation (MNIS DTO) program.
• U.S. Army Awards General Dynamics $35 Million for Modular Artillery Charge System General Dynamics 21 Apr 2009 -- The U.S. Army Joint Munitions and Lethality Contracting Center awarded General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products a multi-year contract for the Load, Assemble and Pack of the M231 and M232A1 Modular Artillery Charge System (MACS).
• Raytheon Awarded $23.5 Million Risk Reduction Contract for Next-Generation GPS Ground Control Segment Raytheon 21 Apr 2009 -- Raytheon Company received a contract extension to perform additional risk-reduction activities for the U.S. Air Force's next-generation Global Positioning System Operational Ground Control Segment, or GPS OCX.
• Abu Dhabi: DCNS expertise to counter piracy DCNS 21 Apr 2009 -- At the Naval Security & Offshore Patrol Vessels Middle East 2009 conference held in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, on 21 and 22 April, DCNS presented key products for countering piracy and securing sea lanes.
• Oshkosh Defense Receives Orders for Armor Installation, Vehicle Components Oshkosh 21 Apr 2009 -- Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK), has received separate orders from the Marine Corps System Command (MARCORSYSCOM) and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) potentially totaling more than $21 million for armor installation and military vehicle components.
• NEWLab opening brings Network Centric Warfare closer to reality Thales 21 Apr 2009 -- NEWLab is a unique industry resource providing a suite of experimentation and integration tools to enable Australian industry to partner with the Australian Defence Force (ADF), the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) and other Commonwealth agencies, in order to give the country's soldiers, sailors and airmen the warfighting edge.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 21 Apr 2009
• Hamas threatens to kidnap Israeli soldiers to ease prisoner swap RIA Novosti 21 Apr 2009 -- Hamas is threatening to abduct more Israeli soldiers to exchange them for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
• EGYPT-OPT: Some 1,600 Gazans allowed to cross into Egypt IRIN 21 Apr 2009 -- Rafah crossing, Gaza's only official border crossing into Egypt, opened to a limited number of Gazans.
• SRI LANKA: UN calls for “maximum restraint” to protect civilians IRIN 21 Apr 2009 -- The UN has called on the Sri Lankan government to exercise “maximum restraint” to protect the lives of tens of thousands of civilians still trapped in a tiny pocket of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)-controlled territory in northern Sri Lanka.
• US Urges Protection for Civilians as Sri Lanka Conflict Reaches 'Decisive Point' VOA 21 Apr 2009 -- US appealed for protection of civilians trapped in northern Sri Lanka as conflict reaches "decisive point."
• US: Military Action in Sri Lanka Causing Civilian Casualties VOA 21 Apr 2009 -- US urged Sri Lanka's army and Tamil Tiger rebels to avoid indiscriminate shooting in the no-fire zone.
• Sri Lanka: 40,000 more flee battle zone UN News Centre 21 Apr 2009 -- An estimated 40,000 people more people have fled Sri Lanka's north-eastern coastal pocket, where the military and LTTE are engaged.
• NGO's Raise Alarm About Plight of Sri Lankan Civilians VOA 21 Apr 2009 -- NGOs: Fighting in Sri Lanka between government troops and Tamil rebels could lead to many more civilian deaths.
• Sri Lanka Army in Final Assault on Tamil Rebels VOA 21 Apr 2009 -- Sri Lanka's army says it is moving ahead with a military operation to wipe out the Tamil Tiger rebels after they ignored an ultimatum to surrender.
• LTTE accuses Lankan forces of killing 1,000 civilians IRNA 21 Apr 2009 -- Tamil Tigers have accused Sri Lankan forces of killing 1,000 civilians and injuring 2,300 in a fresh fighting.
• Lankan forces launch new offensives as 24-hrs deadline to LTTE over IRNA 21 Apr 2009 -- As LTTE ignored the 24-hour government deadline to surrender, Sri Lankan forces launched new offensives.
• Chechen Operation Targets 'Hundreds' Of Rebels RFE/RL 21 Apr 2009 -- Chechen authorities have launched special operations to locate what they say are hundreds of resistance fighters in the mountainous Vedeno region.
• Chechen president plays down terrorist threat RIA Novosti 21 Apr 2009 -- Chechen President Kadyrov played down reports of impending terrorist attacks, saying the security situation remained stable.
• OPT: Signs of worsening malnutrition among children IRIN 21 Apr 2009 -- Rising poverty, unemployment and food insecurity in Gaza, compounded by the recent 23-day Israeli offensive, have increased the threat of child malnutrition, say UN agencies, health ministry officials and healthcare NGOs in Gaza.
• SUDAN: Fresh clashes in Jonglei State "worrisome" - UN official IRIN 21 Apr 2009 -- Attacks by the Murle ethnic group on the Lou Nuer ethnic group in Jonglei State in Southern Sudan are a new and worrisome development, the top UN official in the region warned.
• Ban: aid workers’ expulsion from Sudan impeding peacekeeping, relief efforts UN News Centre 21 Apr 2009 -- The expulsion of humanitarian and human rights agencies from Sudan following the issuance of an arrest warrant for the Sudanese president for war crimes is thwarting the United Nations’ efforts in peacekeeping and humanitarian aid, Secretary-General Ban K-moon said.
• Sudan's Bashir Welcomes Conciliatory US Tone on Darfur VOA 21 Apr 2009 -- Sudan's President al-Bashir: Encouraged by the conciliatory tone coming from Washington regarding the conflict in Darfur.
• Ethiopia Gives Sudan's Bashir Warm Welcome VOA 21 Apr 2009 -- Sudan's President al-Bashir has received a warm welcome on his arrival in neighboring Ethiopia for a 2-day state visit.
• Ban in Malta ahead of Somalia donor conference UN News Centre 21 Apr 2009 -- Secretary-General Ban , ahead of a major donor conference on Somalia’s security, travelled from Geneva to Malta.
• SOMALIA: Aid efforts under threat in tense Beletweyne IRIN 21 Apr 2009 -- Humanitarian workers are worried that clashes in Somalia’s central town of Beletweyne, 340km north of Mogadishu, and the current rains, could hinder aid efforts in the area.
• Another Militia Leader Assassinated in Somalia VOA 21 Apr 2009 -- A senior member of an Islamist militia allied with Somalia's government has been killed in the capital, Mogadishu, in the second such attack in as many weeks.
• Child soldiers to be released amid crisis in volatile eastern DR Congo - UN envoy UN News Centre 21 Apr 2009 -- Plans are under way to release more child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• DRC: Armed groups sign their own "death certificate" IRIN 21 Apr 2009 -- Eighteen rebel and self-defence militia groups in the eastern DRC signed an agreement to dissolve their organisations.
• MONUC to Begin Investigation Over Killings in DRC Villages VOA 21 Apr 2009 -- UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo will begin full-scale investigation into the killing of at least 17 people in Luofu and Lasiki villages.
• UN force in Chad and Central Africa lacks troops, helicopters, Ban says UN News Centre 21 Apr 2009 -- UN force protecting refugees and other civilians in Chad and the Central African Republic has reached less than half its authorized troop strength.
• BURUNDI: Human rights worsened in 2008 - report IRIN 21 Apr 2009 -- Delays in the implementation of a 2006 peace accord in Burundi contributed to a deteriorating human rights situation there in 2008, according to a leading human rights organisation.
• Kenyan Violence Leaves 29 Dead VOA 21 Apr 2009 -- Police in central Kenya say at least 29 people are dead after clashes between local residents and members of a banned criminal gang.
• Former Khmer Rouge Jailer Tells of Training to Kill VOA 21 Apr 2009 -- A former Khmer Rouge prison chief said he used communist ideology to train guards to torture and execute prisoners.

News Reports

• Obama Does Not Rule Out Prosecution of Senior Bush Officials on Interrogation Policy VOA 21 Apr 2009 -- US President Obama: Up to the attorney general whether to prosecute Bush-era officials who approved harsh interrogation techniques.
• Cheney Wants More Interrogation Memos Released VOA 21 Apr 2009 -- Former US VP Cheney: Use of harsh interrogation techniques produced results and American people should see the proof.
• Obama Seeks To Soothe Feelings At CIA After Document Release RFE/RL 21 Apr 2009 -- Last week, US President Obama approved the release of memos that approved the use of interrogation techniques many consider a form of torture.
• Obama: Ahmadinejad's Israel Remarks Hurt Iran VOA 21 Apr 2009 -- U.S. President Barack Obama said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's denunciation of Israel undermines Iran's position in the world.
• Iranian Official Says Appeals Court Could Reconsider Jailed Journalist's Case VOA 21 Apr 2009 -- Iranian judiciary spokesman: Appeals court could reconsider the verdict handed to a jailed journalist.
• International Outcry Grows Over Iranian-American Journalist Jailed In Tehran RFE/RL 21 Apr 2009 -- Case of jailed Iranian-American journalist Saberi gaining prominence as Washington, EU, and Iranian President Ahmadinejad are all expressing opinions.
• Information Minister: Saberi's trial held legally IRNA 21 Apr 2009 -- Information Minister Mohseni Ejeie: Trial of Roxana Saberi has been held based on the laws of the country.
• US Senate Clears Way for Confirmation of Hill to be Ambassador to Iraq VOA 21 Apr 2009 -- President Obama's nominee to be US Ambassador to Iraq is a step closer to assuming the post.
• Captured Somali Pirate to Stand Trial in US VOA 21 Apr 2009 -- A young Somali man, the only survivor of a pirate attack on a U.S. cargo ship earlier this month, is appearing before a U.S. federal judge Tuesday to face charges.
• Surviving Somali Pirate to Answer Charges in US Court Tuesday VOA 21 Apr 2009 -- The last surviving Somali pirate captured during a botched seizure of a United States ship captain is expected to appear in a Manhattan Federal Court.
• Moldova Vote Controversy Highlights Doubts Over Monitoring RFE/RL 21 Apr 2009 -- Critics claim dead people voted and many of the living voted more than once.
• Moldovan Vote Recount Secures Communist Party Victory VOA 21 Apr 2009 -- A recount of Moldova's April 5 legislative elections has again determined the ruling Communist Party is the winner.
• Parliamentary vote recount confirms Communist victory in Moldova RIA Novosti 21 Apr 2009 -- Moldova's top election authority announced the final results of a parliamentary vote recount, confirming victory for the country's Communist Party.
• MOFA to release first white paper on foreign aid policy in May CNA 21 Apr 2009 -- MOFA: Long-awaited "white paper" on foreign aid will be released next month.
• South Africans Prepare to Vote as Election Campaign Winds Down VOA 21 Apr 2009 -- South Africans are preparing to vote Wednesday in national and provincial elections.
• Rights Groups Warn Fiji Heading Towards Civil Unrest VOA 21 Apr 2009 -- Amnesty International is predicting civil unrest and conflict with Fiji's military government, as army commanders continue to tighten their grip.
• Russia sentences captain of sunken Chinese ship New Star RIA Novosti 21 Apr 2009 -- A court in Russia's Far Eastern port city of Nakhodka found the Indonesian captain of a Chinese freighter that sank in February guilty of border violation.