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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 24 Jul 2009 [PDF]
• MND-B Soldier death
• National Guard Company Trains Iraqi Police to Self-sufficiency AFPS 24 Jul 2009 -- National police in Iraq’s Wasit province now are capable of sustaining their own training needs after coalition forces leave here, military officials said, thanks to the efforts of a Massachusetts National Guard police company.
• Iraq Questions Reports of US Talks With Insurgents VOA 24 Jul 2009 -- Iraqi officials say they are looking into reports that U.S. officials met with representatives of Iraqi insurgent groups in Turkey earlier this year.
• Afghan Presidential Debate Takes Place Without Karzai RFE/RL 24 Jul 2009 -- Afghans tuned in to the first televised debate of the presidential campaign on the evening of July 23, but while they had the opportunity to watch two top contenders face off, President Hamid Karzai was noticeably absent
• Forces Kill Militants, Detain Suspects in Afghanistan AFPS 24 Jul 2009 -- Afghan and international forces killed several enemy fighters, detained nine suspects and destroyed a weapons stockpile in recent operations in Afghanistan’s Ghazni, Khost and Kandahar provinces, military officials reported.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Iraqi PM Hints He is Open to Longer US Stay VOA 24 Jul 2009 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has hinted that he is open to the presence of U.S. troops beyond December 31, 2011, a firm deadline set by both countries for the withdrawal of all American soldiers from Iraq.
• US Defense Chief, Iraqi PM Discuss Military Sales VOA 24 Jul 2009 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has offered to try to speed U.S. approval of military equipment sales to Iraq.
• New Deal Paves Way for US Companies to Sell Sophisticated Arms to India VOA 24 Jul 2009 -- A recent visit by U.S Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to India has paved the way for American companies to sell sophisticated arms to India. India plans to spend billions of dollars to modernize its military.
• Guantanamo Bay Closure ‘On Track,’ Pentagon Lawyer Says AFPS 24 Jul 2009 -- Plans to close the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, within President Barack Obama’s one-year time frame are on track, the Pentagon’s top lawyer said today.
• Briefing by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, 7/24/09 The White House 24 Jul 2009
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 24 Jul 2009
• CMSAF addresses House Armed Services subcommittee AFNS 24 Jul 2009 -- The chief master sergeant of the Air Force gave testimony before the Military Personnel Subcommittee for Family Support Programs here July 22.
• Combat weather Airmen test out new initiative AFNS 24 Jul 2009 -- Combat weather Airmen from the 93rd Air Ground and Operations Wing, as well as units from all over the world are currently participating in a training exercise here to test a new total-force initiative.
• Obama to Bestow Medal of Honor on Soldier Killed in Afghanistan AFPS 24 Jul 2009 -- President Barack Obama will posthumously award Army Sgt. 1st Class Jared C. Monti the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry in Afghanistan, White House officials announced today.
• Defense Agency Simulates Biological Attack on Pentagon AFPS 24 Jul 2009 -- The risk of attack against senior government and military officials always has been high, making protection of the Pentagon and other buildings in the national capital area a top priority, a senior official involved with a recent bio-attack drill said.
• Airmen to improve intelligence support during exercise AFNS 24 Jul 2009 -- Members of the 693rd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group will observe and learn how the Air Force Distributed Common Ground System enterprise operates worldwide during Sentinel Focus 2009 to be held Aug. 2 to 6.
• Secretary Donley visits mobility air forces competition AFNS 24 Jul 2009 -- The secretary of the Air Force received an in-depth look at the mobility world during a visit here July 22 for Air Mobility Rodeo 2009.
• Solar wall saves Air Force money AFNS 24 Jul 2009 -- Air Force officials installed their first solar wall here in November 2008, and have saved the base $15,000 in energy bills so far.
• Warfare Center Delivers Unprecedented Capability for Coalition Exercise Navy NewsStand 24 Jul 2009 -- Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Corona personnel lead the installation of two new range targeting systems in Australia as part of Exercise Talisman Saber 09 which runs July 6-25.
• Russia's government defense contracts grow slightly in 2010 RIA Novosti 24 Jul 2009 -- Russia's government defense contracts will grow somewhat in 2010 compared with this year, Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Friday.
• Russia lays down 2nd Graney class nuclear sub RIA Novosti 24 Jul 2009 -- Construction of a second Project 885 Yasen (Graney) class nuclear-powered multipurpose attack submarine started on Friday at the Sevmash shipyard in northern Russia, the company said.
• Dummy rocket hits residential area in Russia's Far East RIA Novosti 24 Jul 2009 -- A dummy rocket launched from a Russian combat ship in the Far East landed in the courtyard of a nine-story apartment building in Vladivostok, a Pacific Fleet spokesman said on Friday.
• Sea trials of Russia's Nerpa submarine on schedule - official RIA Novosti 24 Jul 2009 -- Final sea trials of Russia's Nerpa nuclear-powered submarine, which was damaged in a fatal accident during previous tests, are continuing on schedule, a shipyard official said on Friday.
• Biden Vows Support for Georgia’s NATO Hopes AFPS 24 Jul 2009 -- Vice President Joe Biden emphasized U.S. support for Georgia’s aspirations to join NATO and said a new bilateral charter will focus on modernizing the country’s military.
• Georgia's NATO entry 'impossible' within old borders - Rogozin RIA Novosti 24 Jul 2009 -- Georgia's entry to NATO is impossible as long as its new borders have not been defined, the Russian envoy to NATO said on Friday dismissing U.S. pledges on the ex-Soviet state's ambition.
• Russia rejects anti-piracy efforts under NATO, EU command - envoy RIA Novosti 24 Jul 2009 -- Russian military ships will not be involved in anti-piracy operations under the command of NATO or the European Union, Russia's permanent envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin said on Friday.
• Venezuela to double number of tanks, boost defenses - Chavez RIA Novosti 24 Jul 2009 -- President Hugo Chavez says Venezuela will at least double the number of tanks in its military and continue strengthening its defense capability, the state-run ABN news agency reported.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for July 24, 2009
• U.S. Air Force Accepts Second Lockheed Martin SBIRS HEO System For Operations Lockheed Martin 24 Jul 2009 -- The Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT]-led team developing the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) announced today that the second Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO-2) payload and ground system modifications have been accepted for operations by the U.S Air Force, paving the way for U.S. Strategic Command’s formal certification of the HEO-2 system next month.
• Boeing Delivers 400th F/A-18E/F Super Hornet to US Navy July 24, 2009 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today announced that it delivered the 400th F/A-18E/F Super Hornet to the U.S. Navy in June.
• DCNS, Thales and ECA win DGA contract to study drones for mine countermeasures DCNS 24 Jul 2009 -- The French defence procurement agency (DGA) has awarded DCNS, Thales and ECA a major study contract that is expected to lead, around 2011, to a demonstrator of a new mine countermeasures solution dubbed Espadon*.
• DCNS, Thales and ECA win DGA contract to study drones for mine countermeasures Thales 24 Jul 2009 -- The French defence procurement agency (DGA) has awarded DCNS, Thales and ECA a major study contract that is expected to lead, around 2011, to a demonstrator of a new mine countermeasures solution dubbed Espadon
• U.S. Army Selects Thales’s Mounted Soldier Cordless Communication System Thales 24 Jul 2009 -- Thales Communications, Inc., a pioneer and global leader in the development, manufacture, and support of multiband, software-defined radio (SDR) equipment, announces the award by the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command for the development and delivery of Mounted Soldier Cordless Communication Systems.
• U.S. Army Selects Thales’s Mounted Soldier Cordless Communication System Thales 24 Jul 2009 -- Thales Communications, Inc., a pioneer and global leader in the development, manufacture, and support of multiband, software-defined radio (SDR) equipment, announces the award by the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command for the development and delivery of Mounted Soldier Cordless Communication Systems.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 24 Jul 2009
• Poll Shows Israelis Suspicious of US-Sponsored Peace Process VOA 24 Jul 2009 -- Growing tensions between Israel and the United States are eroding Israeli support for peace moves with the Palestinians.
• Thousands uprooted by fresh fighting in eastern DR Congo – UN UN News Centre 24 Jul 2009 -- The latest outbreak of fighting in the troubled South Kivu province in the far east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), pitting Government forces against Rwandan rebels, has forced 35,000 people from their homes, the United Nations refugee agency reported today.
• Serb politician jailed by UN tribunal for identifying witnesses UN News Centre 24 Jul 2009 -- The United Nations tribunal for the former Yugoslavia today gave the leader of the Serbian Radical Party a 15-month jail term after finding him guilty of contempt of court for publishing the names of three protected witnesses in his war crimes trial.
• UN team looking into alleged sexual misconduct by blue helmets in DR Congo UN News Centre 24 Jul 2009 -- A fact-finding team has been dispatched by the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to investigate rumours of sexual misconduct surrounding some blue helmets stationed in the country’s far east.
• Rwandan general chosen as next military chief of African-UN mission in Darfur UN News Centre 24 Jul 2009 -- The United Nations and the African Union have announced that a Rwandan lieutenant-general will be the next Force Commander of their joint peacekeeping mission in the Sudanese region of Darfur.
• Thousands Flee Fighting in Congo VOA 24 Jul 2009 -- The U.N. refugee agency reported thousands of Congolese have been uprooted by the latest escalation of fighting in the South Kivu province of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
• UGANDA: Karamoja disarmament "needs re-think" IRIN 24 Jul 2009 -- Efforts to recover illegal arms in the northeast Uganda region of Karamoja may not succeed unless disarmed communities can protect themselves, say officials.
• UGANDA: Leaders question Chissano's anti-LRA proposal IRIN 24 Jul 2009 -- While the Ugandan government supports the recommendation by Joachim Chissano, the outgoing UN envoy for areas affected by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), to use military as well as peaceful means to deal with the rebels, several leaders in northern Uganda have opposed the proposal, saying the military option would destabilise the region further.
• PHILIPPINES: Government suspends Mindanao fighting in bid for peace IRIN 24 Jul 2009 -- In a bid to improve conditions for peace talks and the resettlement of hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs) in Mindanao, the Philippines government announced a unilateral ceasefire effective at midnight on 23 July.
• Talks with Chechen separatist leader to continue in London RIA Novosti 24 Jul 2009 -- Consultations with Chechen separatist leader Akhmed Zakayev are scheduled to continue in a week or two in London, the speaker of Chechnya's parliament said on Friday after talks in Oslo.

News Reports

• Hardline Iranian Cleric Urges Ahmadinejad to Dismiss VP VOA 24 Jul 2009 -- A prominent hardline cleric in Iran is urging President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to abide by the supreme leader's order to dismiss his chosen vice president.
• EU Envoy Travels To Moldova Ahead Of Vote RFE/RL 24 Jul 2009 -- Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has arrived in Moldova as the EU's envoy to that country ahead of a repeat general election on July 29
• Opposition, Western Observers Blast Kyrgyz Vote RFE/RL 24 Jul 2009 -- Election monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have expressed disappointment over a presidential vote in Kyrgyzstan that it says "fell short of key standards."
• Ban invites Mauritanians to pursue dialogue after presidential polls UN News Centre 24 Jul 2009 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on the leadership and people of Mauritania to consolidate their country’s democratization and reconciliation by pursuing dialogue in the wake of the recently concluded presidential elections.
• Ousted Honduran President Back Home VOA 24 Jul 2009 -- Deposed Honduran President Manuel Zelaya is back home, after crossing the border from Nicaragua in an attempt to reclaim the presidency following his ouster by the Honduran military last month.
• Death toll from influenza outbreak nears 800, UN health agency says UN News Centre 24 Jul 2009 -- Influenza A(H1N1) is continuing to spread through all corners of the world, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) reported today, putting the global death toll from the pandemic at around 800.
• Kurdish Candidates in Iraq Campaign in Final Hours before Election VOA 24 Jul 2009 -- Kurdish candidates are trying to rally support in the final hours before Saturday's election in Iraq's three northern provinces which constitute Kurdistan. Campaign posters dotted Kurdish cities and candidates spoke on television in a frenetic crescendo to the electoral campaign.
• Thailand vows objective hearing for Russian arms dealer - Lavrov RIA Novosti 24 Jul 2009 -- The Thai authorities have promised to handle the extradition case of arms dealer Viktor Bout objectively and without politicizing the situation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.
• OSCE 'disappointed' by Kyrgyz presidential polls RIA Novosti 24 Jul 2009 -- OSCE election monitors in Kyrgyzstan said on Friday the country's presidential vote failed to meet the required international standards, with a number of irregularities observed during voting.
• CIS observers say Kyrgyz presidential elections 'open and free' RIA Novosti 24 Jul 2009 -- Election observers from the Commonwealth of Independent States said on Friday that the presidential elections in Kyrgyzstan had been "open and free."
• Aung San Suu Kyi's Defense Present Final Arguments VOA 24 Jul 2009 -- Defense lawyers for Burma's detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi have presented their final arguments, in an effort to save the Nobel laureate from a possible five-year prison term.
• Kyrgyz President Re-elected Amid Charges of Widespread Fraud VOA 24 Jul 2009 -- Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev kept his hold on power in the Central Asian nation Friday, despite allegations of massive fraud in Thursday's presidential vote.
• Mauritanian Opposition Rejects Constitutional Council Validating Aziz Win VOA 24 Jul 2009 -- Political opponents of Mauritanian President-elect Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz say they will continue to fight against the results of a vote that they say was fraudulent.
• Indonesian President Wins Second Term VOA 24 Jul 2009 -- Indonesia's election commission says President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is the winner of this month's presidential election.
• Exiled Honduran President Plots Return VOA 24 Jul 2009 -- Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya is in a Nicaraguan town near his country's border, preparing for an imminent return home.