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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 04 Aug 2009 [PDF]
• U.S. Soldier dies in non combat-related incident
• Aug. 3 airpower summary: F-15E provides cover for disabled convoy AFNS 04 Aug 2009 -- Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and ISAF in Afghanistan during operations.
• Paratroopers own night in air assault mission Army News 04 Aug 2009 -- Operation Am Lyia Laith Mejnaha Arba'ah is nothing new to the paratroopers of the 5/73rd Cavalry.
• 1st ACB ground maintainers take to the skies of Iraq Army News 04 Aug 2009 -- One might not expect to find vehicle mechanics, truck drivers and petroleum supply specialists working as aviation crew members.
• Iraqi National Police Become 'Federal' AFPS 04 Aug 2009 -- The Iraqi National Police has changed its name to the Federal Police.
• Analysts: Iraq's Arab-Kurd Dispute Could Be Greatest Stability Threat VOA 04 Aug 2009 -- Iraq's PM flew to Northern Iraq's Kurdish region to try to ease tensions that threaten fragile stability country has achieved.
• Iraq: new UN envoy voices cautious optimism, but cites potential dangers UN News Centre 04 Aug 2009 -- New top UnN envoy for Iraq voiced cautious optimism as the country regains its sovereignty.
• Senators hear of Guard chemical exposure in Iraq Army News 04 Aug 2009 -- Former National Guard members told a Senate committee they were exposed to a deadly chemical while serving in Iraq.
• DoD News Briefing with Maj. Gen. Scaparrotti at the Pentagon Briefing Room, via Teleconference from Afghanistan DoD 04 Aug 2009 -- Presenter: Commander, Combined Joint Task Force 82, and Commanding General, 82nd Airborne Division U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti
• DoD News Briefing with Brig. Gen. Middendorp at the Pentagon Briefing Room, via Teleconference from Afghanistan DoD 04 Aug 2009 -- Presenter: Outgoing Commander, Task Force Uruzgan in Southern Afghanistan, Dutch Army Brig. Gen. Tom Middendorp
• Task Force Expands Safe Areas in Afghanistan Province AFPS 04 Aug 2009 -- The increased troop levels in Afghanistan's Uruzgan province has expanded the security envelope to roughly 80 percent of the people there.
• Insurgent Activity Declines Along Afghan-Pakistani Border AFPS 04 Aug 2009 -- Insurgent activity across the Afghanistan and Pakistan borders has declined as a result of complementary operations in the region.
• Soldiers Boost Security for Afghan National Elections AFPS 04 Aug 2009 -- Afghan National Police and US military police assigned to Task Force Mountain Warrior conducted training to boost security for election.
• Two killed, 17 injured in Afghanistan suicide attack RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2009 -- A suicide bomber killed 2 people including one civilian and injured 17 others in southern Afghanistan's Zabul province.
• Taliban attacks governor's convoy in central Afghanistan RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2009 -- Taliban militants set off a bomb in central Afghanistan's Wardak province as a convoy carrying the provincial governor passed by.
• Militants Fire Rockets At Kabul Ahead Of Presidential Election RFE/RL 04 Aug 2009 -- Taliban militants fired at least 8 rockets into Kabul in an attack they aimed at disrupting preparations for presidential election.
• Rocket Attacks Hit Afghan Capital VOA 04 Aug 2009 -- A string of rockets was fired at the Afghan capital in the largest single militant attack in the run up to presidential elections later this month.
• Air Force aeromedical evacuation teams give British soldier fighting chance AFNS 04 Aug 2009 -- USAF aircraft along with aircrew, aeromedical teams, and world agencies gave a British soldier fighting chance.
• Pakistan Probes Sectarian Attacks in Punjab VOA 04 Aug 2009 -- Pakistani authorities questioning more than 200 people to determine if militants linked to al-Qaida were behind mob attacks against Christians.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Proponents For Keeping Guantanamo Speak Out VOA 04 Aug 2009 -- Not everyone agrees that the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba should be shut down.
• Senior Executive Service Appointments and Reassignments DoD 04 Aug 2009 -- Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced the following Department of Defense senior executive service appointments and reassignments
• Afghanistan-bound Marines sharpen warfighting skills USMC News 04 Aug 2009 -- Marines cautiously patrolled improvised explosive device-laden road, knowing that every step taken could set off explosion.
• Special Reaction Team clears out Range 111 USMC News 04 Aug 2009 -- Combat Center's Provost Marshal's Office's Special Reaction Team conducted vital close quarter combat skills training.
• USS Russell Deploys to Support Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training 2009 Navy NewsStand 04 Aug 2009 -- Family and friends said goodbye to officers and crew members of USS Russell.
• WaveRider test vehicle meets B-52 AFNS 04 Aug 2009 -- Airmen successfully mated the X-51A WaveRider flight test vehicle to a B-52 Stratofortress at Edwards Air Force Base.
• Face of Defense: Soldier to be First Female Head of Drill Sergeant School AFPS 04 Aug 2009 -- Army Command Sgt. Maj. Teresa King has been selected next commandant of US Army Drill Sergeant School.
• Mississippi Army Ammunition Plant Deactivates Army News 04 Aug 2009 -- Mississippi Army Ammunition Plant, the first and only ammunition plant built by the Army after the Korean War, officially deactivated July 29.
• Next generation CROWS II increases Soldiers safety Army News 04 Aug 2009 -- Next generation of common remotely operated weapons station offer an updated version with more options.
• Major force protection contract awarded AFNS 04 Aug 2009 -- Team of professionals ensured Air Force security forces around the world will have access to cutting edge integrated base defense systems.
• TF 51 arrives at Fort Leavenworth for Vibrant Response 2009 Army News 04 Aug 2009 -- U.S. Army North's Task Force 51 arrived at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., July 31 for Vibrant Response 2009.
• Enterprise Task Force engages business leaders Army News 04 Aug 2009 -- The Army's new Enterprise Task Force held its first engagement with business leaders July 23-24, by hosting 20 industry and academic leaders from Kentucky at the Pentagon and Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
• Navy ERP Program Takes Major Step Forward with Successful Evaluation Navy NewsStand 04 Aug 2009 -- The Navy's Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Program reached another successful milestone with the completion of the evaluation of the Follow-on Operational Test Agency Evaluation Report (OT-D1A).
• Installation Acquisition Transformation revises implementation plan AFNS 04 Aug 2009 --USAF officials completed comprehensive restructuring of installation acquisition within the continental US.
• Middle East Logistics Command Changes Leadership Navy NewsStand 04 Aug 2009 -- The command responsible for providing air and sea logistics to the U.S. Navy in the Middle East changed leadership Aug. 3 in Manama, Bahrain.
• Recovery Act Will Repair Sewers at MCAS Yuma Navy NewsStand 04 Aug 2009 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest awarded EPC Corporation of Glendale, Ariz. a $1.2 million Recovery Act funded contract June 15 for sanitary sewer improvements at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma, Ariz.
• Hawaii-Based Divers Repair Alaskan Breakwater Army News 04 Aug 2009 -- Army engineers are trained to build, repair and detonate in rough ground terrain; Army divers are also engineers, but their work environment is under water.
• USS Simpson Interacts with Panamanian Maritime Force and Community in Panama Navy NewsStand 04 Aug 2009 -- The guided-missile frigate USS Simpson (FFG 56) conducted theater security cooperation (TSC) events in Panama during the ship's mid-deployment repair period July 8-19.
• Pentagon Weighs Social Networking Benefits, Risks AFPS 04 Aug 2009 -- A Defense Department review is weighing the benefits of social networking and other Web 2.0 platforms against potential security vulnerabilities they create.
• Obama Favors Inclusive Approach to GI Bill Benefits AFPS 04 Aug 2009 -- President Barack Obama: Wants to be inclusive, not exclusive, in extending those entitlements.
• SOUTHCOM officials embrace two-way impact of social media AFNS 04 Aug 2009 -- Social media has become all the rage throughout the military as a growing number of senior leaders turn to blogs, Facebook pages, Twitter entries and other venues.
• Medvedev, Obama aim to agree arms cuts by December RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2009 -- Russian and US presidents reaffirmed commitment to drawing up a new strategic arms reduction pact by December.
• Russian missile chief's dismissal 'not politically motivated' RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2009 -- Dismissal of Col. Gen. Nikolai Solovtsov was not politically motivated.
• Russia in talks on buying French warship RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2009 -- Russia is discussing the purchase of a French Mistral-class amphibious assault ship worth between 300 and 400 million euros.
• Russia may order amphibious assault ship from France - media RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2009 -- Russia is planning to purchase a Mistral class large amphibious assault ship from France.
• Russian company develops heavy UAV for military use RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2009 -- Russia's Kronshtadt defense company has developed a new- generation heavy unmanned aerial vehicle for military purposes.
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 04 Aug 2009
• Briefing by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, 8/4/09 The White House 04 Aug 2009

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 04, 2009
• L-3 Receives Prime Contract In Support of U.S. Air Force L-3 Communications 04 Aug 2009 -- L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL) has announced that its Global Security & Engineering Solutions (GS&ES) unit was one of three companies awarded a five-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) prime contract by the U.S. Air Force. The combined value of the contract is $495 million.
• Modernized Guided Missile Cruiser USS Bunker Hill Runs Lockheed Martin’s Aegis Open Architecture in Combat Tests Lockheed Martin 04 Aug 2009 -- The guided missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52), recently modernized with Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT]’s open architecture Aegis Weapon System, completed an operational trial of its full combat system.
• New Inertial Measurement Unit Gives Raytheon's Excalibur Ia Increased Reliability Raytheon 04 Aug 2009 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) fired nine Excalibur Ia-1 precision-guided projectiles from a Paladin gun system. The test validates the increased reliability of the projectile's new Atlantic Inertial Systems inertial measurement unit (AIS IMU). Using the new IMU, Raytheon achieved a 100 percent success rate.

Other Conflicts

• Palestinians want peace with Israel but will resist occupation RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2009 -- Palestinian President Abbas: Palestinians want to make peace with Israel but reserve the right to resist the occupation.
• No Easy, Short Term Solutions for Somalia, says Analyst VOA 04 Aug 2009 -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will not visit Somalia on her Africa tour, but the situation there will be addressed.
• Russian troops in S. Ossetia on alert over Georgian provocations RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2009 -- Russia has put its troops and border guards in S. Ossetia on heightened alert over border provocations.
• Tensions rise in South Ossetia ahead of war's first anniversary RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2009 -- With anniversary of last August's war just a few days away, events in the region are taking on an oddly familiar tone.
• Sergei Shamba: we do not trust the Americans RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2009 -- Abkhazian Foreign Minister Sergei Shamba discusses role of US in the war in S. Ossetia.
• Chronology of Events: the South Ossetia Conflict of August 2008 RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2009 -- Situation in the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict zone rapidly deteriorated after Tskhinval and a number of other residential districts and villages in South Ossetia were attacked in the evening of August 1.
• South Ossetian president dismisses PM, dissolves Cabinet RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2009 -- S. Ossetian President Kokoity dissolved the government as part of relieving the PM of his duties.
• First batch of infantry troops from Burkina Faso join African-UN force in Darfur UN News Centre 04 Aug 2009 -- First infantry soldiers from Burkina Faso arrived in Darfur to serve with the joint AU-UN peacekeeping mission.
• Tajikistan Reportedly Arrests Rebel Brothers, Other Insurgents RFE/RL 04 Aug 2009 -- The Tajik Interior Ministry says several insurgents have been arrested in the eastern Tavil-Dara district in recent days.
• UN rights chief concerned over civilian deaths in Nigerian clashes UN News Centre 04 Aug 2009 -- Top UN human rights official expressed deep concern over sectarian clashes in northern Nigeria, especially over reports of civilians killed.
• Nigerian Groups Seek Probe of Killings by Security Forces VOA 04 Aug 2009 -- Several rights groups and opposition parties in Nigeria have appealed to the government to investigate allegations of illegal killings by security forces during the recent clashes in the north of the country.

News Reports

• Report on Bill Clinton's Visit to DPRK Made Public KCNA 04 Aug 2009 -- Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and his party visited the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from August 4 to 5.
• Clinton, Freed Journalists Head Home From North Korea VOA 04 Aug 2009 -- Two U.S. journalists released from detention in North Korea are on their way back to the United States.
• North Korea Pardons US Journalists VOA 04 Aug 2009 -- North Korea has pardoned two U.S. journalists who were jailed in June for illegally entering the country from China.
• Bill Clinton meets with North Korean leader RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2009 -- Former US President Bill Clinton met with N. Korean leader Kim Jong-il, and conveyed a verbal message from President Obama.
• Kim Jong Il Meets Former U.S. President Bill Clinton KCNA 04 Aug 2009 -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il today met with former U.S. President Bill Clinton and his party on a visit to the DPRK.
• Bill Clinton Meets With N. Korean Leader VOA 04 Aug 2009 -- Former US President Bill Clinton has met in with N. Korean leader Kim Jong Il, on a mission to negotiate release of American journalists.
• White House Press Secretary Statement On Former US President Clinton's Trip to North Korea The White House 04 Aug 2009
• Ex-U.S. President Clinton makes surprise visit to North Korea RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2009 -- Former US President Clinton arrived in Pyongyang on a visit that could secure the release of 2 American journalists.
• Former US President Bill Clinton Arrives in Pyongyang VOA 04 Aug 2009 -- North Korea's official news agency says former U.S. President Bill Clinton has arrived in Pyongyang, on an apparent mission to negotiate the release of two detained American journalists
• Iranian Official: 3 Americans Detained by Iran Face Interrogation VOA 04 Aug 2009 -- Iranian official: Authorities interrogating 3 Americans detained on charges of entering Iran from Iraq without permission.
• Iran Confirms Detention of 3 American Tourists VOA 04 Aug 2009 -- Iranian state media are confirming Tuesday that Iran has detained three Americans on charges of entering from Iraq without permission.
• Iran to Prosecute Authorities for Detainee Abuse VOA 04 Aug 2009 -- Iran says it will prosecute officials responsible for the harsh treatment of detainees at a detention center that held election protesters.
• Iranian Reformists Call for More Protests VOA 04 Aug 2009 -- Iranian reformist and former presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi: Protests will continue as President Ahmadinejad prepares to take office.
• US Concerned About Kenya's Inaction on Post-Election Violence VOA 04 Aug 2009 -- The United States is criticizing Kenya for failing to create a special court to try alleged perpetrators of last year's post-election violence.
• Hillary Clinton Arrives in Kenya Tuesday VOA 04 Aug 2009 -- Expectations are high as Kenyans await the arrival Tuesday of the U.S Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the capital, Nairobi.
• Hillary Clinton Begins Africa Tour VOA 04 Aug 2009 -- On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton begins a visit to seven countries in Africa.
• Chinese Authorities Break up 'Terrorist Plots,' Step up Pressure on Exiled Uighur Leader VOA 04 Aug 2009 -- Officials: Have prevented 5 attacks on civilians in China's northwestern Xinjiang.
• 'Influenza A (H1N1) twist unexpected': outgoing health minister CNA 04 Aug 2009 -- Outbreak of influenza A (H1N1) has unfolded in an unpredictable way and not as originally expected.
• India Enacts New Guidelines After 1st Swine Flu Death VOA 04 Aug 2009 -- Indian health authorities have issued fresh guidelines after the country's first confirmed death from the H1N1 Influenza-A virus.
• Human Rights Watch Labels Indian Police Anachronistic, Abusive Force VOA 04 Aug 2009 -- Report: India modernizing rapidly, but that its police forces have failed to evolve.
• ZIMBABWE: A turbulent marriage IRIN 04 Aug 2009 -- Recent moves by Zimbabwe's unity government to adopt several outstanding commitments to the Global Political Agreement (GPA), the basis of the current system, are encouraging, but genuine dedication to the necessary reforms is hard to come by.
• Niger Voters to Decide Extending President Tandja's Term Limit VOA 04 Aug 2009 -- Niger's electoral commission says all is set for Tuesday's referendum that seeks to extend President Mamadou Tandja's term limits for three more years.
• Moldova's election body confirms final election results RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2009 -- Moldova's central election commission confirmed on Tuesday the final results of early parliamentary polls, the country's election chief said.
• Senate Begins Debate on Sotomayor for US Supreme Court VOA 04 Aug 2009 -- The U.S. Senate is has begun what could be a week-long debate on the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States.