Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 27 Oct 2009 [PDF]
• Oct. 26 airpower summary AFNS 27 Oct 2009 -- Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations Oct. 26, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.
• Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Maj. Gen. Nash and Maj. Gen. Aziz From Iraq DoD 27 Oct 2009 -- Presenter: Commander, Multinational Division-South Maj. Gen. Richard Nash and Commander, Iraqi Army 14th Division Maj. Gen. Abdul Aziz
• Iraqi Forces Detain 7 Terrorism Suspects AFPS 27 Oct 2009 -- Iraqi forces, aided by U.S. advisors, arrested seven suspected terrorists today while searching for terrorist network leaders, military officials reported.
• Airmen patrol outside to protect inside AFNS 27 Oct 2009 -- For some Airmen, its keep your friends close and your enemies as far away from your base as possible.
• Al-Qaida Group Claims Responsibility for Baghdad Bombings VOA 27 Oct 2009 -- An Iraqi branch of al Qaida, which goes by the name of the Islamic State of Iraq, is claiming responsibility for Sunday's back-to-back suicide bombings in Baghdad that killed more than 150 people. Iraqi officials, meanwhile, are accusing groups outside the country of instigating the explosions.
• 8 US Soldiers, Afghan Civilian Killed in Southern Afghanistan VOA 27 Oct 2009 -- A total of eight U.S. soldiers and an Afghan civilian working with them were killed Tuesday in a series of bomb attacks in southern Afghanistan.
• NMCB 74 Seabees Lead the Way as Camp Leatherneck Expands Navy NewsStand 27 Oct 2009 -- Camp Leatherneck is expanding, and the Seabees of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 74 began leading the way for expansion in September 2009 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
• EU to Boost Afghan Aid VOA 27 Oct 2009 -- Europe will increase its aid to Afghanistan despite concerns the situation in the central Asian country is deteriorating. The decision was announced during a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
• With Runoff On Horizon, A View Of Afghanistan's Rocky Political Landscape RFE/RL 27 Oct 2009 -- Political tensions are on the rise in Afghanistan as the country braces for a challenging presidential runoff on November 7.
• Force Recovers Missing Crew, Aircraft in Afghanistan AFPS 27 Oct 2009 -- International Security Assistance Force members today recovered the remains of three civilian crewmembers and the wreckage of an aircraft missing for two weeks in the rugged mountains of northeastern Afghanistan, military officials reported.
• ?Af-Pak Hands’ Strives for Continuity in U.S. Mission AFPS 27 Oct 2009 -- The U.S. military is building a cadre of officers who each will serve a multi-year assignment dedicated to a narrow piece of the U.S. strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
• Bomb Attacks Kill 8 U.S. Troops in Afghanistan AFPS 27 Oct 2009 -- Eight U.S. troops and an Afghan civilian working with NATO forces were killed today in multiple “complex” bomb attacks in southern Afghanistan, military officials reported.
• October Becomes Deadliest Month for US in Afghan War VOA 27 Oct 2009 -- The deaths of eight U.S. forces in Afghanistan Tuesday has made October the deadliest month for the United States since it launched the war eight years ago.
• Afghans Hold Rule of Law Conference AFPS 27 Oct 2009 -- Members of Afghan legal rights departments and police from three Afghan provinces came together here Oct. 11 to discuss the strategy for improving the legal system in the northeast region.
• Pakistan Says Militant Deaths Mount in Offensive VOA 27 Oct 2009 -- Pakistan's army says it has killed 42 militants in the latest stage of its offensive against Taliban militants in the lawless tribal area of South Waziristan.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DoD News: Secretary Gates Hosts PRC Counterpart DoD 27 Oct 2009 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates hosted Gen. Xu Caihou (corrected), vice chairman of the People's Liberation Army Central Military Commission for meetings today at the Pentagon
• Gates Asks Xu to Help Break 'On-Again, Off-Again' Cycle AFPS 27 Oct 2009 -- Breaking the cycle of "on-again, off-again" military-to-military relations between the United States and China is of primary importance to the two nations, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told his Chinese counterpart here today.
• Joint Warrior 09-2 Wraps Up Navy NewsStand 27 Oct 2009 -- Ships led by Commander, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 24 along with a host of allied navies, wrapped up the multinational, multiwarfare Exercise Joint Warrior 09-2 Oct. 16.
• Test Results Promising that Navy Hornet Can Fly on 'Green Fuel' Navy NewsStand 27 Oct 2009 -- The Navy is one step closer to flying the "Green Hornet." Members of the NAVAIR Fuels team recently made a small, but very vital step toward changing the source of jet fuel the U.S. Navy uses.
• Essex Completes Light-Off Assessment Navy NewsStand 27 Oct 2009 -- The forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) passed a three-day light-off assessment Oct. 23 in Sasebo, Japan.
• USS Russell Returns from Western Pacific Deployment Navy NewsStand 27 Oct 2009 -- More than 300 Sailors aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG 59) arrived to a crowded pier of friends and family at Naval Station Pearl Harbor Oct. 26, following a three-month deployment to the Western Pacific.
• USS Annapolis Visits US Naval Academy Navy NewsStand 27 Oct 2009 -- Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Annapolis (SSN 760) visited the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) in Annapolis, Md., Oct. 24-25 as part of the school's homecoming activities.
• Harry S. Truman Hosts MAFTD On Flight Deck Navy NewsStand 27 Oct 2009 -- USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) hosted a Mobile Aircraft Firefighting Training Device (MAFTD) on the flight deck Oct. 19-23.
• 1NCD Welcomes New Commander Navy NewsStand 27 Oct 2009 -- Commander, First Naval Construction Division (1NCD) held a change of command ceremony Oct. 23 at the Pennsylvania House at Naval Station Norfolk.
• Forward Deployed Sailors, Marines, Strengthen Ties with Philippine Forces Navy NewsStand 27 Oct 2009 -- Sailors from the forward-deployed amphibious dock landing ships USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) and USS Tortuga (LSD 46) with embarked Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit recently concluded the bilateral Amphibious Landing Exercise (PHIBLEX) with the armed forces of the Philippines.
• USS George H.W. Bush Air Department Maintains Mission Readiness Navy NewsStand 27 Oct 2009 -- Sailors from USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) Air Department continue to train and keep essential warfighting skills sharp although they live and work in a shipyard.
• Engineering Duty Officer School Changes Command Navy NewsStand 27 Oct 2009 -- Engineering Duty Officer (EDO) School held a change of command ceremony Oct. 23.
• NCTS Guam Connects Navy Ships and Shore Commands Navy NewsStand 27 Oct 2009 -- Providing dual-oceanic communication support, multiple networks, and high frequency support for the fleet and joint military components makes U.S. Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station (NCTS) Guam paramount for mission success in and around the region of Guam.
• NAVEUR-NAVAF Sailors Arrive in Israel for Juniper Cobra 2010 Navy NewsStand 27 Oct 2009 -- Approximately 70 Sailors from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Africa/ 6th Fleet arrived at Hatzor Israeli Air Force Base Oct. 25 in support of exercise Juniper Cobra 2010 (JC10).
• JTF Guantanamo Commander Briefs Service Members on JTF Mission Navy NewsStand 27 Oct 2009 -- The commanding officer of Joint Task Force (JTF) Guantanamo held a series of briefings for JTF service members, providing them with an update on the command's mission, at the Windjammer auditorium in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Sept. 30.
• Don't Miss Out on Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits Transferability Navy NewsStand 27 Oct 2009 -- According to an online poll conducted by Navy Personnel Command, Sailors still don't quite understand how the Post-9/11 GI Bill transferability option works.
• Airmen support Army's airlift needs AFNS 27 Oct 2009 -- American Airmen on C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules aircraft are contributing directly to support joint and coalition forces on the front lines of both operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
• Tanker aircrews support exercise in Chile AFNS 27 Oct 2009 -- Airmen aboard two Arizona Air National Guard KC-135 Stratotankers are flying daily refueling sorties above Chile to support a multinational force of fighters during Exercise Salitre II.
• Academy cadets to partner with Cool Clean, AFRL scientists to tackle biofuels AFNS 27 Oct 2009 -- Representatives with the Academy's Environmental Research Center recently partnered with those at the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and an Eagan, Minn., company to help develop methods to cultivate and harvest algae oil as part of the Academy's Net Zero 2015 energy program.
• DoD News: Army Announces Force Structure Actions DoD 27 Oct 2009 -- The Department of the Army announced today a series of planned unit activations and conversions at Fort Riley, Kan.
• DoD News: Senior Executive Service Appointments and Reassignments DoD 27 Oct 2009 -- Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced the following Department of Defense Senior Executive Service appointments and reassignments
• Lejeune-based HQ, support Marines train in Yuma for combat roles USMC News 27 Oct 2009 -- In keeping with "every Marine a rifleman," the Marines of Headquarters and Service Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, are preparing themselves here to operate as an infantry company in their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan in the spring of 2010
• MacDill tankers keep mission airborne at Red Flag AFNS 27 Oct 2009 -- Members of the 91st Air Refueling Squadron from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., are doing their part to ensure participants in Exercise Red Flag 10-1 stay in the air Oct. 19 through 30 here.
• Shinseki Cites Collaboration in Mental Health Care AFPS 27 Oct 2009 -- Psychological war wounds are nothing new to U.S. servicemembers, but the support of the nation to care for their injuries, until recent years, was somewhat uncharted territory.
• Russian missile cruiser to depart on visit to Singapore RIA Novosti 27 Oct 2009 -- The missile cruiser Varyag, the flagship of Russia's Pacific Fleet, will sail on Tuesday on a month-long tour-of-duty, which will include a visit to Singapore, a fleet spokesman said.
• GUINEA-BISSAU: Security sector reform still lagging IRIN 27 Oct 2009 -- In Guinea-Bissau security sector reform remains stalled but donors say the necessary laws are being written and it is now up to the government to get them through parliament.
• EU lifts embargo on arms supplies to Uzbekistan RIA Novosti 27 Oct 2009 -- European Union foreign ministers agreed on Tuesday to lift an embargo on arms supplies to Uzbekistan, a spokesman said.
• Relations Between Turkey, Israel Continue to Falter VOA 27 Oct 2009 -- For more than a decade Turkey and Israel have enjoyed close military cooperation including joint naval exercises that have taken place since they signed a military cooperation agreement in 1996. But relations between the two countries have cooled since Ankara criticized Israel's offensive in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip in December and January.
• Gaggle by Press Secretary Robert Gibbs aboard Air Force One en route Norfolk, Virginia, 10/27/09 The White House 27 Oct 2009
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 27 Oct 2009

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 27, 2009
• General Dynamics Awarded $110 Million by U.S. Army for Technology Classroom Modernization ProgramsGeneral Dynamics 27 Oct 2009 -- General Dynamics Information Technology, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has been awarded a $110.3 million contract to modernize classroom training technology by the U.S. Army Headquarters Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). This is a one-year task order awarded under the Information Technology Enterprise Technology Solutions -2 Services (ITES-2S) contract.
• Raytheon Moves Ahead in Competition for Next Generation Jammer ProgramRaytheon 27 Oct 2009 -- Having completed an initial technology maturation study in July, Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has entered the subsequent phase of the competition for the U.S. Navy's Next Generation Jammer program
• GE and U.S. Navy Celebrate 40th Operating Anniversary of LM2500 Gas Turbine GE Marine 27 Oct 2009 -- GE Marine reports that 2009 marks the 40th anniversary of its popular LM2500 gas turbine in service with the United States Navy. Over these four decades, GE has kept this aeroderivative gas turbine state-of-the-art through the continual infusion of technological enhancements to the LM2500 engine family.
• Oshkosh Corporation Awarded Contracts to Support M-ATVs in Afghanistan Oshkosh 27 Oct 2009 -- Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK), announced today that through its Defense division, it has received two contracts valued at more than $28 million for spare parts and support of its MRAP All Terrain Vehicles (M-ATV) in Afghanistan. The contracts include a $16 million order from the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) for spare parts and a $12 million order for aftermarket support from the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Life Cycle Management Command (TACOM LCMC).

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Offices of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General and the Spokesperson for the General Assembly President United Nations 27 Oct 2009
• Hague Trial Continues, Despite Karadzic No-Show VOA 27 Oct 2009 -- In a repeat of Monday, Radovan Karadzic again boycotted his trial and refused to appear in court to face charges of genocide and war crimes stemming from the 1992-95 Bosnian war. That did not stop the trial from going ahead.
• Prosecution Opens Case Against Karadzic VOA 27 Oct 2009 -- War crimes prosecutors have launched their long-awaited case against Radovan Karadzic, as the former Bosnian Serb wartime leader boycotted his trial Tuesday for a second straight day.
• Serbian 'Iron Lady' released from Swedish prison RIA Novosti 27 Oct 2009 -- Former Bosnian Serb President Biljana Plavsic was released from a Swedish prison and flown to Belgrade Tuesday after serving two-thirds of her 11-year term for war crimes in the 1990s.
• Analysis: African IDP convention fills a void in humanitarian law IRIN 27 Oct 2009 -- The African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa is a comprehensive document that will, if ratified, fill a void in international humanitarian law, say experts.
• UN calls on Israel to halt demolition of Palestinian homes UN News Centre 27 Oct 2009 -- The United Nations today called on Israel to immediately halt forced evictions and demolitions of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem, warning that as many as 60,000 people there may be at risk of forced evictions, demolitions and displacement.
• Fragile Sudan Peace Deal Enters Critical Final Phase VOA 27 Oct 2009 -- A parliamentary boycott and the ongoing dispute over the southern independence referendum highlight the fragile nature of North and South Sudan's peace agreement as it enters its critical final phase. Analysts worry that time is running out for the two sides to resolve their differences over the deal.
• Ivorian parties continuing to rearm despite embargo, says UN report UN News Centre 27 Oct 2009 -- Both sides in Côte d’Ivoire, which has been divided for more than seven years between the Government-controlled south and the rebel Forces Nouvelles-held north, are violating the arms embargo imposed on the country, according to a new United Nations report.
• Somalia: UN seeks more funds for social services to aid transitional government UN News Centre 27 Oct 2009 -- The United Nations will be seeking more funds for Somalia for both security and social services, the top United Nations political officer said today, citing a sense that progress is being made in a country devastated by factional fighting and without a central authority for nearly 20 years.
• Polls and referendums remain key challenges in Sudanese peace pact, says Ban UN News Centre 27 Oct 2009 -- The holding of elections and referendums are among the key milestones of the peace agreement ending the long-running north-south civil war in Sudan that have yet to be reached, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a new report, calling on the parties to enhance their partnership in tackling the final obstacles.
• Cyprus talks on federal government continue under UN auspices UN News Centre 27 Oct 2009 -- Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders held further discussions today on the shape of a federal government of a future bi-communal republic as United Nations-backed talks to unify the Mediterranean island picked up pace.
• Fresh round of tribal clashes in Darfur claims 10 lives, African-UN mission reports UN News Centre 27 Oct 2009 -- At least 10 people have been killed in a new round of inter-tribal clashes in Darfur, the joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping force to the war-scarred region of western Sudan reported today.
• Hizbollah must disarm to ensure Lebanon’s sovereignty, Ban warns UN News Centre 27 Oct 2009 -- Disbanding militias in Lebanon – especially Hizbollah, which fought a war with Israel in 2006 – is “of vital importance” to the country’s democracy and sovereignty, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon writes in a new report, where he voices satisfaction at progress made towards stability.
• YEMEN: IDP camp challenges include how to accommodate livestock IRIN 27 Oct 2009 -- Poor security, lack of basic infrastructure, the increasing numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and how to accommodate livestock are among the challenges facing the government and aid agencies trying to run IDP camps in northern Yemen, according to Nasim Ur-Rehman, a spokesman for the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
• Over 300 Russian peacekeepers serving with UN in Africa RIA Novosti 27 Oct 2009 -- A total of 330 Russian peacekeepers are participating in five UN missions in African countries, including Sudan and Chad, Russia's envoy to the UN said.

News Reports

• Ahmadinejad links Iran's nuclear program to Israel RIA Novosti 27 Oct 2009 -- Iran will move forward with its nuclear program as long as Israel possesses nuclear weapons, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying on Tuesday.
• Iran May Accept 'Framework' of Nuclear Agreement VOA 27 Oct 2009 -- Iran's state television says the country will accept the general framework of a United Nations-brokered uranium deal, but will demand some "important changes."
• Yemen seizes ship loaded with Iranian weaponry RIA Novosti 27 Oct 2009 -- Yemen's navy has seized in its territorial waters in the Red Sea an Iranian ship loaded with anti-tank weaponry, Al-Arabiya satellite television reported citing government sources.
• Iraq's Election Law Goes To Parliament For Approval RFE/RL 27 Oct 2009 -- Iraq's political leaders have sent what they say is a compromise version of the country's controversial election law to parliament.
• First swine flu fatality in Moscow brings Russia death toll to 4 RIA Novosti 27 Oct 2009 -- A 53-year-old woman has died of swine flu in a Moscow hospital, bringing Russia's fatalities from the new A/H1N1 virus to four people, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
• Russia reports first swine flu deaths RIA Novosti 27 Oct 2009 -- Two women diagnosed with swine flu have died in eastern Siberia's Chita, the regional governor's press service said on Tuesday.
• US Stepping up Role in Honduras Political Crisis VOA 27 Oct 2009 -- The Obama administration is sending a team of senior officials to Honduras Wednesday to try to expedite a settlement of the political crisis spawned by the ouster in June of elected President Manuel Zelaya. The deposed leader remains at the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa.
• Former French Minister Gets Jail In Angola Arms Trial VOA 27 Oct 2009 -- A Paris court sentenced a former French interior minister to a year of prison and delivered stiff sentences to other former high-level figures for their role in arms trafficking to Angola during the 1990s.
• Scottish Investigators Review Case of 1988 Bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 VOA 27 Oct 2009 -- Scottish police have just announced they are looking into evidence surrounding the 1988 bombing of an American airliner flying from London to New York.
• 2 Chicago Men Arrested for Overseas Terror Plot VOA 27 Oct 2009 -- The U.S. Justice Department says two men in the city of Chicago have been arrested for plotting a terrorist attack against a Danish newspaper that published cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.
• Weather Forces Postponement of Launch of New US Rocket VOA 27 Oct 2009 -- The U.S. space agency NASA has postponed the launch of its newest rocket, the Ares I-X, because of weather concerns.
• Weather, Other Issues Delay Launch of New US Rocket VOA 27 Oct 2009 -- The U.S. space agency NASA has delayed the launch of its newest rocket, the Ares I-X because of weather and other difficulties.
• Zimbabwean PM Tsvangirai Again Snubs Mugabe Cabinet - Regional Mediation Awaited VOA 27 Oct 2009 -- Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai again led the ministers of his formation of the Movement for Democratic Change on Tuesday in boycotting the weekly cabinet meeting of the national unity government in which he shares power with President Robert Mugabe.
• Biden Working To Make It All Quiet On The Eastern Front RFE/RL 27 Oct 2009 -- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's whirlwind trip through Warsaw, Bucharest, and Prague last week came with a strong whiff of déjà vu.
• Ukrainian president submits documents to run for 2nd term RIA Novosti 27 Oct 2009 -- President Viktor Yushchenko filed on Tuesday the documents to register as a candidate in Ukraine's upcoming presidential election.
• MOZAMBIQUE: Demining is not a never ending story IRIN 27 Oct 2009 -- Mozambique's effort to become the first of the world's major mine-contaminated countries to be declared mine-free is faltering on the home straight.
• GUINEA-BISSAU: Timeline of key political events IRIN 27 Oct 2009 -- Below is a timeline of major political events since the formation of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) in 1956.
• Nephew of interim Honduran leader found dead RIA Novosti 27 Oct 2009 -- The nephew of interim Honduran President Roberto Micheletti was found in the north of the country with bullet wounds to his head and chest, a Spanish news agency said citing local police.