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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 28 Dec 2009 [PDF]
• U.S. Scouts Advise, Assist Iraqi Commandos AFPS 28 Dec 2009 -- U.S. Army scouts are helping Iraqi army commandos in securing their country.
• Iraqi Forces Arrest Terrorism Suspects AFPS 28 Dec 2009 -- Iraqi forces, aided by U.S. advisors, arrested several suspected terrorists and seized weapons in recent days, military officials reported.
• Aziz: Anbar Operations Command effective because of strong Iraqi-U.S. partnership Army News 28 Dec 2009 -- Of 62 suspected Al Qaeda, insurgents, kidnappers, murderers, and bomb builders targeted by the Ramadi-based Anbar Operations Command, 20 were captured by Anbar Iraqi security forces during autumn 2009.
• Spartan Soldiers present tractors, combines to Iraqi farmers Army News 28 Dec 2009 -- Rain, seeds and tractors are important factors in a farmer's life. Without all of those, growing and cultivating crops would be out of the question.
• Logistics planners converge on Kuwait to coordinate next phase of Iraq drawdown Army News 28 Dec 2009 -- A virtual "who's who" from the world of military logistics converged in Kuwait for a full day Dec. 14 to go over the next phase of the responsible drawdown plan to move people and equipment out of Iraq.
• Advanced IED defeat course, battle drills help save lives Army News 28 Dec 2009 -- All Soldiers are trained on various convoy operations before they deploy, even if they never step into an armored vehicle during their deployment.
• NATO Investigating New Reports of Afghan Civilian Deaths VOA 28 Dec 2009 -- NATO officials in Afghanistan say they are investigating reports that ten civilians, many of them children, were killed during a military operation in the eastern part of the country.
• Forces Detain Suspected Militants in Afghanistan AFPS 28 Dec 2009 -- Afghan and international security forces detained several suspected militants, including a Taliban commander, in Afghanistan in recent days, military officials reported.
• Afghan District Governor Hails Rebuilding Projects AFPS 28 Dec 2009 -- Afghanistan’s Now Zad district governor, Sayed Murad Agha, greeted more than 100 local citizens of the once-abandoned market here Dec. 20.
• Afghan Officials Claim Coalition Airstrike Kills 10 Civilians VOA 28 Dec 2009 -- Afghan officials in eastern Kunar province say an airstrike by foreign troops has killed ten civilians, most of whom are children.
• Suicide Bomber Hits Pakistani Shi'ites in Karachi, Killing 30 VOA 28 Dec 2009 -- Pakistani officials say a suicide bomber has struck a Shi'ite Muslim religious procession in the southern city of Karachi, killing 30 people and wounding dozens of others.
• Pakistani forces kill 15 militants IRNA 28 Dec 2009 -- Pakistani security forces killed 15 militants in South Waziristan tribal region, the army said Monday.
• Clashes between Taliban and tribal militia kill 15 in Pakistan RIA Novosti 28 Dec 2009 -- At least 15 people died in clashes between Taliban militants and tribal militia in Pakistan on Monday, local media reported.
• Bomb attack on Muharram procession kills 20 in Pakistan IRNA 28 Dec 2009 -- At least 20 people were killed in a bomb attack on Muharram procession in the Pakistani city of Karachi on Monday, a provincial minister said.
• 10 killed in Pakistan’s Kashmir suicide blast: TV IRNA 28 Dec 2009 -- At least 10 people were killed and several others were injured in a suicide bomb attack at the gate of a military hospital in Pakistani controlled Kashmir on Sunday, reports said.
• Suicide bomber kills 20 in Pakistan RIA Novosti 28 Dec 2009 -- At least 20 people were killed and dozens injured in Karachi on Monday when a suicide bomber attacked a Shiite Muslim procession, Pakistan's Aaj TV reported.
• Suicide bombing kills at least 10 in Pakistan RIA Novosti 28 Dec 2009 -- At least 10 people have been killed and dozens injured in a suicide bombing in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani-administered Kashmir, Pakistan's Aaj TV has said.
• Suicide Bomber Hits Pakistani Shi'ites in Karachi, Killing 20 VOA 28 Dec 2009 -- Pakistani officials say a suicide bomber has struck a Shi'ite Muslim religious procession in the southern city of Karachi, killing 20 people and wounding dozens of others.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Statement by the President on the Attempted Attack on Christmas Day and Recent Violence in Iran The White House 28 Dec 2009
• Official Lauds Yemeni Government for Taking on al-Qaida AFPS 28 Dec 2009 -- The Yemeni government deserves praise for taking on the al-Qaida threat in that country, a Defense Department official said here today.
• DoD Looks at Long-term Effects of Burn Pits AFPS 28 Dec 2009 -- The Defense Department has launched a study on the possible long-term effects of the smoke emitted from burn pits used in overseas locations such as Iraq.
• MC-12 arrives, heralds activation of 4th ERS AFNS 28 Dec 2009 -- The newest aircraft to the Air Force's inventory arrived Dec. 27, 2009, to Bagram Airfield. The MC-12 aircraft, tail number 090623, was the first of an undisclosed number of aircraft for the new 4th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron here.
• DoD Looks at Long-term Effects of Burn Pits AFPS 28 Dec 2009 -- The Defense Department has launched a study on the possible long-term effects of the smoke emitted from burn pits used in overseas locations such as Iraq.
• German landlords reclaim U.S. facilities in Dexheim Army News 28 Dec 2009 -- Once a U.S. military installation in Europe makes the base closure list, return of the property to the host nation is usually not far behind.
• Army lodge program passes milestone with Ansbach lodge groundbreaking Army News 28 Dec 2009 -- Construction broke ground on an $8.8 million, 26-room Army lodge at the U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach's post in Urlas recently, marking the midway point in the largest Army lodging initiative in Europe, ever.
• New device tracks service records USMC News 28 Dec 2009 -- A newly installed electronic tracking device in Camp Pendleton Service Record Books is expected to save the base nearly $1.5 million and 54,000 man-hours annually.
• Russian Air Force may start receiving An-124 cargo jets in 2014 RIA Novosti 28 Dec 2009 -- New An-124 Ruslan (Condor) heavy-lift transport aircraft could start being delivered to the Russian Air Force in 2014, the contractor said on Monday.
• Nerpa nuclear attack submarine enters service with Russia's Navy RIA Novosti 28 Dec 2009 -- Russia's Nerpa nuclear attack submarine, damaged in a fatal accident during tests in November last year, has entered service with the Russian Navy after successfully passing final trials, a Pacific Fleet spokesman said Monday.
• Russia's Nerpa sub passes final trials RIA Novosti 28 Dec 2009 -- Russia's Nerpa nuclear attack submarine, damaged in a fatal accident during tests in November last year, has successfully passed final trials, a Pacific Fleet spokesman said on Monday.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for December 28, 2009
• SAIC Awarded $10 Million Contract to Support U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command SAIC 28 Dec 2009 -- Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) (NYSE: SAI) today announced it has been awarded a prime contract by the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) to provide requirements assessment, strategic planning, and programming support

Other Conflicts

• Israel to Build 700 Homes in East Jerusalem VOA 28 Dec 2009 -- Israel plans to build nearly 700 new apartments in disputed East Jerusalem, defying demands by the United States and the Palestinian Authority for a freeze on settlement construction. While Israel has imposed a partial freeze on construction in the West Bank, government spokesman Mark Regev says that does not apply to Jerusalem, which Israel says is the eternal capital of the Jewish people.
• Statement by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs on Construction in East Jerusalem The White House 28 Dec 2009
• EGYPT-OPT: Egypt blocks Gaza protesters IRIN 28 Dec 2009 -- More than 1,000 people from 42 countries who have vowed to travel from Cairo to the Gaza Strip on 31 December in a bid to highlight and break the Israeli economic blockade, will be prevented from carrying out their mission, according to the Egyptian authorities.
• DR Congo: blue helmets protect thousands daily, says top UN envoy UN News Centre 28 Dec 2009 -- The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) upholds the human rights of thousands of people every day, the top UN envoy to the African nation said today, rejecting criticism from a non-governmental organization that blue helmets are “complicit” in abuses committed by the Congolese army.

News Reports

• Iranian Government Cracks Down Further On Opposition VOA 28 Dec 2009 -- The Iranian government is cracking the whip on opposition supporters after two days of intense and sometimes bloody demonstrations in Tehran and elsewhere. Scores of opposition activists and political leaders are reported to have been arrested.
• US, Other Western Nations Condemn Iranian Crackdown on Protesters VOA 28 Dec 2009 -- U.S. President Barack Obama and other Western leaders are condemning Iran's use of deadly force in the latest crackdown on anti-government demonstrators. The clashes in Tehran and elsewhere have left at least eight people dead and prompted another wave of arrests of prominent reformists.
• Israel Says Iran Close to Nuclear Capability VOA 28 Dec 2009 -- Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak says Iran is moving quickly toward the "point of no return." Speaking behind closed doors to the parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Barak said Iran will have the technology to build a nuclear bomb by early next year and could produce one in 2011.
• Ashura Violence Marks Turning Point For Opposition RFE/RL 28 Dec 2009 -- As Iranians gathered to celebrate the Shi'ite holiday of Ashura on December 27, Tehran witnessed some of its worse violence since just after the disputed June 12 presidential contest that plunged the Islamic Republic into crisis.
• U.S., France, Italy Condemn Iranian Violence RFE/RL 28 Dec 2009 -- The United States, Italy, and France have all come out with statements condemning violence by Iranian security forces against civilian protesters.
• Arrests Continue As State TV Confirms Eight Killed In Iran Protests RFE/RL 28 Dec 2009 -- Iranian security forces today continued to arrest protesters and prominent opposition members who took part in two days of deadly demonstrations in Tehran and other cities.
• Russia voices concern over Tehran unrest RIA Novosti 28 Dec 2009 -- Russia is concerned by the recent clashes between demonstrators and police in Tehran, and calls for restraint and conciliation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
• Violence on rise in Iran, opposition leader's nephew among dead RIA Novosti 28 Dec 2009 -- According to unofficial sources, at least nine people were killed in violence in Iran, including the nephew of opposition leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi, local media has reported.
• Iranian Police Arrest 5 Prominent Activists VOA 28 Dec 2009 -- Iranian opposition groups say authorities have arrested at least five prominent reformists as part of a new crackdown on anti-government protests, following demonstrations in which at least eight people were killed.
• Western Nations Condemn Crackdown on Iranian Protesters VOA 28 Dec 2009 -- Western nations are strongly condemning Iran's crackdown on political activists.
• Ask The Expert: Will Yemen Become A Major Al/-Qaeda Sanctuary? RFE/RL 28 Dec 2009
• Obama: U.S. Will Strengthen Defenses, Pressure Extremists AFPS 28 Dec 2009 -- In addition to strengthening defenses, the United States will seek out those who wish Americans harm “anywhere they are plotting attacks against the U.S. homeland,” President Barack Obama said in Hawaii today.
• Obama: US Doing Everything to Protect Americans VOA 28 Dec 2009 -- U.S. President Barack Obama says those responsible for the attempted Christmas Day attack on an American airliner will be held to account. In his first public comments on the incident, Mr. Obama also outlined additional steps to improve air safety.
• Another Nigerian passenger causes panic on U.S. flight RIA Novosti 28 Dec 2009 -- U.S. special forces have been put on alert as a result of the suspicious conduct of a 30-year-old Nigerian passenger onboard a Delta Airlines plane, the Fox News channel has reported.
• Security Heightened; Obama to Speak on Airline Incident VOA 28 Dec 2009 -- Airport security in the United States and elsewhere has been tightened since Friday when a Nigerian man allegedly tried to blow up a U.S. airliner.
• Nigeria Orders Increased Airport Security after Failed US Plane Bombing VOA 28 Dec 2009 -- The Nigerian government has enhanced security checks at its airports after a young Nigerian man tried to blow up a U.S. airliner.
• No progress in Benazir Bhutto’s death probe IRNA 28 Dec 2009 -- There has been no progress in the investigation into the death of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto even two years after her assassination.
• Russia's Lavrov says six-party talks with N.Korea 'mandatory' RIA Novosti 28 Dec 2009 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that circumstances for the resumption of talks with North Korea on its controversial nuclear program have improved.
• North Korea Arrests US Missionary VOA 28 Dec 2009 -- North Korea says it has arrested an American who illegally crossed the border from China last week.
• Activist's Incursion Into North Korea Creates Dilemma for Rights Groups VOA 28 Dec 2009 -- North Korea is remaining silent on the fate of a U.S. citizen who entered the country illegally last week to spread a Christian message. Human rights groups are now asking themselves the difficult question of what to do next.
• Guinea Opposition Figure Says Junta Leader Should Quit Politics VOA 28 Dec 2009 -- A leading member of Guinea’s opposition coalition says the group is concerned the tense political situation could worsen if the recovering junta leader, Captain Moussa Dadis Camara returns to Guinea after his medical treatment in Morocco.
• THAILAND: UNHCR official “extremely dismayed” over Hmong deportations IRIN 28 Dec 2009 -- A UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) official has expressed dismay over Thailand’s decision to begin sending some 4,000 ethnic Hmong back to Laos.
• Thailand Begins Repatriation to Laos of Hmong Migrants VOA 28 Dec 2009 -- The Thai government rejects accusations by the international community that thousands of Lao Hmong refugees were being forcibly sent back to Laos.
• Armenian Premier Vows To Expose Corrupt Officials RFE/RL 28 Dec 2009 -- Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian has pledged to crack down on wealthy and corrupt state officials in order to strengthen the rule of law, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports.
• UN refugee chief expresses ‘dismay’ as Thailand expels thousands of Lao Hmong UN News Centre 28 Dec 2009 -- The head of the United Nations refugee agency has expressed dismay as Thai authorities began the forced deportation today of thousands of ethnic Hmong back to neighbouring Laos.