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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 07 Apr 2010 [PDF]
• Airpower Summary: April 6 AFNS 07 Apr 2010
• Airpower Summary: April 5 AFNS 07 Apr 2010
• Iraqis Arrest 9 Terrorism Suspects AFPS 07 Apr 2010 -- Iraqi forces, with U.S. advisors, arrested nine suspected terrorists in recent operations, military officials reported.
• Army Beating Estimate on Equipment Drawdown from Iraq AFPS 07 Apr 2010 -- The Army is now 35 percent complete in its effort to move equipment and materiel out of Iraq as part of the U.S. withdrawal from that country.
• Kirkuk vehicle maintainers keep mission going at Mosul AFNS 07 Apr 2010 -- For two vehicle maintainers attached to Kirkuk Regional Air Base, their job responsibilities extend beyond this base. They work at Forward Operating Base Diamondback in Mosul, Iraq, as maintainers for three aircraft cargo loaders.
• U.S. transfers facilities to Iraqi control as drawdown continues Army News 07 Apr 2010 -- With the drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq and the movement of Iraqi forces into the role of providing all security for the country, bases that have housed U.S. troops over the past several years - in many cases alongside Iraqi troops - are being returned to full Iraqi control.
• Michigan Guardsmen escort Iraqi workers at JBB Army News 07 Apr 2010 -- Almost every morning, Soldiers with the 1073rd Maintenance Company out of Greenville, Mich., escort local nationals working with the Department of Public Works from the entry gate at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, onto the base.
• Afghan, NATO Troops Kill Dozens in Battle AFPS 07 Apr 2010 -- Afghan and NATO troops were involved in a 12-hour battle yesterday with insurgents in western Afghanistan’s Badghis province, killing dozens of enemy fighters, military officials reported.
• Top Afghan Election Officials Step Down VOA 07 Apr 2010 -- Afghan officials say the head of the country's Independent Election Commission has resigned, along with his deputy.
• Washington Warns Karzai His U.S. Visit In Jeopardy RFE/RL 07 Apr 2010 -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai has uttered some astonishingly hostile comments in recent days aimed at his Western allies, mainly the United States.
• Aide Denies Karzai Threatened To Join Taliban RFE/RL 07 Apr 2010 -- Hamid Karzai's spokesman has denied reports that the Afghan president threatened to join the Taliban insurgency if he were pressured by Western powers.
• McFaul Crew Captures Suspected Pirates, Rescues Crew AFPS 07 Apr 2010 -- The crew of the guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul captured 10 suspected pirates and rescued eight crewmembers from the Indian cargo dhow Faize Osamani near Salalah, Oman, April 5 after a dhow and three skiffs attempted to attack the Motor Vessel Rising Sun the same day.
• Fire Scout Scores First-Ever Drug Bust with McInerney Navy NewsStand 07 Apr 2010 -- During a routine test flight, a MQ-8B Fire Scout Vertical Take-off and Landing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (VTUAV) supported its first drug interdiction with USS McInerney (FFG 8) and a U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (USCG LEDET) Apr. 3.
• F-16s Respond to Denver-bound Aircraft AFPS 07 Apr 2010 -- Two F-16 fighters under the direction of North American Aerospace Defense Command intercepted a Denver-bound airliner at about 6:45 p.m. MDT today.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Obama, Medvedev Set To Sign Treaty Cutting Nuclear Stockpiles VOA 07 Apr 2010 -- Thursday, U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will sign a treaty to cut both countries' inventory of nuclear weapons. The ceremony will take place in Prague.
• U.S., Russia Set To Sign Nuclear Arms Deal RFE/RL 07 Apr 2010 -- to stop the spread of these weapons; to secure vulnerable nuclear materials from terrorists; and to reduce nuclear arsenals," Obama said. "A fundamental part of that effort was the negotiation of a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia."
• DoD News: DOD Releases Open Government Plan DoD 07 Apr 2010 -- The Department of Defense released its Open Government Plan today.
• Gates Stresses Need for Special Operations Funding AFPS 07 Apr 2010 -- Getting special operations forces a seat at the defense budget table has been a priority since he took office, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy here tonight.
• USS Chafee Departs Pearl Harbor for Western Pacific Deployment Navy NewsStand 07 Apr 2010 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Chafee (DDG 90) departed Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam April 5 for a scheduled six-month deployment.
• DON Takes First Step in NSPS Transition to GS by Classifying Positions Navy NewsStand 07 Apr 2010 -- The Department of Navy (DoN) begins its transition from the National Security Personnel System (NSPS) April 25 with a small group representing various commands.
• USDA, DON Host Hawaii Renewable Energy Forum Navy NewsStand 07 Apr 2010 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Navy (DON) co-hosted a renewable energy and bio-energy industry forum at the Kaneohe Bay Officers Club on Marine Corps Base Hawaii April 6, to share information about a recently announced collaborative energy opportunity.
• APS Gunston Hall Arrives in Dakar, Sarts Final Phase Navy NewsStand 07 Apr 2010 -- USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44), the flagship for Africa Partnership Station (APS) West, along with an embarked international staff, arrived in Dakar, Senegal, on April 6, for the start of the second and final phase of the ship's APS West deployment.
• SSC Pacific Marks Golden Anniversary of First Live Polaris Launch Navy NewsStand 07 Apr 2010 -- Personnel at Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific) will celebrate 70 years as a Navy research, development and engineering center in 2010, marking the event is the golden anniversary of the first live launch of a Polaris missile, April 4.
• Everett Hosts Energy Metering Groundbreaking Navy NewsStand 07 Apr 2010 -- Naval Station Everett hosted the groundbreaking for the Advanced Metering Infrastructure Initiative (AMI), the largest American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) project in the Northwest March 29.
• VA health information technology improves quality of health care while reducing costs AFNS 07 Apr 2010 -- The Department of Veterans Affairs has shown that health information technology provides improved quality of health care and substantial cost savings, according to a study in the public health journal Health Affairs.
• Europe engineer support team to deploy in support of joint Alaska exercises Army News 07 Apr 2010 -- A Forward Engineer Support Team from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District is scheduled to deploy April 20 to provide field force engineering support to Joint Task Force Alaska's Arctic Edge, the Alaska National Guard's Vigilant Guard and the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management's Alaska Shield at various locations around Alaska.
• Mortar fin production another testament to Blue Grass success Army News 07 Apr 2010 -- A new mission for the Blue Grass Army Depot is moving the installation forward, while still providing critical support for our service members.
• Army to hire 3,000 security guards Army News 07 Apr 2010 -- The Army is converting about 2,500 installation access control point security guard positions from contractor to federal employee status at nearly 50 stateside locations.
• Shinseki: VA Tackles Root Causes of Homelessness AFPS 07 Apr 2010 -- No one who has ever served the United States in uniform should ever end up living on the street, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki insists.
• Friendships forged with tank firepower between Marines, French Foreign Legion USMC News 07 Apr 2010 -- The rock-ribbed mountain terrain of Djibouti, Africa, furiously trembled as Marines and French Foreign Legionnaires barraged the earth with their battle tanks when the two militaries joined forces to conduct a bi-lateral training exercise here last month.
• Talks on Mistral ship purchase still underway - Russian Defense Ministry RIA Novosti 07 Apr 2010 -- Russia and France have not yet agreed on the purchase of a French helicopter carrier for the Russian Navy, a Russian deputy defense minister said on Wednesday.
• Russian military set to upgrade bulk of weaponry by 2020 RIA Novosti 07 Apr 2010 -- Russia may boost the share of advanced military equipment in its Armed Forces to 70% of the total by 2020, a Russian think tank said on Wednesday.
• Russia, S.Ossetia sign agreement on military base RIA Novosti 07 Apr 2010 -- Russia and South Ossetia have signed an agreement on establishing a permanent Russian military base in the former Georgian republic, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Wednesday.
• Ministry denies report of military drill targeting China CNA 07 Apr 2010 -- Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) on Wednesday denied a report that it was preparing a military drill in which it will simulate an attack on China.
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 07 Apr 2010

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for April 07, 2010
• General Dynamics Awarded $20 Million Contract by Boeing for Production of Composite C-17 Aircraft Components General Dynamics 07 Apr 2010 -- General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products was awarded a contract valued at approximately $20 million from The Boeing Company for the production of composite components for the C-17 Globemaster III advanced airlifter. Deliveries are expected to begin in February 2011 and be completed by April 2012. Production and program management will be performed at General Dynamics’ advanced materials facility in Marion, Va. General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products is a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).
• First Lockheed Martin Mission Systems F-35 Enters Flight Test Lockheed Martin 07 Apr 2010 -- The first mission systems-equipped Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter flew for the first time today, ushering in what will be the most powerful and comprehensive sensor package ever to fly in a fighter.

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 07 Apr 2010
• UN takes new security steps after deadly attack in north-western DR Congo UN News Centre 07 Apr 2010 -- United Nations peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the national army are adopting new security measures after a deadly attack in a hitherto more stable region of the vast strife-torn country highlighted the potential for local conflicts to rapidly escalate.
• Upcoming Sudanese elections must be free, fair and credible, UN chief stresses UN News Centre 07 Apr 2010 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on all parties in Sudan to ensure that next week’s national elections are free, fair and credible, while voicing concerns about security and logistics for the polls – the first of their kind in 24 years.
• Preventing future atrocities best way to honour Rwandan genocide victims – Ban UN News Centre 07 Apr 2010 -- Securing justice for the victims of genocide and preventing future atrocities are the best ways to honour the hundreds of thousands of people slaughtered in Rwanda 16 years ago, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed today as the United Nations observes a global day of remembrance for the tragedy.
• UN Chief Voices Concern About Kosovo's North VOA 07 Apr 2010 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed concern about Kosovo's strategy to integrate the country's ethnically divided north.
• DRC: Doctors fear drug shortages after clashes IRIN 07 Apr 2010 -- Health facilities in Equateur's Provincial capital, Mbandaka, are overwhelmed with people injured in recent fighting between the Congolese army and insurgents in the town, raising concerns that essential medical supplies are running out.
• SUDAN: What they're saying about the elections IRIN 07 Apr 2010 -- The 11 April elections in Sudan - the first for more than two decades – and the 2011 referendum on the status of Southern Sudan have prompted a flurry of reports. Most highlight the uncertain future facing a divided country still at grave risk of renewed war, despite the 2005 signing of a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between north and south. All were written before the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement decided to boycott some of the polls on 7 April.
• SRI LANKA: Small steps to recovery IRIN 07 Apr 2010 -- Residents in conflict-affected northern Sri Lanka, still reeling from the effects of more than 25 years of war, are taking small but significant steps on the country’s long road to recovery.

News Reports

• Reports: CIA Authorized to Kill US-Born Cleric VOA 07 Apr 2010 -- U.S. officials say the Obama administration has authorized the CIA to capture or kill a U.S.-born radical Muslim cleric alleged to be an al-Qaida operative.
• Kyrgyz Opposition Claims Control; Forming Interim Govt VOA 07 Apr 2010 -- The political opposition in Kyrgyzstan says it has seized power, after a day of clashes in several cities that killed at least 40 people and wounded more than 400.
• US Urges Dialogue in Kyrgyzstan VOA 07 Apr 2010 -- The United States Wednesday deplored the political violence in Kyrgyzstan and urged dialogue between the government and opposition protestors. The State Department said it understood the Bishkek government of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was still functioning despite reports the leadership had resigned.
• Kyrgyz Opposition Calls For Government To Step Down After Deadly Clashes RFE/RL 07 Apr 2010 -- A leader of Kyrgyzstan's opposition has demanded that the government step down, following a day of protests that left at least 30 people dead.
• Anti-Government Protests Sweep Kyrgyzstan, 40 Killed VOA 07 Apr 2010 -- The government of Kyrgyzstan has declared a state of emergency and at least 40 people are dead and dozens injured after police in the former Soviet republic clashed with thousands of protesters in the capital of Bishkek. Kyrgyz opposition leaders are demanding President Kurmanbek Bakiyev step down.
• Kyrgyz opposition forms govt., demands transfer of power, 40 killed in protests (WRAPUP 7) RIA Novosti 07 Apr 2010 -- The Kyrgyz opposition formed a government of national confidence led by former foreign minister Roza Otunbayeva and demanded a transfer of power from the official cabinet as the death count in the country's protests rose to 40.
• Russia not involved in Kyrgyz events - Putin RIA Novosti 07 Apr 2010 -- Russia has played no role in the events in Kyrgyzstan, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.
• Government and opposition in Kyrgyzstan to start talks (WRAPUP 6) RIA Novosti 07 Apr 2010 -- Government and opposition in the ex-Soviet Central Asian state of Kyrgyzstan agreed to start talks after a day of clashes in the capital Bishkek in which at least 17 people died, a Kyrgyz governmental official said on Wednesday.
• At least 17 dead, over 140 injured in riots in Kyrgyzstan (WRAPUP 5) RIA Novosti 07 Apr 2010 -- At least 17 people have died and another 142 are injured in ongoing riots on Wednesday in Bishkek, the capital of the ex-Soviet Central Asian state of Kyrgyzstan, Kabar local news agency said.
• At least six killed, some 100 injured in riots in ex-Soviet Kyrgyzstan (WRAPUP 4) RIA Novosti 07 Apr 2010 -- At least six people have been killed and some 100 injured on Wednesday in ongoing riots in the capital of the ex-Soviet Central Asian state of Kyrgyzstan, where a state of emergency has been imposed.
• Voicing shock at violence in Kyrgyzstan, Ban repeats call for restraint UN News Centre 07 Apr 2010 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today he was shocked by the reported deaths and injuries in Kyrgyzstan, where demonstrators in the country’s capital have clashed with the police, and once again appealed to all concerned parties to show restraint.
• N. Korea Sentences US Man to 8 Years Hard Labor VOA 07 Apr 2010 -- North Korea says it has determined a U.S. citizen should do hard labor and pay a hefty fine for his illegal entry into the country earlier this year.
• Issue of fuel swap still on table: Mottaki IRNA 07 Apr 2010 -- Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Wednesday that the issues of providing fuel for Tehran research reactor and the fuel swap are still at the table.
• Israel not able to take military action against Iran-Minister IRNA 07 Apr 2010 -- Iran’s Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics Ahmad Vahidi said Wednesday that the Zionist regime is by no means able to take any military action against Iran.
• Iran’s disarmament confab indicates Tehran’s honesty IRNA 07 Apr 2010 -- Senior Iranian diplomat said Wednesday that conducting the upcoming meeting on disarmament in Iran would signify the country’s honesty and firm intention for elimination of nuclear weapons.
• Russia to deliver fuel shipment a year after Bushehr launch RIA Novosti 07 Apr 2010 -- Russia will deliver its next fuel shipment to Iran's nuclear power plant, Bushehr, a year after the plant is launched, the president of Russia's nuclear fuel producer TVEL said on Wednesday.
• Talks continue on Russian deliveries of S-300 missiles to Iran RIA Novosti 07 Apr 2010 -- Russia continues to hold talks on deliveries of S-300 surface-to-air missile systems to Iran, a Russian defense official said on Wednesday
• Ahmadinejad Mocks Obama's Nuclear Strategy VOA 07 Apr 2010 -- Both Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki are criticizing the new U.S. nuclear doctrine presented by President Barack Obama.
• Iraq's Sadrists Reject Top Election Winners VOA 07 Apr 2010 -- An influential Shi'ite movement in Iraq led by radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr says it wants former Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari to return to the job.
• Ban sees new hope for next week’s nuclear security summit in Washington UN News Centre 07 Apr 2010 -- The world can look forward to next week’s nuclear security summit in Washington “with heightened optimism and fresh political will,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.
• Russia Wants Somali Pirates Held Accountable RFE/RL 07 Apr 2010 -- Russia's ambassador to the United Nations has introduced a draft resolution to the Security Council calling for new measures to ensure Somali pirates are punished when they are caught.
• YEMEN: Food crunch warning for July IRIN 07 Apr 2010 -- Aid organizations are warning of a food crisis in Yemen unless international food aid funding is dramatically increased before June 2010.
• Armenian President Says History Panel With Turkey Makes 'No Sense' RFE/RL 07 Apr 2010 -- Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian said there is currently no point in establishing a joint Turkish-Armenian study of the World War I-era mass killings of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports.
• Russian President Commemorates Bratislava's Liberation By Soviet Troops RFE/RL 07 Apr 2010 -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has attended ceremonies marking the 65th anniversary of the Slovak capital's liberation by the Red Army on April 4, 1945.
• At Katyn Memorial, Putin Calls For Poland, Russia To 'Move Toward Each Other' RFE/RL 07 Apr 2010 -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk have paid tribute to thousands of Polish military officers executed by the Soviet secret police seven decades ago.
• Thai PM Declares State of Emergency VOA 07 Apr 2010 -- Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is facing mounting pressure to end anti-government protests and has declared a state of emergency in the capital Bangkok and nearby provinces. Tensions escalated after anti-government protesters entered the national parliament grounds.
• NASA, Roscosmos extend contract for crew transportation to ISS RIA Novosti 07 Apr 2010 -- U.S.'s National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Russian Federal Agency Roscosmos have signed a $335-million modification to the current International Space Station contract for crew transportation in 2013 and 2014, NASA said in a statement.
• Shuttle Discovery docks manually with ISS RIA Novosti 07 Apr 2010 -- The U.S. Discovery space shuttle successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) manually after a malfunction on board the shuttle, Russian Mission Control's NASA representative Sergei Puzanov said.
• Azerbaijan Conducts Counterterror Operations Along Russian Border RFE/RL 07 Apr 2010 -- Azerbaijan's Interior Ministry has announced the start of large-scale operations in the northern Quba, Khachmaz, and Qusar districts that border on Russia, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service reports.
• US, Algeria Sign Legal Treaty VOA 07 Apr 2010 -- The United States and Algeria have signed a legal treaty boosting cooperation in the fight against terrorism and crime, the first law enforcement agreement between the two countries.
• Russia's president orders new anti-terror steps in North Caucasus RIA Novosti 07 Apr 2010 -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has ordered a range of new measures to improve Russia's fight against terrorism in the volatile North Caucasus region, the Kremlin announced on Wednesday.