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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Iraqi, U.S. Military Officials Say Iraqis Can Ensure Internal Security RFE/RL 14 Aug 2010 -- U.S. and Iraqi military officials have said that Iraqi security forces will have reached a sufficient level to ensure internal security by the time the remaining U.S. forces leave by 2012, RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq reports.
• Obama, Karzai Agree to Keep Pressure on Taliban VOA 14 Aug 2010 -- U.S. President Barack Obama and his Afghan counterpart, Hamid Karzai, have agreed that their countries should continue to cooperate to keep pressure on the Taliban, fight terrorism and protect the Afghan people.
• Afghan Refugees at Risk in Flood-Stricken Pakistan VOA 14 Aug 2010 -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says Afghan refugees who are living in flood-stricken Pakistan are among the most vulnerable victims. The UNHCR says it is assisting hundreds of thousands of Afghans whose camps are overwhelmed by flooding.
• UN calls for restraint following violent clashes in Afghan capital UN News Centre 14 Aug 2010 -- The United Nations mission in Afghanistan today expressed concern about violent clashes that erupted in the capital on Friday and called on all parties to cease hostilities and exercise restraint.
• Afghan Official Worried By Security Ahead Of Parliamentary Elections RFE/RL 14 Aug 2010 -- Afghan electoral officials are expressing concern over security preparations ahead of next month's parliamentary elections, RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan reports.
• Iowa National Guard Agri-Business Development Team hits ground running Army News 14 Aug 2010 -- Members of the Iowa National Guard's 734th Agri-Business Development Team have wasted no time in establishing a relationship with key government and agricultural officials in Kunar province.
• ANSF, Task Force Iron Rakkasan Soldiers conduct Operation Shamshir in Ghazni Province Army News 14 Aug 2010 -- Soldiers from Company A, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment conducted a joint air-assault operation with members of the Afghan National Civil Order Police and Afghan National Army soldiers in support of Operation Shamshir in eastern Ghazni Province Aug. 6-9.
• Rakkasan Soldier recovers 'unrecoverable' vehicle Army News 14 Aug 2010 -- Mountainous terrain, narrow passes, loose gravel and winding roads spell certain danger for U.S. and coalition forces here who must navigate them with a variety of vehicles and equipment.

Defense Policy / Programs

• PHIBRON 7 Disestablished: Concluding 24 Years of Naval Service Navy NewsStand 14 Aug 2010 -- Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 7 lowered its pennant aboard USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) Aug. 12 as the squadron disestablished after 24 years of naval service.
• Eisenhower Holds Change of Command Ceremony Navy NewsStand 14 Aug 2010 -- Sailors assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike) welcomed a new commanding officer during a change of command ceremony in Norfolk Aug. 13.
• "Zappers" Conduct Aerial At-Sea Change of Command Navy NewsStand 14 Aug 2010 -- The "Zappers" from Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130 upheld the time-honored aviation tradition of an airborne change of command ceremony Aug. 12.
• 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit returns home after seven-month deployment USMC News 14 Aug 2010 -- Handmade and store bought banners displaying welcome home messages can be seen decorating the chain-link fences and roadways of Camp Lejeune this week signaling the return of approximately 2,300 Marines and Sailors with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
• Major US Military Command Closure Causes Concern in Norfolk VOA 14 Aug 2010 -- On August 9, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced the elimination of a major U.S. combat command as a cost-cutting measure. The Joint Forces Command employs about 6,000 people around (the US southern city of) Norfolk, Virginia. People who live in the region are concerned possible job losses will create a downturn in the local economy.
• French warships for Russia to be armed with Ka-52 helicopters RIA Novosti 14 Aug 2010 -- Mistral-class helicopter carriers, which Russia plans to buy from France, will be armed with Russian Ka-52 Alligator helicopters, Air Force Commander Colonel General Alexander Zelin told the Ekho Moskvy FM station on Saturday.
• Russian frontline, army aviation to be completely rearmed in 10 years RIA Novosti 14 Aug 2010 -- The Russian Air Force will entirely rearm its frontline aviation and army aviation within the next 10 years, Air Force Commander Colonel General Alexander Zelin told the Ekho Moskvy FM station on Saturday.
• Russian 5G fighter to outstrip best analogs RIA Novosti 14 Aug 2010 -- Russian fifth-generation T-50 fighter, which is currently being developed by the Sukhoi aircraft manufacturer, will outstrip best world analogs, Air Force Commander Colonel General Alexander Zelin said on Saturday.
• Russia's Moskva missile cruiser calls in at Sri Lanka for visit RIA Novosti 14 Aug 2010 -- The flagship of the Black Sea fleet, the RFS Moskva guided-missile cruiser, called in at the port of Colombo in Sri Lanka for an official visit, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry said.
• Moscow, Central Economic region Air Defense to receive S-400, S-500 systems RIA Novosti 14 Aug 2010 -- The Air Defense System of Moscow and the Russian Central Economic region will receive new weapons, including prestigious S-400 and S-500 air defense systems, Air Force Commander Colonel General Alexander Zelin said on Saturday.
• Tank Familiarization Course Graduates 85 Iraqi Army Soldiers Army News 14 Aug 2010 -- Eighty-five Iraqi Army soldiers graduated from the M1A1 Tank Familiarization Course Aug. 12 at the Besmaya Combat Training Center, Iraq.
• Fleet of Abrams arrive at Umm Qasr Army News 14 Aug 2010 -- The Iraqi Security Forces recently took their next step toward self-reliance with the delivery of the first of 140 M1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks purchased by the Iraqi government.

Defense Industry

• First Advanced Extremely High Frequency Satellite Built By Lockheed Martin Launched Successfully Lockheed Martin 14 Aug 2010 -- The first Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite built by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] for the U.S. Air Force, was successfully launched today from Cape Canaveral aboard an Atlas V rocket provided by the United Launch Alliance. The satellite is the most technologically advanced military communications satellite ever developed and will provide significantly improved global, survivable, highly secure, protected, communications for warfighters operating on ground, sea and air platforms.

Other Conflicts

• Darfur: probe underway into abduction of two UN-African Union peacekeepers UN News Centre 14 Aug 2010 -- An investigation is underway into the abduction of two police advisors serving with the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force in the strife-torn Darfur region of Sudan who were seized early Saturday.
• UN Peacekeepers Kidnapped in Darfur VOA 14 Aug 2010 -- The United Nations says two police advisors working with the joint U.N.-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur have been kidnapped.
• Kremlin regrets Lukashenko's "dishonesty, inconsistency" RIA Novosti 14 Aug 2010 -- The Kremlin regrets Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's inconsistent policy towards recognizing South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
• Gunmen Kill 16 in SW Pakistan Attacks VOA 14 Aug 2010 -- Pakistani officials say gunmen have killed 16 people in two separate attacks in the restive southwest of the country.

News Reports

• Interview: Igor Sutyagin Discusses 'Spy Swap,' Life In England RFE/RL 14 Aug 2010 -- Former Russian nuclear researcher Igor Sutyagin was among the four prisoners accused of spying for the West who were exchanged on July 9 for 10 suspected Russian spies in U.S. custody. The exchange, which took place at Vienna's airport, was the biggest "spy swap" between the two countries since the Cold War.
• WikiLeaks to Publish More Secrets With Some Data Removed VOA 14 Aug 2010 -- The founder of WikiLeaks says his group will not be threatened by U.S. officials, but the website will remove the names of "innocent parties" before publishing more secret military documents from Afghanistan.
• Bushehr nuclear plant manifestation of Iran-Russia cooperation IRNA 14 Aug 2010 -- Head of Iran-Russia Parliamentary Friendship Group Mehdi Sanaei said on Saturday that loading fuel into Bushehr nuclear power plant is manifestation of close cooperation between Tehran and Moscow in the past two decades.
• Iran produces fuel for 20 power plants under construction, MP IRNA 14 Aug 2010 -- The fuel being produced in Natanz will be supplied to 20 nuclear power plants whose construction are currently underway, head of the Majlis Commission on National Security and Foreign Policy Alaeddin Boroujerdi said on Saturday.
• U.S. President Supports Controversial New York Mosque Project RFE/RL 14 Aug 2010 -- President Barack Obama has backed construction of a proposed mosque and Muslim cultural center near the site of the September 11, 2001, attacks in New York -- a project opposed by U.S. conservatives and many New Yorkers.
• Obama Supports Building Mosque Near Scene Of 9/11 Attack VOA 14 Aug 2010 -- U.S. President Barack Obama says he supports a plan to build a mosque and Islamic cultural center in New York, near the scene of the deadly September 11, 2001 attacks. It was the first time the president has expressed his opinion about the intense controversy.
• Flood-Hit Pakistan Cancels Most Independence Day Celebrations RFE/RL 14 Aug 2010 -- Pakistan has observed the 63rd anniversary of its independence with somber ceremonies as it struggled with the worst floods in decades.
• Cholera Confirmed in Pakistan's Floods VOA 14 Aug 2010 -- The worst floods in Pakistan's history washed out independence day celebrations Saturday, as the U.N. confirmed the waterborne disease cholera has been found in the disaster zone.
• Crashed Lufthansa cargo plane was carrying arms for S.Arabia: report IRNA 14 Aug 2010 -- A Lufthansa cargo plane which crashed at Riyadh's international airport late last month, was reportedly carrying weapons for Saudi Arabia and unspecified materials for the US military, the weekly news magazine Der Spiegel said Saturday.
• Armenia May Postpone Closure Of Nuclear Power Plant RFE/RL 14 Aug 2010 -- A senior Armenian official has said the government will probably delay by several years the decommissioning of a Soviet-era nuclear power station, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports.
• Chechnya's Kadyrov may change his title in September RIA Novosti 14 Aug 2010 -- Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov may change the name of his official title in September in case the Chechen parliament approves this initiative, the speaker of the Chechen parliament said on Saturday.
• Madagascar Parties, President Sign Deal on Elections VOA 14 Aug 2010 -- Madagascar President Andry Rojoelina has signed an agreement with least 90 minor political parties settings dates for a constitutional referendum, and parliamentary and presidential elections.
• Russia to consider possibility of setting up JV in uranium with Mongolia RIA Novosti 14 Aug 2010 -- Russian government has introduced into the lower house of the Russian Parliament, the State Duma, an intergovernmental agreement with Mongolia on setting up joint uranium mining company with limited liability Dordon Uran.
• Belarus may refuse NPP construction deal with Russia - Lukashenko RIA Novosti 14 Aug 2010 -- Belarus may refuse its deal with Russia's nuclear power equipment and service export monopoly Atomstroyexport on a construction of a nuclear power plant in the ex-Soviet republic, the Belarus president said.