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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 23 Aug 2010 [PDF]
• Iraqi Forces Kill 2, Arrest 22 With Suspected Terror Ties AFPS 23 Aug 2010 -- Iraqi security forces killed two enemy fighters and arrested 22 suspects believed to have terrorism ties in recent operations in Iraq, military officials reported.
• Airmen assist with Army ground movements in Iraq AFNS 23 Aug 2010 -- Tactical air control party teams assigned to the 4/2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team here help to keep their convoys safe by being a liaison to Airmen in aircraft flying above, when convoys are on the move.
• Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Lt. Gen. Caldwell via Teleconference from Afghanistan DoD 23 Aug 2010 -- Presenter: Commander, NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan/Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan Lt. Gen. William Caldwell
• Petraeus Says NATO Reversing Taliban's Momentum In Afghanistan RFE/RL 23 Aug 2010 -- General David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, says the Taliban's momentum in various regions of Afghanistan "has been reversed."
• Operations in Afghanistan Result in Insurgents Killed, Captured AFPS 23 Aug 2010 -- Numerous insurgents were killed or captured in recent operations in Afghanistan, military officials reported.
• Petraeus: Progress Made, But Challenges to Continue AFPS 23 Aug 2010 -- The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan today cited encouraging signs of progress in Afghanistan during an address to the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention and in a BBC interview.
• Caldwell Provides Afghan Training Update AFPS 23 Aug 2010 -- Training the Afghan security forces was a daunting task when NATO Training Mission Afghanistan first began. Almost no infrastructure was in place, and fewer than 30,000 soldiers and policemen served in the force.
• 'Training' Equals 'Transition' in Afghanistan, General Says AFPS 23 Aug 2010 -- The training of Afghan security forces is a vital aspect in the American-led war strategy there, the U.S. commander charged with overseeing Afghan training said today during a video news conference from his headquarters in Afghanistan.
• Afghanistan Finally Gets Needed Resources, Biden Says AFPS 23 Aug 2010 -- Any talk of coalition forces being unable to succeed in Afghanistan is premature, given that they are just beginning to get all the troops and equipment that President Barack Obama’s strategy there calls for, Vice President Joe Biden said today.
• II MEF (Forward) activated for Afghanistan deployment USMC News 23 Aug 2010 -- During a recent ceremony aboard Camp Lejeune, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) was activated to spearhead Marine Corps efforts in Afghanistan early next year.
• Analysis: Doubts over new Afghan security strategy IRIN 23 Aug 2010 -- Jobless rural youth are the focus of a new Afghan security plan designed to help defeat Taliban insurgents mostly in the south, east and southeast of the country.
• Mattis to Assess U.S. Aid to Pakistan AFPS 23 Aug 2010 -- Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis is scheduled to make his first trip to Pakistan today as commander of U.S. Central Command to assess U.S. flood relief efforts there.
• U.S. Continues Flood Relief Aid for Pakistan AFPS 23 Aug 2010 -- U.S. military and other government and nongovernment organizations continue to assist Pakistani citizens battling the effects of massive floods that began July 29.
• Deployed aircrew brings relief to flood-torn Pakistan AFNS 23 Aug 2010 -- As Air Force operations in support of flood relief operations in Pakistan resumed, aircrew and support personnel from the 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia prepared to forward deploy to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, to ease the workload of the local airlift squadron already engaged with supporting missions in Afghanistan.
• Army Sustainment Command Unit Ships Aid Supplies to Pakistan Army News 23 Aug 2010 -- The 3rd Battalion, 405th Army Field Support Brigade sent a shipment of humanitarian aid supplies to Pakistan Aug. 13, as requested by the U.S. Agency for International Development. An element of Army Sustainment Command, the battalion stores and ships USAID materiel on demand.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Spokesman Denies Pentagon Role in WikiLeaks Founder Charge AFPS 23 Aug 2010 -- A Defense Department spokesman today termed as “ridiculous” the notion that Pentagon officials were involved in recent rape allegations against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
• Army engineers to discuss emerging C4ISR technologies Army News 23 Aug 2010 -- U.S. Army scientists and engineers will conduct a series of roundtables to discuss emerging technologies and capabilities for the Warfighter, during the Team C4ISR Joint Symposium and Expo at the Baltimore Convention Center, Aug. 25-26.
• Airmen enhance F-15E capabilities with helmet-mounted cueing system AFNS 23 Aug 2010 -- The concept is like something out of a movie -- the ability to find a target from a jet cockpit with the naked eye and lock onto it simply by fixing your gaze upon it. This science fiction concept has become a reality at the 336th Fighter Squadron.
• 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Feedback Sought From Spouses AFPS 23 Aug 2010 -- Pentagon officials today mailed out 150,000 new “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” surveys, this time seeking input from military spouses about the potential repeal of the law that bars gay men and lesbians from serving openly, officials said.
• Submariners Prepare for Culture Changes AFPS 23 Aug 2010 -- Ask the officers of this Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine which of this year’s policy changes will be the harder to implement -– the one that will assign women to subs or the one that bans smoking -– and they answer without hesitation.
• Bringing Iraq to Fort Bragg Army News 23 Aug 2010 -- Walking down the single sun-baked street, with the sounds of chickens and goats in a nearby pen and the voices of local Iraqis in muted conversation, mud-daubed buildings with sheet metal roofs crowd the each side of the small path, a visitor would find it difficult to tell the difference between this village and any other in Iraq, if it wasn't for the massive pine forest surrounding the village and the oppressive Fort Bragg humidity.
• New Combat Stress Center stresses mental readiness Army News 23 Aug 2010 -- Workers on Contingency Operating Base Basra completed renovation of the Basra Combat Stress Clinic in an effort to create a more comfortable environment for Soldiers seeking assistance.
• Air Force Research Lab conducts second successful robot refueler test AFNS 23 Aug 2010 -- The test of a robotic refueling system by researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory's Materials and Manufacturing Directorate in late July 2010 marks the second successful test of technology that could dramatically change the way the U.S. military services its aircraft.
• Veterans encouraged to submit claims for retroactive stop loss AFNS 23 Aug 2010 -- In working closely with the Office of the Secretary of Defense staff on a congressional action involving veterans submitting claims for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay, major command and wing level officials are working to inform veterans who were affected by stop loss.
• 'Big E'Combat Systems Take Aim Navy NewsStand 23 Aug 2010 -- As USS Enterprise (CVN 65) continues working through its Tailored Ship's Training Availability toward the Final Evaluation Period (FEP) for a deployable status Aug. 16, the Close-In Weapons System, or CIWS has proven its worth.
• Navy P-3 Squadron Supports Island Chief 2010, Deters Illegal Fishing in Pacific Navy NewsStand 23 Aug 2010 -- The Patrol Squadron (VP) 9 Golden Eagles, currently deployed to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, participated in Operation Island Chief 2010 on Guam Aug. 15-22.
• Command Post Exercise "Vibrant Response" 2010 Army News 23 Aug 2010 -- Vibrant Response 2010 is a U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) directed, U.S. Army North (ARNORTH) executed culminating training event (CTE) for Chemical, Biological, Nuclear, and high-yield Explosive (CBRNE) consequence management response force (CCMRF) 11.1 focusing on Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) missions in a Consequence Management (CM) role.
• U.S., Polish Soldiers hone POLSOFCOM intelligence capability Army News 23 Aug 2010 -- Experts from U.S. Special Operations Command Europe conducted a two-week symposium Aug. 3 - 12 at Panzer Barracks as part of an effort to increase the intelligence gathering capability of the Poland Special Operations Forces Command.
• Pentagon again postpones test of missile-destroying laser RIA Novosti 23 Aug 2010 -- A test of a powerful missile-intercepting laser, scheduled for Sunday morning, was postponed for the fourth time due to technical problems, Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency said on its website.
• Spangdahlem Air Base first active base to test integrated security forces system AFNS 23 Aug 2010 -- Spangdahlem Air Base is the testing site for the Joint Force Protection Advanced Security System, an integrated system that marries old and new technology with the intention to make monitoring security and responding to emergencies more efficient.
• Submariners Give Rare Glimpse Into ‘Silent Service’ AFPS 23 Aug 2010 -- On a recent sun-soaked morning hundreds of miles off Florida’s Atlantic coast, this Trident ballistic missile submarine surfaced for an unusual operation.
• HMM-774 soars through Colombia sky USMC News 23 Aug 2010 -- Colombian Marines search the sky as they hear a loud commotion overhead. Within minutes, three CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters creep from the trees and land at the flight line as part of a joint subject matter expert exchange on Colombian Marine Corps Base Covenas in Colombia, Aug. 13.
• Costa Rica embraces Continuing Promise 2010 in opening ceremony USMC News 23 Aug 2010 -- Costa Rican officials and U.S. service members from the USS Iwo Jima gathered during an opening ceremony in Limon, Costa Rica, Aug. 21, 2010, to commence the 10-day humanitarian civic assistance mission in support of Continuing Promise 2010 – Partnership of the Americas.
• Marines, sailors turn sweat into good deeds in Haiti USMC News 23 Aug 2010 -- Along the unpaved streets of Port-de-Paix, Haiti, sit cracked buildings and homes. Poor construction is evident as Marines and Navy Seabees arrive at a medical facility about five miles from the coast of Port-de-Paix. The facility stands abandoned after being ravaged by time and nature. The service members acknowledge it would not be able to survive another natural disaster.
• Russian warship visits Oman port RIA Novosti 23 Aug 2010 -- The flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, the RFS Moskva guided-missile cruiser, has completed a business visit to Oman's port of Salalah, a fleet spokesman said on Monday.
• Russian military mountaineers to train in Caucasus RIA Novosti 23 Aug 2010 -- A hundred Russian military mountaineers will gather at a training base in the North Caucasus Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria on Monday for mountain survival training.
• Russia to hold competition to choose new Navy corvette - paper RIA Novosti 23 Aug 2010 -- The Russian Defense Ministry will hold a competition in September to select a new corvette for the Navy to replace the Project 20380 class, a business daily said on Monday, citing sources in the shipbuilding industry.
• Russian Baltic Fleet commander to head Pacific Fleet - source RIA Novosti 23 Aug 2010 -- Commander of the Russian Baltic Fleet Vice Adm. Viktor Chirkov is likely to be appointed the new commander of the Pacific Fleet, a source in the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.
• Over 4,000 paratroopers to take part in Central Russian exercises RIA Novosti 23 Aug 2010 -- Large-scale exercises involving more than 4,000 paratroopers will begin in two Central Russian regions on Monday, Airborne Troops spokesman Col. Alexander Cherednik said.
• UK navy 'dangerously weak,' military institute warns IRNA 23 Aug 2010 -- Britain’s Navy is dangerously weak, risking the silent principles of the UK's national security unless the future fleet is restored and adequately sized, a leading military institute warned Monday.
• Russia no longer 'security threat' to Turkey RIA Novosti 23 Aug 2010 -- Turkey will strike four countries, including Russia, from its list of external security threats in a bid to revise the country's national security strategy, national media reported on Monday.
• Iranian missile boats speedier than US warships: IRGC IRNA 23 Aug 2010 -- The IRGC Navy commander said here on Monday that Iranian missile boats' speed of 35 knots is higher than that of the US warships.
• 'Seraj 1' vessel, 'Zolfaqar' missile launcher unveiled IRNA 23 Aug 2010 -- Production line of ‘Seraj 1’ vessel and new generation of ‘Zolfaqar’ missile launcher was inaugurated here on Monday by Minister of Defense Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi.
• Iran starts production of new missile assault boats RIA Novosti 23 Aug 2010 -- Iran has launched production of the Zolfaqar and Seraj 1 class missile boats, Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said on Monday.
• August 23, 2010 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 23 Aug 2010

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 23, 2010
• Boeing Joins ProActive Technologies Team in Bid for B-52 Aircrew Training System Boeing 23 Aug 2010 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], along with teammate ProActive Technologies LLC of Orlando, Fla., has submitted a proposal for the U.S. Air Force's B-52 Training System Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) program. The contract provides program management and on-site CLS to operate, maintain, sustain, and upgrade training devices located at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., and Minot Air Force Base, N.D.
• Boeing Awarded Follow-on Contract for US Air Force Wideband Global SATCOM Program Boeing 23 Aug 2010 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] announced today that the U.S. Air Force has authorized $182 million for Boeing to begin work on the seventh Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellite, which is being procured under the new WGS Block II follow-on contract. The contract will ultimately include options for production of up to six WGS satellites, which are the highest-capacity communications satellites in the U.S. Department of Defense’s arsenal.
• EADS North America awarded U.S. Coast Guard contract for HC-144A Maritime Patrol Aircraft EADS 23 Aug 2010 -- The U.S. Coast Guard has awarded prime contractor EADS North America a $117 million contract for three HC-144A Ocean Sentry Maritime Patrol Aircraft, with options for up to six more aircraft over the next four years. The HC-144A is based on the highly successful Airbus Military CN235 tactical airlifter, more than 250 of which are in operation by 26 countries.
• US Coast Guard orders three additional Airbus Military CN235 Maritime Patrol Aircraft EADS 23 Aug 2010 -- The US Coast Guard has ordered three additional Airbus Military CN235s through EADS-North America, which is the prime contractor for EADS military and defence products sold into the United States.

Other Conflicts

• 23 August 2010 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 23 Aug 2010
• Palestinians Threaten to Pull Out of Peace Talks VOA 23 Aug 2010 -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says his faction will pull out of peace talks with the Israelis - set to resume next week - if Israel does not extend a freeze on construction in West Bank settlements that is set to expire September 26.
• SUDAN: Fear of LRA causes thousands to flee in Western Equatoria IRIN 23 Aug 2010 -- Armed attacks blamed on the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Southern Sudan’s Western Equatoria State have displaced thousands of civilians and undermined food security, say local and UN officials.
• Twenty-Five Militants Escape Prison In Tajikistan RFE/RL 23 Aug 2010 -- Tajik authorities say some 25 Islamic militants serving long jail terms have escaped from prison, killing at least five prison guards.
• Twenty-five inmates flee Tajik prison, kill six personnel RIA Novosti 23 Aug 2010 -- Twenty-five inmates escaped from a prison in Tajikistan's capital overnight, killing six personnel in a dramatic jail break, a police source said on Monday.
• UN relief chief urges unfettered access for aid workers in Darfur UN News Centre 23 Aug 2010 -- The top United Nations humanitarian official today urged all parties to the conflict in the war-torn Sudanese region of Darfur today to ensure that humanitarian workers are free of harassment and intimidation as they endeavour to help those in need.
• UN Human Rights Council mission on flotilla incident departs for Turkey, Jordan UN News Centre 23 Aug 2010 -- The United Nations Human Rights Council’s international independent fact-finding mission of high-level experts looking into the Gaza flotilla incident on 31 May is visiting Turkey and Jordan to interview witnesses and government officials, it was announced today.
• Number of Somalis needing humanitarian aid falls, UN agency reports UN News Centre 23 Aug 2010 -- The scale of the humanitarian crisis in Somalia has eased this year, with the number of people needing aid falling by 25 per cent to 2 million, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported today.
• Congo Rebels Rape Nearly 180 Women in July 30th Attacks VOA 23 Aug 2010 -- In the eastern DRC, rape has been used as a weapon of war for years by the many armed groups in the region. But now there’s news coming to light about a series of attacks July 30th on multiple villages during which nearly 180 women were raped or gang-raped.

News Reports

• Tripartite committee formed to monitor security of Bushehr NPP IRNA 23 Aug 2010 -- A tripartite committee has been formed to monitor security of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, an official said here.
• Russia asks India to move site for nuclear plant - paper RIA Novosti 23 Aug 2010 -- Russia has asked India to shift the site of a nuclear power plant at Haripur in eastern India, for which Russia has constructed two reactors, the Times of India paper reported on Monday.
• PAKISTAN: Sindh flood displaced strain Balochistan IRIN 23 Aug 2010 -- The southwestern Pakistani province of Balochistan is struggling to cope with an influx of flood displaced people from neighbouring Sindh Province, despite a growing number of camps.
• Thousands displaced as massive floods in Pakistan spread to the south – UN UN News Centre 23 Aug 2010 -- The massive floods in Pakistan have spread to the southern province of Sindh, where hundreds of thousands of people are on the move after evacuating their inundated villages, a United Nations official said today, as humanitarian agencies continued to deliver relief supplies to millions of those affected.
• Pakistan Aid Over $800 Million; Floods Threaten South RFE/RL 23 Aug 2010 -- Pakistan's foreign minister has expressed gratitude to the international community for more than $800 million in donations and pledges to help Pakistan's flood victims.
• WFP Seeks More Helicopters in Pakistan Flood Relief VOA 23 Aug 2010 -- U.N. officials in Pakistan say they need more helicopters to reach about a million people cut off from aid nearly a month into the flood crisis.
• Red Cross Ramps Up Humanitarian Operation in Pakistan VOA 23 Aug 2010 -- As floodwaters spread to southern Pakistan, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Pakistan Red Crescent say they are ramping up efforts to get aid those in need. Describing the disaster a catastrophe of unparalleled magnitude, the agency also warned rain forecasts indicate the floods are not yet likely to have reached their destructive peak.
• Blast in tribal council kills 8 in Pakistan IRNA 23 Aug 2010 -- A bomb blast at a tribal jirga or council Monday killed at least 8 people in a Pakistani tribal region, the local officials said.
• Blast near mosque kills 10 in Pakistan IRNA 23 Aug 2010 -- At least 10 people were killed and scores others were injured in a bomb attack near a mosque in Pakistan’s South Waziristan tribal region on Monday, witnesses said.
• Apparent Bomb Attacks Kill At Least 21 In Pakistan Tribal Districts RFE/RL 23 Aug 2010 -- At least 21 people were killed today -- At least 21 people were killed today -- including a prominent former member of Pakistan's parliament -- by two separate explosions in Pakistan's South Waziristan and Kurram tribal districts, RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal reports.
• Al-Qaida Group Frees 2 Spanish Hostages VOA 23 Aug 2010 -- The Spanish government says two aid workers kidnapped by an al-Qaida group in Mauritania last year have been freed. A government spokesman Monday confirmed the release of Roque Pascual and Albert Vilalta, and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero later made a statement during a brief press conference in Madrid.
• Lebanon: UN envoy holds talks with Government minister UN News Centre 23 Aug 2010 -- The top United Nations envoy to Lebanon met today with a senior Government minister as he continues his efforts to promote stability and dialogue within the Middle East country.
• NASA satellites detect 178 wildfire hotspots in Russia RIA Novosti 23 Aug 2010 -- Two NASA satellites registered a total of 178 potential wildfires on the Russian territory on Sunday, up 59 from Saturday, the ScanEx website that receives information from the satellites said.