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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 10 Mar 2011 [PDF]
• World's largest plane touches down at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan USMC News 10 Mar 2011 -- With its wingspan of 290-feet and a heft totaling 628,000 pounds, the Antonov An-225 dwarfs most other aircraft. But this giant of aviation accomplished a feat that even it would have been incapable of just a few months ago, landing at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, March 7./li>
• Forces Kill Insurgents, Capture Terrorists in Afghanistan AFPS 10 Mar 2011 -- Afghan and coalition forces killed eight enemy fighters and detained several others yesterday in operations throughout Afghanistan, military officials reported.
• Troops Expand Security in Eastern Afghanistan AFPS 10 Mar 2011 -- Regional Command East forces are focused on expanding security around the Afghan capital of Kabul and providing a layered defense along Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan, their commander said here this week.
• 2nd MAW (Fwd) assumes aviation combat responsibilities in Afghanistan from 3rd MAW (Fwd) USMC News 10 Mar 2011 -- 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Fwd.) accepted responsibility of coalition air combat efforts in the Regional Command Southwest area of operations from 3rd MAW (Fwd.) in a transfer of authority ceremony at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, March 9.
• Lack Of Afghan Political Strategy Worrisome As West Prepares To Relinquish Security RFE/RL 10 Mar 2011 -- According to the Lisbon Treaty signed in November 2010, the international community will transfer full responsibility for Afghanistan’s security to the Afghan government beginning this year. If all goes as planned, Kabul will have full control over all security forces in the country by 2014.
• London equips Taliban with medium-model weapons- source IRNA 10 Mar 2011 -- An informed source said Thursday that the government of Britain has sent medium-model weapons to Taliban in Afghanistan after several rounds of secret talks with the military group.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Gates: NATO’s Libya Plans to Include Military Options AFPS 10 Mar 2011 -- NATO’s defense ministers share concern about Moammar Gadhafi's escalating attacks on the Libyan people and have agreed to plan for all military options, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
• Media Availability with Secretary Gates at the NATO Defense Ministers Meeting from Brussels, Belgium DoD 10 Mar 2011 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates
• DOD, State Department Present Budgets to Senate AFPS 10 Mar 2011 -- Concepts of security are changing, and it is just as important to invest in diplomacy and development as it is to invest in service members and their equipment, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III told the Senate Budget Committee today.
• Officials announce reduction-in-force eligibility criteria AFNS 10 Mar 2011 -- Air Force officials announced they will convene a quality-based reduction-in-force board Sept. 19 for mid-grade officers as part of their measures to reduce the number of Airmen to meet the service's congressionally authorized military end-strength levels.
• Rescue wing Airmen launch entire fleet during hurricane exercise AFNS 10 Mar 2011 -- Airmen from the Air Force Reserve's 920th Rescue Wing here launched the wing's entire fleet of aircraft March 6 during their drill training weekend.
• Official looks to define best balance of live flight, simulation AFNS 10 Mar 2011 -- Headquarters Air Force Director of Operations personnel plan to work closely with those in the Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation and the MAJCOMs to define the right balance of live flight hours and Distributed Mission Operations-Live, Virtual and Constructive, or DMO-LVC, to train warfighters.
• Department Reaches Out to Guard, Reserve Employers AFPS 10 Mar 2011 -- The Defense Department is reaching out to employers of National Guardsmen and reservists with a major survey to find out how the past decade of war and the heavy use of reserve-component forces has affected their civilian workplaces.
• GTMO Dockmasters Support Gunston Hall NNS 10 Mar 2011 -- USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) pulled into port at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to on load stores and equipment, and to perform an environmental wash-down, March 7-8.
• New Report Focuses on Climate Challenges to Naval Forces NNS 10 Mar 2011 -- The National Research Council of the National Academies released the "National Security Implications of Climate Change for U.S. Naval Forces" report, March 10.
• Uniform Center Relocates, NEX to Follow NNS 10 Mar 2011 -- The Navy Exchange (NEX) Uniform Center aboard National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) relocated to room 1600 in Building 1, March 8.
• NCIS Training Team Conducts Information Exchange with Honduran Security Forces NNS 10 Mar 2011 -- Sailors supporting the Navy Criminal Investigative Service's (NCIS) security, training, assessment and assistance team (STAAT) began a practical application course with 39 Honduran representatives in support of Southern Partnership Station (SPS) 2011, March 9.
• Foal Eagle '11 exercise continues Army News 10 Mar 2011 -- A combined arms task force continues live-fire exercises all week as a part of the Foal Eagle '11 joint exercise between U.S. and Republic of Korea forces.
• U.S. Soldiers mentor Djiboutian Army rapid reaction forces Army News 10 Mar 2011 -- Under an overcast sky, nearly 200 members of the Djiboutian Army's elite 1st Rapid Action Regiment honed their infantry skills, mentored by members of the U.S. Army National Guard's 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 137th Infantry Regiment.
• 10th Mountain Division Soldiers volunteer to deploy to Afghanistan Army News 10 Mar 2011 -- Soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI), have volunteered to deploy to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
• Alaska MPs drill on convoy security Army News 10 Mar 2011 -- The trucks drove silently along the snow packed trail.
• Communications key to providing Marines effective logistics support USMC News 10 Mar 2011 -- Effective communications are just as important for Marines engaging extremists as they are for those communicating with their support elements, and they are vital in ensuring the Defense Logistics Agency keeps the Marine Corps prepared to fight.
• Active Shield 2010: Disaster strikes, station responds USMC News 10 Mar 2011 -- After roughly four days of ever-increasing mayhem and catastrophe, exercise Active Shield 2011 officially ended here March 3.
• Space team improves GPS capability for warfighters AFNS 10 Mar 2011 -- Joint force warfighters around the globe will soon be able to assess real-time and future GPS accuracy, both where they are and where they're going, with a new capability developed by the 2nd Space Operations Squadron's Global Positioning System User Operations team here.
• CSAF visits Whiteman AFB, addresses changes AFNS 10 Mar 2011 -- Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz visited here March 8 to meet with Airmen and local civic leaders, and review the capabilities and readiness of this Air Force Global Strike Command base.
• Chairman Tackles Tough Issues at Virtual Town Hall AFPS 10 Mar 2011 -- Civil unrest in parts of the Middle East and North Africa, Somalia piracy, the U.S.-Pakistan relationship and North Korea’s nuclear posture were among the topics Navy Adm. Mike Mullen took on during a virtual town hall meeting that will air March 14 on the Pentagon Channel.
• Task Force Targets Human Network Behind IEDs AFPS 10 Mar 2011 -- What started as a super-secret program to protect ground troops in Iraq from roadside bombs has matured into a coveted asset in Afghanistan, where it provides a persistent surveillance capability against enemy threats, an official who provided materiel support for the program reported.
• Civilians Step Up to Support Wartime Mission AFPS 10 Mar 2011 -- The fact that he already had deployed about “a million times” while in the Air Force didn’t deter him, and neither did the potential dangers or austere conditions facing him in the Middle East.
• Pakistan plans to buy more F-16 aircraft: report IRNA 10 Mar 2011 -- Pakistan plans to purchase used F-16 fighter jets from the United States to enhance its air capabilities, a leading Pakistani daily reported on Thursday.
• NATO ministers to discuss missile shield, Libya RIA Novosti 10 Mar 2011 -- Defense ministers from 28 NATO member states will gather on March 10-11 in Brussels to discuss the "architecture" of the future missile defense network in Europe and the situation in Libya.
• NATO extends Mediterranean surveillance amid Libyan unrest RIA Novosti 10 Mar 2011 -- NATO has decided to extend its airborne and maritime surveillance in the Mediterranean region, the alliance's Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Thursday.
• NATO mulling 'range of options' in Libya - Rasmussen RIA Novosti 10 Mar 2011 -- NATO is considering a range of options, including humanitarian aid and military intervention, but any action should have a clear legal basis, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Thursday.
• NATO to Send Ships Closer to Libya to Enforce Arms Embargo VOA 10 Mar 2011 -- The NATO alliance has agreed to send ships closer to the Libyan coast to monitor compliance with the U.N. arms embargo against the government of Moammar Gadhafi. But key alliance leaders, including U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, say they do not have the authorization or regional support that would be needed for direct military action.
• NATO Considers Options for Humanitarian Intervention in Libya VOA 10 Mar 2011 -- NATO's secretary-general says the alliance is considering options for military action in Libya if what he called the "serious humanitarian situation" gets worse. Anders Fogh Rasmussen told the opening session of a NATO defense ministers' meeting the alliance's military is increasing surveillance, and planning for other action, but has not made a decision.
• NATO, EU begin talks on Libya no-fly zone RIA Novosti 10 Mar 2011 -- NATO and the European Union begin two-day talks in Brussels on Thursday over the situation in Libya, where battles between protesters and forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi have already claimed several thousand lives.
• Russia concerned over U.S. missile plans in Poland - Foreign Ministry RIA Novosti 10 Mar 2011 -- Russia is unhappy over U.S. plans to deploy permanent missile defenses and air force units in Poland, 100 kilometers from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
• UK revoke over 150 arms licences for Arab states IRNA 10 Mar 2011 -- Following a review of arms sales to Arab states, the British government has so far revoked more than 150 licences to countries facing uprising, Business Minister Mark Prisk has revealed.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 3/10/2011 The White House 10 Mar 2011
• Briefing by National Security Advisor Tom Donilon and Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes on Libya and the Middle East The White House 10 Mar 2011

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 10, 2011
• ATK Receives $54 Million Training Tank Ammunition Order from U.S. Army ATK 10 Mar 2011 -- Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) has received a $54 million order for 120mm training tank ammunition from the U.S. Army. The award is for the fourth year of a four-year contract.
• Raytheon Announces Next Generation of ACU Interoperable Communications Raytheon 10 Mar 2011 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has launched the Audio Connect Unit-5000 that provides the ability to connect a greater number of channels to enable seamless communication among first responders.
• MDA Awards Major Contract for Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile Target Rockets to Orbital Orbital Sciences Corp. 10 Mar 2011 -- Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) announced today that it has been awarded a major new contract by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to supply Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) target vehicles for use in future tests of missile defense systems.
• Lockheed Martin-Built Trident II D5 Missile Achieves 135th Consecutive Successful Test Flight Lockheed Martin 10 Mar 2011 -- The U.S. Navy conducted a successful test flight March 1 of a Trident II D5 Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) built by Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT). The Navy launched the unarmed missile from the submerged submarine USS Nevada (SSBN 733) in the Pacific Ocean.

Other Conflicts

• 10 March 2011 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 10 Mar 2011
• Anti-Qaddafi Forces Suffer Key Defeat As International Community Increases Pressure On Tripoli RFE/RL 10 Mar 2011 -- Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi have used fierce barrages of tank and artillery fire to send rebels seeking his ouster into a panicked retreat from a strategic oil port.
• Libyan Rebels Gain Diplomatic Advance, but Retreat on Battlefield VOA 10 Mar 2011 -- Libya’s opposition had success on the international stage Thursday, but setbacks in fighting against forces loyal to the country's leader, Moammar Gadhafi.
• White House Defends Libya Response VOA 10 Mar 2011 -- White House officials denied Thursday that they are responding too slowly to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi’s crackdown on rebels in his country. Obama administration officials say they are moving quickly to address a fluid and dynamic situation.
• Libya no-fly zone doesn't mean military action, UK minister insists IRNA 10 Mar 2011 -- Defence Secretary Liam Fox Thursday played down fears that Britain was heading for war against Libya by insisting that imposing a no-fly zone over the country does not require pre-emptive military action.
• Red Cross: Libya in 'Civil War;' France Recognizes Opposition As 'Legitimate' Voice Of People RFE/RL 10 Mar 2011 -- Battles are under way on both military and diplomatic fronts today between loyalists of Libyan ruler Muammar Qaddafi and opposition forces who seized cities across the country last month.
• Russia imposes sanctions on arms sales to Libya RIA Novosti 10 Mar 2011 -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has signed a decree to join UN Security sanctions against Libya, the Kremlin said on Thursday.
• Germany freezes accounts of Libyan financial institutions RIA Novosti 10 Mar 2011 -- The German Economic Ministry said on Thursday it was freezing the accounts of the Libyan Central Bank and 13 other state-run agencies.
• France recognizes rebel Libyan National Council RIA Novosti 10 Mar 2011 -- France on Thursday formally recognized the rebel Libyan National Council as the only legitimate governing body in the country and plans to send an ambassador to the insurgent stronghold of Benghazi, French media reported.
• France Recognizes Libyan Opposition as EU Toughens Sanctions VOA 10 Mar 2011 -- France became the first Western country to recognize Libya's opposition as the country's legitimate representative. The move comes as the European Union agreed to toughen sanctions against the North African country and its leader, Moammar Gadhafi.
• EU extends sanctions against Libya RIA Novosti 10 Mar 2011 -- The European Union approved on Thursday additional sanctions against Libya, a member of the Hungarian representation at the Council of the European Union said.
• UN needs $160 mln to help Libyan refugees RIA Novosti 10 Mar 2011 -- More than $160 million is needed to help refugees from riot-hit Libya, President of the UN General Assembly Joseph Deiss said in an interview with Russia Today TV channel.
• UN rights chief denounces violence against journalists by Libyan security forces UN News Centre 10 Mar 2011 -- The top United Nations human rights official today condemned the detention and possible torture of three journalists working for the British Broadcasting Corporation by Libyan security forces, stressing that the media must be allowed access to report what is happening inside the country.
• ICRC Seeks Access to All of Libya as Conflict Intensifies VOA 10 Mar 2011 -- The International Committee of the Red Cross is appealing for access to all areas of conflict in Libya as fighting intensifies.
• Libya’s Former US Ambassador Says West Should Intervene VOA 10 Mar 2011 -- NATO members are meeting in Brussels to consider military options in response to the growing crisis in Libya. One of NATO's chief concerns is how to impose a no-fly zone without descending into all-out war.
• Somalia: Security Council calls on world to step up supplies for African peace force UN News Centre 10 Mar 2011 -- The Security Council today called on the world community to provide urgently needed equipment to African peacekeepers in Somalia to consolidate recent fragile gains in stabilizing a country torn asunder by factional fighting for the past 20 years.
• UN issues warning on civilian impact of fighting in Southern Sudan UN News Centre 10 Mar 2011 -- The United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) today voiced its growing concerns over the civilian impact of the continuing operations by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) against a rebel group operating in the country’s south.
• Verdicts in latest DR Congo rape trial show justice is possible – UN envoy UN News Centre 10 Mar 2011 -- The United Nations envoy on sexual violence in conflict has welcomed the guilty verdicts handed down by a military court in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) against 11 army officers for crimes committed last year, saying it shows that efforts to end impunity are producing results.
• Gbagbo Team Rejects AU Mediation on Ivory Coast VOA 10 Mar 2011 -- Allies of Ivory Coast's incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo say he has rejected an African proposal to end the country's political crisis.
• Charles Taylor's Attorneys Question Credibility of Prosecution Witnesses VOA 10 Mar 2011 -- Defense attorneys for former Liberian president Charles Taylor say testimony from prosecution witnesses is tainted by cash payments from a special fund provided by the United States. Mr. Taylor's war crimes trial is drawing to a close after more than three years.
• SUDAN: Managing the great trek southwards IRIN 10 Mar 2011 -- Southern Sudanese living in the North are on the move. More than 249,000 have left since October 2010, and thousands more continue the trek southwards, filled with hope and excitement at the prospect of starting life in their new country.

News Reports

• Yemeni President Pledges New Constitution VOA 10 Mar 2011 -- After a month of protests across Yemen, President Ali Abdullah Saleh has pledged to draft a new constitution, which he says will be voted on by the nation before the end of the year. An opposition spokesperson says the move is too little, too late.
• YEMEN: Timeline of 2011 protests IRIN 10 Mar 2011 -- Nationwide protests demanding an end to the 32-year rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh have entered their sixth week, but the Yemeni leader is refusing to step down until 2013. About 30 protesters have been killed and hundreds injured in clashes with government troops or Saleh supporters. Below is a timeline highlighting key events since the protests began:
• YEMEN: The view from Aden IRIN 10 Mar 2011 -- Some of the worst violence in Yemen as protesters demand the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh has been in the southern port city of Aden, where at least 20 people have been killed since mid-February.
• Saudi Arabia Braces For Friday Protests, Particularly In Shi'ite East RFE/RL 10 Mar 2011 -- As opposition organizers in Saudi Arabia surreptitiously used the Internet to call fellow citizens out for a "Day of Rage" on March 11, there was no way of knowing how many would heed the call.
• Ban urges parties in Bahrain to begin dialogue on reform and reconciliation UN News Centre 10 Mar 2011 -- Voicing his concern at the apparent impasse in launching a national dialogue in Bahrain, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on all parties to work together to address political reforms and advance reconciliation.
• Is Azerbaijan Ready For Its Own Revolution? RFE/RL 10 Mar 2011 -- Inspired by last month's Egyptian uprising, young activists in Azerbaijan are calling for antigovernment demonstrations on March 11 -- and using Facebook to spread the word.
• China doubts Dalai Lama's retirement RIA Novosti 10 Mar 2011 -- China has said the Dalai Lama is "playing tricks" on the world by announcing he will retire as the political leader of the Tibet government.
• Dalai Lama to Step Down as Tibetan Political Leader VOA 10 Mar 2011 -- In a move that is not unexpected, the Dalai Lama has announced his decision to step down as political leader of the exiled Tibetan movement.
• Tensions High At U.S. Congressional Hearing On Muslim Radicalization RFE/RL 10 Mar 2011 -- Days of controversy - playing out through protests, debates on television news channels, and in the living rooms of average Americans - reached a crescendo on March 10 when the chairman of the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, Republican Peter King (California), opened a congressional hearing on the radicalization of American Muslims.
• Congress Holds Hearing on Radicalization of US Muslims VOA 10 Mar 2011 -- Emotions ran high at a congressional hearing Thursday on the extent of radicalization in the U.S. Muslim community. The hearing has reignited a national debate on how best to fight domestic terrorism while respecting Americans' civil liberties and religious diversity in the country.
• U.S. Vice President Meets Putin, Russian Opposition RFE/RL 10 Mar 2011 -- In a speech wrapping up his two-day visit to Moscow, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has reiterated Washington's support for Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WT) because it will lead to greater trade between the two countries.
• Reset in Russian-U.S. relations works for whole world - Biden RIA Novosti 10 Mar 2011 -- The reset in relations between Russia and the United States is working for the whole world, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said during his visit to Moscow on Thursday.
• Madagascar's Interim President to Form New Transitional Government VOA 10 Mar 2011 -- The government of Madagascar's de facto president Andry Rajoelina has resigned, in line with a regional mediation proposal to lead the country out of a two-year political crisis. On Thursday, several opposition parties signed an agreement recognizing Mr. Rajoelina as president until elections are held. But two key parties did not sign the document, while the party of ousted president Marc Ravalomanana may sign next week after submitting a counter-proposal calling for Mr. Rajoelina to have less power.
• At UN, A Push To Get More Aggressive Against Piracy RFE/RL 10 Mar 2011 -- The UN Security Council will take up the issue of piracy on the high seas today, at the urging of China and Russia, two of the council's permanent members
• Russia has no plans for Bout swap deal - Foreign Ministry RIA Novosti 10 Mar 2011 -- The Russian Foreign Ministry dismissed rumors on Thursday that it is planning to repatriate alleged arms dealer Viktor Bout through a swap deal with the United States.
• Viktor Bout says no help from Russian authorities in his U.S. case RIA Novosti 10 Mar 2011 -- Alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout claims that Russian authorities have never responded to his requests for legal assistance in a case that could put him in a U.S. prison for life.
• EU prepares new sanctions against Belarus - media RIA Novosti 10 Mar 2011 -- The European Union is preparing a new round of sanctions against the Belarusian authorities in response to a court ruling to jail three opposition figures, the EUobserver online paper said on Thursday.