News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
U.S., Iraqi Troops in Deadly Fight With Sunni Insurgents
British PM Tony Blair Says Iraq War 'Pretty Much a Disaster'
Rice warns Iraqis of sectarianism
Reid says Democrats will reach out to Bush on Iraq

Operation Enduring Freedom
Afghan women commit suicide by fire

Homeland Security / War on Terror
'Inexplicable Terror' in Darfur Region
Sudan agrees to "historic" talks on Darfur: Egeland
Immigrants in limbo 5 years after 9/11

Troops on Trial
Plea deals pile up for accused Marines

Supporting Our Heroes
Blogging competition raises $186,000 for military charity (About Project Valour-IT)

Other Military News
Japan local election puts U.S. troop move in focus

Mid-East Ceasefire / Hamas Rising / Israel at War
Israel calls off air raid after Gaza protest
Official: Israel Should Assassinate Hamas Leaders

Worldwide Wackos
Bush Backs Asian Leaders on N. Korea Stance
North Korea slams South for UN human rights vote
North Korea talks watched with hope
APEC leaders wade into trade and North Korea - Video
Russia issues warning on Iran, N. Korea

Politics / Government
Bush glimpses Vietnam war's unfinished business
Bush pushes China's Hu on trade
Reid: Dems to seek GOP aid on wage hike
Riding high, Obama ponders his future

U.N. News
UN climate pact unlikely until after Bush: experts

Science / Nature
The 2006 Leonid Meteor Shower: A Viewer's Guide
Calls for climate change action at Asia-Pacific summit
New teeth for great white shark tourism?

Oddities
iPod glow leads to lost mushroom picker

Other News of Note
Nazi-Era Files About Holocaust to Be Opened
Protesters, Police Clash at G-20 Summit in Australia
Federal agent among 3 shot at Md. mall

Fox News
Secret Santa Must Give Up Cash-Giving Hobby
Video: FDA Lifts Silicone Breast Implant Ban
As O.J. Resurfaces, People Ask Why Now?
TomKat Ties the Knot - VIDEO
Photo Essay: Italy Goes Wild for Tom, Katie and Suri

Reuters: Top News
Crowds gather to buy Nintendo's Wii
Four killed as police end Mexico jail standoff
Kimmitt: G20 raises IMF forex surveillance
Yahoo internal memo urges major shake-up, job cuts
World economic leaders sound inflation alarm
Adobe could still sue Microsoft: paper
Porsche not planning Volkswagen takeover: magazine
Chrysler to target $1000 per vehicle cost cuts

AP World News
1 killed, 1 injured in fan bus accident
Heather Mills McCartney: I won't remarry
Ohio St. tops Michigan in thriller 42-39
Jay-Z in Chicago amid 7 concerts in day
Admissions boards face 'grade inflation'
No. 3 Gators pound W. Carolina 62-0
Peruvians fret funds are being misspent
Federer, Blake reach Masters Cup final
Report: Crane operator had drug history
Obituaries in the news
Tucson's Catholic bishop emeritus dies
Armed patient dies in Ill. standoff

Military.com
Gang Suspected in Iraqi Kidnappings
NORAD's Santa-Tracking Web Site Opens
Advisors: Practice, Practice, Practice
Weekend Entertainment Guide

CENTCOM: News Releases
IA CAPTURES LARGE IED AND WEAPONS CACHE

FIVE SUSPECTS DETAINED, BUILDING WITH WEAPONS CACHE DESTROYED

IRAQI SECURITY FORCES CAPTURES LEADER OF A TERRORIST CELL

IRAQI, US FORCES SEIZE 2 WEAPONS CACHES IN MANSOUR

IRAQI SOLDIERS CAPTURE INSURGENTS, FIND CACHES

IRAQI SECURITY FORCES TARGET KIDNAPPING CELL

USJFCOM
Milestone reached in development of Cross Domain Collaborative Information Environment - podcast
Liveblogging: Unified Endeavor 07-1
Omni Fusion ties Army into UR 2015 - podcast

Department of Defense
NEWS UPDATES
For Top News Visit DefenseLink

DefendAmerica Week in Review
Sunday - Monday - Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday - Friday - Saturday

BACKGROUND
IRAQ
Renewal In Iraq
Iraq: Security, Stability
Fact Sheet: Progress and Work Ahead
Report: Strategy for Victory in Iraq
Iraq Daily Update
This Week in Iraq
Multinational Force Iraq
State Dept. Weekly Iraq Report (PDF)
'Boots on the Ground' Audio Archive
Weekly Reconstruction Report (PDF)
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps

AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
Fact Sheet: Budget Request
Fact Sheet: War on Terror
Fact Sheet: Terror Plots Disrupted
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

Weather
Iraq
Al Azamiyah Al Basrah Al Hillah Al Karkh Al Kazimiyah Al Kut
An Nasiriyah Baghdad Baqubah Mosul Najaf Nineveh Tall Kayf

Afghanistan
Bost/Laskar Ghurian Herat Kabul Qandahar

Gitmo

National Hurricane Center

Today in History
1493 - Christopher Columbus discovers Puerto Rico while on his 2nd voyage.
1863 - Lincoln delivers his address in Gettysburg; "Four score and 7 years..."
1874 - William Marcy "Boss" Tweed, of Tammany Hall (NYC) is convicted of defrauding the city of $6M, and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
1919 - U.S. Senate rejects the Treaty of Versailles (55-39) and the League of Nations.
1942 - Russia launches a winter offensive against the Germans along the Don front.
1968 - An Army coup seizes power in Mali.
1969 - Apollo-12's Conrad and Bean become 3rd and 4th humans on the Moon.
1971 - Fort Wilderness opens
1985 - President Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev meet for first time.
1990 - Iraq announces it will free all German hostages.

Birthdays
1600 - King Charles I of England (1625-49); executed by Parliament
1752 - George Rogers Clark, frontier military leader in the Revolutionary War
1805 - Ferdinand de Lesseps, French diplomat (built Suez Canal)
1831 - James A. Garfield, 20th U.S. President (March 4-Sept 19, 1881)
1917 - Indira Gandhi, Indian PM (1966-77, 1980-84)
1926 - Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, U.S. ambassador to the UN
1933 - Larry King, radio / TV talk show host
1935 - John F. Welch, Jr., CEO (GE)

Passings
1887 - Emma Lazarus, U.S. poet ("Give me your tired, your poor")
1915 - Joe Hill, Labor leader, executed for murder
1971 - Bill Stern, sportscaster (Saturday Night Fights)

Reported Missing in Action
1966
Johnstone, James M., US Army (SC); OV1A crashed (w/Whited), Killed, body not recovered

Whited, James L., US Army (OK); OV1A crashed (w/Johnstone), Killed, body not recovered

1967
Clower, Claude D., USN (TX); F4B shot down (pilot, w/Estes - same flight as eleased by DRV March, 1973) - retired as a Commander - alive as of 1996

Croxdale, Jack L., US Army (LA); Killed, body not recovered

DeHerrera, Benjamin D., US Army (CO); Killed, body not recovered

Estes, Walter O., USN (MI); F4B shot down (RIO w/Clower), remains returned by SRV September, 1977

Ford, David E., USAF (CT); RF4C shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Lt. Colonel - alive and well as of 1998

Iandoli, Donald, US Army (NJ); Killed, body not recovered

Klinck, Harrison Hoyt, USAF (CA); F105 shot down, remains returned August, 1985

Ligon, Vernon P., USAF (KY); RF4C shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - deceased
** Also WWII POW **

Stier, Theodore G., USNR (CA); F4B shot down (IRIO, w/Teague), released by DRV March, 1973 - alive and well as of 1998

Teague, James E., USNR (AR); F4B shot down (pilot, w/Stier), remains returned by SRV Septemer, 1977

Vissotzky, Raymond Walton, USAF (MA); F105D shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Colonel - alive as of 1998