U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Richard Wiley, with Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment, Fort Richardson, Alaska, instructs Iraqi highway patrol officers on close-quarters marksmanship at the Al Samud IHP Station in Iraq, Nov. 17, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Olanrewaju Akinwunmi


U.S. Army Sgt. Jenaro Ryan opens up ammunition for Iraqi highway patrol officers training on close-quarters marksmanship at the Al Samud Iraqi highway patrol station in Iraq, Nov. 17, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Olanrewaju Akinwunmi


Iraqi highway patrol officers load ammunition before training on close-quarters marksmanship at the Al Samud Iraqi highway patrol station in Iraq, Nov. 17, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Olanrewaju Akinwunmi


U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Scott Crisp opens up an ammunition can for Iraqi highway patrol officers during close-quarters marksmanship training at the Al Samud Iraqi highway patrol station in Iraq, Nov. 17, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Olanrewaju Akinwunmi


U.S. Army soldiers instruct Iraqi highway patrol officers in close-quarters marksmanship at the Al Samud Iraqi highway patrol station in Iraq, Nov. 17, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Olanrewaju Akinwunmi


An Iraqi highway patrol officer practices his stance during close-quarters marksmanship training at the Al Samud Iraqi highway patrol station in Iraq, Nov. 17, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Olanrewaju Akinwunmi


U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Richard Wiley demonstrates shooting an M-14 rifle to Iraqi highway patrol officers during close-quarters marksmanship training at the Al Samud Iraqi highway patrol station in Iraq, Nov. 17, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Olanrewaju Akinwunmi

AMBULSHABI PATROL — An Iraqi policeman leads a joint patrol of U.S. and Iraqi forces during a mission to hand out educational flyers in the village of Ambulshabi, Iraq, Nov. 20, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Bendet

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Al-Sadr Threat Hangs Over Bush Trip - VIDEO
Shiite Gunmen Carry Out Revenge Attacks in Baghdad
Mosques torched after worst Iraq bombing - Video
U.S. tries broader approach to Iraq conflict
Shiites burn six Sunni worshippers alive
Bush keeps plans to meet with Iraqi PM
New savage twist to violence in Baghdad

Homeland Security / War on Terror
Dems won't find enacting 9/11 ideas easy
Bomb threat empties N. Ireland Assembly

Mid-East Ceasefire / Hamas Rising / Israel at War
Lebanon's political crisis heading for showdown
Haniyeh: Rocket fire to stop if Israel halts attacks - Video

Religion of Peace??
Somali Islamists accuse Ethiopia of war threat
Turkish police appeal for restraint in Pope protests

Worldwide Wackos
Russia Sending Missile Defense System to Iran

Media in the Media / Bloggers in the News
Cartoonist with fake gun arrested at Miami newspaper
"Black Friday" poised to be best in years - Video

Science / Nature
Arctic Gull Reportedly Seen in Southern California
Wash. ski resorts welcome snow

Oddities
Craigslist Web Site: Get Your Free Baby Here
Swingers swap sex partners in prudish Singapore
Ziggy the cat's 17-day journey from Israel to UK
Kazakh says Borat creator deserves prize

Other News of Note
Radioactive Poison Fallout
Investigators hunt other possible victims of'tiny nuclear bomb' that killed ex-KGB spy - VIDEO
Final Words of Dying Ex-Spy Point Finger at Putin
Desperate Search for Missing Kids
Paramilitary killer disrupts N.Irish self-rule talks - Video

Fox News
Dramatic Rescue for Racing Yacht at Sea
Wal-Mart Website Blacks Out on Black Friday
Tearoom Owner: God's Law Trumps Health Codes

Reuters: Top News
Rwanda cuts diplomatic ties with France - Video
Moscow out to harm NATO with release of files: Latvia
Bayer's GMO rice safe without oversight, USDA says
In U.S., women go wild for hunting
Rail fans wanted for national security
Ohio firm recalls turkey and ham
Cloned wheat gene boosts nutrition: USDA
Stones roll by U2 for top-grossing tour ever
Broadway legend Betty Comden dies
Stocks slide on dollar worries - Video
Dollar slides to 1-1/2-year low vs euro - Video
Oil rallies towards $60 on Nigeria, dollar
Isilon to sell 8.35 million shares at $8.50-$9.50 in IPO
Gold moves higher as weaker dollar spurs buying
Bond buyers and the dollar
Bears maul the dollar
Bracing for Democrat-led Congress
Carlyle group plans $5.5 bln bid for Taiwan's ASE
Corporate governance report cards prove tricky
Volvo recalls 360,000 cars for speed control bug
Eurotunnel plan seen approved if quorum reached
Family Dollar still unable to file annual report

AP World News
Gunman kills hostage in Chicago standoff
Separatists back PM's Quebec initiative
Men seek apology from ex-'Seinfeld' star
LSU clears Hogs from BCS title picture
Astros sign Carlos Lee, Woody Williams
The real Kramer: That's not me
Miami fires football coach Larry Coker
Renowned jazz singer Anita O'Day dies
DNA tests prompt review of '92 Ill. rape
3 killed in holiday shooting in Calif.

Military.com
Baghdad: "Senseless Violence" Peaks
Op-ed: Wrong Time for the Dems
Blog: Count Your Blessings
Def Tech: Another Bad Atomic Idea
Gear in the News: FFG7

CENTCOM: News Releases
FOUR TERRORISTS KILLED, SIX SUSPECTS DETAINED

ELEVEN TERRORISTS CAPTURED BY AFGHAN, COALITION FORCES

ONE TERRORIST KILLED, TWO DETAINED IN BALAD RAID

ISF CONDUCTS RAID AGAINST KIDNAPPING-MURDER CELL

ISF CONDUCTS RAID TO CAPTURE INSURGENT

ISF CONDUCTS RAID TO CAPTURE FOUR INSURGENTS

USJFCOM
Exercise preps 82nd Airborne Division staff for Afghanistan deployment
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
Forces Kill, Detain Terrorists - Story
For Top News Visit DefenseLink

ON THE GROUND
Soldiers in Baghdad Partake in Holiday Feast - Story
U.S. Troops Share Thanksgiving With Iraqis - Story
Gainey Visits Deployed Troops for Thanksgiving - Story - More Photos
Top Afghan Enlisted Soldier Helps NCO Corps - Story

IN IRAQ
Preparation Provides Key to Turkey Day in Iraq
Army’s BOLT Helps Secure Iraqis Future
New Iraq-Zakros Primary School to Open in Kirkuk

IN AFGHANISTAN
Training Center Prepares Future Afghan Soldiers
Aircraft Continue Missions Over Afghanistan
Engineers Dodge Explosives to Provide Services

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

CASUALTIES
Marines Killed; Casualties Identified - Story

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
1357 - Charles IV issues letter of protection of Jews of Strasbourg Alsace
1715 - The first English patent granted to an American, is issued for processing corn.
1758 - Britain captures Fort Duquesne (Pittsburgh).
1783 - Britain evacuates NY, their last military position in the U.S.
1817 - The first sword swallower in the U.S performs in NYC.
1841 - 35 Amistad survivors return to Africa.
1863 - Battle of Missionary Ridge, Tennessee.
1864 - The Confederate plot to burn NYC fails.
1867 - Alfred Nobel invents dynamite.
1884 - John B. Meyenberg of St. Louis patents evaporated milk.
1894 - The Greenback (Independent) Party organizes in Indianapolis.
1897 - Spain grants Puerto Rico autonomy.
1930 - 690 earthquake shocks are recorded in one day in Ito, Japan.
1933 - The first Soviet liquid rocket attains an altitude of 261' (80m).
1940 - The Patria steamer sinks, killing 200 outside of Haifa.
1947 - New Zealand accedes to the Statute of Westminster, becoming a dominion.
1948 - Fort Funston's 16-inch coastal guns are removed.
1957 - President Eisenhower suffers a mild stroke which impairs his speech.
1958 - Senegal becomes an autonomous state in the French Community.
1960 - The first atomic reactor for research and development opens in Richland, WA.
1963 - JFK is laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery, VA.
1967 - Puerto Rico is placed on Atlantic Standard Time.
1973 - A bloodless military coup ousts Greek President George Papadopoulos.
1975 - The Netherlands grants Surinam independence.
1976 - A Viking-1 radio signal from Mars helps prove the general theory of relativity.
1978 - An American Airlines DC-10 crashes on takeoff from Chicago, killing 275.
1983 - The Soyuz T-9 returns to Earth, 149 days after take-off; Syria and Saudi Arabia announce a cease-fire in the PLO civil war in Tripoli.
1984 - William Schroeder becomes the second to receive the Jarvik-7 artificial heart.
1986 - The Iran-Contra affair erupts, as President Reagan reveals a secret arms deal.
1988 - A widespread earthquake hits the northeastern U.S. and Canada; no damage is reported.
1990 - Lech Walesa wins in Poland's first popular election.

Birthdays
1835 - Andrew Carnegie, steel industrialist / library builder
1881 - John XXIII (Angelo Roncalli), 261st Pope (1958-63)
1893 - Robert Ripley, illustrator (Believe it or Not)
1895 - Anastas I. Mikoyan, member of the Supreme Soviet
1940 - Richard Furrer, astronaut (STS 22)
1960 - John F. Kennedy, Jr., lawyer, son of JFK

Passings
1885 - Thomas A. Hendricks, 21st U.S. VP, 8 months after taking office
1944 - Kenesaw Landis, baseball commisioner
1958 - Charles F. Kettering, inventor of the auto self-starter
1974 - U Thant, U.N. Secretary-General (1961-72)

Reported Missing in Action
1966
Gardner, Glenn V., US Army (CA); jumped overboard (suicide)

Niehouse, Daniel L., Civilian; employee of Ford Motor Company, on PRG DIC list April, 1967

1967
Abrams, Lewis Herbert, USMC (NJ); A6A shot down (w/Holdeman), remains returned June, 1997

Holdeman, Robert Eugene, USMC (IN); A6A shot down (w/Abrams), remains returned June, 1997

Midgett, Dewey A., US Army (VA); AWOL

Searfus, William Henry, USN (CA); A4E shot down, KIA, body not recovered

1968
Francisco, San Dewayne, USAF (WA); F4D shot down (w/Morrison)

Morrison, Joseph C., USAF (KY); F4D shot down (w/Francisco), shown KIA at crash site in pictures released by Vietnamese November, 1992

Stamm, Ernest Albert, USN (OR); RA5C shot down (w/Thum), remains returned March, 1974 (disputed)

Thum, Richard Cobb, USN (OH); RA5C shot down (w/Stamm), remains returned September, 1977

1971
Thomas, James R., USAF (FL); HH53C shot down